The Hats We Wear

There are hats for all seasons and for all occasions.  The hat that may be proper for one event or venue may not be considered so for another.  Each is made of different material, perhaps shaped differently or suited to a very specific purpose.  Such is the fabric of our lives.

As we journey through this life, we will figuratively wear many hats.  For me a few are Christian, husband, dad, writer, co-worker, employee, leader, supervisor, neighbor, friend, and so on.  The list of your hats/responsibilities tends to increase with age.  We start out with few responsibilities and relationships, but as we grow into adulthood we tend to become avid hat collectors.  This can be a good thing, or it can cut the other way when we are ill prepared.

My goal is for each of us to look at the roles and responsibilities (hats) in our lives and examine how best to wear them, or to prepare for others that may be to come.  This then becomes an exercise in self reflection and self awareness.  Neither of these are things that seem to come easy for the majority of us, but as we hone this skill we find great value.

5 Critical Questions for Self Reflection

What are the roles I currently play or expect to play in the future?

This is the most basic part of the assessment

Who depends upon me, and for what?

This question begins to determine the magnitude of each role

How am I succeeding in each role?

This gives us the opportunity to feel some positive mojo

How am I underperforming in each role?

This allows us to highlight areas that need a tune-up

What do I need to do to capitalize upon the things I am doing well,

while acquiring the knowledge or skills to improve those I am not?

This is where we put the assessment to work

I don't know where you will go from here, but do know that Solomon put this into perspective for us with some of his writings in Ecclesiastes:

To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born,

and a time to die;

A time to plant,

and a time to Pluck what is planted;

A time to kill,

and a time to heal;

A time to break down,

and a time to build up;

A time to weep,

and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,

and a time to gather stones,

A time to embrace,

and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

and a time to lose;

A time to keep,

and a time to throw away;

A time to tear,

and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

and a time to speak;

A time to love,

and a time to hate;

A time of war,

and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NKJV

Solomon, the ultimate man who "had it all", was a deeply troubled soul.  In the book of Ecclesiastes he takes a very hard look at his life which can serve as a model for us today.  Are we willing to take such a close look at our lives?  Will we acknowledge the errors in judgment that we have made?  I believe firmly that when we are willing to be as introspective as the great King, then we can gain great insight to guide our future.  This week I challenge you to take a look at the book of Ecclesiastes, and concurrently examine your own life framed by the five questions above.  If you will do these two things I believe it is a fast start for us to better wear our many hats, and to Make Today GREAT! 

The Spirit of the Season

Webster’s Online Dictionary defines gratitude as the state of being grateful; thankfulness.  It goes on to list the following synonyms:

• Appreciation
• Appreciativeness
• Thanks
• Thankfulness

These are all words we should get a better grasp of in our daily lives, and even more so if we are Christians.  Blessings truly do abound when we take a look around us.

In our church the minister has been doing a powerful series of lessons on thankfulness as we lead up to this Thursday’s holiday.  The point however is not to build up the idea of gratitude and containing to this one day and the days surrounding it, but rather to instill in us a spirit of gratitude at all times.

Many of us would recognize the biblical principle found in I Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing”.  However we often forget how this is bookended by two other short verses that really speak to the idea of gratitude.

Rejoice always,

Pray without ceasing,

In everything give thanks.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Too often we get caught up with moaning and groaning about what we don’t have, or “missed out on” clearly violating the first of these three admonitions.  Then we fail to pray, not only by not having the constant spirit of prayer that is suggested, but with an improper mindset, forgetting to seek the Lord’s will and chasing after our own.  Which brings us to our third violation which is not being thankful for the things we have been blessed with.  The temptation in our fast paced world of instant gratification and consumerism is to want what we want and want it now, if not yesterday.  We forget that God’s timing does not always match with ours, and that perhaps the things we want could be bad for us, so He may be withholding them as a protection to us.

Now, with all that being said I would like to share with you a few of the things for which I am thankful and have been listing in my personal journal over recent weeks:

• A warm and loving wife who works hard, maybe too hard, for our family
• A faithful daughter who is bright and beautiful inside and out, and is on course to be a wonderful adult
• God’s daily provision of food, drink, shelter, clothing and medicines
• A great place to work surrounded by people with servant’s hearts
• Great communities in which to live, work, and serve
• The ability to see God in His creation all around us
• The gentle flow of rivers and streams and their calming power
• The Word of God that gives us direction
• The encouragement of others

I will say that I am not as consistent as I could be at writing in my journal, but each day that I do I have begun to write at least 3 things for which I am grateful.  This is a tremendous exercise to put us in the proper mindset to start the day.  Writers and speakers such as Zig Ziglar, Andy Andrews, and many others I am certain, have written and spoken about this as a way to gain the proper perspective, and I for one am a believer.

This week don’t go out and be thankful, just because there is a day that our country has set aside to be thankful.  I urge you to set a course where everyday is one filled with a thankful heart. I would love to see some short lists or items from some of you proclaiming your thankfulness.  Look around and find the blessings great and small that surround you in every way.  If you will, then you are very likely to Make Today Great!

Battlefields and Burial Grounds

Yesterday my wife, daughter, and I spent a good portion of our morning at Shiloh National Military Park, a place like several others in our country, where you can feel the history.  It was once a Civil War battleground, and is now a cemetery, and reminder of the dark days of our past.  Considering that it is a place shrouded in the chaos of war, it is now one of the most serene places I have ever visited.  It is hard to imagine the intensity of the fight as brother fought with brother during the Civil War, in beautiful locations such as this sprinkled across our vast and varied landscape. 

These memorial grounds where the dead of battle are buried and forever entombed have many lessons to teach us, if we are willing to seek them out.  Today I feel the need for us to consider the battles that surround us.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,

but against principalities, against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this age,

against spiritual hosts of wickedness

in the heavenly places."

Ephesians 6:12

My question is what, or more importantly who, are we burying in today's battleground?  While there is most definitely a spiritual war taking place are we recognizing the walking wounded?  The battle call is real, and we must recognize that what we are seeing is on a far greater scale than the great conflict between the states.  

When we walk the paths of our daily lives it is easy to overlook those that may be struggling in their battles.  The signs may not be obvious, but they are present.  As soldiers in the Army of the Lord, Christians, we must train daily to understand the enemy's strengths, and weaknesses as well as our own.  By recognizing these we can construct a battle plan, and we can escape with Christ's victory in tact.

In the noisy, smoke-filled battlefields of war brave soldiers would risk their lives to charge onto the battlefield in an effort to recover or save their fellow fighters.  When is the last time we have done that on the spiritual battlefield?  The risks we are willing to take seem minuscule, partly due to the nature of the modern spiritual battlefield.  They are risks we must take.  The kingdom of God needs more brave souls who are willing to do more, fight harder, and risk it all for their brothers and sisters who are wounded and dying in the battle.

So what does this take?  Effort, plain and simple.  If we will dedicate ourselves to putting effort into our walk of faith, it will surely grow.  No one planted a garden and then failed to tend it and expected a bountiful harvest, the expectation included effort.  Such is the battlefield of life.  Unless we get our priorities aligned properly, our battlefields will grow darker, and the light of His Word will become a dim glimmer in the distance as we face the cold realities of the harsh battlefield. 

Get familiar with Ephesians 6:13-20.  This passage talks about the "whole armor of God", and is a wise starting point to understand how we fight in both the offensive and defensive postures of this spiritual warfare.  Take a look, be engaged in the battle, not just letting it happen around you.  Together with God, we know that in the end we have victory, but we can also win in these skirmishes and rescue others from the battlefield attending to their needs.

I ask you to consider these things, and Make Today GREAT! 

Living on the Edge

Most of us have likely heard the phrase, hope springs eternal, coined by Alexander Pope.  Living a life full of hope and possibilities is a great way to live, and certainly beats the alternative viewpoint of gloom and doom.

On Friday night I attended a high school football game here in my hometown between the two public high schools.  Paragould's Rams vs. Tech's Eagles.  This is a true rivalry game where the two school districts intertwine and distinct district borders went out the window many years ago with various consolidations.  Neither school has enjoyed a great deal of success on the gridiron, leaving this game as the most important on the schedule slated for the final game each season.

This year, if I am not mistaken, both teams came into the game with a 1-8 record. Records no longer mattered, it was time to do battle for "the Bell", a trophy that is retained each year by the winning school.  As the game unfolded it was back and forth and by early in the third quarter it was Paragould 21 and Tech 21.  The game appeared to be an epic showdown and then the Rams pulled ahead to a 35-21 lead.  

That's where the "hope springs eternal" phrase comes into play.  The Tech kids would not give up, the horn had not sounded so they still had hope.  Late in the fourth quarter the Eagles secured another touchdown bringing the score to 35-28, and though hope was running out with each tick of the clock, hope was not dead.  A series of events unfolded that left the Eagles with the ball, a last breath of hope and very little time remaining, while the Rams led the game and had hope that clock would soon hit 0:00.  Eventually there would be a final play with the ball around midfield and the clock read 0:04.  Tech went to the old bag of tricks and against all logic ran what appeared to be a pitch sweep play around the right end, but the back then tossed the ball back across the field to the quarterback on a lateral near the left sideline.  The quarterback did not catch the ball cleanly and it hit the ground adding to the madness.  He then picked the ball up and sent a pass spiraling toward the end zone where a receiver was about as open as he could get catching the ball after the horn had sounded bringing the score to 35-34.

In football if there is a score on the final play the scoring team has the opportunity to attempt the point after conversion despite the clock having run out.  In this situation most teams would opt to kick the extra point and bring the score to a 35-35 tie if successful and head into overtime.  Tech however kept their offense on the field and opted to take the 2 point conversion option and put it all on the line with one play to either win or lose.  As most of the crowd on both sides stood in stunned disbelief at what had just occurred I asked the Tech faculty member standing beside me, "is this gutsy or stupid?"  A question to which he shook his head in indecision and his wife replied, "we'll see in a minute."  

The play started with a clean snap to the quarterback who rolled out to the right and made a pass that seemed to hang in the air, as if in slow motion, that was caught by an again stunningly open receiver.  The two point conversion was complete and the victory was secured.  Hope had carried one team through, and for the other hope had run out for this week and season.

In our walk of faith we are bolstered by hope.  Job was a man who went through more than most of us could imagine but had his hope in God.  Eliphaz the Temanite reminded Job of this in saying;

"Is not your reverence your confidence?

And the integrity of your ways your hope?

Job 4:6

Scripture also tells us where to place our hope;

"Be of good courage,

and He shall strengthen your heart,

all you who hope in the Lord."

Psalm 31:24

I urge you to put your hope in God.  Live with the hope of the faithful, understanding that there is more to life than meets the eye.  There is a place beyond that we should strive for, in faith.  Unlike the opportunity for a conversion after the buzzer at the football game, when the clock hits 0:00 our hopes or our fears will be fully realized.  Don't live on the edge!  Make a decision today, follow Christ and take on the hope and joy that will carry you through each day despite the ups and downs of life.  This would be a wonderful way to Make Today Great!

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!