To Bind and Loose....

That's how I feel after trying and trying to combat something in my life that I know I need to fix, adjust, or work on.

Well, let me rephrase that. Your systems are "perfect" at getting the results you are currently getting.

This is a business/leadership concept, but it is true in many/most aspects of life.

Your attitude: the system is a combination of your environment, your habits, your perspective, etc.

- It is perfect for creating the attitude you have right now.

Your body: your eating habits, your sleeping habits, stress, your DNA, your age, etc

- Your body is the perfect body for the system you have

Your knowledge: your IQ, your curiosity, your childhood environment, your drive, your sleeping/diet, etc.

- It's perfect. How much you know is just the right amount for the system.

The thing is we try to change these major things (ie. attitude, body, knowledge plus numerous others) all the time, but we won't acknowledge that the results we are getting are "perfect". We need to either change something systematically, or just be happy that we have what should be.

**I realize that somethings are out of my control (like DNA or childhood environment), but there are still variables in the system that I can control. **

You are "perfect", but if you don't like that version of "perfect", start taking a little more proactive approach to the simple things in life.

With "Perfection".

Those of us that are driving know we have permission to make a "right on red". It's okay. You have permission. You just have to be observant of what's going around you, but you're good.

I feel this permission is granted as well for you to "write on what you've read". I think you are entitled to express your perspective if you done the work of reading the material. I think we need you to do so.

Imagine you are in traffic and the car in front of you is going to make a right, has an opportunity, and doesn't. They are just waiting for the permission and safety of the green light (the "okay"). You, who are behind them, need them to take the risk to get where you are going.

The same applies to us moving thoughts forward. You need me to write on what I've read, but more importantly, I need others to write too. I can't move if you don't.

With Permission.

doesn't alway mean you should.

You hear this in many aspects of your life.

You can....

.....hurt someone

.....steal something

.....lie about anything

It's really easy to make this case. Anyone trying to move their lives to be lived more ethically would probably agree on most of these discussions, but what about dealing with things you can do for God?

It's tough, but I would still argue that just because you can doesn't necessarily mean you should.

I'm starting to realize this more and more everyday. Just because I can isn't good enough. I can do a lot of things, and I would argue that I can do anything I want for God, but is it wise.

Some can preach, doesn't mean they should.

Some can work with youth, doesn't mean they should.

Some can read the Bible alone, doesn't mean they should.

There is point where our abilities get in the way of God sufficiencies.

With Humility.

It's tough sometimes. It's tough if you've every try to make people happy, because the truth is that the same thing that make someone happy, makes someone else angry.

If you're confident, some will follow you, others will call you cocky.

If you're forgiving, some will appreciate your benevolence, others will tell you you're a "push-over".

If you take care of you're body/health, some will be happy for you (maybe even inspired), others will call you a "show-off"

The truth is we all experience this. People are trying to change us to either make us better people, or are trying to change us to make them feel like better people.

So you have to choose sometimes.

***I'd recommend look out for those that want you to conform to them, when they aren't even happy with who they are.*** Why would you ever conform to them?

With Humility.

...not close for comfort

There is a small nuance that makes a huge difference.

We love to be in the "in". It's comfortable.

The problem is that we are not very aware. Comfortability doesn't birth awareness, it breeds content. If you are too "_________", step away.

It is all dangerous to be too close....even church or family. I've seen too many people that become too "_______"

.....liberal

.....conservative

.....religious

.....American

The only exception to this is God. You should always move towards God.

And the fact that liberal thought, conservative thought, the United States, your church, your family, etc isn't God, you may be doing yourself a huge favor.

With Humility.

I have ears.

I think we'd all agree with that. No one disputes it.

I think where the argument occurs is when I say I have an "ear" for this (or that).

Blake and I were having one of our many tangent discussions, and he pointed out that he doesn't have an "ear" for messages/sermons/speeches like I do. I know this is true, yet I also know that I don't have an "ear" for music like he does.

He knows when he hears a good speech and I know when I hear a song I enjoy. The difference: we don't always know why we do or don't like them. I can pick apart a message (the good and the bad) because I speak and I listen to tons of messages. Blake can do the same with music.

It's not like I don't appreciate other "arts", I just can't always explain why.

I know that the things I study in life create radars, and radars are good at picking up signals. I know when I hear something silly, stupid, fascinating, deep, etc.

What do you study? Better yet, what don't you study and how does that affect you?

With Humility.

Which one would you prefer more?


The event. The show. The one time experience that you'll tell the stories about.

Which one would you prefer more?


The event. The show. The one time experience that you'll tell the stories about.

whoever. The idea, the quote, the line of thinking.

People are always quick to point out that I just got an idea or the inspiration from someone/something else.

Fine. (I know this hipster driven mentality is to be first)

I do take other peoples creativity. It's true. I do take what others have done before me and make it my own. I don't care. I don't care if I didn't come up with it first. I don't care that I'm a culmination of another persons ideas. I really don't.

The truth is I could tell you to read this or study that, and you won't.

So if I have to steal truth or something brilliant for it to reach your eyes and ears, I will. I'll gladly give credit on where I found it, but if I just tell you to watch/study/read/think-about this, and you won't, then I'm not teaching. I'm going to have to be creative on how I get it across.

That is where my genius works, in the filtering, in the repackaging, in the modeling.

With Humility.

It isn't real for starters.


There isn't a war. No one is stopping you from teaching your children about the birth of Christ.


No one. Get over the Happy Holiday's "controversy". Or the Xmas crap (X is greek for Christo).


People "throw-up" information and draw lines in the sand about this every year. It is retarded, and if that offends you, I apologize in advance.


The truth is most people don't really know the origins of the date, the holiday, and the symbolisms used around the holiday. If you aren't going to go to the library or read the more in-depth commentaries out there, at least Google "origins of __________". Start somewhere, because the truth is you're defending something that isn't really biblical as much as made by us to be symbolic. No where does God command us to defend this day.


The story is in the Eucharist and Easter.


Christmas is a fabricated day. A day I love to celebrate, and a season that has always been a blessing, but it isn't biblical so get over it. *if you cross reference scripture, the birth would of been 1-2 months earlier (min)*


Keep the Christ in Christmas....we all collectively shout. Fine


Quit going into debt (not Christ-like)
Quit spending money on people that are already rich (not Christ-like)
Stop participating in Black Friday or Cyber Monday where we fight and lust over material things (not Christ-like)
Stop pushing conformity to tradition over caring for people (not Christ-like)


"Happy Holidays" or religious pluralism in the schools isn't killing the Spirit of Christmas, we are.


If you buy just because it is the expectation of the season and you buy for people that don't really need, maybe you need to check yourself before you "flip out" on how the greeter at WalMart greets you.


Jesus Christ wasn't about consumerism, heck St. Nick was at least about giving to those in true need.


If you're going to be a sheep on this, pick a better Shepherd than false fear, misguided anger, and national media banter.


With Great Humility.

You know those little guys that sit on each shoulder, the good and the bad.

But there really isn't a shoulder angel that looks like you in all white or a shoulder devil, which is you in all red and holding a trident. These are figments of something in your mind, but they are real. They are the internal dialogue that everyone has.

People would tell you if you talk to yourself, having actual conversations, you'd be considered crazy.

Well call me crazy, because they are constant. Sometimes, however, you are crazy. You are crazy to engage in the conversaton with something that is much smarter and wittier than your thinking mind.

This voice can beat the crap out of you at times. You know it and should just leave it alone. It is wanting you to engage it, but the more defensive you become to it, the more it attacks. It can turn your words on you.

It is like Tom Cruise in "A Few Good Men".

Sometimes you will be better served in hearing the voice, acknowledge the truth it gives you, and move on. Don't stop to defend or justify yourself. You can't win, because it knows.

Call it your conscious, call it the ego, call it the Spirit, call it the Force....if you are a nerd.

It doesn't matter.

Sometimes you mess up.

This voice will let you know.

Listen and move on.

Don't relive it over and over in your head.

With Humility.

This is very simple process and it doesn't come with a lot of surprises. Not too many variables in the transaction. Gulf Coast (or some other group) has the equipment, you walk in to give it, and they are expecting you to give it.

Makes sense. They take something from you and you gladly give it.

But what if it weren't this way? What if they took it from you without you wanting to give it up? What if they took something else?

Seems silly and ridiculous. You wouldn't do it every again, right?

We do this all the time with our relationships. We are always going back to people that take what we don't want to give, or worse, they pull something out of us that makes things worse.

I know some people that are extremely negative or dramatic. I also know that if I'm around some of them, I become extremely negative or dramatic. Why? I'm not either one. Why do I let them pull this out of me? Why do I keep hanging around them? Why do we keep having the same conversations over and over?

God didn't wire me to be negative or dramatic, so I'm working against His creation when I participate in this, with these people.

May you find those that "draw" the wrong things out of you and keep them at a distance until you are equiped to influence them.

With Humility.

That's right. No "s"

We all fall prey to the idea that there is an advantage to the "many".

The "many" has a price and there is a disadvantage in "the many".

We need to see that numbers are an indicator but not the Indicator. We have become so programmed to feel comfortable doing something as long as there are a lot of people on board.

One example (though there are an infinite amount of these) - MW3 came out and no one in their right mind would agree that this extremely violent and inappropriate game is okay. But it's popular, "many" are buying it, and "many" are playing it as I type. But the game is trash. The commercials are funny and clever, but the game is trash.

How many are going to listen to me? none, maybe few.

No teenage boys are going to "like" this.

No mass quantity are going to share this.

We fall for the mass popular all the time.

Ask yourself, do I really agree with everyone because it's right or because no one is going to say I'm wrong?

With Humility.

When I run races, like a 5k or a Warrior Dash, I love when they have mile markers. Why? It doesn't change the fact that I've ran a certain distance or I have a certain distance to go. It helps (or can hurt) my mentality about where I'm at and how I'm doing.

It gives me some bearings.

Truth is we do this in life.

New Years,

Birthdays,

Christmas,

Anniversaries,

Doctor visits,

Dentist visits,

Beginning of school years,

End of school years,

Start of new relationships....

The truth is we grow because we have these events. We examine where we are in these moments, reflect of our previous actions, and set course for where we are going.

They help us get our bearings.

This is a very powerful tool, and what is awesome is that you can harness it more frequently if you decide to.

Maybe it could be every Sunday...

then every Sunday and Wednesday.....

then every evening before bed....

then every evening and morning....

then every meal....

then.....

The "mile marker" can be hard to discipline yourself to see, but the truth is they are already there. You just need to make yourself aware and adjust.....then grow.

WIth Humility.

I was driving down 2920 and I saw something for the first time, or at least I don't ever remember seeing it.

I watched as a jet did a 180 degree change in course and for a very short period I saw the wake turbulence in the sky that looked like a U. Since I was in traffic, I kept looking at it until the "U" turned into an "I". After that, if you would of looked up, you would of never known that the jet had just done what it had done.

When we look up to people.....and we all look up to people.....and we are all trying to model those people.... we see where they are at. Right now and we may see some of their past, but rarely all of it. I have people that know me well and they've seen the wake turbulence of the last 5-6 years (which is a great indicator of who I am now). But they haven't been around to experience or witness the times I've have to do a "180".

We all look at our "heroes" this way. We look at how great they are now, but haven't really witness the full "wake" of their journey.

I say this, because I work with some younger people that are ridiculously hard on themselves. This can be good at times, but I also see where it makes them apathetic because they think we've gotten where we are at without going through the turbulence.

My heart has been broken twice.

I've lost multiple family members.

I've dealt with my father go through years of depression.

I've said some out of line hurtful things to my brother.

I've bailed of trying to help my step brother and my cousin.

I've worked at places that a lot of my friends wouldn't even fill out an application to.

I've experienced things that aren't who I am today.

But I don't live in these moments, and most people don't see these in my path, because we move forward.

Maybe it's time you turn this jet around and it's hard because people aren't going to be comfortable, but I promise the future won't even see that moment you "180'ed".

With Humility.