Using Your Strength

Romans 15:1&2 has been on my mind for the past few days. You can click here to read it.

These verses swim completely against the current of the Darwinian river that flows through our culture, but then again, so does everything that Christ challenges us to do.

Paul wrote these words to the Church in Rome. Notice that, not to the world, but to the church. He did so because they were facing real problems of judging those who were weaker then they were - weaker in the faith, weaker emotionally, weaker in their personalities It's almost as if Paul realized how easily the "survival of the fittest" attitude can creep into the believers life and into the culture of the church.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I often fall into the sin of lording my strength over those who aren't as quick, sharp, or cunning as I am. Of course, when I come in contact with those who are quicker, sharper, and more cunning than I (which is more often than I'd like to admit), and Lord it over me, I'm quick to duck and run as quickly as possible.

Here's what I think is playing out here. In life, there will always be people who are weaker than you are, and at the same time stronger than you are. This creates a real problem, because every time someone uses their strength to beat down a weaker person, in order for that weaker person to feel stronger, they in turn find someone weaker to beat down on so they can build themselves back up. What a rat race, and one that Paul realized was detrimental to the faith.

His solution was to remind us of the reason for our strength, which is to build people up, to use our strength to make them stronger, healthier, and better in the long run.

Freedom Isn't Free

After a long weekend off, I'm back in the blogosphere. I had intended to come back yesterday, however, I managed to pick up some kind of bug on Memorial Day, and needless to say, it took me out of commission yesterday. I'm back in the saddle today, however, and feeling much better.

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. It's always nice to have a day off that isn't normally planned to be able to spend time with the people we love.

This past weekend, of course, was Memorial day, which I think is one of our nations mosts important holidays. I'm not sure if we, as a nation, take the time to think about the sacrifice that so many people made to give us the freedom that we all share.

The sacrifices that were made for our freedom run very deep. Freedom is never cheap and it doesn't come easy, and for all those who sacrificed to give me the gift of freedom, I solute you!

Blog Week in Review

I am a huge fan of blogging. Not only do I enjoy the discipline of writing, I also enjoy reading other people's thoughts and ideas. You can check some of the blogs I read at my website here. There's a scrolling ticker in the right hand column that allows you to click on them. Anyhow, the following are items that piqued my interest this week from the blogs I read.

Awesome video clip from Brian McLaren on Worship (about 3 min)

If you can't see the video, click here


Quote by Jordon Green...OUCH!
"These days, it seems that the true ways for dealing with a broken world can be found more on HBO than on TBN."

Quote from Mark Batterson
"It's no secret that the church has some perception issues. Some of the characterizations of the church are unfair and uninformed. But the reality is this: the church is more known for what we're against than what we're for. And that needs to change. The good news is that pockets of Christians are beginning to take on their rightful role as culture-shapers. The cultural trade winds are shifting."


Quote from Steve Jobs (Apple Inc)
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. don't be trapped by dogma - which is living the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Geico Cavemen get their own sitcom

I had to post about this when I saw it...The Geico Cavemen are going to have their own sitcom this fall on ABC. You can click here to see a few clips.

Fly Me To The Moon

I stumbled upon a quote that has really made me think, in fact, I find myself reading it over and over because there is a real truth that lies within.

QUOTE: "If you examine a butterfly according to the laws of aerodynamics, it shouldn't be able to fly. But the butterfly doesn't know that, so it flies." ~Vincent Eades~

In the west, we have become masters of reduction. We love to tear things apart, study how it works, and reduce it to a set of principles and mathematical equations. In one sense we are programed for this because God has put a sense of curiosity in each of us, but in another sense it serves to take the mystery and wonder out of life.

As believers, I think we sometimes do this in our relationship with Christ. We love to study theology, which is the nature of God, however, when we make the mistake of reducing God down to set of theological principles, we miss the point all together.

Now, I will say that theology has it's place, in that it gives us a foundation and a sense of boundaries that keeps us from veering too far off the beaten path, but what we have to remember is that theology is never the point. It can't be, because God is infinite and our knowledge or theology of him is finite. When we make it the point, we've reduced him down to our level and when that happens, we fail to fly into all that He has for us.

I think so much of our modern day preaching and teaching has this feeling to it. We've all heard it before...if you do a, b, & c, you'll get d, e, & f. Sounds fair enough, but here's my question...who of us really wants to serve a God who is limited to our formulas?

Formulas reduce capital G God down to lowercase g god, and he's not interested in being lowercase g god to you and me, so when we try to reduce him, he messes up our world big time.

When we reduce God we let religion take over, and religion has a way of stealing your wings. However, when we find ourself in true relationship with God, we will fly to greater and greater heights with him.

In Acts 17:28 Paul says "It's in him we live and move and have our being." It's in him, not our knowledge of him or our formulas of him, but in him.

Another Proud Moment

Ok, I know that I have posted about my kids probably too much over the past week, but it is my blog, so you'll have to put up with it...sorry. I want to take a moment to give a shout out to my incredible daughter McKenzie.

On Friday, her mother and I went to her school for the end of the year 6th grade award ceremony, where she received an outstanding award for language arts. As she walked across the gym floor to receive her trophy, I was as proud as proud can be.

As the award ceremony continued, I watched her closely as she sat among her friends in the bleachers, and I couldn't help but wonder where the past 12 years have gone.

Both of my kids are at an age where I realize my parenting style has to change. Up to this point, a parent in many respects has to control their child's coming and going. There comes a point, however, when control will serve only to push them away, so you have to change in how you lead them. The change is not in principle so much as it is in application.

Every year as they get older, I have to let go and give them more freedom and independence. For me this is incredibly hard, especially when you see them making a move that may cause them pain. My first reaction is to shelter them and control their every move, but doing so will only keep them from learning what they truly need to learn in life.

Oh God...Please Help Me!!!

Ode to a 5th Grade Teacher

I just came from my son's 5th grade graduation...truly a proud moment for his mother and I. Anyhow, while I was there I talked to his teacher, who by the way read my post from this morning. To my surprise she informed me that she asked all the kids if they put sun screen on, and Conner did not respond (he conveniently left that part out last night). She informed me that she can't give sun screen out but they could call home to get permission to use someone else's (also something Conner failed to mention).

Anyhow, I want to publicly apologize to Conner's teacher, who in mine and Tracy's opinion is probably the best teacher he has ever had. We both know that our son is a kid with a very vibrant personality, and it takes a special teacher to handle said personality, and Mrs. Tomlin certainly has done a wonderful job. So... many kudos to you Mrs. Tomlin.

It's important to me that she and everyone else knows that my comments were not directed towards her or even Willis Elementary school, but to the overall system in general. The schools and teachers are only doing the job that is expected of them and for that we are all grateful.

Slightly Miffed

I'm kind of miffed. I say kind of because I've had a few hours to calm down. If I would have written this yesterday around 5 pm, I would have said that I'm highly miffed, but time has a way of soothing my anger.

All elementary schools, it seems, have an end of the year field day and yesterday was Conner's. I knew that this was happening, but in the rush of the morning I forgot to remind him to pack sun screen.

He's knows how easily he burns in the intensity of Florida's sun, so he asked the powers that be at his elementary school if he could have some sun-screen. Here's the kicker that really made me upset. The response of the school was..."it's against school district policy for us to give you any sun screen." So they made him go outside all day with no protection whatsoever. When he came home, he was red like a lobster, suffering from a horrific headache, and feeling like he was going to throw up.

Now, in my opinion, this is negligence to the highest degree. I believe that Tracy and I are 100% responsible for our children's well being, but I also believe that when we drop them off at school we should be able to do so with a degree of confidence knowing that they are concerned for my children's well being while under their care. I guess, however, that this is not the case, and the school board is more worried about a possible law suit than they are with the safety of my kids.

When a society or organization starts to allow insurance companies and legal paranoia to dictate their policies, they lose their effectiveness across the board. I've even heard of churches who have fallen prey to this and have put the brakes on in reaching out to their community or to individuals because insurance companies told them not to, or because their boards are afraid of getting sued. Perhaps I'm being incredibly naive, but I just don't think this should be.

Companies have to weigh their decisions, they would be downright foolish if they didn't. However, the weight of their decisions must be made against the integrity of their core-values, not against the paranoia of someone sitting in a corporate office. When we don't lead according to our values, the people for whom those values have been written are the ones who suffer.

The School Board of Manatee County may say they value children, but their actions yesterday prove otherwise.

The Superstition of Security

"Security is mostly superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

This is an amazing quote that really gripped my heart when I read it. Most people would probably attribute these words to a athlete, a wall-street broker, or perhaps a carefree thrill seeker looking for his next great feat that will send adrenaline surging through his veins. The amazing thing, however, is the quote was penned by a person who couldn't hear, speak, or see - Helen Keller.

With only two of her 5 senses working, she realized first hand that the only way life was going to be lived to the fullest was to not look for the path of least resistance.

I find myself challenged to take a look at my own life and evaluate the areas in which safety and security has replaced real living. Don't get alarmed, I'm not going to try to set a record by jumping 10 buses with my motorcycle, that's not risk, it's stupidity. However, when I lay down my dreams and the vision God has placed in me at the expense of wanting to maintain a "safe" life, that's truly the point when life ends.

I guess what I'm trying to say is the same thing that Helen Keller was saying...playing it safe, is really not "safe" at all, but in reality it is the most dangerous place to be. Security, in the end, is empty, insipid, and lifeless, and I don't believe that is God's plan for us.

So the challenge to me as well as everyone reading this, is to jump. Jump into the unknown, run into the adventure, plunge yourself into all that God has given you. And remember, God never promises us safety (at least not the way we view it), he does however, promise us life to the fullest.

ethoughts-jr

My son started his own blog yesterday. He wanted to call it ethoughts-jr. You can check it out here. Perhaps it is a dad thing, but I really appreciate his wit and unique perspective of seeing the world. For ten years old, he does a good job at communicating what he sees and feels.

I think one of the keys to good parenting, (which I don't claim to have all the knowledge on, in fact I sometimes feel like a miserable failure) is helping your child discover what really makes them tick...what their passions are. This certainly takes a keen eye and it doesn't happen overnight, but if one pays close enough attention, it will become overtly obvious.

The adventure, however, only begins here. As parents, we need to be committed to equipping our children with the tools and the affirmation they need to see their passions mature. The best food we can give them in this day and age is our attention, love, and encouragement. Yes, it takes time and effort, but the rewards will far outweigh the costs, and the road to success will be a much smoother one for them.

Children are the most important resource the world has, yet they are fast becoming an endangered species. I'm committed to doing all I can to make sure the pathway to life is built properly so they can more easily navigate towards success...how about you?

Someday

As all of you know, Sunday was mother's day. I personally think that mother's day should be more than once a year. I watch my wife in action with my kids and I think to myself "what an incredible woman." Her patience with them and her love for them compels me in many ways.

My kids also think a lot of their mom and Conner (my 10 year old boy) decided to write a poem for her. He submitted it for a project at school and got an A. He thought it was appropriate to give her the copy with the A on the top - I guess he thought that was a two for the price of one kind of gift.

Anyhow, I've included the poem below along with my wife's witty comments (made in parenthesis)...enjoy.

Someday

By Conner Wulf

Someday you will know why I came to this earth
(what is that suppose to mean??)

Someday you will remember the time I said DOOOOOO to everyone.
(I loved that you called my mom dodo)

Someday you will remember when you would hold my little finger with your
big hand.
(that makes me think of the Seinfeld episode where the woman had "man hands")

Someday you will remember how you kissed me on the cheek all the time.
(I can't say anything about that... I do kiss him all the time)

Someday you will remember all the life lessons you gave me through the years.
(but you never seem to learn the classroom behavior lessons)

Someday you will remember all the life lessons you taught like never pick
your nose and eat it.
(that was a good lesson... I am proud of myself for teaching you that)

Someday I will be feeding you instead of you feeding me.
(Whoa!! I am only 36 and the thought of you feeding me is frightening)

Someday you will be gone but your memory will never be lost.
(Once again... I AM ONLY 36!)

Joshua lessons

Great service last night at HOPE! Pastor Scott went through a number of the chapters in Joshua that most people probably skip right over. All the alotments for this tribe or that tribe seem to have little if no significance to our lives, but when you take the time to read between the lines, that is when the truth really jumps out.

A few highlights from last night that I jotted down.

1. Joshua 12:9-24...A list of the conquered kings of the promise land
a. None of their proper names were used
b. Their lives were spent trying to make a name for themselves
c. In God's kingdom they were insignificant
d. Application: Building God's kingdom and not your own is the key to leaving a legacy.

2. Chapter 13:8...half tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance east of the Jordon.
a. God's intention was to settle on the west side
b. God permitted them to live on the east.
c. These tribes were the first tribes to be carried away into captivity in future years.
d. Application: You'll be happiest and most fulfilled when you're living in the territory and calling that you're meant to live in.
e. Whenever you live beyond, you open yourselves to things God doesn't intend for you.

3. Chapter 14...85 and feeling fine (Caleb finally gets his due)
a. 45 years prior Caleb receives a promise from God.
b. Now he's coming to claim it.
c. Application: Things that God has promised you, cling to it, write it down, pray over it, and never, ever let it go.
d. Keep your dreams alive and never let them go.

The entire night really spoke to my heart, but there is not a story that inspires me like that of Caleb...I strive to live with that kind of resolve.

Jerry Falwell

Yesterday, I posted about heroes and I thought it a bit ironic that yesterday morning one of those heroes went to be with the Lord...Jerry Falwell.

I must admit, I wasn't one of Jerry's biggest fans, I never read any of his books, I never listened to one of his messages, and often I was flabbergasted at his "talent" for speaking before thinking (which he apologized for many times). Despite all that, he was a man who in my opinion finished well in life, and here's why...

1. He had a vision/mission that he always stuck to and never wavered from, which I believe is the mark of a true leader.

2. He used his popularity, platform and media attention to always lift up the name of Jesus Christ.

3. His life was without scandal and he was faithful to his wife.

4. He had a mentor's heart. Many young singers, artists, business men/women, pastors and missionaries benefited from his influence through liberty university and other means.

5. Although his life is over, his influence is far from over. Great leaders continue to live beyond the grave.

I hope and pray that I handle the calling God has given me with the same integrity in which Jerry Falwell modeled his.

Psalms 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his saints."

Heroes

One of my favorite shows on TV right now is Heroes. I believe it has become so popular because everyone has the desire to be a hero in one way or another.

Each one of the characters has a gifting that they have been blessed with and the story is really about how each person uses their powers to either be a blessing or a curse to the world around them.

I think gifts are a very dangerous thing and one of God's most riskiest moves when it comes to humans. He equips each one of us in some very incredible ways, and gives us the free will to exercise those gifts in any way we choose.

Why does God risk with us like this? After all, he sees the future and he knows how someone is going to react to what he has placed inside of them, yet he still gives. It blows my mind when I think about it, and it drives me to the place of responsibility with what he has blessed me with. I guess this is why Godly leadership is such an important issue to me...because it takes a high degree of it to be faithful to him and to what he has equipped us with.

Scarecrows and God's Best

I'm casually reading through Craig Groeschell's book, "Confessions of a Pastor." His chapter entitled "I worry almost all the time," has really spoken to me.

In it he talks about a verse from Jeremiah 10:5&6. God is speaking through the prophet to the people of Israel, telling them not to fear the nations around them. He says that "their idols are like scarecrows in a melon patch."

Scarecrows in a melon patch...think about that. Why does a farmer put a scarecrow in his melon patch? Simple, to scare the birds away in order to keep them from destroying his crop. What if the birds ever wised up and realized that the presence of a scarecrow was actually the tip off that the best of the crop was in the field?

A bird will never wise up, because it doesn't have the mental capacity to learn in these situations, that's why scarecrows still work to this day. However, as men and women who are created in the image of God, we do have the capacity to see the enemy's scare tactics as just that...tactics. The Bible tells us that "God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Groeschell writes, "So, isn't it possible that the very fears the enemy tries to plant in your mind are unwitting advertisements for God's good stuff? (Like a "Danger" sign on God's cookie jar.)

Fear will always keep you from God's best for your life, so when you are experiencing fear, ask God to replace it with his love, and boldly walk into His best...it's waiting for you!

A Proud Moment

We went to my son's end of the year school play. "High School Musical" performed by a bunch of 5th graders - figure that one out.

If one were judging from a performance and artistic standpoint, it was an absolute train wreck. There was about a 5 minute pause between every scene making a 30 minute production an hour plus. The sound technician (probably a teacher who got suckered into it) left her technical skills at home and the lighting person kept missing their cues.

From a parental standpoint, however, it was priceless. The highlight of the evening was my son doing the worm all the way across the stage. What a talented kid...his daringness he gets from me, his dance moves and whit he inherited from his mother.

I really love watching my kids perform; their personalities shining in the way God wants them to shine. He was so proud of himself, and his mother and I were extremely proud of him as well.

He's also learning to milk these events for all they're worth. We went to Chilis afterwards and he asked if he could get a soda (we usually limit ourselves to water...I know, I know, what a cheapskate. However, if you order water when you go out, you can afford to go out more often...that's another post). I said no, and he responded in a passionate and kind of whiny way..."but tonight is a special occasion." The apple doesn't fall far from the tree...he got his soda.

Effective Communication Part 2

Simple...that is the word that best describes the starting point of good communication. Whether you are communicating to your children, your peers at work, or standing in front of many people to give a speech about something you believe in, simplicity is the key to effectively getting your message across.

Humans have a tendency in life to move from the simple to the complex, and all too often we allow this very fact to effect the way we communicate our ideas. So, the question that remains is how to we keep it simple?

In the book "Made to Stick," they give a formula for keeping communication simple...simple = core + compact. A good example of this is what we see when we read the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a book about big ideas presented in a simple way. Think about it, every proverb has a core idea (that is often huge) presented in a very compact way.

One of the things I say over and over to my kids is, "be a leader and make good choices." It's a big idea presented in a simple way and it has served my wife and I in teaching them the importance of Godly leadership.

They will often come home with a story of something that happened at school, and more times than not, I have been able to say..."That's why it is so important to be a leader and make good choices." This provides the avenue to take the conversation deeper by teaching them, at a greater level, the importance of this core proverb.

Good communication always starts and ends with simplicity...so Keep It Simple!

Reinhard Bonnke

Last night I had the privilege of hearing Reinhard Bonnke speak. Wow! What an amazing man of God. Bonnke has preached in meetings in Africa to over 1,000,0000 in one setting. He has seen over 44,000,000 African's give their lives to Jesus Christ. He was really inspiring and no one was ready for him to be finished.

The following are a couple of highlights and quotes from the evening.

- If we preach what the apostles preached, we'll get what the apostles had.

- See possibilities in God

- The less Holy Spirit we have the more cake and coffee we need to keep the church going.

- Dignity is not a fruit of the spirit

- The weakness of the flesh does not repel the Holy Spirit it attracts Him. His power is made perfect in weakness.

- The Holy Spirit has come for the best of us and for the worst of us.

God Moments

I am in Tampa for the first part of the week with the rest of the staff for a series of meetings that our denomination has every year. To be honest, I find myself quite bored with these kind of events and especially the laborious business meetings we are supposed to go to.

Last night, however, was a good servic. A man by the name of Robert Rhoden spoke. I've always appreciated his ministry. He's a seasoned preacher with a passion for the young generation.

For me the mark of a good speaker is his/her ability to create an environment that provides opportunity for thought processes even beyond what he/she is talking about. Anyhow, he told a story that made me think about how God will often show a person, later on in life, how their obedience played out...it's a reward that comes at a time when you least expect it.

I had a God moment like this play out in my life a few years ago when a young girl who was in my youth group years before called me out of the blue. It was the eve before she was leaving for India to devote her life to missions. She called to say thank you for all the time my wife and I spent with her over the years and how the love we showed her pointed her to the love that God had for her.

Now, you would have to know about this girls background and what she was like when Tracy and I first met her to really appreciate this story. She came from a very rough background. When we met her everything in her life was black, her clothes, her nail polish, her lipstick, and she never smiled. We had trouble at first breaking through the darkness that seemed to be enveloping her.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, We continued to simply love her, pray for her, and go out of are way to make sure she knew that there was a God who loved her dearly. For years, we never knew if our efforts made any difference, but now we know that it surely did.

Through it, I learned a couple of things. First, never underestimate the power of God's love to break through in the hardest of situations. Second, a kind word and a loving touch has the potential to effect a person for a lifetime. Third, the rewards for obedience will always outweigh the cost.

Never underestimate the power you have to touch a life, through the life that lives in you...Jesus Christ.

Effective Communication Part 1

I read a story about Mark Twain that brought a smile to my face. He had a really bad habit of using profanity when he spoke. In his rawness, it just flowed from him.

His wife was a polar opposite. As raw as Twain was, she was as proper as proper could be. Her husbands uncouth manner and speech was something that grated on her nerves and offended her in a deep way.

She tried many ways to break him of this bad habit, but to no avail. Finally, out of a desperate measure she tried the old reverse psychology and thought that if he hears what he sounds like he'll be embarrassed enough to stop. And so one day when he returned home from a day out, she met him at the door with enough profanities to stop a train in it's tracks. Twain calmly listened and when she was done retorted..."my dear you have the words, but not the music."

I'm in no way promoting the use of vulgar language or unhealthy speech, but I think Mark Twain has a real point for us to learn when it comes to good communication.

Effective Communication, whether it be as a parent, with a client, or standing up to give a presentation, is much more than a string of words that we put together, but rather it is a collection of notes that when arranged right, can really be effective in not only getting your point across, but in challenging the status quo of the world in which we live.

Now, I'm by no means an expert on speech, but I do try to give myself to continual growth in this field. So over the next few posts, I'm going to write about some things that I have found to be helpful when it comes to being a better communicator. Feel free to leave a comment at any time to either challenge or confirm what I am saying.

A Hearing Ear

I'm currently re-reading a book called "Summoned to Lead", by Leonard Sweet. It's not your typical leadership book that is packed full of facts about what makes a person a better leader. It is much more fluid than that, and it challenges me to see past the facts of leadership and see into the art of it instead.

His emphasis on being a person who has a tuned ear to hear over a person who has a keen eye to see is really touching something deep inside me, and I'm beginning to realize how important this is.

Think about it, what is more crucial to our lives, the ability to see or the ability to hear? The eyes are easily deceived in so many ways. Magicians are passionately involved in slight of hand, the ability to fool the eyes. People have learned and mastered the art of "pulling the wool over the eyes" and constructing a false reality that they want others to see while hiding who they truly are.

The ears on the other hand aren't as easily fooled. When you truly learn the art of hearing, you can easily hear past the walls that people construct out of insecurity and such. Perhaps this is why Jesus said over and over, "He who has ear to hear, let him hear."

Here's a good practice for all of us from time to time in training our ears to hear...the next time your at the beach, the mall, church, wherever (just don't do it while your driving), shut your eyes and just hear. Hear the sounds all around you, the chatter, the low noises, the high frequencies, the humming of lights, the joy, the pain, the laughter and the crying. Concentrate on how it effects the way you see once you reopen your eyes.

Practicing the art of hearing would make us much better builders of the kingdom of God. We tend to get blinded by all that we see in the world around us, and often this makes us cold towards the very people we are called to reach. Being able to hear past what we see, will make us much more effective in seeing lives totally transformed for Christ.

Forgotten on the Gridiron?

Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you? Honestly, I've been struggling with this for the past few months. Not in the way that I feel separated from Him, but more like a quarterback who was once first string but now is only holding the ball for the occasional field goal.

This feeling has caused me to go deep and ask God a lot of questions. Like always, he's coming through and I'm beginning to realize some encouraging things about how he desires for me to live.

True living, true leadership is a function of voice, not of position. If I am to be the quarterback of a great team, winning comes when I find and use my voice (the true core and integrity of who I am), not when I attain a position. If I'm to be the ball holder, I'm to use my voice to be the best ball holder for the team. If I'm sidelined, I'm not to sit on the bench and sulk, but rather I'm to stand at the edge of the gridiron and use my voice to cheer on those who are playing hard in the arena of life.

I'm learning that leadership is not about where you are on the organizational chart of life, but about having the courage to use your God given voice, that irreplaceable, unrepeatable, one of a kind voice to make the place your in, the best for him.

Environment for creativity

Wednesday's are always a very long day for me. For some reason I'm feeling the day's tired effects already, and I've only been awake for an hour. That being the case I'm having a trouble focusing on my post this morning. So, I thought I would pass on another post that I received in my google reader from Terrystorch.com.

The link is a bank of pictures that highlights google's headquarters. It shows the work place that this pace setting company has for their employees. They definitely put a lot of thought and care into creating an environment for maximizing creativity within their culture.

Photo Essay Link

Call The Po-Po

The title is a line from the movie, "Diary of A Mad Black Woman." If you've never seen it, you should - it will make you laugh until your stomach hurts and cry until your eyes burn.

For those of you who haven't seen the movie and don't know, Po-Po is slang for the police, and that is exactly what I did...I called the Po-Po.

We were driving on I75, returning from a day at Busch Gardens in Tampa, when we were almost taken out by a drunk/high/homicidal driver. I had noticed this guy about 5 miles before. At that time, he was driving OK, but something didn't seem right. He passed me, I passed him, and shortly thereafter, when I happened to look in my rear view mirror, he was barreling down on us at about 100 miles per hour.

In a voice that increased in decibels with every phrase, I said to my wife..."this guys going to hit us...what is he doing...He's going to hit us." At that moment, I swerved into the lane to my right allowing him to miss our car by mere inches. At the rate of speed he was traveling, I shutter to think what would have happened to us had he hit us. It was at this moment that I called the Po-Po!

We watched as he went absolutely out of control for the next 3 miles. Finally he went off the road and and got hung up in the grass, unable to go any further.

About 5 of us immediately pulled over, and after about an hour of waiting for the police, filling out affidavits, and giving sworn testimony, we left the scene and went home.

Psalms 91:11 & 12 tells us, "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." This verse became very real to me that night, and I also began to wonder how many other people, perhaps even unbelievers, were in the middle of God's protection, because he gives his angels charge over us? Sobering and humbling thought.

I know that there have been many people that have not faired so well in situations like these. However, that doesn't mean his angels weren't given charge over them. God is sovereign, and his ways our higher than ours, and when I put my trust in him, no matter what comes my way, I won't be put to shame. "If God is for us", writes Paul, "Tell me, who can be against us?"