Influences

If you had a choice, would you rather be a great influence or be greatly influenced?

Like it or not, we are all shaped by what has happened in the past and we pass those shaping forces on to those around us. My family, my co-workers and my friends are all involved in this process of influence, both giving and receiving.

I would like to take a few posts over the next few days and write a bit about the influences that have shaped, and are shaping, my life. They will be in no particular order and will include people, events, books, movies and music.

Feel free to comment on those things that have taken you to where you are today.

Peace.

Inauguration Day

This is a once in a lifetime kind of day. This is the kind of day that, fifty years from now, you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. It is the kind of day that has the potential to set straight some wrongs from the past and to drastically affect the future of not only our country, but the world.

So as we watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama and drank in the history as it poured out before us, my 4 year old had this to offer:

"Can I pleeeaaase have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

Such is life, isn't it? The grand moment and the reality of everyday inextricably connected. I love it.

Peace.

SNOW!!!

So, yeah, it's gonna snow here. They have not had a "snow event" here since 2003 and everyone is going crazy. It is still about 45 degrees as I write this, and it isn't even raining, but they have canceled school for tomorrow. The county is getting their trucks fitted with plows. The newscasters are giving tips about getting around in the snow. What are we going to do?!!

Did I mention that we MIGHT get two inches of snow?

The problem is that no one knows what to do with it because it so rarely happens here. They are not equipped to deal with any amount of frozen precipitation and so the threat of it shuts life down for a while. Now, it really might snow two inches and people really don't know how to drive in it so there really could be some issues on the roads. The threat alone, though, is enough for all of us to go into hibernation mode.

I am not going to complain. I have an optional work day tomorrow which, tacked on to the MLK Holiday, makes a four day weekend. I would love to wake up and see the ground covered in snow. If it isn't too terrible, maybe we will drive to the beach to see it snow on the ocean.

There is this thing inside me that has gone back to being a kid in school and the weatherman has said that there is a snow storm coming so check in the morning to see about school cancellations. I don't know if there is a worse feeling as a kid than to wake up expecting to see a brand new, shiny blanket of snow and you look out the window and everything is the same dull color of brown that it was the night before. It is almost enough to make you throw up so you still don't have to go to school.

I hope that doesn't happen to me tomorrow.

I will let you know.

Peace.

Write

I have had this thing in the back of my head for years. No, it isn't one of those plugs that allow me to enter the matrix, but that might be cool. I would download the ability to down an entire package of Chips Ahoy cookies daily and not feel the effects... but I digress. I have had this nagging voice in my head that keeps telling me to write. Unfortunately, The Voice doesn't tell me what to write or what to do once it is written.

The one thing that you learn when you think you want to be a writer and you read books about writing and talk to people who might help you become a writer is that they all say the same thing. You need to write. It doesn't matter what you write, it just matters that you write. Write. Anything. Write it. And then when you finish that, write some more. Did I mention that you need to write?

I want to write. I want people to pay me to write. I want to change lives when I write. I want to entertain when I write. I want people to think about what I write. I want to be entertained when I write. I want to write in my cabin in the mountains and inspire people. I want to get a cabin in the mountains.

OK, seriously, the irony of this whole thing is that I spend my time telling kids that they can do anything. I tell them to dream and to pursue that dream. I tell them that it is going to take work, but keep that dream in front of them. I tell them to expect obstacles and to climb over them. I tell them not to quit.

Maybe I should listen to myself sometime.

Peace.

Three Word Sentences

Not much posting. Been crazy busy. Writer's block too. Bad, bad combination.

Three word sentences. Mix things up. Laxative for brain. Will this help? We shall see.

More to come.

I certainly hope.

Peace.

Finding a balance

I have been wrestling with something for quite a while.

I am trying to wrap my head around confidently using the gifts that God has given while walking in humility. It is not that I am so amazing that I cannot stay humble. I am well aware of my shortcomings and the daily events that take place remind me of my need to remain reliant on God. My problem comes on the confidence end of things.

I believe that God has given me certain gifts and that those gifts are to be used. I don't want to think more highly of myself than I ought. Where is the balance?

I look in the Bible and there are men and women that God placed in leadership roles and they excelled in those positions. There are Godly men and women around me that seem completely comfortable in promoting their gifts.

What I want to do is find that balance, every day, between doing what God has laid in front of me to do and knowing that everything that I have comes from Him. I want to be confident to do and say what He would have me do and say.

Humility, to me, is not shrinking from life. Humility is going through life knowing that God holds everything in His hands and, ultimately, He is responsible. To steal a line from Pete Greig in "The Vision", I guess I need to "pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on me".

Peace.

'08 Haiku

This is my end of year post only two days late. That's pretty good for me. I thought about resolutions but I don't really make them. I thought about a month by month review but you don't want to read that much and I can't remember that much. I thought about making stuff up but that's not really fair (or honest). So I went with everyone's favorite form of poetry. Enjoy!

The year 0-0-8
It went by so very fast.
What really happened?

Three kids were busy.
I can’t remember it all;
I do not rest much.

Brady was a champ.
Mt. Olive soccer tourney.
Pickle jar trophy.

Kendall so loves dance.
She was a polichinelle
In the Nutcracker.

Jett is four years old.
He loves most things in his life-
Not the broken arm.

Rach has a business.
She is mom and she home-schools.
Life is quite hectic.

I work with tough kids.
They need someone to love them;
I’m glad to do it.

Beginning a church,
It is difficult to do.
We are trusting God.

That’s a quick review.
What will the New Year bring us?
Only time will tell.

Peace.