4 Lessons from "The Joy of Painting" with Bob Ross

Who among you recognizes this guy?  In case you aren't familiar, this is Bob Ross whose show "The Joy of Painting"was a staple of Public Broadcasting System programming for many years.  There is no way to know how many times I have seen this show over the course of my life, or how many "happy little trees" I have witnessed him painting, but it grabs my attention every time I run across it.

Last night as we were settling into bed and I was flipping through the television channels (bad sleep hygiene, I'm aware) I ran across "The Best of Joy of Painting" on our local PBS affiliate, and if you have ever come across these shows they are mesmerizing.  This strange looking fella standing in front of an easel using what most artists would consider unorthodox methods to create beautiful paintings all while encouraging others to do the same with step by step instruction and the softest grandfatherly voice coaxing you to the finish. 

Anyone who knows me very well at all can attest that I am no artist, yet this intrigues me.  Their are multiple lessons to be learned by watching programming like this:

1) We must have a vision.  Mr. Ross looks into a blank canvas and envisions beautiful mountain streams surrounded by stones, brush, trees and wildflowers.  With each stroke, poke, and scrape of his tools he takes a step toward that vision.

" Where there is no vision,

the people perish;

but He that keepeth 

the Law, happy is he."

Proverbs 29:18

2) Unorthodox or unconventional methods are not a problem.  The goal is to move toward your vision, even moreso the vision God has for your life.  It is not always easy, and we don't always have the same set of tools as others.  Your gifts and talents and my gifts and talents are not the same, as a result we may, and likely will, go about the same task in a different manner.  I would recommend we each take a look at I Corinthians 12 for more on this matter.  Below are a couple of excerpts from that rich chapter of scripture:

"Now there are diversities of gifts,

but the same spirit."

I Corinthians 12:4

"but the manifestation of the Spirit

is given to every man to profit withal."

I Corinthians 12:7

3) Encourage others.  A simple encouraging word can be just the difference someone needs in their day.  It costs you nothing and can be treasured by the one who receives it.  Mr. Ross was an encourager as he produced these paintings, and by the accounts I have seen in how he conducted his life as well.

"but exhort one another daily,

while it is still called today;

lest any of you be hardened

through the deceitfulness of sin."

Hebrews 3:13

4) Slow down.  Life in the 21st century goes as such a hectic pace.  Take a moment slow down and enjoy some simple pleasures.  It could be watching "The Joy of Painting" with Bob Ross, reading a great book (I would recommend anything by Andy Andrews), or listening to music that soothes or smoothes the soul ( I personally enjoy Michael Buble, Dean Martin, and Nora Jones for this).

"Wherefore my beloved brethren,

let every man be swift to hear,

slow to speak,

slow to wrath."

James 1:19

If we will build our abilities in these areas it is my contention that we will have a richer, healthier life.  You won't know until you try, so join with me this week as we put these items to the test to Make Today GREAT!

Lofty Expectations

The expectations conundrum is one of life's more difficult dilemmas.  How do we balance our desire to succeed against the realities of a competitive world, and the unexpected challenges that it may throw our way?  This is a big part of learning and ultimately succeeding at whatever we endeavor to accomplish.

Most, if not all, of us like to set goals and achieve them, whether formal or informal in nature.  If you are a regular reader of "Workout Your Faith", then you know that I speak often about goals and the way we go about setting them, and/or achieving them.  Today I want to look primarily at the dirty dark side of the situation, when we don't live up to our expectations.  How do we handle it?  What comes next?  Did I fail?  These are a few of the questions I need to look into with you, so that we can all come out better on the other side.

As I write I have just completed a week that has shown two variations in how this works, one from my own experience and the other from observing my daughter.  The difference is stark, and one must consider the difference in age and maturity level between a 48 (soon to be) 49 year old, and that of a 16 year old, but I find it illustrative nonetheless.

In my corporate position we have been involved for months with an audit of our financial records by a contractor for the federal government.  This is not an audit because of any criminal wrongdoing, but a part of the growing oversight to determine that government dollars are being used in the most appropriate manner possible (remember that budget deficit and national debt stuff).  This past Monday when I returned to the office we had finally received the draft report from the auditors that will be given to the agency with whom we are contracted to begin the next phase of the audit process, the error correction phase.

The report outlined the issues that the auditors found with our processes and systems, and how these few areas were deficient under the regulations.  As a matter of expectation none of the items were a tremendous surprise.  When you are a small organization and deal with the tremendous complexities of government regulation, it is not unusual to miss something or not fully understand the ramifications of seemingly small items.  My disappointment in the audit findings then was not tremendous.  Yes we all want a clean audit, no matter the field we are in, or who is doing the oversight, but we also realize these people are here to make us better.  It is when we adopt this attitude that we will succeed.  Those who oversee us and can in the proper context guide us to improvement are to be respected and followed.

In the church it might look like this:

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.  Yes, all of you be

 submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 

"God resists the proud,

but gives grace to the humble."

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

I Peter 1:5-7

On the other end of the scale is the disappointment such as my daughter faced this week.  Olivia is a bright, talented, energetic, overachieving sophomore at a local high school.  Yesterday was the annual audition for the All-Region choir which she was a part of last year at the Jr. High level, and by the way when these choirs get together and sing it is a beautiful thing, especially to an old sports guy that missed the boat when it came to the arts back in my youth.  Unfortunately Friday rolled around and she was not feeling well, and yesterday morning early, even as we were rolling into the parking lot to catch the bus to the audition, she said, "I can't do it."  Then as we exited the car and walked to the door to notify the choir director there was a change of heart (less than two minutes from "I can't do it.")  So off she went knowing in her heart that she was not at her best.  Several hours later her number was called for the audition.  The time she had put in was being put to the test, and then the waiting would begin.  We picked her up and of course the first question we had was, "how did it go?"  The truthful response, "terrible".  It is understood from the viewpoint of a parent that it is difficult to perform at your highest levels when you do not feel well.  In the eyes of youth it may be known, but that knowledge doesn't cross the threshold of our mind to the emotional side.  So as the waiting persisted, and she started to feel a little better physically, her level of expectation (even though she termed her performance terrible) rose, and she fully expected to be named to one of the All-Region honor choirs.  Alas, the call came late last evening, and reality set in.  There would be no honor choir this year.  Yes we were, and continue to be, disappointed for her.  No it isn't easy consoling our kids in their disappointment.  However, we will see over the next several days what she is made of, in how she responds to the disappointment.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

so are the children of one's youth.

Psalm 127:4

Our job as parents will be to make sure her arrow remains on point, and aimed in the proper direction.  Her job will be to assess her preparation and performance, as well as the reality of her decision to perform in light of her illness.  We as parents are proud of her for showing commitment and sticktoitiveness in carrying on despite her illness, and yet we must help her temper her emotions and re-connect the realities of the situation to the emotions she has felt.

As we all set goals and seek success with the various aspects of our lives we must remember to keep the connections clear between the realities of the world and the emotions and desires of our heart.  Some have said,

"I never fail, as long as I learn from my failures"

I like that.  That is an attitude that will propel you forward.  Forward, with a few occasional steps back for perspective, is the direction we need to be heading.  A winning attitude will help us all to Make Today Great!

Changing of the Seasons

This week in Northeast Arkansas we finally started seeing signs of fall.  A few cooler days and nights, with the beginnings of the color change of the trees.  It is the cycle of life.

Seasons come and go in our environment, marking the time. It is by these cycles that our minds and bodies process various stimuli and set many of our plans in motion.  Each season requires, if not demands, a different response and sense of duty.

The seasons of our life mirror this as well.  Solomon spoke with poetic elegance about this throughout the book of Ecclesiastes particularly in the well known verses of Chapter 3.  Youth with its exuberance is a prelude to the beginning years of adulthood which are filled with great energy for most, as they chart the course of their families and careers.  Then there are the busy days of raising that family and furthering our careers. Followed by what most hope will be the peaceful easy days of retirement.  This is then followed by the final chapter when we all wind down toward the final destination, often battling significant illness and profound weakness.

In the beginning we often can't do much for ourselves, and in then end this tends to ring true again.  This means we all need to take care of the stages that intervene to maximize our joys and experiences while we can.  I am not calling for us all to become hedonists, seeking only self pleasure, rather I am advocating that we seek happiness within our joy.  Here is my list of best practices for finding this rhythm in our lives:

TC's Top 4 Tips for Living a Full Life

1. Know God and serve Him.  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
2. Love and be loved. Romans 12:10
3. Work. Exodus 20:9, Ecclesiastes 5:12
4. Have a mindset of abundance Philippians 4:12

While I am no expert, I have been a careful observer over the years and believe that we often take on the world in one of two ways.  Either we go out and live life to the extreme of frugality neither seeking nor finding joy while waiting for our "golden years" when we intend to enjoy the fruits of our labors, or we live in the "squandering quandary" where we live only for today and have absolutely no concern for tomorrow.  Each of these extremes will tend to rob at least a portion of our joy.  Having spent the last 11 years of my life working with the frail elderly, growing in my church and community service, and seeing the aging process in my own parents and extended family, I have moved across the spectrum from a mindset of scarcity and wanting to save everything possible for retirement toward the middle of the road.  I no longer want to dwell so much upon the future that I cannot enjoy the present, within the bounds of good faith.

What ideas do you have for living your life?  I would value your thoughts on this as I continue to refine my own.  God set us up to live in community with one another so that we could learn from one another, and be there to give aid and comfort.  I hope that you will consider where you are today, where you want to be tomorrow, and how to find the greatest joy in your life (hint: it starts with Christ).  Go out and Make Today GREAT! 

Declutter: It really is necessary

Do you struggle with the mundane?  It is often easier for us to deal with the big overarching projects that come into our lives than dealing with the mundane, day to day activities of life.  Yet those actions that we postpone or delay often lead us into difficult corners, that can sour our disposition and turn into huge time-suckers.

Today we need to talk about a few things in the realm of organization.  This idea of organization has been on my mind for quite a while now.  In my workplace I have been on a slow purge around my desk and on my computer, meticulously reviewing those items that I have stored to determine if they are still needed.  On the home front we have been preparing for the ultimate exercise in futility, the garage sale.

With organization and purging at the top of my mind I spent some time this past Friday listening to a presentation on that very topic from an organization expert, Lisa Montanaro.  She had several interesting thoughts here are 3 of the things that I found to be the most thought provoking:

3 Thoughts on Organization

1.  "Clutter = Delayed Decisions"  when we delay or leave things undone those items become physical or mental clutter.
2. Just like the way we are all best able to learn in different ways, we also organize in different forms.  Whatever we do must be something that works for us.
3. Metadecisions - Setup rules for yourself that force you to take action.  She gave the example of your her email box and the rule she has set that she if she has to scroll to see her emails she has too many and must address.

By clarifying and purging we not only free space in our homes, offices, and vehicles but we raise our efficiency and often open up pockets of time that we did not realize we had.  This is huge because most of us seem to struggle with time despite the fact that we all have the same amount, 86,400 seconds per day.  The more often we delay these decisions or actions the more likely we are to end up with a choppy, out of flow life that leaves us confused, frustrated, and tired.

So, you might ask, how does this impact my faith?  That last thought alone of confusion, frustration, and tiredness impacts our faith in very real ways.  When we are facing any, or more likely, all of those we will delay faith-building activities, choosing to rest rather than heading to worship, or vegetate on the couch watching TV rather than engaging in meaningful discussions with our family or spending time in the Bible.

From God's perspective here are a couple of th0ughts to consider:

Psalm 33:11

"The counsel of the Lord

stands forever,

the plans of His heart

to all generations."

God is a planner.  We speak of the plans He has for us, and the plan of salvation, but forget that we are created in His image.

Genesis 1:26

Then God said,

"Let us make man in our image,

according to our likeness;

let them have dominion

over the fish of the sea,

over the birds of the air,

and over the cattle,

over all the earth

and

over every creeping thing

that creeps on the earth."

So, if God is a planner and we are made in His image, then perhaps we too should be planners.  That thing about having dominion goes to the information and items that come into our life just as the fish, birds, cattle and creeping things in the passage above.  

This week let us all be challenged to de-clutter our lives and find the treasures that may be lurking in the midst, or more importantly the time and energy to better serve God and family.  If you do, then you stand a better chance to Make today GREAT!

The Best Advice

Friday morning, while eating breakfast, I was scrolling through Instagram, as I often do, and ran across a post from @achievetheimpossible that requested the following:

"Share your best piece of

advice in 4 words or less."

I must admit that I don't frequently weigh in on these types of requests but this one struck a chord on this particular morning.  So I played along by offering this:

"Trust God fully."

Shortly after, there was a reply that showed on this from another reader which read:

"That's pretty crap advice for 

anyone who doesn't believe in a god."

My ire burned quickly and I wanted to issue an immediate and intensely emotional response, but I waited.  The question of what is an appropriate response rolled around in my head off and on all day long.  As I write I have not responded but feel that this is good discussion material for this very blog post.

I believe that there are a multitude of ways that this could be responded to appropriately, and the scripture that comes to mind most prominently is Proverbs 26:4 which states:

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

lest you also be like him.

(NKJV)

Scripture also tells us in Psalm 14:1 that:

The fool has said in his heart,

"There is no God". . . 

Personally I find it unfathomable to think that someone could look at all the complexity of the world and the beauty of creation and believe that it all happened by random chance.  In this case it seems that the words of an unknown author might be applicable:

"Better to remain silent and be 

thought a fool than to 

speak out and remove all doubt."

With this in mind I finally decided not to respond, and ultimately determined that this person likely was looking to create a situation that might lead to a back and forth that did not glorify God.  Beyond the words of my detractor I must remember that he or she is also human, was given a free will, and as Genesis 1:26 tells us, made in the image of God.

Then God said, 

"Let us make man in our image,

according to our likeness. . ."

With that I will choose to stir your thoughts on how you might respond or react to a similar situation.  There are plenty of people out there who look to goad Christians into saying or doing things that are in their worldly nature, but against the better principles of what we believe.  In fact, just yesterday I heard a minister say, "if we are to accept the grace of God, then we MUST also be willing to extend it to others."  Wow, does God know how to put the right people, with the right words in front of us just when we need them or what?

I am thankful for the wisdom that God provides in His word.  I am thankful for the people who have influenced me by the grace they have shown.  I am thankful for the challenges that come before me that help raise the bar of my faith.  I am thankful for this forum in which to share my thoughts, and the opportunity that it provides to help each of you grow as well. Finally I pray that this detractor will find what he or she needs in order to recognize the necessity for a belief in God.

I would love to get your thoughts on this subject.  How would you have responded?  I will end by reiterating the initial piece of advice that started this whole thing:

Trust God Fully!

Doing this will go a long way toward Making today GREAT!