Over the past few months I have had some problems writing. I have just not been able to get what is in my head down on paper (or typed on a computer)... Maybe this offering will help to free the creative juices...
While I was a teen, I remember my mother telling me (with a bit of frustration and a little anger) that regularly on my father’s non-teaching days he would take me to work. Mom would come to check on her boys, and on several occasions found that Dad had allowed me to be taken away by some of the college girls. I was usually returned with a belly full of donuts and more often than not, a new stuffed animal. I could never have been in a better place than with people my Dad knew and loved, and who knew and loved him.
Mom was rarely pleased that Dad had allowed me to be taken out of his sight, much less off campus. For my Dad, there were few places safer than a college campus. These were places he spent time with his father, places he played, and made friendships that lasted for his lifetime.
At times it is much clearer than others that I am much more like my father than I care to admit. For me there are few places safer than the Church. I grew up playing among in the pews of the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist Churches of Clarendon. I matured under the care of saints in churches of Clarendon, Lubbock, and Lexington, KY. Many of those I am honored to call friends, I have not only met within the walls of Church but have been the Church with them outside its walls….
I noticed this past Wednesday as I was helping to serve our Fellowship Meal that my children who had been underfoot in the kitchen, were no longer there. As my gaze quickly scanned the Fellowship Hall my eyes eventually found all four of my children. They were being cared for by several who had come for our evening meal. Some by cared for them by choice, others by sitting in the wrong seat at the wrong table.
Since graduating from Seminary I have had the opportunity to have my children at work with me. Sometimes my children have been a tremendous help while they are with me in the office, at other times they are the biggest distraction that could ever walk thru the Church doors. Over the past few weeks I have had lots of opportunity to have Noah in the office with me, due to Rebecca finding herself away from the house a little more often. Whether it was in the First United Methodist Church of Amherst, or here at Clyde First United Methodist Church my family and I could not be in a better place with people we are getting to know and love, and who are getting to know and love us.
My hope for you is that when you Worship, or in joining others in allowing your hands and feet to be used by God, there is not a better or safer place for you to be surrounded by people who you are getting to know and love, and who are getting to know and love you.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
I sit down for a few minutes every morning to read the daily Abilene paper on my computer. Something the online paper has that the physical paper does not, is the ability to make a comment on an article. It does not really matter what the article is about, most comments about the article boil down to just a few topics. Some of the favorite topics boil down to:
1. Our elected or appointed officials are corrupt and are not leading us in the right direction.
2. You are not very intelligent for believing what you believe, and I am superior to you because I believe something different.
These are not my opinions; yet these seem to be what comes out in the comments about articles in the paper.
For one reason or another we are extremely hard on those that have been elected to serve or who have been appointed to serve our schools, communities, counties, state, etc…. We all do it. It is easy to criticize those who have been placed in a position of leadership. It is easy to believe that someone else could do a better job, or at least address my concerns, in a timely manner. It is easy to make accusations when the chances of anyone knowing who really made the comment are slim. How often do we complain about things going on in civic organization, our church, our school, etc. but never sit down with the powers that be to discuss the things we see wrong? We are quick to complain, but slow to bring these matters up with those who need to hear or can make a difference regarding our complaint/”observation.”
We don’t deal well with those who believe differently than we do. We believe differently about so many things, education, politics, religions, etc. At some point in time, having interactions with others who believe differently than we do has become a more combative interaction. We are all guilty of it. It may be co-workers from different generations, or people affiliated with different groups or organizations, etc., or we may come into contact with others who believe differently than we do. Most of us are at least somewhat polite to their face, but behind closed doors or in the confines of likeminded people we feel free to make them anything but human.
People do the same thing everywhere you go. To some extent, we distrust those who work to serve the greater good of our organization or community. We feel threatened or superior to those who believe differently than we do. But taking pot shots at others does not benefit the community we are a part of.
What are you going to do? Are you going to take pot shots at people from behind a computer screen, or at the local coffee shop, or the closest salon? Or are you going to take your concerns to someone that has the ability to make changes on a particular issue that concerns you?
1. Our elected or appointed officials are corrupt and are not leading us in the right direction.
2. You are not very intelligent for believing what you believe, and I am superior to you because I believe something different.
These are not my opinions; yet these seem to be what comes out in the comments about articles in the paper.
For one reason or another we are extremely hard on those that have been elected to serve or who have been appointed to serve our schools, communities, counties, state, etc…. We all do it. It is easy to criticize those who have been placed in a position of leadership. It is easy to believe that someone else could do a better job, or at least address my concerns, in a timely manner. It is easy to make accusations when the chances of anyone knowing who really made the comment are slim. How often do we complain about things going on in civic organization, our church, our school, etc. but never sit down with the powers that be to discuss the things we see wrong? We are quick to complain, but slow to bring these matters up with those who need to hear or can make a difference regarding our complaint/”observation.”
We don’t deal well with those who believe differently than we do. We believe differently about so many things, education, politics, religions, etc. At some point in time, having interactions with others who believe differently than we do has become a more combative interaction. We are all guilty of it. It may be co-workers from different generations, or people affiliated with different groups or organizations, etc., or we may come into contact with others who believe differently than we do. Most of us are at least somewhat polite to their face, but behind closed doors or in the confines of likeminded people we feel free to make them anything but human.
People do the same thing everywhere you go. To some extent, we distrust those who work to serve the greater good of our organization or community. We feel threatened or superior to those who believe differently than we do. But taking pot shots at others does not benefit the community we are a part of.
What are you going to do? Are you going to take pot shots at people from behind a computer screen, or at the local coffee shop, or the closest salon? Or are you going to take your concerns to someone that has the ability to make changes on a particular issue that concerns you?
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Loss...
Over the past week I have had a chance to chat with a couple of friends that I have not had a chance to connect with in a while. I almost had the chance to chat with a couple of other friends that I have not seen in a while; unfortunately our schedules didn’t allow it…
Of the friends I did not have a chance to connect with, one was a former college roommate, and the other one of my best friends from college, who was also my best man when I got married. They called me to let me know they were coming through Abilene and wanted to see if we could catch up. Their calls got me thinking about our time in college. We were young, we were ambitious, we thought we were going to turn the world upside down. I have not exactly turned the world upside down, but I have been able to do a few things I never thought I would be doing. But still, for a moment or two I could feel the loss of time, the loss of opportunities, dreams, etc. that I will never get back.
Of the friends that I did get to connect with, one was a former boss, and the other a friend who I worked with at a church in Lubbock. I was able to chat with my former boss on the phone for almost an hour. He was really more than a boss; he was another father figure in my life. After our conversation I thought a lot about the many things I was able to be a part of while working with him. But at the same time I also thought about many of the things I was not able to be a part of when I left working for him.
I was able to sit and talk with my friend and former coworker after a long day of meetings in Lubbock. We talked about our kids and our wives. We talked a little about our jobs. He made fun of me because I still cannot figure out all the features of my laptop and iphone. As I headed home from Lubbock I thought about our work together. There were things we dreamed of but never got to accomplish, there were also experiences we never expected that we were privileged to be a part of. But there were many thoughts that hauntingly reappeared reminding me of so many things that never got traction.
I wonder if those who go through a mid-life crisis have some of the same feelings I have had as I reminisced about my friends and our lives together. It really seems I should have done more in my life by now. I have some feelings of anxiousness, sadness, loss that so many things I want to accomplish are no where close to becoming a reality. I think too often life just moves on and we never acknowledge we have experienced a loss. We rarely take the time to mourn, to grieve the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s… This may be because we do not know how to grieve healthily. Too many of us have been raised to stuff our stuff deep down inside, forgetting that our stuff will come out one day and it is usually not very pretty when it does…
We all experience loss. At some time we will disconnect from a friend. At other times it is a loss of a dream or possibilities, or the loss of getting to continue to make our own decisions, etc. We need to acknowledge our losses, we need to grieve them in a constructive way. We also need to remember that of the many things we have lost, not been able to complete or accomplish, there are probably that many if not more things we have to celebrate being a part of, rejoicing that we were a part of something or many something’s we never thought possible.
Of the friends I did not have a chance to connect with, one was a former college roommate, and the other one of my best friends from college, who was also my best man when I got married. They called me to let me know they were coming through Abilene and wanted to see if we could catch up. Their calls got me thinking about our time in college. We were young, we were ambitious, we thought we were going to turn the world upside down. I have not exactly turned the world upside down, but I have been able to do a few things I never thought I would be doing. But still, for a moment or two I could feel the loss of time, the loss of opportunities, dreams, etc. that I will never get back.
Of the friends that I did get to connect with, one was a former boss, and the other a friend who I worked with at a church in Lubbock. I was able to chat with my former boss on the phone for almost an hour. He was really more than a boss; he was another father figure in my life. After our conversation I thought a lot about the many things I was able to be a part of while working with him. But at the same time I also thought about many of the things I was not able to be a part of when I left working for him.
I was able to sit and talk with my friend and former coworker after a long day of meetings in Lubbock. We talked about our kids and our wives. We talked a little about our jobs. He made fun of me because I still cannot figure out all the features of my laptop and iphone. As I headed home from Lubbock I thought about our work together. There were things we dreamed of but never got to accomplish, there were also experiences we never expected that we were privileged to be a part of. But there were many thoughts that hauntingly reappeared reminding me of so many things that never got traction.
I wonder if those who go through a mid-life crisis have some of the same feelings I have had as I reminisced about my friends and our lives together. It really seems I should have done more in my life by now. I have some feelings of anxiousness, sadness, loss that so many things I want to accomplish are no where close to becoming a reality. I think too often life just moves on and we never acknowledge we have experienced a loss. We rarely take the time to mourn, to grieve the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s… This may be because we do not know how to grieve healthily. Too many of us have been raised to stuff our stuff deep down inside, forgetting that our stuff will come out one day and it is usually not very pretty when it does…
We all experience loss. At some time we will disconnect from a friend. At other times it is a loss of a dream or possibilities, or the loss of getting to continue to make our own decisions, etc. We need to acknowledge our losses, we need to grieve them in a constructive way. We also need to remember that of the many things we have lost, not been able to complete or accomplish, there are probably that many if not more things we have to celebrate being a part of, rejoicing that we were a part of something or many something’s we never thought possible.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Waiting
We took our kids to a water park while on vacation this summer. Usually I stay in the small kiddie area with our two younger children while my wife takes our two older children to the big kid areas. My wife took some pity on me and let me take our oldest son to one of the newer slides. We stood in line for about 30 minutes, which I did not think was that bad of a wait for the new slide… However my oldest child thought the line was moving slower than a snail’s pace. I may have had a little different perspective than my oldest child, since just a few weeks before I had been to a different water park with Junior High and High School students from our Church. At that water park there were several slides/attractions that the wait was anywhere from 2 – 4 hours.
As my oldest child and I waited in line I heard myself utter something that only a parent says… “You know you are going to have to get used to standing in line, it’s just part of life.” I surprised myself by saying something so “parent.” But that statement got me to thinking…
While waiting in line is something most of us have to do on a regular basis, we are not very good at waiting. You would think that with all the lines we have to wait in, we would be a more patient people, but the opposite seems true. We seem to be less patient with others. We seem not to want to wait, even though somewhere deep inside we know we have to…
We have packed our lives so full of activities that to wait anywhere throws off our schedule. Even when we take time to relax or take a vacation, we don’t want to wait; we don’t want to be patient. For many of us the start of a new school year is a time we can start new activities/projects or pick up those things we laid aside for the summer. Maybe with a new school year we need to reevaluate what we do and why we do it. Maybe we need to stop doing a few things that for one reason or another, we have been roped into, so that we have more time for those things that are important to us.
We grow to be more patient as we choose to be patient. We are surrounded by those who choose to be impatient, but we can choose to be different, and as we choose to be different we might just be surprised at the difference we make in the lives of others.
As my oldest child and I waited in line I heard myself utter something that only a parent says… “You know you are going to have to get used to standing in line, it’s just part of life.” I surprised myself by saying something so “parent.” But that statement got me to thinking…
While waiting in line is something most of us have to do on a regular basis, we are not very good at waiting. You would think that with all the lines we have to wait in, we would be a more patient people, but the opposite seems true. We seem to be less patient with others. We seem not to want to wait, even though somewhere deep inside we know we have to…
We have packed our lives so full of activities that to wait anywhere throws off our schedule. Even when we take time to relax or take a vacation, we don’t want to wait; we don’t want to be patient. For many of us the start of a new school year is a time we can start new activities/projects or pick up those things we laid aside for the summer. Maybe with a new school year we need to reevaluate what we do and why we do it. Maybe we need to stop doing a few things that for one reason or another, we have been roped into, so that we have more time for those things that are important to us.
We grow to be more patient as we choose to be patient. We are surrounded by those who choose to be impatient, but we can choose to be different, and as we choose to be different we might just be surprised at the difference we make in the lives of others.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Commitment
We are bombarded regularly with requests to commit ourselves to one endeavor or another. I receive requests at least once a week, if not once a day, to give my time, my energy, or my money to someone or something. There are those that ask me to support an orphanage or a missionary, or research to find a cure for this disease, etc. There are very few requests that I look at and think “Seriously, you want me to consider giving my time, energy or money towards that?”
Over the last several decades the idea of committing ourselves to something has been watered down. While working on my master’s degree one of my professors recommended a book titled Bowling Alone. The author looked at the changes in our country over the past 60+ years. When our troops returned home from World War II there was a surge in people becoming a member of a group, committing their life to being a part of something. Most people were members of just a few groups because of the commitment required of these groups. In the decades that followed membership requirements of many groups/organizations were softened so that more people could become a member of their particular group. The effect was for a short amount of time membership in most groups went up, but the long term effect is that commitment has gone down.
I can “commit” myself to hundreds of groups/organizations… I can be a “member” of countless things… For the most part, all it requires of me is to make a regular donation of my money. I can be a part of groups and never attend a function, as long as they have received my regular financial contribution.
But, committing ourselves to something, being a member of something should require more of us. We should be more selective about what we give our time, our energy, and our financial resources to. There are countless groups that want a commitment from us, that want our membership, but how many of these groups are we truly passionate about? How many do we really want to give our time to? How many do we intend to exert energy for? How many will use our financial resources for projects that make a difference, and we are passionate about?
We can commit ourselves to many things, but not truly be a part of anything. We can be a member of many groups but not make a difference anywhere. We need to be more selective of who gets our time, who gets our resources, etc. So that what we commit to aligns with those areas we are passionate about making a difference in.
Over the last several decades the idea of committing ourselves to something has been watered down. While working on my master’s degree one of my professors recommended a book titled Bowling Alone. The author looked at the changes in our country over the past 60+ years. When our troops returned home from World War II there was a surge in people becoming a member of a group, committing their life to being a part of something. Most people were members of just a few groups because of the commitment required of these groups. In the decades that followed membership requirements of many groups/organizations were softened so that more people could become a member of their particular group. The effect was for a short amount of time membership in most groups went up, but the long term effect is that commitment has gone down.
I can “commit” myself to hundreds of groups/organizations… I can be a “member” of countless things… For the most part, all it requires of me is to make a regular donation of my money. I can be a part of groups and never attend a function, as long as they have received my regular financial contribution.
But, committing ourselves to something, being a member of something should require more of us. We should be more selective about what we give our time, our energy, and our financial resources to. There are countless groups that want a commitment from us, that want our membership, but how many of these groups are we truly passionate about? How many do we really want to give our time to? How many do we intend to exert energy for? How many will use our financial resources for projects that make a difference, and we are passionate about?
We can commit ourselves to many things, but not truly be a part of anything. We can be a member of many groups but not make a difference anywhere. We need to be more selective of who gets our time, who gets our resources, etc. So that what we commit to aligns with those areas we are passionate about making a difference in.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Making a Difference
I am a part of several groups, teams, and committees that discuss how to better meet the needs and serve those who live within the boundaries of our area. It was not long ago that I attend a meeting where we discussed meeting the needs of a specific demographic within our area. Everyone agreed that something needed to be done to meet the needs of this specific group.
It just so happened that we had several present from this demographic. Someone had the bright idea to ask them what it would take to begin working with them to meet their needs. These people began to open up about their lives and what it is that they need in their lives. I was a little surprised someone actually asked them the question. I was a little more surprised at how open these people were about how we could help. I was utterly shocked at the response by some of those seated around me.
I overheard a few people around me say something to the effect; “No one has ever done that for us, why should we do that for them?” Now I think that response was intended to be a whisper, but it did not come out that way.
It can be easy to point at the problems we experience in community, in organizations, in families, etc. It gets a little harder when prescriptions are put forward to make the group better, or healthier. Following a prescription usually requires that I make a change in my life. Change is not always easy. Change is especially difficult when the benefit of the change that is required doesn’t directly affect me.
It is an optimistic desire to want to help those we see that have a need. It is a selfish desire to want to meet their needs without it changing us. The question really comes down to, “Do I really want to make a difference?” I think most of us want things to be different in our community, in the organizations we are a part of, our families, etc., but are we willing to be a part of making the difference? If so, we need to make changes to our lives so that we have opportunities to help those around us.
It just so happened that we had several present from this demographic. Someone had the bright idea to ask them what it would take to begin working with them to meet their needs. These people began to open up about their lives and what it is that they need in their lives. I was a little surprised someone actually asked them the question. I was a little more surprised at how open these people were about how we could help. I was utterly shocked at the response by some of those seated around me.
I overheard a few people around me say something to the effect; “No one has ever done that for us, why should we do that for them?” Now I think that response was intended to be a whisper, but it did not come out that way.
It can be easy to point at the problems we experience in community, in organizations, in families, etc. It gets a little harder when prescriptions are put forward to make the group better, or healthier. Following a prescription usually requires that I make a change in my life. Change is not always easy. Change is especially difficult when the benefit of the change that is required doesn’t directly affect me.
It is an optimistic desire to want to help those we see that have a need. It is a selfish desire to want to meet their needs without it changing us. The question really comes down to, “Do I really want to make a difference?” I think most of us want things to be different in our community, in the organizations we are a part of, our families, etc., but are we willing to be a part of making the difference? If so, we need to make changes to our lives so that we have opportunities to help those around us.
Trust
Recently, following a meeting, a young man approached me. I have met this young man several times but he doesn’t ever seem to remember me. He motioned me to follow him out of ear shot of the rest of the group, so I followed him. He wanted to know more about one of the activities at the Church. About that time one of the people responsible for the activity walked by and I tried to introduce the two. The young man was more interested in discussing it with me; I thought because he knew who I was. It was not long before he confessed that he had been very nervous about coming and asking about the activity as he had really wanted to talk with the pastor of the church about the activity yet had gotten really nervous about talking to the pastor.
This evening I was with a different group. We were in a parking lot and needed a boost to get our vehicle started. The problem was that there were not many cars in the parking lot, and very few people seemed to be heading to a vehicle. I saw a lady with a young girl getting into an SUV. I called out to the lady and asked if she wouldn’t mind giving our vehicle a boost. She looked at me a little distrustfully and said, “I am really sorry, I don’t know how to do that, and would really prefer not to…” Now I don’t really blame this lady for not helping us. She was just trying to get her little one and herself into their vehicle and head home. The way she had looked at our group and especially at me, there seemed to be some distrust in her eyes.
It’s easy to say someone shouldn’t be nervous talking to me. When I look in the mirror the last thing I see is someone who evokes nervousness or distrust in others. I see someone who should be easy to talk to, someone who is worthy of placing trust in. Unfortunately, that is not how everyone else sees me. I hope that those that know me well see me this way, and I hope that those who don’t know me can see through my faults and see the me that is in there somewhere.… But we know ourselves, we know our friends. Others don’t, and most of us have grown up being taught to distrust strangers.
We often fear what we don’t know. I didn’t know the young man at the meeting very well, and I admit I was a little afraid of what he wanted to ask me. I had never seen the lady in the parking lot before and probably never will again, but I was a little hesitant to approach her to ask for help. I was even about to stop one of our group from approaching a foreign looking and sounding man. Yet it was this stranger who took of his own time to help us out of our predicament.
We can’t control how others perceive us. We can’t control if a stranger trusts us or not. We can however, act towards others how we hope to be treated. When someone needs help, you can stop to see what you can do for them. As difficult as it might be, trust someone who hasn’t earned your trust. We all find ourselves at times in different places with people we don’t know. In those times when we need help, we hope someone will come to our aid. We need to extend help to those who find themselves in a different place with unfamiliar people, to be the answer to their prayer, their hope in flesh, offering hands and feet to help…
This evening I was with a different group. We were in a parking lot and needed a boost to get our vehicle started. The problem was that there were not many cars in the parking lot, and very few people seemed to be heading to a vehicle. I saw a lady with a young girl getting into an SUV. I called out to the lady and asked if she wouldn’t mind giving our vehicle a boost. She looked at me a little distrustfully and said, “I am really sorry, I don’t know how to do that, and would really prefer not to…” Now I don’t really blame this lady for not helping us. She was just trying to get her little one and herself into their vehicle and head home. The way she had looked at our group and especially at me, there seemed to be some distrust in her eyes.
It’s easy to say someone shouldn’t be nervous talking to me. When I look in the mirror the last thing I see is someone who evokes nervousness or distrust in others. I see someone who should be easy to talk to, someone who is worthy of placing trust in. Unfortunately, that is not how everyone else sees me. I hope that those that know me well see me this way, and I hope that those who don’t know me can see through my faults and see the me that is in there somewhere.… But we know ourselves, we know our friends. Others don’t, and most of us have grown up being taught to distrust strangers.
We often fear what we don’t know. I didn’t know the young man at the meeting very well, and I admit I was a little afraid of what he wanted to ask me. I had never seen the lady in the parking lot before and probably never will again, but I was a little hesitant to approach her to ask for help. I was even about to stop one of our group from approaching a foreign looking and sounding man. Yet it was this stranger who took of his own time to help us out of our predicament.
We can’t control how others perceive us. We can’t control if a stranger trusts us or not. We can however, act towards others how we hope to be treated. When someone needs help, you can stop to see what you can do for them. As difficult as it might be, trust someone who hasn’t earned your trust. We all find ourselves at times in different places with people we don’t know. In those times when we need help, we hope someone will come to our aid. We need to extend help to those who find themselves in a different place with unfamiliar people, to be the answer to their prayer, their hope in flesh, offering hands and feet to help…
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Beauty...
It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
A story is told of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all of his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it, in his mind's eye, as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things outside there window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
The blind gentleman found beauty despite not being able to see. How many of us choose to ignore the beauty all around us despite the ability to see? How many of us choose to make the world a little more beautiful, a little more livable to those who can’t see for themselves?
A story is told of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all of his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it, in his mind's eye, as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things outside there window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
The blind gentleman found beauty despite not being able to see. How many of us choose to ignore the beauty all around us despite the ability to see? How many of us choose to make the world a little more beautiful, a little more livable to those who can’t see for themselves?
Beauty...
It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
A story is told of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all of his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it, in his mind's eye, as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things outside there window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
The blind gentleman found beauty despite not being able to see. How many of us choose to ignore the beauty all around us despite the ability to see? How many of us choose to make the world a little more beautiful, a little more livable to those who can’t see for themselves?
A story is told of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all of his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it, in his mind's eye, as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things outside there window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
The blind gentleman found beauty despite not being able to see. How many of us choose to ignore the beauty all around us despite the ability to see? How many of us choose to make the world a little more beautiful, a little more livable to those who can’t see for themselves?
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Dad...
I have a photo copied article on the wall above my computer. The article is about my Dad. The community I grew up in has a junior college. In the mid 90’s the president of the college wrote a weekly article for the paper. Shortly after my Dad passed away the president wrote the article about my Dad. Dr. Elliot mentioned the almost three decades my Dad invested as a teacher. He mentioned the countless students who were able to earn an Associate’s degree because my Dad took time out of his schedule to help his students understand chemistry and physics. He wrote a lot about how even after my Dad’s retirement, he would go up to the college and visit and encourage his former co-workers.
Every so often I look up at that article and reread what others remember about my Dad. In the article, Dr. Elliot asks these questions: “Did I make a difference? Did I leave this place a little better than I found it?”
At least once a year, I run into someone who took classes from my Dad, and more often than not they say that without his help they would not have passed chemistry of physics. I feel like my Dad left some pretty big shoes to fill. I remember the void he left in my life, and I can only assume to know what kind of void he left in the lives of others… For many my Dad did make a difference in their life. I think Dad did his best to leave our community, the college, and his friends a little better than he found them.
There are times I get overwhelmed, I look at all the things he did in his life for his students, his friends, his co-workers, and then I look at my own life… I will admit I have a little pity party for myself. I feel that I should be doing more with my life, that I should be impacting more people, that I should be able to see that I am making a difference… And then a moment of clarity comes and the party’s over. I remember that those were my Dad’s shoes to fill, not mine. I have my own shoes to grow into, to live into. All those good things I remember my Dad doing, those were his gifting’s, those were the things that brought meaning to his life. He was living into the man God made him to be. If I measure myself by what he did, I will never grow into the man God made me to be. If I try to fill my Dad’s shoes, whose life will I not touch because I was trying to be William Louis Ellerbrook instead of being Louis William Ellerbrook?
God makes each of us unique, and has given us different gifting’s and passions. Our families help us to grow up, to teach us, to love us… Live in your own life. Live into the person God made you to be. The world needs you. Not you trying to be someone else.
Every so often I look up at that article and reread what others remember about my Dad. In the article, Dr. Elliot asks these questions: “Did I make a difference? Did I leave this place a little better than I found it?”
At least once a year, I run into someone who took classes from my Dad, and more often than not they say that without his help they would not have passed chemistry of physics. I feel like my Dad left some pretty big shoes to fill. I remember the void he left in my life, and I can only assume to know what kind of void he left in the lives of others… For many my Dad did make a difference in their life. I think Dad did his best to leave our community, the college, and his friends a little better than he found them.
There are times I get overwhelmed, I look at all the things he did in his life for his students, his friends, his co-workers, and then I look at my own life… I will admit I have a little pity party for myself. I feel that I should be doing more with my life, that I should be impacting more people, that I should be able to see that I am making a difference… And then a moment of clarity comes and the party’s over. I remember that those were my Dad’s shoes to fill, not mine. I have my own shoes to grow into, to live into. All those good things I remember my Dad doing, those were his gifting’s, those were the things that brought meaning to his life. He was living into the man God made him to be. If I measure myself by what he did, I will never grow into the man God made me to be. If I try to fill my Dad’s shoes, whose life will I not touch because I was trying to be William Louis Ellerbrook instead of being Louis William Ellerbrook?
God makes each of us unique, and has given us different gifting’s and passions. Our families help us to grow up, to teach us, to love us… Live in your own life. Live into the person God made you to be. The world needs you. Not you trying to be someone else.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Out of the nest
It seems everywhere my family and I have gone over the past few weeks we have seen a baby bird on the ground. Now I assume that the majority of these little guys were blown out of their nests. However, I wonder if there were not a few who were gently kicked out of their nest.
For a bird, I assume, a nest is a comfortable place. It is where family is. It is where food is brought to them. It is a place where they have everything they need, at least for the first part of their life… But there comes a time when they must leave the nest, they must learn to fly; they must begin learning new lessons outside the nest that will help prepare them to have their own little bird family in the future.
Two weeks ago I had my first phone meeting with a coach that I have been assigned. This is not a coach that will get my body in shape, though I probably need one of those. This is a coach to help push me out of my comfort zones. To help me wade through the stuff I deal with. He is there to help me begin asking the right questions, and point me to resources to help move in the right direction. Most of the things my coach and I have discussed are things I have wanted to do, I have been planning to do. But when there is another person asking about how this or that is going, or how such and such is coming along, there is a bit more urgency to make progress, to show some movement in these areas…
Many of us need that urgency in our lives to begin. When I was around 5 my Mom babysat 2 kids. They had a pool at their house. I stayed in the shallow end of the pool, mainly because I became pretty nervous around that deeper end. One day the older boy (he was about 5 years older than I was) threw me into the deep end. I did not have time to think about how I really did not know how to swim, or what the proper swim stroke might be to get myself out of this jam (even if I had known any)… The only thought in my head was, get your head above the water. Once that was accomplished, the next objective was to keep it above the water. There was an urgency to get those things done. Once those first two objectives were met, things weren’t so bad. The scary end of the pool was not so scary any more.
Sometimes we find ourselves out of our comfort zone. We may have been blown out of our comfort zone where we have to learn to live where we find ourselves. We may be gently, or not so gently, kicked out of our nest to begin learning new lessons for life. We may have someone come along side us to help us to begin asking the right questions, moving in the right direction and encouraging us to take the next step to move forward. Or we may just have some bigger kid think it’s time for us to sink or swim… Sometimes we can resist being taken out of our comfort zone, other times we don’t have a choice. Either way, we need to learn what we can today so that we can continue to move forward tomorrow.
For a bird, I assume, a nest is a comfortable place. It is where family is. It is where food is brought to them. It is a place where they have everything they need, at least for the first part of their life… But there comes a time when they must leave the nest, they must learn to fly; they must begin learning new lessons outside the nest that will help prepare them to have their own little bird family in the future.
Two weeks ago I had my first phone meeting with a coach that I have been assigned. This is not a coach that will get my body in shape, though I probably need one of those. This is a coach to help push me out of my comfort zones. To help me wade through the stuff I deal with. He is there to help me begin asking the right questions, and point me to resources to help move in the right direction. Most of the things my coach and I have discussed are things I have wanted to do, I have been planning to do. But when there is another person asking about how this or that is going, or how such and such is coming along, there is a bit more urgency to make progress, to show some movement in these areas…
Many of us need that urgency in our lives to begin. When I was around 5 my Mom babysat 2 kids. They had a pool at their house. I stayed in the shallow end of the pool, mainly because I became pretty nervous around that deeper end. One day the older boy (he was about 5 years older than I was) threw me into the deep end. I did not have time to think about how I really did not know how to swim, or what the proper swim stroke might be to get myself out of this jam (even if I had known any)… The only thought in my head was, get your head above the water. Once that was accomplished, the next objective was to keep it above the water. There was an urgency to get those things done. Once those first two objectives were met, things weren’t so bad. The scary end of the pool was not so scary any more.
Sometimes we find ourselves out of our comfort zone. We may have been blown out of our comfort zone where we have to learn to live where we find ourselves. We may be gently, or not so gently, kicked out of our nest to begin learning new lessons for life. We may have someone come along side us to help us to begin asking the right questions, moving in the right direction and encouraging us to take the next step to move forward. Or we may just have some bigger kid think it’s time for us to sink or swim… Sometimes we can resist being taken out of our comfort zone, other times we don’t have a choice. Either way, we need to learn what we can today so that we can continue to move forward tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
RIght? Wrong?
Our Church has a softball team. We play a season in the Fall and in the Spring. It was not too many season ago that we won our Division in the Church League. This Spring Season our team has had several of our regular team members move away from the area, a few had work conflicts, one was deployed… This Season we were moved up a division from what we are used to playing.
This has been a rough season for our team both on and off the diamond. Many of our team members have had something traumatic happen off the field. For many seasons the diamond was a place we could come to and relieve some of the stuff that goes on in our lives. Not this season.
In the past when our team played a team that struggled we did our best not to run rule (if one team scores too much more than the other team, the game is called) the other team. We felt it was only right for our team and their team to play the full 50 minutes allotted us a game. This season in a different division with teams we haven’t played, or haven’t played in a while, we were not shown the same courtesy. Of the 9 games we have played, we only played one complete game. The other eight games we were run ruled. We had several on our team say it is wrong of the other team to run rule us, to not let us get to play our full 50 minutes...
You have heard it before, not everything is black and white. More often than not, it is more about what we value and what they value. Our value was to go out and have a good time, to play our allotted time and enjoy the time we had together. Many of the teams we played this season, their value was to play at the highest level they could, no matter what that did to the other team… We are not necessarily right, and they are not necessarily wrong, each team valued something differently.
Too often in our lives we call things right and wrong when it is really an issue of values. Someone values something differently than we do. Our knee jerk reaction is to say they are in the wrong, how can they not see things my way… More often than not it’s because they place a different value on it. What arguments or conflicts have you been in recently? If we can take a step back and try to see the situation from a higher vantage point we may find that the argument or the conflict was not so much about who was right and who was wrong, but more about valuing something differently. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is a right and there is a wrong, but too often we confuse right and wrong with preferences and values. Next time you get into an argument, as hard as this might be, you might try seeing things from a different perspective, you might just find it’s not a right or wrong argument but where you are placing your values…
This has been a rough season for our team both on and off the diamond. Many of our team members have had something traumatic happen off the field. For many seasons the diamond was a place we could come to and relieve some of the stuff that goes on in our lives. Not this season.
In the past when our team played a team that struggled we did our best not to run rule (if one team scores too much more than the other team, the game is called) the other team. We felt it was only right for our team and their team to play the full 50 minutes allotted us a game. This season in a different division with teams we haven’t played, or haven’t played in a while, we were not shown the same courtesy. Of the 9 games we have played, we only played one complete game. The other eight games we were run ruled. We had several on our team say it is wrong of the other team to run rule us, to not let us get to play our full 50 minutes...
You have heard it before, not everything is black and white. More often than not, it is more about what we value and what they value. Our value was to go out and have a good time, to play our allotted time and enjoy the time we had together. Many of the teams we played this season, their value was to play at the highest level they could, no matter what that did to the other team… We are not necessarily right, and they are not necessarily wrong, each team valued something differently.
Too often in our lives we call things right and wrong when it is really an issue of values. Someone values something differently than we do. Our knee jerk reaction is to say they are in the wrong, how can they not see things my way… More often than not it’s because they place a different value on it. What arguments or conflicts have you been in recently? If we can take a step back and try to see the situation from a higher vantage point we may find that the argument or the conflict was not so much about who was right and who was wrong, but more about valuing something differently. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is a right and there is a wrong, but too often we confuse right and wrong with preferences and values. Next time you get into an argument, as hard as this might be, you might try seeing things from a different perspective, you might just find it’s not a right or wrong argument but where you are placing your values…
Letting Go
Our kids will soon finish another school year. For my family, this ending is a little different. It is different because it brings on another first for our oldest. Our oldest will be at the Intermediate school next year. I was very impressed that the soon to be Intermediate School students were given a tour of what will be their new school. I was also very impressed that some of the 5th graders assisted in the tour. Now I am not usually one who dwells on these things, but this change makes me a little anxious.
Remembering back to when I was my son’s age, I changed a whole lot. My Mom began to give me more responsibility. Mom would send me to the store to pick up a few things that she needed. It became my responsibility to mow the yard, to make sure my pet was taken care of, etc. My Mom also gave me a little more freedom. I could go for a bike ride, which eventually took me all over town. I could meet my friends down at the park and play all afternoon.
Thinking about giving my oldest the same responsibilities and freedoms is what makes me a little anxious. Is he ready for those same responsibilities and freedoms? I don’t think he is, but then I have to ask myself if I am holding him back? Did my Mom have the same anxiousness that I am now experiencing? Did she question her own judgment the first time she let me ride my bike out of sight? Did she have to say yes through gritted teeth to things she really wanted to say no to, because she knew I needed the experience to grow up? Am I not affording him the same opportunity?
There are times in our lives we must choose to let go (at least a little). As a child, a parent, an employee, a boss, etc., we have to let go of those things we find comfort in, so that we are able to grow. I have to let go of my children so they can grow up. My children will have to let go of me so they can grow up. I have to let those who work with me go so they can grow in their competencies. And at the same time, I have to begin letting go of the safety net of those I work for to grow in my competence…
Do you find it hard to let go? Do you find it hard to let your children begin to make decisions on their own, to have increased responsibility, increased freedom? It may not be so much about them as it is about us. Maybe it is more about our own anxiousness over our changing role than it is about theirs… Change happens all the time. Do we struggle against it and not allow it take us where it needs to? Or do we embrace change and begin to determine where it will take us, and live in where it will lead us?
Remembering back to when I was my son’s age, I changed a whole lot. My Mom began to give me more responsibility. Mom would send me to the store to pick up a few things that she needed. It became my responsibility to mow the yard, to make sure my pet was taken care of, etc. My Mom also gave me a little more freedom. I could go for a bike ride, which eventually took me all over town. I could meet my friends down at the park and play all afternoon.
Thinking about giving my oldest the same responsibilities and freedoms is what makes me a little anxious. Is he ready for those same responsibilities and freedoms? I don’t think he is, but then I have to ask myself if I am holding him back? Did my Mom have the same anxiousness that I am now experiencing? Did she question her own judgment the first time she let me ride my bike out of sight? Did she have to say yes through gritted teeth to things she really wanted to say no to, because she knew I needed the experience to grow up? Am I not affording him the same opportunity?
There are times in our lives we must choose to let go (at least a little). As a child, a parent, an employee, a boss, etc., we have to let go of those things we find comfort in, so that we are able to grow. I have to let go of my children so they can grow up. My children will have to let go of me so they can grow up. I have to let those who work with me go so they can grow in their competencies. And at the same time, I have to begin letting go of the safety net of those I work for to grow in my competence…
Do you find it hard to let go? Do you find it hard to let your children begin to make decisions on their own, to have increased responsibility, increased freedom? It may not be so much about them as it is about us. Maybe it is more about our own anxiousness over our changing role than it is about theirs… Change happens all the time. Do we struggle against it and not allow it take us where it needs to? Or do we embrace change and begin to determine where it will take us, and live in where it will lead us?
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Remembering My Baptism
Our Church recently celebrated with seven of our youth and children the sacrament (sacred moment) of Baptism. I have spent time with several of these over the past few months in a process of confirmation (a process of strengthening their faith).
As the day of their baptism grew closer, I began to think of my own confirmation and baptism. There were many in my community who impacted my life in positive ways. I had Sunday School teachers, Youth ministry leaders/volunteers, Boy Scout leaders, Teachers, Band Directors, etc. that had an impact on my life.
On the day of my baptism, three people really stand out. One was my pastor. He was appointed to our church for eight years. He impacted my life in many ways. He ministered to my family as my Mom and Dad both faced life with cancer. He also ministered to my family as we grieved their death but also celebrated their life. Another was a man who was transitioning into being the Youth Director for our church. He served in that position for a short time, but our lives crossed paths again when I moved to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech. He was the pastor of the church I attended in Lubbock, and he took me under his wing and was a guide that helped me discern what direction my life would take. The other was the man who was transitioning from being the Youth Director of our church. He spent several summers working with the Jr High and High School kids in the Church and community. He opened my eyes to possibilities that existed, if I just took the time to open my eyes to see them. At the time I could not really see how they were changing my life, but looking back, I can see how their influence has changed me.
These three men, and a host of others were on my mind as I remembered my own baptism, while helping to create a baptism memory for the seven that came before our church. I hope that what I do is making an impression on them. I hope that one day they will be able look back and see the influence myself and others had on their lives.
Who are the people that have influenced and impacted your life? A Coach? A Teacher? An Employer? A Neighbor? A Pastor? Who? Are you making the time in your life to influence and impact the life of someone else?
We can always hope someone else will take the time to make a difference. We can always hope someone else will step up to the challenge. But who misses out on being changed, being influenced or impacted when you and I don’t?
As the day of their baptism grew closer, I began to think of my own confirmation and baptism. There were many in my community who impacted my life in positive ways. I had Sunday School teachers, Youth ministry leaders/volunteers, Boy Scout leaders, Teachers, Band Directors, etc. that had an impact on my life.
On the day of my baptism, three people really stand out. One was my pastor. He was appointed to our church for eight years. He impacted my life in many ways. He ministered to my family as my Mom and Dad both faced life with cancer. He also ministered to my family as we grieved their death but also celebrated their life. Another was a man who was transitioning into being the Youth Director for our church. He served in that position for a short time, but our lives crossed paths again when I moved to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech. He was the pastor of the church I attended in Lubbock, and he took me under his wing and was a guide that helped me discern what direction my life would take. The other was the man who was transitioning from being the Youth Director of our church. He spent several summers working with the Jr High and High School kids in the Church and community. He opened my eyes to possibilities that existed, if I just took the time to open my eyes to see them. At the time I could not really see how they were changing my life, but looking back, I can see how their influence has changed me.
These three men, and a host of others were on my mind as I remembered my own baptism, while helping to create a baptism memory for the seven that came before our church. I hope that what I do is making an impression on them. I hope that one day they will be able look back and see the influence myself and others had on their lives.
Who are the people that have influenced and impacted your life? A Coach? A Teacher? An Employer? A Neighbor? A Pastor? Who? Are you making the time in your life to influence and impact the life of someone else?
We can always hope someone else will take the time to make a difference. We can always hope someone else will step up to the challenge. But who misses out on being changed, being influenced or impacted when you and I don’t?
Lunch Mistake
There are times I get so focused on what I am doing that I miss something more important. Recently I was volunteering at the school. I was there to volunteer my time and hopefully be a help to the teachers and staff at the school. One of the teachers approached me to tell me that one of my children was waiting for me to come eat with them.
I messed up. I was so focused on giving of my time to the school, I missed an opportunity my child was asking to have with me. In my head I was there to be a help to the school. That is what I was focused on. It didn’t occur to me that I could/should take a few minutes to spend with my child as they ate.
It is easy to be so focused, we miss important opportunities. Will my child bear an emotional scar because I did not take the time to eat with them? Probably not. But my child was asking for me. My child wanted my time and my attention. Because I was so focused on what I was doing, I missed an opportunity to be with my child.
How often do we miss moments because we are too focused? What is it that we miss out on because our focus becomes like a pair of blinders? Moments seem so inconsequential. Moments are so quick, so small they seem to not matter. Moments are what make a difference in lives. Moments are what change history. We live in a society that is so busy, so focused, that too often we miss having an impact, making a difference, giving time, love, attention, etc.
May you take moments to make a difference. May you be able to see the big picture and where you are needed most. May others be changed because you took a moment and changed a life!
I messed up. I was so focused on giving of my time to the school, I missed an opportunity my child was asking to have with me. In my head I was there to be a help to the school. That is what I was focused on. It didn’t occur to me that I could/should take a few minutes to spend with my child as they ate.
It is easy to be so focused, we miss important opportunities. Will my child bear an emotional scar because I did not take the time to eat with them? Probably not. But my child was asking for me. My child wanted my time and my attention. Because I was so focused on what I was doing, I missed an opportunity to be with my child.
How often do we miss moments because we are too focused? What is it that we miss out on because our focus becomes like a pair of blinders? Moments seem so inconsequential. Moments are so quick, so small they seem to not matter. Moments are what make a difference in lives. Moments are what change history. We live in a society that is so busy, so focused, that too often we miss having an impact, making a difference, giving time, love, attention, etc.
May you take moments to make a difference. May you be able to see the big picture and where you are needed most. May others be changed because you took a moment and changed a life!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Decisions...
One of the things I enjoy the most about my job, is that I get to work with children and youth. One of the things I enjoy most about working with children and youth is that each year, I have the opportunity to spend at least two months discussing history and faith.
I enjoy history. I like finding the connexions between different events that lead up to what we do or why we do what we do in today’s society. Over the past 8 weeks, I have met with four of our youth each Sunday. I have enjoyed getting to know them better, allowing them to get to know me better, and helping them learn about history and about our faith. A lot of history, especially church history, is about how the choices or decisions of someone have ripples that still affect others today. This is a topic we came back to often.
A Rule (a way of measuring how we are doing) attributed to the leader of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, was:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can.
This Rule was a way to remind the people called Methodist that the decisions they made in the past must be lived out into the present and beyond. I know in my own life it is easy to choose to do something good, yet it is much more difficult to choose to do good in all that I do… I know that I need reminders in my life to help me remember choices and decisions I have made in the past, so that I can continue to honor them in the present and beyond.
There are some decisions that I no longer have to be reminded of. They have become a part of my life. I don’t have to be reminded I am a husband and a dad. Because of those choices, there are choices and decisions I don’t have to make because of those decisions I have already made. I cannot choose to fall in love with a woman other than my wife. I made that choice eleven years ago. We chose to have four kids. We cannot now chose to be the parents of only two of them.
There are days it would be much easier not to stay committed to decisions that were made. There are days it seems easier to just quit and start over. We grow or mature when we choose to live out decisions we’ve made.
How are you reminded of the decisions you’ve made (anniversary’s, etc.)? Are there decisions you have made that you find it hard to live out? Press on, grow, and see the difference you make….
I enjoy history. I like finding the connexions between different events that lead up to what we do or why we do what we do in today’s society. Over the past 8 weeks, I have met with four of our youth each Sunday. I have enjoyed getting to know them better, allowing them to get to know me better, and helping them learn about history and about our faith. A lot of history, especially church history, is about how the choices or decisions of someone have ripples that still affect others today. This is a topic we came back to often.
A Rule (a way of measuring how we are doing) attributed to the leader of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, was:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can.
This Rule was a way to remind the people called Methodist that the decisions they made in the past must be lived out into the present and beyond. I know in my own life it is easy to choose to do something good, yet it is much more difficult to choose to do good in all that I do… I know that I need reminders in my life to help me remember choices and decisions I have made in the past, so that I can continue to honor them in the present and beyond.
There are some decisions that I no longer have to be reminded of. They have become a part of my life. I don’t have to be reminded I am a husband and a dad. Because of those choices, there are choices and decisions I don’t have to make because of those decisions I have already made. I cannot choose to fall in love with a woman other than my wife. I made that choice eleven years ago. We chose to have four kids. We cannot now chose to be the parents of only two of them.
There are days it would be much easier not to stay committed to decisions that were made. There are days it seems easier to just quit and start over. We grow or mature when we choose to live out decisions we’ve made.
How are you reminded of the decisions you’ve made (anniversary’s, etc.)? Are there decisions you have made that you find it hard to live out? Press on, grow, and see the difference you make….
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Health Warnings
My daughter made me a get well card yesterday. I have been sick for a little over a week, longer than I chose to recognize I was sick. I noticed a few of the signs early, but chose to ignore or explain them away. I don’t like being sick. I don’t like my wife or kids to know I am sick, because they worry, and in my role as Dad and Husband they shouldn’t worry about me (at least that is the understanding of the roles of Father/Husband I picked up on from an early age, and am slowly learning they might not be the healthiest understanding of my roles…). I don’t like to miss work. I like what I do (at least most days).
Over the past two years though, I have been sick more than I have in my life, at least that’s the way it feels. I would like to blame it on my environment, but I figure that is not really the answer. I think the truthful answer is that my body is maturing (I am told that’s just another way of saying getting older) and it can’t continue to be put through the unhealthy lifestyle of my late teens and twenties.
Over the past two years I have slowly started to learn my body gives me signs when I am about to get sick. Sometimes I heed the warnings, but often times I choose to ignore them or explain them away. When I choose to listen to the warnings I don’t get as sick, my wife and kids don’t have to worry (as much), I don’t have to miss doing the things I enjoy…
It is healthier for us to listen to the warnings signs of our bodies, our relationships, etc. But most of us have not taken the time to learn what those warning signs are, or we choose to ignore them. Too many of us have falsely believed we can just power through getting sick or conflict or whatever. Many of us choose to live and relate unhealthily, and eventually it does catch up to us. Our bodies and our relationships will only take so much. Eventually our bodies will make us stop and attempt to recover. Eventually those that we are in relationship with will say enough. Have you taken the time to learn the warning signs of your life? Do you chose to listen to those signs? When we don’t, we suffer when we don’t have to, and those around us go through stuff they don’t have to….
Over the past two years though, I have been sick more than I have in my life, at least that’s the way it feels. I would like to blame it on my environment, but I figure that is not really the answer. I think the truthful answer is that my body is maturing (I am told that’s just another way of saying getting older) and it can’t continue to be put through the unhealthy lifestyle of my late teens and twenties.
Over the past two years I have slowly started to learn my body gives me signs when I am about to get sick. Sometimes I heed the warnings, but often times I choose to ignore them or explain them away. When I choose to listen to the warnings I don’t get as sick, my wife and kids don’t have to worry (as much), I don’t have to miss doing the things I enjoy…
It is healthier for us to listen to the warnings signs of our bodies, our relationships, etc. But most of us have not taken the time to learn what those warning signs are, or we choose to ignore them. Too many of us have falsely believed we can just power through getting sick or conflict or whatever. Many of us choose to live and relate unhealthily, and eventually it does catch up to us. Our bodies and our relationships will only take so much. Eventually our bodies will make us stop and attempt to recover. Eventually those that we are in relationship with will say enough. Have you taken the time to learn the warning signs of your life? Do you chose to listen to those signs? When we don’t, we suffer when we don’t have to, and those around us go through stuff they don’t have to….
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Hope
This past week a mother and son came by the Church in need of help. There was something in this Mom’s face that spoke volumes. It said she had had a rough few days. It said she was concerned about what was going to happen next. It said she worried that her son would realize how stressed she was about their situation.
I have seen that before. I don’t remember how old I was, and I am not sure where we had been, but I saw that same look on my Mom’s face many years ago. It was some time after my Mom and Dad divorced, but still in a time where things are a little fuzzy. My Mom, my brother, and I were headed home from somewhere. I don’t remember from where or why we had gone there… It was dark outside, I had fallen asleep on the back seat, and my brother had fallen asleep in the back floor board (back when we did not have to sit in car seats or even wear a seat belt). I began to wake up, I think because Mom was crying. Mom made an excuse that she needed a potty break, to stop at an Allsup’s. I was beginning to wake up when Mom went into Allsup’s. She told me she needed to use the restroom, but she never did. She stayed at the front of the store talking with the clerk. I could see she was crying, but not sure why. I later found out we were out of gas and out of money. When Mom walked back out to the car, there was that look. The look that said the future was uncertain. The look that said she was concerned that she had two sons in the car with no gas and no money. The look that said, how could I have gotten us into this situation…
Mom got back in the car and just sat there for what seemed like forever to this little boy, but was probably not more than a few minutes. I do not know if she was trying to figure out what to do next or what. Eventually a police officer stopped at Allsup’s for his evening snack. As he paid for his items, the cashier pointed out to the old blue Oldsmobile, with the crying woman and two little boys. As the police officer came out, he headed in our direction. Mom got out of the car and went towards him. They talked for a few minutes. The officer went back to his car and Mom climbed back in to ours. The police officer slowly drove around to where we were parked. Mom slowly backed our car out and followed the officer, muttering under her breath, “Please make it, please make it, just a little further…” The officer stopped in front of a large metal barn and motioned for my mom to pull around to the side. He filled up our car with gas, talked with Mom for a few minutes, handed her a few pieces of paper with phone numbers in case we needed additional help before reached home.
When Mom got back in to the car, there was a different look on her face. Hope. Hope that tomorrow would be a new day. Hope that things were not as bad as they seemed in this moment… That officer was a bearer of hope that night. At the time I did not understand what was going on, and to be honest I am still not sure what was going on, but that man offered an unfamiliar woman hope, and that hope made a difference.
I pray that the staff and I offered hope to the mom and son that stopped by our church last week. I pray we were a calm in the chaos they found themselves in. These opportunities do not happen every day. When the time comes, are you prepared to offer hope to those who desperately need it? It is an inconvenience to stop our busy lives to attend to those in need, but it shows our character, our humanity, when we do so to make a difference in their lives…
I have seen that before. I don’t remember how old I was, and I am not sure where we had been, but I saw that same look on my Mom’s face many years ago. It was some time after my Mom and Dad divorced, but still in a time where things are a little fuzzy. My Mom, my brother, and I were headed home from somewhere. I don’t remember from where or why we had gone there… It was dark outside, I had fallen asleep on the back seat, and my brother had fallen asleep in the back floor board (back when we did not have to sit in car seats or even wear a seat belt). I began to wake up, I think because Mom was crying. Mom made an excuse that she needed a potty break, to stop at an Allsup’s. I was beginning to wake up when Mom went into Allsup’s. She told me she needed to use the restroom, but she never did. She stayed at the front of the store talking with the clerk. I could see she was crying, but not sure why. I later found out we were out of gas and out of money. When Mom walked back out to the car, there was that look. The look that said the future was uncertain. The look that said she was concerned that she had two sons in the car with no gas and no money. The look that said, how could I have gotten us into this situation…
Mom got back in the car and just sat there for what seemed like forever to this little boy, but was probably not more than a few minutes. I do not know if she was trying to figure out what to do next or what. Eventually a police officer stopped at Allsup’s for his evening snack. As he paid for his items, the cashier pointed out to the old blue Oldsmobile, with the crying woman and two little boys. As the police officer came out, he headed in our direction. Mom got out of the car and went towards him. They talked for a few minutes. The officer went back to his car and Mom climbed back in to ours. The police officer slowly drove around to where we were parked. Mom slowly backed our car out and followed the officer, muttering under her breath, “Please make it, please make it, just a little further…” The officer stopped in front of a large metal barn and motioned for my mom to pull around to the side. He filled up our car with gas, talked with Mom for a few minutes, handed her a few pieces of paper with phone numbers in case we needed additional help before reached home.
When Mom got back in to the car, there was a different look on her face. Hope. Hope that tomorrow would be a new day. Hope that things were not as bad as they seemed in this moment… That officer was a bearer of hope that night. At the time I did not understand what was going on, and to be honest I am still not sure what was going on, but that man offered an unfamiliar woman hope, and that hope made a difference.
I pray that the staff and I offered hope to the mom and son that stopped by our church last week. I pray we were a calm in the chaos they found themselves in. These opportunities do not happen every day. When the time comes, are you prepared to offer hope to those who desperately need it? It is an inconvenience to stop our busy lives to attend to those in need, but it shows our character, our humanity, when we do so to make a difference in their lives…
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A Rattail and an Earring...
When I was younger, my Mom made sure that my brother’s and my hair was cut regularly and that we were presentable. My aunt cut hair for a living, and one of my Mom’s really good friends was in charge of the School of Cosmetology at our local Junior College. My Mom had her definition of what a “presentable” young man should look like, and if I ever wanted to make a change to my presentation she would ask, “How would you look in a suit?” or “Would you really want to go to church like that?” That was usually the end of me trying to make a change. I never really thought of it, but rarely did I have a suit to wear, and if I did I rarely wore it. Once in Junior High, Mom let me walk to get my hair cut. All my friends were growing rattails, so since Mom was not with me I told the lady cutting my hair I was going to grow a rattail. I walked back proudly having made my decision. However as soon as Mom saw it she made me turn around and walk back and get my hair cut again.
After my Mom passed away, I continued to get my hair cut in the same way and try to dress in a way that was her type of “presentable.” I could still hear her voice asking me, “How would you look in a suit?” Over the years I did let my hair get a little longer than she would have liked. During a few “rebellious” months I parted my hair in a different place and had an earring. It wasn’t until after I got married that I really made some changes. My wife wanted me to have my hair cut much differently than how my Mom would have liked it. I felt like I was doing something wrong by not getting my hair cut the way Mom would have wanted it.
Last fall my wife said she wanted me to grow my hair out. So, I let my hair grow much longer than I have ever let it grow. Recently my wife told me she decided she didn’t like it long. So, I cut it off. Over the past few months I have had people tell me they liked my longer locks or they disliked my locks. Some thought my longer locks made me look younger; others have said I look more “presentable” without them.
We all have voices that speak into our lives. Sometimes those voices inhibit what we do, at other times they spur us forward. Sometimes the voices compete with each other. Part of growing up is learning which voices to listen to, and which voices not to. Have you been listening to the right voices? Maybe you find yourself where you are because of the voices you have listened to. Maybe it is time to stop listening to certain voices and start listening to others. It may be time to stop listening to the voices that want to mold you into how they think you should be, so that you can listen to the voices that encourage you to live into the person you were created to be.
After my Mom passed away, I continued to get my hair cut in the same way and try to dress in a way that was her type of “presentable.” I could still hear her voice asking me, “How would you look in a suit?” Over the years I did let my hair get a little longer than she would have liked. During a few “rebellious” months I parted my hair in a different place and had an earring. It wasn’t until after I got married that I really made some changes. My wife wanted me to have my hair cut much differently than how my Mom would have liked it. I felt like I was doing something wrong by not getting my hair cut the way Mom would have wanted it.
Last fall my wife said she wanted me to grow my hair out. So, I let my hair grow much longer than I have ever let it grow. Recently my wife told me she decided she didn’t like it long. So, I cut it off. Over the past few months I have had people tell me they liked my longer locks or they disliked my locks. Some thought my longer locks made me look younger; others have said I look more “presentable” without them.
We all have voices that speak into our lives. Sometimes those voices inhibit what we do, at other times they spur us forward. Sometimes the voices compete with each other. Part of growing up is learning which voices to listen to, and which voices not to. Have you been listening to the right voices? Maybe you find yourself where you are because of the voices you have listened to. Maybe it is time to stop listening to certain voices and start listening to others. It may be time to stop listening to the voices that want to mold you into how they think you should be, so that you can listen to the voices that encourage you to live into the person you were created to be.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Ashes...
The Season of Lent has begun. You might have seen some of your co-workers, neighbors, etc. with a gray-ish smudge on their foreheads yesterday. In my faith tradition, Lent is a time to take stock of our lives and make decisions on how to make changes so that our lives more closely reflect our beliefs.
Some people use the Season of Lent to eliminate bad habits from their life, or to become healthier, or to spend more time with family… For many Lent has become a time for giving something up. Lent is meant to be a time for us to once again take stock of our lives, what is good and what needs changing.
For many of us we want our lives to be better. We want our relationships to be healthier. We want our waist lines to be smaller. We want our lives to be different in some way, but our lives are so busy it becomes difficult to find time to not only think about how different our lives could be but what we need to do to live into those desires.
Those who lived before us saw wisdom in taking different seasons of the year to focus on something area of our lives. They came to realize if we don’t focus on something we will fail to focus on anything. For me, Lent has become less about giving up something and more about giving myself to something. For me, giving up soft drinks or television just to give something up might not be the best use of this season. But, trying to become a better husband, or a better father, or friend might be much more beneficial. I know if I gave up soft drinks, at the end of Lent I would resume this consumption. But if I become a better husband I’m not going to slip back into being less of a husband.
I hope that you find a way to take advantage of this season, and your life becomes more complete by the focus of the season.
Some people use the Season of Lent to eliminate bad habits from their life, or to become healthier, or to spend more time with family… For many Lent has become a time for giving something up. Lent is meant to be a time for us to once again take stock of our lives, what is good and what needs changing.
For many of us we want our lives to be better. We want our relationships to be healthier. We want our waist lines to be smaller. We want our lives to be different in some way, but our lives are so busy it becomes difficult to find time to not only think about how different our lives could be but what we need to do to live into those desires.
Those who lived before us saw wisdom in taking different seasons of the year to focus on something area of our lives. They came to realize if we don’t focus on something we will fail to focus on anything. For me, Lent has become less about giving up something and more about giving myself to something. For me, giving up soft drinks or television just to give something up might not be the best use of this season. But, trying to become a better husband, or a better father, or friend might be much more beneficial. I know if I gave up soft drinks, at the end of Lent I would resume this consumption. But if I become a better husband I’m not going to slip back into being less of a husband.
I hope that you find a way to take advantage of this season, and your life becomes more complete by the focus of the season.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Your Creation...
This last Sunday my youngest son came home from Church with a paper plate. But this wasn’t just any paper plate. This is a paper plate that he created an angel on during his time in our Church’s Nursery. Well, he created in as much as a 2 year old can; he had some help from those watching over him. Someone traced his foot on a paper plate to make the body of the angel. He had some help bending pipe cleaners for wings and a mouth. He had some help gluing on little fuzz balls, googley eyes, and glitter. But this is his angel, and he is sooooo proud of it. He has been walking around showing each of us his angel. He has been trying to tell us about his angel (in a way that only a 2 year old can). He is proud of his creation and he wants to show everyone.
When is the last time you were proud of something you accomplished? When is that last time you did something and could not wait to tell everyone about it, or show others what you were able to accomplish? Each one of us was created uniquely. Each one of us was given abilities, talents, gifts to use and share with the world. Not all of us are able to make plate angels. Not all of us can fix a car or a lawn mower. Not all of us can prepare a meal. Not all of us can speak up for those that do not have a voice. Not all of us can teach children. Not all of us can… But, each one of us can do something! And that something we can do should give us some pride. If there is not anything we have done that we are proud of, it is possible that we are not using our gifts, or at least not using our gifts to benefit the world.
May there be something in your life that you can’t wait to show others. May there be something you are doing that you can’t stop telling others about. Be proud of what you can do, because you may be the only person that can….
When is the last time you were proud of something you accomplished? When is that last time you did something and could not wait to tell everyone about it, or show others what you were able to accomplish? Each one of us was created uniquely. Each one of us was given abilities, talents, gifts to use and share with the world. Not all of us are able to make plate angels. Not all of us can fix a car or a lawn mower. Not all of us can prepare a meal. Not all of us can speak up for those that do not have a voice. Not all of us can teach children. Not all of us can… But, each one of us can do something! And that something we can do should give us some pride. If there is not anything we have done that we are proud of, it is possible that we are not using our gifts, or at least not using our gifts to benefit the world.
May there be something in your life that you can’t wait to show others. May there be something you are doing that you can’t stop telling others about. Be proud of what you can do, because you may be the only person that can….
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Through a freind's eyes
I have several friends who blog on a regular basis. I will get a message on Facebook or I will get an e-mail letting me know when they have posted a new post on their blog. Not too long ago I was reading a friend’s blog, about a friend they met in college. As I was reading my friend’s post I began to realize my friend was writing about me. It was interesting to catch a glimpse of myself through my friend’s eyes.
We were made to be in relationships. We need relationships. We need people around us who will help us see ourselves in a little different way. Often, we can’t see things about ourselves, because we are too close to the situation… We need people around us who can help us see the good and bad in our lives that we are blind to. That does not mean we let others define who we are, but we need to let others speak into our lives so that we have a more complete picture of who we are.
Having people in our lives that can and will help us see ourselves more completely is a huge gift to us. They can help us act in a different way or refrain from doing certain things so that we don’t always have to learn the hard way. They can also help us see the many ways we are unique, we are gifted, and the talents we were created with.
I hope that you have people in your life who will celebrate your uniqueness by sharing with you the gifts and talents they see in you. I hope that you have people in your life that will help steer you away from the pitfalls they see up ahead. I hope that you have people who will help you see yourself in a more complete way, those that will not define who you are but will let you grow into who you were created to be.
We were made to be in relationships. We need relationships. We need people around us who will help us see ourselves in a little different way. Often, we can’t see things about ourselves, because we are too close to the situation… We need people around us who can help us see the good and bad in our lives that we are blind to. That does not mean we let others define who we are, but we need to let others speak into our lives so that we have a more complete picture of who we are.
Having people in our lives that can and will help us see ourselves more completely is a huge gift to us. They can help us act in a different way or refrain from doing certain things so that we don’t always have to learn the hard way. They can also help us see the many ways we are unique, we are gifted, and the talents we were created with.
I hope that you have people in your life who will celebrate your uniqueness by sharing with you the gifts and talents they see in you. I hope that you have people in your life that will help steer you away from the pitfalls they see up ahead. I hope that you have people who will help you see yourself in a more complete way, those that will not define who you are but will let you grow into who you were created to be.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Night Lights
When we moved into our current house several years ago, it seemed so dark at night. The first few days/weeks I cannot count the number of times I bumped into a cabinet, or a piece of furniture, or I slapped at a wall trying to find a light switch. I purchased numerous night lights to save my shins, elbows, etc. from the torture that furniture laying in wait dishes out.
The night lights were nice. I could see where I was going at night and didn’t have to turn on all the lights in the house to do it. The kids had a light in their room so if they happened to wake up in the middle of the night, they could get their bearings and go back to sleep.
A few months ago, I started noticing that I don’t like the lights anymore. It started with a light that wasn’t even in my house. About a block away there is a street light. Once the leaves fell from the trees in our backyard and our neighbors’ yard (and I think one or two branches might have come down by the wind), that street light shines right in my eyes as I lay in bed. I can see that silly light even with my eyes closed. So I would roll over and the light from our electric blanket would shine in my eyes. At times I have lain in bed not able to sleep because of how bright the house is.
Now that the house has become more familiar, I am able to notice all of the other lights I didn’t notice before. There is a light on the VCR, the phone cradle, the TV, our alarm clocks, my wife’s computer, the coffee maker, the space heater in the corner, etc. These lights were there before, yet I was just not aware enough to notice them. Our house is anything but dark anymore, and there have been several night lights that have had to find their way into a drawer.
How often in life do we deal with other “night lights”? For a time they are helpful to help us get our bearings, or get us where we need to go. These things may help us feel more secure or make us feel more freedom... But, at some point, they stop becoming helpful and become more of a hindrance or inconvenience.
The subtitle of a book I was recently given is “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.” Too often we continue to rely on things that were once helpful, long past their usefulness. There are times in our lives we need to put those things away because they aren’t needed, because we have grown, changed, and have become more comfortable in our surroundings. We may have to find a new “tool” to help move us forward in our lives, but if we cling to what got us here, we won’t ever get there. For healthier relationships, minds, bodies, etc. there are things we need to let go of so that we can grow and change.
The night lights were nice. I could see where I was going at night and didn’t have to turn on all the lights in the house to do it. The kids had a light in their room so if they happened to wake up in the middle of the night, they could get their bearings and go back to sleep.
A few months ago, I started noticing that I don’t like the lights anymore. It started with a light that wasn’t even in my house. About a block away there is a street light. Once the leaves fell from the trees in our backyard and our neighbors’ yard (and I think one or two branches might have come down by the wind), that street light shines right in my eyes as I lay in bed. I can see that silly light even with my eyes closed. So I would roll over and the light from our electric blanket would shine in my eyes. At times I have lain in bed not able to sleep because of how bright the house is.
Now that the house has become more familiar, I am able to notice all of the other lights I didn’t notice before. There is a light on the VCR, the phone cradle, the TV, our alarm clocks, my wife’s computer, the coffee maker, the space heater in the corner, etc. These lights were there before, yet I was just not aware enough to notice them. Our house is anything but dark anymore, and there have been several night lights that have had to find their way into a drawer.
How often in life do we deal with other “night lights”? For a time they are helpful to help us get our bearings, or get us where we need to go. These things may help us feel more secure or make us feel more freedom... But, at some point, they stop becoming helpful and become more of a hindrance or inconvenience.
The subtitle of a book I was recently given is “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.” Too often we continue to rely on things that were once helpful, long past their usefulness. There are times in our lives we need to put those things away because they aren’t needed, because we have grown, changed, and have become more comfortable in our surroundings. We may have to find a new “tool” to help move us forward in our lives, but if we cling to what got us here, we won’t ever get there. For healthier relationships, minds, bodies, etc. there are things we need to let go of so that we can grow and change.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Rocks
My oldest son started a bad habit his first year of school. The school that he went to had several large trees that dropped “nuts”. Our son would grab hand full’s of these “nuts and place them in his pocket. He has passed this habit on to his younger brother. The items they place in their pockets (who knows for what reason) have changed. Sometimes we find dandelion heads, or leaves, very often we find rocks, pebbles are probably a more appropriate term, but they are still rocks.
Recently I was taking clothes out of the washer and dryer and found several rocks that had escaped our pre-wash search. As I was taking the rocks out of the washer and dryer I was a little frustrated. “Why do the boys pick up these rocks and leave them in their pockets? “ I thought to myself. As I was asking the question a memory hit me. When I was younger my family had a ranch southwest of our hometown. When we would go to the ranch my brother and I would take “hikes” and find all sorts of beautiful or unique rocks. We would pick up these rocks and take them to Mom so she could see the wonderful treasures we had found. We also wanted to bring these treasures home, but Mom would always tell us that they wouldn’t look as unique at home. Sometimes we would listen to her and leave the rocks to be rediscovered later, but sometimes we smuggled some home. After a few days or sometimes a few weeks we would pull out our rock treasures to marvel at what we had found and brought home. It never failed, every time we pulled these treasures out all we had were just a bunch of rocks.
These memories started me thinking. How many times are we like those rocks my brother and I used to smuggle home? In our natural environment we sparkle we shine, we are beautiful, we are unique, but when we are taken out of our natural environment we look a little plain, we don’t look as special…
I hope you never have to suffer from being taken out of your “natural environment” and look plain and ordinary. I hope that you can find your “natural environment” so that you can sparkle and shine, and show the world your uniqueness.
Recently I was taking clothes out of the washer and dryer and found several rocks that had escaped our pre-wash search. As I was taking the rocks out of the washer and dryer I was a little frustrated. “Why do the boys pick up these rocks and leave them in their pockets? “ I thought to myself. As I was asking the question a memory hit me. When I was younger my family had a ranch southwest of our hometown. When we would go to the ranch my brother and I would take “hikes” and find all sorts of beautiful or unique rocks. We would pick up these rocks and take them to Mom so she could see the wonderful treasures we had found. We also wanted to bring these treasures home, but Mom would always tell us that they wouldn’t look as unique at home. Sometimes we would listen to her and leave the rocks to be rediscovered later, but sometimes we smuggled some home. After a few days or sometimes a few weeks we would pull out our rock treasures to marvel at what we had found and brought home. It never failed, every time we pulled these treasures out all we had were just a bunch of rocks.
These memories started me thinking. How many times are we like those rocks my brother and I used to smuggle home? In our natural environment we sparkle we shine, we are beautiful, we are unique, but when we are taken out of our natural environment we look a little plain, we don’t look as special…
I hope you never have to suffer from being taken out of your “natural environment” and look plain and ordinary. I hope that you can find your “natural environment” so that you can sparkle and shine, and show the world your uniqueness.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Time, Talents, Touch, & Treasure
I ordered a book a few months ago from Amazon.com. Amazon had suggested this book based on previous purchases I had made. I ordered the book and it sat on my shelf for several weeks. One day last week I picked up the book and began to read it. It only took me a couple of hours to read through the book (only because it is a pretty short book, not because I am an extremely fast reader).
The book, The Generosity Factor by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy (the founder of Chick-Fil-A), is a good book if you get a chance to read it. In the book the authors tell a sort of fictitious story about an encounter between a financial broker and an executive. The broker was curious about the lifestyle of the executive, so he spent some time learning from the executive. The executive shared (among other things) he felt he had a responsibility to give of his Time, Talent, Treasure, and Touch. This got me thinking a bit…
Each of us have 4 T’s, we have Time, we have Talents, we have Touch, and we have Treasure (some have more than others), but we all have these gifts to share with others. If I am to spend out of one of these categories, it may cost me being able to do something I want to do. If I spend one of my hours volunteering in the community, it costs me an hour I typically spend in another area of my life. That is at least what many of us think of giving our time. This thought hit me as I was sitting in a meeting with other leaders of the Northwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. We were discussing our use of time and resources as we planned for the future work of our Conference. Our Bishop said something that drove my thoughts back to the executives 4 T’s. We were discussing a lot of things that would be very effective, but the Bishop asked are these things helping us be effective in our Mission?
I can use my time effectively. I can use my talents effectively. I can use my touch effectively. I can use my treasure effectively. But just because I am effective in using the gifts that I have, does not mean I am using them wisely or impacting the world around me. If I want to use my time or my talents to impact lives, I may have to spend my time and my talents in a different way so that I am being effective in the Mission I have for my life. If I want to use my treasure to impact others around me, I may have to delay a purchase so that I can use my treasure to be effective in the Mission I have for my life.
What is your Mission in life? Do you have one? What are some of the hopes you have for your family, your neighborhood, our community? Are you using the gifts you have available to you to make the hopes and dreams you have for those around you a reality? Are you using the gifts you have to make your mission in life a reality?
The book, The Generosity Factor by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy (the founder of Chick-Fil-A), is a good book if you get a chance to read it. In the book the authors tell a sort of fictitious story about an encounter between a financial broker and an executive. The broker was curious about the lifestyle of the executive, so he spent some time learning from the executive. The executive shared (among other things) he felt he had a responsibility to give of his Time, Talent, Treasure, and Touch. This got me thinking a bit…
Each of us have 4 T’s, we have Time, we have Talents, we have Touch, and we have Treasure (some have more than others), but we all have these gifts to share with others. If I am to spend out of one of these categories, it may cost me being able to do something I want to do. If I spend one of my hours volunteering in the community, it costs me an hour I typically spend in another area of my life. That is at least what many of us think of giving our time. This thought hit me as I was sitting in a meeting with other leaders of the Northwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. We were discussing our use of time and resources as we planned for the future work of our Conference. Our Bishop said something that drove my thoughts back to the executives 4 T’s. We were discussing a lot of things that would be very effective, but the Bishop asked are these things helping us be effective in our Mission?
I can use my time effectively. I can use my talents effectively. I can use my touch effectively. I can use my treasure effectively. But just because I am effective in using the gifts that I have, does not mean I am using them wisely or impacting the world around me. If I want to use my time or my talents to impact lives, I may have to spend my time and my talents in a different way so that I am being effective in the Mission I have for my life. If I want to use my treasure to impact others around me, I may have to delay a purchase so that I can use my treasure to be effective in the Mission I have for my life.
What is your Mission in life? Do you have one? What are some of the hopes you have for your family, your neighborhood, our community? Are you using the gifts you have available to you to make the hopes and dreams you have for those around you a reality? Are you using the gifts you have to make your mission in life a reality?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Choices
When my family and I returned home from our Christmas travels, I started feeling a little under the weather. This feeling quickly turned into not feeling good at all. I spent the better part of a week reclining on the couch under several blankets and I still could not keep from shivering. I didn’t eat because I wasn’t hungry, watching movies or TV was not relaxing, reading a book was not relaxing. Nothing seemed to help take my mind off of my shivering, or my aches, or how bad my body hurt, etc…
While trying to find a more comfortable position on the couch I started playing with my cell phone. I have downloaded a lot of apps I rarely use, and since nothing else was helping to distract me from my pitiful condition, I thought I would look through these apps and see if I really needed all of these programs I had on my phone. One of the first apps I opened was one that helped count calories and track a person’s diet. I had downloaded the app because I really wanted to lose some weight; I just have a hard time making the choices to get the extra weight off. The more I played with this app the more I wanted to use it to keep up with what I put in my body. Since I had nothing better to do I began inputting the foods I was eating, and then I went back several days trying to remember everything I had eaten and input that into this program. I knew what I had been putting into my body but did not realize what exactly I was consuming. I did not realize my guilty little pleasure every morning (a 12 oz. can of Coke) was taking up a lot of the calories I was allotted per day. I did not realize how many calories I was blowing through with the little snacks I normally had at the office.
In less than a week my body shed 20 pounds. I would highly recommend not losing weight by being sick. But I now have several choices before me. I can go back to the way I was consuming food and quickly regain those 20 pounds, or I can begin to make changes in what I consume to keep the weight off and possibly get down to a healthier body size. I can choose to do what I have been doing or I can choose to make changes in my life to spend more time exercising to make my body healthier.
Twelve days into this New Year, most of us have choices before us, not just about how much we eat or don’t eat, or exercise or don’t exercise… We have choices before us to begin to change our lives and the lives of those around us. The choices we have are sort of like the choices of food we consume. If my New Year’s Resolution is to be a better spouse, am I going to “consume” choices that help me become a better spouse? What about a better friend? Or a better parent? Too often we view our choices independent of all other choices we make, but too often our choices are dependent on other choices we make. Each choice can help us become a healthier person, a better person, the person we have hoped we could become. There are no wasted choices, no choices that really don’t count. Poor choices can take away valuable time, energy, and resources that could be dedicated to moving us closer to our desired resolutions.
The choices we make today will impact our lives tomorrow. My hope is that we all make better choices, so that we become who God created us to be.
While trying to find a more comfortable position on the couch I started playing with my cell phone. I have downloaded a lot of apps I rarely use, and since nothing else was helping to distract me from my pitiful condition, I thought I would look through these apps and see if I really needed all of these programs I had on my phone. One of the first apps I opened was one that helped count calories and track a person’s diet. I had downloaded the app because I really wanted to lose some weight; I just have a hard time making the choices to get the extra weight off. The more I played with this app the more I wanted to use it to keep up with what I put in my body. Since I had nothing better to do I began inputting the foods I was eating, and then I went back several days trying to remember everything I had eaten and input that into this program. I knew what I had been putting into my body but did not realize what exactly I was consuming. I did not realize my guilty little pleasure every morning (a 12 oz. can of Coke) was taking up a lot of the calories I was allotted per day. I did not realize how many calories I was blowing through with the little snacks I normally had at the office.
In less than a week my body shed 20 pounds. I would highly recommend not losing weight by being sick. But I now have several choices before me. I can go back to the way I was consuming food and quickly regain those 20 pounds, or I can begin to make changes in what I consume to keep the weight off and possibly get down to a healthier body size. I can choose to do what I have been doing or I can choose to make changes in my life to spend more time exercising to make my body healthier.
Twelve days into this New Year, most of us have choices before us, not just about how much we eat or don’t eat, or exercise or don’t exercise… We have choices before us to begin to change our lives and the lives of those around us. The choices we have are sort of like the choices of food we consume. If my New Year’s Resolution is to be a better spouse, am I going to “consume” choices that help me become a better spouse? What about a better friend? Or a better parent? Too often we view our choices independent of all other choices we make, but too often our choices are dependent on other choices we make. Each choice can help us become a healthier person, a better person, the person we have hoped we could become. There are no wasted choices, no choices that really don’t count. Poor choices can take away valuable time, energy, and resources that could be dedicated to moving us closer to our desired resolutions.
The choices we make today will impact our lives tomorrow. My hope is that we all make better choices, so that we become who God created us to be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)