Ideas have consequences

"If we present a man with a concept of man which is not true, we may well corrupt him. When we present man as an automaton of reflexes, as a mind-machine, as a bundle of instincts, as a pawn of drives and reactions, as a mere product of instinct, heredity and environment, we feed the nihilism to which modern man is, in any case, prone. I became acquainted with the last stage of that corruption in my second concentration camp, Auschwitz. The gas chambers of Auschwitz were the ultimate consequence of the theory that man is nothing but the product of heredity and environment-or, as the Nazi liked to say, of 'Blood and Soil.' I am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Maidanek were ultimately prepared not in some Ministry or other in Berlin, but rather at the desks and in the lecture halls of nihilistic scientists and philosophers." Viktor Frankl

This quote came to mind after a old seminary friend posted an article from a medical journal proposing the justification for "after-birth abortion."

Another thought came to mind: just because you have a PhD it doesn't make you smart. MC Escher could draw lots of things (see pic above). Just because you can imagine it in your mind doesn't mean it reflects reality.

East coast memories...

Petition

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Eph 1:17

I hope people are praying that for me.

Beyond the Gates of Splendor

If you haven't seen this documentary you need to. It's a remarkable story of forgiveness and the power that comes with it. Jim Elliot is one of the missionaries in the story. A favorite quote of mine from him is:

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

http://beyondthegatesthemovie.com/

You can watch it instantly on netflix. Honestly, this is one story that has affected me the most in my life. Simply amazing.

Reverse Psychology

I love the wind. I wish we could get more. The colder the better. Bring it.

Get Back Up

Josh Hamilton is someone I admire. Not for his baseball skills, although he can hit the ball one hell of a long way, but because of his life of failure. Here is a guy who has struggled with addiction, repented, started over, struggled with it, repented, started over, and struggled with it again. So many times I get the feeling that as people of faith we feel that we have to somehow have all the answers, walk around polished as if we don't struggle with anything, and present ourselves as all "put together." Really? Is this even realistic? Is it possible that the people who say they aren't struggling with anything have become comfortable with their sin or are just plain unaware of it? The last time I checked myself, it is pretty clear that I haven't achieved perfection.

Here is an article about Josh. Judge for yourself.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Slugger Josh Hamilton openly acknowledges he'll be an addict for life. As far as slip-ups are concerned, he prays they will be few and far between along his path to sobriety.

And pray is truly what the Texas star does. Every day. Especially since an alcohol relapse last month.

Hamilton hopes he is done for good discussing the incident and there won't be any more mistakes down the line to derail his progress.

"You know what, I've got a lot of weaknesses, guys," Hamilton said Friday. "For me it's communication. I'm on all the time. A lot of these guys are. When you get home it's very easy to shut down, therefore your relationship with your wife, your relationship with your kids suffers from that because you want to go to shut-down mode. It's about me being able to open up all the time and realizing my commitment needs to be to them first rather than everybody else. The priorities there need to be flipped."

Hamilton insists he's in a much better place emotionally and spiritually just in the past three weeks. He has apologized and shown remorse for his Jan. 30 dinner in Dallas during which he had several drinks and continued drinking later that night. It was the second known relapse with alcohol in the past three years for the recovering drug addict.

"I don't like continuing to make mistakes, it jumps up and bites me," he said, noting he needs to take back control of his choices and actions.

The 2010 AL MVP heads into spring training with the two-time reigning AL champion Rangers encouraged since beginning both solo counseling and sessions with his wife.

In a nearly 37-minute news conference outside the clubhouse Friday, Hamilton held a stack of notes and a Bible, recited a half-dozen verses that have influenced him recently and said he will no longer throw a "Band-Aid" over his addiction and communication issues but rather look for a long-term solution.

"Don't get me wrong, this is going to be an ongoing process until the day I die," Hamilton said. "So it's never going to stop. The relationships in my house with my kids, my wife, all those things, have gotten 100 times better just in three weeks. I see where I want to be."

He said he also understands why the Rangers have tabled talks about a contract extension. Hamilton described negotiations as "on hold" and said his unsettled status won't be addressed during the season.

Hamilton, who is eligible for free agency after this season, said it's up to the front office to decide whether he deserves a long-term contract.

"I hate that this happened. They knew the risks from the time they took me in '08," Hamilton said. "I've done a lot of good here, and they've been good to me, too. There's always ways to work things out. You know what, I'm not stressing over a long-term contract because I know I'll be playing baseball. ...

"Put it this way, I'm not going to jump at the first thing offered. I'm not in a situation, `No, I feel like this might happen to me, I better get what I can get when I can get it.' I don't feel that way. I feel very confident in my sobriety, I feel very confident in my relationship with Christ and my family supporting me, and the Rangers supporting me. They've been there for a while. It's been good."

Hamilton is making a conscious effort not to "shut down" once he leaves work and returns home to wife, Katie, and the couple's two daughters. That starts with communication and identifying when he might be headed toward that mode, he said.

Teammate Ian Kinsler was with Hamilton on that Jan. 30 night but has said he didn't see him drink.

"We seem to have off-the-field issues every two months," Kinsler said Friday. "I'm worried about supporting Josh in this whole thing. Right now, it's pretty much behind both of us, pretty much behind our team. We've dealt with things like this in the past and it's really been no problem. As far as people's opinions, that's something we can't control. We'll support Josh as best we can."

Manager Ron Washington hasn't noticed anything different from the "happy-go-lucky" Hamilton, who has mingled with fans near the practice fields outside Surprise Stadium signing autographs.

"When you have setbacks, that's human nature," Washington said. "With his addiction, relapse is part of recovery. We supported him since the day he got here and we'll support him until the day he's no longer a Texas Ranger, if ever."

The four-time All-Star said he would address his teammates in a meeting at some point and ask them for continued support.

Hamilton reminded everyone that he surrendered his life to God in 2005 and it was "what I needed."

"If I didn't have any weaknesses, I wouldn't need God," he said. "I need to stay in that place of surrender. Every time I get a little distracted or have some other ideas in mind as far as things taking that place where He needs to be, you know what, my weakness shows and it comes out in full effect. ... This is probably the third time now I've shared my heart with you guys. All the distractions, I just feel like since I've been here every spring training it's been something other (happening). It's baseball season. It's spring training. We're ALCS champs two years in a row. Let's focus on that. Let's focus on our team."

Hamilton continues to receive regular drug tests from Major League Baseball - something he appreciates because it keeps him accountable.

"This isn't about baseball," Hamilton said. "It's is about how many more years do I have left to play, and what's going to go on and what's going to happen after I finish playing the game. This is a life thing, folks. This is not a baseball thing."

Lent

So we decided to give up television for Lent in our house. This means that we are going to fill the time with "family bonding." Here is the result of tonight's family bonding. My son had to come up with a drawing of himself for a school project. My wife took it upon herself to do her best rendition sketch using a picture for reference. We haven't decided if he is a muppet or what. Regardless, we all got a good laugh.

Delayed Gratification

So about a month ago my daughter (Jlyn) wanted so badly to get an ipod touch. Why? Because her sister had saved up for one and she wouldn't let Jlyn play with it. So of course we had the begging and pleading and negotiating and begging some more. Give her credit, she came up with some pretty good alternative ideas to try to score one of these little beauties. So much so that she was browsing Ebay and Craigslist trying to find "the best deal." However, being naive to the scams and ways people get you to actually pay more for a much inferior product we had to have some lessons about being a smart shopper. Long story short - Jlyn was all ready to "settle" for a first generation touch at a much discounted price through Ebay. Being the caring and wise parent I am, I launched into a lesson on delayed gratification explaining the necessity to learn how to wait for something that you have your mind set on and not just buying on a whim. So I made a deal with her - if she could wait a whole month without bugging me (or anyone else for that matter) or even hinting about "NEEDING" an ipod touch that I would pay 1/2 for her to get a 4th generation new one.

Honestly, she hasn't mentioned it even once since that night. Well, apparently even though she never said anything, she kept track of how long a month was - smart little whip. Tonight she reminded me about our little deal. I have to give her credit. She waited. So I asked her what she learned through waiting and she said, "That it's not good to buy something just because you want it really bad. If you can't wait for it, it's probably not the right time to buy it." Like I said - she is a smart little whip.

Stanford University did a study with kids a long time ago. They put a bunch of kids in a room and placed a marshmallow in front of them. The kids were told that if they waited for 10 minutes without eating the marshmallow they would get two instead of one. The adults left the room and watched the kids from a two-way mirror. Some were quite controlled and able to wait the ten minutes. Others were trying all sorts of things to keep from eating the one - hiding it, sitting on their hands, hitting themselves on the head. And some just went for it - not able to resist the temptation. The research team followed these kids throughout their high school years and found staggering results even so much so as how it affected their SAT scores. The kids that were able to see the wisdom in delayed gratification were much more successful. The others were willing to do most anything to get what they wanted, when they wanted, no matter what the cost.

I'm hoping that the 1/2 I spent was an investment in my daughter's ability to learn something that should last her a lifetime. And I hope she has fun with her new toy.

Pleasure and Pain

From Ravi Zacharias-

Although I agree that the problem of pain may be one of the greatest challenges to faith in God, I dare suggest that it is the problem of pleasure that more often drives us to think of spiritual things. Sexuality, greed, fame, and momentary thrills are actually thee most precarious attractions in the world. Pain forces us to accept our finitude. It can breed cynicism, weariness, and fatigue in just living. Pain sends us in search of a greater power. Introspection, superstition, ceremony, and vows can all come as a result of pain. But disappointment in pleasure is a completely different thing. While pain can often be seen as a means to a greater end, pleasure is seen as an end in itself. And when pleasure has run its course, a sense of despondency can creep into one's soul that may often lead to self-destruction. Pain can often be temporary; but disappointment in pleasure gives rise to emptiness...not just for a moment, but for life. There can be no reason to life, no preconfigured purpose, if even pleasure brings no lasting fulfillment.

People in pain may look for comfort and explanations. People disappointed in pleasure look for purpose.

This makes sense although I don't think that people in pain exclusively look for comfort and explanations. I believe they also look for meaning, purpose, how to relate to themselves, God, and others, and can struggle with hope. What he says about pleasure and disappointment in reaching the "ultimate" pleasure trip and finding it was not what it was cracked up to be would lead to a crisis of meaning and/or purpose. If all you are living for is to satisfy yourself with pleasure but that very pleasure you try to attain lacks the promised "high" or satisfaction your whole direction and drive would come into question. So then one might be inclined to ask the question: "If the pursuit of pleasure can ultimately leave you dissatisfied, disappointed, and disillusioned with life and purpose, what is a noble and worthy pursuit?"

Tickle Monster Gloves

Great for making your little ones squeal with delight. Caution: Do not use when your child has a full bladder.

Too good not to share

I get the privilege of meeting people like Ed all the time. I learn, get inspired, challenged, and blessed. And I am very thankful that I get the opportunity to spend time with them. Enjoy part of Ed's story.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn#/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn

Belly Laugh and Sadness

When was the last time you had one? I've gone too long. It's not really something you can plan or force however. It just kinda happens. It sure is a beautiful thing when it happens though....once you get past the pain that is. Anyway...that was random. Here's to a good laugh and hoping one is in your near future. And mine too.

Oh yeah. It also seems that we had a ritualistic drowning in our house today. Apparently, my daughter has a cult following by a group of Littlest Pet Shop what-ever-you-call-its and they seem to have made a death pact like those people that drank all that kool-aid that one time. It was shocking and sad all at once. I'm glad I have tomorrow off to collect myself and heal from the horror of seeing it first hand. So sad.

Father Daughter II

PF Chang's......wow.....I thought waiting at the Olive Garden was long. Everybody, their mother, and their grandmother were trying to eat at this place. I had the honor of taking out my second lovely daughter tonight. Hearing how she wants to someday play in the Philly Orchestra or, if that doesn't work out, work as a nurse at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) made me think about how I would handle it if someday she ended up moving to the East coast. These days together are precious. She's got a great personality with a very caring heart and I am proud to be her Dad. Love that girl.

By the way, we were told that our picture would be up on Kennewick's Sweet Treat Facebook page. I guess you could say that we are famous.

Waiting for Spring...... training

I miss the competition;
the strategy;
the dirt and spit;
the 0-2 curve ball;
the unwritten rules;
the team.
I miss the sounds;
the smell of a glove;
the 6-4-3 double play;
the delayed steal;
giving signals;
the walk off home run.
I miss the sound of metal cleats on concrete;
sunflower seeds;
fungos;
raised seams;
chalk;
dragging the field.
I miss it...the pastoral universe of the game.

Depravity

From Desmond Tutu's No Future Without Forgiveness:

This and more was the kind of testimony that devastatingly made me realize that there is an awful depth of depravity to which we all could sink, that we possess an extraordinary capacity for evil. As I have already noted elsewhere, this applies to all of us. There is no room for gloating or arrogant finger-pointing. We have supplied God with enough evidence if God had needed it to want to dispatch us all, to wipe the late clean as when He tried to make a fresh start with the Flood. But it is important to note that those guilty of these abuses were quite ordinary folk. They did not grow horns on their foreheads or have tails hidden in their trousers. They looked just like you and me. The philosopher Hannah Arendt refers to "the banality of evil" - that those involved with evil are certainly outwardly not grotesque. They are to all intents and purposes normal people like you and me.

Surreal

Really?

I just sat through a high school information night with my son. Really? I am finding this a little surreal. We had a little discussion on the way back to the car about how time flies. Then we drove by my old house which was 5 houses away from the high school. Someone else lives there now. The trees are still in the yard however. From there the conversation went to "someday you'll drive by the house we live in right now and have this same conversation with your son." Then talk started about me being a grandparent someday. Really? I might as well buy my burial plot tomorrow since it seems that I might run out of time. Maybe I'll just settle for having my ashes scattered in Yankee Stadium. You know what is comforting about this whole idea - that there are people who have gone through it before me and there will be people to follow.....we're just one chapter in a much bigger, eternal story. I am also very thankful that there are others going through it with me.

So, maybe when I fall asleep now it won't be with my son on my chest anymore but I guarantee he is still in my heart.

Picasso I Am Not

VD

Wishing you the very best kind of love on Valentine's Day.

Important encounters...

I wish I could write and think like CS Lewis. There is a lot of good stuff here....

It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken.

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would strongly be tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations.

It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal...But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

This does not mean that we are perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner - no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment.

Definitely something to chew on.....

White men can't dance

The annual father/daughter dinner dance has taken place once again. This year it was just Jlyn and me since Nat had a birthday party already scheduled. Don't worry, we are going out tomorrow night....just the two of us. I figure, why not get in two dates instead of one. Although I'll have to eat better tomorrow. Tonight was another "eat till you hurt" situation. Jlyn's favorite restaurant is Olive Garden. I don't mind it much either. Except on a Saturday night when everyone else and their mother is wanting to eat there. An hour later and we got seated. It was fun to see all the little girls dressed up and with their dads however.

So back to the point of this. I love to people watch. I noticed a lot of what you might call "attempts" at dancing. Trust me, I am the last one to critique someone else when it comes to skizzles on the dance floor because I am lucky to get out of there with out injuring myself or those around me. That is the beauty of slow dancing. Now that I can do and do well. Fast - not so much. I was in good company tonight.

Anyway - saw some old friends...and their daughters that I used to watch in the nursery and enjoyed seeing a bunch of girls of all ages gettin' down on the dance floor with their flailing dads close by. Inspiring....simply inspiring.

Luv

The life-act of the Christian takes part in the strict and proper sense only to the extent that it takes place in the form of love. It is again only in the form of love that it breaks the dominion of the sinister forces to which the man alienated from God, the neighbor and himself is subject. And we must now continue and conclude by saying that it is only in the form of love that it has an absolutely indestructible content and therefore an absolutely certain continuance; that it is participation in the eternal life of God. Only as and to the extent that the Christian loves does he find himself already, in the temporal present of his existence, at the goal set for his and all existence and all the history enacted in time, and therefore in their eternal future. To be more precise, it is only as and to the extent that the Christian loves that the eternal future of his own and all existence becomes and is near even though it is distant, present even though it is future, at the heart of the temporal fulfillment of this existence.

Thus love is the indestructible element in the life-act of the Christian. It is, as we are forced to say, the promise fulfilled already in the present. Love alone abides. Everything else which may and must be done, even by Christians and on the basis of a supreme spiritual endowment, abides only to the extent that is done in love and is thus itself the act of love.

Karl Barth

This Beautiful Mess

Rick McKinley was our pastor when we lived in Portland. He has written a book called This Beautiful Mess. In it he talks about how the kingdom of God breaks in and shows evidence that God is alive and working in the midst of our messes. He also includes pieces of writing by members of the church at the end of each of his chapters.

This is my favorite poem from the book:

When my brothers were too young to be wise

When my brothers were too young to be wise
but too old to name things creatively,
they invented a game called:
Let's take turns jumping off Tom's roof
and throw the cat after the person who jumped.
At least they took turns...

Later, when my brothers were too young to be wise
but old enough to put their scientific knowledge to use,
they played a game called:
Let's pour gas over this giant pile of weeds
and then light it on fire.
At least the doctor said
that their eyebrows will grow back...

Later, when my brother was old enough to be depressed
but too young to know how to cope,
he would play a game called:
Let's go to Tom's house and do a lot of drugs
and drink all his step-dad's beer.
At least there was that one English teacher
who asked if something was wrong...
but what could you say?
We are so poorly equipped to deal with these troubles,
and there are so few doctors of the soul these days...
What is there to do?
I know some people who fight it all their lives,
kicking against the goads until they bleed to death.
Others, like Dad, ignore it,
thinking that hard work, sunshine, and
the passing of time will resolve it.
Still others, like Mom, ostracize and cast blame
by leave condemnatory evangelical polemics taped
to your bathroom mirror.

But now my brothers and I are old enough
to begin to be wise,
yet still young enough to climb the cold roof
to talk and to smoke.
So I will play a new game with you called:
Let's go together and bear one another's burdens.
At least I will not laugh at your pain,
I will not try to fix your problems,
I will not ignore your suffering
or condemn you with my piety...
I will simply lie here next to you in the cold
while we breathe our smoky prayers to God.

-Raeben Nolan

there are so few doctors of the soul these days...

Learn your lines

Everybody has them - movies that you love and lines from those movies that you have chosen to memorize and utilize at the most opportune time. I have my own favorites - see if you can identify the movies these prized sentiments came from:

1. Yer killin' me smalls.
2. Hey rookie, you were good.
3. Wait, shhhh, you smell something?
4. I want to get to the bottom of this asafp but first I'd like to butter your muffin.
5. You wear tights? No, I wear the required uniform. Tights? Shut up.
6. What's the matter? Mommy not here to dress you?
7. It's right there in the photo. The paddy decks - one one one.
   
8. Talk to me Goose.
9. Yo Adrian, I did it.
10. Luke, I AM YOUR FAAATHER. NOOOoooooooo.....
11. I'll never let go Jack.

And one from TV

12. That's what she said.

Since I'm blogging away from our main computer I'll just include a picture of me as I sit here typing. I know, you can hardly contain yourself.

Resurrection

The message this week was about the resurrection of Christ. It got me thinking. Resurrection reverses the usual order of things. We are born, we grow up, and we die. Resurrection reverses that order and is evidence of God's order of things breaking into the world. The resurrection of Christ was a permanent reversal contrasted to the resurrection of Lazarus who eventually died again.

There are, I think, many "resurrections" in our life - many evidences where the usual order of things reverses - both physically and spiritually. Some of these might be in relationships where instead of estrangement and separation, forgiveness is sought and given and the relationship is resurrected and reconciled.

Physically we see it every year with the changing of the seasons. One of my favorite songs by Nicole Nordeman illustrates this - See it here.

I like the connection between resurrection and life. Just as physical resurrection means physical "coming back to life" so it is with the spiritual and emotional. Be on the look out for how the normal order of things in your life is reversed from time to time - how someone is generous instead of selfish; how a kind word is spoken rather than a critical one; how someone chooses to forgive instead of hold bitterness and hate.

And take time this spring to notice the buds on the trees, the bulbs sprouting up in the garden, and the grass turning green again....and think of the resurrection.

You Are

Another Monday - busy day - late night - good thoughts to post but no time so they will have to wait until tomorrow. But - have you ever wondered what is going on with the people around you that you don't know? Have you ever been having an extremely horrible or unbelievably amazing day and walked by other people without them knowing? Now, consider that those same people that you are walking by (or however you want to picture it) might just be having the same experiences - either hurting terribly or having the best day of their life. Or quite possibly they are having just a run of the mill day without too much extreme in either direction. Either scenario gives you (and me) the power to influence and affect someone else for the better or for the worse. We can add to their pain or comfort and strengthen. We can add to their joy or diminish and lessen it. We can tip someone towards the despair side of the scale even if just a little bit or we can move them in the direction of life. Each interaction is significant. Each an opportunity. Realistically I know I don't think in these terms on a consistent basis. Too often I am consumed by my own little world with its own little problems or even its own little victories.

So tonight I am thinking that someone at sometime might read this. So, I have the opportunity to encourage, bless, and maybe even spur them onto something greater. Ok, so here goes. Your life is not insignificant. You were made for a purpose. You are loved and appreciated. If you are feeling like there is nothing to rejoice about - know that God sees and feels the very sorrow you are going through and you are not alone. If you are feeling like everything is peachy keen then I smile with you.

I guess that's it. Pollyanna has spoken. Now she's going to bed.

Freeeeee Dayyyyy

I am not sure what I liked most about this day:

• Good Super Bowl game with the Giants winning.....nice.
• Good friends coming over to enjoy said football game....sweet.
• Sleeping in......TOPPER.
• Communion at church done differently reminding me of Portland.....got a little emotional on that one.
• High School Musical I, II, III marathon on all day (the sing-a-long versions).....Not ashamed to admit I'm a fan.

What I do not like however is easy to identify:

• Eating way too much. I think I cashed in about 5 or 6 free days worth of calories. Here is to hoping my body doesn't revolt in less than desirable ways.

Hope your Sunday was SUPER......(I couldn't resist)

End of Week 12

It is hard to believe that 12 weeks ago Sarah, Cade, and myself started P90X. It is very hard to believe that I have been getting up at 5 am for the last 12 weeks. When I was a teacher the earliest I got up was 5:45 and every morning I dreaded that.

So we finished the program today and I can honestly say that I have seen results. We followed the workout routines to the letter. The diet part we weren't as legalistic but did stick to their recommendations. What I mean by legalistic is that we didn't use their recipes and count calories on an excel spreadsheet. We cut out what they said to and stuck to the main categories they suggested. And threw in one day a week where we could eat anything we wanted.

So here are the results I have seen. My clothes are a lot looser; some of the food I used to enjoy tastes really "loaded" or "sweet" now; I am sore all the time (to the point that I am taking next week off to try to recover a bit); and I usually fall asleep about 5 minutes after hitting the pillow.

After 12 weeks there are still parts of the program that I cannot do - specifically parts of the yoga routine. My body does not twist and stretch like those rubber band people they have on there. Flexibility has never been my strong suit so as we start round two my goal is to work on my stretchiness. I've always wanted to be stretchy - so much so that I have dreams about being able to rest my head on my knees as I am sitting with my legs straight out. Then I wake up and can barely put my socks on while standing up.

So - If you want to get into shape - our gym opens at 5 am in my garage. We'll leave the light on for you. But not tomorrow - day off - and free eat day so I'll be sleeping in and then grazing on whatever I can find as we watch the Giants beat the Patriots.

In the words of Tony Horton - "Do your best and forget the rest."

Unloved

So I got to thinking tonight about memorial services and who shows up and why. I got to be a part of a service today that was really quite moving. My favorite part of the service is when people get up and share their personal stories and memories of the deceased. There are usually some humorous recollections, touching experiences, and emotional stories that represent how that person was connected to family and friends. It's all about the good stuff - love, happiness, and joy.

So here was what I was thinking about. What if everyone who showed up at your funeral was someone you didn't necessarily get along with or better yet - was someone that really hated you. What if the stories that were shared were of times that you cheated someone, cut them off in traffic and gave them the finger, or bullied at some time or another?

What if the person who died was deserving of all the comments of disgust and disdain they were receiving? What if they were truly not loved by anyone?

That got me thinking more and what came to mind was a song. I think I'll simply let the song speak for itself. Just something to think about.....

I have been unfaithful
I have been unworthy
I have been unrighteous
And I have been unmerciful

I have been unreachable
I have been unteachable
I have been unwilling
And I've been undesirable

And sometimes I have been unwise
I've been undone by what I'm unsure of
But because of you
And all that you went through
I know that I have never been unloved

I have been unbroken
I have been unmended
I have been uneasy
And I've been unapprochable

I've been unemotional
I've been unexceptional
I've been undecided
And I have been unqualified

Unaware - I have been unfair
I've been unfit for blessings from above
But even I can see
The sacrifice You made for me
To show that I have never been unloved

It's because of you
And all that you went through
I know that I have never been unloved

By Michael W. Smith

Would you like to dance?

Face it - we've all been there. On the dance floor, no one to dance with for the moment and we are asked by someone who we don't really want to dance with. So what are some responses you used to get out of dancing?

This was the topic of discussion at our dinner table tonight. It seems that my son has a dance tomorrow at his school. Normally, he wouldn't go to such childish and foolish activities (his thoughts on dancing) but he is taking leadership this semester and part of the class requires him to attend the dance.

So I asked him...."What if you are asked by a girl you don't want to dance with - what will you say to get out of it?" (I shared with him some of my best excuses but those are top secret)

He said he would probably just say yes and dance with the girl. Disappointing.

However, my 9-year-old Jlyn piped up and said, "Why don't you just tell her you need to go check your meatloaf."

I'm glad I wasn't drinking milk at that moment. Such wisdom at that age. I couldn't have been prouder.

Ask Me A Question

So a couple of years ago we did a relational gift exchange with our small group. This was inspired by a thing called Advent Conspiracy that our old church in Portland promotes. The idea is to give more and spend less at Christmas and to be intentional with the gifts you do give to encourage relationship building. The gift we received was The Question Jar which is filled with......you guessed it.....thought provoking and conversation starting questions.

Tonight's question is shown above - "What are three feelings you've had today?"

1. The first feeling I had today was wanting to go back to bed. I pretty much have this feeling everyday when the alarm goes off. I like sleep. I would have to say that my favorite time of day is right when my head hits the pillow at night. I am confronted every morning with a pivotal decision that requires the utmost exertion of will power to get in the upright position and CHOOSE to get up and exercise.

2. Today I prepared a message for a memorial service I am officiating this week. It is for the mother of a good friend of mine. I guess the best description of the feeling I got while doing it is "honored". It is always humbling and honoring to be asked to officiate a service for someone's family member. In this instance, knowing the family like I do, I am especially honored and blessed to be a part of their celebration of her life. Additionally, my friend is also a co-worker so their is a secondary "family" involved as well as many of our other colleagues will be present to celebrate too. I am looking forward to our time together.

3. I guess feeling number three is........drum roll please.........amazement. Yes, that's right - amazement. I am amazed that I actually posted for a whole month and that it is already February. So here is to another month of ramblings, thoughts, and digital diddies from the inner sanctum. May your February be full of chocolate, hearts, and roses....and a little L'Amour as well.