Time Management Re-examined

This week I preached a message on Ecclesiastes 3:1-14. This is the passage that deals with the different times in our lives; the times when laugh, weep, dance, mourn, etc. You may have read it before. If not, you’ve heard it in that classic Byrds tune “Turn, Turn, Turn.” This text is powerful because it reminds us that no matter what is going on in life right now, God is at work and that He is in control.

But after the dichotomous list of life’s seasons, Solomon reminds us that God is aware of the business that we have busied ourselves with. American culture loves to be busy. We love to be important and being busy seems to means that we are important. We cram things into our schedule. We fill up our time with “good” things: art, sports, music lessons, trips, meetings, etc. We do these things to find fulfillment, belonging, or even a sense of feeling good about ourselves. But more and more people I talk to say they are spent, tired, worn out. How many of us, day after day, week after week, year after year, wonder where the time has gone and what do we have to show for it?

A friend sent me an email after the sermon and said he liked what I said, but what are we, the “Day Timer” generation supposed to do? We are extremely conscientious of our time management. We want things on time. We are more destination minded than journey minded. Those who are so focused on the destination alone see the journey as a chore to be dreaded. Those who see the journey for what it is, an experience on the way to the goal, can not only rejoice in the goal but all along the way as well. I think we have to find the balance.

That one of the overall themes Solomon’s message: balance. Each of season of life is set up with an opposing season. Each one is equally important and God is at work in each one. We as the “Day Timer” generation must remember that the work God calls us to busy with does wear us out or run us down. When we find our balance and rest in Him, we are refreshed. May we look at our time as something that is not just spent but savored, not just invested but enjoyed. Then, as verse fourteen says: “God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him.”

3For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
²a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
⁷a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

9 What gain have the workers from their toil? ¹⁰I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. ¹¹He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹²I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; ¹³moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. ¹⁴I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him.

Be what He has called you, Believe what He has told you, Become what He has called you

Un-prepared for the Wow--A Grand Canyon Adventure

I was going to post a story of my day to you yesterday, but there is no internet service (or cell service) in the Grand Canyon. Guess it all fell in a hole, get a hole...Grand Canyon...

I got up early on Wednesday to watch the sunrise over the Canyon. I noticed it was a little cloudy when I got up. Oh, well. It's the desert. It can't rain two days in a row, right? So I headed up the rim and was ready. Only thing I could see were the clouds. I couldn't see the features around me, let alone the bottom or the far side of the canyon. Socked in with clouds. GRRR.

So I walked around and gathered info for our trip out this summer. I felt a little lost as I didn't really know where to go, so I just pressed on. I looked at things inside, attended a ranger program about the Canyon and the history, things like that. Everyone in the park kept saying the weather was going to clear. And I was ready for some good weather. It was cold and I wanted to see all of the Canyon.

After a good lunch, I decided to hit the trail. Certainly it would clear up. I set out down the Bright Angel Trail. I was going to hike about 1 1/2 miles, one way, and descend about 1500 feet. It was a highly recomended trail and it was going to clear up, right? I layered up against the cold and headed out. About a mile down the trail, a rain set in. I will admit that it was pretty to see the clouds in the distance of the canyon. But the clouds overhead brought a cold rain. I found shelter under an archway over the trail the mules use. Their "tracks" were obvious everywhere. Then the rain turned to sleet. I decided it was getting late, too late to compete with much more hiking to do and the cold. So I headed back up. Just I was about to the rim again, the rain that had turned to sleet turned to snow. It was snowing in the Grand Canyon and I was on the trail.

I reached the lodge and decided to find some hot coffee and dry out a little. Just I turned to head out the door, a group of Korean tourists knocked me over as they ran for the door to the rim. I looked to see what the excitement was about. There before was the thing we had come to see--the Canyon in all its splendor before us. It had cleared up in a just a matter of minutes and you could see for miles and miles and miles.

Determined to make the most of it, I stuck around the rim area and took a shuttle to see the sunset over the canyon. It was VERY cold. It was in the 20's--before the windchill brought by 40 mph gusts. The batteries in my camera were so cold I had to warm them before getting this picture here.

Today I went back to the Canyon for that sunrise. It went to the east side and could see the desert of Arizona, the Navajo Nation that I had just driven through a day and half before. It was a WOW moment.

These experiences have been wonderful, but I must admit--they feel a little hollow. Seeing wonderful things like this, alone, is a little of a letdown. I want to share them with someone. Then I receive the encouraging words from my Beth, my family, and my church family and it encourages me. It encourages me to know that some of you will one day share it with me and it is worthwhile.
I think the Christian Life is like that. I enjoy sharing the Joy with others. Go share the joys He has given you.

Be what He has called you, Believe what He has told you, Become what He has called you

The Glory we haven't seen

Lots of windshield time today. I met up with the Regional Director for Youthworks and we headed to Mesa Verde National Park. For hundreds of years the Anasazi people lived an amazing life. They built structures that still stand nearly 1000 years later. They used primitive tools and the gifts and knowledge of the others in their tribe.
Later, I decided to take the drive to the Grand Canyon a day earlier, so I headed out in the afternoon across the Arizona desert. Almost all of that drive is across the Navajo Nation. Even the 4 corners! (Check out the pic). As a driving rain began to let up (yes, rain in the desert), the sun wasa setting below a mountain range at the edge of the Grand Canyon. A pretty sunset gave way to a sliver of a moon trying to peek out.
By the time I actully got into the Grand Canyon Park, it was pitch dark and raining. There was hardly another car on the road. I was in the dark, in the rain, and alone--at the Grand Canyon. Just a few feet to my right was one of the most glorious sites on the planet Earth, and I couldn't see it, yet. I would have to wait until the sunrise.
And then something occurred to me. I have met many people (youth and adults both) who were trying hard to make it down a long, difficult road in their lives. They were pushing ahead in the dark, in stormy weather, and trying to do it alone. They were struggling with things they didn't really have to deal with. They didn't bother to wait or even look to the one who can provide the light they are really looking for. And when that light is cast, the beauty is overwhelming. Christ is our light. Following Christ is not always easy, but we are called to live it with others. To shed that light into another's life. And that is why I am out here. To shed that light to others and to help youth do the same. May we not wait, but shed that light today. Then other we see His Glory, maybe for the first time.
Be what He has called you, Believe what He has told you, Become what He has for you

Rocky Mountain Fever

John Wesley’s Rules for Life:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.

I left Holbrook, Arizona today headed for Colorado. I cruised over to Gallup, New Mexico and jumped on a road through the desert and the Navajo Nation that takes you right into Cortez. As I listened to Charlie Hall sing about Christ being the center of our lives, Wesley’s rules of life kept coming to mind. As I am here preparing for next summer’s mission trip, I see that the work we are preparing to do falls right into this. Cortez is a nice little town. In many ways, I think it is something like Fairhope was when it was smaller. However, a lack of jobs and rising housing costs takes its toll on the people. While overt poverty is not obvious here, the reservations are just minutes away. Reservations make no attempts to hide their poverty like our small towns do.

I sat in a beautiful park and watched the sun go down behind the mountains. Pink hues painted the snow peaked mountains to the east. I saw kids playing soccer, families walking their dogs and “punks” at the skateboard park. I read my Bible I prayed for the community—that seemed to be all the good I could do at that time. Two Mormons were on their mission and walking by. Right next to this beautiful park, this beautiful piece of Americana underneath a beautiful mountain sunset, sat a rundown housing park. It seemed to be a statement of contrasts. I wonder who was behind those doors. What were their hurts and their needs? What were they afraid? What were they praying for?

I wonder if I did all the good I could today by all the means I could? I didn’t preach the Gospel with words to the unbelievers, I didn’t feed the homeless or visit the sick or imprisoned. But I prepared to do many of those things and began to pave the way for others to do so. This is going to be a good trip. I pray that it will be for those who will serve and those that we will serve. Maybe that is all I can do today.

Be what He has called you, Believe what He has told you, Become what He has for you

Kicks back on Route 66

A long day and I am sitting on Route 66 at the HIE in Holbrook, AZ. Flights were smooth enough. I am always a little unsure if a pre-trip is necessary, until I get here. Who knew that the rental cars would be a country mile from the airport? Who would have thought it would be such a hassle to get out of there? (It took me about an hour to get on the road and an hour to get my car before that GRRRRR).
It took me a while to sit back and relax, and that was one of the things I was trying to do!

After about an hour or so on the road, I came up on top of a large rim of the hills over Phoenix. I looked and could see the desert stretching out before me further that I could see. The sky was a crystal blue-not a single cloud around. I could see the colors of God's paintbrush on the landscape of His Creation. Green cacti and scrub trees dotted the brown tones of the sand and rock. I climbed a hill and was lost among amazing rock formations. Chris Tomlin was playing on the radio and I heard the lyrics and was brought to my emotional knees:

We will praise You
All of our days
It's for Your glory
We offer everything

Raise your hands, all you nations
Shout to God all creation
How awesome is the Lord most high

Where You send us
God, we will go
You're the answer
We want the world to know

We will trust You
When You call our name
Where You lead us
We'll follow all the way

Then it occurred to me that I was in the middle of this song--observing creation shout to God. Going where God has called us, answering the call to minister to His people and clearing the way for our Youth to serve them.
It was all worth it at that point: the rainy morning in Pensacola, the crowded planes, the long wait at the rental car counter, the frustrations trying to get of Phoenix...
I am excited about what tomorrow will bring as I head to Cortez and will see a couple of National Parks along the way.
I am throwing in a couple of pictures of me and the rocks and the cacti.

Be what He has called you, Believe what He has told you, Become what He has for you

Pre-Trip Jitters

On Sunday morning I head out West for a week to work towards getting things ready for next summer's youth mission trip. I am excited and apprehensive all at the same time.
There is much work to be done in the office, I will be away from my family, and I am going alone. I am flying to Phoenix, but there will cover many miles out there alone to go to this mission sites, talk with people, work out logistical plans, free day options, etc. I think I'll probably do about 1000 miles in the week. I wonder if these distractions are attacks from the enemy to get me away from the greater purpose here?
Maybe the alone time will be a blessing. I've made a few CD's to keep me entertained. Some friends have promised to make some too. :) Maybe this will be some good quiet time with God. I guess much of that is up to me.
From my early discussions with my contacts out there, I've learned that this is a very needy place--spiritually and physically. I pray for an open heart to what God wants me to see. I am more and more amazed at the needs of those in the US--the most properous nation in history and the one that we've seen God's hand in guiding again and again.
I solicit the prayers of those back home that God will pave the road for my trip, those we will work with out there and those that we'll send out this summer. I think I'll be pretty connected out there. Your emails and your calls are always appreciated.

Be what God calls you to Be, Believe what He tells you, Become all that He has for you.

The Revealed

Well, we wrap up two weeks of vacation this weekend. It has been good to decompress and fill up my tank for the fall. I think I am ready to come back with a new outlook on things to bring to my family, my work, and my faith.

Sitting in the campsite last night, I was reading Romans 1. The verse in which Paul reminds us that we have a Revealed faith, has been on my heart lately. We serve a God that shows more and more of Himself to us through our faith. This is so very foundational to what we believe. We cannot pretend that man has invented God. That is simply unspeakable. When we look around at the creation around us, the miracles in our lives and the love God has shown us, we must understand that He is God above all we and learn and grow more as we walk by Faith. I am ready to act upon this truth by growing more as I open my eyes to the Revealed.

Blessings to you all...

Why the Barry Bonds Controversy Shouldn't Matter

Why the Barry Bonds Controversy Shouldn't Matter

The Barry Bonds discussion shouldn't even be happening. We shouldn't even really be having this talk at all. But millions across America are. And that's too bad.
From the major inquires of Senate Hearings to Little League Baseball's digout discussions, the question of steriods in baseball seems to plague us all. And it really shouldn't matter. But it does. And that's too bad.
You see, baseball doesn't really matter. Now, I like to watch baseball. I even like to play it. But it doesn't matter. If Major League Baseball ceased to exist tomorrow, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Few lives would be changed for the worse in the really important areas.
If, however, school teachers or social workers or nurses failed to go to work tomorrow, millions of people would have their worlds turned upside down. Maybe not on the first day or the second, but in the long term it would matter.
But we've put our priorities all out of whack. Instead of lauding the civil servants with the praise they deserve, we've instead put the emphasis on an athlete's ability to be bigger, faster, and stronger for a brief moment in time. That puts pressure on the players and then they are pushed to find a new edge and led to the temptation to cheat. And that's how we got in this mess in the first place.
I am not against athletics. They certainly have their place. The problem is we've put them in the wrong place--ahead of what really matters. And that's too bad.

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,
but the folly of fools is deception.
Proverbs 14:8

The Language of Language

The Language of Language

Last night a respected friend told me I should give more consideration to
the written medium as a way to communicate my thoughts, lessons, and ideas. I've tried journaling before and haven't been very good at writing with regularity. But he communicated an idea that I hadn't considered before. To paraphrase, he said, "When you speak, people hear you in your language; when you write, people hear you in their own language."

I've though a lot about that since last night. I see his point. If I am
communicating verbally before a group, I have to be able to speak in such a
way that relates to them. I have to be relevant and appropriate. I wouldn't
discuss justification and entire sanctification with a group of elementary
students. Nor would I want to spend a great deal time teaching like a
pre-school cartoon to a group of theologians. Therefore I must make my
language one that to which they can relate. The same is true of the written
word, up to a point. The written word allows me to bypass that which
doesn't apply or slow down and repeat the things I want to soak and absorb
some more.

My intonations, dialect, diction, speed and a host of other nonverbal
communication aspects influence the spoken word. The way I dress, the way my hair looks, the idiosyncrasies all play into my effectiveness as a verbal communicator. But not so with the written word. People can change the font or size or color. They can read my words at a desk, on the couch, no the bed or wherever. They take me on their own terms, not one mine.

But here's the struggle for an insecure communicator: the gift of feedback.
As a speaker, I know immediately how my audience is responding. I know if I have their attention or if they have switched to another mental channel.
When I was on the stage, the part of the night I loved the most was the
chatter of the audience before the performance. No matter the group or
theater or performance, there is something very distinctive about that din
of peoples' conversation before the show. As I stood backstage, that sound
was electricity through my veins. It enabled me to give my all to the
performance.

My computer makes no such encouragements. It doesn't tell me to go on, do more, say more. It doesn't tell me when I'm funny or thoughtful or deep.
So as an amateur blogger, I need to find a way to receive that feedback that
is vital to keep me going. Does a blog have its place Absolutely. Does
it allow communication in a relevant and appropriate way Absolutely. Is
there an audience who'll read, respond, and be changed by what I have to
say Who knows. But as I stand at the backstage of my computer, ready to
go on, I listen for the clamor of people who'll take the time to hear in
their own language a little from these feeble fingers.

Much to be said

There is much to be said in the next few weeks. I have an opportunity to preach this week, I'm going to some banquets and then I'm speaking at the baccalaureate next week. That same weekend I'm participating in a wedding (my first one). Then I am preaching again the next week. In the middle is the end of the year celebration and our launch into summer. Whoa.
I guess as I look at all of these things, I ask myself, who am I to do this? I am not the one who is worthy to these kinds of things. Who I am to be called to bring an important message to people? The only thing I can think is that this must be grace in practice. God looks past who I was and even who I am and says, let me do the work, you just be available. May I obey.