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Life Lessons From The Black Crows
Birds of the air don't worry, so why do we?
Today I was looking out the window and saw four black crows (not to be confused with the rock band that made the song “Hard To Handle” popular in 1990). As I observed the birds, I noticed they were very free-spirited and just went about their business. They didn’t worry about living conditions, food, or really anything else for that matter. I immediately thought of what scripture tells us about worrying.
Matthew 6:25-34
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Why is it that we are so quick to worry and not immediately turn things over to God? Is it a pride thing? Is it human nature? Whatever it is, how do we change this vicious cycle?
What do you do to overcome worry?
Photo Credit: By Isa Sorensen
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Baby Movin’ On Up…
Packing - one my least favorite things!
This week is going to be extremely stressful. There is so much going on, that I’m already for it to be over and it’s only Monday. Have you ever had one of those weeks?! It wouldn’t be so bad if all of these things were happening on different weeks, but unfortunately they are all happening at the same time. I can already feel my head starting to throb.
Item #1 – I am moving this week. It’s literally only two minutes from where I live now, but I’m still moving. I absolutely detest packing. Some of my things will be going in storage, some things will be going with me to the new place, and other things will be trashed or given to Goodwill. My youngest brother and I were renting a house together and now I will be living with two guys I know from church. I’m looking forward to it, but the transition of getting there is very stressful right now. In the long run this will also help me save money.
Item #2 – The reason I am moving. My youngest brother (he is eight years younger than I am) is getting married on Friday of this week. It will be a very small family only ceremony in Tennessee. I am the oldest of three boys. My middle brother (he is three years younger than I am) is married with four kids. My youngest brother will be getting married this week. And then there is me…the oldest, not married, and not even dating anyone. I am excited for my brother, but I still kind of feel like the “odd man out.” I would like to get married one day, but there are no signs showing that it’s going to happen any time soon and that can be depressing at times.
Item #3 – I am job hunting. I lost my job toward the end of June and the current status of the economy and job market is horrible. I am collecting unemployment, but that only helps so much. Unfortunately things in life cost money – food, gas for your vehicle, insurance for your vehicle…well, you get the idea. I am ready to find the right job for me (one I enjoy doing and one where I get up every morning excited about what I do for a living) and get a more stable way of life.
If I don’t post for a few days, I’m probably buried underneath boxes of stuff from the move – so you’ll know where to find me. Just say a little prayer for my sanity during the move! (c:
Back to packing!
Photo Credit: By Ben Hoyt
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Remembering 9/11 – 10 Years Later
The front page headline from September 11, 2001.
September 11, 2001 – A day that changed our world forever. I remember vividly the happenings of that tragic day. It was my first day working at Old Navy at Parkway Pointe. We were setting things up to open the store and when our manager came in, she was almost in tears. She told us what had happened and we all went back into the break room and turned on the television to see the disastrous events that has just happened to our country. There was absolute silence through out the entire store.
We opened the store as usual, but only two customers came in and the topic of conversation immediately turned to what had happened at the Trade Center and the Pentagon. Corporate office called our manager and told us that we could shut down the store early so that everyone could go home to be with their families and to make sure any family members near the tragedy were okay. I later found out that a friend of mine from high school was in the area of the tragedy, but she and her husband were both okay. Many people weren’t so lucky and lost their lives due to this insane display of terrorism.
Today, we look back exactly ten years to the day of when it all happened. Our country is united and has more compassion for others. It is sad that something of this magnitude had to happen in order to draw our country closer together. I personally want to thank every man and woman who serves our country so that we can live a life of freedom without fear. I still think about the families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy and it makes my heart hurt. I don’t know what it’s like because I didn’t experience it first hand, but know that you and your families are still in my thoughts and prayers even now ten years after your loss.
Photo Credit: By Eric Shoemaker
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How Rude!
Some people can be so rude!
I have noticed more customers being rude to people who work with the public in the past week than I have seen in a very long time. On my way home from picking up my supper tonight, I stopped by a gas station to get something to drink. The lady in line in front of me decided to get mad at the lady behind the counter all because she didn’t have enough money to pay for her items. I’m sorry, but when did that become the lady behind the counter’s fault?! Seriously lady, show some respect and don’t get mad at her for your own stupidity.
What is wrong with people these days? It’s like they think they have the right to talk down to others and be rude to them just because they aren’t getting their own way or they are having a bad day. I went to another store a few weeks ago, and the lady in front of me was screaming on her cellphone, cursing out the person on the other end – all of this while the lady at the register was trying to ring up her items. I’m just amazed at the lack of tact some people have in our society. Have they ever thought about being nice to someone for a change? It’s amazing how responsive and positive others will be to you when you do the same for them. I know we all have bad days, but that doesn’t give people the right to be rude to anyone and everyone who comes across their path. (I will now step down from my soapbox. (c: )
Photo Credit: By Vladimer Shioshvili
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Big Brother – A Dissection of (Not So) Good Community
Looking for "true community?" Watch reality tv shows like Big Brother and do the opposite!
The subject of “community” has been on my radar lately. A couple of weeks ago, the sermon at church was on community. I am also starting two new community groups – one that I will be leading and another in which I am participating (a mentoring group for community group leaders). When I look up community in the dictionary, four of the definitions really stick out to me:
- “A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.”
- “A social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually preceded by the): the business community; the community of scholars.”
- “A group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.”
- “Similar character; agreement; identity: community of interests.”
One of my latest guilty pleasures is the reality television show Big Brother. If you’ve never watched the show, it’s basically a group of people whom have never met and they have to live in a house together under the watchful eye of “big brother” (the American public). Each week there is a competition that determines who becomes the “head of household” and that person has to nominate two other residents to be considered for eviction. Residents then compete in another competition for “power of veto” and whomever wins this competition is able to veto one of the nominations or keep them as is. At the end of the week, all house guests must vote to evict one of the people who ends up on the chopping block. Once the competition is down to two people, the previous eliminated house guests vote on which of the remaining two will receive an enormous amount of money.
Needless to say, this show is a VERY bad example of how a community should be:
- Individuals on the show form alliances against one another – in community you must be willing to work together as one unit.
- There is a lot of back-stabbing that occurs on Big Brother – members of community should not turn on each other.
- Big Brother contestants are caught frequently calling one another names – those involved in community should encourage one another and not embarrass or put down others in the group.
- Greed seems to be a common theme on Big Brother – those in community want to see everyone succeed in the group and actively celebrate those times with them.
If your “community” were to be filmed for a reality show, would it be like Big Brother?
Photo Credit: By Elaine Ashton
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When I Grow Up…
"When I grow up I want to be a cartoonist!"
When you were a child, you probably got the “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question from the adults around you. We had hopes and dreams of becoming something cool and exciting – a rock star, a policeman, a fireman, or even a super hero. The logic of a child is just priceless. I told everyone who asked me that I wanted to be a cartoonist because (and I quote) “Cartoonists don’t have to wear a tie to work.” It didn’t matter that I had no drawing ability whatsoever, I had made my mind up and was going to be a cartoonist.
As we grow up, we realize how humorous those thoughts of our future career were and how realistic we need to be as adults. This weekend, I went to my high school reunion and several people had changed in appearance, but no one shared of their adventures as a super hero (or even a cartoonist). Most of my former classmates are now parents, teachers, police officers, or work for the government. How did we make such drastic changes in our career choices?
I was talking with one of my mentors last week and he shared with me a list that has helped him with his career choices. He said that you need to constantly be asking yourself the following questions:
- What do you want people to say about you?
- What is it about your job (or previous jobs) that you love?
- What do you want your ministry to be/look like in 20 years?
- What are your passions?
- When have you been in the zone?
- When did you experience greatest success? Failure?
- Where have you had the biggest impact? Least?
- In what do you take pride? Of what are ashamed?
What words of wisdom have others shared with you that have helped you make big decisions (like career choice)?
Photo Credit: By Devon Weller
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Maybe She Did Just Need A Friend – RIP Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse (1983 - 2011)
“I don’t ever wanna drink again. I just, ooh, I just need a friend.”
– Amy Winehouse from Rehab
By now, you have probably heard that singer Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London home on Saturday, July 23. What is so sad about this tragedy is that Winehouse has become a part of what some call the “27 Club” (a group of musicians who all died at the age of 27) – this group includes Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain. It is widely known that Winehouse had a problem with drugs and alcohol. What caused her to turn to these substances? One will never really know.
Some say she was lonely, so maybe she did truly need a friend like her song said. The songstress had a strong amount of influence on her fans and the public, whether it be through her music or her fashion (she single-handedly brought back the beehive hairdo). Her album sales have sky rocketed since her passing. Part of me wonders if she really had any friends – I’m not talking these “yes man” people who tell you what you want to hear…I’m talking about true friends who tell you what you need to hear whether you want to hear it or not. This is not an excuse for her bad choices, but if she possibly had someone in her life to encourage her to make the right decisions she might still be with us today.
Her personal problems had a tendency to overshadow her music. She was a very talented individual who has influenced artists like Adele and Duffy. Watch the video below of Winehouse’s first appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Photo Credit: By Fionn Kidney
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-52ZdmxGkk
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Who Am I Again?!
How do you determine your true identity?
The other night I had a strange dream. In my dream, I was in the hospital with severe amnesia. There were people everywhere in my hospital room and I would ask each of them the same question. “Who am I?!” The first person responded with “You are an older brother – you have two younger brothers.” The next person responded, “You are an uncle – you have two nieces and two nephews.” One of the last people I asked told me, “You are a blogger – you write a blog.” I was really frustrated because no one really answered my question.
This dream was very telling, because I am going through a “loss of identity” period of sorts in my life right now. Men tend to find their identity in their job. When you first meet someone, they typically ask what you do for a living. It’s been a rough time because in this sense, I don’t really feel like I know who I am any more. When you go through a period like this in your life, you tend to start comparing yourself to others in a negative light – “Why can’t I look more like <insert person’s name here>?!” or “Why can’t I be more successful like <insert person’s name here>?!” This can be a dangerous path as we are unique individuals and no one else should be seen as our measuring stick as to who we should be or what we should do.
Have you ever gone through a period like this? What did you do to get out of it?
Photo credit: By SMJJP
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Rejecting Rejection
Rejections stinks!
When most people hear the word “reject” they think of the negative – unfit, not up to a certain standard, not good enough, or something with problems. Rejection comes in many forms, but most people must deal with it some time during their life. More often than not, you hear about people experiencing rejection in relationships or when looking for a job. No matter how you define it, rejection stinks.
If you are looking for a job, it can be hard not to take rejection personally. You send out resumes, talk to recruiters, go on interviews, and then play the “waiting game.” Those lucky enough to get a letter or e-mail from a company receive the “thank you for interest in our company, but we have decided to go with other candidates at this time.” How do you keep from asking yourself if it had anything to do with you personally? Insecurities can hit full force if you let them, but remember it might not even be you.
A while back, I asked out a girl in whom I was interested. She turned me down. It was a painful time where I kept questioning why she said no. Was it me? Was it her? Was it bad timing? Not only was I driving myself crazy asking questions, but I was asking one of my good friends these same questions driving him crazy as well.
I guess the real question is does it make any difference if you know why you were rejected? What would you do with this information? Will you dwell on it or will you use it to improve yourself?
Photo Credit: By comedy_nose
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Strength
"HIS strength is perfect..."
At times it can be scary to have God reveal something to you. Maybe I should explain exactly what it is that I mean. Sunday of last week, the sermon at church was on having strength in your fears (from Rodney Anderson – select Part 2 at bottom). The rest of the week I had different things concerning “strength” stuck in my head. Two songs kept repeating in my head – one song by Chris Tomlin that says “strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord…” and Steven Curtis Chapman’s “His Strength Is Perfect.”
Later in the week I kept having these Bible verses that were stuck in my head:
1 Chronicles 16:11 – “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”
Psalm 18:32 – “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”
Isaiah 12:2 – “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 40:29 – “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
Isaiah 40:31 – “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
The whole week I kept thinking “What is it with this strength theme in my life this week?!” Well, I found out on Friday…I lost my job. It’s weird when God prepares you for something that is about to happen (especially when you don’t know that it is coming).
Photo Credit: By Beverly & Pack
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Scott Couey 