Who Would Have Guessed?

Read this story today about Vince Young.

Have you ever felt like quitting too?  Despite the fame, the fortune, and perceived success, this guy was ready to give it all up. 

So what happened?  He stuck it out.  How?

Vince said, “My teammates helped lift me out of it. I prayed really hard. And I began to focus on God’s calling for me. Play football. Be a role model.”

Could zeroing in on God and his purpose for you help you keep from throwing in the towel? 

Absolutely.

Don’t Over Complicate It

Above is a picture of the terminal block from my oven at home.  I replaced it last night after we heard sizzling, popping, and humming last week.  After a little investigating, I found it in the shown condition.  Improper installation caused the left side to melt and potentially start a fire.

My analysis of the situation is this.  Whoever installed the wiring upon installation decided to crimp ring connectors on the pigtail.  This requires a little extra work on the part of the installer and the end result is something that appears very professional.  However, the terminal block was not designed for ring connectors.  Bare wire tightened into the terminals of each leg is sufficient and in this case is more efficient than ring connectors.

So what’s to be learned here? 

Don’t over complicate something if it will have no additional desired affect.

In my life, I’m trying to reverse and/or eliminate complication to be more effective…effective as a husband, father, employee, friend, and  Christ follower.  At thirty two years of age, I have mastered none of these and don’t think I ever will.  But striving to be better at each requires work.  You know the old saying “work smarter, not harder”.  That’s my goal, reducing the “toil” in my life.

Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil
       and chasing after the wind. - Ecclesiastes 4:6

and…

If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened,
       more strength is needed but skill will bring success. - Ecclesiastes 10:10

Timing

I’m stressed.  I loose sleep when I’m stressed.  After having a difficult time trying to go to sleep last night, today I read this…

“…even at night his mind does not rest.  This too is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 2:23)

This is a timely reminder for me today to continue focusing on God for solutions to problems that I face and not just the problem itself.  Being stressed out doesn’t accomplish much.  I stress out because I don’t have the optimum solution to a problem or the task before me seems too difficult.

With that said, there are two strikes against me at this point in my life-

1. I’m conditioned by the business world.  In my career, I have been very independent when it comes to working and problem solving.  However, I am constantly trying to transform my way of thinking to be more dependent on God.  Don’t be fooled, this is still a struggle for me.
2. I’m horribly stubborn.  I don’t like to ask for help on anything.  This is a pride issue that has diminished much but is still have my moments.  Just ask my wife. 

I’m trying to overcome both.  I’m constantly trying to transform my thinking to where my knee-jerk reaction will always be one of “God, help” instead of “God, I’ll be with you in just a minute because I’m working on something here”.  The last thing I want to do is allow stress and worry to dictate my actions.  That’s God’s role.  Too much self-reliance leaves Him little room to operate.

God, thank you for the timely presentation of your Word to me today.  It was not by chance.  I pray that the wisdom that I continue to gain would be completely yours and that all of my actions would unmistakably point in your direction.

Weekend Review

Here we go from start to finish…

• Chuck E. Cheese was a blast on Friday night!  Thank you so much to Bill and Karen Mitchell for inviting us out to celebrate Austin’s birthday.  What a great time and I didn’t even hurt anyone else’s kid.
• Saturday morning at the park with Jacob.  This is becoming our tradition, just father and son.  Always an awesome time.  I love my son so much.
• Cut grass, worked in the yard, washed cars…not my favorite things to do.
• The annual Bellevue Picnic was booming!  We stopped in to show a little practical love and invite folks to church.  Met some nice people there.
• Saturday night set up was pretty much seamless.  We are finalizing details on the storage location this week.  Thanks to all who contribute.  More to come on this topic soon.
• Church went very well yesterday morning.  Still meeting lots of new people, connect groups are continuing to grow.  Just lots of good stuff going on right now!
• Baby Shower yesterday for Julie and Jeremy!  I’m excited for these guys as they prepare for their first child.  Plus I’m so thankful that ”shower” events are for the women.  I’ll stick to birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese.
• Ultimate Power Nap yesterday evening.

Whew!  What a weekend.

Party Time!

I’m pretty pumped about this evening.  This thirty two year old kid and his family are headed to Chuck E. Cheese’s place for a little party action. 

Their slogan is “Where a kid can be a kid” but in this case, I’m going to be a kid too.  I’m sure my wife is worried about me being the obnoxious grown up pushing kids out of the way to get to his favorite game.

Honey…I’ll be good, I promise.

Ahh, the benefits of having children.

 

Friends

What kind of friends do you really have?

What kind of friend are you really to others?

This is the kind I want and want to be.  It’s the story of a woman, Nita Andrews, being a REAL friend.  She sacrificed her time, comfort, and energy to carry and birth her friends baby.  Could you do something like this for someone?  It’s a great story.  This is their picture.

This is reinforcement to the great discussions that took place last night at our connect group.  Developing authentic, Christ like community requires a lot of you as an individual.  It’s not so easy to be a great friend with a true friendship.  It takes genuine love, sacrifice, loyalty, selflessness, trust, and dedication to be a great friend.

God didn’t create us to be alone (Genesis 2:18).  We were designed to walk through life together and help, encourage, and lean on each other (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).  We need each other.

So are you a good friend or a great friend?  What are you willing to do for others?

How My Mind Works

Okay.  I’m an engineer by trade.  I think in detail about certain things.  So what.  Right?  Who doesn’t?

For example…right now gas prices are so high that I’m thinking about how to conserve fuel and save money.  My truck gets approximately 16.5 mpg on the way to work and 20 mpg on the way home.

Hmmmm.

“Why is that?”  That’s my first instinct.  Bear with me here.  I’m thinking it may be one or more of the following:

• Net elevation change from home to work
• Wind resistance, head wind vs. tail wind
• Atmospheric conditions, temperature and humidity

Traffic is pretty negligible both ways so what’s the difference?  That’s just it, I don’t know but I want to find out.  Maybe I’ll try Hwy 70 in the morning and see what the difference would be.  That could possible eliminate the second guess on the list. 

I calculate at the current gas prices that I can save almost $44/month if I can increase my average by two miles per gallon.

Don’t you think that is worth the problem solving effort?

One on One with God (Part 2)

So I study the bible.  Duh.  Right?  Yeah, but this about HOW I go about doing it and what works for me.  Many people have different ways of studying the bible.  There may be no wrong way of course as long as you are seeking God in it.  However I personally think some ways may be better than others…hence what I’m about to share.  I basically do these…

• Read
• Write
• Learn
• Apply

I’m not hung up on translation, but I use a New International Version study bible.

READ - I personally like to read one book at a time.  I’ll focus on a chapter or a portion of a chapter at a time sometimes reading the same verses several days in a row.  What prompts me to go from one book to the next after I’m done may be something very simple.  It may be an excerpt from a sermon.  Or it may be scripture or a story from someones blog.  It may be from a book that I’m currently reading (typically this one).

WRITE - During this process I will take notes.  (You will interpret scripture differently in a couple of years or even months.  Looking back on those notes when re-reading is sometimes enlightening and fun.  Life experience will change the way you interpret most things including scripture.)  Plus writing helps me to remember what I’ve learned.  So take notes or simply keep a journal.

LEARN - Whatever the case, I always expect to learn something when I study.  It may be something I’m already familiar with, but repetition of the Word won’t hurt anyone.  Don’t be surprised if what you study is eerily congruent with what is going on your life, a friends life, what’s being taught at church, etc.  Listen up because God is probably trying to tell you something.  If the same scripture keeps popping up through multiple, unconnected sources of your life, PAY ATTENTION!!  Trust me on this one.

APPLY - Next, there’s application.  Today in my study of  Hebrews 11:1-6, I reminded about the importance of faith.  Faith pleases God.  God commends those for their faith in Him.  So I ask myself how and where do I need to apply this, what I’ve learned?  In my life as a father, husband, as a church leader, etc.?  All of them?  In the end, does what you learn really serve a purpose if you don’t apply it?  You get the gist.

No excuses.  You and I have no excuse not to read the bible these days due to websites like www.biblegateway.com (I use it a lot) coupled with a cell phone that has web access.  It’s almost impossible not to have access to God’s word anymore.  Again, you can’t possibly be too busy.  Being too busy for God is pretty much the equivalent of demoting Him from where He should rank in your life.

Just like life itself is a marathon or a long journey, treat your study time that way.  It’s more about quality and not quantity.  You will not become Billy Graham, Perry Noble, or T.D. Jakes overnight.  Don’t expect anything close to that.  Pace yourself and learn.  It’s taken those guys years and years to get the wisdom and understanding that they have.  On top of that, leaders of that caliber are still growing, too.

This process is not rocket science.  Don’t over complicate it.  Look at studying as your opportunity, not an obligation, to connect with God.

Final side bar:  If you ‘hear’ from God a whole lot, but don’t ever crack open your bible, I have my doubts.  Sorry.  If you think you’ve ’heard’ something from God, make sure it wasn’t just the semi-spoiled cole slaw you had a couple of hours ago and read your bible just to confirm.  It’s a fail-safe.  It ain’t ever gonna change and it’s always gonna be His words. 

Next…prayer in part 3.

Blogs That I Read and Why

A year ago, before I started blogging, I wasn’t even sure that I knew what a blog was.  Since then, not only have I enjoyed this whole process, but it has been supplemental to my growth as a christian and a church leader.  It’s been fun to say the least.

So these are some of the folks in my blog reader and why…

• This guy makes me want to be better at what I do.
• This guy I look up to.
• This guy just oozes with the Word of God.
• This guy inspires the crap out of me.
• This girl encourages me and almost always entertains me.
• This guy stretches me and the way I think.
• This guy makes me laugh out loud at work.
• This guy I work for so I have to read his.

Random Facts About Me

Volume 2 of RFAM.  Read volume 1 here.

Todays topic - What I find entertaining:

1. Talk Radio - Current favorites are Rick and Bubba and Glenn Beck.  It’s funny and thought provoking.  Julie HATES talk radio.
2. Reality TV - The good stuff like Deadliest Catch, and Everest: Beyond the Limits.
3. The Office - Quite possibly the funniest show on TV right now.  I rarely get to watch it, but try to often.
4. Having a conversation with Jacob -His thoughts are much more developed than his speech.  He’s so cute when he’s articulating words, sentences, and expressing himself.
5. Watching Jacob play with other children - If you have toddlers, you know what I’m talking about.  Kids are hilarious.
6. Backcountry Camping - The REAL outdoors.  No bathrooms, no coolers, etc.
7. Canoeing/Fishing - Do you have to ask?
8. Golf - Not as good as I used to be, but still fun.
9. Reading - A good book is just as good as a good movie.
10. Cookout- I love having friends over and just grillin’.  Many memorable moments made during those times.