Put Your Boots On

Random thought the other day while driving.
There is something comfortable about a pair of shoes or boots that "just fit".  The ones you can be in all day and your feet feel like they are as comfortable as can be.  I wear boots for specific purposes and each one has it's purpose...which turned into a leadership thought for me as well.

Hiking:
When we go camping & hiking I have a pair of boots I love to wear.  They are sturdy, make my feet feel great regardless of what we are doing and I know that no matter what type of terrain we encounter I am good to go.  From the crown of the continent in Glacier National Park, to the multi faceted terrain of Yellowstone, to the Granite Peaks of Yosemite, to the rolling hills of the Smokey Mountains and the Big Pine Mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park my boots are trustworthy.
Hiking Boots need to be sturdy & comfortable.  They need to get you to your destination so you can pause & enjoy the scenery.
You need moments in life to enjoy & pause to rest in.  But to get there you need healthy decisions of which trail is worth going on.  It's not just about the end view, it's also the journey getting there.


Working:
When the crap gets piled up you need boots to help you dig through it.  Growing up around horses I had work boots that could get crap all over them.  Didn't care what they looked like because they had one role in my life.  To muck a stall that was full of green & brown maggot infested feces.
Yes, sometimes in life you gotta just put on the boots to get a messy job done.  Get after it, get it done. Acknowledge going into the job it's going to suck, but when you are done with that job, you can take off your work boots, get a shower & go dancing.


Dancing:
Yes, growing up wearing a stetson, wranglers & ropers we'd go dancing.  About the only rhythm I've ever had was to the country two step or copying a line dance...but it was still fun.  It's a party.  It's laughter.  It's not really caring what you look like on the dance floor because as long as the one you are dancing with is good with it then there is no care in the world that'll keep you from enjoying the night.
You need to dance in life.  You need to celebrate on a Friday night or a Sunday morning the joy you have to be alive.
Also having a pretty girl to dance with doesn't hurt either!

A Year and a Journey

It was a year ago this month that I read a resignation letter at one church and our family began a transition of life.  At that point we had no clue what was in our future.  Anger, pain, frustration, worry, fear, joy, relief, jealousy, "why", tears, processing moments, straining moments, stretching moments and so much more has filled all of us this past 12 months.  We never would've thought Missouri would be a state we lived in and honestly never wanted to stray from the West Coast.  And if we were going east moving back to Colorado was the "only option" we had.  But for whatever reason (and we truly do not know or have any insight yet) Jesus saw it fit to land us here.  In time we saw there were strong & clear signs that we had to follow.  And we did, even though it wasn't easy.

There are days I still process all the events that took place and think about a lot of things...

Thoughts: 
mental typed letters of the coulda, shoulda & woulda's of life
traps & snares that can bind us
false lies that other people speak
chisels of rejection & abandonment 
truthful whispers of hope which is a gift that can free us

Thoughts are powerful.  
Truth is even more powerful.  
And when truth is spoken, seen & observed it will always win.

Do You Want an Invitation or Permission?

In the last few years the amount of digital invites to events I have received as well as posted is kinda overwhelming.  From a back yard BBQ, student ministry events, birthday parties, church functions, volunteer opportunities, weddings & doggie walk days.  It very easy to check my notifications or comments and check yes or no but I've also noticed how easily the statement of "oh yeah I scanned that but forgot" is for our culture.  For myself Notifications line up with the digital idea of vomit.  They basically just give you "permission" to be a part of things. 

Notifications come & go like breathing...but I would argue that they are as addictive and harmful as breathing in smoke. They can be thrown around so quickly & flippantly that they lose an actual invite to be a part of something significant.  It becomes noise into our lives.   A friend of mine, Adam McClane, posts some interesting thoughts on notifications here and I'd encourage you to read his post.  

Now when I receive a invitation in the mail or a personal invitation I remember it so much more.  I know for myself that the personal letter or personal invite makes me feel like I'm wanted.  I can belong.  I have a group of people I can join to share moments of life together with a certain amount of relational intimacy.

The contrary is being given permission.  The "sure you can do that" or "yes I will let you join us" type statements.  The type of statements where there is no real thought behind the invite and it is more in line with just being given permission to be a part of the background of everything.

Our kids want to be invited with us as parents to do life together.  They wanted invited into significant conversations and life events.  They want their voice valued & listened too in their own family unit.  
They don't want to feel that we just give them permission to be treated similarly to this statement "FINE! You can do this, but just do this one thing".  

Students also want an invitation.  Students want to be asked with relational connection to be a part of something bigger than them that could be great.  Students want to walk with you in life and create some amazing life moments together.  

The Gospel isn't about being given permission to accept God's Grace, it is an invitation to be a part of Christ's Kingdom.

These might just be my thoughts & I may be arguing semantics but I'd invite you to share your thoughts on that matter!

When Will It Stop?

Each day awakes to a new horizon of hope

Each day awakes to the truth that what was future just became present

Each day awakes thinking that today is the today when everything comes closer.

As well each day a cruel reality sinks in somewhere between the snooze button & the french press.  

Or maybe it is happens between the garage door & the office door.

Regardless of where it occurs, it happens.

A yell or a scream can signify it's presence.  

Tho not always audible but definitely always alarming.  

The presence of brokenness.

A broken this or that doesn't matter cause at some point it all breaks.  

Pieces are strewn. Value seems lost. What once felt secure really is shattered.

More you say?  More of "this" is what I get to experience with each new day?

How generous...How fulfilling.

How NOT WORTH IT is the sentiment I want to express.

But isn't worth a value that is conditional based on my own filter?

Why is it that when I cry "I'm done" my cry seems unheard and yet my life still moves from present to future to present?

And the whole key is my life is still moving.

Moving towards a new horizon of hope.

Moving towards a present awareness not of myself.

Moving towards a closeness that only can be eternally WORTH IT!

On Days like today Psalm 138 isn't just a PSALM but it is an echo my soul enjoys the sound of.

Scroll Of Humanity

The scroll of the History of Humanity is unrolled and written with mystery, love, romance, scorn, pain, evil, redemption, legacies, birth & death as it is all woven into one inked line of universal truth—PEOPLE EXIST TO LIVE!

Humanity is special, unique, divinely made, worthy, fragile, emotive, scared, timid, bold & beautiful.  It is full of wonders based on ingenuity, creativity & worship.  We don not just want to be robotic repetitions of rhyme but we, people, humans, are individuals that believe in creating something.  

Something that moves.  Something that gives freedom. Something that helps us feel a part of a bigger story.

Over the course of history those small created somethings turn into culture shifting somethings.

From medicine to industry, textiles to legalities,education to sport, culinary and cultural.

Humanity is more than just social pockets of people diversely sprinkled over thousands of square miles of earth.

Humanity is Human and to be Human is to be Beautiful.

Beauty draws what is around it to lean in closer.  

To hold our breath, listen intently and observe closely.  

We do not want to miss anything that could stir in our hearts an awakening to continue to pull and push us towards living life fully.

I am thankful to be a word etched in this lineage of human history.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to add & create something to allow others to live and embrace life

Walk by Faith?

In the midst of our move from California to Missouri I've been reflecting on the entirety surrounding the story we've been living out. A great deal of prayer has gone into the past two years of our families lives and at times when we've wanted answers there hasn't been.  At other points the answers to prayers we received did not come in the way we would have wanted it.

It's in these moments that force us to pause and wonder how do we explain this thing we call FAITH. FAITH is a unique concept for some to buy into and for others it can be passively spoken about without it really affecting their life.

Faith can be labeled as the urge, nudge, force, stirring, gut decision and it can carry many other labels, but the one thing Faith ALWAYS does is it calls one to life actions.

A. W. Tozer beautifully describes this oddness:

“A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for one whom he has never seen. He talks familiarly every day to someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another, empties himself in order that he might be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up. He is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge.”

I agree with Tozer, I'm an odd number! 
For myself and the desire of our family is that our entire life is devoted to Christ. We believe in the Scriptures and what is written about the character of God. We pray & seek answered prayer without audible conversation from God.  And we desire a life focussed on a simple truth that life with Jesus isn't about what we get out of it, but because of who Jesus is.

A New Day Ahead

I'm sitting here in our empty home on the last night of living in California with many mixed emotions.  Feelings of sadness, anxiousness, uncertainty, excitement, wonder, curiosity, trepidation, frustration and whimsy about the unknown have definitely encompassed much of these last few weeks. 
We still are trusting, by faith, that the moving of Jesus with this entire transition that leads back to January 2013 is going to be honoring to Him as well as a healthy new journey for all of us.

It is a strange sensation when you know tomorrow morning brings the beginning of a new chapter in not only my life but my wife's and sons as well.  These past few days as we've said our goodbyes to friends, neighbors, teachers, students and made a final trip to many of our favorite SoCal spots.

This process is a vivid reminder that settling isn't something I believe I am called to do.  As a follower of Christ I am called to constant change.  I am called to constant change in my values, desires, longings and life holistically so that I mimic the heart of God.  Transformation in living my life focussed on nothing less than Jesus brings constant change to anyone and at times that change is so subtle it isn't noticeable, other times the change is drastic.  
With tears and joy we are leaving a setting we have grown to love:

We know we will miss the rolling sounds of the ocean, the breath taking sunsets over the pacific, the joy of spending a night at Disneyland, the famous IN N OUT burger but most of all we are leaving dear friends.

So with a few hours to spare on our internet service we say goodnight California so we can be ready to say good morning to the next chapter in each of our lives.  Not knowing what lies ahead, but trusting Jesus who is ready to lead us.

Waiting & Acting with Jesus

I posted about waiting on Jesus here.

However when do you stop waiting & start acting?

I believe we are called to act.  One of the greatest opportunities Jesus has given us is choice & and those choices produce action.  The journey of Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14 & David in 1 Samuel 17 inspires me every time I read it! Paul's bold move in Acts 17 is message I would've love to hear in person.

A disciple (a learner or a student) takes what a teacher teaches and then puts those lessons into practice. When we read the scriptures we see clear instructions from Jesus to be active in the world.  Actively loving, sharing the gospel, caring for widows & orphans, actively sharing life with those closest to us so pain & hurts don't overwhelm those around us.  Being a disciple is being someone who lives actively with Jesus (Matthew 22:37-40, 28:16-20).

The waiting period allows us to learn from Jesus and how to be a student.  The waiting period allows our hearts to be transformed to submit to Jesus.  In the waiting period is when we listen to Jesus to speak and when He speaks then we act.  We invite the Holy Spirit to teach us and lead us (John 14:6)

I like acting on what I see Jesus nudging me to do.  I enjoy being able to know that my prayers are being spoken into by the Holy Spirit and that my life has a chance to be used by Jesus to impact others.

However there are times when I got to act on what I believe to be a nudge from Jesus and things don't work out how I think they should.  I make a decision through prayer, through waiting for wisdom and it still seems like I'm wrong…so what gives in those moments?

What gives is we are still living in a broken world and we are still broken people because of sin.  Even in the most humble posture, the most submitted heart, the willingest spirit to honor Jesus….we'll still get some actions wrong.

That's where Christians get frustrated and at times even give up trying to be obedient to Jesus.  The lie is bought that because we pray, listen & practice obedience to Jesus that everything is supposed to go smoothly after that.  We buy the lie that it's only in the disobedient & rash moments of life that things unravel.

With my own personal journey has shown me that in the continual process of waiting for the voice to Jesus to then act, even if my action doesn't pan out the way I thought it would, is a transforming time in my life where I learn to hear the voice of Jesus more than any other voice.  And in the many, many moments where Jesus nudges and I obey with action and it's honoring to Jesus…it's worth it.

Waiting on Jesus

Practicing waiting is not something I enjoy.  I'm not great at waiting for things I really want but my experience with waiting like other aspects of my life has shown me it's often worth it.

For example:

*I can be an impulsive buyer at times but my life experience has shown me that research & thinking through decisions help me stretch my monies.
*I can be reactionary when something sounds "really good" but what sounds really good may really be bad when you peel back a few layers of reality, take the time to peel back a few layers.
*I get frustrated when things do not happen the way I think they should happen.  But i've learned that my pattern of thinking can be blinded and the insight of others is really beneficial for me.

Waiting is not easy.  Our culture and even the pace of life we often live does not value stopping or being motionless very long.  Especially in our digitalized culture when we are forced to wait we get annoyed that the speed of life isn't where we want it to be. 
This New York times article hints at how much of our life is now being lived at the speed of notifications & updates.
NY Times Article
Adam McClane illustrations how the impulse of Notifications in our lives actually create an impulsive  & reactionary lifestyle that is unhealthy.
Adam's Article 

Personally speaking waiting does two things in me physically.  It makes me anxious and it makes my mind wander.  I get antsy wanting to know the answer to my questions.  I get stir crazy at not being able to plan, create or take actions based on the next steps.  
My mind tends to wanders with scenarios, questions, thoughts, concerns, doubts and often they all reflect ways I can take control of my life.
And the tension is If I, as a follower of Jesus, say with my heads and my hearts that my faith is based on Jesus being God himself as Savior and LORD of my life that means all I do is to reflect those beliefs.  That especially means my decisions I give Jesus the room to speak into on his timing.
Jesus as Savior saves me from the destruction my sin will lead me to in life.  
Jesus as LORD speaks into every areas of my life and it is all submitted to Him to honor Him and not myself.

My life experience has shown me that when I wait, but wait diligently while seeking Jesus to speak and move then my obedience to Him as Savior and LORD is really being lived out.
A visual picture I've had for myself is 1 Samuel 13 where Saul acts hastily before the command Samuel had given Saul to wait for his arrival.  This account has been a strong reminder that we have the power of choice in our live and our choices can either reflect an obedience to Jesus or a rash judgement call.

Waiting is not easy.  Waiting on God's timing is challenging.  But it's in the waiting that Jesus transforms my heart, my values and often reveals to me areas of my life that still need transformed by his grace.  Allowing ourselves to be led by Jesus through our lives will require us many times to wait for Jesus to reveal a bigger picture.  I'll be the first in line to say I don't like it and often I try to fight it, but my life experience with Jesus has brought me to the place that I'd rather wait on Jesus and live in close relation to Him then make my own rash decision and live being stubborn to my Savior and LORD.

**Next post I'll write about how in the waiting as Jesus leads and moves me I make decisions to act on what I sense he's doing.

Somethings are Difficult

"Just cause its hard does not mean it's not worth it."

   This is a phrase that I've spoken to myself, my sons and students that I've pastored.  I've said this statement because I believe it.  Many of my riches & most rewarding moments in life are cause I busted my butt and kept pushing for a well done job.  I believe in our culture over the last 40 years hard workers are becoming harder to find.  We've lost an entire generation (WWII generation) of people who modeled a full hard days work. Our country, economy and families are showing the result of this loss.  As a culture we've tried to simplify and create the easiest solution for as many parts of our life as possible. 
   Believe me I love YOUTUBE to find an easy fix or a "how to" and yes I will pay to get certain services done, that I'm capable of doing, purely to save time.  As much as I like cutting corners to get a job done faster but I also enjoy being efficient.  I like quality work but find I don't always have the quantity of time to create the quality I strive for.  And with that fact it is so easy to get suckered into a "good enough" mentality.  
   I see there are large faith implications of this as well.  When following Jesus calls us to go against the current of culture, raising a family, honoring a marriage and having integrity in a job the hard moments are when it's easier to roll over & quit.  I've seen this in my own life and it's not what I want to model for my sons, family or anyone else for that matter.

   The Greek myth of Sisyphus [you can read it here] often amuses me because of how often I feel life mirrors.  Simply he as cursed to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity only to see it roll down again once he completed his task. He was cursed because of his deceitfulness or "cutting corners".

   That's a curse that would frustrate me and make me want to give up and just quit!  But when I cut corners to try to save time or work less, i'm usually frustrated at the outcome.

   Regularly when I'm with students I see hard work being talked about as a curse and inconvenience whether it's school, sports or relationships.  The idea of breaking a sweat with any physical labor instead of staring at a digital screen is an easy decision for adults and students alike.  
I think hard work isn't just about physical labor but also intentional quality & quantity life moments.  Families won't work hard to own their calendar & create quality family time.  Parents allow kids & their sports schedules to be the CEO of the family and not Jesus.  
   It's very easy to view any time in life where hard work is needed as rolling a boulder up a hill.  We look at the moment & not the outcome.  When we see students work hard through school or a sport and get the scholarship or just play really well we realize hard work is worth it.  
   When we have quality family time because we work hard to keep family time consistent we know it's worth it.  When we actually stick to the diet and workout plan and we finally get a new wardrobe, we see it's worth it.
   I have no doubt hard work is worth it and when done with integrity I believe Jesus honors that.  It isn't always with a paycheck, scholarship or a championship but it is with refining our character.
   I have two sons I'm trying to model what a solid work ethic is about.  I'm trying to encourage & challenge students to be willing to have a solid work ethic in all areas of life because it is worth it.  I'm personally reminding my own standards, choices & soul that if I really believe in something then believe in working hard for it and don't cut corners.  I'm not cursed so when my boulder gets to the top of the hill, I can enjoy the view instead of being frustrated.

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense. (Proverbs 12:11, ESV)

Gospel Filtration

Trust is an incredible truth when it is not just experienced but also lived out.  When I am personally trusted I feel empowered and a sense of honor.  It is also a validation of my worth.  Trust also seems to motivate me.  It motivates me to act in a valiant way--to keep that trust cause of my proven actions.

For me to trust someone means I am vulnerable.  I become vulnerable to let them in to the core of me which includes the ugly, dark, shameful, excited, hopeful and dreamer side of me.
When I trust I can bare all.  I can take all that I am, was & want to be and share it freely...but I stop myself for the fear of rejection.

Rejection is one of the hardest things for me to encounter.  When rejection hits it damages me. I believe I am someone else cause I let it define me.  At times I can allow rejection to define how I view myself as a parent, as a husband, as an athlete, as a friend, pastor, lover, dream, adventurer, extravert and human.  I do not always view the rejection in the proper channel.

Trust needs to be at the forefront of my relationship with Jesus.  Not because I worry of being rejected by Jesus because that can't happen.  Trust needs to be at the forefront of my relationship with Jesus because in trusting Jesus I not only live differently but I affirm the truth that Jesus is God and is worth allowing my life to be lived by His leading and not my own.  My validation doesn't come from anything but Jesus Christ himself accepting me as I am and leading me to a life that is worth it!

SHREWD or PASSIVE?

A major treat we've received since being in Orange County are passes to Disneyland.  I'm not a crowd guy but dang it...it's DISNEYLAND!  
I love the attention to detail, the creativity and having passes we never feel rushed to take it all in.  We go about 1-2 a month and sometimes for just a few hours for a quick family date night.

A week ago we went and chose to walk back to our car due to the massive lines and shuttle system was moving slow.  It was about a 10minute walk so we thought no big deal.  We got to our parking lot only to be turned back by a parking attendant because we were entering on the "Disney employee lot" which was NOT separated by the public.  The only distinction was each had their own main street entrance.   Even tho when we originally got to the park we exited through the employee parking lot we were told we couldn't re-enter that way.

Now I'm not one of backing down from confrontation when needed and I did challenge the guy as to why we couldn't just walk through the lot to our car.  But as i'm beginning to go from talking to arguing with the gentleman I realized I had my boys with me and needed to be careful the tone I was using...and it was at this point I froze.  I made the decision to quick arguing and we ended up having to backtrack another 15 minutes to get to our car.  Now I could've just barged through the invisible barrier he put up to us and said "who cares" but for some reason at that moment I didn't.  The quick thinking & reacting part of me was dead in that moment and my passiveness forced us all to walk around to the "appropriate" entrance.

Was the walk a big deal? No.
Was the time chatting as a family as we walked enjoyable? Yes
Am I making too big of a deal out of this? I don't know.

I think there are times where I am a little to passive in certain situations to avoid hurting someone's feelings or saying the wrong thing.  I don't want a reputation to be a brash or argumentative person but I also don't want to be run over or backed into a corner and just walk away for the sake of not creating an awkward moment.  This whole scenario reminded me of something I'm working on since this summer.

Rick Lawrence wrote a book called SHREWD that I read cover to cover, twice.

Here is an excerpt from the book; 

Shrewdness is a weapons-grade relational tactic--a way of thinking and acting--that Jesus long ago urged His followers to use in their uprising against the powers and 'spiritual forces of wickedness' of this world. Shrewd people (and Jesus is the Exemplar) first study how things work, and then leverage that knowledge to tip the balance in a favored direction. Shrewdness is the expert application of the right force at the right time in the right place. Most Christians have a negative reaction to the word "shrewd," but Jesus not only exemplified this way of relating to others in His redemptive mission on earth, He gave us a mandate to grow much, much more adept in our practice of it. 

I know my personality, at times, is to be passive in certain situations.  Sometimes passiveness is an asset because I like to observe and analyze a setting before acting.  At times it's a weakness because I want to be sure I keep myself in a place where people like me and what I do.
I don't know if there is a fine line between being SHREWD and BRASH or if sometimes being passive allows you to circle back and act with more wisdom in future situations after you've processed the experience?

Here is what I know, I see Jesus willing to offend the popular people's vote for the sake of truth and also to play the popular vote to sway the nay-sayers.  He was a master of both and there are a lot of settings I read Him encountering that I know would freeze me.

I'm working on allowing myself to act more SHREWDLY & not passive.  I want myself to stand for truth, conviction & resourcefulness instead of just keeping the peace.  
I'm also going to not let invisible gates keep me and my family from getting home 20 minutes sooner the next time we go to Disneyland.

Questions

One of the greatest assets any leader can have is the ability to ask really great questions.

Often people ask a question to get an answer to "pass the test".  The test could be a literal academic test in school, a job report that the boss will see, a social interaction where you don't want to look like an idiot, etc.  There are a lot of moments in each of our day where we are posed with a question, and often we don't even see it.

• When scrolling through a social media post and you read something that you agree with have you every asked yourself why you agree with it?
• How about an online article that angers you, where does that anger come from?
• When your roommate or spouse continues to do something that bothers you do you attack them for their actions or do you try to figure out why the action is so offensive to you?
• When in a discussion in your dorm room, house or place of employment are you often asking questions or are questions being asked of you?

There is an art in asking really good questions.  The art isn't in the words you use, but in the ability to consistently wonder at what is happening below the surface of what we see or read.  Interacting with teenagers I've learned how to ask really good questions & I've also been asked some really great questions.  When students ask questions they either want confirmation for what they already are thinking or they are trying to explore life in such a way they are testing their own boundaries of thought and trust you enough to voice those thoughts.

You know who was really good at asking questions, Sherlock Holmes.  The character of Sherlock Holmes was built on sound deductive thinking.  Noticing clues, facts & observations and moving forward embracing all aspects of a case.  His questions came from exploring life relentlessly, nothing was too mundane for him to be curious about.

Maybe today or this week you can practice the basic Sherlock Holmes questioning test.
Notice the little things in life.  Be curious of your own emotions and feelings.
Ask WHY.  Go ahead, I give your freedom to probe your own soul as well as the world you live in.
Questions allow us to continue to think broader.  Questions allow us to reason deeper.  Questions allow us to see what may be hidden intentionally by others.  Questions allow us to never forget life is way more intricate than we often live it out to be.

My only caution would be to do not be paralyzed to NOT act.  Remember Sherlock wasn't always right, but in his wrong evaluations he still pursued a deeper understanding of the truth.

Enjoy exploring life through questions.

Clouds

There is a calmness to a mountain as clouds move over it.  Almost a slow crawl of embracing one another. Nothing harsh or menacing but a blanketing affect.
A slow embrace.
The embrace softens & prepares the trees, flowers & ground for rain.
The rain begins & in a moment the colors change.  The drops of moisten everything.  
Rain brings a cleansing
a refreshment
a filling
a source of life.

The temperature changes.  The sun soft touch is hidden.  The wind may blow & it may feel cold...but it is all needed to allow the rain to do what is most vital at that moment, to help life grow.

Rain & Water. 
Life & Growth.
Strength & Refreshment.

EXACTLY!!!

Irreducible Minimum Post right here people!
When someone asks me how I handle conversations with students about where their life is going & the value they have in life here is roughly what it looks like.  This conversations is always framed through the lens that Jesus calls us to be able to make a difference in our world through using how we are gifted & created by Him and most importantly in an intimate relationship with Him.

Are You Happy? infographic

Every Day Violence

Every day our world has acts of violence that are nothing less than evil.  Acts of violence on men, women, children, fathers, husbands, mothers, wives, siblings, grandparents...all people.  These acts of violence are caused in a variety of ways that are often birthed from a place in a person that is callous towards the life of another human being.
With our every growing expediency of information that we get thrown at us these acts of violence are often treated with a blasé attitude.  In the last 6-9 months here are four headlines of incidents that made my stomach ache with anger & remorse.

The rape incidents being highlighted in India. 

Last week there was the Santa Monica College Shooting.  7 people lost their life. 

The Ohio kidnapping accounts.

Earlier this year in New England there was the Newtown school shooting

Then this past weekend, this movie came out.


In our world of senseless violence we still have companies trying to make money off the grotesque and gruesome acts of violence in our world.  A movie plot that has a time frame where any & all crime is legalized = no consequences.  Our culture allows the power of making a dollar to drive decisions.  Often those decisions are not made asking this question, "Even tho this will make a lot of money, is this really the best product our company can put on the market considering the impact in society?".
I'm a firm believer of reality and my reality has seen a generation embrace violence, pressed sexual boundaries & conversations about human value has decreased around the media.  I'd love to hear more CEO's, Executive Producers, Actors, Artists & Media moguls stand up to help filter what is created & marketed.

For years there has been discussion & arguments about the realistic & graphic content of Video games. This article on Research on violent video games is an example.  As I've worked in the lives of teenagers for the past 12 years that means I've seen 12 year olds become 24 year olds and watching a generation go from young adults to adults leading our communities their lifestyle choices are rewriting a value system.  Not all of those values are focussed on a high standard of human life.  And as those adults become parents how they raise another generation will continue to alter where our culture goes.  

I'm passionate about helping this generation learn how to think about all their actions, choices & values.  To challenge them to think beyond the surface of popularity to purpose.  When people are challenged to think about where their life will head based on a few specific choices they will learn how they are defining who they are becoming.

I believe God is real.  I believe that God to be named Jesus.  He came to redeem, heal & transform a world that is broken.  That brokenness is seen everyday in travesties, destruction, hopelessness & humanity dying in front of us.  Often that death isn't just physical, but emotionally.  That part of you, a soul, that has a conviction there is something better worth living for.  I'm a firm believer of reality and my reality has seen those who choose to follow Jesus make life choices that are willing to let their life stand up for others.  That human life isn't to be thrown away or misused.  Jesus calls us to this very reality.

I believe there needs to be more people to validate how human life matters, instead of how it can be thrown away.  You may or may not agree with the terminology that people needed "saved" but I'd offer that based on some of these travesties in our world there is a lot of "saving" that we can all fight for. 

Passion verses Pessimism

Passion: a strong & barely controllable emotion.

I like passion.  I like passion that create conviction to do something with life that is against the norm.  I like seeing passion cause a well spring of motivation.  I like passion that makes someone so antsy they have to act with conviction to bring health, freedom & celebration to the world.  I like when passion convicts people to work hard & long to do something worth living for & not just waiting for someone else to create change.
I like passion that leads to people living a life free from guilt, despair, bondage & destructive life habits.

I dislike with pessimism messes with all this.  I really can't stand when pessimistic people hear the passion of a person spilled out into the world and respond with "that'll never happen!" or "Good luck failing at that" or "That sounds good, but that is not us and will never be how we do things".

I often wonder if pessimism is rooted in insecurity that someone else may have a better idea?  I wonder if the pessimistic person is so jaded by the thought/idea that health or change could be a reality?  Or could it be that they are not willing to risk a little bit or work a little smarter with their energies?

I want to be in a setting where passion leads me to risk & wonder.  Where my passion is not birthed from my agenda but from my desire to help lead people to a life filled with grace & love through Jesus.  Where passion allows leaders to rise up and lead others to places they thought were only dreams & yet are a very real, tangible existence that is within reach.  I want to walk past the pessimism and lead with conviction.

Rejection

I think a solid case could be made that rejection is one of the hardest realities & human pains we deal with.  The pain, scars & insecurities rejection leaves behind are not easily overcome.



The child who feels rejected by an absentee parent.
The spouse who realizes their life partner is choosing the arms of someone else.
The kid who nobody will sit with.
The professionals business proposal that was slaved over for hours only to be dismissed as an inadequate idea.

Rejection can easily creep into our identity and self-image.  We can allow the choices of others to shape who we feel we are and how we see our life worth.  When we approach life situations, people, opportunities and ideas and we put ourselves "out there" in whatever way and we get the NO, NOT GOOD ENOUGH, LAME, YOU ARE NOT WORTH MY COMMITMENT and any other response that can speak REJECTION cuts deep.

In certain areas of life rejection comes from a choice we make as individuals to put ourselves in a vulnerable place.  There is a truth that when we risk we may not succeed.  And without risking we'll never know the result.  But when we risk we also have to be prepared 

I'm not sure I have an answer or solution that allows rejection to never hurt, but what I do know are these three truths in my own life.

1--My identity cannot be found in the approval of others.  Galatians 1:10
If I try to please people in my life I'll never always get it right.  If I hold to my life convictions and keep perspective on life when I encounter rejection I know that Jesus never rejects me on any level.

2--My life cannot be defined by how a WIN over LOSS percentage.  Proverbs 1:1-7
I like winning.  I hate losing.  But if I make each encounter, relationship, risk, task about "winning vs losing" I'll never be able to enjoy the moments I'm in.  I'll be too focussed on the result and it will control me.

3--Taking one day at a time allows me to keep site on the big picture of my life.  Matthew 6:31-34
I have 5 core values that really are in every part of me.  Those core values allow me to see the longterm direction my life is taking.  When I get too focussed on the individual inconveniences It's hard to keep my eyes where Jesus would have me keep them.  

Shall we Dance or Cower?

From the inner workings of my cranium:

Life has a rhythm. 
It has a beat to it that can either sooth you, energize you or grate against your nerves. 
The rhythm we hear can move us to dance or shadow us to cower.  I don't believe that cowering does much to those who observe us.

But when we dance do we dance for perfection or out of passion?  If we dance to perfect & hear applause don't we miss why our hearts move us to dance?  Are we not moved to dance because something inside of us is compelled to do something?  Are we not moved to dance because we are so enveloped into the rhythm that it feels like it is a part of us?

John 10:14

I am moved, compelled and engulfed in the rhythm of the call of Jesus.  The flow, even when I don't know how long the song will last or even if I like this song...i cannot get away from it.  I want more of it.  Sometimes out of curiosity and sometimes out of pure obsession.

The Journey not the destination

I've been thinking lately about the unique opportunities each of us has every day to interact with people.  But many of us will NOT take the opportunity to engage in a discussion or step out of a comfort zone because we are either too busy or it's a challenge to do so.  I've been in several conversations with former & current students who are having to make choices that are going to change the trajectory of their life.  Hearing their heart, hearing their anguish, hearing their excitement, their nervousness, their hope i've couldn't help but keep two things in perspective.

1--Being fully present to give them someone to talk with, cry with & pray with has allowed me to have a voice in their life to help them see what direction Jesus may be directing them.

2- Is this poem

  

Robert Frost (1874–1963).  The Road Not Taken 1920

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.