Life's Ups and Downs

I love roller-coasters. I didn’t always, but that was only because I had been too scared to try. When I was pretty young, my dad, of all people, talked me into riding one called “The Shockwave” at Six Flags in Arlington, TX. It was a double-loop, which back then was about as scary as they came. Nowadays, a double-loop is mild compared to some that twist you around and upside down as many as sixteen times. However, my dad’s argument for having me try it was this: “If you try this one and like it, you’ll probably like all of the other roller-coasters here!” Sure enough, after what seemed like waiting for hours, we made our way onto the car, and strapped in.

As the coaster train began to move out, I remember very clearly having some major second-guessing going on in my head, but I figured since my dad talked me into it, and he was right there with me, I was probably going to be okay. We slowly made the first climb towards the sky, and I promise you, I passed a few angels sitting on clouds just shaking their heads. The train dipped forward and we began to plummet towards our impending death. Just when I knew I was surely going to meet my Maker, an amazing thing happened: the train began to climb up into the loop. The track held us, and my world was suddenly, and literally turned upside down.

While I was being tossed about and lifted and dropped, I began to experience the exhilaration that comes with and adrenaline-boosting ride. I was very quickly transformed into a roller-coaster junkie, and now my mantra is that I will try it once, no matter how high, how upside-down, or how fast the thing goes. So far, I haven’t chickened out once.

Many people relate life with a roller-coaster ride. With the ups and downs we face, and sometimes the blind dips and dives we go through, it’s not a bad comparison. Some people love the unknown and really enjoy the challenges that life throws at them. For those, it’s exhilarating. For others, it’s very rattling, jarring, and even painful. The stress that it puts them under can leave them wishing for the very gentle and predictable kiddy train ride.

In either situation, I think back to my first ride. I was very apprehensive, but I was riding with my dad. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t leave us to take this ride by ourselves. He’s right there with us, and never leaves us alone. (Joshua 1:5, Matthew 28:20) The other thing about roller-coasters is that there is always a track. Even if you don’t see it, and the twists and turns seem to come out of nowhere, there is a design. Engineers spent a great deal of time and energy designing every detail of that track. Similarly, there is a God who knows every drop-off and climb that our life will take. Even when our track takes us to dark places, God has already been working to move that track to higher ground.

Life is not always the thrilling ride that we like at Six Flags. Sometimes it is terrifying and leaves us looking forward to the end of the ride. We must remember that we are not riding alone, and we are not free-falling at random. There is a track for us, and God will continue working to bring us closer to Him. It is our job to trust Him and follow where He leads so that we may experience all that this life has to offer, until we reach the eternal life that is promised to His Followers.

Until that day, strap in, take a deep breath, and look at your Father next to you to gain comfort and peace in the unknown.

Chain Reaction?

I’m not a big believer in what is loosely called the “chaos theory.” A butterfly flapping his wings in one part of the world and causing a tsunami in another part of the world seems a bit of a stretch to me. However, I am a believer in chain reactions. One event leading to reactions and results that influence how other actions and consequences occur does seem plausible to me.

In my last post, I talked about how my mower went on the fritz. The busted mower led me to write about it which led to another event that had an impact on my family. A couple of days after posting about my lawn mower turmoil, I was speaking with my wife on the phone on my way home after work. She asked me the question, “Did you go shopping or anything today?” I thought that was an odd question, and wondered if something posted in our checking account that she didn’t recognize. However, when I got home, she greeted me as I walked in the door and said, “come here, I want to show you something.”

She opened up the blinds to a window with a view of our back deck. Right up there next to the back door was a big box that contained one brand-new lawn mower. We’d been paid a visit by someone who obviously knew about the situation, and decided to do something very, VERY kind for us. SO, to that person, if they should happen to read this, thank you very much. Your generosity is very touching and actually created a very cool excitement within my little family. We were all talking about it for the rest of the evening! God used you to meet a need for us, and that means so much, and again, I thank you for your very thoughtful act.

I have to admit, I actually got a bit excited about mowing the grass! I’m the kind of guy that enjoys playing with “new toys,” so I was ready on Friday morning when the time came to get the mower out so I could fire it up. I did all the new mower prep, and when I pulled the starter cord, the engine came to life with a very satisfying roar.

As I began to mow, I honestly spent the time considering how this was truly a blessing in my life and how I needed to be thankful. I actually prayed right there while I was mowing, which is very different from my usual mowing pastime of mentally singing 90’s power ballads. As I prayed, I began to realize how often I ignored the blessings in my life. Sure, I’m aware on a big scale of how blessed I am, but as the old hymn challenges, I was attempting to count my blessings.

Eventually, I discovered that I could not name them all, because every new blessing I considered triggered a wave of other blessings that actually preceded it, and then the ones that came before that. Basically, I spent the two hours mowing really moving to a good place emotionally and spiritually. (We’ll discuss physically later--as allergy season kicked me in the face due to the pollen count.)

When I was finished mowing, and before I showered, I felt very compelled to send my wife a quick message telling her how wonderful she is and how thankful I am for her. I hugged on my kids when they got home, and even though it’s only been two days ago as I write this, the simple act of “counting my blessings” served as one of the greatest spiritual renewal experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Okay, so some would argue that this set of circumstances actually does not constitute a chain reaction. But, it certainly shows how one blessing can inspire us to consider the many other blessings God has brought before us. I dare say that if we ever get to a place where we are feeling somewhat stuck (like that old mower’s starter cord), taking the time to think about all the blessings you have received can serve as a jump start your heart needs to get back on track spiritually. At the very least it can brighten your day.

I never dreamed that my little thoughts about my my broken lawn mower and asking for and waiting for help would turn out like it did. The experience has truly been one that got to me on a deeper level than I could have imagined. I won’t tell you that all of our experiences will turn out this way, but why try and copy this experience when God can bring you a brand new one full of His blessings for you?

Mechanical Mess Up

I am not what you would call “Mechanically Inclined.” So I was rather upset when I encountered lawnmower issues last week. Here’s how it went down: Our yard was starting to look pretty rough, so I decided to get out and go ahead and cut down the budding growth. Not so much grass, mind you, but lots of little early spring “weeds” that were taking over. I managed to get most of the front yard done, which was my main concern since it stands out on a busy road, and people see that. However, with about ten minutes of work left to go, I starting hearing a terrible grating sound from under the mower.

Thinking I may have run over something, I quickly shut the mower off. I detached the lead from the spark plug (which is a trick someone else had to teach me), and lifted the front end of the mower to see if anything was tangled around the blade. What I discovered was that part of the metal bracing under the mower had literally torn, and was in the path of the blade, thus accounting for the horrible sound. Realizing that I simply needed to bend the piece back out of the way, I grabbed a rubber mallet and a pry bar from my tools.

Very gently, I laid the mower on the side and quickly got the metal piece out of the way. Unfortunately, I forgot that laying the mower sideways is not the best suggestion, as oil then flowed from the exhaust area and left a pool on the front walkway.

I cleaned the oil up as best as I could, and then added a bit more to the engine, as I had lost some in the sideways mower maneuver. After reattaching the lead to the spark plug, I tried to pull the starter cord, and my arm just about tore away from my body. The cord would NOT move at all. It was totally jammed. I tried to slowly twist the blade a bit to see if that would help, and it did not. At this point, I realized that I had a real problem. At least for me on my own.

You see, there will come a time and place when we all encounter something that we are just not equipped to handle on our own. My limited knowledge of lawnmowers kept me from going any further to figuring out my problem. I will have to rely on the skills of others at this point. In our lives, we will bump up against issues and problems that seem WAY out of our grasp, and can leave us feeling hopeless.

However, God is always there to provide a way through difficult times. He gives us His Word to provide insight, the Holy Spirit to give us His constant presence, friends to be by our side as we work through the issues, and people we admire and respect from which to seek council and advice. There is always someone who can help you. Part of growing in our faith and spiritual life is learning that we can’t do it all on our own. If we could do it all, we would have no need for God or for Jesus. In His infinite wisdom, God has given us many tools that we can use to fix our problem. We just need to be willing to swallow our pride a bit, and ask for that help.

It’s mostly just inconvenient that I couldn’t finish mowing the front lawn...and if you drive by, you’ll see that it’s kind of funny-looking as well. I can’t help that. But, I do know that within a few days, I’ll have some help and get the problem solved. The good news is, maybe I’ll learn some new tricks to keep the mower running for a bit longer. I may never be as good with engines as some people, but every time the mower has given me trouble, the help I receive from others pushes me just a bit further in my own understanding. You think that same principle applies to other areas of life?

At exactly 3:21 this morning, I woke up. I remember the time, because I really don’t like waking up in the middle of the night, and I tend to immediately check to see how much time I have left to sleep. However, courtesy of the Chinese food I ate for lunch, and the leftovers for dinner on Sunday, this early Monday wake-up call left me really wanting a drink of water. Badly. I debated for just a few seconds about staying in bed and attempting to return to my state of slumber, and then decided that the looming headache that accompanied the desire for water made it a worthwhile endeavor to get up and take care of these needs.

I ambled to the kitchen, and in that attempting-to-be-quiet-but-so-sleepy-I’m-still-clumsy-and-noisy type of way, I grabbed some Ibuprofen and a large glass of water and consumed them both. As I flopped back in bed, I glanced again at the time. The whole ordeal took about three minutes. “Not too bad,” I thought to myself as I drifted back off to sleep.

Just shy of two hours later, the alarm began to go off. With three small children and two adults that have to be out of the house by 8:00, it’s best for us to get started early, even though we don’t like it. Here’s where things get interesting. I very clearly remember thinking, “I should get up a bit early today and make sure I start the day off with my Quiet Time.” For me, that means time reading the Bible, making notes about what it teaches me, and then prayer.

Unfortunately, my good intentions didn’t compete with my body’s desire to sleep a bit longer, and I chose to stay in bed. (My wife gets the first shower, and I get up as soon as she’s done.) I admit ashamedly that I stayed in bed, and didn’t do the Quiet Time. When I finally got up and into the shower, I had a very strong and clear thought: “Why is my desire for water and Ibuprofen strong enough to get me out of bed, but my thirst for God’s Word is too weak?” It was one of those moments that you hope doesn’t set the tone for the day.

Here’s the deal. I ended up having a moment with my sons that I got a bit too upset and didn’t handle it the way that honored God. I knew it. I immediately jumped back to that Critical Moment of Decision (Or C.M.D., for those in the know) where I chose to stay in bed. What if that moment was not just my good intentions, but really the Holy Spirit prompting me to get up and prepare myself for the day? What if that Quiet Time would have gotten my defenses up and allowed me to handle the morning stress in such a way as to NOT make my 6-year-old cry before leaving for school? Either way, I handled it wrong, and confess that I chose the sinful, selfish behavior over doing what was right in God’s eyes. Not a good thing.

Here’s the good part. I locked myself away in my office as soon as I got to work, and did my Quiet Time. It was rather productive, and gave me much to consider. But, as I go back to my original question of why obey my physical desire for water and Advil, but not the Holy Spirit, I remember how often I allow my selfish desires to dictate what I do. This is NOT the way it’s supposed to be. When I became a believer, and asked Jesus Christ to be my Savior, I surrendered MY wants, and chose to submit to what HE wants for me.

Galatians 2:20 (which was part of that much-needed Quiet Time) says that “...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.” If I no longer live, that means that my selfishness is dead--or supposed to be, anyway. Jesus chose to do the hard thing, and gave Himself up to death for my sake. That puts my refusal to get out of bed in perspective.

I need to make better choices. I’m sure we all do. Verse 21 of that same chapter says, “I do not set aside the Grace of God…” While I stubbornly continue to make poor choices based on my body’s desires, God’s Grace is right there, keeping me embraced in His love. He’s doing the same for all of those believers that fight the same battle. At the risk of sounding a bit cheesy, I can truthfully say that I pray that my thirst for scripture and the Living Water can be more persuasive in my life than any sodium-induced late-night craving ever could be.

Black and Blue (Berries, that is.)

When we bought our house a couple of years ago, we did not realize that one of the large sets of bushes half-way through our backyard was a great collection of Blueberry bushes. In fact, we just thought they were overgrown shrubs, so we began just chopping them down. Fortunately, I got tired before we finished the whole thing and late in the summer that year, we discovered our good fortune that the previous owners had blueberry bushes.

So, now we have blueberries, and the cool thing is, within a year, all the bushes we completely chopped to the ground had grown back up and produced some really sweet, big blueberries last summer.

HOWEVER, there is one bad thing to all of this. Inter-mixed with these blueberry bushes is a small cluster of blackberry bushes. I know, I actually really enjoy blackberry preserves on toast or bagels, but I’m not a huge fan of the berry itself. I’m even LESS of a fan of the skin-shredding thorns that grow on blackberry bushes. As the new blueberries grew, so did the branches of the blackberry bushes, and they grow in all kinds of directions.

I tried to be a good sport, and last year took my time carefully picking some of the blackberries off of the bush. The thorns just wouldn’t have it. They seemed to just jump out of nowhere and grab ahold of my clothes, and more times than I care to remember, they would embed themselves into my hands. I had scratches and holes all over my arms and hands. Occasionally I would get a good blackberry, but many of them looked great on the bush, but as soon as I managed to grab it, I discovered that it was mushy and bad. Overall, the experience was not my favorite thing. With blueberries, I usually got a good berry, and didn’t have to fight the thorns to get it. I decided that I didn’t like blackberries that much.

The other day, after doing some reading up about how late winter was the best time to prune blueberry bushes, I decided to cut back the set of bushes we left alone that first spring, because they were terribly overgrown and produced small tart blueberries last year. So, I got out the clippers and shears and went to work. What I discovered is that the stinking blackberry bushes are starting to grow already, and I got mangled once or twice with the thorns.

I finally just got as low to the ground as I could, and clipped every blackberry bush I could find. I even attempted to tear out a few roots and stumps. We’ll see what happens. I hope I got rid of the thorns. If not, I’ll just try to stay ahead of them and get rid of them as they grow, and maybe our blueberries won’t get choked out this year, and we’ll get some good growth from those bushes.

Okay, enough with the horticulture. Here’s what I learned from the experience. Lots of people go looking for the sweet experiences among the painful thorns. They may get the occasional berry, but most time, they are left bleeding and scarred. Why play a risky and potentially dangerous game for something that could very easily be bad, when we can simply go with something we know is good, simple to receive, and will not leave us in tatters.

God loves us. When the creator of the world offers His complete and unconditional love freely, in a way that actually can heal scars instead of giving them, why would we choose anything else? For what are you reaching? If there are thorns surrounding it, maybe it’s not the best thing. Look for the unobstructed offering of God’s love, and simply take ahold of a relationship that is ripe for the choosing, and will never stop growing and producing fruit in us.

Wave to me

Inevitably, when you drive anywhere, you are going to have to rely on “the kindness of strangers” to let you into different lanes, to merge with traffic, or some other situation. The other day I had my older sons in the car with me, and someone let me merge in front of them. I did my customary wave to say thank-you, and then noticed that my boys had both turned around and were wildly waving at the car behind us as well. I guess that’s a good thing. I hope it wasn’t distracting...

I never thought anything about it--it was the way my parents taught me, if someone does something nice for you while driving, you acknowledge it with a wave. Apparently others were taught the same, because there have been many times when others have waved at me when I let them in, and it’s always a nice little thing that helps me not assume all of humanity is evil.

However, the past few weeks, I have continued to let people merge, and the little waves are gone. No longer do people acknowledge that I didn’t have to slow down and make sure they got to join ongoing traffic. I thought maybe it was just me, but the same knuckleheads in the backseat that have been waving more than the ocean said something about it. “Dad, why doesn’t anyone wave anymore to say thank you when you let them in?”

I didn’t know what to say. I just told them that maybe they did wave and we just didn’t see it. I hope that’s the case, but I have also noticed that the little acknowledgements are gone when I let a person with a shopping cart go ahead as I hold traffic in the grocery store parking lot, or when I hold the door at the post office for the mother with a stroller and two other small kids. (Maybe it was because she was also talking on her cell phone...but don’t get me started on that.)

What I really hope isn’t happening is that we as people are moving more and more away from basic manners and decency. Maybe it’s just that everyone is ill right now with all of these weather changes. Whatever it is, I am really praying that it is a temporary thing and not something that will last.

This is a call to all of you who claim to be followers of Christ: If you truly believe that we are to love God and to Love Others like Jesus tells us (Matthew 22:37-40), then remember that even the small things count. If someone holds the door for you, then give them a smile and say thanks. If someone lets you merge in traffic, wave to them. Continue to do those things for others, even if they don’t acknowledge your act of kindness.

It seems like such an insignificant thing, but really, aren’t we supposed to stand out from the world? Maybe doing these things that no one else will do will be the thing that someone notices and asks about, and opens the door for us to share about God’s love. Who knows? But, is there really any harm in trying?

Awards Fatigue

I’m a big fan of magazines. There’s just something about the glossy pages and the pictures and stories that get my attention and hold it. I actually look for ways to get free subscriptions, and have found several of them through the years. If you look, you can find them. I have had one for an arts and crafts journal, a surfing magazine, TIME magazine, a few different music ones, and I have even gotten some for my wife like Women’s Day and Glamour. In her defense, she never asked for those, I did it thinking of her, and while she appreciated the gesture, that last one just wasn’t really her cup of tea--not because she isn't fashionable or beautiful--she just didn't need a magazine to tell her how. Oh well.

One that I have actually paid for and subscribed to for almost ten years now is Entertainment Weekly. I know, it’s very superficial, and I must admit that my fascination for the entertainment world is probably bordering on “vice” level for me. With Music, Movies, and even Novels being such a big obsession hobby for me, EW tends to keep me informed about what’s going on in those worlds. I discovered that with three children, my awareness of what’s new or even good has gotten considerably smaller.

There is about a three-month period every year where I dread getting my EW magazine. It starts about the last week of November, and runs through the last week of February. In that twelve-week period, there are at least eight or nine covers of the magazine committed to the various awards shows such as the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and of course, The Academy Awards. What’s really bad is that all the awards shows pretty much mimic each other, and so you pretty much get the same magazine for that time, only the page order is shuffled, and the dresses the actresses wear change. Other than that, I don’t really see the difference.

We get told over and over how “important” these movies/films are, (apparently the difference is whether or not they actually make money--if it brings in the cash, but the critics don’t like it then it’s a “movie,” if it doesn’t make money, but the critics seem to have enjoyed it, they call it a “film”) and how “ground-breaking” the performance of the actors is, but I wonder if at the end of the day, it’s really just another way that the Hollywood culture tries to keep themselves as the Idols of our day?

It’s not very subtle, you know. The actors, directors, and producers make sure their names are all over the movie posters and advertisements, and then they actually campaign to win for some of those awards shows. Then, in almost every case, they get some sort of gold statue to designate their win. These little statues represent the idols we have made of the people who win them. It’s kind of pathetic, really.

Now, I love movies and TV. I will be the first to admit that I enjoy the escape that they offer when the day has been stressful. I like to unwind by spending about two hours living vicariously through the actions and circumstances unfolding on the screen in front of me. I’ll even go so far as to say that I appreciate them for their entertainment value. But I can’t seem to wrap my mind around the fact that we make these people “heroes,” and we act like their opinions on politics, global events, and the economy are worth more than other people. (For the record, an actor who earns anywhere from five to ten million dollars for being in a movie should NEVER be allowed to criticize or join in on a conversation about a “failing” economy. Just my humble opinion.)

If we keep an appropriate level of respect for the actors and actresses for doing their job of entertaining us, and even transporting us to a world of make-believe, or portraying a real story in a way that captivates us, then we are appreciating and recognizing their talents. Nothing wrong with that. It’s the over-the-top, regal treatment that gets me. Where are the awards shows for the nameless researchers who have contributed to the advances towards defeating cancer? What about the people who work hard to bring home a modest income only to turn around and give much of it away as they sponsor and work for charitable organizations? Who will foot the bill for a national telecast of awards given to policemen and firemen who daily put themselves in dangerous situations for the sake of others?

I guess the basis of my rant comes down to this: Jesus simply said, “...Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) This passage tells us that we are not to elevate ourselves above others. The Apostle Paul gives another branch to this thought in Philippians 2:3 when he writes “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” When I read these, I see no trouble or conflict if I choose to encourage someone, or show appreciation to them for a job well done. I don’t see any problem in being touched or blessed by what someone else has done. But it seems to me that to seek out approval or to campaign for the acclaim of others is not in line with these passages.

I guess I just wish that hollywood would use it’s influence in a different way. I wish they would just take a less selfish point-of-view. When there is obviously a large group of people who look to what these celebrities are doing and jump behind whatever cause they are paid to endorse, it just seems to me that there is an opportunity to reach out and offer hope in a time where many are without. It would be really cool if more of these millionaires put up some of their own cash to support causes that really make an impact and better the lives of people on a basic needs level. (I love dogs, but if half of the Animal Rights Celebrity money went to hunger or homeless causes, what kind of change could be made?)

Yes, that’s an idealistic dream at best, but if movies can feature love triangles between werewolves, vampires, and humans, while fighting evil wizards and transforming robots, while a group of old toys looks for a new home on FaceBook where they discover a support group for psychotic ballerinas, boxers, comic-book heroes, and Gritty cowboys, that all meet in a building that can bend and fold itself, then why not hope for a different output from this hollywood machine?

Update Your Frustration

Last week, I successfully got a virus on a computer that was supposed to be protected by anti-virus software. That’s me--doing the supposedly impossible. As it turns out, it ended up being a relatively harmless event. Coincidentally, my fellow office staff and I had been recently encouraged to switch to a different anti-virus software, so I used this occasion to do just that. I “upgraded” from a free program to a paid one.

I ran through all of the steps that were required, and when it was all said and done, the new stuff was installed. I also had a new CD that I wanted to put on my mp3 player, so I ripped it, and then plugged in my player. Enter new trouble. The player is no longer recognized by my computer. It made the “new hardware” noise when I would plug it in, but never did anything else.

To keep this from becoming a long technical story, what basically happened is that I rolled back some software, only to discover that it still didn’t work, and then I really just wanted the newer version back, but when I tried to to that, the computer gave me the message that my computer couldn’t handle it. Funny thing is, I’ve been using the newer version for over a year already, and one little “fix” messed it all up.

Now, I’ve got a computer that won’t work with my player, an old program that I don’t like, and a temperamental computer. (Fortunately, it has become my secondary computer and not the main source for work.)

This got me thinking. I know, scary. We live in a world that is constantly selling the “upgrade.” There are so many “new” products out there that are supposed to be the top of the line, and the best model yet. My BlackBerry, which is supposed to be a leader in smart-phone technology, was brand new at the time I got it, and supposed to be ahead of the curve--maybe that’s why it was called “curve.” Either way, there have been a few issues with it, and as it turns out, I don’t think it’s even manufactured anymore. Oddly, in spite of my other issues, I opted to do an “upgrade” on my BlackBerry software last week. The good news is that BrickBreaker runs smoother. The bad news is that now my phone gives me funny messages about registering on the network and there’s no telling where my facebook app went.

One of the hyped up Superbowl ads featured Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Beiber, and it was introducing a new program at Best Buy where you can pay a fee, and Best Buy will purchase your old model of something once the new model comes in and makes it obsolete. It was an ad basically admitting that they were always just trying to get us to step up and buy the “bigger and better” model. Not sure I like that idea. It doesn’t instill great confidence in my current products.

ANYWAY, here’s my point. We are always trying to upgrade to keep up with the newest, hottest “whatever.” It’s a dangerous idea because it really creates an atmosphere of temporary. Don’t like something? It’s okay--it’s not gonna be around for long. Impatient with something? Trade it in for a newer, better one. Tired of waiting 15 seconds for a video to download? Upgrade and only wait 10 seconds--It’s WAY better!

I am one who believes that this world is NOT my permanent home. But, it is the place where I learned about and entered into the Relationship that reserved my spot in my eternal home. My relationship with Christ is permanent, and it is already the biggest and best relationship I’ve got. The problem I have is that too many people see a relationship with Jesus as just another religion, and the world tells them that if one religion doesn’t fit their ideas or tastes or happens to be “old fashioned,” then they should just trade it in for one that they like better.

Where’s the commitment? What kind of faith is anyone developing anywhere? Faith implies a commitment to believe in something, even if there are doubts or concerns. Just because the electricity goes out in a storm doesn’t mean I will quit using my lamps to provide light. Jumping our faith back and forth isn’t really faith at all. Going for the newest and most popular just represents a need to please the “SELF” that we all have, and that some of us really try to fight.

I guess my point in all of this is that I hope that as a Follower of Christ, I can set a positive example about staying put in what I already believe to the best relationship ever, that never needs an upgrade or download. When I became that “New creation” that 2 Corinthians 5:17 speaks of, it was the only upgrade I’ll ever need. I certainly need to plug in to God’s Word to make sure my Operating System doesn’t get corrupted by the viral sins of this world, and the Holy Spirit inside of me will help me to process and execute the commands of my Savior. But, I’ll never have the need to try and find something else, because I already have the 3G that I’ll need: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. (Okay, it was a bit cheesy--but clever enough to stick!)

A Life-Lesson From "24"

My wife and I have totally gotten into the show “24.” Yes, we know we’re about nine years late, but we never got into it while it was on TV in the first place. We bought the DVD set for season one after several recommendations, and we got hooked right away.

Agent Jack Bauer is a pretty tough guy with a soft spot for his family. Many of you have already seen all of this, but for those that haven’t, here’s a quick summary of what is happening. The series follows a day-in-the-life of Special Agent Jack Bauer who works for the Counter Terrorism Unit of the United States. (CTU, for those in the know.) At midnight, CTU gets a tip that a Presidential Candidate is the target of a terrorist organization, and gets to work. Meanwhile, Jack’s Daughter and eventually wife get kidnapped by the same group, forcing Jack to do some things they want in order to keep them safe. However, while some things Jack does are outside of his orders, and even against the law, He does his very best to maintain His integrity and follow through with his original assignment to keep the Candidate Safe.

Meanwhile, on the Campaign Trail, Senator David Palmer (the aforementioned candidate) is faced with several integrity issues of his own. He discovers his son was involved in an accident seven years ago, and his wife and kids have kept it from him. Several of his high-paying campaign donors are also involved in keeping some damaging information about this accident away from the media because they really want him in office. In order to keep it quiet, they do some things that are illegal as well. As it turns out Senator Palmer goes public himself with all of this, in spite of what it may do to his career as a politician.

We are exactly one episode away from finishing this first season, and so far, I’ve really related to both of these men. Not, because I’m a tough guy, and certainly not because of my love of politics, but because I see two men who love their family, are doing the best they can to do their jobs well, and they are trying very hard to maintain a life of integrity. This is who I want to be. I WANT to be a good husband and father. I WANT to do my job well, and I WANT to maintain a life of integrity.

I will be the first to admit that I do act selfishly. I’m not immune to that. But I would like to believe that once I realize what I’m doing, I take steps to correct the problem, and even apologize to those who have been slighted or hurt by what I’ve done. I’ve had to apologize to my wife and children on more than one occasion. I hope that what I’ve taught my boys is not that living a perfect life is what I expect from them, but rather that they do their best to live according to what is Right, and when they do make mistakes to own up to them and to accept responsibility for their actions.

Unfortunately, in the world today there are many people who don’t really care about integrity. They do what they want to do, and have little or no regard for the possible consequences. They don’t consider how their actions could negatively (or even positively) affect others, it’s all centered around self. Instead of taking responsibility, they look for someone else to blame, or make excuses and dismiss their mistakes. I see too many students adopting this lifestyle, and it scares me. What scares me more is that in some cases, the folks we depend on to hold people accountable for their actions are also those who have a philosophy that excuses and enables this lack of integrity. Eventually, no one will be held accountable for what they’ve done, and all you will need is a good excuse to dismiss your wrong-doing.

Could I be over stating or taking this a bit too dramatically? I actually hope so, because then none of what I fear will come to bear. But why take chances? If more people lived a life of integrity, it would not eradicate conflict. There would still be disagreements, but the way these are settled would certainly be more civil and not so prone to harmful outcomes. If we all took a bit more time to think about how each of our options will affect others, I believe there would be a drastic, noticeable change in our society, and that it would happen quickly.

While all of Jack Bauer’s plans have not been perfect, and he is not without his faults, at least he appears to be trying to do the right thing in the whacked-out circumstances he’s facing. That, I believe, is what seems to keep him going, has earned him quite a few supporters, and is an admirable quality. I can’t say the same for that surprise traitor...

Wind-Up Cars

It’s been awhile, and I regret that. I like to put things down because I remember them better that way, and too many times there have been things worth remembering that I forgot because I didn’t type them out or write them down. My loss.

I did see something yesterday that caused me to want to get back to this blog. As my family and I were driving home from church, we approached a rather busy intersection. As we were turning right, the light for those wishing to proceed straight ahead changed to green and the line of traffic began to move forward.

I heard one of those cars that had the modifications to make it sound “cooler” and louder, which really just make them sound like glorified wind-up cars. For a reason unknown to me, I felt the need to turn and look, and when I did I saw that someone in one of these wind-up cars felt the need to zoom around the first car in the line of forward proceeding traffic. Not really such a big deal in the grand scheme of things, right? Except that they did this in the middle of the intersection that was already limited in space, and placed others in danger because of their impatience.

To make it more ridiculous, if that little wind-up car had waited all of 3 more seconds to get across the intersection, the road becomes a two-lane road and they would have had plenty of room to make the pass safely and legally. But alas, that was not the case, and as a result, they have become the focus of my blog and will internationally be known as that “irresponsible wind-up car.”

Okay, so it’s not that international, but it still helped me to remember how incredibly selfish we are becoming in our world. So much of what it marketed is done by appealing to our sense of self. We are encouraged to grab all we can, and not just worry about the consequences later, but don’t even consider what consequences could even occur. This is a dangerous line of thinking that is catching up to us more quickly than any of us would like. Too many innocent bystanders have become victims to someone else’s selfishness, and there is no one being held responsible for that.

For those of us that claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, and hold to His teachings found all through His Word (the Bible), this type of selfishness is not new. It is a worldly teaching that has existed as long as people. Adam and Even decided they wanted to have something bad enough to go against God to get it. King David wanted someone else’s wife, so he took it. The Pharisees wanted their traditions and laws so much that they missed the Messiah standing before them.

Jesus makes it simple: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

Love God, and Love Others. Doesn’t require a lot of complicated steps to remember this. BUT, it does not make it easy. Loving God and others requires putting aside selfishness, and that can prove to be difficult. BUT, if we at least lean towards trying hard to do this, I believe that could be a huge turning point in our world. It’s asking a great deal of people who do not choose to follow Christ, but if those that do claim Christ would shake off this worldly behavior and live more selflessly, we would make a greater impact than we know, and then maybe the wind-up cars would be more careful. Maybe then I wouldn’t mind the wind-up cars so much.