The Tension.....

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I was listening to a podcast and it was discussing "problems" vs "tensions that need to be managed".


I thought it was a great insight. It was talking about it is correlation to an organization, but I think it has deeper personal/individual implications.

The speaker was addressing that there are problems. Problems are things that need resolution. There is a right and there is wrong. There is finite length to that problem. It isn't eternal.

Then there are "tensions" that need to be managed. They differ from problems because there isn't resolution. They aren't black and white. They are ongoing, and if they are diffused temporarily....they return.

They need to be managed.

I know I've sat in staff meetings, planning conferences, pow wow's, planning periods, etc trying to solve tensions only to be incredible frustrated that they kept rearing their "ugly" head.

THE PROBLEM WAS THEY WEREN'T PROBLEMS.

Problems don't have mature/well-thought-out-counter-points. Problems don't have more questions than answers. If you are dealing with things in your life that do....they are tensions.

and guess what????..... They are healthy for you. You need the counter position to your position. You need that debate. That debate needs you.

Tensions are healthy because they are "gut checks" to see if you/we/them are doing the right things. Tensions are healthy because they combat the inertia that we all struggle with. Tensions are healthy because they are agents of change...they create emotions....which lead to motion.

Think about the situations in your life that you struggle with or those that seem to be cyclical...

.....those are tensions.... they are not looking for solutions.... they are looking for you to manage them..... to readdress as things change..... as you change.

Again this isn't ground breaking, it's defining. Knowing what something "is" is just as important as knowing what something "isn't".

Quit trying to alleviate all the "problems" because some of them aren't "problems" to begin with, they are _________ that you were put here on the Earth to use your energy/soul/genius/daemon on.

Simply Constructive. Never Destructive.

I Spy With My little Eye....

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Something.....holy.


I read Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell about 18 months ago and one of the things that I remember (which by now has fused together with some other readings) is that one of our objectives as believers is to "spy with our little eyes something holy"

That objective is Tour Guiding.

We are all on this ride called "life", some lives are traveling faster and some slower. Some are in remote locations. Some are in plain sight of millions. Some are through the eyes of a 5 year old while others are through eyes that have seen many more years.

We are all experiencing it. We can't dilute it. We can't deny it. What we can do is point IT out.

You see the holy spirit resides in everything. E-V-E-R-Y-THING. The best thing you can think of and the worst thing you can think of.

As you mature in your faith you start to see it more and more. The presence becomes more and more prevalent in everything. Your job, therefore, is to point it out.

God doesn't bless us with His presence, because He is present everywhere. God blesses us with us realizing His presence.

You should look, point, and say "On your left you will see God helping that woman cross the street and on your right you'll see God holding that door open for that lady in the wheelchair".

Don't ask God to join you where you are, ask God for you to join Him.

Simple Nuance, Bigger Understanding.

What's Rich.....better Yet, Who's Rich?

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I'm going out on a limb. A stretch if you will on this thought....


But....

I define "rich" as something deeper than abundance or wealth. I understand that if I asked people who is rich, they (MOST) would answer with someone who has a lot of something (usually money).

I see it differently. I believe that I'm rich and poor at the same time. I think we are all rich and poor.

I see "rich" as possessing something that is scarce, not abundant to most, even missed by most.

I understand Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, heck even Jimmy Buffett are financially "rich".
......monetarily that is

But so are many many others, just not in the financial sense.

With the obesity rate shooting through the roof
......the healthy are rich

With the economy at the mercy of the market
......educators are rich

With families more distant
......the family that doesn't eat in front of the TV is rich

With text messaging and facebook growing daily
.......the ones that can talk are rich

With people expecting Google to answer every question from who won the War of 1812 to what are some verses on patience
.......the ones who know without looking them up are rich

With outsourcing of everything from cleaning your house, putting up your lights, to making your meals
.......the people that are self sufficient are rich

Rich is holding something valuable, which is debatable. Rich is understanding you're rich. Rich is not holding it up so others can see it (because everyone does it already....not scarce at all). Rich is you and your value that some may see and some may not, but you become richer from that insight.

Don't flaunt that which you possess that is scarce. Thank God for it and ask him how you can use/share it.

Mixed Messages

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So I was watching TV the other day and I saw a commercial (rare because of DVR). I laughed at the commercial because it confused me.

It started out with a musical number of 2 kids being bored and then the dad starts into song about using your imagination. It was silly, stupid.....whatever. Then the commercial turns into an advertisement for Netflix on the Wii. ????

Really???

Use your imagination by staring at a screen?

I think the truth is the paradox. I think that we are always sending mixed messages in our own lives.

.....we are creatures of mystery
.....we are paradoxes
.....we are reflections of our creator

I think that we do send mixed messages and this frustrates people, but it's real. We are not simple.

Sometimes we hate and love something at the same time.
Sometimes we want something we don't really want.
Sometimes we need something we don't really need.
And the obvious, we don't want what we need & we want what we don't need.

People hate the vague and that which isn't concrete, but our heart sways, changes, and acts out beyond our comprehension.

If you disagree, name someone that didn't contradict themselves....didn't confuse you by their actions....etc.

What messages are you sending people right now?
How are your actions backing it up?

-I've had people in my life tell me they love me, but then ignore me.
-I've had people in my life tell me they don't care what we do, but then get ticked when we don't do what they wanted to do?
-I've had people tell me that they want to know more, but then refuse to receive more.

You can get frustrated/mad/annoyed by others or you can be honest about where you do it and start there.

Chazown - What's your Vision

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Do you have one?... a vision that is...


You may think that it isn't important or irrelevant or something you will get when the time is right, you may be wasting time/your life/my time.

Do you understand that how you see things that are yet to come completely dictates what you are doing right now? You see redemption, you redeem. You see pain, you aid that destruction.

God is bringing it back, not sexy, but it. Read Revelations 21 & 22.

It isn't abstract or distant, it's here.

If what you are watching/hearing/seeing/listening to/reading/bobbing your head to is causing you to see the worst, guess what?.... the worst will come your way.

If those same influences are bringing you to a place that sees healing/love/restoration, guess what?.... You are going to see amazing/beautiful things. You are going to see God.

If you want more, read Phil 4:8 and see more.

love, me

Who's your Daddy

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I was in a conversation and the question of authority kept creeping into the conversation and I had to ask myself "who determines what is authoritative?". Honestly????


The Bible, this Commentary, that Commentary, this Sermon, That Message, THIS Book, AHHHHH!!!!!

I could find a opposing "authority" to almost anything.

Your doctrine is the Truth, well..... what about the preacher down the street that went to seminary too and believes/preaches/teaches the exact opposite.

The Bible is obviously not the authority, because we (Christians) all use it and we all disagree. That doesn't seem very authoritative at all.

.....Or if it is, it isn't a good authority, or it is a good authority and we are all rebellious to that authority.

Semantics galore.... The fuse pops and the smoke clears for me to understand that the Bible isn't the authority, my pastor isn't the authority, and I'm definitely NOT the authority.

God is the authority. Period.

Follow God and it might look different for you than it looks for someone else. Except it and move on.

The Book of Acts might speak to you, maybe the Book of Amos, maybe Velvet Elvis, maybe Joel Olsteen, maybe your local pastor. Great, but don't push them like they are the authority. They are guides for you to help you understand/grasp/recognize/love what is authority.

Maybe the next time someone asks you what are you influences, maybe the short answer is God.

EgoCentric - Attack of the Me Monster

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I was listening to a sermon this morning and the pastor kept reiterating a point about the fact that there are multiple ways that people read the Bible.


He stated that some were better than others, and that different angles provided a different result.

Most of the sermon didn't "land" on me because it was a lot of things that I'd heard/read/seen/experienced before and I didn't see it as all that groundbreaking, but there is ONE point that was emphasized again and again that I thought was worth repeating myself.

"Do you read the Bible thinking it's talking about you, or do you read the Bible thinking it's talking about Jesus/God?"

I heard this and didn't have an answer, or maybe I did and I immediately understood that it wasn't the right answer.
-How do I read the Bible?
-Do I see it as a manual or a "play book" for my life?
-Do I concentrate on me when I read?
-Do I read it for personal gain?
-Do I read it "expecting" something in return? (ouch...)

I struggle with this, and yes, I understand that some of the audience of Paul's letters are to Christians/Unbelievers/people-in-general. I understand that the we are to imitate the nature of Jesus/God to best of our ability and understanding. I understand that the Bible is written and canonized for us to experience God.

But....

I think there is something dangerous about reading it with myself in mind. I should read it with God being the entire focus.

If I understand God, then my purpose (my chazown) will be understood.

the "gap"

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I find its hard to understand people, this includes myself of course, and their actions.


There is a confusion that people have about who they are and who they want to be. The "gap" between those two things creates internal friction. That friction, then bubbles up to the surface, and becomes external friction.

The irony/paradox/sadness is that this friction creates a larger "gap" than the original "gap". I think we need to be patient with people (and ourselves) and help those that will listen see who they are, while helping them achieve who they want to be.

I read Ephesians and realize that "gap" doesn't need to be so detrimental to our soul. The "gap" isn't necessarily a bad thing. The difference creates movement and helps us fight the struggles we have at time with apathy. Inertia can be bad.

So.... observe the "gap" between who you are and who you want to be.... be honest that it exists.... be honest about yourself.... and don't let the "gap" grow so large that it cripples you

Love, ry

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