More Than an Umpire

Lessons from Job  (cont.)

Do you ever find yourself talking to yourself?  For me, it goes something like this.  "That was dumb, Dan" or "You idiot".  It is the conversation you have with yourself because at the time there is no one to defend you.  I know if I were driving in my car with my wife and I did something stupid on the road, she would say (after gasping for air), "that's ok, it could have happened to anyone".  Someone to defend us is somehow wired in to us.  When no one is around to comment on us, we comment on ourselves.

Can you imagine being Job?  You have just been blitzed with every kind of worst situation imaginable.  You have lost your family (except for the nagging wife), friends, your possessions, and know your physical being.  There is no one to defend you.  Your friends have now turned on you.  You are out of confidants.  God?  He in Job's eyes is the unapproachable God.  Listen to his words"

For He (God) is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, that we may go to court together.  There is no umpire between us, who may lay his hand upon us both.  Let Him remove His rod from me, and let not dread of Him terrify me.  Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.
Job 9:32-35

God is distant.  God is not in relationship with Job, at least not to Job.  This passage foreshadows the necessity of God seeking relationship with man to do two things:

1. Experience what we experience.
2. Pay what we could not pay.

You realize both those things had to occur for God to have a relationship with us, His people.  He had to experience what we have and pay what we could not.  God did precisely that in the person of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the umpire in that verse - Job is a foreshadowing of what would happen in Christ.  As an avid baseball player, that terminology strikes a mental picture.  It is a close play at the plate and the umpire decides right and wrong.  But an umpire (despite instant replay) does not have perfect knowledge so he makes the call based on his best judgment.  That is what Job's friends are doing.  They were making some pretty bad calls.  But Jesus knows you better than you know yourself and He has perfect knowledge.  And He has perfect intimacy with you and perfect intimacy with God.  He is more than a baby - He is fully God and fully man.  Jesus created His own mother!  Let that sink in.  He knows you and He knows God - He is God.   God feels compelled to judge your sin.  Christ stands there and takes your punishment.  You want to understand God - look to Jesus. 

Job lacked the umpire - the game was being played by an unknown set of rules.  A seeming pawn at the face of distant, unknowable forces.  As is said in the movie Hunger Games, "may the odds be ever in your favor".  We laugh at that but I don't think any of us likes the sound of it.  A random set of rules, an unknowable God.  Are they that different?  God is knowable and may you know Him this Christmas season.

Love Your Enemies

I am just so taken aback by the life of Nelson Mandela.  Nelson Mandela was not a perfect person and he was a sinful man like each of us.  But he demonstrated the biblical concept of not only forgiving your enemies, but embracing them.  Jesus said to go above and beyond with your enemies and Mandela did just that.  And South Africa not only was spared a potentially nasty civil war, but it experienced reconciliation.

Just pause and think what might have happened if he came out of 27 years of incarceration and easily rallied the black population in war.  But he not only didn't do that, he embraced his enemy.  This is vividly portrayed in the movie Invictus.  Mandela embraced the mostly white rugby team that symbolized oppression and made it the national team.  He got South Africa on the national stage and made it the rallying cry.

I just saw the 60 minutes interview with family, friends, workers about Nelson Mandela.  One interviewee said he was a normal man to which Anderson Cooper said, "it is not normal to forgive after 27 years in prison".  He was right.  It is supernatural to forgive that way, but he did.  And it sets an example for each of us.

Right Empathy, Wrong Words

The doorbell rang and I opened it to see a man collecting signatures for some worthy cause.  He asked if Don Amsler was home (whom he knew somewhat apparently) and we informed him that Don had passed away the previous day.  This was a scene which would be repeated countless times in the past week as Papa had gone so suddenly.  The man said he was sorry, then hemmed and hawed.  He felt compelled to say he had recently undergone a similar experience which I could not even recall.  In grief, we are not listening to others.  We are in a fog as it still has not completely set in.

The Right Way to Empathy
Job's friends originally got it right.  As Job sat hurting, they sat beside him for seven days and nights without saying a word (Job 2:13) as they saw the extent of his suffering.  The right way to empathy is to say your sorry and then say nothing.  We were so blessed that so many friends and family members did exactly that.  However, the minute that Job opened his mouth, his friends felt compelled to go into "explanation mode" and defend God.  Which leads us to the next lesson from Job. 

The Wrong Words Are Often Used to Explain Suffering
For chapter after chapter, Job's friends feel they have to defend God and explain Job's suffering.  Sorry, but God does not need our defense of him.  Nor are there always explanations.  Suffering occurs because we are in a sin fallen world and we don't understand all of the repercussions of that.  What we can do is trust a sovereign God who is not unaware of our suffering.  A friend of mine lost a wife to brain cancer - his words ring out in my ear "do the next thing", he said.   In other words, take it a day at a time.

I find it interesting that God does not whitewash the foolish explanations of these men in Job.  Nor does God feel obligated to refute them at the end of the book.  All he says is "I am God and you are not".  God does not have to answer to us and nor does God have to explain everything to us.  We live with a very incomplete view and when we get to eternity, we will more fully appreciate how God uses human suffering to accomplish His purposes.  Fortunately, we do see Jesus and He identified 100% with our humanity and our suffering.   You want to see an example of suffering?  Look to Jesus.  You want to see suffering for good?  Look to Jesus.

The gospels record several incidences of Jesus weeping.  The first is when he observed the reaction to the death of Lazarus in John 11:35.  Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:4).  But yet He wept anyway.  The sting of death is still painful.  In His humanity, Jesus identified with the pain of death.  He didn't try to rationalize it or explain it and we shouldn't.

Human relationships are treasured by God and when they are cut short, it is painful.  The shortest verse in the Bible is all about the pain Jesus identified with the physical death of man and the temporary separation of human relationship.  John 11:38 says He was deeply moved again right before He raised Lazarus.  So God in human flesh still felt the pain of death even when He knew Lazarus would be healed. God still felt our pain even though He knew Lazarus would die again and he would be in fellowship with Jesus very shortly for all eternity.

When relationships are broken through death on this earth, it grieves God just like it grieves us.  We were born for relationships and when they are broken, it is painful.  No amount of logic can explain it or justify it.  It is what it is.  The good news is we know relationships with God in the center last forever and the reuniting with loved ones on the other side of eternity will be even more joyful.  Glory to God!

A Legacy of Physical and Spiritual Birth

My father-in-law, Donald Stephen Amsler went to be with his Lord and Savior Monday night, November 18, 2013.  The time he was in the hospital suffering from various ailments till the time he went home in eternity was less than 10 days.  Thus, we are still reeling by this loss but gratified to know that he loved Jesus and is now with him.  Debsue left a loving tribute on her blog.

Papa, as he was affectionately called by both his children and grandchildren, left a unique legacy.  I had the privilege of knowing him 30 years and here on my 54th birthday today, I am so thankful that I knew him more than half of my life.  I am still shocked that he is gone.  But I have had some time to ponder his unique legacy and the fact that he touched so many lives in so many different ways.  As a obstetrician-gynecologist, he brought literally thousands of babies into the world.  The weirdest experience I can recall is when we had our landscaper in Ohio working on a project.  His mother (who was his office manager) had stopped over to pick up some paperwork.  At the time, Papa and Mimi were visiting and they struck up a conversation.  She recollected that her son (mid 20's) was born in Hinsdale, IL where Papa practiced and that she thought the physician was from the same practice as Papa.  This prompted her to find the birth certificate where the attending physician was, guess who?  This prompted a typical Papa response that "Pete hadn't changed a bit".  

Papa had an all business attitude in medicine and in life.  He could be very intimidating to an insecure young 25 year old (which I think finally went away by say age 50).  He did not mean to be intimidating.  He just was one of those guys who knew practically everything and was almost always in charge.  I, on the other hand, held a deep knowledge of only a few things and the two things I knew virtually nothing about were medicine and home maintenance.  I am sure that was a frustration to him, especially home maintenance.  He sometimes would be frustrated by what was natural to him, but very foreign to me.  But over time, he seemed to accept my inabilities and developed a common conversation between us, usually centered on computers.  That seemed to fit his love of gadgetry and his desire to form a bond with his son-in-law.  He loved to tell me of every shareware product that he was aware of that did everything like make toast.  He assumed I knew all this stuff, but as usual he held more knowledge than the guy who worked in software.  But I greatly appreciated his desire to relate to me.

Debsue left a legacy to her dad on the airwaves a few years ago.  Bill Bennett articulated on his Morning in America show Deb's "prayer" for her dad.  


He was an intense man until the past 10 or so years as he slowed down to retirement.  Because he was used to being in charge, it was sometimes difficult for him to not accept something that did not fit his expectations.  There are a number of stories of him doing some things that were a tad embarrassing because he could not wait or because he expected some result that fell below his expectations.  Some of us manifest things in different ways and he didn't do these things because he felt he was better than others, but because he had this innate sense of taking charge.  He graduated high school at 16 and took charge every since.  This was perceived as a hard edge by some.

But there is no doubt that this man had a soft side and an empathetic side to him that only became more apparent as he got older.  He was incredibly supportive of my entrepreneurial bent including financially.  He was a very giving man who was constantly showering us as a young couple with gifts.  Early in my married life, I resented (believe it or not) his desire to give gifts.  Later in life, I came to take it for granted.  He passed on his gift giving to my kids, his grandchildren.  Two of our kids went to Wheaton College which was a stones throw away.  Papa was always there for them.  He watched out for them, supported them, and made them feel so loved.  When Bethany had her car issues last year, we did not hesitate to ask him and he immediately went and got her on the tollway.  No questions asked!

He had a wonderful sense of humor.  The running joke was whether we could make it through mealtime without eventually talking about or demonstrating air emanating from either orifice (I think it was all a medical enlightening to the accountant in the room).  His sense of humor was there all the way till the end of his life.  Debbie and I are so grateful that we got to see him last weekend as painful as it was.  He was in excruciating pain the last week of his life.  However, that did not stop his dry sense of humor.  When the doctor stopped in to see him, he asked who we were because he had not seen us.  So Deb introduced herself as "daughter" and I introduced myself as "son-in-law" and he felt compelled to introduce himself under an oxygen mask as "patient".   Another time he asked Mimi for a glass of water as she was cleaning out the phlegm that he had expended from a container.  Mimi asked him if he wanted warm or cold (meaning water) to which he said "boogers are always warm".

But I am most amazed by his faith.  We don't know all that is going on in a person and I have to admit that I have thought at points in time over 30 years that he had a shallow faith (never doubting his belief in Jesus).  I could not have been more wrong.  He was a man of very strong faith who passed on that legacy to his children and grandchildren.  People are now coming out of the woodwork because of how this man touched their lives.  Some of us are even more missed as when we depart this side of eternity.  I suspect that we will see much of the fruit that Papa bore on this earth when we talk to folks in heaven.  There is much behind the scenes that even now we are learning about.  Then finally, there is how much he is already missed.  I can't believe he is gone and I so much want one more chance to tell him how much I loved him and appreciated him.  My kids have done that for me on my birthday today and I wish I could tell him again.  But I will see him again and we will have a joyous reunion.

I remember two years ago Thanksgiving a Papa prayer.  I combed through the archives and found it and have reproduced it below.  It was very typical Papa - well thought through and from the heart.


Jesus asked Nicodemus about being "born again".  Nicodemus thought entirely of physical birth.  Don Amsler had a true perspective of the duality of physical and spiritual birth.  He got it and he lived it.  We are again reminded that life is brief and we only get one chance to get it right.  Our legacy is our motivation.  I am very confident that Jesus will be saying to Papa those words we all long to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant". 

Lessons From Job - Part 1

What a week!  First, my father-in-law was admitted to intensive care where he still is after nearly a week.  Second, my uncle and aunt were involved in a severe auto accident and my aunt sustained severe back injuries.  If that weren't all enough, the church where my uncle is a pastor sustained a damaging fire.  As we sit here today, my family is struggling.  We just returned from visiting my father-in-law and it was very sobering and emotional to see such a man who you associate with being so strong and in charge being so frail and helpless. 

I had just finished reading and studying the book of Job.  Normally, I have struggled with reading Job.  It seems to be endless in its back and forth.  It is also a problematic book.  How could God make a cosmic wager with Job?  But my latest foray into Job produced more insight than I have ever experienced before.  I asked God to show me insight into this complicated book.  I wrote down lessons as I went through and have captured a dozen or so that I would like to share with you over several blog posts. It is helpful to sit back from Job and look at it from a 30,000 foot view.

Job is the ultimate example of suffering
Job suffers more than we ever could and thus we could never be in a position than Job to complain to God.  Job lost the three "P's".  He had immense physical resources, which he lost suddenly.  He lost personal relationships with losing his family via tragedy and his friends by rebuke.  He lost his physical body.  Have you lost physical possessions?  Never more than Job.  Lose a close family member?  Job lost his whole family.  Had friends turn on you?  Not like Job.  Lose physical ability? Not more than Job.  I truly believe Job is as strong as it is so we can see a model sufferer, strange as that sounds.

I am very tempted to feel sorry for myself from time to time.  Why is God putting me through the ringer?  Then I see model sufferer - those who I think are suffering and enduring it with grace, not losing their love for Christ.  I even more respect my father-in-law having seen him suffer these past few days with grace and humility.  We saw evidence of his dry sense of humor.  Job is our model sufferer, one that we see coming through out of grace.  Can we suffer as well as Job?

It is ok to complain to God
Job complained and God listened.  I am so thankful for Job's complaints.  Much of the book of Psalms are complaints to God.  The complaints don't abandon the person's faith.  Job's faith in God remained, but he questioned why.  There is much we don't understand because we only see things this side of earth and even then, we can't fully understand what God is doing.  Perhaps there are things going on that we don't see like Job.  We are called to pray and trust.  Not sure how that works itself out, but it does.  God does not reject our complaining.  In the closing chapters of Job, God does not feel free to answer Job's complaints - instead He lays out the vast expanse of His knowledge and creative power.  But he doesn't reject those complaints.  I see heroes of the faith like Paul cry out in their suffering. 

In a strong relationship, there is mutual trust.  I feel 100% free to speak my mind to my wife (hasn't always been that way) and vice-versa. There is dialogue with God, not monologue.   Why do we get angry with our spouse? - because there is love.  Why do we get angry with God? - because there is love.  There couldn't be anger if there wasn't love to start with. 

Guilty of Fiery Hell

Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court and whoever says to his brother, "You good-for-nothing" shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says "You fool", shall be guilty enough to go to fiery hell.
Matthew 5:22

I love to bike ride and since we moved to Brecksville, I am in the biking version of heaven.  We live at the fulcrum of three park systems.  Hundreds of miles of bike paths all within 2-4 miles.  Normally, I don't wear my headphones when I bike ride as it is inhibits listening to traffic.  But if biking on a trail, I didn't see much risk.  So today I put on my headphones and was beep-bopping down the Summit County Bike-n-Hike trail to gospel music.  I was just praising God, occasionally lifting my hands up.  Then there it was ahead - my super pet peeve.  A group walking four across a path oblivious to the fact that a cyclist or even a runner might be passing them.  I feel my blood boil and usually I yell out "On your left" in a very defiant tone. 

So in the midst of my praise, I am yelling "On your left" and there was no movement.  So I yell again "On your left".  I have to slow down (which I hate because you know I am on a timer) to go around them.  So as I go around them, I mutter probably in a voice loud enough for them to hear "Idiot".  I no sooner than I get around them that I start to praise God again.

The Holy Spirit brought that verse to my mind. 

My Lord, how you redeem broken people! I am deeply broken and I know it.  If you knew half of my thoughts, you would never associate with me.  I lust, I crave, I envy, I despise even those closest to me.  I started praying recently that I wouldn't despise my wife.  Now I love my wife and it is zero she has done.  No, even better, I adore my wife.  She is cool beans.  It is me (sounds like a Dear John letter). 

We need to be continually reminded that God has rescued, redeemed us with the most precious gift imaginable, the gift of the broken body and shed blood of the Lord Jesus.  That carries a name - redemption.  And with redemption comes another name - sanctification.  It means that our sin is replaced by the presence of God's Holy Spirit within us.  Not through our own power but through His power. 

If you are not continually reminded of your depravity,  I am not sure you recognize the full power of the Gospel. 

Captain Phillips and African Pirates

Sorry for the long hiatus in blogging.  Sometimes time just gets away from us.  I certainly think frequently about blog topics and jot them down as I go through my day.  However, I definitely have a backlog of blog topics that would give me enough material for at least a year.  I am going to make it my end of the year resolution to be more consistent.  At least that is the intent.

DebSue and I went yesterday to see Captain Phillips.  It is a great movie - rivoting from about a third of the way in till the end.  I was particularly interested in how the movie might portray the pirates.  Would the movie treat them like savages with no real life and no real soul?  Surprisingly, the movie started with their tribal background.  The ringleader was rousted from sleeping and "urged" to go.  There is the youngest one who the film clearly portrays as one who probably shouldn't have been there.  In no way am I trying to justify what they did, but they were real people.

I am reminded of how little we in the west understand developing countries, and in particular Sub-Saharan Africa.  We lump Africa as one massive place together when it is many countries, each with their own identity.  We have been to Rwanda, Uganda, and Ghana, and they all were very different.  I have probably read every book on Rwanda and the complex situation leading up to the genocide of 1994.  How can we possibly imagine where 1/8 of a population is effectively wiped out?  Our daughter Meghan spent four months in Uganda so she was able to see the real deal up close.  It was real surreal to spend an evening with one of Meghan's host families sharing a meal in a small house with no electricity or running water.  But they were real people with real challenges. 

We have to remind ourselves that one third of the world lives on less than $2 a day and are in a daily battle for survival.  And yet some of the strongest Christians - totally sold out for Christ are living in these situations.  It is even harder to imagine a lawless country like Somalia and what occurs there.  There is a point in the movie where Tom Hanks asks the lead pirate why he chose to be a pirate; he indicated there was no other option.  Again, no justification for what they did, but understanding.  I think at the end of the move when three of the pirates were taken out that there was another loss and it wasn't just the excitement over the rescue.  In some way, our emotion was also one of sadness. 

I have to catch myself to say there is no one expendable.  God knows each of us by name and each one of us has value.  Enough value to cost God His Son. 

Decluttering - Simplifying

When we built our old house (interesting now that we are now one month out of the Aurora house, it is an old house), I really was intrigued by the concept of home automation.  So I engaged a company to not only wire our house, but implement whole house audio, video, cable, phone, security, and HVAC.  Further, they were all integrated so that we could literally place a phone call, punch a code and bring our lights down and set the temperature.  The alarm system was also integrated into the fire alarm so that if the alarm went off, it would fire off a phone call to the fire department (too many fires in that sentence).  No way to stop it if it is a false alarm.  Our phone system was an actual business system and our house had extensions. 

However, such a system had complexities.  We found we hardly used any of the features.  As far as the alarm went, we were almost scared to use it.  Can you spell DOG?  At the time the system was built, it was state of the art.  Twelve years later when we sold it, it was an albatross.  Phones that did not work were hard to replace.  We quickly reverted to wireless as the technology became very affordable. 

When we moved, it was a real relief to go back to simple.  The less stuff to worry about, the better.  The baggage of the whole automation system was not only cluttering, it was over-complicating our lives.  It is amazing that stuff that was meant to simplify actually complicates.  Now, I am a tech guy and I love technology.  I am a tech. entrepreneur after all.  But gadgets also can complicate our lives. 

It is amazing that the Lord of the universe walked this earth in the 1st century.  I wonder if Jesus walked the earth in our century, would He be carrying an iPhone or laptop.   I don't think Jesus is anti-technology.  The God who fashioned the complexity of the universe and the wonder of the human body certainly would appreciate the wonder of using technology.  The advances of the printing press meant mass distribution Bibles.  The advances of linguistic software has been used to put biblical text in many more languages.  But technology can fall into the "stuff" category and serve to complicate our lives.  I sometimes think a complete tech stuff break would be real refreshing. 

Worth Taking a Risk

The teams were tied 7-7 at the end of regulation.  Both teams missed chances during the first overtime.  In the second overtime, the Brecksville Bees scored a touchdown to go ahead 14-7.  The Hudson Explorers matched the score with their own touchdown to pull within 14-13.  The Hudson decided to go for two, a decision sure to be second guessed.  Kicking the extra point to force a third overtime was the safer bet.  Hudson pulled a trick play as the entire line went left and the pitch to the running back went to the right.  The running back ran for daylight to the end zone and a 15-14 victory.  The entire Hudson bench ran onto the field in celebration.  A hard fought game ended with the team executing on a risky play.  But as one of the Hudson players said, "we practiced that play over and over again and we knew it would work".

The life worth living involves risks.  We in this country particularly live for comfort.  Taking risks involves, well risks.  You have to put yourself out there.  I am especially reminded that the Christian life is one of risks.  Living for Jesus always means taking risks.  The world will not understand the impact of the exchanged life.  A life lived out of surrender is a life that will inevitably involve risks.  However, I was struck that the Hudson play was not a reckless risk, but one that was calculated.  It was expected to succeed.  What life is worth risking on this earth when measured in the perspective of eternity?  Can I truly live for Christ if I place my priorities on my own comfort?  I want to be sold out, ready to do whatever it takes in faith what God calls me to do.

I remember talking to a friend who was on the fence with Christianity.  I had lunch with him and I will never forget what he said.  He said he could not commit to Christ because he had a really good life and he was afraid that God would ask him to give it up and do something radical like move to Africa.  I tried to explain to him that God would never give him something he could not handle.  However, he would need to extend himself in faith because he loves Jesus.  A follower does that and trusts the result.  It is a measured, calculated risk worth taking.

I am studying with a group of Men, the book "Not a Fan" and the premise is based on this concept.  I don't want to be the fan on the sidelines watching the play.  I want to be a follower that lives out my faith completely sold out. 

Decluttering - Houses and Memories

These last two weeks have been just draining.  We married off a daughter on Friday, the 9th.  Then we spent the better part of last week packing up our house and moving to Brecksville.  Finally today we handed off the keys to the new owner of the Aurora house. 

The wedding was just incredibly joyful.  It was a sunny day which was quite a blessing considering it rained all week.  Here is a picture of me walking my baby girl down the aisle (I feel like singing Butterfly Kisses, but my kids don't like the song) and about to hand her to her new husband.  You can also see all of the Quigg girls in the second photo (The Three Little Quiggs as they were called in elementary school). 

 

Going back to the house bit, we had all of our girls at the house one final time.  We did see Bethany in here wedding dress come down the stairs.  She got ready in her old room.  All of the kids were here and it was a zoo.  But a fitting end to this chapter of our lives.

As the girls parted the house, I asked them to say their final goodbyes to our house in Aurora.  All of them shared that while they cherish the memories in that house, there was no special attachment to the physical dwelling.  Ashley decided she would take one final walk through the deep woods in the back, but the mosquitoes overrode her sense of nostalgia.  No crying, no regrets.  Chapter over, next chapter.  For them, they had already started their next chapter long before.  This stopped being their home long ago.  So maybe I was thinking too much attachment to the house.  All three girls are renting now so maybe a sense of ownership of a home isn't there anyway.  It is just a roof over our head.

So often we associate memories with physical things like a house.  We think it is the object when it is the moment, the relationship, the event.  We get together and we say "remember when".  Houses and objects can be preserved as memory bearers.  I remember how upset I was when in college my parents sold our house.  How could they?  But yet, I still remember those childhood places and they are permanently etched in my brain while I have physical life.  I still drive by our old house in Chagrin Falls where we lived for three years.  I remember catching salamanders in the woods behind the house.  I remember the farm next to Gurney elementary school.  I remember going to the corner gas station with my dime and getting a coke (yes, I am that old).  That house has long been gone, but the memories remain.  My brother when visiting for the wedding took a nostalgia trip to our childhood homes. 

We will greatly miss our house in Aurora and we loved living there for 13 years, but we were prepared to move on.  We didn't cling to staying there when we easily could have.  I found today that it was not nearly as tough for me to leave the house that we raised our kids in and we lived so long in. We took one final walk of the neighborhood we loved so much but with no regret.  I think we reached a great demarcation point to move on.  And move on, we did.  We will however always cling to the memories which never go away.  But the physical house now belongs to someone else and Debsue and I are really good with that.

One final note - the house was sold to a family with four young kids.  We took special joy in the fact that this house will now become a home for another young family. 

So we are preparing for new memories.  This home is our next launching off point until God tarries us elsewhere.  

De-cluttering - Part 1

These next two weeks are going to be really instrumental for Debsue and I.  We are marrying off a daughter on Friday and then moving the following week.  In one sense, it marks the end of an era.  Our kids are not not going to be living with us again (at least not likely) and they are off living their own lives.  It is time to make a change.  It will be such a kick to have all three girls home for the final time and I get choked up thinking that it will be the last time.  We get to see Bethany coming down the steps in her wedding dress in the home that she grew up in.  Then the next week (no time for real reflection), we move to our new home in Brecksville.

Brecksville marks a real change for us.  We are going from a large home to a much smaller cluster home.  We are going from nearly six acres to exactly one foot.  That's right, we only own the land under the house and one foot of land around the perimeter.  But it is within walking distance of downtown Brecksville, the Metro Parks, the library, and the community center.  We could have just taken a mini-version of what we have now, but we chose a more radical change; a lifestyle change. 

You see, we both want to de-clutter our lives.  We are finding ourselves giving things away and feeling liberated in the process.  We decided that there was just no room for a piano, but we knew some friends who were looking for a piano for their small children and couldn't afford a new one.  We gave away a whole bunch of stuff to charity.  It truly is freeing to be lighter and more nimble.  We still have a long way to go, but we are finding our lives going in the direction of simpler.  Are you going in the direction of simpler?  As Americans, we seem to live for complicated. 

Are you married to your possessions?  Jesus said to the rich young ruler to "go and sell all your possessions and come follow me".  Jesus knew this was the problem for the man.  He even asks him if he "wishes to be complete" he must do this.  Is Jesus saying we can't have possessions?  Of course not.  Wealthy women financed his ministry.  He was buried in a rich man's tomb.  And Mark had the upper room where he spent his last days.  But we can't be married to our possessions or they will possess us. 

We started our de-cluttering several years ago and I would estimate it will take a number of more years to get further.  But the quality of our lives and our relationships thus far is vastly improved.  I feel closer to the God who redeemed me and to the wife of my 28 years.  We look forward to this next phase of our lives as God readies us for wherever He leads us.  We pray that we will be light enough on our feet to be ready for this next mission. 

Are Chocolate and Faith Bumper Stickers?

If you drive around Cleveland long enough, you will see this symbol on the rear windshield or as bumper stickers.

 

I have to admit for a number of years, I wondered what this was.  It may have been intuitively obvious to many that it is the symbol for chocolate from Malley's chocolates.  And that is kind of what I thought it was, but then who would put a symbol for chocolate on their car?  It was not like a prestigious university or a son or daughter with excellent grades.  This is a conscious association with chocolate.  Now I love chocolate, but I am not sure I would say I love it enough to adorn my newly minted Prius with this affection.  The love apparently some people have for chocolate is worthy of a bumper sticker.  And it is not just a few, but many.  I see them everywhere.

What are people trying to say by this external adornment of an internal affection.  Are they saying "I love chocolate and I want you to love it too" or "there is no other dessert other than chocolate and you are an idiot if you say so".  The sticker leaves much to the imagination.  Chocolate is great, but what does it do for me?  The sticker leaves me hanging.  Sorry you Malley's chocolate lovers!

Sometimes I think my faith is like the CHOC bumper sticker.  I think people that know me generally know I love Jesus Christ but so what?  Or maybe I am just "religious".  What does that mean?  What difference does it make?  And this is where a lived life and a proclaimed life is what is necessary.  Am I living the lived life and am I proclaiming that it is the gospel that makes the difference?  In other words, there is a story behind the symbol that must be told.  In a world where the gospel story is the message for a world that needs to hear it (Jesus died for me, a sinner so that I can have life through and in Him), am I the bumper sticker that says nothing?  Help me to be diligent to present myself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed and handles accurately the eternal word of truth.

Friends, Family, and Freedom

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays.  There are lots of things that make it special.  One is it is a warm weather holiday and I love warm weather.  Secondly, it is full of family and friend get-togethers.  One of our favorite recent traditions (Debsue and I) is to attend Blossom and the inaugural Cleveland Orchestra season debut.  This year was no exception as we attended on Wednesday night.  Third and most importantly, it reminds us of the freedom we have in this country.  There are many places in this world where they do not have the freedom that we have in the USA (how would you like to be in Egypt now as they wrestle with those freedoms?).  Freedom that many men and women died for.  We need a day like Independence Day to remind us of this.  So it is not just a day off, but one to remind us of the sacrifice of freedom.  I took this video at Blossom to encompass what is best about this day. 

Known as a Dad

He was a very accomplished individual. A partner with a private equity firm, former CEO of a public company, and a CPA. He was very active in multiple boards and was on the Board of Regents of Pepperdine University. Yet I just knew Mark Kirk as Allie Kirk's dad and he was a good one at that. My daughter Bethany and Allie are close friends having gone to school together at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Mark passed into the presence of the Father this past week. It is fitting that the memorial service is on Father's Day because that was really Mark's major accomplishment. As a business guy, I want to be successful and make my mark in the world. However, that pales by comparison to my primary role on this earth as husband and father.

I remember going to pick up Bethany at the Kirk house (usually after some sleepover) and seeing how Mark interacted with his kids. By every account, he was a great father. I also have an image of passing Mark and his wife Robin on my way to work simply holding hands while walking in Hudson. It is interesting that while I did not know Mark very well, I knew him well enough; yet did not realize how accomplished he really was until reading his obituary. I knew him simply as Allie's Dad. But then that really is the highest calling.

The other thing I knew about Mark Kirk was that he had a relationship with Jesus Christ. That, he openly stated and that he lived. So it is comforting to know that he has passed out of this life but is in the presence of his Lord and Saviour. He had a relationship with his "Abba Father", the intimate word the Scriptures use for Daddy. On Father's Day we celebrate that he is united with his Daddy. Dad is the ultimate accomplishment.

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Leadership Cleveland Class of 2013

I must admit that I was initially very intimidated.  I was accepted into the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2013 a year ago.  What I knew about LC was that it was a great experience and lifelong relationships were formed.  Once I found out who was in this year's class, I was even more intimidated.  Executive of Cleveland City Schools, Executive Director of United Way, Chief Admin Officer for Westfield Group, Chief Operating Officer at Sherwin Williams were some of the people in this year's class.  What I found out is that they intentionally put a variety of people from different areas such as corporate, non-profits, education, government, and small business (e.g. me).  There were 69 of us and we were the 35th class for LC. 

They put us together for a retreat right away in August and that broke the ice very quickly.   You get to know people pretty quickly when you are on their team for tug-of-war.  We were the Green Team.  Each month then we would have sessions focusing on a particular theme.  For example, Education, Quality of Life, and Economic Development.  I learned a lot about our city.  Yes, it has issues, but it is truly a great city and there is a lot going on right now.  I am also particularly proud that our classmate, Eric Gordon is leading a renaissance for Cleveland Schools.  Eric is a humble guy who has a passion for these kids.

Our end of year retreat was a visit to Nashville.  We learned about an up and coming city, but I think it also made us realize that we have similar assets here in Cleveland.  I am particularly proud to live in this great city and region.  But I think that the best part of Leadership Cleveland was the friendships that I built, friendships that will extend well beyond our class year.  Our class has adopted a mission of lakefront development and revitalization of the downtown corridor.  We also will continue to support the plan for Cleveland schools.

P.S. The picture above was by Hidden Moments (wife Debbie's photo biz).

Broken Spokes

Yesterday, I took my bike into the bike store. I had two broken spokes on the rear wheel. The young man who was obviously much more knowledgeable on bikes than I am asked me how long I had been riding on the broken spokes. I said "much of last year on the one and a few weeks on the second one". He kind of grimaced and said "Oh, that is not good". I asked him why. He said that when a spoke goes, the rest of the wheel takes the added pressure of the damaged spoke so that you could very much damage the wheel if you continue to ride the bike. Point taken, my damaged spoke was inflicting stress on the rest of the wheel and now the potential damage is much greater.

How much my broken spoke reminds me of the effect my sin has. My sin may seem like just a little broken spoke, but it has the potential to damage me, my relationship with God, my relationship with my wife, my co-workers, etc. Yes, we all sin, but the cavalier attitude we have towards sin is like my cavalier attitude towards my broken spoke. I did put duct tape on the spoke after all. We need to take a hard-line towards sin and deal with it right away as I should have done with my broken spokes. If we don't, we have the potential to inflict damage to the wheel.

 

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Power and the Prius

This blog is a continuation of my reflections of navigating from the power of German engineering contained in my BMW to my Prius C. I have noticed that I drive much more slowly and cautiously. When I had the BMW, I tended to drive aggressively because I had the power. Others may not have had the power but that did not matter. I tended to tailgate. When I got the Prius, I did not have that power and so I was much more cautious. Since the Prius goes from zero to sixty in about an hour, I found I needed to give a little more lead time when pulling out into traffic. I even noticed that my BMW had a manly horn the reflected the power. I am almost ashamed to honk my Prius horn. It sounds like someone is making an apology.

Another weird side note from my Prius conversion is it is actually more economical for me to drive slower. I am equal opportunity power-cheap person. So I am willing to sacrifice power in the name of fuel efficiency. My primary metric for driving to the office shifted from time (power) to mpg (economics). I would brag to my wife that I got to the office in 26.5 minutes vs. the 27 it took me yesterday. Now, I say that I got 67 MPG to get to the office. Of course, it took me 30 extra minutes to get there. Cheapness trumped power.

I don't want to over-spiritualize this conversion from power, but God knows just how much power we can handle. Some of us don't handle power well. We lord it over people, we abuse people, we demean people. Some of us can handle power well. God is an expert when it comes to knowing our power limits. A guy like Nebuchednezzar comes to mind. The Bible tells us in Daniel 4 that God literally yanked his human mind out and replaced it with an animal mind. What was the reason - his lack of understanding of his power. In 4:30-31, the king is reflecting on his power and admiring himself when God pulls his power "while the word was still in the king's mouth". Fortunately for the king, he realized after seven years and "he lifted his eyes to the heavens". His power was restored to him.

For me, it comes to converting power to responsibility. If I say I am the CEO of a company in context of power, I am in big trouble. If I say I am the CEO of a company in the context of responsibility, I am much more inclined to act and operate accordingly. I feel a sense of stewardship and accountability before God and our team. I am still prone to BMW type power pushes and pride is always standing at the door. However, I know that God will periodically remind me of my numerous human frailties and how I must daily depend on Him in the context of responsibility.

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Rescued at Last

We all in Cleveland are amazed at the news last night that Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michele Knight were found after 10 years of being missing. What a joy for the family members that these women (children at the time) that once were lost are now found. They were drawn out of a literal slavery and are restored to their right familial relationships.

I am reminded by the fact that each of us were slaves to sin and our Heavenly Father desperately seeks to rescue us from this slavery and restore us to a rightful family relationship with Him. He doesn't give up searching and desiring for us to come home to Him. God is both our Father and our rescuer by providing the means to come to our rescue through His Son Jesus Christ. Imagine if these women had the rescuer present but did not call out for help. They would still be in slavery. We can cry out and ask for this rescue in the name of Christ and God has indeed promised He will rescue us. And it will be a joyful reunion when we come home.

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The Non-Owner Perspective

My wife and I buy cars infrequently and almost inevitably get over 100,000 miles on our cars.  So my car, a 2005 BMW X3 was at that stage with 118,000 miles where virtually everything was going wrong.  I drove all winter on bald tires constantly fighting the need to replace them because they were "high performance" tires that cost $1500 or so a set.  I also had some electrical issues and I drove all last summer with the air conditioning not working.  Why put myself through all this pain?  Because I know every BMW repair is at least $1,000 and we just could not afford it.  I finally reached a point last week however where I could no longer coax any more miles from "Fonzie" (we name all of our cars).  I knew we were coming to that point and we finally had a little money to actually deal with car problem. 

My attitude towards cars has changed substantially.  I now view cars as basic transportation.  While I don't think I bought the BMW ("Beamer") as a status symbol, I think I certainly enjoyed the status.  Thus, my trade-in car is (drum roll please) a Toyota Prius C and a bright red one to boot.  I guess I am confident in my manhood when people tell me I now drive a "cute" car.  I actually enjoy this car - it is fun to drive and it gets 50 MPG.  Now, unlike the Beamer, it goes from 0-60 in an hour so I have to be a little more careful about when I pull out in an intersection or pass someone on a freeway.  It is definitely an adjustment from the German engineering. 

I just finished an abstract of Dan Ariely's book Predictably Irrational.  In it, he talks about the High Price of Ownership.  He talks about the ongoing temptation to improve the quality of our lives by buying "stuff".  Debsue and I certainly have gone through that phase of our lives.  The cure to the problem of ownership according to Ariely is to view things as a "non-owner" and putting some distance between yourself and the item of interest. 

I can only think that biblically, this concept is spot-on.  God is not opposed to possessions.  But the problem is when these things possess us, not when we possess them.  Are we prepared to give up what we own on this earth?  Matthew 6:19-21 says "we are not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  But instead up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal".  There are only two things that have eternal value - people and God's word.  There are no U-Hauls going to heaven.  The non-owner sees himself as stewards with what God has given him.  I can honestly see that truth as I struggle to live it.  Even now, the non-owner was playing with all of the little gadgets in his Prius this afternoon. 

So the next time you see me driving my "cute" Prius, just remember it is really not mine.  God has given it to me to manage to get from here to there as a non-owner.  I may even let you ride in it.

Brothers

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

We celebrated Resurrection Sunday with our two daughters and Son-in-Law at the Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, IL. Incredibly joyful and worshipful. It is so good to be part of the body of Christ.

A few weeks ago, I was attending the installment of my brother as head of nephrology at University of Buffalo. I am so proud of my brother. He has overcome a lot. We got to hear him speak - 98% of it was over my head. Very medically techy. We then went to the President's house for an incredible steak dinner. During the awards ceremony, several people came up to me mistakingly and started talking to me like I had medical knowledge or that they had met me before. It became apparent that they mistook me for my brother. It took a few seconds, but we both came to the realization that I was not my brother. There was a physical resemblance that caused them to think I was my brother. But it would not have taken long for them to realize I was not him.

That same week, I finished a two year commitment with 13 other guys called CLC (Christian Leadership Concepts). We met every week at 6:00 AM to study the bible, fellowship, and lift each other up in prayer. I have never gotten to know a group of guys better than I have those guys. They were truly my spiritual brothers. We have gone through much together even over two years. I would not hesitate to contact any of them. We range in age from mid 20's to 81. We have various occupations. We have varying hobbies. None of us would likely join together in some kind of group. There is nothing obvious that we have in common. What we have in common is the bond of Christ - a common faith in who Christ is and what He has done for us. We are truly brothers.

Brothers in Christ are something other-wordly, supernatural. Today at the Sunday Easter Service, we were part of a broader family, a family that has an instant bond. Even though we were with our physical family, our spiritual family was so much deeper. The fact we were worshipping with both was even more meaningful. Christ is risen for you, for me and because of that, we are a family.

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The Difference Between Success and Failure is so Small

Last week I was supposed to guest teach a class at a library down in Canton.  I wrote the address as XX Market St., N Canton, OH.  Because I am a techie guy, I plugged the address into my GPS.  It became pretty apparent that there was no library at this address in North Canton.  As I am wandering aimlessly in North Canton, I call my source of all knowledge, my wife.  She tells me the address is XX Market St. N., Canton, OH.  In other words, my comma was off simply one position, but I was 6 miles from my intended target.  So I walked into the class half hour late.

This little slip-up reminds me that the difference between succeeding and failing is so small.  One wrong decision, even innocently, can have disastrous circumstances.  However, more often than not we stretch the limit, playing the fringes of ethics and morality.  I have to remind myself that if I am lying, even a small lie, it will lead to big lies later.  I have to be vigilant to prevent this from happening.  My flawed, sinful character makes slippage more likely than doing the right thing.  It is not wrong to pray to my heavenly Father and acknowledge my potential for waywardness and ask that He provide me His wisdom through His Holy Spirit.  And that is what I do regularly.  I also confess it and repent when I do go wayward.  I call it for what it is which is the difference between repentance and regret.  True repentance seeks restoration where regret is sorry for the consequences only.  I know every time I sin I am damaging a relationship.  It could be a vertical relationship with Lord and/or damaging a relationship with a friend or brother.  I need to be prepared to accept consequences always for doing the right thing. 

Going back to my simple illustration, my GPS represents the world.  The GPS directed me down the wrong path given the wrong set of inputs.  There are all sorts of justification for wrong behavior when dictated by the world.  We can justify just about anything.  It is called situational ethics.  Everyone else is doing it.  It is necessary to be successful.  Am I willing to base my decisions on a True North (biblical) set of principles?  In my example, I did not really check it out in advance - I just blindly followed the GPS instructions.  How easy it is to this in business and life.  We have to be diligent.  

Just One

When I worked for Merge Healthcare, I regularly made the trek from Cleveland to Milwaukee.  I made the trip so often that I pretty much got the same flights each time.  The evening flight choices were an afternoon flight at around 4:30 and one around 8:00.  Because I was such a dedicated employee, I usually always took the last one out.  I gave a friend of mine who made the same commute grief because he always took the earlier flight.  The problem was that the last flight out came from Newark so it was perpetually late.  If you have ever flown in and out of Newark, that would not surprise you. 

One particular evening, I got to the airport around 5:30 and found out that the 8:00 flight was going to be at least two hours late.  All of the people that were on that flight were able to get out early on the 4:30 flight.  So here I was, the only one on this flight.  I inquired if they would cancel the flight and they said that the crew and plane had to be in Cleveland anyway as Cleveland is a Continental (now United) hub.  So I was faced with the dubious honor of being the only passenger on a regional jet. 

Now even though I knew that Continental was not going to great lengths to accommodate me.  They would have flown an empty plane.  But that did not stop me from feeling like a big shot.  It was a very weird feeling sitting in that plane by myself.  Extra peanuts please!  I know that scenario will likely never be repeated in my lifetime unless I somehow actually become a big shot.

That story reminds in some small way of the great lengths that God goes to woo us, seek us out, redeem us, forgive us, sanctify us.  In Matthew 8, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee in the midst of a fierce storm to the Gentile region of the Gadarenes.  There were two demon possessed, violent men who met him when he got there.  Hardly a welcoming committee!  Verse 29 tells us that Jesus was there to transact business with these men.  The suggestion is that the Lord God in flesh made a special trip to redeem these men.  He cast out the demons from them and allowed the demons to enter a herd of swine.  When the swine rushed down a steep bank and drowned, the people implored him to leave and so he gets back on the boat to go back across the sea.  As a friend of mine once said, he "got in, got the job done, then got out". 

Many times Jesus altered his plan to seek out a single individual.  This must have frustrated the disciples.  Redemption from Rome was the larger issue to them.  But the redemption of man was Jesus' larger mission.  In order to achieve that mission, individuals matter.  I cannot personally believe that the God would seek me out and personally desire a relationship with me.  I mean the universe must have some bigger issue than what God is faced with my petty problems.  But He does seek me out and He does seek you out.  I absolutely believe that every day of my life.

I don't think God is passively waiting for us either.  In the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 14, the father sees the son a "long way off" and runs to meet him.  The suggestion is that the father was looking for his son each and every day and couldn't wait for him to return.  He violated every social norm and runs with bare legs exposed to embrace his wandering son.  I cannot imagine Continental holding that jet waiting for me to show up or the captain running to meet me when I decided to show up for my flight.

One more example.  I used to tell my kids when they were little that we sought them and if they were the only ones on the earth, we would seek them out.  Very reassuring for a little child.  The truth however (I can say this now, they are older) is that we and they had no choice.  We were stuck with them and they with us.  However, adoption is different.  When you adopt a child, you are actually seeking them out and making a decision to take them.  Many adopting parents go across the ocean and put up with lots of red tape to find their child.  I am so glad adoption is the model of the child of God (Rom 8:15, 8:23, 9:4, Gal 4:5, Eph 1:5).  He is not stuck with me - he seeks me out and I truly believe that if I were the only one on this earth, He would still go to great lengths to adopt me into His family.  

Looking for a BHAG

Jim Collins as far as I know coined the term BHAG which stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal in Good to Great.  He describes it as a huge and daunting goal - like a big mountain to climb.  It is clear and compelling and people get it right away.  A BHAG can serve as a focal point, galvanizing people and creating a team spirit as people move towards a finish line. 

I am living through one potential BHAG in business right now with our new software product due to launch next quarter.  I am part of this years class of Leadership Cleveland and we are framing a big vision to change our city.   Pat Morley has kind of put a different spin on BHAG and called it a Big Holy Audacious Goal.  Someone once defined prayer as "finding out what God is doing and getting in on it".  I kind of feel that way about our church - our pastor Joe Coffey is exceptional at framing a vision and communicating it to the congregation.  In my CLC group, we are in the last session on Reforming Our Communities which is all about making a difference in our region.

I am firmly convinced that people want to be part of something big.  No one wants to go through the motions day in and day out.  People want to know that what they are doing is making a difference.  When I was at Merge, we had regular conference calls with the CEO and in each conference call, he would lead off with how we did financially the previous quarter.  As a public company, he felt that was the most thing.  Nobody rallies behind financial numbers.  They are the measurement of performance, but not the motivator.  People not only want to make a difference, but they want to make an impact.  An impact is something dramatic, something of a higher plane.  If people think that what they are doing is making an impact, they will endure all sorts of opposition.  On the other hand, I have encountered people that are not part of a vision and are going through the motions.  They might be even well off, but they tend to be miserable.  The one year I worked in a "real job" I was miserable.  I have to be part of something I perceive to be great. 

God wants something great.  In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus describes a plentiful harvest with too few workers.  In John 4:35, he talks about the fields that are ripe for harvest.  This is the BHAG that he wants each of us in on.  It is changing our neighborhood, our city, our region, our state, our country, our world.  Kingdom impact is a BHAG.  It is finding out what God is doing and getting in on it.  I am convinced that God is doing something big in my life and in the city of Cleveland.  I don't know specifics, but I want in on it.  Each of us wants just such a mission.

Stretch Goals

I am a chronic planner.  Most of my planning is looking ahead 90 days and then usually out to a year.  But I always picture the long-term perspective in our businesses.  It is kind of like seeing yourself in the car of your choice driving down the freeway.  It is that long-term perspective of the future that helps dictate what happens in the short term.  We are building a new business, Public Insight Corporation that is a potential game changer that looks at public data from an outcome based perspective.  If we didn't have the long term perspective, it would be hard to know what to do in the short-term.  We make short pithy statements that help us determine what we are or aren't.  For example, we say "we are not public policy experts" or "we are not the gatekeeper to the data' to help us stay on the long-term track.  We are also fond of establishing BHAG objectives which stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goals.  These are things that are the broader vision of where we ultimately want to be.  In this case, we visualize Public Insight as being the platform of choice for all state and local public analysis.  Pretty broad goals.

We sometimes establish "stretch" goals which are those goals that require us to really stretch to the limits of our potential.  A stretch goal is your ultimate reach that gets you going towards the BHAG.  I have always admired leaders that could see a longer term vision in their head and then execute towards it.  I don't consider myself a particularly strong visionary - I am more of a tactician, but I do find myself more and more thinking of what the potential might be.  Then as we execute towards the BHAG, we typically find ourselves making little detours along the way.  Entrepreneurship experts call those pivots.  The average successful entrepreneur pivots 1-2 times where as the unsuccessful entrepreneur pivots not at all or more than 2 times.  The message here is that detours happen - it is what you do with them that determine the success of your business.  If you ignore them, you will fail.  If you adjust too much like a bottle in the sea, you will also fail. 

So what is the spiritual message here?  God always has in mind for us a BHAG that always entails a series of stretch goals.  When God looks at you and me, He sees all of what we could be in Christ. He stretches us through trials.  James says to "consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).  Completeness is God's BHAG, but it will never be without trials and pain.  These are the pivots that we experience in daily life.  Jesus says "to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect".  That is the ultimate stretch BHAG.  I stumble often in my Christian walk.  The journey is often laden with potholes that line my path.  I know these pivots are maturing me, stretching me. 

I have to work out at least 3 times a week.  There are many times I don't feel like working out, but I do anyway.  Of course there are times when I should and I don't but that is another story.  I have never once regretted working out after I was done.  My 53 year old body is stronger and is able to help strengthen me against the natural causes of aging (aging always wins however).  If I was a perpetual couch potato, I would not be able to withstand any physical vigor.  Getting on my bike in the summertime would not be a pleasant experience.  Playing left field on my baseball team would feel like running in quicksand.  I am extremely grateful for God's workouts, but I sometimes hate them when they are happening.  I look back however very thankful for the stretching and maturing they are in my life while preparing me for the BHAG that I hope is around the corner.  Not sure when - took Moses 40 years, but I am going to be faithful in the process.  My prayer is that there is no trial that disqualifies me.