2 Corinthians 8:8-15
I had my yearly performance review at work yesterday. I came out really well on it. Better than I expected, actually. The proceedings took just under 40 minutes and I was a little embarrassed when it was over. I won't go into details here, only to say that I wasn't necessarily thinking about what was being said during the meeting. I certainly wasn't ignoring the topic at hand, but my thoughts were leaning more toward the effort that I expended to get these "Exceeds" marks. Looking back, I feel like it came at the expense of other areas of my life.
What if we had a yearly meeting with God? What would His review of our performance be and where would our "areas of opportunity" fall? We should know what kind of boss He is and what his expectations are, but do we? I don't. I try to read His word and pay attention to those who know more than I do. There is a lot of Scripture and it's not always clear, no matter what translation you use. The metrics aren't as clearly advertised as they are in the world. Here, we have to contend with all manner of graphs, charts and spreadsheets that tell us, good or bad, where we are at any given second of the day. This pervasive data can derail even the best intentions at times. I'm not saying that we should ignore them, but there is a time and place for it.
The review I had yesterday served to both confirm my actions and help me to see areas of opportunity not just in the workplace but in my life outside those walls. Now that I know my path is straight and leading toward a successful career, I can step back and take a look at other areas that need attention. Prayer and thoughtfulness will go a long way toward this for me.
An unorthodox inbox filled with fit-lit, paleo/zone eating, faith exploring, and family life. Oh, and soccer.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Techy Guy
(This will appear, in one form or another, in our church's online devotional. This is a draft and expresses my thoughts on the subject of technology and its role in our lives. Enjoy!)
[Reference points: Genesis 11 & Acts 8:9-25]
I've always been enamored with technology. As a kid, I built smart phones and tablets with cardboard and masking tape. My designs were based on what I found on Star Trek mostly, and that imagination has never left me. Now, as an adult, I have access to more or less the same devices I was creating in the 80s and 90s. Our first family cell phone was carried in a foot long shaving kit bag (a rather MacGuyver-esque measure that wouldn’t pass today).
As I got older, the magic and wonder of technology became something less than magical and about as wonderful as a piece of plastic can get. No longer was it about being wowed with the flickering images and neat little games, but about getting things done and keeping track of all the elements in my life. Yet another childhood fantasy squashed under the weight of adulthood. Now, with a crick in my neck, I peruse the Internet reading anything and everything I can get my hands on. This comes mostly at the expense of spending quality time with my wife and daughter.
I wrote the first draft of this on my smart phone, with my voice. I edited it on my desktop computer within a minute of loading it to "the cloud." Sounds fantastic, right? Certainly we've become familiar with these terms and techniques of information creation and manipulation. That's part of what makes this era we live in so great. With that develop many a distraction. I have logged on to Facebook with the intention of sending someone a quick note and found myself an hour later having 1) not sent the note and 2) up 2-0 against my A.I. opponent in a soccer match. Distraction has become theTower of Babel
My smart phone has everything. My Bible, checkbook, and calendar are mere taps away. I can tell you who guest starred in the season three premiere of Miami Vice in 1986 (Liam Neeson) and what the Tea Pot Dome Scandal was about (um, actually I still don't know). All these little magic tricks turn out to create a great self image and with unlimited data plans, the price is right! I pay for magic and my parlor tricks yield fantastic conversation but little in the way of substance.
God has been showing me lately that parlor tricks aren't what He deals in. His methods are nothing short of miraculous, but as long as there are distractions we cannot be attentive to His Word. Whether we're using technology for good or ill, it's something that can capture the attention and hold it in a death grip that won't allow us to truly communicate with those who matter.
[Reference points: Genesis 11 & Acts 8:9-25]
I've always been enamored with technology. As a kid, I built smart phones and tablets with cardboard and masking tape. My designs were based on what I found on Star Trek mostly, and that imagination has never left me. Now, as an adult, I have access to more or less the same devices I was creating in the 80s and 90s. Our first family cell phone was carried in a foot long shaving kit bag (a rather MacGuyver-esque measure that wouldn’t pass today).
As I got older, the magic and wonder of technology became something less than magical and about as wonderful as a piece of plastic can get. No longer was it about being wowed with the flickering images and neat little games, but about getting things done and keeping track of all the elements in my life. Yet another childhood fantasy squashed under the weight of adulthood. Now, with a crick in my neck, I peruse the Internet reading anything and everything I can get my hands on. This comes mostly at the expense of spending quality time with my wife and daughter.
I wrote the first draft of this on my smart phone, with my voice. I edited it on my desktop computer within a minute of loading it to "the cloud." Sounds fantastic, right? Certainly we've become familiar with these terms and techniques of information creation and manipulation. That's part of what makes this era we live in so great. With that develop many a distraction. I have logged on to Facebook with the intention of sending someone a quick note and found myself an hour later having 1) not sent the note and 2) up 2-0 against my A.I. opponent in a soccer match. Distraction has become the
My smart phone has everything. My Bible, checkbook, and calendar are mere taps away. I can tell you who guest starred in the season three premiere of Miami Vice in 1986 (Liam Neeson) and what the Tea Pot Dome Scandal was about (um, actually I still don't know). All these little magic tricks turn out to create a great self image and with unlimited data plans, the price is right! I pay for magic and my parlor tricks yield fantastic conversation but little in the way of substance.
God has been showing me lately that parlor tricks aren't what He deals in. His methods are nothing short of miraculous, but as long as there are distractions we cannot be attentive to His Word. Whether we're using technology for good or ill, it's something that can capture the attention and hold it in a death grip that won't allow us to truly communicate with those who matter.
Being Lied To...
Up until, oh I don't know, 22 hours ago, I honestly believed that my time on this planet was limited. I felt that each birthday brought me just a little closer to death. And it wasn't in the normal sense, that "you've been dying since the day you were born" way that people think about it. No. I really thought that when I turned 35 I was a goner. I was on a timed course and always felt like I wasn't going to finish everything I wanted to before the lights went out.
So, why today? Keep reading.
My wife and I had a great conversation today. It was one of those mind blowing ones wherein a lot gets done. When I say "a lot" I mean that I ironed something out in there that I never thought I would tell another person. And now here I am writing it down in my public secret journal. At any given moment, I only read about half of anything that's in front of me. I'm a skimmer. What's worse is that I determine that I know where the text is taking me and just stop. I assume that I know the end.
"That's arrogant." My wife said. If it was anyone else, I'd punch them for such a slight. But when she said it, it rang very true to me.
I see Maddie at five years old and it makes me think. I was about her age when my dad died. I am able to look back at that time and remember fragments of things that happened to me. I can see glimpses of myself in her and am able to see how such a lie could have found a foothold in me. How it's stayed this long is a testament to the ferocious and destructive quality of Satan's power over the human mind. A 33 year old man should not believe that he knows when his time is up, but I did for 26 years. With that "knowledge" I effectively blocked anything God would attempt to tell me. I knew better, I thought. I was unteachable because I believed that I had all the answers. Thank goodness I have learned that I know nothing!
As I write this, I'm determined that change that behavior. In taking care of myself and having been fed a good dose of reality, I can now with all honesty admit that I was lied to as a child. That lie carried into my adulthood and having it out in public has broken that bondage I was in for so long. I have lost so much time worrying about things, never finishing in favor of consuming only half of what is laid before me. It has to stop now! Satan has kept me in the gray area, half understanding anything and not having the drive to complete my total transformation! What an a**hole!
Today, beginning with this declaration, I am moving toward "whole." What does that mean? No one but God knows for sure.
So, why today? Keep reading.
My wife and I had a great conversation today. It was one of those mind blowing ones wherein a lot gets done. When I say "a lot" I mean that I ironed something out in there that I never thought I would tell another person. And now here I am writing it down in my public secret journal. At any given moment, I only read about half of anything that's in front of me. I'm a skimmer. What's worse is that I determine that I know where the text is taking me and just stop. I assume that I know the end.
"That's arrogant." My wife said. If it was anyone else, I'd punch them for such a slight. But when she said it, it rang very true to me.
I see Maddie at five years old and it makes me think. I was about her age when my dad died. I am able to look back at that time and remember fragments of things that happened to me. I can see glimpses of myself in her and am able to see how such a lie could have found a foothold in me. How it's stayed this long is a testament to the ferocious and destructive quality of Satan's power over the human mind. A 33 year old man should not believe that he knows when his time is up, but I did for 26 years. With that "knowledge" I effectively blocked anything God would attempt to tell me. I knew better, I thought. I was unteachable because I believed that I had all the answers. Thank goodness I have learned that I know nothing!
As I write this, I'm determined that change that behavior. In taking care of myself and having been fed a good dose of reality, I can now with all honesty admit that I was lied to as a child. That lie carried into my adulthood and having it out in public has broken that bondage I was in for so long. I have lost so much time worrying about things, never finishing in favor of consuming only half of what is laid before me. It has to stop now! Satan has kept me in the gray area, half understanding anything and not having the drive to complete my total transformation! What an a**hole!
Today, beginning with this declaration, I am moving toward "whole." What does that mean? No one but God knows for sure.
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