“You better count your chickens before they hatch” (2 of 5 time management tips)

Growing up, we always heard that we shouldn’t count our chickens before they hatch. Well, I looked up where that saying originated, and I don’t agree. You can read the origin here. It’s basically a mother telling her daughter to only plan and make decisions for the now, but not for the future.

Jesus said that if someone wants to build a tower, doesn’t that person see how much it’s gonna cost them (time and money), and then decide if they’ll be able to complete it or not? It’s the same way for us in our lives. How many things do we say yes to, only to find out that the cost of that things is way more involved than we thought. And so we wind up pulling a couple of all-nighters or canceling prior commitments we’ve made.

One the best ways to manage your time, is to only take on things that you know you’ll be able to complete without loosing sleep for weeks. I’m not saying that you should only do easy stuff all the time to make sure you get them done. But if you decide you want to do something that’s going to take a lot of your time and effort, make sure you don’t sacrifice that big great thing at the expense of bunch of not-so-important things.

So plan ahead, plan wisely, don’t fill up your schedule too quickly, and don’t forget, “You better count your chickens before they hatch.”

“First things first” (1 of 5 time management tips)

Everyone thinks they need a little more time in their day. And I’m sure there are occasions when it’s true, like when your on vacation, or spending time with family and friends. But why do we try to jam so much into our already busy schedules? Why are we so hard pressed to join every campus group that will make our resume look good, or too afraid to say no to that professor or advisor who asks you to join a committee that you’re really not to enthusiastic about?

What do you think is best for you and the things you commit to? Is it being mediocre at 15 different things? Or is it being GREAT at 2-3 things? Some people may be great at more or less that what I just said, but the point is that we prioritize what is most important, and give more attention and energy to the things on the top of the list. In fact, I’m sure we can do away with some “good” things for the sake of some “great” things in our lives.

Jesus pretty much said the same thing. Check this link out. He said don’t worry about all the things in you gotta do. But the first thing on your list should be to spend time with Him, and just plain old live right. And in doing those things, all the other things (which are important) will come to you. Jesus is showing us, that if don’t prioritize our relationship with Him in our busy filled days, there’s a good chance we may not find time for the most important thing in our life, Him!

What have you done today? Whatever you do, make sure the first things first.

“Got Time?”

Class is back in session! And I’m sure students across the country are ecstatic! (I say that sarcastically) The truth is, so many students are freaking and stressing out. And dare I say that a lot of that stress doesn’t necessarily come from our workload, but from how we manage the workloads we have.

Time management can be vital to success and greatness, but so few are actually taught it. Even I need a lesson or two in time management every now and then. Now even though I’m no expert, I want to share some things I’ve learned from the bible and my personal experiences, on how we should spend our time. Isn’t it crazy that the bible actually has some practical applications about how we should live?

Many people know that were supposed to be good stewards of what we’ve been given, and many think that it’s only talking about money, property, etc. But did you know that it also includes time? It’s really not a far stretch, cause everyone’s heard the phrase, “time is money.” So how you spend your time is very important!

College should prepare you for “real life”, whatever that means. Not just in the areas of your future profession, but in areas of character, habits, and overall lifestyle. I believe that the way you leave one thing will determine how you enter another. So instead of waiting for after college to start learning how to manage your time efficiently and effectively, over the next five days, I want to give you five different principles on time management that I hope will help you as you start this school year. Got time?

“K.I.S.S. it (Keep.It.Simple.Stupid)”

Felt a little nostalgic earlier tody as I played kickball with a group of friends. Besides the fact that I slightly sprained my ankle carrying a tub of bottled water, I had a great time. This afternoon, I really felt like a kid again. Tonight, I definitely feel like an old man.

As I was playing earlier, I was thinking about the three different times Jesus said we SHOULD act like children! I always wonder about that statement, and I think I get new perspectives on it all the time. Today as I played kickball, I realized, in the middle of all the rules we adults put on the game, it really is a pretty simple concept. Roll the ball, kick the ball, and run run run.
You know what else is a pretty simple concept? The Christian faith. Although it will take eternity to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is, it’s still pretty straight forward. Jesus said follow him, love God with all your ability, love everyone along the way, no matter what. 

We need to stop searching for the next “new deep” revelation, “new deep” theological truth, or “new deep” experience. We need to become like children, and keep it simple. And I say this in the most endearing way possible, “Just K.I.S.S. It (Keep.It.Simple.Stupid).”

“Hidden Potential”

Earlier today I came across this show on TV called Hidden Potential. This show basically shows homebuyers and viewers what their dream home could look like before they buy it. It was pretty amazing to see what the finished product COULD look like with a little bit of help.

Maybe we should start our own show about campus ministry. Too bad the name Hidden Potential is already taken, because thats a big element of what we do. So many students have no idea what they are capable of until someone comes along and helps them grasp a vision for their life, especially the ones that have an extremely poor self image. It’s always exciting to call greatness out of the hidden places in people’s lives, and even more so when they begin to see it themselves.

Maybe this helps a little in answering a question I often get, “Why on earth would Jesus die for me?” Well, maybe it’s because you’re worth a lot more to Him than you think you’re worth at all. I think, just like the show, he can look at you and see how truly great and amazing you are. Can you see you’re “Hidden Potential?”

“ Lighting CAN strike more than twice”

Now that Phelps is done swimming, is anyone watching Usain Bolt dominate the 100m & 200m? He already has the gold medal for the 100m, and is hoping to be the first since Carl Lewis back in 1984, to win gold in the 100m & 200m. The way this guy runs is just like the way Phelps swims, naturally amazing, but relaxed.

Those runners were clocking speeds close to 30 mph, but their faces looked so at ease. You could even see their bottom lips just hanging and bouncing as if they were falling asleep. I remember someone told me that they can actually run better when their bodies are relaxed as compared to rigid and stiff.

So many analogies can be drawn between athletics and the Christian faith, and this is no exception. Jesus often encouraged us to not worry. Not to worry about life; what we’ll eat, wear, or even say in the moments when we’re asked questions that we may not be confident to answer. For me, when I worry I get all tensed up, and when I chill, I’m relaxed. Now it’s not that Jesus was telling us to not care about anything, and just chill all the time, but to do the opposite of worry, which is to have faith.

So if these runners run better relaxed, maybe we should run our lives relaxed. And if you run your life relaxed, not worried all the time, maybe we can be as great as Usain Bolt...maybe lighting CAN strike more than twice.

“It’s not good for man to EAT alone”

The gauntlet was thrown down. I had no other alternative but to chew my way out. I heard if you can eat the pound burger at Cheeburger Cheeburger, you get your pic on their “Wall of Fame”. Now this burger starts at 20 oz. and is a pound AFTER it’s cooked. Needless to say, by looking at my sweet mug, I conquered the one pounder today. Like every great athlete (or eater), there was someone there to push me along. It’s as if competition and collaboration push you to go further than you could on your own. Next to our table was a HUGE 6’6”-350-pound-full-grown-tractor-trailer-of-a-man. Get the picture? He looked almost exactly like Big Black from that MTV show Rob and Big. He ordered the same thing I did, and we joked back and forth a few times as we BOTH ate our way to the “Wall of Fame”.

This is a great illustration of how the ones you surround yourself with will influence the outcomes of your life. Paul talks about how we should not be unequally yoked. Yoked isn’t an analogy reserved solely for marriage, but could mean your close friends, confidants, or even your roommates. Walking through life with someone who is trying to achieve the same things you desire, will dramatically increase your chances of success. When you do the opposite, failure can become quite normal. I’m not saying you should surround yourself with people who are exactly like you, but by those who are like-minded. If you’re trying to live right, live for God, you’ll do just that if you yoke yourself up with those attempting the same thing.

So love EVERYONE, but don’t yoke up with just anyone. Get someone in your corner, and remember, “It’s not good for man to eat alone”.

“It’s practice”

Had another fun day with my wife and niece (who’s visiting for the week). I love how her being here is motivating me to get out more and have fun. But I believe it was Spider-man's grandfather who said, "with great fun comes great exhaustion-ability” or something like that.

But I noticed something about myself today. After we played miniature golf, I took the ladies over to the driving range to hit some golf balls. Now I was never really great at driving a golf ball, but I could drive pretty straight and far. Now I haven’t hit a golf ball in over six months, but I thought I would be able to step out there and hit just as good as I had before. I was wrong. I probably only hit 2 or 3 good ones. The rest, well, I don’t want to talk about it.

Lesson learned: No practice, no performance. We can’t expect to perform at a high level in anything without practice. It’s like someone trying to overcome lust, without practicing holiness. The bible mentions practice quite a few times. Jesus often talks about not just hearing His words, but putting them into practice. If we have all the wisdom in the world, but never practice it, what’s the point?

I remember Allen Iverson talking about practice, but I can’t wait until someone uses his words in different way, and answers a question like this: “What’s your secret to greatness?”… “It’s practice.”

"Seconds? Yes Please"

Went to Six Flags today. A little sunburn, a little rain, a whole lot of fun! We spent most of the afternoon at the water park section, but eventually ventured off to a few different roller coasters. (I especially liked the Joker's Jinx ride) My niece is almost 10 years old, so I figured she wouldn’t want to ride any of the serious roller coasters, but she definitely surprised me. At first she told me she will go on all the rides when she turns 21, but hesitantly she got on a very formidable ride. She rode it back to back, and then again before we left the park. I’m a proud uncle tonight.

As I watched her three-peat the ride, I realized I’ve seen this before. So many young people are afraid to do things that they’ve never done before. And instead of giving it a shot, they just say they are too young or under-qualified, and say they’ll do it later when they grow up. Well, If God waited to use us until the moment we’re ready, He’d never use us at all. I believe God loves using young and/or inexperienced people. It helps illustrate the reality that God is so tight, that He doesn’t need an all-star cast to win. He just needs a cast. I once heard, the only ability you need is availability.

My hope is that we would all become more "available" to the things that God is calling us to do, not JUST the things that we think we got locked down. Then hopefully we’ll look at life the way my niece looked at that roller coaster. Seconds? Yes please :)

"I like to move it move it!"

I went to the National Zoo today. It made me think of the Madagascar 2 preview I saw the night before. I wonder if the way the zebra in the movie felt about captivity is accurate to reality. Maybe it was me, but a lot of the animals just looked sad. I mean, think about it, most of those animals are prevented from doing the very things that they were created for. For instance, the cheetah’s living space wasn’t large enough to cut loose and run full speed...and that’s what it’s most known for! I heard that when a wild animal is kept in captivity for too long, it becomes domesticated, and doesn’t even want to go back to the wild anymore. Maybe they become comfortable with their cages, I don’t know.

Either way, today as I found myself building an affinity towards animals, I realized that it wasn’t the animals I was so concerned about, it was people who live their lives in captivity like the animals. I know too many people who are imprisoned or enslaved, whether it be lust, greed, fear, depression, insecurity, or so many other things. Is there anything in your life that you can’t stop doing or feeling, even if you tried? If so, you may not be as free as you thought you were. Well, I believe God wants to set us free. You were made for greatness. I hope we never become like that cheetah, but instead, be able to do all the things that God has created us for.

So now, I find myself unsatisfied with captivity, just like that Zebra from Madagascar. And since I don’t like to be stuck in a cage, my new theme song is the same as theirs... “I like to move it move it.”

"Swimming?

I jumped on the bandwagon. It’s official, I’m a fan of olympic swimming. Myself, along with 107 million people, watched the U.S. freestyle relay team win the gold medal. If you missed it, you gotta check it out at YouTube. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was sitting at the edge of the couch, cheering and yelling, because the last guy in the relay came from behind to take the lead at the very last second possible.

As I watched the replay over and over, I noticed how Jason Lezak (the anchor), never peaked in his speed. Typically runners, or anyone who races in any capacity, try to reach their peak speed as quickly as possible. I once heard Darryl Green coaching some young men how to run the 40 yd dash, and he told them that you should never peak, but should continually get faster and faster as the race goes on. Paul said we should “run” with our lives as if only one gets the prize. In my life I’m always trying to figure out how to run better, faster, and stronger. So putting those together, we never want to get to the point in our lives where we “peak”. Nothing sadder than meeting that guy or girl who peaked in college. I hope we become the type of people who never slow down or peak, but instead, as we grow and mature, we continually get better, faster, and stronger at what God has called us to do.

And all this, from watching swimming. But seriously though...Swimming?

"Bullfrogs: They Nasty!"

So my niece is in town. Today we went to the National Aquarium. Good times. I just love this little girl. I’ve been planning so many cool things for us to do this week, and can’t wait to see her face when she finds some of them out. I heard that when you start having kids, you begin to understand and see God in a whole new perspective. I’m no daddy yet, but if the way I feel about my niece is any inclination of what it’s gonna feel like to have my very own kids, then I think I just took my understanding of God’s love and God’s plan for our lives to a whole new level.

It’s as if now I know why God prepares good things for us to do, because He loves us so much! As soon as it was official that my niece was coming into town, I immediately naturally started a list of things I KNEW she would love. That’s like God. His will for our life, is not just something that He wants us to do, and we just gotta obey and get on board because we feel we have to. I believe God’s will for our life is actually something that will fulfill the deepest desires of out hearts, even if on the surface it doesn’t look that way. We just gotta trust Him, and believe that His plans for our life are very good. Besides, He made us...I think He knows what we need and want, because He made us to need and want certain things.

What natural gifts and talents do you have, that you didn't have to work too hard for? What have you always been passionate about since you were a little kid? What dreams and goals do you have, that you have no idea where they came from? You find those things, you’ll be that much closer to finding out who you are, how God made you, and what He created you to do and love.

Also, spending time at the Aquarium also revealed something else thats very deep. Bullfrogs: They Nasty!

“WATCH-OUT! GRENADE!”

Cover me I’m gonna get him! … He’s coming on your left! … How and the world did he shoot us both at the same time!?!? These were all things that my opponents tonight said about me. It was my team vs. their team, two on two, serious video-game combat. I was getting my Call of Duty 4 on tonight with a few college students, and we literally had a blast.

During the middle of our time, I told my wife, “I love my job.” Playing video-games, eating pizza, and laughing at how bad one of the students was at playing the game, is really at the heart of what I do as a campus minister. No it’s not goofing around, or using the church’s new cool plasma TV for video-games… it’s the relational bonding that took place. And if you’re trying to walk with God, but not walking with anyone, there’s a good chance you may be walking the wrong way.

When Jesus first called His disciples to walk with Him, the intention wasn’t just so they could individually follow and be apart of His entourage. I believe He always planned for them to follow corporately. Walk with God, walk with believers, and get others to join your walk. For Jesus, discipleship wasn’t a church class or a 5-step program, for Him, it was relationship. Are you in relationship with Him? If so, who are you walking with? I once heard someone say, “You find your people, you find your purpose.”

Even though my team lost both games, we all gained so much more. WATCH-OUT!!! GRENADE!!!

"It's not really God!"

Last night I received my first official follower in Twitter! People have been checking it out from time to time, but up until now, I haven’t had anyone subscribe to it. Twitter is this new thing I’ve been using to update anyone who wants to know what I’m doing throughout the day. Even though all I gotta do is send a text message to the website, I still forget to update from time to time, but I think I'm getting better at it.

I love how technology, when used appropriately, can be used to keep people connected. Even when loved ones are far away, you can be so involved with what they’re doing with just a click of a button. Especially with something like Twitter. But as I contemplated updating my Twitter with mundane events or thoughts, I was wondering who in the world would want to know all these details of my daily life? Then it hit me. There’s been someone who’s been following me way before I started using Twitter. They’ve been following me even before “me” existed! It’s Jesus. Did you know that God is intimately involved in every aspect of who you are? In the good, the bad, and ugly, He’s there. In the areas where your flaws shine like diamonds on velvet, your insecurities are exposed, and your embarrassing moments broadcasted, He’s there. He knows how many hairs are on your head and His thoughts of you outnumber the grains of sand on the seashore...i’d say He’s pretty interested in you. Maybe thats why He said He’d never leave you nor forsake you...because He’s already so invested in you, because He passionately loves you.

I just wish there was button I could push that let’s me know what God’s up to. And if your like me, wondering if there is a Twitter account for God, I already checked. But if you decide to look it up... first read my disclaimer.

**Disclaimer: It’s not really God!

“Hard-Rest”

I’ve seen this picture before, but today it carried a little more weight. I noticed that this was a picture of ME! (except I’m not as physically fit). I don't believe in evolution, but it is right in how our culture has "evolved" to the point where were always on our computers and gadgets trying to get work done. Yesterday, I was so “busy” on my laptop, that I only acknowledged my wife’s presence...but didn’t really get to spend time with her. Now that I think of it, I was so focused I really didn’t get to spend time with God either?

Now, I’ve heard many people talk about how important hard-work is, and I totally agree. But I think there is something just as important, and I call it “hard-rest”. It’s not on google or wikipedia, so maybe it doesn’t exist… yet. But nonetheless the principal isn’t new. I think God was the first one to demonstrate this. Remember when He rested on the seventh day after making the heavens, the earth and everything in it? Now I’m no biblical scholar, but I don’t think He did this because He was tired. Maybe he was trying to show how important it is to step away from work (even work that’s good) to do something that’s very good. I love how after each day God created something, He said it was good, but after the day He created Adam and Eve, He said it was very good. Maybe He took the seventh day off so he could spend time with what He created. God’s intention of making you and I has always been relationship. Work is important, but why you’re working more important.

With school starting up soon, I wonder how many students (and non-students) this summer were actually able to “unplug” or take a break from working so they could spend time with God and loved ones? I’d love it if you could leave a comment telling us what you like to do with your downtime!

So let’s all take some time this week and just chill. With no pretext or goals other than to just relax and enjoy what’s been created for you and by you. It may be a little hard for you to find rest, but when you do, it’ll be just that, “hard-rest”.

"Anyone got a light?"

I felt like I was gonna die last night! I turned off the gas heater in the basement trying to fix a leak, and I accidently turned off the pilot. I didn’t know I could turn off the hot water without turning off the pilot light, so to my surprise, I had to start the pilot light back up to get the hot water back. No one wants to freeze in the shower. Now, I’ve never done this before, so I was pretty scared. I mean, when the directions say: light with match, but make sure you don’t smell gas so you wont EXPLODE… kinda makes one very very careful. Needless to say, I got it working, gratefully with no explosions. But as I laid in bed afterwards, thinking about how dangerous the outcome could’ve been if I wasn’t careful, I started thinking about the college campuses that I work on, and how our campus team is steadily believing for student’s hearts to catch on fire and burn for God. In Luke 12:49 Jesus said, “I’ve come to start a fire on this earth- how I wish it were blazing right now!” But just like lighting that pilot, things can get very dangerous if you’re not careful when reaching out to people. I’ve had my fair share of folks “exploding” in my face. And again, just like that gas heater, I believe God has given us clear directions on how to start the fire. I wonder what they are? Maybe it goes something like this:

Step 1: Love God
Step 2: Love Others
Step 3: Repeat steps 1 & 2 until you see the fire.

If Jesus came to start a fire on this earth, and if you were called to “”carry the torch”, how would you do it? What would you say are the directions God left for us? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’d love to give a new meaning to the phrase: “Anyone got a light?”