How Would You Live if You New Your Life Would Never End



I remember a movie I saw a long time ago called "Cooley High." There was one particular scene where this student who's name was "Preach" was asked by his teacher Mr. Mason "what do you want to do with your life?" Preach to Mr. Mason's surprise looked at him face to face with the greatest intensity in his eyes and said "I want to live forever!"

Mr. Mason looked back at Preach in a way that all scholarly academics do with such a perplex expression of dismay of not having a clue of how to answer the comment. On the other hand Preach showed a simple, idealistic, immortal gaze upon his countenance that said he was serious.

Have you ever thought about the idea of you being able to live forever? What would you do if that was possible? How might your life be different? Would it change the way your living at this moment? Or would things remain the same? What if I told you that you can live forever and I have the solution of how to do just that. How much would you pay to have this truth at your disposal? What kind of price would you be willing to pay?

There are three ways that you or I can remain around after we are physically gone. The solutions are free, but doing them and keeping them going will cost you.

1 Capture Quality Moments- There are so many people, places, and things vying each day for your time. If you want your life to never end then you must learn to choose the activity or event at the moment of greater lasting value.

Just the other day I was out shoveling the snow around my car. While I was busy doing this, two of my kids came running outside to play in the snow. One of them, my son asked if he could help me. I replied yes, thinking "I'll be finish in no time and well on the way with the day." I had already checked my watch twice since starting because my day was already set and I didn't want to miss a beat. I was a man with a plan!

Well his assistance didn't last long. In fact it was probably a "millisecond" and he was gone. One of my daughters was making a angel in the snow which seem to be more persuasive to my sons attention at the time. Besides it was fun! They made angels and made a snowman and carried on and on in laughter and pure joy.

Suddenly everything that I was focused on seemed to lose my interest and I immediately grabbed my phone and started taking pictures of my children while at play. Now if your kids are like mine then you know what happened next... I had Mr GQ and Ms USA posing away! It was an exhilarating experience and a lot of fun filled shots were taken.

Each day, week, month, and year, remember to take the time out and look for those precious opportunities that come and go away from us just as quickly as they came. Keep the camera ready at all times. You don't want to miss a simple memory because they last forever.

2 Create Impactful Experiences-If you have a family or plan on having one in the future you will need a strategy. Theres a plan that needs to be figured out for the entire group. Next your gonna need a plan of action for the you and your spouse. Finally, it is a serious must that you have a kids plan-and sometimes depending on how many children you have your gonna need sub-plans.

I know this seems like alot, but the key to meeting each ones needs is not focusing on the amount of stuff you  do together. The answer is keeping them surprised.

My wife and I recently needed some R&R (rest and relaxation). So we decided to getaway. The decision was made and we planned the day but we didn't have a destination. At least none that she was aware of. We got the sitter all squared away, bags packed and off to the races. Where do you want to go, I ask my wife. Anywhere but  here, she replied. So I pulled out my treasure chest of I.O.U"s blew the dust off and open the memory file.

I decided to take my wife to the "Cracker Barrel" restaraunt. Awhile back she mentioned wanting to go there and I remembered. The moment we arrived, I heard one of the most heavenly words that a husband could hear from his wife. "Oh honey! you remembered I wanted to come here!!" Surprise! Swish!!! 3pointer!

Always be ready for the unexpected. Never stop preparing for the encore. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times. Stay attentive to the needs and the wants of those you love. Remember what they love the most. Expect for direct and indirect opportunities to come up from time to time so you will always be prepared to deliver a lasting experience.

3 Collect Lasting Memories- In the movie "The Bucket List" actor Jack Nicholson played billionaire Edward Cole and actor Morgan Freeman who played a working class mechanic named Carter Chambers both were terminally ill and ended up in the same room as eachother.  Carter starts writing a list of things he would like to do before he "kicks the bucket"  but he later decides to throw the list away. Edward finds the list and the bucket list is born.

One of the great things about this movie is that these two men from two different worlds that are seemingly unknown to eachother come together under dire circumstances and forge a new friendship that is bonded together by this list.

Life is fickle. There are no guarantees. You and I can be "here today, and gone tomorrow." People, friends, family, love ones leave us all the time. We can't control or change the ultimate reality of death. But we can do something thats of greater importance in the interim of how we live.

Everytime you come across someone that you know in your life, remember this might be the last time that you ever get the chance to enjoy their company. So make the most of it. Be sure that you gather as much memories as you possibly can. Get out your list and write, dream, imagine, explore, fantasize about all the wonderful magical, unforgettable people, places, and things that you and the one(s) that you love can do.

Take the time to gather everybit of picture, video, messages, cards, items, etc. that you gather from each significant time that you have with them. That way no mater if your in eachothers presence or far away from one another at the time, you can always be near.

William Ross Wallace said "Every man dies-Not every man really lives."

Death has its day. Today is not it. God gave you and I one life to live. So live. If we focus more on making the most of the time that we have with eachother while we're here, then we leave pieces of ourselves internally within the world and the people we love. We live forever!

PT.II Does God Make Mistakes?

Okay. Some you are probably thinking "This guy has gone off the deep end!" The idea that God could ever make a mistake doesn't make sense. I mean God is "Infinite", "Infallible", "Omnipotent", "Omnipresent", "Omniscient", meaning he's (1) Forever existing  (2)  Without error  (3) All powerful  (4) All over the place because he's everywhere and finally (5) he's All knowing. If that's how you feel or better yet believe than your absolutely right. So then how could he make a mistake? I did mention that he's perfect. No flaws!! Right?

In Genesis 1:26 the bible says...Then God said," Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..."

In Genesis 1:27 the bible says...So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

In Genesis 1:31 the bible says...God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

Even these scriptures indicate that God created man to be just like himself that is perfect without any flaws. So then what happened??? Let's look further

In Genesis 6:5-8 KJV of the bible says...And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. (6) And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (7) And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (8) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Now understand God in all of his awesomeness and wonder looked at what he created and notice that man wasn't functioning appropriately to God's original plan and purpose. Remember man has a free will and that liberty without accepting God's restrictions got man thrown out of the garden. So the Lord realize that what he
created was not so good after all...At least not anymore.

So God decided to get rid of the "duds" and hold onto to one "stud" Noah. But remember he never went back to the drawing board. You see in side of the problem, mistake, mishap, error was the solution. Of course he's God he knew their would be a issue with this fallen man who he intended on being good gone bad after the "FALL." --(see Gen. 3)

And if we look further throughout the bible you will see that over and over again mankind would fail their Creator (see  until finally he arrived at the best one of all...Jesus Christ! And Jesus perfect, sinless self/deity brought about the rebirth of God's original plan. Redeeming all of mankind back to himself.

God is not and has never been a mistake but he recognized the mistake he made not in himself but in letting man roam independently of him. But up until Jesus because of God being perfect he could not allow man back  into eternal life without the death of another man-Jesus Christ!

note: Definition for Repent
Old Test. Hebrew word (naham) means to change one's mind/ be grieved, to console, avenge onself
New Test. Greek word (metnoia) means change of mind, the state of changing any or all of the elements composing ones life: attitude, thoughts, and behaviors concerning the demands of God for right living.

Does God make mistakes?

What a loaded question. My daughter M'kaila ask me this question this morning. "Daddy does God make mistakes?" At first I was caught off guard. I thought to myself. What? Well...I...Uh... I actually found myself pausing before responding. Then I replied absolutely...NOT! God doesn't make mistakes. In fact he can't make a mistake. I saw in her beautiful innocent eyes that she was clueless to the truth of the matter. I started to think on her reason for asking such a question. I realize she thought about the times she's made a mistake and she wondered if she's capable of doing this than is God also? Make sense right?!

Now after pondering her question I begin to think back to the Bible where the story of Noah and his famous ark. I thought about how Noah and his family were the only ones who were spared because God had decided to wipe the slate clean and start over because mankind had become so wicked and sinfully evil that God commented that he regretted making man and he (God) repented for his creation. But he allowed one man Noah and his wife, children, and family to be spared and than he promised that the earth would never be destroyed like that again.

He made a new covenant between himself and future mankind by the sign of a rainbow. So God in all of his glory and greatness, power, might, and ability did make a mistake but he learned from his mistake and one day finally decided to make the perfect man-Jesus Christ. Today we can go into our day knowing that mistakes happen. But when they do as they sometime will. How we see the mistake will determine if we will have the same problem down the road.

So the next time you make a mistake apply these mistake recovery rules

(1) Take Ownership. God never once blame somebody else for his mess up. Instead he decided to take responsibility for what he created. You must own your own problem no matter how bad it may be.

(2) Do something about it. God didn't just admit that he had messed up but he immediately took action to take care of it. You have to move pass accepting the issue that you caused and find a way if at all possible to fix it. Never stop with the acceptance of it being yours. Now if you can take a more active role in dealing with it.

(3) Change the method not the message. The Bible indicates that God repented for the mistake he made. Repent means to change. In other words he did a total makeover to the land he created, You have to intentionally go another way. Sometimes mistakes happen because of us wanting to do things our way. You can keep your convictions but know that like God that how you do something is just as important as it is to what you do.

So for all the M'kaila's out there yes your going to make mistakes but that's ok relax take a deep breath look at it with honesty embrace the truth of it, Learn from it by letting it equip you with new tools of understanding. Take control of it don't let it take control of you let it empower you. Finally use the mistake in every productive way possible to help someone else not have to go through the same be a bridge of exchange.

Remember God started again until he created you. And you my friend are not a mistake. He saved the best for last.

"Run Farthest Run!"

It's time to straighten up and run right!

You've probably heard the saying if you first don't succeed than try try again.

You probably heard the saying "Rome was not buit in a day."

Maybe you've heard this one too " The race is not to the swift ...

What about the hare and the tortoise. In the end of the story the one who decided to keep the steady eddy pace eventhough he look more like sloppy "slow mo" the turtle in the beginning won the race in the end.

Life is like a race (not a box of chocolate). There are people all over the place everday competing for the prize. Whether the prize is recognition, respect, retribution, etc... Everybody's looking to win something. But what happens when your competing against an opponent that you had no clue exist. Is that possible? Can you be in a race and not know who your running against.Yes indeedy!!! In fact you can be running round and around and around and not have a clue of your reason(s) for it.

Before starting out on anything that you desire to accomplish you must be a member of the 5W+1H CLUB: (1)Where, (2) Why, (3) What, (4) When, (5) Who, (6) How

(1) Where are you running?

The first thing that you want to have is a destination. You have to see the end before you begin. No doubt there will be times when you want to give up, turn back, quit, and walk away from it all. You better have your vision goggles on at all times. You got to know "Where" your going. So when the road gets to rough and your ready to give up the you'll remain faithful.

(2) Why are you running?

What is your real reason for achieving? You need to do a heart evaluation at this point. If you get stuck here just think back to the Tin Man in the Wizard of OZ. He needed a heart to keep him from staying rusty. You notice I said staying and not getting. Your going to get tired and feel a little stiff in your motivations at times but if your "Why" is clear for what you have decided to do and you have accepted to let your heart take the lead then no matter what you have to face your passion, zeal and desire to accomplish it can be attained.

(3) What are you running for?

I heard a saying before that says You don't choose your ............. (fill in the blank) It chooses you. The thing that keeps coming up sometimes at the wrong time but the right thing. The thing that gets your water boiling so to speak. Better to boil than to break!  (no seriously) Your reason for existing looks for you everyday. The last time there was a discussion and it turned into a debate for some an argument. That was your "What" finding you. So take the time and look again and watch what happens the next time life(s) moments occur. You'll see your purpose staring you down. The key is make sure you keep your eyes on your prize and not somebody elses or you'll lose focus end up shipwreck and losing the race.

(4) When do you want to finish the race?

You have to set a deadline for what your running after even if your not able to meet the mark on time. You will still have it written down. Most people don't  make plans because they believe that it's pointless to write something that will either never happen or have to change course and be adjusted along the way. But its the opposite that you must do if you want success to happen for you. Granted you will have to revisit, reevaluate, and review the vision from time to time. But knowing your "When" is all a part of the journey. Write your plan of action with a date of accomplishment in mind and if for some reason you don't arrive at your intended goal as your moving towards it keep moving until you make it.

(5) Who are you running for?

This is the "wind beneath your wings" Without the "Who" the race will  have no real significance. It will be just that a race. Having someone to pass on the baton of your achievement to is what makes life worth living or better yet the race worth running. The ones the that you love will be the benefactors of your hard earned work. They are the ones who keep you reaching for your dreams because when you cross the finish line you will leave a legacy

(6) How will you run the race?

Finally to run the race you have to get up and get going. One step at a time. Pacing yourself. Daily moving in pursuit of the finish line. If you wait for everthing to be just right then you may never begin. So just do it knowing that nothing is ever perfect but as you run know that life is not a 100 yard dash but its more like a marathon. So lace up those sneakers get out your water bottle, put on your backpack, throw on your sweats, and get a move on it! Knowing that the "How" you run is by each day putting one foot in front of the other.

The road before you is filled with endless adventure. So "Run Farthest Run!"


                      

Today We Live

You ever had the right words in your brain but the wrong ones coming out of your mouth. I just had that experience recently. I had my son with me for the day. He and I had some R&R to take care of. I know what your thinking. You and your son were rationalizing and reasoning about what? We were actually resting and relaxing but since that seems so unusual to the neandrathal way of doing things because wer'e so TYPE A. But anywho...

When we got to the park I let him ride his bike. Now this kid is only five but he's going on twenty. He had all the onlookers oggaling him...that is his winny the pooh bike helmet. So man he was a riding and a riding and I was a worrying and a worrying. But not about him to your surprise. Just so happen I was still thinking about the next couple of weeks I have to get this done and I have to get that done and on and on. Finally I notice something strange. I caught a glimpse of a special moment that I almost let by me.

My son was having the time of his life riding his bike and being flirted on by female passerbys that were jogging pass him. Actually they seem to have more of an obsession with winny and just so happens my son and winny were stuck together like two little peas in a pod so he got to ride winny's ticket. My son was having so much fun riding his bike that day and he looked at me and said "Dad I LOVE YOU!"

I grabbed my stress along with anxiety packed their bags and sent them out the door with pride wagging his tail behind. I looked up  into the sky and said later for tomorrow and all it has for me. Today we live! and we did. It was fun. You should do the same. Tomorrow may never come.

To sweat the small stuff or not sweat the small stuff that is the question

Have you ever wondered why the small bugs irritate you so much. I mean if you had a fly buzzing around inside of your car while your driving you could have an accident. What about a cricket thats stuck in between the carpet of your floor and your last nerve. Can you here the chirping. Don't it just make you sick. They seem to take no prisoners with them.

How about the infamous mosquito that hides itself very strategically on your body dividing it's attack plan covertly and overtly awaiting to suck the living blood out of your flesh. Finally the sickening invisible annoying knat. Don't they just get on your last nerve. They seem to live for the moment that drives you into the house to grab the nearest wave machine sometimes a hammer to annihilate that little pesky annoyance.

Little bugs were created to drive us nuts! But a little flower given unexpectedly can turn a big mess into a night of romance. A little note place on top of the pillow in the morning after a knock down drag out fight the night before can really work wonders in the life of the two people who were ready to call it quits. You see two different scenario's with two different affects but both of them being so small in their own way can bring about big things in your life.

So the next time you find yourself in a hand to hand combat between you and a little insect or you have a faceoff with your boss, coworker, friend, husband, wife, dog or cat. (1) Stop (2) Step back (3) Take a deep breath and (4) Ask yourself...is it (the bug) or he or she or it (dog, cat, the mouse) worth it. Remember its the small fox that destroys the vine. So pay attention to the details. The Biggest things in life come about from how we respond to the littlest things. So proceed with caution...