Strange how even after so many times God has come through for me that I still worry so. I guess the rug never really stops getting swept out from under your feet. I need to invest in some tumbling mats.
Well ... God has never failed us - even when there seemed to be no solutions. Sometimes friends and family step up. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere. But it always comes.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Scrubbin Surfboards
I firmly believe that everyone should work. We should all do our part, but we Americans are wrapped up in this work-centered life. Back in April I began a whole new career. It was quite a jump - from karate instructor running a small business to selling office supplies. Upon entering unfamiliar territory I thought it good to study up on sales. I've read several books from Stephan Schiffman's Telesales to Spencer Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese .
The sales guru that sticks out the most however is Jeffery Gitomer. He writes those books ... Little Red Book of Sales, Little Black Book ...
Don't get me wrong, it's great info and I've studied and used much of it. But it all serves in the end to put a bad taste in my mouth. The more I read about Gitomer, the more it seemed to me that what he was suggested was to live, eat, breathe, and poop sales. Don't watch T.V - study sales. Limit your activities outside work so you can study sales. The picture in my mind was of, at the time, a fellow karate instructor near Daytona. This guy didn't just have a Napoleon Complex ... he was Napoleon and a work FANATIC. He swore off relationships (even the one with his current wife) and tossed himself headlong into studying sales, internet media, you name it. I already new it was bad how much his life revolved around work, but I had no idea until we heald a leadership conference in Denver, Colorado. Here at one of our many dinner outings, this guy reveals that he manages his time so well that he now has a computer tray in his bathroom so he can continue working on his laptop while he poops. C'MON MAN!
Anyway, I know that's extreme, but our society nowadays praises these workaholic nutcases. Even our norm is retarded - 40-50 hour work weeks - 1 week vacation - 3-6 personal days/year. Then we're preached at that if we really want to be successful - we have to spend even more time on our own reading and studying our trade. Well I submit that my new trade then will be nurturing important relationships in my life. I will study on how to be a better husband, friend, brother, father (eventually), uncle, etc. I submit, especially as Christians, that our trade should be people and relationships.
Therefore my new ambition is to live on a beach with my wife spending my time speaking with friends, reading, publishing the lifetime works of my father, and scrubbing surfboards.
The sales guru that sticks out the most however is Jeffery Gitomer. He writes those books ... Little Red Book of Sales, Little Black Book ...
Don't get me wrong, it's great info and I've studied and used much of it. But it all serves in the end to put a bad taste in my mouth. The more I read about Gitomer, the more it seemed to me that what he was suggested was to live, eat, breathe, and poop sales. Don't watch T.V - study sales. Limit your activities outside work so you can study sales. The picture in my mind was of, at the time, a fellow karate instructor near Daytona. This guy didn't just have a Napoleon Complex ... he was Napoleon and a work FANATIC. He swore off relationships (even the one with his current wife) and tossed himself headlong into studying sales, internet media, you name it. I already new it was bad how much his life revolved around work, but I had no idea until we heald a leadership conference in Denver, Colorado. Here at one of our many dinner outings, this guy reveals that he manages his time so well that he now has a computer tray in his bathroom so he can continue working on his laptop while he poops. C'MON MAN!
Anyway, I know that's extreme, but our society nowadays praises these workaholic nutcases. Even our norm is retarded - 40-50 hour work weeks - 1 week vacation - 3-6 personal days/year. Then we're preached at that if we really want to be successful - we have to spend even more time on our own reading and studying our trade. Well I submit that my new trade then will be nurturing important relationships in my life. I will study on how to be a better husband, friend, brother, father (eventually), uncle, etc. I submit, especially as Christians, that our trade should be people and relationships.
Therefore my new ambition is to live on a beach with my wife spending my time speaking with friends, reading, publishing the lifetime works of my father, and scrubbing surfboards.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Not good enough
Ever get that attack? "Your not good enough." "You can't handle this." "You failed and you will again." "Your not worthy." Fill in your own. You know the feeling. Yeah me too. I felt compelled to blog - mostly out of temporary insomnia. That voice, whatever the source, harms us more than we realize. Just realize ... that whisper, that voice we learn to listen to. It says, "I'm good enough - for anything." It's God with his longsuffering reminder we grasp briefly and then lose.
Remember headstrong Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. What faith! But when he took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink. It's easy to be distracted by the waves ... easy to doubt. Come back to the source and remember who's in control, what He's capable of, and the goodness of His heart.
Pray. Seek. Thank Him. We have little need to understand what He is doing though it's often our strongest desire. Trust and He will provide. Get back up and follow. No time for rolling in pity and shame.
We are capable of the worst kind of sin apart from Him and if I've learned anything ... I stray. Come back and be thankful. Rejoice! He opens His arms with acceptance. We CAN'T be unadopted! But without simply talking to Him daily we CAN be miserable. He's our Daddy. KNOW that He adores you. He weeps with you. He laughs with you. He smiles with great pleasure when; outside of our nature; against all odds; in the midst of strife ... we rejoice ... we love ... we sing ... we endure ... we trust ... we believe ... we witness ... we obey ... we worship. How proud He is! The creator and source of all. Can you believe we move the emotions (lack of better word) of God. He gave us freedom to choose to love Him.
No WE can't do it. God can. Take the pressure off. He bears it freely.
Remember headstrong Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. What faith! But when he took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink. It's easy to be distracted by the waves ... easy to doubt. Come back to the source and remember who's in control, what He's capable of, and the goodness of His heart.
Pray. Seek. Thank Him. We have little need to understand what He is doing though it's often our strongest desire. Trust and He will provide. Get back up and follow. No time for rolling in pity and shame.
We are capable of the worst kind of sin apart from Him and if I've learned anything ... I stray. Come back and be thankful. Rejoice! He opens His arms with acceptance. We CAN'T be unadopted! But without simply talking to Him daily we CAN be miserable. He's our Daddy. KNOW that He adores you. He weeps with you. He laughs with you. He smiles with great pleasure when; outside of our nature; against all odds; in the midst of strife ... we rejoice ... we love ... we sing ... we endure ... we trust ... we believe ... we witness ... we obey ... we worship. How proud He is! The creator and source of all. Can you believe we move the emotions (lack of better word) of God. He gave us freedom to choose to love Him.
No WE can't do it. God can. Take the pressure off. He bears it freely.
Monday, May 12, 2008
O God, help me to keep you first in my life.
On my desk at work I keep a small glass box of Bible Verse cards and daily inspirationals. Each day it reminds me to stop and pray before I face the day's challenges. Lately has been a little more difficult than normal. Nothing too dramatic or negative has taken place ... it's been life's simple patience-testers that seem to have taken a tole on my attitude (thanks for your blog Greg). My card today says, "O God, help me to keep you first in my life." To date, this is the shortest, seemingly most simple prayer card. However, I think this is actually one of the toughest challenges we face as believers. Circumstances, work, family, etc. often require our focus. Sometimes it's difficult to "Live for an audience of One".
Proverbs 3:6 reads "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Again, a short-but-sweet verse loaded with a command and a promise. I claim that promise today and pray that God leads me on the path he created for me. Isn't it amazing to have a God who desires to be sought with genuine interest and discovered by hopeful wisdom? More than anything he wants us to talk to him daily. He waits anxiously to bless us and draw closer to us. Sounds like a loving daddy, doesn't it?
Proverbs 3:6 reads "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Again, a short-but-sweet verse loaded with a command and a promise. I claim that promise today and pray that God leads me on the path he created for me. Isn't it amazing to have a God who desires to be sought with genuine interest and discovered by hopeful wisdom? More than anything he wants us to talk to him daily. He waits anxiously to bless us and draw closer to us. Sounds like a loving daddy, doesn't it?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Desire
"Earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way."1 Corinthians 12:31
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."Matthew 5:6
"Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart."Psalm 37:4
Story #1
A young man visits Socrates in search of wisdom. To the young man’s surprise, Socrates takes him out to a lake and dunks his head under water. As the man’s struggle to come up for air, Socrates holds him under. Later, after recovering, the young man asks Socrates why he nearly drowned him.
Socrates replies, “What is it you most wanted when you were under water?”
“Air,” the young man replies.
Socrates responds, “When your desire for wisdom is as great as your desire to breathe, you will find wisdom.”
Story #2
In a bizarre scientific experiment, a researcher found that a rat preferred a sense of pleasure to food or water, even to the point of self-exhaustion. Adam Keiper provides more detail:
James Olds was a Harvard-trained American neurologist working in Canada when, in 1953, he discovered quite by accident that a rat seemed to enjoy receiving electric shocks in a particular spot in its brain, the septum. He began to investigate, and discovered that the rat “could be directed to almost any spot in the box at the will of the experimenter” just by sending a zap into its implant every time it took a step in the desired direction.
He then found that the rat would rather get shocked in its septum than eat—even when it was very hungry. Eventually, Olds put another rat with a similar implant in a Skinner box wherein the animal could stimulate itself by pushing a lever connected to the electrode in its head; it pressed the lever again and again until exhaustion.
Conclusion
The problem with goal-making is that our desires and pleasures often contrast with each other. What we desire often has no pleasure connected with the activity, and what we find pleasing is often at odds with our desires.
For example, look at exercise. Almost everyone makes goals to exercise more at New Year’s. We may truly desire to exercise, but the activity lacks the pleasure that would see us through. Consequently, we do what is more pleasing — sit around watching movies. But deep down we don’t desire to watch so many movies; it’s just pleasing.
Another example is finances. Many people desire to spend less and save more, but there’s not much pleasure in frugality. Naturally, we do what’s more pleasing to us — make a bunch of unnecessary purchases at the mall. However, while pleasing, few people really desire to spend all their money on unnecessary things and rack up credit card bills.
To make good goals, you have to align your desires with pleasures — either by making the activity you truly desire fun, or by turning pleasurable activities into something you actually desire.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."Matthew 5:6
"Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart."Psalm 37:4
Story #1
A young man visits Socrates in search of wisdom. To the young man’s surprise, Socrates takes him out to a lake and dunks his head under water. As the man’s struggle to come up for air, Socrates holds him under. Later, after recovering, the young man asks Socrates why he nearly drowned him.
Socrates replies, “What is it you most wanted when you were under water?”
“Air,” the young man replies.
Socrates responds, “When your desire for wisdom is as great as your desire to breathe, you will find wisdom.”
Story #2
In a bizarre scientific experiment, a researcher found that a rat preferred a sense of pleasure to food or water, even to the point of self-exhaustion. Adam Keiper provides more detail:
James Olds was a Harvard-trained American neurologist working in Canada when, in 1953, he discovered quite by accident that a rat seemed to enjoy receiving electric shocks in a particular spot in its brain, the septum. He began to investigate, and discovered that the rat “could be directed to almost any spot in the box at the will of the experimenter” just by sending a zap into its implant every time it took a step in the desired direction.
He then found that the rat would rather get shocked in its septum than eat—even when it was very hungry. Eventually, Olds put another rat with a similar implant in a Skinner box wherein the animal could stimulate itself by pushing a lever connected to the electrode in its head; it pressed the lever again and again until exhaustion.
Conclusion
The problem with goal-making is that our desires and pleasures often contrast with each other. What we desire often has no pleasure connected with the activity, and what we find pleasing is often at odds with our desires.
For example, look at exercise. Almost everyone makes goals to exercise more at New Year’s. We may truly desire to exercise, but the activity lacks the pleasure that would see us through. Consequently, we do what is more pleasing — sit around watching movies. But deep down we don’t desire to watch so many movies; it’s just pleasing.
Another example is finances. Many people desire to spend less and save more, but there’s not much pleasure in frugality. Naturally, we do what’s more pleasing to us — make a bunch of unnecessary purchases at the mall. However, while pleasing, few people really desire to spend all their money on unnecessary things and rack up credit card bills.
To make good goals, you have to align your desires with pleasures — either by making the activity you truly desire fun, or by turning pleasurable activities into something you actually desire.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Commitment
Scared already? That bad word ... commitment. What's better ... free love?
See, all of us want intimacy. It means being close to someone. It's giving to and receiving from another person the deepest parts of who we are. As humans, we desire to be known in loving safety, explored with genuine interest, discovered by hopeful wisdom, and touched by the source of spiritual power. An author I know wrote, "You might say that intimacy between a man and a woman is the icing on the cake of a relationship headed towards marriage." If that's intimacy, you can easily see that most of our dating relationships are no more than icing. They usually lack purpose. We date because we want to enjoy the emotional and physical benefits of intimacy without the responsibility of real commitment.
Simply put, pursuing intimacy without commitment awakens natural desires that neither person can justly meet. Therefore we are being frauds. Intimacy without commitment (icing without cake), can be sweet, but it ends up making us sick. The results aren't what we hoped for, and we're left feeling emptier than before. The intimacy is superficial. The sex leaves us dissatisfied and hungry for something real, something true.
The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment.
See, all of us want intimacy. It means being close to someone. It's giving to and receiving from another person the deepest parts of who we are. As humans, we desire to be known in loving safety, explored with genuine interest, discovered by hopeful wisdom, and touched by the source of spiritual power. An author I know wrote, "You might say that intimacy between a man and a woman is the icing on the cake of a relationship headed towards marriage." If that's intimacy, you can easily see that most of our dating relationships are no more than icing. They usually lack purpose. We date because we want to enjoy the emotional and physical benefits of intimacy without the responsibility of real commitment.
Simply put, pursuing intimacy without commitment awakens natural desires that neither person can justly meet. Therefore we are being frauds. Intimacy without commitment (icing without cake), can be sweet, but it ends up making us sick. The results aren't what we hoped for, and we're left feeling emptier than before. The intimacy is superficial. The sex leaves us dissatisfied and hungry for something real, something true.
The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment.
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