DoxA

Competition... This Year

Yesterday I was wondering... "Does this triathlon thing get easier or harder the more I do it?" After all, most things get easier the more they're done but a physical activity that is prone to injury and aging may actually get harder. So, I've come to a conclusion on that thought; racing gets easier - training gets harder. I'm more conflicted with time commitments and desire these days making it more difficult to reason my running shoes on or head toward the pool. It didn't used to be that way. I was just as busy then and there were days when I didn't want to get out the door. So what changed? I think I know... I've lost the competitive spirit in training due to the absence of competitive training partners.

Competition is a good motivator. It is easy to forget when we train we should not only practice technique, put in the miles and simulate nutritional intake, we should also be preparing the heart... and I'm not talking the beating kind.

I've wondered why in the past two Ironman races I've struggled to keep the run going... Yes, the days were extremely hot and I perhaps put too much in the bike and didn't save enough for later but it was my mind telling me what to do, not my body. In races past, my successes were not only the results of solid physical training and proper nutrition but they all had a solid dose of pride mixed in.

For you, it may not be triathlon but there has to be something you're hoping to accomplish. Whatever you find yourself aiming for and however you're preparing, ask yourself, "Why do I care? And do I care enough?" While some people claim competition is BAD and brings about most of the ugliness in our society, I believe it also brings out the best in us! I will comment on this later in the context of justice and welfare... but for now this is about triathlon and what I need to do to succeed this year!

I need competition! Therefore, every little run, hill climb and length of the pool is now my opponent... and partner. I need them as I prepare because I will see them again in my races coming up in just a few short months. So, let the races begin; today!

I Like Dots

As I look over my shoulder in one of my bookcases there are 4 unopened boxes of Dots. You know, the little, dome candy in red, green, yellow and orange. They stick to your teeth and to the box and basically have little to no nutritional value. Several years ago I used to go raid the children's ministry offices to find Dots, now a sweet volunteer in our church makes sure I never run out (thanks Betty!).

The other day I was disturbed when I noticed all my dots were gone. No, no one sneaked into my office and had stolen my candy... No, what I noticed were all the dots, on the "ClustrMap" at the bottom of my page, had disappeared! These red dots that covered the world had become important to me. You see each dot represented a place in the world where someone had visited my blog. Places I've never been and most likely will never go... Like Siberia and Iceland. I enjoyed looking at those dots and thinking, in some strange way, I'd been there.

Forgive me if this sounds a bit silly but I miss my dots. Please understand, I don't want you to think you are just a dot to me; you are so much more as a reader of this blog. Your visit represents trust. It says you're curious in what I might have to say about any given topic. I don't take that lightly and I do want you to know your visit is important to me... ergo; the dots are important!

So, if you want to really make me happy... email all your friends in exotic places around the world, with a link to my blog and have them just take a look. Quickly, my dots will return and I'll feel better and who knows... maybe these dots will stick too!

Linkin Blogs

Seth Godin a blog maniac and otherwise marketing guru posted today's is his 3000th blog post in a row. This is no small feat, mind you, as I find difficulty getting at least a couple out a week! However, I'm gonna guess many DoxA readers have no idea just how influencial this guy is. You might be thinking, "So? Who is Seth Godin?"

A while back I drank the Godin cool-aide and each day get a thought or quote or marketing idea delivered to my inbox. I subscribe to this blog... it's easy to do. if you want to give it a whirl; try subscribing to mine first! Oh, you don't know how??? See that box over to the right just under the Twitter feed that says "Your email here?" All you do is type in your email, click the button below it that says, "Get email updates" and that's it... whenever I post something new, it'll come to you.

Anyway, back to Seth... here is a guy who is having exponential influence on our culture. He writes books that are best sellers before they ever are published! He upends the status quo by challenging leadership paradigms and does not look to build a self-centered empire. He is an influencer of influencers. I find it interesting how much importance people place on the content of any given thing but pay little concern for the container... Seth bucks that trend. In the cyberverse where ideas rule; he cares less about the message and greatly invests in the messenger. That's why it's worth my 5 minutes each morning to see what Seth has to say...

I just thought you might want to know. After all, when it comes to this blog, I am the messenger.

Must We Listen To This?

Last night I was frustrated but not surprised by the Hollywood, elitism that came from the likes of Bill Maher and Sean Penn along with opportunistic television advertisements designed to push public sentiment toward the equivalent of school children choosing sides in a playground fight.

What happens if you don't agree... especially if you are in the majority of public opinion? Generally, I would think the majority would remain calm let the ner'do wells bang their drums then watch them eventually fade away. But this is Hollywood. These are those who seem to have a hunch of what is best for our society while having no pulse on it's opinion. So, they exercise the bully pulpit and shame people for holding onto traditional values by regurgitating errors of the past or anomalies of the present.

I've mentioned this before but it's worth repeating; the ultimate hypocrites are those who spurn the church (Bill Maher), feign compassion (name your favorite celebrity) and spit on American soil (Sean Penn) and yet, do less, spend more and remain a citizen.

As a Christ follower, I can ignore this blatant attempt to deregulate values or I can stand against it. If I do the former, I'll get along and maintain peace which is what we are to be... peacemakers. But Jesus although a pacifist, claimed he came to set the world on fire... therefore, I must, even though it's not popular, chose the latter. Ironically, if I were to meet Bill Maher or Sean Penn, I believe I would enjoy getting to know them personally and not try to convince them to think otherwise. I would embrace our differences... hoping they could too.

“I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! Luke 12:49-51 (NLT)

So, while the people of this "world" spout off about what is right, I will hold onto what is true. Even if you take religion out of the picture, what we were forced to listen to last night with select speeches and quotes of equality and enlightenment, it still requires a code of ethics to be maintained so the likes of Micky Rourke have a place to turn when they hit bottom!

I know this sounds smug... but it's nothing compared to the crap we've been subjected to by a bunch of arrogant, societal-sycophants who further their career on hate and separatism.

For the Record

 

It's Raining... Again

Most of you know by now, having come to the SF Bay Area from Palm Springs I bemoan the amount of wetness that falls from the sky. We talk a lot about the weather here, like how little rain we've had and the severe drought conditions we're facing. But in four days it has just rained and rained and rained and rained... and they say it will rain again tomorrow.

I'm an outdoor kinda guy. So rain for me, is no fun. Yesterday, I drove over to Santa Cruz to witness the conclusion of Stage 2 of the largest cycling event in our country; the Tour de California. For three days now these guys have had to ride over a hundred miles a day in bone-chilling, core-soaking rain! For once I'm glad I'm not a professional cyclist!

 

I recall being asked once why I talked about the weather a lot when welcoming people to the church during the worship service. "Welcome everyone. Great to see you today. Hey, how 'bout that tornado we just had." It was as though he was saying to me, "Don't you have anything more important to talk about?" Well I think the weather IS important to talk about. Here are my reasons.

When you come to church, you and or your family come from different places, sharing different emotions, coming from different experiences. So, starting right into the main thought of the day can be a far leap from where you've been to where you need to go. Therefore, it's best to give people a bridge that is wide enough everyone can cross... How you do that can be varied but I like to get everyone on the same page as soon as possible and this is where the weather comes in. No matter from where you come or what you're experiencing; we all come in from and experiencing the same weather! It is the natural common denominator. Just for a moment, if you can get everyone to agree about one thing there's a better chance you'll get them to agree on other things, like needing God's grace or caring for each other...

So, though you may like the rain and I don't, at least we agree; it's raining! And in a world where we are more defined by our differences perhaps we can begin to find agreement and start movement toward at least one thing... And like Curly in City Slickers says, "We all got to find that one thing."

Suffer and Delight

Two words that are the literary equivalent of oil and water. How can we suffer and yet experience joy at the same time? The very words do not seem to travel a similar course. Yet, the Bible speaks of the two almost synonymously.  Peter and John counted a beating a "privilege" that was somehow God approved (Acts 5:41). And Peter later tells an impoverished, persecuted church to "not be surprised when difficult trials come their way." And to consider these opportunities to "partner" with the suffering of Christ.

For years now I've been reading modern reformers like John Piper, who somehow, thinks it is our duty to have delight in God. He calls this "Christian hedonism." In other words, we can have a fulfilling, almost glutenous consumption of God. This comes in knowledge and practice. After reading Desiring God, I came to the conclusion that our lives, while made for a purpose to prove devotion to and live for an eternal God, actually brings a quality of life; which is satisfying.

I must admit (and you'd have to read the book to understand) that at times I struggled to negotiate the poverty of many in this world who do not get to enjoy the comfort and wealth of this great nation; often questioning why I was one of the "lucky" ones to live in the US. It wasn't until I finally came to realize that circumstances do not prepare the stage for the finale... only the prologue and thus, I become humbled by my arrogance, seeing that most happy people in this life are those who have so much less, yet I realize, have far more!

But for a moment, I want to differentiate between the notion of duty and delight... duty is an obligation based on what another does for you... while delight is what you hope to do for another. Communion is what brings the two together. No wonder we have been given this wonderful gift. No poverty nor riches will determine such a relationship.  Jonathan Edwards stated, “The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted.” Was this by His design or ours? Piper, a true reformer would say this was God's design all along... So does God insist that we suffer to truly understand joy? Does He delight in making us miserable? I think it would be impossible for anyone who lives in comfort to truly answer that question... So, lets ask those who live in poverty. Let's ask those who have nothing in this world but hope, yet still cling to life. Unfortunately, I can not speak for them. While deep down, I'm glad I can not.

If "sharing" in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10), is a true communion, I have to ask what would that REALLY look like? Buying coffee at Starbucks that promises $.05 will go to AIDS stricken, faceless, somebodies, somewhere I've never been? Joining a Facebook group on human trafficing when you don't even know what the hell that means? Buying a (red) teeshirt? Or maybe... maybe you might actually notice the family that is walking across the street and see the six year old isn't wearing a coat... oh, and the dad doesn't have a wallet in his back pocket. If buying them a meal causes you to suffer, because you gave up yours; well, that may be one thing... But

Delight: Who among us would not find great joy in knowing the sacrifice we make gains much for another? The suffering we endure is for the security of those we love... this is Christ: The suffering servant who had much to gain.

Jesus... Because of the joy​ awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;​ then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. Hebrews 12:2b-4 (NLT)

nothing to discuss...

Hang in there baby... there's a whole lot more to come!

Caption Please

To Bear Children or Not to Bear Children

Warning! This post contains politically incorrect views. Reader discretion is advised.

Last night I was watching the interview with Nadya Suleman, the single mother who recently gave birth to eight babies through in vitro fertilization. There is a tremendous outrage surrounding this mother's decision to have these children. I have heard and read things like, "irresponsible" or "immoral." I find it funny from where these comments are coming. Those very people who have insisted over the past 36 years, since the passage of Roe v Wade, that a woman's reproductive right to do with her body is a choice between her and nobody else are the very ones crying "foul." Also, amazing is the outrage over the sensibilities of her doctor to do such a thing as place six embryo's (two of which became twins) inside her. This comes in the same state which last year the State Supreme Court ruled it is illegal for a doctor to refuse on religious grounds inseminating a lesbian.

Is this not hypocrisy at it's highest?

I have to admit, I am uncomfortable with the notion of 14 children in the home of a single mother who appears to have "issues." But this society which is so quick to point it's bony finger of unholy piety at the church and call out it's leaders for speaking about morality, has a big ol chunk of green stuff stuck in it's teeth. I find this incredibly disingenuous. So, stop smiling as you condescend to the rest of us!

So, while we toss and turn or flail and wail about what to do with this woman we should be thinking about the true innocents... the children.

Jesus Christ, It's Good to Know You

Shortly after coming to a place in my life where I chose to surrender my will to the will of Christ, something significant happened that exposed the journey I would later take to become more like him. First, some history...

I grew up in a small town going to the local Catholic parish. My family, with the exception of my faithful, great grandmother, nominally attended. I was curious about God and felt as a young man I had an understanding of who Jesus, Mary and the apostles were. Bible stories were easily recalled from my early years in Catechism but later in life my practice and my belief were two different things. I often would look at the others who would go to church and think, "I know these people... and it does not seem to make any difference in their lives so, I doubt it'll make any difference in mine." In my own family the name of God was casually tossed about, conveying disgust or frustration.  However, later I too developed Jesus Christ as a regular part of my vocabulary. So, after a moment in my life, following the time where I was truly convicted to turn from selfish pursuits and follow "the way," I was caught off guard by a friend of mine, who while talking to a bunch of friends, thought it would be funny to run his car into the back of my legs... When this happened and my heart jumped, I turned and slammed my hand on the hood with the words, "Jesus Christ!"

Although my friends thought little of the incident, it devastated me!  It wasn't because I had "used the Lord's name in vain," a sin I was told, but because Jesus had become so much more to me than an exclamation. I truly was spending time trying to understand who the man from Galilee was and serve the glorified Christ who John describes in Revelation as the First and the Last. I walked away broken to the core that I had done such a thing.

Many years later that incident stands out as a deep experience, a good reminder of who Jesus is to me.

When I hear the phrase, "Personal Lord and Savior," I get confused. Yes, Jesus came to be personal, to understand us... Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters,​​ so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.  Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. Hebrews 2:17,18 but as the word "personal" suggests I ask; is Jesus a one-size-fits-all God who suddenly morphs to our likeness when we take him off the shelf or as I read; is He the God of Very God, of whom we would be most like the apostle John on Patmos, falling as if dead before Him at the very sight of who He is? William Blake wrote:

The vision of Christ that thou dost see
Is my vision's greatest enemy:
Thine has a great hook nose like thine,
Mine has a snub nose like mine...
Both read the Bible day and night,
But thou read'st black where I read white.

Somewhere in our journey we find a different Jesus meeting different needs in our lives. Yet again as the writer of Hebrews describes, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb.13:8) Therefore it behooves us to understand Jesus, is the visible image of the invisible God. (Col. 1:15) and we are made in the image of God. (Gen. 1:27) and as Christ made all things "unto" himself (Col. 1:16) we must be careful of making Him in our image...

• What image comes to mind when you think of Jesus?
• If you were commissioned to paint a portrait of Christ, from what "vision" would you paint?
• When you think of the human Jesus, how much of that image is the spiritual Jesus?
• What does that last question reveal of your knowledge of Christ? Of your experience with Christ?

Read John 4:1-42 (the story of the Samaritan woman) and write down your observations of who the woman thought Jesus was and what Jesus' response to who he was. Discuss how this applies today.

It was a long time ago... but I still remember how I felt shame and yet determined to get to know Jesus in a personal way and never do that again. As I walked away, it was the beginning of a journey that led me to no shrine or ancient destination but to a place to discover the real Jesus... I'm still walking, still searching.