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Take a look at this exquisite photo. It was taken by a guy in the UK named Wez Smith. I found it yesterday, and remembered again what an amazingly beautiful world is that we live in.
Know what it is?
I’ll tell you in a minute.
Don’t you love how even the seeming imperfections of each petal all come together to form a beautiful whole?
How even the “rough edges” all come together in a symphony of striking color?
How whatever that seed part in the middle is called (I’m no botanist) suggests the amazing reproducible wonder of future life? Future potential? Even more beauty?
Figured out what it is yet, Mr. Green Jeans?
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There are four things – and only four things – you can spend your money on. Like me, you may keep up with your finances with computer program that has a vast array of categories. You may be a day planner diva, able instantly to analyze what occupies your time. But it still comes down to just four things.
Are you a leader, or a leader wannabe? There are four – and only four – directions of leadership.
There are four – and only four – foundations of wisdom.
Same goes for other LifeVesting Currencies – esteem, love, words, and abilities. There are four sources or directions for each:
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Okay, first take a look at the following 60-second video. SPOILER ALERT BELOW! Then click on “Read the rest of this entry” if you’re on the home page and let’s talk about it.
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
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Have you ever wished God would just make it easy? That He would fly over your house in a blimp, or sky-write His will so that it was plain and obvious? Have you ever envied the angel-set – those seemingly lucky (ahem – “blessed”) souls who had Michael or Gabriel drop by for tea and prophecy?
A few years ago somebody in Jacksonville (I think) started a nationwide conversation with a series of billboard messages supposedly from God. I’m sure you’ve seen some of them. (Example: “Which part of ‘Thou Shalt Not’ do you not understand?” -God). They were clever, sometimes convicting, sometimes sarcastic and funny. But in case you were wondering, it really wasn’t God Himself who designed the ad campaign.
What if God really did rent a billboard? Would it be easier, simpler, clearer to hear His voice? I doubt it.
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(with a big salute to Michael Card)
He waited, and waited, and waited. He put up with so much. While His love was spurned, He suffered long, awaiting that one climactic moment in time that was a part of His eternal plan.
When that moment came, He took the initiative and arrived on the scene. In kindness He reached out to us with tangible expressions of His love – a healing touch, the pleasure of His company, a word of forgiveness. His kindness was refreshing, because it touched those who weren’t used to receiving it.
He was criticized, questioned, suspected, and ultimately undermined by jealous people. But there wasn’t a jealous bone in His body.
He went toe-to-toe with an establishment of hypocrites who loved to parade themselves before men. But in spite of His immense popularity, He never flaunted Himself.
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He puts smiles on the faces of little boys.
He sprinkles sweetness on little girls.
He gives dignity to solemn vows, and sacredness to relationships.
He brings purpose and satisfaction to the striving and seeking of your life.
And it is this life of Jesus that brings healing and peace into the broken life.
I live – I live – because He is risen.
Those words, from a musical titled “Living Witnesses,” profoundly impacted my life more than 30 years ago. So much so that we had them printed on the cover of our wedding brochure in 1983. And on this week in which all over the world we pay attention to the fact that Jesus lives, I find myself thinking of them again. Read them again, slowly. Deeply.
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“You wanna see what the room looks like?” Geoffrey asked. “The room” was the hotel room where my son was staying. Geoffrey was his best man and is his best friend.
I was a bit out of the loop. I thought I was going to be looking at a brochure of the Houston Marriott or something. What Geoffrey brought instead was a camera.
Off and on during this wedding day I had wondered what the heck Joel was up to. Why was he running behind? Why wasn’t he at the church when I thought he was supposed to be? Why were people calling, looking for him? What was so important?
I had showed up at the church about 4:45 – 15 minutes late myself. He was nowhere to be found. Getting the car washed, Geoffrey said.
Car washed! Photographer was waiting, people were wondering, and he? He was washing.
Now, some five hours later, that clean car has just left the building with the newlyweds on board. And Geoffrey is scrolling through the pictures on his camera. These weren’t publicity pics. They were the results of a groom’s labor to prepare a place – a special place – for his bride. I’ll spare you the details, but there were candles, rose petals, a picnic basket, and much more, I’m sure.
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I had never seen a rank test before. What I did see impressed me. And taught me. I know it’s dangerous to talk in layman’s terms about something you don’t fully understand, but I want to tell you what I saw. (No, this picture wasn’t it. I just thought the little fella looked cute.)
For those of you, like me, who have never taken a martial arts class, a rank test is a challenge a student must face in order to receive a higher-ranked belt. White belts challenge for yellow, yellow belts challenge for blue, and so forth. I walked in on a Monday night several years ago to what I assumed was a routine karate class, and found out my kid (age 8 at the time) was being tested. What made it interesting was that he didn’t know it at the time.
Best I can tell, the rank test involved two different parts. First, students had to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of what they had been taught. The different moves and techniques were reviewed over and over under the watchful eye of the master.
Then came The Ring. At least, that’s my name for it. [click to continue…]
(A Turning Point Story)
This is an article I first wrote about my son 16 years ago, about what a powerful thing encouragement can be. It means as much to me today, if not more, as it did in 1993. Click “share this” and forward it to the encouragers in your life. Thank them for being your “Face in the Window.” And let somebody know you’ll be theirs….
It was one of those forgettable days, when nothing seemed to go right. I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. The summer heat was unbearable, the humid West Alabama air unbreatheable. But I had to bear it, and I had to breathe it on this day.
Name a pitiful emotion – I’m sure I felt it on that day. Rejection, anger, discouragement, depression, loneliness, fear, shame – they all showed up with the intention of staying.
“Nobody needs you,” they said. “And nobody believes in you.”
It was a day of giving. Normally that rejuvenates me, but not today. On this Saturday, I had given time, love, and tenderness, together with a whole lot of physical energy. I had given my best (I thought). Apparently, others had disagreed, and I had been humiliated in front of a large family gathering.
I was spent. I would say that I came home with my tail tucked between my legs, but honestly I don’t think I was standing that tall.
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Nobody gets anywhere without ideas. And nobody gets it right 100% of the time. So sometimes we take risks, try things, and hindsight tells us we were geniuses. Sometimes, things just don’t work. But sometimes we score a Hanukkah Ham - one of those choice decisions that qualify us for the Blooper Reel of Life.
This edition of Hanukkah Hams is devoted to life behind the wheel – the things you see, the things you say, and the things you do. Yeah, we’ve all been there. And it seemed like a good idea at the time.
A couple of weeks ago I got to my local teaching assignment at Wayland Baptist University a bit early, and proud to get a close parking place. Just before class was to start, one of the staff members comes in saying he couldn’t find the owner of “that truck.”
Has your sinkin’ heart ever told on you?
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