I spent some time on the beach recently.  I purposefully stayed away from the more popular spots.  It's just easier on the eyes that way.

I find myself reacting in a new way to that young couple walking together totally in love, or in lust, or something.  He thinks he has something incredible in his grasp.  I can only think about one thing: "But will she keep?"

The truth is, beauty is temporary.  Everything sags someday.  I recently had surgery that left around 13 big scars.  I'm so glad I invested in a committed relationship that was not based on beauty.  This past weekend that commitment was 33 years old.  It is a lasting beauty!

I always believed physical beauty is temporary.  That I'd better stay focused on something else.  Now I know it.  Faith is like that.  You believe something to be true, then you align your values according to that belief, then you wait and live it out, then you know!

¶ 7:00 AM 1 comments

I just started reading "Getting Things Done" by David Allen.  Apparently it has become pretty popular amoung productivity geeks in recent years.  I'm a big "task" manager so I thought it might be helpful.

As usual, one idea makes the price of a book worth it.  On page 20, I got my money's worth.

Most "advisors" tell us to fix our lives by focusing on the big picture.  Things like vision and mission and strategy.  David Allen says to start with the little things first; like tasks and emails and calendars.  He says that until we get a handle on these little things, our mind cannot clearly think about big picture stuff in a sustained way.

He might be on to something.  How often have we gathered a group of leaders and taught them all about vision only to have them go home to a mess of little stuff that consumes their lives. 

I think it's in the Bible somewhere... "Where two or three are gathered, someone has to administrate!"

¶ 6:31 PM 0 comments

I've already talked some about confidence and arrogance. 

I go through an interesting confidence/arrogance cycle.  I do the right "stuff" (personal and spiritual disciplines) and gain confidence.  Then somewhere along the way, I think I have arrived and no longer need to do that "stuff."  Now confidence has turned into arrogance and I am in trouble again.

Perhaps confidence is the main theme of Psalm 119. "Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands."  True confidence is unrelated to what we usually define as success.  It is totally related to our obedience of God.

Oh, that I may find rock-solid confidence in the face of success or failure.  The only footing for that confidence is God and his Word.

¶ 6:19 PM 0 comments

I'm tired of everyone messing with my joy. 

Work is going well... I'm happy.  Not so well... I'm sad. 

Money is plentiful... hurray!  Behind on bills... bummer!

There has got to be a better way.  Because there are always good days at work and bad days.  There are always bills to pay.  I need a joy-foundation that is deeper.

That's what God wants for us also.  Asaph (Psalm 73: "my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold") almost lost his joy when he became focused on all the un-fairness he saw around him.  Finally, he went to a sanctuary and regained his focus on God.

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever."

This is what it is all about.  Little by little, year by year, I am learning to base my Joy on Jesus and not an anything else.  It is not an easy journey but it is worth it.

¶ 6:39 AM 0 comments

It's all about passion these days.  It doesn't really matter if the idea is good or even workable as long as you are passionate about it.

Passion is the #1 quality of an "interesting" sermon.  In the past, if you presented a logical, Biblical message that was enough.  Now it has to also be passionate.  Cry a few crocodile tears and they will follow you anywhere.

Passion is good, but it is easily faked.  Why is it so attractive?

We drove a good hour or more in a mini van to visit a small historic town in Ohio.  I was in the back seat enjoying the view; my grandchildren. 

One of the first places were visited was a music shop.  It was crowded with custom, very expensive guitars.  It was not much fun to move around tight spaces with walls covered with $10,000 custom guitars and an active 2 year old and a 6 month old in tow. 

But it was fun.  Mostly because my son loves guitars.  We all watched in awe as he carefully played these guitars and talked about them with the other musicians.  I have no idea what they were talking about but the passion was deep and infectious.

Perhaps passion is a natural draw.  There is something about a passionate person that gets our attention.  Perhaps if we were more passionate about Jesus we would draw more people to Him.

¶ 9:22 AM 0 comments

"When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun."

It was a pretty awesome conference for me.  I purposely sat down front so that God had my complete attention.  Then came that old song. "Amazing Grace"

For some reason I cried this time.  I must have sung this song 1,000 times but it meant something special today. 

Perhaps it's because I am now 50+ years old.  Perhaps it's the major heart surgery I had a few months ago.  But I now feel what I always have known.  This life is temporary. 

But I don't want it to end.  I like my life.  My family.  My wife.  My Job.  I like the town I live in.  I feel more and more able to contribute to the happiness of other.  More and more significant. 

But it's almost over.  Not today or tomorrow but 30 or so years from now.  I can remember 30 years back and it doesn't seem that long ago.  I have much less time now than when I first began.

10,000 years of heaven... no less days than when I first began.  Wow!

¶ 2:15 PM 0 comments

Ok, here comes a Grandpa story. Sorry!

The other day, my Granddaughter, Tobi announced that God listens to her!  She asked Him for rain on Grandma's plants and it rained. 

I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth.  That God' sees a much bigger picture.  That perhaps it is best if it not rained that day.  Thay there may be another little girl praying that it did not rain that day.  It's just so immature to pray for simple things like rain.

Or is it?

When I was her age, I prayed that I would find my favorite stuffed animal.  Later I begged God to bring my Mom home from the hospital.  I even remember praying for a parking spot.  

I'm not sure my theology was straight back then but God was a whole lot simpler.  He was just the guy who loved me, could help me, would help me and listened to me.  Perhaps young Tobi is closer to the truth about prayer that old Tom is. 

¶ 8:50 AM 0 comments

If God is all-talking, then what does God's voice sound like? The big, obvious answer is it sounds like words, formed in my head as I read the written word guided by His Spirit.

But that is an old voice. A recorded track laid down millennia ago.

Or is it? It's hard to talk about God in any aspect as past tense. All creation and all time is present before him at once. For God it is always now. He is always "I am."

The written word is not an old voice. It is fresh and new and for me.

¶ 7:01 AM 0 comments

God spoke everything into existence. Man was mud until God's breath gave life. Jesus, the next non-natural creation is called the word. The Bible is God-breathed.

It appears that God's voice and breath are important. It's almost as if everything physical is held together by His voice and spiritual life comes by His breath.

God is a communicating God.

Has he stopped? Some would say so. I doubt it. Perhaps this is an attribute-of-God we should add to our list of "omni's"... All talking!

¶ 5:08 AM 0 comments