“That comment you posted on FB really changed my mind!”
I’ll take “Things that have never been said before” for $600, Alex.
Social media is an echo chamber. We spout out ideas and get positive feedback from those who already share our point of view. We get negative feedback from those who already disagree with us, but rarely…RARELY is anyone ever open to ideas from someone with another point of view. This goes both ways and on ANY side of ANY given issue.
We are oftentimes ENRAGED by what someone else may say to us. We are quick to dismiss someone else entirely based on their thoughts on any one particular issue. We comment, we update, we share, all the while…knowing better.
I came across a Proverb today that’s appropriate for our time on social media.”Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.” Proverbs 26:17
Sometimes, verses need a log of exegesis in digging out the true meaning of what the author really means as we discover what God is saying to us.
Yesterday was an emotional day. In our morning worship service at First Baptist, I had the honor of baptizing my 2 youngest kids, Flynn & Scout. The both recently became Christians, and despite their age, they understand what this commitment means. To be able to see your kids stand in front of their church family and publicly declare what they believe is a moving experience. Our pastor, Michael Taylor, preached a message from Romans about what we look like and how we present ourselves are not nearly as important as what our hearts and lives show when it comes to our salvation. We cannot call ourselves true followers of Christ is we are not going to let our hearts be changed by Him. Great words.During our Bible Community time, we discussed the prophet Elijah, who had JUST come off of a big win against the prophets of Ba’al. You may remember that story. If not, you have to read it. It is one of my all-time favorites. Click here to read it: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2018%3A20-40&version=ESV
In this week’s session, we talked about the aftermath. Elijah was now on the run from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. They were seeking to kill Elijah for what he had done IN THE LORD’S NAME. Elijah was hiding. He prayed to God and said, “Just take my life. I’m done.” God replied by sending him an angel, who said, “Take a nap, eat some food, and get ready for a long, difficult journey.” In his depression and self-doubt, the angel of the Lord did not condemn Elijah, but instead, sat with him and let him know that he wasn’t alone. Sometimes, this is exactly what we need when we deal with discouragement. Sometimes we need people to sit with us.After this time, God let Elijah know that he would be able to stand with 7,000 others who had also NOT bowed their knee to false gods. God would provide new leaders for Elijah to link arms with. As I read this passage yesterday, to a room full of 6th and 7th graders, my emotions got to me. I was a bit choked up, and tears formed in the corners of my eyes.
There are plenty of reasons for us to get discouraged. There are opportunities for us to focus on all the negative aspects of life.If we focus long enough, we will begin to dwell in the pit. Don’t stay there.You may feel alone right now. You may be discouraged. Call out to God. Let Him know how you feel. Take a nap, eat something good. (My daughter, Bella, suggests Ramen.) Then allow God to show you that you have friends.
1,000,000 years ago, when I was in high school, I was a point guard for the mighty Picher Gorilla basketball team (District Champions in 1995, btw). We ran an offense called “guard out”. When you correctly ran the offense, it cycled through a series of passes and screens (or picks), until you reached a point in the offense called “pigtail”. At this particular point, a pass went back up to the top of the key, and when that happened, a guard went down and set a pick for our one of our post players, it was usually my pal, Norm. When executed properly, my man was WIDE OPEN for a shot from the post where he stood maybe 5 feet from the basket and had NO PROBLEM hitting that shot. Our senior year, Norm averaged around 18 points a game, if memory serves me correctly. I, on the other hand, averaged 4 😁🤷♂️. (I do believe I lead the Lucky 7 Conference in shots blocked during the 94-95 season. No…read that again…not blocked shots, shots blocked. Thanks, mainly to the entire Fairland Owls rosters…Doug Culver, in particular. Dude sent one of my layup attempts into the 18th row.) During my time on the court, I had a couple of different choices when it came time to run the offense. I could do exactly what Coach Graves expected me to do and make my passes, set my picks, and keep my eyes open to watch for Norm when he popped up free, OR I could go to the coach and ask for more opportunities to shoot the daggum ball so I could show off my range! I chose to play MY role, and GET THE BALL TO NORM!
To this day, I still love “passing the ball”. Don’t get me wrong, having all eyes on you and being able to succeed under the spotlight is nice! But there’s also something terribly inspiring about setting up someone else.
In the Bible, in 1 Chronicles 28-29, we see something interesting. David, Israel’s greatest king, had some great plans to build a temple for the Lord. This was not in the Lord’s plans, however. God told David that this opportunity would fall to his son, Solomon. David had two choices. 1 – He could stop his work and decide that since he wouldn’t get the opportunity to shine, that he would not go through the trouble. OR 2 – He could do everything in his power to make sure that his son saw success. David chose to be the set-up man for Solomon. He gathered together the finest materials, the best plans, and the best workers. He told them, “My son will build this temple! It’s gonna be awesome. It will be a building worthy of God!” David didn’t complain. He simply accepted his role in the temple build, and did what he could so that someone ELSE could get the credit.
This is a great lesson for us. Sometimes God will give you the opportunity to be great. Sometimes, someone else will get that chance. When either of these times comes, be ready to do what God has called YOU to do.
Yesterday, I decided that I am annoyed when someone doesn’t agree with me about weather. “It’s a little chilly today?” “NO IT’S NOT. IT’S HOT OUT HERE!” “Oh, ok. Sorry I’m an idiot for not enjoying wearing gym shorts and flip-flops when it’s 40 degrees.”
I ran in a color run this past weekend. I had different colors all over my face. My son said, “Dad, you don’t look as old with all that blue in your beard instead of the normal white.” Encouraging.
“Hey man, you know they make Just for Men for your beard, right?” -Aaron Robertson. Do I look like the type of person would would willingly spend time putting dye into my beard just to reduce the look of aging? Bro, I’m 44 years old! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go search “hairstyles for men in their 20s” on Pinterest.
I need to get new tires on my 12 passenger van. I want to get huge, off-road tires just so people will ask questions.
Remember last Summer when nothing was going on? Me too.
“Hey, the dog ate a bag of charcoal,” was not the news I wanted to receive right off the bat this morning…
With everyone you see this week, you have to power to make their day better or worse. Please choose wisely.
Pointing out a problem requires very little skill. It takes almost zero discernment to take a look at a situation and say, “Well, there’s a problem.” This is like the person who “hears a weird sound” coming from a car’s engine.
“Hey, it sounds like a gaggle of cats fighting a wildebeest under the hood of your ’93 Cavalier.”
“Yes, thank you. I hadn’t noticed the sound of 10,000 squealing pigs every time I turned on my air conditioner.”
“Boy, there’s a lot of messed up stuff happening in the Church right now, huh?”
“Really? Yeah, I didn’t catch that vibe at all?”
Pointing out a problem is not a spiritual gift. Coming up with workable solutions, in my opinion, may fall under the categories of peace, patience, & self control, making it part of the fruit of the Spirit. You don’t agree? Fight me. I’m kidding. I haven’t been in a real fight since 8th grade. (I won, though, FYI. Undefeated in 1991.)
In my devotion this morning, I read about the call of Gideon to lead the Israelites as a judge. The story is from Judges 6:1-40. An angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and calls him to be a leader. Gideon says, “Hey God, why’s all this bad stuff happening right now? We’re in a tough spot. We got no miracles, we got no power like our ancestors seemed to have, OUR PETS’ HEADS ARE FALLING OFF! (OK, full-disclosure, I added that last one myself, but it has the same feel, ya know.)” He’s big mad about it. Next thing the angel says is, “You’re right. You’re right. Let’s do something about it. YOU’RE going to lead the people out of this mess.”
Gideon’s response is both classic AND timely. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I just pointed out the problem. I didn’t say that I should have to help fix it. How can I do it? My family is weak, and I’m the WEAKEST ONE of all, bro!” That is pretty much word-for-word…pretty much. Look at Judges 6:15 for yourself and tell me I’m wrong here.
Now, if you’re familiar with the story, you know that Gideon EVENTUALLY goes and does what God has commanded him to do. He leads the army to victory and is a great leader in the history of Israel. If you’re NOT familiar with the story, Gideon EVENTUALLY goes and does what God has commanded him to do. He leads the army to victory and is a great leader in the history of Israel.
God can use anyone. That includes you and me. Sure, we may be able to point out problems that are happening right now, but are we WILLING to be a part of the solution, or are we content with abandoning the ship and watching it sink?
I will keep fighting to be a problem solver. What about you?
Another Monday is here, like it or not. Today is the first Monday of Daylight Saving Time for 2021. I used the extra hour of daylight to longboard with my kids…who were on bikes and rollerblades. I like to longboard because I can pretend that I’m not a 43-year-old man.
At church yesterday, we ‘reopened’ our coffee bar. I think it was a hit. The 42-cup brewer full of regular coffee was drained, and the decaf brewer was about halfway gone. So regular was more popular than decaf. Death before decaf.
Someone once said that a cluttered desk is a sign of a brilliant mind. Currently, I am probably approaching Einstein status….or….I don’t know…someone smarter than Einstein…like Billy Mays…but less dead.
“Is THAT what you’re wearing today?” is a neat way to tell someone that they need to wear something different.
My son, Crawford, baked cookies last night. This morning, he cooked sausage for breakfast. I’m slowly training him to take over all important assignments in our home. Soon, I will do nothing but lie around. I will slowly become a disgusting blob of gross humanity. I can’t wait.
Currently eating Ramen noodles in my office…and drawing the ire of my co-workers.
The Winter Jam tour is happening this year. My favorite thing about the tour, other than the music, is that it’s still called “Winter” Jam even though the tour goes till like…May.
Our backyard is CRAZY muddy right now. The past two nights, I have had to bathe our dog before putting him to bed. When I was finished, the shower floor looked like Swamp Thing had melted in there.
The floor of my shower after bathing my dog…
“Putting our dog to bed” and “Putting our dog to sleep” sound similar, but they mean different things.
I had to have a dog “put to sleep” once. After that, any time I saw the veterinarian out in public, I would tell whoever I was with at the time, “You see that guy over there? He killed my dog.” The look on their faces were always great, especially when I add, “I watched him do it.”
Today is a regular Monday. We haven’t had one of those in a while. Hard to have a ‘Case of the Mondays’ when you’ve forgotten what that’s like.
I went on a 5-mile hike yesterday with my son and his Boy Scout troop. It was easily the muddiest hike I’ve ever been on. 9/10, would recommend. (Minus the part about a dead fish ON A ROAD)
This weekend, I discovered that there is a church named “Influencers Church”. I kid you not.
I moved my computer back to my standing desk after a few months at my sitting desk. I have been much too sedentary for my own good.
My kids are into art. They enjoy reading (a lot), writing, painting, music, and drawing. I constantly find drawings that are finished or half-finished all over the house. I found this one in my truck. It appears that someone began drawing this deer-type creature, then decided, “Eh, I guess I’ll just throw this one on the floor of the truck and leave it there forever for some reason.” Welp, today, I decided to finish the drawing. I think I did pretty well. What say you?
Before…After…obviously.
It’s pretty easy for me to see where my kids get their skills from.
This morning, my dog would not leave my side as I was reading and drinking coffee. He’s not really that friendly, though. I had the space heater on…
Yesterday, at church, I wore a cardigan (like Mr. Rogers). I played guitar on stage. I wore a salmon-colored shirt. Several people asked if I was wearing a shirt underneath my cardigan. Next time, I won’t.
Today, my friend, Aaron is wearing a nice bright shirt AND suit-coat to work. I asked if he’s going to a funeral today. “This shirt is too bright for a funeral…although it would put the FUN in FUNeral.” I’m glad to see my influence at work in his life.
The sun is out. It is deceptive. “Oh, it looks like a warm day!” Guess what, fam. It’s not warm.
Sometimes I mispronounce words on purpose. Today, it’s “dishes”. I will refer to dishes as “deeshes”. No reason.
There are some days when we aspire to do great things. Then, there are some days when we just need to get through. Whatever you’re doing today, do it well!
There is some advice that says, “Do one thing that makes you uncomfortable each day.” Today, I put my wallet in the opposite back pocket. I can’t wait to freak out later when I need it.
I haven’t gone to any conferences in over a year. Today, I got out notes to the last conference I went to in November of ’19 to see what I need to be working on in my life. So far, it’s more serious prayers, and really getting more involved in the lives of the kids I’m called to minister to…
“What entertaining things are you writing about today?” asks my friend, Aaron. I read him the above 👆 ‘musings’. Yeah, not too funny so far, eh?
Just got a “What did you think of this product?” email from Staples. I bought a roll of bubble wrap. What do you think I thought of this product? It was bubbly? It was wrappy? It was poppy?
There’s a decent chance that I may have gotten a friend hooked on gas station, French vanilla cappuccinos. Looks like I’m an ‘influencer’…or an enabler…😬😳
Treadmills are a metaphor for life lived on social media. You expend a lot of energy and effort, but in reality, you aren’t going anywhere.
Them’s the musings for today. Enjoy your life, mmmmk?
Yesterday, before I left the office, I had some cleanup that HAD to take place. I had somewhere between 5-10 coffee mugs from home that had accumulated in my office…and by “in my office” I don’t mean in the copy room, where the sink and cabinets are. I mean LITERALLY in my office. That means in, around, and on my desk. (I’m not even going to do into detail about the others that are stashed around the worship center lobby. Don’t ask.) It was getting so that I couldn’t effectively work anymore.
I had to do something.
I went into one of our closets and grabbed a large trash bag. I began piling the coffee mugs into the bag. I went ahead and tossed in the tupperware container that I used to bring my salad to work that day too. Why not? I was a bit embarrassed to carry a trash sack out of my office to my truck, so I did my best to cram it down into my backpack.
The problem was, however, that the black plastic trash sack stuffed to the brim with coffee mugs and a tupperware container would not fully fit into your average, normal-person backpack. Instead, what I ended up with was a 5/8-zipped-up backpack with a portion of baggy-trash-bag precariously protruding from the precipice of the pack.
I swallowed (what was left of) my pride, strapped on the pack, and headed downstairs. Fortunately, I don’t think any of my coworkers saw what was going on, or, if they did, they didn’t react as if anything was amiss. I guess that could mean that they think it’s normal for me to walk out to my vehicle toting a large, clangy (👈 that may not be a word), black trash bag.
When I got outside, I took off my backpack and started to put it into the backseat. As I started to load it, the trash bag fell OUT of my backpack (it was unzipped, remember?) and crashed to the ground, shattering at least one mug. Once I got home, I realized that it was one of my favorite mugs. Now it was a ceramic puzzle.
This wouldn’t have happened if I had just carried the trash bag outside instead of trying to “hide” it in my backpack.
There are 2 morals to the story.
1. Just take your mug home at the end of the day. Don’t think, “Ah, I’ll do it later.” You’ll end up with a busted mug.
OR
2. Embrace the lazy, sloppy, procrastinating pig that you are. Don’t try to hide how gross you are. Make a big show of carrying your wretched filth to your vehicle. Don’t stow it away in a backpack. Embrace your nastiness. Chances are everyone else knows it already anyway.
My advice may not always be sound. Keep that in mind.
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The Blog of Brent 