My Book
Friday, May 25, 2012
Are we really talking about transitive verbs?
Good morning,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
We had our celebrity basketball game last night.
The event was awesome, truly amazing; in fact, it went off without a hitch. I hear that term a lot, “It went off without a hitch.” It makes me wonder what a hitch is? I know of the component of a truck or tractor that is used to couple trailers to them, I know that they are called hitches. I looked up the word “hitch” in the dictionary. It said that a hitch is to move by jerks or with a tug. The dictionary also mentioned that the word “hitch” is a transitive verb, which is a verb that requires both a direct object and one or more objects; the definition goes on to say that, the term is used to contrast intransitive verbs, which do not have objects, duh. The definition actually did not have duh in it, but it should have.
Moving is the opposite of standing still.
Light is the opposite of darkness
Organic is the opposite of inorganic, which is another topic all together.
Now I know why old cowboys say, “I’ve got a hitch in my git-along.” I guess that is easier to say than, “I am moving by jerks and tugs.”
As I was saying, the event was a success and everyone had a great time. We raised more money so that we can scholarship more kids, which means we will teach more kids to swim, play sports, get active, become healthy.
During this process of getting healthy, we will teach them other verbs, verbs that normally we would associate as nouns. We will teach them that Love is a verb. We will teach them that Respect is a verb. We will teach them that Honesty is a verb. We will teach them that Responsibility is a verb. We will teach them that Service is a verb.
We will teach them how Christ took these nouns, put them into action, and changed the world.
We really try to do this.
I know that I try to do this.
Sometimes it does not always go as smoothly as it could; it is as if I have a hitch in my walk with Christ. Sometimes it feels as if I am walking with Him by jerks and tugs. I guess at times I am a transitive verb. I think that I would rather be a transitive verb than an intransitive verb. It would be rather silly to be in motion with no object to be in motion about, wouldn’t it?
Life with Christ is a marathon not a sprint.
Sometimes our walk with Him seems easy, sometimes we need Him to be there and tug us along. As we go through the day, let us never forget that we are not alone. Christ is right there with us to help us when we need help; to hold us when we need to be held. As Christ puts people in front of us, let us be a positive in their lives; show His love to others as He has shown His love to us.
Blessings,
Roger
Chaplain
Thursday, May 24, 2012
"Feeling kind-of Wonky."
Good morning,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
There was a flurry of activity this morning when I got to the YCMA. Now things have quieted down.
A funny thing happens when life is a flurry; it takes a while for me to regain focus. I need to sit for a bit and think, meditate really. I have to re-center myself with Christ. I can always tell when I am feeling slightly out-of-kilter with Him. I do not feel at peace. I do not like it when I feel this way.
We have a big event tonight at the YMCA. We are going to be expanding the Clark County Family YMCA. The reason for the expansion is not to build a bigger facility, just so we can have a bigger facility. The reason for the expansion is so that we can offer more services to our community.
Times are tough and we are here to help.
We are hosting a celebrity basketball game with the proceeds going to the strong communities campaign; tonight will be fun, today is busy though.
When we look at our community and see the needs, what we in the YMCA actually see is opportunity. We see areas in people’s lives that we could positively impact, areas of need that currently are not met, but could be if we had the resources.
I was in our break room the other day. I was eating my oatmeal; I am told it is healthy so I eat it. I wish cake were healthy I enjoy cake much more than oatmeal.
Others started to come in and as usual, a conversation arose.
A friend’s husband of one of the staff works for one of those big box fitness facilities. I cannot remember which one he works for; it is either the one that has a big city in its name or a number. He was in a meeting. The head cheese of the meeting stood up and said; I must confess that I am getting this third hand or somewhere in that vicinity so the actual quote is lost but it goes something like this, “We are about profits people, not about people; if you care about people, go work for the YMCA!”
As I sit here talking with you I am feeling re-centered on Christ.
Lord, let me not forget that you cared about me enough to die for me; let me not forget that even though I may feel wonky at times, you are right there with me. Let me not forget that you love me. Let me not forget that I am yours and you will put people in front of me so that you may help them. Let me not forget that You are all about people and since 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20 I am all about people too.
If you happen to be free tonight and want to see a fun basketball game come on out, the game is at 6pm at Club Green Meadows 7703 ne 72nd Ave Vancouver, Wa.
If you cannot make it to the game, can you please take a moment and pray for us.
Blessings,
Roger
Chaplain
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Tree of Life and streams of Living Water."
Good morning,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
I awoke extra early this morning. The rain was making its music on the trees, in the river, and on my roof. I made my coffee, which amounts to pushing a button since my wife had set everything up the night before which is an act of love that I truly appreciate. Abe was excited to go outside, but he quickly remembered that he does not like rain very much and the bed was calling, he went in and went back to sleep.
I was sitting by the river; my house is on a river, something that I find very appealing and restful. As I was saying, I was sitting by the river and I found myself looking through the branches of a tree at a portion of the river that was upstream. My mind started to wander and my thoughts became filled with two things:
The Tree of Life
Living water
It was not the normal “Tree of Life” stuff nor was it the normal “Living Water” stuff; although they both had streams within my thoughts.
As my eyes focused first on the tree and then on the river, my thoughts went with what I was focusing on.
As I focused on the tree, I saw ants scurrying up it and down it. Some were carrying things others were not; ants are very busy creatures, they are always in motion.
As I watched them, I thought how busy they are.
As I watched them, I thought how our lives mimic the ants.
As I watched them, I thought how hard it is to see Christ, to see God in the busyness of our day. Then my eye caught something.
My eye caught the space between the branches and the leaves. My eyes left the ants; I no longer could see the work that they were doing. What I could see was the river upstream. I could see the water.
I began to ponder on the things of Christ. How He commands us to love one another, to help those who cannot help themselves, to be in relationship with Him, to pray.
To remember what it is to follow Him.
As I looked through the tree, I could see the life giving water that flowed passed my house. My thoughts went to, “How I have to look past the Tree of life to see the Living water. I sat contemplating this for a long time.
We held a strategy meeting at our YMCA recently. We are in the beginning phase of doing an expansion. As we brainstormed and thought and brainstormed some more, we discussed at great length different programming and what the YCMA could offer. During the session, we started to think in terms of, “If we do this, we cannot do that.” After a while we started to ask the question, “Does it have to be an either or proposition, or could we look at it as an, and also?”
Our focused changed and we were able to see the possibilities that we could become something much bigger, something much more impactful; we started to think outside the box.
This morning as I sat by the river, my focus began to change. Suddenly I was able to see both the Tree of Life and the Living Water at the same time; I no longer had to spend time focused on one area, than shift my focus to another.
I was able to focus on both at the same time.
Isn’t that what Christ is asking us to do? Isn’t He asking us to not compartmentalize our relationship with Him but to get to the point where we can see Him in the monotony of our day?
The Tree of Life and streams of Living Water.
Blessings,
Roger
Chaplain
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Triangle, circles, community and Christ
Good morning,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
I got to the YMCA a few minutes later than normal this morning, the snow storm that we were going to have never really materialized. In fact, the weatherman told us last night that NOAA would not even record the snow that we did get because it wasn’t measureable. I learned that “a trace” of snow is not measurable, hmm.
When I got to the YMCA Norm, Nikki, and Lindsey were at the front desk. Norm and Nikki doing their normal front desk stuff and Lindsey had a child from childwatch with her and he had math homework. He was busy adding and subtracting on the number line. Norm was helping him. It wasn’t long before a math conversation ensued.
We started talking about triangles and the question came up, “How many triangles does it take to make a circle?” We found out it is two, did you know that? Of course you did, as my youngest son told his grandfather one Christmas when Grandpa guessed what was in the wrapped package, “Grandpa you’re so mart; how did you know it was a train game?”
We continued to talk about triangles.
Did you know that two triangle of the same shape make either a rectangle or a square? Why am I asking you this? Of course you knew.
So if two triangles can make a square or a rectangle and two triangles make a circle, then there must be a corresponding relationship between a square and a circle, but you already knew that too.
The next thing we learned was that if you were to put a circle under a “theoretical” electron microscope you would find that the circle is made up of many, many very small straight lines. Lines so small that there wouldn’t be much to measure at all.
In fact, I would say that if we were to put a word to it the word “trace” could be used. In any given point of a circle, there is only a trace of a straight line.
I started to think about NOAA and the fact that the snow event wasn’t big enough for them to bother with.
I started to think about Christ and how He was amazed at the little things, the same things that most of us would not even notice.
Matthew 13:31
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
Matthew 18:1
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Christ wasn’t impressed with the size of something, in fact the bigger something was the more He saw man’s will and not His father’s will in it.
Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline makes the following observation about service and the heart.
True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside. We serve out of whispered promptings, divine urgings…Self-righteous service is impressed with the “big deal.”…True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service…Self-righteous service requires external rewards. It needs to know that people see and appreciate the effort…True service rests contented in hiddenness. It does not fear the lights and blare of attention, but it does not seek them either…Self-righteous service is highly concerned about results. It eagerly waits to see if the person served will reciprocate in kind. It becomes bitter when the results fall below expectations. True service is free of the need to calculate results. It delights only in the service. It can serve enemies as freely as friends. Self righteous service picks and chooses whom to serve…True service is indiscriminate in its ministry…Self-righteous service is affected by moods and whims. It can serve only when there is a “feeling” to serve (“moved by the Spirit” as we say)…True service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need…Self-righteous service is temporary…True service is a lifestyle…Self-righteous service is insensitive. It insists on meeting need even when to do so would be destructive. True service can withhold the service as freely as perform it. It can listen with tenderness and patience before acting. It can serve by waiting in silence…Self-righteous service fractures community…True service builds community. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, (San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishing Company, 1998), 128-9.
Just as a circle cannot be made without many, many very small straight lines. One cannot build community without placing one’s self in a position of smallness and place other people’s needs at the center.
Blessings,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
I got to the YMCA a few minutes later than normal this morning, the snow storm that we were going to have never really materialized. In fact, the weatherman told us last night that NOAA would not even record the snow that we did get because it wasn’t measureable. I learned that “a trace” of snow is not measurable, hmm.
When I got to the YMCA Norm, Nikki, and Lindsey were at the front desk. Norm and Nikki doing their normal front desk stuff and Lindsey had a child from childwatch with her and he had math homework. He was busy adding and subtracting on the number line. Norm was helping him. It wasn’t long before a math conversation ensued.
We started talking about triangles and the question came up, “How many triangles does it take to make a circle?” We found out it is two, did you know that? Of course you did, as my youngest son told his grandfather one Christmas when Grandpa guessed what was in the wrapped package, “Grandpa you’re so mart; how did you know it was a train game?”
We continued to talk about triangles.
Did you know that two triangle of the same shape make either a rectangle or a square? Why am I asking you this? Of course you knew.
So if two triangles can make a square or a rectangle and two triangles make a circle, then there must be a corresponding relationship between a square and a circle, but you already knew that too.
The next thing we learned was that if you were to put a circle under a “theoretical” electron microscope you would find that the circle is made up of many, many very small straight lines. Lines so small that there wouldn’t be much to measure at all.
In fact, I would say that if we were to put a word to it the word “trace” could be used. In any given point of a circle, there is only a trace of a straight line.
I started to think about NOAA and the fact that the snow event wasn’t big enough for them to bother with.
I started to think about Christ and how He was amazed at the little things, the same things that most of us would not even notice.
Matthew 13:31
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
Matthew 18:1
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Christ wasn’t impressed with the size of something, in fact the bigger something was the more He saw man’s will and not His father’s will in it.
Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline makes the following observation about service and the heart.
True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside. We serve out of whispered promptings, divine urgings…Self-righteous service is impressed with the “big deal.”…True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service…Self-righteous service requires external rewards. It needs to know that people see and appreciate the effort…True service rests contented in hiddenness. It does not fear the lights and blare of attention, but it does not seek them either…Self-righteous service is highly concerned about results. It eagerly waits to see if the person served will reciprocate in kind. It becomes bitter when the results fall below expectations. True service is free of the need to calculate results. It delights only in the service. It can serve enemies as freely as friends. Self righteous service picks and chooses whom to serve…True service is indiscriminate in its ministry…Self-righteous service is affected by moods and whims. It can serve only when there is a “feeling” to serve (“moved by the Spirit” as we say)…True service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need…Self-righteous service is temporary…True service is a lifestyle…Self-righteous service is insensitive. It insists on meeting need even when to do so would be destructive. True service can withhold the service as freely as perform it. It can listen with tenderness and patience before acting. It can serve by waiting in silence…Self-righteous service fractures community…True service builds community. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, (San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishing Company, 1998), 128-9.
Just as a circle cannot be made without many, many very small straight lines. One cannot build community without placing one’s self in a position of smallness and place other people’s needs at the center.
Blessings,
Monday, January 16, 2012
A good night's sleep
Good morning,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
Laurie and I bought a new mattress.
Our old mattress had gotten so lumpy and bumpy that it had become almost impossible to get a nights sleep. In fact it started to look like one of those 3-d topographical maps that we used to have in school. I would look at our mattress and I was sure that I could pick out the rocky mountain range, the vast rift valley of Africa and the mid Atlantic ridge. There was one part of the mattress that I am sure had the same measurements as the Mariannes trench.
Laurie is a consummate garage saler; she loves the treasure hunt and really has a aversion to paying full price for anything. The running joke in our family is she found me at a garage sale. Over the years as our mattress got worse she would find garage sale mattresses; I would nix the idea, I have an aversion to sleeping on mattresses that others have used for a long time, eeeu.
Laurie and I bought a new mattress.
I am feeling kind of jipped out of a nights sleep. I lay down at night and the next thing I know it is time to get up. I often wake up in the same position that I lay down in when I go to bed. With the old mattress I knew I had been in bed for a while. The act of tossing and turning, looking at the clock umpteen times a night verified that I had been in bed for a certain amount of time. Now I go to bed and then wake up, I wake up most times on my own completely rested. I never used to dream, now I dream all the time and I'm not used to it. Dreams are weird and sometimes scary.
I like to get up early in the morning, make my coffee; actually push the on button since Laurie makes the coffee the night before, something that I really appreciate.
The other morning I woke up, went to the kitchen to push the button to make the coffee; actually I have to push two buttons. We have a fancy coffee maker that has a bean grinder on it so that one can put fresh coffee beans into the coffee maker and the coffee maker grinds the beans, then make the coffee all in one process. Laurie bought it at a garage sale for $5.00. I don't use the bean grinder, I don't think it is necessary to grind up Folger's again before I brew it. So I have to push the button that turns the bean grinder off, obviously a coffee maker a fancy as this assumes you will be grinding your beans and not be using Folger's in the coffee maker, in fact I am sure that I am shortening the lifespan of the coffee maker by using Folger's, anyway, I turn off the grinder and then push the "brew the coffee" button, quite the process actually.
I push the buttons on the coffee maker and the radio comes on. This is when I realize that Laurie had not put the coffee maker together to make the coffee. I turn off the radio, open the dishwasher, get out the parts to the coffee maker and put it together and then push the buttons again. Again, no coffee just music, now I am really getting upset.
It is at this moment that I realize that the alarm is going off and I am in bed dreaming. As amazing as our coffee maker is, it doesn't have a radio in it and it doesn't disassemble into many parts that can be put in the dishwasher. Hmm, something that I could invent; no, I'm not creative that way, it would probably turn out like some combination soup and tea maker which doesn't sound appealing at all.
I had another night of going to bed and then waking up, only this time I had a weird dream added in for good measure.
Why am I telling you all this? I can hear you know thinking in your mind, or maybe even out loud, "Really Roger, what's the point?"
The point is, here Laurie and I had been putting up with a very bad mattress for a very long time because we could not truly grasp what it would be like to be on a very good mattress. In fact it wasn't until Laurie had a back problem that the thought of a new mattress came to the top of our minds and then became a priority.
After getting the mattress and a great nights sleep; here I am feeling cheated out of "rest time" because of it's effectiveness.
So often I think that we Christians here in America are feeling that we need to put on a dour face as if we are truly suffering for the Lord when in fact we have a pretty good mattress in our life. We hear of others being persecuted, others that are truly suffering for the lord. Yet when we go to these countries they are the ones acting as if they have the good mattress, they are joyful in the Lord; we, the ones that the world looks at as the top 1% of the wealthy of the world, don't seem all that joyful in our walk with Christ.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (Psalm 57:8-10 NIV84)
If others had done a more complete telling of the beauties of what a good mattress could bring maybe Laurie and I would not have waited so long to buy a new one.
If we do a better, more complete work for the Lord maybe others would be compelled to give Christ a try. Life isn't easy and sometimes it is downright hard, but that should not take away our joy in the Lord. He died for us, the least we can do is be happy about it.
Blessings,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
Laurie and I bought a new mattress.
Our old mattress had gotten so lumpy and bumpy that it had become almost impossible to get a nights sleep. In fact it started to look like one of those 3-d topographical maps that we used to have in school. I would look at our mattress and I was sure that I could pick out the rocky mountain range, the vast rift valley of Africa and the mid Atlantic ridge. There was one part of the mattress that I am sure had the same measurements as the Mariannes trench.
Laurie is a consummate garage saler; she loves the treasure hunt and really has a aversion to paying full price for anything. The running joke in our family is she found me at a garage sale. Over the years as our mattress got worse she would find garage sale mattresses; I would nix the idea, I have an aversion to sleeping on mattresses that others have used for a long time, eeeu.
Laurie and I bought a new mattress.
I am feeling kind of jipped out of a nights sleep. I lay down at night and the next thing I know it is time to get up. I often wake up in the same position that I lay down in when I go to bed. With the old mattress I knew I had been in bed for a while. The act of tossing and turning, looking at the clock umpteen times a night verified that I had been in bed for a certain amount of time. Now I go to bed and then wake up, I wake up most times on my own completely rested. I never used to dream, now I dream all the time and I'm not used to it. Dreams are weird and sometimes scary.
I like to get up early in the morning, make my coffee; actually push the on button since Laurie makes the coffee the night before, something that I really appreciate.
The other morning I woke up, went to the kitchen to push the button to make the coffee; actually I have to push two buttons. We have a fancy coffee maker that has a bean grinder on it so that one can put fresh coffee beans into the coffee maker and the coffee maker grinds the beans, then make the coffee all in one process. Laurie bought it at a garage sale for $5.00. I don't use the bean grinder, I don't think it is necessary to grind up Folger's again before I brew it. So I have to push the button that turns the bean grinder off, obviously a coffee maker a fancy as this assumes you will be grinding your beans and not be using Folger's in the coffee maker, in fact I am sure that I am shortening the lifespan of the coffee maker by using Folger's, anyway, I turn off the grinder and then push the "brew the coffee" button, quite the process actually.
I push the buttons on the coffee maker and the radio comes on. This is when I realize that Laurie had not put the coffee maker together to make the coffee. I turn off the radio, open the dishwasher, get out the parts to the coffee maker and put it together and then push the buttons again. Again, no coffee just music, now I am really getting upset.
It is at this moment that I realize that the alarm is going off and I am in bed dreaming. As amazing as our coffee maker is, it doesn't have a radio in it and it doesn't disassemble into many parts that can be put in the dishwasher. Hmm, something that I could invent; no, I'm not creative that way, it would probably turn out like some combination soup and tea maker which doesn't sound appealing at all.
I had another night of going to bed and then waking up, only this time I had a weird dream added in for good measure.
Why am I telling you all this? I can hear you know thinking in your mind, or maybe even out loud, "Really Roger, what's the point?"
The point is, here Laurie and I had been putting up with a very bad mattress for a very long time because we could not truly grasp what it would be like to be on a very good mattress. In fact it wasn't until Laurie had a back problem that the thought of a new mattress came to the top of our minds and then became a priority.
After getting the mattress and a great nights sleep; here I am feeling cheated out of "rest time" because of it's effectiveness.
So often I think that we Christians here in America are feeling that we need to put on a dour face as if we are truly suffering for the Lord when in fact we have a pretty good mattress in our life. We hear of others being persecuted, others that are truly suffering for the lord. Yet when we go to these countries they are the ones acting as if they have the good mattress, they are joyful in the Lord; we, the ones that the world looks at as the top 1% of the wealthy of the world, don't seem all that joyful in our walk with Christ.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (Psalm 57:8-10 NIV84)
If others had done a more complete telling of the beauties of what a good mattress could bring maybe Laurie and I would not have waited so long to buy a new one.
If we do a better, more complete work for the Lord maybe others would be compelled to give Christ a try. Life isn't easy and sometimes it is downright hard, but that should not take away our joy in the Lord. He died for us, the least we can do is be happy about it.
Blessings,
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Get out of the boat
Good morning,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
I was driving to the YMCA this morning, as I was driving I was listening to the radio.
Yesterday I was talking with a friend who had recently bought a car, he is an avid motorcyclist and didn’t even have a car for years. I asked him, “How do you like the car?” He said, “It’s warm!”
So I am driving along listening to some station that was on the radio when I got in the car this morning. They were talking about sandwiches, more aptly peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They talked about crunchy or smooth, debating the pros and cons of each. They talked about jelly verses jam, debating the pros and cons of each. The topic of preserves came up and threw everyone for a loop for a while.
I am driving along thinking my own thoughts with half an ear tuned to the radio. After about twenty minutes I came out of my thought and started listening to the radio fully. This is when I realized that I was listening to utter nonsense. That in my unintentional state of being I had been listening to a group of people who had nothing better to talk about than the differences between chunky and smooth peanut butter. When they went off on a debate over miracle whip and mayonnaise, with arose after someone said that they like to put mayonnaise on their peanut butter sandwich, I turned off the radio.
I like being intentional.
I like being a chaplain.
I like being a conduit that Jesus can use to have conversations with people who for whatever reason never or at least seldom walk through the doors of a church.
I like working with people, getting them to see their God given potential.
I like being a chaplain in the YMCA.
I like seeing people learn to be great.
My sadness comes when someone says, “I’m good to go. I don’t need the YMCA, church or Jesus.”
Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great, makes the following observation.
Good is the enemy of great.
If someone never takes that hard look at themselves they may never go from good to great.
John Ortberg laments the following in his book, If you want to walk on water you’ve got to GET OUT OF THE BOAT.
To sinful patterns of behavior that never get confronted and changed,
Abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed –
Until weeks become months
And months turn to years,
And one day you’re looking back on a life of
Deep intimate gut-wrenching honest conversations you never had;
Great bold prayers you never prayed,
Exhilarating risks you never took,
Sacrificial gifts you never offered
Lives you never touched,
And you’re sitting in a recliner with a shriveled soul,
And forgotten dreams,
And you realize there was a world of desperate need,
And a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself –
You see the person you could have become but did not;
You never followed your calling.
You never got out of the boat.
[1]John Ortberg, If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to GET OUT OF THE BOAT, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 34.
My prayer today is that we spend less time talking about peanut butter sandwiches and more time talking about things that truly matter. That we spend less time thinking about things that at the end of the day are really trivial and more time thinking about the things that are truly important. That our hearts are turned toward love and unity and away from anger and dissent; that we have the courage to get out of the boat.
When I asked my friend what he liked about his car I am glad he didn't say the radio.
Blessings,
Roger
I pray that the day is finding you well.
I was driving to the YMCA this morning, as I was driving I was listening to the radio.
Yesterday I was talking with a friend who had recently bought a car, he is an avid motorcyclist and didn’t even have a car for years. I asked him, “How do you like the car?” He said, “It’s warm!”
So I am driving along listening to some station that was on the radio when I got in the car this morning. They were talking about sandwiches, more aptly peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They talked about crunchy or smooth, debating the pros and cons of each. They talked about jelly verses jam, debating the pros and cons of each. The topic of preserves came up and threw everyone for a loop for a while.
I am driving along thinking my own thoughts with half an ear tuned to the radio. After about twenty minutes I came out of my thought and started listening to the radio fully. This is when I realized that I was listening to utter nonsense. That in my unintentional state of being I had been listening to a group of people who had nothing better to talk about than the differences between chunky and smooth peanut butter. When they went off on a debate over miracle whip and mayonnaise, with arose after someone said that they like to put mayonnaise on their peanut butter sandwich, I turned off the radio.
I like being intentional.
I like being a chaplain.
I like being a conduit that Jesus can use to have conversations with people who for whatever reason never or at least seldom walk through the doors of a church.
I like working with people, getting them to see their God given potential.
I like being a chaplain in the YMCA.
I like seeing people learn to be great.
My sadness comes when someone says, “I’m good to go. I don’t need the YMCA, church or Jesus.”
Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great, makes the following observation.
Good is the enemy of great.
If someone never takes that hard look at themselves they may never go from good to great.
John Ortberg laments the following in his book, If you want to walk on water you’ve got to GET OUT OF THE BOAT.
To sinful patterns of behavior that never get confronted and changed,
Abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed –
Until weeks become months
And months turn to years,
And one day you’re looking back on a life of
Deep intimate gut-wrenching honest conversations you never had;
Great bold prayers you never prayed,
Exhilarating risks you never took,
Sacrificial gifts you never offered
Lives you never touched,
And you’re sitting in a recliner with a shriveled soul,
And forgotten dreams,
And you realize there was a world of desperate need,
And a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself –
You see the person you could have become but did not;
You never followed your calling.
You never got out of the boat.
[1]John Ortberg, If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to GET OUT OF THE BOAT, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 34.
My prayer today is that we spend less time talking about peanut butter sandwiches and more time talking about things that truly matter. That we spend less time thinking about things that at the end of the day are really trivial and more time thinking about the things that are truly important. That our hearts are turned toward love and unity and away from anger and dissent; that we have the courage to get out of the boat.
When I asked my friend what he liked about his car I am glad he didn't say the radio.
Blessings,
Roger
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The case of the missing boom box
Good morning,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
A boom box went missing the other day.
I found out about it as I went into the person’s office and she was complaining that somebody took her boom box. It was in her office when she left on Friday but was missing when she came back on Monday. Needless to say she was pretty upset. She wanted to know who took her stuff.
The funny thing about “stuff” is that we get attached to it. When “stuff” goes missing we wonder two things: one-where it went and two-who might have taken it. We go to great detail as to “why” someone would take our stuff.
As she lamented the loss of her boom box I said, “We live in a broken world.” She said, “Roger, that doesn’t help.” I said, “I know.” So often we try to ultra spiritualizing something and offering someone no real help often times inadvertently hurting them even more. To push her buttons a little more I said, “Maybe they needed the boom box more than you.” She said, “That doesn’t help either.” I said, “I know.” She said, “I just want to know where my boom box is and why someone would take it.”
So the hunt was on.
At first the thought of a practical joke crossed our minds. When after a time no one returned the boom box the idea of a joke had passed.
We looked up and down but to no avail.
Two days go by.
It was Wednesday afternoon and I was walking through the YMCA and there on top of the sound equipment in one of the studios was a boom box that looked exactly like the one that had been missing. An instructor was teaching a class and the music was playing. I went to get my friend who had lost her boom box.
She looked in the studio and sure enough that was her boom box.
She turned and started walking back to her office smiling.
I said, “Aren’t you going to get your boom box?”
She said, “No they are using it.”
I said, “We live in a broken world.” And smiled at her.
Suddenly she realized that when I said that two days ago I wasn’t lamenting over the brokenness of everyone else in the world. I was making an observation that her perceived need for her “stuff” had taken her to a place of anger and anguish; that even though someone took her boom box without asking or at least leaving her a note that she was placing a lot of value on something that could break or be gone in an instant.
True happiness doesn’t come from the things we own.
True happiness comes from the things we share.
She wasn’t there the Saturday that the sound equipment failed and a group exercise instructor was scrambling to find something that would work for a class. That is why the boom box went missing. In her haste she forgot to leave a note and then forgot to leave a note after the class.
It was fun to see her smile!
Matthew 6:19-2119 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Blessings,
I pray that the day is finding you well.
A boom box went missing the other day.
I found out about it as I went into the person’s office and she was complaining that somebody took her boom box. It was in her office when she left on Friday but was missing when she came back on Monday. Needless to say she was pretty upset. She wanted to know who took her stuff.
The funny thing about “stuff” is that we get attached to it. When “stuff” goes missing we wonder two things: one-where it went and two-who might have taken it. We go to great detail as to “why” someone would take our stuff.
As she lamented the loss of her boom box I said, “We live in a broken world.” She said, “Roger, that doesn’t help.” I said, “I know.” So often we try to ultra spiritualizing something and offering someone no real help often times inadvertently hurting them even more. To push her buttons a little more I said, “Maybe they needed the boom box more than you.” She said, “That doesn’t help either.” I said, “I know.” She said, “I just want to know where my boom box is and why someone would take it.”
So the hunt was on.
At first the thought of a practical joke crossed our minds. When after a time no one returned the boom box the idea of a joke had passed.
We looked up and down but to no avail.
Two days go by.
It was Wednesday afternoon and I was walking through the YMCA and there on top of the sound equipment in one of the studios was a boom box that looked exactly like the one that had been missing. An instructor was teaching a class and the music was playing. I went to get my friend who had lost her boom box.
She looked in the studio and sure enough that was her boom box.
She turned and started walking back to her office smiling.
I said, “Aren’t you going to get your boom box?”
She said, “No they are using it.”
I said, “We live in a broken world.” And smiled at her.
Suddenly she realized that when I said that two days ago I wasn’t lamenting over the brokenness of everyone else in the world. I was making an observation that her perceived need for her “stuff” had taken her to a place of anger and anguish; that even though someone took her boom box without asking or at least leaving her a note that she was placing a lot of value on something that could break or be gone in an instant.
True happiness doesn’t come from the things we own.
True happiness comes from the things we share.
She wasn’t there the Saturday that the sound equipment failed and a group exercise instructor was scrambling to find something that would work for a class. That is why the boom box went missing. In her haste she forgot to leave a note and then forgot to leave a note after the class.
It was fun to see her smile!
Matthew 6:19-2119 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Blessings,
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