A walk through the yellow pages

May it never be said that it takes much to entertain me.  That’s why when my brother or sister and I get together we can sit around a table and laugh hysterically while the rest of our families wonder how strange our childhood must have really been.

A few days ago Kelly and I headed off to northern Michigan for a few days of much needed R&R.  We didn’t have much planned – just a few days to hang out, relax, read some books, play some games, get some sleep, and visit the local coffee shop (Kelly’s idea).  It was a great plan – and it went quite well, but then I found myself paging through the local phone book of Manistee, Michigan – for what reason I have no idea other than that I was tired of playing games, reading books and relaxing.

As I was thumbing through the yellow pages, it happened.  I started laughing.  I was reading the headings at the top telling what the first and last businesses listed on each page were – and I hyphenated the two words, and well, I found myself amused.  But think about some of these business possibilities for a minute…

• concrete-consignment:  sure, you’re done with it, but don’t throw it away – someone might pay for your used concrete
• chiropractic-churches:  the ultimate holistic approach
• mold-motels:  I think I stayed in one of these once in Sandusky, Ohio
• pregnancy-publishers:  when you want everyone to know, they’ll get the word out
• kitchen-landfills:  otherwise known as left-overs
• drug-entertainers:  is this even legal?
• toilet-towing:  it makes sense, especially if you can’t drive it to the shop for repairs
• children-compressors:  are your kids getting too big? Or just too big for their britches?  These people can help!
• septic-sprinklers:  this is simply recycling gone way too far

I told you, it doesn’t take much.  And remember, the next time you get bored – just let your fingers do the walking.

Customer Service

Recently our hospice team watched a webinar on the subject of customer service.  The guy teaching it ( Bryan Williams) was in charge of the guest relations department for the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain for years before going into business as an independent consultant.  His material was really good, so I started writing notes -  not so much because I thought it would be helpful in the hospice world, but because I thought it might be helpful in the church ministry world.

From my (random) notes:

• The golden rule says treat others the way you want to be treated.
• The platinum rule says treat others the way they want to be treated.
• The double platinum rule says treat others the way they don’t even know they want to be treated.
• Remember the 10′/4′ rule.  Anyone with in 10′ of you should always be acknowledged.  Anyone within 4′ of you should be engaged.
• Recognize the difference between function and purpose.  Function is what you do; purpose is why you do it.  Make sure your team knows the purpose.
• There are four basic steps of service: 1] a warm welcome using the person’s name,  2]  complying with wishes / anticipating needs, 3]  offering additional assistance, and 4] a gracious farewell.
• Whatever you focus on improves.
• Invest where the improvement comes the easiest.
• Always give your team appreciation.  Without it they quit and leave.  Worse yet, sometimes they quit and stay.
• Always get the input of your team.
• Take advantage of every touch point.  Make deposits and not withdrawals.

An Easter story

My story goes back more than 15 years, though in many ways it seems like it just happened yesterday.  It happened on this same Saturday – the one between Good Friday and Easter – when I was officiating a basketball game for some high school guys in the church gym.  We were several minutes into the game when one of the players cut through the lane and got pushed.  I called the foul – but the player fell to the ground.  At first we all thought that he was goofing around, making the foul seem worse than it actually was.  But then I realized he wasn’t acting.  He was struggling for breath.  In the next few seconds his body went rigid, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he started convulsing.

I immediately called for help, and the coaches came running.  But by the time they reached the player, he was no longer breathing.  Someone ran to call 911 while the coach tried to administer CPR.  Within minutes the paramedics arrived and the boy was rushed to the hospital – but he never regained consciousness.  He was gone.

We were stunned and shaken.  Things like that aren’t supposed to happen to healthy, athletic sixteen-year-olds.    But it did.  As I stood there in disbelief, it was if someone started whispering in the back of my mind.  I can still hear it today as I did back then.  “He is not here, for He is risen.” It was the words the followers of Jesus heard when they went to the tomb on Easter morning.  And it was those same words that I was hearing.  Maybe I was hearing those words because Easter was the next day.  Or maybe I was hearing those words for a different reason.

A few days later the viewing was held for Quincy, the young man who died.   Literally hundreds of teenagers filled the church auditorium where he lay.  And then his cousin stood up to speak.   With a clear voice she told of the day that she and Quincy had stood on the back porch of their house and Quincy had trusted Christ.

“He is not here for He has risen.”

That was the whisper.  Now I knew.  Quincy was no longer lying on that floor.  He had risen.  He had risen because Jesus had risen – and he had Jesus.

That is the story of Easter.  Death, as heart-wrenching as it was in that instance and still is, is not the end.  It is merely the beginning – because 2000 years earlier Jesus defeated death.  He walked away from the tomb and gave hope to us all.

“He is not here for He is risen.”

It’s a ‘dogs life for me

Just in case you’re wondering, I’ll be cheering for the Butler Bulldogs this Saturday.  And just to stay in keeping with the Final Four idea, let me give you four reasons why.

1.  They’re from Indiana.  This is not a team recruited from across the nation – this is a team of home-grown talent.  That’s right, ten of the players on the roster played their high school ball in the Hoosier state.  And why does that matter?  Because for 33 years I lived in Indiana, and I’m still a Hoosier at heart.

2.  They’re the underdogs.  I know that some people are favoring them against Michigan State, but let’s be for real.  MSU is the 8th largest university in the US with a student population of over 45,000 while Butler boasts a student body of 4,500.   That extra zero makes a big difference.  We’re talking David vs. Goliath here.

3.  They’re a team.  And basketball is still a team game.   Basketball’s not just about talent – it’s about  fundamentals, it’s about playing smart, it’s about making the extra pass, it’s about working for the good shot, it’s about blocking out, it’s about making the people around you better – and yes, it’s about playing good defense. (When you play pick-up games in Indiana, there is no such thing as “make it; take it.”  When you score, you have to earn the ball back.)

4.  There’s no reason to cheer against them.  Duke – you get all the calls.  Michigan State – you’ve been to more than your fair share of Final Fours.  West Virginia – your coach has some major question marks floating above his head (I would give your team props, though, for taking out Kentucky – remember, I’m from Indiana).  Butler – there’s nothing bad to say.

So it’s the Bulldogs life for me.

Hanging Tough

My Dad sent the following out in his daily email.  It’s his list of things to do when you are facing tough times.  I thought it was worth copying and passing along.

1. Recommit to the will of God. God is sovereign and in control.  Your resistance to God’s will isn’t going to change anything.  Your resistance will only make things worse.  You’ll find most peace in settling the issue of surrender at the outset of your problems.

2. Recognize God as your ultimate source. Everything finally issues back to Him.  He can do for you what no one else can do.  Best to turn to Him for His help before anyone / thing else.

3. Focus on the promises of God. Keep a list of them.  Be sure they pertain to your situation.  Keep them constantly before you.  Be specific in regard to prayer requests.  Make prayer lists and mark off answers.  Nothing encourages like seeing God’s hand at work. Don’t be afraid to ask God for anything.

4. Keep a long-range view in regard to God. Realize anew just Who God is.  Remember His long-term dealings in your life.  Remember other times when He cared for similar (or more serious) situations.  Realize that He has long-range plans and sees the end from the beginning.  Don’t give in to the feelings that God doesn’t know what is going on in your life.

5.  Look for blessings God sends in the midst of the trials. There are few things more encouraging than to know that God is at work in a situation.  Try to find ways in which God is working in your behalf.

6.  Keep your life in focus – maintain outside interests. Don’t allow your trial to consume you.  Keep other interests in life as an alternative focus.  Don’t allow your trials to destroy your relationships.

7.  Don’t allow your mind to make things worse than they are. Most of us can create monsters where none exist.  Few things in life are ever as bad as they could be or as they seem as if they will be.  Thought control is difficult, but it is possible.

8. Don’t allow yourself to ask questions to which you know you have no answers (or that have no answers). There are answers to every question, but God has chosen not to give us some of them now.  Asking unanswerable questions only leads to mental frustration.  Time may give some answers; the Lord will give the rest.

9.  Do everything in your power to attack the situation. Take whatever practical steps you can toward a solution.  Don’t allow the size of a situation to keep you from doing what you are able to do about it.  The activity involved in doing what you can about a situation tends to be therapeutic.

10.  Find a friend in whom you can confide. Seek someone who is a willing listener but who will not reinforce your negative emotions.  Be sure your confidant in confidential.  Don’t be afraid of transparency.

11.  Keep some things before you as goals, etc. Don’t lose interest in life in general.  Keep some things in front of you that you would yet like to accomplish.  Develop your goals, especially mentally, as they will encourage you to keep on going.

12.  Refuse to quit or to turn on the Lord. It is always too soon to quit when God in involved.  Turning on the Lord never benefits anyone (it actually will hurt those who are around you).   Resolve with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

This date in history

January 20 has been a big day.

• In 1892, the first basketball game was played in Springfield, Massachusetts
• In 1954, the coldest temperature ever in the lower 48 states was recorded in Rogers Pass, Montana (-70)
• In 1981, the 52 Americans who had been held captive for 444 days were released
• In 1986, the first Martin Luther King day was celebrated
• In 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first minority US president

• And in 1978, Brent Wood played 7 seconds in a JV basketball game

That’s right, I still remember the date – and there’s a good reason why, but I have to tell you the story first.  In 1978 I was in 9th grade.   And I was small – like extremely small.  When I started school that year I was all of 4’9″  – about the height of your average kitchen trash can.  But I liked to play basketball.  Unfortunately, what I lacked in size I made up for in lack of ability.  I wasn’t very good, and I didn’t get to play very much.

Until my big break came.  Report cards came out, and while I didn’t do much on the court, I did do pretty well in the classroom – unlike several of my teammates who were declared ineligible.  The coach gave me the news – I would be starting at point guard the next night.  I was elated – and went home and told my parents who promptly decided to drive about  two hours to attend the big event.

The game started, and there I was on the court in my much-too-large jersy and short shorts.  The other team won the tip and went down and scored.  The ball was inbounded to me, and I started up the court.  But awaiting me was a half-court trap.  I’d never faced one before.  Know that little fact, the coach called a timeout.  And took me out of the game.  And I never went back in.  I still remember at halftime limping off the court because I was hoping people would think that I got hurt and that’s why I couldn’t play.

That night I went home and read my Bible.  And I came across this verse in Proverbs 20:24.

“A man’s steps are directed by the Lord.  How then can anyone understand his way?”

I still remember thinking that verse probably applied to playing time, too.

You don’t need to feel sorry for me, because I had a lot of good takeaways from that night.

1. I ended up becoming a basketball coach and I was always careful not to embarrass a player with a few seconds of playing time.
2. I learned that God’s Word can speak into your heart at just the right moment, even if you are only 14 years old.
3. I am reminded that teenagers are a pretty insecure and sensitive lot – and not very confident.
4. I still can go back to that verse.  When things don’t work out like I think they should, I can take comfort in the fact that God is still is in control – even 32 years later.

So January 20 is a big date for me in history – because when I got home that night, God was waiting for me.

If I heard him say it once…

… I heard him say it a thousand times.  These are some of the things that I heard my dad say over and over again while I was growing up.  They are now as much a part of my DNA as the genes he passed on to me.

• “It’s never right to do wrong to get a chance to do right.”

• “There’s a solution to every problem.”

• “You can never outgive God.”

• “People are more important than things.”

• “You can always afford to be gracious.”

That gets me thinking about the things that I hope my son will repeat some day.  These are a few that come to mind.

• “You can’t make bad choices and end up in good places.”

• “You are the person you are right now because that is who you have chosen to be.”

• “Treat others on the basis of who you are, not who they are.”

• “The most important thing in life is to love God with all of your heart.”

• “Don’t be afraid of hard things.”

What should I add to my list?  What are the things your parents always said?  What are the sayings of yours that you hope your kids will repeat someday?

I’d love to hear what you’ve got.

The missing generation

I was riding through some Detroit neighborhoods the other day with a person who grew up in the area.  Every block had abandoned homes – some of them boarded up, some of them burned out, some of them with broken windows where looters had broken in to try to find anything of value.  No one is buying houses in these areas.  Some people are hanging on because they can’t afford to go elsewhere.  Others have just abandoned homes and hope and moved out.

Her opinion on the situation interested me since she had observed a lot of the decline first hand:  “We lost a generation,”  she said.  She mentioned how back thirty years ago drugs started taking over the neighborhoods, and in the process a generation of youth was lost.  And the neighborhoods never recovered.  Worse, every generation since has only added to the demise since that is the only culture they know.

While you could probably debate and uncover many other factors that were involved, her perspective is interesting.  And transferable.

Christianity is supposed to be next generational.  That’s the thought when Paul tells Timothy

“And the things that you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who  will also be qualified to teach others.”  (2 Timothy 2:2)

It’s always about the next generation.  The next generation of believers.  The next generation of the church.  It’s about passing the faith along – and making sure that the community of believers stays strong.

Church should never be about you – what you like, what you want, what you prefer, what you think, what makes you feel comfortable.  When we focus in that direction we sacrifice the future of those who come after us.  We lose track of the fact that Christianity is supposed to be something that we pass on and on and on.

We see many declining churches today with aging congregations (I’m not simply talking about elderly people; I’m talking about congregations who are not seeing any new life).  It’s like the Detroit version of church.  There’s a generation that’s missing.

I don’t know how much hope there is for the city; Detroit is in big trouble.   But I do believe that there is hope for the church.  And humanly speaking, it lies in the next generation.

Celebrating 50

Nope, it’s not my 50th anniversary – though I hope to celebrate that some day.  Nor is it my 50th birthday – that’s still a ways off.    What we’re celebrating today is my 50th blog post.  So feel free to put on your party hat and eat a cupcake!

Back in May a friend of mine suggested that I take up blogging.  Overall, I have enjoyed it.  It’s been a great place for me to just think out loud.  Sometimes my thinking is serious; sometimes I just like to have some fun.  But here are my biggest thoughts on my blog.

• Overall, more than 5,000 visits have been made.  While I appreciate all of my relatives who have driven that number up, I also find it amazing how easy it is to communicate in today’s electronic society.

• My most popular blog was Confessions of a Recovering Legalist.  It seems that I am not alone on my journey to discover grace and all that it involves.

• My second most popular blog has been The Absolutely Correct Way to Squeeze the Toothpaste. Does that surprise anyone else?  The reason for this is that when people “google” squeezing toothpaste my blog post evidently comes up.  I guess a lot of people have some questions about squeezing toothpaste.

• My wife serves as my editor.  I never post a blog without her reading it first.  That’s why this is the 50th post, and not the 51st (just between you and me, I kind of liked my blog post on roundabouts – sorry you didn’t get to read it).

• Sometimes it’s a little hard to know exactly what to blog.  I always try to share something that either makes you think or makes you smile.  I hope that’s been true for you.

• My personal favorites have been About Those Garage Sales and Should I Be Proud.  I could write a lot of blog posts about my dog as he is a very unusual guy, but I don’t want to hurt his feelings.

• I try not to be controversial.  I think I could probably generate more reader comments if I were, but I’m not sure if I really want to read some of those comments.

• Speaking of comments, my editor has “suggested” several times that I reply back.  She’s probably right.  So to every one of you who has ever left a comment, I’d like to say, “That’s a really good point.  Thanks for sharing.”

• If you have never visited my family blogs you should.  Allie is my daughter and really quite gifted at writing; I wish she would blog more.  And Mindi is my niece.  Hers is my favorite blog to read because she always makes me laugh.

• I seem to have trouble keeping my blogs short.  That’s going to be one of my goals for the my next 50 blogs – trying to be more succinct.

To any and all of you who have joined me on my blogging journey, I’d like to say thanks.  It’s been great to have you along for the ride.  I feel like I’m just getting started, and that there’s a lot of road in front of me – and I’d like to invite you to ride along.

Writing the script

I remember the very first script I wrote.  I was in 7th grade, and my history teacher, Mr. Lively (which was a pretty funny name for the man since he was not particularly lively – nice, yes; lively, no), put us into groups for a project.  He assigned us an explorer – and we had to come up with a creative way to  “share” his achievements with the class.  My group decided to do a mini-play, and I volunteered to write the script.  I wish I still had that script.  I’m sure it was a bit lame, but I thought it was hilarious.  Most importantly, it was my start.

Since then I have written almost 200 scripts – most of them short sketches that have been used in church.  But on the other end of the spectrum, I’ve also written three full length plays.  For the  most part, it’s been fun.  Occasionally, it’s even been easy.  Those are the good days, the days when I sit down to write and the lines jump right onto the paper.  And there are those other days when my only inspiration is a deadline.

People often ask me how to write a script.  Some of it just comes naturally – but if you want to write a script, there are also some “rules” that you have to follow.  Here are a few of them:

1.  You need conflict.  If you want to have a good story, you have to have a good conflict.  There must be some tension to resolve or some problem to fix – that’s what creates drama.  Some examples… Will the guy get the girl?  Will the secret agent foil the plot?  Will the underdog triumph over the opposition?

2.  You need complications.  No good script moves happily along.  You need a series of ups and downs – mini-conflicts to keep things interesting.  For instance, let’s say the guy finally has the girl’s attention – we can’t end the story there!  No, something has to happen to mess things up.  Maybe she decides she wants to become a nun.  Now the story gets interesting.

3.  You need characters.  We’ve got the guy and the girl, but the audience needs to be able to identify with them.  People have to be able to see themselves in those characters.  If our nun-girl is uncertain, it connects with our uncertainty.  If  the guy is angry – we understand his anger.  We can relate to those emotions.

4.  You need a climax.  Everything in the story moves toward the moment of resolution.  Usually the resolution is good; occasionally it’s not – but the outcome wraps the story up.  (By the way, I’m a big fan of happy endings.)  The  best resolutions are the ones that you don’t see coming – where the story takes a twist that totally catches you by surprise.

There, you’re now ready to write a script.  Or maybe not.  Maybe the idea of staring at a blank piece of paper (or a blank computer screen) and creating something from nothing seems too intimidating.  But really, that’s the fun part.  Because you get to make it up – even as you go.  Sometimes you’ll get heading in one direction and a character will say something that totally changes the direction and it catches even you by surprise – which is a really weird experience when you are the one writing the script.  But that’s what makes it fun – it’s an adventure on paper.  And even you as the author never know exactly where things are going.

Sounds like life, doesn’t it?  Never knowing exactly where things are going?  That’s where I am right now in my life.  But that’s where I always am – it’s just that sometimes I don’t realize it.   My only consolation is that I know I can trust the script writer.  He’ll get my story right.  However…

He’s probably going to bring in some conflict, a little tension to add to the drama.  He might add some complications, those every day wrinkles to wrestle with.  He may even write in some characters that steer things in unexpected directions.   But that’s only going to make my story better.

But when God writes the story of a person’s life – He’s never surprised at where things go.  No, He has the entire script already written, including the resolution.  What I am most excited about is the twist that’s going to come with it.

The script has been written.  I can’t wait to get into the next scene.