When the time of Easter approaches, it reminds me of the amazing chain of events that was triggered by Jesus' Resurrection. Our sins were nailed in effect to His cross, and as He rose from the dead, we did as well.
Cleansing and being right with God had always been possible... the Old Testament proclaims that when it speaks of men like Moses, with whom God spoke face to face. Our friends Enoch and Elijah were taken up to the heavens, and David was a man "after God's own heart".
A pure heart before God was possible, but the sacrifices for sin were complex (read Deuteronomy again!), and the Holy Spirit was not available to indwell every believer until 40 days after Jesus' ascension. Those of us living post Pentecost have much to be grateful for about our relationship with the Lord!!
But we can still fail to walk in that fullness, still fail to claim His power for our day, and still fail to invite Him to be part of each of our activities. We can actually get buried in emotional, spiritual, and psychological tombs... as dark as the unused tomb where Nicodemus and friends laid Jesus' body, before the Roman soldiers rolled the stone and sealed the opening. We can live in Dark Tombs, with Heavy Stones.
How to get out? Well, Jesus had demonstrated it with his good friend Lazarus... saying, "Lazarus, come forth". I think it's safe to say that God wants all of us out of our tombs, and unwrapped from the graveclothes of the past. God is calling us out of those dark, heavy histories of life. When Jesus came out of His tomb, He brought us and our stories out with Him, into Heaven's light!
Confess them, Reject Them, Correct Them, and Leave Them Behind!!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
25 Things - The Early Years
1. This is a response to a survey: "25 Little Known Things About Yourself".
2. I was born at a very early age, in the offices of Dr. Williams & Dr. Cochran.
3. My family at that time lived in a 2 story house, built by a plantation owner in 1823.
4. Remodeling through the years consisted of removing the rooms that had collapsed.
5. The house was something of a weather predictor. You knew it was snowing, if snow drifted in through the cracks in the back door of the center hall.
6. My sister and I shared bunk beds in the center hall. We had to knock on the kitchen wall to see if it was warm enough from the coal stove for us to get up.
7. Our farm at different times had sheep, cows, a pony, ducks, chickens... and all the grasses and feed for each one.
8. By age 5, testing at TEPPER CLINIC demonstrated that I was allergic to every animal, grass, and tree on our 320 acre farm... father's cigarette smoke was just an added bonus to the list.
9. I loved living on the farm, working with brother and sister, riding my bike, roaming the woods, playing with the "hired man's" children, going for family walks, taking our ducks to the creek.
10. One time in the creek, a snake shot out of a small hole, and bit me on the knuckle of my finger. I knew to walk, not run home, and show mom the teeth marks. She didn't believe me. I didn't die.
11. My dad could fix anything. He had been a glider pilot in WW 2, then trained Veterans in the new farming skills that had developed in the years they'd been off in Europe or Asia. Everything I know how to fix, I learned from being at my father's side.
12. My first memory of my mother is her being sick in bed. She was sick a lot, and off at the hospital for weeks or months at a time. But she loved us, and was a great cook. That came to mind, eating Father's fried bologna/cheese sandwiches (don't ask) while she was away.
13. One time we got a pony. I didn't cinch the saddle tight enough once. Galloping in the back yard, the saddle slid to the bottom! Fortunately, hitting a metal pole sideways kept me from scraping the ground. I have always assumed that a pole to the gut beat a hoof to the head!!
14. My sister taught me my ABC's and to count to 100 before school started. I always thought that was why I did well in school early on.
15. I cried EVERY DAY for 2 weeks in the first grade. Mrs. Elizabeth Emerson finally learned to teach the class and hold me like a baby for hours. I missed the farm and home so much.
16. My brother, 9 years older, would come home from college and give us rides on the local roads on the back of his Triumph motorcycle.
17. Our first phone number was 935-3470. We were part of the Ringgold Telephone system, still a pioneer today in technology. They even had rotary dial car phones, back then!!
18. Our first TV was a black and white Motorola. Reception could be improved by me going outside in whatever weather, and turning the pole the antenna was on until somebody yelled "that's it"!!
19. We were poor, in some ways. It was bigger than Christmas when Aunt Robbie or Aunt Imogene brought bags of clothes and things that cousins had outgrown. I loved Popular Science magazine, even though I only got it 5 years after the publication date.
20. I loved astronomy. With no street lights, and living in a valley, you could actually see the stars in the sky that were in the books. No trip to a dizzying planetarium necessary.
21. When a bad storm came, it was believed you could avoid a tornado destroying your home by opening the southwest facing windows. We always did.
22. A night thunderstorm was the best time to go catfishing in the creek. The electrical activity, and the wind blowing things onto the water, made the catfish stir, and easier to catch. Always take a raincoat on these type family adventures.
23. My dad once bought a bulldozer that had transmission trouble. He could weld accurately, and over several months repaired the thing, and was able to open up the creek banks so the cows could get water better. The EPD would have him in jail today for that.
24. I learned years later, that though we only had one car, each of our tractors cost 4-5 times the price of one of the kinfolk's 2nd cars.
25. I have come to believe that if you can't sent your children to college, just raise them poor on the farm. They will learn everything but the calculus... and when are they going to use that? (Except in GA TECH football cheers, and those can't be written here.)
2. I was born at a very early age, in the offices of Dr. Williams & Dr. Cochran.
3. My family at that time lived in a 2 story house, built by a plantation owner in 1823.
4. Remodeling through the years consisted of removing the rooms that had collapsed.
5. The house was something of a weather predictor. You knew it was snowing, if snow drifted in through the cracks in the back door of the center hall.
6. My sister and I shared bunk beds in the center hall. We had to knock on the kitchen wall to see if it was warm enough from the coal stove for us to get up.
7. Our farm at different times had sheep, cows, a pony, ducks, chickens... and all the grasses and feed for each one.
8. By age 5, testing at TEPPER CLINIC demonstrated that I was allergic to every animal, grass, and tree on our 320 acre farm... father's cigarette smoke was just an added bonus to the list.
9. I loved living on the farm, working with brother and sister, riding my bike, roaming the woods, playing with the "hired man's" children, going for family walks, taking our ducks to the creek.
10. One time in the creek, a snake shot out of a small hole, and bit me on the knuckle of my finger. I knew to walk, not run home, and show mom the teeth marks. She didn't believe me. I didn't die.
11. My dad could fix anything. He had been a glider pilot in WW 2, then trained Veterans in the new farming skills that had developed in the years they'd been off in Europe or Asia. Everything I know how to fix, I learned from being at my father's side.
12. My first memory of my mother is her being sick in bed. She was sick a lot, and off at the hospital for weeks or months at a time. But she loved us, and was a great cook. That came to mind, eating Father's fried bologna/cheese sandwiches (don't ask) while she was away.
13. One time we got a pony. I didn't cinch the saddle tight enough once. Galloping in the back yard, the saddle slid to the bottom! Fortunately, hitting a metal pole sideways kept me from scraping the ground. I have always assumed that a pole to the gut beat a hoof to the head!!
14. My sister taught me my ABC's and to count to 100 before school started. I always thought that was why I did well in school early on.
15. I cried EVERY DAY for 2 weeks in the first grade. Mrs. Elizabeth Emerson finally learned to teach the class and hold me like a baby for hours. I missed the farm and home so much.
16. My brother, 9 years older, would come home from college and give us rides on the local roads on the back of his Triumph motorcycle.
17. Our first phone number was 935-3470. We were part of the Ringgold Telephone system, still a pioneer today in technology. They even had rotary dial car phones, back then!!
18. Our first TV was a black and white Motorola. Reception could be improved by me going outside in whatever weather, and turning the pole the antenna was on until somebody yelled "that's it"!!
19. We were poor, in some ways. It was bigger than Christmas when Aunt Robbie or Aunt Imogene brought bags of clothes and things that cousins had outgrown. I loved Popular Science magazine, even though I only got it 5 years after the publication date.
20. I loved astronomy. With no street lights, and living in a valley, you could actually see the stars in the sky that were in the books. No trip to a dizzying planetarium necessary.
21. When a bad storm came, it was believed you could avoid a tornado destroying your home by opening the southwest facing windows. We always did.
22. A night thunderstorm was the best time to go catfishing in the creek. The electrical activity, and the wind blowing things onto the water, made the catfish stir, and easier to catch. Always take a raincoat on these type family adventures.
23. My dad once bought a bulldozer that had transmission trouble. He could weld accurately, and over several months repaired the thing, and was able to open up the creek banks so the cows could get water better. The EPD would have him in jail today for that.
24. I learned years later, that though we only had one car, each of our tractors cost 4-5 times the price of one of the kinfolk's 2nd cars.
25. I have come to believe that if you can't sent your children to college, just raise them poor on the farm. They will learn everything but the calculus... and when are they going to use that? (Except in GA TECH football cheers, and those can't be written here.)
Friday, January 30, 2009
My Part, God's Part
As I was reading Exodus 14, I was reminded about something Hannah Whitehall Smith spoke of in The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life: "I do my part, He does His part." Obviously, this division may not ever be clear: it wasn't to Moses (who had already had several close conversations with the Great I AM), because God said,"Why are you calling out to Me? Raise your staff!" (Moses maybe: "Well, I was thinking it was about time YOU stepped in, seeing how I've never coached a Spiritual SuperBowl before!")
So Moses part was to: 1. Tell the people to quit whining and have some faith, 2. Raise his staff to trigger the waters parting, 3. Raise his staff to trigger the waters closing. (and we see a conversation with God before each action) So there is obviously no training video for working with God!!! Sometimes the staff becomes a snake, that eats other snakes.... (not a desirable outcome on the shore of the Red Sea!) Sometimes it's a water-parter, sometimes it's a valley-flooder... so you have to keep in close contact with Headquarters for action signals!
Lessons Learned: I have no idea sometimes what I'm to do. I have less idea what God is going to do (shift angels around, have daylight on one group, dark fog on an army, possibly part seas? Even when we do our part, we have no idea what the result of that will even be, since we're learning pretty fast He never does the same thing, the same way - shows His creativity, and ingenuity. And, the part I will be doing, will be so small and insignificant in the end, that God will get the glory for it.
I am reminded of a song from college days with a verse that starts out: "Master, I am drowning, You called me when the sun was shining, but there's a storm in my life and it's raging; oh, Lord, don't you care...."
But the study Experiencing God does help us learn to keep our "Spiritual Antennae" out, to see what He might be doing!
So Moses part was to: 1. Tell the people to quit whining and have some faith, 2. Raise his staff to trigger the waters parting, 3. Raise his staff to trigger the waters closing. (and we see a conversation with God before each action) So there is obviously no training video for working with God!!! Sometimes the staff becomes a snake, that eats other snakes.... (not a desirable outcome on the shore of the Red Sea!) Sometimes it's a water-parter, sometimes it's a valley-flooder... so you have to keep in close contact with Headquarters for action signals!
Lessons Learned: I have no idea sometimes what I'm to do. I have less idea what God is going to do (shift angels around, have daylight on one group, dark fog on an army, possibly part seas? Even when we do our part, we have no idea what the result of that will even be, since we're learning pretty fast He never does the same thing, the same way - shows His creativity, and ingenuity. And, the part I will be doing, will be so small and insignificant in the end, that God will get the glory for it.
I am reminded of a song from college days with a verse that starts out: "Master, I am drowning, You called me when the sun was shining, but there's a storm in my life and it's raging; oh, Lord, don't you care...."
But the study Experiencing God does help us learn to keep our "Spiritual Antennae" out, to see what He might be doing!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Master on Mission in Mark 5
An amazing amount of information is in Mark Chapter 5. Jesus healed a man of evil spirits, and his life was transformed. Interestingly, Jesus left after that one seashore event near the Decapolis area (10 cities). Instead of allowing the delivered man to become a fellow traveler, Jesus instructs the man to go home to his people, and tell his story. One man, with a transformed life, was all the missionary that the ten towns would need!! Hmm, an example for us??
Later, in another seashore area, Jesus was following Jairus to his home to heal the man's daughter. A woman touches the hem of his robe, believing that will bring healing for her long term bleeding. It does, and she can feel the change inside herself!
Jesus also felt the exchange, and asked, "Who touched My Robe?" (MSG). The disciples think it a silly question. They point out that in the jostling crowd, dozens of people would have touched Him. We always look at the story of faith of the woman who confessed being the person He was looking for in the crowd. He compliments her "risk of faith", and says she is healed (which she has already experienced).
What I've never seen before is revealed in what the disciples have said. There are many people around Jesus in this setting, who would have touched Him, and come in contact with Him more vigorously than the simple touch at the edge of His robe.
Dozens have touched Him, been close, come in contact with Him... and came away with nothing... Ouch! The Master Teacher, The Creator Of The Universe, is in their hometown... and they take no advantage of it, just pass by Him with no improvement in life inside, or outside.
I don't want to be like that: coming into contact with Jesus through worship and study experiences, prayer and preaching events, and leave without being changed.
Later, in another seashore area, Jesus was following Jairus to his home to heal the man's daughter. A woman touches the hem of his robe, believing that will bring healing for her long term bleeding. It does, and she can feel the change inside herself!
Jesus also felt the exchange, and asked, "Who touched My Robe?" (MSG). The disciples think it a silly question. They point out that in the jostling crowd, dozens of people would have touched Him. We always look at the story of faith of the woman who confessed being the person He was looking for in the crowd. He compliments her "risk of faith", and says she is healed (which she has already experienced).
What I've never seen before is revealed in what the disciples have said. There are many people around Jesus in this setting, who would have touched Him, and come in contact with Him more vigorously than the simple touch at the edge of His robe.
Dozens have touched Him, been close, come in contact with Him... and came away with nothing... Ouch! The Master Teacher, The Creator Of The Universe, is in their hometown... and they take no advantage of it, just pass by Him with no improvement in life inside, or outside.
I don't want to be like that: coming into contact with Jesus through worship and study experiences, prayer and preaching events, and leave without being changed.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Attorney - In - Fact
For some years, I worked in a business situation where it was necessary for me to take action in the absence of and on behalf of the owner. A legal paper was executed, signed, and recorded at the local courthouse. It gave me "power of attorney" over the legal, financial, and business transactions of the owner. The legal terminology is that I was his "Attorney In Fact"... and I had a stamp that proved it! Often I had to use the stamp, or provide a certified copy of the "power of attorney" paper when signing legal or financial documents.
The wording of the document was quite interesting. Obviously, there has to be a great deal of trust involved, for such a document to be executed. But the permission to do business in the name of the owner was broad, general, and extended to every property and possession the business owned, in addition to financial assets. There was a phrase that really caught my attention, and was the most meaningful to me during the years I carried a miniature of the document in my wallet.
"To conduct business, and take necessary action on my behalf, as if I were personally present". In truth, I could have sold the man's house!!! In trust, I would only do the things directed, OR when unable to secure specific direction, do the things I believed he would want done. This was to insure that the business operations were to continue to function, grow, and expand, along the lines of our sometimes unwritten business plan. Often the owner would be gone for weeks at a time, sometimes outside the USA, and was even stranded overseas during the 9/11/2001 tragedy.
It seems to me as a Christian, that when Jesus gave His final farewell to His disciples, in Matthew 28, and in Acts 1, He was authorizing them, and us, to be His "Attorney In Fact". We are to do what He would do, if He were personally present! That's a challenging thought, and I think I probably was far more faithful in the business charge I had, than I have been in spiritual responsibilites!!
Wasn't Jesus saying to us: "You go and do, in My Name, as if I were personally present, until I get back"?
The wording of the document was quite interesting. Obviously, there has to be a great deal of trust involved, for such a document to be executed. But the permission to do business in the name of the owner was broad, general, and extended to every property and possession the business owned, in addition to financial assets. There was a phrase that really caught my attention, and was the most meaningful to me during the years I carried a miniature of the document in my wallet.
"To conduct business, and take necessary action on my behalf, as if I were personally present". In truth, I could have sold the man's house!!! In trust, I would only do the things directed, OR when unable to secure specific direction, do the things I believed he would want done. This was to insure that the business operations were to continue to function, grow, and expand, along the lines of our sometimes unwritten business plan. Often the owner would be gone for weeks at a time, sometimes outside the USA, and was even stranded overseas during the 9/11/2001 tragedy.
It seems to me as a Christian, that when Jesus gave His final farewell to His disciples, in Matthew 28, and in Acts 1, He was authorizing them, and us, to be His "Attorney In Fact". We are to do what He would do, if He were personally present! That's a challenging thought, and I think I probably was far more faithful in the business charge I had, than I have been in spiritual responsibilites!!
Wasn't Jesus saying to us: "You go and do, in My Name, as if I were personally present, until I get back"?
Executor, Fiduciary, Heirs at Will....What?
When my father passed away years ago, I became the executor of his will. The attorneys explained that it was my job to: "marshall and inventory the assets, to safeguard the assets, and to distribute the assets to the heirs at will". "Heirs at will" refers to the people in my father's will who were to receive something, and I happened to be one of those people. Then another term showed up: fiduciary... this relates to the legal entity that the government and other groups look to to handle the financial and tax matters of the estate. As it turns out, that was also me!!! It was my job to see that all the legal and financial requirements were fulfilled. It took a good bit of my time, and that of attorneys and accountants to satisfy the fiduciary requirements.
None of it was any fun... There was a business to operate, it was an hour away, and it was so complex, and emotionally involved. I am grateful for friends who cautioned, "you will not believe what people will say or do when an inheritance is being distributed". It was over 6 months before I found myself at the point of being free to grieve the loss of my dad. Everything had been seemingly fine, all taken care of, until that 2nd heart attack. Upon his death, a number of events were triggered, some of which are still in action today. An irreversible, and unstoppable chain of activity began to transfer assets from my father to those he intended to bless.
I have come to realize that all this is something of a picture for me of what our Heavenly Father is doing for us. The Bible says we are "his heirs" and "heirs with Abraham". When Jesus died on the Cross, an unstoppable, irreversible, and predetermined plan was set in motion, to bless all those who would accept His purchased forgiveness. The Holy Spirit works as executor, to help bring us into all the fullness of the Father's plan of blessing for His children. The resurrected Son Himself serves as Fiduciary, seeing that everything is done according to the Father's Will. A lot of days, that knowledge really comforts!
None of it was any fun... There was a business to operate, it was an hour away, and it was so complex, and emotionally involved. I am grateful for friends who cautioned, "you will not believe what people will say or do when an inheritance is being distributed". It was over 6 months before I found myself at the point of being free to grieve the loss of my dad. Everything had been seemingly fine, all taken care of, until that 2nd heart attack. Upon his death, a number of events were triggered, some of which are still in action today. An irreversible, and unstoppable chain of activity began to transfer assets from my father to those he intended to bless.
I have come to realize that all this is something of a picture for me of what our Heavenly Father is doing for us. The Bible says we are "his heirs" and "heirs with Abraham". When Jesus died on the Cross, an unstoppable, irreversible, and predetermined plan was set in motion, to bless all those who would accept His purchased forgiveness. The Holy Spirit works as executor, to help bring us into all the fullness of the Father's plan of blessing for His children. The resurrected Son Himself serves as Fiduciary, seeing that everything is done according to the Father's Will. A lot of days, that knowledge really comforts!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Helping a Hypothetical Friend
A friend asked me what I might suggest for a hypothetical acquaintance who was weary juggling family, job, marriage, church involvement, economic stresses, and community activities. These are some things I quickly thought of to share with that hypothetical friend.
Margin - a number of Christian spiritual thinkers are saying we need to start building more margin into our lives. That means a buffer between us and so much activity, giving some breathing room. Maybe reduce the time we spend checking the news...fast from something (more folks now are talking about 1 meal, or 1 normal activity - or chocolate, etc.) just to help focus.
Exercise - most anybody will tell us that the more we can exercise, the more fit we'll be, and the better we'll sleep. 1/2 hour per day is recommended... and maybe leave the ipod at home. A simple walk can suffice, these days, the cheaper, the better! I have temp masks that allow me to walk in freezing temps.
Rewards - maybe start rewarding oneself upon accomplishment of certain tasks; really! For a CPA, I might suggest, if he finishes up a payroll report, or completes a tax return, trot down the stairs, around the new hardwood, go get a treat stashed in the vehicle! Or, phone a buddy in SS class, just to boost his morale.
Do the jumble on line http://www.jumble.com/ . Or, save the fun things in his day, "till after I finish this". Somehow encourage him to build in some rewards, even if small, silly, or contrived.
Refresh - more and more, especially with this economic daily news, we need refreshing. Lunch with someone who can relate, connect... even pray in their vehicle together, about real stuff. I went to a counselor on two different occasions, relating to job changes. At the end of 3-4 sessions, I commented that he was really just a paid friend. He Agreed!!! He said, "that's all I am!" But we are so disconnected from folks, and so superficial in relationships, that it would take a lot for us to open up to someone we'd trust enough to share real stuff. Perish the thought that we should admit an inadequacy, or a concern that's bugging us. That's a serious guy problem today. [[Top Sacred: I find some of my best talks can be with my ADD friends, or one who's been divorced! The ADD guy can't keep himself from talking! And the divorced guy, if a maturing Christian, has been so broken open like a watermelon in front of everybody, he no longer has any reservations!]]
Re-Checking - I have a couple of guys who use me, or I them, just as accountability partners in certain areas. Simple as trying to be sure both of us contact 2 guys a week on 100+ person SS list ( that had some great results with families, we both got bogged down and quit) A prayer commitment for 2 weeks about a certain issue, and then check to see what results have shown. So this can be with someone he's not deep friends with, just has enough respect for in a mutual area of concern.
Reading - LifeWay and Family Christian websites have lots of good books... and then he may find them on Amazon for 1c... + $4 shipping. Maybe realize that he CAN do without the news every other day. Turn up the good, turn down the bad.
Recharge - The AJC Sunday paper has 1-tank getaways from Atlanta... ideas of just getting out of town. But even some really cheap stuff... visit the new public library... plunk down the money for a Tellus visit. Do different things than he's been doing. Drive different roads to work daily. Call the old buddy who meant lots in college...(facebook searches can be produce neat connections). Break out of any routine he can, to get to the stuff that energizes you. One guy personally can't tolerate anti-depressants, so he watches Joel Osteen while he irons!!
Renew - Spiritually. Be sure to build in time for a daily time with the Lord. Tell this guy to try some different things. Read through Bible in a new translation... read books out of order! I am constantly reading spiritually stirring stuff, in addition to the Bible, and preparing for two SS lessons per week. The time with the Lord is critical, and sometimes it's enhanced by a book by John Ortberg, John Eldredge, Katie Brazelton, etc.
Re-educate! Maybe take a parenting course through the BCWRC like ScreamFree Parenting, Value Packed Parenting, Raising Kids That Turn Out Right, etc. Sometimes a few tips can help improve family life tremendously! I once heard that if you go to a conference, and get one good idea that works, it was worth your money.
Reconnect - with family. More and more parenting professionals, and counselors, are bemoaning the number of things we have our children in and going to. Maybe this fellow and his family need to consider something I recently heard: 1 activity, per child, per season. Avoid traveling teams like the flu!! Get in the floor, with a board game, and tape the TV remote to the back of the TV.
Slow Down - deliberately wait 24 hours to respond to some personal emails (maybe). Get in the longest line at Walmart. He may want to practice 1/2 day per week doing things like that... taking the road home with the most redlights... to practice slowing down, and seeing that God still takes care of things.
Power Boosts - http://www.ransomedheart.net/, http://www.purposedriven.net/, http://www.screamfree.com/, http://www.joelosteen.com/ , http://www.intouch.com/ all offer emailed devotionals that mostly come in the morning, that could be of help to our friend... just be careful not to overload the inbox!! Also, he can go to GodTube, and YouTube, and search for his favorite songs... minimize, and have a mini worship service at work or home.
These are just some things off the top of my head that could be of service. Obviously, if I got to talk to him personally, I might could better tailor a plan that would be more suitable. Some of these things he might pick up and try, and get help from on his own. Other guys might want a more accountable relationship, where one walks alongside, checking in on him weekly. NOT the "did you commit one of these sins this week" but "we talked about you trying this and that... did you? How did it work out? Would something else get a better result? What else do you want to work on?" etc.
I've talked about this guy so much, it's almost like he's become real! Maybe he is... he sounds like most of us!
Margin - a number of Christian spiritual thinkers are saying we need to start building more margin into our lives. That means a buffer between us and so much activity, giving some breathing room. Maybe reduce the time we spend checking the news...fast from something (more folks now are talking about 1 meal, or 1 normal activity - or chocolate, etc.) just to help focus.
Exercise - most anybody will tell us that the more we can exercise, the more fit we'll be, and the better we'll sleep. 1/2 hour per day is recommended... and maybe leave the ipod at home. A simple walk can suffice, these days, the cheaper, the better! I have temp masks that allow me to walk in freezing temps.
Rewards - maybe start rewarding oneself upon accomplishment of certain tasks; really! For a CPA, I might suggest, if he finishes up a payroll report, or completes a tax return, trot down the stairs, around the new hardwood, go get a treat stashed in the vehicle! Or, phone a buddy in SS class, just to boost his morale.
Do the jumble on line http://www.jumble.com/ . Or, save the fun things in his day, "till after I finish this". Somehow encourage him to build in some rewards, even if small, silly, or contrived.
Refresh - more and more, especially with this economic daily news, we need refreshing. Lunch with someone who can relate, connect... even pray in their vehicle together, about real stuff. I went to a counselor on two different occasions, relating to job changes. At the end of 3-4 sessions, I commented that he was really just a paid friend. He Agreed!!! He said, "that's all I am!" But we are so disconnected from folks, and so superficial in relationships, that it would take a lot for us to open up to someone we'd trust enough to share real stuff. Perish the thought that we should admit an inadequacy, or a concern that's bugging us. That's a serious guy problem today. [[Top Sacred: I find some of my best talks can be with my ADD friends, or one who's been divorced! The ADD guy can't keep himself from talking! And the divorced guy, if a maturing Christian, has been so broken open like a watermelon in front of everybody, he no longer has any reservations!]]
Re-Checking - I have a couple of guys who use me, or I them, just as accountability partners in certain areas. Simple as trying to be sure both of us contact 2 guys a week on 100+ person SS list ( that had some great results with families, we both got bogged down and quit) A prayer commitment for 2 weeks about a certain issue, and then check to see what results have shown. So this can be with someone he's not deep friends with, just has enough respect for in a mutual area of concern.
Reading - LifeWay and Family Christian websites have lots of good books... and then he may find them on Amazon for 1c... + $4 shipping. Maybe realize that he CAN do without the news every other day. Turn up the good, turn down the bad.
Recharge - The AJC Sunday paper has 1-tank getaways from Atlanta... ideas of just getting out of town. But even some really cheap stuff... visit the new public library... plunk down the money for a Tellus visit. Do different things than he's been doing. Drive different roads to work daily. Call the old buddy who meant lots in college...(facebook searches can be produce neat connections). Break out of any routine he can, to get to the stuff that energizes you. One guy personally can't tolerate anti-depressants, so he watches Joel Osteen while he irons!!
Renew - Spiritually. Be sure to build in time for a daily time with the Lord. Tell this guy to try some different things. Read through Bible in a new translation... read books out of order! I am constantly reading spiritually stirring stuff, in addition to the Bible, and preparing for two SS lessons per week. The time with the Lord is critical, and sometimes it's enhanced by a book by John Ortberg, John Eldredge, Katie Brazelton, etc.
Re-educate! Maybe take a parenting course through the BCWRC like ScreamFree Parenting, Value Packed Parenting, Raising Kids That Turn Out Right, etc. Sometimes a few tips can help improve family life tremendously! I once heard that if you go to a conference, and get one good idea that works, it was worth your money.
Reconnect - with family. More and more parenting professionals, and counselors, are bemoaning the number of things we have our children in and going to. Maybe this fellow and his family need to consider something I recently heard: 1 activity, per child, per season. Avoid traveling teams like the flu!! Get in the floor, with a board game, and tape the TV remote to the back of the TV.
Slow Down - deliberately wait 24 hours to respond to some personal emails (maybe). Get in the longest line at Walmart. He may want to practice 1/2 day per week doing things like that... taking the road home with the most redlights... to practice slowing down, and seeing that God still takes care of things.
Power Boosts - http://www.ransomedheart.net/, http://www.purposedriven.net/, http://www.screamfree.com/, http://www.joelosteen.com/ , http://www.intouch.com/ all offer emailed devotionals that mostly come in the morning, that could be of help to our friend... just be careful not to overload the inbox!! Also, he can go to GodTube, and YouTube, and search for his favorite songs... minimize, and have a mini worship service at work or home.
These are just some things off the top of my head that could be of service. Obviously, if I got to talk to him personally, I might could better tailor a plan that would be more suitable. Some of these things he might pick up and try, and get help from on his own. Other guys might want a more accountable relationship, where one walks alongside, checking in on him weekly. NOT the "did you commit one of these sins this week" but "we talked about you trying this and that... did you? How did it work out? Would something else get a better result? What else do you want to work on?" etc.
I've talked about this guy so much, it's almost like he's become real! Maybe he is... he sounds like most of us!
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