Jenny Dog went for one of her thankfully infrequent tours of the neighborhood yesterday morning. One of her favorite parts of the day is when Eloise leaves for the university. Jenny is allowed to go out front on a leash to check out the front yard. Yesterday she managed to get out of her collar and check out the whole neighborhood -- with me following along as closely as I could to retrieve her. After about 10 minutes, Eloise pulled up in the car, and Jenny happily climbed into the back seat.
Most of the time I was chasing her and even after we had her back in the house, my thoughts were about how to prevent this in the future. Some were about how to discipline her. I had several ideas, and may yet implement one or more of them.
But then the idea that maybe God just used Jenny to force me to take a brisk walk occurred to me. You see, I'm not as faithful to my exercise as I need to be. What if God merely allowed Jenny to escape so that I would do what I needed to be doing? Is it possible that God would use a dog to intervene in a human life? Was God just trying to get my attention?
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Spiritual Training
I've read several books on "spiritual disciplines" over the years and found them helpful. I keep picking up new ones, though, hoping that the next one will help me take a giant step instead of the baby steps I seem to prefer.
John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted is the latest, and in many ways the most helpful. Perhaps it's because Ortberg explains the purpose of spiritual disciplines in a way that finally got through to me.
I recommend giving this book some study, even making it the first book you read on spiritual disciplines if you have not studied the subject before. I found it particularly helpful in providing perspective, if not always fully satisfying in its treatment of some specific aspects.
John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted is the latest, and in many ways the most helpful. Perhaps it's because Ortberg explains the purpose of spiritual disciplines in a way that finally got through to me.
- Spiritual disciplines are a form of spiritual training, like training for anything else. They are not an end to themselves, something you do that in doing confer spirituality. They are exercises to strengthen your spirit in ways that need strengthening. He makes the point that resonates with me that as you look at your life and see areas where growth is needed, that you select disciplines that will provide the exercise needed to allow that growth.
- He draws extensively from previous writers which helped draw together many of the ideas and suggestions I had read before.
I recommend giving this book some study, even making it the first book you read on spiritual disciplines if you have not studied the subject before. I found it particularly helpful in providing perspective, if not always fully satisfying in its treatment of some specific aspects.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Fear Sells, I Buy
Media thrives on fear. It sells newspapers, magazines, TV programming.
If you don't believe it, just think about what makes you click a link on the CNN home page to learn more or what makes you pick up a magazine or stay tuned to the news instead of using the clicker to change channels. Popular topics this week include possible large gasoline price increases, drug side effects, storms, the economy and social security, and avoiding buying a car that will give you lots of problems. Plenty of fuel for worrying. Fear is about what could be, what could happen.
Even casual Bible students are aware that commands and teaching about not being fearful compose one of the most frequent topics in scripture. Not fearing and not worrying are one of the major themes of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Jesus points out that God takes exceptional care of the birds and the flowers, and that he will take even better care of us. And he points out that we have no control over our futures. His message is "Trust God."
Our problem is that we want to trust ourselves. That's my problem for sure. And media suggests that by giving me the right information -- and by me paying attention and reading or listening to their story -- that I can take care of my future.
Our rule for living seems to be, "If I have enough knowledge, I can make the right choices and do the right things so that bad things don't happen to me." And there's just enough truth in that to make it insidious.
The problem is that there is never enough information or knowledge to insure safety, or success, or avoidance of whatever it is that we think will be bad. So no matter how much we learn or how "good" our decisions and plans are, we still face the very real possibility that things will not turn out as we think. That drives us to keep trying to find more information, more knowledge. And that is why media is such a big business.
Bottom line, though, it's about control. Am I in control, or is God in control? Can I get enough knowledge so that I can take care of my future -- so that I can be my own God?
I know down deep that the answer is "No!" So why do I keep trying? Why would I want to be my own God? I know that by myself I'll mess it up. So why not just give it over to God, who already has all the knowledge -- and all the power? Is it because I like to be fearful, because I like to worry?
If you don't believe it, just think about what makes you click a link on the CNN home page to learn more or what makes you pick up a magazine or stay tuned to the news instead of using the clicker to change channels. Popular topics this week include possible large gasoline price increases, drug side effects, storms, the economy and social security, and avoiding buying a car that will give you lots of problems. Plenty of fuel for worrying. Fear is about what could be, what could happen.
Even casual Bible students are aware that commands and teaching about not being fearful compose one of the most frequent topics in scripture. Not fearing and not worrying are one of the major themes of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Jesus points out that God takes exceptional care of the birds and the flowers, and that he will take even better care of us. And he points out that we have no control over our futures. His message is "Trust God."
Our problem is that we want to trust ourselves. That's my problem for sure. And media suggests that by giving me the right information -- and by me paying attention and reading or listening to their story -- that I can take care of my future.
Our rule for living seems to be, "If I have enough knowledge, I can make the right choices and do the right things so that bad things don't happen to me." And there's just enough truth in that to make it insidious.
The problem is that there is never enough information or knowledge to insure safety, or success, or avoidance of whatever it is that we think will be bad. So no matter how much we learn or how "good" our decisions and plans are, we still face the very real possibility that things will not turn out as we think. That drives us to keep trying to find more information, more knowledge. And that is why media is such a big business.
Bottom line, though, it's about control. Am I in control, or is God in control? Can I get enough knowledge so that I can take care of my future -- so that I can be my own God?
I know down deep that the answer is "No!" So why do I keep trying? Why would I want to be my own God? I know that by myself I'll mess it up. So why not just give it over to God, who already has all the knowledge -- and all the power? Is it because I like to be fearful, because I like to worry?
Friday, March 04, 2005
Gone Fishing
Today Eloise and I are going fishing. Mark is jealous because he lives in Midland and the closest fishing hole is several hours away. But he says "if you live by water, you should go fishing."
We'll pack a lunch, I'll throw in my fishing gear, and Eloise will take a good book. Fishing for Eloise is about time away to read a good book, and occasionally to say "Nice fish." Fishing for me is about time away and outside to toss plastic things or flies into "fishy looking water" to see if I can entice a fish to bite. If one decides to play, I bring it in, remove the hook, and send it back to play again. If it's a big one, we'll take a picture before releasing it.
There's something magical that happens to me when I open the gate at 7Lakes. My body seems to throw off stress that has built up.
Part of that is being outdoors, near water and birds and fish and sometimes other interesting creatures. Part of it is being so focused on fishing that other cares and thoughts are put aside.
And part of it is the challenge of "outsmarting" the fish -- using experience and skills that have been developed over time to achieve some measure of success in the day's venture. Perseverance and "hard work" seem to be part of what makes a fishing trip a success, maybe especially when the fish appear to have absolutely no interest in being caught.
Maybe it's mostly about this last part -- the use of experience, skills, and perseverance -- that make going fishing fulfilling. And that's not so different from what we do in other activities in life afterall -- if we are fortunate enough to be able to focus our vocational pursuits on areas where our unique experience and skills combined with perseverance are employed.
We'll pack a lunch, I'll throw in my fishing gear, and Eloise will take a good book. Fishing for Eloise is about time away to read a good book, and occasionally to say "Nice fish." Fishing for me is about time away and outside to toss plastic things or flies into "fishy looking water" to see if I can entice a fish to bite. If one decides to play, I bring it in, remove the hook, and send it back to play again. If it's a big one, we'll take a picture before releasing it.
There's something magical that happens to me when I open the gate at 7Lakes. My body seems to throw off stress that has built up.
Part of that is being outdoors, near water and birds and fish and sometimes other interesting creatures. Part of it is being so focused on fishing that other cares and thoughts are put aside.
And part of it is the challenge of "outsmarting" the fish -- using experience and skills that have been developed over time to achieve some measure of success in the day's venture. Perseverance and "hard work" seem to be part of what makes a fishing trip a success, maybe especially when the fish appear to have absolutely no interest in being caught.
Maybe it's mostly about this last part -- the use of experience, skills, and perseverance -- that make going fishing fulfilling. And that's not so different from what we do in other activities in life afterall -- if we are fortunate enough to be able to focus our vocational pursuits on areas where our unique experience and skills combined with perseverance are employed.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Bring Your Parents to Work Day
Yesterday Eloise and I went to visit Sara at work -- to get the tour and have lunch. Sort of the opposite of "bring your child to work" day.
Over time, you get used to the idea that your children have grown up and are doing well in their careers. But hearing about it and seeing it are two different things. Making our way through the maze that is M.D. Anderson, finding the Sarcoma Center, and being met by Sara wearing her white coat with all the initials following her name and with her stethoscope hanging from her neck somehow make it real. We met all of the people she works with that we've heard about, and we toured the clinic and the inpatient floor where she does her thing. We even got to buy her lunch at the Rotary House before going by and seeing her office in the Faculty Center. All in all, quite impressive. And it makes a parent proud.
Maybe we should lobby to make "Bring Your Parents to Work Day" something official!
Over time, you get used to the idea that your children have grown up and are doing well in their careers. But hearing about it and seeing it are two different things. Making our way through the maze that is M.D. Anderson, finding the Sarcoma Center, and being met by Sara wearing her white coat with all the initials following her name and with her stethoscope hanging from her neck somehow make it real. We met all of the people she works with that we've heard about, and we toured the clinic and the inpatient floor where she does her thing. We even got to buy her lunch at the Rotary House before going by and seeing her office in the Faculty Center. All in all, quite impressive. And it makes a parent proud.
Maybe we should lobby to make "Bring Your Parents to Work Day" something official!
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Getting Out of the Boat
I finished John Ortberg's If You Want to Walk on Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat last night. It's become one of my new favorite books. There are so many thoughts in the book that speak to me that now I have to go back through it specifically to capture some of them. For me, this is one of those books that just reading it isn't enough -- I need to go back through it and process it.
One of the areas that I found most helpful was about fear. What I learned will help me personally, but more, it will help me as I coach others. Weekly I find that fear, usually fear of failure and rejection, keeps people I'm trying to help from taking the steps that would help them find their next job, make a career change, or do something else that is important to them. Ortberg has several ideas I think will be helpful for them.
If you haven't discovered this book yet, I highly recommend it.
One of the areas that I found most helpful was about fear. What I learned will help me personally, but more, it will help me as I coach others. Weekly I find that fear, usually fear of failure and rejection, keeps people I'm trying to help from taking the steps that would help them find their next job, make a career change, or do something else that is important to them. Ortberg has several ideas I think will be helpful for them.
If you haven't discovered this book yet, I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Ronnie White = Preaching
We were in Midland over the weekend visiting Mark and Kathy. One of the side benefits of visiting them is getting to hear Ronnie White preach at Golf Course Road.
Ronnie and Marsha are friends from young adulthood. Along with lots of folks who are still dear friends, we were part of a small group at Westbury, and it was during that experience that the Whites decided to move to Oklahoma City to study for ministry and Ronnie began preaching. As Ronnie attended Oklahoma Christian, we all got to help provide some financial support. So for a lot of reasons, we feel some ownership in what they have been allowed to accomplish in their ministry.
Ronnie is a gifted preacher. He has an ability to connect with people and to communicate in a very personal way. Listening to him speak Sunday, I can't imagine him in any other vocation. It just seems so obvious that he is doing exactly what he was created to do. I'm thankful that his aspirations as golfer, marketing rep, and entrepreneur didn't work out so that he could find what he really was wired to do -- preach.
Ronnie and Marsha are friends from young adulthood. Along with lots of folks who are still dear friends, we were part of a small group at Westbury, and it was during that experience that the Whites decided to move to Oklahoma City to study for ministry and Ronnie began preaching. As Ronnie attended Oklahoma Christian, we all got to help provide some financial support. So for a lot of reasons, we feel some ownership in what they have been allowed to accomplish in their ministry.
Ronnie is a gifted preacher. He has an ability to connect with people and to communicate in a very personal way. Listening to him speak Sunday, I can't imagine him in any other vocation. It just seems so obvious that he is doing exactly what he was created to do. I'm thankful that his aspirations as golfer, marketing rep, and entrepreneur didn't work out so that he could find what he really was wired to do -- preach.
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