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Time
When I was a kid, Christmas always seemed so far away. In the middle of July, the start of school in a month and a half seemed so far away. Summer lasted forever. Playing at the park was a never ending adventure, with the stretch from dinner time to home time seeming like days.
And then over time, that stopped. A day no longer has enough time to fit everything that needs to be done into it. Some days the to do list has more things added to it than removed from it, which can lead to dozens of choices every day about what to spend your time on. Do I do Task A or Task B first? And when it comes to taking a break, the choices are almost endless! Meet up with friends? Watch a movie? Read a book? What book? What TV? What to watch? Go for a run? The possibilities go on and on.
As I’ve gone through different levels of business it’s become continually more apparent to me that the way that I spend my time shows what I value. It’s very easy to say that I really like to volunteer and help make the world a better place, but when I’m presented with the choice of meeting with one of the youth from the youth group for a half hour or an hour or watching 6 hours of the hockey playoffs and baseball, what I pick truly shows what I value? What is more important to me: my time and my enjoyment or spending time hanging out and investing in the lives of the people I care about? Watching 1 of 162 games of baseball or helping out at the local street ministry?
This shouldn’t seem like a hard question, but all to often I feel like what I claim to be important doesn’t match up with what I spend our time doing. If I say that I want to help make the world a better place, 6 hours watching sports won’t do that. If I spend all of that, or half of that, or even an hour of that doing some good. I’m taking steps to put others ahead of myself. As it says in Mark 12:28-31
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
The way I spend my time shows who I love the most: God, my neighbor or myself. Looking at it from that perspective makes it much easier to tell if the way I spend my time is correct or not.
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Trending Topics
Twitter is one of the greatest inventions of all time. It provides me with news in the fastest way possible. And not just as fast as possible, but from as many different angles as possible. Which makes the trending topics always a useful thing. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to Google a random trending topic to find out that “RIP Justin” doesn’t mean that Justin Beiber is dead, but instead that someone just said that he was and 13 year old girls everywhere paniced. So today, at 1:21pm Mountain time on April 21, 2011 I’ll share my take on every trending topic without the help of Google. And now to see what Twitter has to share with us….
#ifitwasuptome
If it was up to me…finding a blog topic today would have been easier than looking at Twitter’s trending topics…Mumford & Sons would play a show in Calgary…I would be taking a vacation to somewhere foreign and warm…
#welcometothedmvWelcome to the DMV where, well frankly I’m lucky. I’ve never had an issue at the local registry. This rumored land of the “DMV” is foreign to me. Welcome to the DMV, where I feel sorry for everyone visiting the DMV.
#youknowurboredwhenTop 5 Signs I’m Bored: 1) I eat. And I mean EAT. Candy, chips and pop are my #1 weaknesses when bored.
2) I wander. I’ll get up to do something and forget what I got up to do, because honestly, I had no intention for where I was going. And end up either in the kitchen (see #1) or back where I started.
3) I look up random sports stats. Example: “I wonder what Arod’s career OPS trend is for April? I should probably find that out.”
4) I spend time on Twitter. Looking up different news items, sports news, etc to see people’s take on them. Twitter is never short of people saying things about the topics of the day.
5) I change what I’m doing frequently. For example, this blog has been written in approximately 15 parts.
JoickShirtlessI don’t know who or what a “Joick” is, but I don’t want a shirtless Joick anywhere near me. Frankly, this one is probably safer that I haven’t looked into this topic.
Finding NemoI’ll file this one under “The kids love their Pixar”. It not only makes me sound old, but also makes it sound like I don’t also love Pixar movies. Both of which are false. Pixar movies are great!
RunTheWorldOniTunesThis is clearly Apple trying to overcompensate with Blackberry releasing the Playbook this week. The world cannot be run on iTunes. If it could, iTunes would not be a free download. World domination isn’t free.
While we’re at it, if anyone happens to have an extra Playbook sitting around, I happen to know someone who’d gladly take it off of your hands!
TEAM GR1MSHAWAnother trending topic I know nothing about. However, I’m on whatever team is fighting against “GR1MSHAW”. I don’t want to cheer for a team that can so easily confuse the letter “I” for the number “1”. It’s the same as when people replace an “!” with a “1”. The kids just love the #1. And this time, I’m pretty sure this does make me old.
Sergio RamosSergio Ramos is my new hero. For those of you who didn’t see, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey trophy in Spain. While celebrating afterwards, driving through the streets on a roofless bus, Sergio Ramos dropped the trophy and it got run over by the bus. I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often. Those trophies are always either heavy or awkward and with the adrenaline pumping, they’re bound to get dropped every now and again. However, the sight of the trophy pinned under the bus, still brought me joy this morning. Thanks for the laugh Sergio!
María MagdalenaNow I’ll admit that this saw someone mention this today. I assume it’s referring to the Lady Gaga song “Judas”. I have two thoughts about this: 1) I haven’t actually listened to the song in its entirely. I thought it was horrible when I heard it on the radio, so I turned it off. So, to be honest, I don’t know what the song is about.
However, 2) Lady Gaga’s marketing people must have known what they were doing releasing a song called “Judas” the week before Easter. Lady Gaga’s take on religion and religious topics has always come across as…interesting….to say the least. So when I do find the time to stomach my way through this song, I’m sure it’ll leave me with more to talk about.
What about you? What are your thoughts on today’s trending topics? What has been happening today that you think has been missed by Twitter?
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What does grace look like?
When someone uses the word “grace” it can often bring up a number of different feelings. According to Dictionary.com, it can often bring up 20 different feelings. This dawned on me yesterday when I thought of what it meant to “show someone grace”. What does that mean to people when I say that, but more importantly, what does that mean to me? Well, according to Dictionary.com I would mean:
mercy; clemency; pardon: an act of grace.
Grace has always been something that I’ve desired to show people. To be able to show someone that what they have done in the past doesn’t matter when it comes to carrying for their well being is incredibly important. All of us have done things in that past that we are not proud of, or should not have done. Everyone wants a second chance when things have gone wrong, and its our part to help make that possible.
At times it seems easy to know who deserves grace. For example, I don’t think anyone would be angry at an old lady trying to cross the street and taking a long time. We understand what she’s going through and freely show grace towards her. I also don’t think that too many people would be angry at a recovering addict who was struggling with his rehab. It becomes easy to forgive and continue to support someone who is visibly and openly struggling to overcome something.
But what about if it isn’t so clear that we should show grace to someone? What if someone cuts you off driving to work? What if a friend lies to us? What if someone in your church does something that you disagree with? In some ways I feel that these are the more important times to show people grace and give them a second chance. When we fail to show grace in these simple day to day situations we not only start to (or continue to) destroy these relationships, but also allow bitterness to begin to (or continue to) set into our hearts. And plus, someone’s given you a second chance at some point. Why not return the favor?
Ps. This blog was partially inspired by the folks over at People of the Second Chance. Check out there website and help give someone a second chance. http://www.potsc.com
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Priorities
I sit here at work today, writing this article in between waiting for my computer to do its work. I’m able to drink coffee, listen to the Fantasy Focus Baseball podcast trying to decide whether or not to drop Chase Utley, and be warm, despite the fact that it’s April 7th and still below 0 degrees outside. I’m trying to fix a problem I’ve been trying to resolve for the past couple of days. Been frustrating at times, with the odd “ARRRGGH!”, *fist slam on desk* or silent annoyance.
This morning, I woke up, said good morning to my wife, got out of bed, saw my dog, ate breakfast, showered, made lunch and drove to work. My routine this morning was slightly thrown off trying to figure out some money issues. It’s an issue that’s come up lately and has been on my mind. It won’t make or break us, but is still a hassle none the less.
When I get into work, I see that there has been another earthquake in Japan and a school shooting in Brazil. So often lately, when looking at the news I find myself saddened by what is happening in the world around us. Whether it be a natural disaster, or something caused by people’s actions, it seems to be non-stop. These things seem so distant that its easy to be saddened about it, tweet about it, write a blog about it and continue on with your life, still unsure what to do with Chase Utley on my fantasy team.
With so many areas of need, I can’t help but feel selfish when I worry about the unnecessary things in life. A long line for coffee? How can I complain about that while spending $5 on a drink that I don’t even need. Someone creates a little extra work for me to get a refund? How can I complain that someone is giving me money? The weather is a little cold and it snows in April? How can I complain when I’m perfectly safe and have the warmth of a house to go to at night? These are all things that I am so fortunate to have, to focus on the tiny issues of life becomes a self-centered way of life. What says that my tiny issues are more important than the larger issues of others? My goal should be the benefit of all, not myself. And that is what it shall be.
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Uncertainty - 2 Months Later
Has it been forever since I posted anything on here? Yes
Is that the number one way for a blog to fail? Yes
Do I have a plan to fix it? Not really
Does that mean I should probably stop? Most certainly
Will I stop? Nope
According to my saved draft, apparently I was in the middle of writing a post about the 7 Steps of Uncertainty. This is how far I got:
1) Panic
2) Confusion
3) Apathy
4) Passion
And then uncertainty probably overcame me and the last 3 steps got forgotten.
How often is that how life goes? We have the best of intentions to do something that is at one point so important to us, and yet when we go to fulfill it: Nothing
I’ve experience the same thing, not only in blog land, but also in the rest of my life as well. As my life seems to be in a continual transition stage, I went from having a somewhat limited role in the youth group, to a bigger role in the youth group, to a giant role in the youth group and now to a more diminished role. Which is ultimately what I was looking forward to. Not because I don’t want to still be doing youth, because it is amazing, but because I have so much passion for other areas of life as well. As I transitioned to the smaller role, I didn’t move into anything else. I simply replaced it with nothing, with my focus more on myself and how I can benefit from my time than how I can benefit others.
So, as this blog is finally written, there are two goals being set. One, is to write more frequently. To steal an idea from my friend’s blog (http://www.blogabubbles.com/) on Wednesday night/Thursday morning I’ll be putting up a post. Second, lastly and most important, to continue progressing into finding where best to spend my energy. After all, this is a work in progress.
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Crossroads
When someone mentions “crossroads”, what comes to mind? Do you think of that unforgetable movie with Britney Spears? Upon further inspection, there are actually 6 movies called Crossroads, one called Cross Roads, 4 TV series named Crossroads, at least 9 malls named Crossroads, one of which is India’s first mall (yeah India!), as well as countless songs, towns, rehab centres, camps, comics and probably even pets named Crossroads.
A crossroad is nothing new to our society. We have all been at one and experienced what this is like. Often, how we handle these situations defines who we are. Do we take a chance and try to do something new or do we stay doing the same thing we’ve always done? Do we take job A or job B? Do we fire Norv Turner or keep him? (firenorv.net has all the facts you need to make this decision!)
I’ve lately felt like I myself am at a crossroads. And not simply because New Years and its accompanying resolutions recently passed. I’ve never been one to make a resolution. If there is something that I want to change, I don’t feel the great need to wait until January 1st to improve it. I just do it. However, as this new year begins a feeling that I had in 2010 continues to stay with me. A feeling of anticipation. A feeling of change. A feeling of uncertainty. Many things in the second half of 2010 have led to a change in attitude. From being married to helping run a pastor-less youth group, much learning and growing has been happening. I feel more equipped to go out and do things that will do their part to impact the world around me. As Jesus said:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
That being said, how to apply these new learnings is my new goal. To find how and where best to be the light of the world with what I have. My goal is to use this blog as a sounding board, a continuing documentation of where me and the people in my life are at in the journey. To share what I have learnt and experienced with others who might be going through similar times. I hope you enjoy!
