"They'll Learn Much More Than I'll Ever Know"

Recognize that lyric? If so, you really know your music! It's from the hit by Loius Armstrong, "What a Wonderful World", a beautiful song that always reminds me of the simple pleasures of life.
Christmas Day,1976. My brothers and I had been closely watching 'the' present for weeks, hoping and suspecting it just might be the original 'Super Pong' video game. Not only was Super Pong the most sought after prize of the season, it was sold exclusively at Sears (my parents got everything at Sears), and, we had only begged for it no less than a hundred-gazillion times!
Yes! There it was! In a matter of moments, with that little Christmas miracle, we became the most popular family in the neighborhood. No kidding, we could have charged admission into our Living Room and made a quick fortune. Gazing at a gray screen with a tiny white spot moving slowly from side to side and the occasional "blip" sound ringing out to the masses, we sat and watched in awe, anxiously awaiting our turn to experience the best game around.
Now, I sit and watch our 6 year old daughter and her sisters, with lightning fast precision, master the Rock Band game with a skill I'll never have. Shucks, I don't think my brain could process information that fast if my life depended on it! They will, no doubt, experience things that I'll never know. My dad passed away in 1995 and never understood what the internet was capable of. My mom, bless her heart, is just getting a grasp on the DVD player, and I can't quite get the hang of text messaging yet. Nevertheless, time marches on and every day becomes a little 'smarter' that the one before.
Knowledge is something to grasp onto with every chance that arises. Wisdom, on the other hand, is something to be cherished, with every passing experience in our lives. My grandfather was one of the wisest men I'll ever know. He went to a one room schoolhouse and I'm not quite sure if he even graduated. Yet, he taught me some very valuable lessons: 'right is right and wrong is wrong', 'learn to use a hammer without smashing your hand', 'respect your elders', and 'read your Bible daily'.
James 3:13 says this: "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." Wisdom shines through a person's character. Wisdom makes good use of knowledge, and wisdom seeks God's will in all things.
A friend of mine was a 'self-made millionaire' in the true sense of the word. He seemed to have made all of the right decisions. I discovered his 'secret' some years later. Simply this: he prays about every decison he makes, and he consults with his wife before he ever moves forward... a true man of wisdom! Proverbs 3:6 says; "In all your ways acknowledge Him (the Lord), and He will direct your path".
Now, take a 2 minute break to watch this video. Relax, remember things you've learned from wise people in your life, and ponder on how wise our Creator is. Enjoy.

"For Better or For Worse..."

Tonight, June 22. 2009, the world witnessed the death of a family.
Millions of viewers watched Jon and Kate Gosselin seemingly call it quits after 10 years of marriage. Many people cried, some folks cheered, and a few... just changed the channel. My family? We were stunned and saddened as we watched the event unfold.
I pray that God's comfort and strength be upon Jon, Kate, Cara, Mady, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah, and Joel in the days ahead.

"You See Things Your Way...I'll See Things My Way."

Ever thought of how differently we all perceive things? Perception 'seemingly' brings perfect clarity to an individual, yet causes, at best, confusion to a group. Having a different perception,or understanding of a situation can cause disagreements, arguments, even all-out-war between friends.

Case #1: True story. It's 5:45 p.m. on a Friday evening, Scrapbooking Club night at the Wiggins' house. Chrissi (my wife) + 12 other scrapbookers = Mike and the girls need to head for higher ground. The girl's take: 'Yeah! Hang out with Daddy at the mall and eat at our favorite restaurant- Burger King.' Chrissi:'Yeah! No kids or hubby, scrapbooking with the gals, and I don't have to eat at my most un-favorite restaurant- Burger King.' Mike " I'm exhausted. But, at least I get to hang out with the girls and eat at my favorite restaurant- Burger King.' 7:45 p.m..We'll call her 'Sue' to protect her innoncence, receives a call from her kids. "I told you not to call me here unless it's an emergency..." 7:49 p.m. Another call, " Don't call me here again, please." 8:02 p.m.. Yet, another call, "IF YOU CALL ME HERE AGAIN, I'M GONNA' KILL YOU!!!!!" Chrissi's take: ' That's hilarious!'. 'Sue's: 'Those kids are driving me crazy!'. The 11 other women as they sit there with jaws on the floor in total terror: 'Oh my, we've all just become accessories to murder!'. 10:00 p.m. The girls: ' Man, that was fun and we got to eat at our favorite restaurant- Burger King.' Chrissi: 'Oh no, are they back already?' Mike: 'I'm exhausted, but I had fun with the girls and got to eat at my favorite restaurant- Burger King.'

You see, just a simple turn of events yet, many different perceptions.

Case #2: True Story. Who is Jesus? God: 'This is my Son, whom I love'. The angel: 'the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God'. The centurion soldier: ' Surely he was the Son of God'. The evil spirits: 'You are the Son of God'. John the Baptist: 'this is the Son of God'. Nathanael: 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God'. Martha: 'Yes, I believe that you are the Son of God'. Paul: '...to be the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord'. John the Apostle: 'His Son, Jesus Christ'.

Thankfully, there are some things that are so sure, there's no room for mis-perception.

So, next time you are involved in a disagreement with someone, please try to gain an understanding of their perception, their side of the story. It may help you 'see things their way'. Who knows, you may find out that they are actually right!

I can hear my wife saying right now, "Honey, you need to practice what you preach!!!"
Why is her perception always right?

Keep pressing on...

"Do As I Do... Not As I Say..."

Huh?!? I've always been told to "set a good example" but, man... that's hard work!
Thinking further though, I do realize that we are easily influenced by what we see other people do. When my two older daughters were young, I would ask "who wants the red cup and who wants the blue cup?". Katie: "I want the red cup". Sara: "I want the blue cup". Then Katie would quickly say: "No! I want the blue cup!". Talk about being influenced. Here's another from my mom: "If Andy jumped off a bridge... would you jump too?".
Lets face it, we all do what we see to some degree. Another 'hard fact'- we all have people watching us too! No matter who you are, you have a 'circle of influence', people who respect you, people who believe you, and people who trust you. Your example carries weight with them.
Don't panic! There's lots of easy ways to have a positive impact on their lives. John Maxwell in his book: "Developing the Leader Within You" gives some great, practical tips on being a good leader to others by helping bring out the best in THEM. Here's five key points he discusses:

1. Everyone wants to feel worthwhile. "There's hardly a higher compliment you can pay to an individual than to help that person be useful and find satisfaction and significance."

2. Everyone needs and responds to encourgement. "People tend to become what the most important person in their life thinks they will become."

3. People 'buy into' the leader before they 'buy into' their leadership. "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care."

4. Most people do not know how to become successful. "It (success) is achieving one thing and using that as a stepping stone to achieve something else."

5. Most people are naturally motivated. "Personal accomplishment is motivating, but it is much more when someone notices the accomplishment and give worth to it."

Well, that said, it's time to 'target' someone in your circle of influence and help lift them up. Tell them they're important to you. Tell them they can do it! Tell them you care. Tell them they're succeeding. And, tell them they are making a difference.
Hebrews 3:13 says this: "...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today...". Need encourgement yourself? Read Psalm 62:5-8. You will find strength.

Now, '"go get 'em". You can do it!!!

Keep pressing on...

" If WalMart Ain't Got It... I Don't Need It."

Wow! Where is this guy coming from? I mean... I've seen more motivation out of my teenage daughters on 'laundry day'.

Actually, I heard that said once. When I think about it, which is quite often, I can't decide if this man is really 'missing the boat'. or, maybe... just maybe, he has his priorities in perfect order. I will be the first to admit, I am intrigued by what this world has to offer. But, I realize that these things can be very consuming at times.

I think back to when I was a young kid. Life seemed to move much slower then. People seemed to have more time for each other, and simple things were actually fun. My mom reminded us to 'stop and listen to the crickets' and my grandmother always had a homemade pie in the fridge. As far as us kids were concerned? Well, we drank from the garden hose, played army with sticks ( 'I can hear it now... 'Pow! Pow! You're dead!' - 'No! You missed me!'), magically turned our bicycles into motorcycles with a clothespin and baseball card, and sometimes just hung out on the corner and watched the world go by.

Well. now the garden hose has been replaced by bottled Vitamin Water, the pie by microwave snacks, and hanging around with friends has been fizzled out by Facebook!

Dont' get me wrong. Like I said. I'm very thankful for progress. Man, I don't know what I'd do without indoor plumbing, air-conditioning, and microwave biscuits! But honestly, most of the things we used to do would be quite boring according to today's standards. I guess time has a way of forcing things into 'obsolete status'. Very few things stand the test of time.

There's one thing though that has withstood all attacks time can dish out. It's the number one best-selling book of all time. It has been translated into over 2,400 languages and is estimated to be sold or given away at a rate of 168,000 copies per day! Yes. It's the Holy Bible. It's truths never change and never go out of style. Even if you're not a Bible reader, you have to admit that if society would practice some of it's fundamental teachings ( love your neighbor as yourself, forgive as you have been forgiven, help the poor, honor your father and mother), this world would be a better place. It's been called by many 'our Instruction Book for life'. I totally believe that. I depend on it for guidance, hope, assurance and strength. It's my Father's 'love letter' to me, as it is to each of us, and I'm grateful for it.

So, even though 'these times...they are a changin', there's still some things that never change. Some things that keep us in perspective, align our priorities in perfect order, and help us enjoy the blessings we have...right here...right now. These are the things we should all hold onto.

Until we meet again... stop and listen to the crickets, grab a slice of pie, and read The Instructions.

Keep pressing on...