Young and Old

One difference between when you are young and when you are old is the ability to stay up late. In fact, more than just the ability but also your attitude about it. When you are young, staying up past midnight, three nights in a row, is worn like a badge of courage and honor. Once older, staying up past midnight, just one night is ample reason to moan and complain.

Another difference is the effect of caffeine. I used to sleep with a Dr. Pepper can on my headboard. Now if I drink a glass of tea with dinner I may have trouble sleeping!

Without sacrifice...

there is no love.

This is not meant to be a cheesy Valentine's Day post.  Just something that was reveled to me last week sometime.  

So, to have love there must be sacrifice.  First forget about the human/personal/relationship definition. Let's say you LOVE CocoKrispies.  You have to sacrifice eating other cereals like AppleJacks, Trixs or any other sugary breakfast goodness.  You also would have sacrifice some of your health and well-being.

What if you LOVE a certain car?  Let's say the new Chevy Camero.  If you truly LOVE it, you will probably own one.  In owning a new Camero, you would sacrifice some money (about $25k-$45k). You would also sacrifice the ability to haul a trailer or move plywood.  

LOVE your wife and kids, there are sacrifices to make.  LOVE God, other sacrifices to make.  The word 'sacrifice' kind of has a negative connotation, but it's not negative.  It is just a trade of one thing for another.  For LOVE, it means trading something you don't want for something you do want.

With LOVE, you must sacrifice.  They are sometimes easy sacrifices, sometimes they are more difficult.  I am not a 'perfect practitioner' of this idea, but being aware of it may help?!?

 

PB&J

1. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches should be a dessert.

Whoever snuck this through the 'menu police' was a genius.  How can you take something that sweet and call it a meal?

'and for dessert we have a Creme Brulee topped with wild raspberries or we have the Peanut Butter      and Jelly Sandwich, made with Jiffy and Smuckers'

C3 2010

Last year was the first time I attended an entire C3 conference.  I had been to one or two sessions about 4 years ago, before I knew what relevant church was all about.  After last year, I am very much looking forward to going this year. 

I have never been in one location with so many expert orators.  Nevermind that they are amazing innovators in the modern church world.  They can just flat out speak.  Everyone I heard last year, in their own unique way, was able to get their point across with such vivid clarity.  It's no wonder they are leading some of the largest churches in America.  

Steven Furtick, Christine Cain, Jenzen Franklin and Craig Groeschel were there in 2009.  Some will be returning, some will be new.  No matter what, its going to be good and I am looking forward to it.     


Whatcha Talkin' About

Why Cmd-C?

Cmd = Command in Apple talk.  Similar to the 'control' key in the Windows world.  Used for shortcut keystrokes, my favorite of which is Cmd-C or 'Copy'.  The 'Copy' function is invaluable.  When used with its partner 'Paste', it can be used for moving text and files around drives.  It also works in Adobe design programs for applying effects, textures, keystrokes and a ton of other options.

The Command Key was originally the Apple Key.  The Apple Key was added in 1980 to be used for keyboard shortcuts.  Around 1984, Steve Jobs felt like having 'Apple-everthing' in software menus was over-branding, so they came up with the cloverleaf-like symbol.

 

I think 'Copy' gets a bad wrap.  It's the sincerest form of flattery, or something like that.  In a world of great ideas, why does the wheel have to be re-invented over and over again?  So, one of the purposes of this blog is to catalog good ideas that I come across, sprinkled with some of my own original thoughts.

There aren't that many original ideas out there. 

     -Steve Wynn  

Skeptic

Top Three Things I am skeptical of:

3. Vehicles with more than 6 bumper stickers.  So, I get if you are passionate about something and want to promote it from the rear of your car, truck or SUV.  But there should be a limit to the number allowed.  Can you really care that much about your alma matter, your kids swim team, the place you vacation, your favorite NASCAR number, a witty (slightly offensive) saying, and the political party you voted for 3 years ago.  Pick one or two and be done.

2. 24 Hour News Channels.  You cannot convince me that there is enough NOTEWORTHY news to be reported on 24 hours everyday, 365 days a year...and 366 in a leap year.  I believe that on the occasion of an important, developing story, CNN, FoxNEWS, CSPAN, MSNBC etc. do serve a purpose.  All the other times they should play a looping aquarium or fireplace video.

1. Talk Radio Personalities.  Now, I know you are thinking this has some sort of political slant, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.  Nonetheless, there is not 3 hours of important things to talk about everyday, 365 days a year...366 in leap year.  If it was volunteer work, and you were that passionate about it...I could listen.  But since their paycheck is directly related to how much they talk, they cannot just come on the air one day and say, "Well, I covered pretty much everything yesterday.  See ya tomorrow".   SO, they have to find things to rant and rave about to keep food on their table.  

I guess when you boil down my skepticism, it has to do with passion.  I totally can follow and am myself passionate about a few things.  God, my family. (And try to live like that everyday.) But when 'passion' gets spread so thin that it covers the back of your SUV, or is required 24/7 about minuscule things, just to get paid; I am skeptical.     

In The Begining

So, lets start this thing. Don't know what this will turn out to be. Mainly stuff in my brain. Hopefully once it is forever captured on a BLOG, it can be released from my memory and I will be able to sleep better. (not that I can't sleep, just can't shut the brain off sometimes).