Going the Distance

I bet he will never realize how powerful his words were that day.  I sat in front of the computer, trying to figure out how to format his ipod and transfer thousands of his songs to his macbook, and I declared, “I can’t do this, I don’t know how!”  He sat back, fairly upset with me and said, “How do you know you can’t, you haven’t even tried!” He was right, I hadn’t really tried.  I guess thinking I can’t was an excuse that I didn’t want to — but for some reason, I willingly volunteered to pretend like I could.

Since then, every time I try something new and think about giving up, I’m reminded of that frustrating exchange of dialogue, three years ago.  I’ve conquered all sorts of things in the last few years.  Things I never thought I would have accomplished.  Each time, thinking, I can’t quit now.

I recently tried a new water sport and as I was crouched in the water waiting for the boat to take off, I thought — I’m gonna do this.  At that moment it felt good to prove him wrong, that I am trying to learn and do new things.

I’m still unsure why I thought it would be fun to run the TC 10 in October.  As each foot hits the ground in the last week, it’s really easy for me to think that I can’t do this — that I will never be able to make 10 miles.  If I don’t change my attitude, I will definitely bail on this whole deal.

As with many of us, when it gets too hard, we quit.  School, the job, relationships — we drop out of our commitment.  We give up, we give in — we call it quits.

I’m working on adjusting my attitude when I have to run when I don’t feel like it.  It’s a great thing I have such fantastic friends who encourage me to keep pushing — to feel the burn and finish strong.  We’ve decided on a quote that really defines us in this race of life, “The real race is not in finshing first, but in crossing the line.”  Because we need each other, we will continue to cheer one another on — toward the same goal — to finish strong.

We were not created to do life alone.  We need people to help us go the distance.  To help us refine our perspective, our determination, and our confidence.  Together, we can.

 

Wanting all the right things.

It was a really long conversation with a friend I met three years ago.  Throughout the phone call, I caught myself wondering if I had the same desires and concerns when I graduated high school.  I’m sure I did — and sometimes, there are striking similarities, nearly eight years later.  It’s usually without a thought that I offer advice and encouragement to others — without any doubt, believing truth for their life.  It was recently when I started to realize I frequently believe things are true for everyone else, but myself.  As Sara continued to pour out her heart about wanting all the right things in life, I recognized a new thought.  I fully believed  the promises of God are for her, as much as they are for me.  I ended the conversation with hope, sure of what I told her was true for both of us.  It’s taken a long time to arrive at this place of contentment.  Each day is a new day.

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits and in His word I put my hope… Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him there is full redemption.”  Psalm 130:4,7.

As I was cleaning out my bag today, I found an unopened fortune cookie.  I opened it and read, “Good things come to those who wait.  Be patient.”

 

The Change.

I rarely take that way home, but that day, I decided to change up my route.  The weather was hot and my day at work was finally over.  I jumped in my car and ran an errand for work and headed home.  I can almost guarantee I was singing at the top of my lungs to my new favorite mix I titled, “The Change.”  About one mile on the interstate I started to smell rubber.  On the side of the road was a smoking tire.  It was obvious it was recent.  I looked around and saw an older blue car with a white haired lady sitting in it.  I took my nearest exit and circled around again.  I never do this sort of thing, but something was tugging at me to stop this time.  I decided to keep Becky company until help arrived.  It had easily been 40 minutes since we first called for highway help.  Still, nobody else stopped.  She looked at me and asked, “Why did you stop, don’t you have somewhere to be?”

I didn’t really know why I stopped.  I just did it.  I’ve had enough car problems to completely understand how anyone feels when they’re stuck on the interstate.  Especially when you’re from out of town, like she was.  I told her, “Sometimes it’s nice just to have the company of someone who understands your frustration.”

We laughed and talked about some of her dreams for the day she graduates culinary school.  Highway help finally arrived and I said goodbye, hoping I helped brighten her day during an incredibly upsetting situation.  And I know about those — I used to drive a Neon!

I continued onto my next stop.  Talked to some of my swim co-workers and some of the parents from my swimmer’s last session.  We laughed a lot and caught up on life’s happenings. 

Life was alive.  I walked into small group excited to be living.  At that moment, there wasn’t anything too big or too great that could really make me feel any different. 

There’s been a change.  And it feels really good.

 

Nothing is impossible.

Today was the first day of the new session.  I looked at my schedule and quickly scanned for familiar names.  There were none.  I jumped in the pool and called for my first group of students.  That is, my first group of Little 1’s.  Out of seven classes I teach on Saturday, five of them were the same level.  Kiddo’s aged 3 & 4 and in the enrollment today, four of those classes contained students who have never had a swim lesson ever.

But then 10:30 rolled around and I realized that one of the two non-Little’s class was actually an adult class.  The other end of the spectrum and I had never taught an adult class before.  I quickly gathered this husband and wife had zero swimming history, but since their kids were learning how to swim, they decided they should as well.

I did some intro skill testing and observed the evidence of zero swimming history.  There was significant struggle to make “splashy kicks” and if they were unable to touch the bottom, I would have had a situation on my hands.  I restrategized some drills and modified my approach to help them gain confidence in the water.  We swam multiple lengths with flippers and kick boards and then I taught them some freestyle arms.  We did the drill with the board a few times and with 5 minutes remaining, I decided we should try to put everything we learned today, together.  I demonstrated what I wanted to see and acknowledged the apprehension on their faces.  With a big breath of confidence, he began his stroke with his kick. 

He swam!  He did it! 

He came up for air and stood on the bottom of the pool and looked at me and I gave him a big high-five with a smile on my face.  I was so proud of him.  I called my coordinator over to watch him swim back to the bench.  Together, we praised and encouraged his hard work.

At the start of the lesson, I was nervous.  I was unsure about a few things.
At the start of the lesson, they were nervous.  They were unsure about a few things.

But we kept on trying.  At the start of the lesson, they couldn’t kick or stay afloat. 
At the end of the lesson, they swam over 1/2 the pool by themselves.

I congratulated them on a successful completion of their first 30 minute swimming lesson.

They said to me, “We know nothing is impossible.”
I said to them, “I believe it.  Nothing is impossible.”

They had more guts than a lot of people in this world.  They walked into a room full of little kids and their parents and said they wanted to learn how to swim.  They got into the pool with a teacher 10 years younger and clearly demonstrated zero swimming skills.  Most would never force themselves to get uncomfortable in this way and most would die never knowing how to swim.  But not this couple.  Their eagerness and desire to want to be able to swim with their children may have cost them their pride in a room full of adults, but they gained so much.  I’m excited to see their growth over the next 12 weeks.

Their courage and humilty is to be admired.

I am confident this will be my favorite class this session.

 

The Shack

I wanted to read a new book while I was away.  I browsed the shelves at Border’s and coudn’t find anything of interest.  I saw this book called The Shack sitting on the shelf.  My friend has raved about this book since September.  I continued to scan the shelves and without attraction pulling me in any other direction, I bought the book that came highly recommended.  The back cover read,

“Mackenzie Allen Phillips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness.  Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to the shack for a weekend.  Against his better judgement he arrives a the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare.  What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever.  In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.  You’ll want everyone to read this book!”

As I dove into the pages, aware of my skepticism, I found my perspective beginning to change.  One of my favorite quotes from the book says, “If anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again.”

Whether you believe the book to be true or not isn’t the purpose of the read. It is insightful and brilliant with perspective as you encounter truth in repentance, forgiveness, judgement, grace, & love. These are the things that will transform your life thru Christ. This book is a refreshing perspective on the generosity of grace.

Check it out for yourself: www.theshackbook.com

 

Defining Moments.

Will you trust God when:

• You have a rough day at the office.
• You can’t seem to shake the cold you’ve had for two months.
• You think you’re ready for the next “big” in your life, but you’re still waiting.
• You don’t understand why there is no answer to your question.
• Your heart & your head don’t align.
• You’re so close, yet so far away.

“This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and  you will find rest for your souls.”  Jeremiah 6:16

Defining moments begin when we do what’s right, even when it’s tough. 
Defining moments begin when we trust God that He is in control.

Defining moments are when we do it over, and over, and over again.

 

do not.

I usually give credit to my dad when people ask me if I went to school for Accounting.  “No,” I tell them, “I get my financial brain from my dad.  He taught business and accounting for years and I am the product of being raised in a home where financial responsiblity was taught.  Seriously, who tracks their expenses with Quicken when they’re 25?” 

I’m so thankful for the financial advisement and recommendation he’s given to me over the years.  However, as there are many good things about the lessons I’ve learned, there are plenty of tendancies I’d rather not own.

For instance, my job requires me to look and analyze numbers all day long.  My stress level for the day is usually directly linked to the stability of the numbers.  For those of you not convinced the economy is in a tough position, apparently you haven’t taken a close look at the housing market.  I was given a report this morning which summarized the last 10 years of in new home construction & remodeling.  Long story short, in 2007, there was a significant drop in building permits & new home sales.  In 1999, permits peaked at 12,157.  In 2007, they hit an all time low of 4,888.  Someone said that during this housing slump, 50% of builders will go out of business.  Well, if 50% of builders go out of business, there is a good chance 50% of the trades will go out of business as well.  I’m not an economist, but I’d say this is survival of the fittest. 

I look at the numbers all day.  Sometimes they go up, other times they go down — some of it is collectible, while some of it remains in question.  We continue to read and research to try and find new pieces of information for where we can find the booming market to target ourselves for an increased workload. 

However, this is what I’m learning.  In the midst of uncertain times, there is only one thing I can be certain of.  I have to cling to hope that if it is going to be all over tomorrow, then maybe God has something better in store for all of us.  I know some of the dreams and some of the hopes of the people I work with — and though this economic uncertainity puts our whole office on edge sometimes, I have to remember that all things will work together for good.  And though it might just be a shove into a new direction, we strive to keep this focus:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Managing finances may come easy to me, but so does worrying about them.  Right now, I have the opportunity to let it go and trust God for His provision, knowing there is a greater lesson to be learned during the economic slump.

 

My new perspective makes cents.

I made one of the best, most valuable investments over the weekend.

Quicken Deluxe 2007
Personal Financial Software.

I like to think I’m a fairly responsible financial person. I balance my checkbook weekly and I know the balances in all of my accounts. However, until this last Saturday, I couldn’t tell you how many dollars I spend on coffee at my favorite shop.

But now I can. And I get really excited about it.

I didn’t need the financial software to tell me my balances — I needed the software to tell me who is getting how much of my money, so I will make better decisions in the future.

My new perspective makes cents.

It helps me see what’s coming in, what’s going out, and what’s left over.

I can make better decisions as I plan for the future:

+ Grad school
+ Vacations
+ New Vehicle
+ Home Ownership
+ Retirement

You can be your own financial advisor or hire me to help. Practical money management tools are essential to financial planning. I guarantee if you commit to trying the software for 30 days and you allow it to help shape your financial decisions, you will save money. And, if you commit to it long term, you will be able to go on that cruise to the Bahamas, debt free.

“Enjoy peace of mind when you balance today’s needs with tomorrow’s goals.”

ps. Thanks to my financially minded pops for passing on some of his money management practicality to me at a young age. I’m really thankful for his guidance.

Wow, I should be a spokesmodel for Quicken…

 

A Manner of Speaking

My parents taught my bro & I proper phone etiquette when we were young. When a caller asked for one of our parents, we were to respond, “One moment please.” That was 20 years ago. Even before the classic Zach Morris phone as seen on the hit Saturday morning show, “Saved by the Bell.”

Today, I have noticed an increasingly large population violating all codes concerning proper cell phone etiquette.

I was standing in the check-out line the other day and I couldn’t help but overhear the details of the latest relationship break-up, an employee termination, and the removal of someone’s right ovary.

Could you imagine sitting on an airplane, hearing the specifics of a prom date from the person sitting 10 rows behind you?

More often than not, I wish I had this powerful device called a jammer in which at any given moment, I could gently push down on this button and create an automatic disconnect for all those cell phone talkers (who unknowingly talk louder on their cell phone).

My roommate and I walked into the gym this week to find this cute lady in her matching exercise outfit laying on her stomach, on a machine that works your legs, talking on her cell phone. You’ve got to be kidding. I watched her for a couple of minutes before she did a leg lift. Don’t be fooled by those who spend long amounts of time in the gym — it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re grooving their body the entire time.

Have you ever been to a restaurant and two people are sitting at the same table while the one of the two is talking on their phone? Are they really together? Or you’re out to a lunch on an interview and your potential future employer is sitting across from you with his bluetooth ear piece attached to his ear? You’re nervous as it is, but at any given moment you could be interupted because that ear piece has signified he is choosing to remain connected, which means, that caller will receive higher priority. Owning a bluetooth ear device doesn’t make you more important than the next cell phone user. Use common courtesy when you feel you’re hands are too tied up to actually hold the phone.

Cell phones have become the adult version of our childhood security blanket. You can’t leave home without it, even to go to the gym. My favorite display of dependance is when you’re sitting in an airport and most of the people around you are chatting on their phones. You begin boarding and shortly thereafter, an announcement is made to turn off all mobile devices. Around you sounds the hallelujah chorus of phones entering the power-off mode. Ah, finally. My flight time is free of all obnoxious cell phone users. But then, you begin your descent. With the wheels barely on the ground, people begin reaching for their phones and the hallelujah chorus begins again as the phones power-on and anxious people alert those waiting for them, the plane has landed.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a cell phone user and I appreciate the convenience of technology. However, most of us in the audience of unwilling listeners would agree cell phone etiquette needs to be addressed.

Let me tell you, I can hardly wait for the day when airlines pass regulations to allow cell phone use during flights. It will only take one flight for those around me to learn I won’t be the best of seat mates when I am forced to listen to half-hours discourse about the disfunction of their family or the details of the dried macaroni and cheese left on the pan from last nights dinner from the woman 6 rows behind me. I’m sure they will send me out the door with or without a parachute, but almost guaranteed with a cell phone, for one last absolutely necessary call on the way down.

 

Just keep swimming…

I was kind of excited to see the new Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner hanging in their shower. I couldn’t wait to try it. I slid the shower door open, pushed the blue button and slid the shower door closed. I waited. Soon, the soap dispenser looking contraption hanging from the shower head started making a loud noise. I didn’t recognize the noise from the television commercial, so I slid the door back open to check out the problem. I should have waited a couple seconds longer. Right then, the machine started to pulsate and before I knew how to react, I got shot in both eyes with the cleaning solution as the automatic sprayer began its 360 degree spin around the shower. Soap in your eyes, whether you have contacts or not, always burns. I immediately grabbed the wet washcloth and held it to my eyes to try and relieve the intense stinging.

It reminds me of sin. Too often we push the button and then sometimes choose to resist that temptation and walk away. But then there are these Sodom & Gomorrah moments in which curiosity is stirred and you just can’t help but turn around and look back. It’s not even necessarily that you want to partake in the sin as to maybe think about it for another few minutes — but then, unexpectedly, you get hit. You should have kept walking away from the situation, but curiosity killed the cat. You were lured and reminded once again that you don’t always have to get hooked to understand the consequences of sin.

The experience of absence does not mean the absence of experience.

Some friends recently shared with me how they continue getting caught-up in the same sin. “Like a dog returns to its vomit.” It sounds silly, I know. Why do we get so easily entangled again and again in the same things? The method of entrapment may look different, but more often than not, there are striking similarities that cause me to hesitate before I keep walking forward. It’s like the fisherman who uses different colors, shapes, sizes, and texture of tackle to catch his fish. But the fish have to get smarter. I have to get smarter. At the end of each line, there is always a hook.

The crazy thing is the fisherman always fishes off the same dock.

My advice to my friends is this: When you’re swimming around and you see fun & colorful lures in the water — think about your location and just forget about how cool the fisherman’s tackle looks. You need to remember the lure is always diguising the hook. But there is hope because the place of familiarity will soon begin to become a place of old.

But only if you choose to just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…