a letter to my younger self

[ From my weekly newspaper column "Fully-Alive Living" ]

I have a birthday this week.

No presents, please. Just throw money.

Actually, I’m not a “birthday dropper.” Some people perpetually hint for a gift by mentioning their upcoming birthday. I like comedian Jim Gaffigan’s response to these indirect propositions:

“Hey, just want to let you know, next Tuesday is my birthday.” 

“Just want to let you know, I'm not getting you anything.”

When people find out it’s your birthday they inevitably want to know how old you are. I’ve always been comfortable with my age at any age, but noticed people grade it from where they’re at:

• When I turned 21: “Oh, you’re 21? (pauses) Now… I remember 21… (stares off to look somewhere) 21… twenty-one… twennnn-ty-onnnne…"
  
  
• When I turned 30: “Welcome to my world, sucker. Embrace the decade of love handles and treadmills. Muh-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
  
  
• When I turned 35: “Dude, you’re like… as old as my dad.”

People in my church like not knowing how old I am. It somehow lets me be old enough to speak wisdom into their life, but young enough that I can hang out on a road trip with teenagers. Apparently I can quote Kierkegaard and end my sentence with, “Like, you know?”

So if you’ll indulge me, I want to write a letter to my younger self. Imagine if you really could do this and they’d get it – what would you say?

(And no, you can’t just share stock investments and TV show plots.)

--- Read the rest: "A LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF"

what a bunch of fools, right?

First, pick your favorite demeaning word: "Fools," "Idiots," "Morons," "Control freak," and so forth.

Second, apply it to someone who frustrates you: A political party, a church or church leader, a business who let you down, etc

This is how we normally vent our frustration out against people and organizations; however, might there be something to consider about it?

Read these words via an interview with Francis Chan, and apply them:

Jesus threatens hell to those who curse their brother (Matt. 5:22). He's not warning drinkers, smokers or murderers. Jesus preaches hellfire against those who have the audacity to attack a fellow human being with harsh words. 

It's ironic—frightening, actually—that some people have written books, preached sermons or written blog posts about hell and missed this point completely. In fact, some people have slammed their Christian brothers and sisters in the process, simply because they have a different view of hell, missing the purpose of Matthew 5: "Whoever calls his brother a fool may find himself guilty of hell." 

Have you called your brother a fool lately? On a blog? On Facebook? Have you tweeted anything of the sort? So often, these hell passages become fodder for debate, and people miss the point of the warning. Jesus didn't speak of hell so we could study, debate and write books about it. He gave us these passages so we would live holy lives. 

Stop slandering one another, and live in peace and brotherly unity. Jesus evidently hates it when we tear into our brothers or sisters with demeaning words, words that fail to honor the people around us as the beautiful image-bearing creatures that they are.

sharing some perspective

Over the past few months I've been blessed to share some perspective on Cleveland NBC and CBS News. Here are the links to those pieces - I'd appreciate your prayers for any impact they might have on these themes. Thanks!

9/11 and Religion - 10 Years Later: http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/206378/278/%40-the-Table-Religion-911-at-Connection-Church

Editorial Response to Celebrating Osama Bin Laden's Death: http://www.woio.com/story/14670974/editorial-response-tony

back... from the future

A clever commercial based on Back to the Future.  Interesting concept we've seen before, but personalize it - when can you leverage your personal past successes for future wins that bless others?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yiSdjwi_bg

flashback to 9/11

I remember being asked to put a video together the day after 9/11 happened. It was for our upcoming church service five days away, only there wasn't an abundance of film yet available on the attacks. Somewhere over those five days this is what I was able to paste together.

I'm not sure if this can help you remember, but I know that we are in the habit of moving on from things we need to work out. Here is my humble attempt at a moving memoriam about the attacks on the World Trade Center and Capital on September 11, 2001.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF_khJV6a3E

get off the fence

If you are riding the fence in an area of life, don't be surprised at the damage you cause to yourself and others falling off. 

We want it all, but often won't commit because we're *sure* the grass is greener on the other side... or was it the other side? 

Be careful - your weight will soon shift when you least expect it, and hurt will unfortunately occur all around you. 

Both sides of the fence involve comfort AND carrying your cross. 

Buck up.

Get off the fence.

"You don't have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense, the kind you'd use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you'd probably go to jail and pay every last penny of the fine. That's the kind of decision I'm asking you to make." (Luke 12:57, MSG)