Archive for the ‘Disciplines’ Category

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To See Ourselves

July 27, 2016

I interviewed a man recently for a project I’m working on recently. He said, “You are always smiling and upbeat. I can’t even imagine you angry.”

It’s one of those moments when we get jarred out of our self-absorption and think about how others watch us, evaluate us, consider us.

What sort of image do you wish to project? Angry white man? Anxious mother? Bitter, negative?

Many times when I stop and consider how I looked to others in the past, I’m embarrassed. And, I have much to be embarrassed about.

I think about poor Peter, the apostle. He had one of those experiences where you are consciously outside your body looking at yourself. It was in the courtyard during Jesus’ trials. The third time he denied Jesus the cock crowed and he saw himself and was ashamed.

Seeing ourselves in the situation can get us out of situations.

Say we are standing in a queue. Maybe it’s for customer service. I see it often in airports. Could be somewhere else–the coffee shop, the grocery. Some obnoxious person is arguing with the employee. Getting nowhere, of course. We see ourselves in that situation and think, we don’t want to look like that. We put on a smile and treat the person kindly. Thank you Jesus for letting us get a glimpse of how we could look and changing before we have something else to be embarrassed about.

It’s not that I don’t have my moments. Last night at a busy intersection–lots of pedestrians–I was waiting for the crosswalk to clear before making a right turn (British readers must picture this in reverse, of course). Woman in a large SUV must have been in quite a hurry. She turned left in front of me with the crosswalk still full of people. Maybe I hit my horn button to alert her 😉 . I can get annoyed.

Anyway, after talking about Mr. Negative yesterday, I’m relieved to know that somehow my life has been molded so that I’m not that way.

And it’s not too late for you no matter what your age. God gave you consciousness and the power to choose. Peter reshaped his life and became a courageous and respected leader. You can become a better you.

 

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Are You Optimistic or Is Everything Going to Hell?

July 26, 2016

How are you this morning, I innocently ask a guy in the locker room at the gym.

“My back hurts. The doctor screwed up my feet; now I have trouble walking. They can’t put in a lap lane in the swimming pool during that senior water work out class. The new shower heads are worse than the last ones.”

Gee, thanks for uplifting my day…

I had just read an article written by the guy who developed Nozbe, the productivity application that I use. The article was about optimism.

Michael Sliwinski has to be the most optimistic person I know. Seven or eight years ago I wrote about Getting Things Done, David Allen’s productivity method. Sliwinski had written an application and was now CEO of a small company selling the app. He wrote to me. Said he had a better productivity app.

I bought it a few months later. Been using it ever since.

He writes, “Optimism and the courage it fosters are the secret weapons of any entrepreneur. The ability to see the bright side in difficult situations and even the most miserable failures can provide important lessons for the future, and this differentiates successful people from others. Not huge successes, like piles of gold and fame, but also small victories that help develop what you’ve started without giving up.”

Continuing, he writes, “With a positive attitude it’s easier to get out of bed in the morning, it takes less effort to accept a few extra hours of work or unforeseen problems and it’s easier to plan future objectives and undertakings.”

I agree with his observation that a positive attitude comes from inside. It is our attitude. We choose how we’re going to approach life.

Sliwinski concludes with a list of some small things that can help you become an optimist:

  • gratitude ritual – every morning I express thanks for three things or events which made me feel happy – it works;
  • sport, rest and a good diet – in a healthy body there’s a healthy mind – what’s else is there to say 🙂
  • waking early without hitting snooze and delaying the alarm – this simple habit connected with the first thing you do every morning will give each subsequent day the proper, energetic direction;
  • vision of the future – every once in a while spend some time painting a glorious vision of the future – dreams are the first step of every plan or venture;
  • passion – find your passion – it will give you wings, strength and patience;
  • surround yourself with positive people – keep pessimists, moaners and fault-finders at a distance or try to infect them with your optimism 🙂

Couldn’t have said it better–so I just copied and passed along. Have a beautiful and optimistic day.

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Forgive The Other Person First

July 25, 2016

My wife had a question. She received a devotional email. It quoted C.S. Lewis. “We believe that God forgives us our sins; but also that He will not do so unless we forgive other people their sins against us.” It is strongly worded that way in the Lord’s Prayer, said Lewis.

We believe that God forgives us our sins; but also that He will not do so unless we forgive other people their sins against us.

In the first place, she was raised a Baptist. They taught you didn’t memorize prayers. You “prayed from the heart.” So, remembering all the Lord’s Prayer isn’t necessarily easy for her.

My thought was that Lewis was denying the forgiveness of sins that comes along with salvation. That didn’t sound like Lewis.

We decided that Lewis wasn’t talking about that. But he was talking on a practical, day-to-day level about our interaction with other people.

And forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors.

We looked at the phrase. I said, first off this is a petition. Jesus is telling us we can petition God to forgive all the things we have done wrong.

But, said  Jesus, first we have already forgiven our debtors. Look at the order of the words. We ask God to forgive us in the same manner in which we have already forgiven those who have wronged us.

Do we forget that part of the equation? Do we just jump in and ask for forgiveness without considering the other part? Is it all about us?

Actually, do we really ask for forgiveness at all?

Psychologists would call this emotional maturity. God would point to spiritual growth.

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Leadership And The Discipline of Focus

July 22, 2016

What defines a leader?

Not a manager or someone with a title? No, a leader.

We always start with vision. A leader has a vision of where to go. A vision of what the goal of the organization or committee is.

I knew a leader once. I’ve worked in a number of organizations and businesses. I’ve known few leaders.

It was a larger organization. Several hundred people–maybe reaching toward 1,000 for a while. A church, for what that’s worth.

He knew where he was going and where he wanted to take the organization.

He selected close advisors–mostly wisely.

He encouraged teams to develop–as long as they moved the vision forward.

He could change teams as situations changed requiring new responses–but still moving the vision forward.

Researching yesterday’s post, I remembered Nehemiah.

He had a vision. He convinced the residents of Jerusalem, who had become adjusted to living in a city without walls, that it was essential they build a wall.

He organized teams, recruited leaders, but always focused on his goal.

He accomplished the goal in a remarkably short time. If any one of you has ever been part of a construction project or watched one, you know that they are almost never done on time and under budget. Nehemiah did it.

He was focused on the task. “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”

What great work are we doing right now? What are our potential distractions that could prevent us from doing that great work.

Focus. Recognize distractions and discard them. Keep the vision in mind always.

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I’m Doing A Great Work

July 21, 2016

I’m doing a great work, and I cannot come down. — Nehemiah

Still focusing on focus. This morning I was thinking about various people in the Bible and came across Nehemiah.

He was an important official in the Persian Empire toward the end of the “Babylonian Captivity” period of Jewish history. His brother returned from a trip to Jerusalem with a description about how the once great city was now a laughing stock. It seems the walls had never been rebuild since the Babylonians had conquered the city some 70 years or more before.

A city without walls? Impossible!

This touched Nehemiah’s heart and he determined that his life’s work was now to rebuild those walls. You can read the entire story in the book that bears his name. It’s short, but powerful. A great lesson in leadership. And in focus.

From that day forward, Nehemiah focused on that mission and what he could do to accomplish it.

Skipping toward the end, he went to Jerusalem with the king’s blessing and set about rebuilding the walls. When the nation’s local enemies determined that he was serious and about to accomplish the project, they sent for him to come down from the mountain for a meeting. Most likely they were going to kill him. But Nehemiah sent a reply, “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”

His focus was incredible.

He accomplished his mission.

So, we may not have a mission that great. But reading the practical advice that Paul gives the Colossians helps us bring it home.

“Set your mind on things that are above.”

Set your mind on things that are above.

We choose that which we focus on. Either we choose mindfully. Or, we choose lazily, just drifting to what feels good or influenced by peers or advertising to just follow shallow desires.

What do we choose to focus upon today?

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Persevere In Practice

July 20, 2016

“I know how to hit” exclaimed the kid to his baseball coach.

“Yes, but that just makes you a coach. Hitting makes you a player,” replied the coach.

Yesterday’s topic was focus. I thought I’d, well, focus on focus for a few days.

So, I did a search for the word “focus” in my translations of the Bible on my iPad. Digital books have much to commend themselves.

Focus does not appear in the Bible–at least my English translation. I figured Paul’s writings would be full of the word. But, alas, no.

He does tell us to persevere, though. And there is a similarity. In Romans, he advises, “Persevere in prayer.”

I take this to mean–do it; concentrate while doing it; make it a practice.

I thought of a little kid learning to hit a baseball. “I know how to hit,” he says. But knowledge only gets him so far.

Actually hitting a baseball gets him on the team. To hit a baseball requires focused attention, consistent practice, and perseverance over a period of time.

Many people know the Bible. Many people know about prayer. But what do they practice? Do they practice studying the Bible with the focus on improving their lives? Do they consistently focus on prayer to bring the Spirit into their lives (and into others’ lives)?

It’s like the person who knows CPR but can’t do it when someone needs help. (I worry about that. I take a refresher course every two years. Will I remember and keep my head if I’m in a situation?)

We’re in a game. Life. Are we just going to sit on the bench and watch others play while we do nothing? Or are we going to apply that knowledge to actually going up to bat?

“Batter up!”

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Distraction, Er, What Was I Just Doing?

July 19, 2016

Martha, Martha, You are distracted by many things.–Jesus

I help out with marketing for a “coffee cafe” that I’ve invested in. High Grounds Cafe is a “business as a mission” cafe featuring Direct Trade coffee. Our roaster buys directly from the farmer. This means the farmer earns an income sufficient for feeding his family, paying his workers fairly, and even, in some cases, funding church startups in his country.

Every morning I post to Facebook. Right now, that is one of the best ways to reach people with information about your local business.

Pam texts me about 6 am with a list of the brewed coffees of the day and any other specials for the day.

I open Facebook in my browser. Then I see my notifications. So, I have to click on the red button and go through them. Then I go to my home page. See a photo. Check it out. Scroll down a little. 15 minutest later, I click on the High Grounds administrator page. Compose my message, load a photo, and publish.

A 10-minute task consumes almost a half-hour of my morning.

Thank you distraction.

We have banned email from our internal communications. — Michael Sliwinsky, founder/CEO of Nozbe

I use a task manager (to-do list on steroids) called Nozbe. The CEO writes often about productivity. He noticed years ago that email is a distraction. He banned email as an internal communication application. People only use it to communicate with the outside world.

More and more companies are banning email. If you work in an organization, have you ever been caught in a group email “chain” where everyone is “replying all” to the message and you wind up mired in mindless (lack of) communication?

Distraction.

Writing this post, I was distracted by Facebook. Email. My soccer referee assigning application. Messages. Newspaper. That is all before 6:30 am. And I try to focus.

Is this a modern thing caused by so many devices?

Apparently not. Jesus addressed Martha who was getting frustrated. He calmed her. Told her to focus. To focus on what’s important first. Then focus on the next.

Focus negates distraction. Eliminate distraction. Close all apps except what you’re working on. Concentrate on that one thing–the one thing that is important in the moment.

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Speaking Your Mind-Is It The Wise Thing

July 18, 2016

Young people speaking their minds. Meeting so much resistance… – Buffalo Springfield

There was a news item about which types of people were likely voters for Donald Trump for President. The report pointed to college students who “wanted to be able to say whatever they felt like saying.”

This sounds pretty adolescent. But we’d expect that from an age group trying at the same time to grow up and to remain a kid. We’ve all been there (I remember with chagrin). I’m sure it’s a reaction to “political correctness” where we try not to use words that denigrate groups of people. I keep writing about that use of language.

But cleaning up language is a great way to clean up thinking as well as actions.

We learned a long time ago as soccer referees that if we dealt with the use of certain language by players–especially at the adult and college-age level–the game would go much better.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body. — James

Yes, we can say anything we want. Perhaps the college kids referenced in the article (who may not even exist except in the mind of the reporter) really wish for the ability to “speak their minds” without repercussion. Oops. That isn’t going to happen. James pointed it out 2,000 years ago. Solomon, in the Proverbs, pointed it out 500 years before that.

Is it the wise thing to do?–Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley has been speaking on “Is it the wise thing to do?” Some things sound so good until we weigh it against our present and our future. It may not look so good. We may get some sort of personal emotional release, but at what expense?

Like Peter Pan, many people–even in their 30s and 40s these days–just don’t want to grow up. But growing up is the way of nature. We all do it–or suffer then inevitable consequences.

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The Discipline of Asking for Grace

July 14, 2016

You know how a well-timed and appropriate joke can break tension and get people to relax and work out things?

Well, I was sitting here at my laptop with a bowl of cereal contemplating today’s post. I was thinking about how somber I’ve been. The deep sadness caused by all this division and hatred in the world. Not just the United States, but seemingly everywhere.

Suddenly I had to cough. Too quickly to stop. Mouth full of cereal. The joke’s on me. Now I have to stop, run to the kitchen counter for paper towels, and clean off the computer.

Time for a different perspective.

Don’t ask why. I suddenly thought about Romans 1 and Romans 8. Paul’s great work on spiritual formation. He begins his argument in chapter 1 talking about how bad we all are. There are none who are good. Not one of us.

Had a conversation one time with a guy with Reformed (or a version of) background. He thought it all ended there. We are all bad. Nice guy, but he never seems happy. I wonder why.

I replied, yes, but. Paul was great at those transitions, too. He used a lot of “however” or “but”. Yes, but, there is Romans 8. Another of Paul’s great transitions–“therefore.”

Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Chapters 8-10 take us into grace.

This I know:

While there are many in the church who think they are saved and thus perfect and free to hold these evil thoughts, there are also many who are there to learn about grace acknowledging imperfection and praying to grow.

We need Romans 1 people in the church. Better there where they can be taught about and experience God’s grace.

There is evil in the world. We must live with it. The first Christians did. Read about it in the Acts and the letters.

But there is grace. God help us when we fail to show it.

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Learn to Speak Up

July 13, 2016

I am such a coward.

I have a certain talent for writing–at least that what people tell me. I appreciate the comments, especially from the ones who pay me to write.

Arguing is emotional. Sometimes emotions can run away from your control. Way over. It’s the way over that’s bad. Been there in my life. Once, a long time ago, I was quite argumentative. But it was always an emotional response. I don’t handle confrontation well. Always regretted it in the end.

I care about two things in the political realm (carries over into personal)–peace and justice. There was once a stream in the Democrat Party that was focused on peace and justice. Now, to me at least, it seems like they all are just out to see what they can get from the government. Different things for different people (whoever they think will vote for them, of course).

But, peace and justice come from within. If there are enough of us, then we’ll begin to see Shalom–that deep peace that we read about in the Bible.

Some of that starts from speaking up. In a forceful, but peaceful, way.

There have been many conversations I’ve witnessed over the past few months where I’ve heard some of the worst racial comments. And violent comments. Comments such as, “Maybe we would be better off to kill all the (name your hated group–gay people, people with different colored skin, people from different cultures).”

So far as I know, all the people would self-identify as Christian. Some were in church–that is a hint.

And, did I speak up as the lone dissenter and ask, “What would Jesus think of the state of your heart this moment?”

Jesus could stare down an angry group with rocks in their hands. And me? I whiffed.

Unfortunately, I’m sure there will be another time at bat.

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