Friends are great
So, I came home yesterday (Sunday) after spending much of the day with a good friend, jsyn, to find something put together by a fantastic friend, Phil (even though there was no mention of his name on it). Basically, he had a concept from a project that I worked on at Deloitte (Enterprise Lean Six Sigma [ELSS] case competition) and had turned it into some more than a root-cause analysis tool. He took the 5-whys example I showed him and asked some friends, "Why do you like Jason Lund?" Here's the outcome. Totally awesome and creative as I see it.
I think of The Rescue by Cross Movement that goes like:
I'm glad I'm dead / nobody loved me but my mother / Look again my brother / the waiting room's full of brothers and sisters you've touched / they may not show it all the time / but they love you very much
I realize that at times of uncertainty and doubt, I sometimes doubt whether anybody really likes, loves, or cares about me at all. But, I realize that this is merely a false attack by the Evil One. I know that I need to ignore these lies, but also that I need to remember that, even so, my identity is rooted in Christ and not in the affection of others.
Go ahead and take a look at the result. It's even in the standard Deloitte format, the deck (aka presentation).
Doesn’t God deserve all credit?
I was driving around today and thought about how many things God has blessed me with. I met with my advisor at work today, and he mentioned that one of the partners in the firm praised me in front of all the management regarding my performance. I wasn't entirely sure why my advisor would tell me that except for God to teach me.
As I was driving back to the office, I remembered the story of Daniel refusing to eat the defiled food of the king of Babalyon. Daniel 1:9 says, "Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel." So, I began thinking. Are my friends my friends because of how great I am? I quickly come to the conclusion that it's not because I'm great, but because God is. God is so great that he causes others to show favor to me for no good reason. God places me in circumstances with people for a reason unknown other than to live out my faith with these people.
Basically, God is soverign and in control. He gave me everything - great parents, intellect, determination, friends, talents, circumstances to excel, salvation from my own terrible decisions, mentors, everything. How can I ever say that anything great that happens in my life is somehow out of my own hard work? How can I even think of stealing glory from God?
Frustrations, Change, Radical
So, I just finished reading a chapter in "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell. And, well, I got excited, inspired, angry, upset, frustrated, confused, concerned, hurt, and thrilled. So, in case you don't know, I'm not invincible, some super-person, or any sort of person that is really good at anything. I make mistakes; I try to do right; sometimes I don't think about what is right. I fail with some things repeatedly because I am weak. I don't have a clue what the future holds. I don't care too much about what is in the future actually. I care about who I am now. As you may know, I'm not good at being who I say I am or who I want to be. I hate it. So, I take some "drastic" actions at times. Drastic change is what is needed in my life, right? I mean, I don't want to keep going on as things are. It's frustrating, pointless, painful, tiresome, and unfulfilling. I am looking for something more in life, something worth living, something with meaning and purpose – something that excites me to get up each day to live, not something to endure. I'm sick of working, and trying, and pushing, and learning, and everything. It's time to exist, to be, to live.
Resolutions 06
Here are my resolutions for 2006. Please comment and keep me on track. I appreaciate any help you can provide.
Focal Points
Convictions
Athletic Events with people
Service
Encouragement
Humility
Bible reading
Discipleship
Tactfulness / Sensitiveness
A Dream, A Purpose, A Vision, A Goal
I ask that you read and consider the request I am making. It is unconventional and may be “out of your comfort zone,” but please read, think, and then provide feedback. Thank you for your time.
Building Lasting Relationships Seminar
I had the opportunity to attend a 'Building Lasting Relationships' seminary this weekend as part of McLean Bible Church. This two day seminar was very informative and definitely shed some more light on the differences of people how each of us handles relationships. All of my notes are available if you wish to look over them, but please keep in mind these notes relate specifically to me and my personal experiences with relationships.
Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul by John Eldredge
I read this book quite a while ago, but I have just gotten around to combining those highlighted parts of the book into one place. This book was my first insight into a bit about men in general. It really put some things in perspective about what it means to be a man. This book has been very popular and rightfully so; it reminds us men about what being a man is about. It’s about adventure. He definitely brings to light some of the aspects of everyday life that have desensitized us and turned us into submissive and passive me. He reminds us that we can’t live that life as men and have any sort of real felling of fulfillment. Grab Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul by John Eldredge for yourself.
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
I originally read this book several months ago, and it was recently returned to me. I have went through this book and put together everything that I highlighted when I went through it the first time. The time spent putting this together has refreshed the many points I meant to put into practice before. I will continue to use the book to refresh myself every so often so I will know that my life has lasting eternal meaning.Therefore, if you take 40 days to read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, the book might be able to provide you with some insight about the purpose of your life and why you never feel completely content or at peace with yourself. Take 40 of your 2,550,000 days on earth to make each of those days have some real lasting meaning.
Personal Life Goals and Relationship Criteria
After discussing personal goals and relationship criteria with a friend of mine, I thought it would be very beneficial if I wrote these down. For one it would get me thinking about where I want to go in life and it would serve as a reminder for when I get off track or seem to forget where I was planning on going. So, here is where I’m thinking things should be heading in my life.Let me know what you think. What am I missing? Are there any areas where I am off track? If you haven’t done this yourself, you might want to take a few minutes (hours, days) to think about this so your life has some direction. Also, reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren might provide some insight. Take 40 of your 2,550,000 days on earth to make each of those days have some meaning.
The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity by Lee Strobel is a fantastic read. The book attempts to provide insight into eight objections to the Christian faith. The book addresses each of the eight issues with the insight of experts in each area. The experts are Christians although most of them were atheistic for a portion of their lives. Strobel does a good job at providing insight to the objections in the book, but he certainly does not refute any argument completely. Each of the issues in the book could be debated and cross examined so much that it would easily take a lifetime for a person to get a complete grasp of any particular issue.