Resistance is Futile

One of the labels (or tags) on my blog posts is "Television" for items dealing with TV shows. But what is television anymore? Yesterday's post was about RWBY, which started out as a web series on YouTube but is not streaming on Netflix. So is that TV? Most TVs connect automatically to streaming services such as YouTube, so is YouTube TV? What if you watch it on your phone? Or tablet? What about a video blog (or vlog)? A podcast that also streams video?

There are so many different ways of viewing video content that our definition of television has necessarily had to expand. It's interesting how fast technology has caused changes in consumer habits and how slow many traditional media outlets have embrace - or even acknowledge - change. The ones who don't are getting left behind and falling into irrelevancy.

What is it that causes a company or organization - or a church - to resist change? Sunk costs, for sure. "We've investing x amount of money in this, we want to see a return on our investment." Uncertainty no doubt factors in - "What if it doesn't work?" Stubbornness - "We've always done it this way!" Nostalgia for the good old days - "Back in my day..."

It's probably the same things that cause a person to resist change. 

Some changes are no doubt worth resisting. But there are other changes - both positive and negative - that we can ignore and avoid and refuse to acknowledge, but which will happen regardless and will result in us being left behind. 

What changes are you resisting? Why?

Rob's Recommendations: RWBY

I'm not a huge fan of anime, but my son, Jonah, has helped me to learn to appreciate several shows, my favorite being RWBY. Here's how RWBY is described on Wikipedia: 

RWBY (pronounced "Ruby") is an American anime-influenced adult computer-animated web series created by Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth. It is set in the fictional world of Remnant, where young people train to become warriors (called "Huntsmen" and "Huntresses") to protect their world from monsters called Grimm. The name RWBY is derived from the four main protagonists' forenames: Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, and their respective theme colors (red, white, black and yellow).

RWBY has a wonderful detailed and thought-out storyline with memorable characters and is a delight to watch. I encounter a lot of students while subbing at school who enjoy anime, but many are unfortunately unaware of this gem. If you enjoy anime, you'll definitely want to check it out. As of this writing you can enjoy it on Netflix or via the Rooster Teeth website (and probably other outlets.) Let me know what you think.

A Running Inspiration

One of my running inspirations is Dean Karnazes. Dean is a runner who ran a little while younger but came back to running when he turned 30. He found he had a gift for running - especially long distances. I first heard about him in a sermon years ago (his story of how he started running is quite inspiring) and I later picked up his first book, Ultramarathon Man. I've read it twice (well, read once, listened to the audiobook once with Rosalie). The book is wonderful, even if you're not a runner. 

He's written several others since then. My other favorite of his (other than his first) is 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance! He reads the audio version himself, unlike with his first book, and it's a wonderful journey through an incredible event. I think I've listened to the audiobook of this twice, as well.

His most recent book, A Runner’s High: My Life in Motion is full of great material. One of my favorite quotes from this book is this:

"You’re either born a runner, or not. Simple as that. And it isn’t the act of running that constitutes this demarcation, but the desire. Running isn’t necessary—not in this day and age—yet some people choose to do it. Certain individuals seek out struggle and hardship, while most look to avoid such things. Nonrunners ask, “Doesn’t running hurt?” It does if you’re doing it right, we runners answer.

The mind-set of the runner is universal, our reality communal, we “get” each other. Comfort is overrated. Life is easy. Why do something difficult? Because life is easy."

Rob's Recommendations: The Working Genius

I'm a big fan of Patrick Lencioni's writing and speaking. I first heard him speak years ago at a Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek. After that I sought out his books which are very well-known in the business world. Some of his most popular are The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Death by Meeting, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job (which I believe was reissued with the title The Truth About Employee Engagement), and many more. They are all told as a business parable with the model presented detailed at the end. All easy reads and extremely helpful. 

Pat is the lead and founder of The Table Group which does consulting around organizational health and leadership. He has a wonderful podcast called "At The Table" that I listen to regularly.

In the last couple of years they have developed a tool called The Working Genius which helps people figure out the way they are wired to work. They have identified six "geniuses" and recognize that people are strong in two areas, competent in two, and the last two are "working frustrations". I'm not going to go into detail here, other than to say I have found it to be extremely helpful. I know they are working on a book about this, but in the meantime I'd recommend The Working Genius Podcast as a great place to start learning about this model.

Huh?

I had my hearing checked today and it turns out that I will be getting hearing aids to assist with upper frequency sounds, especially voices. 

As a bonus, they'll be able to connect via Bluetooth so I won't need other earbuds to be able to listen to music, podcasts, etc. I'm inordinately excited about that. Even Jamie Summers' bionic ear didn't have that ability! 

I choose not to see this as a sign of aging, but rather as the first step on my journey towards becoming a cyborg. 

Spiritual Formation Doesn't Just Happen

My question for our youth group tonight: What are you doing to nurture your relationship with Jesus?

Spiritual formation doesn't just happen accidentally. It takes some intentionality and effort. Just showing up once a week isn't going to get you to where you want to be.

How about you?

Second Thoughts

Honesty, I almost want to ignore this because the mainstream media is covering it so much, and so many stores are trying to capitalize on it with sales, but I just can't let a day like this go by un-commented upon. 

There's something in the human brain (well, my brain, anyway) that seeks out patterns and sequences. (Hey, my favorite game is Sequence. I wonder if there's a relationship there?) I'm one of those guys who love to watch for the odometer to hit some sort of sequence or palindrome. So today is a day to recognize and commemorate.

Not sure what I'll do to celebrate today. I set this blog entry to post at 2:22 p.m. I don't write many checks any more, but maybe I'll see if I can find a way to write one today, just so I can write the date! Or I'll set my watch for military time and celebrate at 22:22:22 tonight.

Bored Yet?

Today's a day off school for students (Presidents' Day). I'm friends with lots of teens on Snapchat (really, only teens on Snapchat, other than Rosalie) and I'm often surprised with how often students will post that they're bored. 

I can understand being bored if you are trapped somewhere (like a big meeting that just goes on and on, or - you know - school sometimes), but students sitting a home bored makes me feel sad for them. (And to be honest, a little jealous, sometimes. I wish I had time to be bored. I kind of miss that.)

Is it because there's nothing to do? Not usually. (That's what adults tend to think, and then we bombard them with ideas of things that they can do. Not helpful once they're teens.) Maybe there's nothing they want to do right then. I get that. Or there's so much to do they can't choose. I get that, too - see last Saturday's post. Often it's loneliness - that feeling of "I don't want to do anything by myself." I can relate to that.

I think many time students experience boredom because a lot of them haven't really learned to be self-motivated. Maybe a deeper issue is that many or most students haven't answered the question: "What do I want to do or accomplish in my life - or in this season of life?" Which ultimately comes back to purpose: "Why am I here? What can/should I do with my life?"

Helping students (and adults) answer that question is essential.

A Little Pane of Glass

The temperature outside today hit 39 degrees - super warm for us in February. So nice to be able to go running outside again today (especially since we're supposed to get about a foot of snow over the next couple of days). I'm not a big fan of the treadmill, but have been using it recently because I've been recovering from a calf injury and the weather outside has been so nasty cold. 

I was in Florida a couple of years ago in February, and it was sunny outside and about 65 degrees - glorious weather. I walked by a storefront that housed a fitness center and saw a bunch of people running on treadmills. Inside. Separated from the beautiful weather by a little pane of glass. They could see outside but they couldn't experience the glory of creation at that moment. What a waste!

I wonder if God says that about us sometimes. He's given us a whole wide world to play in - to interact with others and to enjoy all of creation. And instead we sit inside and "experience" the world through a screen. 

Analysis Paralysis and the Paradox of Choice

What do you do when there are so many choices, and many of them are good things?

For example, on Netflix right now, there are so many interesting-looking series and movies that it's hard to decide what to watch next. "What if I pick the wrong one? What if I pick one and it's good, but I miss out on something better? What's my filter for deciding?"

Of course, that same indecision plagues us in many arenas of life. "I have some free time this afternoon - what do I do with it? Do I spend time with friends? Catch up on housework? Clean my room/office/garage? Spend time on a hobby? Read a book? Watch TV? Go to a movie? Write a blog post?"

And then you spend so much time trying to decide, you end up wasting the afternoon. By default you narrow your choices: "No time to do that now. What choices are left?

It's a problem that previous generations didn't really have to deal with the way we do.

It ends up being a question of priorities. But that's something we don't usually spend a lot of time thinking about.

God's Will

"It's easy to want God's will when it's what we want. The rest of the time we grow." 

Bob Goff, Live in Grace, Walk in Love devotional

Rob's Recommendations: Waze

I'm sometimes surprised by how many people are unaware of Waze. Waze is a free app from Google (actually, it was bought by Google a few years ago after having been developed independently). It's a navigation app that will get you from here to there in the most efficient way possible. It's like Google Maps but better because it's designed specifically for navigation.

The killer part of the app is that it updates traffic conditions in real time, so it will let you know if there is a slow-down or traffic jam. Plus it's crowd-sourced in that people can identify navigation hazards like cars on the side of the road, construction, blockages, speed traps, and much more. 

The only downside is that it uses your phone's GPS and data which can be a battery drain, especially if you're traveling any distance, so it helps to keep the phone plugged in while you're using it.

If you don't yet have and use Waze, I'd highly recommend it.

Ahoy!

Fun Fact: Alexander Graham Bell proposed 'ahoy' as a standard phone greeting before Thomas Edison popularized the use of 'hello', which has stuck up to today.

(The first phone book recommended ending your phone conversation by saying, "That is all.")

So the next time you answer the phone...

Rob's Recommendations: The Way I Heard It podcast with Mike Rowe

I listen to lots of podcasts, but my favorite one right now - maybe one of my all-time favorites - is The Way I Heard It. Mike Rowe started this podcast several years ago as kind of an homage to Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story. 

The first about one hundred and fifty were about five-minute-long stories that were framed as kind of mysteries with a twist at the end "for the curious mind with a short attention span." He even wrote a book, The Way I Heard It, that features many of those stories, along with additional chapters about Mike's own life. 

After the book came out, he played chapters of the audiobook on his podcast and talked about them with his friend and producer, Chuck Klausmeyer. Once they completed the book discussion, they continued this longer-form podcast and essentially turned it into a kind of talk show. Now the podcast often features interesting interviews (including with Mike's mom, who is awesome) and sometimes just with Mike and Chuck talking - which is also very fascinating.

Rosalie and I enjoy listening to this podcast together when we're driving somewhere. I'd highly recommend checking it out!

What is Love?

What is love?

The definition we've been using in our recent message series is: "Love is a God-powered condition of being in which I will and work for the good of others."

That's the way Jesus embodied it and lived it out. That's his kind of agape love. It's way more than just a feeling - it's better than that. It's action on behalf of another. We love because we have been loved. 

Who will you love today?

(For more on Jesus' kind of love and how we can live that out practically, check out our most recent message series, "When Love Speaks", available on our church's website, www.firstprespinecity.org, or via podcast.)

The Beginning of Love

"Love begins where convenience ends."

An act becomes loving when it becomes inconvenient for the giver.

I'm Going Running Today

I'm back to running regularly after sitting out the end of December and all of January with a pulled calf muscle. I guess if you have to miss, January is as good a time as any! I will run outside in the freezing cold, but it's not my preference. I don't care for running on a treadmill, but sometimes the weather precludes going outside.

Many days - especially days where the weather is either very cold or very hot and humid - I don't feel like going for a run before I begin. Sometimes I dread it. But usually - far more often than not - the run goes way better than I've been anticipating. But sometimes it's a slog. But no matter how bad the run, when I'm done I'm always glad I went. 

Always.

For me it's a daily reminder of the power of consistency and commitment: "I'm going to go for a run today." That's the commitment. Then it's a reminder to avoid procrastination: I might as well get going.

Anything you've been putting off?

It's A Good Time To Be A Star Trek Fan

I'm excited for the return of Star Trek Discovery today on the Paramount+ streaming service. This marks the beginning of the last five episodes of the fourth season and precedes the debut of the second season of Picard in March, followed by Strange New Worlds, which chronicles the voyages of the original Enterprise under Captain Pike before Kirk took over. (This may be my most anticipated show of the year!) Additionally, the first half of the first season of Star Trek Prodigy just finished and later this year is season three of Star Trek Lower Decks.

It's a good time to be a Star Trek fan with tons of new, quality content! If you haven't checked these new series out yet, I'd highly recommend each of them.

Books and Audiobooks Galore

One of the best things about long trips is listening to audio books with Rosalie. Already planning several books we are going to listen to on our upcoming vacation next month. It make the trip pass quickly and gives us a shared experience to enjoy. Rosalie also enjoys listening to audio books while she sews, so can burn through several books a week.

Many people are unaware of how many free audio books are available through the library. Our local library in Pine City uses the Overdrive site and there are thousands and thousands of books available. Not just fiction, there are a ton of nonfiction books there, as well. And not just audio books, there are plenty of ebooks available for instant download.

The Score Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

I watched the high school girls C-squad basketball game tonight. They were outmatched by their opponent and it was obvious from the beginning of the game, but I was impressed with how well they hung in there and kept fighting, even when it was obvious they were going to lose. The old saying, "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" came to mind.

I wonder when we lose that? It seems like very often as we get older we stop taking risks and working at things unless we know we are going to excel at them. Or maybe it's not a function of age as much as character. 

Is there anything you do just because you enjoy it, even though you may not be great at it. Are you willing to keep playing/working/fighting, even when you can't "win"? 

The final score doesn't always reflect the heart with which you play.

Numbering Our Days

Working on a funeral message today for a member of our church and the verse that keeps coming to me is from Psalm 90: "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." 

How often do we really take a step back to reflect on our own mortality and the brevity of our time here on earth? It goes by so quickly. Moses, who wrote Psalm 90, says "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; ...they quickly pass, and we fly away." (Psalm 90:10)

What have you putting off for another day?

Rob's Recommendations: Android App "rShopping List"

 

This is one of my top, most-used apps on my phone. If you have an Android phone, you'll definitely want to download rShopping List. More than a simple list, you can sort groceries by store and by aisle. You can select what groceries belong to what store and much more. And you can use it for more than just groceries! I also have a list for when I travel of things I need to remember to pack.

It does take a little work to customize it for your needs, although the app comes with sample lists. I have mine set up for the places I shop most: Walmart, Sam's Club, and Aldi. You can also add prices for the items and what they cost at the various stores. (If you live around Pine City and want to use my database to start out, let me know and I'll get you a copy.) It's completely free with no ads, so download and check it out.

Flasback Friday: Growing Up in Florida

 

I came across this photo recently and it really spoke to me, especially given the fact that it was -22 degrees outside yesterday (but at least there wasn't much wind...!) 

 

The picture must have been taken when I was in high school - maybe a junior or a senior - because that's when we put the pool in our backyard. I think that's me holding the board. It was a big foam surfboard my dad had gotten somewhere. My sister is in the middle and some good friends on either end. 

We spent a lot of time in the water. All of my family loved swimming and before we got our own pool we would take almost daily trips down to the community pool at the Bayshore Gardens Community Center a couple miles away. When we were younger, my mom had to make the rule that we would stay at least an hour, otherwise my sister or I would sometimes swim for 20 minutes and be ready to go home! It was a little far to walk (although we did on rare occasion). Once we were old enough we would bike back and forth, and then we could stay for whatever duration we wanted!

By the time I was in high school my parents decided to put our own pool in, which was a dream come true for me (even though the actual installation was kind of a nightmare for my parents and took forever!) Once it was in, it became the center of our social life as kids. We'd often have friends over to swim, pool parties with youth group, and so on.

Glad to have a pool today, but only get to use it a few months out of the year because... Minnesota.

Helpful Hints: Water Dispenser Hack

[My original post on this got deleted somehow, but here's the gist of it.]

If you have a water dispenser like mine (a 5 gallon one), here's a great hack to keep from having to buy so many lids. I love the brand we have, but in order to add a bottle of water you have to invert the bottle and pierce the lid. If you use a lid that already has been pierced you end up with water splashed around every time you change the water bottle.

My solution: use a plastic ziplock bag and place it over the top of the bottle and then put a lid on. It will keep the water in long enough to turn the jug upside down and insert it into the dispenser. Problem solved.

It's Groundhog Day Again

It's Groundhog Day - the day celebrated by one of my favorite movie comedies ever. It's been a few years since I've watched it, so perhaps it's time for a rewatch. In the meantime, some quotes from the movie:

"You want a prediction about the weather? You're asking the wrong Phil. I'm going to give you a prediction about this winter? It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey and it's going to last you for the rest of your lives!"

        - Phil Connors

There is no way that this winter is ever going to end as long as this groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don't see any other way out. He's got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.

        - Phil Connors

"This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather."

        - Phil Connors

"Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today."

        - Phil Connors

Phil: Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?

Mrs. Lancaster: I don't think so, but I could check with the kitchen.

 

What A Deal! - Best Gas Prices in Pine City

Looking back over old blog posts I found one I did several years ago on the best gas prices in Pine City. Turns out it is one of my most viewed posts. It also is hopelessly outdated. Here's the history and the current best deal I'm aware of.

Several years ago Murphy Oil opened their location near Walmart. At the time this was owned by Walmart as a subsidiary or something. Once that station opened, their low prices helped drive down gas prices throughout Pine City. Then they spun off into their own company and eventually they withdrew from Minnesota and much of the Midwest, selling their stations to BP. 

BP doesn't have the same low prices that Murphy had and as a result the cheapest gas in the area tends to be down near Isanti/East Bethel, or at one of the Sam's Clubs near the Cities (Fridley and White Bear Lake are the closest.) Those are quite a drive, however.

BP does still work with the high school and so if you purchase a Dragon discount card from the football team (only $10) in the fall you will get $.05 off per gallon at BP (plus a lot of other deals). You do have to go inside to pay so you can let them know you have the card. In addition to the Dragon Card discount, you can get another $.15 a gallon off by using the BP branded credit card ($.05 all the time and another 10 cents by spending at least $100 a month). 

So that's a total of $.20 off a gallon total at the BP by Walmart with their card and a Dragon card. If anyone knows of a better ongoing deal, let me know.