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True

Monday, June 17th, 2013

The word “True” can be used in several different ways:

It can be used when speaking to someone and they state a fact. You might say, “That’s true.”

It can be used when fixing a bicycle rim to roll evenly instead of wobbly. It is called “having your wheel trued.”

It can be used when describing how a person feels about himself. You might say, “You have to be true to yourself.”

I spoke Sunday on the problem with hazardous waste, especially as it relates to individuals. Many people, not just Christ-followers, find themselves mired in a pit of their own making because they didn’t realize the slow compromise that was taking place. Little by little, inch by inch, decision by decision, it is not unusual to find a person wondering, “How in the world did I get here?’

INTEGRITY IS OFTEN A LOST CHARACTER TRAIT.

I am guessing over a month ago I read a fascinating story in the news. My oldest ~~traitor~~ daughter, who is a Braves fan (can I gag now?), was watching the Braves/Giants game this past weekend. The announcers were talking about a player on the Giants. With all the bad headlines baseball is getting with the PED issue and now the brawls that seem to be almost a daily happening, one baseball player stands out. His remarkable story is here. I’m telling you folks, it doesn’t get much better than that! In this day and age of so many “me-first” athletes (not all but many), this story stands out head and shoulders above others.

INTEGRITY IS NOT DEAD!!!

It is also nice to know that Jeremy and his wife are motivated by something special. You can find out here what it is.

To be faced day in and day out with the temptations professional ballplayers are faced with is a monumental thing. I, for one, pray Jeremy and his wife stay strong in their faith and in their integrity.

What are your thoughts? Do you know ordinary people who display integrity? Do you know of other stories I can read?

Posted in Christian living, Family, Just a Quote, Pick me Up, Story | 13 Responses »

Fight!

Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

I want to admit something to you all in this post.

NOT ALWAYS DO I FEEL LIKE A WINNER, NOR DO I ALWAYS WIN!

I tend to be a very “up” person, very little gets me down. When it does I don’t tend to stay down very long. I think the longest I can remember being “down” is a day or two. It’s just my makeup, my pers0anlity.

THAT IS GOOD.

THAT CAN ALSO BE BAD.

It lends itself to a “charge hell with a squirt gun” mentality. It can also lend itself to hiding how I really feel.

CAN. ANYONE. ELSE. RELATE?

It hit me vividly when I read these words by Winston Churchill:

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat…You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all cost, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.

He was not done, because almost two months later he said:

We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end…We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields, and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. (emphasis mine)

Two weeks later, at the end of the speech dubbed “Their Finest Hour” he said,

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’

The English turned and stood against Hitler’s war machine. Bloodied and bruised. Knocked down but not out. The British rose out of the ashes to continue fighting against evil incarnate. The people refused to give in. Led by a bulldog named Churchill, they fought the bigger dog and helped subdue him and free themselves and others from his choke hold.

Our Leader has given that same type of speech. Our enemy blusters and blows. We get bloodied and bruised. We may get knocked down, but never out. Our Leader, our King, our Commander-in-Chief, has already won the battle, therefore we need not fear the outcome. Just fight. Fight on the beaches, the landing grounds, the fields, the streets, the hills…but never, never surrender.

Just a little encouragement for your day. Now…go out and have a good won. Win one for the gipper (sorry couldn’t resist).

This post was inspired by the May 28th entry of The Uncommon Life Daily Challenges by Tony Dungy.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Just a Quote, Leadership, Pick me Up | 21 Responses »

Quitter

Monday, May 20th, 2013

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wanted to bury your head under the pillow and never get out of bed? It isn’t a depression thing I’m talking about. It’s about making mistakes that we have to face.

Sometimes we find ourselves in over our heads and can’t face the fact we ~~don’t~~ can’t measure up (in our minds) so we just “take our ball and go home.”

You have probably seen the same information I have, but if not, then I’d like to use it to make a point.

Michael Jordan once said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Babe Ruth struck out almost twice the number of times he hit a home run, yet he is still considered one of the greats. Abraham Lincoln lost almost every political race he entered, until he was finally elected president.

Thomas Edison went through thousand of experiments before inventing the light bulb. He was reported to have said, “Well, we know one more way it won’t work.”

When things happen to us that aren’t exactly “scripted” or the way we had hoped, it is easy to want to give up. But that is only one way to respond! There are other ways!!

I performed a wedding Sunday afternoon for a couple who has been together for five years and is now expecting a baby. (Spare the judgments that could rain down). I had a good initial visit with them and the door is now open for further dialogue. But the point I want to make is I talked to them during the ceremony about the permanence of marriage. About not giving up. About not being quitters. About loving as Christ loved the church.

I think we all need a good swift kick in the seat from time to time. We all get discouraged. We all feel like burying our head from time to time. But the one thing modeled for us in the Scriptures is

DON’T QUIT!

When the tough times hit, men and women of God didn’t quit. Even when they felt like it (take Elijah after Mt. Carmel) God said, “Oh no you don’t.” Example after example. None better than Jesus Himself.

SO DON’T YOU QUIT!!

Any thoughts? Is there a Bible or historical character who embodies not quitting to you? Do you know anyone who needs a word of encouragement today?

Posted in Christian living, Jesus, Pick me Up | 20 Responses »

Perspective

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

This has been a different week here at Cycleguy’s Spin. Let’s continue with a change in direction.

First, watch this video. For those unable to watch, a transcript is included on the link.

Okay, now be honest. How many of you chuckled. I did. I absolutely loved the optimism shown by that young man. That type of optimism comes from having a clear perspective of the situation. How many times have you done something only to have it fail? You have the choice of hiking up your pants and going at it again or throwing in the towel.

Or maybe you have had someone come along and offer you a different perspective, one that changed your whole outlook. I once read of the daughter who wrote her parents a note:

Dear Mom & Dad,

Just thought I’d drop you a note to clue you in on my plans. I’ve fallen in love with a guy named Jim. He quit high school after grade eleven to get married. About a year ago he got a divorce. We’ve been going steady for two months and plan to get married in the fall. Until then, I’ve decided to move into his apartment (I think I might be pregnant). At any rate, I dropped out of school last week, although I’d like to finish college sometime in the future.

On the next page she continued:

Mom and Dad, I just want you to know that everything I’ve written so far in this letter is false. NONE of it is true. But Mom and Dad, it IS true that I got a C in French and flunked Math. It IS true that I’m going to need some more money for tuition payments.

Not too shabby a way of putting things in perspective wouldn’t you say? Now…you can choose to be an Optimist or a Pessimist. You can choose to have your glass half full or half empty.

DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE.

Life is entirely too short to be languishing or moping around. Circumstances will not always be what we want or hope them to be. Life is a challenge or a bore; a victory or a defeat; an adventure or a misfortune. Depends on your perspective.

Where do you fall into this picture? What are you wanting out of your life?

Posted in Christian living, Just Wondering, Leadership, Little Bit of Fun, Pick me Up | 23 Responses »

Hero

Monday, April 8th, 2013

Our world abounds with SuperHeroes. Captain America. Iron Man. Spiderman. Batman. The list goes on. My world has superheroes also.

I am the husband of the original Wonder Woman. It is a wonder how the woman put up with me for almost 40 years. She even works at a job that she dislikes so we can have insurance (which is essential at our age).

I am the father of two fantastic daughters. I can never even begin to tell you how proud I am of both of them. They are both heroes in my eyes.

This post is about one of those daughters, Tami. First, watch this video.

A little over four years ago, I believe, Tami was diagnosed with Medullary Sponge Kidney Disease. Yeah, that is what I thought. What in the world is that? It totally changed her world. Through trial and error (lots of error on the medical end of it, i.e. you can eat this…no you can’t eat this…yes you can…you get the drift), she suffered through some horrible bouts with kidney stones. Finally, she decided to take matters into her own hands and through some tough times figured out what she can/cannot eat. For example, she cannot have chocolate , and certain fruits and vegetables. She has also figured out soy and gluten are enemies. Along the way she also began running and lost around 30 pounds. She began running/walking 5Ks. Last Thanksgiving, she ran with her sister in the Turkey Trot in Columbus, Ohio. I think it was about 5 miles or so.

This past Sunday Tami did 13.1 miles, a mini-marathon. Jo watched her progress on her phone. I was so proud of her I even announced it before I preached. She completed it under 3 hours. She did three things I cannot do: run, finish, and do it all under 3 hours. Late edition: for more on this check out here.

She isn’t done though. After teaching since 1998, she has decided her experience needs to be shared with others, particularly children. Thanks to the generosity of someone, she has enrolled in an online course that will require one year of schooling (she will be able to keep her current job) with a goal to become a health/life coach, focusing on children’s health. She wants to help children and parents learn proper eating habits to deal with allergic reactions, medical conditions, etc that are so hard to find answers for (just like hers). To learn a little more about her dream, check out this post, this one, and this one.

She is my hero…in more ways than one. In honor of her, I want to dedicate this song to her. I told her she needs this on her play list when she runs.

Who is a hero to you? Have you let them know?

Posted in Christian living, Family, Little Bit of Fun, Pick me Up, Story | 30 Responses »

Gratitude

Sunday, April 7th, 2013

SOMETHING DIFFERENT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK AT CYCLEGUY’S SPIN!

But first the backdrop.

Our new youth pastor, Ryan, is one top-notch dude. I’m not saying that because he might read this. I’m not even sure he will. (It is not a staff requirement to read and comment on my blog, although they do get extra points if they do!). Seriously, Ryan is someone ~~our~~ all youth can emulate. He was not raised in a two parent home, least not the traditional kind. God got a hold of his life, led him to Bible college, and led him to his soul mate, Hope. They chose a radical way to purity in preparation for their marriage and even wrote a book about it. Their dream was to do missions (Ryan is bi-lingual in Spanish). Events happened (babies for one) that derailed their plan for the mission field, so they came home to work, live and raise their children. He began working at a local credit union and eventually visited OVCF. They had just had child #3 and liked it so well decided to stick around. Eventually they volunteered their time with the Jr/Sr High youth. This past February, after 2 years of volunteer work, we hired Ryan full-time. He is a young man who has a lot to say to the kids because he lives what he says.

Recently he has been talking about some short videos he found and plans to use on Sunday night from time to time. He sent me the link and I decided to do something different this week: Each day I am going to highlight one of the videos for you to view. They last less than a minute. I will make a comment or two and then leave it up to you from there.

Here is the first:

So many things ran through my mind as I watched this. The frustration. Sure.

But I loved the kindness of the ladies to a gruff man whom they did not know (who was also a different color skin).

The “love your enemies” teaching of Jesus.

The power of something simple. Seems I remember Someone say, “When I was hungry, you fed me…”

The return of a gratitude-like expression by the man.

And, of course, the song.

Okay, now it is your turn. What struck you about the video? Have you had this happen in your own life? What can you do to show a little gratitude today?

Posted in Christian living, Friendship, Just Wondering, Leadership, Pick me Up | 24 Responses »

Advice

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

While working on a sermon on Paul for my sermon series Reclaimed, it really hit me how Paul was not anything like his former self. My mind went to this scene from Lord of the Rings with Aragorn. For those who can’t take the time or are unable to view the video, it is where Aragorn is told by Elrond, “Put aside the Ranger. Become who you were meant to be.”

That’s good advice for all of us.

Charles Spurgeon, the late British preacher, is quoted as saying, “Don’t rely too much on labels, for too often they are fables.”

Again…good advice.

Pastor Craig Groeschel, in his new book Altar Ego wrote this:

To learn who I am, I’ve had to learn who I am not.

You are not what others think about you.

You are not your past.

Your are not what you did.

You are who God says you are. (p.11)

In another place he writes, “Rather than defining our worth by who we are in the opinions of others, we’ll live from the truth of who we are in Christ.” (p.9)

Again…good advice.

One of the principles of Wild at Heart is that God gives us a new name. No longer should we hang on to the old baggage that someone has passed down to us. When God gives us a new name, He also gives a new purpose. All you gotta do to see that truth is look at what Jesus did for His followers. Peter. John. Matthew. Zacchaeus. Mary Magdalene. The woman caught in adultery. Saul/Paul. To name just a few. Oh…one more…

BILL

I am learning, and Pastor Craig is teaching, that my past may be a part of who I am, but it certainly doesn’t have to define my future.

Again…good advice. Good advice for a lifetime. For me. For you.

And the sooner we all realize that, the better off we will all be.

And the better off those closest to us will be.

And the better off those we come in contact will be.

And the better off our relationship to Jesus will be. He can use anyone, but He can really use someone who is willing and ready to be used. Someone not tied down by the past. Lose the chains. Run free! Don’t allow the enemy of your soul to define who you are.

Live free. So…how do you plan to live today?

Posted in Christian living, God, Jesus, Just Wondering, Miscellaneous, Pick me Up | 23 Responses »

Volunteers

Monday, February 25th, 2013

So many people are behind-the-scenes type of people. You know them. I know them. Shoot, I live with one of them. Oops, I mean I am married to one of them. For almost 40 years Jo has been a behind-the-scene woman. She would just as soon eat nails as to stand up in front of people and speak publicly. She did so about 3 or 4 years ago when I asked different woman to talk on Mother’s Day, but I paid for it. BIG. TIME!!!

Wish I could say I am just kidding on that, but I’m not. Get your mind out of the gutter!! I lost track of how many meals out I had to buy to pay off that debt.

Let’s face it. Volunteers are what makes every business go ’round. Any CEO or President who strives to make his business successful knows he cannot do it all by himself. Hospitals. Nursing homes. Political campaigns. And yes, churches all rely on volunteers, those unsung heroes who will “take one for the team” in order to move ahead.

If you read my last post, you already know this past Sunday night was a first for OVCF. We celebrated our volunteers with a dinner in their honor. We asked nothing of them except to show up. Let me rephrase that: other than the RSVP we asked of them, they were just expected to come and allow us to lavish our thanks upon them. We had 79 people show up. The servers, myself included, were to dress as a Superhero of some type. We had Flash, Batman, Superman, Catwoman, Snake Eyes (GI Joe), Thor, a Ninja Turtle (?), and multiple versions of Captain America there. Don’t go looking for any picture of me in a Captain America costume. I sort of outgrew them years ago. Okay, so it was just last year. However, I did wear a Captain America t-shirt, complete with an old logo of him. Jo and I made a great team since she wore one that had the shield on it. We decorated with Red, White and Blue tablecloths; child costumes hanging from different parts of the auditorium; table decorations, and several drawings for door prizes. I showed a clip of Tim Hawkins that had people laughing their heads off. And there most definitely were tons of thanks handed out. I spent the evening, not eating, but going from person to person thanking them for their gift of self this past year. I wanted every person there to know how much their contribution meant. We had a wild and crazy year! We were plum out of space and options when the building team came up with a really “whacky” idea (according to some) that took all summer to do. One thing I can say is this: DO NOT be afraid to take risks. DO NOT be afraid to do some off-the-wall stuff from time to time. DO NOT be afraid to do something reckless when it seems like you have no place else to go. Hindered by a $123k new septic system price tag, we dreamed out of the box. You can see the story here. We worshiped elsewhere all summer. And the renovation was done with cash. THEY DESERVED A THANK YOU. not just for the renovation project, but for all year long. Teachers. Cleaners. Yard mowers. Weed-pullers. Painters. Singers. Finance Team. You name it.

I was honored to be a part of it all last night. Thanks for letting me tell my story. If you are a pastor, or involved in your church in some way, I highly recommend it. The good-feelings will be felt for a long time. How do you show appreciation? Does your church do anything special? Share them please. I’m always looking for good ideas.

Posted in Church, Leadership, Miscellaneous, Pick me Up | 18 Responses »

WAR

Sunday, February 24th, 2013

No this is not a “political rant” about the right or wrong of war.

And it certainly isn’t a “rant” against…naaaaah that would be political.

I will be honest with you. I am swamped. At least for one day. And it is the only day a preacher works!! Today is a special day and I toyed with waiting to post about it, but then began to realize that I will be one tired puppy when this day is all over and the last thing I am going to want to do is mess with writing about it.

SO I AM GOING TO SAVE THAT FOR THE NEXT POST

If you read my last post here you know the challenge being presented to the church I pastor. What I did not mention is that at 5:00 we will be host to 75 of the greatest volunteers that ever graced a church. We are having our first ever Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. The meal will be catered, so these volunteers who have helped in so many different ways over the past year will not have to bring a thing.

The theme: SuperHeroes

That theme came to me the very afternoon we began talking about it. Diana, the secretary, had this inkling when I told her I had a theme what it was going to be.

The staff will do the serving.

The people will be catered to and “wined and dined” (without the wine).

We will have some gifts to give away for young and old alike.

We will be celebrating their giving spirit to the work of God & OVCF this past year.

I plan to make my way around all evening to each person and thank them for their contribution in helping OVCF fulfill its mission.

I also plan to reiterate the mission and vision of OVCF and challenge them to consider helping in 2013.

We intend on making this an annual event.

When I am done I hope to be totally spent, because I have given myself to these people who have meant so much, and mean so much to me.

SO….I AM GOING TO HAVE A PINCH-HITTER FOR ME IN THIS POST.

Greg Laurie is a man I admire. No, I have never met him. I wish…. But I have read his material. Each day I receive a Daily Devotion that I find really refreshing. One of his recent ones is this link. I hope you will take a moment to read it and pay particular attention to the quote by G. Campbell Morgan near the end.

Thanks. I plan for my next post to be a recap of the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on Greg’s devotion? Morgan’s quote?

Posted in Christian living, Church, Just a Quote, Just Wondering, Leadership, Pick me Up | 22 Responses »

Elusive

Wednesday, December 19th, 2012

If I were to ask you what you thought was one of the most elusive commodities during this time of the year, I would get a lot of answers. If I were to ask you to list 5 things you either hope for or wish could be found this Christmas season, I am willing to guess that many of those lists will include

J…O…Y

Admittedly, for many there are few moments for JOY right now for some. It is an elusive commodity. For others, JOY is missing because of a family crisis or unemployment has depleted their spirits (and finances). I could give more, but why belabor the point?

One of the most beloved Christmas songs is aptly titled Joy to the World. I’m sure you are familiar with it. If not, I reckon I would have to ask you what planet you were from. Isaac Watts wrote the lyrics in response to dull, drab church music that was uninspired and monotonous. He saw no joy or emotion in the standards sung by choirs and congregations. When he complained to his father, his father challenged him to come up with something better. By the time of his death, he composed more than 600 hymns and hundreds of poems. After suffering the loss of a woman due to his looks, he poured himself into his poems. His most famous, the one we are perhaps the most familiar with, did not have any music until 44 years after his death in 1748. Lowell Mason took his poem and put lively (for his day) music to it and we now have the “peppy” Joy to the World. He had actually written the music and called it Antioch (but had no lyrics). He eventually wed the two.

Joy is not happiness. You have probably heard that before. Happiness depends on circumstances; joy does not. Joy is something that comes from inside. It is focused on what we have despite the storms we are facing. It is a calm and prevailing peace that we experience, brought to us by the presence of the Holy Spirit. A person can be wracked with storms and hurricanes raging around him/her, and yet be perfectly tranquil.

I shared this video last year and thought it would be appropriate to do so again. The lyrics are easy to understand, but if you have difficulty click on the “show more” below it. This song says why we can have and celebrate JOY.

Any thoughts you care to share?

Oh yeah…don’t forget to check out Sele and Ed.

Posted in Christmas, Pick me Up | 21 Responses »