More Link Thoughts

A local weatherman has a blog. An excellent blog btw which is why I've included it in my Suggested Reading.

Be sure to check out Charlie Neese's blog when you can. He and his wife (she has a blog I'll link to as well) are truly a blessing in the Nashville area. They're passionate encouragers as evidenced by this post from Charlie:

What You Think (to Yourself) Matters « The Life Barometer Blog

"I point this out because too many of us are thinking of creative ways to make our lives better yet we’re not acting on those thoughts. Maybe it’s fear, apathy or even fatigue. But, perhaps, there’s never been a more appropriate time to begin acting on those thoughts"

Be sure to read the whole thing. It's a powerful, and much needed word.

I'm a Coward

It's not my intention to cut myself down with this post. I'm a big believer in the power of words so I'm cognizant of the dangers of writing like this. But I also have to be honest. Honest with myself and honest with you. This has been on my mind recently and I believe it to be worth exploring here.

And honestly, I'm a coward. Whether at work, at home or with the Lord Himself, I am likely to cut and run, or at the very least avoid. I talk a big talk, say all the right things and say them in the right way, but in far too many instances, I am a coward.

I'm a coward at work in the fact that I'm far more comfortable in a world of e-mail and websites. Don't get me wrong, those are important and they are the wave of the future, but I sometimes use them instead of interacting with people. When the phone rings, my first thought is "shoot, what if I don't have the answer?" It's frightening to think I might not be in control and if they'd e-mail me instead I'd be better prepared.

Then there's my friends. Well, acquaintances is more appropriate 'cause I don't really have any close friends. I'm not 100% sure why, but I know some of it is me. Yeah I'm busy, and so are all of them (I hate to bother people), but still, something's just not right. Why don't I engage more?

Cowardice.

Which brings me to my family and where it gets tricky. See, with them I'm a coward twice. First, I just don't dive into everything like I should. Oh we all get along fine and all; beautifully actually. But, there's not enough time together, not enough connecting, not enough simply hanging, loving and laughing.

And here's the second part: I've tried to change these things and have all but given up. Experience has taught me - not just at home - that I don't matter. The failed attempts to change the status quo confirm that it's no longer worth the risk. It's just easier and more comfortable to "be okay with it."

Cowardice.

What I know though, is that this is important. It's a pattern. A pattern of found in general in men, but also specifically in me. The pattern in men is most tragically illustrated at the tree in the garden. You know, when the man kept silent while his wife changed the entire course of human history? Yeah, that's me.

But there's also been an attack. An attack since childhood to convince me that I don't matter. Through a long period where my mom dealt with illness, I learned to "be okay." The family was dealing with far too much for there to be room for much else, so I lived my life dutifully and happily.

And disconnected.

I learned that there wasn't room for what I wanted, needed or desired. I never starved or anything, that's not what I'm saying, I'm talking about the heart. And so I drifted into adulthood with a crippling ability to exist and exist well.

Thankfully God messed that up and taught me that we're meant for far more than existence. But true life doesn't come without a fight and cowards don't fight well. Take if from me.

But then again, I am fighting. Sometimes on the outside, but definitely on the inside. I'm fighting with perceptions, filters and misconceptions that if left unchecked will continue to allow me to hide. And I don't want to hide.

"The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and violent men take it by force." (Matt: 11:12)

I will fight. Passionately from strength and faith. I will fight to move from survival to life. Conversation to engagement. Love to passion. Cowardice to courage.

I will live full alive.

Thankful

We are all born with abilities. Some can sing, some can talk, some can build and some can think. We have the ability to improve these abilities too and/or discover those that we did not even know we have. Amazing.

These abilities are magnified however, when combined with one more: the ability to respond. Songs, words, buildings and business strategies are meaningless unless they are sung, spoken and created in response to needs. A broken heart is encouraged by a song. Ignorance is replaced through a knowledgeable word. A family gets a home through hard labor and a successful business provides jobs and supports a community.

This is responsibility and we all have it.

We all have the ability to respond to the world around us. To be moved to take action because of a need, opportunity, challenge, idea or plan. To do anything less is tragic.

It is tragic when no one responds to needs. People stay lonely, go hungry and remain homeless and jobless. Just exactly who is supposed to change these things if not the very people with the abilities to change them? The world does not need geniuses. It does not need “them”. It needs you - a unique combination of interests, ideas, abilities and spheres of influence. No one else has the solutions you have because no else has your exact combination.

And not responding is tragic for you too. Teddy Roosevelt can tell you why:

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

Taking responsibility is HARD, it’s supposed to be. It’s supposed to take everything you’ve got because it will change everything you are. Will you be good at it? No, but you’ll get better. Will all your ideas be great and accepted? No, but you’ll think of better ones. Will everyone be thankful for your help? Probably not. So? Keep singing, speaking, building, thinking or whatever it is you were meant to do.

Be thankful for all your abilities. And be thankful for the things to which you can respond. If you have responded and have seen the fruits - to others and yourself - give thanks. If you have not yet responded, commit to change.

Commit to live.

2 Links

I have a suggested reading list. Not just a list of blogs that I read regularly, but the ones that regularly reveal me. The ones that take me apart and challenge me to put myself back together in a new way.

The ones that God uses to grow me up.

Jonalyn Grace Fincher is one such writer, and here's an example:
Jonalyn Grace Fincher: Lynching Today

On a completely different tangent, is The Art of Manliness Blog which never ceases to remind me how far I am from being the man I am called to me. How? By publishing posts like this.

Production and consumption are the real economy

A must see brilliant explanation of economics, economic solutions and how a pinch of Old Testament might just do the trick:

YouTube - Six Minutes with the Renegade Economist - Michael Hudson Special...

Lifestyle

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and then walk out the door and deny HIM by their lifestyle... that is what our unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable" - DC Talk

Whatchya think? True?

We must get back to our founding document

I do not put my faith in the United States or her government. However, I am immensely proud of the nation designed and built by our founding fathers and completely sold out on the genius of our Constitution and the principles and ideals that it protects.

So I am deeply concerned about the current wave of attacks against these foundations and I hope that you are too. Please understand, however, that I am not blaming our new President for these attacks - this is not an anti-Obama post. He is simply the man of the hour in a nation that has allowed itself to drift too far. A nation that has not invested enough energy into teaching the importance of our history and foundations.

So instead of a people familiar with our documents of law, the people who wrote them and the reasons they did, we are a people of ignorance. A people unable to discern facts from fiction and law from ideas. This is most often illustrated by quoting of the Constitutional separation of church and state - a term that does not appear anywhere in the document. To be fair, it does appear in a Constitution, just not ours.

Which is perhaps the biggest tragedy of our ignorance: that we do not understand - or cherish - the difference between our nation and others.  And by that I do not mean that we're better, but we are...well, us. The United States of America. A nation that has a constitution, rules of law and a government. Why are we trying so hard to be another country? I thought this was a time of unprecedented celebration and acceptance of diversity. What's up?

Luckily, there are folks that are offering suggestions as to what we can do. One such person is Nancy Salvato, the wife of an old college buddy (a screaming lead trumpet player. Check out her comprehensive and thought filled article on educating our public here:

"The New Media Journal | An Alternative to Impending Doom by Nancy Salvato

Here's a quote to wet your appetite:

"There are a number of actions that must occur if we are to influence those who voted representatives into public office with whose actions we disagree. We must begin with the basics. The American people need further education in the rationale behind each word of our Constitution. Our citizens need to learn about the failures of socialism and other forms of government. To appreciate the freedoms protected by the US Constitution, one needs to understand what sovereignty means to the longevity, power and wealth of our nation. Finally, those who do not engage politically need to become convinced that by disengaging they are empowering people whose actions are not necessarily in this country’s best interests."

Why has the market plunged?

The WSJ offers the following statement about the current market and economic indicators. These are powerful words.

Our Troubled Economy Is a Response to Barack Obama's Policies - WSJ.com

"The market has notably plunged since Mr. Obama introduced his budget last week, and that should be no surprise. The document was a declaration of hostility toward capitalists across the economy. Health-care stocks have dived on fears of new government mandates and price controls. Private lenders to students have been told they're no longer wanted. Anyone who uses carbon energy has been warned to expect a huge tax increase from cap and trade. And every risk-taker and investor now knows that another tax increase will slam the economy in 2011, unless Mr. Obama lets Speaker Nancy Pelosi impose one even earlier."

Understanding Purpose at 12

My thanks to Mark for passing along The Cyberservant: Since I have my life before me...

Here's a portion of what Brooke Bronkowski wrote at the age of 12:

"I'll live my life to the fullest. I'll be happy. I'll brighten up. I will be more joyful than I have ever been. I will be kind to others. I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ. I will go on adventures and change the world. I will be bold and not change who I really am. I will have no troubles but instead help others with their troubles."

Read the post for the rest of the story. It's worth it.