A friend of mine asked me once, “If someone spits on you, does that make you mad?”

“Of course,” I responded.

He said, “No it doesn’t, it makes you wet. It is your choice to be mad.”

He had me. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, he was right. This has been something that has stuck with me from that moment on and is why I really liked the following which was recently sent to me:

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport we were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!’

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, The Law of the Garbage Truck.

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. But don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

Successful people get this. They do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Granted, those who don’t dump garbage on us are much easier to love than those who do. However, Jesus wasn’t excluding garbage-dumpers when He told us to love others as we love our self.

This is a story of Sparky, a cute but troubled dog, at a recent Worriers Anonymous meeting:

“Hi, I’m Sparky and I’m a worrier.”

“Hi Sparky!”

“I have this amazing bone. It fits in my mouth perfectly. It tastes like filet mignon. I love my bone! My problem is that I love it so much, that it’s all I think about. I am even finding it difficult to sleep. I have discovered that this sleeplessness isn’t the same as that of a young boy when he encounters true love for the first time. No, it’s different. It’s not sleeplessness because of my excitement, rather it is rooted in fear. I am afraid of what’s going to happen to my precious bone. I am so worried and have been for quite a while. This worry has been eating away at my life and I feel like I have no joy. In fact, when my master comes home from work, I don’t even greet him anymore. I even find it hard to fetch when he throws a tennis ball. I’m a wreck.

“Anyway, this past weekend, Spike, a black Lab up the street, hears my tale of woe and he tells me he knows just how I feel. He shared that he went through the same situation three years ago. He told me I was struggling so much because my heart will always be where my ‘treasure’ is. He said that if my treasure is my bone, that is all I will think about…I will be obsessed with it and racked with worry about losing it. He said that he decided his bone was only temporary and that he was going to focus on things that would last past this lifetime. He claimed that by doing this he would actually be storing up treasures in Heaven. He went on to say that some guy named Jesus taught this over 2,000 years ago. Spike said that Jesus gave us all a cure for worry. He said this, ‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ When he was talking about ‘all these things,’ He was referring to all the things we worry about.

“I spoke at length with Spike about this because this is different than anything I’ve heard. I can’t explain it, in fact I’m a little embarrassed to tell all of you this, but for the first time I felt I had hope. I have decided to follow this Jesus guy and store up my treasure with Him. Do I still worry? Sure. But it seems like my bone is having less of a grip on me with each passing hour (which is almost a day for us dogs).

“Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I hope someone here was encouraged by this in some way. In case you’re a visual learner, here is a one minute video which tells a little of my story (click here or watch below)…

Note: The names of these pets have been changed due to HIPAA laws.

Check out my video post here or click below:

What is the mantra heard around the world when people are asked how they are doing? “I’m so busy!” It is almost a badge of honor. Seriously, think about what would happen if you answered that question this way, “I’m really relaxed and stress free.” At best you would be viewed as lazy (or crazy) in most circles. Right?

When I say I am really busy, it typically means that I am hurrying as a result. I think a lot of us hurry when we are busy. The fact is, the entire world is in a hurry. Look at how we advertise food (by how fast it’s served or delivered). Even some emergency rooms are getting in on the act and guaranteeing that you will be seen within 30 minutes or your visit is free. However, being in a hurry is not what we were made for and just because this is true for the world doesn’t mean it has to be true for us.

I heard something yesterday on a CD I’m listening to that really stuck with me. John Ortberg said that his mentor shared some simple but profound advice with him a number of years ago which had a great affect on him and I hope it does the same to me…and you. His mentor said, “If I can tell you only one thing it is this: ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” Great advice, but how do we do that?

In my life there is perhaps no place which brings to light my hurriedness than in my relationships. When I’m racing against time, it shows here first, not only in my relationships with others but also my connection with God. I’ve heard it said that we are to be efficient with things and very inefficient in relationships. When we are in a hurry, this is difficult to do.

If you study Jesus in the gospels, He was a pretty busy guy. But one thing He was not was in a hurry. The other thing you notice about Him is that relationships were very important to Him…His relationship with others and most importantly His relationship with His Heavenly Father. It was out of this intimate relationship with God that He knew His purpose. And because He was clear on His purpose, He never needed to be in a hurry. If there was something good that could be done that was outside His purpose, Jesus wouldn’t do it. He was only interested in God things, not good things (see John 5:19).

We so often as leaders have a tendency to say yes at any opportunity to help someone or serve in some capacity because it seems like a good thing. However, if we spent more time with our Creator, over time He just might give us clarity on our purpose and we could be much more clear on the things we should and shouldn’t be doing, thus helping to eliminate hurry. So will you trust God enough, especially when you are hurried, to regularly sacrifice some of your time to spend it with Him? It could be the most productive thing you ever do and it could be exactly what you need to do to eliminate hurry from  your life.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark,
Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1:35

Late last week, my son and I needed to add a sprinkler head to our irrigation system. The reason? Because of the growth of some plants, some heads were blocked and parts of our yard were not being watered. However, as seems to go with many home projects that I’m involved in, it did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. Because of different issues, it took me 4 trips to various hardware stores and irrigation supply companies over a couple of days to get all I needed. This caused our yard to look like it did in the above picture for a couple of days. Now that our yard is back together and the new sprinkler head is working like a champ, our yard still looks scarred and it will for a few weeks.

I was reminded of how our lives resemble our lawn – in need of some work – needing a sprinkler head or two moved, removed or added.  Some of us may be saying, “What’s the point?”  We may be feeling like we have to install a whole new irrigation system in our lives and that just seems impossible. Others may be saying, “My old sprinkler is working fine – yes there are some spots that get missed, but hey, I’m a lot better than most people.  I don’t really need to change.”

No matter where we are, the fact is that God wants us to change, to be more like Him. He wants us to change in all areas of our lives, not just in our “church” lives. This includes our home lives, our recreational lives and dare I say, even our work lives. The problem is that changing will cost us. The bigger problem is that not changing will cost us more.

Do you remember the Fram Oil Filter commercials? A mechanic says knowingly, “You can pay me now (for me to put in a new filter and change your oil) or you can pay me later (big dollars for a new engine).” Well this doesn’t apply only to cars. The fact is, a price was going to be paid when it came to our yard. My son and I elected to pay the price now in regard to this project. The price that we paid included hard work, sweat, much frustration, dirt all over us, money, time and a yard which looks less than stellar right now. However, in a few short weeks it should look better than before. Had we chosen to pay the price later, there would have been bare patches and our yard would not have been healthy. Then it would have cost us significantly more to fix.

In your life, delaying change can be even more costly. So take a good look at your life. What is the first change you need to make? Does it involve diet and exercise? Is it controlling an anger issue? Is it your attitude at work? Whatever it might be, answer some questions like these…What will my life look like in X years if I don’t make this change? How will my family be impacted? How will I be affected? How will not making this change impact my ability to do what I do now? How will I feel about this? Then answer those same questions assuming that you do make the necessary change. Remember, you can pay the price now or you can pay it later. I would highly recommend paying it now!

Have you ever had a job that you felt was below your abilities? Ever had one you just hated? Who hasn’t, right? If you are like me, you have probably been tempted to just go through the motions in situations like this. It’s so easy to cop an attitude which says something like, “I don’t deserve to be doing this!” or “I can’t stand this job!” and feel like you are being treated unfairly which justifies you not doing your best. However, if you fall for this trap, you are only hurting yourself.

We have a tendency to make the “what we do,” the “where we do it” and the “what are we gonna get paid?” the most important things in regard to our work. This line of thinking is misguided at best and it certainly doesn’t honor God. What we do, where we do it  and how much we make is not even close to being as important as HOW we do it. Many of us strive to do something of significance. However, the significance of our work has nothing to do with our title or what we do but it has everything to do with the condition of our hearts. Our hearts will dictate how we do our work.

I have hired many people over the years…and admittedly have done a poor job of it. I have tended to think too positively of people when I interview them thinking they were exactly who we were looking for.  Knowing what I know now, I would ask some different questions of a candidate during an interview. I would want to determine how their attitudes would be if they were asked to clean the toilets or sweep the floors at the company. Their answers would reveal much to me as to my desire to add them to my team.

One of my favorite Biblical characters was a guy who understood this. Joseph (read his fascinating story beginning in Genesis 37) had a tough road which began when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. As a slave, he performed admirably and was eventually promoted until he was falsely imprisoned. While in prison, he once again made the best of it and was promoted to be in charge until his release. Upon his release, he was then promoted to be second in control of all of Egypt. In each of these instances, Joseph would not have been promoted had he not been working with all his heart as working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).

So if you find yourself in a position that you don’t care for or that you feel you are overqualified for, know that God is looking at your heart. He needs you to be faithful in the little things before He can promote you to bigger things.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
Matthew 25:21

Since it’s Flag Day, I thought I’d share this information regarding the Stars and Stripes  and the way it is precisely folded at military funerals. It is a good reminder that our founding fathers had tremendous faith and used God’s Word to establish this great nation.

Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the United States of America Flag 13 times?  You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day!

The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, ‘Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.’

The 6th fold is for where people’s hearts lie.  It is with their heart that they pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America , and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers.  For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.

The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their Nations motto, ‘In God We Trust.’

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today.

There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, you’ll see flags folded and now you will know why.

I saw a video at church yesterday from a past Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. Featured was Erwin McManus who, at one point was behaving much differently than most speakers at past Summits. He was throwing bananas into the crowd and even chopping up a watermelon like a Samurai…probably a first on the stage at Willow Creek. This was more than entertainment though, he had a purpose.

He asked those who caught bananas what it was they were holding. Everyone said they held a banana. After all responses came in, Erwin said, “You all aren’t skeptical enough. How do you know what’s inside? All you can see is a banana peel.” He then asked everyone to open up their banana peel and take a bite of what was inside. And guess what? They all bit into a banana…no surprise.

McManus then shared that anything that God makes has integrity. In other words, it is the same on the inside as it is on the outside. God also made humans so we all ought to have integrity and be the same on the inside as we are on the outside. However, because God has given us free will and we choose to move away from His way, most people portray something on the outside that does not match up with what’s on the inside…they wear masks.

When I have observed successful leaders, they understand this. Those who are less effective are almost always less than authentic and lack integrity, oftentimes due to the insecurity of the leader. They, too, wear a mask to hide the real them. The silly part in all this is that those following a mask-toting leader know what he or she is doing. They aren’t fooled…they see through the façade. This only leads to a loss of respect which undermines the leader’s effectiveness.

So the question for you is…are you willing to put down the mask, be vulnerable and lead like a banana? If so, it will take humility.

This commercial is perhaps my favorite of all the current ads on TV (If you can’t see it above, click here). It shows a mom being told in advance about all the headaches and frustrations she would face that day and she cheerfully replies, “Fantastic! Good thing I had my orange juice.”

This resonates with me because our lives are just like this…filled with challenges. In fact, Jesus made this promise to us, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33b). All of us will have problems–none are exempt. Yet, knowing this, the apostle Paul gave us the crazy instructions in Philippians 4:4 to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” He is not saying to rejoice only when things are going your way, he said always, even when your life is going completely sideways. The crazy thing about this is this was penned from a prison cell!

Does orange juice taste great? Sure. Is it good for you? I think so. But will it help you to have more joy despite the pain you might feel today? We all know that’s not possible. However, there is hope for us. In the very next line in the verse where Jesus promised us trouble, He shared this, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In other words, despite your trouble, I have overcome all that. While orange juice may be good for you, I also encourage you to take a healthy dose of Jesus each morning and spend time with Him…that’s the only real way to find joy in the midst of your difficulties.

Check out this video post here or below: