You mean for Jesus, right?

I've been wrestling with some big stuff lately. Last night, someone said something to me that caught me off guard, made me feel a little uncomfortable and ashamed, and certainly gave me something to think about. Here's what happened:

I was at a dinner party with some friends and a senior pastor (Pastor Wayne) from our church. We were talking about work and I said things have been a little crazy lately doing my regular job and so much work on the 12 days of Christmas "for the church". To which he replied, "you mean for Jesus, right?" He stopped me right in my tracks. "Of course... you know what I mean", is what I remember replying, but honestly my head started spinning at that point and it's all I've thought about since then.

I've been going and going and going lately. Work meetings, YMCA meetings, church meetings, sending dozens and dozens of emails each week for the "12 Days of Christmas", feeling like I'm falling behind in YMCA commitments, and trying to squeeze in time with Matt, our families, and our friends. There are days when I look a week ahead in my calendar and can only find a couple of hours of unscheduled time. Individually speaking I am committed and looking forward to each of my activities, but collectively it gets overwhelming and so sometimes I end up dreading things instead of enjoying them. (I can't believe I just put that in writing.) And then someone comes along and says to me "You mean for Jesus, right?" and all of sudden my world looks completely different. Now as I'm thinking about the things on my to-do list, I'm thinking "This is for Jesus, right?". If what I'm doing is for Jesus, then I should be doing it to my best abililty, full of joy, with a servant's heart, feeling good about doing it for the right reasons. If it's for Jesus and my attitude isn't quite in line with what I just described, then I should probably check myself. But, if what I'm doing is NOT for Jesus, then I need to examine my motives. Am I doing it just to please others? Or for approval? Or to meet what I think others' expectations of me are? I fall into those traps all the time.

I plan to start making a lot of decisions based on "You mean for Jesus, right?". I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

More Life Wisdom from the Wizard of Ads...

My Holiday Gift to You... For Real

Tom Hennen has a line in his poem, The Life of a Day, that says, “We examine each day before us with barely a glance and say, ‘no, this isn’t one I’ve been looking for,’ and wait in a bored sort of way for the next, when we are convinced, our lives will start for real.”

That line is a little bit frightening because you read it and realize you’re guilty. You’ve been waiting for that day when your life will start “for real.” The trouble with life is that it’s just so daily. I share this with you because I’ve been thinking about my two grandfathers who are dead and my father who is likewise and I’ve come to the obvious conclusion: Live while you have the chance.

“Papa was a rolling stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home…” - The Temptations, 1971. In the final moments of his life, my father scribbled a note for me to find. In barely legible pencil he scrawled, “All the little things in life add up to your life. If you don't get it right then nothing else matters. It gets lonely in the promised land by yourself.” My Dad died lonely, I think, because he never made deep commitments. My father’s confession of his loneliness makes me sad, but his scribbled note tells me he wanted me to learn from his mistake. I meet a lot of people who sigh deeply and say they’re looking for their passion, something to set their souls on fire and send beams of light shining out through their eyes. But the people with light shining from their eyes know this: Passion does not produce commitment. Commitment produces passion. Solomon, that wise king, spent years of his life searching for passion. In chapter 9 of the chronicle of that search, the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

People read that and think Solomon is saying, "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die," but that's not it at all. He's saying, "Throw your whole heart into whatever you do. Live while you have the chance."

This is my Holiday gift to you, I hope you will receive it: Find something that needs to be done and throw yourself headlong into it. Let today be the day your life begins for real.

Roy H. Williams

"May you live all the days of your life."- Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels

12 Ways to Serve Others this Season

I've been working on "The 12 Days of Christmas" for Point of Grace and yesterday we started presenting it to our congregation. We've chosen 12 opportunities for people to serve others this holiday season. I challenge everyone to make this Christmas season their family's best ever by experiencing the joy of giving to other people. What may seem like a small gesture to you, may make all the difference in the world to someone else.

Here are the 12 Days of Christmas opportunities...

1. Waukee Adopt a Family - Point of Grace is adopting 40 families from the Waukee School District and our congregation, along with friends and families, will be providing what the children in these families need and want this Christmas.

2. Festival of Trees and Lights - This is an annual fundraiser for Blank Children's Hospital. It takes place Sat 11/25 through Sunday 11/29 and they are always in need of volunteers to work 3-4 hour shifts.

3. Gift Wrapping for the Heart Connection - The Heart Connection is an organization that provides support for children with cancer and their families. One of their biggest fundraisers each year is a gift wrapping station at Valley West Mall. They are in need of lots of volunteers who like to wrap gifts!

4. Hope Ministries/Token for the Broken - Donate bus tokens (10 for $15) for those who are in emergency shelters, so that they can get to appointments, jobs, ect.

5. Christmas Gifts for Friendship Center - One Saturday each month, the Friendship Center (located at MLK and Meek) hosts a dinner for families in their area who are in need. In December, along with dinner, parents will be provided with a $20 gift card to Walmart so they can purchase gifts or food for their family.

6. Miracle of the Bell - Find out when and where you can ring the bell for the Salvation Army at http://www.ringbells.org/

7. Waukee Food Pantry - Monday nights from 6p-8p you can help sort food at the Waukee Food Pantry.

8. Deliver Christmas Dinner with Hope Ministries - From 9am-12noon on Christmas Day, volunteers will be delivering hot meals to those who are unable to leave their homes or afford Christmas Dinner.

9. Des Moines Dream Center Food Distribution - Saturday 11/21, 12/5, and 12/19 from 8:30am to 12:30pm, volunteers pack up bags of groceries at Eastwood church and distribute them at Evelyn Davis Park and Bates Park to people who need the assistance.

10. Christmas Party and Cookie Decorating - This is a great opportunity to show your children a special serving opportunity. The residents of Walden Point Assisted Living Center are hosting a cookie decorating party on Sat, Dec 12th at 1:30. Many of the residents don't get to see their own grandchildren very often and they look forward to sharing this special activity with your families.

11. Teen Challenge Wives Weekend - Teen Challenge is a Christ-based program that helps men who have fallen into addiction and lost their way to find hope again and get their lives moving in the right direction. In January they will have a Wives Weekend where they work on restoring their marriages and their families. We will provide each wife with a gift bag full of items such as lotions, soaps, Christian books and music, and more.

12. Christmas Caroling - Sat 12/12 and Sat 12/19 from 4:30p-8:30p, join us as we set out to visit those who are ill or homebound to brighten their day with Christmas Carols and goodie bags filled with Christmas treats.

If you are interested in being a part of any of these opportunities, let me know! I can give you more information or point you in the right direction.

Blessings for a wonderful holiday season! And may each of us never forget what has been given for us during this season when Christ first came.

Lightbulb Moment!

Our small group is doing a study right now called "Life's Healing Choices" from Pastor Rick Warren. (You know, The Purpose Driven Life guy.) Last night we watched the study video and then we were talking about it when all of a sudden I made a connection I have never made before. The lesson was about letting go of your issues and giving up control to God. He said that the following five things typically stand in the way of giving up control... pride, fear, doubt, guilt, and worry. The more I thought about it, the more I made the connection between those five things and every drama I've ever had in my life. My plan is to write those five words on a card and carrying them in my purse so I can constantly check myself to see which of these is creeping up on me and causing me to react badly to any kind of situation. Ever since last night, I've thought about a long list of arguments with people or stressful times in my life and I can pinpoint every single one of them to one or a combination of pride, fear, doubt, guilt, or worry.

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."

Matthew 5:5 (The Message)

Way better than Coldplay.

Des Moines Dream Center

Matt and I helped the Des Moines Dream Center with their food distribution program on Saturday. We have never worked with this organization before but I was VERY impressed. Their volunteers were so nice and made Matt and I feel very welcome. And considering the task of putting together 170 bags of food, they were very organized. The first thing we did was assemble the bags which basically meant putting one brown paper bag inside of another, putting a Dream Center stick on it, and then stacking half of them on one side of the room and half on the other. Then we packed half of them with dry foods and the other half with frozen foods. We had all of the food on tables and then we walked along the tables putting the food in. I only packed the dry foods so I can't tell you for sure what was in the frozen bags. In the dry bags, they received 1 large can of juice, 2 cans of veggies, 2 cans of fruit, 1 bag of rice krispies, 2 small cans of tuna, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 jar of italian seasoning, and a box of pasta. In the frozen bags they put in a combination of pork patties, scrambled egg squares, cheese, hamburger, sausage, and chicken. I think there might have been some bread too. After we got the bags all packed, we loaded them onto a truck and drove over to Evelyn Davis Park. At the park, those in need would come up to the tent and provide us with information about their family size, names, address, ect, and we would give them food in accordance with their family size. If they had 1-4 people they received one dry bag and one frozen bag. If they had 5+ members in their household they received 2 dry bags and 2 frozen bags. Many people are regulars at this distribution and their information is already compiled so we just checked them off. The Dream Center does food distribution like this twice per month. They mail flyers to everyone who uses their services to let them know what dates and times they will be at the park. My job was to greet people and either check them off the list or help them fill out the correct form. I had so much fun! Every person I met was so friendly. They were funny and sweet and very grateful for the help. It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to my next visit with the Dream Center.

PEACE, LOVE, CURE

Our Race for the Cure team is called "Peace Love Cure" this year. We have a team of over 20 people, but the really cool thing about our team is that we designed these t-shirts from Smash and we've almost sold 100! The t-shirts are $20 each and each purchase includes a $10 donation for breast cancer research via Susan G Komen for the Cure. Do the math people... we've almost raised an extra $1000 through these t-shirt sales! That's so cool. If you want to order one, let me know. Tomorrow is our last day for placing orders!

"Contemplation"

Twenty-five years ago, my friend Richard Exley read me some words I've never forgotten.

Here they are:

If I had my life to live over, I’d try to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been on this trip. I would be crazier. I would be less hygienic. I would take more chances. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets.

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would have more real troubles and fewer imaginary ones. You see, I am one of these people who lives prophylactically and sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I have had my moments and, if I had it to do over again, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else - just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead each day.

I have been one of those people who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat and a parachute.

If I had it to do over again, I would go and do and travel lighter.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefooted earlier in the spring and stay that way until later in the fall. I would play hooky more. I would ride on more merry-go-rounds.

I’d pick more daisies.

(These words have been attributed to Nadine Stair, Don Herold, an unnamed monk and countless other authors. The only person that I’m sure didn’t write them is me. - RHW)


Richard's reading of those words still echoes in my mind. I can hear his unique inflection on every syllable.

I was twenty-four when he read to me. We were sitting in his office, working on an ad campaign. On Saturday I'll be fifty.

I consider those words to be some of the most wondrous I was ever given.

And now I've given them to you.

Roy H. Williams (Wizard of Ads)
From the Monday Morning Memo - March 24, 2008

Created Not To be Broken

Last Saturday, I went with a group of 15 other people from my church to do a service and mission project for Hope Ministries. Hope Ministries is an organization in Des Moines that serves homeless men, women, and children through a variety of programs. They offer shelter and recovery programs that are all Christ based. They also run the Hope Bargain Center which takes donations similar to a Goodwill and either sells, recycles, or gives away items to those in need. Our group worked for two hours at the Bargain Center on Saturday, then we ate lunch with the community at Hope Cafe, and then we took supplies to homeless tent camps along the river. It was an eye opening and heart breaking experience. People who live in the tent camps usually choose to do so because they are struggling with alcohol or drug addiction. They have shelter available to them, but they don't want to have to follow rules or give up their addiction. You can see the sadness and hopelessness on their faces and you want so badly to shake them and tell them that there's a better way. Instead we brought new socks and underwear, beef stew, sandwiches, bottled water, and cookies we baked and we sat down and talked with them for a little while. They are used to having people come visit them on Saturdays so they were open to us being there and they were pretty friendly. A few of them wouldn't come out of their tents, but they allowed us to leave supplies for them and pray over their tent and camp.

It was a great experience and it really made me want to do more to support Hope Ministries and all that God is doing through this wonderful organization! More than that though it made me so thankful that I understand that all things are possible through Christ and nothing is too hard to overcome through Him. It breaks my heart to see people struggling through life when they don't have to. According to the book of Ephesians, "even before God made the world He loved us and chose us to be Holy in Christ and without fault in His eyes." God didn't create anyone to be miserable and broken, he's given us a way to be complete and perfect in his eyes and all we have to do is accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers us. If we can humble ourselves before the Lord and confess that we mess up and we need help, the Holy Spirit is available to us and Jesus is there for us. I saw my father struggle through alcohol addiction and I saw the shame and hurt that he felt and even thinking about it now makes my heart hurt. He wrote a letter before he passed away detailing the things that he was most proud of in his life. Events or accomplishments that to him showed he was worthy of having lived. I wish I could have told him that even if he'd never accomplished any of those things, God found him worthy and there was nothing he could do to earn God's love. It's a free gift. No matter how much we believe or don't believe in God, God believes in us. My dad and I didn't have many heart to heart conversations, but I wish I would have told him about God's love for him because maybe it would have made a difference. That experience and that memory is one of the things that really makes me want to help people and really makes me want to share the message of Christ. I don't want to see people hurting and I don't want them to miss out on the greatest relationship of all time... a relationship with the creator of the universe who says he chose you before he even created the world. Wow, that's powerful.

Your Life Changes the Moment You Decide It.

I watched a Tony Robbins web video a few weeks ago. He said "Your life changes the moment you decide it." So true.

Stop and Think

Jolynn's Birthday Photo

We celebrated Jolynn's golden birthday over the weekend. She turned 27 on the 27th!

You Are the Best Thing

I discovered this song around July 4th. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ray LaMontagne's voice. I would love to see this guy in concert. Thanks to Wikipedia, here's the story on this guy. He's 36 years old and he lives in Maine with his wife and his two kids. One day he heard a Stephen Stills' song "Hilltop Flyer" on the radio. He bought the album and decided he wanted to be a singer-songwriter. He quit his job at a shoe factory and in 1999 went on tour, keeping a side job as a carpenter. Now he has three albums. He has such a classic kind of voice. I think I might have to download some more of his music on iTunes. So far I only have this one, but everything I've heard him sing is great. So my tip for the day, download some Ray LaMontagne, sit back with a glass of wine, take it easy, and soak in the relaxing, mellowness of it all.

A Little Pain Makes a Big Difference

Yesterday was a big day! I conquered my fear of needles and blood. I decided to VOLUNTEER to get poked with a big needle and give blood at the Red Cross Blood Drive at my church. Unless you're deathly afraid of blood and needles, donating blood is a pretty simple way to give back to the world. It only takes 10 minutes to pump out the blood and within 20-30 minutes you could be in and out and on with your day. If you're afraid of needles and blood and pain, like I am, then donating blood is a bit more of a big deal. I really had to psych myself up for this one. I knew I was going to volunteer about a week ago. So every day I pictured myself walking in and laying down and giving the blood like it was no big deal. I think my strategy worked! When I walked in yesterday I was a little nervous, but not too bad. The lady who helped me, Tammy, was the NICEST woman in the world. She knew it was my first time, so I think she was extra careful with me. There was also another very nice volunteer named Joleen who stayed with me the whole time and they both talked to me while I donated. I told Tammy that I didn't want to see the needle or the blood and I did NOT want her to tell me what she was doing or when she was going to poke me. I will say that it really hurt when she stuck me, but it didn't last long. And I didn't cry and I didn't even wince. She had to remind me to keep breathing, but other than that I was a pro. She said she wouldn't have known it was my first time if I hadn't told her. (I think she was just being kind.) All in all, I would say it was a successful experience and I would do it again. I won't be a regular, every 8 week kind of donor, but I would donate again sometime. It was very rewarding to know that just for enduring a little anxiety and a little pinch of pain, I helped save three lives!

Make it so today is not like yesterday and tomorrow will be different forever.

- Tony Robbins

I HEART JOURNEY!

Matt and I went to the Heart/Journey concert last night at the fair. We had the best time! It was my first time seeing Heart in concert. They were awesome! The lead singer might be the greatest singer I've ever heard. She was belting the songs out! It was my 3rd time seeing Journey and they never disappoint. My favorite part was towards the end when they sang "Faithfully" and "Don't Stop Believin'" back to back. I would say 99% of the crowd was singing as loud as they could. I know I was:)

It was the official end to the 2009 Iowa State Fair. I have to say, it was my favorite ending ever. Let's see if they can top it next year.

Speaking Louder than Before

I got to see Jeremy Camp LIVE at the Iowa State Fair last night and it was all that and MORE! I've been a fan for quite awhile and have a lot of his music on iPod, so I was really looking forward to the concert. He did not disappoint! He shared a lot of his personal story and testimony throughout the concert. It was really cool to hear where he was coming from when he wrote his songs. It gave me a new perspective on some of them. My favorite song that he sang last night was "Speaking Louder than Before".

Here are some of the lyrics that really speak to me...

We are the hope that's been forgotten
We have the love that will be brought and
We are speaking louder than before

Take every chance that you can
Move together taking a stand
Never losing heart, we'll speak as one

We need to be the image of Christ
Show love and serve at all times
We can make a difference in these lands

This song gives me a lot of inspiration. I'm working really hard to find as many opportunities as I can for our small groups at Point of Grace to get out into the community and show people what following Jesus is all about. It's not just about going to church on Sunday, it's about showing people who are hungry, who are lonely, who are struggling with addictions or depression, who feel like something is missing in their life that we care and that more importantly God cares. He cares so much that He sent His one and only Son to pay the penalty for our screw ups and through faith in Jesus Christ we are able to live our lives with the hope and love that only Jesus can provide. For me it's not about preaching or trying to save people, it's about showing another person that I hear their struggles and I see their needs and I'm here to help them. I truly think that if we each dug down deep and looked around, we could find someone who needs us and make a difference in their life. In South Africa, I experienced unbelievable joy from helping others. It's that joy that has lit this fire in me and I so want to see everyone I know experience the same joy in their lives. God can do and will do, amazing things through us.

Love this song. Love the Muppets.

I love Elton John's music and I'd love to see him in concert sometime. But something tells me that seeing him now and having seen him back in the days of this video would be two totally different experiences. I would love to see a concert like the one in this video where completely unexpected things happen with crazy costumes and crazy characters. And just as a side note, I really miss the muppets.

Meeting Rockstars

Ed Rolland from Collective Soul is an amazing musician and he seems like a really great guy. We got to see him perform live accoustically at Flemings Steakhouse over the lunch hour a few weeks ago. The radio station I used to work for was hosting a special event and they invited us to come. Gotta love the perks of working in the entertainment business:)

We got to meet Gavin Degraw that same day. He was sooooo great! I have loved Gavin Degraw for a long time so it was cool to finally see him live and get a chance to meet him.

Top Ten: Iowa State Fair

The Iowa State Fair starts this Thursday! Here's the top ten things I'm most excited about seeing/doing/eating...

1. Definitely gotta have a corndog.
2. Homemade, freshly shaken lemonade (to wash down the corndog)
3. Jeremy Camp concert
4. Matt Nathanson on the free stage
5. Journey/Heart concert
6. The butter cow
7. Seeing the GIANT vegetables that win blue ribbons
8. The BIGGEST bull and the HUGEST hog (I know technically that's two)
9. People watching
10. Seeing almost everyone I know on the First Friday

Greatest Movie Scene of ALL TIME

Sixteen Candles - Final Scene - Movie Ending - Click here for another funny movie.

I found this March 20th last year...

THE SPECTRUM
Dean Ornish M.D.
What Matters Most?
That simple question can play a powerful role in healing our lives.
Feb 27, 2008 | Updated: 6:25 p.m. ET Feb 27, 2008

An Exerpt from the article in Newsweek…

What matters most is love. And the things that matter are very simple—they're very old—and they're very, very important. These things that can't be measured are the foundation of our lives. There is meaning in everything we do. Most of us live far more meaningful lives than we know.

How so?

Recognizing that we are all connected and, because of that, we have the power to make a real difference in the life of a total stranger without even knowing their name. We often feel powerless in today's society--that you have to be wealthy, or educated or somehow more than you are in order to make any kind of significant difference in the world. And the reality is that we've already made a far greater difference than we know, we have changed the lives of many more people than we realize because there is a web of connection between us.

We have a culture that values celebrity over compassion; that values notoriety over caring. What can we learn from all of this? The entire advertising industry is based on the idea that if only you buy more, get more, do more—then you'll be happy.

Well, it's never enough because it will never fill the emptiness that only a sense of meaning can satisfy. At the end of life, when people look back to see what mattered for them and brought meaning, it's not about what they bought and what they owned. It's about what they did to help other people to live and how they related to other people and grew in wisdom. It's all about the love they gave and received, not anything else. One heart at a time.

Here's a link to the full article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/116684

**********************************************************
I don't remember finding this article, but I was checking an old email address today and I found that I had emailed it to myself with the subject line "blogworthy". How weird that I saved it and how weird that it directly applies to something I've been struggling with lately. I'm not sure why, but I've been feeling like I'm working and working and doing more and more, but I'm not making a difference anywhere. This article was just the reassurance that I need to remember that only God can see the whole picture of how we're all connected. My only job is to keep working to serve others and God will take care of making sure He uses me to make a difference "one heart at a time".

A Few Fun Pictures from the Family Reunion

I Am Second

I was watching a video on IAmSecond.com and at the end of his testimony, this guy said something about what Jesus means to him. I started thinking, "What does Jesus mean to me?" I haven't planned out this post. I'm writing as it comes to me and I'm searching my heart to see what Jesus really means to me. I hope you'll be encouraged to think about what Jesus really means to you.

Jesus is God's one and only Son. He is God born in human form to save mankind. He was born to the Virgin Mary and lived the perfect life. He travelled around with his disciples and performed miracle after miracle. He was the King foretold in the Old Testament, but he was so radically different from any human who ever walked the earth and so different from the king that everyone was expecting, that almost everyone questioned whether or not he was the Messiah. His teachings were those of love and forgiveness. He befriended those who society cast aside and threw out the rules of old and taught that the most important rules in life were to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself". He did miracles showing time and time again that he was God. He was ultimately brutally killed for claiming to be Lord, but no guards, no tomb, no stone could keep him from being resurrected. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is savior of my soul. He's the reason that I know I'm going to be in Heaven with God when I die. He was perfect, but he took on all the sin of the world and paid the penalty for every bad thing I've ever done and every wrong choice I'll ever make. He knows all the answers. No athlete, no celebrity, nobody who's ever lived or will ever live will be a better role model. He gave all he had for others, including giving his life. He loves with grace and truth, but just the right amount of both. He loves the unlovable. His love has changed the world. His love is still alive today in my heart and in the heart of every Christian. He is the living God. What Jesus means to me is love. He means that I don't have to be perfect, he loves me anyway. He means that I can love other people with all my heart because I am overflowing with His love. He means that I can love people I don't even know because He has given me enough. There is nothing that can't be done through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is first, I am Second. That's what Jesus means to me.

Somebody's Gotta Be the One to Step UP

My New Challenge

Last fall I started leading a small group bible study at my house. Our group has grown bigger and bigger since we started and we've moved from strangers who meet every Wednesday to watch a video and discuss Jesus to a group of friends who support each other and look forward to learning more and reaching out. Yesterday I was meeting with Wade, our pastor of small groups, and he offered me a new challenge. I will now be on the Small Group Leadership Team and my role will be to find service project opportunities in the community for our small groups to get connected with. It's a toss up whether I'm more excited to get out there and meet with non-profits and see what needs to be done or meeting with the group leaders and getting them to bond with their groups by going out and impacting the community. It all sounds like the perfect job to me! I'm so honored that God has given me this opportunity and I will pray and pray like crazy that through these small group service projects lives will be touched and changed. If anyone reading this knows of an organization or person that could use our help, please let me know!

Song of the Day: Jeremy Camp, "Take a Little Time"

Brad Paisley: Then

This is one of the sweetest songs I've ever heard. Enjoy!

Addison Road: This Could Be Our Day

I've lost my blogging spark!

I'm not sure if it's time spent on Facebook or a lack of interesting things to say, but blogging has not been a high priority lately. OK, I think it's mainly a lack of interesting things to say. Clearly I've temporarily lost my zest for deep thought and life changing "aha" moments. I can't say that I've got anything dramatic to say today, but I did have the urge to blog, so instead I'd like to share a couple of new (new to me) artists I've been listening to. I definitely recommend checking these out on iTunes.

Matt White Band
Matt White has his own solo album out and it's great, but then I discovered the The Matt White Band. Excellent stuff. Definitely download "Make me Happy".

Meredith Andrews
First I bought the song "Lift up your Head" and I listened to it a hundred times on my iPod. Then I decided to download the whole album and I love every song! "You're not alone" and "You invite me in" are my other two faves.

Veritas Magazine - Brainstorming - In Search of Chivalry: Gone are the Days of King Arthur and Princesses to Rescue

If you're a woman who's ever dreamed of having a chivalrous man in your life, read this article. It gives such great reasons why chivalry is great for not only the woman, but the man too. I'm all about backing up my requests with facts and benefits:)

Enjoy!

Veritas Magazine - Brainstorming - In Search of Chivalry: Gone are the Days of King Arthur and Princesses to Rescue

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No news, no worry

If you didn't watch the news, read the newspaper, see the news on the internet, or turn on the radio would you have any clue about the recession, the failing bank and auto business, or the swine flu? I don't think I would. I keep finding myself panicking a little, but then I remind myself there's really nothing to panic over. If I wasn't constantly hearing about the horrible "threats" of what might happen should any of these things get out of control, I wouldn't have a clue they even existed. My bank is still in business and my money is still there. My commissions have taken a bit of a hit this year due to the auto business, so even without the news I might have figured that one out. Other than a bit of a headache and a stuffy nose the past few weeks, I feel perfectly healthy. Every year around this time I usually get a mild cold. But if my chance I did get the flu, I'd probably just think it was flu season and move on with my life. I understand that in Mexico this flu has been deadly and that is worrisome. But so far in the US it hasn't been deadly and I think the panic it's causing is almost worse than the actual illness. The panic is certainly affecting a greater number of people than the virus so far.

When I was in South Africa I had very little access to the news and I must admit that it really took my anxiety level down a notch. The world kept turning and whatever was happening in the world didn't change my reality a bit. I think we should all take a break from the doom and gloom of the news and remind ourselves that worrying changes nothing. Regardless of what it says on TV, my life is still rolling along just as it was yesterday. I'll deal with whatever happens tomorrow when it happens.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?Matthew 6:26-28

I am definitely an Idealist.

The Idealist core needs include identity, self-actualization, meaningfulness, and significance. Idealists look to the future, focusing on what might be. They engage in activities because they are meaningful rather than because they are routine, mandatory, efficient, or entertaining. They search for identity and meaning in life. They want to experience life but want the experiences to have meaning beyond the mere event. They tend to romanticize their experiences, their lives, and the lives of others. They want to know how the world works in personal, spiritual terms. They seek to grow and reach their own potential. Living a life of significant and making a difference in the world is the way Idealists achieve their unique identity. Idealists want their significance appreciated or at least recognized. Integrity is important to the Idealist. They focus on human potential, ethics, culture, quality of life and personal growth. At their best they are empathic, caring, warm, and seek harmony. Idealists are supporters for the people and ideas they care about. They are extremely insightful into others, having an ability to reflect and anticipate unspoken issues and intentions of others. They are good at seeing the possibilities in others and helping them draw out their potential. They are effective communicators and inspire others, sharing in participatory leadership and empowering and facilitating growth in those whom they work with. Idealists strive to unify by understanding and resolving deeper issues. They are naturals at building bridges between people and can see how two different views are alike. They often communicate with symbols and metaphors. Idealists are seen as creative because they like to express their unique identity. They tend to take criticism very personally.
Idealists do best in environments that convey positive regard, recognize their uniqueness, and provide validation, interaction, receptivity, and support. A confrontive, argumentative or competitive atmosphere offends them. Idealists operate out of their values and intuitive perceptions and can be surprised when others lack awareness of the deep issues below the surface. Because they need work that matters to them and to others, the Idealist might have difficulty placing limits on the amount of time and energy they devotes to work. This type works toward a vision of perfection. And once the vision and work is completed, it sometimes just doesn’t seem to live up to expectations.

http://www.wnc.edu/studentservices/counseling/styles_types/43_idealists.html

I'm Not Participating.

I'm loaded. It's official. I'm the 51,263,593 richest person on earth! How rich are you? >>

Yesterday in church I got an awakening that I've been needing to have for awhile. I'm rich. Ridiculously rich. And so are you. In fact I doubt I know a single person who is not within the top 5% of the richest people in the world. Is it bad to be rich? It is if you never think you have enough. If all your life your only motivation is to get more and more. If you're hoarding all you have and not being a blessing to those in need. Or if you're replacing God with money by trusting in your money more than God who has given you every drop of what you have. Being rich is not a sin. It's not a bad thing at all. It's a gift and a blessing if you stop to actually be thankful and realize that you're rich. I'm so embarrassed that I've been crying and moaning over all the commission I've lost this year. Even with the loss, I'm still within the top 1% of the richest people in the world. So there is no need for crying or stress or worry. I'm no longer participating in this so-called recession, or the fear, or the crazy save-save-save/keep-keep-keep mentality. So far this year I have learned more responsible spending and saving. I have learned that there are luxuries that I don't need. And I'm very thankful for those lessons. But because I'm already rich and have far more than I need, I'm going to be looking for every way that I can to be a blessing to others. I don't have to worry whether I have enough food to eat or clothes to wear or a place to live. Those are issues that millions of people in the world face everyday. I have a job. I have wonderful friends and family. I really have it made. When I wake up in the morning from now on, I'll wake up realizing that I'm so rich. I can't wait to find ways to bless others. And what a different perspective it gives me. Thanks be to God who has so overwhelmingly provided.

***
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
—1 Timothy 6:17-19

Happy Birthday James!

It was James's birthday a couple of weeks ago and we celebrated with a party at Jolynn and Mark's house. James started walking a week or so before his birthday; the party was a great opportunity for him to show off his new skills! It was a lot of fun watching him open all of his gifts and it was fun to see family that I don't get to see often. I can't wait to see how he grows this year and how different he will be at his next birthday party!

Rise...

It's tough being in sales right now. It's really tough when 75% of your business comes from automotive clients. I keep getting knocked down lately and so far I've done a pretty good job of getting back up to keep trying and keep moving forward. Yesterday I got another cancellation and it really discouraged me. This morning on the way to work this song came up on my iPod and reminded me that "the call is to give all you are, to give love away". The call isn't to make money, to get stuff, to worry, to be fearful. The call is to give love away, to give all you are no matter what your circumstances. I guess that means I need to suck it up yet again and keep moving forward because I know there are a lot of people out there who are in much worse situations and they need people to reach out and help them, people willing "to give love away".

Love this song...

Something interesting...

I learned something this morning and if you really think about it, it's a little disturbing.

Our bodies contain approximately 100 million sensory receptors that allow us to see, hear, taste, touch and smell physical reality. But the brain contains 10 thousand billion synapses. This means we’re roughly 100,000 times better equipped to experience a world that does not exist, than a world that does.

Bon Jovi: Livin' on a Prayer

Today's Song of the Day...



There's nothing like a good 80's song to get you going in the morning. Plus, I'm pretty sure a lot of us are livin' on a prayer these days:)

Lincoln Brewster: Today is the Day

Today's song of the day...

In London, T Mobile staged two hundred dancers to "randomly" start dancing in the train station. The marketing ploy was that bystanders took out their cell phones and started getting it on video. Take away the fact that it was marketing. How cool would it have been if you were in the train station that day? I don't know about anyone else, but I am aching to have an extraordinary moment. Things seem so mundane right now. Every day is work, workout, eat healthy, more cold weather, get some sleep, start over. I feel like a hostage in my own life. Being practical and responsible, it's my duty to keep my job and pay my bills and be healthy. But lately I have this nagging desire to just let it all go, pack my suitcase, and use my new passport to go somewhere beautiful, exotic, exciting. Along the way I'll eat whatever I want and my only forms of exercise will be trekking through the mountains, swimming in the ocean, and doing yoga on the beach. I'll leave all my dress clothes behind and stick with sweatsuits, jeans, flip flops, tank tops, and summer dresses. I won't care if I don't have any money. I'll get by waiting tables here and there, being a part time nanny, cleaning, whatever. I won't bring my watch. I loathe my watch. I'll wake up when the sun hits my face. I'll eat breakfast and drink coffee watching nature and praying, thanking God for my freedom. I won't read the newspaper or the internet. I'll go where I feel led and I'll greet everyone with a friendly smile and a curiosity as to why God may have brought us together. I'll find ways to make a difference.

Oh can't you just imagine...

Matthew West: History

Song of the Day...

From the Wizard of Ads Monday Morning Memo...

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." – T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

Hunker down or dream. It's your call.

The 7 Steps to Hunkering Down:
1. Stay scared. Call it "street smart."
2. Cultivate cynicism. Call it "straight talk."
3. Praise pessimism. Call it a "reality check."
4. Believe you are wiser than everyone else.
5. Feel secretly superior.
6. Take no action that might improve your condition.
7. Crow "I told you so" when things get worse.

The 7 Steps to Pursuing Your Dream:
1. Know what you're trying to make happen.
2. Expect good things to happen for you.
3. Plant seeds of good things daily.
4. Trust that some of your seeds will grow.
5. Measure success by your own criteria.
6. Make progress daily without fail.
7. Believe in the power of the Elbs. (Exponential Little Bits)

A Whole Year in Forty Seconds...

One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.

A good reminder that these FREEZING temps and snowy days won't last forever...

Song of the Day

Robbie Seay Band
"Love Wins"