Happy Former Decoration Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I. Thank you to all those who have fought to defend our freedoms. Taken from Wikipedia.
One of my favorite parts of Memorial Day is BBQ. I am a BBQ fanatic. Every time I travel I am always keeping my eye out for good coffee and BBQ. So here are some fun facts for you on this Memorial Day. Taken from yumsugar.com.
- In the US, North-Easterners are the biggest barbequers, followed by those who inhabit the North-Central, the South, and the West.
- Hamburgers are the most popular food to grill at 87%, followed by steak 83%, chicken 78%, and hot dogs 76%.
- The 4th of July is the largest barbeque holiday, followed by Memorial Day and Labor Day.
- American presidents have openly expressed their love for grilling by hosting barbeques dating all the way back to Thomas Jefferson.
- The most commonly grilled side dish is corn, followed by other vegetables, and potatoes.
- Hickory barbeque sauce is favored, then mesquite, honey, and tomato based.
- In homemade barbeque sauces, garlic is almost always found in the recipe, as is brown sugar.
- After aluminum foil, the preferred barbeque tools are long handed tongs, clean brushes, and spatulas.
- To check the propane level of your barbeque’s gas tank, weigh on your normal bathroom scale. An empty tank weighs between 17 and 19 pounds. The difference between that and what your tank weighs is how much gas you have left.
- The origin of the word barbeque is debatable. Some believe it’s from the Spanish word barbacoa which was a framework of green wood that held cooking food over hot coals. Others think the word is French because of the term they gave to the cooking technique of pirates who cooked meats from whiskers to tail or de barbe a queue.
- Both Memphis and Kansas City claim that they are the barbeque capital of the United States.
Tripp & Tyler Babies
Journey To Unite
I love movies. One of the best movies that I have seen in a very long time is Invictus which is the true story of Nelson Mandela and his journey to unite a country as he became the president of South Africa after spending 27 years in prison for sabotage and other charges. Mandela claimed that the poem Invictus written by William Ernest Henley, hence the name of the movie, gave him strength in the darkest of times.
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
At one point Mandela sat Francois Pienaar down who was the captain of the South African Springboks to challenge him to win the World Cup of Rugby and Mandela said this, “How do we inspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do? How do we inspire everyone around us?” Mandela’s dream was to unite the whites and blacks of South Africa by inspiring them through rugby. Francois took the challenge and inspired a mediocre team to greatness and for a moment inspired a nation to greatness.
Andy Stanley has said this quote before, “What do you do when you realize you are the most powerful person in the room?” Both Mandela and Francois leveraged their power together in their respective areas of influence. The word Invictus is Latin meaning, unconquer, unconquerable or undefeated. Towards the end of the movie Francois commented that, “We’ve become more than just a rugby team.”
I wonder in our lives when do we realize that we were created for more than what we are doing currently? When do we realize that we are more than just a Christ-follower but we are part the Kingdom of God? When do we realize that we are more than just a neighbor or a co-worker but we are a link between them and an eternity with the Creator? Romans 8:37 says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” We are more than Invictus in Christ.
10 Second Prayers
Sitting in life group last night something hit me about prayer, I really suck at it. You probably do as well. Not because we don’t use big fancy words or because we don’t try but simply because we don’t understand it. We’re going through some series by Andy Stanley that is taken from Matthew 6:9-13. What I’m getting is that it is not a formula prayer and I don’t have to pray exactly a certain way. The Lord’s Prayer is simply an order of elements but it’s up to me in how I pray.
9. Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. This whole idea keeps in perspective who He is and who we are. It’s the idea of declaring God’s greatness. I don’t do that nearly enough. Not because I don’t believe He is great but because I am too anxious to get to my stuff.
10. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. The main idea idea here is surrendering our will to His will. It’s saying God I want what you want for me more than what I want for myself. Your agenda. Jesus the night before He was crucified prayed and begged God saying if there is any other way that would be great, but it is not my will but yours to be done. Amazing that even Jesus himself wrestled with God to be completely in His will.
11-13. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. This is acknowledging your dependency on God. It’s asking God for your needs and wants and begging Him to protect your life, heart and mind.
Interesting point that Andy made though…this third part of the prayer really will become the shortest part of the prayer once we recognize the greatness of God and surrender our will to Him because everything else will seem so small and insignificant. It’s taking our agenda off the table. ”When your faith intersects with His faithfulness then life change happens.”
I’ve always struggled with how long to pray and I heard this last night, “The length of your prayer should be determined by the condition of your heart.” Jesus prayed a quick 10 second heart to raise Lazarus from the dead but He prayed all night in the garden before His crucifixion.
I wonder if you struggle with prayer as much as the rest of us do? Be encouraged today that there is no magic formula. There is no specific way. I am learning to simply realize how great God is and surrender my will to His. Easier to say than to do.
That’s Why It’s Here
A person who has always intrigued me is Walt Disney. When you think of vision you have to think of Walt Disney. Here is a man who had a dream to build a world that would capture and engage the imagination. What I didn’t know is that he died before the completion of the project. Soon after the completion of The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, someone said, “Isn’t it too bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?” Vance replied, “He did see it. That’s why it’s here.” Even after Walt Disney passed from this life, his vision for the future held strong. He had established firmly in the minds of all those he came in contact with the vision he held for the future. He had a passion and a desire and those things are contagious. Because of that passion and desire people today plan their entire year around visiting the Magic Kingdom.
Walt once said, “As a leader you must live like everyone matters… too many leaders keep their distance from employees physically & emotionally.” Walt said, “The ability to relate with all types of people and backgrounds is not a gift, but a learned behavior.” Disney has learned that people will return on two things: 1.Satisfied with first visit. 2.The biggest return is positive interaction with Disney staff.
All that to say, for a vision to be complete and for it to last it has to be all about people. Walt Disney was an example of connecting with people and connecting people with the vision. Walt Disney World exists today because people bought into him as a leader because he lived out the vision in every area of his life.
What are you trying to sell? What is your vision? Are you fighting to be heard or do people listen because you care about people and your vision is compelling?
Silence The Critics
YouTube recently celebrated it’s 5 year anniversary. By far my two favorite YouTube videos are from Britain’s Got Talent. Susan Boyle who sang I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables & Paul Potts who sang Nessun Dorma. I loved as they each shocked the crowd with their incredible voices. It’s not the talent that I love though, it’s the fact that when both contestants walked onto the stage they had already been written off by the judges and the audience. Based on looks alone people in their mind had made their own conclusions. Once they began to sing and the countenance of everybody changed it gives me goose bumps because the singers never changed. They look at the crowd the same way, their voice remains the same and at that moment they silenced their critics. They were convinced they could do it. The crowds reaction did not change the belief that they had in themselves.
So many times we are quick to judge people without getting to know their story. Who is in your circle of influence right now that you have made an unfair conclusion about? Who do you need to listen to and hear their story?
Shaq Vs. Kobe Vs. Lebron Vs. Jordan
Today is Monday which means that the amount of people reading this blog drop almost in half. Apparently you need to ramp up and overdose on coffee to get through these posts and they just don’t work on Monday. So with that being said I chose today to run my brief rant on the NBA, the playoffs, the championships and legacy’s left behind.
One of my “sports pet-peeves” is the fact that so many people compare Kobe Bryant and Lebron James.
Listen I get Lebron is coming into his own as one of the best players who ever played the game, but he is not there yet. He is exciting, sells tickets and knows how to win in the regular season. There lies the problem, he has not won in the post season. Yes he was rookie of the year and yes he has two MVP’s to his name, however, Kobe Bryant has one MVP to his name and 4 NBA championships. ”You play to win the game!” -shout out to Herm Edwards for that quote. Your greatness in sports is measured in championships. Yes I know that 3 of those came with Shaq as a teammate, but Shaq would not have had his 3 without Kobe. Jordan, who is still the best to play the game ever would not have won 6 without Scottie Pippen. It takes a team to win a championship. Individuals don’t win championships. Just ask Iverson, wait where is he again? (Maybe there was something to that whole practice thing.)
Anyways, the point is there is no comparison between Kobe and Lebron at this point of their careers. One day this discussion may take place but not now. Just as there should be no discussion between Kobe and Jordan, however, after this post season there may be room for that debate as well. So my rant is nearly over. Until James can win multiple championships he does not deserve to mentioned among greatness or to be called King James. Also please NBA, please quit giving out the MVP trophy until after the playoffs. How are you MVP watching at home?
What’s your thoughts? Note to Chuck, all hockey comments will be auto-deleted from this site immediately.
Still Think Social Media Is Just A Fad?
That’s A Great Question…
I recently started following a blog by Rachel Held Evans based on a Re-Tweet (that’s something that people do when… never mind you wouldn’t understand if I have to explain it to you.) anyways the tweet caught my attention because it was about the college I attended Liberty University . Last week she had a post called, That’s A Good Question. Here is what she wrote up front: “Perhaps the most significant life lesson I’ve learned in my young adulthood is that knowing all the answers isn’t as important as asking good questions.”
I enjoyed that thought because as a young leader we want people to think we have all the answers when the truth is we don’t, we only have our answers. I have heard many leaders talk about the importance of asking good questions and then shutting up to actually listen to their response instead of doing what many young leaders do and try to give their opinion of the answer. I love to ask questions and I love to have others ask me questions. I think one of the best way to encourage someone is to ask them what their thoughts are? You would be surprised at how that can brighten somebody’s day.
I think this is a great reminder. Who are you listening to? What questions are you asking? Are you really listening? Are you willing to learn from anybody?
You can check out Rachel’s site here and check out a new book she has coming out in July called Evolving In Monkey Town.
Be Good. Really? That’s All You Got?
What a ridiculously good question that maybe all of us who are in the faith have all struggled with and asked was asked at my life group last week. “Do we really think that God will only answer my prayer when I’m living ‘Good’?” That question stopped me in my tracks and I did not hear anything after that for a few minutes as I quickly wrote that question down before I forgot it, even though I knew there was no chance of forgetting it because it’s a question I have asked myself many times.
“Do we really think that God will only answer my prayer when I’m living ‘Good’?” I have thought so many times that I’ve sinned so God can’t hear my prayers or that God can only communicate with me when I am pure in His eyes. I have struggled with trying to do good and be good so that God would hear my prayers. Maybe I pray so God will GIVE ME what I want or maybe I pray for Him to reveal Himself to me or I pray for OTHERS but every time I pray, I wonder does God really hear my prayer if there is sin in my life and I’m just not “GOOD”?
Then there is Galatians 3:5 that says, “Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you?” -The Message
Once again Galatians 3:5 in a different version, “I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.” -The New Living Translation
Based on that passage, God works miracles because of our belief, not necessarily because we are good. Interesting point from a friend who said, “If God only heard us based on how good we were He would never have heard me cry out to Him to begin with.” It is comforting to hear again and again that God hears my prayers because of my belief in Him not because of my belief in how “GOOD” I think I am. So I ask this question because the truth is I’m still trying to figure this out. Still trying to figure out this communicating with a God who loves me so much deal. Still trying to convince myself that I will never be “GOOD” enough. It’s a journey not a destination I’m told but what happens when the journey seems lonely and without answers? For me its pushing through and trusting Gods Word and believing with a simple faith that God hears me because He loves me and I love Him.
So I think this is a great question for discussion, have you ever asked that question before? What answer(s) have you come up with? “Do we really think that God will only answer my prayer when I’m living ‘Good’?”
