Chicago loses, Chicago wins

The loss: A football game creates a bad taste in the mouth of Chicago, prompting a man to get fired from his job as a car salesman for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie.

The win: A second-cousin of mine feels a conviction within that tells him, "That's not right." He steps up and offers the man a job.

I really encourage you to read the story via these links:

• http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-24/news/ct-talk-green-bay-packers-necktie-01220110124_1_car-salesman-packers-tie-wgn
• http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/01/man-fired-for-wearing-packers-tie-is-offered-new-job/1
• http://oaklawn.patch.com/articles/car-salesman-fired-for-wearing-a-packers-tie-gets-job-offer-in-homewood

Look, I understand how business works...  I know you don't intentionally want to work against advertising money your business has spent.

This story is about more than that, though.

What I'd offer you is the same challenge - is the greatest thing we can have an allegiance to really a football team?  Or perhaps in your life, is it a school district, political party, or entertainment choice?

When do we stop trying to prove that we're in the right, and simply do what's right?

It can be a big news-making story like it was for this man and my cousin Guy, or it can be a quiet consistency you resolve to live your life by. This past week I resolved to stop watching yet another TV show that has content I simply can't affirm as a Christian. Granted, it's right in the middle of a story arc, and I'd really like to know how it turns out. But... and pardon me for saying this... so freaking what?
 Disagree if you'd like, but consider this - there's a reason both headlines made the news... which one will you be a part of?

Is your conviction to the fiction? 
Or is your ideal about something Real?

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Jesus, Matthew 22:39

a friday quote: extraordinary words from an ordinary guy

I sometimes quote famous people to consider their thoughts on life and random things, but today I'm quoting a friend.

"I used to feel there is a heavenly realm, and an earthly realm. And I never really put the two together. But it's clear that my understanding now is that God puts everything in this world into place. That everything that we experience, every act we do, every conversation we have is because of Him and by Him and He's working through us and we're working with Him.

And that's caused me to sort of examine how I act in the workplace, and how I interact with other people. I truly hope and pray that I've become a beacon of my faith for other people."

- Chris Jones, via a night of "Pizza and Prayer"

our daily (Panera) bread

Did you catch this news by Panera Bread? They have it a new stride by creating new locations where customers can't find any prices on the menu, but simply pay what they want and think is "fair."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37213165/ns/business-consumer_news/

A buddy of mine in town does this everyday via CUPS Cafe - they've been doing it for three years and haven't missed a rent payment yet, relying upon the collective vision of others who want to feed those in our area a dignified and delicious meal who otherwise couldn't afford one. Our church is one of its supporters, as we believe in this concept Jesus put forth to take care of each other.

Imagine that.

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:16)

How can you apply this principle in your field of leadership?

hey YOU - five quick thoughts on how you may be driving/living

Consider:

• Living life in the fast lane only leads to quicker crashes.  
• Staying neutral will cause you to roll wherever the wind blows the strongest.  
• Staring at your rear-view mirror will cause your focus on your past to kill your future.  
• Blowing off the warnings of others who see something you don't see begs for an accident. 
• Ignoring the law to live life as you want will endanger others and threaten your true freedom.

These are more than good thoughts on driving - they are metaphors for how you may be living.

So...

• slow down (Psalm 46:10)
• get into a proactive gear (Matthew 16:24),
• look around at what's in front of you (Philippians 3:14-15),
• allow others to check your blind spots (James 5:16),
• and quit ignoring the Laws that God has put forth... not because He wants to kill your ride, but to offer you true freedom instead of a jail cell of your own making (Jeremiah 29:11).

Funny how we understand this on the road, but rebel against it in life.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools. (Romans 1:19-22)

starry-eyed changes

It's the latest news on Zodiac signs... that the latest news on Zodiac signs has been, well... wrong. For a long time, actually.

According to an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the earth's wobble hasn't been appropriately accounted for when it comes to the means by which people figured out an astrological sign they think they should follow.

Oops.

Astrology is seen by some as harmless fun, while others truly base their decisions on it - some going so far as to tattoo their astrological sign onto themselves as a permanent sense of identity. Astronomers have criticized astrology from the get-go, and God warns against it (even though some Christians try to mash it into their belief system).

Perhaps that's why this news can be quite confusing.

A friend of mine who worked for a major newspaper once told me about a time that they didn't pay their subscription to a horoscope service. For an extended period of time, the staff made up the horoscopes on the fly and put them into the paper. Perhaps this is just another example, but I think it underscores an interesting question.

Is what you take your cue from in life man-made or God-made... and do you think it's God-made, even though it's man-made?

Astrology has had two differing ideas within itself about how astrology works, so right there is something to consider - you can pick the one that sounds appealing (a potential sign of a man-made option). It reminds me of when people find a religious denomination they like and click into autopilot mode on it, proclaiming, "I grew up _________ and I'll be a __________ until the day I die."

(insert Catholic, Protestant, Southern Baptist, Methodist, Wesleyan, Nazarene, and so on)

So what does it mean when you've thought yourself to be a Libra all this time, only to find out you're a Virgo? Does it rock your world even a little bit and make you wonder, "Have I ever really been on a spiritual journey that I didn't take for granted but really took hold of?" When there is a major hole in a man-made idea you've based a part of your identity or decision-making on, maybe it's time to kick at the tires of it again.

Or... we can keep on using the Facebook astrology application. That is, after it's updated to reflect the incorrect structure it's been based on. Perhaps we can go for the non-electronic option and follow the version in the paper that my newspaper buddy and his co-workers invented as a gag.

Or... we can really begin a journey that is deeper than religion or things that appear supernatural. One that takes us to a place where God defines Himself, and we respond to His definition.

Maybe it's time to stop looking to the stars, and instead start looking solely at the One who made the stars.

a glimpse at hope via the next generation

I really, really, really, really like it when the Church lives up to its name and makes a real difference in the world.

If you have ever felt that sense of "Yeah, this is right, and I don't know I know it, but I know it" when you give of yourself, check out this post and see what a bunch of Ramen-noodle eating young adults sacrificed and gave in just a few days this past weekend:

http://268generation.com/blog/2011/01/together-we-are-a-force-for-good-2/ 

By the way, you may want to know this isn't just a good deed. It came about as a response to several sessions of biblical teaching and worship that they couldn't help but respond to. This is a part of what Jesus teaches us to do... take care of those who are unable to take care of themselves.

So if you're a Christian, don't just nod your head and smile when you read this. Bring your own version of this into the world through your local church.

And if you aren't yet a Christian, find a local church who "gets it" and join on in.

because you just never know

I apologize for how this initially sounds (because I hate how this sounds), but I always enjoy reading both affirming and constructive feedback on my weekly newspaper column.

There, I said it - and again, I know how that sounds... like I'm some fancy "writer" who likes to talk about his latest "work" or fancy "column." I understand that, because it bugs me to no end when people promote themselves over and over and over.

But it's not why I'm writing it.

Today I received an email that was simply amazing. Apparently today's article literally helped change someone's life... and the reason I'm sharing it is because it tracks back to a highly frustrating moment in my life that perhaps you know all too well - the choice to stop short... or pursue something to completion.

A few nights ago, I was struggling with little sleep and a bad headache. Throw in some stomach cramps, and I was ready for bed.

Only - I needed to write my weekly article.

So I started writing... but the headache took over. I even fell asleep at the keyboard once.

Writing can be torturous - waiting for an idea to come. Sometimes those ideas come right off of my human robot heat. Most times, it flows out of a place within my soul. There are also the moments when it has to be sought after like water in the desert.

Then there's the mental dance. Writing requires knowing or discovering something that you will explain, which means advance time having an experience, doing some reading or receiving a revelation out of nowhere. You're constantly dipping into places in life that you may not normally tread - not to merely find something you can talk about, but to become someone who has something to say.

Within this you run hard, then you procrastinate; you read a lot of news, and then you play an online game; you page through a great magazine full of intriguing thought, then you look at YouTube videos full of nothingness; you read some of the most amazing biblical truths ever written down, then you go get a handful of Doritos from the cupboard; you get mad at how corrupt government is, then you watch an old episode of The Twilight Zone... or Everybody Loves Raymond... or ten minutes of Celebrity Rehab, until you realize you've just watched ten minutes of Celebrity Rehab.

Keep in mind, that's not including the other things you do in life. Like being a human, or a loved one, or a parent, or a friend, or a pastor... which involves, you know... a lot of quality time.

So sometimes when I feel like I have nothing left to give, I begin to feel entitled with the thought, "You've done enough. Just give this next one less than your full effort. Besides, you'll have next week to put something better out there."

This is the moment.

The choice.

The choice to stop short...

or pursue something to completion.

The other night I chose to tap into a Source that is deeper than my own - God Himself.. That sounds incredibly spiritual or perhaps even bumper sticker-esque, and sure... it is both.

But that doesn't deny how incredibly true and practical it is, too.

Once your trust your life - not just your eternity, but your life to Jesus Christ - His strength becomes as accessible as your next breath of oxygen.

Some days I don't remember this as well as others.

But a few nights ago, I woke up from drooling on my keyboard and decided the "half-article" in front of me that could pass for a "full article" to most readers wasn't "good enough." Not because I'm a perfectionist, but because I refuse to settle when I know there is more in me than "me."

Don't misread this - there are times when my "50%" is my "100%" and I know that I can't give any more than I have given. I'm fine with that... it's about wholeheartedness, and not perfection.

There are other times, though, when my "50%" is "50%" and I am about to settle if I stop. I am not fine with that... that's about having the appearance of effort without the commitment.

It's taken me a lot of  bumps and bruises over the years to realize the difference.

So today I received a rather amazing email from a woman who said what was in my weekly column changed her life. I don't need to share the details, because it was personal information I'm not at liberty to share.

But as I read it, I was reminded of that moment a few nights ago that I made a choice.  It's the same choice you will make about something today or tomorrow. 

I want to encourage you to opt for the Narrow Way... the road less traveled... the Way of the Master. I'm so glad Jesus didn't say, "I'm good after the whipping. Maybe they don't really need the cross."

Because... you just never know.

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men." (Ephesians 6:7)

"In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." (2 Chronicles 31:21)

parachuting with your kids in matters of faith

My friend Matthew McNutt had a great post in response to the topic of different approaches churches take it their services around Christmas. He had this gem of a quote toward the end that I want to highlight:

Children ultimately emulate the faith of their parents.  As a youth pastor, it’s always tragic to me when a parent voices the frustration that their child, now in college, doesn’t seem interested in church. 

I have to bite my tongue because often times I want to ask how they can be surprised.  For eighteen years they taught them that church is at the bottom of the priority list; skipping for vacation, bad weather, good weather, sports, concerts, work… everything comes ahead of it.  When a teen is allowed to miss church for a job that is for spending money… they’ve learned that the pursuit of possessions, entertainment, social activities – all of those are more important than church.

There are different schools of thought among all of us on the "best way" to bring kids up in the faith, but many are often rooted in negative reactions. Here are top ones I've heard:

• "I don't want to shove God down my kids throat, so I'll let them bring it up."
• "I don't make my kids go to church like I was forced to and bored out of their minds." 
• "I don't think you need to go to church to be a Christian, so it's just not big on the family priority list."
• "I don't want to miss out on the time I have with them, so we do other things on Sunday."

Obviously, we can debate these... but instead, let's look at how each sentence begins. Notice the phrase, "I don't..." - which simply reveals something you may be overlooking... a large part of what you may presume in your kids is more an issue of yours than theirs.

Think about it - how much of your presumably neutral offense is more of a defense that is rooted in your past?

We all know that no church is perfect, even though God is. You may have been hurt by a congregation or clergy member in the past, or pushed out instead of pulled in. Trust me, I have as well... so much so that I have the emotional scars to prove it.

But I'd like to offer you that you may not be as objective on this as you think. And you may, in fact, be rejecting an experience of church that you've applied to all churches. Perhaps what you grew up with actually was quite "shoved down your throat" or "boring." Maybe this has made you more argumentative against church being "necessary" or "something that competes with other fun things you want to do."

Again, I'm not debating your experience... I'm attempting to point out that you may be letting your past impact your kid's present, future, and possibly their eternity.

I'd also offer you that there are people like myself who understand this and are working hard to help the churches we're a part of get back to the heart of what God wants for our lives. Religion is an empty human exercise to find a connection with God; Christianity, on the other hand, is a passionate endeavor by God to develop a connection with us.  It's a big difference, and even within my own family we spend a lot of time thinking through more than the concept of "Just believe," but "Is there credibility to what we put our lives into?"

What if this was the year that you owned up to the journey you're on and the way it may be affecting your family? If you don't have a church home, find one... go on that journey. And do it with your family - I'll even help you if you want.

You won't find a church that has all the answers, but you can find many who will more effectively reveal the Answer to you in ways you've never dreamed.

But you have to do more than put it off until next week, or Easter, or Christmas. If and when your kids bring up the big questions about God, will you only want them to taste your bitterness or will you give them a fresh opportunity to be consistently around teaching and a community that can complement your efforts?

After all, saying you have a belief in God is like saying that you believe a parachute works. It's a whole other thing to jump out of a plane and pull the ripcord, isn't it?

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)