Maybe you've seen or heard the latest unemployment figures being reported in the news: Jobless Rate Jumps to 7.2%; Unemployment Rate Hit 16-Year High; 524,000 Job Eliminated..................and the many more headlines that continue to be captured by every news outlet.
Talk about sobering news. Talk about uncertainties. Talk about the reality of a rude awakening. Talk about the many individuals and families hit with the precarious reality of these economic conditions. And talk about this hitting home.........not just any home, but our home.
Reality revealed.
After 7 a-half-years of gainful employment, I found myself gainfully unemployed. I wasn't just reading the news, I became a part of the news. I am an individual contributor to the growing job loss statistics. I suppose I can characterize my situation where I have "fallen victim to the economic downturn". Or dramatize the circumstance where I have become "a casuality of uncertainties." I suppose any of those descriptions will do. I'll take one of each to go, please. And may I have fries with that?
Indeed, it is not a place where I prefer to be, but it is, nontheless, a place where I am. And that place does not have room to rent - for either "victim" or "casualty". And here is where this pivotal moment will determine how the next chapter of life will be written. Not by me, but by the author and finisher of me. The question is whether I will be yielded and fully surrendered to the Author's pen.
Challenges, difficulties, heartaches, struggles, tribulations.........they are not strangers to any of us. They come with the package. It's not a matter of if, but when. How we surface after being submerged in a sea of trials will reveal the depth of our character. And yet not our character solely, but in whom our character is built. As the Author lovingly strokes each letter and writes each word onto the pages of our lives, we may feel the pain of being pressed with each forming words, but we know that the temporary pain will produce the precious prose that only the Author can pen. And we can be assured knowing that the Author is forging in us; for us....."a future and a hope."
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Leadership Lesson...........Priceless
It would seem that every time my two boys and I leave the confine and comfort of our home; and head out for a time of exercise and fun at the local high school football field - not even ten minutes from our neighborhood - we encounter some unexpected life lesson that are unavoidable and priceless.
Perhaps you've seen those MasterCard ads plugging the priceless value of life's moments. I suppose if a commercial was made for me and my boys, it would go something like this: "Round-trip cost to the local football field..............20 cents. Football used to play catch with your sons.............$14.00. Water to rehydrate your body from the excessive fun...............free. Life lesson learned from simply playing catch with an oblong ball..............priceless."
To say that our family is active is an understatement. We love being active and unapologetically enjoy the great outdoors as often as we are able. Our schedule bustles with soccer and football practices, matches, and games. Not to mention......slip in a few tournaments here and there. When there aren't any scheduled practices, matches, or games (and tournaments), we love to visit the local high school football field, which is not even a stone's throw from our home church, Calvary Austin. We often would run a few laps around the track to get our hearts pumping; and then the boys and I would get on the football field, which is artificially lush and koosh - to do our pass, punt , and kick thing. If it were up to the boys, we'd be there until we can't see our hands in front of our face. I suppose that's where I come in as a responsible parent (and avoid potential wrath from my wife by keeping the boys out too late).
On this particular outing to the field we noticed a group of older boys playing a friendly game of touch football. They were perhaps in high school or just a year or two removed from graduation. While my sons and I were enjoying our time of pass, punt, and kick, we noticed the group of boys finishing up and making their way off the field. It didn't take long afer the group of boys had dispersed that my 6 year-old noticed the inordinate amount of trash that they had left behind. There were empty and partially empty bottles of water and Gatorade; and not to mention fast food containers and bags. Ironically, the garbage receptacle was no less than 5 feet from where the boys were. It was there for the convenient disposal of trash and there openly for use. It was sad to see that there were not any takers of the convenient garbage receptacle. Not one.
Before I can utter a word of disapproval and give my audible observation of their act of irresponsibility - not to mention lack of stewardship and care for a public venue for which they have been given the privilege to use - my 6 year-old son, Parker, offered his perspective and solution to the problem that he had observed. "Daddy, those big boys left their garbage. That's inappropriate, right? Maybe we can throw it away for them after we play." I cannot begin to tell you how his sweet words made me SO proud. At that very moment, my 6 year-old preciously and simplistically gave a lesson in the essence of leadership - in that leadership is about serving. It is not in doing things, but doing the right things. Let's face it, giving leadership lessons is far from the thought of any 6 year-old boy whose main interest is running, falling, laughing, tackling, and occasionally wielding his swords and sticks in warrior-like fashion. Admittedly, Parker is the warrior in our family. He's our tender warrior, but nonetheless a warrior.
After our play, we put down the football and picked up all the trash and put them in the convenient garbage receptacle. It took us no less than 30 seconds to gather and dispose. I told the boys how proud I was of them for initiating the clean-up and how they had shown leadership through their action and attitude. We took one more lap around the track as darkness begins to settle. I encouraged the boys to have the courage to do the right things even in the face of resistance, ignorance, and/or apathy - knowing that they will be tested. As we drove away from the field, my 9 year-old, Jaz, asked this poignant question..........."Daddy, if we didn't ask you if we could pick up the garbage, would you ask us to pick up the garbage?" My response to him was........"ABSOLUTELY."
Perhaps you've seen those MasterCard ads plugging the priceless value of life's moments. I suppose if a commercial was made for me and my boys, it would go something like this: "Round-trip cost to the local football field..............20 cents. Football used to play catch with your sons.............$14.00. Water to rehydrate your body from the excessive fun...............free. Life lesson learned from simply playing catch with an oblong ball..............priceless."
To say that our family is active is an understatement. We love being active and unapologetically enjoy the great outdoors as often as we are able. Our schedule bustles with soccer and football practices, matches, and games. Not to mention......slip in a few tournaments here and there. When there aren't any scheduled practices, matches, or games (and tournaments), we love to visit the local high school football field, which is not even a stone's throw from our home church, Calvary Austin. We often would run a few laps around the track to get our hearts pumping; and then the boys and I would get on the football field, which is artificially lush and koosh - to do our pass, punt , and kick thing. If it were up to the boys, we'd be there until we can't see our hands in front of our face. I suppose that's where I come in as a responsible parent (and avoid potential wrath from my wife by keeping the boys out too late).
On this particular outing to the field we noticed a group of older boys playing a friendly game of touch football. They were perhaps in high school or just a year or two removed from graduation. While my sons and I were enjoying our time of pass, punt, and kick, we noticed the group of boys finishing up and making their way off the field. It didn't take long afer the group of boys had dispersed that my 6 year-old noticed the inordinate amount of trash that they had left behind. There were empty and partially empty bottles of water and Gatorade; and not to mention fast food containers and bags. Ironically, the garbage receptacle was no less than 5 feet from where the boys were. It was there for the convenient disposal of trash and there openly for use. It was sad to see that there were not any takers of the convenient garbage receptacle. Not one.
Before I can utter a word of disapproval and give my audible observation of their act of irresponsibility - not to mention lack of stewardship and care for a public venue for which they have been given the privilege to use - my 6 year-old son, Parker, offered his perspective and solution to the problem that he had observed. "Daddy, those big boys left their garbage. That's inappropriate, right? Maybe we can throw it away for them after we play." I cannot begin to tell you how his sweet words made me SO proud. At that very moment, my 6 year-old preciously and simplistically gave a lesson in the essence of leadership - in that leadership is about serving. It is not in doing things, but doing the right things. Let's face it, giving leadership lessons is far from the thought of any 6 year-old boy whose main interest is running, falling, laughing, tackling, and occasionally wielding his swords and sticks in warrior-like fashion. Admittedly, Parker is the warrior in our family. He's our tender warrior, but nonetheless a warrior.
After our play, we put down the football and picked up all the trash and put them in the convenient garbage receptacle. It took us no less than 30 seconds to gather and dispose. I told the boys how proud I was of them for initiating the clean-up and how they had shown leadership through their action and attitude. We took one more lap around the track as darkness begins to settle. I encouraged the boys to have the courage to do the right things even in the face of resistance, ignorance, and/or apathy - knowing that they will be tested. As we drove away from the field, my 9 year-old, Jaz, asked this poignant question..........."Daddy, if we didn't ask you if we could pick up the garbage, would you ask us to pick up the garbage?" My response to him was........"ABSOLUTELY."
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Christmas and Contentment
It was without a doubt another memorable Christmas in our household. A wonderful part of our tradition is waking up to gather around the fireplace feeling the warmth and amber radiance of the fire where each family member gets to empty the content of their stockings one by one. After the goodies are revealed and the stockings are restuffed, we transition to a scrumptious Christmas breakfast lovingly prepared by my wife, Laurie. We pause to give thanks to Him who is the giver of the greatest gift to us – Jesus. Conversation flows. Excitement and anticipation of what is to come (you know, the unwrapping of those inconspicuous items under the tree) oozes from every pore of our three children.
After every morsel of breakfast was eaten and clean up completed, we gathered once more by the fireplace to read the Christmas story and for a time of prayer. Our children are old enough where they can now participate in the reading of the Christmas story. In fact, we started this part of our family tradition three Christmases ago when our middle child, Jaz, asked if he could read the Christmas story. That just delighted our hearts. So now, we all participate in our reading time, even our 6 year-old son, who was brimming with Christmas energy. Prayer time is also very special because it sets our hearts with an attitude of gratitude for the blessings that God has showered upon us; and further acknowledges and reaffirms Jesus’ rightful and central place as the reason we celebrate Christmas. After our prayer time we would gather around the Christmas tree to savor the unwrapping of gifts as each child and parent wait on one another to view the unveiling of gifts.
This Christmas was especially memorable, when Jaz opened our prayer time asking that God give him contentment with what he will receive. That just blew us away. Whoa! What a minute. You just stole our parental prayer thunder. Mom and dad were supposed to pray for that. It’s one thing for me as a parent to pray for my children's state of contentment, but hearing it come from our 9 year-old son - in his own words; from his heart........... gave us a God-moment experience that we will always treasure.
After every morsel of breakfast was eaten and clean up completed, we gathered once more by the fireplace to read the Christmas story and for a time of prayer. Our children are old enough where they can now participate in the reading of the Christmas story. In fact, we started this part of our family tradition three Christmases ago when our middle child, Jaz, asked if he could read the Christmas story. That just delighted our hearts. So now, we all participate in our reading time, even our 6 year-old son, who was brimming with Christmas energy. Prayer time is also very special because it sets our hearts with an attitude of gratitude for the blessings that God has showered upon us; and further acknowledges and reaffirms Jesus’ rightful and central place as the reason we celebrate Christmas. After our prayer time we would gather around the Christmas tree to savor the unwrapping of gifts as each child and parent wait on one another to view the unveiling of gifts.
This Christmas was especially memorable, when Jaz opened our prayer time asking that God give him contentment with what he will receive. That just blew us away. Whoa! What a minute. You just stole our parental prayer thunder. Mom and dad were supposed to pray for that. It’s one thing for me as a parent to pray for my children's state of contentment, but hearing it come from our 9 year-old son - in his own words; from his heart........... gave us a God-moment experience that we will always treasure.
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