INFLUENCE

We can all relate to the word influence, and easily point to hard evidence of the affects of an event or perhaps a person(s) who has influenced our lives. On the other side of the fence, we can also name events and people we've influenced in some way. Influence can be positive or negative. Influence can be earned, bought, sold, or given away freely. Influence is power. Influence can fuel change and improvement.

So who are the top influencers in the Christian community today? I came across this website recently, and you may find it interesting. Check out the top 50 influencers listed on this website and let me know if you detect some pattern in the selection process of such a list. Who has influenced the judges? If you're looking for me or Deurty in this list...we must have finished just out of the running.

http://www.thechurchreport.com/content/view/823/32/


I'll keep working toward breaking into the "top 50"

CONCERN PLUS ACTION EQUALS TRANSFORMATION

"If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching
TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than
just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares
and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are
you going to handle forever and ever in His presence...? You'd
be bored to tears in heaven, if you're not ecstatic about God
now!" Keith Green


I came across this quote today and it literally crashed into my gut like a strong right from Jack Bauer. Why do I find myself enjoying a program like "24" so much that I make and all out effort to arrange my schedule around it, or at least make sure I tape it for later enjoyment? Why do I often pickup and read a book about The Book and enjoy reading that rather than The Book? Why am I asking these questions? Maybe it's a good sign for me to be concerned about things like this, but for me, concern and action do not always go hand-in-hand...so what's up with that?

Here are a couple of questions for the day: How prepared am I to handle "forever and ever in His presence?" Why does my stomach hurt?
DOM

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

The Detroit Lions hired a new head coach and guess what...His last name starts with 'M'! What a coincidence. Mr. Millen started with Mornhinweg, then hired Mariucci, and recently hired still one more coach in his Miserable 5 year tenure as Lions president! All I can say is Mercy with a capital 'M'. The new Lions head coach, Rod Marinelli is now the official answer to the Lions' less than Mediocre performances for the better part of 45 years.

In fact Millen has really pumped this guy up. Marinelli already reminds Millen of some of the game's coaching greats when he speaks. "I hear (Joe) Paterno. I hear Bo Schembechler come out of him. There's a lot of John Madden," Millen said. Wow! This guy must be Masterful. I wonder if Millen ever checked with Madden to see if he was interested in coaching again? His name starts with the all important 'M'. Could have this just Maybe, been a gross oversight?

Millen once again pulled the trigger and this time hired a guy with no head coaching experience, and that goes all the way back and includes rocket football! Malcontent Lion fans continue to buy season tickets with their Money while Mustang builder, William Clay Ford, treats the Muddled fans like a bunch of Morons. Have I Missed something here?

What's a Man to do?

EYE IN THE SKY

The G-force and I just returned from a 5 day trip to Sierra Vista, Arizona. One of the 5 days, which were all sunny of course, and with clear blue skies, I spent 6 hours shoveling and wheelbarreling 20 tons of decorative stone. I'm guessing I did my fair share and probably moved about 4 of the 20 tons.

The stone was spread to finish a "front yard" at my daughter and son-in-law's new home. Eric, Dan, and I completed the task in record time, wishing the entire time that we had hired a couple of illegals at the local Home Depot, to handle this project. I found that there are some obvious advantages to a stone yard...no cutting, no fertilizing, no watering, no practicing your short game.

It was a great week and we had a great time hanging with our kids and Dan and Mary Anne.

Since there were no shades, blinds, or curtains in the room we slept in, we would go to sleep watching a tethered government blimp twinkle in the night. I'm sure the blimp handler's were able to peer into our room and check us out frequently. I'm also wondering if President Bush was responsible for this in order to take even more freedoms away from me. I wonder if he was also responsible for the cooler than usual temperature for that area in January...

Here's the blimp and a blurb about its purpose. I'm convinced they also use it for other purposes.



Government blimp at Fort Huachucha. This massive blimp is tethered high above the fort at Sierra Vista, Arizona. It uses radar to track drug runner planes illegally crossing our border. Several of these blimps form a protective network over our southern border. When the blimps are brought down because of high winds, illegal air traffic proceeds unimpeded.

NEW RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE

This past Saturday evening we experienced a new restaurant with our friends, Jay and Donna. The name of the restaurant was Red Robin. I must admit that the name itself did not impress me. In fact I was expecting a modern day Russ'. When we arrived, we found out that it would be a 20-30 minute wait to get a seat, but it was worth the wait. There was a lot of energy in the place, with TV monitors strategically located around the restaurant with the current NFL football playoff game. There were tons of young families and young adults, with a smattering of 50+ folks around to keep the wait staff's tip average up to an acceptable level.

Jay and I even joined a wait staff group and sang "Happy Birthday" to some young man...he looked impressed by our abilities to handle the words and choreography flawlessly.

The food was great. The strawberry malt was so-so. The atmosphere was fun, although a bit noisy for conversation. In summary, it was a good choice and I'm sure we'll go back again! Nice selection J & D!

CRISIS

"There's nothing like a good crisis to increase my energy and
remind me how much I need God." Anne Christian Buchanan

Do you think there's any truth in this quote? Should I be praying and looking forward to crisis in my life? Is it possible to realize the depth of my need for God, without a crisis?

For some reason, in God's economy, my growth in Christ is directly linked to my inability to control events and circumstances in life. The realization of this lack of control comes to the forefront primarily in crisis-type circumstances. This realization invariably leads me to my knees, and it's on those tired, sore, bony knees that I'm confronted full-on with the loving and shaping hands of my Father...Abba...Daddy.

Gotta love a purposeful crisis...
DOM

ANGER MAKES ME ANGRY

There are certain stories in the Bible that I have a difficult time fully comprehending. I came across one of those stories last week.

The story is found in II Samuel 6:6-11. A gentleman by the name of Uzzah is struck down dead by God, for being disobedient. God's commands demand full obedience and Uzzah, despite his intentions, fell short. All in all, it seems to be pretty harsh punishment for such an offense. Or was it? The Bible tells us that Uzzah (which means strength) was transporting God's Ark of the Covenant to a certain location selected by King David. Upon arrival at a certain location, Uzzah sees the oxen stumble and fearing the ark will fall, he reaches out to steady the ark and is killed immediately. Why? Here's some potential reasons...

1. He wasn't supposed to touch ark I Chron. 13:10
2. He shouldn't have been transporting it on a cart, instead should have been carrying on shoulders.
3. He wasn't a Levite?
4. There may have been other "stuff" going on in his life, that God wasn't pleased with?

King David would have some responsibility in numbers 2 and 3, but yet he survived Uzzah indiscretion. Even though David was disobedient, why did God spare him? Is this why David was angry?

What about Uzzah's heart? On the outside, he seems to look good. His intentions seem good and pure, but maybe his heart wasn't right. Only God knows.
From the story, I know that God is angry - mucho angry. I also know from His Word that God is just. It also seems so predictable that man (in this case, King David) will react with anger toward God when confronted with God's anger! Is that our default mode or what?

Bottomline: Obedience to God's commands are non-negotiable. It is pretentious for me to argue with I AM, when I know I am not.

DOM

NEW YEAR RESOLVE

It seems as though the new year begins with a fresh and clean slate, and with the beginning of each new year there's a certain excitment about the unknown future. There's also a realization that I have absolutely no clue about what lies ahead. There are, however, certain things or disciplines that I can "control." I have found that when I'm successful in concentrating on those diciplines, my reactions to the unknown and unforeseen can be more godly.

So here's my resolve for the new year...I'm calling them, Five For the Future.

1. Be more intentional and disciplined in the following key areas.
-Physically, by working out
-Spiritually, by working in
-Emotionally, by separation from work
2. Listen more and criticize less
3. Love and cherish my incredible wife as Christ loves and cherishes the church
4. Use each opportunity I have, to positively influence my children, grandchildren, and others
5. Live in the moment

DOM

PASSION

Passion is a word that pops up often. It can describe everything from love to life...which is, by the way, everything. We hear people ask each other: "What's your passion?" or "What are you really passionate about?" Another word for passion is actually three words: Reckless unbridled desire. I like passion better.

If we can help someone get a pretty good handle on their passion, we figure we can help them figure out what they should do or be. I realize this is pretty simplistic, but yet it seems that helping to identify one's passion goes along way to opening up their thinking to their purpose in life.

So what's your passion?

"There's no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." Nelson Mandela

DOM