Peeing yellow

 

This meme caught my eye, and immediately caused me to think about myself.  I know nothing about McCann, other than what I found googling him.  He's Irish, but now an American, and he's an author and a professor.  I couldn't find the context in which he wrote the meme attributed to him.  I imagine that he simply considers himself to be living an ordinary life (albeit his apparent fame and noteworthiness), and that he perhaps actually came to the conclusion that it does take courage to be ordinary.

 

Almost all of the men, husbands, and fathers that I know are living an ordinary life.  They are ordinary men.  I have always felt that of people...we are all just ordinary people...

• regardless of race
• regardless of creed
• regardless of background
• regardless of social status
• etc.

Even though I catch myself thin-slicing (key word of improvement there..catch myself) I have always pretty much maintained the following:

 

We all put our pants on one leg at a time, and we all pee yellow.

 

In other words, we are all ordinary.  Our problem is however, don't we find ourselves often trying to be someone or something we are not?  Do we not sometimes try to project ourselves as not ordinary, in some ways, "special"?  Inside, don't we sometimes find it difficult to just accept that we, just like everyone else, is just ordinary?  Are we sometimes so wrapped up in ourselves that it becomes difficult to be just what we are....ordinary men, men made in God's image?

 

Christ, and later his Apostles, were ordinary men, but they had extraordinary abilities, gifts, lives.  By being ordinary, they were able to reach thousands and thousands with the Word.  And they had exceptional courage.

 

In today's times it takes no more nor no less courage to be an ordinary man than in those days.....but it does take courage.  It is that courage which, when lacking, stops us from being bold and faithful in our efforts to be Christ following men, husbands, and father....and friends to all around us.  It is only fear which stops us from being the best ordinary man we can be.

 

Have you embraced your ordinariness?  Can you be comfortable with it?  Have you found that it does take courage to be ordinary?  Can you use that courage to use your gifts, talents, and abilities to further the Kingdom work in your daily life?



Absorbing little guys

 

Yep....that's a sponge.  A natural sponge.  One of those little guys the size of a fist will absorb enough water to swell it up to a size that will require 2 hands to wring it out.  They absorb far more than one would imagine when first coming upon them.  I remember what a thrill it was when I was a kid (in the 50's) and we'd have a day trip in the summer to go from our home in Orlando to Tarpon Springs to see the sponge divers do their magic. 

 

If you transpose words for water, our kids are exactly like natural sponges.  They absorb far more than we can imagine when we are busy shooting our bazoos off within their hearing range.  They aren't stupid, and they can easily categorize things we say and how we say it as they absorb it.

• how often has a little guy come out word(s) or term an the least inappropriate time...in such a cherubic way (because he/she doesn't really understand the true meaning of the term)....words we wouldn't utter with our church friends?
• we don't teach our young kids sarcasm, how to use a snide voice, body language with verbal outbursts, and the like, do we?
• we don't willingly teach our kids racism, hatred, vile anger, and the like do we?

It's fairly easy to understand that when our children are born, they are pure an innocent.  Their whole learning process begins with the parents.....and they are literal sponges !  If you are a husband and/or a father, take a moment to take a quick trip to the mirror where you first look at yourself in the morning and do a quick assessment of yourself.  Do you see someone who is inadvertently providing his little sponges (kids) with "stuff" you would rather they not learn?  Are your actions and words around your children feeding those little sponges "stuff" that will enable then to grow up being kind, just, loving, and godly individuals?  The bottom line is...what do your kids hear and see that will have either a positive impact on their lives, or a negative impact?

 

Kids are cute...and they are absorbing little guys.  How do you feed your sponges?







Making change

"Oh, he'll never change"

"I can't change, I'm too old"

"things will never change"

"you can't teach an old dog new tricks"

"change is so hard"

 

Aren't there areas in our lives that need changing?  There sure is in mine.  The problem with those needed changes is that we so often buy into one of the lies....yes, lies....listed above.  The real issue with making those changes is multifold:

• we might be lazy and "comfortable" with the known...even if it needs changing
• we might fear the outcome because it represents something unknown to us...new territory if you will
• change might make some people not like us, or we worry about what they might think
• we don't trust ourselves as capable of making that change
• we want that change now and we know it will not happen overnight
• what may need changing has become a habit, something we think can't be changed
• we haven't fully put our trust in God to help us make that change

Surgery changes something....it's an event.  Changing the sheets on the bed is an event.  Changing the station on the car radio to hear a different kind of music is an event.

 

Changing lives is not an event.

 

 

Anything in our lives that stands in the way of our living as Christ-like men, husbands, and fathers,

can be changed....if we want it to.  Making a change boils down to what choice we make, how bad we want it, and what we will do to achieve it.  Oh....and that one important thing....accepting the fact that it is a process, not an event, and that making changes will only leave us much better people.

 

Are there any areas in your life that need changing?  What would your wife and kids say to that?  What is God whispering to you about that?  Are your answers in sync with what those others would say?

 

Then go for it....go about making change, and prepare to enjoy a better you when the process is done.





I Promise

God promises so much in His word.  Have you ever thought of God's promises to us?  His promises far exceed, and are far more reaching, than any promises we could possibly make to Him and yet, He only wants for us to promise to do the best we possibly can.  Do what?  Live the lives of men, husbands, and fathers that He intended us to live, and believe.

If you will listen HERE you will hear and see an excellent lesson for all of us, out of the mouth of a young girl whose voice and talent far exceeds what you might think is possible.

Where she speaks the words "I promise......" is a message fitting for each and every one of us.

Is it really that hard to utter that promise.....and follow through on it, just as God always fulfills His promises?

Twin fetus's

 

 

In a mother's womb were two babies.  One was me, and one was you.  One asked the other, "Do you believe in life after delivery?  Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what will come later."

 

"Nonsense" said the other, "There is no life after delivery.  What kind of life would that be?"

 

The first said, "I don't know, but there will be more light than here.  Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths.  Maybe we will have other senses that we can't understand now."

 

The second replied, "That is absurd.  Walking is impossible.  And eating from our mouths?  Ridiculous!  The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need.  But the umbilical cord is so short.  Life after delivery is to be logically excluded."

 

The first insisted, "Well I think there is something and maybe it's different than it is here.  Maybe we won't need this physical cord anymore."

 

The second replied, "Nonsense.  And moreover if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there?  Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence, and oblivion.  It takes us nowhere."

 

"Well I don't know," said the first, "but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us."

 

The second replied "Mother?  You actually believe in Mother?  That's laughable.  If Mother exists, then where is She now?"

 

The first said, "She is all around us.  We are surrounded by Her.  We are of Her.  It is in Her that we live.  Without Her this world would not and could not exist."

 

Said the second: "Well I don't see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn't exist."

 

To which the first replied, "Sometimes, when you're in absolute silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.

 

 

source unknown     

 

Out of the mouths of babes as the saying goes.









Maybe a hearing aid?

You pray, but are you praying because you know that is what you should be doing....or are you praying with a sense of conviction that you are conversing with the God that loves you and, the God you trust, and the God who will answer your prayers in His time and in His way?  Are your prayers only those occasional panic prayers?  Are your prayers mostly  "gimme" or "I want" or "I need" prayers?  Is your prayer life, really a way of life, or just a whenever I get around to it life?

This may be true about many of us.....

 

I would add to that...."and we trust ourselves more than we trust Him.  It's all about control isn't it?  We seem to have this glitch in our DNA that tells us "I'm in charge here"! 

Is it time to re-think things and perhaps get a hearing aid?



Content

Someone once shared with me that they thought it must be difficult to write a blog such as this each day.  I shared with them that I see the writing of this blog as a daily gift, and in some sense, a selfish way, because it is a gift to me.  I believe that being able to write this blog is not only a gift from God, but more importantly...it is the sharing and the using of His gift to me to hopefully spread news about the wonders of God's love for us all, and particularly to those who are men, husbands, and fathers.

We all, if we search within ourselves, have gifts we can use to further enhance the Kingdom work for the benefit, not for ourselves, but for others...unselfishly.  I am content with what I try to share.  I am content with myself, even knowing that I am far from perfect, that there is yet some brokenness within me, that I will never reach the perfection that I seek.  I am content with the fact that I have tripped, stumbled, and fallen throughout my life, that I still do, and that I always will.  I am very content in the knowledge of God's love as He continually is there to pick me up and stay beside me as I take that next step.  And I am content in sharing the posts, because almost every one of them is, in some way, attached to me and the struggles I have, and have had, trying to be a worthy man, husband, and father.

We can all be content in the knowledge that we are imperfect, and always will be....and that God knows that.

We can all be content in the knowledge that despite those imperfections, God will always be with us and wants to help us work through them.

We can all be content in the fact that by having accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are the recipients of more grace than we will ever realize, and He shoulders our sin as long as we continue to call upon Him.

We can all be content in the knowledge that because of that our future is sealed in the blood of Jesus....and that is the most important gift we will ever receive, and the most important gift we can ever share with others.

Messy People

"go clean your room"

"will you pick up that mess you left in the kitchen"

"you are an absolute mess"

"I have made such a mess out of my life"

"I messed up big"

 

The above are common phrases, often said, often heard, and all relate to messy people.  Like me.....and maybe you?  As a husband and father I have lovingly shared the top 3 on more than one occasion....and not always in the nicest of tones.  The latter 2 I have shared with myself far more many times than I care to recall.  That's because my life decisions and choices can clearly dictate to me that I am a messy person.

 

No, I am not beating myself up in saying that because I have learned one thing about God's great love for me....so much so, that I can imagine Him saying to me, when I need it most....

 

 

and that gives me the strength to call upon Him regularly and passionately.  I know now that He knows I'm a mess, and He wants to help me walk out of it.

 

 

Guys....that's all He wants from all of us.  He knows we are messy people.  Can you honor God with your mess?



4 eyes

 

One of the many cruel things I was called growing up was "4 eyes" by some of the kids I went to school with.  That was in Detroit.  It was easy for them to pick on me and my sister.  We had moved there from Georgia when my dad was transferred there, and apparently they didn't like simple southern kids too much in Detroit.  "4 eyes" was a good way for them to poke fun of the fact that I wore glasses as a youngster, really corrective glasses because one of my eyeballs appeared to be searching for the back of my head by way of the side.

 

All ended well, in time.  Pop got transferred back to Georgia, where it just seemed that people were more tolerant, kind, and way more simple about life.  And, over time, with some surgery, the eye that had wandered eventually started to look front and center, and glasses were no longer necessary.

 

Nowadays, I wouldn't mind if people called me "4 eyes".  Perhaps you wouldn't either once I share why.  But first, what do you first see in your minds eye when you first see someone:

• who is of a different race?
• who is of a much lesser economic status than ours?
• of the opposite sex?
• who is of a different sexual orientation?
• who you just don't like?
• who seems overly crabby and angry?
• in raggedy, dirty clothes sitting on a sidewalk begging?

I would like to be able to answer each and every one of those as one would think that a fully devoted follower of Christ would.....but I can't.  There is still way too much brokenness within me that needs fixin'.  But, I will add a caveat to that statement....it's not as bad as it used to be.  Sometimes my first reactions are Christ-like.  Sometimes I can actually see the overly crabby and angry person and immediately feel a sense of empathy for them as I think that maybe they are having a really hard time at life and need some friendly encouragement which I could offer.  Sometimes. 

 

Here's why I wouldn't mind being called "4 eyes" once again.  It would represent to me that I am starting to look at life through Jesus's eyes, the way He would see things...and the way He would react, and what He would do. 

 

I wonder how many marriages would be saved and how many kids would grow up well grounded in a strong faith if men, husbands, and fathers like us could rightfully be called "4 eyes" because, as we do daily life, we are looking through the eyes of Jesus.





Everyone can do it

Some within the culture of manhood might say it's for sissies, wimps, women, and phonies.  Hopefully, that group is a small group.  Others might say that the just don't have time, or don't think of it, or maybe they feel foolish doing it.  And then there are those that are just too selfish, too self centered, or consider themselves above it to do it.  What is this "it"?   It is something that not only everyone can do, but something everyone should do.  It is called "a random act of kindness."

There aren't a whole lot of things we can do to draw ourselves out of ourselves than to do random acts of kindness frequently.  Being kind to others is one of the basic themes of being a Christ-like man.  We were born to be kind, and all of us lost that natural instinct along the way of growing into adults to one degree or another.  Just look around if you think that might be a bad statement.

A random act of kindness is something we willingly give to someone who has no idea or expectation that he/she is about to receive it, and it is given with absolutely no expectation of acknowledgement for it.  It involves spontaneity, a bit of sacrifice perhaps, a sense of timing and appropriateness, and it always provides a sense of joy to both the giver and the receiver.  How good is that?  And, when done, it is never done with any sense of obligation nor expectation of reward except for the feeling that you just did something nice, or kind, to a stranger.

Here's a recent example of a huge random act of kindness:

 

Obviously, man of us are not in the position to do what the man from the note did.  Random acts don't have to be "huge" and "big".  But there are so many things that can be done as random acts that will mean so much to the unknown recipient.

• perhaps you have heard of some family from church that is struggling financially...even if it's just a small amount, you can send them some cash (or put it in an envelope with their name on the outside and a short anonymous note inside and drop it in the church collection...they will get it to the person).
• maybe you'll see some elderly person obviously struggling with something....it just takes a few moments to stop and help them
• how about stopping at one of the street people's place on the sidewalk and let them know that you'd love to take them to McDonalds down the street for a lunch and a warm cup of coffee.

Those are but a couple of examples.  Once you do a few acts of random kindness, you will automatically be tuned in for others you can do.  You will be looking for situations.  And you will be doing so, not with the intent of patting yourself on the back or hoping others will notice....no, you will be doing it because you know that it's the right thing to do and what it does for your heart.

 

Everyone can do it.  Many do.  Some don't.  Are you doing what everyone can do?



 



Quit complaining

Don't complain about not getting texts, only to discover that your phone was turned off.

Don't complain about running out of gas in your car, only to remember that you forgot to fill it.

Don't complain about getting a dunning notice because you forgot to pay the bill on time.

Don't complain about things changing about your wife because you forgot how to treat a wife.

Don't complain about how wild your kids are because you didn't take the time to instill values in them.

Don't complain about your problems without taking a good look inside yourself.

Don't complain about your boss's assessment of your work when you haven't given it your all.

Don't complain about your church when you don't go there faithfully.

And above all....don't complain about a silent God while your bible has been closed for months on end and you have gotten away from talking with Him on a regular basis.

Who is that guy?

He didn't have any servants.....

but they called Him Master

 

He had no education....

but they called Him Teacher

 

He had no medicines or medical degree...

but they called Him Healer

 

He had no army....

yet kings feared Him.

 

He won no military battles....

but He conquered the world.

 

He committed no crime....

but they killed Him.

 

He was buried in a tomb....

Yet He lives today.

 

We are totally unworthy of his love...

But He loves us more than we will ever know.

 

We are totally undeserving....

Yet through His Word we are told repeatedly that He has prepared a place for us....

 

If only we believe that He died for our sins.

 

He  is Jesus.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was probably the greatest player ever in the NBA.  His career with the Chicago Bulls thrilled millions worldwide, and those of us fortunate enough to see him play from seats in the stadium still marvel at some of the moves he could make.  There are some things about Jordan that many don't know, or have forgotten about as those things pale in the shadow of all the great things he did accomplish.

 

9000 shots missed !  Lost 300 games !  Missed the game winning shot 26 times !  Yes, there are a lot of failures there.  But Michael Jordan never gave up, in spite of those failures...and he succeeded.

 

Maybe the failures us guys experience daily in our lives aren't as dramatic as Jordan's in the world view side of things.  But that shouldn't negate the lesson to be learned from this giant of the NBA.  As men, husband, and fathers, we are no less infallible to failure and mistakes than Jordan was in basketball.  They are a way of life.  We will never become fully devoted followers of Christ if we allow our failures to block our journey.  We will fail over and over again, just like Jordan...but we should never, ever, give up trying, and in doing so we will succeed....at life as Christian men.

 

We might not end up selling tennis shoes, but we will end up reaching the prize (heaven) if we just continue to keep trying.



Powerful !

Is there anyone who doesn't doubt at times, like perhaps:

• doubt that there is any way God can love you?
• doubt that you are worth anything?
• doubt that you will end up in heaven?
• doubt that you can overcome those dark areas in your life?
• doubt that you are worthy?
• doubt that you can be saved?

Those kind of doubts are valid doubts, healthy doubts if you will, of every normal man who wakes up breathing in the morning.  That is especially true of men who have chosen to join the struggle of trying to grow into Christ followers.  In a way, there is nothing wrong with those doubts, because they are indicative of the thoughts of a man who is fully aware of his past and present and is continually striving for further growth in his walk.

Sometimes those doubts might lead us to look toward God and just wonder "how can you love a man like me"?  Each and every one of us has a "story", and in each story there are chapters we are not proud of.  As we continue to grow, no matter our stage in life, into better men, husbands, and fathers, we continue to discover that we need affirmation that we are indeed worthy, that those chapters in our lives don't matter if we don't continue to lengthen them.  We can learn from that affirmation that it is those chapters themselves that provide us with wonderful stepping stones toward building a new past.

That affirmation can come from a multitude of sources....the Word, men's groups, trusted friends with who we share our deepest and darkest selves, and the list goes on.  Music, too can provide that affirmation, such as THIS. 

Stuff we heard

I bet almost every one of us, if asked, would easily be able to come up with at least one saying one , or both, of our parents used with regularity in our childhood.  And I'd also bet that there would be a pretty even division between those of us who loved those sayings and those of us who hated hearing them.  And further, I'd bet that almost all of us now use those very same saying, whether we loved them or hated them, with our own families....because we now recognize them for what they really were...words of wisdom.

I absolutely hated hearing my mom say "this too shall pass."  When I was growing up, adversity, struggle, and hardship were the mainstays of our family life.  I hated it then, just as much as I hated mom saying "this too shall pass."  Life just wasn't conforming fast enough to what my view of the way life should be when I was growing up. 

As I've grown older I have ever so slowly discovered:

• that I really don't control my own little world
• that often my expectations far exceed reality so often
• that God really is in charge of my life, and I need to listen
• that my little world will always have speed bumps which fall under the category of adversity
• and that there is always joy to be found, if I only look for it.

With that discovery, I have found huge understanding, and appreciation of, the wisdom of "this too shall pass." 

 

 

And I have also discovered that it is easier for me to focus on the things that cause me to say "this too shall pass" than it is to fully appreciate those things the good things and take profound joy in them.   Hmmmm, seems there might be some homework needed there.

 

Where are you in this equation?



Two options

Pat Riley, currently an NBA executive, was pretty much an icon in his coaching days.  He successfully coached the Lakers, Knicks, and the Miami Heat.  His success is easily measured by a resume that few others have achieved.  One of the reasons for his tremendous success was his ability to motivate those under his tutelage.  A short quote attributed to him speaks volumes...not only to basketball players, but more importantly it addresses something so many men either lack or struggle with on a daily basis.  Commitment.

"There are only two options regarding commitment;  you're either in or you're out.  There's no such thing as life in between."

Some of the areas in the lives of men, husbands, and fathers that should require a strong commitment are:

• our wives and children
• our spiritual growth as Christian men
• our individual health and well-being
• our parents if they are still living
• those we know who are in need or hurting

I would have to agree with Riley's statement that there are just two options regarding our commitment to the above.  That said, I'd bet that there are very few men who would openly state that they are NOT fully committed to the above.  And if they did, one could expect to hear all kinds of rationalizations for that lack of full commitment....which are nothing less than excuses.

Of the two options.....are you in, or are you out?  If you are out, why not take the time to delve into your heart and the quiet recesses of your mind to try to find out why you are not fully committed?  This is an exercise that many of us need to do, and that few would admit to.  God's plan for us is not perfection....it's all about progress.  By not being content with not being fully committed, you will be making huge strides toward progress in that area of your life.  What can get in your way?

One last thing.....if you just follow the leader in this effort, you will never go wrong.  God has always been a great leader.  Trust Him.

You can't close that door

 

 

With everything you have going on as a man, husband, and father, are you doing your part by....

• trying to discern what His plan is for you,
• listening to His leadings,
• learning what your God given Kingdom building gifts are,
• and using those gifts for His glory ????

If you are, then sit back and enjoy the ride as He opens doors that you can't close.

 

If you aren't.....why not, and what's stopping you from doing so?







It's not insomnia !!!

Tossing and turning.  Can't get comfortable.  Can't turn the mind off.  Your restlessness is on steroids, so it seems.  No matter how you try, you just can't get to sleep.  Have you been down that road?  I couldn't guess how many times I have.  Sometimes it is caused by the results of a bad day at work.  Or, perhaps, some issues with the wife or kids.  Hey, maybe it's your own insecurities as a man, husband, and father that are working on you. Perhaps you, at that supposedly quiet time, are facing some of your demons head-on and you're not liking that one bit.

 

 



The rocks at the bottom

Over the past couple of years I have seen several different news articles where couples were at a particularly picturesque place while on a honeymoon, while a proposal was taking place, or just celebrating a vacation together and one of the pair accidently fell off of a cliff onto the rocks below and perished.  Those stories are just plain sad, as they usually involved younger folks with their whole lives ahead of them.

Some of us fall off the cliff of life during our lifetimes don't we?  Some of the darkest times of my life were when I went over the edge and landed on the rocks below.  At those times when I was approaching the brink, I was not living as the man God had intended me to be.  I was a poor example of a husband, and an even worse example of a father.  Have you been there? 

The rocks at the bottom of life's cliff are hard indeed, but there is one rock there that actually saved me, and countless others:

 

It's nice to know that sometimes we have to look down at the rocks at the bottom to be able to look up and see God.



How hard is it?

Sometimes being kind is just plain tough isn't it?  There may be someone in your life who just plain grates on you or gets under your skin in the worst way...true?  I bet I can safely say we have all seen some folks who were just downright ugly in their demeanor.  Those are the folks we least want to associate with, the ones we hate being around, and the ones we just want to body slam with our best sarcasm, snide and caustic remarks...the ones we want to disparage.  But.....those are the people who most need something every one of us has to offer.

Throughout the Bible, Jesus was always coming in contact with the types of folks mentioned above.  And yet, in every case, He set the example for all of us, and in doing so set the pattern of how we all should conduct our daily lives.  And...He made it seem so very easy.  He did it because He loved everyone.

So there should be just one question for us living in today's time...how hard is it to be kind?

Fears

'Nuff said !

A filled heart

Anyone who has been following this blog for a while knows that music can easily bring me back to that place where I feel well grounded inside.....if only for a while...as I continue to do this business of doing life trying to be a better man, husband, and father.  From all that I see, many of us guys struggle with that effort.

Why don't you take a listen HERE and see if this reaches your heart like it does mine.

It's not all about how often you go to church, how much you give, how much you read the Word....it's about how you live in this world that defines you.  If you are living like we are intended to, all of those things will come, just as all of those things are such important tools in how you live.  The first Bible I really read, came in the form of a person !

Are you one of those people?



The Measuring Stick

Problems, problems, problems!  Big problems, little problems, silly problems, problems that just don't seem to go away.  We all, at one time or another have problems don't we?  I remember a long time ago a wise elderly man shared something with me when I was bemoaning one of my problems to him.  He said, "Well Joe, look at it this way....a problem is really nothing but another opportunity to succeed."  I don't know if he was quoting something he picked up along the way or if it was an original "Tomism"...he had a lot of those he shared with me back in the day.

He was a deeply spiritual man, Tom was, and that was perhaps one of the reasons I was so drawn to him....because, you see, back in those times I was very not spiritual, and in fact was living quite on the dark side of life.  That patient friendship (yes, he was really patient with me) proved to be, over time, a source of light that I could see and want, even as I continued to reject it.  It was one of the early sparks that eventually led to a fire that was lit deeply within me.  He was one of God's hands working with me in those days.

Fast forward now to the present time, and back to our problems.  One of the ways, in fact the only real way, that we can turn those problems into opportunities to succeed is to turn those problems over to the One who loves us, the One who listens, the One who cares for us, the One who is mightier than any and all of our problems.  That's not always easy to do is it?  We have this little thing in us that tells us "I can take care of that."  It's all about control isn't it?  Sometimes we just don't want to share with the One who is really in control, or ought to be....God.

That's the One with the measuring stick.



The 100

Imagine that the world was made up of just 100 people, and yet everything we know about life today was still the same.  How would those 100 people represent the more than 7 billion people currently on earth?

A website called 100people.org explored this, and here is what it said would be true:

• 50 would be female, 50 would be male
• 26 would be children and 74 would be adults, 8 of whom would be 65 and older
• there would be 60 Asians, 15 Africans, 14 people from the Americas, and 11 Europeans
• there would be 33 Christians, 22 Muslims, 14 Hindus, 7 Buddhists, 12 who practice other religions, and 12 who were aligned with no religion
• 12 people would speak Chinese, 5 would speak Spanish, 5 would speak English, 3 would speak Arabic, 3 would speak Hindi, 3 would speak Bengali, 3 would speak Portuguese,  2 would speak Russian, 2 would speak Japanese, and 62 would speak other languages.
• 83 would be able to read and write, 17 would not.  7 would have a college degree, 22 would own or share a computer.
• 77 would have a place to shelter them from wind and rain, but 23 would not.
• 1 would be dying of starvation, 15 would be undernourished, 21 would be overweight.
• 87 would have access to safe drinking water. 13 would have no safe, clean water to drink.

As you read that, what thoughts come to your mind?

Does it, in any way, offer you a different perspective of the world you live in?

Is there any group or category that you might be tempted to overlook if what you read about above was, in fact, your real world of today?

What is one way you think kindness would be important?

Does thinking about this have any changing effect on your worldview?


Thanks Connie

Short & Sweet

"The person I am.....

is the parts that I play"

 

Source Unknown

 

God gave you....you.  Your uniqueness, your being.   How much of the real you are you?  Do you "role play" because you are dissatisfied with the way God wired you?  Do you feel the need to mask parts of you that you don't want others to see?  What is causing that?  And just how satisfying is your life if you have to juggle parts?

 

How much simpler would all of our lives be if we could just say "The person I am is the real me"?

Hard Core

Have you ever heard of "thin slicing"?  It's when our bias's, prejudices, backgrounds, worldview, upbringing, social status, economic status singly, or in any combination causes us to see something or someone and come to an immediate judgment or opinion which in all likely hood is completely off base.

Because of our pride, I am inclined to think that most, if not all do it almost daily in our lives.  For example:

• how us guys view women (and maybe even our wives???)
• how we view those less fortunate than us
• how we view other Christians (yes, we do)
• how we view others of other races
• and more.

You can see an excellent example of some hard core thin slicing here. 

After seeing that....how do you think you might react?  Does it coincide with how you would really act faced with a similar situation?  Did you thin slice?

What are some of the areas in your life where thin slicing goes on automatic?

How much love?

Do you have what it takes?

How much do you love your wife?

Do you have what it takes to share this with your wife, and then tell her this is how your feel?

If not, maybe you have some work that needs to get done.

What's holding you back?

Maytag Washer

 

Maybe we should all just change our first names to Maytag.  You're saying right now..."what's up with that"?  Well you see, we're a lot like Maytag washers.  Yep !  Ok, so it's in sort of a convoluted way....I'll give you that.

 

Do you have problems?  Of course you do.  We all have problems of some sort or another.  No one is immune to problems, even those thought of as those who "have it made."  Having problems is a way of life, a part of our being.  We won't never not have problems.  (any teachers out there to parse that one ??)

 

Ok, we settled that and I assume you now agree that we all, you included, have problems.  What has that got to do with Maytag, you ask.  I'll stretch a bit and say I only picked on Maytag because it's really the only name we can all assume as a first name for ourselves that sounds halfway good.  I mean....would you really like to be called Whirlpool?  The deal is....we all have problems and problems are like washing machines....

• they twist
• they spin
• they knock us around
• they get us all knotted up at times

But in the end we come out cleaner, brighter, and better than ever before !

 

Big or small, whichever our problems de jour are, if we have faith, trust God, and share with Him our problems (which He is quite aware of already), and seek His guidance, we will all come out cleaner, brighter and better than before because of His light.

 

Hey Maytag.....what do you do with your problems?