For a great article on thankfulness click here.
This weekend was an uneventful weekend.
I worked all day Saturday. The holiday season is here. Sales are up at Starbucks and people flow into the store like milk and honey flows in the Promise Land. Church this weekend was awesome! Pastor Ron did an amazing job as he continued through 1 Corinthians. This week he reached the controversial Chapter 11 - the order of God, man, and woman and each one's role in the church. I really enjoy just going to church and being a pew sitter right now. God is really using this time in my life to mold me and show me who I can be in him.
Sunday was a nice lazy day spent at home with my darling Allison. She got to sleep in and I love it when this happens - it makes her so happy. The snow fell all day and it is nice to see white stuff falling from the sky.
It always reminds me of my pure life because of my Messiah.
Today wasn't exactly a typical Monday. Something happened at work that caused me to get really angry. I had no reason to get angry. I just lost my cool. I didn't hit anybody. I didn't even say anything mean or out of place. I just lost my cool. You know that feeling of anger that rushes through your body when you lose it. That adrenaline that flows and makes you tingle all over. That juice that has fueled most of the mean things you have said or done in your life. That almost caffeine like drug behind a lot of "I'm sorries" or "I didn't mean to say that." This isn't a drug I use very much. It's not typical of me.
And the fact that this happened tells me that something is going on in my heart.
I am not aware of what it is yet. But I am definitely going to do some soul searching and try to figure out why I took this "hit".
Like I said I didn't react in any way that I regret or had to apologize for, other than the fact that it happened. I just regret letting something cause this in me. And this will be what I try to figure out over the next few days.
The bible says that it is impossible to know the depths of your own heart. It also says blessed are the pure in heart. I guess I want to have a pure heart. And I don't think a pure heart loses itself over something as ignorant as mine did today.
So onward to a pure heart.
I worked all day Saturday. The holiday season is here. Sales are up at Starbucks and people flow into the store like milk and honey flows in the Promise Land. Church this weekend was awesome! Pastor Ron did an amazing job as he continued through 1 Corinthians. This week he reached the controversial Chapter 11 - the order of God, man, and woman and each one's role in the church. I really enjoy just going to church and being a pew sitter right now. God is really using this time in my life to mold me and show me who I can be in him.
Sunday was a nice lazy day spent at home with my darling Allison. She got to sleep in and I love it when this happens - it makes her so happy. The snow fell all day and it is nice to see white stuff falling from the sky.
It always reminds me of my pure life because of my Messiah.
Today wasn't exactly a typical Monday. Something happened at work that caused me to get really angry. I had no reason to get angry. I just lost my cool. I didn't hit anybody. I didn't even say anything mean or out of place. I just lost my cool. You know that feeling of anger that rushes through your body when you lose it. That adrenaline that flows and makes you tingle all over. That juice that has fueled most of the mean things you have said or done in your life. That almost caffeine like drug behind a lot of "I'm sorries" or "I didn't mean to say that." This isn't a drug I use very much. It's not typical of me.
And the fact that this happened tells me that something is going on in my heart.
I am not aware of what it is yet. But I am definitely going to do some soul searching and try to figure out why I took this "hit".
Like I said I didn't react in any way that I regret or had to apologize for, other than the fact that it happened. I just regret letting something cause this in me. And this will be what I try to figure out over the next few days.
The bible says that it is impossible to know the depths of your own heart. It also says blessed are the pure in heart. I guess I want to have a pure heart. And I don't think a pure heart loses itself over something as ignorant as mine did today.
So onward to a pure heart.
My boss bought me a book yesterday (thanks Lisa, how did you know?) called "Five". The book is about making the next five years of your life everything it can be. It begins with this statement: "This is your life - your one and only." The book goes on to ask what you are going to do with it. "Five" isn't a how to book - it's a why not book. Why not be daring? Why not love with complete abandonment? Why not do today what you have wanted to do for days now? Why not change who you are so you can be a better leader than you were yesterday?
Why not be what you have always wanted to be?
I've always wanted to be a rock star. Singing on stage, lights bright crowds roaring. I've also always wanted to be a good husband, and a Godly man. I want to be inspiring, someone people will call for inspiration and encouragement. I want to be a good leader - known for integrity and courage.
I want to be me.
This last one might seem like it would be the easiest, and for some it is. This is not the case for me. I have learned that through most of my life I have been two different persons or one person with two identities. Don't think that I am crazy, I don't have split personalities. I am fully aware of my tendency to hide part of me from the world. I don't like it, but I am aware of the fact.
So learning to be the real me all of the time is not very easy. But this has become my goal in life. I am going to fight as hard as I can to learn this seemingly easy thing. I have a couple of men in my life to help me one this journey. I meet weekly with my accountability partner Mike Matthews. I had a post about him a few weeks ago, make sure you check it out.
Along with my weekly meeting with Mike I meet once a month with Scott Bates, pastor and church planter in Mercer PA. My meetings with him are my spiritual highlight each month. I meet with him for a spiritual check up and guidance. Tomorrow we are meeting again and I am so pumped. God always uses Scott to convict me and encourage me to be pure and holy. And I have learned that if I am pure and holy it is a lot easier to be me.
So my first five year goal is to be Andrew Johnson - Son of the Almighty, Husband to Allison, and "father" to Rugby.
Why not be what you have always wanted to be?
I've always wanted to be a rock star. Singing on stage, lights bright crowds roaring. I've also always wanted to be a good husband, and a Godly man. I want to be inspiring, someone people will call for inspiration and encouragement. I want to be a good leader - known for integrity and courage.
I want to be me.
This last one might seem like it would be the easiest, and for some it is. This is not the case for me. I have learned that through most of my life I have been two different persons or one person with two identities. Don't think that I am crazy, I don't have split personalities. I am fully aware of my tendency to hide part of me from the world. I don't like it, but I am aware of the fact.
So learning to be the real me all of the time is not very easy. But this has become my goal in life. I am going to fight as hard as I can to learn this seemingly easy thing. I have a couple of men in my life to help me one this journey. I meet weekly with my accountability partner Mike Matthews. I had a post about him a few weeks ago, make sure you check it out.
Along with my weekly meeting with Mike I meet once a month with Scott Bates, pastor and church planter in Mercer PA. My meetings with him are my spiritual highlight each month. I meet with him for a spiritual check up and guidance. Tomorrow we are meeting again and I am so pumped. God always uses Scott to convict me and encourage me to be pure and holy. And I have learned that if I am pure and holy it is a lot easier to be me.
So my first five year goal is to be Andrew Johnson - Son of the Almighty, Husband to Allison, and "father" to Rugby.
In my two previous posts I have been pretty hard on myself - but rightfully so. Greater things aren't accomplished if life evaluation isn't done and done honestly and often. I cannot become who I am meant to be if I am content with the failures and disappointments in my life. It would be like looking at myself in a mirror and forgetting what I looked like the second I walked away (and that would be a shame - my mom and dad can make good looking babies).
As I look in my life's mirror, I am aware of my failures. The presentation of my darker side is not a pretty sight and it has the ability to wreck everything it is around. Thanks Mr. Mirror. I can see this.
But the mirror also shows my some more appealing side. And it is in the attractive areas of my life that I need to focus on most. I know that bitter color I can become when when I sit in my crap. Crap stinks, and it makes everything around it stink. I don't want to stink. I want to be a sweet savory smell that represents what is cooking in the oven. Because I know I have some good things cooking in here.
Every Sunday afternoon back home we used to have an awesome beef roast. And when there is a roast cooking in the oven the house becomes saturated with an amazing aroma. This smell always creates something within that causes some sort of moan that is followed by a reassuring statement that "that smells good." That single roast affects everyone around it. It creates a joy and anticipation that will only be satisfied at the dinner table.
This is what I want to be. I want what is cooking inside of me to affect those around me.
I want the Messiah in me to over power the stench of my crap. I know it can. I know it is supposed to. I just got to make it happen.
Because no one likes the smell of crap. Crap is what you scrape off of your shoe with a stick. I don't want to be that.
As I look in my life's mirror, I am aware of my failures. The presentation of my darker side is not a pretty sight and it has the ability to wreck everything it is around. Thanks Mr. Mirror. I can see this.
But the mirror also shows my some more appealing side. And it is in the attractive areas of my life that I need to focus on most. I know that bitter color I can become when when I sit in my crap. Crap stinks, and it makes everything around it stink. I don't want to stink. I want to be a sweet savory smell that represents what is cooking in the oven. Because I know I have some good things cooking in here.
Every Sunday afternoon back home we used to have an awesome beef roast. And when there is a roast cooking in the oven the house becomes saturated with an amazing aroma. This smell always creates something within that causes some sort of moan that is followed by a reassuring statement that "that smells good." That single roast affects everyone around it. It creates a joy and anticipation that will only be satisfied at the dinner table.
This is what I want to be. I want what is cooking inside of me to affect those around me.
I want the Messiah in me to over power the stench of my crap. I know it can. I know it is supposed to. I just got to make it happen.
Because no one likes the smell of crap. Crap is what you scrape off of your shoe with a stick. I don't want to be that.
As I entered the church doors on Saturday night, I was expecting some great worship time and another great sermon from 1 Corinthians 15. I did not get the latter. Our pastor took a detour from his sermon series to address the upcoming election. Of course because of federal tax laws he was unable to give any specific views on this election, but the information he presented was better than any view he could give on today's specific issues.
He began his sermon off by asking what the big issues were that had shaped this year's election. All of the norms were pointed out by the crowd - health care, taxes, national security, etc - only to be put down by this statement, "All of these are secondary issues. The one issue that truly matters is character." He went on to say that policies do not shape a candidate. It is always the character of a man and the problems he is faced with during his presidency that shape him. He explained that you can determine a man's character by examining the man in light of the Seven Cardinal Virtues - moral courage, temperance, prudence, justice, faith, hope, and love. The rest of his sermon was what each meant and how we could use each to examine a candidates decisions.
Now back to my previous post.
If I add the Seven Cardinal Virtues with Christ's eight blessed characteristics, now where do I stand? What kind of man am I?
If I was up for election, what kind of crap would they drag up about me?
What would the media say about my character?
What kind of commercials would my opponent make of me?
My dad called me yesterday. He called to reiterate something he had said to me 2 months ago. He said this, "Son, all of the other things that you are doing don't matter. You need to be doing what God called you to do. Only what is done for Him matters." He went on to tell me about a letter of recommendation his plant manager had written for him. Then in tears he said this, "What kind of letter would Jesus write about me? What would a letter he wrote say about me?" My dad is such a wise man.
Considering all I have learned about each candidate this year I know who I am going to vote for.
But I wonder who would vote for me? What kind of letter of recommendation would Jesus write for me? If Jesus made a commercial about my life, what would be in it?
He began his sermon off by asking what the big issues were that had shaped this year's election. All of the norms were pointed out by the crowd - health care, taxes, national security, etc - only to be put down by this statement, "All of these are secondary issues. The one issue that truly matters is character." He went on to say that policies do not shape a candidate. It is always the character of a man and the problems he is faced with during his presidency that shape him. He explained that you can determine a man's character by examining the man in light of the Seven Cardinal Virtues - moral courage, temperance, prudence, justice, faith, hope, and love. The rest of his sermon was what each meant and how we could use each to examine a candidates decisions.
Now back to my previous post.
If I add the Seven Cardinal Virtues with Christ's eight blessed characteristics, now where do I stand? What kind of man am I?
If I was up for election, what kind of crap would they drag up about me?
What would the media say about my character?
What kind of commercials would my opponent make of me?
My dad called me yesterday. He called to reiterate something he had said to me 2 months ago. He said this, "Son, all of the other things that you are doing don't matter. You need to be doing what God called you to do. Only what is done for Him matters." He went on to tell me about a letter of recommendation his plant manager had written for him. Then in tears he said this, "What kind of letter would Jesus write about me? What would a letter he wrote say about me?" My dad is such a wise man.
Considering all I have learned about each candidate this year I know who I am going to vote for.
But I wonder who would vote for me? What kind of letter of recommendation would Jesus write for me? If Jesus made a commercial about my life, what would be in it?
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