Between Decades

2009 closing. 2010 opening. Dec 29 in between.
A time to reflect in the morning darkness by the fire.
0 to 52 preparation. 52 to 100 incarnation.
I desire to be "the Word made flesh to my world".
I yearn to burn with passion for Jesus and people.
No circumstance can steal my oil - The Holy Spirit.
Only I can quench the fire that's in my belly and on my head (Acts 2)
Fill me. Spill me. Overflow.
Bless me more that I bless you and others more.
Abundance. Extravagant Grace. Life to the Full.
Adventures of living and loving.
Burn the recliner. Throw away the soft bed.
Plenty of time for playing it safe in heaven.
Reach. Stretch. Grow. Learn. Believe. Imagine.
Explore. Risk. Create. Belly laugh.
Flee sin. Follow holiness.
Prioritize friendships with only the brightest and best and the weakest and least.
Let doubts die the death of denial as they delay my daily destination.
Let blazing books and star-filled skies infuse my flame.
Let sunrises ignite me and sunsets sooth me as I invest each day as if it was my last.
Let my ineluctable destiny pull my vision upward beyond the fleeting facade of earth time.
Let the kisses of a gracefully aging wife enthrall me as if I had never tasted her lips before.
Let the variety of humanity, cultures and customs challenge my self-mindedness.
Let every person I meet fill my mind with the miracle they truly are.
Embrace moments, cherish minutes, treat hours as holy gifts, days as divine privileges.
Awaken my senses to fully taste the reality around me.
Surprise me. Startle me with your open doors and daring missions!
Alive! Singing loud! Dancing wildly! Laughing from my belly!
Celebrate! Rejoice! Cartwheels of Praise!
By your grace I live, for your glory I run the race, towards your beauty I progress.
This decade I decide to be delightfully devoted to a dangerous Savior!
May I be fully me to fully bless you!

Tiger on the Iceberg

Tiger Woods is falling faster than the thermometer in Minnesota in January. The problem is the difference between the public image and the private reality. We wanted to believe that the amazing self-control Tiger exhibited on the golf course extended to the interior of his home. Instead the public persona was a carefully crafted cover for the rampant self-indulgence that existed below the surface.

The iceberg analogy continues to be one of the most important to consider in life and leadership. Only one third of an iceberg is visible above the water line. But its the two-thirds below the water line that matters the most. What you can't see eventually determines what you can see. Thinking you can separate the two leads to a personal split that is self-destructive.

Private victories are always more satisfying and significant than public victories. You can win the Master's Tournament but if you can't Master your sexual desires, you end up a loser in life.

What I have found in life and ministry is that too often people's gifts and talents take them beyond where their character can sustain them. If the foundation is not well-formed, the building eventually tumbles, regardless how tall it is. It's not the height, it's the depth that counts.