Passionate About Something

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(This is a re-post of Blog I wrote a few years ago. I felt passionate about it then, and I feel the same way now.)

In Lewis B. Smedes book "A Pretty Good Person," Smedes recounts a story of a man named Fopke.

Fopke was decidedly un-passionate. In fact, he was convinced that the entire village he lived in "despised him and thought he was a ridiculous person" because of his glum and simple existence.

He decided that by himself, he would prove after all that he was a superior person, a person to be reckoned with, a person of great power of will and courage of heart.

He purchased a cheap pistol and loaded it with a single bullet. Thinking he would look more gallant in the eyes of his fellow villagers, he also got a bottle of Dutch Scotch with plans to drink a glass and then shoot himself. With his loaded pistol before him, he proceeded to pour himself a glass and drink it, but then fell asleep.

While sleeping he dreamed that he went to a far away land where the people were kind, trusting and respectful, not only to him but also to each other. Inquiring about this “goodness”, Fopke found that the people only understood concepts of good and virtue, but had no frame of reference of bad and evil. So he told them about evil and how men acted towards one another.

The people were intrigued by these stories and soon they only talked about the good vs. evil concept that Fopke introduced. Soon people began to “try” evil and unkind things like lying, stealing and hurting others. Fopke was deeply disturbed that he had introduced evil ideas to this good and kind people and tried to stop it. But it was too late.

Fopke awoke with a different perspective, a new vision. He determined that he would seek to be good in everything he did. He purposed to quietly be friendly, to do kind deeds and to share goodness everywhere he went.

Noticing the change that came over Fopke, the people of his village asked him to teach them how he became a good person. He responded by saying, “I cannot talk about it. And please do not call me good. Only God is good. I am only on the Way.”

On his grave stone standing atop a modest grave on the coast of the North Sea are inscribed these words, “Fopke fen Faken, Alles meirekkene, in ridlik geode minske." Which, translated means: All things considered, a pretty good person.

Question: What dreams do you have that impassion your life? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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The Dropbox

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This morning as I drove my normal route to my job, I passed a business that specialized in clothing alterations. I pass it every day, but today I noticed something I hadn't seen before: A Dropbox. Someone was placing something (an article of clothing I surmised) through the Dropbox door. I also noticed a sign I had not observed before: 24 Hour Dropbox.

The Dropbox. They have been around it seems forever: the mailbox, the Redbox, the key drop, the ATM, the book drop.

We place things inside, certain that what we placed inside will be safe and available for retrieval by trusted parties.

In the world of cloud computing we have available many options of "dropboxes". Justcloud, Mozy, Carbonite, iCloud, and of course Dropbox to name a few. (This post is not a review of the top 10 online storage services.)

I use a couple of these services. I am glad I do: Because of a user error (me) on my iMac Time Machine, I failed to backup some of my important files. Fortunately I had been a little too redundant and had them available in my Dropbox.

What is my point in all of this for us? Simply this: You and I have a Dropbox. Some call it the mind, others call it the soul. Whatever label we give it, we put things (ideas, thoughts, lessons, truths, etc.) inside and either expect to retrieve them later, or they surface without our search.

Our Dropbox is without a doubt a valuable asset in our lives. But we need to take advantage of it.

Here are some tips on using our Dropbox:

-We need to be proactive and put things inside our Dropbox. Learn, read, listen, engage. Nothing will be there for later retrieval if we don't put something inside.

-We need to be selective about what we put inside our Dropbox. Choose positive, productive, and beneficial things to put inside.

-We need to retrieve what is inside our Dropbox. If it is there, use it, learn from it, build on it, create from it.

Some parting thoughts from a wise man: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23)

Question: What have you found to be important about the Dropbox that you have? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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Listen To This:

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One of my favorite Charlie Brown lessons is where adults speak to various members of the "Peanuts Gang" and although words are being spoken by the adults, the kids hear this: "Wa-wah, wah-wa-wa-wah, wah-wa-wa-wah."

Communication yes, but effective communication?

Communication is not just about public speaking. It's about motivation, teaching, encouraging, and discipline; to spouses, children, parents, friends, collogues, teammates, employees, students, and bosses.

I believe that effective communication involves four key factors: The right word, at the right time, to the right audience, for the right reason. If we master these, we will be heard.

• The right Word - I am sometimes intrigued by communicators who simply let words fly without considering how effective those words are. I know of a world-renowned pastor who is so driven to effective communication that he once spent the entire flight time between London and Chicago choosing the three best words for the title of his Sunday teaching.
• The right Time - Have you ever been discouraged by good words delivered at the wrong time? You hit a home run and your coach tells you to extend your arms more. You have an auto accident and your parents ask you if you were texting while driving. Good words, but don't expect to remember what was said.
• The right Audience - It is important to consider the who as much as the what in effective communication. Is what you are communicating truly something that will benefit those with whom you are communicating? How are they hearing you? If you have the attention of the audience (whether it be one person or a thousand), craft your content in such a way as to be heard and received.
• The right Reason - Some people communicate because they have a reason to. They desire to enhance, encourage, and influence those they communicate with. Others simply like to hear themselves talk (bosses, parents, Facebook posters). As a youth pastor, I would cringe when a parent would make statements like this to their teen in my presence, "I wish my son would keep his room clean." I promise you, the kid did not leave that encounter with a burning desire to clean his room.

Communication is an art:

• Choose the words and language that paint the most relatable picture.
• Choose the time and setting for the most remembered counsel.
• Choose the subject and content for the most receivable input.
• Choose the purpose and motivation for the most redeemable outcome.

Question: What have you found to be effective keys to communication? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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Fulfilling A Dream

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A friend of mine from England, Nathean Meadows (the Executive Director of Camp Sonshine), posted this in his Facebook status last evening:

I think I've gone a little loopy but I'm fulfilling a dream tonight and running a Half-marathon (13.1 miles). When you see my running app posted please cheer me on; I'll need all the help I can get!!! Hopefully I'll be alive in the morning!!

Fulfilling a dream. This is perhaps the most personally rewarding activity a person can give themselves to. Much more than accumulating wealth or gaining fame, fulfilling a dream finds its roots inside our innermost being, where the deepest desires of our hearts live.

Dreams inspire us, motivate us, and capture our imaginations. A person who has stopped dreaming has stopped living.

May I offer two thoughts on fulfilling a dream:

• Dream. Many people have stopped dreaming. Some because of discouragement from previous unfulfilled dreams, others because of a mundane existence. We all need to have dreams, and we need to be working towards fulfilling those dreams. So dream!
• Dream bigger than yourself. Make your dreams about causes and beliefs that are greater than you. Dream dreams that will outlive you, that will continue to be fulfilled even after you are gone. Let your dreams be so big that you need God to help you fulfill them!

I know Nathean well. He is one of the most selfless, caring, humble people I have ever met. I can confidently say that running a Half-marathon for him is not simply about accomplishing a task, adding to his "brag-book", or checking off his bucket list. Rather, he will use (and perhaps has already used) this experience to invest in and benefit the lives of others.

By the way, Nathean is alive and well this morning (see the last line of his post above). But even if he hadn't survived, his dreams and investment in others would continue long after the 13th mile mark...

Question: How can your dreams be bigger than you? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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"Like" It Or "Live" It?

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As a Facebook subscriber, I often read other's status updates where a catchy slogan or statement is copied into their status from someone else and the final words are 'Like' if you agree. or 'Share' in your status if you agree. (Sometimes it separates the 'sharers' as the 3% who really believe the statement.)

 

Some statements are related to social causes, some to political ideologies, some to family members, while others are about faith.

It is an interesting phenomenon how we use social media to promote causes and people. If we agree, we 'like' or 'share'. But do we 'live' it or just 'like' it?

Interestingly, we have evolved into a people who vicariously live our lives through others. The most popular shows are reality based. Role-playing games (RPGs) continue to flood the market. The super-hero movie genre is as popular as ever.

We have found that it is much easier to watch, imagine, or click than to 'live'.

May I challenge us with a thought: If you believe in something, immerse yourself fully in it.

• If you say you love your spouse in your Facebook status, then do something right then that demonstrates your love (besides a public status update).
• If you say you support a cause in your Facebook status, then do something tangible that supports the cause (besides a public status update).
• If there's "a place on our wall for Jesus", then let's make sure we keep Him on our wall when someone pulls out in front of us.

'Like' if you agree with this Blog post.

Question? Have you found yourself where you 'like' something, but you don't really 'live' it? Share your thoughts below in comments.

 

If you like this post, please re-post, put it on your Facebook status, or forward it to your friends. Follow me on Twitter @bigcloudmusic if you find me interesting. Subscribe to this Blog if you'd like.