Month: June 2010

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Who Is It About

Yesterday, I was in the all day affair that I was flown up here for when I was asked my opinion about a direction or standard.  I replied with the acutal directional statement.  Its one that I believe in, but its still early in development.  A few minutes after this one of my coworkers in the room, responded provided her thoughts on this standards, and ripping it to shreds with a lot of emotion and frustration. 

As she was going through her “rant”, I dropped in to a dream sequence.  I saw myself.  I thought of the way I had handle situations like this in the past.  I thought about my response to her at this moment, which deep in side was probably a kin to reaching across the table and doing bodily harm! However, I also thought about wy I would want to do that, the value, the message, and how I could use this to show the transformation that I strive for everyday, and then as she finished up I thought about Colossians 3:7

7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

The comments were quickly deferred to a a more appropriate setting to address by another co worker, who beat me to the punch at saying that, and the meeting moved on.  However, her frustration with the direction continued the rest of the day.  And so, I continued to think about how to address this, and I realized that my job was not to defend myself, and to prove that I was correct.  It’s not about me.   My job is to make her better.  And that is what I will strive to do. 

What about you, what about your conflicts.  Who is it about?

12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Col 3 (NIV)

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Take Me Out To The Corporate Jet

Yesterday afternoon I returned to my desk around 4:20 to find that I was late to a 4pm call.  After frantically getting on the call, and settling into the conversation, I was interrupted by an instant message from a co worker.  The proceeding 2 minute conversation had me scheduled on a plane at 5:20AM this morning heading off to a meeting to discuss some items for a project we are working on.  So, I attempted to keep my focus on the meeting at hand, and provide the best insight I could, while confirming my seat and hotel for this sudden change in agenda.  I am so thankful for corporate jets.  What stinks is I had no meetings in the morning, so I was actually going to be able to get work done. And then even better, the schedule called for a team outing at the Lookouts game in the afternoon! Boy, was I looking forward to spending some LouieBucks for a big juicy hotdog.  The best laid plans….

So as I pondered this sudden change in plans, my mind was drawn to Matthew 4

18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20At once they left their nets and followed him. (NIV)

Not that I am comparing my sudden trip to the calling of Jesus’ followers, the Apostles, but I am making a quick and somewhat hurried (read poor!) analogy to how sometimes we have to change our plans, and give up our wants and desires in order to follow the Christ.  He calls you, sometimes when you don’t expect it.  Will you drop you plans and follow Him – there are great things in store if you do.

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Giving It To Get It

Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of writing time this morning.  So today will be a quick glance at a thought that has been swirling in my head this week.  I have been thinking about how to live a life of service, instead of doing “service projects”.  This is another one of those puzzlers – especially giving the frantic schedules that we attempt to maintain.  So I was doing a little bit of channel surfing the other day and I stopped on one of the “religious” channels just to see what was up.  After a minute of watching a bunch of teens worship – which was a very interesting thing as well- this dude pops up on the screen and reads this verse:

34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:34-37 NIV

So the thought that has been swirling is how do we do that?  How do we give ourselves? How do we lose our lives?  Any ideas?  Post them in the comment section.

34-37Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Mark 8:34-37, The Message)

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Feeling Pioneering

Last night I was listening to some stuff from Francis Chan and is this particular piece he tells of a professor who once asked him “What are you doing today that requires faith”?  That’s a stumper of a question, but one that we should consider.

And since today is Daniel Boone Day, I think its even more appropriate.  Just think about Mr. Boone, heading off into the Transylvania wilderness (that is what he wanted to call Kentucky) way before the Interstate Highway System was even a sparkle in someone’s eye.  That took some faith!

So to honor ol’ Daniel,  lets get that good time pioneering feeling going today and step out there on faith.  Don’t be held back by the fear of the unknown, and the thought of what might happen.  But your faith in the creator of the universe to help you and get to it.

1-2The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (Hebrews 11:1-2, The Message)

1-3Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (Hebrews 12:1-2, The Message)

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Can’t Kick the Habit

I can tell that summer is here.  I was able to sleep in a little ( like 20 minutes) and take my time in the morning and the house is completely quiet.  Where are those people that live with me?

Anyway, yesterday I received an email about a band call Family Force 5.  They are a  Christian crunk rock band. That’s usually not my type of music, but it’s still intriguing to me to see people use so many different ways to spread the message of the Christ.  One of their songs is called “Love Addict” and the music video has over 3.5 million hits on YouTube.  This song contains the following lyric:

Hold Up! Wait a minute! Put a little love in it!

That sort of reminds me of Paul in 1 Corinthians

1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. ( The Message)

I mean really, if I have everything, but I don’t have love what do I have.  And that is the message of the Christ.  Check it in Mark:

35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:35-37 (New International Version)

So today, whether you like crunk rock or not ( and I think I am starting to!), sing it out:

Hold up, Wait a minute, Put a little love in it!

Can’t kick the habit,

I’ve got to have it,

I’m what is called a

Love Addict

Love Addict