Catch A Tiger By The Toe; Taking One Step Too Far

After watching the news from San Francisco’s Zoo this week this brings new meaning to old nursery rhymes. Early reports have it that the young man that was killed by the tiger may have been taunting the tiger. Apparently there is a shoe print on the fence designed as a barrier to the animal, and blood was found in the actual pen. Now, I am sure that this young man had no intention of being attacked, in his mind he was probably just messing around – trying to have a little fun…Unfortunately, this is not unusual behavior. We all have something that we mess around with, trying to have a little fun. Something we may do in the privacy of our home, or our minds maybe. Maybe something that we feel we have complete control over, and we are balancing on a ledge between having fun and disaster. I heard a popular speaker talk about the “anonymous places”in our lives. These are the places where we do things that we would be mortified if anyone else knew. Not many of us would want the entire world to see us walking the fence between a tiger pen and the sidewalk; but it only takes one misstep and down we go in front of everyone we know.What we are in private, in the “anonymous places” is as important as what we are in public. Authenticity is at the root of living healthy. You don’t have to walk around wearing a sign describing your hang-ups, but you should try to find someone you can talk to about the tiger you are flirting with. Destruction not only hurts, it can be fatal, and no matter how well you think you can handle it, like this young man thought, it only takes one step too far and down you go. What was satisfying yesterday may not be today, and before you know it you are further out on the edge than you ever hoped you would be.Here is the thing to remember, we all struggle with tigers. We all think we are better at handling them then we really are. Our tigers are wild animals bent on destroying us. There are people in our lives that not only have their own tigers they struggle with but also want to help you with yours, and could use your help dealing with theirs. One of my resolutions this year will be finding someone I can talk to about my tigers. My hope is that you will do the same.

Catching Up; Using This Time To Re-Vitalize

This morning it is snowing like crazy again here, it feels like we are in a snow globe, but being away from snow for so long has us really enjoying it.  I have a lot of work to do to get ready for the weekend today; sermon prep, slides, flyer stuff, and I want to hang out with the kids while they are off too!  I read a bunch of other blogs today that were great, so check out the blogroll on the right!  Michael N. “Musings” is great today!  If you have ever tried to order for a large family at the drive thru you will love it!  Also Missio Dei has a great post about diversity that I really enjoyed…  Colorado Springs is a lot less diverse than Dallas was.  I added a link to WineyMomma’s blog, I have really enjoyed her posts lately too!  So enjoy, catch up and have a great day!  

Oh, yeah two other things; My college roomate and psuedo brother had a baby girl yesterday!  Yea! She is a beautiful 7 pound 14 oz bundle of joy!  Congratulations Ira!  The other is a cool web site that helps you see your vehicles fuel consumption.  I was amazed to see that my old car costs me about $3.75 to drive 25 miles!  It is strange when you see it that way…  here is the link!  fueleconomy.gov have a great day! 

The Day After And All Through The House

It is late by my standards, and all through the house not a creature is stirring, except for the two dogs (who dont know how to sleep in) and the Mom.  She arose early and went to the mall, to spend a great gift card I’m sure she will have a ball.I stayed home to surf the web and to blog, still fealing the impact of grandma’s egg nog (well, an ice cream Christmas drink with orange juice and strawberrys)  It was a quite busy Christmas, with much family and cheer, we had lots of snow, (Yeah! snow on Christmas Day!)  but didnt see one reaindeer!  So now back to real life with work to be done, maybe later we will get out and have some more fun.The blog was bearly read, accorting to the stats, so I will give you more time to catch up while I go burn off some fat.  I brought in the treadmill to begin running once more, (it was in the garage in a corner, and I havent been using it!)  if you dont hear from me tomorrow its because I am on the floor!We didnt go to the movies yet, to catch National Treasure, I am sure we will soon, it will be quite a pleasure.  I could drone on and on, my brain is in a fog, but if I rhyme anymore you might stop reading this blog.See ya tomorrow! 

Your Favorite Movie, Show or Sporting Event And Research On Shared Experience

Have you ever wondered why it is so much more fun to go to the movies than stay home and watch one by yourself?  Have you every tried to watch a Broadway Show at home on video and found it lacking?  What about sports events?  Why do people pay so much money to go to an event, when sometimes the seats are lousy and the food expensive?

Think back to the first time you saw your favorite movie; was it at the theater?  I remember going to see Top Gun in the theater (aging myself again) with a bunch of high school buddies… when it was over each and every one of us would have joined the Navy had there been a recruiter in the lobby!  It was awesome, and part of the the enhanced experience was that we saw it together.

Scientists have finally studied this “watching it together” experience and found some cool stuff… ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2007:  Pass the Popcorn! Study Finds That Film Enjoyment Is Contagious ) —  “Loud commentary and cell phone fumbling may be distracting, but new research suggests that the presence of other people may enhance our movie-watching experiences. Over the course of the film, movie-watchers influence one another and gradually synchronize their emotional responses. This mutual mimicry also affects each participant’s evaluation of the overall experience — the more in sync we are with the people around us, the more we like the movie.”

This is a pretty cool finding I think.  It can translate to all sorts of gatherings.  So here is your homework over the Christmas week…  First I would love to hear what your favorite all time movie is and where you saw it… secondly go to a great moving this week!  Take a close friend, buy a large popcorn and have a great time!  My son and I are probably going to take in the new National Treasure movie that is fresh out today.  Let me know what you saw and your review of it! 

 

With the weekend and Christmas coming, I will not be back on this blog until Wednesday, so feel free to catch up on the ones you may have missed, and that will give us all time to talk more about movies and shared experiences! 

Have a great weekend, and a Most Blessed Christmas!

 

See ya next week!

Top Ten Things Part II

Okay, I will get right to it, so here are the second 5;

1. Stop Complaining.  I can complain about anything and everything…  It is harmful and spoils your attitude – stop.  In everything there is a positive, it may be very small, but it is there, sometimes we don’t see it for a while, or ever, but complainers are not fun to be around… be a person that lifts yourself and others up – you will go much further and be much happier if you do.

1. Have kids.  No not like the Spears girl, get married in your twenties and have kids.  Kids bring such an incredible dimension to life; you learn tons more about yourself, others and life in general.  Watching something you created grow up and encounter life is an amazing thing; it is so worth it!  You will never have enough money, time, or space for kids, but they don’t care, they love you anyway… HAVE KIDS… you wont regret it.

1. Invest.  I had very little extra money when I was younger… we had kids early on in our marriage, and were always just trying to keep up, but even if you only invest a dollar a day in your twenties, you can have a huge amount of money in the bank when you retire… Don’t count on anyone else or the government for your retirement.  Invest as soon as you can… for the cost of one Starbucks a week you can plan ahead!

1. Travel.  This one I still haven’t done.  I have never been outside the United States since I was two years old.  BUT there is so much to learn from other cultures.  There is so much beauty out there in this world, it should be explored and embraced by everyone.  Even if you have to save up for it, do it, it will be well worth it.

1. Be generous.  Help other people; give your time, talents and treasures…  People that are generous are blessed and happy.  Don’t let your stuff own you, it just becomes junk over the years, so don’t accumulate – give!  There are so many people in need and much good can be done if we all give a little of ourselves!

1. Pray more.  I didn’t pray much, I pray a lot more now, but I wish I would have cultivated a deeper prayer life.  Journal – write down your prayers.  God loves it when you talk to Him, even if they are just, “Hello, are you there?” prayers!  He is there and He would love to hear from you!

1. Okay, bonus point, call your parents more.  They love you and want to hear from you… you don’t have to get caught up in the “You should” conversations, just call and say “Hi.”  They really appreciate hearing from you.

I hope these things are helpful.  I really don’t mean to tell you how to live your life, but I made a lot of mistakes over the years, and my heart’s desire is to help people like you.  I hope that the things I learned will make a difference in your life, and that you won’t have to make the same mistakes I did!

Top Ten Things I Would Do Differently

For some reason I have been very reflective lately.  I am not sure if it is because I am going to be 38 years old in a few months, and that makes me feel REALLY old… or if it is because I find myself surrounded with younger people all of a sudden.  There are many 18-28 year olds in my sphere of influence, and the last time that happened I was in college, nearly 20 years ago!  Yes 20, I hope that doesn’t change your perspective of me all of a sudden, but time goes really fast after college – really fast…  so here are the top ten things ( 5 today, 5 tomorrow) I would love to tell all of you that are in your 20’s, or nearly 20… 

 

1. Listen for God’s voice.  I lived my life for a long time ignoring the knocking on the door.  He (God) was standing on the porch knocking, but I was too busy living for myself.  What I realized later was that His way of living was a much better way, still exciting, still creative, fresh and fun, but just better – kind of like the way a deep friendship impacts all of life.  Life is better with God, not always easier, but definitely better.

 

1. Stay in touch.  I had many many friends in college.  I have no idea what most of them are doing now, but I have changed so much and wish that I still had that network of people to draw from.  Relationships are the cornerstones of life… keep connected with people.

 

1. Listen more to others.  I had pretty much decided I could figure life out on my own, and if you were older than me there was no way you could understand what I was going through.  That is true of many younger generations today, but there is still deep wisdom and insight available to you if you would listen to those that have gone before you.  Listen to previous generations, they have great amounts of experience, and it may or may not influence decisions or direction in your life today, but you will be better aware of options or potential positive and negatives by listening.

 

1. Surround myself with smart and positive people.  I would, and do now, seek out more mentors.  People with varing backgrounds that have success in their areas of specialty and that are uplifting and encouraging.  People that I could develop a formal monthly meeting with to help me navigate life.  I would prepare for the meetings with questions and ask for feedback from them, (Again, listen, listen, listen – don’t talk or offer excuses, just listen) and I would thank them for their help often.

 

1. Hang out with friends more.  Friendships and relationships are irreplaceable, and life was made for us to connect with others.  Going to movies together, grilling dinner, watching a game on TV, going to lunch at work, do it with people. It makes life much more satisfying!

 

Okay, more tomorrow, I don’t want to lecture too much in one day!  I hope this helps, and I would love to hear from you others, what would you tell this “younger generation” that you would have done differently or that you have learned on your journey?

The Lost Art Of Writing; Thank You, Birthday, And Appreciation Notes

My wife and I had an interesting conversation with one of my niece’s this weekend.  She is student teaching in Aurora Colorado, and started yesterday.  The conversation was centered around handwriting and kids.  Our kids have terrible handwriting and it is coming to a head at the school they attend right now.  But as we talked and thought about it I realized that in Texas all their papers and assignments were done on the computer.  They rarely had to write anything.  This seemed to affect our younger two kids the most; they are struggling in their classes right now, as they have to turn everything in written in cursive and legibly!  That leads to a lot of complaining and grumbling in our home when homework is attempted.  But it is an interesting thought as our culture moves forward – will people ever write again?

This recent discussion combined with an email I got from a leader in the religious community I am affiliated with got me thinking.  His email was directed at church leaders suggesting they write notes and appreciate the people that volunteer in the church.  (A great idea I might add.)  I almost “replied all” to his mass email to share my personal perspective on the issue… (I didn’t, but instead I will blog about it.)

When we were in Texas, I was in charge of the entire Children’s Department.  There were 600-700 kids and about 200+ volunteers.  I was challenged to try to build relationships with people there to bolster my leadership, but with that many people it was really hard to do!  So I decided that I would write birthday cards to every one of the volunteers on their birthday, celebrating them and their service in the department.  There were times I really regretted the decision, (it would take hours to write them all every month! And I am a horrible writer too, my kids get it honestly!)  but here is what happened…  I had more people come up to me thanking me for their cards!  It was amazing! 

One couple in particular I remember specifically because the story was so powerful.  We had check in kiosks in the lobby there.  The parents would come up to a kiosk and the volunteer would check them in electronically, printing out name badges and security receipts.  It was a simple job, and the kiosk worker would only have to be there about 20 minutes before church started, then they could slip in to the service.  This one couple was very quiet, hardly saying anything to anyone, but they would show up and do this job without fail.  They had smiles on their faces and were good workers, but they always seemed out of place at this church.  I sent him a birthday card on his birthday – but I have to confess, I didn’t know who he was by name, and couldn’t have told you that I had sent him a card.  (again, it was a big church, and I am bad with names…)  The next week his wife came up to me thanking me for the birthday card for her husband.  It was the ONLY birthday card he received, she told me with a tear in her eye.  I was stunned.  I barely new this guy – only enough to say good morning to and smile at… and here the only card he got was from me, nearly a stranger.  It made a huge difference to him and his wife… One I will probably not ever know the depth of.

You think maybe, just maybe, we should restore the lost art of writing?  Would an email have sufficed in this man’s life?  Do you have letters and notes from someone sent long ago that you keep because of the attachment the letter or note created with the writer?  There is something intimate and emotional about handwritten notes.  Phone calls, emails and text messages fall way short of the time, care and physical attributes of a well chosen card, with carefully crafted words.  Wouldn’t you love to have this kind of impact in a friend or mentor’s life – or better yet, someone you barely know!  Imagine their supprise and appreciation if you sent a note to a school teacher for the impact they have in your kids’ lives… or the person you saw do something really nice for somone else – you could be a secret admirer and not even sign it!!! It would have the same impact.

Send a note this Christmas; buy some nice stationary and appreciate someone.  Thank someone for all they have done for you.  It will make their day, I promise!

Warning Signs On The Road Of Life

If you were driving down a road you had never been on and saw a sign that said “dangerous curves ahead” would you speed up?  If you were coming up to a busy intersection and saw a stop sign would you stop?  If you play on a team, and the ref threw a flag, would you continue to play? 

Most of us heed warning signs and go by the ref’s call when we are driving or playing.  But I am always amazed that in our own personal life we completely ignore signs and flags and barrel ahead taking no heed of things that are there to help us!  There is enough information and knowledge out there to help us make good decisions, and most of us are smart enough to watch and learn from others that make bad decisions… So why do we develop our own “Personal Morality” that basically says, “that is great that they live that way, but I don’t need to worry about that!”?  And then months or years later we realize that maybe we were wrong…

The signs are there for all of us, we cannot say with honesty that we didn’t know.  They are the little warnings in our heads and our hearts that say things like, “why would you do this?” or, “You know this is not good for you,” or “ignore what you know – this is fun, and I can handle it!”  My current signs are saying, “get out of bed and exercise! You know you need to!” (I am doing a really good job avoiding this one!)  But the simple fact is we ignore the signs.  We live the way we want today, and deal with the consequences later.  It is a little like accelerating towards the curves; running a stop sign, and ignoring the ref’s calls.

I ignored nearly every sign in high school and college.  I lived on adrenaline and risk for nearly a decade and now I am here to tell you, there is a better way.  All of the self induced stress I encountered, the brokenness I experienced and caused others, the stupid things I did and said was not worth it!  All of it can be avoided if we just heed the signs that we already have in our head’s and heart’s!  The signs are not there to make life boring, in fact quite the opposite, they are there to make life an adventure and as extreme as possible, without taking unnecessary risks!  You were created with these signs inside, by a Creator that wants you to fully enjoy life, living and your unique identity, without worrying about driving off a cliff or hurting yourself (or others) unnecessarily.  If you have ever created anything; a picture, a painting, a song, poem, person, you know how much you love your creation – Why wouldn’t you think that God loves you just the same?  He wants you to have a joy filled life, with peace and Love, and passion and excitement – and the signs are there to help.

Next time you hear or feel a sign in your head or your heart, stop and listen, ask if He is trying to tell you something.  And for those of you far down the winding road at breakneck speed, know this – He brought me back, patched me up, and is fully involved in my life, loving me, and leading me forward on this exciting journey!

Great! Shopping For Christmas (with heavy sarcasm)

Today Trish and I are going to do our Christmas shopping.  I hate shopping, but we have a list, and I love lists!  So hopefully it will go okay.  We are at that place where shopping for our kids has gotten a little harder… they want things like laptops, iphones, and jewelry – like that’s going to happen!  Then you have the whole dilema of what do you get for each other?  My parents usually shop together, point out what they want, purchase it, then wrap it and put it under the tree.  Then on Christmas morning they act supprised when they open up their gifts!  I personally think that takes some of the fun out of the whole thing.  I try to go out of my way to supprise Trish, which is not always easy!  I’ll let you know how it goes.So what was the best surprise you did for your special someone on Christmas?  What are your gift giving traditions?  what about Christmas traditions?  what things do you do  that were passed down to you from your parents, what have you done to start a tradition with your family?  Don’t be shy – share with us! I was talking to my wife and kids last week about one of my favorite things as a kid at Christmas; My parents had a candle holder that was made of brass and had to be put together every year. It had a really cool fan on the top, and hanging off of it were angels that would clink off bells as they would begin to turn from the heat.  I got to put it all together, and it took a steady hand, and a lot of strategy to make sure it would work properly.  I may look for one today for our house, and may re-institute my love of a combination of burning stuff and mechanical engineering! 

Learning to Die Better – New Life Family Meeting

I attended the New Life Family Meeting last night.  The pastors from the Colorado Springs area were invited to the meeting to show solidarity and compassion for their congregation.  It was truly amazing.  They had the group of pastors sit in the front on stage left – the stage there is in the round, so that is a rough estimation, and they had all the first responders sit in the middle.  I was on the isle, about three rows back from the front, and on the side closest to the first responders… it was really cool to see all the police in their uniforms sitting with their families in the center section.  There were Firefighters, Paramedics, Police, and Politicians.  Then there was the service itself.

The service was made up of lots of Worship.  If you know anything about New Life you know that it has AWESOME Worship.  Ross Parsley wrote the “I Am Free” song that is sung in many churches through out the Nation, and the “Desperation Band” has CD’s out too, it is a more youthful style, but still from New Life.  So imagine, all these civil servants watching 6000 people Worship God in the midst of this tragedy.  They were obviously blown away.  The crowd stood for 3 minutes at least in appreciation to their heroic efforts, and there were many tears in that section.  How can you watch all this and not wonder about what Christians believe?  How can they have such hope in the midst of such tragedy?  How do you sing songs of praise and adoration of God when just 3 days ago pure evil was in your building attempting to cause deep deep pain?

Interestingly to me, I was reminded of a description from early church history…

In Smryna in 155 AD, a Bishop named Polycarp was put to death.  He was to be burned at the stake.  The Romans went to tie him up, and he told them there would be no need to do so, that he would sit and not try to escape.  So they set him on fire… the flames could not overcome him, so he asked that they stab him in the heart with a dagger.  The blood that came out put out the flames, but he did die.  But the public consensus was that there is a great difference in how people die between those that follow Christ, and those that don’t. (Source:  Henry Bettenson and Chris Maunder, eds. Documents of the Christian Church, 3d. ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 13.)

Why is there such a noticeable difference in how people die and how they deal with death?  I believe it is called hope.  Trusting in something bigger than yourself and knowing that as you develop the relationship with Jesus and it changes your life, eternity is nothing to fear, but instead look forward to.  Knowing Jesus changes your perspective on everything, from the early days of the Church, to today when the Church is dealing with death in it’s hallways…  Death becomes just a gateway to something beyond.  So what is your “beyond”?  Have you thought much about it?  Have you wrestled with the issues in your heart?  Where are you be in the process?  I would love to hear from you about these questions…