Fools

Have you ever tried to win an argument with someone who was not open to looking at any other side than their own? It's frustrating isn't it?

You may know that you are right and be able to back up your position with Scripture, but they are adamant that their stance is the correct position. What should you do?

This person who takes this stand might be known in Biblical terms as a fool. I always thought the Bible was pretty clear on what to do when you are dealing with a fool.

However, I read something recently in a TGIF devotional from a friend of mine, Os Hillman that says we should be discerning in figuring out the type of fool we are dealing with. This will enable us to treat this person the way the Bible instructs us to. This is what he had to say:

Marvin Wilson, author of Our Father Abraham, has written incisively about the various meanings for our word "fool":

In Biblical wisdom literature, the pupils of the sages and mentors are the unwise, often termed "fools" (Prov. 1:7) or "simple one" (1:22). In wisdom literature, the different levels of fools - both young and old - are the raw material on which the sages had to work, and they represent the varying degrees of rawness. Perhaps as much as anything else, the term fool is descriptive of an attitude, bent of mind, or direction in life, which needs correcting. The various Hebrew words for fool occur more than a hundred times in the book of Proverbs. [Marvin Wilson, Our Father Abraham (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989), 284-286.]

The reference to someone being a fool was not necessarily a negative term. A simple fool, or peti, was a person who made mistakes, but quickly righted them and was restored to fellowship with God and with others. King David was a simple fool, one who made mistakes, but kept a repentant heart toward God. This is why God did not turn away from him for his many sins.

The hardened fool, kesil and ewil, makes mistakes, but never learns from them and will not listen to others. Such people can expect God's reproof to continue and will eat the fruit of their own way (see Prov. 1:31-32). The hardened fool "returns to his own vomit." King Saul was a hardened fool, one who made mistakes and continued in them even after realizing he was wrong. We're going to err in our ways. The question is, once we know we have made a mistake before God, do we make the necessary adjustments that will allow Him to intervene on our behalf? And will we avoid the same course of action in the future? God says that if we do, He will pour out His Spirit on us (see Prov. 1:23). He will make known His words to us.

The third level of fool mentioned in Proverbs is the mocking fool or letz. The mocking fool mocks the things of God. This word means "scoffer" or "scorner." When you encounter cynical people who disregard the things of God, you know these people are "mocking fools."

The fourth level of fool is the God-denying fool or nabal. This term relates to the morally wicked person who ignores the disgrace he brings on his family and who despises holiness (see Prov. 17:21). This person says, "There is no God." By failing to acknowledge God for who He is, the nabal declares himself to be a "God-denying" fool.

I have found that it is helpful to try to understand if people are teachable. Are they simple fools, those who make mistakes but seek to learn from them? I can work with those people. But if I sense I am working with a hardened fool, I know I should not spend much time on that person. Jesus did not spend much time trying to convince the rich young ruler. He presented truth, and let him make his decision. Some people must get broken before they can become simple fools. Sometimes it is simply better to let satan chew on people until the ground is fertile enough to present truth to them.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7

Be Vewwwy Quiet....

A couple of years ago I was wrestling with the direction God wanted me to go in my life. A good friend and accountability partner asked me when the last time I had taken a day and just spent it with God.

"Uh...never," was my response.

He challenged me to schedule this day within two weeks of our time together.

This was not something I was excited about. Truth be told, the thought of it intimidated me. What would I do during this time? Won't I be bored out of my mind? But...I was challenged. So I scheduled it...and brought along my Bible and a concordance and actually spent that time with Him.

It was incredible to say the least. God really spoke to me about a couple of things.

I have since tried to make this a regular part of my schedule. I have tried to do this at least quarterly. This morning is one of those mornings. I am taking a "mini-retreat," about four hours or so to just seek His presence.

I have gone from dreading this time to looking forward to it and expecting to hear from Him--cool stuff! I highly recommend it--in fact I challenge you to try it!

"Be still, and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:10a

Hope

I was at Cedar Creek Church yesterday which is a very cool church in our city. I was there for a kickoff and introduction to the lineup who will be speaking at this year's Willow Creek Leadership Summit. Cedar Creek is the host site for Toledo as this is shown via satellite at hundreds of sites around the world.

Bill Hybels talked during the webcast yesterday about the speakers for the upcoming event in August and then showed video clips of many of them. It really looks like it will be an incredible event, as it always is.

Hybels mentioned that he is constantly looking to learn from other leaders. He said he especially wants to know what they did when they were in a similar mess to what he is in much of the time.

I thought that was very good. I have heard it said that a smart man learns from his own mistakes while a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

The interesting thing about the Summit, is that Hybels actually goes out of his way to find speakers who are coming from a different place or have a different perspective. They typically always challenge you in ways you didn't think you needed to be challenged. There have been speakers in the past whom I have dismissed as someone who probably won't be that great, who have absolutely knocked it out of the park.

I have learned that I, and all leaders, can learn from anyone and this was exhibited at the function yesterday in an unexpected way.

After listening to Bill Hybels and video clips from some amazing leaders, a great friend of mine, Bob Borcherdt (president of Midwest Paper Specialties) got up to address the crowd and to promote our upcoming Community Leaders Prayer Breakfast and Leadership Seminar featuring John Maxwell we are helping to organize in Toledo on May 7th.

Because of all the great speakers we had just heard from, Bob was the last person I expected to hear the most memorable line of the day from (although he is filled with much wisdom), yet he said something that stuck with me. Bob said, "There is a lot of fear out there. As Christians, it is our role to help to give people hope."

How true that is; however, it can be very easy to get bogged down in the "doom and gloom." But we know the end of the story--our team wins! So let your hope be infectious!

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 3:15b

3900 Saturdays

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4:14

As the above verse mentions, our days are numbered. We are all "terminal."

So...we need to make the most of our time here.

We all have choices in how we do that. Some of us will choose to make the most of our time on our task list at work and we might even work long hours to make things happen. Some will make the most of their time in chasing selfish desires and pleasure. Others of us will choose to sow into the lives of others and make this place a better place just for being here. Many of us will be somewhere in between these places.

No matter where you are, this story which was shared with Mac Anderson, author of Charging the Human Battery, will inspire you:

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday morning. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work.

Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whomever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles.” I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.

“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It’s too bad you missed your daughter’s dance recital,” he continued; “Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.” And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.”

“You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

“Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3,900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I’m getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail,” he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1,000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.”

Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.
There’s nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.

Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.

"It was nice to meet you Tom. I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band."

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. “C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.” “What brought this on?” she asked with a smile.

“Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles.”

Carpe Diem!

Truth

It's late fall and the Indians on a remote reservation in South Dakota asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like.

Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.

But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?''

"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold," the meteorologist at the National Weather Service responded.

So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.

A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. "Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?''

"Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter."

The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later, the chief called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?''

"Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we've ever seen.''

"How can you be so sure?" the chief asked.

The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy."

This is a funny story but it is a story that is played out in our lives all the time. Yes, times are tough. However, that does not mean we have to listen to the doom and gloom portrayed in the media. The media is often wrong. Besides, the media's job is to sell papers and advertising. Good news rarely does that.

We must focus on what is truth. There is only one place I know that we can be assured of truth...and that is the Word of God, the Bible.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

When Fear Abounds...

As if you didn't know, we are living in different times. Times are tough. Jobs are being lost daily. Stock portfolios are shrinking. House values are dropping. Fear abounds. Yet...through it all, God is in control!

A passage that has really captured my attention recently is found in Isaiah 26:3-4:

You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

I don't know about you, but those words are very comforting to me. I need to continually be reciting this and I have been the past couple of days.

My good friend Ray Hilbert, founder of Truth At Work had some great things to say on this topic in his most recent post including the following:

Fear Grips our heart and produces 6 Effects:

Fear Replaces faith
Fear Destroys dreams
Fear steals our joy and blessing
Fear spoils victories
Fear paralyzes us
Fear robs us of memories
Fear causes us to hesitate because of disbelief

The opposite of fear is faith, trust, and belief.

Check out the rest of this excellent post here.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

It's The Network

It's not what you know but who you know.

I have heard that statement for years. There were times when I heard that that I felt like the person who was saying it was making excuses for their lot in life. As I have gotten older (and hopefully gained some wisdom), I have come to believe that there is a lot of truth in that statement.

To quote a cell phone company, "It's the Network."

The word "networking" typically has a negative connotation and is often viewed as something that is not for us...it is only for people with sales jobs. However, it is something that is extremely important, especially during tough economic times...regardless of your vocation. Justin Pinkerman wrote a nice article on this subject and he refutes the three common networking myths:

Myth #1: Networking is for self-promoting schmoozers.
Myth #2: Network is only for salespeople or outgoing personalities.
Myth #3: Networking, by nature, is uncomfortable, forced, and contrived.

Check it out here.

I Quit

Have you ever felt like giving up? How about at work? Did you ever just want to tell your boss those famous lyrics, "Take this job and shove it"?

A couple of days ago I put up a post for those who have a Bad Job. Based on the comments received, it has struck a nerve.

One commenter had this to say, "Thanks for the post. I'm going through some crises in my work right now and through out the week I had thought about just quitting, but now I plan on first be thankful to God for the job and the opportunities it has brought my way and secondly change my attitude towards it.(God help me!!!)."

Haven't we all been there before? I know I sure have. This person is making the choice to embrace his or her situation and to look for the good in it. That is awesome!

The one thing that struck me when reading this comment was that, if we are truly looking for a greater purpose in our work, tough times bring about terrific opportunities--in fact, greater opportunities than times of prosperity. It is during challenges that others are typically looking at you to see how you will react.

Look at what is happening in Major League Baseball right now. It is 24/7 coverage of the steroid issue because of Alex Rodriguez's admission that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Everyone is tuning in to see how he will react because he is in hot water.

The same is true of us where you are. If you can act in a Christ-like way, amazing seeds can be planted. Perhaps, someone might even ask you how you are able to react the way you do. Then, you have an open door to share what God is doing in your life.

Embrace the challenge...it can lead to much good!

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.

1 Peter 3:15b

Community

Have you ever watched one of those animal shows on TV? You know, the ones where they show a cougar or lion prowling around and then pursuing it's prey? Have you ever noticed how the hunter chooses which of the animals it will attack?

It is almost always the animal that is not with the group...the one that is isolated. That is because the lion or cheetah or whatever knows that there is safety in numbers. The Bible tells us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8b). As a result, he tries to isolate us to make his job easier.

Have you ever said, "I don't need help"? I sure have. That is pride and that is exactly what the enemy wants from us.

This weekend at church, my pastor shared how Jesus did community and it was based on the numbers 12-3-1. He chose 12 to be his friends/disciples. Of those 12, he had three who he invested even more in (James, Peter and John). And of those three, he had one that he could share anything with and that was John.

In Truth At Work we have seen the incredible power of this concept played out. Not only is there protection in being in a group, great ideas and revelation can come out of sharing together as well. Think about what could happen if 10-15 like-minded individuals committed to get together regularly to hold each other accountable and to generate ideas--very powerful.

Jesus knew that he needed community...he needed help. If that was the case for Jesus, don't you think the same holds true for us? So, who are your 12, three and one that you will allow into your life?

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12b

Humbled

Late yesterday afternoon I was preparing for a talk I was giving at a dinner event a few hours later. I needed to take a break so I decided to make a repair on something which required me to use Super Glue.

However, I could not get the glue out of the tube. Everything I tried was futile, so I decided that I would throw it away. Then I had a great idea...or so I thought.

Since I was going to pitch it, I decided to take a needle and puncture the tube so I could at least get a drop out before throwing it away. So I positioned it over the sink and pierced the container. I had no idea it was going to explode over my hand!

So here I was, frantically trying to wipe up Super Glue in my sink and not even thinking about my hand. My right hand had three fingers firmly stuck together and my left hand had tissues stuck to two fingers from my cleanup efforts. To complicate matters, in the middle of my three stuck fingers was the needle. Boy, does that stuff work well...and fast! I felt very foolish as my son was laughing at me.

I went to my computer and Googled for a solution. I was told that nail polish remover would do the trick. It took a good 30 minutes, but at last I was free (my fingers were a mess but at least they could now operate freely!).

As I drove to the venue for my talk I couldn't help but think of the people I would be speaking to. Had they known what I had just put myself through, they probably would have thought I was the last person they would want to hear from! I know that God wants me to be humble. I also know that I sometimes have a hard time doing that on my own so He needs to occasionally help with the process!

Bad Job?

Do you ever feel like Dilbert above? Like you have the worst job possible? I know I sure have. I even wrote about it in Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders.

So how do you change that? As I see it, these are your options:

1. You can change jobs
2. You can "grin and bear it" but still deep down hate it
3. You can complain about it and do nothing
4. You can quit and not work
5. You can decide to change your attitude

Number 1 could bring positive change. In fact, God might be showing you that He has something else for you.

It could be argued that number 2 is also a positive option. On one hand it is positive; however, in your heart you still hate your job. The Bible is very clear that "the heart is the wellspring of life." In other words, what is in your heart will eventually come out.

Number 3 is not a good option. In my mind, it shouldn't even be an option, yet this is the way most people would react in this situation. Please make a commitment to yourself that you will not be in this category.

Number 4 could be an option...for about .00000001% of the population. For the rest of us, we can cross this off our list.

Number 5 is obviously the one that gets my vote. Just like I wrote about a couple days ago in "Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar," changing your attitude and seeing your job as a way to impact and serve others can change everything. All of a sudden, your work is not just about work but rather it is about people...people you can impact and make a difference for.

So which option will you choose?

Hire For Attitude, Train For Skill

I was reviewing my notes yesterday from the Willow Creek Leadership Summit I attended in 2005. When looking over the notes I took from the interview Bill Hybels did with Colleen Barrett (President of Southwest Airlines) I was struck by something simple she said.

She said that when hiring someone they do their best to make sure that the prospective employee has a great attitude above all else. In fact she said that they, “hire for attitude and train for skill.” Pretty simple but it obviously works for them (they consistently outperform most other airlines in almost every category).

This is a list of characteristics Southwest looks for in people:

1. Want to serve from the heart
2. Altruistic and caring
3. Sense of humor—take business seriously but not themselves
4. Common sense
5. Make eye contact with others
6. Mix well with others – introduces themselves…

Again, pretty simple and filled with a lot of common sense. Do you know anyone who could benefit by taking on these characteristics? I know that I plan on sharing this list with each of my children as I know it will help them to be not only better employees someday but also better citizens.

Thankfulness In All Circumstances

I just had breakfast with a friend of mine. He and I act as accountability partners to one another. I help him to stay on track in life and he does the same to me.

He happens to be in a difficult season at work right now. He is having to travel pretty much every week for about a 3 month stretch. This is putting an increasing strain on his marriage and family life at home.

I have been there. It is very difficult to travel like that...it is exhausting because you have to be "on" all the time as you are with clients for much of the day. Then it is back to the hotel to catch up on work that needs done. Then it's back up the next morning to do it again. When there is tension at home it makes it that much more difficult.

What he said to me this morning was, "I am just very thankful I have this job and I am going to do the best I can and trust God that He is going to bless me and my family through this."

That is a great attitude.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar

No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice. Harvey MacKay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed me a laminated card and said: "I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement."

Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: "To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment." This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."

I said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink."

Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice."

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke."

Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today."

As they were pulling away, Wally handed me another laminated card. "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio."

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

"Tell me, Wally,' Harvey asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?"

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called 'You'll See It When You Believe It'. Dyer said that 'if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself'. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.' That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more."

"I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said.

"It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action."

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.

I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

How about us?

Smile, and the whole world smiles with you.....The ball is in our hands!

Galatians 6:7-10 ...God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up...let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Respecting Authority

Many of you know that I had a bad boss a while back which led me to write my book, Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders. Even though my boss was not very good, if he asked me to do something I did not agree with, I did it (as long as it was not unethical and did not violate Biblical principles). This was hard, but I did it because he was my boss and in authority over me.

This morning, I heard Peyton Manning, the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts talking with a reporter about the retirement of Tony Dungy, his former coach and the new coach, Jim Caldwell. He said something that I thought was awesome.

About Coach Caldwell, Manning said, "I'm prepared for all the changes. I will be at meetings early and sitting in the front row and will be on my best behavior. I will do this to do right by him and do my best to win another championship."

Here is the guy who has won a Super Bowl, he is starting in this year's Pro Bowl and has been MVP of the league. Yet, he gets it. He is showing respect to his head coach and will do what is asked of him because he knows that is in the best interest of his team. Isn't this refreshing?

By the way, if you are working for a tough boss, I would encourage you to follow Peyton Manning's example and listen to what they say, even if you don't agree with it.

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men...

1 Peter 2:13a

Controlled By Circumstances

Last week, a friend of mine called me to ask if I would be interested in taking his tickets to the Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game in Detroit (which was in the afternoon on Sunday, prior to the Super Bowl). I said, “Absolutely!” My son was out of town at camp with his youth group from church, so I went with a good friend of mine.

Needless to say, we had a blast. The Cavaliers won the game and Lebron James put on quite a show, but the thing that made the game more interesting and more fun were the 10 or so Cavalier fans who sat a few rows behind us. In talking with them at halftime I discovered that some of them went to high school with Lebron.

Anyway, what made them stick out was the fact that they were over the top in their passion for their team. They were actually downright obnoxious…but hilarious. They were chanting some funny things and they were also drinking pretty heavily.

At one point, we saw one of the guys spill his beer on a guy in front of him. Amazingly, the one who was now wet, took it very well and was actually laughing about it.

In contrast, another man was sitting with his wife and two children in front of these fans. He looked like he was having absolutely no fun whatsoever. He was obviously so furious that these “hooligans” were seated behind him that it looked like he would rather be anywhere but there. Here he had spent tons of money to take his family to this event and he was having a miserable time.

Two people sitting next to each other, basically experiencing the same thing, yet two very different responses. The first man was not going to let circumstances dictate how much fun he was going to have. The second one was letting these guys get under his skin. As I sat there I thought about how sad that was. I thought that I certainly wouldn’t let that happen to me.

Then, wouldn’t you know it, yesterday I had a very tough day (and was taught a great lesson). My planning and calendar software was totally freezing up (which it had been doing since last Friday) and I spent a good part of the day chatting with their customer support department. I was so frustrated and I was not dealing with it well. It was impacting my entire day!

Wow, did God put me in my place quickly. I realized last night that I was acting exactly the same way as the second man above. I was letting my circumstances dictate how I was feeling. I guess the Bible is right when it says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (emphasis mine)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Winning in Life

What a Super Bowl! Two years in a row we've had fantastic finishes. Last night the Arizona Cardinals seemed to have won the gave when Kurt Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald for the go ahead score with about 2 1/2 minutes to play. But Ben Roethlisberger led the Pittsburgh Steelers down the field and hit Santonio Holmes for an amazing catch in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left to win the game.

While all of the drama was great and there were some tremendous story lines, I wanted to share something with you that I received last week. It is a very touching story about one of the players in this game:

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he is not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NFL's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

Though he did not win the game last night, in the game of life, Kurt Warner is definitely a winner!