After the game last night, their coach Bob Huggins reportedly said that the effort the team displayed was very disrespectful to West Virginians.

“I’m sure there are a lot of days they don’t want to go down in that mine, but they do.”

Hmm. That’s pretty interesting.  He was essentially saying “They go work, they do incredible hard dirty work so that you can play basketball.  How are you going to respond to that?”

I guess we could even think about it that this way: Those miners are going to work today, to harvest coal, that will be turned in electricity, that you will consume – what are you going to do with that power?  Will it be worthy of their trip?

Even more so, we can think about some one else who did the work for us, so that we didn’t have to do a thing. The book of Romans address this in several verses spread over a few chapters.

^5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

^5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

^5:11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

^6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

^6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him

^6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

In light of that work, what effort are you giving today to  live?

Anyone, for most of us Christmas is a thing of long ago.  Most of the lights are down, the bows and ribbon disposed of and the tree lays out on the curb for the city recycling program ( or stored neatly in the closet for next year!).  But take a quick moment to remember how following that star affected those dudes, and remember that when we stick with that Christ guy we also become kings – fellow heirs to his throne.  That’s royally cool stuff.

¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.Romans 8:16-17New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Pretty ridiculous really, That much joy from watching 20 year old kids play a game?  Especially when you consider that all I did was sit on my couch in my climate controlled room watching the game on my High Definition big screen TV.  I didn’t practice, I didn’t call a play, I didn’t run a play.  All I did was claim that team as my own and cheer away – and believe. (Although, I can say I was pretty nervous in the first quarter!)

And yet, the joy overflows this morning!  I wonder if it will last past the time I walk through the office doors!

Wow, sort of reminds me of something else.  Something else that I did absolutely nothing to attain, except to believe.  Something that was done for me, for free.  Something I didn’t ask for, but has been given.

 ^9-11Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah! (Romans 5:9-11 MSG)

Double Joy!  Maybe even Triple Joy!

And this joy is unstoppable.

So in reality the effects of this game will wear off – and the old Mountaineers will lose again sometime in the future(maybe), but the true joy that comes from the Messiah, the Christ is there forever.

Pretty sweet uh!

So on the way in today, I decided to place it in M and see how well I could do.  Well, it’s a wonder I did not have to have some transmission work done by the time I got to the garage!!!  Ok, not really, I did fine, but I could tell you this, I don’t usually drive a manual transmission, and both I felt totally out of control, instead of totally in control as I guess you are supposed to feel with a manual transmission. 

Of course, this made my mind wander right over to a half-baked analogy.  I immediately thought about how we want so bad to be in control of our lives so much that we shift it right on down to M and have at it.  Only to realize that we really don’t know what we are doing and end up tearing stuff up.  Life can be so much better when we set the transmission on automatic, and let the spirit handling the shifting for us.

Yes, I know, this is really close to the whole ”Jesus Take the Wheel” thing, and the analogy, if taking too far, can really start to break down.  It’s not perfect, but hang with me and get the point!  And that point today is that when we run are lives completely on manual, we usually end up making some bad decisions on when to shift and those decisions usually have unintended consequences.

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Romans 8:14 NIV

Who is doing the shifting for you today?

In the deepest part of  my mind I am still thinking about Steve Jobs.  It’s weird that his passing has impacted my thinking so much, especially since I have been a Windows user and Microsoft developer for most of my life.  But I think there are two big reasons that he is staying on the front of my mind.  First, there is not doubting his technological leadership has impacted my life in so many mays – from my the consumer aspects of my life to the way that I make money in the software industry.  The second reason is much larger.  It appears that Mr. Jobs was quite a private person, so but he has shared a lot about some principles about the way he lived his life.  I mentioned part of his perspective on death yesterday, but I also have found this bit on knowledge quite challenging.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.”

It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” Whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. – Steve Jobs

The thing I keep coming back to is that I think I have a bag full of “No” answers where I look at the day and can very well answer, this is not what I want to do or the why I want to spend the precious days I have.  It could be that it’s time for a change.

What about you?

I am not sure what that has to do with anything, but maybe you can get out and have some tacos.  I think I may make Fish Tacos tonight.

It appears it is one of those days when I don’t have much to say, but actually I do have a little bit of something for you today.

A few years ago I swore off golf, because I stink.  I don’t mean I am just a poor player, I mean I stink.  I usually play the wrong fairway – meaning that is we are traveling down the fairway on the left, my ball is over on the right fairway that should be played the other direction!

Anyway, today I am heading out to play in a golf tournament.  Everytime I think about it I start laughing out loud – literally.  Yes, literally, I laugh, not a figurative deep inside chuckle.  So, why am I doing this?  Well, this is part of my approach at two things – taking risks and being more intentional around relationships with people.

I am not playing golf today to play golf – I really don’t care how I do – good bad or ugly.  But I am concerned about developing better relationships with the guys I am playing with.  It seems to me that is really what matters in the end anyway!  And let me tell you this is a huge challenge and risk for me, because I would much rather sit in my office and type on my computer.

So today as I head into the basement and brush the spider webs off my borrowed clubs, let me remind you to pay attention to those around you and intentionally get involved in their lives.

 ¹⁹So, then, the things of peace may we pursue, and the things of building up one another; Romans 14:19Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

So yesterday I had that verse running through my head all day  – “as a man thinketh so is he”.  And then I foundeth myself adding ‘eth’ to every verb I saideth.

No, not really, let me start over.

So yesterday I had that verse running through my head all day  – “as a man thinketh so is he”. And then I would look at my thoughts – and just shake my head.  It is so amazing that I could think this verse one minute and then next thought be a thought about something so removed from what I am striving to become.

Ok, show of hands – or by adding comments ( hint hint) – who else experienced this same thing?

Well, no matter, I know I am not alone, because the writer of a huge chunk of the New Testament of the Bible says the exact same thing.

¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7 NIV

I have a feeling he was just as dismayed as I am today when he penned those words. But, just like Paul, the author of those words, we have a way of escape from this trap.

²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!  Romans 7 NIV

Yep, there’s the way out.

So, keep working to put your treasure in this Christ and I think you will see the car begin to drift in a direction you want it to go – despite this ridiculous war that is waging inside out minds.  But boy, I wish that war was not going on.

So due to that and because it’s Friday, which means that everyone is thinking about Football or the coming weekend,  here is just a simple thought for today.

I found this quote which I thought was worthy of some consideration

“Our duty as men is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist.” – Teilhard de Chardin 

It’s an interesting thought, and one that I think is even easier for those that have entrusted themselves to the Christ.  Take a look at here

¹³I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13  New International Version (NIV)

There was a nine year old girl named Rachel who for her birthday this summer, decided to forgo presents to raise money for clean water projects in developing nations.  She wanted to raise $300 and raised just a little over $200.  That’s pretty cool!

But here is the rest of the story.  A few weeks after her birthday, Rachel was traveling in her family vehicle on the interstate.  Unfortunately, there was a fourteen car pileup that her family vehicle was caught up in and she was killed.  That part really stinks.

Well, here is the real rest of the story.  The word of this little girl’s birthday wish has traveled across the country and this weekend her birthday wish has raised over $1 Million dollars for water projects!  That’s correct $1 Million!

I was watching the counter all weekend and have watched it increase $40K from Saturday morning to Monday.  It’s quite an amazing outreach from people all over the country.  It also teaches us that we don’t always understand the plans that are out there, nor what one little risky thing can do.

There are several lessons from this story I guess, I found this how situation inspiring and motivating on multiple fronts, I hope you do as well.

“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8 NIV

 

Oh and be thankful for that running water that you will use today!

Then this morning while preparing for some other work I have to do i stumbled on this post. It’s an org chart from Disney from 1943. How creative how fresh and how new.

There are so many days when life feels like an old traditional boring organization chart. Our job is to bring salt, to bring creativity and to bring a refreshing newness to each day. Of course that is always marinated in the love from the Christ.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV