7%

Here’s some wise thoughts from Regina Brett, a 90 year-old columnist of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (thanks to David Argenbright for sending me this). Tell me which one is your favorite and why:

 1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
 4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
 5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
 6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
 7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
 8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
 11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
 12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
 13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
 16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
 17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
 18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
 19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
 22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
 23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
 24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
 27. Always choose life.
 28. Forgive everyone everything.
 29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
 32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
 33. Believe in miracles.
 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
 35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
 36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
 37. Your children get only one childhood
 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
 41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
 42. The best is yet to come…
 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
 44. Yield.
 45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

The email I received said only 7% of folks will forward this. I don’t usually forward emails, but I thought I’d pass it on this way. I guess I’m in the 7%.

BTW, #22 is my favorite. I’m big on preparation. I just need to remember the 2nd part of that wise saying… ‘go with the flow’. I’m learnin’.

More Seed Flingin’

I was taken aback when I opened my email this morning. Here’s what our buddy Dennis Fisher had to say…

God leads you to plant seeds in ways that truly bless all involved.  I’m in DC and I was blessed beyond words. Here is how God led me.

 I left the hotel and decided to go to an area of DC called China Town, about a mile or so walk. I finally found a place to eat and by the time I left, it was after dark. Instead of returning the way I walked down, I went a couple of blocks over and was going through an area called Franklin Park. I will admit I was getting a little nervous… not a well lit area and the park had  several pretty rough-looking people.

I was approached by a rather large black guy asking for money for a Metro ticket. I almost passed him by but stopped. I asked him who he was and started a conversation. To make a long story short, before long he was telling me all about his street life… how and why he ended up there. God just put words on my heart when I had no idea what to say to this man.

As we were talking, several of the folks in the park kinda wandered by, checking us out.  Roc (His street name) introduced me to each one. We talked about why the Lord put people through tough times and how our relationship with Jesus would guide us through it. We prayed together and shared different life stories of good and bad times.

We went over to the Metro station and I put some fare money on his Metro card. Walking out of the Metro station, he stopped to talk to a young homeless couple. They were hugging and you could sense the bond they had. He walked with me back to 15th Street, out of the area you don’t want to be in.

I left him with what money I had in my pocket. He didn’t ask but the Lord put it on my heart to do so. He thanked me and I told him I wished I could do more.  His response was that he just needed someone to talk to and listen to him — like a person. I told him the Lord put me there and he always had Him to turn to.

We hugged, me and this large homeless man. I just pray that the Lord touched His heart as much as He did mine.

So Please pray for Ronnie (“Roc”) and his homeless family.

Nice, Dennis.

Jesus, Himself, said…

‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

If you want to celebrate, here you go…

This is a Moment Made for Worshipping by Steven Curtis Chapman

 

 

Flinging Seeds

The assembly line, putting CFC cards on the bottom of the pumpkins

Last night we did just that: we were flinging seeds. It may not seem like much at the time, and at times there were some folks that were suspicious, but seeds were sown.

Richard Jones handing out a large, orange seed (better known as a pumpkin)

In fact, some were refused altogether. But seeds were thrown out there indiscriminately and lavishly. They were done with joy and smiles (and maybe a bit of trepidation).

You can't hardly see it, but a man even put a pumpkin under his seat on a scooter! (Salesperson of the Night: Gary Weatherholtz, for giving the man the pumpkin) 🙂

14 men handed out pumpkins last night at the Sheetz store in Fishersville. It was good to “leave the building”. It was good to do something nice for others not expecting anything in return. It was good to do something to brighten someone’s day. And we did it 100 times with 100 pumpkins.

Above all it was fun. It’s fun, and the devil hates it when we have fun doing God’s work… flinging seeds.

How many Nazarenes does it take to hold up a wall at Sheetz? Hmmm. No wait, this is fellowshipping!

Here’s what Outflow says…

God loves planting seeds in you and through you. If you have Jesus in your life, you have a huge silo ready for distribution.

A New Way to Shop

Heath Kimmell said it Monday night: “Tim, if I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna have to change the way I shop.” Amen, Heath. Me, too.

What I’m talking about, of course, is reaching out to the community by “flinging seeds” everywhere I go. Gas stations. Grocery stores. Lowes. Target. Whereever. Everywhere. It’s a challenge, but it’s been fun, too.

I make it like a game, seeing if I can learn the name of the folks I run into. The trick will be to remember their names when I see them again.

I won’t have that problem in Starbucks. As I told you Monday night, the last time I went through the drive-thru, I ordered the biggest (“Venti”) coffee I could. I then inquired about the lady’s elbow (I had remembered her by the fact that she has tennis elbow like me and her voice is unmistakeable). She was taken aback by me remembering her affliction and then, after realizing that the coffee had been started and her credit card machine was on the blink, and that I had no cash, she gave me the coffee for free.

Yesterday, I went to Starbucks looking for her and it was her day off, but I did find out her name and that she would be there this morning. So, this morning I went into Starbucks, told her how much I appreciated her friendly service (and free coffee), and that I had a (temporary) remedy for her elbow… a free 60-minute massage… and I handed her the gift certificate for the massage.

She was beside herself and nearly cried with everyone in the store watching. It made my day (and probably my week).

Flinging seeds of God’s love is great! This is gonna be fun!

Yesterday’s Message…

IMO, that was a great service yesterday. Pastor Josh delivered a message that came across loud and clear to me, and although I’m not a Johnny Cash fan, that was one powerful video!

I was on my Goldwing forum that I mentioned last week and there’s quite a few Christians on there. After a rider had posted that he had a wreck the day before and had totalled his Goldwing (and wasn’t injured – go figure), one of the folks posted this. It goes along with the message yesterday, so I thought I’d share…

An Egg, Carrot and a Cup of Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen.. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word…

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘ Tell me what you see.’

‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother?’

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

‘Which are you?’ she asked her daughter. ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Under the Radar

I’m a BIG baseball fan, as many know. My team, I’m hesitant to admit, is the Washington Nationals. I’m a loyal but suffering fan, but that’s beside the point.

Yesterday, the playoffs began, and as most of you heard (or saw), Roy Halliday of the Phillies tossed only the second no-hitter in postseason history. I watched some of that game.

I watched as the Phillies scored early on the Cincinnati Reds and then as it appeared that there was no way the Reds were going to do anything against Halliday, I went off to do other things. I even said to Sharon, my wife, “I hate the Phillies (they’re in the same division as the Nationals, so I HATE ’em). If the Phillies are winning, then I’m not watching.” That was about the beginning of the sixth inning. I HADN’T NOTICED THERE WAS A NO HITTER IN PROGRESS!

I came back to the game around 7:30 or so and it was over and Halliday had pitched his no-hitter. I was astounded that I hadn’t noticed that it was in progress as I watched earlier.

As I went in to work this morning I thought about it again. Then I thought, “You know, that’s sort of like spiritual things. We often don’t notice while God’s at work around us, until something spectacular happens.”

I think that’s true if our spiritual “antenna” isn’t up and we’re not sensitive to what God wants to do around us. And then we miss it.

God’s at work RIGHT NOW around you and me. Do we see it?

It’s the Last Days. How can you tell?

I’m a member of a motorcycle forum for Goldwing owners: www.GL1800Riders.com. It’s a great site to learn about Goldwings and I’ve learned a lot in a short time.

It’s a great place to learn about riding, where to ride, but especially, about working on your bike. I’m learning to “wrench”, as it’s called, and this winter, I’m going to tackle a bunch of projects. I already change the oil, and I’ve added a trailer hitch and wired the bike to accomodate it. But I’m feeling confident enough to change out the brake pads, change the coolant, change the clutch & brake fluids, adjust the valves, and next year (when it’s needed), change and balance the tires.

But frequently on the forum, you’ll find heated discussions (nahhh… they’re arguments) over trivial things like the type of oil and fluids to use and the kind of tires to put on the bike (even car tires). People will insult each other over these things.

This morning, there was a post by a member who said he was tired of all the “flaming” (insulting) that was going on. “If you can’t say something nice aboout someone”, he (and my mom) said, “don’t say anything at all.”

The thing is, behind a computer you have anonymity. You can flame away and then hide. That’s why email is a double-edged sword and something you should never use to settle a dispute.

I replied to the post this way…

Not to bring God into the conversation, but this is exactly what the Bible said would happen in the last days:

“There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…” (2 Timothy 3:1-5, NIV)

Sound familiar?

I’m happy to be a part of this board. It forms a bond with other riders. It makes me laugh. I learn some cool things about riding. I learn a ton about my bike. And I grow in my ability to wrench. I love it here.

I take all the infighting with a grain of salt. After all, it’s just like when I walk out the door… I can say I’m never going out again because of all the ugliness, or I can go and make a difference.

It takes faith…

God has recently been talking to me about a number of things. No, He hasn’t spoken in some thunderous voice that comes from a cloud or a burning bush like in the movie The Ten Commandments (although I know He did and still does).

No, this is through impressions in my heart. Some of them have not been very pleasant. God is doing something in my heart to rid me of… well… me. It’s a slow (lifelong) process and one where I’m not going easily. I’m being dragged out kicking and screaming.

Through Outflow, my relationship with God is getting better. It’s more of an ongoing conversation throughout the day than an appointment at 6:30am or whatever. My ears are perked up, listening for his “voice”. I’m trying to be more sensitive to opportunities that pop up during the day. But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss opportunities or blow it now and then.

In fact, I blow it almost as consistently as I follow His leading. But, you know, I think He understands and appreciates that at least I’m trying. He longs for that. He yearns — more than anything — for us to want to get closer to Him.

So, after I blow it or miss it, I have to keep getting up, starting over, and pressing forward. I know — by faith – that…

“… that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phillipians 1:6, NIV)

Keep on keepin’ on.

Other Voices

As I read today’s reading in Outflow, I thought back to Monday night and the little exercise we all did.

The idea was to connect with God. For 15 minutes, we were to find a quiet place where we could – in our own way – meet with God. For some, it was sitting quietly. For others, it was reading the Bible. For others, it was prayer. Since we each have a PERSONAL relationship with God, it looks differently for each of us.

When we returned to the Teen Room, we began talking and I asked, “Was that hard? Was it difficult to connect with God for 15 minutes?” Most men shook their heads, indicating it wasn’t. I thought it was.

For me, it was hard because I had so many other thoughts going around in my mind. There were so many other voices speaking, it took awhile for me to drown them out by interceding for others. I tried to just sit and listen for God’s “still, small voice” but in that 15 minute span, I simply couldn’t. I guess it takes longer than 15 minutes for me to quiet all the rambling thoughts.

That’s what today’s reading is about. The authors tell us that there are two sources that keep us from hearing God’s voice, hurry and worry. For me, both of those came into play Monday night.

I’m thinking, “Okay, I need to get going right away after the guys get back to finish on time.” That thought also had an element of worry: “I’ve got a long way to go in this session. How am I possibly going to finish on time? Hmmm. Maybe I can skip a section. Which section should I skip?”

Of course, those thoughts happen much quicker than they do as I write this, but you get the idea. For a minute or two, I was trying to corral my thoughts and get back to praying and listening. But it was tough.

The key, as the reading points out, is to get the focus off of self. It’s to set our agenda and plans aside (or throw them out the window) and begin to focus on what God wants you to do with your time and your thoughts. As the end of the reading says:

“In John 14:26, Jesus said his Father would send the Holy Spirit to all who follow Jesus to teach them all things and to remind them of everything Jesus said in the Scriptures.” (p.70)

Harvey

As I look at Reading 6, our first reading in Week 2, I know I need to change my mindset a bit. In this reading, we’re encouraged to connect with our “invisible friend”. No, it’s not the character Harvey from the 1950 movie with the same name name starring Jimmy Stewart. It’s the Creator of the universe… the Father… Almighty God.

As I think back on last night and our conversations, I’m reminded of one answer that was heard when asked what you and I hope to get out of Outflow. The answer was “a new perspective.” This may be where you can apply that thought.

Our invisible friend, Jesus, is right by our side – every moment of every minute, every minute of every day. He’s there to assist you, to guide you, to empower you, to protect you, to provide for you, and to just be your friend.

He’s not One you leave at home when you go to work and then pick back up when you get home. That would be compartmentalizing God, wouldn’t it? That’s what we talked about last night, too.

As someone who’s right by your side, He’s the One you can talk to and listen to at every moment, no matter what you’re doing throughout the day. It doesn’t matter if you’re typing a blog on the computer, standing at an assembly line, or changing the oil in your wife’s car. You can have an ongoing conversation with God whereever you are, whatever you’re doing.

For me, that will take some change in perspective. That will take some practice. For me (and we’re all different), it helps to think of Harvey, the invisible 6′ tall rabbit, Jimmy Stewart’s invisible friend.

Always there. A faithful friend.