Month: May 2011

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Sonic Flavors

Today I zoomed into Sonic to grab a beverage for my morning, and was reminded of the almost 400K combinations of drinks they have. I was thinking of getting a  chocolate raspberry Coke, or maybe a blue coconut cherry lemon Sprite. But there is always the Strawberry Watermelon diet Dr Pepper, I mean 23 flavors is just not enough.

Those choices are so much like life.  We have so many combinations of things to choose from, some that are good and some that are most definitely bad. We have to examine the options and pick what is good, and right.

  8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8, New International Version)

I think I am glad that I went with Vanilla Coke something excellent and praiseworthy. 

Think about those things that are good and right today – and I am not just talking about food and drink, and examine the choices you are making.

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A Good Measure

Last night the local Extreme Makeover aired as the season finale.  It was quite an inspiring show, and I guess even more so since we now can drive by this new house on the way home from soccer practice.  It’s always so good to see how people in the community will come together to help people in need.  So, here are two thoughts from the airing last night.

First, I have to wonder what the world would be like if we didn’t need a TV show or a disaster to help people in dramatic ways. Hmmm.

Second, I was reading this article today from the local television station.  It is absolutely fantastic to see that this family has been giving back in the community during the recent tornadoes in our area.  I think that is doubly inspiring, and something that can spurn us all on to action.  It’s always good to see people recognizing the blessings they have been given and using those to help others.  (It’s seem this chart in this old post describes the power of passing along acts of kindness quite well)

It all sounds sort of biblical, even though this teaching is a little bit opposite, its still a pretty good thought to consider as you go about your day.

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38, New International Version)

Use whatever you have been given and give it to others today.

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Auto Picker

It’s Friday the 13th, so I was going to write about chasing black cats, throwing salt over my shoulder and running under ladders, but I realized I already did, so I guess I shouldn’t tempt fate.

Of course, now I don’t have anything to write about, because I have exhausted the fun of the day.  Maybe I should do another rerun and bring up the Friday song again.

So fitting with the superstition of the day I decided to “roll the dice” and pick a verse of the day that was 5/13.  I started with Proverbs, but that was a little awkward,

13 I would not obey my teachers
   or turn my ear to my instructors. (Proverbs 5:13, New International Version)

So I rolled again in Pslams but that did not exist and then jumped to Matthew the start of the New Testament and found this:

    13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Matthew 5:13, New International Version)

Be Salt today!

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Control and Command

It appears the James Durbin from American Idol must be a DB reader.  Yesterday I wrote about “Don’t Stop Believing” and then last night he goes out on Idol and sings it.  What influence this blog has!  What control!  What command!

Well, of course that’s not true, but it feels good to feel like you are in control.  Being in control and in command of things is something that I think all of us struggle with.  It is so hard to give it over and let others, or the Lord, take over and lead. It seems like it is so against our nature for that to happen, but never the less that is what we are asked to do.

18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18, New International Version)

It sort of reminds me of the song “Pierce My Ear”, which is a song about willingly giving control over to the Lord, which comes from this story in the book of Exodus

 5 “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ 6 then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. (Exodus 21:5-6, New International Version)

So today, spend some time thinking about who or what is in control of your life?

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Don’t Stop Believing

Last night I was working late at the office jaming to my iTunes playlist when Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” queued up on the playlist.  It’s been pretty surreal to me to see how this song has come back into vogue and is not so popular with the young and hip crowd again. Maybe its iTunes, maybe its Glee, maybe its parental influence on the children’s choices. Who knows!

(sappy alert)

But for me this song seems to always remind me of much younger days. This song as well as several other Journey songs from that period alway take me back to my youth in Maryland. This particular songs for some odd reason reminds me of returing back home late at night from my older siblings atheltic events, while some other songs like “Who’s Crying Now” ( and Eddie Rabbit’s “Step by Step” for some reason) remind me of driving around with my father delivering newspaper in the summer.

(end sappy time)

So what’s the point of all of this.  Well, while I was waiting on my co worker to fix up some code for me to break again I was thinking about that little 10 year old boy and his dreams and aspirations.  I think about the Sharp Shooter Champion, and how the daily toll of adulthood can squash our ability to continue to dream and make ourselves better.  So today I am looking back to the motivation of more innocent and wide open times and rekindling some of the ability to dream and to believe inside of me.

3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3-4, New International Version, ©2011)

Maybe its a song, or a picture or a smell or something else that can also revive you today and keep you rolling the dice, one more time…