Mike Henderson

Context

Wow.  I  am certain the most all sports enthusiasts were shocked to learn that Urban Meyer, the football coach at Florida, was stepping down.  He is one of the most successful coaches in the game today.

I must admit, one of my first reactions was, "Well, he is loosing his quarterback.  Sounds like the best time to mail it in."

So my first reaction, while not surprised in the sense that it happens often, was a little cynical.  

Of course, once I learned more about the context of the decision I completely understood.  The decision was based on more than just one thing.  Actually there were several factors.

But without all or at least some information the communication process is short-circuited.  That alone may result in confusion, frustration, and in this case sadness for Florida Gator fans.

Also factor in that few people live and breathe football and coaching the way Urban Meyer does.  But over the next few days there will be press conferences and some additional details that will provide the necessary context.

Because without the 'context' there will be lots of second-guessing, cynics, and a lack of understanding.

Two Points of View

As consumers we have heard from various sources about particular stores or organizations.  And for the most part we have already drawn conclusions, sometimes based on hearsay.

Now what we have concluded may change should we ever have a personal encounter with the store or organization.

For instance, I hear lots of complaints about Wal-Mart.  In fact, I even hear some say they would rather pay more and go to Target.  Not me.  Actually I have no complaints with either store, but then I am not looking for a reason to go to either.  However, I prefer low prices.

Before Circuit City went out of business I used to hear how Best Buy had terrible customer service but Circuit City's was excellent.  Was one right or wrong?  Just depends on who you talk to and what their story was.  

The truth is someone may dislike the very store you love.  We are different.  We have different stories, backgrounds, and desires.  What is truly amazing is the fact most people tenaciously hold onto their opinion as if it is fact and can be no other way.  

With so many stores and options at least we should be able to purchase what we need.  In a similar fashion churches are different.  One of my pet peeves is church bashing.  Just because one church does not meet someone's expectations does not mean it is incapable of meeting someone else's.

We need all kinds of churches in order to reach all kinds of people.  I could list various 'kinds' of churches. I am thankful for Wal-Mart and Target and for different churches.  Some churches are more known for their music, others for their kid's program, some their student ministry, and the list goes on.

At New Hope we will probably never be good at ten things, but we can be good at a couple.  Some will come as a first time guest and may decide to hang around.  Someone else will come and have a different point of view.  Probably due to their current needs, background, etc.  

At the end of the day there will still be two points of view.  Neither is right or wrong, they just are.

Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity

Loving God is man's highest calling.  In fact Jesus said the Greatest Commandment was to "Love God." Mark Batterson has hit a home run by explaining and expounding on the Great Commandment in an incredible way.  Primal must be read, reflected upon, and put into action.

Batterson breaks down the four components of loving God:

1.  Loving God with your heart.  The key thought here is compassion and having empathy for people who need hope.  Wow!  You may sell your car, or simply put your money where your mouth is.  

2.  Loving God with your soul.  Life and soul go hand in hand.  If our souls are full of wonder about God then life will be wonderful.  Much of that wonder will come from time exploring creation and from time exposed to the Bible.  

3.  Loving God with your mind.  Our minds often quit expanding when our education comes to an end. With diploma in hand our curiosity to learn takes a nosedive.  But Mark points out, "you cannot see what you do not know" (p. 102).  If we can't imagine it, we are unable to "entertain thoughts of God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine" (p. 112).

4.  Loving God with your strength.  Now it gets physical.  "Love is measured by calories burned" (p. 134). As long as you stay in the will of God the energy will be there.  Get disconnected from God and entropy sets in.  Christianity is a verb and "Primal" will help you move into action.

As Batterson has commented, "We've got to be great at the Great Commandment."  This book will help you immensely.  This book will not be read just once and placed back on the shelf.  This book will be a constant companion.  This book is loaded with memorable lines and is fun to read from start to finish.

Snow!

One thing about snow-it can rearrange your plans.  Retailers are worried about losing shoppers and their wallets.  That will probably lead to extra hours next week.

At church, well, there won't be any services at New Hope this Sunday.  The county called today and they are shutting down all schools for the entire weekend.  So we were able to cancel early.  Easy decision, the county decided for us.  

Admittedly, with the expected snowfall total in the 12" range I don't see that a service would have been likely anyway.

Carol was supposed to return on Saturday from Philadelphia where she is with her sister who is undergoing cancer treatment.  Looks like late Sunday will be the more likely time of return.

Now it would be easy to get upset (my kids don't like being snowed in) but one thing I believe I have gotten better at is 'not worrying about things I can't control.'  And I certainly have no control over the weather.

I am sure there will be lots of flight cancelations, along with parties, shopping trips, eating out, and anything else on people's schedules.  

And by now I am sure it's too late to go to the store and get bread and milk.  Guess I'll have to drink and eat something else...with a smile of course.

How Will Your Life End?

Life is short.  Even if live to be 100 life is still short.  It's just a vapor, or a mist (James 4:14).  How yours will end will most likely be determined by the direction of your life.

One of the very sad stories today was the passing of a 26 year old NFL football player.  Yes, he had his problems, but was apparently getting his life together.

The tragedy was in how his life ended.  A domestic dispute.  His fiancee was driving a truck, he was in the back, and he came out of the back while at high speed.  The driver was the mother to his kids.  Sad story.

The truth is life is short.  We all have an appointment with death.  Can't change it.  It's on the calendar, but you can't see it.

But you do have some say in how you will leave this world.  Some will leave with horrible habits in place, some with a bad attitude, others in poor health due to personal choices, and still others will be known for lacking character.

I think it is always healthy to ask yourself, "If I leave this world today will I be happy with the way I left?"

Not talking about perfection.  None of us have arrived.  But I do think we give little thought as to our current direction in life.  LIfe is short, and it will come to an end.  You choose the ending.

Drinking Adds Up

Let me start off with a disclaimer.  I don't drink.  I am pretty much a water and coffee only type of guy. And I try and not go overboard on coffee.  

One reason water has become my primary beverage is Michael Jordan.  Back in the day when he left baseball to make his return to basketball his only drink was water.  He felt that was the best way for him to play at an optimum level.  I was hooked. Plus water is free.

Carol and I have now been on four cruises and without fail on the last day you can hear people talk about their final bill and the alcohol charges.  For some reason wherever you go on the ship during the cruise people have a drink in their hand.  Not really sure why that is.  I drink about 8-10 glasses of water a day, but I did not walk around the ship with a drink in hand.

You get the idea.  It's vacation time so people lose track of time and their drinking. (For me it was desserts, but they were free).  And the alcohol adds up, big time.

Then on the last day reality sets in.  I think we all allow things to add up in life without giving it much thought until it's too late.  Take some time to reflect.  What's adding up in your life right now?  

Tiger and Trust (2)

Recently I commented about Tiger Woods' personal problems.  It appears that it may get worse.  Having been involved with a dozen women or more the last thing he needed was another question mark.

Now news has come out that has connected him with a doctor from Canada who has been associated with giving illegal performance enhancing drugs.  To be fair Tiger may have never taken any.

But just the association is raising quite a few eyebrows.  And usually where there is smoke there is fire.  If it were to be found to be true that Tiger took illegal performance enhancing drugs, Tiger's separation with 'Trust' would become a full-fledged divorce!

Right now his wife and a few sponsors do not trust him.  If things get worse, no one will trust him.

Two Weeks Till Christmas

The year is quickly coming to a close.  The next two Sundays will bring an end to the current series "Advent Conspiracy."

Then on Christmas Eve we will be having a special service at 5pm which will include music, a short program, and a message "Making Christmas Last."

Christmas Eve is a great time to invite someone as this time of year is the #1 time of the year that people who have dropped out of church decide to reengage. 

Santa may be checking his list.  I hope you will check yours and be sure to invite someone to come with you on Christmas Eve!

Cruise Lessons

One of the highlights of the cruise was the food.  Of course, it runs the gamut from really healthy to totally unhealthy.

On a cruise you can load up on soda, hamburgers, fries, and desserts.  Not exactly the road to better health and a longer life.

Here are a few things I noticed:

1. It can be hard to change bad habits.  With tons of great food staring right at you, many continued to load up on hamburgers, fries, and pizza.

2. It's easy to go along with the crowd.  Everyone else is indulging so you may as well indulge too.

3. We tend to be our own worst enemy.  No one put those extra desserts on my plate.  I did (now it's all about extra workout time, but I have no one else to blame).  We are where we are for the most part due to our own decisions.

4. The potential to do right is within us.  While I did enjoy the desserts, I ate several servings of vegetables every day.  I even had fish at least once a day.    

In my next post I will share some more things I noticed during our seven days at sea.

Tiger and Trust

Over the past several days the Tiger Woods story has taught us all a life long lesson, but the news has not focused on that but the sordid details instead.

The BIG story is about trust.  This was not about a one night stand (which by the way would also deal a serious blow to trust), or one stupid mistake, or even a lost temper.

This is about lying and cheating for a rather lengthy period of time even preceding the marriage.

While I am not a fan of divorce I realize Jesus allowed for divorce in the case of adultery (Matthew 19:1-9).  

I have had friends whose marriages were rocked by adultery. I have seen it destroy the marriage, and I have seen others go through the long process of forgiveness and rebuilding of trust.

In Tiger's case, due to the length of time involved surrounding his lying and unfaithfulness, my guess is it would be nearly impossible to rebuild the marriage.

Trust is huge.  Without trust you cannot have much of a relationship.  Lack of trust in any relationship whether in marriage or at work will lead to eventual deterioration and separation.

Tiger and Trust just separated.