Perceptions

First I want to say Happy Memorial Day and thank you to all those who served our great country. Your courage and heroism is greatly appreciated. May your memory be forever.

For the first time today I grilled as a married man on Memorial Day. This is part of the American Dream.

Pretty awesome right?! It’s charcoal (no propane fumes please) and it’s the dream of every man to be outside feeling the heat of the fire. The flame burning as the meat from delicious fleshy animals cooks to that perfect taste with just a hint of pink. The bigger the grill the better…right?

Well to be honest, this was my grilling experience

My little tiny 14″ charcoal grill.

I created a perception.

We create perceptions all of the time.

We create these facades in our lives that everything is just fine.

We are screaming for help on the inside.

We place Instagram filters on real life situations and hashtag them to receive approval.

But Christ sees something better in us. He looks past our filters, our angles, our head shots to look at the core of us. Lost people looking for that thing that fills and satisfies our soul. Something only Christ can provide.

A Thought For Thursday: 5/22

I had Jack in the Box for lunch today. As I walked in I noticed a machine that was used to order food. I didn’t think anything of it because back home in Pennsylvania we have gas stations known as Sheetz that would offer food and the only way you ordered were through these machines. This wasn’t a new idea to me.

As I waited by the counter no one was coming to take my order so I said forget it I’ll just use the machine. They asked if I wanted to sign up for easier access the next time I logged in (if there is a next time) so I said sure and signed up.

The set up of the machine was easy and I could choose a couple different options. (Add ketchup and barbecue sauce choices and we’re good). It takes a little bit longer than going up and ordering from someone but they throw in an added feature. When you sign up it saves your previous/favorite orders to curb ordering time.

In the news I’ve been hearing of raising minimum wages and strikes and so on and this is probably the fast food chains (at least Jack in the Box for now) way to curb paying higher wages.

Replace X number of employees that cost Y pay + Z insurance + R training costs with machines that can do it for electricity + internet access. This is business 101, and I applaud the companies. It’s a fiscally smart move.

Youelitist but I like to think more realistic of how important it is to have your education.
I understand college isn’t for everyone and some people can’t afford college. And those of us that go to college may not get a career in the field that they went for but you’ve made yourself a better candidate for opportunities.

I applaud those that work in fast food as well and other socially deemed “lower class” jobs. There’s no shame in it.
Have goals. It’s good for you.

I’m not a finance guy. I’m not a business guy. I’m just a guy that pays attention to the world and has a couple thoughts on it.

Less Options. More Guidance.

I need to get my thoughts out there.

I want to do something with my life. I just have too many options and not enough guidance.

I currently hold a bachelors degree in social work. I work as a prevention educator for a domestic violence agency. I have a lot options to choose from when the time becomes right.

• Masters in Social Work
• Masters in Counseling
• Alternative Certificate (State of Texas)
• Masters in ________

I could take the easy route and get my masters in social work. It fits my job well plus you can LITERALLY do anything with it and work with any population of people. I could get a masters in counseling. Still applies but limits me a little, BUT should it be school counseling, Christian counseling, biblical counseling, or licensed “regular” counseling. I could get an alternative certificate for Texas. Those of you don’t know Texas needs teachers so badly that you can take any 4 year bachelor degree, go through this program, and become a teacher. Just in case you are looking for a job and want to move. Or I could get a masters in just about anything else.

But enough about the non-issue. My biggest issue is that I’m not seeking God’s counsel.

I’m at a point where I want to do something but have no idea because I haven’t prayed about it. I don’t know how to ask God to show me…

Now let me rephrase that because you probably read it as “I don’t know how to ask God what to do.” But what I really meant is “God give me a sign.”

I feel like that’s the main issue when I talk to people. It’s an “Ok God I’m going to step in this direction, but if it’s wrong please stop me,” mentality. I don’t want to ask God for answers, I want to ask him for wisdom. I don’t want to ask God for options, I want to ask for guidance. I don’t want to ask God questions, I want to ask his purpose.

 

More Than Just Okay.

…and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy) wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Hebrwes 11:35-38

This was part of the final series on Hebrews 11. It struck something in me. I think mainly because it resonates so well with my last post, Fans.

This particular scripture that I quoted actually starts midway through verse 35 and I wanted it to start with “and others were tortured, not accepting their release,” so that we I can fully understand what the persecuted Christians went through.

To understand how I can comfortably sit on my couch and complain about how my life isn’t fair or that I don’t have enough money to buy things that I don’t need but want just because.

To understand how others are mocked, tortured, chained and imprisoned if one even finds out they believe in a man named Jesus and how they want for nothing.

To understand that I have a multitude of bibles in probably 6 different translations just sitting on my bookshelf next to all of my wife’s bibles and her theological scholarly books that I look at and get a headache just attempting to read the title.

To understand that others can be sawn in two, put to the death by the sword, and scourged just for owning a page of the bible, that they probably can’t read anyways and yet by faith God speaks to them through it then anything we could imagine.

I’ve got it good….we’ve got it good.

And here’s the thing, they don’t accept their release. For them to deny their faith it would make all that physical present pain in the moment just go away and they can go about the rest of their day.

The others know. They understand that for them they have something better coming. Something more than just okay. A definition of okay is something that is satisfactory but not exceptionally or especially good. That’s because of faith. To understand faith is to know, believe, and trust that there’s something better without having to see it.

Because once you see it before believing it you’ve cancelled out faith.

Fans

If you’ve been following me on twitter (@messofmeblog) you’ll probably see a lot of sport mumbo jumbo that makes absolutely no sense.

I love hockey. More importantly I love the Pittsburgh Penguins.

And we’re currently in the NHL playoffs. The best time of the year…heck probably better than Christmas.

The first round (against the Columbus Blue Jackets) had elevated my heart beat to unhealthy levels and my blood pressure probably to point where I could have died. Figuratively speaking.

Win or lose I love the Penguins. Preferably win. But a lot of times I find myself jumping down the throats of the players if they’re not scoring a goal every 5 seconds. And God forbid the refs call any penalties against my team.

We (Pittsburgh fans) are very entitled. 2 of the best hockey players in the world plus a recent Stanley Cup victory back in 09′. Looking at football with the Steelers and having the most Super Bowl victories (6 of which I continually remind my in-laws that are Bengals fans). But we become entitled as fans as if the teams owe us every season.

And if they don’t provide, then fire the whole coaching staff and GMs and everybody involved.

How often do we do this with God?

Not only did he give us Jesus, but has continually blessed me through out my life. The ability of health with me and my family. 2 jobs that pay the bills. A roof over our heads. Clothes on our back and food in our bellies.

And yet if he doesn’t provide a “championship” every single day then we’re ready to hop off the Christ bandwagon.

I was talking to a friend of mine and just expressing that at times here I feel like we have a big fluffy faith with no real hardships.

That only miracles that you can explain as God and God alone only happen in far off remote villages of Africa. But that we’re too afraid to go to because it’s not in our comfort zone.

But also understand that God’s not going to call you to Africa if you can’t even say hi to your neighbor in the apartment or home next to yours.

God just bless me and bless no one else. The cry of a bandwagon Christian. The fans that rent their cross.

I don’t want to rent anymore.