Breaking the Ice... It's Not So Bad

So there I was, sitting in a Freshman Parents' Meeting at my daughter's school in the midst of a no-nonsense group of parents who were barreling questions at the Principal as he cautiously tried to explain the latest standardized test. You see, this year is the first time this newest "bright idea" from our state's legislature will be administered, and our kids are the prized test subjects they'll use to see if it all works out. Pass the hot, steaming cup of frustration and angst.

Now normally I lay low at these things, especially when I know the atmosphere is thick with fatigue, confusion, and a thin layer of anxiety. I don't blame the Principal for stepping lightly through all of that.

That's when I decided to do something to lighten the mood. I became slightly elated at the thought of doing this, but one thing that induced a little fear was the fact the I wasn't amongst friends; at least not known friends. But as the Q & A wore on, the thing that encouraged me to go ahead was that I recognized this as a situation that could use a quick infusion of lighthearted diversion, if for no reason than to bring some comfort to the Principal. That's what I love to do - encourage and comfort. Plus, I asked myself, "Even if you were among your "known" friends, wouldn't this just be natural for you to do anyway? Just be yourself. Who knows? Somebody might just appreciate it."

So I raised my hand to receive the mic for the next question. When I got it, I had a very serious look on my face as I warned the Principal that this was going to be yet another two-fold question. I could see him bracing himself as he waited for it. So I dropped the first one on him.

"Will the Houston Texans beat the Baltimore Ravens this weekend?"

It only took a second for it to register, but the humor of this question quickly set in all around the room (with the exception of a few lemonizers). The Principal even quipped to the counselor who was taking notes to make sure she got that question answered, as it was of vital importance to the education of our children. Nice touch Dr. A.

After the laughter subsided, I was able to actually ask a perfectly relevant question, and wonder of wonders, the Principal promised to forward it to his own boss because of it's validity. All in all, I'd say that this was a successful leap. So I encourage you to be aware of the next opportunity to change the atmosphere around you for the better by breaking the ice. Don't let what others may think of you stop you, because chances are you're underestimating your own appeal. And even if you bomb, you still remained true to who you are.

Now let's pray for those Texans - because that's what's really important. LOL!

Apply Here

Have you ever had a revelation that struck you so intensely it truly qualified as a life-changing a-ha moment? You know. The kind that makes you want to give yourself a thump upside the head because it was there all along but you somehow missed it.

I felt that way a few days ago. I was reading the account of John the Baptist's testimony about his first encounter with Jesus in the first chapter of the Book of John. The first few verses are quite commonly used in sermons, bible studies, and the like. By them we know that Jesus Himself is the Word (expressed will) of God. But it was when I got to verses 35 - 37 that something clicked which had never clicked before. In John 1:35-37, it is noted that there were two of John the Baptist's disciples present when He pointed Jesus out as He was passing by. When John acknowledged who Jesus was, those disciples took what He said as truth (applying the Word to their lives), then proved that they believed it by immediately taking off to follow Jesus, even without knowing much else. That's applying your life to the Word. Actually abandoning your former plans, dreams, and thoughts to attach yourself to all that Jesus embodies as the Son of God. It posed the question in my mind, "Is it enough to just apply the Word to my life, or was it God's original intent that I apply my life to the Word?"

What's the difference? Well, as I see it, it's really more about WHO we stand for than WHAT we stand for. In America alone there has been a steep decline in the number of people who would actually call themselves "practicing" Christians. The term "christian" itself seems to have moved far from the lifestyle of the people it was originally coined for. It used to mean "Christ-like" because of the 1st century believers who were known for living like they adhered to a higher authority than their counterparts. Now it's not a lifestyle, it's merely a religion; one of many. But that's what happens when you lose site of your WHO because you're so focused on the WHAT.

The WHAT of Christianity is the same dilemma the Jews faced when Jesus arrived in the flesh. They were so blinded by the Law that they totally missed the spirit of the Law which would have made recognizing WHO Jesus was so simple. The same goes for us today. Sometimes I think we get so bound up trying to cross all the "t's" and dot all the "i's" of a set of rules and traditions that when they prove to be too much for us, we inadvertently throw ourselves into a vicious cycle of compromise and condemnation over and over again. At the end of the day, it's really always been about building relationship with our Lord - the One who purchased us back from slavery to our base, sinful nature. You know how it is. The longer you hang out with somebody, the more of their habits you tend to pick up. You don't have to try to do that. It just happens. The old folks used to say "show me who you run with, and I'll show you who you are." Running for Jesus made for a catchy church song back in the day, but it's actually running WITH Jesus that makes such a powerful change in your life that it causes others who don't know Him to want to know Him.

I'll end with this: It could very well be that the main reason why the Church's significance as a powerful positive influence to this world is all but indiscernible is because, no matter what we profess, we look, act, and think just like them. We are too tied to an idea and totally disconnected from the source of true vision. But I challenge you today to go beyond just reading the Bible to actually "doing" Jesus. It's good to start there, but it's better to go beyond that. Get to know Him. Not the Church, not the traditions and the protocols. Him! And just as it happened when Jesus walked the earth Himself, we'll surely experience a revolution that changes the world.

Pride Begins With "I"

Have you ever tuned into the conversations you have with other people? Even the ones you have with yourself? And no, I'm not talking about 'hearing voices'. It's intriguing to me how many times we use the words "I", "Me", or "My" and go blissfully unaware of the lurking undertones of selfishness and pride.

I used to think that pride was as big as a boulder and, therefore, easy to detect. But I've come to learn that it's usually like a thin, translucent line stretched between two trees that trips you up as you walk along the path. If you get a little too distracted you'll never see it coming.

I won't kid you. I've gotten caught up in the thrill of success when a plan goes off without a hitch and I (even secretly) prompt others to see the role I played in making it happen. I've occasionally judged others under my breath with a sigh and disdainful shake of my head, thinking to myself, "I can't believe she..." I could go on and on with the I thinks, I feels and I knows, but you get my drift.

As I pondered this ugly habit and why it so easily creeps up on most of us, I was struck with the unmistakable kinship pride has with fear. Ultimately, when our automatic self-preservation kicks in, it s fear that usually flips the switch. Fear that we won't be recognized or respected. Fear that we'll lose something or someone. Fear that we won't get something we strongly desire or think that we need. Fear that we won't be found worthy of love and acceptance. Sometimes what we think we're missing is right there all along, but fear keeps us blind to it.

Don't be fooled! It's a trick. Satan fell for it eons ago when he started hungering for what he didn't even need. He was the greatest of all the angels in heaven; skillfully outfitted with unique qualities that were unparalleled. Yet, he created the biggest lie in his own magnificent mind, and it not only consumed him and a third of the angelic host, but it has sealed their doom. (See Isaiah 14:12-15).

I've asked the Holy Spirit to remind me that I, the creature, am not, and will never be or need to be, as great as the Creator. Humility is my friend and an effective gauge of my trust in the Lord. So I leave you with this: whenever your accomplishments or your personal ambitions begin to exalt the screenplay of your life to blockbuster status, remember... the sequel is a always a real downer.

Don't You Dare Lose Your Distinction!

I'm a south paw, and proud of it, too! But I never really think anything about it until someone else takes notice of it.

That's exactly what happened to me recently when I was sitting in the takeout section of a local restaurant waiting on my order. I was writing something down and the lady who waited on me noticed that I was left-handed and commented on it.

She told me an interesting story about how her husband was almost violently conformed into using his right hand when he was a young boy in school. Apparently, his teachers (who obviously subscribed to some unwarranted fear about the meaning of being left-handed) would smack him on his left hand whenever he tried to use it to write in order to make him use his right hand.

Now, I've heard some strange stories when it comes to people and their pet peeves about left-handedness, but this one was especially disturbing. Why would someone go to such lengths to rob someone of their distinction? After doing a little research, I found out that historically, being left-handed was often associated with being "evil" or "clumsy." So, in order to deter any negative tendencies, people who believed this ideology thought that they were doing the right thing by trying to make the left-hander conform "for their own good."

Granted, south paws are in the minority when it comes to hand preference, but it has often been proven that this distinction has served them (and others) very well. Many of the greatest people who ever lived were left-handed (i.e. Benjamin Franklin, Babe Ruth, even Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama).

Consider the story of Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin whose story is documented in chapter 3 of the Book of Judges. It was typical in those days for a man to strap his sword or knife on his left side for use with his right hand. So it was easy to beware if the man in question was going to attack because he would be expected to reach toward his left side. However, God saw fit to use this man, Ehud, to get close enough to his enemy to destroy him because he would never be suspected as a threat - his knife was strapped to his right side. How clever!

So the next time someone feels so threatened by whatever God has chosen to make you distinctive that they try to make you conform to "the right way," don't be intimidated. Don't allow their fears to become your problem. It's your distinctiveness that God intends to use. Don't you dare lose it!

Why the Friendly Fire?

Have you ever tried to help someone who was so intent on gaining something that they attacked you in the process. You probably went down yelling, "Hey! What are you doing? I'm on your side!"

I think back to the swimming class I took in college. I was desperately trying to overcome my fear of the water, so I showed up with resolved enthusiasm the day we were to tackle swimming unassisted by holding on to the edge of the pool. (I can hear you avid swimmers out there snickering at me right now!) I calmly lowered myself into the water as my teacher, who was already in the pool, reassured me that she would remain nearby while I practiced the strokes. But it wasn't long before I dipped too low and too long under the water and began to panic. The teacher moved toward me as fast as she could, trying to calm me and stop me from flailing and thrashing all over the place. But the moment she got close enough to help me regain composure, I grabbed her around the neck so hard that I pulled her under with me. Thank God she was a trained professional. I could have killed us both! I didn't realize it at the time, but all she was trying to do was get me back into the right position so I could stop fighting the water and breathe.

That's what friendly fire looks like. By definition, it is to inadvertently fire upon your ally while attempting to engage enemy forces (in my case, the water), resulting in injury and sometimes death. If you know what it feels like to be fired upon, you definitely don't want to be the one holding the gun, do you?

Be honest. Have you been a little too defensive, insensitive, sarcastic, overbearing, or impatient with people whose only aim is to help you out? Have you alienated some of them in your attempt to take the world by storm? If so, you might want to step back and assess where all this unwarranted hostility is coming from. I guarantee you there's probably some unresolved fear at the root of it all. My charge to you is to call a ceasefire. You don't want to risk losing the very ones who were sent to help you win the battle.

Stop Ignoring the Obvious

Ever done something that you knew beforehand wasn't going to work but you did it anyway? I have.

Just recently, I was on my way home and when I got off at my freeway exit I saw that the traffic was being rerouted away from a bad accident. This was the main thoroughfare that I actually live off of, and to be detoured wasn't going to take me that far out of the way, but I was on a tight schedule and ready to get home. Apparently, my fellow drivers were also not willing to go out of their way either. As we took the U-turn onto the feeder road, each of us blindly following the other, the traffic turned on a side street that had a "Dead End" sign prominently displayed on the corner. However, all of us chose to ignore the sign and followed the procession of traffic onto the street anyway. Even a city bus driver followed suit; and you would think he, of all people, would have known better. Looking back on it, I think the fact that someone who presumably would have more knowledge of the streets than I did influenced me to go against my better judgment. Hmmm....

Anyway, we all inevitably ended up turning around (some, like the city bus, with great difficulty) and taking the "out of the way" route after all. After turning around and getting back to that same corner, something struck me. I saw other cars rounding that same corner, also ignoring the sign as well as the rest of us who had turned around trying to tell them not to turn down that street.

Wow! What makes us so determined to continue going the wrong way even when we KNOW that it's not going to turn out right? What drives us to ignore the obvious? More importantly, what is driving YOU to ignore the obvious right now? If you're making the same bad choices that have failed you before, it's time to ask yourself 'Why?'.

Let me know what answers you come up with.

Flakiness is Better on Biscuits

There's nothing better on a Saturday morning than a fresh-baked batch of good 'ol buttery, flaky biscuits! Looking at this picture, can't you just smell 'em. Ummmm...

Okay, okay. Now let's get to the point. Why am I bringing up biscuits? Because that's one of the few places where flakiness is actually appreciated. However, it's not too attractive on a person's character.

Be honest. Can people rely on you to keep your word? Let's do a check-up.

• Do you frequently make plans with friends or co-workers but end of backing out at the last minute?
• Do you sometimes over-promise and under-deliver to your employer, employees, or organization members?
• Are you nice to certain people only when you want something from them?
• Do you flippantly agree to support someone's fundraiser or cause but then renege when it's time to pay up?
• Do you "really" work only when being watched?
• Do you wait till the last minute to get a project done, then push your work off on others when the deadline approaches?
• Do you make excuses about why you couldn't follow up on an important phone call or email?
• Do you frequently keep others waiting on you?

If you just let out an "ouch" here and there as you read this, chances are you may be flaky. A flaky person is someone who is just plain unreliable. Now, I know that all of us have a little flakiness about us sometimes. But what I'm actually talking about are frequent offenders; those people who just don't have enough regard for others.

If you're honest enough to admit that you've committed some of the above offenses more often than not, there's no shame here. Admitting it is the first step. The next step is to find out why you behave this way, then pray and ask God to help you change.

There used to be and old saying back in the 80's, "word is bond." It was a way of saying, "You can depend on me." People who are known for being dependable have far better relationships and far more peaceful lives. God desires that for you. Do you desire it for yourself?

Let's take to heart what God's Word has to say about empty promises.

"And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong." ~ Matthew 5:33-37

Remember, flakiness is only appreciated on biscuits :-)