The dawn breaks the stagnant darkness and stirs to life my slumber. Feet escape their prone position as a deer entering a forest clearing. I tread lightly across the hall, avoiding the landmines of loose screws. My destination in sight, I move into place to peer over the edge of the subject's sleeping quarters. She moves and snorts and steals my heart. The day is young and still so quiet but happiness has just begun.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
The Lure of the Exceptional
Recently, my life course was altered by the arrival of my first child. My daily learning curve has increased dramatically while stress and worry equally increase. Indeed, I have begun to recognize a temptation of my heart that lurks nearby in most every area of my life. That deceptive enemy is my own desire to be exceptional. In the past, the outflow was most frequently my own performance and achievements. I could be tempted to strive each day for my own success to be noted and admired in some way. The arrival of a child has complicated that desire. I found out that my child's progress both physically and mentally is measured, calculated and charted on a regular basis. Even the measurement standard (the canon as it were) is based upon averages and comparison to other people. Now I can be drawn into a regular consideration of my daughter as an extension of my own achievements in contrast to other people's children. No doubt this temptation will linger into school and athletic performances down the road. Why is it so easy to measure so much of life by the off kilter perspective of the rest of the world? Why can't I daily align my every action against how it pleases a singular God? That measurement would be so much easier. The problem is the gratification delay. The feeling I get by besting some other person or group of people is an immediate sense of worth. Pleasing God is not as immediately satisfying to my fickle flesh. This is why the Bible so frequently encourages walking in the spirit and not the flesh. Such will be the daily challenge till I die. I thank my daughter for coming to help illuminate the height of the struggle.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Family
What does the idea of family communicate to you? Is there some realization of it that is normal to you? This question has grown in my own mind and such thought parrallels the general struggle of culture in general. Many people invest deep emotions into various definitions of family and television has made millions from shows that seek to reframe the family concept. But let me challenge your personal thoughts with a basic idea. Does how we meet people set the stage for unconsciously judging their life or family?
Let me explain. We usually operate our life and interactions based upon our own normal. Words and phrases demonstrate our presuppositions. One example is the phrase "starting a family." This phrase is most often used when a young couple becomes pregnant. Does that mean that their family was incomplete until that point? Of course not. However, our terminology suggests that concept. But there is even a more basic step we can take to help us open our hearts to more people
I have begun to travel quite a bit and meet many new people on a regular basis. I have come to expect that one of the first questions I will be asked in a church setting is: "Do you have kids?" Most people mean well but fail to grasp the impact of their question. I struggled with that question often and became frustrated with the repetitive nature of the question. But then I came to realize that I do the same thing myself. I ask questions like, "What do you do for a living?" or "Where do you live?" Both questions assume details about people that I cannot assume. During one conversation with a young man, I realized that my question about a job was a source of frustration to himself. Our normal greeting questions in life tend to be slanted toward assumptions. A book my wife and I are reading together offered the following question as an alternative. "Tell me about yourself." Simple. Unassuming. The idea allows a person to share what they are comfortable sharing and opens safe pathways for conversation. I myself am going to attempt this more in the future.
Let me explain. We usually operate our life and interactions based upon our own normal. Words and phrases demonstrate our presuppositions. One example is the phrase "starting a family." This phrase is most often used when a young couple becomes pregnant. Does that mean that their family was incomplete until that point? Of course not. However, our terminology suggests that concept. But there is even a more basic step we can take to help us open our hearts to more people
I have begun to travel quite a bit and meet many new people on a regular basis. I have come to expect that one of the first questions I will be asked in a church setting is: "Do you have kids?" Most people mean well but fail to grasp the impact of their question. I struggled with that question often and became frustrated with the repetitive nature of the question. But then I came to realize that I do the same thing myself. I ask questions like, "What do you do for a living?" or "Where do you live?" Both questions assume details about people that I cannot assume. During one conversation with a young man, I realized that my question about a job was a source of frustration to himself. Our normal greeting questions in life tend to be slanted toward assumptions. A book my wife and I are reading together offered the following question as an alternative. "Tell me about yourself." Simple. Unassuming. The idea allows a person to share what they are comfortable sharing and opens safe pathways for conversation. I myself am going to attempt this more in the future.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
The ABCs of Good Work
As I move out of a supervisory position at my current job, I decided to leave behind a small sampling of my ideas. I decided to write a short document that encourages the sorts of behaviors that contribute to success in the work world. Each day I post another letter of the alphabet (yes in order) with the accompanying explanation of the idea. My goal throughout my time as a supervisor was to leave things better than when I found them. This list addressing attitudes is my final attempt. I am only here including the short titles. If you wish for more explanation, you will have to ask me in some format. You are welcome.
- Accept your roles and responsibilities
- Be on time
- Consider the consequences
- Don't run from your mistakes
- Encourage and example positive action
- Face challenges confidently
- Grow attentive to the gaps
- Help others
- Instigate change
- Just do it (of "just get it done" if trademark issues come up)
- Know and knead your weaknesses
- Laugh and create laughter
- Maintain home and work boundaries
- Never pass blame
- Offer original solutions
- Pay attention to other's work
- Question most everything
- Read your work and about your work
- Stop all negative communication
- Talk less than you work (unless your work is talk)
- Unending effort
- View the big picture
- Write what you do
- Xenolithic resolve
- Yearn to learn
- Zeitgeist recognition
Monday, August 18, 2014
Hunger
How hungry are you right now?
Such a question causes many responses. Some people are hungry when they read that question and can answer it easily. Others may not be hungry and so they merely think of whatever outstanding food they have just eaten. In either case, the question of hunger is similar to that of pain. There is a first level question; "Are you in pain?" That can easily be either yes or no. But if someone is in pain or is hungry, there can then be the follow up question of the extent of hunger or pain.
Hunger, like pain, is a pervasive symptom. If a person is truly hungry, it can occupy the mind all the time. However, constant satisfaction and comfort drives the thought of hunger far away. Most people don't allow hunger to occupy their minds for long as they meet their need and forget. This phenomenon is that to which God refers in Deuteronomy chapter eight. (Deuteronomy 8:10-12 specifically)
When hunger was no longer prevalent, God's constant provision was no longer going to be noticeable. This idea of hunger also pervades the Bible in the discipline of fasting. Many Biblical characters fasted for the sake of a focus on prayer and trust upon God. By allowing such a base desire as hunger in order to focus on prayer, people demonstrated a conscious dependence on God. I will not here elaborate any lengthy discourse on fasting. But what I do is challenge you to consider hunger differently. Rather than considering it as a sign to satiate yourself, think rather how you can focus on God and recognize your own constant dependence.
Such a question causes many responses. Some people are hungry when they read that question and can answer it easily. Others may not be hungry and so they merely think of whatever outstanding food they have just eaten. In either case, the question of hunger is similar to that of pain. There is a first level question; "Are you in pain?" That can easily be either yes or no. But if someone is in pain or is hungry, there can then be the follow up question of the extent of hunger or pain.
Hunger, like pain, is a pervasive symptom. If a person is truly hungry, it can occupy the mind all the time. However, constant satisfaction and comfort drives the thought of hunger far away. Most people don't allow hunger to occupy their minds for long as they meet their need and forget. This phenomenon is that to which God refers in Deuteronomy chapter eight. (Deuteronomy 8:10-12 specifically)
When hunger was no longer prevalent, God's constant provision was no longer going to be noticeable. This idea of hunger also pervades the Bible in the discipline of fasting. Many Biblical characters fasted for the sake of a focus on prayer and trust upon God. By allowing such a base desire as hunger in order to focus on prayer, people demonstrated a conscious dependence on God. I will not here elaborate any lengthy discourse on fasting. But what I do is challenge you to consider hunger differently. Rather than considering it as a sign to satiate yourself, think rather how you can focus on God and recognize your own constant dependence.
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