crack kills…

I was sitting in my office at work yesterday morning trying to catch up on paperwork and projects, when a thought came rushing into my head like water rushing into cracks during a torrential down pour. We recently had some rain here in San Antonio, it had been a while, and I was observing how quickly the rain water was rushing into the dry cracked earth. With such dry, cracked, hard ground, the earth was not soaking up the water to quench its thirst. Instead the water was rushing over the ground and quickly filling any crack it could find. So what…it at least rained, but really, that rain was not valuable because the ground was not ready or prepared for it. The water just rushed over and into cracks to quickly disappear and leave the ground to dry rapidly and crack further eroding the stability of the ground.

This is much like our hearts. If we do not daily water our hearts with the Word of God and prayer, our hearts become like a sun scorched land, dry and cracked unable to absorb the nourishment that comes with the rain. We might get a quick revitalization, like a 5 hour energy drink, but does not sustain over the long haul. This brings greater perspective to “guarding our hearts”, like farmers guard their fields keeping them irrigated and nourished. Just like we cannot survive more than a few days without water, our hearts cannot survive a day without God’s Word and prayer, a relationship, a pursuit of the Holy One.

So where is your heart? Has it dried up and cracked, or has it been carefully nourished?

May we remain faithful in guarding our hearts and allowing God to cultivate the condition of our hearts daily.

why read a boring blog…

Really?! Why read a boring blog…

If you had a choice to play “Angry Birds”, stalk people on “Facebook” (creeper), or read a boring blog, I know you won’t be reading the blog that’s for sure.

So this is where you come in…What topics would you read about in a blog? Seriously, what would pull you away from stalking classmates you never talk to and haven’t since high school?

Would you read about old school nintendo games like RC PRO AM? Probably not, so why are you still reading…send me your thoughts. Tell me what you want to read about…why are you waiting, quit reading this boring blog and send me your topics.

I am guessing I will probably get 2 or 3 responses (probably from the same person), but you can prove me wrong. “Angry Birds” and “Facebook” will still be there after your 10 second comment, I promise, well unless the end of the world hap

Are You Three Inches From Your Best…

Last Thursday, as I was soaking up the wisdom from the speakers at the Global Leadership Summit, I was struck by one speaker’s challenge to the audience. Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ, asked the crowd the to do something, and I would like for you, Readers, to do what is about to be written.

“Raise your hand as high as you can…”

Did you do it?

Don’t just sit there, actually “Raise your hand as high as you can!”

Now that your hand is in the air…

Raise it THREE MORE INCHES…

Were you able to raise it three more inches?

I bet you were able to make that extra THREE inches.

See, Mayor Booker, was trying to show us that we settle for mediocre. We do the minimum to get by without knowing it at times. What holds us back from reaching our best, that extra three inches that we all can execute?

I think it is partially the culture we are surrounded by. We stop at our mental barriers that keep us from getting that extra three inches. A lot of times, we stop when we think we reached a satisfactory “best”, and believe in our minds that it is our best. But when you stop and say, can I get three inches higher, we push ourselves to truly reach that “best” factor.

If you want to stay mediocre, don’t worry about those three little inches. But if you want to allow God to take you to the next level, ask for Him to help you reach and stretch those three inches.

May we push ourselves and each other to reach those three extra inches, and see where God takes us from there.

Sitting on the Sidelines

You might have noticed, or more than likely didn’t notice, that I have been hiding on the sidelines. I think in a way, I was just trying to avoid the hard decision to keep moving forward. I have been very sideline oriented lately, and I believe part of that is due to a general lack of motivation. But as I continue thinking and typing, I believe there is a deeper reason I have not written in over 3 months. It is the despicable “F” word…yes the “F” word…

FEAR!

Fear of failure, fear of what people will think, and it just keeps going. I normally do a lot of talking, dreaming, etc and like many people, a lack of follow through. So with my lack of follow through, I have realized I allow a fear of failing others, to cause a paralysis within me that chains me to inaction and apathy. I sometimes pass the blame to others, saying if only so and so would have encouraged me or told me this or that, I would have followed through. But that thinking just passes the blame so I won’t hold myself responsible for my inaction. So what should I do to change that?

I don’t have all the answers, but I know that the first step to leave the sidelines and join the game is get off your butt. Quit sitting there waiting for the coach to call on you. He won’t see you sitting on the far side of the bench. Position yourself closer to the coach by getting off your butt and moving. So this post is more about me getting off my butt and repositioning myself.

So when we realize we are sitting on the sidelines, may we get off our butts and move…

potential grew tired of me

Potential: Merriam-Webster defines it as “something that can develop or become actual.”

Have you ever had anyone tell you that you have potential? Have you ever told someone else that they have potential? If someone has told you that you have potential, they are saying you can develop into something greater than who and where you are currently. That is exciting if you think about it, someone believes in you and can see what you can become.

But….

Yes there is a but! What do you do after the person points out your potential? Do you continue on the same path you are currently on?

Or….

Do you make changes in your journey to shift your course toward your potential? Making the necessary decisions to move you toward the God-given potential you have within you through the work of the Holy Spirit?

I was listening to Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church Seattle this morning as he preached on “Redeeming Greatness” and was hit up side my head. He makes a comment about potential and how he is sick of potential and wants to see results. So I began thinking, am I just sitting in my potential and waiting for God to do all the work?

What happens when potential grows tired of us? We become the “back in the day” guy who always looks to the past. Or we become the dreamer that never comes out of his dreams to engage the reality of making that dream come alive. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to see that become me. I want to see God work in my life to bring my potential to reality.

I made some changes in my life today to make my potential reality, will you do the same?

good intentions with misplaced motives

I delayed and struggled with writing this post. Over the past week to two weeks, mixed feelings have been swirling within me like a cluster of tornadoes across Kansas’s plains. It has been very difficult to articulate any cohesive thought into a masterful arrangement with out missing the fullness of the disaster within me. If the storm within would cease for even a minute there might be enough stillness to grab the words that had been spinning around inside.

A small break in the storm has come and so here goes nothing…

What started out with good intentions has become a situation with misplaced motives. A friendship began in which I was excited about. Well as time passed and we would hang out, ever so subtlety and without my knowledge, my motives began to shift. It slowly became about an end result and not about the journey, which in turn began to leave me frustrated and somewhat depressed. What looked so promising, became a tornado ravaged countryside. With my background and knowledge, I should have known or seen this as a possible outcome if I do not check my motives at the door. Since I had blinded myself by hiding down in the storm cellar when things began to go wrong, I have felt as if I messed up and protected myself instead of braving the storm next to my neighbor or inviting him into the safe place to wait out the storm. So here I sit tonight, frustrated that my good intentions were corrupted with misplaced motives.

So where do I go from here…

After every disaster, there is a time for clean up and recovery. So I guess that is the next step and where I will find myself over the next several weeks, allowing the Holy Spirit to clean up my heart and rebuild the road for my neighbor and I to rejoin our journey together.

May we allow God to clean and rebuild us after the storm so we can continue on the journey with our neighbors toward Jesus Christ.

all quiet on the western front…

On the eleventh day of the gruesome  war with the resilient itchy foe, a stillness settles over the pillaged land. Not an eerie stillness, but one of peace and promise of a brighter day. As I ride out to survey the fields that were once the battlegrounds of a catastrophic war, I am able to take a sigh of relief as the enemy has been defeated. What troops were left after the last charge by my men, surrendered and will be escorted to a secluded island never to set foot on this land again. My men fought hard and deserve the much-needed rest that will come tonight. After a long eleven days of battles, I can now claim victory. I want to thank General Calamine and General Benadryl for their excellent leadership and courage. As the title of the book says, “All quiet on the western front”…

Thank you all for reading and walking with me through my unpleasant outbreak of poison ivy.

May you never be attacked by the evil itchy foe…poison ivy.

at dawn look to the east…

As my battle with the evil itchy foe of the wooded hills, I was reminded of the scene from “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”. With hope running out and overwhelming defeat spreading through Helms Deep, Aragorn recalls the words of Gandalf…”Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east.”

Now, going on 6 days of war, I think Gandalf is running a little late. I think in my case he means on the seventh day, at dawn look to the east…but maybe not. I have fought hard and neither the enemy or I have gained or loss ground over the past several days of assaults. The war zone is scarred and barren of life except the handful of warriors still entrenched amid the smell of gunpowder and smoke.

Thinking and pondering Gandalf’s words, I begin to feel the warmth hope and the prospect of victory returning to my chilled heart.

fog descends over the battlefield…

Early evening on Day 3 of my war against an evil itchy foe was met with a light fog rolling in from the south. As I scan the terrain with my binoculars, I strain to see through the foggy air. After combing the field something caught my attention, something that made me gulp trying to swallow the fear that was rising within me. I pull the binoculars away from my eyes, wipe the lenses while blinking over and over, hoping that when I look again it will turn out to be my imagination playing tricks on my mind. I slowly raise the binoculars back to my tired eyes, my fears were made real. The enemy had gained a strategic stronghold that will allow them to launch a full-scale offensive on my weary and weak defenses in that area. How will I push back the enemy from their position? I had used my full arsenal of weapons on day 1 & 2, with nothing in reserve, how can I find victory when defeat looms over head like the fog descends over the battlefield? Maybe I can mass my forces near their position so that when the fog clears, a surprise attack can be launched from all sides forcing surrender? As the fog begins to thicken, I decided to commit the remainder of my forces to surround their position in anticipation for the signal to attack. What will tomorrow’s battle bring, victory or defeat, only time will tell….

operation antihistamine…

Over the weekend I participated in the CBC Middle School Work Crew at Camp Tejas. While there, I helped oversee a group of boys clearing brush and fallen trees. Those boys were some hard workers, especially Hayden, but thankfully we did have some comic relief from Matthew…”10 90″…haha it still makes me laugh. Anyways, while we were clearing this one area, we all agreed that we walked right into the middle of a poison ivy ambush.

So upon returning home, with no hint of poison ivy outbreak, I launched a preemptive strike with Benadryl and Maximum Strength Ivarest. I have coated my legs and part of my arm with the cream to attack before I have any horrible reaction.

So far so good, I have not had any reaction. All I have is left over ant bites from standing in the middle of an ant infested pile of logs. So for now, I will consider this a small victory and hope that it will end in ultimate victory over the mighty foe….poison ivy!