lately

What's your brand?

Talking with one of my clients last week brought up a conversation about his children and how he and his wife are working with them on their 'brand'.  I guess it's the new, hip word for reputation but I like it.  It's good.  I asked him if it was working and he told me the day before he had raised his voice at home and his nine year old asked him if he wanted that to be a part of his brand.  Obviously this comes from man who is very business minded but I liked the idea of he and his wife sitting down and having a conversation with their children about what they want their teachers to think of them at the end of the year, same with their peers at school.

My favorite part of biking to work is hitting that downhill at 35 mph (on my bike!).  My least favorite part is the 5 mph uphill that follows.

Speaking of biking, I completed my second triathlon this past Saturday.  Praise the Lord for health, strength and ability!  The entire thing started out with such mixed emotions... I had slacked off in my training, I didn't know anyone I would be racing with, and I didn't have friends coming to cheer me on (my sister did end up coming for most of the race but I didn't know ahead of time if she'd make it or not).  So needless to say, since I was mainly doing this for myself, and I'm not very self-motivated, there were times I thought about just not even showing up. The Lord was good and allowed me to meet some nice people that morning and even though my swim was pretty week, I survived and had plenty of energy to complete the bike and run in a time that helped make up for the poor swim.  I stuck around for awards this time because I knew the race was small and I figured I at least stood a chance at placing in age group.  I'm glad I stayed because I placed 2nd which was really exciting. What amazed me most was how prepared my body was for what I put it through. There was no soreness or tiredness afterwards, I even was able to ride another 20 miles on Sunday with a friend, do spin class Tuesday morning and bike to work today!  It was a good feeling to know that the hard work I had been doing this past year has paid off.  I remember having that thought this week and God reminded me that the same is true for His word.  The more I read and memorize it, the more prepared I am for tough circumstances.  I can feel that same sense of accomplishment when it comes to life and 'spiritual exercise' - 1 Tim 4:7.

Something I've really been struggling with lately is loving people who are hard to love. I don't have many enemies, but there are people who make it really difficult and what kind of Christian am I if I don't show them Christ's love?  I'm guessing I'd be the kind of Christian who easily forgets what I would be with His free grace and forgiveness... I'd be even more horrible than I am now... and that's pretty horrible!

3 is the magic number

One of my advertising books has this piece of advice in it:

When you try something new, do it three times.  Once to get over your fear, twice to learn how to do it, and a third time to actually decide if you like it or not.

the potter and the clay

Last week in my Bible study with a friend, the topic of predestination/election came to light. Well this is where I have come to realize how I take for granted the Church. I don't have a clue which stance I personally hold to in this 'debate.' A. I have been turned off in the past to believers arguing over something and more-so, B. I have taken for granted that I will always be surrounded by sound doctrine teaching so why would I need to decide something for myself when I can just read a book by someone I trust, like what they have to say and just be like, "yeah, what they said."

So I am just starting to dive in a little deeper on my own and the more I verses I read, the more I keep saying, "wow, I definitely can see a debate justified." I mean you have all these verses talking about 'the elect of God' and verses that say,'God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.' Then you have all the verses we memorize in Awana: '...whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life,' and Jesus says, '...the one who comes to me, I will certainly not cast out.' Or even, 'everyone why asks receives, everyone who seeks finds.' I'm totally going back and forth here. I want to believe that the God of the universe would give everyone a chance and a choice but then what about all these election verses? How do I justify those? Am I going to be able to study enough to feel confident in believing one over the other? Do I have to choose one over the other? Is it just taking the easy way out if I end with a solid belief of 'God is God and who am I to question His ways'? Either way I will continue in this study and either way, I already know more about my sometimes confusing, all-powerful God than I did a week ago.

life is pretty good

you know those times when life is just good? Praise the Lord because that's where I am at right now.  Work has been going well, more and more people have been coming to me with requests lately because they trust that I will do a good job.  I haven't been as dedicated to my training as I should be, but I am still satisfied with the amount I've been working out and it feels good. My new budget has made a noticeable impact in my savings account and it feels great to have self control. I was able to go on the river with UMA this past Saturday and we had such a great time.  I faced my fears and jumped off the cliff! (I couldn't be shown up by the fearless 9 year old!) I've never held the steering position in the canoe/kayak before either so that was a great learning experience!  I hope to be doing more and more things with them beginning this fall!  I made a really delicious lasagna the other night. I have some very good friends right now who will run with me, get coffee and lunch with me, and just encourage me.  I hope I am there for them as well.  The Holy Spirit has been working in my heart, also, to convict me of a few things - I hope to be bold and respond in a way that will be pleasing to God (as a result of Francis Chan's "Holy Anquish"). It feels good to be living my own life and trying hard not to live for others.  I want God to be on the throne of my life, because out of anyone, He did the most for me to deserve it (learned from one of my favorite sermons - Mark Driscoll's "Jesus and Fear")

I love her...

McKenna had to write a paper for school of a place she would like to visit.  This summer she read to me what she wrote and it brought tears to my eyes :)

Have I ever said how much I love this girl? Anyone who doesn't
understand that, doesn't know me very well =)

Speaking of children.  Yesterday was another great day at work where I was able to spend the entire day at MDA (muscular dystrophy) camp.  Our station hosts and airs their Jerry Lewis telethon each year so we become pretty involved in their events, this being one of the biggest.  I was able to go to the camp last year for the first time and had an absolute blast.  There are anywhere from 15-20 kids that come for the week long camp, each of them have some sort of MD and all are in different stages with the disease.  It is generally about split down the middle as far as how many can walk and how many are confined to power chairs.  Any smile from a child is priceless, but when you see these kids who for whatever reason have been burdened with this disease, it just melts your heart.  You want to do anything for them, and constantly wishing you could do more.  They definitely live a life of struggle but I hope they will look back on the days of camp and smile at  the talent show, soaking me with the squirt gun, throwing my co-worker into the pool, and their dance.

One more semi-related story from the day.  Their camp is help at the 4-H camp grounds so every year there is another camp of 4-H kids going on at the same time.  As we were eating our lunch in the back corner of the cafetorium, the 4-H kids are just sitting down to their lunch.  Their camp counselor announces they are about to give grace for the food.  All of a sudden they all start chanting/singing... (to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) "Thank you kitchen for our food... for it is so nice and good...."  I was shocked.  The MDA camp coordinator explained to our table how many 4-H parents had complained about them giving thanks to God so this is their 'let's be PC and make everybody happy' grace.  That really tore at my heart.