What A Day!

The bank sign that you see in this picture is about 2 blocks from my house.  I don’t know if you can see the temperature that’s indicated on the bank sign, or not.  I know the image is a little bit faint, but, if you can see it you will notice that it indicates a temperature of 81 degrees!

Yes, you read that right.  Today is March 31^st and it’s 81 degrees!!!!  Whoo Hooo!

According to the historical data provided on the Weather Channel web site, the average high temperature for Oak Lawn, Illinois on March 31^st is 53 degrees.  It is 28 degrees higher than normal.  (See?  You do use math after you get out of school.)

What we have on our hands is a sunny day with a temperature of 81 degrees!  My friend Kevin (who follows the weather closely, like I do) sent me a message at 5:30 this morning telling me that we were going to have a beautiful day.  And, boy, was he right!

The meteorological term for this weather is:  “Awesome!!!”  And in the scientific literature that term is often followed by the word “dude”. 

(This is especially true if the author of the scientific literature does a lot of surfing.)

By the way, I’m sitting in my office typing this notice.  So, we finally have the long-awaited final confirmation that, yes, I am nuts!  What am I doing in my office?!?

Actually, correct that.  I’m leaving this office and I’m getting up and going outside….

HOLD ON.

….…Okay, I’m back.  I’m now sitting outside in the church courtyard finishing this note on my laptop.  And if that’s what I think it is that just landed on my head, then a flock of birds must be flying over head.

You know, some days, I just can’t win.

……But it is still AWESOME outside!    ..…Dude!

Real Courage Requires God's Help

My lack of courage was brought to my attention recently. It became obvious to me in the midst of a conversation with others. Courage isn’t easy, that’s one of the reasons why it is so deeply respected. Trying to be a leader and a true man or woman of God with genuine, fearless integrity is a challenge.  We are very much in need of God’s help, aren’t we?

Go Ahead And Laugh...It's Good For You

What is one of the healthiest things you or I could do today? Answer: Laugh.  Laughter really is good for us, physically and emotionally. Research at the Univ. of Maryland Med. Ctr. indicates that laughter is good for us, physically & psychologically.  Find a reason to laugh today. If you have to, make up a reason to laugh today.  If all else fails…just smile a lot.  Hey, it’s a start. “A cheerful heart is good medicine…”—Proverbs17:22

Honest Self Evaluation Is A Good Thing

When the Bible calls us to “examine” ourselves, it is not recommending self-condemnation, it is calling for an honest self evaluation for the purpose of confession, understanding, forgiveness, thanksgiving, and reliance on God.  This is not intended to be something negative, rather it is intended to assist us in positive movement toward growth in becoming more Christ-like.

Test...How Many?

Approximately one time each week—as part of my push-up work-out—I do a test to determine the maximum number of push-ups I can execute, non-stop, with proper form.  (I know, the level of excitement in my life is frighteningly low.)  I did that test tonight and the number was…..

Drum roll, please…..

Here it is….

I’m not kidding around, now….

Really, this is it…..

Thirty-eight push-ups!  Alright, sure, that’s a heck of a long way from 100 push-ups (the goal).  But when I started this routine I could only do about 20 proper push-ups, so “38” is progress.  I’m getting there.  I started the push-up routine in 1986, so, admittedly, the progress is slow, but, hey, progress is progress, right?

To reward myself for this progress, I’m going to Dairy Queen with Nadia and Rachel in just a few minutes and I’m going to eat a large triple banana split with extra chocolate syrup!  I’ve heard that dark chocolate is actually an extremely healthy food.  It’s loaded with anti-oxidants.  So, this is sort of like a cleansing and purifying ritual for my body.

Yeah…that’s right.  Sure.  Yep, this is like having a special health food concoction.  In the long run, this triple banana split with the extra chocolate syrup will probably BURN calories and cause me to lose weight.  You know what I mean?  In fact, now I’m getting nervous.  I hope this Dairy Queen treat doesn’t cause me to drop too much weight, too quickly.  That wouldn’t be healthy.

I’m glad you are all following this air-tight logic.  Because it makes perfect sense to me.

Okay, that’s my report.  Gotta’ run!

  

[*NOTE:  I’m just kidding, Paul.  We’re not going to Dairy Queen.  Actually, I had a salad for supper tonight.  Really.  I did.  See what a good boy I am?  ….I’ll tell you this, though, it’s amazing how much better lettuce tastes with chocolate syrup.]

That's right, your eyes are not 

deceiving you.  I'm doing one arm

push-ups the way Bruce Lee used

to do them.  Notice how helpful

Jasper is with this type of activity.

Watch Out For Pride

I heard a Bible teacher say this recently: “The more you think God needs you, the less He will use you.” Why? Because God opposes pride in us.  So, when we develop PRIDE in our relationship with God or PRIDE in the gifts He has given us—like, “Boy, God really needs me and my gifts to do something big!”—then God is more likely to just use someone else.

Playing It Safe? Or Making An Impact?

“I want two things that are mutually opposed—I want to live a nice little life, and I want to play an important role in God’s kingdom.” –John Eldredge.  To anyone who truly wants to play an important role in God’s kingdom…good! But remember, playing it safe and having all potential problems eliminated in advance won’t be possible. It involves a lot of trusting God…in the moment.

A Doctor Visit

I was being checked out by my doctor today and in the course of the exam, he said, “So, how are you feeling?”

I said, “I’m feeling good.  I’m feeling strong.”  And then, I told him, “Oh, by the way, I’m working with a guy at my church who is a personal trainer and he’s helping me train so that I can do 100 push-ups.”

My doctor had been looking down writing in my chart but when I mentioned ‘100 push-ups’ he looked up quickly with a startled expression on his face.  “Really?” he said.

(I should have told him that when the youth in our church do an impersonation of me that’s how they do it.  They say, “Really?!?”…in a very exaggerated manner—fairly similar to the way he just said it to me.  But I didn’t.)

“Yeah,” I told him, “I’m still relatively early in the training process, but I’m going to do 100 push-ups.”

At first, he had a puzzled look on his face, but then he broke into a big grin.  And then, he started laughing.  And he continued laughing harder and harder.  After a while, he stood up and walked out of the examination room, holding his stomach and laughing all the way.

….You know what?  I’m taking that as a hearty and enthusiastic “YES!” from my doctor.

Yep, I’m feeling strong!

This isn't really a picture of my doctor.

This is Dr. Leo Spaceman from the

show "30 Rock".  I thought it might

be best not to include a real picture

of my doctor.  He's shy.

Let's Be Sure To Notice The "Good Things" In Life

Good things happen to us…oh, I know, bad things happen, too, sometimes…but there are many good things, we are blessed.  Are you SAVORING the good things? In other words, are you noticing and enjoying the blessings? “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances…” 1Thess.5:18.  What’s the point of “good things” if we don’t notice them or appreciate them?

Speaking Of "Spiritual Depth"

Spiritual depth isn’t necessarily a matter of great “intellectual” challenge, rather, it has to do with being significantly challenged in a very personal and profound way to DO the right things that we are not naturally inclined to do. For example, “serving” people we are not naturally inclined toward serving isn’t difficult to understand intellectually, but it can be difficult to DO…it is a manifestation of spiritual depth.

Do You Recognize That You Are A Recipient Of Grace?

It's possible that people might have a hard time extending grace to others because they don’t seem to be able to see their own SIGNIFICANT need for grace. They manage to recognize that others are in deep need of grace, but the reality of their need, somehow, escapes them. Could you or I be one of those who does not see? “Lord, help us to recognize how much we NEED grace and, so, help us be generous givers of grace.”

Northbound In The Southbound Lanes

“What’s holding up the traffic?!?”  I said, out loud, to no one in particular.  It seems like every time we take Taylor back to school we get stuck in traffic right around this same area on Interstate 65.  “What is it, this time?”  I wondered.

Rachel was sleeping, so she did not respond to my questions.

Taylor was sleeping, so he did not respond to my questions.

Nadia was awake.  But she’s learned to simply allow me to talk to myself.  That’s when some of my most amusing conversations occur.

I was complaining to Nadia and offering suggestions for what I thought might be causing the traffic congestion, as we inched along the highway, moving a few feet and then stopping completely for a while.  I used to commute to work on the suburban Chicago interstate highways every day, so I’ve often experienced traffic problems, but I don’t know if anyone ever gets to the point that heavy traffic congestion doesn’t bother them.

In fact, some of the folks at my church have told me that their most un-Christian behavior is often evoked during traffic jams.  (I might just schedule a special “confession” time related specifically to transgressions committed while driving.  I don’t know, yet, I’m thinking about it.  I bet you’re thinking: “That Dan, sure knows how to have a good time.” Huh?)  Congested traffic can definitely test the patience.

After about 30 minutes of terrible traffic conditions, I heard a rumbling sound and saw a large tractor trailer truck driving in our direction.  Are you getting this?  He was driving northbound on our southbound side of the highway!  He was driving on the shoulder of the road and considering the amazing danger in what he was doing, he was actually driving very quickly.  I would estimate that he was moving at 40 to 50 miles per hour.  Again, he was on the shoulder of the southbound lanes, driving northbound at a fairly high speed!

I said, “Look at this!  This guy is crazy!”  And because of his rate of speed he went past us and was gone pretty quickly.

Taylor momentarily stirred from his sleep, “What’s going on?”

I said, “A truck was coming in our direction on the wrong side of the highway at about 50 miles per hour!”

“Oh,” he said and drifted back to sleep.

“It was wild!” I exclaimed. “Our very lives were in peril!  I’m not kidding!”

But a soft, contented snoring persisted.

Shortly after the crazy truck passed us, the traffic slowly began to pick up and soon we were driving along at regular highway speeds once again.  It was a quick moment of strangeness and excitement and then just as quickly, we returned to normal.

“Well, you don’t see that very often,” I said.  And, stirred up by that unusual event, I had a very amusing conversation with myself for the remainder of the trip to Anderson.  They all slept…but, well, that’s part of the return to normal.