Finding real life

This morning Brian laid a challenging discussion on us. Are you finding real life?

We started off with a look at things we want people to focus on…

  • my temptations
  • my relationships
  • my joys
  • my thoughts
  • my fears
  • my desires
  • my walk with God
  • my questions
  • my needs
  • my feelings
  • my goals
  • my dreams
  • my longings
  • my hopes
  • my hurts
  • my past

We’re always looking for people to fulfill those areas of our lives. We want to be understood. We want to be listened to. We want to be fulfilled. We want to be accepted. We want others to fill those areas in us.

Yes – that goes for me for sure.

But Scripture tells us, “For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel’s, he shall save it.” Mark 8:35

And, “Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” 1 Cor 10:24

So what if we took that list and looked instead to fulfilling those needs in others?

Like our wife. Our kids (for those of you with em). Our parents. Our family. Our friends. Our co-workers.

Would we even know how to do that? Do we even know what they need when it comes to…

  • their temptations
  • their relationships
  • their joys
  • their thoughts
  • their fears
  • their desires
  • their walk with God
  • their questions
  • their needs
  • their feelings
  • their goals
  • their dreams
  • their longings
  • their hopes
  • their hurts
  • their past

I humbly submit that I could probably only answer 40-50% or so of those correctly for the people in my life. Probably less for many others.

Why is that? I could blame them and say, “Well they’re just not open enough. They’re just not sharing enough. They don’t want me to know.”

But I’m pretty sure the onus is on me. It’s up to ME. If they’re not giving “the right answers” then I’m not asking “the right questions.”

If we all live for ourselves and what we can get out of the deal – nobody wins. But if we can give of our lives for the sake of others – we all win.

A closing thought (a re-tweet) from @aaronaiken this morn :: Spend 1% of your time staying informed on the world, and 99% improving your world and you won’t even remember this recession.

I’d suggest changing the phrasing slightly to “99% improving THE world” but you get the idea.

What say you? Anyone figured out how to do this well? Anyone know of someone doing this well?

U2 – Stand Up Comedy

Loving this song…

“Stand Up Comedy” – U2

Love love love love love
Love love love love love

I got to stand up and take a step
You and I have been asleep for hours
I got to stand up
The wire is stretched
In between our two towers
Stand up in this dizzy world
Where a lovesick eye can steal the view
I’m gonna fall down if I can’t stand up
For your love

Love love love love love

Stand up, this is comedy
The DNA lotto may have left you smart
But can you stand up to beauty
Dictator of the heart
I can stand up for hope, faith, love
But while I’m getting over certainty
Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady

Oh, oh
Out from under your beds
C’mon, ye people
Stand up for your love

Love love love love love
Love love love love love

I gotta stand up to ego but my ego’s not really the enemy
It’s like a small child crossing an eight lane highway
On a voyage of discovery

Stand up to rock stars
Napolean is in high heels
Josephine, be careful
Of small men with big ideas

Oh, oh
Out from under your beds
C’mon, ye people
Stand up for your love

Love love love love love
Love love love love love

God is love
And love is evolution’s very best day

Soul rockin’ people moving on
Soul rockin’ people on and on
C’mon, ye people
We’re made of stars
C’mon, ye people
Stand up then sit down for your love

Love love love love love
Love love love love love
Love love love love love
Love love love love love

(HT @u2)

See all the lyrics from the new album.

Listen to the album

Pre-order No Line on the Horizon (and support your favorite blogger :-)).

Bono on “non-believers”

Reading a great article on U2’s new album and Bono’s activism and all things in between ::

He says that a lot of people he most admires are non-believers. Bill Gates. Warren Buffett. “People who are prepared to spend their entire life’s fortune trying to make the lives of people they don’t know a lot better. These people are more Christian than the Christians. Zealotry and certainty are worrying for me. Love keeps religion from zealotry.”

SOH So without love, it becomes another kind of fixed ideology?

Bono “Yeah, that’s right! Anyway, there’s loads of pops in there about zealotry, religious and otherwise, and you’re the only person who’s picked up on this in the lyrics. I mean, ‘Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady.’ Come on?”

SOH That’s a pop at the militant atheists.

Bono “And at myself. I mean, I have a bit of it, myself. I have a bit of the helping God across the road like a little old lady.”….z

“You know, it’s like that thing that people said about U2, that most bands start off writing about girls and end up writing about God, but we started off writing about God and ended up writing about girls. But we found the God in the girls, that would be my retort.”

U2’s new album drops March 2 (3rd in the US). You can pre-order all five versions here.

How to annoy me // How to charm me

Ragamuffin Soul asks, so here’s my response…

How to annoy me…
Somehow thinking you’re better than someone else and refusing to associate with them and refusing to show them the same love, grace and humility you’d want them to show you.

How to charm me…
A steak dinner and showing love to the least of these – like you would your own father, mother, brother or sister.

Your turn…

In my neighborhood

long exposures

I saw this on a random church website describing their community groups…

Hopefully over the course of the year, our neighborhoods will be blessed by our coming together.

Could we say this about our own individual community groups/families?

Could we make that our goal this year?

Daniel’s Den, Waxahachie Cares, Austin Street, Goodwill etc. etc. etc. are ALL great causes. And I love the stories I hear about folks getting involved and wanting to get involved with each of them.

But what about YOUR neighborhood? Will it be blessed by your family and your group coming together this year? How will your group – no matter what size it may be – how will it bless your neighborhood?

Some ideas ::

  • Host a BBQ for your neighbors
  • Host a party for the big game and invite your neighbors
  • Deliver cookies or small bags of candies to your neighbors
  • Plant a community garden
  • Work to keep your house and landscaping in top notch condition and help encourage others to do the same — offer to help when they may not be able
  • Organize a neighborhood watch
  • Stock your freezer with heat and serve lasagnas or soups for when a neighbor gets sick or out of work
  • Invite neighbors over for coffee or tea or whatever
  • Get involved in the HOA – be a voice for positive change – not complaining about the wrongs others are doing
  • Walk the neighbor’s dogs
  • Pick up the mail for a neighbor going on vacation

I think the key to remember, no matter what it is – don’t do it because you have an agenda. If they ask why you’re doing it, just say “I want to be a better neighbor.”

What other ideas do you have?

What do you wish your neighbor would do for you? Now go and do likewise.

And while you’re at it – say a prayer for me and our group. Pray that we also can begin living this idea out.