What would you do with your last days?
Over the last couple of days I have to say that I was not all that excited about what I was doing and who I was at the time. So just like many people I started having a pity party, until I saw this video:
(Make sure that you take the time to watch the whole thing.)
So if you are like me and you are having a tough day and you feel that your life is just to hard. Then I challenge you to watch this video and remember the song “Clouds”. Thanks to the family & friends of Zach Sobiech.
What are the ways that you see God reminding you of how blessed your life really is . . .
Dealing with Insecurity
Over the last couple of years as we have walked through planting a church in Aurora, CO. I have had to deal with many areas of growth. Developing leaders, doing long range planning, and knowing what to do when to do it. (Still working on that one.) But most of all I have had to deal with my insecurity.
I had a person that I have in my life that is able to speak into those areas of my life and a couple of weeks ago he just said, “Scott you are a very insecure person.” At first it really kind of ticked me off. But the more I have thought about it the more it has really been a freeing moment for me. I am insecure.
I am insecure about:
- my marriage
- my parenting
- my ability
- my leadership
- my . . . .
But the one thing that I gain strength from as the insecure person is my true security coming from my identity in Jesus. I am a follower of the risen Savior Jesus. I am a jacked up, insecure person, that only can live life because of the radical grace of Jesus Christ.
John 1:12 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
Sounds simple doesn’t it. Well it is! Every day since that conversation I have woke up with the this statement. “I am a child of the risen and conquering Savior, my life only comes from Him. I am secure because of what he has done, not me!” Take some time to say this statement each day and see what it does for you.
Hi, my name is Scott Bloyer and I am secure with being insecure. Who is with me?
Opening Ceremony Question
Please feel free to share your thoughts, needed to have a little fun!
I just want you to take some time and tell me what you think about the opening ceremony? Leave your thoughts below.
Read and Run Required
Over the last couple of weeks I have really taken the time to make sure that there are two things that are becoming more an more of a priority in my weekly schedule. It is reading and it is running. What I have found is that these two things are important to my sanity and my future as a leader in the church. So here is what I am doing to make sure that they happen.
When it comes to running I have made a goal of wanting to run in the Boulder-Boulder next spring. For me I know that I have to have a goal to aim for when it comes to running. Like several years ago I had been challenged to run the P.F. Changs Half Marathon well with that goal and the challenge I ended up running the halp marathon in Phoenix. This time part of the challenge is to be able to run the race that God has placed before me when it comes to leading Eleavation. If I am not healthy and I am not taking care of myself physically I won’t finish well. So I plan my days of running each week and I even use an app that enables me to track how I am doing. This is not only enabling me to be healthy physically but also to be healthy mentally it is a great stress release. The run is becoming a requirement. (Jeff Maness inspired)
Then there is the reading I am doing now. I have a Kindle Touch and for those of you like me that are bookaholics it is like giving a book a of matches to a Pyro. Not good. But it has enabled me to be more effective with my reading as well as keeping notes during my reading. But I have made reading a priority for me to continue to learn in many different areas. I can quote Rick Warren, “Leaders are learners when you stop learning you stop leading.” So I have been using the time that I have around the house reading and reading with focus. Making sure that I have my time in the morning with my bible, then reading for a half hour. Then in the evening I make sure that I go up to my bedroom at least a half hour before I am going to sleep and read some more. This enables me to focus as well as accomplish a lot more with in the week.
So I pray that if you are in a season where you feel stuck then make a Read and Run requirement in your life. If you are a person that is needing an opprotunity to get prepared for a new step in leading then make a Read and Run requirement in your life. The only thing that needs to happen is for you to make a choice to go for it. Set a goal and live for the future. If there is a way that I can encourage you to Read and Run then let me know.
Signing Day with my Son
It has been a a very intense couple of weeks while my son Tyler walked through deciding which college that he wanted to attend. We made a trip to Adams State College in Alamosa, CO and met some amazing coaches. It was a great weekend with my son and one of the other players from Rangeview as they walked through the campus. It was fun to see the different perspectives they each had about the school and being a future student there.
Then the next week we spent a day at the University of Colorado in Greeley. It was a first class day with a first class program. The head coach at the school is an amazing man and I believe a coach that is getting ready to make a difference in this schools football program. Along with the other coaches that are there I think this program is heading in an amzsing direction. But it was not up to me. It was a decision that Tyler had to make on his own. So we left Greeley came home and began the process of preparing for signing day.
On Sunday afternoon I thought that Tyler had fallen asleep so I opened his door to walk in and turn off his radio. But to my surprise he was sitting at his desk with the two hats of the two schools that he had visited with the pens across the bills. There in front of the two hats was his bible opened up to Psalms and Tyler was praying over the two hats. He was really seeking what God wanted in this decision. So I slowly shut the door and returned to the living room to share with Michelle what I had just seen. It was a moment that I will keep in my heart as a dad. In fact to me that was even better then the moment that I watched him sign his letter of intent. Signing day with my son was a day that I saw a young man take to heart the direction that God had laid on his heart and he took an amazing step of faith. I am so proud of the man that my son is and I can’t wait to see what happens in the coming years while he is playing football and attending the University of Colorado.
This is what I found on my son's desk.
Off to College: A Dad’s Perspective
Enjoyed the summer with Danielle.
Today Michelle and I are driving our oldest Danielle to her first year of college. She will be attending the University of Nothern Colorado looking to get a degree in Elementary Education. She also will be moving away from home and her family for the first time. It is one of those moments as a parent that you realize that all the times that other parents said, “Life moves way fast.” Were totally right. But I have to be honest as Danielle’s dad I am so excited and so proud of who she is and how she has become such and awesome woman of faith. I know that at some moment today I am going to look at her and remember the times that we played on the swing set in Montana. The day that she laid in bed with her Mom and said “Yes” to Jesus. That I will remember the little girl that liked to play dress up. That I will see the little soccer player. That I will remember the first time she went to a school dance. That I will remember the day I was proud to baptize her. That I will remember the days that she sat on my lap and cried her eyes out. That I will remember the times we shared her Christian crack addiction at Starbucks. But all of these memories will not wiegh me down. They will encourage the perspective that I already have about being a parent and the goal that I set a long time ago as Jesus laid it on my heart. That my job as a dad is that my kids “Leave Well.” Danielle is leaving well and I do not expect anything less. I am so proud and excited to see what the near future holds for her at UNC.
Danielle if you read this; I want you to know that I am one proud dad and that I am only a phone call, text, Skype, away. Oh yeah, continue to remind the guys around you that I still have the bow and they will not hear it coming. LOVE YOU.
Children’s Hospital Visit
On Monday, January 31st I had the honor and privilege to walk around the Aurora Children’s Hospital some of the best and brightest MMA fighters and their trainers. We had Brendan Schaub, Nate Marguart, Justin Wren, Jennifer Berg, Julio Gallegos, Ricky Vasquez, Alvin Robinson, Jason Lee, Luke Cadillo, Duane Ludwig and then there was Trevor Wittman his wife Christina Wittman, Ron Kruck, Jonathan Chaimberg, and many other amazing guys. A big part of the day was to help Fight Ribbon continue to share their message of hope for cancer patients and Brent Thompson and Scott Wells came prepared with t-shirts and wristbands that we were able to hand out to everyone we ran into during the day.
What I saw was a group of guys and gals that were not only there willing and able to share hope with kids and their families but they were also human beings that were affected by the hurt and suffering that they encountered in every room. I am still amazed at the ignorance of some people that think these individuals are some hardened crazed bulldogs that just want to fight with everyone in the world. When in all reality they are husbands, fathers, wives, and friends that are trying to do a job as well as become a champion in their weight class. So they train and they train hard. But on this day they chose to leave their training to see kids that are sick and hurting. What most people will never see or have known is there were guys that had to leave rooms because they were broken with what they saw. That there were guys that shed tears for some of the kids they met because they saw the faces of their own children in the rooms. That they were so upset that these little kids were there sick with a disease that still doesn’t have a cure, cancer.
I was also proud that I was able to watch some of the people that attend Elevation walk along with these guys and make sure that they were able to focus on the kids that wanted to see the fighters. It was a great day and I can’t wait to see this happen more and more so that we can encourage kids to “Fight for Hope.”
Giving and God’s Word
This weekend was awesome. It was our first Easter weekend living back in Colorado after almost twelve years. It was also the first time that we were able to celebrate easter with some of the people that make up Elevation Christian Church. But even that was not the best thing about the weekend. It was being able to give two young men that gave their lives to Jesus a couple of weeks ago. They both were so excited about the books that they were giving especially as we sat in the service together at Southeast Christian Church they were able to read along with everyone else. But it would not have happened if it were not because of the people that have been giving to the work of this church start. As I have been taking time each day to read through God’s word it always gets me excited about what we are doing here in Aurora.
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.
This is a verse that has been giving me more and more courage everyday. I know that the beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character, he is who he he says. Next that the end point is believing God’s promises even though we don’t see the promises come true right in front of us, we are demonstrating true faith. I gain courage from this verse because I believe that we will see a group of people that are not just talking about being a followers of Jesus but living that life. We will be the church that is on the move not waiting a church waiting to see what happens next. That we will be a group of people that are reaching people that are far from Jesus. This is what I see and this is what I believe God is going to do in the city, this state, and where ever we are able to go in His name.
Moments that are much more
The more and more time that I spend with people outside of church I see that moments we spend with people can mean so much more. They can mean so much more to the person that we are talking to then we know. It can make so much more to the persons journey with Jesus. Over the last couple of weeks I have really tried to make sure that I was being aware of the people that I was talking too. That I was really trying to make sure that I was making an effort to see and hear what was happening in their life and praying to see how I could love on this person and see why Jesus had placed them in my life. While I was at the Children’s Hospital this last couple of weeks I have been able to talk to many people. In fact one night as I was coming out of the I.C.U. after visiting some friends I ran into a woman crying. There she was standing in front of the elevators just crying. I was seriously thinking that I needed to just get on the elevator and go home. But there was this serious tug at my heart that I needed to talk to her. But I was tired it was late I had not seen my wife in awhile, I did not have time to stop and talk. Again, there was this amazing feeling that I needed to talk to this woman.
So I stopped just next to her in front of the elevators. There she stood saying “I had to get out of there. The noises all of the doctors I just had to get out of the room.” You see her daughter had just been in a car accident and she was the only one that was severely injured. The mom was so upset and confused that there was really nothing I could say and do. So I listened and I just asked her if I could pray with her, then I left. There was no amazing moment where she fell down on her knees and said yes to Jesus right there. But what I do know is that we were there for a reason and that God had placed us at that moment. Here is an amazing quote that I read in a devotional called “The Unexpected Adventure” by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg it is the following:
“A person’s coming to Christ is like a chain with many links. . . There are many influences and conversations that preceded a person’s decision to convert to Christ. I know the joy of being the first link at times, a middle link usually, and occasionally the last link. God has not called me to only be the last link. He has called me to be faithful and to love all people.” Evangelist Cliffe Knechtle
Every conversation, every smile, every opportunity to serve someone can be a link in the chain of someone’s life. What are you doing in your life to be open and available to be used by Jesus to love on HIS people?
Sharing Wisdom
It was 14 years ago that I was sitting in a little church in Versailles, MO. It was going to be the first time that I was going to be preaching at the church since the Sr. Pastor was away. I got dressed up in my best coat and tie preparing for the morning. I was ready I had worked all week on the message, I had read it over and over, I even figured out some of the meanings of the greek and hebrew words. I wanted to make sure that I was ready to go. My wife had even sat down right in the front so that she could encourage me during the morning. All I know is that once the music began playing and I was situated up front on the little preacher pew I started to sweat. I even started feeling a little sick. But sitting up there with me was a very special man. His name was Dr. Kellogg from Southwest Seminary he was there to help out with the service so I did not have to do everything that morning. The pastor knew that I could not handle it all at the beginning.
So while the music director was leading one of the hymns Dr. Kellogg leaned over and asked me some questions. First he asked, “Is this your first time preaching son?” I answered yes with out throwing up on the stage. He leaned over again and asked, “Are you nervous?” I answered again yes this time, realizing that I must look really bad. He then leaned over and made a statement this time; “Why are you nervous. No one came to hear from you.” Wow, what a statement all I did was sit there and look at him smiling. Did I stop being nervous, heck no. But that statement has hung with me ever since. One of the things that I always seek to do is make sure that the word that people walk away with are from Jesus, not me. Over the years that statement has meant more and more to me. It has encouraged me to always remember who is the most important voice in a service and that is Jesus.
Luggage Language
I was recently traveling and while we were sitting still at the gate I was able to see the baggage handlers loading another plane that was docked next to us also still at the gate. There were bags that were being left at the top of the stairs obviously that would not fit into the over head bins. What I saw was the flight attendant place them nicely at the top of the stairs then go inside. Then came the baggage handler and he chucked, slide, and tossed the luggage down a shoot to the cart. In fact I saw one of the bags come flying out of the dangerous luggage slide of death to the pavement below. I wanted to run out of the plane shouting; “Don’t you know what you are doing? That is someone’s belongings, don’t you care?” It was at that moment that I was really convicted of a thought. Isn’t that what you do Scott with your words. You chuck them at people and don’t think about what they might do to someone. This verse is what came to my mind:
Matthew 12:35 (NLT) A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart.
The part that always gets to me is not about the words but the “HEART”. What people don’t realize is that the words that we choose every day and the things that we say to one another reflects what is going on in our heart.
How he handles luggage may be the way you handle your words.
I pray that this is an opportunity to for all of us to think about how we are speaking to one another. May we see that the ways we sometime choose our words is no different then the way some people handle baggage. What do you want people to hear from you?
Right words – wrong intent!
Have you ever had one of those moments where you read something and you read something that is different then what the writer intended. That is what happened to Tyler and I while in the doctor’s office. We read the above poster and began laughing because if you read with influence in the wrong places then you hear something different. What we read different was at the bottom of the page. Instead of reading the statements at the top with the seriousness that you should, we read the bottom as it where saying “Let us know about the problems above so that we can help in doing the above statements”. What I took away from this is if we do not read the words with the right intent we can totally mess up the message.
I thought of this poster after I went to a Bronco game at Invesco Field in Denver. I had taken the light rail to the stadium to watch the Bronco game and then when the game was over I made the short walk back to the station to get back on the light rail to head home. As we walked back to the station in the massive herd of people there was a man standing there with a huge poster that read”Trust Jesus or Go to Hell!” As we walked I just listened to people talk about what they read. ”That guy is weird!” ”Those people just freak me out!” “I would trust Jesus but His people are all jerks.” These are the statements that were going on around me. It made me want to yell out ” WE ARE ALL NOT LIKE THIS!” You see the message was true and but it was read with the wrong intent. I believe that this guy probably had the greatest intentions but because it was not read or presented in the right context it did more damage then good.
So what message are you delivering with your life? How are people reading you?
Looking at the Window
I have to share with you all what happened to me on Monday when I was in Starbucks journalling and reading. I had got my Venti Vanilla latte and coffee cake then found a table that was empty near the front of the building. It was a table that had the whole wall as the window. While I was sitting there enjoying my Christian Crack and cake I watched a little girl, her puppy, and mom walk up to the building. They had tied the puppy up to the leg of a chair so that they could come in and get their drinks. But as soon as they had closed the door behind them the puppy went nuts and started barking then almost choking itself to get to the door. So the Mom told the little girl to stay there until the Mom came back with the drinks, she did just that and I have to admit I enjoyed watching her love on her puppy.
So I decided I better get to reading and writing because that was the reason I was there. So I dove into my journal, I began writing out my prayers, I was very focused. After that I grabbed my ductape bible and started eating the verses up as I was eating up the coffee cake. I was really saturated with the moment. Until! Thats right until! Until the little girl almost had her face pressed to the glass next to me. It caught me off guard so I literally jumped away from the window. Which in turn made the little girl jump back and made her mom begin to laugh out loud it was awesome! I began to laugh to myself. But soon returned to my cake and my bible. With the occasional funny face to the little girl who was very embarrassed but what had happened.
As they were getting ready to leave the mom came in to throw away there cups and to apologize to me. This is what she said that really caught my attention, “Sorry about that she was so worried about what was on her face that she forgot that she was looking at a window and not a mirror. She forgot that there were people on the other side that could see her.” I said no problem but what she said really caused me to think. I love it when these things happen.
The little girl is a lot like me. There are those days, those moments, those seconds that I am so focused on me that I forget about the others around me. That as a husband that I forget that m wife is watching, That as a dad that I forget that on the other side of the glass are my kids watching. That as a follower of Jesus Christ I forget that people are watching. What would happen if we spent less time looking at ourselves in the glass and looked beyond it to the people that are watching and waiting? How would that change our perspective? How would that change not just us but the people around us? Who knows they actually might see who we really are and now who we think we are as we look into the glass.
Titus 2: 7 (NLT)”And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.
What type of reflection are you giving to those that are watching you in your life?
Exponential Conference
I wanted to be able to share with you all some of the amazing things that I have been able to walk away with from the travels that I have been on for the last couple of weeks.
From April 18th – 24th I was in Orlando, Florida for the Exponential Conference for church planting. There I was able to meet and connect with some amazing people as well as learn some new and amazing things. I love it when I am able to be challenged in my thinking as well as be affirmed in other areas. But I have to say that the best part of was hanging out with other church planters and church leaders. Just to be able hear what God is doing through some many diverse churches is way cool. When it came to the conference and the speakers that I was able to listen to there are two men that really stuck out for me. There was Craig Groeschel and he had a couple of statements that are still resinating with me right now as I look over my notes from the session:
- It’s not about how you package it, it is about God’s presence.
- Luke warm pastors build luke warm churches
- Build a church on what you are about not what you are not about
- Don’t blame yourself for the declines because you will take credit for the increases
In the session that he talked about Building a movement he challenged us with the following statements:
- What if? What if 3,000 people came to know Christ in a day? What if the church is where God does miracles?
- Dare to ask questions that no one is asking.
- Do what others won’t do - Revolutionaries break the rules!
- Where we are to where God wants us to be is the amount of pain we are willing to endure.
- You have to hurt like others are not willing to be hurt.
Then the last session of the week was Francis Chan pastor and author and he just rocked my socks off with what the Lord had him share and here are a few of the highlights:
- When was the last time you were astonished by someone be bold?
- God wants to astonish people
- We have been preaching exegetically but we have not been living that way.
- Are we more like the prophets of bale or Elijah?
Then what he did to conclude the week was have all of those that were there to start churches to come forward and there would be people to pray over you and anoint you with oil. I was so deeply moved by this time, the prayer, the anointing, that I began to break down. I got up and began to walk back to my chair and an awesome man of God named Troy Dean another pastor came over and threw his arms around me and prayed so much encouragement into me and my spirit that I then broke down. I then sat there in my chair just enjoying the time that I was experiencing in the Lord’s presence as people sang and prayed. I cannot wait to be able to share with others what that week and that anointing will do for Elevation Community Church in the years to come. It is all about what the Spirit of the Lord is doing and continues to do as we follow him in starting this church.
More to come about the other conference that I went to in Charlotte. More amazing things to share.
Life’s Chain of Events
I don’t know why but today I have really been taking a mental inventory of the men and women that God has used to be influential in my life. These are people that through out my life that God has used to add another link in the chain of events that have made me who I am today. Some of them may or may not even know how God has used them but to me I really see them as the hands and feet of the Lord. They have either helped me along, pushed me, kicked me in the butt, or have been an ear to vent too. So for me I wanted to be able to take the time to name some of them, some are gone, some are living, some are near and some are far. All I know is that I thank God for each one of them and the amazing way that they have been a part of my life in word or in deed. So this is my list of names that have been used by God in my life:
Phil Bloyer, Nancy Bloyer, Pastor Fredrichs, Skinny Knapp, Harry Munson, Peter Fredrich, Jim Brooks, Meerle Steele, Mike Hiller, Jim Evans, Greg Meeker, Charles and Margie Kellim, James and Rachel Preston, The Boys at Union Hill Baptist Church, Nathan Lawson, The Staff at Riverside Hospital, Thelma Murray, Rick Richardson, Randy Sanders, Jerry and Becky Coon, Todd and Joe Stevenson, Matt Coon, Ted and Jody Herzog, Shawn and Candice Kelly, Josh Reinke, Chris Hallock, Phil Newby, The Elders at Grace Bible Church – Miles City, Bill Robbins, Ty Blaus, Marcus Boykins, Matt McMann, Dan and Joy Bethel, Nathan Maples, Joe Hunsaker, Kevin Carlson, Jason Olcott, Pastor Jay of I.C.M.C., Warren C. Bloyer (Your words from the past), Mike Yaconelli, Mark Batterson, Pete Wilson, Ric Small, Ken Jensen, Brian Logue, Kurt Baughn, Sammy Verbis, My awesome kids – Danielle Bloyer, Tyler Bloyer, Morgan Bloyer, With out a doubt my brothers and sister, I have to close with my wife Michelle L. Bloyer. (She is the best thing that the Lord has loaned to me)
Lord may I continue to remember the names of people that you have used to build into me ,I know that there are names that should be on here that either I have forgotten or have yet to be brought to this place.
Maybe this is something that you need to do is take an inventory of the men and women that have made a difference in your life. Maybe you need to contact them and let them know the difference that they have made. Maybe you need to realize that you are someone that God is going to use in the lives of those around you. Whose list will you show up on? Will you show up on anyone’s list? Take the time to thank the Lord for those that He has used to lead you closer to Him.
Who is on you list – make a short one today.
The Caffeine Curve
Where are you on the curve?
I had to put this in for all of you, that like me deal with the coffee addiction. I would like to call it “Christian Crack”. Anyway where are you on the Caffeine Curve? With the invention of the “Monster” or “Red Bull” I guess that this curve is not just for coffee any more. Thought that this was funny and I hope that you enjoy it too. I think that some of you might even have to post this on your desk or near the coffee pot at home and make a red mark on the chart for where you are at in that moment. This would be a great safety feature for co-workers, spouses, children, little dogs, and cats. I encourage you also to check the curve every once in awhile to be ware of what you say and do around individuals on their way down the curve, it could save your life.
My Wife . . .
My heart is not my own
Because of the love that Christ
Placed in my heart through . . . my wife.
No matter what challenges or strife
May come our way in this life
I know that I have a best friend in . . . my wife
Doors may open and doors may close
But as we walk each time through those
I am content with the hand that I hold . . . my wife
As the world spins and we handle loses and wins
She has become a part of me within . . . my wife
We have traveled far and wide
And always at my side is . . . my wife
There are children in the house now
Although there will come a day
When they have all moved away
We will walk through that life stage
To a brand new page as husband and . . . my wife
I pray that we will then visit
Friends, family, and grand kids galore
Going from place to place
All the while gazing at the face of . . . my wife
And as my hair continues to fade and hers turns to gray
I am thankful for previous and future days
With the beautiful lady that God gave and I call . . .
My Wife
Proverbs 18:22 (NLT) The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the Lord.
Just celebrating Thanksgiving with the thoughts about my wife.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today we are going to spend time as a family watching parades, eating food, taking naps, watching football, and being a family. Then they will all sit down around a table and share the things that they are thankful for in their life. I have to say that is something that we do as a family and I really enjoy listening to the different things that my wife and kids share. But as we have been going through the Sermon on the Mount as a student ministry and we have been really diving into scripture there are some things that I have been thinking about. Like shouldn’t everyday be Thanksgiving Day for us? As I look around my home and I look at the faces of my family I think that everyday that the Lord allows me to live is Thanksgiving Day. So even though we may have a holiday that is called Thanksgiving I challenge you to make every day Thanksgiving. I love what this verse says:
Col. 3:15-16 (NLT) And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful. [16] Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
I hope and pray that as we all gather around tables and we pray that we remember that as a person that is following after Christ that everyday is Thanksgiving Day.
The Lone Cowboy
Ok, I have to say that the following story is really hard for me to share. But with all that is going on in the world I thought that we should share something pretty cool. It is so cool that I have to give props to Tony Romo the quarterback to the Dallas Cowboys. This has nothing to do with who he is dating, or that one of his receivers is crying about his support, or even where he went before a big game. It is all about how he took the time to think of someone else. Read the following story just click on the Dallas Morning News.
What about that? In a time where most reports about athletes are about drug busts, working with BALCO, someone in their posse beating another person up, or that they don’t play for the game for the love of the game. We have a young man that has not once but twice taken the time to help people out. Now being a die hard Bronco fan I say “Go Tony Romo”. I have a new respect for this NFL Quarterback. Not because of his throwing arm, his statistics, or the teams record. But because he has taken the time to see those around him and to see them as Jesus would. What is sad is that this is actually a news worthy story, that someone caring for another person has to hit the papers. I do have to pose the question though if a reporter was around you would there be anything to write about? Would there be any stories of how you cared for another person?
The Lone Cowboy does the right thing.
It’s all about the Hair!
Ok we were having lunch as a family in the mall at Red Robin. There I sit fighting my son for the last few fries in the bottomless basket. When Danielle goes dad you have to look at the guy on the escalator. As I pan around I see a tall, thin, young man with the largest afro that I have ever seen. In fact I think Danielle said he looked like a human Q-tip. Well, I couldn’t take it I had to get a picture so I went out and asked him if I could get a picture. Even as I take the picture someone walking by says “That is an awesome FRO” Take a look for yourself.
I am jealous.....
Big Guy in a Little World
Today as I was getting my wife some lunch I ran into Rob. Rob is a friend of Matt and Amy Roloff’s from the TV show “Little People in a Big World”. Last year he had surgery so I was able to talk to him about that and he even shared with me some of the things coming up in this year’s season. He was an incredibly nice guy and I know that all the girls in my house our struggling with jealousy because I got to meet him. It is incredible how God allows us to run into different people during our day. Unfortunately we don’t notice some of the people He has placed in our life that might be hurting or dealing with something because we aren’t willing to ask. All I did was start off the conversation with “How is your back feeling after the surgery?” Some of us ask people ask “How is your day?” But do we really want to know the truth when we ask that question? I encourage you this weekend to ask people “How are things going?” and then take the time to really listen. Who knows you might even make a new friend or be the person that helps someone with a bad day. Take a chance and just ask.
Sharpening the AX
Speaking at church
When I was a kid one of the things that we did as a chore was to split wood. We would do this on the back patio for the fires that we were going to have during the Colorado winters. We would grab the splitting wedge, the sledgehammer, and working gloves then head out side. Once outside we feel the brisk air against our face and you would see your breath. Then you would start by picking out the log that you were going to start splitting. You would roll it into place and then find a place to get the wedge stuck or you would tap it with the sledge until it stuck into the wood. At the beginning of the winter season the sedge would always be sharpened and easy to get started into the log. You could give it one or two taps and it was in place for you to being wailing away with the sledgehammer. It was never a process that you started out with well. There were at least two or three misses before you made good contact. But then you would get the rhythm and the motion. Then all of sudden you would be able to start seeing the wedge move down and hear the cracking of the cold wood. Then comes the final blow and you hear the wedge come clinking through the log onto the brick patio. Then the process begins all over again. I have to say that some of my best memories have to do with splitting wood out on the back patio. It was either because of the time I spent with my brothers and dad or because I beat my dad or brothers at splitting the wood. You know that anytime you get guys doing anything it becomes a competition.
But at the end of the season we used to argue, flip coins, and barter to get out of splitting wood. The question that you may be asking your self is why did things change? Well it changed because it got harder and because the wedge would get dull and banged up from all the previous use. Plus we all just got tired of doing it. We all enjoyed the fires but we didn’t want to do the work anymore.
I see this also in our lives today. We start out excited and ready to get work. But as we work and the wedge hits the ground it becomes dull and the work becomes harder. Maybe the wedge is your creativity, maybe it’s your leadership, and maybe it’s your relationships. I don’t know what it is but the edge becomes dull, the work gets hard, and we get to the quitting point. I want us to think about the verse that comes to us in:
Ecclesiastes 10:10 (NLT) “Since a dull ax requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.”
What place in your life do you need to sharpen the ax or wedge? What place do you feel that you are just working really hard? I encourage you to find a way to sharpen up. Is there a book that you have on your shelf that you have always said that you were going to read? Is there a conference or a class that you have put off going too? Have you not gone on that date with your spouse? Have you not spent time with that little one?
Take time to sharpen the ax, I pray that you seek to find the wisdom that Lord has placed in your heart. May the wisdom that you seek not be of just this world but of the Holy spirit.
What area in your life do you need to sharpen? Pray right now that the Lord will show you.
By the way turning 39 is not really that bad. I love being with my wife and kids.
Looking Good!
So I left the office to go and watch my daughter Danielle play volleyball. Let’s just say that the team that they were playing today was a little lacking. So what do you do when your team stomps the other team and you really don’t have to play. You stand there and you look good! That is what Danielle did and she did it well. What can I say I love this girl! Maybe the next time we can get some action shots.
Football, Friends, and my Son!
Losing the big game!
So tonight I had a great time going to a football game. We went to see one of the top 10 high school football teams De La Salle in the United States play another high school football team Don Bosco that was in the top 25 of the United States. We had a barbecue with the boosters of De La Salle and then went and stood in the south end zone of the stadium. It was a beautiful site the stands were filling up ESPN-U was getting the cameras ready and the sun was going down in NOR CAL. Then the band came in and played the national anthem and lead us into the game. We saw a great game. There were twists and turns through out the whole game with us being able to stand right underneath the goal as the winning field goal was kicked with 10 seconds left in the game for Don Bosco beating De La Salle. What better then a night with my son good friends and football. It was awesome to see Tyler get so excited about seeing that he was not smaller then the guys on the field. Oh, and Tyler scored his first touchdown on Thursday Night, stopped a guy for a safety, had three sacks and ten solo tackles. Friends, Football, and my son. Thanks Joe for taking us to the game it was amazing.
