October 21st, 2009
It seems everyday something pops up in front yards all over the place as I drive around suburbia in Northwest Houston. I mentioned it a couple of months ago about yard art but this is seasonal stuff, and not just fall. It is Halloween.
There are skeletons and jack o’ lanterns. cats and spiders, ghosts and ghouls and inflatables. A myriad of colors black, orange along with greens, yellows and eery blood red dominate trees, lawns and porches. They range from playful to a kind of “fun” scary to horror movie worthy.
I continue to be baffled by the amount of time, money and great lengths of thought people go to put up a couple of scarecrows and spider’s webs in their yard for a couple of weeks.
Then, just when I thought I’d seen it all there were handmade “ghosts” of white tissue paper(?) wrapped around a ball and hung on the shrubs. Oh, the ingenuity…
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September 22nd, 2009
Do you get less wet if you run in the rain from your car to the door or walk? All without an umbrella of course…
Running you’re not out in the rain as long…
But walking only those falling straight on you hit you…
Doesn’t count if you splash in a big puddle on the way in.
Tags: rain
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September 17th, 2009
Just thinking about several terms and phrases I’ve encountered recently that struck me with a “Hmmm.” One has been on the weather forecasts recently, the “cone of uncertainty.” What a great phrase! It describes that general area that a tropical storm or hurricane could travel given all of the weather variables (we all know there are lots of those). The idea is as a result of time and factors the course the storm might take will be in between certain parameters that looks like a cone going out from the center of the system.
Life has some pretty crazy storm at times. Job cuts and downsizing, natural disasters, relationship stressors, prodigals, economic downturns, terrible housing markets, doctor’s diagnoses… Think about the many possibilities for these “cones of uncertainty” would be projected out from each year of our life? Not to mention all of the variables within each circumstance!
There is a constant. One who is present yesterday, today and forever, Hebrews 13:8. Whose word will stand the test of time, Isaiah 40:8. Who doesn’t change with the season or economy. His love is unchanging and his plans for you are certain, Jeremiah 29:11. May you know that power and certainty anytime other storms make “landfall.”
Tags: hurricanes
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August 3rd, 2009
what is the motivation for purchasing, placing fixtures, sculptures and figurines out in the front yard? I have long wondered what the attraction might be each time I see a gazing ball, gargoyle or random animal. As I was driving to the office I passed a shop that creates such things as cast iron flamingos (painted pink) and again the thought struck me, “what were you thinking?”
if you have yard art, what is it?
and, Why?
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June 30th, 2009
I’ve been using the same ballpoint pen for months now. It has simply become the first one I grab not because I’m attached to it, necessarily but because it is there and easy to get to. However, the other day it started to stop writing. I would be in the middle of a letter and there was no ink in the impression that was being left. I licked it, scribble on a scrap piece of paper and tried to write on the rubber on my shoe to “break loose” the ball. Ah, there it is, now that is more like it.
Uh oh, it is writing again. More scribbles and a few more lines of ink. This kept up for more than a week! Finally, I looked to see how full the ink was and there was plenty. So, I kept at it some more. Then it dawned on me; I have more pens, I don’t have to keep being frustrated with one that works sporadically!
That revelation was followed by another related to my spiritual life. Why do I put up with my familiar, sometimes broken way of dealing with life and circumstances? Those thoughts caused me to remember the riches of grace and how my Father owns the cattle on a 1000 hills. He also has provided life in abundance and everything I need for life and godliness. I don’t need to settle or get into same old ruts because God’s mercies are new every morning. What a great reminder. Now where did I put my new pen…
Tags: life, new, old, spirit
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June 8th, 2009
We are so glad summer is here. Everyone wants to stay up late, get up late and go to the pool.
Last summer we we noticed something peculiar about our pool visits and it eerily occurred again this year. Upon arrival we sign in, find a spot to stack our stuff, don goggles and other pool gear then jump in. However, before we can get acclimated to the water the whistle blows and it is time for a life guard break! What is crazy is that the breaks occur at 10 till the top of the hour and like clock work we seem to arrive at 20 till. This seems to happen 9 out of 10 visits!
Now, I guess we’ll have to plan better or just wait to leave for the pool more strategically. Sometimes that is life; the timing is unexplainable. Things happen and plans change so then you deal with it from that point on. You might try to find God’s sense of timing in it. There several Greek words for time used in the Bible. Two of them are: chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to time in a more general way while kairos refers to a specific period of time. Maybe God has something specific for us/you at a specific time… What is God up to in your life? your family’s life? Do you find yourself in circumstances that seem a little out of the ordinary or with a sense of timing that grabs your attention. Explore it.
I will be thinking differently now before and during my swim.
Tags: Add new tag, God, kids, life
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May 28th, 2009
I read a little of everything in just about any form. The other day on a candy wrapper I read the phrase, “Eat breakfast for dinner.”
As a family we have breakfast for dinner every so often, usually on a weekend when us adults are tired and breakfast seems easy.
But what about dinner for breakfast? I could only think of pizza really but what else…?
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May 20th, 2009
I just returned from a great conference called Catalyst One Day. It was a great time spent listening to 2 church leaders, Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel, talk about momentum as it pertains to church and personal spirituality. In the midst of all of the points and illustrations I would catch myself watching the people in the audience during the sessions and at the breaks.
A couple of rows in front of me a guy is shopping for wireless microphones or something similar. Over and to the left a couple of seats is a guy checking email. In the middle of one of the talks in walks a guy with a bag full of books from the conference bookstore. I guess he didn’t want to wait in line. On top of that they have twitter up and running so I couldn’t tell if people were texting other people or trying to get a question to Andy or Craig.
One of the funniest moments was when I thought I needed a little sunshine and stepped out during one of the breaks. I barely made it outside the door before being in another group of people all talking on their wireless devices. It reminded me of someone taking a break to get a quick drag on their cigarette before heading back indoors.
We left with a parting object lesson about couches. You know, the ugly, 20+ year old couch that is in someone’s house because it has so many great memories associated with it. It was then brought full circle to the ministry arena, what are our “couches” ugly, faded, not working programs…? Get ready for change.
Posted in application, change, church | 1 Comment »
April 20th, 2009
That is the cry of every parent who has a middle schooler (and beyond) taking math. How many careless errors would be caught if they would just check their multiplication or subtraction one more time? Surely they would see 204-39 doesn’t equal 175! Is it just a fact of life that we don’t and we won’t? Oh, for one test that reflects some progress in this area…
Don’t quit! Keep up the good work parents. We may be missing an important skill if we don’t constantly remind our children and ourselves to “check your work.” It is the skill of evaluation. It is the way we improve our skills and produce excellence (why do there have to be some many bad tests to learn this principle, I don’t know).
Next time you’re nagging your child to double check and recheck remember why and take a look at how you’ve been doing. Hear yourself say to your children “check your work” and do so, too, in fact let them “catch” you checking your work.
Paul was able to say something like, I’ve run the race and not been disqualified… and that comes from the discipline of evaluating. Confession might follow which is like test corrections but that is another topic.
Tags: evaluation, homework, parenting, school
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April 6th, 2009
One of the things I like about the spring time are the many colors. Often it is the simple shades of a color that cause me to stare in wonder. Recently I was stopped at a red light and looked down the street…There were the greens of pines and other evergreens but then there were all of these shades of green that seemed to brighten up the air.
As these new leaves begin to show, the shade is just the lightest green. I noticed the oaks, ash, pears, some sweet gums and hickories too.
You can really get a good look if you are driving on one of the overpasses near Houston just be sure not to look too long.
Tags: Spring
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