Month: May 2019

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You’re Affected…But How?

You can tell a lot about where someone’s from by the words they use and the accent they have. Do they call it “soda,” “pop,” “sodapop,” or “coke?” Is it a “lollipop” or a “sucker?” “Do they wear “tennis shoes” or “sneakers?” Is the word “y’all” a part of their vernacular?

As a kid I lived in Pennsylvania. I’m a little biased, but I don’t think I had any kind of accent as a kid. It’s a funny thing though; we had some people move to our neighborhood that came from North Dakota. There were also some grandparents nearby that had long summer visits from a family that lived in Minnesota. As I played and spent time with the kids of these Midwestern families, a funny thing happened…I started saying words the way they did.

Accent map courtesy of the Washington Post

That time spent together influenced the way I spoke. This is a pretty harmless instance of what I’m getting at, but it’s a great example of how you are influenced by your surroundings. You become like the people and attitudes that are around you.

Take a moment to stop and think about the people and attitudes that are a part of your environment. This is where you are headed. You are becoming more like them. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on what kind of people make up your environment.

It’s a two-way street, though. The new neighbors from North Dakota were immersed in a new region, surrounded by people that did not have the same accent as them. For that family’s kids especially, the accent faded with time. You’re not the only one being influenced; you also possess influence over those that are part of your life. Do you exude positivity and an uplifting outlook, or do you drag people down with your presence?

It might be time to re-examine the things and people you have in your life. What kind of friends do you have? What kind of things are you doing together? Other relationships, like family or work, give you fewer options with regard to your ability to choose whether or not to interact with them. In those cases, focus instead on your ability to make a positive difference in your shared environment.

In either case, whether you can choose your associations or not, you have a choice as far as what kind of contribution you will make to your environment.


“whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

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If I Can’t Walk, Then I’m Crawling

In honor of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, I’ll share a military-themed post. When I was younger I really enjoyed the movie “Saving Private Ryan.” It’s a story that took place during World War II in Europe, and starred Tom Hanks as Army Captain John Miller.

Throughout the movie Miller had led men against formidable obstacles; he was always able to get his team past the obstacle, but each time someone paid for it with their life. There’s a lot more to the story than this, but at the end of the movie, Captain Miller and a small group of soldiers find themselves vastly outnumbered and outgunned while defending an important bridge from an enemy onslaught.

It’s a losing battle. During the clash we repeatedly witness the demise of characters we’ve known for most of the movie, all while valiantly trying to defend either the bridge or each other. The enemy forces continue advancing, and the bridge appears as though it’s about to fall to the enemy.

As a last resort, the Americans have wired explosives to the bridge to prevent the enemy from using it. When it became apparent that the Americans couldn’t hold the bridge, they decided to destroy it. Retreating across the river, Miller prepared to activate the detonator, but in the process was mortally wounded and unable to set off the explosives. With an enemy tank about to begin moving across the bridge, Miller, unable to stand, leaned himself up against some debris and pulled out his sidearm. With nothing left to do, he began firing a pistol at an advancing tank.

  • CAPT Miller in “Saving Private Ryan”
  • CAPT Miller in “Saving Private Ryan”

I don’t want to spoil the ending if you haven’t seen it, but how do you get to the point where you’re trying to stop a tank with a pistol? Miller was a man that simply did not give up once he had made up his mind about an objective. There was no quit in him. He fought the way he could make the maximum impact, and once that method failed or circumstances changed, he switched to the next most effective method. He adjusted his approach as his men and resources dwindled. As he sat on a bridge bleeding out, the only option available to him, his last-ditch effort, was to pull out his pistol and start firing at a tank. This was all he had left.

This man was determined, and makes me reflect on my own life. Do I have determination like that? Am I giving my all, even if I don’t have much left? If I can’t run, am I at least walking toward where I need to go? When I can’t walk, am I crawling?

There’s much work to be done. We’ll have setbacks. Our resources and assets will change, reducing or increasing our capability to do things at a given point in time. Are we letting the loss of those things, or a self-defeating attitude get in the way from us making progress toward where we need to go? Don’t stop. Keep pushing forward, even if it’s at a crawl.

This Monday is Memorial Day. There are a whole lot of men and women who gave their all for us; some didn’t make it back, while others are no longer what they used to be. Thank a vet today.

Just a reminder…after Memorial Day, I’ll be switching to a once-a-week posting format. Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

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Playing Paintball With No Paintballs

Photo courtesy of pballcentral.com

After graduating from college I moved back home and worked construction to help pay off my school loans. During this time I helped out with the youth group at church on Tuesday nights and sometimes for weekend events.

One time that autumn our youth group went paintballing. I had never been paintballing before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and how much ammo I should buy. We played a couple of games, and I ended up not doing a whole lot of shooting, so I was able to make my ammo last most of the day. We played a few types of games on a couple of different courses, and then it was time for our last match of the day.

We had played a few games of capture the flag, but this time was a different variation. There was a really cool stockade fort that looked like something you’d see in the American frontier, and it was surrounded by a number of trenches that more or less served as a moat. Rain from the previous night made the trenches nasty and muddy, and there were still large puddles in many areas of the trenches. The stockade had a large courtyard, and in the courtyard stood a large stake with a flag on it. The only way for the assaulting team to win was to grab the flag off the stake without getting shot. If the flag was still on the stake when time ran out, the defending team won.

Since I was low on ammo, I couldn’t be much help in any kind of assault on the stockade. I noticed that the stake with the flag was near one of the trenches, so I decided I’d try to sneak through the trenches and go for the flag.

It took forever. I stayed low so people in the stockade wouldn’t know I was there. Stealth made for slow going, though. Every now and then I’d be able to take a pot shot at an opponent, or I’d be able to lay down some covering fire while a teammate tried something. I wasn’t able to help for very long though. I ran out of ammo. I was in the middle of a paintball match without having any paintballs.

I focused on the fact that the objective of the game wasn’t to shoot the most paint, but to capture the flag. Although it wasn’t the most natural thing to do, I pressed forward with a paintball gun that was little more than a decoration. I slogged through the mud until I finally arrived as close to the stake as the trench would take me. I waited until I heard a bit of a skirmish nearby, and rolled up out of the trench behind some cover. Now that my secret was out, I had to move fast; I sprinted toward the stake while shooting harmless bursts of CO2 in the general direction of defenders up on the stockade. The flag was just feet away!

I didn’t even get close. I got lit up with paintballs. I was muddy, wet, cold, and suddenly out of the game. Time expired, and the defending team won.

Photo courtesy of hurlburt.af.mil

It was an important lesson, though. As you go through your Christian life, you’re going to encounter situations you didn’t anticipate, and you’re going to feel unprepared for them. During those times it’s important to keep your eye on the goal. In this example, I didn’t need to have paintballs to help our team win a game of capture the flag. Don’t be distracted by things that seem like they should matter, but in the end have little or no bearing on whether or not you obtain your objective.

I’m not sure what your contribution to the Kingdom of God is, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you only have one thing to offer. If your primary means of service is sidelined for some reason, either temporarily or permanently, look around at other ways you can get in the game. This may be your opportunity to try something you wouldn’t have tried otherwise.

If something has recently sidelined your usual means of serving and you find yourself “playing paintball with no paintballs,” keep your eye on the objective. You’re still in the fight.

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Time To Stand And Fight

.gif courtesy of farajiwhalen.com

The Bible has this way of covering epic events in just a few verses. One such story comes from 2 Samuel 23. The text is describing some of King David’s “Mighty Men.” This section is essentially a hall of fame; these are the bravest or fiercest warriors to serve King David. In just two verses, the author describes the feat of a man named Shammah:

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

The text is light on details, but we can glean some of the important points. In an environment of panic and fear, everyone started running away. For all we know, Shammah initially ran away right along with everyone else. What we know is that at some point he looked around and saw his countrymen fleeing the enemy, and he decided he was in a position to do something about it.

There’s so much that’s left out. Was he trying to simply buy some time to give his comrades the opportunity to escape, or was he committed to putting a stop to this terror, right here and right now? If he was running away with everyone else, he probably clenched his fists as his sprint slowed, then came to a stop. It doesn’t seem like there was anything special about this particular place, but this was the point in Shammah’s life when he decided to take a stand. Turning to face the Philistines, he may have thought to himself “This is it. Enough is enough. It’s time to fight.”

Taking first one step, then another toward the enemy army, his insolence was an affront to the Philistine warriors. First they sent out one man, then another, to deal with this ingrate. He likely dealt with them one at a time at first. As he struck them down, they sent pairs, then trios, but he dispatched them all. Then they came in droves. We don’t know how it happened; it doesn’t even say what kind of weapon(s) he had available, but considering the feats of the other “Mighty Men,” the list is not an easy one to get your name onto. By making this list, his feats of bravery, skill, and boldness put him in famous company.

We’ve all got battles of our own. You might witness some sort of injustice that you have the power to (legally) rectify. You may have the means, connections, or resources to provide new opportunities where they are desperately needed. Maybe right now all you have is vision and passion. There are overwhelming odds everywhere, but the drive within you has been building and building. When will it happen? At what point will you say “This is it. Enough is enough. It’s time to act”?

It’s time to stop running and take a stand. The army on your heels is fearsome, but if God called you to action, don’t be discouraged. Turn and face it, take your first steps toward it, and watch God work. Station yourself in the middle of the field, defend it, and allow God the opportunity to bring about a great victory today.

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Why Not Give it a Shot?

If you look close, you can see the rope that I’m hooked into, going across the creek

I went to college in western New York, where there are tons of creeks, rivers, and waterfalls. We had a series of waterfalls on a creek not far from our school, and it was a great place to go just for the sake of appreciating the outdoors. It was fun to go swimming there at the start of the school year in August or September, but it was such a nice place that we came up with other stuff to do there that didn’t involve swimming.

I had some rock-climbing ropes and gear, and we decided to try to make a zipline across the creek. It would be so cool to stand at the top of one of the falls and jump off, then go sliding along the rope across the creek in front of the waterfall.

As it turns out, I only had enough gear to tease us into thinking it was possible. I was able to make anchors on both sides of the creek, but we couldn’t get the rope tight enough. If I had jumped off the ledge, I would’ve started zipping across the creek, only to have my weight make the rope sag, and I would’ve slid right into the water.

It wasn’t a bad idea to try out, but it wasn’t feasible with the equipment I had on hand. If the rope was longer, I could’ve anchored it higher on the uphill side and increased the descent slope. Alternatively, if I had some ascenders, we could’ve pulled the rope tighter and had less of a problem with sag. Either way, I likely would’ve ended up in the water anyway.

I don’t share this story with you because the outing was a resounding success. In fact, at the end of the day, I didn’t have a whole lot to show for it, other than these pictures. This near-adventure, however, added to an expanding pool of experience from which I could draw during future adventures. As the saying goes, “good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.”

Some of you might be hesitant to give something a try, even if it’s something you’d ultimately like to do. Don’t let your fear of failure hold you back. Even if you’re not completely successful, it could add to your knowledge base for the next trial.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” –Thomas Edison, on making the first electric light bulb

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Well Sure, But That’s Already Been Done

Photo courtesy of theconversation.com

We live in a capitalist country that’s driven by creativity and innovation. “The way we’ve always done it” only lasts until someone comes up with a better way to do it.

Did you know that Kodak invented the world’s first digital camera in 1975? Even though it doesn’t sound right, that’s true. But the digital cameras that we know didn’t become popular until the late 1990s or early 2000s. Why such a discrepancy? You’ll never believe it. Kodak sat on the technology because executives thought it would drive them out of the film business.

Back when film was the way we did pictures, Kodak had a major market share of that industry. The company let one of its employees try some hare-brained experiment with digital technology, and he was actually able to take digital pictures in the lab. Rather than play this hand and better position itself for the future, Kodak focused only on the present business environment and buried the technology. Instead of looking where it could go, it tried to prevent the present day from turning into tomorrow.

There are many Christians guilty of the same line of thinking. I understand that traditions are very important, but that doesn’t give license to sacrifice effort to reach people with the news of what Christ has done for them. The church should not be the guardian of tradition unless the tradition we’re talking about is inventing new ways to reach the lost. Solidify evangelism as the tradition, then foster and encourage new ways of doing it.

The church is not made of buildings, it’s made of people. The way people in society interact today is different from the way they interacted 10, 20, or 30 years ago. Looking forward from where we are now, the way people interact will likely continue to change in the future. Speaking generally, Millenials or members of Generation Z think and interact much differently from Baby Boomers or the Silent Generation. Is it something to bemoan? Maybe, maybe not; I think it’s just the reality to which we must adapt. It’s an opportunity for Christians to innovate new methods by which they spread the news. Christians should think like corporate marketers: how can we spread the message of Christ in an effective manner?

By way of example, one of my spiritual gifts is exhortation, and one of my talents is writing. A hundred years ago, that combination would result in something that looks very different from the blog I write today. Back then it might have been a regular column in a newspaper or magazine, or maybe a book of some kind. The modern version is something that’s available for anyone in the world to see. While the methods are different, the goal is the same: encourage readers to live a life of higher impact for Christ using the gifts, talents, and resources entrusted to them. In light of that example, visualize the things you can do, and how you can do them differently than the way they’ve already been done.

As long as we spread the message, it will take root where and when God wants it to. We’re commanded to spread the word and make disciples of all nations, including our own. In a world where everything is relative, there are people that are hungry for truth. What part will you play in delivering that truth to them?

Programming note: between Memorial Day and Labor Day, I’ll be cutting back to posts once a week for most of the time. It’s too early to tell, but that might become permanent. Thanks for reading!

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What Level of Talent Are We Talking?

In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus tells a few different parables to describe the period of time where we wait for the second coming. After telling a story about not knowing when it will occur, He launches into a story about how we’re supposed to act while we’re waiting. It’s the parable of the talents.

In this case a talent is not a “skill.” Here it’s a weight measurement. Before coins were used widely, it was common to use measures of weight for paying amounts of precious metals during transactions. A talent is about 75 pounds, and the most common precious metal used back then was silver. In the context of the passage, we can consider a talent about 20 year’s worth of minimum wage.

Jesus wants to drive home a point each time He uses a parable. In this one He’s stressing that it’s important not to rest on our laurels in terms of building God’s kingdom while we pass through this life. In the story we have a rich man who’s heading out of town for an undetermined amount of time. He calls three of his servants together and entrusts each of them with a large amount of money (five talents, two talents, or one talent), each according to his ability. Each servant is to work at growing the value of the money he’s been entrusted with while the master is away.

The master eventually returns, and he calls everyone together to see what they’ve been able to accomplish. Both the five-talent and the two-talent servants had gone out, worked hard, and doubled the boss’s money, and he praised them both for it. The third guy hadn’t even tried. He went out and hid the money, rather than even bother to put it in the bank where the boss could collect interest off of the deposit. The one-talent servant started making excuses, portraying himself as being afraid of the ruthless opportunist that he calls his master.

“So let me get this straight,” says the master. “You think I’m a ruthless opportunist…you fear what I’m going to do when I find out how little you’ve done…and still the best you can do is dig a hole and hide the money in the ground somewhere? You didn’t even take the time to go put it in the bank so I could collect interest?” The master takes the talent from this guy, who has proven himself incapable of handling this amount of responsibility, and gives it to the five-talent (now 10-talent) servant, who has demonstrated his ability to handle it.

There are a few things I think are interesting about this parable.

First off, the two diligent servants received exactly the same reward, even though they brought different amounts for their boss. This demonstrates that the reward is based on faithfulness, not results. No matter how little (or how much) you have, be faithful with it. Even if you don’t think it’s much, God can do big things with it if you devote it to God’s plan (remember that Christ used a kid’s lunch to feed a crowd of at least 5,000). It’s important to remember that the master gave to them according to their ability. No matter how much you’ve got, be faithful with it.

Secondly, this parable illustrates the idea that as you prove yourself capable of handling responsibility, you’re entrusted with more of it. When the master gave to them according to their ability, he did it with at least the partial intent to develop and grow their ability. Remember that God doesn’t need to see you demonstrate your ability to do something; He already knows better than you what you’re capable of. Demonstrating an ability to handle responsibility is more for you than for Him. At the end of this parable, there was a servant with 11 talents, a servant with four talents, and a servant with no talents. Just from the few verses we see about these men, we know that the first two didn’t always oversee the amount they eventually ended up with. Looking at your own life, have you grown in trust and capability, to the point where you can look back at past experiences and see how they helped lead to areas of greater responsibility later in life? With your current level of faithfulness, might you one day be placed in charge of 20, or even 50 talents?

This is a parable about the tragedy of missed opportunities. Our King, the master in the parable, is coming one day. We’ll be called to account for the things that have been entrusted to us, and we’ll be held responsible for the faithfulness we’re now demonstrating. In light of that accounting, will you be happy to see the Master return, or are there changes you need to make first?



Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV)
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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There’s A Way Out

I took a class one time that required me to read a book about traffic. Living in the DC area, I have plenty of opportunities to observe traffic firsthand, so the book helped explain some of the things I see regularly.

One of the concepts that stuck with me is the notion that many car accidents happen when people fixate on the bad situation they’re heading into. If you see that you’re about to impact something, and it’s all you focus on, it’s all but certain that it will happen. You go where your eyes look.

On the flip side, drivers avoid many accidents by focusing on the way out. If you can’t stop the vehicle in time, the only way to avoid an impact is to find another way out. Again, you go where your eyes look.

Reading this book may have helped me avoid an accident once. I was driving our family somewhere, and I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have. We came around a downhill curve, approaching traffic that was slowing to stop at a traffic light. The gap between us and the car in front of us closed quicker than I anticipated. I stomped on the brakes, but we weren’t going to stop in time. As crazy as it sounds, in a flash I remembered that lesson from the book, and my eyes looked left and right instead of fixating on the looming bumper. I swerved to avoid the car, spilling over into the next lane. Thankfully the spot in the lane right next to us was empty and the vehicle in whose way we just jumped stopped in time.

I’m glad I did my reading assignments for that class.

Sin is a lot like that. We all struggle with it in some way. Some sins are recurring, while others you didn’t even see coming. It could be an addiction, or it could be the result of a heart that’s bitter or holds grudges. Whatever it is, it seems like all it takes is the blink of an eye before you’ve messed up again.

Take heart, though. There’s some good news in the book of 1 Corinthians:

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. -1 Corinthians 10:13

You haven’t been tempted beyond what you can bear, but there’s another round of temptation coming your way. When it does, instead of fixating on the impact, look for the way out, because there’s going to be one.

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