January was a long time ago, wasn't it?
I did really well with posting for a month and then I not only fell off the blogging wagon, but I was crushed under the weight of the wagon and spent almost nine months wondering around the wilderness of the internet.
I am back. Probably sporadically for a while but my wife is starting a blog so I have been inspired to get back to this one as well as possibly starting up another one.
Here's to taking another shot! (At blogging, that is)
Peace.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Subtle
Quiet. Sly. Stealthy.
Much of life and what we learn fits this mode. Some of it hits us like a punch to the chest and we lose our breath. Most of it slides into and out of view in the mundane details of the day to day.
What are you catching and what are you missing?
Peace.
Much of life and what we learn fits this mode. Some of it hits us like a punch to the chest and we lose our breath. Most of it slides into and out of view in the mundane details of the day to day.
What are you catching and what are you missing?
Peace.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Right
Man, I want to get it right. All of it. Even though I know it won't all be right, I still want it. I still want to try. I still get disappointed when it doesn't happen. More often than not, I don't get it right. I'm caught between knowing who and what I should be here on earth and who and what I find myself being.
Seems like the perfect place to be reminded of the grace of God in my life. Jesus got it right.
Peace.
Seems like the perfect place to be reminded of the grace of God in my life. Jesus got it right.
Peace.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Hairball
When I find myself at home, eating a meal by myself, I need something to read. I can't sit and just eat. There has to be some words in front of me...a book, a magazine, a cereal box; I don't really care just as long as it is written in English.
Lately,I have been picking through a book that I read last year called "Orbiting the Giant Hairball". I have to admit, I am a sucker for a unique book title.
The book, in a very short summary, is about surviving the corporate tangle of policies and politics while maintaining creativity. The author, Gordon MacKenzie, worked for about three decades at Hallmark, taking on various roles in that time. The "hairball" of which he speaks is "...making business decision after business decision, creating procedures and generating policies. And in so doing, they have been adding countless hairs to the Hairball. Intricate patterns of effective behavior have grown around the lessons of success and failure, creating a Gordian knot of Corporate Normalcy (i.e., conformity with the 'accepted model, pattern or standard' of the corporate mind set)". The Hairball has a gravitational pull all its own and strives to pull all into its labyrinth and bids us to take up residence within it. MacKenzie encourages people to be aware of the hairball but to remain in orbit around it so that life and creativity are not squelched by those who dwell within.
As I said, I read the book last year and now it sits on the bookshelf closest to the kitchen. I have been picking chapters to reread for the last several weeks as I have my Corn Flakes for breakfast. Today, I came across one of my favorite chapters, Chapter Nineteen. I would like to reproduce the entire chapter for you here.
Chapter Nineteen
"Orville Wright did not have a pilot's license."
For a couple of reasons, I love this chapter. One, I love that it is only one sentence. Few words, clear point. Two, I love what he is saying. Orville Wright didn't have, and didn't need, the proper certification or permission.
This is not a shot at education or training or licensing at all. We need that. I want my doctor to have been trained at a good medical school and for him to have paid attention in class and to have completed all of his training before he starts checking out my systems. It's very necessary.
What I do like though, is the thought of not waiting until everything is just right before we start making the effort to move forward. Orville Wright had an idea and he pursued it. He tried it. He literally took a flyer.
I think we (and by "we", I mean "me") tend to wait until we are old enough or smart enough or financially secure enough. Maybe we wait until we're "established" before we start to get the word out about what we are doing. Maybe we wait until someone else tells us that it's ok to pursue the dream.
What if you start pursuing it now? Find out what needs to be done and how you can do it and then go do it. Don't wait for everything to line up, because it's not going to. Do all that you know to do to get ready, then launch it.
Orville Wright took his little unlicensed self, climbed onto a crazy contraption and let it go.
What are you waiting for?
Peace.
Lately,I have been picking through a book that I read last year called "Orbiting the Giant Hairball". I have to admit, I am a sucker for a unique book title.
The book, in a very short summary, is about surviving the corporate tangle of policies and politics while maintaining creativity. The author, Gordon MacKenzie, worked for about three decades at Hallmark, taking on various roles in that time. The "hairball" of which he speaks is "...making business decision after business decision, creating procedures and generating policies. And in so doing, they have been adding countless hairs to the Hairball. Intricate patterns of effective behavior have grown around the lessons of success and failure, creating a Gordian knot of Corporate Normalcy (i.e., conformity with the 'accepted model, pattern or standard' of the corporate mind set)". The Hairball has a gravitational pull all its own and strives to pull all into its labyrinth and bids us to take up residence within it. MacKenzie encourages people to be aware of the hairball but to remain in orbit around it so that life and creativity are not squelched by those who dwell within.
As I said, I read the book last year and now it sits on the bookshelf closest to the kitchen. I have been picking chapters to reread for the last several weeks as I have my Corn Flakes for breakfast. Today, I came across one of my favorite chapters, Chapter Nineteen. I would like to reproduce the entire chapter for you here.
Chapter Nineteen
"Orville Wright did not have a pilot's license."
For a couple of reasons, I love this chapter. One, I love that it is only one sentence. Few words, clear point. Two, I love what he is saying. Orville Wright didn't have, and didn't need, the proper certification or permission.
This is not a shot at education or training or licensing at all. We need that. I want my doctor to have been trained at a good medical school and for him to have paid attention in class and to have completed all of his training before he starts checking out my systems. It's very necessary.
What I do like though, is the thought of not waiting until everything is just right before we start making the effort to move forward. Orville Wright had an idea and he pursued it. He tried it. He literally took a flyer.
I think we (and by "we", I mean "me") tend to wait until we are old enough or smart enough or financially secure enough. Maybe we wait until we're "established" before we start to get the word out about what we are doing. Maybe we wait until someone else tells us that it's ok to pursue the dream.
What if you start pursuing it now? Find out what needs to be done and how you can do it and then go do it. Don't wait for everything to line up, because it's not going to. Do all that you know to do to get ready, then launch it.
Orville Wright took his little unlicensed self, climbed onto a crazy contraption and let it go.
What are you waiting for?
Peace.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sacrifice
If a person is singularly focused, honed in like a laser on a certain objective, do they see all other things that fall by the wayside as sacrifice? Or do they recognize that things must be done a particular way and that some things must be given up in order to achieve the goal?
From a distance, it looks like sacrifice... so much has been given up from the perspective of the outsider. On the inside though, the things given up are trifles in relation to the end objective.
I fully understand that this can be a very slippery slope when it all comes down. We can dismiss people, our reputation, our health and much more in the pursuit of a goal. I realize that this can be twisted terribly and that it could all end in disaster.
It just struck me today that some things we see as sacrifice from the outside are not seen as sacrifice by the ones in the middle of living them out.
Thoughts?
Peace.
From a distance, it looks like sacrifice... so much has been given up from the perspective of the outsider. On the inside though, the things given up are trifles in relation to the end objective.
I fully understand that this can be a very slippery slope when it all comes down. We can dismiss people, our reputation, our health and much more in the pursuit of a goal. I realize that this can be twisted terribly and that it could all end in disaster.
It just struck me today that some things we see as sacrifice from the outside are not seen as sacrifice by the ones in the middle of living them out.
Thoughts?
Peace.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Now
The older I get, the more I realize that none of us get to see the whole picture.
I blame it on the way God made me but, I spend a lot of time looking down the figurative road and saying things like "Wouldn't it be cool if..." and "Someday, maybe we could...". Depending on who you talk to, this is a huge blessing or a crippling disability. I love to venture into the future and ask what if...? and dream and discover and wonder. It's tons o' fun!
The drawback is that sometimes the present will suffer while the dreamer is out doing his thing. It becomes difficult to see the value of the moment or the activity right under your nose. So much time is spent wondering what will happen in the future that the present is lost.
The opposite can be true for the practical, in-the-moment person. There is so much to be done right here, right now that there is no time to sit down and get excited about what may be coming. There is no joy of anticipation because the now is looming so large.
We don't get the whole picture; we all only get a piece of it. That's why we need each other. God didn't make us to be alone. People around us see what we don't. Maybe we get to show others a little something that they may have missed.
I had a moment this evening when I was fully aware of the present...and I loved it. As I was typing this, Rachel was playing a game with the Middle and the Little. Brady was doing something artistic and creative. Pandora was providing the soundtrack for the scene.
Lord, help me be who I am, who you created me to be, but don't let me miss the moments along the way.
Peace.
I blame it on the way God made me but, I spend a lot of time looking down the figurative road and saying things like "Wouldn't it be cool if..." and "Someday, maybe we could...". Depending on who you talk to, this is a huge blessing or a crippling disability. I love to venture into the future and ask what if...? and dream and discover and wonder. It's tons o' fun!
The drawback is that sometimes the present will suffer while the dreamer is out doing his thing. It becomes difficult to see the value of the moment or the activity right under your nose. So much time is spent wondering what will happen in the future that the present is lost.
The opposite can be true for the practical, in-the-moment person. There is so much to be done right here, right now that there is no time to sit down and get excited about what may be coming. There is no joy of anticipation because the now is looming so large.
We don't get the whole picture; we all only get a piece of it. That's why we need each other. God didn't make us to be alone. People around us see what we don't. Maybe we get to show others a little something that they may have missed.
I had a moment this evening when I was fully aware of the present...and I loved it. As I was typing this, Rachel was playing a game with the Middle and the Little. Brady was doing something artistic and creative. Pandora was providing the soundtrack for the scene.
Lord, help me be who I am, who you created me to be, but don't let me miss the moments along the way.
Peace.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
So Much and Not Enough, Dos
Yesterday was about seeing what we have and not getting caught up in what we don't have; having so much and not enough.
This "so much and not enough" is not a totally negative thing. It really depends on what we are talking about. I have three amazing kids and a wife who is way out of my league. In some ways, I get plenty of time with them, lots of laughs and love. The reality is that I will never be full of them.
Following Jesus is the same. I have been a Christian for more than thirty years (dang!) and I have come to understand Him, to a point. I will never, though, be able to fully comprehend all of Him. I have so much and, still, not enough.
I'll keep trying to get more. More of Jesus, more of my kids, more of Rachel...it is a never ending quest.
What do you have so much of but it isn't enough?
Peace.
This "so much and not enough" is not a totally negative thing. It really depends on what we are talking about. I have three amazing kids and a wife who is way out of my league. In some ways, I get plenty of time with them, lots of laughs and love. The reality is that I will never be full of them.
Following Jesus is the same. I have been a Christian for more than thirty years (dang!) and I have come to understand Him, to a point. I will never, though, be able to fully comprehend all of Him. I have so much and, still, not enough.
I'll keep trying to get more. More of Jesus, more of my kids, more of Rachel...it is a never ending quest.
What do you have so much of but it isn't enough?
Peace.
So Much and Not Enough
I don't know how it happened, but I have come to the place that I have so much but still not enough.
My guess is that most Americans live in this place but we tend to skip over the first part and go right to the "not enough" part. Our tendency is to look around and see what others have and we don't or maybe we get sucked into the advertising all around us and it makes us realize that maybe, just maybe, we don't quite measure up.
And it doesn't have to be possessions and wealth and "stuff". It can be opportunities or friendships or talents...anything that can be seen in someone else that they have and you don't.
Call it jealousy, covetousness, greed;whatever it is, it can be ugly.
What if, for a moment, you stop and look at the "so much" that you have. If you tend to be cynical and pessimistic, it may take a greater effort. Look at what you do have and not what you don't. See where God has blessed you and be content with what He has given you.
It doesn't mean that we settle and give in to our lot in life. It does mean that we become grateful for the good. It does mean that we stop looking at those around us and envying what they have. It does mean that we choose to thank God for the blessings He has bestowed on us and not get caught up in what He seemingly has not done.
What do you have so much of? Write it down.
More to come on this tomorrow.
Peace.
My guess is that most Americans live in this place but we tend to skip over the first part and go right to the "not enough" part. Our tendency is to look around and see what others have and we don't or maybe we get sucked into the advertising all around us and it makes us realize that maybe, just maybe, we don't quite measure up.
And it doesn't have to be possessions and wealth and "stuff". It can be opportunities or friendships or talents...anything that can be seen in someone else that they have and you don't.
Call it jealousy, covetousness, greed;whatever it is, it can be ugly.
What if, for a moment, you stop and look at the "so much" that you have. If you tend to be cynical and pessimistic, it may take a greater effort. Look at what you do have and not what you don't. See where God has blessed you and be content with what He has given you.
It doesn't mean that we settle and give in to our lot in life. It does mean that we become grateful for the good. It does mean that we stop looking at those around us and envying what they have. It does mean that we choose to thank God for the blessings He has bestowed on us and not get caught up in what He seemingly has not done.
What do you have so much of? Write it down.
More to come on this tomorrow.
Peace.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Exercising my Option
At times, writers just write. There is no purpose, no end result they are trying to achieve. The writing is the purpose. The process really is the end result. Whatever words end up woven together are just that...words woven together or, as Donald Miller puts it, just a pile of words.
It seems to be the equivalent of "just showing up". You sit at the computer, you allow your mind to start working, you press the keys in a certain order and you generate your pile of words. It may not be coherent or really worth much, but you, as a writer, have done your duty. You have written.
It doesn't feel very productive. It seems to be a waste of time on the part of both the writer and the reader. But it needs to be done. It's like exercise and eating right. It is a choice. You can choose to exercise or choose to sit on the couch and down a third of a package of Oreos while you watch "The Biggest Loser" on TV. Writing is the same. You can choose to sit down and write something, anything or choose to polish off the last two-thirds of the Oreos while you watch "Modern Family" on TV.
This post has been my "pile of words". I have exercised tonight. It is discipline. It is not always spectacular and deep but there is something to be said about showing up. Right?
It seems to be the equivalent of "just showing up". You sit at the computer, you allow your mind to start working, you press the keys in a certain order and you generate your pile of words. It may not be coherent or really worth much, but you, as a writer, have done your duty. You have written.
It doesn't feel very productive. It seems to be a waste of time on the part of both the writer and the reader. But it needs to be done. It's like exercise and eating right. It is a choice. You can choose to exercise or choose to sit on the couch and down a third of a package of Oreos while you watch "The Biggest Loser" on TV. Writing is the same. You can choose to sit down and write something, anything or choose to polish off the last two-thirds of the Oreos while you watch "Modern Family" on TV.
This post has been my "pile of words". I have exercised tonight. It is discipline. It is not always spectacular and deep but there is something to be said about showing up. Right?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Ignorance
Watched "A Christmas Carol" with the kids tonight and the movie left out one of my favorite lines from the book.
Scrooge's time with the Ghost of Christmas Present is coming to an end and he notices a foot barely visible under the fringe of the ghost's robe. He asks what it is and two horrid looking children are revealed. He asks whose children these are. Dickens takes it from here.
"They are Man's", said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased."
Ignorance, and the willingness to remain firmly entrenched in it, has a way of destroying life, rupturing relationships and continuing Want. Sometimes the best thing to do is to be quiet and listen. Learn. Open your heart. Put yourself in the other's shoes.
The grace of God, freely given to us, puts us in a position of knowing that nothing has been achieved on our own accord. There is humility that comes with that knowledge. Ignorance cannot survive in the presence of such humility.
Love your neighbor.
Peace.
Scrooge's time with the Ghost of Christmas Present is coming to an end and he notices a foot barely visible under the fringe of the ghost's robe. He asks what it is and two horrid looking children are revealed. He asks whose children these are. Dickens takes it from here.
"They are Man's", said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased."
Ignorance, and the willingness to remain firmly entrenched in it, has a way of destroying life, rupturing relationships and continuing Want. Sometimes the best thing to do is to be quiet and listen. Learn. Open your heart. Put yourself in the other's shoes.
The grace of God, freely given to us, puts us in a position of knowing that nothing has been achieved on our own accord. There is humility that comes with that knowledge. Ignorance cannot survive in the presence of such humility.
Love your neighbor.
Peace.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Distraction
There is no greater distraction in the world than whatever keeps you from doing what you need to do in any particular moment.
I'm not sure that sentence makes sense but I will try to clarify.
You have started a project and this is not just any project...this is THE project, the one that will crush all previous and trailing projects. After much hunting and gathering, you have all your materials, you are fully fed and hydrated, everything is set to begin when, suddenly...
It doesn't really matter what it is that "suddenly" appears on your radar; it has served its purpose to pull your mind away from the task at hand and your body will soon follow. If someone had "suddenly" entered the room and unloaded a suitcase filled with $100 dollar bills, that would be an understandable distraction. It would be reasonable to get up and go investigate.
The unreasonable, but still very powerful, distraction would be noticing that you have a hole in the sock on your right foot. It isn't even an annoying toe hole, it is a harmless ball-of-the-foot hole and yet you (ok I) could turn it into a thirty minute ordeal trying to figure out how it got there, checking to see if you have any clean, unholey socks and finally having a few (eight) Chips Ahoy cookies to refocus your mind on what needs to be done on your project.
The point is that the distraction doesn't have to be huge and it doesn't even have to make sense for it to be a distraction. Sometimes the slightest thought or sound in the room or even a different project can serve to pull you away from what you know needs to be done.
This short little post took me several hours because I needed a shave and a haircut, a bowl of Rice Krispies and one episode of "The Office" to get me primed to write. See what I mean?
What's your distraction of choice?
Peace.
I'm not sure that sentence makes sense but I will try to clarify.
You have started a project and this is not just any project...this is THE project, the one that will crush all previous and trailing projects. After much hunting and gathering, you have all your materials, you are fully fed and hydrated, everything is set to begin when, suddenly...
It doesn't really matter what it is that "suddenly" appears on your radar; it has served its purpose to pull your mind away from the task at hand and your body will soon follow. If someone had "suddenly" entered the room and unloaded a suitcase filled with $100 dollar bills, that would be an understandable distraction. It would be reasonable to get up and go investigate.
The unreasonable, but still very powerful, distraction would be noticing that you have a hole in the sock on your right foot. It isn't even an annoying toe hole, it is a harmless ball-of-the-foot hole and yet you (ok I) could turn it into a thirty minute ordeal trying to figure out how it got there, checking to see if you have any clean, unholey socks and finally having a few (eight) Chips Ahoy cookies to refocus your mind on what needs to be done on your project.
The point is that the distraction doesn't have to be huge and it doesn't even have to make sense for it to be a distraction. Sometimes the slightest thought or sound in the room or even a different project can serve to pull you away from what you know needs to be done.
This short little post took me several hours because I needed a shave and a haircut, a bowl of Rice Krispies and one episode of "The Office" to get me primed to write. See what I mean?
What's your distraction of choice?
Peace.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Doing
The real money is in the doing. Not in terms of actual cash, though that can be true, but the action of life is where things get done.
I have great ideas. They aren't all great, mind you, some are only average and many others should never be spoken aloud. But some of them are great. The catch for me comes in putting them into action. I am too...busy, distracted, disorganized, afraid, worried, lazy and any number of other negative sounding adjectives to actually make progress on an idea. I will think and talk and wonder and dissect and ponder a thought to the point that the idea, which was great to begin with, now becomes a useless lump taking up space in my brain.
I came across a book the other day and I would like to read it, if only because I like the title. The book is called "Passion is Not Enough" by Greg Darley. I believe the author is referring to ideas that people have but they don't know how to put those ideas into practice. I think that "passion is not enough" can apply to all of life.
I hear people say all the time that "This is my passion". It is usually in reference to a job or to sports or to their family. Sometimes it is regarding changing the world one way or another. That is all well and good, but it takes work to do something with your passion. Things don't just happen because you are passionate about them. Professional athletes may have a passion for the game but if they aren't practicing, working out, eating right, etc., that passion is worthless. They quickly become a spectator who is passionate about the game. Same is true in marriage. You may be madly in love with your spouse, but if you never take action to give yourself fully for their benefit, you could find yourself on the outside of what used to be your life.
It is easy to be passionate about an idea or a concept. It doesn't cost anything. Talk is cheap. The real money is in the doing.
Peace.
I have great ideas. They aren't all great, mind you, some are only average and many others should never be spoken aloud. But some of them are great. The catch for me comes in putting them into action. I am too...busy, distracted, disorganized, afraid, worried, lazy and any number of other negative sounding adjectives to actually make progress on an idea. I will think and talk and wonder and dissect and ponder a thought to the point that the idea, which was great to begin with, now becomes a useless lump taking up space in my brain.
I came across a book the other day and I would like to read it, if only because I like the title. The book is called "Passion is Not Enough" by Greg Darley. I believe the author is referring to ideas that people have but they don't know how to put those ideas into practice. I think that "passion is not enough" can apply to all of life.
I hear people say all the time that "This is my passion". It is usually in reference to a job or to sports or to their family. Sometimes it is regarding changing the world one way or another. That is all well and good, but it takes work to do something with your passion. Things don't just happen because you are passionate about them. Professional athletes may have a passion for the game but if they aren't practicing, working out, eating right, etc., that passion is worthless. They quickly become a spectator who is passionate about the game. Same is true in marriage. You may be madly in love with your spouse, but if you never take action to give yourself fully for their benefit, you could find yourself on the outside of what used to be your life.
It is easy to be passionate about an idea or a concept. It doesn't cost anything. Talk is cheap. The real money is in the doing.
Peace.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Last Minute
Just realized I hadn't posted for today. It will be short and sweet.
"Talents are best nurtured in solitude: character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world."
--Goethe
Peace.
"Talents are best nurtured in solitude: character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world."
--Goethe
Peace.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Junk
The human condition is a marvel to me.
I was thinking today about how, day to day, things can be very routine, but in that routine, we can experience an infinite number of thoughts and emotions.
Take my day today, for instance. I got out of bed at roughly the same time I usually do on a weekday. I slept fine, as far as I know. I hadn't gone to bed angry with anyone. I didn't doze off thinking that life was particularly difficult. But when I woke up this morning...
I wasn't angry with my wife, just to clear that thought from your head, nor was she angry with me. I just wasn't "feeling it" today. My motivation to do anything productive was hovering around zero, my confidence that I was capable of doing anything productive was at approximately the same level. I had a bazillion things to get done today but I was having a hard time convincing myself that I would do a passable job on any given task.
The amazing part of all of this is that there is the potential that tomorrow, I will be ready to charge the gates of Hell with a water pistol. And nothing significant will change from today to tomorrow.
We (at least I) am so prone to listen to the crazy thoughts and insecurities that dart through our head. Sometimes they tell us that we are wonderful; other times...not so wonderful. If we let them, the voices can dictate how we live our life and what we give our self to. We can ride the roller coaster of emotion and fear and doubt as well as the positive dreams and desires until we don't truly understand who we are.
Here's what I lean on. God's love never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He doesn't get caught up in my junk. He is solid. That gives me hope.
Peace.
I was thinking today about how, day to day, things can be very routine, but in that routine, we can experience an infinite number of thoughts and emotions.
Take my day today, for instance. I got out of bed at roughly the same time I usually do on a weekday. I slept fine, as far as I know. I hadn't gone to bed angry with anyone. I didn't doze off thinking that life was particularly difficult. But when I woke up this morning...
I wasn't angry with my wife, just to clear that thought from your head, nor was she angry with me. I just wasn't "feeling it" today. My motivation to do anything productive was hovering around zero, my confidence that I was capable of doing anything productive was at approximately the same level. I had a bazillion things to get done today but I was having a hard time convincing myself that I would do a passable job on any given task.
The amazing part of all of this is that there is the potential that tomorrow, I will be ready to charge the gates of Hell with a water pistol. And nothing significant will change from today to tomorrow.
We (at least I) am so prone to listen to the crazy thoughts and insecurities that dart through our head. Sometimes they tell us that we are wonderful; other times...not so wonderful. If we let them, the voices can dictate how we live our life and what we give our self to. We can ride the roller coaster of emotion and fear and doubt as well as the positive dreams and desires until we don't truly understand who we are.
Here's what I lean on. God's love never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He doesn't get caught up in my junk. He is solid. That gives me hope.
Peace.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Kindness
Big gets attention. Small makes a difference.
I don't know that I fully agree with that statement, but I needed a big opening to get your attention. If I had started with something like "Kindness is one of the most undervalued and neglected attributes when it comes to bringing in the Kingdom of God", you might have stopped right there. (Maybe you stopped after the opening...humor me and keep reading!).
I was thinking about kindness today and what a big deal it is when people are kind. It might be just a smile or an offer of a helping hand but, as cheesy as it sounds, it really can have an effect on others. And it doesn't cost much to be kind.
We can take mission trips and speak to auditoriums packed with people and that is all great. We can endeavor to do "great things" for Jesus and I am all for that. More than these though, I am for speaking a kind word, whether to strangers or to your family. I am for offering to help when you have the ability. I am for looking for the bright spots and bringing light to a dark situation.
Kindness is listed in the Bible with love,joy, peace, patience...the big ones. How often do you ask God to help you be kind?
Maybe it's time to take another look at kindness and ask for enough of it to give away every day.
Peace.
I don't know that I fully agree with that statement, but I needed a big opening to get your attention. If I had started with something like "Kindness is one of the most undervalued and neglected attributes when it comes to bringing in the Kingdom of God", you might have stopped right there. (Maybe you stopped after the opening...humor me and keep reading!).
I was thinking about kindness today and what a big deal it is when people are kind. It might be just a smile or an offer of a helping hand but, as cheesy as it sounds, it really can have an effect on others. And it doesn't cost much to be kind.
We can take mission trips and speak to auditoriums packed with people and that is all great. We can endeavor to do "great things" for Jesus and I am all for that. More than these though, I am for speaking a kind word, whether to strangers or to your family. I am for offering to help when you have the ability. I am for looking for the bright spots and bringing light to a dark situation.
Kindness is listed in the Bible with love,joy, peace, patience...the big ones. How often do you ask God to help you be kind?
Maybe it's time to take another look at kindness and ask for enough of it to give away every day.
Peace.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Beginnings
I decided that I am going to write more in 2011. I know, I know, I have said that before and then I write for one day straight and nothing happens again for three months. This is a bit different. I am determined to put something on my blog once a day. That means that this could be the most random blog on Al Gore's Internet. The Lord only knows what might be put on this space with a once a day post.
I am already a day behind for the year and we are only two days in. That's not the greatest start. We'll just pick up from here and move forward.
Hold on to your drinks because I am headed for a rapid change of subject.
I am reading Douglas Adams book "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", a book given to me by my wife for Christmas. Years ago I had listened to the BBC Radio broadcast years ago and loved it but I had never read the book. This year I came across a list of the 100 books that everyone should read (or something like that) and this book was on it.
I don't know that it is a book for everyone. I really like it, but I think it's because I came in with an idea of the story. I think it would be a little tough to follow if you are coming into it with no idea what to expect. It is very creative and some of the writing is unbelievable. I would like someday to be able to write like Douglas Adams. Maybe not the same content, but the ability to string words together into a beautiful tapestry or to convey a thought in a memorable phrase.
Stay tuned. We'll see how this little experiment plays out.
Peace.
I am already a day behind for the year and we are only two days in. That's not the greatest start. We'll just pick up from here and move forward.
Hold on to your drinks because I am headed for a rapid change of subject.
I am reading Douglas Adams book "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", a book given to me by my wife for Christmas. Years ago I had listened to the BBC Radio broadcast years ago and loved it but I had never read the book. This year I came across a list of the 100 books that everyone should read (or something like that) and this book was on it.
I don't know that it is a book for everyone. I really like it, but I think it's because I came in with an idea of the story. I think it would be a little tough to follow if you are coming into it with no idea what to expect. It is very creative and some of the writing is unbelievable. I would like someday to be able to write like Douglas Adams. Maybe not the same content, but the ability to string words together into a beautiful tapestry or to convey a thought in a memorable phrase.
Stay tuned. We'll see how this little experiment plays out.
Peace.
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