Abraham the father of Isaac, the father of Jacob, the father of...

Yesterday I sat in church for the first time in a month.  My spirit was parched for the Word of God, and as I listened to the pastor, I felt the Lord's leading me to start reading through the book of Matthew.

It begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ through his earthly father Joseph, and I had a fleeting thought to just skip all the begats, bars and son ofs.  Many do this and I have done this before, but I was prompted by the Spirit to read through it.  I believe that Scripture is "God-breathed" and that if it wasn't suppose to be there, it wouldn't be.  After reading through the list, I am impressed once again how God uses every bit of Scripture to build up the body.

Starting in 1:6, the list includes "Jesse who was the father of David the king.  David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah."

David, the king in his time, basically was watching Bathsheba bathe on her rooftop from his window over looking the kingdom, and he decided he wanted her for his wife.  Her husband was at war and conveniently (emphasis mine) died on the front lines by David's design.  He is confronted by a close friend and he repents, unable of course to bring her husband back to life and undo his mistake.  What I gleaned from this bit of Scripture is that God is so awesome in His sovereignty to be able to use even our most treacherous mistakes for his glory.  So to echo Paul's burning question from Romans 6:1 "Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?  May it never be!"  Thank God that our mistakes are not powerful enough to thwart the plan of God.

Catch the Fever

If you haven’t yet heard of this band, you will soon.  Sleeperstar is a Dallas band that is quickly moving up in the world.  Recently they had one of their songs played on the popular teen TV show, Vampire Diaries, resulting in their music going viral through Europe.  As entertainers go, they are young, energetic, and they are learning new tricks as they go.

As creative minds, they push the music as far as they can in order to achieve a rich and unique sound for their listeners.  Although they sometimes get caught up in some of the same neat tricks, they present a musical blend between Switchfoot, Cold Play and a bit of U2.  The lead singer, Chris Pearson, has a powerful voice, and the three vocals behind compliment him very well.  They have a groovy stage presence that makes you feel like they’ve been rockin’ for a long time.  Really, they have only been around for just 4 years now.

Check them out on Facebook, or on their website.  Better yet download some of their music on iTunes.  For some really good listening I would start with the upbeat and energetic sound of their song Disengage.  It’s like candy for your ears. Follow that up with the acoustic sounds of Texas Rain, and you will have a good vibe for their musical range.  These are some of their older songs, but their new music is worth the listen as well.

It was a blast seeing them at the House of Blues for the second time last night, and I can’t wait to see them again.

Lie to Me

I have to admit, like many Texans, I am pretty bummed that we did not beat any records for consecutive 100-degree days in Dallas.  I mean if we are going to endure such a prolific heat wave all summer, then at least make it one for the books.  Meteorologists have searched far and wide to see what records we may have broken, and it has been determined by the National Weather Service that Texas has experienced the hottest summer of any state in recorded history in the United States of America, but the report couldn’t just stop there, and that’s where things turn sour.

It’s not like Meteorologists have a great track record to protect when they report the weather.  It may rain, it may not, we may see snow, we may not.  That’s why this entire summer I wished just once that they would give us a bone, or some hope to hang our hat on.  Just say it could stay in the 90s.

Well to top off the report that we have had the hottest summer of any state in the union ever, the weatherman concluded with the possibility of 100 degree whether returning to North Texas by next Tuesday or Wednesday.  Just lie to us.  It won’t change the weather, but we won’t be loathing it for the next 5 days either.

Price Check on Register 5

This might be one of the most thought provoking shows on TV.  I have been struck by awe, excitement and a healthy amount of fear as I sit and watch the TV show “Extreme Couponers” for the first time.  I’ve heard of it, and I even have a friend that dabbles in the finer points of couponing enough to save a lot of money.  I would really like to take advantage of the huge savings, but the time and labor that goes into dumpster diving for newspapers, clipping hundreds of coupons and checking the right blogs and internet sites to prepare for a big trip seems dizzying.

If you’ve never seen the show before, you need to know that there are people who literally spend 30 or more hours a week clipping coupons, 7-8 hours in a day scouting out deals at grocery stores, 6-9 hours shopping in the same store on the same day to load up 9 carts of products retailing over $1200+, and leaving without paying a dime and in some cases receiving store credit for their purchase.  Wow!

The very nature of couponing means that in some cases you have to buy in bulk (i.e. 100+ items at a time).  The first couple we saw were seminary students who donated 90% of the items they had bought and saved, and it was enough to fill a medium sized moving truck. The next several couponers had store rooms of various sizes that held, in most cases, more than 1 year of supplies and food for their family.

In my humble opinion, some of these people border line on being compulsive and obsessive, but I think there is a great need for people just like them.  I think that every philanthropic, non-profit agency who has food banks should employ a couponer on staff to keep their stock full, and to teach their community how to coupon.  As one lady put it, “If you’ve never couponed before, you haven’t been broke enough.”  This could supply a valuable base of products for each agency as they strive to provide necessary items for the people they serve, and give them the opportunity teach their community how “to fish” so to speak.  What do you think?  Do you coupon, or know someone who does?  Have you seen “Extreme Couponers”?  I want to hear from you and your thoughts.

10-4 Good Buddy

Molly and I visited a church in Allen this past week and the pastor spoke on part of Mark chapter 1. This is the part in Mark’s account that Jesus finds Peter, Andrew, James and John fishing in the Sea of Galilee and He says, “follow me,” and they “immediately left their nets and followed Him.” While this portion of Scripture brings up all sorts of questions concerning why the four of them felt compelled to leave their nets with no questions asked (which is explained in the other Gospel accounts), Pastor Buddy brought up a point I had never pondered.

Jesus tells them in verse 17, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” You probably have heard that before. I know I have for many years, and I have always run over it without much thought to His choice of words, but Pastor Buddy brought up the point of what is not there. Jesus did not choose to say, “Follow Me, and I will make you better Jews, or better people, or teach you how to preach a sermon.” Jesus used this moment in time to convey to them His passion for the hearts of mankind.

Did you know that Jesus is passionately seeking you? And He’s has no desire to make you a better churchgoer, or to capture you with His list of rules and regulations. He has a passion give you life and give it abundantly through a deep and meaningful relationship with him. Will you come to Him? Feel free to comment or email me at jon@outofshadows.com if you want to know more.

This Sucks...And You Need To Hear About It

Molly and I have been married for a little more than 4 years now (Keep reading, that's not the sucky part). Gone are the days of wedding planning and registering, but we recently had an experience that brought back fond (I did say "fond") memories of doing just that.

After trading nuptials and returning from our honeymoon we began to sort through the many gifts we were given, and a good lot of them had come from Bed Bath & Beyond. We chose B3 because of their return policy for newly weds which includes giving you CASH BACK for any unwanted items on your registry with or without the receipt. I seem to remember walking out of there with $450 in trade for the duplicated items from our list. Fast forward and we arrive at our recent experience which brought back these pleasant memories.

Not long after we married we bought a vacuum cleaner, and after visiting 4 different stores to find the perfect one, we settled on an Infinity from...you guessed it, B3. It came with a 5 year warranty, and the gentlemen assured us that they would stand by their product. This last Sunday, more than 4 years later, they did just that. We took back our broken and tattered vacuum cleaner full of hair and lent, and they gave us the full portion of our original purchase in trade for a brand new vacuum cleaner of our choice. Naturally we selected one with a 5 year warranty.

To close, Molly and I have a short list of fine retailers that we frequent because they know how to take care of their customers. B3 is one of them, and I would recommend them to anyone.

Never Stand In Line Again

You know the scene. You’re waiting for a flight that has already been delayed three times due to a non-descript maintenance issue, and the time for departure is quickly approaching. With no evidence to suggest that the flight will actually leave, you notice a line forming in front of the gate agents, and a mass of people who are quickly gathering their belongings to join them. Now you are left with a choice. Do you sit there and wait for a flight that might be canceled or do you join them in line to secure your spot on another plane. The answer is neither…

Your logic is not far off, but there are better options. Number one, typically any agent whether they are working at your gate or not can help you with your issue. If they are moving passengers to another plane at your gate, they can do it from another gate as well. The other nice thing about this is that the agents not manning the gate with 30 angry passengers in front of them will normally take the liberty to do things for you that their unfortunate counterparts will not do for others. Case in point, I was recently waiting for a plane to Los Angeles when this exact scenario arose. Knowing that I would receive faster service from another gate, I stepped to the one next to it and asked the gate agent to help me. By this point I had already purchased (with points) a free upgrade on the flight I was booked on. READ THIS CAREFULLY:

I asked him to secure me (or book me) for the next flight out to Los Angeles, but allow me to keep my seat on this flight just in case it goes.

He gave me a First Class seat on the next flight (which he should not have done without charging me for the upgrade, which he didn’t), and I was also allowed the option to stay and see if this one left as scheduled. It did not and I enjoyed my First Class seat for free.

Your other option is just at your fingertips. If you have a cell phone, which most people do, you can call the phone number for your air carrier and the agent on the phone can do the same thing. I find that they are more likely to stick to the rule book when securing you on the next flight, but they can do everything I mentioned above for you.

To conclude, it pays to stop and think before you jump into a line that appears to be your only option. You may get varying results depending on the size of the airport or even the mood of the agents you are working with. If you have choices, go to one that’s smiling and don’t forget to smile back. Happy travels.

Be Reconciled

There is a fear that follows reconciliation. Our desire burns to protect ourselves from unwanted pain a turmoil, but the thought of making things right with someone we have wronged or with someone who has wronged us can be dizzying. What if she doesn't want to reconcile? What if it just makes things worse?

This is the devil's handy work in action. The truth is that there is much freedom in reconciliation and the Lord is wooing us there.

Thefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23 & 24)

God is pursuing us throughout Scripture. He is ever calling us into a relationship with Him, yet as we come to him in worship, He implores us to make our relationships right with our brothers and sisters in Christ before we come to Him in praise. How important is this? Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 that we ought not let the "sun go down while (we) are still angry. Do not give the devil a foothold." Our pent up frustrations are the devil's foothold and he will use them any way he can.

Lay your burdens down at the foot of the cross and be reconciled to your loved ones. Do not fear the outcome because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of truth and love. He is life for all who believe.

Just a Little Drama

“Where is she?” Jason asked as he entered the hallway of the police precint. Detective Melbourne turned to see who was asking. Approaching Jason with hands up as if to stop him, he told him.

“We have her in custody, Mr. Matthews. That’s all you need to know. Now why don’t you let me have an officer drive you home, and you can be with the rest of your family.”

“Detective, that woman murdered my wife and now my son is missing. If he’s alive, I have to know where he is.” His brow was wet with sweat, and the muscles in his face were tired from crying uncontrollably for the loss of his wife. Trembling, he looked Melbourne in the eye. “Please, I know this woman, and I promise I won’t try anything. I just want to know where my son is, and I know she can tell me.”

Melbourne looked at the clock, and looked back at Jason. Jason was shifting his weight from side to side to satisfy his nerves, his hands clenched together at the center of his chest. The detective reached for his keys.

“Come here.” Melbourne turned down the hallway and opened up a cold room with walls of cinderblock. Inside was a small table and two very old swivel chairs. The padding on them was nearly worn out. “Sit here for just a moment. I’ll be right back.”

Jason collapsed in the chair. The impact of his body falling into it startled him. He has been up 21 hours and his motor skills were not as keen on account of his emotional and now tiring states. Each waking moment that passed was like an eternity to him, as he poured over his mind to figure out what she might have done with his son. He prayed repeatedly to God, “Please let him be okay, please let him be okay. God, let her tell me where he is, so I can get him immediately.” He laid his head down on the table for what seemed like just a moment, but it had really been 17 minutes. Suddenly he was startled at the sound of keys in the door. The door opened, and Melbourne appeared.

“I need you to stand up.” Jason did. “Face the wall, and lift your arms up.” Melbourne began to pat Jason down. He removed a fountain pen and a set of keys from his pockets. “I’m going to take these from you for the moment.” Jason nodded, as Melbourne handed the contents to an officer with a large Ziploc bag. “You’ll get them back in just a minute.” Melbourne looked him over. He was sizing him up to make sure he didn’t need more muscle in the room, but Jason looked so weakened by the days events. He had pity for him. “You can put your hands down and sit back in the chair.” He paused. “Jason, this really isn’t a good idea for a lot of reasons. Even if she does know where Parker is, I’m not sure she’s going to tell you.”

Jason looked up at Melbourne and forced out the only words he could, “I have to try.” Melbourne nodded. He turned and opened the door again.

She came in the room in chains, and her face was dead pan. She wouldn’t even look at Jason as she sat down across from him at the table. Melbourne was at the end of the table adjacent to the wall.

“Where is my son?” Jason asked.

"Slow is smooth..."

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending time with my friend, Nate, down in Waco, Texas as he helped me to clean up some old shotguns and rifles that belong to my family. In the end we got to go to the gun range and shoot for a while, and as we left he told me about his favorite part of the movie, “The Patriot”. It is in the beginning where Mel Gibson and his younger sons are helping to rescue his oldest boy. In talking to the boys about how they should fire their rifles, he reminded them that “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”

Let that sink in for a second. I am a very forgetful person at times. As a traveling consultant this manifests itself in a myriad of ways, not the least of which is forgetting to pack socks, belts, computer cables, phone chargers, flash drives or leaving said items in dental offices and hotels all over the country. My personal favorite was the time I was leaving on a plane from DFW and I forgot my ID. While I have learned a handful of useful tricks to remind me of important things, I continue to be baffled at my tendency to forget both minor and major details.

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. I wondered today what it would look like if I slowed down just for a second before I went on my next business trip, made my next big purchase, or settled on my next decision. I can certainly relate to fast being sloppy and sloppy being slow. So here is to doing it right the first time even if it takes just a little bit longer.

My Underoos

I’m not going to lie…I want some. Yes these are adult sized Underoos, and I don’t see anything wrong with it. And why not? My only question is why didn’t someone think of this much sooner?

As I consider my purchase, I am reminded of a man my brother and I once worked for in the staffing world. He was a self-employed business owner with many years of prior experience in the industry. He taught me two very important lessons that I have taken with me over the years.

The first lesson was peculiar to me, but I have heard the same thing from multiple sources. It is about wearing ties in the business industry. Different colors and styles can convey different things, but a red tie always indicates a person is in a position of power, or they want to have a position of power over you. He told me that he will sometimes wear red if he knows that he has to lay down the law, or to show potential clients that he has the authority to make decisions.

The second was a lesson in war. He likened the way that we should prepare for a sale to the way a general decides to attack an enemy. A general has an entire arsenal at his disposal. He has knives, handguns, rifles, shotguns, machine guns, helicopters, tanks, fighter jets, missile launchers, H-bombs and more, and though he takes all of these weapons to the theatre, he only uses the weapons he will need to defeat his opponent in battle. For example, if his foes have an assortment of automatic rifles, and hand grenades, he will likely come at them with automatic rifles and hand grenades. If that doesn't do the trick he may employ the next step. In contrast, if his enemies bare a collection of bows and arrows, and knives, he is not going to utilize a hydrogen bomb to take them out. The point is, be prepared, but don't use any more than you have to to convince a potential client to buy into your product. In some cases, like Jerry McGuire, you have them at "hello".

I wonder what the protocol is on wearing Underoos beneath your business clothes. No doubt, it will give hidden inspiration to those who choose to. Then again, how much more powerful may they be when worn on the outside of your clothes? Hmmm…

Luke, I Am Your...Mentor?

In a pivotal moment in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” Luke is battling Darth Vader who is trying to convince him to come over to the Dark side of the Force, and at a point where Luke is questioning everything he has been taught, Darth Vader reveals the truth; that he is Luke’s father.

Sorry if I ruined that for anybody, but you’ve had 30 years to watch it. It’s not my fault. I feel like I have been fairly well prepared for my life. My brother and I grew up with a roof over our heads, loving parents who are still together, and opportunities to grow in our education as well as to learn how to be functioning adults in society. But without direction, I feel like an unguided missile. There are many things that I could do, but what things should I do? I currently travel for my job and I teach dentists how to run their office properly and how to make good business decisions. One of the first things we tell every office is that, in order to succeed, they must make goals, they must have mentors, and they must be students for life.

At a moment where Darth Vader revealed this truth to Luke, he was hoping this would be the tipping point to lead Luke to the Dark side. He wanted to become Luke’s new mentor, but the position was already filled. He was being trained by Yoda and by the spirit of Obi-Wan.

As I have progressed through this year, I have struggled to make meaningful goals because I lack a clear direction. Being a Christian, I pray for such a directions daily, but we all need to be learning from someone else. Joshua had Moses, David had Nathaniel, Timothy had Paul, and I am certain God wants to use godly men and women to speak the Truth to me, but it will take some effort on my part to have what Jesus calls “ears to hear”.

Who is your Yoda? Do you have a mentor? If not, you could be denying yourself an opportunity to grow. Be well, and “may the force be with you.”

Two More Buns In The Oven

In 2005 my brother and his wife brought twins into this world (a boy and a girl), and just last week they had their third child, a boy. In talking with my bro I asked him how this experience compared to the last and he gave me some exciting news. “It’s so much easier for a lot of reasons. Number one we don’t have twins which means we have a lot more time. Number two, he’s an easy baby and he only cries if he is hungry. He doesn’t care if he’s hot or cold, or if he’s sitting in a full diaper.”

Of course I was happy for him, and I congratulated him on such a easy baby, but now I look ahead with a fair amount of terror in my gut. While I am happy we are pregnant again, and while I once thought it would be fun to have twins, our first so far has been a rather large handful until just recently. He is 8 months now and he is getting to a fun phase where he is scooting on the floor, talking all sorts of new sounds that he hears, and claps his hands and smiles for your constant approval. In the beginning, however, he had terrible reflux, which meant lots of spitting up, lots of crying for all three of us, and lots of screaming in pain. As life changing as one child has been, I am scared to think of what two more will do in our extremely busy lives.

I’m thankful that right now we have insurance, and although I am not looking forward to having to meet our full deductibles so soon after we had the first one, Molly and I thought it was important to go ahead and have a SECOND one so that the two were close in age and could share life together. So as I sit here, half excited and half numb, my mind turns to baby names. So far I think we have some cool ones, and some funny ones too: David and Nathan – we like these because they are faithful men in the Bible who new each other (and my name is Jonathan). Bert and Ernie – this is kind of a joke, but would be kinda fun. And for girls, April and Fools – because this is all fiction. Have a great day!

A Father's Hope

God in His wisdom has given us the Bible to lean on for His Word. It always amazes me how I can turn to Him and search in the Bible and find people who have been through what I am going through, or have thought the things that I am thinking. As I reflect on the recent loss of my friends’ son, I remember King David who bore the loss of a son born to him out of wedlock in ancient Israel. Despite why this happened to him, David who has been described by the Lord as a “Man after (God’s) own heart,” deals with the real pain of his son being sick and the weight of his death in the end.

For seven days David laid on the floor, denying himself food, denying himself water, denying himself comfort, denying himself even the privilege to be near his son. There is not a thing in this world that a parent would not deny themselves if they knew it would bring long life to their children. David wept, he cried out to God to the dismay to his servants and religious leaders, and it was not until the boy died that he picked himself up. The first thing he did was to clean himself up and return to the House of the Lord to worship.

I pray with all of my heart I will never have to know what it is like to lose a child. I pray also that the days that I will lose my wife, brothers, sisters and parents will be far off. But I also hope and pray that should I endure such tragedy that I will have the mental and physical strength to worship the Lord.

After David worships the Lord, he returns to his home and his servants are perplexed because it was the custom in that day to mourn loved one’s after they died for several days and go without eating, or washing. David says these words to them: “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said; ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will never return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:22, 23)

I do not present these verses to say we should not mourn the loss of our loved ones, but simply to share David’s assurance of who God is, and the hope he continued to have in Him. As Christians we have the hope of Heaven. We have the hope that Jesus gave us on the cross as payment of our sins that we will rise again one day and join Him and all the saints.

This is for Deacon. May his life be a testimony always of the beauty of God’s creation, and how much He loves us through the storms in our lives. Tell Jesus, hi!

Our Hearts Break

I had my mind set on sharing another blog completely, but my heart and mind are turned to friends who have lost their two-year-old son tonight. I can do nothing but ask you to pray for his family. If you don't know how, but would like to, use the prayer below.

"God, please be with Jon and Molly's friends as they mourn the loss of their son. Surround them with Your loving arms, and give them Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Give to them everything they need in this time to love each other, and to love and support their daughter. Amen."

Studio Notes

We are in the final stages of releasing our CD. Having recorded more than a couple of times I have learned some things that have helped me make better decisions over time about where I will record, what strategy to employ, how to pay, and so on.

To date, I have recorded three CDs in a bonefide recording studio. The first time was in 2000 in a back yard studio that was big enough for about four people total. The engineer was new to Pro Tools and new to recording therefore making him very affordable for our gracious investors. That said, we had to put up with a certain amount of indecisiveness as well as some falling asleep behind the wheel…literally. In this project we paid $2500 for 10 songs, spent well over 40 hours in the recording studio, and I learned some very important lessons that I took forward.

1. Electronic drums will never have the same feel as live drums even in the studio
2. It is necessary to have your music mastered by a mastering engineer.

I learned more lessons along the way from friends and family as they gave some honest feedback. You could tell in these recordings that I was trying hard to sound like someone else when I sang, and I was encouraged to just sing naturally. I took this advice to my next recording. It was a while later before I made it back to the studio. We spent a total of $2500 on the first project, and we knew we would spend at least this on the second. This time we had our minds on producing fewer songs, but doing them right. We were in a “real” studio working with experienced sound engineers who had recorded some real bands along the way. We were stoked. The band had changed quite a bit over the years and for many of them it was their first time to record outside of our feeble attempts at home. At the end of the day, we came away with some pretty good recordings with live drums, and we had the songs mastered. Here we paid about $1400, spent 15 hours in the studio (including mixing), 2 hours mastering, and I learned a couple of more lessons that I took to my next project.

3. It’s important to have an engineer that will give his honest feedback
4. Don’t mess with the levels unless it is absolutely vital to the song…most of the time I was wrong.
5. Your music will never sound professional unless you play to a click track or by the grace of God you all have perfect rhythm.

By the third recording our band had changed musicians again. Whereas during our last recording we had six musicians, now were down to just 4 minus a drummer. We had used our share of fill-in drummers but we really needed someone who could add to the quality of our sound and play to a click track. Thankfully, all we had learned helped us to make a good decision on where we would record next, and how we would do it. Again we wanted to record only four songs, but do them with excellence. Now we were determined to put something out that could be played on the radio. This is by far our best recording. In this project we spent $3500, about 60 hours in the recording studio (not counting mixing), and 1 day mastering. Here is what I learned through this experience.

6. Having and engineer who cares about the quality of the final product is essential.
7. Paying by the song is the way to go. You get more hours and better music.
8. Finally, having the right musicians is a must.

Not everyone is cut out to record. It definitely takes a special musician to make it all happen. I look forward to recording more in the future. I hope this helps you as you do the same.

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

A better question is, what’s not wrong with this picture. I think it is quite comical to see the many ways that airlines try to get across the same messages, and how in some cases they send conflicting messages. They have the light’s indicating when you may or may not unfasten your seat belt, as well as a reminder stitched into the seat back in front of you to always use your seat belt while seated. Flight attendants do the same song and dance before every flight informing the public the proper way to fasten your belt, and how to utilize the other safety functions of the plane that most passengers will never need to use. My personal favorite is the information they give you regarding life vests if you are traveling with a “lap child”.

Although their messages are nothing if not repetitive, it amazes me to see how some people just don’t get it. After a while you begin to feel like a herd of cattle, but I think sheep can be a better analogy. Almost no one listens to the crew members instructions about placing your roller board luggage in “wheels first”, and the smaller planes stump even the smartest bears as the overhead compartments open down, not up.

I suppose this is the inspiration for the signage on the door in the picture above, but I find the it no less ridiculous. Mind you there are no less than 5 reminders not to smoke in the lavatory, including the three here on the door. I have to wonder, are we not past this yet? How many people get on a plane and expect to be able to smoke? I know this was a shocker to many passenger say back in the 1980s, but I think 30 years later, most people know it’s not allowed, and the one’s that do it anyway don’t care. I wonder how much energy and time is wasted by lighting and replacing the bulbs the illuminate the no-smoking signs on each plane. A better use for this that I have seen is a lighted sign that indicates whether or not you may use your electronic devices.

Next, you’ll have to look closely. There is a sign recommending caution when opening the door as it swings into the aisle, but if you look even closer at the door handle it says in all bold letters to “PULL” the door into the lavatory. This is not to be outdone by the sign reminding the person in the restroom to shut the door during take off and landing.

In all, I think that they could probably remove 4 of the 5 no-smoking signs and the aforementioned cautions about the door. I imagine most people don’t recognize these things on their vacations, as most people are just excited or terrified to be on the plane. That means the only useful sign on the door is the picture showing you how to lock the door. Oh and I guess if you just have to smoke, you can use the ash tray mounted in the door.

#$%*# Giving It Up

Now that Fat Tuesday has come and gone, it is not uncommon that some Christian churchgoers observe the season of Lent before we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Observing Lent is especially common in the Catholic Church, but also with those protestant Christians looking to get in touch with the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross as they themselves give up sweets, sodas, TV and other pleasures. As we think about these things, we are suppose to pray and thank God for His sacrifice, and remember that Jesus is our ultimate pleasure, and should be our ultimate desire.

Lent is also a time that some choose to give up either guilty pleasures and bad habits as they remember that Jesus is sufficient for all of their needs and wants. I have participated in a myriad of ways over the years, but this year I am giving up fowl language. I don't tend to cuss much around anyone except myself and my God who is everywhere. In my early childhood I had a temper that would embarrass any mother, and I have learned to control those fits. I get mad the most when I can't do what I perceive is a simple task. Unfortunately this usually involves a sport or game that I love to play, but is not exclusive to the two.

Our Pastor Pete asked us several months ago in his Sunday Sermon, how does the Devil try to lie to you, and how is he winning in your life. The answer to this question for me is two-fold:

1. He tells me if I can't do something easy, I am an idiot
2. He tells me that if I were better, I wouldn't have these problem

"These problems" translate to be an task I am unable to perform, or any hangup I might be facing. My frustration starts to eat me from the inside, and typically I respond the way many people do with a collage of inappropriate words. The truth of the matter is that I'm letting Satan win this battle in my life and I know that God is much bigger than that.

So here it goes. I am using a verse from Ephesians to remind me of the way that God expects His people to act. It's in Paul's Letter to the Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29. It reads, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification (or building up - my definition) according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear it."

Just before this in Ephesians, God tells us to "be angry, and yet do not sin..." Anger is normal, but how I react is controllable. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and it will take the power of Christ to help me with this. I'm keeping count, so feel free to ask me how many times I have cussed today. I am at 4 now, and hope to be done altogether. Pray for me.

Wal*Mart Takes Back Everything...Don't They?

My wife and I host several events each month at our apartment complex. When shopping for these events, our store of choice is the local Wal*Mart for a few reasons. Typically they have better prices there, and we can find everything we need all in one place. On occasion we buy more than we need, and Wal*Mart always takes it back with or without a receipt. We have taken back all of the following items personally and for the community:

Boxes of Diapers
Boxes of Eggs
Tubes of Sausage
Holiday Decorations
Wrapping paper
Office Supplies
Unopened Cookies from the Bakery

I have taken back an entire basket full of groceries. We have never stumbled upon an item they wouldn’t take back.

My mother-in-law has a 2+ acre lot and has two lawn mowers; one a riding mower and one a push mower. The push mower worked once last spring and never again. Upon hearing about this, I went to Lowes where they were ready to give me a new one only to realize they didn’t carry that brand. When I asked who might sell it, I was directed to Wal*Mart.

I was feeling good. Lowe’s was ready to take it back and replace it, and in my experience, Wal*Mart takes everything back. Although these were special circumstances, I was hopeful. It was a busy Saturday, and I waited patiently for a manager to come help me. I explained to him my situation and his response was “absolutely not”. As a business consultant I can see where he was coming from. I mean, you have to draw the line somewhere, but there is something to be said about standing up for your products. In the end, Home Depot stepped up to the plate. Before the manager saw it, he had pretty much made up his mind to give us a new one. You live and learn, and one think I can take away from this experience is…Home Depot takes back everything.

De-Social Networking

Last Sunday was the first time that I watched the Oscars in years. Suffice it to say, none of us were really into it, however it was fun watching what movies won, and pleasurable (I might ad) to fast forward through their long and awkward acceptance speeches. By the end, I was sure that I needed to see the movie "Social Networking". I am an avid Facebook user and 99.99% of my hits on blogger come from my friend base on said website. At least 2 or 3 times a day I will scroll through the new Status Updates to see what is going on in the world, and about once a week if not less, I will post an Update with thoughts of my own.

I am intrigued with the way the internet has forever changed the way we communicate. There are so many wonderful mediums through which we can now connect to each other. I have 507 of my closest friends, new and old, to chat with, exchange emails and read their thoughts as they blog away. I have the means to do so on my phone which is with me where ever I go, or on my laptop when time permits. We have single handedly bridged the geographic divide between friends and family. Why then do we feel so alone?

In talking with friends, almost everyone of them admits they don't have a single best friend that they can talk to in times of trouble. What has become non-verbal communication for the sake of convenience has near become an excuse to avoid people we don't really want to talk to while maintaining them as friends in our "social-network". The Internet's black hole is blamed for not responding to emails or getting messages from unwanted correspondents. It's almost impossible to communicate your thoughts clearly when there is a higher level of complexity in the message you want to send. With all the convenience that comes with checking on our peers at a glance, it almost never fully satisfies the desire for human contact. People need to be (physically and locationally) with other people period. I think I'm making up words now, but you get the point.

Don't let Facebook be your only source of community. Typing on your computer while your husband or wife is watching TV is not a family activity. Been there and done it. Disconnect and do something with a friend. Make sure you maintain the human connection.

Figure This

In my travels I heard about this 11 year old boy who was arrested in October in Colorado for "doing what his therapist told him to do". I'd like to hear from the therapist to know if he really told him to draw violent scenes in class instead of acting out. If you ask me, this shows an incredible lack of forethought on the part of the therapist. This can't be an excuse. If nothing was done when the picture was drawn or when the child acted up, and one day he did bring a gun to class to act out his drawing, the lot of these critics would be pointing at the police department for having done nothing.

I am trying to imagine the scene as the police enter my home 10 years from now to talk to my son about a drawing he had made. I would be terribly upset, and I might have told him to just cooperate with the police. I don't think that a lawyer would be a bad idea now, but I can't imagine my son doing something like this and not reaping the appropriate consequences.

I do feel for the boy. I imagine this has been a traumatic experience for him, and I hope that it scares him straight, but only time will tell. I hope that the family will find a therapist with a bit more common sense. I have friends who are teachers and I think we are naive to think that a child won't become violent under the right circumstances. I'm reminded of Solomon's words in Proverbs 3 that says, "My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves he reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights." Some correction is needed here. I hate that it had to come from the police, but I am happy that at the very least they made a house call even if the outcome for him had been different.

The Big Jump

I am a consultant, which means that I travel to offices here and there and teach them how to run their business efficiently. Usually this starts with a pep talk on how to make and achieve goals. Recently I was giving this spiel to an office in Gainesville, and so I decided to use one of my own goals as an example. With it, I explained the 5 steps:

1. Make an attainable/measurable goal
2. Write it down
3. Make a plan
4. Set a target date
5. Follow through

Well, when they asked me when I was going to do it, I told them I had not made a plan yet, so they challenged me to do it before I returned to their office in February. In the video below, I go through the 5 steps to achieve my goal. Hope you enjoy it.

The Forever I Do…Maybe

I must apologize first because I have never been through or come close to divorcing my wife. Our marriage is in it’s infancy, but in many respects we have already become long-timers amongst our friends and acquaintances. I don’t mean this to brag by any means. No, it has been so shocking lately to hear of how many couple are getting divorced or have already done so lately. Combine this with the couples we know of who are looking to buy a house together outside of wedlock, and the “Forever I Do” starts to seem like more of a “Maybe”.

All of this makes my heart break completely. Just so you know, I am a Christian who believes in the God of the Bible, and that Scripture is the inspired Word of God. According to Scripture it is only ever okay to get divorced on the grounds of the other being unfaithful, and that is loosely translated. In Malachi, the Lord says, “For I hate divorce…” I have a large group of friends who are Christian and a large group of friends who are not. I have been surprised to hear of the number in both groups who have left their marriages.

I can’t imagine that anyone getting a divorce or anyone who has been through it could or would say, “I love divorce” because they surely didn’t enter the marriage with that in mind (I am leaving out the proverbial “gold digger” here on purpose). Even if all of the divorces that I have heard of recently are due to some form of marital unfaithfulness, then what is the source of their unfaithfulness? Why is marriage becoming so marginalized in our society?

Molly and I have made a commitment, and we have vowed to erase the word divorce from our vocabulary. It is not an option that we discuss, nor one that we turn to in hard times. I can’t imagine what circumstance would arise that would change this, and maybe some were shocked when it happened to them.

This week I will be praying for marriages all over the world that men would love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave his life up for it, and that women would love and honor their husbands. I pray that every marriage would turn to Jesus for the source of their strength and need in good and bad times. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Scan Away

Molly and I just saw a report on the news about new body scanners at the airport, and it didn’t dawn on me that the new scanner they use is still a topic of controversy for some people. Just a couple of weeks ago I arrived in Fresno and passed by the security checkpoint to see a lady receiving a full pat down from one of the TSA agents there. I didn’t realize until my return trip that she was being patted down because she elected not to submit for a full body scan.

As a business traveler who travels 2-3 days a week, I have to say, what’s the big deal? What do people think they are hiding under their clothes. If you have man boobs, we can tell. If you have a little chub in your gut, we can tell. Everybody’s got something.

An article on KRLD.com showed the type photos that these TSA agents are looking at of our bodies. Are they anatomically revealing? Yes they are. Are they skin-toned x-ray goggles that Superman would be flattered by? Absolutely not. In my opinion they are a small step beyond wearing spandex through the security checkpoint in the airport. I think some people are scared that their fellow travelers are sneaking a peak at their birthday suit the same way you can see the x-ray screens examining your luggage. Well to put you at rest (possibly), the people viewing your image are in a separate room in the airport communicating with the TSA agents in line. It is not the peep show everyone makes it out to be.

At the end of the day, I just don’t care if the man or woman behind the curtain sees my anatomy. Then again, I don’t have any body piercings, third nipples, or malformations I’m trying to hide. Still I doubt if there is a picture of the week hanging up in the break room for the other TSA agents to gawk at. What do you think?

Nastalgia

In the summer of 1991, I accompanied my parents on a business trip, to south Texas. Dying of boredom, and having a small amount of cash in my pocket, I sought some form of entertainment in the corner store down stares. I had no idea what I was looking for and I can’t even remember the thought process that preceded my purchase, but it was here that I bought my first packs of baseball cards. I had never followed baseball, so I only knew a handful of Texas Ranger players. Among the packs I opened was the great Nolan Ryan, so I was sure I had something of value. When we returned to Dallas, my dad and I made our way to the local Card Shop to find out what else I might have. The cards were 1991 Leaf packs, and along with a handful of cards worth $.50 a piece, I landed a Frank Thomas 2nd year card that was valued at $8. I was hooked.

When I turned 16, I got a job at Salerno Italian restaurant as a bus boy, and the money I made went straight to the Card Shop. I became a student of the wax pack memorabilia, and became a fan of the sport. I spent countless hours on my bedroom floor with thousands of cards, boxes and plastic binder inserts to maintain and evaluate the value of my cards. My friends and I spent the night at each others’ houses on the weekends with cards in tow to make the best trades for the cards we felt would increase in value. I have rookie cards for Ken Griffey Jr., Jose Conseco, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and more. I had my eyes set on a Cal Ripken Jr. Topps Rookie Card, then worth $80. To date, I still don’t have one, and it was the one card that I always wanted in my collection.

After graduating high school, my passion for collecting cards waned and my love for eating and having electricity kicked in. Over the years since, I have splurged from time to time and bought a box of cards to enjoy, but I really haven’t purchased any in the past 5 or more years. I playfully refer to my childhood collection as the “Juiced Collection” seeing as how nearly all of my boyhood heroes were on steroids.

This Christmas I decided to ask for baseball cards, and my wife was gracious to get me some. I felt like a kid again sitting on my sons “soft spot” on top of our hard wood floors. I landed a couple of cards above the $10 range and a fistful worth between $1-5. What a thrill. I have a bit more than 20,000 cards, which to some is not very many. My plan since high school is to one day open a card shop of my own and sell all of my cards. I have a feeling that it might look different from what I once envisioned.

I’d like to thank my mom and mom-in-law for not throwing away my cards.

Up in the Air

As I write (and post) this blog, I am riding at 35,000 feet, and pondering what I have to offer the world below. The mountaintops are dribbled with snow like melted sugar on cinnamon roles and I can’t decide if I want to ski them or eat them. The other day I saw a TV show that highlighted a restaurant in Texas that had birthday-cake-sized cinnamon roles. I can’t seem to get them out of my mind.

I don’t like to make room for regret, but as I look at my life so far, there are a couple of opportunities that have passed me by that I would like to have again. I have detailed a few below. In no way has my life been less than for lack of these experiences, but I do wonder what it would have been like.

1. I wish that I would have tried to play football in school. Looking back, the reason I didn’t was nothing less than obvious. As freshman in high school I was 5’1” and 90 pounds soaking wet. My sophomore year I was 5’2” and maybe 100 lbs. It just wasn’t my bag. I ran cross country, but man I was a good little athlete. I didn’t let my size stop me in any other sport. I actually grew my junior and senior years in high school and went out for baseball, but there’s really nothing to write about that. I think I could have made a good little corner on the football team. In all of our pick up games I was really good at giving the other teams receiver just enough room to look open, but also keep them close enough to sneak in for an interception or to bat the ball down. I was fast. I might have also been a good kick returner. I was really good at making people miss. I played my share of pick up tackle football games, and I was pretty successful at running the ball back for a touchdown once or twice a game. Either I was pretty good, or everyone else was awful.

2. I wonder what it would have been like to go to college out of town. I was real involved in church activities, and worked several jobs, but sometimes I wonder what my experience would have been like away. I imagine I would have worked harder to finish school in 4 (or 5) years, and that studies would have been way more important to me. I know that I would have loved the experience and the necessity of making new friends and rely on them as a part of my family away from family. I wonder to what decisions I would have made differently without the pressure of everyone knowing my parents. I don’t expect I would have been a wild child, but no doubt I might have had some different experiences to talk about. Plus too, I might have an alma mater (I don’t think I spelled that right) that I was proud to call my own. Sorry Mean Green.

3. I think about this one all the time. I wonder what my life would look like now if I had joined the military right out of high school. As I sat across from my military recruiter one overcast day nearing my high school graduation to decline their offer, I felt like I had made a decision I would never look back on, but I couldn’t be more wrong. I imagine I might have much more discipline, and a much different view of my life than I do now. I would certainly know what it means to put my life in the hands of a group of men and women in a way that I will likely never experience as a civilian. Shows like “Band of Brothers” or “Blackhawk Down” really tap into the emotional center of my being. I feel like I could have made a difference somewhere. I kinda wish it was a requirement for all men and women before they went on to college.

Well, enough of that. Hope you had fun wandering around in my brain. Until next time, do you have any opportunities you wish you had back?

Pastor Pete's Challenge

This week our pastor challenged us to look into 2011 and write down the things we hope God will do IN us this year and THROUGH us. So here is my list, short and spontaneous as it may be.

IN me:
I pray that God gives me a contentment and/or sense of fulfillment in my job, or lead me to another one.
I pray that God will help me to be more gentle, and less volatile when things don't go the way I expect.
I pray that God will make me the husband and father I am meant to be daily.
I pray that God will give me a desire for exercising, and becoming more healthy.

THROUGH ME:
I pray God will give me the words to sing and notes to write for Out of Shadows and their listeners.
I pray that God will speak truth and life through me to my friends, family and colleagues.
I pray that people would develop more of a passion to know Christ more intimately in response to my interactions with them.
I pray that God will give me the wisdom to use to lead my family as God intended.