Contemplations…

I love football. College football is great. Pro Football is great. It is almost time for us to hang up the cleats. This weekend is the Super Bowl. I am not really 100% behind either team, although I am very happy for both teams getting there.

I was watching one of my favorite shows the other night, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. He had on Mike Ditka, famed coach. I like Mike. He is full of real world wisdom. He calls it like he sees it.

They got talking about a situation in football that I could not be more exhausted with. They were talking the situation down with the Dallas Cowboys and specifically Terrell Owens. T.O., as he is affectionately known, is an incredibly talented player. This fact cannot be denied. I can’t stand the guy, but I have to be able to admit that he is a playmaker.

When asked about the situation, Mike Ditka made a brilliant statement:

“When people put talent ahead of character, we are all in big trouble.”

I love this statement so much. And I am living my life banking on this being true. It is not that talent doesn’t matter, it just has its place, and it is NOT ahead of character. Who you are is more important than what you can do.

Tags: Christian, Ditka, Super Bowl, Football, Terrell Owens, Character, Talent

Psalm 3
1 LORD, how they have increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me!
2 Many there be that say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God.”

3 But Thou, O LORD, art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head.

I was at church and we sang a worship song based off of this third verse. It really made me think. I am so thankful. Even when I feel like the whole world is attacking me, God protects me from the world. Not only does he protect me, he lifts my head up. There is an image I have of God gently putting his finger under my chin and lifting my head up and saying to me… “don’t you worry about all of that, you just keep your head up.”

We all have our own “that.” Sometimes my “that” changes. But, the message is the same… don’t worry…

There is a bigger circular argument that I really don’t want to try to tackle here. But, it is overwhelming to me that God himself helps us to keep our focus on Him. I need God’s strength to focus on God. I love that God is my shield, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.

Tags: Head, Focus, God, Christian, Lifter

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.

I am truly blessed to have some incredible friends. I have two friends that are very close to me. We have all been dealing with a mutual friend who is going through some personal issues.

One of my friends brought up the verse James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” It really hit me. It is a directive. We are responsible to be humble. I am to humble myself.

I get so caught up in ‘doing.’ I get so caught up in making sure that I am doing a good job. And, I am consumed with making sure that I have a good reputation. I don’t think that this is completely wrong. But, I need to realize that my responsibility is to do a good job, and to humble myself. “He will life me up”

I think that in a culture that is consumed with placing a high value on your reputation, good or bad, I sometimes conform to believing that I have to play along.

As we were discussing our friends issues, we had commented at one point that it is a shame that this person is dealing with issues because he is so good at what he does. It struck me that all I have to do is be good at what I do. It is actually quite a relief. I just have to do a good job, and God will lift me up, honor me. God is so good!

Tags: Humility, God, Christian, Values

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8

I have been going a little too fast and a little too hard lately. It is a bad habit for me. When I get going, I sometimes don’t have a throttle. I am 100 mph. I am tackling the entire world. I have been getting a handle on things this past week. Thanks in large part to some really great friends.

This weekend I had the privilige of serving on the worship team at my church. Bellevue Community Church I was playing percussion. It was a lot of fun. The other musicians and technical staff were just truly amazing. I sometimes wonder if they let me play out of pity.(I know this is self-depracating, and I do realize that I am good enough to be there.) Worship was amazing. The fellowship and community that I felt was amazing. It was a very spiritually rich experience and I anxiously await the next time.

I came home from church and rested. Yep, that’s right. I rested. I laid on the couch and trusted the Bears to get there on their own, which they did. I napped through most of the second half. I then watched the Colts pull things together. I fought the urge to write, the urge to organize, the urge to shop, the urge to actively think. When I say ‘actively think’ I mean, really try to figure something out. I spend a good bit of my days thinking really hard. I don’t know that this is different from everyone else, I assume everyone thinks really hard. But, yesterday I partook in the activity of ‘vegging.’ The equivalent of letting the engines idle.

After this beautiful day of rest, I truly realize the value and importance of taking a sabbath. To truly take a day of rest… and setting it apart, making it holy. I cannot tell you how valuable that was in my life.

Tags: Sabbath, Christian, Church, Fellowship, Worship

(New International Version) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

sorry for the potential incohesiveness that is about to follow…

first, writing is hard. why didn’t you all warn me? you heard me talking about wanting to do it, and no one said… “hey, it isn’t going to be easy”

i did some technical writing today, and i am trying to do some creative writing now, and i am exhausted… okay, that pity party is over…

next pity party… i am not as bitter as i am about to sound… here it comes…. but, i just saw an ad for a movie with drew barrymore and hugh grant… not people that i would consider role models, but definitely two of my fave actors in the sappy chic flic genre… all of this to say… their movie releases on Feb 14th, Valentine’s day… and i have to be honest… the first thing that went through my mind was, “CRAP” again… it is like this happens every year… needless to say, i am not a fan of valentine’s day, i would love to think there will be a day that i have reason to feel very differently, but, right now where i sit… i just can’t wait to get past it…

okay, thanks for letting me host my own little pity party…

Tags: Pity party, Valentine’s Day, Writing

I need to preface this entry with the clarification that I will refer to a subculture in this post. This subculture is not defined by race, religion, political affiliation. This subculture is defined by a common interest in a particular activity.

I went to a concert last night. I am involved with music and concerts as a way of making a living. It is rare for me to go to a concert for my own personal entertainment. It is even rarer that I am moved enough to pay to go see an artist.

I didn’t know much about the artist that I went to see last night, other than I like his style of music and he is from my hometown. I was really excited about seeing this show. I was able to go and be a fan. I had nothing vested in this.

I thought that the venue that he was playing was rather big for what I assumed would be his following. I assumed that he drew a cult following crowd that would fill a small club, but not a concert hall. Man was I way off.

I got to the venue to find that there was a line to get in. I got in the venue and it was packed. I thought this was encouraging. I started to recognize that the demographic of the crowd was pretty heavily slanted towards favoring a subculture. I knew some people that are a part of this subculture that were there that helped to confirm my suspicions.

I was not passing judgement on these people. I was not stereotyping these people. I was just kind of amazed that I had no idea that the artist that I was going to see had this specific appeal to this particular subculture.

What is the point of all of this? Well, I guess what I learn from this was… we all are not that different after all. I don’t enjoy most of what the rest of that subculture enjoys, but, last night I found myself on common ground with them.

It was interesting.

Please don’t try to guess who the subculture or the artist, or if you know, please don’t disclose that info, it would invalidate the point of this post.

Tags: Subculture, Shows, Acceptance, Common interest

I am dumbfounded. I cannot figure out how it is Thursday evening, the 11th of January. This week has just flown by. It has been full, and there has been quite a bit accomplished. And yet I can’t quite get my head around the fact that it will be Friday tomorrow.

I guess it all has to do with perspective. The facts are; each and every day is the same amount of time quantifiably. We get 24 hours. Each of us. Every day.

I was just sharing the other day with a dear friend of mine something that I heard at church this past year. The speaker was talking about people using the term “making time” for things. He talked about how ridiculous this concept is. He is right, despite my lobbying for longer days, I have not ever been able to “make time.” What we really need to do is “take” time.

The amount of time that we devote to something determines its value. If I spend 3 of my 16 waking hours chatting online with my friends, that shows priority. Also, if I spend 0 hours working out, then that unfortunately is a big tell.

I don’t know where exactly I am going here, other than to try to re-focus, to gain a better perspective, and ultimately to start taking the appropriate amount of time to re-prioritize my life.

Tags: Values, Christian, Time, Priorities, Perspective

Okay, so I need to start off with a confession…

I watch Oprah. There I said it. I am not a regular fanatic. I don’t schedule my life around her, but I tend to keep the TV on while I am working… and some of it catches my attention.

All of that to say… I saw an episode that was dealing with clutter and organizing your house/closet. The comment was made that, “the state of your house represents the state of your soul”… if you keep a clean, organized house, you have a clean, organized soul…

Well, I just got my laptop back from the shop. It was shutting off for no reason. Not in any particular application. Not when I hit a special key, just random. Very frustrating. Especially now that I have started writing more often. I kept losing work. UGH!

So the shop I go to is cluttered, but the guys do amazing quick work. Key word being quick! I trust these guys.

I don’t know much about what goes on on the inside of my computer. I am not well-versed in technology.

The diagnosis on what was wrong: the fan had dust in it, and was causing it to overheat, along with applications running that I wasn’t aware of…

Okay, here is me reading too much into things… I need to take care of myself day to day… I need to not allow the dust to build up on my insides… I need to be better about my health and my disciplines on a daily way…

Again, more introspection, hope it might help others…

BTW, my book is under way… I will give updates as I get more into it…

Tags: Self, Christian, Discipline, Maintenance

One of the blog’s I frequent LukeProg’s What God Taught Me Today

It has a link to the 50 potential Christian best sellers

This is really got some gems… some of my faves

29. Veggie Tales Systematic Theology
13. Y3K – Countdown to Armageddon

47. Even Newer Strong’s Exhausting Concordance – Heavier than Ever
48. Where Would Jesus Eat and How Much Did He Tip?

If we can’t laugh at ourselves, something is wrong with us…

Tags: Laugh, Funny, Christian, Books

I am very reluctant to “endorse” anything, even my friends for jobs. I feel like my name and reputation is pretty much all I have. I am very protective.

I have had the opportunity this year to take a few long driving trips this past year. I am not a big reader, but I love information. It causes quite a conundrum. Until I discovered that Itunes sells audiobooks. BINGO!

The topics that intrigue me are very diverse. I have read/listened to some really good books. But there is one that I am willing to stake my name behind.

“Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith” by Rob Bell

This book very eloquently and methodically states what “Christianity” is really all about. It might be tough to swallow if you are someone raised in the conservative church. He RE-states some foundational issues, and it could ruffle some feathers. But, I encourage you to read it through, cause the core of what he is saying is dead-on, in my opinion. It is the common-day declaration of faith. If you struggle with what you believe versus what you are being taught to believe, I encourage you to read this book, if I had to guess it might come close to what you believe.

Tags: Book Review, Book, Christian, Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis