Thanks for nothing Starbucks

I bought a very overpriced beverage at Starbucks. Hoping the free wi-fi thing had kicked, I plunked down to log in. Nope. I had to use the pizza place’s free wifi from next door. Seriously. How much is wifi a month? Seriously.

Prayer

I am reading a book called Pivotal Praying by John Hull and Tim Elmore. Chapter 8 starts out with this prayer, which is definitely one I needed to pray today—

“I’m tired of waiting for results. Help me to see what you are up to. Do you want me to do something different from what I am asking? Do you want to change me or stretch me in some way? Help me to trust you with the results. You lead. I’ll keep following. Amen.”

Gunky

I heard in several places that the keyboard is one of the dirtiest pieces of equipment on the planet. So I cleaned mine today. Here is a tech guide if you need help figuring out how to do it. Not recommended for laptop keyboards though.

 

http://www.thetechzone.com/?m=show&id=431&page=1

Social networking can’t

…give you a hug when you are feeling frustrated

…visit you in the hospital and bring you flowers

…help you change a flat tire or help you move

…meet you for breakfast, look in your eyes, and see the passion you have about your vision

…shake your hand

…go to the baseball game and eat dollar night hotdogs

…celebrate your kids marriage with you

…type this post by itself without any fingers or voice

Seriously, social networking can’t and should not replace the human elements. People are holing up in their homes and diving off into electroville. Come out folks. Experience life with someone in person today.

Google Calendar

OK. I know I am a bit late to the party. But I am starting to dig Google Calendar. The SMS messaging reminder aspect is a neat feature. And it’s ability to conjoin other calendars is pretty nifty. I really feel my reason for being on the earth is to find a way to live without Microsoft of Apple products. And web based apps are becoming more norm these days. There is also an open source replacement for word, excel, and powerpoint. I might at some point. Right now though I am still goofing around with Google apps.

Discipline

A man or woman that doesn’t discipline their kids is simply offloading responsibilities. It’s kind of interesting really. I can remember doing youth ministry for 12 years. I could normally tell the kids that got inconsistent and inadequate discipline. I could pick them out of my youth group and any other youth group I might be hanging around with.

I suppose by most standards, we are pretty strict in our household. But we have a ton of conversations. I make sure that I talk out the issues with my kids. I don’t want to simply punish them. I want to mold them and shape them and help them think and process critically. I want them to understand why the actions or words were poor, what the outcome was, what the outcome could have been, and how they can be better prepared for the next time.

I think consistency and forewarning are good ways to discipline. And if you lay out guidelines and consequences, you should follow it up. Kids know if you are soft. They know if you aren’t going to follow through. And if you aren’t going to follow through, then you aren’t a person of your word.

I preached at a parents meeting about 7 years ago. And here is what I said that continues to remind me to stay close to my kids in discipline and instruction and encouragement - “we can’t expect the children’s ministry and youth department to do in one hour a week what wasn’t done in eight years.” Still holds true today don’t ya think? It’s not too late. Be consistent. Be true to your word. Talk. Have the conversations. If you aren’t talking to your kids about what you want them to change, they may not change then. You have the opportunity to shape an amazing person.

Stuff I Need

I find my time is ridiculously consumed lately. And I need some help.

I need someone to take my laundry to the cleaners for dry cleaning.
I need someone to make my favorite meal.
I need someone to drive my kids to school for me and pick them up.
I need someone to help manage the household finances.
I need someone to keep our house clean and organized.
I need someone to run errands and pick up groceries.

Oh wait. My wife does all that stuff. Hey, Kandy, I do notice. I do appreciate it. I do think you are the MVP of our house. And you are not even on steroids.

Refining

I have found the longer I go in ministry, the more refining I experience. Purity and holiness are constantly character traits I have to work on. It can’t be done without Christ and His work. But it can’t be done either if I don’t willfully participate.

Refining requires that I simply say no to things, to movies, to events, to whatever might pull me away spiritually from Christ. It means I have to routinely evaluate my thoughts, emotions, actions, and responses. It’s what Paul said when he advised that all things may be lawful but not all thins are profitable.

I want to keep praying for refining. I want to reserve myself for God. I want to be filled with ideas and thoughts and responses that bring glory to God. It’s tough. It’s challenging. But refining is a normal process for a leader.

I remember a great quote that has always challenged me. When I get to Heaven, I don’t want to have to change very much at the entrance.

Feeling Unorganized

I don’t know what it is but lately I have been feeling unorganized. You know how you are walking the dog and the leash jumps out of your hand and you are chasing after the dog and leash? That’s how I feel at the moment.

Side note. We have had three dogs since we first got married. And we named all three of them Bruno. It just made things simpler. What were they? Cocker Spaniel. Maltese. Maltipoo. Top choice? Maltese. What happened to them? All given away. Why? Our family doesn’t do animals well.

Cinco De Cat Meat

So in honor of Cinco De Mayo, our family did it’s part and went out for Mexican food last night. And I had a lively discussion with our waiter. I have been to Mexico a few times. He was from Mexico. We ended up talking about delicacies around the world. In Mexico City for instance, one of the delicacies there is ant eggs. And then we move on to what other people eat around the world. And yes, the conversation eventually ended with a discussion on people who eat cats.

I had to remind my family that in the beginning, God told Adam to take dominion over the earth. I am pretty sure, though, that he didn’t say anything about eating cats.