Counter Culture

I think I am. I think I’m rock solid counter-culture.

The evidence?

1. I not only didn’t vote for Mr. Obama, I’ve actually not listened to a complete sentence he’s uttered since taking office. While not voting for him isn’t counter-culture (you may recall 60 million people voted against Obama), I think not listening to him read his teleprompter counts for something.

2. I’ve never watched a single episode of any reality TV show. No survivor, no Great Race, Biggest Loser, or anything else. Ever.

3. I cant stomach pop culture heroes or celebrities. On my short list of things I would get rid of if I ruled the world, celebrity shows and rags would be pretty high on the list.

4. I’ve never watched a full episode of American Idol. I’ve seen bits and pieces, and its just too painful to watch.

5. I believe in and support a few no-brainers: a secure border and immigration law, low taxes, a reduced federal government (by 50% or more) and reduced state government (by 30% or more), an end to most entitlement programs, the privatization of social security, and much more. Don’t tread on me baby.

6. I put God, family and country ahead of everything else.

7. I believe the United States of America is this worlds last great hope for personal liberty, peace and security…. And its about 60% gone as we’ve come to know and love it.

Calling The Kettle Black

For more than 25 years I’ve been sitting at the intersection of faith and entertainment. I approached this joining of two “roads” when I became a huge fan of Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill and Keith Green as a teenager. These three gents did an amazing thing- they joined contemporary music and melody hooks to social commentary and faith messages in a way that challenged and grew me- heart, mind and soul.

This affected me deeply in various ways. It helped mature my faith, made me more self-aware as a follower of Jesus and how I relate and treat others, and also lit a flame inside of me to join in a movement. A growing chorus of artists and fans that were excited to engage faith and the arts at the same time.

I taught myself guitar and piano, and started to write songs. My goal early on was to follow in Keith Green’s artistic footsteps- piano-based pop/rock with lyrics that delivered a compelling and challenging message. As those skills developed it lead me to participate in a rock band during high school and land a gig handling all the music at a Christian youth camp. Fortunately it became clear to me early on that I wasn’t a good enough musician or vocalist to make writing and performing my vocation, but I knew music would remain a key part of my life.

There is no shortage of people that criticize faith-based music and film. One of the chief complaints, from inside and outside the church, is that the art is second rate, and becomes unpalatable when a “message” is shoved into a song or film and spoon fed to the listener or viewer. Another common refrain is that music and film should be more subtle, gently weaving a great story that may have a moral or thickly veiled message that we can draw from. And from outside the church, besides those types of comments, we also hear things like “I hate Christian movies- too preachy, always shoving values and morals down our throats.” And multiple variations of that, far too many to outline here.

There’s also great criticism of the marketing and promotional machines that are Christian music and film companies. That these folks put to much emphasis on packaging and marketing “MESSAGE” versus “ART.”

I’d like to point out a few items that have come to my attention in the last month- namely that some of these same types of people that despise faith-based music and film for using the arts to push a “message” or “agenda,” are genuine, good old-fashioned bona fide hypocrites.

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From the NY Times, May 1st 2009:
“Seeking to Save the Planet, With a Thesaurus“ by John M. Broder

WASHINGTON — The problem with global warming, some environmentalists believe, is “global warming.” The term turns people off, fostering images of shaggy-haired liberals, economic sacrifice and complex scientific disputes, according to extensive polling and focus group sessions conducted by ecoAmerica, a nonprofit environmental marketing and messaging firm in Washington.

Instead of grim warnings about global warming, the firm advises, talk about “our deteriorating atmosphere.” Drop discussions of carbon dioxide and bring up “moving away from the dirty fuels of the past.” Don’t confuse people with cap and trade; use terms like “cap and cash back” or “pollution reduction refund.”

EcoAmerica has been conducting research for the last several years to find new ways to frame environmental issues and so build public support for climate change legislation and other initiatives. A summary of the group’s latest findings and recommendations was accidentally sent by e-mail to a number of news organizations by someone who sat in this week on a briefing intended for government officials and environmental leaders.

Environmental issues consistently rate near the bottom of public worry, according to many public opinion polls. A Pew Research Center poll released in January found global warming last among 20 voter concerns; it trailed issues like addressing moral decline and decreasing the influence of lobbyists. “We know why it’s lowest,” said Mr. Perkowitz, a marketer of outdoor clothing and home furnishings before he started ecoAmerica, whose activities are financed by corporations, foundations and individuals. “When someone thinks of global warming, they think of a politicized, polarized argument. When you say ‘global warming,’ a certain group of Americans think that’s a code word for progressive liberals, gay marriage and other such issues.”
The answer, Mr. Perkowitz said in his presentation at the briefing, is to reframe the issue using different language. “Energy efficiency” makes people think of shivering in the dark. Instead, it is more effective to speak of “saving money for a more prosperous future.” In fact, the group’s surveys and focus groups found, it is time to drop the term “the environment” and talk about “the air we breathe, the water our children drink.”

“Another key finding: remember to speak in TALKING POINTS aspirational language about shared American ideals, like freedom, prosperity, independence and self-sufficiency while avoiding jargon and details about policy, science, economics or technology,” said the e-mail account of the group’s study.

Robert J. Brulle of Drexel University, an expert on environmental communications, said ecoAmerica’s campaign was a mirror image of what industry and political conservatives were doing. “The form is the same; the message is just flipped,” he said. “You want to sell toothpaste, we’ll sell it. You want to sell global warming, we’ll sell that. It’s the use of advertising techniques to manipulate public opinion.”

And, Mr. Luntz and Mr. Perkowitz agree, “climate change” is an easier sell than “global warming.”
---------------------------------------------------
And now to wrap this up, I present to you a few bit of “art” that recently graced the airwaves in an effort to shove a message and morality down our throats:

Watch just the first 2 minutes:



And here we see some of the priests and priestesses preaching the message:



And this is just downright painful to watch. Please- give me a tacky toupee-wearing sleazy televangelist over this tripe... at the end of the clip there's even a segment on confessing eco-sin. Do these people realize they have created a RELIGION?

Why I Don’t Care About Global Warming

I know in this political climate, those are fighting words to many people. But here’s the rub: man-made global warming is NOT a fact. Period.

And if there is natural global warming (which I am 100% certain has happened in the past, and will happen again if its not happening now), or cooling, what can we puny humans do about it? Zilch. Nothing. Nada.

The earth HAS been cooler. There is no doubt. And the earth has been warmer as well. Heard the stories of people worrying about glaciers and ice caps on mountains melting that have been there for “millions of years” only to find caves showing ancient drawings and signs of human habitation?

For those most worried and active in the fight to stop manmade global warming, we find something important under the surface. A need to matter. A need for purpose. A desire to “do something.” Those things are noble and good when applied to the REAL WORLD. Really now, who is AGAINST clean water, or clean air, or fair housing, or … name your cause.

I'm for all those things- and I dare you to find anyone around you that doesn't care about the earth, or want clean air and water.

But for many people, they live for this. It's a constant journey to somehow and in some way prove to those around them that they matter. For the rest of us- and this is what really drives some people nuts- we DO have purpose.

We love others- our families and neighbors. Don’t you think the thousands of people that took off to Indonesia after the tsunami had purpose? I’m not talking about the government people or celebrities that had meetings or “raised awareness.” I’m talking about the people that went to lift debris off of bodies, and distributed food and clothing. Or those that responded to Katrina. Our church alone sent dozens of people dozens of times to the region to give direct aid. Paid for out of OUR WALLETS- not government tax coffers.

We have purpose in our spouses or children. Trying to grow a family of honor and dignity, of caring and loving. Purpose in our work to better the lives of our family and communities. Purpose in worshiping a loving God (which is of course the chief purpose of mankind).

When we stack up the real needs around us- immediate needs- what does it REALLY mean to turn our lights off for an hour on Saturday night to save the world, then fire up the ole 72” flat screen and watch 24 or American Idol on the Tivo? Give me a break. Al Gore here in Nashville didn’t even turn his lights off for a measly hour.

I turned all our lights ON. And guess what? The world was still around at 9:30PM last Saturday.

Want to change the world? Want purpose and a cause that has eternal impact? Praise your daughter or son. Hug your wife. Give food to a beggar. Volunteer. Go on, or support, a mission’s trip. Support a child through World Vision or Compassion. Give more than the 1% of earning the Obama’s donate.

Is it any wonder that so many people apathetically view the fear mongers that nightly parade on the news, or daily haunt the halls of congress with their constant search for purpose, virtually holding signs that say “The End is Near! We need Carbon Credits and Limits on Green House Gases! And more taxes!”

And they’re the ones that call Christians nuts.

Will Apollos Now Water?

I watched a very interesting video clip last night of Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame). I’ve always enjoyed watching and listening to him, and find his often brash but humorous approach to various subjects refreshing.

I’ve also often cringed at his tirades about Christians during his atheism or faith oriented monologues. Why does he always seem to find, along with most others that are critical of followers of Jesus, the fringe representatives of the faith?

He certainly has been “fortunate” enough to run into a plentiful supply of religious wackos to provide him context for his critical thinking about those who profess to follow Jesus.

And that’s why I found this video clip so interesting…



So a stranger shows up at Penn’s show and hands him a Psalms version of the bible. They exchange a few kind words, something that probably happens to Penn a dozen times a day over the last 20+ years (doing some quick math, that would be about 87,600 short conversations with fans), and this one exchange is somehow impactful enough to get a spot on Penn’s video blog on Crackle.com?

And Penn states so matter-of-factly in the blog “I know there isn’t a God.” Well, let’s explore a bit of scripture that I think pretty accurately covers this incident:

“ …We each carried out our servant assignment. I [Paul] planted the seed, Apollos [contemporary of Paul’s traveling the region preaching about Jesus] watered the plants, but God made you grow. It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God's field in which we are working.”

-1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (The Message)

Let’s call this stranger at Penn’s show “Paul.”

And Paul has most certainly planted a seed with Penn. Now who will come to water him? I suspect somebody will as this encounter and resulting impact in Penn’s life is not chance in my opinion. These types of encounters and discussions happen countless times a day all over the world- we just happen to have a little window into this because of the platform Penn has to share about what’s going on in his life.

A few observations from the video clip:

The stranger, Paul, seems to have made a real impact on Penn for a few reasons. He was kind and reasonable (Penn refers to this as “sane,” calling him that 3 different times), he was polite (2 times), he looked Penn in the eye (that’s a strange one, isn’t it? Three times mentioned), he seemed to “care about me,” was honest, and a good man (2 times, with the second preceded by "very, very, very”).

A few times Penn seems to be struggling to find the right words, which is not something common for such a rapid-fire fluid communicator.

The most amazing moment in the clip is when Penn all but urges, firmly, Christians (at least those that are “good” people that are also kind and polite- as in, the sane ones) to hurry up and get out there and spread the Good News. Time is running out. There’s a huge truck bearing down on the people of the world and everlasting life or death hangs in the balance.

Who would have ever thought God would use Penn Jillette to prompt believers to get out there and fulfill the great commission?

“How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe it, that truck was bearing down on you, there’s a certain point where I tackle you, and this [eternal life] is more important than that. ”

- Penn Jillette, 12/8/08

5,000 Years From Now

What will matter a few hundred years from now? It’s very likely many things will. The formation of the United States of America some 200 years ago still matters. We all still know it, read about it, live it.

But will it matter 200 years from today? Probably. Will it matter a thousand years from today? Not so sure.

Will it matter then if I work extra hard in the coming weeks to land a big consulting contract that will pay another 5 or 10 grand a month? Not thinking it will.

I’ve been preoccupied lately thinking about this, and stretching that number to 5,000 years.

I’m a big Beatles fan. Well, actually, borderline fanatic. The Beatles broke on to the international scene 44 years ago. They reached their zenith in popularity just over 40 years ago. 2 of the 4 are dead now, one of the remaining cant sell more than a few hundred thousand CDs on a new release, and the other couldn’t sell any if the remaining years of life counted on it.

But, still, their music is still so relevant today. This past fall an amazing film was released called “Across the Universe” using Beatles music as not only the soundtrack, but the story line. It reconnected a new generation to this decades old music. Even my 4 young kids appreciate the Beatles and often have one of their songs on their lips. But a thousand years from now? Five thousand years?

So much of my day is spent on the things that won’t matter 5,000 years from now, much less 100 years.

Tell me about your great-great grandfather. What was he like? What did he spend his time doing? What did he do for a living? What kind of car (or horse buggy) did he drive? What were his hobbies? His interests? How did he do in school?

Doesn’t matter. You probably don’t even know. I don’t…sadly, I don’t even know mine’s name.

But I can tell you this- how he loved (or didn’t love) his wife, and his kids, and his neighbors probably matters to this day. And could continue to matter throughout eternity.

How did his kids learn to love from him? How did they learn to think about and treat other people? What legacy did they leave because of him? Or their great-great grandmother for that matter. Did your great-great grandfather’s daughter learn that she is invaluable? That her soul and mind and body are priceless? That no matter what she did or didn’t do she couldn’t make her father, or God, love her any more or any less?

If so, she lived her life in a way that mattered too. And impacted her sons and daughters, a flowing underground river of life that is buried beneath the surface of our consciousness, prompting and leading us to live as we were meant to- image bearers of a loving God.

Sometimes the underground river is poison. It is bitter with hate and rejection, with unspoken acts of betrayal and murder of the heart. And those things too can matter for eternity, spreading through generations and slowly poisoning all who drink or touch the water.

So… what will I do today that will matter? I will try, though I fail constantly, to remember that how I love those around me could matter for eternity, while the proposal I need to get to a client by the end of the day wont matter next year.

Faith In Mandalas

This is the last of my comments on “The Last Mimzy” and the wonderful comedy the bonus content provides.


Here a psychologist's incredibly lucid and crystal clear comments on Mandalas (ancient drawings and designs that represent the universe, yourself, cosmic energy, the world, mystical places and times, and all sorts of other things anyone can throw in when defining the doodles drawn by people thousands of years ago) and what renowned psychologist Carl Jung thought of them.


Holly J. Fincher, Ph.D.
Jungian Psychologist

“The Mandala brings things together in harmony and says ‘we are all in our microcosm of our own being, part of a greater whole.’

Jung undertook earlier in his, uh, career to study the unconscious through his own inner experiments and explorations. He engaged in a process of active imagination, which is essentially a kind of conscious dialogue with the inner figures that appeared in dreams, and what Jung did was he painted pictures of these figures. And through that experiential discovery and…and, study, and then combined with the, um, the discovery outwardly of this being in other cultures something that is known, Jung came to the realization that what the Mandala is, is a symbol of self.”

Another brilliant exploration in human-made religion.






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The Last Mimzy

Last night the family had Friday movie night on a Wednesday. We all settled down to watch the film “The Last Mimzy.”

I don’t think Rhiannon Leigh Wryn, the actress that played the little girl, could be any more adorable. We greatly enjoyed the movie, and as always explored the special content on the DVD afterwards.

The DVD included interviews with scientists and a Jungian Psychologist (What?) exploring the concepts of extraterrestrial life, wormholes in space, blackholes, human evolution and much more. It was hilarious. While they were dead serious, it struck me as a series of Saturday Night Live skits. I think the concept of a wormhole was first explored in Star Trek or some other sci-fi TV show or movie, and here was a scientist explaining how they work, even though there is not a shred of evidence that they exist. The segments had more religion and faith in them than a Billy Graham crusade.

That ‘scientists’ and atheists can criticize faith in God claiming there is no evidence while espousing the most fantastical and hilarious theories of the universe stuns me.





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Being Right

I watched a film this past weekend that really impacted me. It continues to impact me. I can’t stop thinking about it. I watched it Saturday night, and the weird thing is on Sunday morning at church my pastor covered pretty much the same topic. It was like a double-whammy from God.

The film is basically about American Christianity vs. the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have probably been an adherent more of the former than the latter. And the film is shaking the foundations of my faith. In a good way.

I think I am too focused on, to worried about, being right- or rather correct- on all the hot topics. I am thinking more and more about how important those things are in light of other weightier issues. How important is the topic of global warming compared to the needs of a child in abject poverty? How important is the homosexual agenda in light of my friend that is dying of cancer and leaving a wife and three kids behind?

Thinking. Questioning. Wondering what is beyond and within the matrix of this physical life more than ever before.






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My Chevy Suburban Is A Prius Offset

Someone out there has bought a Prius in order to save the world. I hope they don’t get too happy…my Chevy Suburban Z71 is offsetting their lowered carbon footprint with a heap of good old fashioned CO and CO2 output.

I don’t mean to turn this blog into a global warming tirade, it’s just that this Live Earth poop that’s all the rage is driving me crazy. There is simply no scientific proof that global warming is due to man. Period. While there is some scientific data that shows global temperatures have risen a half-degree or so (Celsius) in the last 50 plus years, but it has been far, far warmer in the past than it is now. And that is a fact that is simply irrefutable. And yet the world didn’t end. I’m sick of hearing that there is a consensus among scientists that man is causing global warming. There can be no such thing. Science is one of two things- proven scientific fact that can be argued by no one (examples include gravity, the fact the earth circles the sun, that the earth is round, etc), or a theory that is in the process of being proven or disproved. Man-made global warming is a theory, and one suffering more and more hits to its veracity every day.

There is a wonderful film online worth watching that I encourage anyone reading this to watch. Its called The Great Global Warming Swindle, and should be watched alongside Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth to get a good look at both sides of the argument. Isn’t that the best way to do it? To listen to all arguments and weigh the evidence in order to make up your own mind? Check it out:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3028847519933351566





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Nice Coach, Mean Coach

Saturday is softball day. All four of my girls play on four different teams, so each Saturday I am on the field from morning until late afternoon.

Today first game was 10-11:30AM, then 12-1PM, another 1-2:30PM and the final game 3-4:30PM. A mighty long day indeed. In the past I have head-coached one of my girls team while assisting on the other one or two. This is the first year I have all four playing so I had to step out of the head coaching slot and am assisting on all four teams.

Not having the pressure of being a head coach has allowed me to observe more and what I see is very interesting to me. I think there are 3 kinds of coaches.

The first is the kindly super-nice coach that never yells, is always encouraging, but doesn’t really step up and push the girls or help develop core skills. To them, it’s all about having fun.

The second kind of coach is more focused on the basic skills and pushes the girls to learn and develop, for the most part is soft spoken but can belt out a yell when necessary to get a girls attention.

The third kind? Old fashioned yelling spit-fire, kick-in-the-ass, we-gotta-win, do your best or you’re sitting the bench kind of coach. These kinds drill the girls, blast them loud and clear when they make a mistake, praise them loudly when they get it right, and REFUSE to accept anything but the best the girls have in them.

While that third kind of coach can at times cause some of the girls to have hurt feelings, sometimes even cry, the consistent application of harsh critique (based on a belief the girl can do SO much better if they try harder) and lavish praise when something is executed exceptionally well has an amazing effect on the girls over time.

Half-way through the season the differences between how the teams play and act starts to become evident, and by the end of the regular season and the start of the tournaments it is out there for everyone to clearly see.

Girls with a Type 1 coach still struggle with basic rules of the game. They don’t really know what to do in complex situations and they often freeze or make irrational moves (like playing first base, getting a grounder and throwing it to home when there’s no one on base). They don’t have much team spirit, they don’t talk much or encourage their teammates, and they seem to not mind losing a game in the slightest. They don’t seem to have much fun after all, and they don’t appear to feel one way or the other about their coach.

Girls with a Type 2 coach are great teams. They work hard, play hard, learn the game and have a bunch of fun playing. They are starting to exhibit some good skills and can often make exceptional plays. They are engaged throughout the game, and are really looking for the win.

Girls with a Type 3 coach are a wonder to watch. They have a blast. They are totally engaged in the game. They are constantly talking to their teammates, encouraging them when they make a mistake, praising them when the make a good play. They move to a rhythm and give everything they’ve got all the time. They no longer cry when the coach yells at them for a bone-headed play. They nod in agreement, recognize their mistake and promise themselves they won’t make the same mistake again. The fear they had for their coach in the first weeks of the season is long gone. Now they love him/her deeply and want to do an excellent job all the time to secure the win- for themselves, for their coach, and for their team.

Interesting to think about how softball coaching and parenting intersect. In either one I am not advocating constant yelling and screaming- by no means. What I love is the focus on learning, getting the basics down pat, focusing on consistency and excellence, and demanding the BEST out of the kids.

It was a good day.






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Watch The Glove, Turn The Body, Throw The Leg, Snap The Hand, Grunt

Tonight was L’s second game ever as a fast-pitch softball pitcher. She got her second strike out of the season, and managed to not hit any batters in the head.

The title of this post is the mantra I am drilling into her head. Watch the glove. Stare at it. Become one with it. Don’t aim, just watch it. Turn the body towards first base as the pitch flows (she’s left handed), throw the right leg out as far as possible towards the batter, release the ball with a snap letting it roll off the fingers and yank the hand up to the shoulder, and finally, let out a low-pitch grunt for effect and to psych the body into throwing faster. Simple, yes?

It sure seems so now, as her dad/coach. It wasn’t so simple when I was 12 and pitching baseball. The perspective one has years later is like a blaring bright light- so clear, so crisp. If I could go back 28 years I truly think I could be a great pitcher. I get it now. Listen, think, focus, put 100% into every try. When I was 12, it wasn’t nearly as simple. I recall my mind reeling. Wondering if I would throw wild and hit somebody. Worrying I would make a mistake and people would laugh. Trying to step through the motions methodically, when what I really needed to do was make them natural. A part of me. Second nature. Just remembering to try my best with each throw. I get it now. I didn’t then.

Its like most things in life. When we are THERE…in it…living it…we struggle so much. We make rookie mistakes, we slack, we don’t understand that each day, each effort, each thing we decide to do is the BIG LEAGUES. We are in it, and don’t even know it. Marriage. Parenting. Work. Our spiritual life. We, or at least I, stumble through it like a 12 year old baseball pitcher all lanky and uncoordinated hoping that at least one out of 10 pitches gets over the plate. With the years comes the understanding. Spotting mistakes, understanding what is needed to ‘nail it.’

But its too late. By the time we ‘master it’ our time in the game is over. What we have is experience and understanding that we try, try, try to get our kids to use for their benefit. Please God help me understand I’m in it now. Right now.






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The Frog And The Fly

Here's a quick story I heard long ago. I was reminded of it while preparing the 5th edition of The Carnival of Storytellers due out tomorrow.

The core of the story is recalled, but the exact words, details and flow of it is mine. I looked for some sort of original online but couldn’t find it.

There once was a fly who through no fault of his own lost his wings. He was flying around minding his own business when he realized it was starting to get dark. He set off for home, across the big river, when suddenly out of nowhere a bird swooped down to gobble him up. The beak of the bird just missed the poor fly's head, and latched onto both his wings. With a loud chomp the wigs were consumed, and the fly, separated from his precious wings, fell to earth with barely a sound.

He hid for a time until he was certain the bird was gone, and climbed atop a blade of grass to see which way was home. He saw the river and set out on all six feet to return to his family. When he reached the river he realized there was no way to cross. He had never had to think twice before about crossing the river. It was as simple as a brief flight on his trusty wings. Now, without wings, and with no bridges or dry rocks to travel he was overcome with sadness. He feared he would never see his family again and began to weep loudly.

Nearby a huge green frog watched with interest. He heard the fly's lament about the lost wings and the family never to be seen again. He was genuinely moved, and swam towards the fly to see if he could help.

"My dear fly, I heard your sad story and wish to help in any way I can" said the frog.

The fly was startled and almost fell into the river as he stumbled back in fear. "Stay away frog! I know your kind- I have heard tales about lost friends and relatives to the likes of you. You eat flies- wings and all. You will not help me, you only want to eat me!"

"You have hurt my feelings greatly" said the frog. I only wish to help. Your story has moved me, and while there is no doubt I have eaten a fly or two in my years, I can promise you I will not harm you. I love my family too, and wish only to help you reunite with yours. Climb upon my tummy and I will swim you to the other side of the river so you may continue your journey."

The fly wanted to believe him. Needed to believe him. It seemed the only way to get home. He thought long and hard, and reasoned that if the frog really wanted to eat him he probably would have made a move by now. He talked himself into believing the frog and so agreed, asking for, and receiving, one more promise that there would be no fly eating.

The fly climbed aboard the frog, and the frog set out to fulfill his promise sincerely meaning no harm to the fly.

When the frog reached the half-way point across the river, he realized he was very hungry. He reached out his tounge, and snapped up the fly in a split-second. With one crunchy bite the fly was no more.

The bird that had attacked the fly had watched the whole thing. He was fascinated by the fly's determination to reach his family and had decided to spare the fly. He kept his distance and had watched the fly navigate hills, rocks, grass and all manner of fly eating insects on his way to the river. He watched and listened to the fly and frog discuss the agreement for safe passage, and also watched the frog eat the fly.

The bird flew down towards the frog and introduced himself. He explained to the frog that he had watched and heard all that transpired, and was shocked to see the frog break his promise and eat the poor heartbroken fly. "Why would you do such a thing?" asked the bird.

"You silly bird" said the frog, "I am a frog. And frog's eat flies."

This story suggests that no one can change for the better, can escape the base and evil desires of the heart or change into a better person without a greater power beyond themselves.






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What Does It Mean To Be A Human Being?

That's one of the questions I had to fill out on an application I submitted to an organization that seeks volunteers to help teach English as a second language.

They are located in Europe, and look for people to not only teach, but to also bridge the culture gap between two different peoples- the native people of the country and Americans.

The question hit me hard- how on earth do I answer that? On what level do I answer it? Physiologically? Socially? Spiritually?

I stopped thinking and started typing, free flow, and this is what I got on the first try:

To desire, try, fail, and try again. To sometimes think we are great, when we are really broken, and at times feel worthless, when we are truly priceless. To seek security and inclusion, to be tempted to love ourselves more than others. To spend our life on a search for meaning and purpose. To be hard-wired to know there is Someone greater than us, and to seek Him for protection from what we deserve, and the gift of what we don’t.

There you go. I think it's a pretty good shot at a very, very hard question...

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Me And Charlie Heston- Bestest Buddies Ever

Many years ago I had the pleasure, of sorts, of meeting screen legend Charlton Heston. I remembered this yesterday as I continued the process of scanning all of our old photos onto our home network.

I can’t resist the urge to have everything that possibly can be digitized, digitized. The desire to instantly access all of our personal records, photos, movies, music and correspondence is a sickness I’m sure. But someday, somebody will thank me for it. I hope.

Anyway, it was a hot summer in Atlanta, 1993, and a party was thrown to celebrate the completion of a project Mr. Heston starred in that placed him in the Holy Land reading scripture and telling dramatized Bible stories.

I was part of the sales team that would take that project out into the world to sell millions of VHS copies, and our company’s management had arranged to have each member of our team get a photo standing next to Mr. Heston.

As I waited in line, I was thinking through what I was going to say. It was going to be an honor, for sure, meeting the man that brought so many incredible characters to life on the big screen.

When it was my turn, I approached him, extended my hand, and told him how honored I was to meet him, what an incredible job he had done in The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur, and so many other films, and how proud I was to represent his new project. I was beaming ear to ear.

He looked at me, expressionless, and said “Thank you. Now lets take this picture” and then turned to the camera looking like he had known me for years and was interrupted while having a long but interesting conversation with me. Snap. Next.

It didn’t cause me to think less of him- he did have to take about 100 pictures in 30 minutes, so it really didn’t bother me. It just got me thinking, at the time, and again yesterday as I looked at the picture, about how each and every person places their own value and weight to each conversation, meeting and moment that can be vastly different from those they interact with. What may be an incidental comment or gesture may leave a lasting impression, good or bad, on those around us.






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My A-ha! Moments

Life is full of moments where the light comes on. I figured I would jot a few a-ha moments of mine down for posterity.

Age 10
No matter how careful and deliberate you may try to forge a parents signature on a bad report card, it is quite impossible to make a kids handwriting look like an adults.

Age 11
Just because you get a silk shirt and leather jacket to look like Tony Manero (John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever), that alone in no way will make you cool.

Age 12
So few boys are brave enough to ask a girl to go steady, that if you do, odds are 1 in 2 you will get a yes.

Age 13
There are mean kids in the world that will seek out those who will not fight back and make their lives miserable.

Age 14
If you stand up to a bully, punch them in the head while they are trying to torment you in the boys locker room at school with a wet towel, and then drag them out into the hallway completely naked while they cry like a little girl, no one that knew you when the incident occured will bother you again. Ever.

Age 15
Learning to drive a stick-shift to prepare for a drivers test will ensure you pass, and will likely provide you with the skills to drive anything short of a semi-truck your entire life without difficulty.

Age 16
The whole 'turning sixteen is so cool' thing is a load of crap. Its just like 15, but with acne.

Age 17
The world of politics is cold and cruel and has very little substance about it. I learned this when running for class president. If your opponent is the most popular and beautiful girl in the high school, you will lose for sure. All the guys will vote for her (I did- I couldn't help myself), and so will most all the girls since they are all her friends, or aspire to be. Even if her candidacy is based on getting the school to re-paint locker doors in your choice of 5 colors and yours is about raising funds to improve the arts and sports facilities.

Age 18
It's you against the world. This is proved when the state you live in raises the drinking age from 18 to 21 seventy-eight days before your 18th birthday.

Age 19
College is so much easier than people make it out to be.

Age 20
College is very hard.

Age 21
No matter how much money you make, without discipline and focus, you will spend all of it plus some.

Age 22
Don't get a big dog if you live in an apartment and are gone 9-10 hours at a time.

Age 23
Don't throw a party in your small apartment and let people know they are free to bring friends without being very clear about how many friends they may invite, and, that the offer is non-transferable. If you aren't, the police and fire departments will show up sooner than you think.

Age 24
The government is evil. They will gleefully take more and more of your money in the form of income tax, thinking they can spend it better than you, while your friends working cash jobs pay no taxes at all.

Age 25
Despite years of writing songs, playing in bands and recording music, I'm simply not good enough at it to make a living. Thank you God for letting me see that at 25, and not when I'm 43 years old playing piano in a Holiday Inn lounge.

Age 26
Marriage is much harder than I ever thought it would be.

Age 27
Having a child is one of the most significant events a man can ever be a part of. It will make you admire your wife even more, and make you cry like a little baby. But amazingly you won't care. And, while it doesn't make marriage easier, it makes it more meaningful.

Age 28
If someone is conspiring against you, or talking down about you when you aren't around, or gossiping about you and you confront them calmly and directly- in private-they will almost always go out of their way to be nice to you and support you from then on.

Age 29
Your second child is as amazing and awe inspiring of an experience as your first.

Age 30
Being promoted beyond your peers wipes out almost every friendship you have with them. Those that remain are different and not as fulfilling.

Age 31
If you return every phone call, take notes at every meeting and follow-up each meeting in writing, and do what you say you will do, people will be amazed and think you are very smart and give you promotions and raises.

Age 32
While having your third child is amazing and awe inspiring, it really starts to make you think about paying for education and weddings (especially if you have three girls).

Age 33
Being in a position of leadership can be heartbreakingly lonely.

Age 34
There are many people in the world that want me dead just because I am an American. Also, during a time of war or national emergency, the desire to get home- especially when stuck oversees- is overwhelming almost to the point of panic.

Age 35
After having a fourth daughter, it makes you wonder if it would be a good idea to stop having kids.

Age 36
Even if you learned to drive a stick-shift as a kid, if you rent one in Ireland where everything is opposite (the side you drive on, where the gas, brake and clutch pedals are- everything) it will do hardly any good.

Age 37
If you start participating in a 401-k early, and put in the maximum allowable contribution, you can amass a startlingly large sum of money.

Age 38
I am much better at recalling the nice things I say to other people than they, while they are significantly better at recalling the hurtful things I have said to them than I.

Age 39
It's fun running your own company.

Age 40
It's not always fun running your own company.

Age 40 & 1/2
George Bush is the most powerful man in the history of the world- even more so than Bill Clinton or Kofi Annan. That is the only explanation for so many people believing he is responsible for terrorism, unemployment, Katrina, Kyoto, global warming, global cooling, anti-Americanism, inflation, recession, depression, oil prices going up, oil prices coming down, ancient middle Eastern turmoil, the decline of democracy, tsunamis, Darfur, 9-11, illegal immigration, bad French hygiene, the ozone hole, melting polar ice caps, the USS Cole bombing, The OKC bombing, Paris suburb riots, bird-flu, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan going commando, dumb kids, dumb teachers and obesity.







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Peace

"May you live in interesting times” is one of the oldest disguised curses in the world. Interesting is defined as “engaging or exciting and holding the attention or curiosity, arousing a feeling of interest.”

Wars, conflicts, natural disasters, extreme wealth, extreme poverty next to it, political upheaval, lawlessness, death and destruction. The world we live in is indeed a very interesting place.

What is going on in my world? Probably similar to what is happening in yours. A couple days ago I woke up to check the news and learned that the company I worked for from 1990 until 2005 is announcing layoffs and restructuring. The people there are worried. The company I just wrapped up a year with is undergoing big change. People known to me or my family are experiencing great change and shifts in their lives: a young boy in one of my daughters school class just lost his older brother- a policeman shot while pulling over a speeder, a friend and former co-worker just diagnosed with cancer and undergoing intense treatment to save his life, another friend struggling to keep a job and support his family, the list goes on and on.

How do we experience any peace in these troubling times? Peace is conventionally defined as a state of being without conflict. I believe peace is the ability to cope with it.

Some words of wisdom written 2000 years ago: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”






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Five Important Things In Any Partnership

Five years ago I attended a meeting with Bishop T.D. Jakes. I found him to be incredibly motivating, and after he addressed our group I literally wanted to take up a sword and fight the good fight.

Part of what he talked about was directly related to a new partnership we were forming between his ministry and our company. Here is a paraphrased outline of what he said:

Here are five things that are very important in any partnership or union. There are others, but these are five that I wish to focus on today.

1. You can not be alike - it is better when we are different. Seek partners with unique or complimentary skills, knowledge and abilities. Before your partnership begins, clearly state your observations and thoughts in this area, and seek your potential partner's input as well. Make sure you are both understanding and appreciative of what each has to offer.

2. Together craft your significant message, brand, product and statement. What are you about by yourself? What are you about together? What are you seeking that brings you to this partnership, and what will be your joint-message?

3. Manufacture that message. Be fruitful. Once you decide on the message, brand, product and statement do it- quickly and aggressively. Be active, create, produce. It will not be perfect, but it is productive. Then meet together constantly to assess success and make adjustments and changes just as quick.

4. Market it. Tell it, show it, express and transfer your passion. If it does not move you, it won't move them- your customer, user, supplier, whomever. Don't be tentative in this area, you need tenacity, guts, and to lose your fear.

5. Motivation. Motivate yourself and your partner to convey it. Let yourself be motivated by your partner. Catch on fire, get excited, break your records, set goals and beat them. Go beyond who you were. Do not measure yourself against others. Push yourself to the limit. Go beyond limitations. Don't look to others to motivate you.






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Looking Up At President Ford

I heard about President Ford passing away early Wednesday morning, and I recalled meeting him many years ago as a child. He was visiting Hawaii and my mother took my sister and me to the airfield in hopes of catching a glimpse of him as he deplaned.

My mother has always taken us to witness big events like rallies, dedications, inaugurations and parades. We saw the children arrive in Hawaii after they were evacuated from Vietnam, and we even went to Andrews Air Force Base to see the Iranian hostages arrive after they were freed.

On the day I met President Ford it was a bright and beautiful day. We saw him get off the plane, wave, and then walk straight towards the crowd of well-wishers. As the crowd tightened, I slipped down, under and around anyone I could, and popped up right in front of the President. He looked down, smiled, and shook my hand. I knew nothing of politics, Watergate, or any of the turmoil Americans had endured the few years before that moment. All I knew was that I got to shake the hand of the President of the United States. Cool.

To top off the experience, a local TV news reporter saw me shake his hand and came up to interview me. I have no recollection of what I said, but it must have been expectedly inane blabbering from an eight year old little boy, because I do remember it lasting only a couple seconds.

I told my girls about the experience while we were all in the car yesterday and noticed the flags at half-staff. They asked me how long ago that was, and I responded twenty years. I quickly corrected myself and said that it was actually more than thirty years ago. I then spent the next several minutes pondering, yet again, at the speed life flies by. Thirty years. I am getting old. Life is fleeting. What really matters? Does my job, or lack of one, matter? Does my house? My money? It will all be gone. Every single material thing, every single thing I am seeing right now as I drive by will be gone with time.

What really lasts? Find that, and put your time and efforts there.






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Ill Equipped For Deep Conversation

Yesterday my father and brother-in-law, along with my mom, sister and my family celebrated a family birthday. It was fun- insane amounts of pizza at Mellow Mushroom, followed by a sugar rush at home with cake and ice cream. All was going well until the inevitable happened. My dad and B-I-L dove into a mind numbing conversation about the foundation of morals, how and why US law enforces morality, liberalism vs conservatism vs libertarians (when will they figure out that they are such a small political minority they might as well join forces with the Green Party and finally attain a level just under 1% of the population?) and the recent ballot measures in several states regarding gay marriage.

My usual plan is to sit quietly and observe those two go at it. Its great theatre. I try not to participate too much because its just too fun to watch unencumbered by having to think and jump into the melee.

I blew it yesterday. I got sucked right in. No need here to detail the points and counter-points- the important part was to realize, yet again, how I wish I had more time to read and form well-thought-out opinions and positions on important issues. I inevitably end up saying things that when challenged, make me realize how much of what I think is based on a lifetime of personal observations and judgment, not necessarily studying facts, figures, and history. I really need to make time to seek out more solid information for the fuzzy edges of how I see the world.

I have resolved to make time to do the following:

1. Learn more about the foundation of morals and Judeo-Christian laws and mores
2. Read up on the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers
3. Be able to more clearly state the tenets of liberalism and conservatism
4. Find out if Thomas Jefferson was really that good of a president (like my B-I-L thinks)
5. Stick to my goal of just watching these arguments (conversations) in the future