Samson had his hair, Achilles had his ankle, Superman has his kryptonite, Goliath had his forehead, Icarus had the Sun, and the Death Star had the Thermal exhaust port. We all have weaknesses that can expose our otherwise perfect existence. So, it should come as no surprise that the average everyday schlep we meet has weaknesses. Nevertheless, every time you meet someone who seems to have it all together, it seems like a complete shocker when they expose to us their weakness.
The unfortunate thing is that, as humans, we have tremendous capacity to be boneheads. Nevertheless, we often fail to see our own boneheadedness. This is why the loners or people who have no outside human interaction are usually tough to befriend, because they are unaware of their own neurosis. We often don't know what we don't know.
So, as I have been meandering through life, I have a friend, whom I know to be extraordinarily good at two jobs that are only tangentially related. I have recommended to him that he should find one person to assist him in each area, and as he grows his newly formed company, hopefully he has found two Vice Presidents. This is the concept upon which the assembly line was built.
The negative thing about my friend is that he doesn't realize how truly special he is. He does not realize that the two diverse skill sets he has are so rare that finding another person with them is as likely as finding a purple goober. He wants to find that person who is just like him. But this is a reality of life, when we realize what sets us apart, we realize what gives us such a dignified value. Some even achieve the level of Savant!
I think sometimes we need that guy to point us in the correct way. Nevertheless, sometimes people thwart the attempts to assist them that are given. The reality of setting up an assembly-line approach to a company has been proven for over a century, yet some people think that the once in a lifetime talent is easier to duplicate than compliment. However, we all have complimentary needs. Flash needed food, Popeye needed Spinach, and the Green Lantern needed to avoid the color yellow.
So, when building a team of something you are great at, find someone who can pick up the slack you leave and lead you to greater heights, rather than the person who can duplicate what you already do well. Remember that if two people always act, react, and do things the same way, then at least one of them is unnecessary. If you don't act wisely in that regard, you may end up with the adjective idiot before your title Savant!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Evaluating The Help
Despite the fact I never seem to know anything about new movies coming out, I am talking a lot about movies lately. I mention We Bought a Zoo and Tangled in the last two blogs I've written, so it may seem like I spent an entire weekend watching movies, but it's more that the movies I watched taught me something. Nevertheless, I am fairly certain that whenever I saw The Help, it would have had an incredible impact on me, even though as of a week ago, I had never heard of it.
I am fortunate that I live my life in almost complete obscurity. While I may have occasional delusions of grandeur, most people will not know (or care) what I did on any particular Tuesday afternoon. The reason I consider this fortunate is that my sins are mostly played out in anonymity. And I do not believe in us needing to re-watch the bad parts of our life on a big screen once we get to Heaven.
The unfortunate thing is that I still do sin and I still feel the effects of it all the time. Nevertheless, I am very glad that many of the things that were shown in this movie were things I have never lived near or with a concept of. The reality is that many of the attitudes displayed in the movie were not concentrated in the city of Jackson, Mississippi but were prevalent throughout our culture. The reality is that caste systems have been around long before the founding of this country and will continue long after we are gone.
One thing I really liked is that is wasn't judgmental on the issue that usually riles everyone up. Slavery and Racism can be atrocious things, and I think the tendency to over-abuse authority is one that may make it best to just not allow it. (I realize this movie is set when slavery is "illegal" and the culture did not declare it slavery, but it really was slavery—no matter the term we use to describe it). The movie was more about the abusiveness that can accompany the racism/slavery combo.
With the attitude of Skeeter and Celia Foote (and her husband Johnny), there were definitely examples of benevolent "bosses." And there was at least one story told by one of the women that spoke of a "boss" who was so benevolent that he purchased land just to make her life easier. The over-riding problem is that they were such a minority that they were almost as great of outcasts as the humans they treated that way, which others did not.
Unfortunately, I believe this is a real-to-life story that paints a largely accurate picture of the majority of people out there. The tremendously unbridled ignorance that the majority showed was so egregious that I hate to think the populace of the country I love could have been that way just a generation and a half ago. I also know that no amount of so-called reparations can ever right the wrongs that were committed.
Another thing I know, however, is that we are getting better. I have no doubt that racism still exists. I have no doubt that many "employers" or even parents mistreat those in their charge to this degree. Notwithstanding this, I also know that these things are now called out by the public-at-large and the leadership of society in concert. And instead of largely unjust things happening to the abused parties, we see more justice in this area by the authorities than ever.
We live in a society where our President and many of my favorite public figures to talk about are of a minority race. The reality is that Dr. King's dream of people “being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin” is largely a reality. In my conversations, more people probably cast a vote for a person because he is a minority than people who would not vote for him for the same reason.
I don't think we as a society are perfect, but that will never happen in this world, as we are all sinful creatures. I do, however, think that the situation as shown in this movie is largely gone. And the vestiges of it that remain can begin to be stamped out by, among other things, movies like The Help. Yet I feel overcome by so many unspeakable feelings upon watching this movie, that I am almost wordless (and that's bad for the blog).
I guess the problem with watching a movie like this is we see our own tendency to be sinful. I clearly thought throughout the movie that I would never think or act in such a way, but I also know that there must be some egregious sin that this culture is largely blind to, and I am fitting right along with culture in general.
The problem is that we see how blind society can be to its own shortfalls, which necessarily leads one to introspection to the point of questioning what we are blind to. I believe in the Second Law of Thermodynamics enough to know that the world is not getting better. The fact that this one thing has been largely beaten does not give us overall improvement.
Nevertheless, we do not watch movies to come to grips with our own sinfulness, but rather to watch our triumph. While this triumph may be thinly defined and not across-the-board, it is still triumph. I am glad I have never been in an immediate situation where these attitudes were prevalent. I am glad that it is not even difficult for me to side with the side of the right in this issue. I am also glad the movie was done well and that it can open the dialogue so that we never become condemned to repeat these mindsets. The movie was good and entertaining, but it exposes the seedy underbelly of a portion of our heritage, and I, for one, am just glad that Dr. King's dream lives and is largely becoming reality!
I am fortunate that I live my life in almost complete obscurity. While I may have occasional delusions of grandeur, most people will not know (or care) what I did on any particular Tuesday afternoon. The reason I consider this fortunate is that my sins are mostly played out in anonymity. And I do not believe in us needing to re-watch the bad parts of our life on a big screen once we get to Heaven.
The unfortunate thing is that I still do sin and I still feel the effects of it all the time. Nevertheless, I am very glad that many of the things that were shown in this movie were things I have never lived near or with a concept of. The reality is that many of the attitudes displayed in the movie were not concentrated in the city of Jackson, Mississippi but were prevalent throughout our culture. The reality is that caste systems have been around long before the founding of this country and will continue long after we are gone.
One thing I really liked is that is wasn't judgmental on the issue that usually riles everyone up. Slavery and Racism can be atrocious things, and I think the tendency to over-abuse authority is one that may make it best to just not allow it. (I realize this movie is set when slavery is "illegal" and the culture did not declare it slavery, but it really was slavery—no matter the term we use to describe it). The movie was more about the abusiveness that can accompany the racism/slavery combo.
With the attitude of Skeeter and Celia Foote (and her husband Johnny), there were definitely examples of benevolent "bosses." And there was at least one story told by one of the women that spoke of a "boss" who was so benevolent that he purchased land just to make her life easier. The over-riding problem is that they were such a minority that they were almost as great of outcasts as the humans they treated that way, which others did not.
Unfortunately, I believe this is a real-to-life story that paints a largely accurate picture of the majority of people out there. The tremendously unbridled ignorance that the majority showed was so egregious that I hate to think the populace of the country I love could have been that way just a generation and a half ago. I also know that no amount of so-called reparations can ever right the wrongs that were committed.
Another thing I know, however, is that we are getting better. I have no doubt that racism still exists. I have no doubt that many "employers" or even parents mistreat those in their charge to this degree. Notwithstanding this, I also know that these things are now called out by the public-at-large and the leadership of society in concert. And instead of largely unjust things happening to the abused parties, we see more justice in this area by the authorities than ever.
We live in a society where our President and many of my favorite public figures to talk about are of a minority race. The reality is that Dr. King's dream of people “being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin” is largely a reality. In my conversations, more people probably cast a vote for a person because he is a minority than people who would not vote for him for the same reason.
I don't think we as a society are perfect, but that will never happen in this world, as we are all sinful creatures. I do, however, think that the situation as shown in this movie is largely gone. And the vestiges of it that remain can begin to be stamped out by, among other things, movies like The Help. Yet I feel overcome by so many unspeakable feelings upon watching this movie, that I am almost wordless (and that's bad for the blog).
I guess the problem with watching a movie like this is we see our own tendency to be sinful. I clearly thought throughout the movie that I would never think or act in such a way, but I also know that there must be some egregious sin that this culture is largely blind to, and I am fitting right along with culture in general.
The problem is that we see how blind society can be to its own shortfalls, which necessarily leads one to introspection to the point of questioning what we are blind to. I believe in the Second Law of Thermodynamics enough to know that the world is not getting better. The fact that this one thing has been largely beaten does not give us overall improvement.
Nevertheless, we do not watch movies to come to grips with our own sinfulness, but rather to watch our triumph. While this triumph may be thinly defined and not across-the-board, it is still triumph. I am glad I have never been in an immediate situation where these attitudes were prevalent. I am glad that it is not even difficult for me to side with the side of the right in this issue. I am also glad the movie was done well and that it can open the dialogue so that we never become condemned to repeat these mindsets. The movie was good and entertaining, but it exposes the seedy underbelly of a portion of our heritage, and I, for one, am just glad that Dr. King's dream lives and is largely becoming reality!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Go Buy a Zoo
Thirteen days ago, my sister sent me an email saying that she highly recommended a movie called, We Bought A Zoo. I saw the previews and imagined some hidden or invisible zoo after a family bought a house, and I thought, "Is my sister going crazy? Is this really the best movie she can come up with in this day and age of movies?" So, I treated the email with the reverence I thought it deserved (ie, remembered that she liked the movie and nothing else that she said).
I came home Friday night to the announcement that somehow we had picked up the movie We Bought a Zoo. The kids had already watched the movie with Kelly and all said that they liked it, but that it was a little bit vulgar for a PG movie. So, being the knucklehead I am, I give my sister a call to give her a hard time (which is really all it was, because I had not even forwarded her thoughts to the rest of the family). Of course, had I actually read and remembered her email, I would have known that she gave that exact warning, and she told me that.
So, now as a guy feeling bad about giving my sister a hard time, I agreed to watch it and just kind of keep my mouth shut. So after we did several things, including eat dinner, do family devotions, put the kids to bed, and recapping the day, I finally sat down to watch the movie. Hereafter are my thoughts about the movie, without givinganything (er, well, giving very little) away.
First, the movie was nothing like what I got from the previews (what I saw was approximately the equivalent of the first minute of this). It was never an imaginery or hidden zoo; it was clearly a zoo recognized and seen by all humans with eyesight at all times. I'm not sure how I misinterpreted that, but it really was a completely different movie than my imagination.
Second, the movie was genuinely captivating. There was a family in mourning, which I could certainly empathize with. You wanted this dad and daughter to succeed and move on, as much as would be appropriate. There was a real estate agent at the beginning, that I loved. He reflects well on one of my chosen professions, and we aren't normally portrayed well.
Third, the movie had a plot that moved along and was feel-good. I know many critics insulted it for being too formulaic. Let's face it; there is a reason those things become a formula—We like them!
This story, which though it didn't have a lot of mystery involved, was a nice, happy story with the heart of real life. It may send you to the kleenex a couple times (it did me), but it isn't a depressing movie. It had a line in the movie that I loved. All-in-all, I found the whole thing very entertaining. So, if you want a feel-good story to watch that the whole family can enjoy, watch this one (email me about the ten second scene to fast forward through if you have young kids). You'll be glad you watched it!
I came home Friday night to the announcement that somehow we had picked up the movie We Bought a Zoo. The kids had already watched the movie with Kelly and all said that they liked it, but that it was a little bit vulgar for a PG movie. So, being the knucklehead I am, I give my sister a call to give her a hard time (which is really all it was, because I had not even forwarded her thoughts to the rest of the family). Of course, had I actually read and remembered her email, I would have known that she gave that exact warning, and she told me that.
So, now as a guy feeling bad about giving my sister a hard time, I agreed to watch it and just kind of keep my mouth shut. So after we did several things, including eat dinner, do family devotions, put the kids to bed, and recapping the day, I finally sat down to watch the movie. Hereafter are my thoughts about the movie, without giving
First, the movie was nothing like what I got from the previews (what I saw was approximately the equivalent of the first minute of this). It was never an imaginery or hidden zoo; it was clearly a zoo recognized and seen by all humans with eyesight at all times. I'm not sure how I misinterpreted that, but it really was a completely different movie than my imagination.
Second, the movie was genuinely captivating. There was a family in mourning, which I could certainly empathize with. You wanted this dad and daughter to succeed and move on, as much as would be appropriate. There was a real estate agent at the beginning, that I loved. He reflects well on one of my chosen professions, and we aren't normally portrayed well.
Third, the movie had a plot that moved along and was feel-good. I know many critics insulted it for being too formulaic. Let's face it; there is a reason those things become a formula—We like them!
Is Hoosiers less a movie because they win? Or is Cinderella worse for her not remaining stuck in a rut? Do we dislike Star Wars because Luke is successful?Of course not. We like things that end well. Another thing I learned from a lesser movie is that every character comes into your work with back-story. The audience needs to know enough about it to understand why it leads them to the present without being bogged down by it. This movie did a wonderful job of that, keeping it realistic and yet genuinely fun to travel with the characters on this journey.
This story, which though it didn't have a lot of mystery involved, was a nice, happy story with the heart of real life. It may send you to the kleenex a couple times (it did me), but it isn't a depressing movie. It had a line in the movie that I loved. All-in-all, I found the whole thing very entertaining. So, if you want a feel-good story to watch that the whole family can enjoy, watch this one (email me about the ten second scene to fast forward through if you have young kids). You'll be glad you watched it!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Seat-belts are Essential to Keeping Peace!
The last few weeks I've seen a commercial several times where they tout that if you fake wearing your seat-belt, police are trained to spot people not wearing seat-belts even in the dark. Now, this is exceedingly distressing to me for multiple reasons. Though I suspect that most people view this commercial with relative indifference, I have many reasons that this should not be the case.
I believe I should begin by letting you know of my bias on this "issue." I believe that a government should give you the right to be stupid. This makes me very Libertarian on many issues. If you want to harm yourself, so long as you don't harm anyone else, you should have the right to do so. Wearing a seat-belt doesn't endanger anyone but the non-wearer. Now I have heard the argument that someone being killed on the highway could increase the cleanup costs for the rest of us taxpayers.
There are at least two responses to this, which could easily make it a worthless argument. First, "should the government really pay for roads and their cleanup?" Assuming that is too Libertarian for you, the second response is that someone who is at fault in an accident would be responsible for the extra cleanup costs incurred. Of course this would lead to Insurance companies paying for it, which would require them to set rules for payments to be made (rather than the government).
I realize, however, that our government has said that they want us wearing seat-belts, which is their prerogative. Nevertheless, even assuming that you disagree with my assertion that you should have the right to be stupid, there is still significant reason to be disgruntled by this commercial. I think most of us, even the most violent supporter of seat-belt laws, would concede that police do far more important things, even more important traffic issues, than catch people without a seat-belt on. Yet, they are spending valuable training dollars on teaching policemen how to spot people without seat-belts. tsk. tsk.
Really? We're not training police officers (during this time) to spot drug dealers, hate crimes, beatings, counterfeiting, violent crimes, child abuse, or even dangerous or impaired driving? Instead of learning about those, let's teach them to spot someone who's faking the wearing of a seat-belt. The absurdity drips from the situation. We've gone from having officers of the law keep peace to finding invented crimes.
I assert that we can do better for ourselves, for the protection of our citizenry, and for life in general than training our first line of defense against crime on techniques people use to look like they're wearing seat-belts. Maybe we could focus that energy into making texting while driving illegal. Then, of course, I may not be able to text blog posts like this one, but at least police pulling me over may be saving lives other than mine own.
I believe I should begin by letting you know of my bias on this "issue." I believe that a government should give you the right to be stupid. This makes me very Libertarian on many issues. If you want to harm yourself, so long as you don't harm anyone else, you should have the right to do so. Wearing a seat-belt doesn't endanger anyone but the non-wearer. Now I have heard the argument that someone being killed on the highway could increase the cleanup costs for the rest of us taxpayers.
There are at least two responses to this, which could easily make it a worthless argument. First, "should the government really pay for roads and their cleanup?" Assuming that is too Libertarian for you, the second response is that someone who is at fault in an accident would be responsible for the extra cleanup costs incurred. Of course this would lead to Insurance companies paying for it, which would require them to set rules for payments to be made (rather than the government).
I realize, however, that our government has said that they want us wearing seat-belts, which is their prerogative. Nevertheless, even assuming that you disagree with my assertion that you should have the right to be stupid, there is still significant reason to be disgruntled by this commercial. I think most of us, even the most violent supporter of seat-belt laws, would concede that police do far more important things, even more important traffic issues, than catch people without a seat-belt on. Yet, they are spending valuable training dollars on teaching policemen how to spot people without seat-belts. tsk. tsk.
Really? We're not training police officers (during this time) to spot drug dealers, hate crimes, beatings, counterfeiting, violent crimes, child abuse, or even dangerous or impaired driving? Instead of learning about those, let's teach them to spot someone who's faking the wearing of a seat-belt. The absurdity drips from the situation. We've gone from having officers of the law keep peace to finding invented crimes.
I assert that we can do better for ourselves, for the protection of our citizenry, and for life in general than training our first line of defense against crime on techniques people use to look like they're wearing seat-belts. Maybe we could focus that energy into making texting while driving illegal. Then, of course, I may not be able to text blog posts like this one, but at least police pulling me over may be saving lives other than mine own.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
How Old Do You Feel?
How old do you feel? At a recent 40th birthday party I attended, that was the question du jour. This is a decent question. And to some extent, it is a question that we all must ask ourselves. We need to do what we can to keep ourselves young. Not because we are Darwinian, but because much of aging is a choice.
The Nobel prize winning George Bernard Shaw wrote, “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” We like hearing this, as it gives us excuses for being juvenile, as it adds value to it. And while there is some truth to it, there is also truth to the fact that some aging is inevitable.
In my real estate classes, we talk about how a piece of real property decreases in value over time. One of the things we talk about is physical deterioration, which we all agree is positively demoralizing, yet an inescapable part of the condition of buildings. Unfortunately, it is also an inescapable part of the human condition.
I've noticed recently that when I stand it is accompanied by creeks and groans. I need more sleep than I used to require. I am unable to do some of the things I used to be able to do. Basically, I'm an old dude and as much as I try to Claim I feel young and spry, the reality is that I am feeling older and older all the time. I mean sometimes I need to sit on the floor for the firmness that it provides, while other times I cannot sit on it for the very same reason.
Clearly some aspects of aging are outside of our control, even if we do the best we can. But I learned from my good friend, Bob Collins (whom I mention in this blog and will write a more fitting tribute between his would-be 91st birthday and the 1st anniversary of his death) that aging gracefully and finishing well is less about physical ability and mental or business acumen and more about doing all we can with that which God has still blessed us.
I may be (strike that, am) less capable than I used to be, but I am more mentally aware of the correct decisions to make. And while I have just recently come to grips with the fact that I am an adult, I have been readily aware that regardless of age or position, I am required to do that which God requires of me. And that is a full time job, no matter how old I feel!
The Nobel prize winning George Bernard Shaw wrote, “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” We like hearing this, as it gives us excuses for being juvenile, as it adds value to it. And while there is some truth to it, there is also truth to the fact that some aging is inevitable.
In my real estate classes, we talk about how a piece of real property decreases in value over time. One of the things we talk about is physical deterioration, which we all agree is positively demoralizing, yet an inescapable part of the condition of buildings. Unfortunately, it is also an inescapable part of the human condition.
I've noticed recently that when I stand it is accompanied by creeks and groans. I need more sleep than I used to require. I am unable to do some of the things I used to be able to do. Basically, I'm an old dude and as much as I try to Claim I feel young and spry, the reality is that I am feeling older and older all the time. I mean sometimes I need to sit on the floor for the firmness that it provides, while other times I cannot sit on it for the very same reason.
Clearly some aspects of aging are outside of our control, even if we do the best we can. But I learned from my good friend, Bob Collins (whom I mention in this blog and will write a more fitting tribute between his would-be 91st birthday and the 1st anniversary of his death) that aging gracefully and finishing well is less about physical ability and mental or business acumen and more about doing all we can with that which God has still blessed us.
I may be (strike that, am) less capable than I used to be, but I am more mentally aware of the correct decisions to make. And while I have just recently come to grips with the fact that I am an adult, I have been readily aware that regardless of age or position, I am required to do that which God requires of me. And that is a full time job, no matter how old I feel!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Education Situation
On Friday, Veritas Academy, which is run by my good friend Michael Phillips, had a graduation ceremony. Graduation is a unique event, because we are celebrating something that has happened in the past, yet it is almost always called a "Commencement" because the focus is on what it will look like in the future. There is no other event in our culture where we celebrate the past with a focus on the future.
This celebration is prevalent. My son's school has a similar ceremony this coming week. We had a little bit of a different recognition in church this morning, and I would be shocked if someone told me that they had never seen one. Every time I see a graduation, I am reminded of the line in The Incredibles where he touts over-celebration of mediocrity.
The truth is that I believe in education a great deal. I have achieved three college degrees and have done work towards another degree. With that in mind, I am aware of the tendency to over-celebrate, but if there is one thing we should reward, it is education.
Now clearly, not everyone is purposed for a college education, and I understand that. I also teach people who want to get a real estate license, and I have been in the classroom for security officer, mortgage broker, or life and health insurance licensing.
These classes are important, too. Because one thing that is essential, no matter what your chosen occupation, is you need to prepare. I have been known to tell people to never stop preparing for your future. "The longer your preparation, the greater your opportunity." So continue to follow the Proverbs 4 model of attempting to attain wisdom, no matter the area of study.
But as I take a more global view, I have noticed that in this economy, the one industry that has changed the least is education. I had a front row seat to the recent real estate market collapse. Now, there are an infinite number of factors that played into it, but among the most prevalent was mortgage money being so easily acquirable.
Marc Cuban thinks that the availability of education loans will spell the death of the industry. While I am not sure I will go that far, I am persuaded that changes need to occur. Having worked at a few school attempting to re-tool their programs, including a college, I know that these are not easy decisions to make.
While we may see the re-introduction of trade schools or some other way to re-educate people, something must (and will) happen. The government cannot continue to give away money to people in school. I know some people first-hand, who are going back to school at older ages, because it is easier than getting a job. Obviously, anything that discourages productivity must eventually take a hit.
Conceivably, education is good for the future of the economy, there are now more gaps than there have been in years between those things learned in school and those usable skills. The schools which find a way to combat the expenses for when the loan money dries up will be successful. I, for one, hope that is a great number, as I'd love to see a more educated society.
This celebration is prevalent. My son's school has a similar ceremony this coming week. We had a little bit of a different recognition in church this morning, and I would be shocked if someone told me that they had never seen one. Every time I see a graduation, I am reminded of the line in The Incredibles where he touts over-celebration of mediocrity.
The truth is that I believe in education a great deal. I have achieved three college degrees and have done work towards another degree. With that in mind, I am aware of the tendency to over-celebrate, but if there is one thing we should reward, it is education.
Now clearly, not everyone is purposed for a college education, and I understand that. I also teach people who want to get a real estate license, and I have been in the classroom for security officer, mortgage broker, or life and health insurance licensing.
These classes are important, too. Because one thing that is essential, no matter what your chosen occupation, is you need to prepare. I have been known to tell people to never stop preparing for your future. "The longer your preparation, the greater your opportunity." So continue to follow the Proverbs 4 model of attempting to attain wisdom, no matter the area of study.
But as I take a more global view, I have noticed that in this economy, the one industry that has changed the least is education. I had a front row seat to the recent real estate market collapse. Now, there are an infinite number of factors that played into it, but among the most prevalent was mortgage money being so easily acquirable.
Marc Cuban thinks that the availability of education loans will spell the death of the industry. While I am not sure I will go that far, I am persuaded that changes need to occur. Having worked at a few school attempting to re-tool their programs, including a college, I know that these are not easy decisions to make.
While we may see the re-introduction of trade schools or some other way to re-educate people, something must (and will) happen. The government cannot continue to give away money to people in school. I know some people first-hand, who are going back to school at older ages, because it is easier than getting a job. Obviously, anything that discourages productivity must eventually take a hit.
Conceivably, education is good for the future of the economy, there are now more gaps than there have been in years between those things learned in school and those usable skills. The schools which find a way to combat the expenses for when the loan money dries up will be successful. I, for one, hope that is a great number, as I'd love to see a more educated society.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Pardoned, Struggling to Forgive
As I was reading a book to my son during our nightly "Girly-Book Time" there was a story of a non-Christian consistently proverbially battering a Christian and then accusing her of not being willing to forgive. Now, I am not suggesting that he was right, as the type of forgiveness one gives is largely dependent upon the type of contrition there is. We owe it to ourselves, our families, and others to act responsibly. To forgive may be required, but reasonable hesitancy is not out of the question.
It seems lately the topic of Forgiveness has come up a lot for me. Perhaps this is because when you are as crazy as I am, people frequently feel as if I need to be consistently seeking forgiveness. The reality is that my life, just like everyone else's, is a tremendous lesson in God's unfailing grace, despite my inability to consistently be worthy.
As we look at human forgiveness, we are forced to look at how pathetic it normally is. First of all, we often feel as if we are doing people a favor when we forgive them. We look at how we have some cosmic scorecard on which we are now ahead. While we rarely admit this to ourselves, we really usually feel like someone else can never catch up. How many of us "forgive" a good friend or spouse, knowing that we will bring it up later?
I feel like this is unacceptable and far less than that which is required of us. As I read Evan's blog earlier this week, I am reminded how many of us have a thirst for the justice of others. I've heard it said that we always want justice for others and forgiveness for us. But I think when we balkanize the characteristics of God like that, we start to lose the depth of each.
God's true justice encompasses our forgiveness. There is no doubt that God's plan includes the absolute forgiveness of our sins. And while God forbid that we continue sinning that grace may abound, there is clearly continued grace for those things we have done. Forgiveness at the cross is plentiful, and I am grateful for that.
Now, to juxtapose the fact that forgiveness is not merely forgetting the wrong that was done, but rather choosing not to hold it over that person on the Cosmic balance sheet. Ah, but there's the rub. It is exceedingly difficult to give biblical forgiveness so that we aren't keeping score and yet treat a sinner with the proper trepidation. How in the world can we do this perfectly? To start, I don't think we can do it. In fact, I find the only way I can adequately come close is to be overly cognizant of my own depravity.
Maybe that is the trick, but I think God knows that our justification leads to sanctification. The legal sanctification happens right away, and the behavioral sanctification will come. Doubtlessly, we still have Romans 7 style battles with sin, but the reason we can shout that there is no condemnation with authority is because we are walking more and more after the Spirit.
God is already offended by our sinful nature and our sinful choices. He continues to forgive us, yet our offense to Him is as great as it can be. Nevertheless, we are forgiven. How can we do less? My assertion is that we shouldn't. We should completely forgive in the legal sense. However, since we don't have the ability to regenerate a life, we need to help our fellow humans by keeping them from the situations that could cause them to stumble or have a sacrificed testimony. And, I think, that is the best we can do!
It seems lately the topic of Forgiveness has come up a lot for me. Perhaps this is because when you are as crazy as I am, people frequently feel as if I need to be consistently seeking forgiveness. The reality is that my life, just like everyone else's, is a tremendous lesson in God's unfailing grace, despite my inability to consistently be worthy.
As we look at human forgiveness, we are forced to look at how pathetic it normally is. First of all, we often feel as if we are doing people a favor when we forgive them. We look at how we have some cosmic scorecard on which we are now ahead. While we rarely admit this to ourselves, we really usually feel like someone else can never catch up. How many of us "forgive" a good friend or spouse, knowing that we will bring it up later?
I feel like this is unacceptable and far less than that which is required of us. As I read Evan's blog earlier this week, I am reminded how many of us have a thirst for the justice of others. I've heard it said that we always want justice for others and forgiveness for us. But I think when we balkanize the characteristics of God like that, we start to lose the depth of each.
God's true justice encompasses our forgiveness. There is no doubt that God's plan includes the absolute forgiveness of our sins. And while God forbid that we continue sinning that grace may abound, there is clearly continued grace for those things we have done. Forgiveness at the cross is plentiful, and I am grateful for that.
Now, to juxtapose the fact that forgiveness is not merely forgetting the wrong that was done, but rather choosing not to hold it over that person on the Cosmic balance sheet. Ah, but there's the rub. It is exceedingly difficult to give biblical forgiveness so that we aren't keeping score and yet treat a sinner with the proper trepidation. How in the world can we do this perfectly? To start, I don't think we can do it. In fact, I find the only way I can adequately come close is to be overly cognizant of my own depravity.
Maybe that is the trick, but I think God knows that our justification leads to sanctification. The legal sanctification happens right away, and the behavioral sanctification will come. Doubtlessly, we still have Romans 7 style battles with sin, but the reason we can shout that there is no condemnation with authority is because we are walking more and more after the Spirit.
God is already offended by our sinful nature and our sinful choices. He continues to forgive us, yet our offense to Him is as great as it can be. Nevertheless, we are forgiven. How can we do less? My assertion is that we shouldn't. We should completely forgive in the legal sense. However, since we don't have the ability to regenerate a life, we need to help our fellow humans by keeping them from the situations that could cause them to stumble or have a sacrificed testimony. And, I think, that is the best we can do!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Current State of the Miami Heat
Have you ever met a family that functions well? A family where you meet them once and desire to get to know them better. Invariably, meeting a family with such a wonderful testimony involves a family where their roles are well-defined and followed. Perhaps in a later blog, I could get into the best way to have familial order, but for now, we will just assume that they have it.
To understand the converse of this, I met a man several years ago, whom I am still blessed to call a friend, but he was telling me of some of the troubles his family had come across in their quest for friends. The problem was he would find friends and the rest of his family would not get along with the rest of his friend's family. Or his wife would meet a wonderful woman whom he just didn't like being around, because her husband would be a real loser.
Hopefully, you've known the joy of having a job that you've loved. I am completely confident that if you did, it was because the job had (among other things) people with clearly defined roles. You knew what you had to do and it went well. The reality is that any organization needs people that fit well together to achieve ultimate success.
Clearly, some will be able to come up with the single mom, who as an overworked person, makes her family work or a business where one guy is superman and the company achieves relative success. Nevertheless, that is not the best way to build long-term success. These exceptions prove the rule, as they are not sustainable.
Now, in basketball, this means that you need pieces that fit together. Michael Jordan, who was probably the greatest player of all time, needed Scottie Pippen, who complimented his skills so well, to achieve his ultimate goal of a title. One great player can be relatively successful, but they tend to not make it all the way. Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard all led otherwise nondescript teams to the NBA Finals.
So, when the current construct of the Miami Heat was put together by Pat Riley, he put together a group of good to great players, but the jury is still out on whether they can complement each other into a championship. He built what might be described as the best fantasy basketball team ever. He brought in LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, and Shane Battier to join Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade.
The primary problem is that if you look at the top ten players on the Miami Heat, their natural positions are all 2-4. They have proved that you can play a couple of power forwards and stretch it, when one of those power forwards is a perennial all star (like Chris Bosh) and you can play two small forwards and a shooting guard on the perimeter (assuming LeBron James plays point on offense and Dwyane Wade does on defense).
Of course, that solution is very tenuous and mandates a delicate balance, if it can be ultimately successful at all. And losing Chris Bosh means that Miami is now forced to play a non-all star out of position at center. And with the team as it is currently constructed, the best team is probably with LeBron James playing out of position at power forward. He certainly can do it, but it is really stretching this roster to play so many guys out of position.
That leads to the performance of LeBron James himself. Yesterday, he shut down Danny Granger for part of the game and David West for the other part. And when they were on the floor together, the one LeBron was not guarding did infinitely better. Additionally, he had a better shooting percentage than the team, led the team in scoring, and was their most physical rebounder.
The team obviously misses Chris Bosh, perhaps more than any other player. Certainly more valuable than the better (in my opinion) Dwyane Wade. Without Wade this year, Miami was 9-1, while they were 4-5 without Bosh. However, everything again is matchups. Against Indiana, I think the combo of Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem are just as good of a defensive option against the relatively immobile Roy Hibbert.
Nevertheless, on offense, the Heat clearly miss Bosh. He is a legitimate threat to score both by shooting jumpers and in the paint. Both of those would also keep the defense more honest and open up perimeter shots for the shooters the Heat have. And without a natural point guard who can create shots for others, the Heat's offense is basically to see if Wade and James can create their own shot. And since most of their moves are similar, the Heat's offense is pretty stagnant.
However, in the second half of game one and the entire game two, James and Wade showed flashes of being able to score enough to keep Miami in the game. So, can they overcome this loss? Maybe in this round, but the ultimate answer is the balance of the Miami Heat offense, which is tenuous to begin with. This team was built in a flawed way and that is accentuated when Bosh goes down. And you know, none of that is LeBron James's fault, and he is the only thing that may cover up the inadequacies of Pat Riley's roster.
To understand the converse of this, I met a man several years ago, whom I am still blessed to call a friend, but he was telling me of some of the troubles his family had come across in their quest for friends. The problem was he would find friends and the rest of his family would not get along with the rest of his friend's family. Or his wife would meet a wonderful woman whom he just didn't like being around, because her husband would be a real loser.
Hopefully, you've known the joy of having a job that you've loved. I am completely confident that if you did, it was because the job had (among other things) people with clearly defined roles. You knew what you had to do and it went well. The reality is that any organization needs people that fit well together to achieve ultimate success.
Clearly, some will be able to come up with the single mom, who as an overworked person, makes her family work or a business where one guy is superman and the company achieves relative success. Nevertheless, that is not the best way to build long-term success. These exceptions prove the rule, as they are not sustainable.
Now, in basketball, this means that you need pieces that fit together. Michael Jordan, who was probably the greatest player of all time, needed Scottie Pippen, who complimented his skills so well, to achieve his ultimate goal of a title. One great player can be relatively successful, but they tend to not make it all the way. Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard all led otherwise nondescript teams to the NBA Finals.
So, when the current construct of the Miami Heat was put together by Pat Riley, he put together a group of good to great players, but the jury is still out on whether they can complement each other into a championship. He built what might be described as the best fantasy basketball team ever. He brought in LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, and Shane Battier to join Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade.
The primary problem is that if you look at the top ten players on the Miami Heat, their natural positions are all 2-4. They have proved that you can play a couple of power forwards and stretch it, when one of those power forwards is a perennial all star (like Chris Bosh) and you can play two small forwards and a shooting guard on the perimeter (assuming LeBron James plays point on offense and Dwyane Wade does on defense).
Of course, that solution is very tenuous and mandates a delicate balance, if it can be ultimately successful at all. And losing Chris Bosh means that Miami is now forced to play a non-all star out of position at center. And with the team as it is currently constructed, the best team is probably with LeBron James playing out of position at power forward. He certainly can do it, but it is really stretching this roster to play so many guys out of position.
That leads to the performance of LeBron James himself. Yesterday, he shut down Danny Granger for part of the game and David West for the other part. And when they were on the floor together, the one LeBron was not guarding did infinitely better. Additionally, he had a better shooting percentage than the team, led the team in scoring, and was their most physical rebounder.
The team obviously misses Chris Bosh, perhaps more than any other player. Certainly more valuable than the better (in my opinion) Dwyane Wade. Without Wade this year, Miami was 9-1, while they were 4-5 without Bosh. However, everything again is matchups. Against Indiana, I think the combo of Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem are just as good of a defensive option against the relatively immobile Roy Hibbert.
Nevertheless, on offense, the Heat clearly miss Bosh. He is a legitimate threat to score both by shooting jumpers and in the paint. Both of those would also keep the defense more honest and open up perimeter shots for the shooters the Heat have. And without a natural point guard who can create shots for others, the Heat's offense is basically to see if Wade and James can create their own shot. And since most of their moves are similar, the Heat's offense is pretty stagnant.
However, in the second half of game one and the entire game two, James and Wade showed flashes of being able to score enough to keep Miami in the game. So, can they overcome this loss? Maybe in this round, but the ultimate answer is the balance of the Miami Heat offense, which is tenuous to begin with. This team was built in a flawed way and that is accentuated when Bosh goes down. And you know, none of that is LeBron James's fault, and he is the only thing that may cover up the inadequacies of Pat Riley's roster.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Just how charitable are charities?
I received an email the other day, which told me about different charities and how responsible they are with your money. Basically they said, American Red Cross, United Way, and UNICEF are somewhat wasteful of their donations. On the other hand, it said that the Salvation Army, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans Association, and Military Order of Purple Hearts are pretty responsible with their money.
I was kind of puzzled about what to do or make of that information, as I think it is kind of an important thing to make sure charities are actually giving the money to what they say. I have, after all, seen the movie, My Blue Heaven. So, I went to Snopes to determine the truthfulness. It seems that the numbers are all from about 2005, and maybe even then they are suspect.
But then when I tried to get a succinct view of the information, I found the info is difficult to come by. Largely, because the "stats" given on this page do not even agree internally. This means that even though the numbers are there, if you divide the numbers to get the ratios given, the math doesn't always equal. So, I guess I am left as skeptical of every charity.
This is not a time where I am bashing Para-church charities. In fact, I run one. I think they can be incredibly helpful, as there are many specific issues that they can address more easily than a church. Of course, because I run one, I know some of the things that others may not. Let me assure you that my charity has nothing go to salaries, in fact, I usually find myself giving the charity lots of money to keep it afloat. On the other hand, I am appalled at how easy it is to not do so. A 501(c)(3) charity could very easily not do so without really risking its status.
So, while I think charities can be very helpful, I also know that no group is held as liable for what it does as the local church. These churches present budgets to their members every year. They are questioned over many specifics, and if the members dislike it, they have many ways to address it, including, but not limited to, leaving the church itself.
So, while there are many worthy people for your charitable dollars, the fact is that you should research it when you do. Knowing that the nature of humans, from even the earliest ages, is to get away with whatever they can, those of us who run charities need that accountability. Further, when in doubt, give to your local church. If you can’t trust them, the least of your worries is what they do with your money, as you should worry more that you have trusted them with your soul and can’t trust them!
I was kind of puzzled about what to do or make of that information, as I think it is kind of an important thing to make sure charities are actually giving the money to what they say. I have, after all, seen the movie, My Blue Heaven. So, I went to Snopes to determine the truthfulness. It seems that the numbers are all from about 2005, and maybe even then they are suspect.
But then when I tried to get a succinct view of the information, I found the info is difficult to come by. Largely, because the "stats" given on this page do not even agree internally. This means that even though the numbers are there, if you divide the numbers to get the ratios given, the math doesn't always equal. So, I guess I am left as skeptical of every charity.
This is not a time where I am bashing Para-church charities. In fact, I run one. I think they can be incredibly helpful, as there are many specific issues that they can address more easily than a church. Of course, because I run one, I know some of the things that others may not. Let me assure you that my charity has nothing go to salaries, in fact, I usually find myself giving the charity lots of money to keep it afloat. On the other hand, I am appalled at how easy it is to not do so. A 501(c)(3) charity could very easily not do so without really risking its status.
So, while I think charities can be very helpful, I also know that no group is held as liable for what it does as the local church. These churches present budgets to their members every year. They are questioned over many specifics, and if the members dislike it, they have many ways to address it, including, but not limited to, leaving the church itself.
So, while there are many worthy people for your charitable dollars, the fact is that you should research it when you do. Knowing that the nature of humans, from even the earliest ages, is to get away with whatever they can, those of us who run charities need that accountability. Further, when in doubt, give to your local church. If you can’t trust them, the least of your worries is what they do with your money, as you should worry more that you have trusted them with your soul and can’t trust them!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
And They Say There is No God
I spent today at Sea World, which is an interesting place to be. One of the amazing things I find is that every presentation, which talks about history and I have seen there, acknowledges God. While I wouldn't necessarily base my theology on the material they turn out, they come as close as any big-time organization can (if they want to not catch the ire of the media) to having a pretty healthy view of a Creator who formed an orderly world and continues to look after it.
As much as I like to give credit (and I love to do so) to Sea World, I think it is somewhat obvious, when your job is to work with and train animals, that the universe is not random. It should be clear when you plan such precise shows that these talented animals have a Creator. It is apparent that through the intricate study of animals, God leads many to a better understanding of Him.
One of the television shows that Kelly and I enjoy watching is about how they can take the smallest of clues from the remains, like nicks in the bones or elements in the lungs, and turn it into evidence of what happened to that person immediately before they died. There are other shows where similar things occur, but one troubling thing about television is that often characters are not as concerned about why there is such order that can lead to clues from small things so easily. Therefore they neglect to find the One who gave us such order.
I've also been getting into my new Equipping Hour class (apparently a new century name for Sunday School) about church history. We are learning how through centuries people have tried to pervert the gospel. It is sad, but throughout the history of Christianity, people have attempted to explain away things that really only make sense with the presence of God.
I truly believe Colossians 2:3. Nevertheless, the problem is that we are blind to our own stupidity, and I am only hoping that the holes I have in my theology are quickly pointed out to me, so I don't become like all the heretics we study in church history. At the very least, we can accept those things, which are obvious.
The reality is that we live in a world so orderly that to suggest it occurred by mere chance or without the benefit of a Creator is ludicrous. This is why studying any subject well is possible. The fact that we can continue to see patterns is telling. The fact that we ignore them is stupefying. I wonder when this era is looked back upon by the future, what will be those things that they see as the overarching heresies to which we lost people? I think the one, most obvious is that so many want to take God out of the Creation game.
As much as I like to give credit (and I love to do so) to Sea World, I think it is somewhat obvious, when your job is to work with and train animals, that the universe is not random. It should be clear when you plan such precise shows that these talented animals have a Creator. It is apparent that through the intricate study of animals, God leads many to a better understanding of Him.
One of the television shows that Kelly and I enjoy watching is about how they can take the smallest of clues from the remains, like nicks in the bones or elements in the lungs, and turn it into evidence of what happened to that person immediately before they died. There are other shows where similar things occur, but one troubling thing about television is that often characters are not as concerned about why there is such order that can lead to clues from small things so easily. Therefore they neglect to find the One who gave us such order.
I've also been getting into my new Equipping Hour class (apparently a new century name for Sunday School) about church history. We are learning how through centuries people have tried to pervert the gospel. It is sad, but throughout the history of Christianity, people have attempted to explain away things that really only make sense with the presence of God.
I truly believe Colossians 2:3. Nevertheless, the problem is that we are blind to our own stupidity, and I am only hoping that the holes I have in my theology are quickly pointed out to me, so I don't become like all the heretics we study in church history. At the very least, we can accept those things, which are obvious.
The reality is that we live in a world so orderly that to suggest it occurred by mere chance or without the benefit of a Creator is ludicrous. This is why studying any subject well is possible. The fact that we can continue to see patterns is telling. The fact that we ignore them is stupefying. I wonder when this era is looked back upon by the future, what will be those things that they see as the overarching heresies to which we lost people? I think the one, most obvious is that so many want to take God out of the Creation game.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Oh no, you didn't
What do you do for a living? This very normal and seemingly innocuous question has me quaking in many situations. The problem is not that I don't understand it or that I feel it is an unfair question or even that it is one that I would avoid. The reality is that I often ask the question, though I never like it asked in return. Therefore, I guess you could call me a hypocritical question-asker.
Now the question that would follow naturally is "Why do you not like the question that seems reasonable, you admit is fair, and you even ask others?" The reason is that I do not have a good answer to the question. Now, it isn't that I don't like what I do. The fact is that most days I enjoy working very much (I even can meet the 20-60-20 Cameron Davies rule). Further, it isn't that I am ashamed of what I do or that it isn't exciting enough.
The reason I do not have a good answer to that question is because I positioned myself to do too many things to give a succinct answer to the question. And by the time I finish answering, most people are either bored or just think of me as a freak. So, as I stagger forward in life, I feel I need to work on a better answer to this question, yet I don't really feel as if I can leave anything out. You tell me.
Normally, I start by trying to give a succinct answer, "Real Estate." But, then I go on saying, "I run a Real Estate School, am the broker of a real estate office, and work as an attorney, mostly in ways as it pertains to real estate. I work as a trustee, do some minimal title work, and write deeds and trusts for real estate."
Now, as if that weren't long enough, some people ask a question that they eventually wish they hadn't by saying, "So you're a real estate attorney?" For some reason, I feel the need to correct this general misconception that when walking across the graduation stage, attorneys must declare what kind of law they will practice. But the reality is that we are an occupation of generalists. While you can get people to vouch for you in certain areas, the only thing that separated a family law attorney from a medical malpractice attorney is because he says so. If you don't believe me, watch the Pilot of Harry's Law.
As you can imagine, the sarcastic, "Is that all?" tends to follow. To which I begin to respond, "Well, I also assist three radio shows with what they do in varying degrees. Most of this is so that I can one day host my own show, and to keep my skills sharp, I do the BibleQuizzer.net podcast, which is a podcast about the world of Bible Quiz. I run a charity associated with this event called the Florida Quizzing Association, where we travel around the country to assist in Bible Quiz competitions."
With all of that said, at this point the only thing that sounds remotely interesting to the everyday person of all of this is that I travel the country doing something with this Bible thing that they've never heard of. So, they ask, "What's a Bible Quiz?" The only good answer I can give is "Bible Quiz is a competitive event where a team from a ministry memorizes a portion of Scripture and competes against teams from other ministries who have memorized the same thing. This year is Acts, for example."
Of course, this is where most people think that I have memorized the entire section and they wonder if I normally win. To this I usually respond, "I'm kind of like Alex Trebek. My job is merely to read questions. My second grade teacher would surely be proud of my skill of reading!"
At this point the average original question presenter is looking for an out. The reality is that I have considered an out myself. Late last year, I attempted to close my real estate office and focus more on doing legal work. Nevertheless, people pulled me back into the real estate game full time and I got back to the position of having too many things to do.
So, first, if you've never heard Cameron Davies's 20-60-20 rule, you need to contact him and learn what it is. And if you've made it this far, you're clearly a friend. So tell this friend how he can answer the question in a less boring, more succinct way!
Now the question that would follow naturally is "Why do you not like the question that seems reasonable, you admit is fair, and you even ask others?" The reason is that I do not have a good answer to the question. Now, it isn't that I don't like what I do. The fact is that most days I enjoy working very much (I even can meet the 20-60-20 Cameron Davies rule). Further, it isn't that I am ashamed of what I do or that it isn't exciting enough.
The reason I do not have a good answer to that question is because I positioned myself to do too many things to give a succinct answer to the question. And by the time I finish answering, most people are either bored or just think of me as a freak. So, as I stagger forward in life, I feel I need to work on a better answer to this question, yet I don't really feel as if I can leave anything out. You tell me.
Normally, I start by trying to give a succinct answer, "Real Estate." But, then I go on saying, "I run a Real Estate School, am the broker of a real estate office, and work as an attorney, mostly in ways as it pertains to real estate. I work as a trustee, do some minimal title work, and write deeds and trusts for real estate."
Now, as if that weren't long enough, some people ask a question that they eventually wish they hadn't by saying, "So you're a real estate attorney?" For some reason, I feel the need to correct this general misconception that when walking across the graduation stage, attorneys must declare what kind of law they will practice. But the reality is that we are an occupation of generalists. While you can get people to vouch for you in certain areas, the only thing that separated a family law attorney from a medical malpractice attorney is because he says so. If you don't believe me, watch the Pilot of Harry's Law.
As you can imagine, the sarcastic, "Is that all?" tends to follow. To which I begin to respond, "Well, I also assist three radio shows with what they do in varying degrees. Most of this is so that I can one day host my own show, and to keep my skills sharp, I do the BibleQuizzer.net podcast, which is a podcast about the world of Bible Quiz. I run a charity associated with this event called the Florida Quizzing Association, where we travel around the country to assist in Bible Quiz competitions."
With all of that said, at this point the only thing that sounds remotely interesting to the everyday person of all of this is that I travel the country doing something with this Bible thing that they've never heard of. So, they ask, "What's a Bible Quiz?" The only good answer I can give is "Bible Quiz is a competitive event where a team from a ministry memorizes a portion of Scripture and competes against teams from other ministries who have memorized the same thing. This year is Acts, for example."
Of course, this is where most people think that I have memorized the entire section and they wonder if I normally win. To this I usually respond, "I'm kind of like Alex Trebek. My job is merely to read questions. My second grade teacher would surely be proud of my skill of reading!"
At this point the average original question presenter is looking for an out. The reality is that I have considered an out myself. Late last year, I attempted to close my real estate office and focus more on doing legal work. Nevertheless, people pulled me back into the real estate game full time and I got back to the position of having too many things to do.
So, first, if you've never heard Cameron Davies's 20-60-20 rule, you need to contact him and learn what it is. And if you've made it this far, you're clearly a friend. So tell this friend how he can answer the question in a less boring, more succinct way!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A Silent Killer?
My wife has been to the hospital twice in the last week. It gives a feeling of not being able to really determine what you should do. In case the illness is problematic, who needs to make sure the kids are taken care of and who needs to be with Kelly in her time of need. Fortunately, it appears that these were episodes of Herxheimer Reaction. Unfortunately, it now appears that she is actually having Herxheimer Reaction, which is never a pleasant thing.
The truth is that the Lyme Disease with which my wife has been diagnosed is a really scary disease. I read more and more literature on it and, frankly, it just scares me more. Fortunately, my wife's immune system kept the worst parts of it from her, but there is definite evidence to suggest that she's had it for around 30 years (Yes, since her childhood).
I am so thankful that God has put in my life friends like Wendi Yarborough and Marc Rapetti who have blazed a trail that we are allowed to learn from and follow. Their journeys were both similar and much scarier. They included a difficult diagnosis and then a tough time finding a Lyme-literate doctor. If you want to read about Wendi's journey, you can follow it through her blog.
Kelly was fortunate that she was able to find out before the symptoms became life-changing. She also had large portions of her life where the symptoms were dormant. Nevetheless, many of the things that were nagging her for years that she attempted to (and actually did) tough out, were things that were made significantly worse and perpetuated by the Lyme. As I am normally a "tough it out and never see a doctor" kind of guy, Kelly is thankful for my relative understanding because of our new-found friends.
Now, why do I write about this at all? Largely because Lyme disease is the red-headed stepchild of medicine. Many doctors don't understand it. Most don't diagnose it correctly. Insurance doesn't cover its treatment. And finding good material on it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, there is a movie you can watch and a cool association from which you can learn. But mis-information is abundant and seems to be going through the medical community like wildfire.
We have been very fortunate to find a Lyme-literate doctor, to have resources given to us, to have friends to lead and to guide us, but the reality is this is a scary disease. If unchecked, it will kill you. Fewer than 20% of those who have it are properly diagnosed. And the standards set for determining if you have it by the AMA are not inclusive of many who are affected.
Apparently (and forgive my layman's terms) the disease begins to seep into your bones. In order to even begin to heal, you have to re-introduce some of the co-infections into your bloodstream (from the bones) and you experience all kinds of horrid symptoms all over again in the span of a few weeks. While there is no permanent cure, there is hope for living with Lyme, but it is a difficult disease and so many never learn why their life is difficult. So take note of the next time you hear about someone having this tick-borne infection and pray for them.
OK, off my soapbox on this blog and on to things like which NBA team down 3-1 in the series has the best chance to come back in my next blog!
The truth is that the Lyme Disease with which my wife has been diagnosed is a really scary disease. I read more and more literature on it and, frankly, it just scares me more. Fortunately, my wife's immune system kept the worst parts of it from her, but there is definite evidence to suggest that she's had it for around 30 years (Yes, since her childhood).
I am so thankful that God has put in my life friends like Wendi Yarborough and Marc Rapetti who have blazed a trail that we are allowed to learn from and follow. Their journeys were both similar and much scarier. They included a difficult diagnosis and then a tough time finding a Lyme-literate doctor. If you want to read about Wendi's journey, you can follow it through her blog.
Kelly was fortunate that she was able to find out before the symptoms became life-changing. She also had large portions of her life where the symptoms were dormant. Nevetheless, many of the things that were nagging her for years that she attempted to (and actually did) tough out, were things that were made significantly worse and perpetuated by the Lyme. As I am normally a "tough it out and never see a doctor" kind of guy, Kelly is thankful for my relative understanding because of our new-found friends.
Now, why do I write about this at all? Largely because Lyme disease is the red-headed stepchild of medicine. Many doctors don't understand it. Most don't diagnose it correctly. Insurance doesn't cover its treatment. And finding good material on it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, there is a movie you can watch and a cool association from which you can learn. But mis-information is abundant and seems to be going through the medical community like wildfire.
We have been very fortunate to find a Lyme-literate doctor, to have resources given to us, to have friends to lead and to guide us, but the reality is this is a scary disease. If unchecked, it will kill you. Fewer than 20% of those who have it are properly diagnosed. And the standards set for determining if you have it by the AMA are not inclusive of many who are affected.
Apparently (and forgive my layman's terms) the disease begins to seep into your bones. In order to even begin to heal, you have to re-introduce some of the co-infections into your bloodstream (from the bones) and you experience all kinds of horrid symptoms all over again in the span of a few weeks. While there is no permanent cure, there is hope for living with Lyme, but it is a difficult disease and so many never learn why their life is difficult. So take note of the next time you hear about someone having this tick-borne infection and pray for them.
OK, off my soapbox on this blog and on to things like which NBA team down 3-1 in the series has the best chance to come back in my next blog!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Be Clear in Communication
As my wife and I are dragging through life, we made time to get out of bed and watch our good friend, Dr. Know's, wedding. We wish we could have been there, but knowing that is unrealistic, his effort to give us a front-row seat was very much appreciated. And while the lengthy wedding was enjoyable for us, there was a stretch where the speaker was speaking in the native Filipino language (Kelly tells me it is called Tagalog).
While I'm sure that everything he said was incredibly well-thought out and well worded, Kelly and I didn't appreciate it very much, as we didn't understand the language. Shocking to everyone, I'm sure, is that a message that can't be understood is not nearly as valuable as a message that can be understood. Before this denigrates into some weird argument about something else, let me state my thesis.
We need to make sure to communicate what we actually want to, and I think often we fail. The day before yesterday, I was with a friend and we were driving to meet another friend. The friend we were driving to meet has a bumper sticker on his car that I always find too cryptic to read. In fact, it has been so cryptic to me for so long that I asked what it said and what that meant. Our friend informed us that it said "Salt Life" and referred to how we, as Christians, are to be Salt in the World.
The friend that I was with and I drove off and began talking about it. He is not a Christian and told me that he thought that was a rather weird sentiment. Further, he stated that when he had previously seen it, he thought it was an obscenity. I must confess I had possessed a similar sentiment and that is clearly not the message the authors of this Christian bumper sticker wanted to send. I am, in fact, familiar with the verse that states the salt analogy, but I had to agree with his base feeling. A message that is so cryptic that it takes two or three levels of explanation is not really a message at all other than stating that this group is so weird they cannot communicate very well.
My second thought was of the ΙΧΘΥΣ, which was a symbol used in early church to communicate a message to each other without the government knowing. Of course, this new symbol falls short of this hope, as I had no idea that was what it was supposed to mean. I'd venture to say that even 2000 years later, more people know what the ΙΧΘΥΣ means than this new-fangled bumper sticker. Further, as I began talking to other friends about it, I learned that none of them had the same interpretation of the sticker as my friend who wanted us to take it as a testimony.
I did a little research on the internet and found a site that defines it (though it does so with some vulgarity). So, it turns out that my friend was incorrect in his use of it. Although, I feel that furthers my point. These beach bums who established this as a code have created a code that no one knows what it is (and at least two of the people I asked about it would meet the definition).
If you are going to establish a code, you need to determine your target audience. If your target is for propagating your message, you need to make sure that those outside the group know. If the target is internal, it needs to at least be obvious to them. A message given to millions that is not understood is a message ultimately given to no one. And as someone who staved off sleep to watch most of a wedding, an understood message is much more appreciated!
While I'm sure that everything he said was incredibly well-thought out and well worded, Kelly and I didn't appreciate it very much, as we didn't understand the language. Shocking to everyone, I'm sure, is that a message that can't be understood is not nearly as valuable as a message that can be understood. Before this denigrates into some weird argument about something else, let me state my thesis.
We need to make sure to communicate what we actually want to, and I think often we fail. The day before yesterday, I was with a friend and we were driving to meet another friend. The friend we were driving to meet has a bumper sticker on his car that I always find too cryptic to read. In fact, it has been so cryptic to me for so long that I asked what it said and what that meant. Our friend informed us that it said "Salt Life" and referred to how we, as Christians, are to be Salt in the World.
The friend that I was with and I drove off and began talking about it. He is not a Christian and told me that he thought that was a rather weird sentiment. Further, he stated that when he had previously seen it, he thought it was an obscenity. I must confess I had possessed a similar sentiment and that is clearly not the message the authors of this Christian bumper sticker wanted to send. I am, in fact, familiar with the verse that states the salt analogy, but I had to agree with his base feeling. A message that is so cryptic that it takes two or three levels of explanation is not really a message at all other than stating that this group is so weird they cannot communicate very well.
My second thought was of the ΙΧΘΥΣ, which was a symbol used in early church to communicate a message to each other without the government knowing. Of course, this new symbol falls short of this hope, as I had no idea that was what it was supposed to mean. I'd venture to say that even 2000 years later, more people know what the ΙΧΘΥΣ means than this new-fangled bumper sticker. Further, as I began talking to other friends about it, I learned that none of them had the same interpretation of the sticker as my friend who wanted us to take it as a testimony.
I did a little research on the internet and found a site that defines it (though it does so with some vulgarity). So, it turns out that my friend was incorrect in his use of it. Although, I feel that furthers my point. These beach bums who established this as a code have created a code that no one knows what it is (and at least two of the people I asked about it would meet the definition).
If you are going to establish a code, you need to determine your target audience. If your target is for propagating your message, you need to make sure that those outside the group know. If the target is internal, it needs to at least be obvious to them. A message given to millions that is not understood is a message ultimately given to no one. And as someone who staved off sleep to watch most of a wedding, an understood message is much more appreciated!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Do We Dare Look Back
We are awaiting a beginning. Is that so abnormal? We see something that is about to happen, see God in it, and want to press the fast forward button. While I am the last person in the world who would ever purport to be able to teach patience, I am a believer that everything happens for a reason. While there are many things which are occurring that I don't understand, a few things this week, came to my attention.
This is a strangely nostalgic time of year for me. A couple of things, including the end of Jacob's school year, the preparation for the beginning of Emily's formal education, and the ending of a fictional world with which I have become acquainted, have made me start down nostalgia boulevard.
While many of these instigators of my journey have left me thinking about things with finite periods of existence, I was really shocked into forced contemplation by the death of a friend of my brother-in-law. While I have previously stated some thoughts on death and there are doubtlessly many more thoughts to have, the thing that makes looking back at death even more difficult is that life is not really a finite existence. Our life on this world, of course, is. While this made me strangely desirous of looking back at how God blessed us through the life of one of His Saints, I felt we could look at this in many areas.
I do understand that any beginning is the result of the end of some other, previous beginning. So, as Orlando Grace has learned that our desire to move into a permanent facility has caught an unfortunate delay, I felt now would be the time to look back on some of the great things that have been accomplished in the previous phases of our existence. Since I am a relatively new member to Orlando Grace, the depth of my knowledge certainly can be surpassed by many. Nevertheless, I do have good memories of the facility where we are.
First, when we visited the church seven and a half years ago for one Sunday (and we thought it was too far, as we were living in a temporary shelter ourselves), the service really changed our lives, which we are still applying. Selfishly speaking, because of the fact that we have been in a temporary home, I was able to meet and build relationships with what would become members of my church family through some combined events before we even became members. The facility we are currently in marks the location where we joined, the facility where we saw our first "Not a Talent Show," and the site we saw "our elder" Will have hands laid on him and join the leadership team formally.
I know there were many life-changing decisions reached in the facility. I know there were countless friendships initiated at the facility. I'm sure that the story of moving into the SDA, which was so close to the property and the office was a real story of God's work. And while I know we are all very excited that something new is coming, I also know that we would be remiss if we didn't thank God for the great work He accomplished at where we are.
As we meander through each other's lives, it is great to know that God uses things of which we are anxious to do away to accomplish His purposes. I know God has great things planned for the new facility, but I'm also quite confident that He will accomplish a few great things in the last two or three or ten remaining weeks we have in our temporary home!
This is a strangely nostalgic time of year for me. A couple of things, including the end of Jacob's school year, the preparation for the beginning of Emily's formal education, and the ending of a fictional world with which I have become acquainted, have made me start down nostalgia boulevard.
While many of these instigators of my journey have left me thinking about things with finite periods of existence, I was really shocked into forced contemplation by the death of a friend of my brother-in-law. While I have previously stated some thoughts on death and there are doubtlessly many more thoughts to have, the thing that makes looking back at death even more difficult is that life is not really a finite existence. Our life on this world, of course, is. While this made me strangely desirous of looking back at how God blessed us through the life of one of His Saints, I felt we could look at this in many areas.
I do understand that any beginning is the result of the end of some other, previous beginning. So, as Orlando Grace has learned that our desire to move into a permanent facility has caught an unfortunate delay, I felt now would be the time to look back on some of the great things that have been accomplished in the previous phases of our existence. Since I am a relatively new member to Orlando Grace, the depth of my knowledge certainly can be surpassed by many. Nevertheless, I do have good memories of the facility where we are.
First, when we visited the church seven and a half years ago for one Sunday (and we thought it was too far, as we were living in a temporary shelter ourselves), the service really changed our lives, which we are still applying. Selfishly speaking, because of the fact that we have been in a temporary home, I was able to meet and build relationships with what would become members of my church family through some combined events before we even became members. The facility we are currently in marks the location where we joined, the facility where we saw our first "Not a Talent Show," and the site we saw "our elder" Will have hands laid on him and join the leadership team formally.
I know there were many life-changing decisions reached in the facility. I know there were countless friendships initiated at the facility. I'm sure that the story of moving into the SDA, which was so close to the property and the office was a real story of God's work. And while I know we are all very excited that something new is coming, I also know that we would be remiss if we didn't thank God for the great work He accomplished at where we are.
As we meander through each other's lives, it is great to know that God uses things of which we are anxious to do away to accomplish His purposes. I know God has great things planned for the new facility, but I'm also quite confident that He will accomplish a few great things in the last two or three or ten remaining weeks we have in our temporary home!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Why Won't People Obey Me?
Last night, I was at an orientation for parents of upcoming kindergarten students at Emily's new school. There were definitely some interesting parts to the whole evening, but the part that made the impact on me was when they were talking about how little kids struggle to follow the rules. Of course, as she was saying this, she artfully pointed out that many of us were not following the rules.
I have a strange relationship with rules. When I am asked to follow them, I immediately have a reaction of not wanting to do so. This is certainly not the proper reaction to have, but I don't feel as though I am alone. After all, one of the things I learned in the meeting last night is that many children entering kindergarten don't obey, nor do they like to obey, rules. So, I am approximately on par with many five year olds!
I guess the real point is that while I am readily aware of my own depraved reaction to rules, I figured that as long as I abided by the rules in the end, it was at least acceptable behavior. Those who are now worrying about my soul aside, I do believe there is value in following rules with the wrong attitude. And I guess the reason is because I finally reached a point in my life where I get to set a rule or two, and most of the time all I want is for people to do what I ask (their souls notwithstanding).
In my day, I have had many jobs. I've had so many different jobs that it leads people to ask me if I am making some of those jobs up. While I certainly wish some of them were completely made up, I've had a weird array of things I've done. Having said that, never was I able to question my superior in their choice of music, radio, silence, noise, or anything of the same essence in my day as a low-level employee. If the boss wanted to listen to gangster rap, I was stuck with it and hopeful that a less irritating rant came across the radio dial every now and again.
In my day, the guy who signed my paycheck made up all the rules about where to park, where I could put my chair, whom I could have visit me, if I was allowed to go on break, or just any other demeaning question an inmate would ask a warden, I was required to ask. Though we would complain about him behind his back, we generally did as he requested.
I guess I am just shocked at the brazen-ness with which people neglect to listen to their boss, teacher, parent, or whoever it may be. I have been informed that there are many people who have authority similar to Rapunzel in the movie Tangled, where the authority is non-charitable in it overbearing-nature or just improperly asserted. Nevertheless, I think employees, in general, should be better. I think citizens, in general, should be more supportive. I think people, in general, should be more reverent.
As I read in Colossians 3, I am reminded, that ultimately, we serve the Lord in everything we do. The guy who signs the paycheck may be the earthly person to whom we answer, but ultimately, he is not our real boss. And, when we finally achieve the boss level, three verses later, we are reminded that we also have a Master in heaven.
So, yes, there is no excuse for the lack of compliance and general laziness in workers, but if you are reading this to post around the water cooler of your work, where all the people mock you (as I originally wanted to do), then maybe you need to remember that the best way to get anyone to follow you is to model that obedience to your own Master. And it probably would help us to be less worried about our worker changing the station to same lame alternative station, instead of the 24-hours of Matt West on loop station.
I have a strange relationship with rules. When I am asked to follow them, I immediately have a reaction of not wanting to do so. This is certainly not the proper reaction to have, but I don't feel as though I am alone. After all, one of the things I learned in the meeting last night is that many children entering kindergarten don't obey, nor do they like to obey, rules. So, I am approximately on par with many five year olds!
I guess the real point is that while I am readily aware of my own depraved reaction to rules, I figured that as long as I abided by the rules in the end, it was at least acceptable behavior. Those who are now worrying about my soul aside, I do believe there is value in following rules with the wrong attitude. And I guess the reason is because I finally reached a point in my life where I get to set a rule or two, and most of the time all I want is for people to do what I ask (their souls notwithstanding).
In my day, I have had many jobs. I've had so many different jobs that it leads people to ask me if I am making some of those jobs up. While I certainly wish some of them were completely made up, I've had a weird array of things I've done. Having said that, never was I able to question my superior in their choice of music, radio, silence, noise, or anything of the same essence in my day as a low-level employee. If the boss wanted to listen to gangster rap, I was stuck with it and hopeful that a less irritating rant came across the radio dial every now and again.
In my day, the guy who signed my paycheck made up all the rules about where to park, where I could put my chair, whom I could have visit me, if I was allowed to go on break, or just any other demeaning question an inmate would ask a warden, I was required to ask. Though we would complain about him behind his back, we generally did as he requested.
I guess I am just shocked at the brazen-ness with which people neglect to listen to their boss, teacher, parent, or whoever it may be. I have been informed that there are many people who have authority similar to Rapunzel in the movie Tangled, where the authority is non-charitable in it overbearing-nature or just improperly asserted. Nevertheless, I think employees, in general, should be better. I think citizens, in general, should be more supportive. I think people, in general, should be more reverent.
As I read in Colossians 3, I am reminded, that ultimately, we serve the Lord in everything we do. The guy who signs the paycheck may be the earthly person to whom we answer, but ultimately, he is not our real boss. And, when we finally achieve the boss level, three verses later, we are reminded that we also have a Master in heaven.
So, yes, there is no excuse for the lack of compliance and general laziness in workers, but if you are reading this to post around the water cooler of your work, where all the people mock you (as I originally wanted to do), then maybe you need to remember that the best way to get anyone to follow you is to model that obedience to your own Master. And it probably would help us to be less worried about our worker changing the station to same lame alternative station, instead of the 24-hours of Matt West on loop station.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)