Updating

(If computer analogies are just not your cup of tea, you might want to get a real cup of tea and skip the reading of this entry. Just saying . . .)

I spent about thirty minutes this morning downloading updates for one of my computer programs. The first three of those updates were downloaded and installed in a matter of seconds. I credit my new computer with its faster speed and better memory for the fast processing.

The fourth download (and the last) took the remaining twenty-nine minutes and thirty seconds. I blame the slowness on the software company, the size of the update, and the speed of the internet. I believe that my new computer was as frustrated as I was that this download was so slow to be installed.

Well, it is obvious that I am not a computer genius, but I know enough to understand that software requires updates periodically. I understand that these updates may be for the purpose of fixing a glitch (a technical computer term) in the existing software, adding a new element to the software's functions, simplifying a process, or changing the appearance of the program. It doesn't really matter to me what the update is designed to do, I just accept as a needed change.

While I can easily accept the need for updates on my computer, I have a much more difficult time accepting a needed update for me personally. Some of these may take years to install. Updates related to my eating habits are usually the hardest to install unless they are fried and covered with gravy - those go in fairly rapidly.

My personal updates are mainly supplied from four strategic sources - my wife, office staff, doctor, and God. Those first three sources certainly have my best interests at heart and really do care that I update. Their suggestions carry varied degrees of importance and intensity. The update categories include relational issues, organizational agendas, and diagnostics. Surprisingly, each of those updates that I have eventually downloaded, installed, and utilized have really made a positive difference in my life.

When an update notification comes from the fourth source - God - it is always marked "Urgent," "High Importance," and "Critical." I wish that I could honestly say that I immediately take note, download, install, and begin using the new update. Unfortunately, just like my response to updates from my other main sources, I procrastinate and continue using an older versiion until all support for the old version is withdrawn. Then, and only then, I begin to recognize the real significance of this latest update.

Why did I write this particular entry? Maybe seeing it in print will cause me to become more punctual in keeping my life updated. If I can do that with my computer, I should be able to do it for me even more so. After all, I am a top-of-the-line model created by the Creator who made me in His Image. I should take care of myself because God has placed a high value on me by demonstrating His love for me. Oh, you are also a top-of-the-line model, and He loves you too! Do you happen to have some updates that need to be downloaded and installed? Today might be a good day for it.

When the Holidays Run Together

Most of us have voiced our displeasure with the retail insistence of stacking holiday merchandise on top of other holiday merchandise. There is no other way to explain how a turkey wound up on top of a Christmas tree instead of a traditional star. I am writing on Monday before Thanksgiving and wondering if I should be deciding what size heart-shaped box of candy I should buy my wife for Valentine's Day.

The truth is that I like to keep my holidays separated in time and thought. As much as I like Christmas, I refuse to decorate for the Christmas season until after the last bite of turkey and dressing have been consumed and the final whistle has blown for the last football game.

Don't get me wrong - I really like Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the other holidays for what they signify. The food is great; being with family is wonderful; and a little time off from work is relaxing. But ultimately, I want to hold on to Thanksgiving as a day unto itself because we all need a time to stop, reflect, and give thanks. I don't deserve the family, friends, and possessions that are part of my life. But along the way, God chose to bless me with that which I didn't earn nor deserve. The greatest such blessing was His gift of grace. At Christmas, I will celebrate that gift even more.

So this week - I give thanks for all the blessings that fill my life.
At Christmas - I will celebrate the birth of Jesus who ultimately paid the full price for my sin that I might have eternal life.
On New Year's Day - I will rejoice in the start of a new year and the opportunities it brings.
Valentine's Day - I celebrate the love that have with my wonderful life.
Arbor Day - Who knows - by then, I may be in the mood to plant a tree.

I just don't want to let the holidays run together so that I miss their singular meaning. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wiser or Just Older?

As a child, I never understood my grandparents talking about the years flying by. To me they seemed to take forever. Christmas and birthdays were the slowest times of all. Today, I speak the same words my grandparents uttered - "the years are flying by and birthdays come all too frequently!" It seems prudent to do some self-evaluation around a birthday. With this rapid passing of time, it appears that need to slow down for a moment and ask myself a very personal and critical question - "Am I getting any wiser with the passing of these years or am I just getting older?"

The truth is that I really don't feel comfortable answering that question in something as public as a blog. But the reality is that people around me are answering that very question about me with each passing year. They don't give me the answer in so many words but they certainly make the assessment based on the conversations we have, the decisions I make, and the observations they have regarding my behavior. With that in mind, I might as well confess my own thoughts about myself.

There is no doubt that some of what happens in my life as I grow older is just that - growing older. My hair is retreating from my head and making its way into my ears and nostrils. When I get up in the mornings, I sound like a cereal - as I move, I hear "snap, crackle, and pop." My favorite stories are really my favorite stories. I like them so much that I tell them over and over to the same people. I forget people's names - rarely do I forget my own but I think that is only a few birthdays away. I do have one of those plastic containers for sorting my morning and evening medications for a week. While I have two great doctors, visits to their offices have not become the highlight of my social schedule - yet! My other holdout on the aging process is that I refuse to eat oatmeal or prunes. Blue Bell and Mexican restaurants have much more to offer.

On the other side of this question - am I getting any wiser - I struggle a little more to be honest and accurate in my evaluation. I still do some impulsive spending, but I am watching carefully my retirement account. I am more concious about what is best for my body, but - well you already read the Blue Bell and Mexican food comments in the paragraph above.

Accomplishments are important, but I believe today that relationships are more important. My wife, our children, their spouses, our grandchildren, our parents, and our friends (old and new) hold greater importance to me than what I will accomplish today.

While I became a Christ follower at the age of 10, there is no doubt that my faith is stronger today than it has ever been. No, it is not just because I am closer to death than when I was born (the truth is that we all are) but rather because I see the real differences that Jesus makes in how we determine values, how we can love others, and how we can truly serve.

Like most of us, I have some things in my past that I wish I could go back and do over - not because they were so much fun, but because I would do them right this time - or at least I think I would. I don't know if that is a sign of wisdom or just regret.

This I do know regardless of whether you think I am just older or maybe a little wiser - I am blessed with the life that has been given to me. My wife is the best. I married way over my head. My children make me proud everyday. My grandchildren bring joy with their energy and their curiosity and sensitivity. My job holds my interest and challenges my knowledge and abilities daily. My God is great beyond my simple words to describe. I love and I am loved. Maybe, just maybe, I am both older and wiser.

When Do We Start the Doings?

Ron Hall and Denver Moore are known for their first book "Same Kind of Different as Me." Their story centers around how Denver Moore, homeless, is befriend by Ron and Deborah Hall and Deborah's subsequent battle and death from cancer. Their second book "What Difference Do It Make?" is a continuation of their ongoing true story.

In this second volume, Denver Moore asks a probing question of Ron Hall: "Mr. Ron, all these white folks be invitin us to their Bible studies. How come none of 'em's invitin us to their Bible doins?" (p. 152)

Several years ago, a friend of mine told me of inviting a new Christian to his church one Sunday morning. When the worship service concluded, the new Christian asked my friend, "But when do we do the stuff?" He was referring to the things he had read about Jesus and disciples doing in the Bible.

Could it be that we are too busy hosting studies that we have scheduled ourselves out of doing? Just saying . . . as I sit in my office, in front of a computer writing a blog . . .

Does Great Talent Equate with Great Person?

Over the last few days every media outlet has saturated us with information, adulations, and memorializations of Michael Jackson. During this extravaganza of video and commentary, there has been a tendency to not only recognize the musical genuis of Jackson, but in so doing, to equate that musical genuis and greatness with personal greatness. Is that reality?

My personal opinion, which probably only has value to me, is that just because one possesses great ability or talent does not mean that individual also is, or was, a great person. The truth is that some people with great ability are actually quite mean, arrogant, selfish, and even cruel.

Don't misunderstand me. I never met Michael Jackson. I only know him as most of us do from his music, from news reports, and from interviews. He was a gifted performer. He could moon walk before we had a name for it. He could sell albums because the music drew us in and was different from most of his contemporary musicians. But he also held his child over the balcony ledge. He was addicted to pain killers. He had major personality and emotional issues.

So - if the microscope is placed against my life or against yours, we probably all reveal some good, strong traits, and some pretty strange behaviorial issues. In other words, as John Ortberg revealed in the title of his book: Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them, we are some of those "everybodies."

My whole rant is this: I want us to start looking for greatness in the lives of those people who make a true difference in the lives of other people - those who make the most money, get the most publicity, and have the highest popularity are not necessarily the greatest people. There are teachers, police officers, firefighters, doctors and nurses, farmers, writers, and even an occasional minister or two who may measure up past those who were blessed with great talent and ability.

Is Virtual Reality, Reality?

Allergy medications may cause strange thoughts - certainly cause drowsiness. In the midst of the two, the question surfaces - is virtual reality really reality? Of course it is! Am I crazy or just drowsy? But - Presidential speeches being twittered; finding friends on Facebook; and texting on cell phones! Where have all the people gone! Gone to digital everyone.

Now don't get me wrong. The truth is that I like and use most of the digital forms of communication. I text three, four times a month - with proper spelling and grammar of course. I have a blog - actually, I have three - this personal one and two related to my job. I have a Facebook page and even have a few friends on it. Email accounts at work and at home easily accessible through my IPhone which also has a level, access to USA Today, and pool, bowling, and golf games (for when I am not working).

Could I get by without all of these devices in the world of virtual reality? I probably could, but I don't want to. I may be addicted - although I can quit anytime I want - I just don't want to.

But what about real people? Friends are more than digital transmissions through space. At some point friends must be real people that you shake hands with, that you hug, that you eat a meal with, and that you laugh and cry with. Sure you can do some of those things (at least metaphorically) online. And when distance separates you, online is a great way to stay in touch (metaphorically speaking). But we all need real, live people around us also. These are people that turn virtual into reality. These are people that can read your body language when words don't come from your mouth or from the keyboard.

Today is a good day - even with the allergies - to give some thought to the real people who make a difference in my reality while my fingers touch this keyboard in a virtual, sometimes real, always changing world.

Given a Chance - People Will Surprise Us

Although I would say that I am opposed to making determinations about individuals based on their appearance, the truth is that I am probably as guilty of this as most of us are. I came across a clip on You Tube yesterday that is from the reality show "Britain's Got Talent." The clip is seven minutes long. But I encourage you to watch it in its entirety before going on with this essay.

The questions are simple - was I in the group that laughed and thought it must be a joke? How often have I chosen friends, employees, or even who to sit by in a doctor's waiting room based on appearance or age? Is is possible that I have missed some of life's greatest gifts and experiences by not taking the time to discover their hidden talent and thus discover the genius?

In the Bible there is a passage in which one of God's prophets is sent by God to annoint a man to be the next king of Israel. The prophet goes to the home of a man who has seven sons. Upon seeing the oldest of the seven, the prophet knows this must be the one who will become king because he is tall, strong, and regal in appearance. But God reminds the prophet that God looks upon the heart of a person, not upon the outward appearance. The one who is eventually annointed or chosed to be the next king is not the eldest son but the youngest. He was not waiting in the house but was out taking care of the sheep.

So how do you think we should look at people now?

The Shallow End or the Deep End?

As a young child, the question was simple to answer. I wanted to be in the shallow end of the pool because I didn't know how to swim. Somewhere around the age of 8, I caught on to swimming, floating, treading water, and assorted other water related activities. Again the question was simple to answer because it was more fun and more challenging in the deep end of the pool.

Most of us are not trying to decide about whether to go swimming today (in Texas the air temp is to be about 80 but the water temp is still too cool for most of us). But I do wonder today if we are thinking in the shallow end or in the deep end. I wonder if we are reading in the shallows or in the depths. I wonder if we are living on the surface or plunging into the regions of hard work and diffult choices.

Does your mind drift to the dwindling 401 (k) that you were counting on for early retirement so you could pursue your favorite hobby or spend extra time with the grandchildren? Or instead is there a focus upon those who will spend today, this week, and their final days in the process and pain of starvation?

Is my biggest thought today about a receeding hairline or about the global millions who are infected with AIDS? Am I already thinking about where I will eat lunch (currently 10:05 AM) or is there some thought about where my friends and neighbors and the people in the office next door will spend eternity? Were the comics my most thought-provoking read of the day or was there something I read that will stimulate my actions in some aspect of making the world a better place?

It is pretty easy for me to confess that some days the shallow end of the thought pool puts this underworked brain in a very comfortable and relaxed position. But occasionally (tho' not often enough) I was to go to the deep end, think and read about that which is most important, and in someway make a dffierence in this world. My best thought today - I want to go to the deep end far more frequently until it becomes the norm of my life. So, what are you thinking about today?

Seeking Significance

Recently I was reminded of the report that states: "For the first half of our lives, we seek success; for the last half of our lives, we seek significance." Since the oldest, documented living person currently on planet Earth is 115, I am definitely in the second or last half of my life. And life the results of the report, I, too, find myself wanting to do those things that will make a difference - things that will have a significant impact upon people and upon institutions.

I mention institutions because my profession is largely about working with churches. The role is varied and includes helping start new churches, helping revitalize decaying or declining churches, and encouraging healthy churches. In the fabric of our culture, churches have held places of significance. Our culture has looked to churches to provide moral and ethical leadership, to provide spiritual stability and strength, to develop children and adults as morally upright individuals, and to care for those in need.

It is true that such a view of the church has not been continuous in our history. In fact, this may not be one of those time segments when our nation views the church in such high esteem. But it is because of that possibility that I feel a need to help encourage churches toward a renewed reality of significance in these days.

My desire in this last segment of my employed life is not to help churches and church leaders become what the culture wants them to be but rather to help them become what God has stated He wants them to be. Whether we look at the Old Testament in the Bible and see God using the nation Israel to reveal His purpose and love, or in the New Testament with the emergence of the church as the Body of Christ, we see that the real significance of the church is in the transformation of lives by the power of God. Significance is not in the amount of property, size of budgets, or weekly attendance. The significance of the church has always been in God's transformation of people who come to Him in faith through Jesus Christ.

After the Big Day

As a Christian, Easter Sunday is a "Big Day" for me. While Christians live daily with the hope and promise that comes with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter Sunday is a focused day commemorating the anniversary of Jesus' Resurrection and celebrating all that it means in the lives of Christian believers.

But like all "Big Days," midnight comes and a new day begins. The focus, not the reality, changes. The truth of the Resurrection remains the next day and for all days thereafter, but the "Tyranny of the Urgent" (as Stephen Covey refers to it in his 7 Habits) becomes the focus. Important things, and some not-so-important things, call for immediate attention. Alarm clocks, drives to work, meetings, email, calls, and decisions quickly fill the day and one's mind.

Wouldn't it be great if we could hold on to the celebration and realization of the significance of the "Big Days" while having to deal with the urgent? Wouldn't it greatly influence the people around us if we could we keep the power and the goodness of the "Big Day" present and touching the people we work with, those we call friends, and our own families?

Somehow I know that tomorrow will be different than I would wish for it to be, but maybe this time I will be less overwhelmed by the urgent and stay more in touch with the truly significant. I wonder if anyone else has these kinds of thoughts.