character over personality

It has been impressing on my for quite some time now - character is much more important than personality. Well, I'm reading the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" right now and it's only confirming my conviction on this. Covey speaks candidly about the differences between CHARACTER ETHICS and PERSONALITY ETHICS. I don't have time to explain here so maybe you could pick up the book, but it's some good stuff. Here are a few quotes in relation the the aforementined subject of character versus personality.

It becomes obvious that if we want to make relatively minor changes in our lives, we can perhaps appropriately focus on our attitudes and behaviors (personality). But if we want to make significant, quantum change, we need to work on our character.

In the words of Thoreau, "For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root." We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives when we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigm from which our attitudes and behaviors flow.

Jesus probably couldn't agree more.

more nature...

I was another ride this past Friday around Evergreen which is in the foothills surrounding Denver. It was a 60 mile ride with 6000 feet of climbing. Awesome. I saw tons of wildlife again. It was beautiful!



Bull Elk



Mule Deer



Hummingbird



Buffalo

a link to some thoughts about church

In my friend Todd's blog he posted today about Thoughts on Church. His thoughts are summarized from a book called Houses That Change the World, by Wolfgang Simpson.

I like these thoughts, especially in regard to the general point that today's church (and when I say so, I mean the Western Culture version and I mean, in general) is ME oriented. It's about the individual. The individual salvation. The individual membership. The individual worship. It's kind of funny, because in the middle of this ME-centric church world is the desire for churches to grow Super-sized. the first question is always, "well, how many people come...?" or "how many have been saved...?" Are these the right questions.

No.

These are the by products of something engrained in people by Western Church. How Big...? How fast...? How many...?

Shouldn't the questions be more like... what are you doing to equip believers...? what are you doing to help people grow in the knowledge of God...? what is your missional value system...? If these questions don't all have the same answer, then we are going down the wrong path. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. It's not because I think so, because honestly, it doesn't matter what I think. It matters because Jesus tells us so.

The Great Command. The Great Commission. The new Command. Simple. Jesus.

another refugee...

here is another good refugee article from CNN...

refugee allstars...

It's World Refugee Day... check out details at
Amnesty International
UNICEF
Human Rights Watch

Here is a good article about the refugee crisis in Africa at present... and an excerpt...

ENTEBBE, Uganda (CNN) -- Just imagine for a moment that everything you own -- from your hard-earned money to your home to your car to little mementos like pictures on the wall -- has just been taken from you by a group of people who don't like the way you look or the shade of your skin or the shape of your nose. Everything gone except, perhaps, the clothes on your back.

You've been forced to flee, probably separated from your family and end up on the run with a bunch of people you've never met, but with whom you now share a common goal -- staying alive.

Many hours or even days later, you arrive at a shelter run by an international nongovernmental organization.

You're tired, exhausted, sick to your stomach and scared to death. You end up sharing a tent with 40 to 60 other strangers where your bathroom, bedroom and kitchen combined have all been reduced to little more than the size of a normal bed.

And this will be your home for the next few months, perhaps years, and in some cases, decades. This is what it's like for a person fleeing persecution, war, civil strife, genocide.

Imagine living like this for years if not decades, raising your family in a refugee camp because you can't go home. Even if you do manage to go home, you learn someone else has taken over your land, your home, your life.

the most controversial film ever...

The Passion was just listed by Entertainment Weekly as the most controversial film of all time. It shouldn't surprise me though as Jesus himself predicted the very same thing (well, not about the movie, but about following him.)

What am I doing...?

I ask this question, because this is again the question I am asking myself almost constantly over the past few days (and for that matter few years). I think in its own way, the World Cup has brought up yet another challenging idea to me. What I'm seeing about the beauty of soccer, I mean football, and indeed why it's the world's game, is because all races, all creeds and all income levels play this stinkin game. There is no race barrier, no income barrier and no country barrier. It's for everyone. You don't need an expensive bike like in cycling. You don't need to shell out $30 every time you want to play like in golf. You don't need skis, and boots and poles and $100, like everytime you want to go skiing. You don't need to have shoulder pads or goalposts or hoops or ice or snow or water. You just need some land and a ball or a coconut. Barefeet. No problem. No money. No problem. You, some friends, some space and some make shift goals. Game on.

What it makes me realize is that I want my life to be like football, the world's game. I want my life to reflect a simplicity of action and thought which excludes no one. I don't want race, ethnicity, economics or politics to ever separate me from someone else. I think of the U2 line "where we live should not determine whether we live or die."

And, yet I want that simplicity to also reflect a passion and intensity that draws others in. Have you seen the fans at the World Cup... insane. I want people to be attracted to a lifestyle not my own, but of a greater love. The passion I dream others see in me is the passion gained through a philosophy and lifestyle of following Christ. I think of the rich man who asked Jesus what it takes to enter the Kingdom of God and Jesus simply answered. "Go and sell all your possessions and come follow me." Wow.

So, anyway, I'm just thinking. What can I do to seperate myself from the politics of this world and start living in such a way that is to live... fully alive I mean...? Or, as Paul puts it "to live is Christ and to die is gain."

this is fighting music...

PHOTO FRIDAY - another picture of Asher - in fighting mode...

So, I've been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan, Rage Against the Machine, Bob Marley and Public Enemy lately. I used to listen to a lot of Rage and Public Enemy but not much over the past few years. Anyway, I've been drawn to them because their music represents something more than just music. It represents something about justice and reflection and oppression and more. Their music has a message.

Rage talks of injustice in Mexico, Dylan of the war in Vietnam, Marley of oppression in the Caribbean, and Public Enemy of the African American race. I'm inspired by these musicians to let me actions speak louder than my words. Plus, I like their music.

But, I don't find too many artists out there today who have done what these guys have done for music. Do you know any contemporary musicians who speak out against the injustices of the world (besides U2) - please let me know if you know any, I'd love to take a listen.

a nature tour...

One of the great things about moving back to Colorado from Amsterdam has been riding my bike. Yesterday I rode from Loveland up to Estes Park through the Devil's Gulch, back down Big Thompson Canyon, through Masonville and to our house in Fort Collins. It was about 76 miles with 5000 ft. of elevation gain (can see a map of the ride here - put it in hybrid and zoom in to see the satellite imagery). I'm no Tour de France type of guy, but I nonetheless enjoy the freedom a bike provides. It also gives you a chance to take life on the road a little more slowly.

I can explore. I can feel the wind on my face. I also get to see wildlife and yesterday was no exception. I saw the following animals on my ride.



Mule Deer



Wild Turkey



Red Fox



Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

Photo Friday and other links...

in the spirit of others like JR who do photos on every Friday, I've decided to join the foray...


***This is my beatiful son Asher playing in a box in our living room. He is a precious example of the glory of God.

Here are a few other useful links...

Todd's post on the Global Day of Prayer

Sander's post about the Dutch Pedophile Party

A great site about Kicking the Oil Habit

before him, I AM

I've always been one to love sports, and more appropriately the act of getting "in shape." There is something mystical about putting your body to limits that intrigues me and actually, at times, drives me. I often miss the intense nausea which accompanies the moments before football games. I love pushing me body on hill climbs to where it feels like I will pass out in any given blink of time. Call me sick... I like this stuff.

I had a realization today though that knocked me off my feet a bit. It's this. As much as I love to push my body to new limits, I can't say the same for my body and spirit. That is, why won't I push my mind to exhaustion...? and more importantly, why won't I seek the ultimate thrill of knowing Jesus to the full extent possible...? I'm constantly starving myself, not of physical food, but instead of the essential nutrients I need in my spiritual life. In other words, I'm getting fat.

So, I sat down and read a few of my most treasured passages from the Word like Colossians 1, 1 John (the whole book), and Matthew 7. I was reminded of a Jesus who never leaves, never betrays and never fails. I was reminded of the deep and intense desire I have to be in spiritual shape too. I sat down to write and thought about Jesus. Who is he...?

He is the first born over all Creation. He was sent to the Earth by his Father, the Father and Holy of Holies, in order to redeem humanity from sin. He himself was sinless and walked a path of righteousness his entire life. He was born to the Virgin Mary and became flesh such that he might live among us and with us. He was an ordinary man, a carpenter. Ironically, it was us who put him to death by using hammers to nail him to a cross. But death could not hold him. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. He conquered death on behalf of our sin, so we might live. Though we are not worthy, we have life. He ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Before being nailed to the wood, he performed miraculous signs and miracles. He healed blind men and lepers and the sick. He forgave sins. He taught in parables about marriage and money and greed and patience and forgiveness and virtue and character and most commonly love. He preached love and knowledge of the Father more than anything else, in fact, he is the essence of love. He believed love, walked love, breathed love and lived a life of love, even until his death when after being arrested, tried and sentenced , he still forgave those who actually nailed him to the cross. He was and is God, has been from the beginning and will be to the new beginning. He is the Redeemer, the Son of the Most High, the Alpha and Omega, the Sacrificial Lamb, the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the glory of things yet to come and there is no other like him.

It's not much. But it is and was in my own words. Now I must not prepare for the 100m dash, but for the marathon of faith, the Ironman of spiritual growth.