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Building A Dream Life

Focus and Determination Beat Brains and Intellect Every Time

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We Need to be More Like Squirrels

Most of us struggle with getting and staying focused. We are easily distracted and now more than ever we are surrounded by constant distractions.

Why Squirrels Get to Rock an “S” On Their Chest comes from “You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader” by Mark Sanborn does a great job of putting this in perspective.

Bill bought a new house on the edge of a lush, wooded area. Bill liked to feed birds, so Bill put a feeder up in his backyard. But before the sun even set that evening, squirrels were swinging off the bird feeder and chasing the birds away. Bill realized that he had to do something or the birds would soon be too scared to come near the feeder.

For the next two weeks he declared war on the squirrels. Bill wasn’t a mean guy and wouldn’t do anything to hurt the squirrels, but he was willing to use any peaceful means necessary to keep them out of his bird feeder.

He tried greasing the post, but that didn’t work. Stumped, Bill visited his local hardware store and bought a “squirrel-proof bird feeder”, an odd-looking feeder with wire mesh wrapped around it. The label said it was guaranteed, so Bill took it home and put it in his backyard.

By sunset squirrels were once again swinging off the bird feeder.

Bill was really upset, and the next day he took the feeder back to the hardware store. He asked to see the manager, demanding a full refund.

“Calm down,” the store manager told him. “I could have told you when you bought it that there is no such thing as a squirrel-proof bird feeder.”

Bill looked at him in disbelief. You mean we can land a man on the moon and send instantaneous messages via satellite to anywhere around the world, but our best and brightest scientists and engineers can’t design and manufacture a bird feeder that can outsmart an animal with the brain the size of a pea?

“Yep,” said the retailer.

“Why not?” Bill persisted.

“Let me ask you something sir,” the man replied. “How much time on average have you spent in the last two weeks trying to keep the squirrels out of your bird feeder?”

Bill thought it over for a moment and responded, “Maybe ten to fifteen minutes a day.”

“And how much time do you think the squirrels spend each day trying to get in?”

The answer, Bill learned, is almost every waking squirrel moment; squirrels spend 98 percent of their waking hours looking for food. In fact, they are unique in the animal kingdom in that they would rather eat than procreate; they prefer foraging to fooling around. This just goes to show the kind of focus the squirrel brings to its mission.

The moral of this story: 

Focus and determination beat brains and intellect every time.

You don’t necessarily have to be smarter or better educated to succeed. Your power lies in your ability to focus on doing what is important. If you focus on the right things, and work at them often, you will achieve exceptional results.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

Benjamin Franklin

Just think what we could accomplish if we had the focus of a squirrel.

In Philippians 3:4-14, Paul speaks to the importance of working toward the goal. Running and struggling to take hold of the prize. Forgetting what is behind and fighting for what is ahead.

Determine what your purpose is. Commit to it and make it your priority. Focus on it like a squirrel would.

Coming Home is One of the Best Feelings Ever

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Just Because We’re Welcomed with Open Arms, It Doesn’t Mean We Get Off Scot-free

Home is one of the best places. Whether it’s the home where you currently live or the one you grew up in. There’s something just warm and wonderful about home. Granted some physical homes aren’t so good, but the emotional feeling of “home” is the place where we want to be.

Some people want to get away from home and explore. Even those people have a sense of home. Part of their adventure may be a search for that place that feels like home.

When exploring, it’s important to know where you are.

Erwin Kreuz was a traveler who thought he knew where he was only to find out he didn’t. In 1977 he came to America from Germany. He had always wanted to visit San Francisco.

On a layover in Banger Maine, due to speaking no English, he misunderstood a flight attendant who wished him a pleasant visit to San Francisco. This led him to believe he was in California, and he got off the plane. After days of looking for the Golden Gate Bridge and other landmarks, he found some German speaking people and realized his situation. His story went on to become Maine folklore.

Like the Bible story about the prodigal son. The younger son went on an adventure that ended with him longing for home. There was a point when he decided that he needed to go home and ask for forgiveness.

This is one of those stories that can leave us with feelings of uneasiness.

If you’re an older sibling, like me, we can identify with the older brother. We’ve been here all along. Working hard and doing what we’re supposed to and now this rebel comes home and he gets a party.

Maybe you identify with the younger brother and regret some of the things you’ve done. You just want to come home but are afraid that you won’t be allowed to.

Or maybe this story is upsetting. To think that someone could be so disrespectful and frivolous and come back and live like you did nothing wrong.

For years I struggled with aspects of this story but have come to some conclusions.

We all have portions of both brothers.

We have all made mistakes. Whether they are the high and mighty, I think I’m better for doing the “right things” like the older brother. Or the more openly in your face wild living like the younger brother.

Both brothers need to realize who their father is and ask for forgiveness.

The other thing that helped me with this story is that we don’t know what happens after the son’s return celebration is over.

It is evident throughout the Bible that just because we ask for forgiveness and “come home”, that’s not the end. There are consequences to our actions even after we come home.

Just look at the story of David and what happens after he sleeps with Bathsheba and then has her husband killed. Even after David repents and “comes home” there is a price to pay. The newborn baby of Bathsheba dies. One of his other sons, Amnon, sleeps with one of his daughters, Tamar. Tamar’s brother Absalom kills Amnon. And then Absalom rebels against David and ends up being killed in a battle with David.

There are consequences to our actions. But it’s still better to come “home” to the open arms of our Father, accept our punishment in love and live the life we’ve been called to live.

Take Advantage of Second Chances Because There is a Limited Amount

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Produce Some Fruit So That You’re Not Cut Down

It’s Spring, if you garden it’s time to get to work. Some people love to garden. Some of us not so much. My abilities are better used in other ways.

An old man lived with his son. He loved planting a garden. It was time to dig up the garden and plant potatoes. The old man was counting on his son’s help with the work of digging… but his son was in jail.

The old man wrote a letter to the son. He told him how sad he was that he wouldn’t be able to dig up the garden and plant the potatoes.

The son wrote him back and told him…Don’t dig up the garden…that’s where I buried the guns.

The next morning the police showed up and dug up the whole garden looking for guns. They didn’t find any. They apologized for tearing up the garden and left.

Confused the dad wrote to the son and told him what had happened. The son replied…

Now you can plant the potatoes…It’s the best I could do from here.

The son figured out a way to help his father even though he wasn’t there in person.

This week’s Scripture was from Luke 13:1-9. The man went out to pick some figs, but the tree didn’t have any on it. He told the gardener, “For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven’t found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?”

The gardener answered, “Master, leave it for another year. I’ll dig around it and put some fertilizer on it to make it grow.

If it doesn’t have any fruit next year, you can cut down.”

There are times when we’re the fig tree and times when we’re the gardener.

Life is short. We have a limited time to produce fruit. If we need help, then let the gardener help.

Don’t be a tree just taking up space and not producing any fruit.

The fruit we produce is our legacy. Produce the fruit you have been put here for. Fertilizer effects the outcome. What we put in determines the fruit we produce. Use good fertilizer.

Like the fig tree we get second chances, but there is a limit. At some point we will be cut down and thrown in the fire.

Don’t wait…start producing fruit now.

We might be a gardener helping trees through our work and encouragement. We can help others produce the fruit they are intended to produce.

We all know of trees that aren’t producing any fruit. Even if we can’t be there in person to help, we can use our skills and abilities to help the tree.

Whether we’re the tree or the gardener there is a limited number of chances and time.

Don’t wait to be cut down and thrown in the fire. Start producing fruit now.

What Are We Going to Do About Jesus?

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Because it Looks Like He’s in Trouble

Most of us have heard of some of the strange and odd laws that are out there. Like for example, crazy law #14 of the 20 Most Stupid Laws in the U.S.

In New York, “It is illegal for a group of people to wear masks in public”. I wonder how that’s currently working out?

Here are a few of the 50 Dumb Laws from Across the United States. In Alaska, flamingos are not allowed in barber shops. A pickle is not a pickle in Connecticut unless it bounces. Christmas decorations are not allowed up after January 14th in Maine.

Most of these laws made their way onto the books because of some specific situation and/or understandable reason at the time. The problem is that we tend to get caught up in the rules and regulations and lose sight of what the underlying reason was.

Laws have been a problem since the beginning of time.

In Luke 6:6-11 Jesus was teaching on a Sabbath and a man with a crippled hand was there. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were watching Jesus to see what He would do.

Jesus knew they were watching and asked the man to stand up. He asked the question, “On the Sabbath should we do good or evil? Should we save life or destroy it?”

Jesus knew it was better to heal than to hurt.

He asked the man to hold out his hand and it became well.

The teachers and Pharisees were furious and started asking each other,

“What are we going to do about Jesus? He had crossed the church leaders and now…

It looks like Jesus is in trouble.

These church leaders had gotten caught up in the law. They were missing the reasons behind them. What started as a good they had made bad.

The wrong focus by the leaders of the church made Jesus angry.

Too often, we think of Jesus as only soft and weak. He is also strong and powerful. He is, after all God. The Bible is full of examples of God getting angry with us for doing the wrong things.

If you don’t think Jesus gets angry just look at what he did to the people in the temple who were cheating. John 2:14-15 The GREED of the people in the temple and the SUPERIORITY of the church leaders are just a couple of things that make Him angry.

Other things that make Him angry are – HYPOCRASY, HARD HEARTEDNESS, SPIRITUAL PRIDE and LUKEWARM LIVING.

These things should make us angry too.

We need to put our focus on the right things. The things that Jesus focuses on.

It’s okay to get into trouble when we’re doing it the way Jesus does.

The Right Church Can Make All the Difference in the World

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And It’s the People That Make the Real Difference

“Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors. And see all the people.”

This nursery rhyme with its clever hand motions has kept little fingers busy for decades. It was created as a fun and simple way to teach children about community within the church.

What is the church and who are the people?

This rhyme about the church brings back fond memories, but its message points out a common misconception that should be addressed.

The church is not a building, but rather the people.

The Church is the blood-bought, Christ following, believers…THE PEOPLE.

The Bible has a lot to say about the Church. In Acts 2:42-47, it says that the Lord’s followers met together and broke bread and shared and praised God. This sounds like a church to me. Likewise in Matthew 18:20, “Wherever two or three of you come together in My name, I am there with you.”

I’m so blessed to have spent my whole life involved in and connected to a church made up of Christ following believers.

Once again, this past Sunday it was made evident with a “faith sharing Sunday”.

Pastor Lee shared four different sharing stories from people who have experienced Christ’s love through the people of the church.

The first was from a 9-year-old girl who was sitting with her dying grandfather when Pastor Lee stopped by to see him. As the Pastor and her were visiting, he asked her what she remembered about the sermon the day before. She shared several things from the message and he was amazed. He asked her to write what the church meant to her.

She wrote, I always come to listen to God to know what to do. I come to church to get direction. It gives me strength to never give up because God is there.

Wouldn’t it be great if we as adults would be this observant?

Next was from a lady that grew up in this church. She had a strong family tie to the church and community. She had many fond memories of experiences at the church through the years.

As an adult she moved to Colorado and began looking for a new church. With Tisdale being her standard, she found it hard to find a church who met that standard.

Now that she has moved back, she said, “It feels the same today as it did as a kid growing up.” Tisdale’s spirit was not just there and then, but is here and now.

Third was from a newer member of our congregation. She grew up in a church where, as a kid she never felt welcome. Because she didn’t want her kids to feel this way, she stopped going to church for a long time.

Then she came to Tisdale, and it was different. She felt welcomed. She saw her kids beginning to blossom and be more open around people. They began to grow into the people God meant them to be. The church is a big part of this. Pastor Lee and Kay accept everyone with open arms. The congregation accepts everyone with open arms. This is the way the Church is supposed to be.

The last one is a letter from someone who has never even been to the church. It is from a student at the school where Kay, Pastor Lee’s wife, works. This young man isn’t even her student. He has just seen her in the hall and the cafeteria.

He wrote her a letter telling her that he sees how she treats people and he wants to be like that. He wants to help people the way she does. They have now become good friends.

This is the way the Church is supposed to be.

The church isn’t the building…it’s the people.

It’s the people being the hands and feet of Christ in the world. And the right church can make all the difference in the world.

Living a Christian Life is Like a Game of Tag with a Twist

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In This Game, It’s Good to Be Tagged

We’re all familiar with the game of tag and most of us played it as kids. 

It involves two or more players chasing each other in an attempt to “tag” them out of play. When a person is tagged, the tagger says, “Tag, you’re it.” The last one tagged is the loser and is “it” for the next round.

The Christian game of tag works a little differently. Instead of tagging people out of play, in the Christian game, we “tag” them in. Every person we tag joins in the effort to tag others, who then do more tagging. 

The people tagged in this game are the winners.

In Luke 9:28-36, Jesus takes Peter, John and James up on the mountain. While up there with Jesus, they were tagged. They went on to tag others, who tagged others…

This experience, among others, made them want to be like Jesus and “tag” people.

Being like Jesus, sounds relatively easy on the surface, but think about the sacrifices He made. He came to earth and lived like a human. He shared in our sufferings. He loved us that much.

Dr. Maxell Maltz tells a remarkable story of a love like this.

A man had been burned and disfigured in a fire while attempting to save his parents from a burning house, but he couldn’t get to them and they perished. 

He mistakenly interpreted his pain as God’s punishment. The man would not let anyone see him — not even his wife.

She went to Dr. Maltz, a plastic surgeon, for help. He told her not to worry. “I can restore his face.”

The wife was unenthused. Her husband had repeatedly refused any help. She knew he would again.

Then why her visit? “I want you to disfigure my face so I can be like him! If I can share his pain, maybe he’ll let me back in his life.”

Dr. Maltz was shocked. He denied her request but was so moved by her love that he went to speak with her husband. Knocking on the man’s bedroom door, he called loudly. “I’m a plastic surgeon, and I can restore your face.” No response. “Please come out.” Again there was no answer.

Still speaking through the door, Dr. Maltz told the man of his wife’s proposal. “She wants me to disfigure her face, to make her face like yours in the hope that you let her back into your life. That’s how much she loves you.”

There was a brief moment of silence, and then, ever so slowly, the doorknob began to turn.

The way the woman felt for her husband is the way God feels about us. But He did more than make the offer. He took on our face, our disfigurement. He became like us. 

The places He went to reach us show how far He will go to touch us.

“Tag, you’re it.” Now go and tag someone else.

Love Is Not Something You Feel, But Something You Do

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There’s No Hope for the World Without Love

What is love?

According to Merriam-Webster, love is a strong affection for another rising out of kinship or personal ties; attraction based on sexual desires; affection based on admiration, benevolence or common interests.

But there’s more to love than just this.

John Piper says, “Love in the Bible, as in our everyday usage, can be directed from person to person or from a person to things. But there is another aspect of interpersonal love that is very important in the Bible. There is the aspect of love for persons who are not attractive or virtuous or productive. In this case, love is not a delight in what a person is, but a deeply felt commitment to helping him be what he ought to be.

Ultimately, love requires action.

This action isn’t necessarily easy. Sometimes it’s downright hard.

In Luke 6:27-38 Jesus tells us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. Living this out is not easy.

We’re all familiar with the abundance of internet scams out there. But I had no idea it is as bad as it is. In 2020 Americans lost 4.2 billion dollars…that’s BILLION with a B!

We’ve all received emails or social media messages where someone is in line to get an inheritance or court settlement, but first they need to pay some small fees up front. If we will help them pay these fees, they will split the large sum of money with us.

This was the case for Ben in Utah. He got just such a message from a man named Joel in Liberia and recognized it as a scam.

“He decided to play along just for fun. Ben has his own YouTube channel, and he thought it would be a good idea to record his interactions with Joel so he could teach his viewers how to spot Internet scams.

This is where the story gets good. Ben decided to turn the scam around. He claimed that he ran a photography business and would pay Joel to take some photos of African sunsets. To his surprise, Joel came through with some pretty decent photos. So, Ben did a very strange thing: he bought Joel Willie, the scammer from Liberia, a new camera. He sent him the camera and asked for more photos. And the pictures Joel sent were definitely better quality this time around. Joel also sent an enthusiastic message saying that he was committing himself to their new photography partnership.

Now Ben had a situation on his hands. He had told Joel he would pay him for good photos. And Joel trusted him. So, if Ben didn’t come through, he would be guilty of running a scam himself. What should he do? Ben decided to print Joel’s photos in a small booklet and advertise it for sale on his YouTube channel. He titled the booklet after a phrase Joel used in his emails: By D Grace of God. He only charged $8 per booklet. Within a short time, he had sold $1,000 worth of booklets.

And this is where the story gets even better. Ben sent all the money to Joel on one condition: that he donate half of it to a local Liberian charity. Joel gladly did exactly that.

And this is the best part of the story. In 2018, Ben traveled to Liberia to meet his new business partner, Joel. The two men took more photos and published a second book detailing the strange and wonderful story of their business partnership. Their two books have raised $90,000. Some of the money has gone to Joel for all his hard work. But the rest has gone to do good works in Liberia. It has been used to buy food for the hungry, to purchase Christmas care packages for children, and to save a local school.

Isn’t that a great ending or maybe we can think of it as a beginning? It’s a story with a happy ending for Ben, Joel, and all the people whose lives have been impacted by the charitable giving from their photo booklets. So, I think the title of their first book is so appropriate By D Grace of God, (link to book) this story didn’t have to turn out this way. It became a story of generosity, hope and new beginnings, by D Grace of God.”

We need more love and openness to generosity. It’s not easy, but no one ever said it was. This has never more needed than now. We are living in a world of division. This is what Satan wants. Hate divides…generosity unites.

Love is the engine that runs generosity, but love requires us starting that engine and pressing the accelerator!

Happiness is not Determined by What We Have, But by Who We Are

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We Have Control Over Who We Are, so…Who Do You Want to Be?

Happiness is the state of being happy.

So, what does it mean to be happy?

Being happy is the feeling of pleasure and enjoyment.

Each of us is going to find pleasure and enjoyment in different ways and places. Too much of the time we’ve been led to believe that stuff is what’s going to make us happy. Jesus tells us in Luke 6:17-26, that’s not where our happiness comes from.

That doesn’t mean you can’t be happy if you have stuff. Things just aren’t the source of happiness.

Studies have shown that even though the standard of living is better now than it was fifty years ago, people are less happy.

Some of us have our “valuables out of whack”. This happens when we put too much value on valuables.

The question is, is your happiness internal or external?

We all know people who are happy even when going through tough situations. We also know those who, no matter how good things are, they’re still complaining.

I think Anne Frank is a good example of choosing to be happy. While living in a small, cramped space with seven other people, hiding from the Nazis, she found happiness even in her situation.

Here is a summary of her message taken from Andy Andrew’s book the Traveler’s Gift. The Seven Decisions: The Joyful Decision – Today, I Will Choose to be Happy

I am a happy person, for I now truly understand the concept of happiness. Few others before me have been able to grasp the truth of the physical law that enables one to live happily every day. I know now that happiness is not an emotional phantom floating in and out of my life. Happiness is a choice.

Today I will choose to be happy. I will greet each day with laughter. I am enthusiastic about the day. I am alert to its possibilities. I am happy! Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world.

Today I will choose to be happy. I will smile at every person I meet. My smile has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, and calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. I will always smile first. My smile is the key to my emotional make up. When I choose to smile, I become the master of my emotions. Discouragement, despair, frustration, and fear will always wither when confronted by my smile.

Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. In the past, I have found discouragement in particular situations, until I compared the condition of my life to others less fortunate. Just as a fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so does a grateful spirit remove the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart. My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting my thanks. I do not wish to be seen as a greedy child, unappreciative, and disrespectful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessings beyond that, then I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.

I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.

Today, I will choose to be happy.

It’s up to you, you can decide to be happy or not.

How to Prevent Weariness from Being a Part of Your Life

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It Comes from Catching God’s Vision That’s Specific to You

There are multiple studies that show that people working 50 hours or more per week are at a higher health risk than those working less than 40.

What exactly constitutes work?

According to dictionary.com, work is the exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. To be productive or operative activity.

Exerting effort to accomplish something sounds like a good thing…not like it should be a health risk.

So, the question is…is it work or something else that’s the problem?

I would argue that the problem is less about the activity and more about the purpose.

Granted, I’m not basing this on any scientific study, just personal observations.

There is no doubt that we’ve all been tired and worn out after working hard. But how does being worn out “feel”?

For me after spending a long day working in the heat framing a house and being exhausted was one of the best feelings ever. It felt really good being so tired that I could hardly move. The sense of accomplishment made the pain feel good.

Those feelings come from accomplishing what we’re put here to do.

It doesn’t matter if it’s building a house, raising a family, fishing, leading a church, or any of a thousand other things. It’s about finding out what God put us here to do and doing that thing to the fullest of our ability.

In Luke 5:1-11, Peter had been fishing all night and hadn’t caught anything. He was exhausted. Jesus told him to “row out, let his nets down to catch some fish”. Peter said, “If You tell me to, I will…” They caught so many fish the nets were tearing and they needed another boat to haul them all. I’m thinking Peter forgot all about how tired he had been before.

Peter listened and caught God’s vision specific to him.

God has a plan for each of us. When we find that purpose and live it out as directed by God, our work becomes our life. What we do becomes a blessing, not a tiresome chore.

Finding and living our God given purpose is the best way to heal a tired spirit.

Being tired is more than physical or mental. Weariness runs spirit deep. It comes from a lack faith and belief. Not knowing and following God’s plan is what makes us tired.

When NASA landed the Perseverance rover on Mars, they embedded a hidden code in the parachute. Within hours of hinting at this hidden message, it was cracked by puzzle enthusiasts.

The message was “Dare Mighty Things”. This is a credo that is often cited at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which built and operates Perseverance.

It comes from “The Strenuous Life” a speech by Teddy Roosevelt in 1899:

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

Dare mighty things. This is what Jesus told Simon Peter. This is what Jesus is telling us.

This is a sure way to prevent weariness.

Faith Sharing; Stories from the Church Family and the Importance of Connection

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The Need for Relationships with Others Goes All the Way Back to the Beginning

This past Sunday was another faith sharing Sunday. Pastor Lee shared stories from the congregation about the life affecting interactions with the people in the church.

God said that it wasn’t good for us to live alone so…

He made a partner for Adam. Someone to go through life’s struggles with and share in the joys. Genesis 2:18

There is no question how important it is to interact with other people. This is as evident as ever over the past couple of years.  The separation that many people have experienced has been difficult. As people have tried to cope with separation there has been an increase of suicides and drug overdoses.

Spending time with others is vital to our wellbeing. I have a friend who is developing a program for being the best version of ourselves. Part of this course includes CONNECT-ability. This shows how important the connection with other people is to us being our best.

One of the things she shares is Maslow’s Hierarchy which shows the five levels of human needs to be the most completely satisfied. This hierarchy starts at the bottom with the need to have our most basic needs of survival met. The second is security; having a job, stable income, savings, etc.

Third is LOVE AND BELONGING – this addresses the social need of belonging. We are social creatures that crave interaction with others. When deprived of this, individuals experience loneliness and depression.

This connection may not even be a direct one. Sometimes it happens from a distance.

People see how we act and if those actions are consistent with things we say.

It’s also not restricted to adults. Pastor Lee shared a joke that one young man of the church wrote. It is evident that he has a connection because he heard this in church.

The joke –

If Jesus went to the Temple to learn and the Temple is the House of God…does this mean that Jesus was home schooled.

His connection with the church is part of him becoming who he’s meant to be.

Interacting with others makes us better people. Proverbs 27:17 As we join together in love, we will be wonderfully blessed. Colossians 2:2-3 Whenever two or three of us come together in His name, He will be there. Matthew 18:20

Fellowship, relationships and connection to one another are foundational for our wellbeing, growing and becoming who we are designed to be.