I've Been Meaning to Get Around to That

We have a saying in cross country: "The faster you run, the sooner you're done."

You can apply that to pretty much any area of life. 

So, what have you been procrastinating about?

A Shibboleth for Track

We have a big home varsity track meet today at the high school and they asked me to be the announcer for the public address system (something about me having a big mouth, I guess). 

At first I was a little apprehensive about the opportunity. It's not like I'm not used to speaking in public, but this is going to be the largest amount of people at one time by far (unless my sermon podcasts suddenly start taking off!) The other thing that caused me to hesitate is that I really enjoy walking around, seeing students compete and cheering for my youth group kids and my cross country kids, which is like my second youth group. And I cheer for all the students I've come to know as a substitute - which is pretty much all of the Pine City students. Wandering around also gives me the chance to chat with a bunch of the parents of students and other friends of mine.

But I've always thought it would be fun to be the announcer, and they were evidently desperate because they asked me, so I agreed to do it. It had nothing to do with the fact that our track meets this year have been very cold and windy and often rainy, and I would be up in the booth all dry and out of the elements. That's didn't factor in at all. It does give me the chance to enjoy all the races, even if I can't yell my encouragements to the Dragon runners (which really does help them, I'm sure.)

For a while I thought about trying to be extra funny or something. (I'm given to understand that there is a voice changing app where you can sound like Morgan Freeman or something? Maybe James Earl Jones.) Some of my students told me to intentionally mispronounce their name. I told them I will intentionally mispronounce a bunch of names, so if they hear me mangle someone's name, it's on purpose. That's my story, anyway.

But as I think about the other announcers I've heard, with a few exceptions (ie. Ms. Mill!), the best ones are the ones who don't draw attention to themselves, but to the content they are trying to convey. Nobody needs to hear my humorous asides as much as they need to hear what races they need to be getting ready for, or who finished in what place.

That's the essence of preaching (and a lot of other communication). It's primarily about the content, not the delivery (as long as the delivery isn't distracting). 

It should be good. After all, if I can pronounce all those Old Testament names (like Mephibosheth, Kibrothhattaavah, or Mahar-shalal-hash-baz), how hard can last names nowadays be? (Famous last words.)

Star Trek and Vegetables

Well, we're one week out from the premiere of the new Star Trek series, Strange New Worlds, and I couldn't be more excited. 

I grew up a first generation Trek fan (Tekkie? Trekker? Trekist? We'll go with Trek enthusiast.) I thrilled to the adventures of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest. I watched each episode dozens of times through the years. When the first movies came out, I was beyond excited.

And then news came of a new series: Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was in college at the time and went to the house of a friend to watch the first episode. It was... good, I guess. McCoy had a brief cameo, which was cool, but the rest of the episode was only... okay. I had high hopes for the series,... until I watched the second and third episodes. I wanted to badly to love this new incarnation, but I mostly just liked it because it was Star Trek.

But then, it began to improve. By the third season, it was firing on all cylinders, and it concluded with the spectacular Best of Both Worlds borg episode cliffhanger. TNG was finally realizing it's potential. I loved Deep Space Nine, liked Voyager and Enterprise for the most part. 

And then there was the drought. No more Trek for most of a decade, until J.J. Abrams rebooted the movie franchise in 2009 and CBS All Access (now Paramount+) brought Trek back to TV with Discovery. Then Lower Decks and Picard. The third generation of Trek on TV had arrived.

I know not everyone is a fan of the latest Trek incarnations. That's okay. They're not perfect, but I still enjoy them. I especially have enjoyed Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike in the second season of Discovery, and I can't wait to see him lead the Enterprise crew in Strange New Worlds.

What can get tiresome is the vitriol in some corners of fandom over some of the new Trek series. If you don't care for them, don't watch them. You still have hundreds of hours of Trek to enjoy. Just say, "I guess it's not for me." and move on. 

Or... and it's just a suggestion...try watching some more. Enjoy it for what it is, not for what it is not. And you might even grow to like it. (That's the way I learned to eat vegetables.)

Thankful for Great Administrative Professionals

It's Administrative Professionals Day today. I've worked with some amazing Administrative Assistants through the years. I can honestly say I have loved working with each of them, not only in my role as a pastor, but also as a substitute teacher. 

I'd list everyone by name but I'm sure I'd miss someone, but I will call out the current receptionist at the high school, Jan Cummins, who does a phenomenal job in a thankless role. She juggles substitute schedules like nobody's business and always does it with a smile (or at least it a grimace that doubles as a smile!) She is a joy to work with.

My favorite AA, of course, is our current church secretary - my wife, Rosalie. But not just because she's my wife. She is a kick-butt Administrative Assistant who not only is extraordinarily competent, but anticipates what I need, often before I even know I need it. Plus she is able to put up with me and my annoyingness.

So kudos to all the Administrative Assistants I've worked with who have so faithfully served. You are the true backbone of the organization and I am grateful and thankful to you!

The Lost Art of Civil Disagreement

There's a disturbing trend that has been apparent in our culture for some time now. It used to be that people could have an open discussion on opposing points of view and still remain civil, whether the topic was politics, religion, or even which Star Wars movie is the best.

Now it seems like the art of civil discourse is lost. If someone doesn't agree with you, they label you as a hater. If there is really no substance to their argument they will resort to name-calling. Not only that, but they want to censor your speech because not only do they not agree with you, but they don't want anyone else to be exposed to your beliefs or ideas.

My guess is that no matter who you are, when you read those last two paragraphs you probably put yourself in the role of the person being wronged (or it was your political viewpoint or belief system that was being attacked) and the other person or people holding an opposing viewpoint are the offenders. 

But... what if... it's you.

It's worth asking, especially if you are a Christ-follower. 1 Peter 3:15 commands us to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Imagine if all Christians just followed this one command. Maybe the practice would spread. Maybe our faith would, too.

(By the way, it's Episode IV. There's really no argument on that one.)

Contacting the Enterprise

I've been a Star Trek fan since I was a young kid. Star Trek premiered a couple of weeks after I was born, so I obviously don't remember watching it during it's original run on NBC, but I caught up in the 70s as it ran regularly in syndication. 

I remember watching all kinds of TV shows, and one day the realization struck me that Star Trek was the one show I watched and enjoyed that didn't feature a kid my age (maybe 6 or 7 at the time). Even then I was aware of the quality of the show which sparked my imagination. As I grew older I began to read many of the novelizations and adaptations and my appreciation for the show continued to grow (as did my collection of books and other memorabilia).

I think my enjoyment of Trek was cemented some time around Christmas when I was around 8 or 9-years-old. I received a walkie-talkie which I immediately began to play with that morning. My dad stood across the room with the other walkie and I keyed mine on saying, "Kirk to Enterprise. Come in, Enterprise."

My walkie screetched to life and a voice came out, "Enterprise, Spock here." And it wasn't my dad!

I dropped the handset onto the couch, afraid perhaps that I had accidentally contacted the real Enterprise and was going to be in trouble for impersonating Kirk (or maybe beamed up!) I knew the Enterprise had traveled into the past before, so maybe... 

For just a moment - a split second - it was all very real to me.

My dad talked to the other person and we came to find out that the next door neighbors had their grandkids visiting for Christmas. One of them also received a Walkie-talkie for Christmas and it happened to be on the same channel as mine and he happened to know the appropriate response to my hail. Coincidence? Or destiny?

Those moments in life of surprise and delight serve to help embed something in your memory and to bond you to those times in your life and those products or services that are able to provide these experiences. The application for business, churches, products, etc. is apparent.

At the Movies

I love movies. I love going to the movies, finding a great seat, eating popcorn, and being entertained by the spectacle. As a kid, it was always fun to go to a movie and be surprised by a really great movie. Sure, sometimes you were disappointed, but you never really knew until you saw the movie. 

You might hear people talk about the movie, but word-of-mouth isn't infallible. Sometimes when a particular movie received a lot or praise I would be skeptical and even resist seeing the movie because I was just sure I would be disappointed. And the more people would talk up a movie, the more skeptical I would become. After all, what movie could live up to all the hype? That's why it took several weeks after it was released before I went to see Raiders of the Lost Ark. (Turns out positive word-of-mouth sometimes it true!)

Now we have Rotten Tomatoes and iMDB and all sorts of media coverage available on the internet (and even on this blog!) to help you sort and choose movies you are more likely to enjoy. And I appreciate that,... but it does mean that you miss out on the surprise, and there was something magical about that.

When was the last time a movie surprised and delighted you?

Too Much Space Is Not A Good Thing

If you were taught to type on a typewriter, you were told to put two spaces after a period. And that was good advice at the time. That was the standard and helped people who were reading your material to easily discern the beginning of a new sentence, because each letter and space took up the same amount of space. It was what is called a monospaced font. If you are familiar with the Courier font, that is a monospaced font and looks like it was written using a typewriter.

But that practice is outdated. Since the advent of the computer, we have access to what is known as proportional or variable-width fonts. In other words, each letter, symbol, or space takes up a different amount of space. As such, you should NEVER put two spaces after a period. So if you are in the habit of doing that... STOP! Never do that again. It's annoying. Please and thank you.

That's my little rant for the week. But it got me thinking: are there other practices that we still engage in that are outdated and may even be counterproductive? I think of people who are giving you a web address and they start out saying, "http://www...", none of which is necessary anymore. Or people who will give you a web or email address and tell you what's capitalized. It doesn't matter - email and web addresses are not case sensitive. You're only wasting time.

Maybe there's something you do in your work, church, school, or home. It's worth considering. Usually we don't even think about them, which means we annoy others until someone points it out.

Rob's Recommendations: Travelers

If you have Netflix, you'll know that while they used to be known for high quality programming, they now seem to shoot for quantity over quality a lot of times. It's sort of a "throw it against the wall and see what sticks" approach. That means that the challenge is no longer finding something to watch, but wading through the mediocre to find the movies or series that are actually worth investing your time watching.

If you're in that spot of looking for something new, allow me to recommend Brad Wright's excellent series, Travelers. If you're not familiar with it, I don't want to spoil it because there is so much joy in the discovery of the premise. I will say that it involves some time travel, but it is different than any other time travel you've ever encountered. Think of it as kind of a Quantum Leap (another great show!) but you can only jump back in time and you can never return.

There's so much more to it than that, but again, I don't want to spoil it. It's very grounded and has wonderful writing, characters, and stories. Just trust me. You'll love it. I've seen the first two seasons a couple of times and will likely rewatch the entire series eventually. It's one of my favorites and I bet it'll be one of yours.

My grade: A+

Pay Transparency and Assumptions

There was a news story on this morning about how some cities are having trouble hiring enough people - specifically young people - for some summer programs. One of the things they didn't mention is what these jobs pay. I then ran across some posts on Facebook where our own city is looking for lifeguards, swimming instructors, and seasonal maintenance, But again, no mention of pay or pay range.

Who does post jobs with the starting pay or pay range? The businesses that are paying well. So what are we left to assume about job postings with no posted pay range? I'm not saying the pay is bad - I'm just saying that people are going to assume it is because they don't have evidence otherwise.

What assumptions do people make about something you are trying to accomplish because you aren't providing enough information?

Mexican Pizza is Coming Back

Mexican Pizza is coming back to Taco Bell next month!

I feel like that's really all I need to say. I could just end the blog post right here. But I will say I am quite excited about this. It's been two years since they took this off the menu and it was one of my favorites. Hopefully they don't mess around with the recipe.

Now if there was just some way to get other discontinued products back on the shelves. There's a lot of things - especially food items - that have been discontinued over the years. Some it would be fun to have for just for the nostalgia (like Crystal Pepsi), but others I used to use regularly. I still miss Coffee-mate Toffee Nut flavored creamer even though it's been several years. And they just stopped making Listerine Cinnamint mouthwash, which bums me out.

What favorite products do you wish they'd bring back?

Getting Involved

Salena Zito wrote a nice feature piece yesterday about an Austrian immigrant, Frank Buckman, who is about to turn 100 years old. There was a particular quote from him that struck me as profoundly true: 

He attributes his longevity to a life filled with a sense of community: “When you surround yourself with activities, people and events, you realize that being part of something bigger than yourself gives your life vigor and a deeper purpose.”

I think one of the problems we face today that previous generations did not is the isolationism and individualism that has permeated our culture. I'm not talking just about the crazy pandemic restrictions of the past couple of years, but how, in general, people have a much greater tendency toward solitary activities. Television, video gaming, and even, ironically, social media, are activities in which we engage primarily as individuals. 

I have a lot of friends who are teenagers, and observe a lot more in my roles as a substitute teacher and a coach, not to mention our own youth group. It seems that the teens who tend to be happiest and most fulfilled are the ones who are very involved in the school or community - whether through sports, music, drama, or some other extra-curricular activity at school, or in a youth group or other community organization or service club. The ones most likely to struggle seem to be those with little involvement outside of school.  Of course, this doesn't just apply to teens. It's just as true for adults.

My advice to parents would be to be sure your student in involved in something (but not everything - some parents go to the opposite extreme). Pick one or two activities that will allow them to engage with other people and encourage their involvement. 

Same with adults. How are you engaged with the broader community? I'm not saying it will help you live to be 100 like Frank, but it can't hurt to try!

Advertising as Punishment

I don't subscribe to Spotify (or any other music service) for two reasons: (1) I don't listen to enough music to make it worthwhile, and (2) I'm too cheap. So when I do listen to Spotify on the occasional run (when not listening to a podcast), I am subjected to the commercials.

Now, nobody likes commercials (you know, other than the Superbowl). And certainly nobody likes intrusive ads when you're trying to listen to music. Which is why Spotify uses them as a 'punishment' for not subscribing to their music service. 

It this really a good idea? My question is why would anyone purchase advertising on Spotify (or other subscription service) if they know it's going to be used to 'torment' customers? "Subscribe to get rid of ads, or you get to hear about Brand X again!"  Wouldn't that just make the customer have a negative association with their product or service? Personally, I try to avoid anything being advertised in such a way. 

Of course this is not specific to Spotify or even subscription services - intrusive ads are everywhere. It's possible that the ad agencies figure the brand recognition for their product outweighs the negative feelings engendered by the intrusive advertising - kind of the "any publicity is good publicity" theory, no matter how much it annoys the consumer. I'd be interested to know the data supporting this. I think it's more likely that companies just throw money at trying to get their product or service's name out there without really considering the context. And as a result they damage their brand.

What about you - your "brand" or your name? It might be worth thinking about what media platforms you're associated with and how you present yourself on them. If you're a Christ-follower, it's worth asking the question: Based on your online (or offline) interactions, what would people associate you with more - your political views, or the fact that you love Jesus (and therefore love others [John 13:35])? Just because you "say" it doesn't count. How do you display it?

He is Risen - Easter 2022

I hope everyone had a great Easter today. We had a breakfast/brunch at church followed by our worship service, - followed by my coming home and collapsing in exhaustion! We don't do a lot extra around church at Easter (like Maundy Thursday or Good Friday services), but just the regular stress of getting ready for a special Sunday where you know there are going to be visitors and people you haven't seen in a while can be taxing. 

We also don't do a lot with Easter baskets and candy anymore as our boys are in their 20s and Rosalie and I don't need a lot of extra caloric temptations around. But here's my tip for those of you who are in the Easter candy mode because of young kids or just because you like candy: go to Walmart (or whatever local store you have) early the morning after Easter. Then buy enough for next year's Easter baskets. The chocolate and candy and so on will safe (as long as you don't break into your stash before then... you might want to pick up some extra in the meantime, just to be safe). Don't wait too long or all the good stuff will be gone. I'll be honest, I just opened a bag of jelly beans I bought on clearance last Easter, and it tastes just fine. 

But in all seriousness, I hope you took some time to reflect on Christ's resurrection and what it means for you. If you would like, you can check our my Easter message - "Seeing is Believing" on our podcast (you can also find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play podcasts).

Rob's Recommendations: Redshirts

One of the books Rosalie and I listened to on our recent road trip was Redshirts: A Novel With Three Codas by John Scalzi. I had read the book about a decade ago when it first came out and loved it. It had been long enough that listening to it this time was like experiencing it again for the first time and I was delighted by how much I enjoyed it again. Plus it was read by Wil Wheaton (best known for his portrayal of Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation) who has read many audiobooks and is one of my favorite readers (next to James Marsden).

Here's a quick tease for the novel:

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship's Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn't be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship's captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues' understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

Redshirts is the winner of the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

If you're familiar with Star Trek at all (especially the original series) you'll love the book. It's a humorous take on the science fiction genre where not all is as it appears. The book gets very meta, and then even more so as it reaches its wonderful conclusion. 

I was unfamiliar with John Scalzi's work, but am reading through (chronologically) his earlier work and am currently devouring his book Old Man's War. He has a wonderfully casual style with a lot of humor mixed in.

If you're looking for a good book to read or listen to, and you are at least familiar with Star Trek, I'd give Redshirts my highest recommendation. A+

Whose Job Is It?

(Image courtesy xkcd.com) 

"Someone is wrong on the internet."

About what? A fact or an opinion?

And whose job is it to correct them? 

If you think it's yours, that likely says more about you than them.

Rob's Recommendations: Netflix's Lost In Space

I used to enjoy the original Lost in Space when I was a kid. A very young kid. I think part of the appeal was the fact that it didn't rerun very often on TV, so when I caught an episode I was intrigued. I always thought maybe there were episodes that were better than the ones I saw and imagined how much better it would be without Dr. Smith. Like many boys, I identified with Will Robinson in that I wanted to be Will Robinson. Who wouldn't want a cool robot as their best friend? But overall, I was frustrated with the show because I felt it has unrealized potential. 

When the 1998 Lost in Space movie came out I was thrilled to see a serious adaption of the property and, although the movie had some story problems toward the end, I enjoyed it overall and was disappointed that there were never any sequels. The design of the Jupiter 2 interiors is one of my favorites, and the movie as a whole still holds up.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I heard the news that Lost in Space was being redeveloped as a series on Netflix. I was cautiously optimistic and hopeful that this incarnation would live up to the potential of the original series. It exceeded my expectations, delivering not only only a wonderful homage to the original series, but a solid story in its own right, filled with great characters and lots of family-friendly action and adventure. (And it actually made me love the new Dr. Smith as a character!) This incarnation even leaves the 1998 movie in the dust.

I won't do a detailed breakdown here - I'm sure you can Google other reviews if you're still not convinced. But the three seasons are a treat for the whole family and it gets my highest recommendation. A+

Rainy Day Musings

It's mid-April and we've got cold weather and it's rainy and gloomy out. Some years we've had blizzards this time of year. Minnesota is a dumb place to live in the winter. Except for broomball. Or for those people who like to ice fish or play hockey or go snowmobiling...

Of course, the middle of the country is facing tornadoes and severe weather big time right now. And we just got back from Florida a couple of weeks ago where it was already getting pretty humid some days. North Dakota is dealing with a foot or more of snow. And out west you've got to deal with wildfires and earthquakes...

No place is ever going to have perfect weather year-round. There are always going to be ups and downs.

Kind of like life.

Food and the Foundations of Business

How long do you keep trying and being disappointed before you give up?

I used to love Wendy's. I thought they had the best hamburgers - really the best overall food. One summer on break from college, I went to Wendy's every day for lunch. Same meal: Single with cheese, just ketchup, fries and a Coke. I knew to the penny how much it cost. And it was good.

The last several times I've visited Wendy's I've been disappointed. It's been... okay. I've tried some of their specials, which turned out to be not so special. And the Wendy's I visited (by Northtown Mall - I'm calling you out by name!) has been dirty, slow, and the workers seem to really not want to be there. And yet I keep giving them a chance - trying a few different Wendy's. Same deal.

So how long do I keep giving them a try before just giving up. I know I'll always get a great burger at Culver's (one of the best around!) or a great chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A. Always. And the people there seem to really want to work there. It makes eating out an enjoyable experience. Sure, there's always the occasional hiccup during a particularly busy time, but it's easier to be forgiving when most of the time you're getting a great product and good (or great) service.

Maybe I'll try Wendy's again... someday. Sad to see an old friend fall on such hard times. (I'm looking at you, too, Burger King. You're next if you don't start shaping up.)

So the lesson for businesses (including churches) is what? Your customers will be loyal and forgiving - to a certain point. But if you keep disappointing them, they'll find a better alternative when one's available. Surprise and delight are great in businesses - but don't neglect the foundations of a good product and decent customer service.

God's Kaleidoscope of Love

I used to love kaleidoscopes when I was younger. Ah, who am I kidding,.. I still love them! It's cool to look through them and see the world in a different way. They actually make kaleidoscope glasses! I don't know if they work or not, or how practical they would be, but what a cool way to see the world around you differently.

On my run this morning I came across the song Kaleidoscope by the band Urban Rescue and was struck by some of the lyrics:

Let your love be my kaleidoscope | You fill my world with
Childlike wonder | Every face reflections of your heart... | I want to see what you see... | Change me from the inside | Show me what it looks like | Let your love be my kaleidoscope

We see other people from a very limited perspective, and our opinions and interactions are shaped by that particular perspective. But all of us have many different facets and so we need God's love to help us see others as He sees them. And then to treat them as He would.

That's what God's love is all about.

Rob's Recommendations: The Umbrella Academy

Looking for something new to watch? Allow me to suggest The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. I've watched the first season three times, and am currently rewatching the second season with Rosalie (her first time through). We're preparing for the upcoming release of season 3 in a couple of months.

The Umbrella Academy is extremely quirky, a little violent at times - although mostly in an over-the-top surreal way - and overall a whole lot of fun. It's based on a comic that is even more wacky, but the live-action interpretation stays (mostly) grounded and fleshes out the characters with tremendous performances all around. The plot is crazy fun, but it's the characters you'll fall in love with. If you enjoy quickly off-beat adventure with a heart, you'll love this one. My grade: A+.

Grumpy People

Do you suppose grumpy old people started out as grumpy young people, or did they get grumpy as they got older?

I tend to think people generally stay the same unless they intentionally work on changing. I wonder, then, if grumpy people know they're grumpy. If so, maybe they just don't care... because they're too grumpy.

We all tend to be "out of sorts" at times and have bad attitudes. Maybe we're tired or hungry or sad. But if it becomes a pattern and my theory is accurate, it means you should work on changing before your heart gets hard and it gets to be too late.

Talking About Failure

Nobody looks forward to failure. You don't plan for it and you don't enjoy it when it comes.

But you can learn from it. 

Some companies talk about "celebrating failure." I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not sure celebrating is the right word. But we can accept failure, learn from it, and grow from it. Some of the best learnings and greatest wisdom come from failure. And some of the best people are formed out of it.

I think of King David who had great successes in his life, starting with his battle with Goliath. And he had some incredible failures, and yet he's described as a man after God's own heart. Not because he always did the right thing or never failed, but because he never stopped pursuing the one true God. And God used his failures to help grow David and inspire people ever since.

We like to highlight and talk about our success, but we should be more open about the times we fail, what we learn, and how to keep going.

What have you failed at recently?

Powdered Sugar and Wheat Thins

When I was grocery shopping recently and I picked up a bag of powdered sugar that was on my list. Naturally I grabbed the cheaper, store-brand Great Value powdered sugar. And I started wondering, why would anyone pay more for the brand name if they had a choice? It's just powdered sugar, for goodness sake. (I'm not talking about some specialty organic keto sugar, just the plain stuff.) And yet some people do pay more for the brand name, apparently, as they still sell Domino and C&H "premium cane powdered sugar". Do people just not pay attention? Is there really a difference? Or brand name water. Really? Granted, the water bottles themselves may be higher quality, but it's just water.

Of course, there are some brand names that I will always buy because there is a difference. Heinz ketchup is a big one. Accept no substitutes!! Or brand name cola versus store brand generics. I'm sure you have some of your own.

But for the most part, the store brands are just as good - or at least good enough. And occasionally I'll run across store brands that I actually prefer to the name brands. I prefer the Aldi and the Walmart versions of wheat crackers versus the Wheat Thins brand.

What about you? Any brand names you'll always buy? Any store brands you prefer?

Sometimes we chose the brand names is because of the story we are telling ourselves about ourselves. Or we just buy into the story that the name brand wants us to believe.

God sightings

What's a "God sighting?"

In Matthew 6:26-30, Jesus uses the world around him to help point out the way that God is always working. He does it in the context of not worrying and he draws his listeners attention to little, oftentimes unnoticed thing around him.

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

And not only can we see what God has done, but we can learn about who God is. Paul in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans reminds us that:

²⁰ ...since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, ...

Creation itself teaches us some things about God.

So a "God sighting" is when you notice some way that God was or is at work in your life or in the world around you, or you notice something that reminds you of God - his holiness or his power or his creativity.

Maybe it's when you're particularly lonely and a friend stops by or gives you a call. Or when you see a particularly beautiful sunset, or the view from a mountaintop. Or when you avoid something that could have gone drastically wrong, and you think, "Whew,... that was a close one!"

There's evidence of God at work all around us. He's not hiding, we just need to take the time to look.

So where have you spotted God recently?

Overcome

Paul in Romans 12 says "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

How do you react when faced with evil? 

I know what I want to do: I want to lash out - strike back - get even. I want to trumpet my outrage on social media, bring legal action, yell, pout, throw a tantrum. I want to get sympathy from my friends and revenge on my enemies.

I wonder what it would look like to overcome evil with good?

Streeeeetch...

Plans are good. It's good to know where you are going and when you want to arrive. You have to have a direction to head or you'll wander around aimlessly.

But there's power in flexibility. Because, like life, plans have a way of changing. Are if you are not flexible, you'll break.

Plus, you'll be happier if you're flexible. (And the people around you will be, too.)

What To Pack

I heard some great advice from Mike Rowe in a podcast yesterday. He was talking about how so often young people are told with regard to their career to just "follow their passion" and why that often turns out to be terrible advice. 

Just because you are passionate about something doesn't necessarily mean you are good at it. (I love singing, but let's just say that as a singer,... I make a great pastor.) There's nothing wrong with being passionate about something, and maybe that will make a great hobby. Your passion may help point you in a direction, but "following" your passion makes your desires your leader, and they may not lead you to where you want to end up.

So Mike's advice is, "Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you."

The Apostle Paul put it this way for Christ-followers: "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus."

You Won't Believe What I Heard...

I like April Fools Day. Not for the stupid little gotcha jokes, for the dumb obvious ones, but for the elaborate, funny parodies that many companies put together. I already came across an announcement about a Star Trek "demastered" edition that will be released by Paramount on VHS, which got me for a moment until I remembered what day it was. T-Mobile also has a great video out talking about a rebrand with "New Magenta", introduced by designer Hue Palette. 

There's a difference between clever and entertaining and just plain dumb, which are usually the overly obvious ones. Subtlety is key to a good joke. (I momentarily convinced someone yesterday that this year, today was going to be March 32 due to something with the time change.) 

There are a couple challenges with April Fools Day nowadays, however. First, so much of our society has no sense of humor anymore. Many don't appreciate parody or satire. You know who you are. You've probably said to yourself or someone else, "I hate April Fools."

The second, of course, is that many of the headlines we see everyday are ones we might expect to be featured as an April Fools parody. Unfortunately, what used to be considered outrageous and impossible is now commonplace. 

It does force you to be discerning when you read the news today. But that's probably a good thing that we should be doing everyday, anyway.