Our snowy weather has gotten me to thinking lately about being a kid. Not that it has been that snowy, but I have been telling my children stories of when I was their age.
One favorite winter activity was to drive up to Soco, the mountain pass between Maggie Valley and Cherokee, to the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway there. With a foot of snow on the ground the big iron gate to the parkway was always closed and locked with a federal government sized padlock, but you could park the car on the side road and walk past the gate. (Why does it seem like the best spots are always just on the other side of the gate?)
Just past the gate there is a very steep section of the hill that somehow has an alley with no trees. Its not very wide. There would be no steering of your sled on a hill like this, it's way too steep. At the bottom of this hill, the engineers sloped the ground down and away from the road to drain water. So at the bottom of this straight, incredibly steep hill is a short incline back up to the paved road. During most of the year, there is nothing about this spot to attract any attention. But with a foot and a half of snow on the ground, this spot is revealed as the best naturally occurring Ski Jump on earth.
We never took sleds to Soco, somehow they were too civilized for that wild place. Or maybe it was the fact that they probably would not have survived the ordeal. We would take inner tubes, walk up the hill as high as we dared, then try not to think about the bottom. You just have to jump on your inner tube and hang on for dear life. Sliding down is a blur, you can almost feel your stomach in your throat. At the bottom of the hill, you go airborn. If you're lucky, you land on your inner tube. As often as not, you land in the snow. I can still picture my friend Mark about 6 feet in the air on one particularly fast run. It took us a little while to revive him, but he was famous after that.
Mark and I still reminisce about that day when we get together. We talk about his famous slide down the Ski Jump, and we talk about the magic of being a kid. I'm going to hold on to this magic as tightly as my innertube, this wonderful magic of kidness.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Snow Day!
This morning Charlotte is white and the world seems magic. Schools are closed and the snowman population is about to explode.
Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? I remember one year when it was so snowy and icy that we didn't go to school at all in January. Seems like every winter my grandparent's mountain resort transformed into our own personal sledding paradise. It was a fast downhill slide for 10 acres. We'd start at the top of the paved road in front of cottage #11 (which somehow was built further up the mountain than #12) and zip through the twists and turns until the hill in front of #7 transformed your sled into a rocket. With that kind of speed a lot of kids wiped out trying to make the right bend in front of #1. If you navigated that then the very last turn before the house required some quick decisions. If you were going too fast you would slide into the creek (which happened a lot). If you slowed down too much you would make the turn but not get the longest distance. Then it was a very long walk back to the top, pulling your sled and breathing steam like a locomotive. One night we had a dozen cousins and friends there and snow was flying. Gramma had hot chocolate waiting on the back porch, after you made the run you could take your hot chocolate and watch the other kids coming down the hill, hoping they went into the creek and your slide was the longest. To top it off, Uncle Bob brought his Jeep and pulled us all back to the top! We kept going until all the moms finally shut us down. If wishes came true, I would probably still be there sledding right now.
Of course, I would have missed out on all the good things that have happened in my life since then. God's plan for me was to enjoy the sledding and the fun, it was not for me to get stuck trying to hold onto that moment. Sometimes we want to hold on to it, but it can never be. Snow melts, days pass, seasons change.
Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Now get out there and play in the snow!
Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? I remember one year when it was so snowy and icy that we didn't go to school at all in January. Seems like every winter my grandparent's mountain resort transformed into our own personal sledding paradise. It was a fast downhill slide for 10 acres. We'd start at the top of the paved road in front of cottage #11 (which somehow was built further up the mountain than #12) and zip through the twists and turns until the hill in front of #7 transformed your sled into a rocket. With that kind of speed a lot of kids wiped out trying to make the right bend in front of #1. If you navigated that then the very last turn before the house required some quick decisions. If you were going too fast you would slide into the creek (which happened a lot). If you slowed down too much you would make the turn but not get the longest distance. Then it was a very long walk back to the top, pulling your sled and breathing steam like a locomotive. One night we had a dozen cousins and friends there and snow was flying. Gramma had hot chocolate waiting on the back porch, after you made the run you could take your hot chocolate and watch the other kids coming down the hill, hoping they went into the creek and your slide was the longest. To top it off, Uncle Bob brought his Jeep and pulled us all back to the top! We kept going until all the moms finally shut us down. If wishes came true, I would probably still be there sledding right now.
Of course, I would have missed out on all the good things that have happened in my life since then. God's plan for me was to enjoy the sledding and the fun, it was not for me to get stuck trying to hold onto that moment. Sometimes we want to hold on to it, but it can never be. Snow melts, days pass, seasons change.
Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Now get out there and play in the snow!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Dreamin'
What are you dreaming of? I mean, if money was no object, where would you be right now? If you won the lottery (if you would never ever buy a ticket (like me) then imagine someone like your uncle gave you a winning ticket!) would you call into work and tell them bye? A lot of folks would do just that.
I don't think I would. That's not the only reason I'm there. I mean, I do need to get paid at this point in my life so it makes sense to do my best for my employer. But that is not the only reason I'm there, and to tell the truth I'm not really working for him. I'm working for Jesus, and I'm doing the work he directed me to do at the place He told me to do it. How do I know that? Because I asked Him to direct my life and I believe He is doing just that. So I'm not there just because of the money. I have a dream, it will continue growing beyond where I am just now but I believe where I am just now is an important part of it.
And your real dream is not just about work. It's about who you are. Abram had a dream to be the father of many nations. His God-given dream was not about his profession, it was about him. Joseph had a dream, it was not about his job, it was about who he would become. Moses had a dream, a picture of what God hoped for him. It was not about gaining a place of high privilege (he was already about as high in the world as he could go), it was about becoming someone of weight and substance and gravity. If Moses had focused on enjoying everything the world had to offer, he would have done so and his name would have passed into ignominy upon his death. As it is, we're still talking about him millennia later.
What's your dream? Who do you want to be? Do you ever think about it? Sometimes the days are so filled with appointments and bills and to do lists and phone calls that we forget there is something miraculous happening in us and through us. When you get interrupted from your interruptions, it's time to find a place to let your mind free-wheel for a while. One day last week, after the rush (or should I say crush) of the holidays, I was at home all by myself for several hours. I laid on my back on my bed and looked up at the ceiling and let my mind go free. I thought about all kinds of stuff, very stream of consciousness-like. After about 30 minutes I finally smiled. Then I got up and went to work around the house and enjoyed it.
When a baby is born, he or she will go through some definite and distinct stages of growth. Predictable stages. Learning how to walk and talk. Feeding yourself. Potty training. Socialization. There are predictable stages in church growth. There are predictable stages in seeing your dream become reality. I do not know what those stages are for a dream to become real, but I can tell you this. I am going to learn them. Then I am going to do them. Then I'm going to help other people walk them out. How do I know? Because it's part of my dream.
I don't think I would. That's not the only reason I'm there. I mean, I do need to get paid at this point in my life so it makes sense to do my best for my employer. But that is not the only reason I'm there, and to tell the truth I'm not really working for him. I'm working for Jesus, and I'm doing the work he directed me to do at the place He told me to do it. How do I know that? Because I asked Him to direct my life and I believe He is doing just that. So I'm not there just because of the money. I have a dream, it will continue growing beyond where I am just now but I believe where I am just now is an important part of it.
And your real dream is not just about work. It's about who you are. Abram had a dream to be the father of many nations. His God-given dream was not about his profession, it was about him. Joseph had a dream, it was not about his job, it was about who he would become. Moses had a dream, a picture of what God hoped for him. It was not about gaining a place of high privilege (he was already about as high in the world as he could go), it was about becoming someone of weight and substance and gravity. If Moses had focused on enjoying everything the world had to offer, he would have done so and his name would have passed into ignominy upon his death. As it is, we're still talking about him millennia later.
What's your dream? Who do you want to be? Do you ever think about it? Sometimes the days are so filled with appointments and bills and to do lists and phone calls that we forget there is something miraculous happening in us and through us. When you get interrupted from your interruptions, it's time to find a place to let your mind free-wheel for a while. One day last week, after the rush (or should I say crush) of the holidays, I was at home all by myself for several hours. I laid on my back on my bed and looked up at the ceiling and let my mind go free. I thought about all kinds of stuff, very stream of consciousness-like. After about 30 minutes I finally smiled. Then I got up and went to work around the house and enjoyed it.
When a baby is born, he or she will go through some definite and distinct stages of growth. Predictable stages. Learning how to walk and talk. Feeding yourself. Potty training. Socialization. There are predictable stages in church growth. There are predictable stages in seeing your dream become reality. I do not know what those stages are for a dream to become real, but I can tell you this. I am going to learn them. Then I am going to do them. Then I'm going to help other people walk them out. How do I know? Because it's part of my dream.
What you get
The holidays were exciting and busy, with lots of laughter and traveling. The mountains were cold and rainy, but we didn't seem to mind. Snow would have been the icing on the cake (white icing, I guess). We squeezed in as much time with our family as we could and came home exhausted and satisfied.
"The end of a thing is better than the beginning." I have started to write about gaining understanding and feel compelled to finish the thoughts. It's not good for the heart to leave things undone, so here is the end of the matter (this particular matter, that is).
The wisest man who ever lived laid out a four step process to gain understanding. Amazing when you think about it, that the secrets to everything should not be secrets at all, they are stated in black and white by God. Why does it take so long to understand?
In Proverbs 9:5,6, Widsom calls out and shows the steps: Come, Eat & Drink, Forsake (& Live), and then Go.
1. COME- The invitation is there, the door is open. We must choose, we must decide. The first and most important step to gain understanding is to decide to do so. Elsewhere, Proverbs says we must earnestly seek for wisdom, like a treasure. This requires humility; we must humble ourselves to admit we don't know, that we need help. The first step to gain understanding is COME- to go to the people/places where understanding is. Ultimately God, but He often uses those who have already learned. You won't gain understanding about accounting in a dance school, you have to go somewhere with a good business college. Seems too obvious? What is it you don't understand? Who does understand it? Are you reading their books? This step is the most important, because without it nothing will change. God rewards the humble.
2. EAT & DRINK- After we come to the place or person who understands, we must eat of the bread of wisdom. Not just any bread, but her bread. Not just any wine, her wine. We must take into ourselves the right thoughts, the proper thinking. We must consume the materials that give life and wisdom. and understanding. We must take into ourselves the thoughts of those who understand. Reading, listening, thinking, musing, questioning. We must digest these thoughts, we must allow them to feed our thinking. The ultimate and most important application of this is with the Word of God and our salvation. It applies to other specific areas of learning as well. You won't gain understanding of accounting without doing the math. Seems too obvious? Then what area of your life are you growing in? What free time are you devoting to moving forward? This step is the most work. God rewards the diligent.
3. FORSAKE- As I sought to understand how to gain understanding, I was not expecting this step as part of the process. I would have agreed that it was important, but a key step in gaining understanding? I was surprised, but no more, I have taken it into myself. Let it become a part of who I am and how I think and live. "Forsake foolishness and live." It is not enough to take in new thoughts, we must actively expel the old thinking. Just because we have new thoughts doesn't mean the old is automatically gone. We must reject worldly and unsuccessful thoughts, habits, patterns, reasonings, emotionalism, religion, tradition, wrong doctrine, and wishful ways. We must actively push away, reject, get rid of, dump, delete seek & destroy foolish thinking. God told Abraham in Genesis 17, Walk before me and be blameless, so that I may establish my covenant with you and multiply you exceedingly. God wants to multiply us exceedingly, but refusal to follow His ways stops the blessing. Wisdom says "forsake foolishness and live." Another way of saying that is "don't forsake foolishness and don't live." This is the most overlooked step. God rewards the obedient.
4. GO- True understanding and Godly wisdom becomes yours when you act upon it. Up until this point it is mental, internal, the battle is in the mind, it's all in your head. To truly understand, action is required. Not just comsume the thoughts of those who understand but put into practice what we have learned. GO in the way of understanding (we have already forsaken other ways). We must do, put into practice, walk in the way of understanding. Obviously, the more we do, the better we understand, we make some adjustments and do even better. Some people skip immediately to this step without doing the previous steps (i.e., work) required to truly understand. Other people think deep thoughts but never do anything about it. May we be the people who have taken understanding into our lives and live it out before others as a testimony of God's goodness to men. This is the final step. God rewards the faithful.
So these, my friends, are the steps to gain understanding. God has given us a treasure, may we use this powerful tool for His glory and our good.
"The end of a thing is better than the beginning." I have started to write about gaining understanding and feel compelled to finish the thoughts. It's not good for the heart to leave things undone, so here is the end of the matter (this particular matter, that is).
The wisest man who ever lived laid out a four step process to gain understanding. Amazing when you think about it, that the secrets to everything should not be secrets at all, they are stated in black and white by God. Why does it take so long to understand?
In Proverbs 9:5,6, Widsom calls out and shows the steps: Come, Eat & Drink, Forsake (& Live), and then Go.
1. COME- The invitation is there, the door is open. We must choose, we must decide. The first and most important step to gain understanding is to decide to do so. Elsewhere, Proverbs says we must earnestly seek for wisdom, like a treasure. This requires humility; we must humble ourselves to admit we don't know, that we need help. The first step to gain understanding is COME- to go to the people/places where understanding is. Ultimately God, but He often uses those who have already learned. You won't gain understanding about accounting in a dance school, you have to go somewhere with a good business college. Seems too obvious? What is it you don't understand? Who does understand it? Are you reading their books? This step is the most important, because without it nothing will change. God rewards the humble.
2. EAT & DRINK- After we come to the place or person who understands, we must eat of the bread of wisdom. Not just any bread, but her bread. Not just any wine, her wine. We must take into ourselves the right thoughts, the proper thinking. We must consume the materials that give life and wisdom. and understanding. We must take into ourselves the thoughts of those who understand. Reading, listening, thinking, musing, questioning. We must digest these thoughts, we must allow them to feed our thinking. The ultimate and most important application of this is with the Word of God and our salvation. It applies to other specific areas of learning as well. You won't gain understanding of accounting without doing the math. Seems too obvious? Then what area of your life are you growing in? What free time are you devoting to moving forward? This step is the most work. God rewards the diligent.
3. FORSAKE- As I sought to understand how to gain understanding, I was not expecting this step as part of the process. I would have agreed that it was important, but a key step in gaining understanding? I was surprised, but no more, I have taken it into myself. Let it become a part of who I am and how I think and live. "Forsake foolishness and live." It is not enough to take in new thoughts, we must actively expel the old thinking. Just because we have new thoughts doesn't mean the old is automatically gone. We must reject worldly and unsuccessful thoughts, habits, patterns, reasonings, emotionalism, religion, tradition, wrong doctrine, and wishful ways. We must actively push away, reject, get rid of, dump, delete seek & destroy foolish thinking. God told Abraham in Genesis 17, Walk before me and be blameless, so that I may establish my covenant with you and multiply you exceedingly. God wants to multiply us exceedingly, but refusal to follow His ways stops the blessing. Wisdom says "forsake foolishness and live." Another way of saying that is "don't forsake foolishness and don't live." This is the most overlooked step. God rewards the obedient.
4. GO- True understanding and Godly wisdom becomes yours when you act upon it. Up until this point it is mental, internal, the battle is in the mind, it's all in your head. To truly understand, action is required. Not just comsume the thoughts of those who understand but put into practice what we have learned. GO in the way of understanding (we have already forsaken other ways). We must do, put into practice, walk in the way of understanding. Obviously, the more we do, the better we understand, we make some adjustments and do even better. Some people skip immediately to this step without doing the previous steps (i.e., work) required to truly understand. Other people think deep thoughts but never do anything about it. May we be the people who have taken understanding into our lives and live it out before others as a testimony of God's goodness to men. This is the final step. God rewards the faithful.
So these, my friends, are the steps to gain understanding. God has given us a treasure, may we use this powerful tool for His glory and our good.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
We Wish you a Merry Birthday
A couple of weeks ago I sent an e-mail to an old friend from high school. Logged onto my computer Monday morning at work, first thing a reminder popped up for his birthday. So I sent a quick message with warm birthday wishes. In a few minutes he called me. Seems he had forgotten it was his birthday, and to tell the truth wasn't altogether thrilled to be reminded he was getting older. Like a true friend, I assured him that this was indeed a sign he is getting much older and should start taking vitamins immediately.
I have another friend who's birthday was last Sunday. (On a strange side note, it seems like all my friends have birthdays. I haven't checked with every one of them but it would be quite a coincidence if they ALL did.) My wife and I have known her for a while, long enough to know, I guess, when her birthday is. But I don't remember it ever coming up in a conversation, and like most guys I'm not the sort to seek it out and try to remember it. Usually I'm doing good to remember any birthday other than my wife and kids. I didn't have a card or present since we were at church when I found out it was her birthday. I told her I hoped she had a great birthday and remarked on many ways that her life was really, really good. She could tell my comments were true and from the heart, which made for an appropriate and I think appreciated birthday gift.
My sister's birthday is also right near Christmas. Like my friend at church, her birthday is often overshadowed by Christmas. I will not join those who rant and rave about the commercialization, etc. but things can get very busy with all the extras on the calendar and to do list. My parents always made a special effort to make her birthday memorable and to make sure it didn't get lost in the shuffle (plus she was the only girl so always got special treatment anyway).
All this birthday stuff right near Christmas started me thinking about another friend who's birthday is on Christmas day. That would be really tough, I suppose, but I've never heard him complain. He is the sort of guy who gives without any strings and instead of being offended that you forgot his birthday, would look for an opportunity to strengthen the friendship. One year when he was little some potentates threw him a surprise party with some really expensive gifts, but much of the time I suspect his birthday too gets lost in the shuffle of Christmas.
This year I'm going to make a point of telling him happy birthday and giving him a present. He's pretty well off so there's nothing I could buy that he needs (or wants, for that matter), but I suspect that like my friend at church, a gift from the heart would be appropriate and just the sort of thing He would appreciate.
I have another friend who's birthday was last Sunday. (On a strange side note, it seems like all my friends have birthdays. I haven't checked with every one of them but it would be quite a coincidence if they ALL did.) My wife and I have known her for a while, long enough to know, I guess, when her birthday is. But I don't remember it ever coming up in a conversation, and like most guys I'm not the sort to seek it out and try to remember it. Usually I'm doing good to remember any birthday other than my wife and kids. I didn't have a card or present since we were at church when I found out it was her birthday. I told her I hoped she had a great birthday and remarked on many ways that her life was really, really good. She could tell my comments were true and from the heart, which made for an appropriate and I think appreciated birthday gift.
My sister's birthday is also right near Christmas. Like my friend at church, her birthday is often overshadowed by Christmas. I will not join those who rant and rave about the commercialization, etc. but things can get very busy with all the extras on the calendar and to do list. My parents always made a special effort to make her birthday memorable and to make sure it didn't get lost in the shuffle (plus she was the only girl so always got special treatment anyway).
All this birthday stuff right near Christmas started me thinking about another friend who's birthday is on Christmas day. That would be really tough, I suppose, but I've never heard him complain. He is the sort of guy who gives without any strings and instead of being offended that you forgot his birthday, would look for an opportunity to strengthen the friendship. One year when he was little some potentates threw him a surprise party with some really expensive gifts, but much of the time I suspect his birthday too gets lost in the shuffle of Christmas.
This year I'm going to make a point of telling him happy birthday and giving him a present. He's pretty well off so there's nothing I could buy that he needs (or wants, for that matter), but I suspect that like my friend at church, a gift from the heart would be appropriate and just the sort of thing He would appreciate.
Monday, December 17, 2007
In the Know
My church The Branch has a monthly corporate prayer meeting. Last month during the prayer time the Lord spoke some specific things to my heart. Most of those were for me personally but there was one thing in particular that I wanted to share here. It applies to everyone because it is true, it will benefit anyone willing to embrace it. When I think about my last couple of entries, this one seems like it is going exactly opposite to what I just said about rambling on trying to make sense of things. Maybe the difference is this morning I have something to say. Maybe I shouldn't have laughed at Al Gore when the Republicans shouted "Flip Flop" at him, accusing him of changing his mind. Only God does not change, the rest of us do. And the rest of us need to. I remember one day as a young single man, fervently calling out to God for His will to be done in my life, hearing His voice in my heart, gently correcting and directing me:
So here is the promised formula to help you gain understanding. This secret is so powerful it doesn't even have to be applied perfectly, just start in on it & keep at it & I expect you will see significant progress in whatever area of your life you use it. I'm not even sure this is a secret, it seems so plain and obvious. And yet when we look at our lives, and at the world around us, there obviously are principles being broken.
TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING
Wisdom herself speaks this out in Proverbs 9:4-6.
"It is my love that demands you change."Thank God He loves us too much to leave us alone. He has promised to finish the good work He started.
So here is the promised formula to help you gain understanding. This secret is so powerful it doesn't even have to be applied perfectly, just start in on it & keep at it & I expect you will see significant progress in whatever area of your life you use it. I'm not even sure this is a secret, it seems so plain and obvious. And yet when we look at our lives, and at the world around us, there obviously are principles being broken.
TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING
Wisdom herself speaks this out in Proverbs 9:4-6.
"Whoever is simle, let him turn in here! As for him who lacks
understanding, she says to him: Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the
wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live. And go in the way
of understanding."Here are the four steps:
Come
Eat & Drink
Forsake
Go
I will share a little more of my thoughts on these going forward, but if you're reading this you may want to give them consideration on your own. And by all means, share your insights with me. I have made a deep commitment to gain understanding in my life, and welcome you as the avenue for it.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Comin' Up
Comin' up - How to gain understanding about anything in every circumstance. Do you know the four steps to unlock unlimited growth in understanding? You will after reading this (and I'm not kidding).
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