Learning and Thankful

I learned some things this week/weekend.
1. Boise, Idaho is a long way from Nashville.
2. There are some really crazy Boise State Broncos fans.
3. The blue football field at BSU is unique and birds mistake it for water and many end their lives crashing into "water" that is really turf.
4. Training for 6 hours makes for a long, rewarding day. I spent a day with 12 youth leaders from AZ, NM, UT, ID, ND, SD, and AK. (I hope I didn't miss a state.) TeamWest
5. People think I have an accent. I do. Everyone has some kind of accent.
6. My wife is an amazing woman. (Not something I just learned but was reminded.)
7. God is incredibly good. He does an awesome job of making a big deal of Himself.
8. The Delta Airlines free upgrade from Seattle to Atlanta was a nice gift.
9. I don't really need much snow in the winter. Got a little snow in Boise but it was nothing like my hometown of Independence that got 10+ inches this week (with more forecast this next week).
10. You DON'T pronounce a Z in Boise (say the se as c). If you say it with a Z it screams, (you ain't from around here are you boy).

11. Flying over downtown Seattle and seeing the Needle makes me feel like an excited little boy.
12. Expressing gratitude to those who serve me is not hard to do and needs to become more common in my behavior.
13. I am overwhelmed that God allows me to represent Him. Make me a worthy ambassador of you Father.
14. Our kids, Shelbi, Mark and Morgan are a true delight to me. Heck, for that matter, Alysha who has been living with us since July is a great blessing in our lives.
15. I am thankful for those who read this blog. You have impacted my life and influenced me in ways that God uses to make me more like His Son.

I am a blessed and thankful dude.

Calling All Servers

So many times I realize that I can be such an arrogant jerk. You might be thinking that sounds like I am being too hard on myself (or in full agreement), but I have a window on my heart that is usually closed off to others.

As I write this, I am on a regional jet flying to Salt Lake City. I am crammed into an exit row seat sitting next to a guy who is taking his seat and about a third of my seat. He's nice enough but HE'S TAKING MY SPACE. And my arrogance and "rights" rise to the front of my brain. "I am being cheated out of what is rightfully mine" is playing over and over in my mind.

And here comes the flight attendant who is serving us, a bunch of travelers, who "deserve to be respected and served with the utmost service because we paid for those peanuts and soft drinks."

And then I open the presentation I am doing this weekend that talks about serving and honoring others because that is not only what Jesus talked about/taught, but what He modeled. Take a look at Mark 10 and John 3.

God, thank you for your grace and for saving me from my sinful, prideful self. Thanks for bringing me from death to life. - Colossians 1

Make me "guilty" of thinking and acting like you and that only comes by surrendering to you.

Purpose

This past weekend, Sondra and I headed to the "mountains" of Georgia to lead a youth leaders' retreat for a local GA church. It was good that Sondra was with me. Lots of travel lately so spending time in the car together was awesome. The more I am around her just helps me to realize how blessed I am to be married to her.

One of the major tasks of the weekend for the youth leaders was to make sure they understood their purpose and to make sure they were pulling toward the same goal. It was a great time and they are a really strong team of volunteers. Their youth minister is doing a great job of leading them. It was fun to help them evaluate and affirm much of what they are doing. They arrived at a couple of things that they do, which are good things, but things that can be strengthened with a few tweaks. They were willing to question methods, evaluate and make changes. It was healthy and fun and I was honored to be a part of the process.

It reminded me the importance of being honest not only with results, but also the processes used to achieve the results. I have to admit that evaluating and making changes is hard work. I, too many times, fall into the trap of believing that things are okay as they are. Blinders wreck businesses, relationships, churches and lives. Attack the processes but never the people.

Never are we called to be jerks to people. Some will bristle at evaluating and making changes. Do not allow others to be victims and do not be a perpetrator yourself.

I have much to learn on both sides of the spectrum. I am learning to lead by serving from whatever position I have been given.

Loving Teachings or a Person?

Happy Valentine's Day and especially to my beautiful wife, Sondra. I believe this is #29 for us although my math gets a little fuzzy. I know we have been married 27 years (28 in May) and we sort of had our eye on one another for awhile before that so it is either 28 or 29. Doesn't really matter in the long run. She has captured my heart forever, so there.

Reflecting on my love for Sondra has caused me to think about my love for Christ. I have to admit that the majority of my life I have placed way too much emphasis on the teachings of Christ and not the person of Christ. It is easier for me to read scripture, study it and teach it like it is a textbook or like I have a position of authority in others' life, but that is not reality. Reality is that Christ came, lived and died so that I could have a personal relationship with him, a person, rather than just a keen understanding and an "upper hand" in spiritual matters with others.

Christ desires that I love Him, not just teachings about Him. I love Sondra, not because of things that I have heard about her, but because I have met her, been captured by her beauty and love. True, she gets her point across and the "rules" she wants me to live by, but I do not love her because of what others have told me about her, but because I have come to know her. Christ longs for the same. I am learning. Slowly at times. I desire to be captured by His beauty and His love. The person of Christ, not just some cool things I have heard and learned about Him along the way.

Hope for KC Chiefs Fans - Finally!

Thank God for Leon Sandcastle! Now the Chiefs have a chance. Finally some positive light for us longsuffering Chiefs fans. ;-)