Here we go again- I agree that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. Here's a news story about a guy at a McDonalds in New York that crawled through the drive up window because they were not making his filet-o-fish fast enough. You can read the story here.
Pretty amazing if you think about it. The type of athleticism that it would require to be able to crawl out of the window of your car, and into a drive up window is actually quite impressive. I don't think I would have an easy time even crawling out of my car window, but to make the transition through the drive up window- quite athletic.
I wonder what that guy was thinking- first off what was his thinking ordering a fish sandwich at 430am? Secondly, what would it take to bring someone to get so angry that they would be willing to do this, and finally, I wonder what he thought after his anger subsided and he was left with scrapes on his belly, a warrant out for his arrest, and his measly fish sandwich.
We've all done it- got so angry that we made an utter and complete fool of ourselves. It usually over something trivial or pointless. I'm yet to get angry at a purse snatcher or belligerent parishioner. My over the top outbursts of anger are usually about something my kids did, or some mistake I made. Its rarely anything anyone else would be upset about.
Here's what I think probably happened though- that guy was probably upset long before he got to that window. Before he even woke up that morning that dude had probably been angry for a really long time, about alot of things. I'm sure he didn't wake up that morning and think that he was going to go off on the McDonalds worker who didn't make his sandwich fast enough.
Here's the nugget for the day- don't jump through a drive up window if they are late on your order. Also, pay attention to how angry you are about things before you blow up. Spend some time in prayer and talk to God about the things that you are angry about and let it out before you blow up on someone.
The last thing you want to do is "lose it" at the wrong time and end up getting some jail time.
Here's a great verse- Ephesians 4:26 "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. That's a great verse to remind us that we do get angry at times, but when we do, don't sin in that time. Make a conscious choice to not 'lose it' and learn to live another day.
Don't go through a window. Don't lose it. You can wait a bit longer for that fish sandwich.
Be blessed
matt
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Why Holy Week Shouldn't Be That Big of A Deal
Its 'Holy Week' this week if you didn't know. Its a week that most Christians around the world spend the week reflecting on the life of Jesus Christ. The week ends with Good Friday Service and Easter on Sunday.
Its a good thing but I'm not sure if its such a big deal.
Stick with me on this- hear me out.
I'm all for holidays, but I think they can sometimes ruin the reason the holiday exists.
Take Valentines day for example, I think Its a bunch of hooey. Why do I think its a bunch of hooey? Because whenever you have a holiday that has some sort of large significance centered on one day, it sends the message that it is only about that one day.
I love my wife every day. I do nice things for her all the time. I buy her stuff when I can. She gets chocolates whenever she wants. I don't need a specific day to tell me to love my wife. I need to do it every day.
That's my frustration with 'Holy Week'. Shouldn't every week be holy? Shouldn't we spend each week reflecting on the story of the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ? That's the whole point of being a Christian. Understanding the story of Easter.
I love this verse- 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
What does that verse mean to me? Without knowing who Jesus Christ is, and the significance of his resurrection, everything else is quite pointless. We shouldn't set aside one week to reflect on it, we should be reflecting on it every week. Every day in fact.
Here's the nugget for the day- after you've finished reading this fantastic blog today, I want to encourage you to take 3 minutes and reflect on what the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus means in your life. You're probably at home, or in some office. I know a few of you read this on your phones. Just take 3 mins and reflect on what it means. How it changes your outlook on life and how it impacts your relationship with God.
Now do that every day and watch what happens.
Be blessed
matt
Its a good thing but I'm not sure if its such a big deal.
Stick with me on this- hear me out.
I'm all for holidays, but I think they can sometimes ruin the reason the holiday exists.
Take Valentines day for example, I think Its a bunch of hooey. Why do I think its a bunch of hooey? Because whenever you have a holiday that has some sort of large significance centered on one day, it sends the message that it is only about that one day.
I love my wife every day. I do nice things for her all the time. I buy her stuff when I can. She gets chocolates whenever she wants. I don't need a specific day to tell me to love my wife. I need to do it every day.
That's my frustration with 'Holy Week'. Shouldn't every week be holy? Shouldn't we spend each week reflecting on the story of the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ? That's the whole point of being a Christian. Understanding the story of Easter.
I love this verse- 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
What does that verse mean to me? Without knowing who Jesus Christ is, and the significance of his resurrection, everything else is quite pointless. We shouldn't set aside one week to reflect on it, we should be reflecting on it every week. Every day in fact.
Here's the nugget for the day- after you've finished reading this fantastic blog today, I want to encourage you to take 3 minutes and reflect on what the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus means in your life. You're probably at home, or in some office. I know a few of you read this on your phones. Just take 3 mins and reflect on what it means. How it changes your outlook on life and how it impacts your relationship with God.
Now do that every day and watch what happens.
Be blessed
matt
Friday, March 26, 2010
Have You Ever Met a Crazy Person?
I'm a pastor. Most of you know this by now. Because of this vocation, I find my self in situations that most people would not find themselves on a regular basis. That's the nature of the vocation. Pastors are called to minister to people in their most dire times, sometimes in circumstances that are not the norm, or at least not the norm as some would understand it.
Because of my vocation, I was at a in-patient behavioral health facility yesterday. Meaning, a mental health hospital. I'm not sure if you've ever been to one before, but yesterday wasn't my first time. I was a mental health counselor in the Army, so it wasn't that new to me, except yesterday was a bunch of civilians, not Army soldiers.
I had lunch there yesterday, and I was able to sit and watch the people that were there. All ages represented. All races represented. All socio-economic statuses represented. There was just a huge cross section of humanity there yesterday as far as I could tell.
As I was sitting there eating lunch and watching the other people, I couldn't help but think- most people would think that people who were in a hospital for reasons associated with their mind would look or act crazy.
Here's the interesting part- they all looked normal. They looked like people I knew, or had seen before. It wasn't like one flew over the coo-coo's nest, it was like being in a checkout line at the local supermarket. It was just full of people.
There is a stigma attached to people who have 'mental issues' and I don't really think its fair. We go and see someone in the hospital for being stupid on a camping trip and they break their leg and we think nothing of it. But if you have someone you know who has to go to the hospital because of something associated with the brain, and the perception of that person is totally different.
Mental illness is real. It affects a lot of people and is serious stuff. When we minimize it or talk down about it, we are condemning people who are truly in crisis that are in need of professional help. We should be supportive of them and realize that given certain circumstances, any of us, or our loved ones could end up in the same place.
What's the nugget for today? Don't be judgmental about people that are in need of behavioral health support. There may be interpersonal or medical conditions that are causing it that you may not know or understand. Yes, God can heal them or us of any condition, but when we pass judgement on these people, we run the risk of disenfranchising them from the grace of God because we have decided that they are 'crazy'.
Jesus ministered to people with conditions of the mind. Paul stated that we could transform ourselves by the renewing of our mind. Be a person who keeps a strong focus on the Lord, his love and his grace. Extend that same level of grace to those who are in a situation that necessitates support from professional mental health services. They are people just like you and me.
Be blessed
matt
Because of my vocation, I was at a in-patient behavioral health facility yesterday. Meaning, a mental health hospital. I'm not sure if you've ever been to one before, but yesterday wasn't my first time. I was a mental health counselor in the Army, so it wasn't that new to me, except yesterday was a bunch of civilians, not Army soldiers.
I had lunch there yesterday, and I was able to sit and watch the people that were there. All ages represented. All races represented. All socio-economic statuses represented. There was just a huge cross section of humanity there yesterday as far as I could tell.
As I was sitting there eating lunch and watching the other people, I couldn't help but think- most people would think that people who were in a hospital for reasons associated with their mind would look or act crazy.
Here's the interesting part- they all looked normal. They looked like people I knew, or had seen before. It wasn't like one flew over the coo-coo's nest, it was like being in a checkout line at the local supermarket. It was just full of people.
There is a stigma attached to people who have 'mental issues' and I don't really think its fair. We go and see someone in the hospital for being stupid on a camping trip and they break their leg and we think nothing of it. But if you have someone you know who has to go to the hospital because of something associated with the brain, and the perception of that person is totally different.
Mental illness is real. It affects a lot of people and is serious stuff. When we minimize it or talk down about it, we are condemning people who are truly in crisis that are in need of professional help. We should be supportive of them and realize that given certain circumstances, any of us, or our loved ones could end up in the same place.
What's the nugget for today? Don't be judgmental about people that are in need of behavioral health support. There may be interpersonal or medical conditions that are causing it that you may not know or understand. Yes, God can heal them or us of any condition, but when we pass judgement on these people, we run the risk of disenfranchising them from the grace of God because we have decided that they are 'crazy'.
Jesus ministered to people with conditions of the mind. Paul stated that we could transform ourselves by the renewing of our mind. Be a person who keeps a strong focus on the Lord, his love and his grace. Extend that same level of grace to those who are in a situation that necessitates support from professional mental health services. They are people just like you and me.
Be blessed
matt
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Chugging Down Some Cough Syrup
Have you ever had a cough? Sure. We all have at one time or another. Its an annoyance from which there is usually little relief. Cough drops, cough syrup, cold remedies. They all do a little, but they don't solve the problem, they just minimize the symptoms while you're dealing with the sickness going away.
My son has been a bit sick lately. Not really bad, just a nagging cough that wont go away. Its been going on for about a week. I think he got what I got last month. It lasted about 3 weeks. Not fun.
He coughs most of the day. Not a really bad cough, but enough that its a bit uncomfortable for the little dude.
The other night, we was laying in bed, and coughing, so I got up to give him a bit of cough syrup to help him sleep through the cough.
For the record- he doesn't like cough syrup. He hates the taste. Every time I try to give it to him, he shakes his head, closes his lips and shakes his head 'no'.
As a parent, this is quite frustrating. I'm standing there, at night, at the side of his bed arguing with him about taking 1 teaspoon of some medicine that is going to make him feel better. But he doesn't care. He hates the way that it tastes, therefore, he doesn't want to take it. No way no how.
I am always trying to convince him that even though he may not like the way that it tastes, it is the best thing for him. It will make him feel better.
We're all kind of like that in some way or another. Usually there is a small thing about us that we don't want to have to face that if we did, would change our lives completely. If we would just accept that it is going to be painful, or uncomfortable for just a short time, and realize that it is the best thing for us, we would be great.
But we fight it. We resist it. We try everything we can to not take that bit of medicine that we know is the best for us.
Is there something small that is uncomfortable for you that you have to face or accept to be able to move on? To get better? Understand this- sometimes we have to go through a little bit of pain to experience a lot of relief. If we're not willing to accept it and go through it, we will never get the victory.
Here's a great prayer for today- "God, help me to accept and go through whatever bit of tiny pain I need to, so I can grow in you and experience your victory in Jesus name, Amen".
I think when we allow ourselves a little pain it can translate into big victories, if we will let it.
Be blessed
matt
My son has been a bit sick lately. Not really bad, just a nagging cough that wont go away. Its been going on for about a week. I think he got what I got last month. It lasted about 3 weeks. Not fun.
He coughs most of the day. Not a really bad cough, but enough that its a bit uncomfortable for the little dude.
The other night, we was laying in bed, and coughing, so I got up to give him a bit of cough syrup to help him sleep through the cough.
For the record- he doesn't like cough syrup. He hates the taste. Every time I try to give it to him, he shakes his head, closes his lips and shakes his head 'no'.
As a parent, this is quite frustrating. I'm standing there, at night, at the side of his bed arguing with him about taking 1 teaspoon of some medicine that is going to make him feel better. But he doesn't care. He hates the way that it tastes, therefore, he doesn't want to take it. No way no how.
I am always trying to convince him that even though he may not like the way that it tastes, it is the best thing for him. It will make him feel better.
We're all kind of like that in some way or another. Usually there is a small thing about us that we don't want to have to face that if we did, would change our lives completely. If we would just accept that it is going to be painful, or uncomfortable for just a short time, and realize that it is the best thing for us, we would be great.
But we fight it. We resist it. We try everything we can to not take that bit of medicine that we know is the best for us.
Is there something small that is uncomfortable for you that you have to face or accept to be able to move on? To get better? Understand this- sometimes we have to go through a little bit of pain to experience a lot of relief. If we're not willing to accept it and go through it, we will never get the victory.
Here's a great prayer for today- "God, help me to accept and go through whatever bit of tiny pain I need to, so I can grow in you and experience your victory in Jesus name, Amen".
I think when we allow ourselves a little pain it can translate into big victories, if we will let it.
Be blessed
matt
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Free Band-Aids and Open Heart Surgery! Thank You?
If you read my blog, you're on the Internet. If you're on the Internet you see the news- Obamacare is upon us. After a year of wrestling and wrangling it appears as if the health care reform that President Obama and Congress has been working on will be signed into law today.
Let me make this clear before I even begin to share my two cents today- I'm not sure on which side of the issue I stand. Therefore- please read thoroughly before attacking this post. Comments are surely welcome today, as this is an issue that affects every last American.
I am a Christian. I love God and people and do my best to try and live by the Bible. When stack ranking the things of importance in my life, my relationship with Jesus is on the top. Family comes in second, and everything else is, well, everything else. When I look at this health care bill, I still look at it through that paradigm. I understand that's a limited paradigm, but that's how I live my life. As simple as possible.
The arguments as I see them from both sides are quite simple. The people for it say it helps people and the economy. The people against it say it hurts people and the economy.
Here's what I know- not much. Its a 2700 page bill that costs about a trillion dollars that will provide insurance to about 35 million Americans. That's about 31 thousand dollars for each person insured.
Do we all need insurance? Should we all have to pay for it? Is it a right, or is it a privilege? As with most big things, do the ends justify the means?
For example- The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us about 974B- close to a trillion dollars. Which trillion would be better spent, war? Or Health care?
If you're looking for answers in today's blog I'm not sure if you're going to find them. But here's a great passage of scripture that could help.
Luke 20:20-25.Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" He saw through their duplicity and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?"
"Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
There are two owners of my money- God and the government. I have money because God has blessed me with it, but those bills are owned by the US Government. When it comes to my finances there are a few things I must keep in mind.
1. Can I still worship God freely?
2. Will my family still eat?
If I can answer those two questions yes, then whatever else is, is. I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of every last thing on this earth. I can't control taxes or laws. I must live under their control.
So what do I do? Keep the main things the main things. Obamacare is what it is. If I like it or not is irrelevant. I'm going to be affected by it if I like it or not, so I should remember what the main priorities are in my life and keep on moving forward.
Be blessed today. Keep some perspective.
matt
Let me make this clear before I even begin to share my two cents today- I'm not sure on which side of the issue I stand. Therefore- please read thoroughly before attacking this post. Comments are surely welcome today, as this is an issue that affects every last American.
I am a Christian. I love God and people and do my best to try and live by the Bible. When stack ranking the things of importance in my life, my relationship with Jesus is on the top. Family comes in second, and everything else is, well, everything else. When I look at this health care bill, I still look at it through that paradigm. I understand that's a limited paradigm, but that's how I live my life. As simple as possible.
The arguments as I see them from both sides are quite simple. The people for it say it helps people and the economy. The people against it say it hurts people and the economy.
Here's what I know- not much. Its a 2700 page bill that costs about a trillion dollars that will provide insurance to about 35 million Americans. That's about 31 thousand dollars for each person insured.
Do we all need insurance? Should we all have to pay for it? Is it a right, or is it a privilege? As with most big things, do the ends justify the means?
For example- The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us about 974B- close to a trillion dollars. Which trillion would be better spent, war? Or Health care?
If you're looking for answers in today's blog I'm not sure if you're going to find them. But here's a great passage of scripture that could help.
Luke 20:20-25.Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" He saw through their duplicity and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?"
"Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
There are two owners of my money- God and the government. I have money because God has blessed me with it, but those bills are owned by the US Government. When it comes to my finances there are a few things I must keep in mind.
1. Can I still worship God freely?
2. Will my family still eat?
If I can answer those two questions yes, then whatever else is, is. I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of every last thing on this earth. I can't control taxes or laws. I must live under their control.
So what do I do? Keep the main things the main things. Obamacare is what it is. If I like it or not is irrelevant. I'm going to be affected by it if I like it or not, so I should remember what the main priorities are in my life and keep on moving forward.
Be blessed today. Keep some perspective.
matt
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