Transcend: Healing

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

Earlier this year I was desperately in need of healing. I didn’t really know that healing was what I needed. I didn’t know that I deserved it, but I found it unexpectedly.

There was a woman who prayed for me with great passion. It was a woman of great faith and confidence in God, and she prayed for my healing. I don’t remember how this came up, or what the context was, but she called me a king.

I struggled with that. I still struggle with that. I never really thought of myself as royalty let alone someone important. For several years, my life just kind of drifted by. Difficulties were difficulties, and joy was joy. It was kind of a big blob, actually; A haze of emptiness.

But here was someone speaking faith into my life. She didn’t really know me, but somehow it seemed she knew me better than I knew myself. She used descriptive words like "sweet" and "gentle" and that resonated with me. She saw through the clothes, the persona, the flesh, and called things as they were.

I think I’ve had trouble with that because I haven’t been programmed to think much of myself. My education, my upbringing, and sometimes even well-meaning Christians have caused me to see myself as a no one.

I believe that humility is important. I don’t think God wants us to go around bragging about how amazing we are. At the same time, I don’t think God gets nervous when we think big. I don’t think there are any examples in the Bible where God got angry at people for thinking too big. In fact, it’s often quite the opposite.

Joyce Meyer says that God doesn’t change our circumstances, He changes our heart. If that’s true, then that means that our attitude, outlook, and perspective on life are all important to Him. In other words, our heart is important to Him.

Maybe it’s time to change your perspective on life. Maybe it’s time to see things a little differently. Maybe it’s time to let God change your heart. It is often said that we get what we expect in life, so we may as well have higher expectations. What dreams has God placed on your heart? Do you think He would give you those dreams if they were impossible? With God, anything is possible.

Whose life are you going to speak faith into? Who can you encourage to live another day, to fight for what’s important? Who can you impact with your words? Who can you call to higher standards and help to reach new levels?

Inspire: Taken Out

What happens to a team when the leader isn't there? Chaos. Eventually, things reorganize and a new leader is chosen - but there's an interim where things go badly.

I'm in that interim. My team needs me for this weekend. I'm aware of how indispensable I am. Which is great for job security, but sucks when you're not able to be there.

So I'm sitting in a bed, nursing a variety of hot beverages, trying to sleep, and hoping that my team can get on without me. The worst thing about the flu is not the nausea or the headaches or the pain, but the knowledge that out there is a group of people I want to help - my people - that I can't.

So I'll throw this one out to the community - what do you do... when you can't do?

Transcend: Lies uncovered

Scanning through a list of daily Google updates today related to my job and the company for which I work, I saw one that peeked my interest and tapped in. In a NYT article attempting to forecast financial trends in the New Year given the current recession, I was shocked by a quote by a communications exec. He said, "an economic recovery will not take hold until 2010...The real world won’t change for the better till 2010,” he added, 'when greed has overcome fear yet again.'"

When market economies are strong, our spending increases dramatically. In the past 10-20 years, we have trended to spend beyond our means during these times. What will happen when the market is not as good though? I don't want any of us to fall captive to the marketing ploys that appeal to our impulsive childish senses during this economic downturn. I am almost sure that seemingly amazing deals will pop up to tempt us away from living within our means (and to lure us to fall slave to the financial masters of this world). Of course if we are not being sharp in our purchases in the short term, the long term consequences can keep us captive, which is just what our Enemy desires. We have an awesome choice though! We can say no.

Lord, will you give us each eyes to see and discern? As the world moves toward a recession, will You remind us that You provide exceedingly more than we can ask or imagine? Jesus, will You be our comforter and Holy Spirit will You teach us how to live within our financial means? Will you instill in our hearts a desire to separate ourselves from the selfish greed that we fall back to? May we appreciate what we have and may we seek to grow to our full potential in You Lord. Be alive in us today Lord! Amen

RMOJ: School Bus Kids

I was waiting for the bus into work a few days ago. My stop is also a stop for the school bus to the local elementary school. So the bus pulls up, and a bunch of kids in the back are looking around, with that childish "this is the brave new world... wow!" look that kids do so well (when do we lose that wonder?)

So I look at them and make a silly face. And then go back to being studiously, definitely, neutrally AT THE BUS STOP boring again. And then crack another one - just long enough for those looking to notice and get their neighbors to look - but by then I was serious again. I did this three or four times, until the bus drove away... and I think the joy I gave those kids is nothing compared to the joy they gave me.

Imagine: Graduation

Have you ever woken up to find that you’ve accomplished the goals you set for yourself a long time ago? The goals you wrote down and forgot about until someone read them back to you?

Suddenly it dawns on you: the courses you took, the challenges you faced, the trials you overcame were all part of a bigger plan. Suddenly you realize the significance of the last 2 years, and every hardship you experienced. You think about every tribulation you took for granted. At the time you didn’t see why you had to go through such trouble. You didn’t realize that these difficulties were there to promote you. They were there to bring you to a new level in life.

Then you graduate. The door isn’t closed, but you know that you probably won’t return. You’re free to return at any time, but you’ve developed the skills and confidence you need to better manage your situation. You’re ready for the new tasks and challenges ahead of you.

You realize that you still have a long way to go. You realize that you’re not a perfect individual by any stretch of the imagination. You realize that you’ve been striving towards new goals without ever noticing the old goals you’ve attained.

Then you stop to appreciate the time you spent on your education. You begin to see that the puzzle pieces fit. You don’t know how, but all those hardships are somehow worth it now. In that moment, you are edified.

Transcend: We must lift our eyes up, off of ourselves

Thanks to my friend Meg who has allowed me to post this from her blog:

Patience, O Heart of Mine
I am in a season of waiting.

Life has presented some fairly important decisions lately in the areas of profession, study, romance, and location. I am praying through many options, and waiting on the Lord for direction. I am also waiting on the physical healing of my knee. Before my surgery I prayed for two things: the miraculous healing of my ligament and that God's will be done. I had a successful surgery on September 30th and have been adjusting to a level of physical activity much lower than what I'm accustomed to. I know that I went through surgery for a reason, and so I have been praying to take advantage of this time of physical rest and spiritual stillness. I have moaned my share of desperate and frustrated prayers, pleading for a quicker response, but God continues to give me comfort through His Word.

Today, while lying on a magnetic therapy table at my rehab center I read John 15:1-12 (the Vine and the Branches), which gave me some insight into the process of having patience.

Proactive Patience
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
There is always something we can be doing, even if we don't have clear direction in making certain decisions. We can remain. We must stay connected to the source. He chose us, and that leaves us with the option to choose him. To remain signifies an active pursuit of intimacy and development of relationship. His words stimulate growth and peace.

Productive Patience
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you
I don't know where I will be 3 months from now, but right now I have a purpose where I currently work, worship and live. Yes, I would have preferred that my anterior cruciate ligament be healed without an operation, but I praise God that I had the opportunity to share my faith with the nurse at the hospital and my physical therapists, all of whom I met because I went through surgery. We have the opportunity to plant seeds daily by obeying God's command to LOVE. We must lift our eyes up, off of ourselves. I pray that we can look up and be active in loving whoever is near, wherever we are. Remaining connected to the source results in an overflow of life, love poured out on others through us.

Prosperous Patience
...ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples...If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
As we keep our eyes on Him we can live in the hope and joy of His promises. How powerful is the promise in verse 7? Whatever we ask in the name of Jesus will be given! Do I believe that? The key is asking in the name of Jesus. Our true attitude in asking may reflect how strong our connection is to the Vine. If our truest desire is to bring our Father glory, to bear much fruit and show ourselves as his disciples, then that promise is limitless.

Dear God Almighty, you rock!

Oh Giver of Life, you are the source of all life and joy. We can only be fulfilled and fruitful if we passionately remain in you. Give us the discipline and supernatural ability to obey your command. May we have the faith to pray in the power and authority of your name. In your Spirit we can practice patience. The fruit will blossom in time. The harvest is coming and your promises will be completed.

We pray for discernment of your timing and your direction.

Inspire: Character is who you are when everything changes.

Working an event tonight - a concert, to be exact. And the concert that was on paper a week ago looks nothing like tonight. It bears some resemblance to the concert that was rehearsed last night, but not overly much.

My first reaction is to lash out - alright, who didn't have their stuff together? Except, in my head, it's rarely "stuff" I'm thinking. My first instinct is to judge - who is it that's wasting my time by not supplying me with the information I need to do my job? I know my bit - please, please know yours.

But then I sit and ask what I'd like - what I've needed, time and time again: Grace. Because I don't come to the table with all the answers, either. In anything worth really working at, I run into wrinkles and creases, refinements, re-dos, and even the occasional complete removal.

What do you look like when your plans get changed or run over or ignored? Can you forget what you do... to remember who you are?

Imagine: Practical Guides

Love is a treacherous ocean
Storms from midst of
Clear blue
Reefs to wreck
This tiny ship
Lest not we be swamped
On shores hostile
Oh, save this soul.

In the ocean, reefs are marked by charts. Danger is signaled by buoys. Experienced navigators and pilots help guide the helm of ships in tight places where the captain doesn't know the terrain.

I need a pilot right now. Someone to help me navigate - because I've found myself on shoals. I don't know where they are, my chart seems to have washed up on the shore sometime mid voyage, and the crew are threatening mutiny.

It would be easier not to love. Then I'd still be safely bobbing at anchor.

But ships are made to travel - and that travel involves peril. Lord, bring me safely through.

Imagine: Stumbling blocks

Imagine that you work for a company and that you have flown across the country to launch a project for them. The project means a lot to you personally and the company is convinced of the project's validity. You're ready to launch, when upon sending out the first group, you realize that there is a major problem. How did you not see this before now? What was the missing link? Ok, you find the missing link but you're not able to fix it. Ok, maybe those in charge can fix the problem quickly so that you can continue. Each day you hope that today the issue will be resolved, only to be let down. One week later, the problem gets fixed (or so you think). You step out to raise the flag again, but you quickly find that there is another snag that is insurmountable. This new problem reduces the applicable audience for this project to about 50% of the originally intended reach. Ok, rally. What can you do? You work with what you have left, despite the wary spirits that surround you. You push on. The project may not roll out as seamlessly or as well as anticipated, but finishing well, even despite loss along the way is crucial. When the dross is burned away, the truly valuable gold remains. We must never give up.

Imagine: Turnkey.

There's something magical... when everything just works. Salesmen call it turnkey. It's the reason you pay extra for a Honda. It's the reason you're willing to go over your budget for that perfect house. In the event industry, we call it complete production.

I got two of the best compliments someone in my line of work can recieve - on Friday "I made a phone call, and it just happened." and on Sunday, setting up - "Wow - this system works - everything I need is here!"

In a world where people fail to come through on their promises, are you a turnkey person? Does what you've promised happen, on time, on budget, without unnecessary theatrics? And I'm not just talking providing services - what about relating to your co-workers, about your relationships with family, friends... can you be trusted? How important is it that your life just work?

There's hours of unseen labor that goes into making a turnkey product. Everything is refined, smoothed out, tested, guaranteed. Are you willing to put in the hours to make your life turnkey? It's aggravating, sweaty, thankless work. But it's the most vital thing you'll ever do.

RMOJ: This Is Your Captain Speaking

"This is your captain speaking. We'll be arriving downtown shortly. It's currently 11 degrees out there, with a forecast high of 11 degrees. It was 11 degrees when I came into work this morning at 4 am, so I hope we can do better than that. The forecast calls for a chance of light flurries this afternoon, with the temperature dropping to 4 degrees overnight - so keep those winter coats handy. Thank you for riding Calgary Transit, and have a wonderful day."

That's what I heard on my way into work last week on the train. I think everyone went to work that day with a smile on their face.

Happiness, its nothing you accomplish, its something you decide. I have realized that God really just gives us the option to be happy, filled with joy, no matter the situation! I mean, i have been sick for two days, out of order, and i am not looking forward to what i have missed in the real world and what im going to have to catch up on, but in the long run, its not that bad! I just have to keep on telling myself that because it is simply true.
So my point is, be happy. As stoner-ish as that sounds, we just have to, God wants us to love everyone around us, and my goodness, is it ever great! i see the hate within my friends and acquaintances, and the stress that is caused within them because of simply not being happy, and it is not worth it! so my main message in this blog is just live for the best, with the glass half full.

God Bless Everyone,

Tim :)

Transcend: The Host

You’ve been planning for months. You’ve been waiting and working for weeks. When you go to bed at night, you dream of it. When you’re awake, you can’t wait to get some free time to work on it.

What I’m speaking of is, of course, the party. You’ve all been to one. Those amazing parties, that end the next day... or the next night... or the next week. Where stories are told, where people whisper about the legendary things that happened. Everything is magnified a million times under the influence of the people, the music, the night.

And now, it’s your turn. You’re hosting the party. The party to end all parties. You finally got a new place, and you’ve been working, working. The place is spotless - even though you know it’ll be a dump the next day. The invitations have all been sent out - Facebook friends, emails, old acquaintances, work buddies - and everyone is coming. Even your old friends from across the country are flying in to say hi.

You’ve got the food and the drinks, and the music playlist, and gone out and scraped pennies together to get more hangers for your front hall closet so you can fit everyone’s coat in. There’s wood for the firepit in the back yard, spare rooms ready for those friends that need to sleep over, and you’re ready to go.

You put on the music and sit by the front door - not wanting to appear too eager, but wanting so much to see your friends - some you saw yesterday, and some you haven’t seen for years. You're sweaty and nervous, even though you wouldn’t admit it to anyone.

The first guests arrive. It’s your best friend and his girlfriend. Then more show up. Old friends. New friends. You’ve barely said hi to the last group when the doorbell rings again and more come in. People bring gifts - for the house, for the party - food, and fun times. The girls take over the front room and start swapping stories. Some guys go out back and get the fire started. A spontaneous round of singing West Side Story breaks out. And there’s still more guests coming. Everyone’s here. Friends have invited friends. You’re bursting to the rafters, yet there always seems to be room for more. When you’re about to run out of food, someone comes with a trunk full.

The night carries on - swapping stories, having fun - this is the place to be, everyone agrees. You can’t get more then three feet without someone stopping you to give you a handshake or a hug and say “great party man!”

You go outside to say hi to the folks around the firepit. They’re all having a great time - people coming in, coming out. Suddenly, a burst of people come flooding out. “You have to see this! You haven’t seen this amazing room this guy has! Hey, is it OK if I show them that killer rec room?”

You nod, ecstatic. This was your ace up your sleeve. No one has been over and seen the room - designed for parties, for the best of the best. Games of all sort, music playing, the coolest couches anyone has ever seen - you redid the whole entire basement into the ultimate party lounge.

Everyone runs downstairs - you finish up, putting out the fire, smiling to yourself. You can’t help but do a little victory dance. There’s no way this night could be any more perfect.

You reach the door to go back inside and open it up. You open it up. You try to open it up. It’s locked. And your keys are inside, in your room.

Someone must have locked it accidentally. Oh well, someone will walk by - it’s a glass door, after all, and you can see through it. Or you can call someone... with your cell phone... also in your room.

You tap on the door, trying to get someone’s attention. No one notices.

You bang on the door, trying to get someone to notice. No one’s paying attention. The music in the party room is so loud that no one can hear what’s going on outside.

Ah well, sooner or later someone will notice you’re not there and come looking. So you pull out a lawn chair, and grab a seat.

Fifteen minutes pass by.

An hour passes by.

Two hours.

Three.

You fall asleep.

You’re awoken by a raindrop on your cheek. It’s 3 am, and it’s raining. There’s still lights on inside - the party is still going strong. And you’re locked outside your own house, getting soaked in the rain. You run to your neighbor's house and ring the doorbell, but no one comes. They’re already asleep.

Finally, around 3am, you give up. You fall, dejected, into a corner by the garden shed where there’s some shelter from the rain. Your body shivers with cold. Eventually, you drift off, not really into sleep, but simply because you don’t have any energy left to fight anymore. You slump down into a pile of flesh, a lonely man framed against the dark agony of a moonlit night.

Transcend: Integrity

Integrity is such a funny thing. Others can think that we are a man or woman of integrity, but we know the truth. To me, it seems like integrity is really how we react when challenged with the easy vs. best road when nobody else is around. Integrity can be revealed when others are present, but i see in my own life that it's those little choices or compromises that we make along our our journey while alone that build it or tear it down. Lately, I feel more conscious about what my actions are saying about God at work. I'm thinking that what i do at home or at work when nobody is looking is revealed in my actions and thought processes, regardless if i want it to come out.

Last week, i had a sad experience with a person in authority who showed a lack of integrity. I didn't want to see it, and i didn't go searching for it....it just slipped and came out. I don't think that they meant for it to come out, but it did. I don't mean to put them down, but it's just an example to me of how murky my heart can be too. What i mean is that until we submit to the Lord and allow our weedy parts to be pulled out from the root, they will continue to grow and sprout, even to the point where we can't hide them from others.

Lord, may you reveal to us each what weedy parts you want us to surrender so that You can pull them out by the root to make us more pure for Your glory. Will you give us opportunities to build our integrity, not by our strength, but by Your strength? Amen.

RMOJ: Deep and Wide

This morning, the kids are coming up and singing with worship.

And that means one thing. I get to pull out the ol' "DEEEEEP and WIIIIIIDE!"

Complete with wider and deeper actions. Ah, the faith of a child. Such amazing, simple joy. Don't lose that.

Transcend: Serious Passion

Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half-full) of artificial admirers (like people who write generic anniversary cards for a living). On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship
John Piper, Desiring God

Oh, how very true is that balance in our lives... in my life. I was talking about something very similar yesterday, doing training. Talking about presenting a worship set. There needs to be deep passion, but rooted in truth, otherwise it's nothing but cheesy. And the one label the church must avoid at all costs is "cheesy." We talk about the serious, passionate business of love, of life, of death and meaning. Besides these, all other pursuits - making money, being entertained - must fall by the wayside.

So let me issue a challenge to the readers: What is your serious passion? Why is it so serious? Why are you so passionate about it? If you're not passionate about something serious, then how do you get to tomorrow?

RMOJ: Bronco!

At work today, the van wouldn't start. So I got to take the Bronco.

Barely starts. Cracked windshield. Rally-tuned suspension straight from the 1980s. No rear-view mirror. Bench seat, done in 80's plaid, sitting loose in the back. Keys you have to eject. And FM radio. FM!

Safe? Hell no. Modern? Not by a long shot. Fun? Oh yeah.

Transcend: A peaceful mind and trust in God.

How much do you trust God? Fully? Whole Heartedly? Now what do you think about in the course of the day? "I wonder if Sally likes me?" "I don't think I'm going to have enough money to pay my bills this month...I'm screwed!". "I hope I don't break my leg at work because how would I pay my bills, I'd be really screwed!", "I wonder where i'll be in 5 years?!?!?" CRAP!

We say that we trust God but yet we haven't learned how to put our minds to peace about ALL things in our lives. We think that there are those little things that God can't handle that we would be better suited to handle on our own.

I've been on my own personal journey this year to find inner peace and even though I'm not fully there yet I really feel like I'm well on my way. Yes I still sometimes have those bad days where I'm concerned about finances and there's some days where you can't shut your mind off but I would challenge you all to challenge your mind and challenge those "doubts" that arise in your mind as they come up because if those thoughts are still there, we haven't fully given all of ourselves over to God. May we pray for a peaceful soul, a peaceful mind, and a peaceful world!

Inspire: Make A Difference.

A picture's worth a thousand words:

Transcend: Worth

Who am I?

A question that tugs at the bottom of every soul.

What is worth, what is of worth?

We are made in the image of the Creator, blood, dust and bone. We are reflections of a singular and unfathomable will. We are the children of the Word that fell from His lips onto the world.

There is something inherently of value in us, of us, that we radiate. It is in what we are, it is in the unlimited potential of the DNA in our cells, we are the many, we are the variegated, and we are the host of possibilities. There is something of His eternity in the incredible manifold paths that the complexities of biology offer us.

And that is merely in our form, our shape, our dust. And He showed fit to give us something more. He gave us His breath, the animus, the soul, the ability to choose. He gave us choice. He gave us the capability of understanding.

A question then follows, regarding understanding. We ask, especially to the literal translation: If Eve knew, truly knew the fullest consequences of her actions, would she have bit into that apple? Would she have enslaved us, a world, to thousands upon thousands of years of pain and suffering? Would the mother of us all condemn us in a moment, for the sake of knowledge? And yet, to push the literal translation, even her limited understanding of a choice between God and self would mean that she knew of good and evil.

Regardless, there is something rotten at the core of us all. There is a malignity to us, and it colors every decision that we make. We are bent, and everything we do is thrown askew. Yet, I ask, are we broken, in the fullest sense of the word? Are we incapable of understanding altogether, that we are totally and absolutely lost? Would being this broken not even allow us to be capable of self-reflection? Would we not even know how broken we are, unable to answer the question to why we mess everything up?

Do we mess everything up?

A man called Tolkien said once, “We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed, only by myth-making, only by becoming a "sub-creator" and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall.”

But. But: Are we not the reflection of a God that is perfect? Are we not the refractors of a pure Light? Is there not something in us that calls to Him? Is there not something in all of us that recognizes we are the vessels of His Light, His greatness? Is there not some worth in that?

We see through a mirror darkly.

So: the problem. We can’t, being the instruments of our own destruction, engineer a way out that destruction. If we see sin as death, in and out of this mortal coil, a death in the little sense during our life, and a death after we pass, then we’re f*cked. It takes something to straighten us. It takes something to repair this “broken” soul.

It takes something like Jesus. For God so loved the world. Notice the language. Notice what it says. He LOVED the world. He saw worth in it. He saw something worthy of redemption. He saw something that needed to come back to Him.

It is true that we cannot manufacture this worthiness by anything we do, for in the end it falls short of its mark, it bends in its skewed flight, it misses the target. It is not complete, it is not perfect. But that we do, that we know, that we try, that very fact is from what we inherently are, the image of God. We seek after His face even though we cannot give the very search its words. We look for transcendence; we look for that purpose, engage in that passion that will deliver us to something better. Worth comes then, when we are our truest selves, an independent agent of the Will of God, spun into the world. We see this, in the image of who Jesus is, and what he’d done. The greatest thing a man can do is lay his life down for his friends, a free act of volition, not some prescribed fate. Our worth is immeasurable, for God took an immeasurably worthy Son and had him die for us. Our price has been the death of the Son of God.

Let us hold to the value of this worth, with humility and gratitude. For we are bought, purchased with a coin of infinite value.

Inspire: Thanksgiving

I want to give thanks today.

And it has nothing to do with a turkey.

I recently got back from a vacation, and ended up in the post-vacation mode: Plop your bags down, to be dealt with when you have time, get ready to frantically head to work, try to keep some of the joy you experienced from flying away the moment you get back.

This means that the bachelor pad, already in a bachelor-pad-ish state, was even more so, with everyone and their baggage lounging around everywhere. We were up to our elbows in dirty laundry, dishes, and general mayhem.

Enter an angel in disguise. She asks if she can come clean my place. I am flabbergasted. I've never had the offer - someone that wants to just clean my house, to be a blessing to me, the guys, and the Lord. And she comes in when the house it at it's worst.

I come back home and find something beautiful I never knew existed behind piles of laundry and layers of dirt. Not only has she cleaned, she's done dishes, laundry, and unpacked my stuff (putting it all in the right places, to boot!). My day of "okay get it done" is replaced by a gratitude... this is such a gift.

So here's to angels - I know some of them read blog posts, and so know that this is one man who is forever thankful that I get to see this beauty you create.

Thank you.

Transcend: Fear

When I was about 11 or 12, I went to Malaysia with my family on vacation. We were staying with family for most of our vacation, but we also travelled to a remote seaside resort. My dad always loved sight-seeing, so we would often spend hours driving and walking to faraway destinations.

Upon arrival at the resort, my sister and I hurriedly changed into our swimwear and headed out to the beach. There was no one around, only a few people in the distance, and the water was kind of murky. My sister had her doubts, but I said, "It's fine, let's go in". So as I begin to walk in, I cut my foot on glass. At least that's what I thought.

As it turns out, I was bitten and poisoned. To this day we're not sure what it was (maybe a catfish), but I couldn’t have taken more than a few steps in. I told my sister to go and get a band-aid, but realizing the severity of the situation, she ran and got my parents. My mom instantly recognized that I was poisoned, and my dad carried me off across the street where – thank God – we found an English-speaking doctor. He had seen many injuries like mine before, and was able to administer antidote and pain-killer. Suffice to say I lived, but I remember the pain persisted for at least a full day.

From that day forward, I avoided stepping into any body of water other than a swimming pool. No lakes, no rivers, no ocean.

Then my mom told me that we were going to Hawaii for a family vacation this year. So when we finally arrived in Hawaii last week, I hadn't stepped into the ocean in roughly 14 years. It was deliberate avoidance. I didn't want to experience that kind of pain again.

But I decided to go in. I swam. I had fun. I feel like it had more symbolic and spiritual significance than any emotional significance. I didn't cry. I didn't leap for joy. But I broke the cycle. I left my fears behind, and they melted away in the beautiful oceans of Kauai. Truth be known, I was probably ready to go back in a lot sooner, but this was my first opportunity in a long time and I didn't want to pass it up. This time I didn't get hurt or bitten by any venomous creature. It was wonderful.

Understand, we can have fears about every imaginable thing. Losing a significant other. Going broke. Missing an opportunity. We are broken people, but God is putting us back together. God wants to restore all that was lost, and bless you beyond that.

Do you have fears from the past? I would encourage you to see it for what it really is and face up to it. Maybe you're not ready yet. That's okay, but your time will come. You'll be more than ready with God at your side.

RMOJ: Returns

The Hidden Ranch Close guys are coming back today after what was hopefully an amazing time away!

and the light flashes as bright as a polaroid.

I'm in an interesting place in my life. A place I never thought I would be in a thousand years but a place I need to be in non-the-less. I've been off work this whole week, I live on my own now in my grandma's basement suite as most know. I always knew that when I moved here there was a reason why I needed to move here but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Turns out this week is one of the reasons why I needed to move here. I've been learning things about myself this week that are almost profound. I don't really know how to even put it into words. Things are going very well! I feel like I'm exactly where I need to be in life right now. All the boys from the band are out of town to hawaii and BC. Tim is back tomorrow so I will have to make plans to see him this weekend but what a week its been. I would have never expected this like I say in 1000 years. Its amazing when your almost completely in aloneness and left with your thoughts what happens. And what kind of post would this be if I didn't talk about the thoughts that aren't mine but are there anyways. God's been paying frequent visits to me in the past week in unexpected ways and I'm so thankful. 
I realized that tonight was possibly the last chance I had to walk the park in above 20 degree weather. It was amazing tonight as the sun was setting to see the colors of the leaves on the trees, listening to chris walla on the ipod. Its almost like that album was made just for me at that exact moment in time. I had an aura about me as I walked, I knew it was on my face, people were looking at me. I can always tell when I'm exactly where I need to be in my life because random people will look at me and wonder what I'm going through because I guess I look happy. Its a happiness that has no explanation. When I started the year I said to myself that I wanted to find my inner peace and my inner self. Its not something that can be accomplished in a year but rather a lifetime but I feel like this year is certainly the starting point to which I will never forget about for as long as I live. This year is turning out to be one that I will look back on and be able to say that this year changed my life for the better.

Also sitting in the apartment today I got plans in my head to get another table for under the big window in the living room. I want to get a record player. Maybe even an old school looking one, with a great selection of vinyl. Then when more days like this happen, I can sit and read or write while sipping tea and listening to the best music a guy could ever want. 

RMOJ: Vacation!

I'm heading to a warm warm place, where the ocean's swell and the skies are pretty. And I'm going to enjoy myself. So there.

Imagine: Elections that work.

I'm a Canadian citizen. And part of being a Canadian citizen is the right, and often touted as the duty, to vote.

Voting is a simple process. You receive an information card in the mail about two weeks before the election, you report to the correct polling station, and you cast your ballot. Simple, effective. You get to concentrate on the issues.

That's the theory.

Here's how it's working for me, in practice.

I receive a card in the mail that states "Please contact your local Elections Canada Office before Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 6:00 PM if: you did not receive a voter information card."

And you know what, oddly enough, I didn't receive a card. I voted in the last election - my card came just fine that time. But I didn't get one this time. Hmm. OK, I'll call the 1-800 number so conveniently printed on the card and ask for my voter information card to be resent.

So I call: 1-800-463-6868. I'm listing the number here because it is public, and if you're at all interested in learning just how annoyed I am, you can call it.

It's an automated voice system. After getting through "English" and "Voter information card," the voice tells me that I should have received my card by now... and dumps me out into the main menu. No way to ask about why I HAVEN'T received my card.

So here a phone system designed to answer problems... that dispenses the same information I already have on the card that tells me to phone the number. Quite literally, the recording was made by someone reading off the card. Except the card is more in depth and faster.

Alright, so I'll send out an email. There's no excuse for Elections Canada to not have a phone number that actually works, but I'm conversant with technology - I'm sure I can send out an email and have an answer by tomorrow.

Except there's no email address listed on the card. There's a physical mailing address - except that I'll be out of the country and not be able to actually carry on a conversation via postal service, probably including four of five letters back and forth, before the election occurs.

Oh, I can FAX Elections Canada. I don't have a fax machine. I run my own business and WE don't have a fax machine. I work as a contractor, ordering supplies, sending drawings, documents with signatures... I've used a fax machine twice in the last ten years.

I take a more careful look at the card... it says "local Elections Canada Office." Maybe that 1-800 number is national - I can find a local number, and they'll be able to help me out.

Except Elections Canada isn't listed in the government directory. I end up calling the general information line. They hook me up with... you guessed it - the same 1-800 number I just called. Apparently there's people there, waiting to take my call (wondering why none of the phones ring, because the automated system doesn't allow you to speak to an operator).

So come election day, I'll walk into my polling station, and vote. Without my voter registration card. Without using the system they put in place to streamline things. I'm the guy that makes them put in extra time and paperwork to record my vote.

Because apparently, voting is a complicated process.

For my brothers!

Hey boys! I want to wish all of you guys a safe and restful vacation! I will keep the fort in tact while you guys are away! You are in my prayers for safe travel and for more lessons on life that we will share when we reunite again! May God keep you and give you his peace! I love you guys!

Mike

Lessons In Love, By Way Of Economics

So I have been on the computer day surfing around when I came across a friend of mine who talked about this new movie coming out. Its called Expelled No Intelligence Allowed. That in itself is very interesting and I would encourage you to check this movie trailer out! 

After I checked out the movie trailer I wanted to find out more about this guy named Ben Stein so I went to his webpage to discover that he had made this post in the NY Times. Its an incredible writing about love that is so true to life. It has a lot of interesting points that we can all learn from, its a little long but read it! Do it! You won't regret it!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/business/13every.html?_r=1&em&ex=1216440000&en=a9a6d3e97f11545f&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

RMOJ: Age

One of my co-workers is turning 40. So the gals of the office (notice how it's always the gals of the office...) decided to humiliate him in the most loving way, and post cheesy over the hill decorations all over the entrance to his office... and maybe elsewhere.

And it's funny - because at 40, he's most likely in better shape than anyone else in the office. I'm more over the hill then he is, in terms of what we can do. He still acts like a teenager with new toys. So I want to see the look on his face when he sees the "stop, shuffle and creak" signs...

Happy 40th, Dug... don't worry, I'll still think of you the same when you can't see your biceps because of your grey beard.

RMOJ: Recycled Paper!

After a long and arduous process of price negotiation and back and forth with internal and external persons, we have confirmed the intent to immediately switch over to 100% recycled and chain of custody approved office paper! :)

Inspire: Learning from Our Past

Today I'm reminded of a line from the movie, Batman Begins.

Maybe you already know what line I'm thinking of. In one scene Alfred says to Bruce, "Why do we fall, sir? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up."

Some may say that it's simplistic or cheesy. But I, for one, can see a lot of truth in it.

Oftentimes our lives are run by our circumstances. We give our joy away to the predicament we're in. We allow others to steal our joy.

Life doesn't have to be that way. Your joy is your own. Even in difficult situations, we can learn to remain in God's peace, which He has provided in abundance for us.

Why do we fall? Why do we make mistakes? Why do we have regrets? Why do our plans fail? Why?

When we're first learning to walk as children we fall a lot. But we can't learn to pick ourselves up if we don't fall. We have to know what falling down feels like.

Our circumstances as adults may appear to be more complicated, but really it's no different. You learn from your first heartbreak. You learn from going into debt. You learn from losing a loved one.

This doesn't mean that we have to make mistakes to learn, but often we don't learn anything when we try to play it safe. More than likely, God will bring you out into the wilderness when you are seeking security.

You were betrayed by a friend. But there's someone right around the corner looking for true friendship. Maybe someone you overlooked or ignored. They've been waiting for you in silence and bearing the loneliness.

A business venture failed and you lost all your money. But you're going to meet someone that is looking for true partnership. It may not happen right away, but believe that God is ordering your steps and that He's going to connect you with people of right faith.

Your heart was broken. But you're going to meet your spouse, an amazing man or woman of God. It's going to be better than you could have ever imagined. It's going to take work on your part, yes, but don't sit around thinking that you're unattractive and that it's never going to happen for you. Learn to be happy where you are. You are loved.

Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.

Raise The Bar

While the world slept this morning I was awake. I'm not sure why at all but then what choice did I have? I woke up this morning at 5:30 and I could not sleep at all! There was really nothing on my mind to warrant such an early awakening. I was in bed at 11 or so last night so it was still a fairly good sleep. So what's a boy to do? The usual coffee and eggs and croissant for breakfast at 6:30. Part of me thinks, insane right? I don't even get up this early when i have to go to work! Maybe I am simply being prepared for the day in grand fashion. Its a chance to get my bearings, think about life, spend some time, in a world where no one seems to take a look at their lives because they are to afraid to see something they won't like. For me, in this day and in this hour, I am being called to something greater, I am being called to live a life full of Joy and Happiness even if the time or the situation doesn't call for that type of attitude. I'm being called to a higher level of living. I am being called to a higher standard, not that my old standard wasn't "good" enough to make it through and make it through well. I have been encouraged by my friends and by people I don't even know to live life better. I also am under the assumption that since i'm here anyways I might as well call myself to a higher standard. I don't see the point in just existing. We might as well make a name for ourselves whether it be "rock star" or "Lover of Friends" or "good husband or wife" or "athlete". Whatever our title in life, whatever we decide we want for ourselves I pray that we do it better than our best and we never give up trying to raise the bar on our lives.

Gahh....

I am simply stressing about little nothing things, and i cant really figure out why, my stress levels have been through the roof ately but the thing is that i dont know why, i mean, ive been taking my anti depresents, i have nothing wrong going on in my life right now, everything is rockin, yet something is up in my mind, i donno if it is satan jus pushing at me, which i am asuming that it is, or if it just me. i havent a clue, alot of wierd things have been happening that have just been stressing me out lately, little odd things, but i cant even pick them out one by one out of a crowd, MESSED UP.

RMOJ: Senseless Beauty

Our household was the target of a (not so) random act of senseless beauty. I arrived home from work on Friday and found two large pots of flowers on our front step. The person who left them obviously has no idea about our history of killing anything in the front yard, or has no idea about how we pursue the practical elements of taking care of them. But they're there, and they're beautiful.

Thank you to whomever blessed us with beauty. May you be richly blessed in return.

RMOJ: Aviation

I received a beautiuful poem today that grew out of a conversation shared with someone last week. It is incredibly joyful to see the walls of hiding and hurt come falling down in someone's life that give way to a world of opportunity and flight. The most beautiful part was that the conversation which prompted the poem was so delicate and unplanned. It was just sharing the beautiful fruit of truth that had been previously given to me by someone who cared enough to take the time.

We must not underestimate the force that is Living within us to breathe life. It doesn't come from us, but we have the ability to let it loose to fly around. All we need to do is give praise to the Giver and soar with it.

Inspire: The Human Factor

I'm writing today from a well documented treasure trove of information, insight, and condensed wisdom.  Many of you will be familiar with this beautiful gem, made long ago but with messages of hope, truth, and courage that still inspire to this day.

I'm talking, of course, about MacGyver (read ahead at your peril, spoilers for those who still don't own the series on DVD).

I watched an episode today with my roommate, specifically the opener to Season 2, The Human Factor.  And it's a hilarious retrospective on the culture of the times Lasers are used not once, but several times throughout the episode, forming barriers that will incinerate people, shooting from mobile robots, and yes, even shooting out of a security camera at one moment.  Luckily for our hero, these high tech "lasers" [insert quotes ala Dr. Evil], also seem to suffer from the storm trooper syndrome, that is, unable to hit anything further than six inches away, except plot devices.

But beyond the now cheesy 80-ish quality, there's one thing I love about MacGyver - it's one of the last shows where they tried to actually teach you something, supposedly on the assumption that the world would become a better place by watching more television.  There's a morality and a courage seldom seen on the modern screen.

This episode focused on MacGyver trying to break in to a government building to test their brand new, state of the art security system.  The catch?  There's no humans.  It's all controlled by a central computer, that apparently can learn and adapt.  Of course, the computer goes berserk, and starts trying to kill MacGyver and his beautiful female friend (who happens to be the scientist that designed the system and programmed the computer, and is trapped by it... irony, here we come).  

But I want to focus on a few almost overlooked lines that help bring out the central conflict in this episode:  Rationality (as characterized by the programmer and her computer) versus instinct (as characterized by MacGyver).  

Early on in the episode, MacGyver and the programmer face off, reciting each other's backgrounds... they've both done their homework and are now allowed to insert plot devices.  Mac Gyver mentions that the programmer took a year off for "personal reasons" before going into programming full time.  As the episode progresses, hints are made as to what happened, but it's never fully revealed.  

So I will now fully reveal it.  

In her year off, the programmer met a man.  A wonderful man.  Who moved her heart.  And then, horribly, horribly betrayed her in some fashion.  So she decided that  she would never trust her heart again.  She closed down - became rational, logical, and sought solace in the world of the computer... where there was no chance of betrayal (and she is ultimately betrayed by her own faulty programming, in the most subtle and greatest irony in the episode).  

This is where a lot of people are.  Some men, and a lot of women.  We tried trusting once, and it didn't work.  So we shut down.  Buried ourself in work, fantasy novels, close (but not too close) friends, machoism, sports, achievement...  anything we could try to numb the pain.  And none of it worked.  

I could talk about what that looks like, but you all know.  Everyone who's been in love knows, and if you haven't, I can't instruct you in a single blog post.  I want to focus instead on how we get out.

How did our intrepid rational woman get out?  Not by anything she did.  By being rescued.  It took MacGyver saving her life (repeated times) to restore her trust in people in general and males in particular.  Because the wound that is caused by a man... can only be healed by a man.  

So what does this mean for you and me?  Simple.  We need to make changes.  

Women:  Stop trying to fix it.  You can't.  Stop running.  Start crying, start forgiving, start loving God and others... live in that risky place... because if anyone is ever to love you, that's the part you want them to love.  

Men:  In three words, grow some balls.  Step up and be a man.  There are women out there that need someone they can trust - that will care for them and not betray them.  Be a man of honor, stay true to your word, fight for what is right, not what is easy.  Be quick to apologize and admit your mistakes, be truthful in everything.  

Is this too much to ask of one person?  Yes.  Is it a goal worth striving towards?  Of course.  

RMOJ: Take one from the bottom and put Him on top

Jenga. You know, take a block from the bottom and put it on top. The player who manages to not cause the tower to tumble over wins. We played Jenga tonight at the shelter. When people came in for dinner, they came in maybe a bit hungry and tired. The Jenga game served as a catalyst to get them interacting with each other, supporting one another and best yet, laughing from their true self. What joy it was to watch these adults, some of whom who have been hardened by the truth on the streets, just take a moment to play! Even those who weren't interested (or at least pretended they weren't) kept peeking over at the Jenga table. Their eyes showed hope and expectation that their hearts haven't yet realized. May there be many more moments of impractical Joy in the days and weeks to come in that place.

Inspire: Stolen sense.

I got robbed today.

I didn't get help up at knife-point on the street. Someone ended up walking into my church and stealing some gear from our booth.

I feel violated. Something I valued is gone. Because of this, we don't have lighting at our booth this weekend. And stealing from a church? Is there nothing sacred? I've never seen the guy (statistically speaking), and probably never will. But he took something of value to us. However, more than violated, I feel sad.

I guess being a criminal doesn't pay because the smart money is elsewhere. What was stolen was a lighting controller. Probably a $200 item. Except that he didn't take the power adapter required to plug it in, or the cable required for it to do anything.

I almost want to be there when he tries to pawn the item and can't explain what it is, what it does, or anything. If he manages to go through an ordering process and get a new power adapter for it (I couldn't find anything, including from the states), he MIGHT get $50 for it. Minus the three hours, minimum, of calling and the $120 for replacement parts.

And it wasn't like there wasn't expensive stuff just lying around next to it... guitar amps, even small, portable expensive equipment. There was even an entire PA system ON WHEELS that was ready to be hauled away.

So please, if you're going to rob me, please at least don't do a half-assed job of it. Because I'm mildly miffed about stuff being stolen. I'm more disappointed that the gene pool allows someone with that level of intelligence to continue to survive.

Imagine: Ice cube tray racks!

Yes, ice cube tray racks. I was at a friend's house the other night, and noticed that their freezer was bereft of any separation save one: A pair of wire racks in the upper left corner to hold ice cube trays.

My heart leaps for this all the time - not the stellar, show-stealing amazing new iPhones or the fancy gadget that does 387 things, but the slow, steady, measured, intelligent design. Road cases that are as strong but 60% lighter, to save on fuel costs. Color coded wires so that tracing cables is easier. Maintenance covers that open without tools. Designs where every single screw on the entire item requires the same screwdriver, not three separate ones. Packing methods to get more in the same size container. Helpful guys that label things right and load trucks right.

These aren't the flashy things, but they get the job done. They ensure that when you need those ice cubes, you'll find them.

Don't overlook the little things.

Imagine: The Fast Fury of Fall

Have you noticed that you feel more alive lately? There is something about the transition of seasons, the creeping from sleepiness of summer into the brisk climax of fall that shouts of God's glorious landscape. It makes me feel squirrelly. It's the kind of feeling that there is opportunity everywhere, so much to harvest and plant before the winter (figuratively) that you don't know where to start, what adventure to take on. Maybe it's a throwback from school days gone by when September invoked feelings of opportunity, excitement and challenge. Each September had me thinking that this would be the year that I would really 'get it together'.

The band is buzzing with the excitement of upcoming shows, new challenges are overflowing everywhere and commitments are resuming at work and abroad. So in the midst of this all.....is there time to just s.t.o.p? breathe in, hold, breathe out and repeat?

Lord, please give us Your vision. Set us apart from the busyness that is for busyness sake only. God, give us projects, hopes, dreams that give You joy. Make us Holy and pure enough to accomplish those tasks that You want us to live out here on earth. May we stop to just rest and recharge with our true Father. Amen.

Transcend: I'll take those plans to go, please!

The band's next show is tomorrow. We had practice tonight. We should
have played the set, ironed out the wrinkles. We should have spent
some time finalizing the set list, making sure the order ran well,
working transitions.

We didn't.

Instead, we went and had food, read from the book we're going through,
shared deeply personal stories, prayed with and for each other, and
wrote a new song. One of the most powerful songs we've ever written.
And my drums didn't even make it out of their road cases.

I came in to practice tonight from a crazy day - it was supposed to be
my day off, and got invaded by just about everything - physically,
emotionally, spiritually. I didn't manage to get my morning routine
done until after 3 o'clock. But somehow, everything seemed to work.
Not by how I planned it, though. If this day had gone according to my
plans, I would have missed so much. The agony that made the joy
somehow purer, the sweet and savory scent of lessons hard wrought
through actual living. Life is not all butterflies and daffodils, but
sometimes there's a rose among the rubble.

This post is a testament for those who love me: I need to always
remember that my plans are only a rough sketch, and them falling to
pieces is sometimes the only starting point into something amazing.
Lord, break my plans that don't bring You glory, and reveal what has
been passed by underneath.

Inspire: Walking in love

I'm in love with a beautiful woman.

But I didn't fall in love.

It wasn't love at first sight.

I didn't get run over by the freight train of euphoria on the way to
mind-blowingly-amazing-ville.

But I don't mind. As a matter of fact, I'm glad.

Because falling in love can fall out again. The giant fireworks of
love at first sight looks miraculous for a moment, then quickly
fades. I'm stoking the fire of love, adding fuel to it carefully.
Sure, it doesn't look as impressive - but it does a much better job of
keeping me warm through the cold, dark night.

Both me and her have made a commitment to walk in love. To go slowly
not because we need less speed but so we don't miss the beauty on the
way over. I don't need mind-lowing when I have thought provoking,
inspiring, and graciousness every moment of the day. It just involves
being able to do two simple things. Give, like I have everything in
the world to give, and receive, like I'm a starved orphan gracious for
their next loaf of bread. I am so rich and so poor. And so filled
with joy.

RMOJ: Wrong number

I pick up the phone:

Caller: Hi!
Me: Hi!
How are you doing?
Great! It's been a great day.
Really? A great day? Why's that?
Well, I don't really have an excuse for it to not be a bad day.
Oh. Okay.
Do I need a reason?
Well, not really, I guess. I was just a little shocked.
A little.. ohh...
You're looking for Adam, right?
Oh, so this isn't the Stilton residence?
Nope. And you're not Phil, are you?
No. Guess I got a wrong number.
Oh... well, have a great day - and remember, you don't need a reason!
Well, alright, bye.
See you later - Or I guess, not.
Alright.
*click*

He sounded SO like my friend Phil it was eery. And even asked the
common questions, too. Well, God bless him, whomever he's trying to
call.

Inspire: Taking Ownership

God calls us to higher standards. He calls us for our own good. He calls us because He wants to bless us.

How many times have you called your peers to higher standards?

I've been seeing a lot of change in my life since I started taking some ownership. I realize that can mean a lot of different things, but what I'm talking about is a paradigm shift in which your friends, your family, your finances, your life becomes yours. Maybe you feel that the people in your life are 'just there'. But no, it's not an accident. They are your friends and they are your family. Maybe you've already experienced such a shift in your life.

Unfortunately society has told us that 'possession' is a bad thing; or at least given it some negative connotations. The ownership I'm talking about isn't about manipulation or the act of being possessive. It's about taking responsibility in your life. It's about taking action.

If you saw your friend being hurt by another person, what would you do? Would you stand by idly? Would you confront that person? I was in a situation like that recently. I decided the right thing to do was to call that person to a higher standard. It's quite amazing what happened. That person responded to that call, and started to show a lot more respect. How important are your friends to you? Are you willing to fight for them?

There's a lot more risk involved in taking ownership in life. It means a lot more responsibility. It means a lot more effort. But ultimately, it means more fulfilling relationships and a more fulfilling life.

It seems like too many people feel they are entitled to everything in life, including respect. They don't know that you have to fight for what's important. They don't know that they are hurting a lot of people with their words and actions because they haven't taken ownership of them yet. They blame other people and external circumstances for their bad behavior.

But no, ownership means that you take responsibility regardless of how you're feeling. We don't need more yes-men in this world. We need more people that fight for what's important to them. We need to reflect God's love by calling others to higher standards.

Transcend: Compromise and getting stuck in the mud.

I'm sitting here at work today. Stuck. Nothing I can do about it.
The reason I'm stuck is because someone else got stuck. Outside these
doors, we've got half a lift on cement, and half on formerly
beautiful sod. Stuck. Someone tried to cut corners, literally, and
now we're waiting for a tow truck.

I can blame the driver of the lift for this costly delay at work. But
what about my life? Although I've never gotten a lift stuck, I've cut
corners my own way - and ended up half on solid ground and half on an
unsteady footing.

What we're taking about here is compromise, and when it doesn't work.
Normally, I'm a fan of compromise - when there's two viewpoints that
are close to each other, we compromise and end up with a stronger
vision that works for both. Compromise is a valuable tool when we're
trying to take two close viewpoints and go one direction.

But sometimes, a decision must be made. Putting two tonnes of steel
into the lawn is a bad idea. Even just putting PART of that on the
lawn is a bad idea. There's nothing wrong with a lawn, but it's not a
place for heavy equipment. Reality, in the end, has a way of letting
us know which compromises work, and which don't.

Do I live my life on character, or feelings? Do I work on the solid
ground or on the nicer, but easier damaged realm of feelings? Working
with feelings is fine when the issues have little weight. But when
I'm bringing in the heavy equipment, I need to base my life upon
principled character.

RMOJ: Beauty at Breakfast

Breakfast. I get a call from a wonderful woman. She convinces me
that it's beautiful outside, so I move out to the back porch. Sitting
down, sipping Earl Grey tea, eating freshly baked bread, enjoying the
sun, writing in my journal...

Suddenly it hits me - of all the plans I had today, this was on none
of the lists. Yet it's beautiful. I just had to stop and appreciate
it.

RMOJ #1: Flying Balls!

I'm staring up a new category: The Random Moments Of Joy. We walk through things every day that bring us joy, and we either ignore them, or we forget them. So here's a memorial, just a short little post, to remind me of joy. Keep on the lookout for your own RMOJ.

On the way to see my banker this afternoon. Ran into two guys in a park downtown, just randomly. They were packing up juggling clubs. So I introduced myself and went and juggled with them. Just a random ten minutes of joy. Amazing.

Transcend: The Dynamic Fulcrum

Note: Full credit for this idea goes to Wayne Cordito, who presented it at The Leadership Summit some years ago.

Balance. The one thing we all seek. If you look at any system of belief, that's one of the main things it promises - self help books to help you balance your work and your private life. Feng shui to help your room be balanced. A system of karma that balances out the good and the bad in life.

Belief systems give us something to hold onto, something to balance our lives on - a fulcrum. And so we live our lives, striving for balance. Between love and logic. Between work and play. And we analyze, and carefully move things around, until our life is just right. Perfect! Balanced!

And then there's a shift. Because something didn't stay where we put it. Work is taking longer, the spouse is asking for more time, the kids are doing different activities, the guys have found that epic fishing spot that just HAS to be had this weekend.

So what do we do? Our natural instinct is to try and pile on more stuff to keep this thing balanced. We go on the fishing trip, get some roses for our jilted spouse with a card promising more quality time, put the kids' activities on the VISA, smile to our boss at mutter under our breath at our co-workers, and above all, present the image that we're expending not a single extra drop of effort in the process.

But there's a better way. Move the fulcrum. Life is dynamic - ever changing - if we think we're going to be able to work with it with a system that's based on keeping things the same, we're fighting the wrong battle already.

How does the fulcrum work? It's easy - natural, even. You move the fulcrum, which is your focus, towards the side that has the heavier load. That big project means you're going to be thinking about work more. And then, when it's finally submitted, you can move the fulcrum back over and spend an abundance of time with the family.

The problem comes when we fail to move it. That project finishes, but we're so used to spending 80 hours a week at the office for the past three months we're hesitant to ask the boss for a week of time off. We're mortally afraid of missing something important, and in being afraid, we miss everything important. We're trying to fit life into our perceptions, instead of using our heads and working the way life works.

When did common sense become so uncommon?

Inspire: Digging down to the depths

After an all around tiring and not great day, I realized that there had been something incredible missing - a true fight of mind versus body. Walking into the gym at the time that I usually slide into bed, I prayed that this run would be enough to change the verdict of the day. The last thing you want when you take a stab against the flesh is for it to come back with a reluctance toward activity.

If the Olympics could be on every week of the year, I wonder if we would perhaps have a nation of fitter, more focused average Joes? The ability of incredible athletes to inspire and remind us of a spark that is deep routed in all of us is nothing less than delicious. Hopping onto the treadmill, I happened upon the Men's Olympic Triathlon just as the top contenders were transitioning from their bikes onto the track. The commentators then proceeded for the next 25 minutes to make predictions about how our own triathlete superhero, Simon Whitfield would fare in this field of intense competition. Whitfield was sitting in and around 13-14th place for much of the run until the better runners shook off the pack and Whitfield ran with them into 4th position for most of the remainder of the race. It was a gruesome race to watch as Whitfield's shoulders looked tense and like any typical Canadian, I started to come to grips that our superhero Whitfield, (gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics) maybe just didn't have it in him. It was also gruesome because as these super runners started to make their way into the last 2.5 km, I had to support Simon by increasing my treadmill speeds all the more as well.

For a while, it seemed as if he was going to accept a 4th place finish. By any standards, this would have been excellent....4th in the world! I suppose that the reason that we all started to hope however is that he wasn't letting the three leaders take off. His face also didn't look like he was giving it all. Did we dare to hope that there could be more? The threesome from Spain, New Zealand and Germany started to pull away from Whitfield and despite my cheering on the treadmill, I started to concede that maybe it was just too big for him, and for us, too much of a dream. The commentators certainly didn't have much hope.

Then, just when the three would-be medal winners started to make their plunge toward the finish, Whitfield pulled out his heart and showed it to the world. He threw down his hat, dug down as deep as humanly possible and not only made up time but surpassed each of the front runners. It was a leap of faith that we yearn, hunger and desperately need to see in this life. We need to know that it's ok to dream big, even at the risk of failing big. Ultimately, Whitfield was passed at the end by Germany's Jan Frodeno. Whitfield had truly physically exerted everything of himself and had come up short. Post-race, commenting on his seemingly impossible move from 4th to the lead, Whitfield said "I thought there's no time like the present. I tried to make it a battle of pure willpower. I gave it everything I had."

What more can we ever ask for in a champion, or in ourselves? All we can do is all we can do. But what if like Whitfield, there is more in that mental/physical/emotional reserve than what the world or we ourselves think? What if like Whitfield, we can do better than a 4th place finish? Will our faith carry us through if we take a courageous step forward? (rom 8:28)

Will we risk it all at the chance of finding out?

Transcend: Wise Mechanics

God speaks through all sorts of people - including bike mechanics.

Sometimes it just takes me a few weeks to get the message.

Earlier this summer, I went to the bike shop to get a new rear tire. While I was there, I talked to the mechanic about getting a new rear cassette (yep, the thing in the picture), complaining that I wanted a steeper ratio to help increase my top speed. I was expecting a "oh, we'd have to custom order that" or "yeah, but that's the racing model" or something like that. I was dumfounded by his answer.

"Um, they don't make anything faster then that."

"So what do I do? Get a bigger front chainring?"

"Well, you could try slowing down. Easier on the bike, and your knees, too, probably."

It was the last thing I expected. His job was to sell me bike parts - things that could make me go faster. And he was telling me to slow down? I mean, I haven't been passed on the bike paths in three years except for couriers and Olympic trainees, but...

And it took me until now to get it. This isn't about my terminal velocity as I scream down a hill. It's about a lifestyle. I keep pushing when I need to be able to coast. To store up my energy for when I need it. To appreciate the wind in my hair, the sweat on my face, and the scenery I'm hurtling by. I need to stop pushing.

"It never comes from pushing."

That's Alfred Hitchcock, apparently shutting down production at the end of the day when his actors were trying too hard to get the scene right. And the next day, after sleeping, they nailed it, first take. It never comes from pushing.

Special thanks to Mark Bucannan for letting me butcher his beautiful Hitchcock story.

Inspire: I'm In My Happy Place

Dark blue, dark blue /
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room
Jack's Mannequin, Dark Blue

We're a network of people. Pretty much everyone alive today in North America understands that. We're on the internet, on Facebook, on MySpace, reading blogs, text messaging our boss, attaching vacation photos to our email, and generally connecting very well with friends, family, and even anonymous people in a richer media environment every month.

But there's something lost here. We're all consuming private media, and there's so much of it, and it's all targeted for us, and we need time to get it all. So we put our headphones on while waiting for the bus, like the guy pictured above. What you don't see in that shot, however, is the crowd of people just behind him. There's literally twenty people within a step and a half of where he is... and he isn't interacting with a single one.

As a society, we've praised the individual to death. And that's just not a cute turn of phrase. Every day, I meet people who are dying for some real human contact - a handshake, a "good job," a "hey, buddy, how's it going?" If you live in an urban setting, I guarantee you that every day you pass within ten feet of literally HUNDREDS of people that are aching for some kind of connection, community.

But our modern society discourages establishing community in the face to face world. When was the last time you made a friend out of someone that you met in your community? Can you tell me the names of the people that live next door to you? Would you feel comfortable asking your neighbors for a cup of sugar (I did once, actually - it was an egg, but the principle was the same - and it led to a good relationship).

And this isn't something that's a nice little "in the abstract" discussion, either. This is how my life goes. I met my girlfriend, who in real life is so amazing it boggles the mind... online. If we had walked past each other on our way to work, we would have ignored each other. Other then friends I've met through friends, I have friends I've met through online forums who live in different continents, online video games, who live in different countries. I can't remember the last time I "met someone" just by... *shock* meeting someone!

I'm missing something local. Maybe I'm an idealist, but I think you should be able to walk down your block, wave to someone who's cutting the lawn, and say "hi" without feeling like you've just walked over someone's grave. I want to know who the people who live across the street from me are. I think I've had more interaction with the crew that built their new fence then with them.

So let me know in the comments - because we're all in this together - how can we break this cycle of loneliness and isolated?

Imagine: Sweatproof

Posts from this blog will get divided into three categories: Imagine, which is all about ideas, good bad or ugly (especially ugly!); Inspire, which is all about people - groups, individuals and communities of all shapes, sizes and forms; And finally Transcend, which is about faith, God, spirituality, and what happens when more then we put in somehow comes out.

So, enough description, onto our first imagine: Sweatproof products.


Imagination rating: 7/10

I was looking to replenish my supply of hair gel today (something every urban 20-something needs to do, but not something to be enjoyed). I saw upon the shelf something that made my heart leap. Sweatproof hair gel. This goes under the "Why didn't someone think of this before?" category.

As a guy, prior to this product, I had two options. Put no gel in my hair and go for the Einstein look (which I sported quite frequently during school), or put gel in, and have it melt and run down my face if I did anything more physically demanding then walk over to my next door neighbor's place. Even attending weddings and events in the summer in a suit and standing still would cause the dreaded "psst... can you tell if my hair is melting?" to the guy standing next to me.

Unfortunately, I didn't become better at snowboarding or surfing or diving out of planes or any of the other "unstoppable" activities pictured on the packaging. I was kind of hoping that merely by putting the product in my hair I would be instantly invited on some sort of extreme sports tour. "Hey, you've got sweatproof hair gel! Cool, man! We SO need to test it out! Come bike across the Sahara with me!" Yes, people still use the word "cool" in my unrealistic fantasies.

However, in the real world, much to the relief of females everywhere (and one in particular), I can continue to look suave while diving for frisbees, chopping wood, running for the bus, and other manly activities. Well, I'll probably never reach suave, but at least I know it won't be my hair holding me back.

Imagine. Inspire. Transcend.

Three words. Three powerful words. What do they mean? Well, if you're legalistic, you can use Websters. If you're instinctive, you've already decided what they mean (and if they're important). If you're average, you'll run out of attention span after the second one (they are, after all, surrounded by other words, and reading entire entires is so last year). If you're rare, and patient, you'll stick around and find out.

This is a beginning. And like most beginnings, it doesn't spring out of nothing. Just like the best stories have been told since the dawn of time, the best ideas have always existed in the minds of just about everyone. It's just now that some of those stories get written down.

Should you stick around? That depends. Do you value community? Do you work on a balance of art and commerce, freedom and justice, a pursuit of life, true life? Do you end up with better questions instead of answers when you ask?

If so, welcome.