Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

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This morning I heard of another cruise ship with a fire on board. More fires, or more event coverage? Hmmmm...

In the late 1980's my wife and I were houseparents at a children's home in Chattanooga. We oversaw seven boys aged 8 through 17. All of us, including our 4 yr. old son and our college-student assistant Roger, lived in a 5,500 sq. ft. house that had an attached "apartment" for our privacy. The goal was to create an environment that was as normal as possible for the boys.

Late one night (about 2:30 am) I awoke to the sound of the three youngest boys outside our door whispering, "What if they're asleep?", "Should we wake them up?", and "I think Uncle Brad might get mad..."

I called out, "Boys, what are you doing out of bed?" One of them responded, "Uncle Brad, I think there's smoke in the house."

I got up, opened the door separating our apartment from the rest of the house and found the entire house filled with smoke, so thick that I could barely see five feet in front of me even with all of the lights on.

I quickly pulled the fire alarm, told the boys to go out to our designated emergency meeting place, and had my wife Elaine get our son. I proceeded to go room by room to gather the other, older boys. One of the boys would not wake up after repeated efforts to rouse him both by myself and by Roger who had joined me in the evacuation efforts.

We assumed the worst.

Finally, he woke up and asked, "Where did all the smoke come from?" We quickly got him up and out of the house with the rest of our family.

The fire department arrived and went through the house looking for fire. They didn't find any. But they did find the source of the smoke: One of the motors in the A/C system had begun to smoke as the result of friction, and the air handler continued to run, forcing smoke throughout the house. (Our apartment was on an entirely different A/C system and therefore we didn't have any smoke in there.)

An investigation into why the smoke alarms didn't sound revealed that the boys had pilfered the batteries from them for their toys, walkie-talkies, etc. Oooops.

What did I learn from this experience:

• Having a plan proved effective. Emergency meeting place.
• Some plans don't always affect everyone. The boy who would not wake up.
• Different systems will affect different parts of an organization. Separate A/C units.
• Make sure as a leader I am approachable. The younger boys hesitant to wake me.
• Periodically check your resources. The missing smoke alarm batteries.

Question: What other lessons could be learned from this experience? Do you have any experiences that taught you lessons? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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A Lifestyle Of Creativity

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Have you ever considered a lifestyle of creativity?

What I mean by that is allowing your creativity to affect everything you do.

I have stated often that I believe everyone is creative. I based statement on the fact that we were all created in the image of the Great Creator, with the emphasis on in the image of.

If we are all creative, then I suggest allowing your creativity to permeate ever area of your life.

Cooking a meal? Don't make the it same way every time. Add some spice and different flavor.

Composing a resume? Present who you are in a way that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Re-arranging the furniture? Don't just follow a Pinterest photo. Go for a layout that works for you.

Creativity doesn't need to be limited to the arts. In fact, the effective use of creativity in everyday life will most likely make you a more effective, more productive, and more expressive person.

I challenge you: Develop a lifestyle of creativity!

Question: What is one area in your normal life where you can be more creative? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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Living The Dream

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Monday evening at dinner, my wife remarked that she woke up several times the night before with vivid dreams, but in the morning couldn't remember any of them.

Earlier in the day a good friend from Maryland left a voicemail on my iPhone indicating that he had a dream three nights ago that both he and I were in, and he wants to share it with me (I will call him soon...).

I have a friend whom when I ask how he is doing, always responds: Living the dream baby, living dream!

Dreaming. Some do it while they sleep, others dream while awake. Some remember their dreams clearly, while others desperately try to grasp the dream's memory as it dissipates like mist.

Dreams have an almost other-worldly ambiance about them that make them both mysterious and compelling.

Do you dream? Do you remember your dreams? Do you dream while awake, or only while sleeping?

Do you dream, and then pursue them? Do you live your dream?

I hope your dreams are more than fantasies to escape into. I hope your dreams awake you, energize you, and capture your heart.

Question: What place do dreams hold in your life? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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I Make Starbucks

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A lot is said about the coffee giant Starbucks. A lot is said about their expensive drinks, their marketing, their customer service, and their 'atmosphere'.

However you feel about Starbucks, one thing is certain: They are a part of the American culture.

I have experienced Starbucks from Denver to D.C., from Ft. Launderdale to New York City (I came up from the subway in Manhattan and asked Siri to find me one. There were four within a 1/2 block radius of where I stood).

All three of my children, plus my daughter-in-law have worked for Starbucks. (Actually, that's where my son Zach met his bride Jessie.)

My last ministry job would find me regularly having meetings with my colleagues and team members there.

Before he moved away, I met every two weeks in the early morning with a friend for a mutual encouragement and accountability at a Starbucks.

I have even shared an 'airport layover coffee' in Delhi with one of my sons while traveling through India.

Why am I sharing all of this? Because although I enjoy the Starbucks experience, I cannot afford the Starbucks prices on a regular basis. Plus, plain coffee is really not my thing: I prefer the more expensive flavored drinks. So for my own coffee enjoyment, I make Starbucks.

It began with my wife buying me a nice coffee machine for my birthday a few years ago. Then she bought me an assortment of flavored syrups. I experimented with different combinations of mocha, white mocha, caramel, peppermint, raspberry, hazelnut, toffee nut, and even orange. Peppermint mocha emerged as my favorite.

Recently my wife surprised me with an originally created dark chocolate syrup that is literally to die for. I remembered that Starbucks once had a dark cherry mocha drink on their menu a few years back, so I did a little online shopping and found some black cherry syrup. The result: My new all-time favorite dark cherry mocha drink!

You too can be creative. I achieved this with three essential elements:

• A felt need: Enjoy a Starbucks style flavored drink without paying the Starbucks style prices.
• A tested model: I had sampled the Starbucks flavored drinks and knew what my favorites tasted like.
• A little creativity: Online & local shopping, kitchen experiments, imagination.

Anyone can create, everyone can create: An empty box, raw vegetables & spices, a blank sheet of paper, a ball of yarn, a string of code. Simply identify your need, observe a model... and make your own 'Starbucks'!

What have you created on your own as an alternative to consumer products? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.   If you like this post, you can re-post, 'share' it on your Facebook@bigcloudmusic if you find me interesting. Subscribe to this Blog if you'd like.

TMI: Too Much Information

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You and I have a vast and almost immeasurable wealth of knowledge and information at our fingertips. Global communication, real-time news, and the internet have opened doors that no generation before us could have imagined possible.

But is that abundance of knowledge truly beneficial? Is all of the available information a good thing?

Here are some quotes relating to knowledge and information:

"Knowledge is power."

"Information is liberating."

"Ignorance is bliss."

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

"Knowledge is happiness."

"Power corrupts. Knowledge is power."

And now allow me to make a statement:

"While seeking to be informed, we've become desensitized to truth."

Do you think that our exposure to knowledge and information has robbed us of truth?

What are your thoughts on this? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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My Credit Card Number Was Stolen

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Last Friday I attempted to purchase a $1.99 app for my iPhone from iTunes. I was informed that my payment information was incorrect. I re-entered my card information but was told that my payment method was invalid, to choose another form of payment.

That wasn't what I planned on hearing, so I immediately called my bank. Sure enough, my card had been placed on hold because of a potential unauthorized online purchase. I didn't make the purchase. Neither did my wife. My card number had been stolen.

I cancelled my card, had new cards issued, and even requested that they be delivered overnight to me.

I am grateful for the fraud protection algorithms that are in place to target unusual activity that deviate from regular purchase patterns. (You mean there aren't 50 people in a room sitting in front of computer monitors watching purchases for millions of consumers? I don't know, are there?)

The bottom line is this: My credit card number was stolen, and I moved quickly to reverse, repair, and restore it.

What do we do when our dreams are stolen? Is there an agency in place to notify us when there is questionable activity? Do we rush in to repair and restore our dreams? Do we have safeguards in place that trigger when someone steals our dreams? Do we dispute when our dreams are no longer ours?

I believe that many people value their money over their dreams. They are quick to argue an unauthorized purchase, but allow dreams to dissipate without a second thought. And as a result, many of them wander through their lives focused on nothing more... than their next purchase.

Preserve your dreams, guard your aspirations, think big! Don't allow your dreams to be stolen. And if they are, go get them back.

Question: What do you do to preserve your dreams? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.
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A Boston Marathon

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Here's a compilation of a few posts and tweets from my Facebook friends and people I follow on Twitter:

Proud of the pedestrian who chased and tackled suspect.

Horrible happenings in the Boston area today. Humans can be so evil.

They are saying a "Saudi National" did the bombing.. Why don't they just say a Muslim did it?? That is the motivating force behind all this demonic activity.

Your tears are our tears. #prayforboston

We are Boston!

Urgent Prayer- Boston Marathon Explosion.

Two bombs went off, a third one was found in Boston.

Prayers going up for the victims and their families as well as all the police, fire fighters and medical personnel.

#PrayersForBoston

Let us all pray for the Boston victims.

My prayers go out to all my people in Boston.

Pray for wounded @ Boston Marathon area. @PrayforBoston

Praying for those hurt in the Boston bombing today!

Oh, they are already saying two confirmed dead in Boston.

Praying for all of those people in Boston!!

Our prayers go out to all those at the Boston Marathon...today and in the days to come.

Praying for Boston.

Praying...

Praying for the city of Boston.

Wow.

Sad time in our lives...when is it enough...:( Hoping everyone is okay...

Two explosions near Boston Marathon finish line. My heart is aching for all affected by this tragedy.

Thinking of, and praying for the people in Boston. :(

You just never know when tragedy will strike! Prayer is essential !!!!

Praying for the situation in Boston right now. So scary!!!

Prayers for Boston and everyone involved.

 

Hmmm...There seems to be a theme here: I wonder if it is the collective heartbeat of our nation, or simply the type of people I follow and friend.

Question:  What are your thoughts? Share below in 'comments'.

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Storytelling

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Tell me a story... I bet almost every parent has heard those words from their child.

While awaiting a flight with my 24-year-old son Zach, who was with me on my recent trip to India, I began to tell him stories of when I was 24 years old (and a youth pastor). One after another the stories flowed from my memory into his heart.

As I was storytelling, Zach continually remarked, "I didn't know that about you", and, "I've never heard that before".

I have been reflecting on that special moment during our trip, and I find myself wondering if I had spent enough time storytelling with my children. Do they know the parts of my life that have become my history, and therefore my story?

My reflections have crystallized into these thoughts:

• Everyone has stories. You may not think the story of your life is compelling, but the uniqueness of your life compared to everybody else, makes your story a very interesting one.
• Everyone can tell stories. The art of storytelling is about creating a word picture. Don't just give the facts: Tell about where those facts took place, what was going on around the facts, and who was affected by those facts.
• Everyone needs to pass on their life to others (especially their family). Perhaps a great disservice is being perpetuated because storytelling is being replaced by reality TV and video games. Turn off the television, pop some popcorn and spend an evening telling stories. (You might consider a weekly family storytelling evening to help children value their and your stories, and develop their storytelling skills.)
• Every story is worth telling. Don't sell yourself short: Even the smallest and seemingly insignificant detail that defines your life is worth a share. The cumulative life experiences that have become your story make for a compelling tale, especially to your children and grandchildren.

Share your life. Pass on your experience. Tell your story.

Question: What experiences have you had that will make a good story? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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How Twitter Changed Me

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Created in 2008 as a social networking site by Jack Dorsey, a New York University undergraduate student, Twitter is an online social networking service and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based messages.

But you probably already knew that.

Boasting 500 million registered users and over 200 million active monthly users, Twitter is one of the 10 most visited websites on the Internet.

But you probably already knew that also.

The word twitter is defined as to talk lightly and rapidly, especially of trivial matters; chatter.

While you may know that, it is worth mentioning.

Meaningless opinions are sent during televised sporting events, shows, and specials. Companies market through Twitter. Celebrities use Twitter to build their fan base and stroke their ego.

You may not only know that, but also participate...

What you may not know is that Twitter has changed the way I communicate.

We have become a culture that interacts in short bursts. We spread ourselves around. We multi-task. We get bored easily.

Our 140 character culture has caused me to pay more attention not only to what I say, but also to look closely at how I say it.

Evaluating every thought, every sentence, and every word is now a top priority for me. Making sure the clutter is gone has become my new standard.

But that is a difficult thing to do. It requires much self-discipline. It requires scrutiny and constant review. But I believe it is worth the time, effort, and energy if I want to effectively communicate with our culture.

Question: How has Twitter affected the way you communicate? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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India 2.0 - Final Images

India 2.0 - Day 8-14

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Kashmir is the northernmost state of India that borders Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. As we entered the state, Internet communication became 'iffy', and the farther north we traveled the 'iffyer' it got.

Recent terror attacks in the city of Srinigar where we spent our last three days of ministry made for a tense situation, as well as communication blackouts. But, the Lord was good, ministry was accomplished, and lives were impacted.

Here's a summary of the last seven days of our mission trip:

• Day 8: We conducted a second medical camp in Punjab, were able to minister to many people, and I even had an encounter with a demon possessed man that I was able to see the Lord release him as I cast it out.
• Day 9-10: Traveled to the Hundu shrine city of Katra in Jammu-Kashmir, where we began a two-day crusade. Pastor Daniel & I preached, and there were hundreds who attended the meetings. There is only one Christian church in the entire city of 38,000. Millions of Hindus travel there to visit the shrine. Also, we conducted a medical camp in the nearby mountains, ministering to many very poor farming families, and a second camp inside the city at a school.
• Day 11: We traveled about 1-1/2 hours to Dhama in the Udampur district where we conducted a highly organized camp and saw over 450 patients. We prayed for many, engaged the people, and shared Christ in conversations.
• Day 12: We left at 5:00 am for the 7 hour trip through the mountains to Srinigar. It was here we connected with Kersheed Kelu, a former Muslim who daily risks his life for the Gospel in this all-Muslim region. After we checked in to our houseboat hotel (a very popular lodging accommodation there) on the Dahl Lake, we proceeded to a very poor village of saffron farmers where our doctors cared for over 450 people. This village has only two believers, and it is a hard work for Pastor Kelu.
• Day 13: We traveled again to the saffron growing areas to conduct another medical camp in a village where Pastor Kelu is seeking to make connection. The camp went a long way in raising his reputation in that community.
• Day 14: While Pastor Daniel, Zach and I prepared to depart for the Srinigar airport, we said goodbye to the rest of the team who traveled by our hired vehicle back to Jammu (7 hours) where they boarded a train for a 37 hour return journey to Kazipet (where our ministry began). The three of us left for the airport to begin our long journey home (7 airports in two days).

A footnote: On Wednesday evening, I purchased a motorcycle for Pastor Kelu -shown in white shirt (with some help from Pastor Daniel). Kelu has no transportation and constantly borrows vehicles from friends to conduct his village ministry. This is an investment that Elaine and feel committed to, and we have no hesitation of entrusting precious personal funds into. To see Kelu light up, and again demonstrate his humility and graciousness humbled me.

Zach and I are ready to return home, but we will always be impacted by the days we spent in India as father & son, film-maker & missionary.

Thanks for following!

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