Clear Water
What benefit to ourselves, others and creation could we see if we shut everything down one day a week?
Dumb Slap! When Jesus Doesn’t Work, Part II
If we don’t obey the basics, how can we expect to participate in the richer treasures of God?
The Problem with Joel Osteen
Amidst all the finger wagging and name calling what ends up happening is we start feeling good about ourselves, even when we should be doing more, because let’s face it, we’re not as bad as he is!
Coffee Crash. How to Avoid a Meltdown!
What if we've been conditioned, even encouraged, to handle big problems with more emotion and intensity than we should? What if, we approached them with the same matter-of-factness as we do when the toothpaste runs out?
I just received a new shipment from my favorite caffeine dealer, Birch Coffee in NYC. I wanted to try their Brazilian roast, so breaking out my Chemex, scale, and kettle, I brewed a batch. I’d gotten up early this morning, so I had extra time to take time. With the warm weather, I strolled out to our patio with coffee in hand, sipping carefully the delightful flavor I’ve come to expect from Birch Coffee. Savoring both the cloudless sky and a delightful breeze rustling the edges of the plants surrounding the patio, it was a perfect morning to enjoy café fresca! But, as in most situations when you’re vacationing in your mind but living in reality, it was time to shuffle off to work.
I’ve been making my way through an insightful book called, Creativity Inc. It’s the story of Pixar by one of its founders, Ed Catmull, full of anecdotal lessons on life and leadership. Being both a fan of Pixar and healthy leading, it’s been a great read. The other night I finished the chapter on change where Ed drills down into the depths of our fears surrounding change. One thing catching my attention was his differentiation on handling small and large problems; he says there isn’t any! Running out of toothpaste isn’t confronted any differently than a crashed computer hard drive storing years of work - but we’ve been conditioned to think there is and so for one we are calm and the other we fuss...
It’s okay to be a pansy.
Blooming where you're planted, when wedged between two hard places may be more beneficial than we think.
A Conglomeration of “Becauses”. Or, How to Keep Your Sanity When Peed On!
Sometimes there's a conglomeration of events for which no explanation exists. It happened…because. But how we respond in those times can make all the difference to us and those around us.
Death Becomes You.
Do we leave positive imprints on others that will live on after us? For thoughtful contemplation. Are we serving as powerful examples? Or, do we just use up resources for our pleasure?
The Elusiveness of "Why?"
For many of us, we never know the heart-satisfying reason why things happen, especially debilitating events. The answer to, "Why did this happen?" escapes us. Yet, in the midst of the elusiveness of "why?" we're called to a noble task.
It Doesn't Take Much.
It doesn’t take a much to bring joy. No, it doesn’t take much, but what it does take is an intentional focus off of self.
Living in the Kill Zone.
We aren’t machines that run non-stop; even apparatus is shut down and serviced from time to time. No, we have God-given perimeters that, when heeded, keep us safe, healthy and productive.