It was one of the early flashes of her wicked-strong sense of humor. I was taking the twins to school during their sixth grade year. We passed by the big-chain hotel on South Loop 289 when all of a sudden I heard Carrie bust out laughing from the back.
What was so funny?
The welcome sign at the hotel read, “Welcome Pest Control.” Obviously it was some kind of meeting of some organization in that industry. But I’m not sure that’s what you want to trumpet to the rest of the potential guests.
“I’ve heard of roach motels before,” she said, “but they must be desperate.”
+++++++
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. [click to continue…]
As you probably could tell from the last post, we got to spend a week with three of our grandsons last week here at our house. You may or may not know that I also spend 95% of my working time at home.
Do you see a potential conflict there?
The week was predictably (and wonderfully) less-than-productive.
Routinely as I would try to “escape” to the bedroom or office to get some work done, one of them would find me. The sweetheart crawler, the scary-smart walker, and the funny, nonstop talker. One wanted me to hold him, one wanted me to see and notice him, and one wanted me to engage in conversation – endless, looped conversation. [click to continue…]
Your home is a sanctuary… your last defense against this crazy world.
That’s why you should be prepared to recognize the often-subtle signs that accompany a breach of your outer perimeter. Here are five things to watch for:
1. Your instincts tell you that something just doesn’t seem right.
You’re feeling disappointed or rejected,
Lonely or loveless,
And even though you know better than to believe all that in your head,
You’re too lost in “to-do’s” or “he-did’s” to even recognize your own heart.
Time to come and find your rest.
You’re feeling restless or impatient,
Guilty or angry,
And even though you know you live face-to-grace,
You’re too consumed with how far you have to go to recognize whose job it is get you there.
Time to come and find your rest.
You’re feeling anxious or worried,
Burdened or exhausted,
And even though you know it isn’t your load to carry,
You’re too loaded with responsibilities and cares to recognize that you’ve picked them up again.
Time to come and find your rest. [click to continue…]
It’s hard to explain to a Diet Coke fan
Or a four-wheel-drive, six-pack and Marlboro man,
But I still get my kicks from a little pink can –
It’s TaB, baby. Yeah, it’s TaB.
[click to continue…]
Someone once complemented a woman known for her big faith in God. Her reply: “I don’t have a big faith. I have a little faith in a big God.”
How do you describe it, slice-and-dice it, when somebody’s faith “makes the news?” The Thessalonians in the Bible were such a bunch. Look how Paul describes them:
“Wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God” (1 Thessalonians 1:8).
That gets my attention.
In the lives of these believers, as well as in the lives of people who turned Jesus’ head in the gospels, there seems to be a difference between simple faith and mountain-moving, remarkable faith.
One thing is sure. Nobody demonstrated remarkable faith by seeking to be remarkable. [click to continue…]
His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5)
A simple statement of faith mixed with obedience at the wedding in Cana: “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
It’s the “whatever” that gets us in trouble, because we like to have answers and reasons for our doing.
And just like in this story, Jesus isn’t always inclined to provide those.
He told them to fill up the water pots, dip out, and take it to the head waiter.
To their credit, apparently they did all they were told without question.
How about you?
How about today?
Try this on as an affirmation: [click to continue…]
You’re already thinking about somebody, aren’t you? As soon as you saw this title, his or her weaselly little mug appeared on your mental screen.
Maybe it’s that man in business who always seems to end up on the upside of a deal, regardless of who loses or what the consequences are.
Maybe it’s the committee of “concerned leaders” who just ambushed the latest pastor, much like they did the previous two or three, and sent him packing.
Maybe it’s the golden throat, pretty boy preacher who’s heaven to listen to, but hell to work for or deal with.
Maybe it’s the malicious gossip, who can destroy somebody’s life before sundown and never miss a night’s sleep.
Maybe it’s the boss who never has a good word to say about your performance, but takes the credit for all your hard work.
Maybe it’s the politician, who turned “public service” into private self-service.
Maybe it’s a lawyer.
(Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Please don’t sue me.)
Regardless of who you’re thinking of, we’ve all known them. They’re mean, self-centered, manipulative bullies. They’re conmen who, if they can’t take your money, can take your health by driving you batty or to the point of exhaustion. They’re never wrong – at least in their own eyes – and would crawl across England on broken glass to win an argument. And let’s be honest – in all likelihood, they’re probably more powerful than you, more popular than you, and more outwardly successful than you.
Grrrr! The scoundrels!
Hazarding Another Guess
Let me press my luck and hazard another guess. [click to continue…]
Did a face plant a couple of weeks ago. On concrete. It was ugly, and so was I for a few days.
The irony of the situation was that I was bolting from one meeting to another, with a cross-town drive in-between. And the place I was in a hurry to?
A radio interview about the mental health of people in the ministry.
I wasn’t exactly expecting to have my own tested in the process. But that’s the price you pay when you’re trying to move at the speed of light on a sidewalk designed for the speed of pedestrians.
For just a minute I thought I was seeing the light of eternity. Turns out I was just seeing stars.
Aside from the wounds to my forehead, knees, hands and pride, I did learn a few things, such as what an “orbital nerve” is. Oh, and that there is more than one kind of black eye.
But the most important thing I was reminded of is that my ability to maintain my rhythm and step in this world of the falling is no comparison to God’s ability to hold me, heal me, and shepherd me home. Regardless of how I may stumble in a temporal world, in the one that matters most, He won’t let me fall. [click to continue…]
When you take flying lessons, one of the first things you learn, other than to holler “Contact!” is how to land the plane.
Same goes for snow skiing. Lesson number one: How to stop.
A couple of years ago we joined a filled-up theater to see “No Country for Old Men.” Somebody should have taught them how to stop. Literally people in the theater blurted out loud, “What?”
I run into the same issue with writing. I spend about 90% of my working life reading what somebody else has written. Some of it is so good, I keep an ongoing collection of favorite student quotations. I shared a few of them here recently.
That writing takes on several forms – emails from students, discussion posts, and what are supposed to be academic papers. One of my favorite courses is a communication for leaders class (in session even as you read this) where we try out different forms of written communication. We even tackle the Gettysburg Address and try to make it even simpler than it was in the original, while keeping the same vision and passion.
Very often when I get to the end of something written, I have the same reaction that I did whenever Tommy Lee Jones droned on about whatever he said in “No Country for Old Men.” What? That’s IT? It sort of has the same effect of trying to use a tree to stop that downhill run or that landing approach.
Suddenly, it’s just over. [click to continue…]
It was one of the early flashes of her wicked-strong sense of humor. I was taking the twins to school during their sixth grade year. We passed by the big-chain hotel on South Loop 289 when all of a sudden I heard Carrie bust out laughing from the back.
