I watched the men's NCAA Basketball championship on Monday evening. Butler Bulldogs, from the smaller University against the Husky's of UCon - the bigger school, that had already won two championships in the past. I was pulling for those Bulldogs - I always seem to pick the underdog.(no pun intended.) In all the years I have watched Basketball it was the most remarkable display of bad shooting I have ever seen. Some are calling it the "ugliest" championship game ever. Just imagine that you battle the whole season to get to the big game and then for whatever reason you cannot make a shot. UCon did not play beautiful ball - they were just a bit better - made a few more shots.
What do we do when life is just ugly? We stumble, we fumble - we try but just cannot make it happen. Everything we do seems to bounce off the rim or go out of bounds - the harder we try the worse it gets.
I know a fellow who opened a business and for a couple of years he could do no wrong. He made boatloads of money - smooth sailing. Then things got ugly - he worked harder than ever, tried everything to make changes that would help - nothing worked. And it got ugly -people lost their jobs, he lost his business and even worse he lost his confidence that he could be successful.
I have had days, weeks, and even years that were not pretty. I would not wish those times on anybody but I do know that I learned some valuable lessons and skills during the times when every effort I made seem to flop. I learned that working hard does not always mean you will experience what we call success. In the ugly times I worked with great intensity and purpose but the results were very disappointing. I did learn the value of doing your best even when the visual results were not present. These were times to build character and learn survival skills.
Butler and UConn played ugly ball but they were the two teams that battled their way to the championship game, a place very few teams ever have the opportunity to play.
We often show the beauty of our commitment to do our best, when life is downright ugly.
And that is the beauty of it all!
"Everything is beautiful in its time." says the wisdom writer of Ecclesiastes.
Just thinking, Steve Yates
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Spring Time in Texas!
Spring is rapidly unfolding before me here in Southeast Texas. To those who live in the northern regions this sounds so odd, I know. The trees are blooming, the grass is beginning to green, and the spring pollen is filling the air - Springtime in Texas!
I know it is spring because my neighbor was wearing his cargo shorts last Saturday and his legs are as white as pure snow! I know it is Spring because we went to our favorite place to eat planning on sitting on the Patio and it was full and it was a 1 hour wait to get a table. I know it is Spring because the bees were buzzing me as I sat on the patio at home enjoying some recreational reading - they even wanted to go in my Diet Coke can. I kept telling them they would be disappointed. I know it is Spring because people were letting their dogs run free Sunday afternoon as my wife and I enjoyed a vigorous walk. Every dog wanted to go with us - and who can blame them - it is Springtime!
When I was a kid I would get Spring fever and along with my fishing buddies I would leave the moment school was out and sometimes even slip out a bit early (like half of a day) and head to the river to go fishing. Every fishing trip began with great hopes of catching that big bass or catfish but even if we had only limited success we had a blast.
Spring is the season of new life - maybe you need some new life. Has it been a hard cold winter of discontent for you? Take courage - the seasons of life offer new opportunities to begin again.
One friend told me about a new "Spring season" with his son. They had not spoken in several years and so he began writing his son a few months ago - he wrote 5 long letters with no response. The other day his Son called him and said, "Hey Dad, want to go fishing?" They have a day of fishing planned now. New beginnings - new hope.
Is there someone or something in your life that could benefit from a season of new beginnings? I encourage you to get "spring fever" and plant a seed and pray and hope for newness in those important relationships in your life.
Just thinking, Steve
I know it is spring because my neighbor was wearing his cargo shorts last Saturday and his legs are as white as pure snow! I know it is Spring because we went to our favorite place to eat planning on sitting on the Patio and it was full and it was a 1 hour wait to get a table. I know it is Spring because the bees were buzzing me as I sat on the patio at home enjoying some recreational reading - they even wanted to go in my Diet Coke can. I kept telling them they would be disappointed. I know it is Spring because people were letting their dogs run free Sunday afternoon as my wife and I enjoyed a vigorous walk. Every dog wanted to go with us - and who can blame them - it is Springtime!
When I was a kid I would get Spring fever and along with my fishing buddies I would leave the moment school was out and sometimes even slip out a bit early (like half of a day) and head to the river to go fishing. Every fishing trip began with great hopes of catching that big bass or catfish but even if we had only limited success we had a blast.
Spring is the season of new life - maybe you need some new life. Has it been a hard cold winter of discontent for you? Take courage - the seasons of life offer new opportunities to begin again.
One friend told me about a new "Spring season" with his son. They had not spoken in several years and so he began writing his son a few months ago - he wrote 5 long letters with no response. The other day his Son called him and said, "Hey Dad, want to go fishing?" They have a day of fishing planned now. New beginnings - new hope.
Is there someone or something in your life that could benefit from a season of new beginnings? I encourage you to get "spring fever" and plant a seed and pray and hope for newness in those important relationships in your life.
Just thinking, Steve
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Crazy Stuff
Sometimes when I see and hear some interviews on television I just want to scream, "Don't do it - don't talk - run away - you sound crazy!" The latest Charlie stuff is that kind of scene. While others want to crucify this guy, my heart goes out to him. His lifestyle of drug abuse, sexual chaos, and all the rest has him living in an alternate universe! He is crashing and burning and sadly he does not even know it. When I heard his delusional thinking and bizarre answers my heart ached for him and for all those his life touches.
Instant media has the power to destroy people in seconds. A few words - an odd look (which is real easy for me) - and you can be history.
One of my favorite writers was the late Dr. Lewis Smedes. Smedes made the mistake of going on a national television program to talk about his life of faith and service to others. It all seemed like a good opportunity. By the time his words were edited and manipulated, the sound bites that were the end result of a 45 minute interview did not even resemble the conversation that took place. Smedes received hate letters, threats, and almost lost his job as a Professor at the University where he had worked with passion for more than 20 years. The media regularly destroys peoples lives and it is scary. We have created a monster. The Internet, with all it's potential for good, is the most dangerous bit of technology to enter our world in a millennium.
Poor Charlie sounds so strange but I have no desire to watch a 10 second sound bite and then decide to brutalize him. I decided rather to pray for him. Just me, but I hope when I sound kind of odd and from another planet someday, someone will show some compassion and lead me back to my padded room. Give me some Chocolate milk and cookies and I will be fine.
Just thinking, Steve
Instant media has the power to destroy people in seconds. A few words - an odd look (which is real easy for me) - and you can be history.
One of my favorite writers was the late Dr. Lewis Smedes. Smedes made the mistake of going on a national television program to talk about his life of faith and service to others. It all seemed like a good opportunity. By the time his words were edited and manipulated, the sound bites that were the end result of a 45 minute interview did not even resemble the conversation that took place. Smedes received hate letters, threats, and almost lost his job as a Professor at the University where he had worked with passion for more than 20 years. The media regularly destroys peoples lives and it is scary. We have created a monster. The Internet, with all it's potential for good, is the most dangerous bit of technology to enter our world in a millennium.
Poor Charlie sounds so strange but I have no desire to watch a 10 second sound bite and then decide to brutalize him. I decided rather to pray for him. Just me, but I hope when I sound kind of odd and from another planet someday, someone will show some compassion and lead me back to my padded room. Give me some Chocolate milk and cookies and I will be fine.
Just thinking, Steve
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tough Times - Tender Hearts
My life has been remarkably smooth. Sure there have been some rough spots - losses, mistakes, sins, heartaches - but compared to many others mine seem not so dramatic. I have no explanation for this. I am grateful for all the good days in my journey so far.
I talk with people regularly that are going through very tough times. I am thinking of just the past year - a woman who's husband died suddenly and she is alone now, a couple who lost a child, a man who saw his business crumble after 30 years, a teenager with a brain tumor - this is just a partial list. When we face these seemingly unfair events in our life it turns our world upside down.
I think of these folks when I read the story of Naomi in the little book of Ruth found in the Old Testament. Naomi loses her husband, then her two grown sons - she is a widow without her children in a foreign place - she says basically "I was full, but now God you made me empty."
She also says at a certain point in the story that she is bitter. She even tells people to stop calling her Naomi, which means "sweet one" and instead to call her Mara, which means "bitter."
When life comes crashing in on us it is hard to not become bitter. Phillip Yancey describes it this way: we ask God three questions - God, are you being unfair? God, are you silent? God, are you hidden? Yancey says these are the questions that Job asks of God - Naomi is a female Job. She is broken and bitter. It seems like life has crushed her.
I want to be very frank and honest. I am tired of seeing people suffer. It wears me out. Working with people in pain, is exhausting. I cannot even imagine how difficult it must be for them.
One thing I have noticed: people who somehow keep a heart and soul that is tender - not hardened - seem to recover from losses better. When we harden our heart we really stop living and just start existing.
In the case of Naomi, God sends a remarkable daughter-in-law named Ruth into her life, who blesses, loves and helps Naomi become "sweet one" again. The end of the story has a joyous ending - even with all the losses. Somehow Naomi did not allow her heart to become cold and calloused - God's grace came to the rescue!
The wisdom of Proverbs 4:23 makes the point:
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Just thinking, Steve
I talk with people regularly that are going through very tough times. I am thinking of just the past year - a woman who's husband died suddenly and she is alone now, a couple who lost a child, a man who saw his business crumble after 30 years, a teenager with a brain tumor - this is just a partial list. When we face these seemingly unfair events in our life it turns our world upside down.
I think of these folks when I read the story of Naomi in the little book of Ruth found in the Old Testament. Naomi loses her husband, then her two grown sons - she is a widow without her children in a foreign place - she says basically "I was full, but now God you made me empty."
She also says at a certain point in the story that she is bitter. She even tells people to stop calling her Naomi, which means "sweet one" and instead to call her Mara, which means "bitter."
When life comes crashing in on us it is hard to not become bitter. Phillip Yancey describes it this way: we ask God three questions - God, are you being unfair? God, are you silent? God, are you hidden? Yancey says these are the questions that Job asks of God - Naomi is a female Job. She is broken and bitter. It seems like life has crushed her.
I want to be very frank and honest. I am tired of seeing people suffer. It wears me out. Working with people in pain, is exhausting. I cannot even imagine how difficult it must be for them.
One thing I have noticed: people who somehow keep a heart and soul that is tender - not hardened - seem to recover from losses better. When we harden our heart we really stop living and just start existing.
In the case of Naomi, God sends a remarkable daughter-in-law named Ruth into her life, who blesses, loves and helps Naomi become "sweet one" again. The end of the story has a joyous ending - even with all the losses. Somehow Naomi did not allow her heart to become cold and calloused - God's grace came to the rescue!
The wisdom of Proverbs 4:23 makes the point:
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Just thinking, Steve
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Love Day
February 14th - the "love day" - Valentine's Day! I know it must be Valentine's Day because I have had way too much chocolate the last few days. Good stuff, but I have to stop this now!
How does a day become the "romantic love day" of the yearly calendar? The pressure to buy just the right gift, say the right words, buy the right card, and show the proper excitement about it all is pretty intense. I guess we can thank the "marketing gurus" of our time who have somehow convinced us that this is "the" day for saying I love you and saying it with something expensive.
Honesty, I like the romance stuff - sweet words, hugs, kisses and all that comes with it - how could I not be in favor of something so wonderful! My sweetheart of 37 years and I had a great evening on the town last night - dinner, music, sitting close in an embrace - all good! We bought small gifts and shared sweet cards. All so good.
But why do we have to make everything about huge sums of money - every holiday has to rescue the bad economy! It is just a little over the top - way over the top!
Surely love - real love - is more than just the amount of money that we spend on a gift - isn't real love about commitment, genuine kindness, daily attentiveness, respect, support, listening, loyalty, and more. I think that deep down that is the kind of love we are really seeking.
I hope your "love day" has been good - but even more I hope that real love will power your relationships day by day, week by week, and year by year. Invest in living a life of love - now that is a gift that is invaluable!
Just thinking, (overloaded with chocolate)
Steve
How does a day become the "romantic love day" of the yearly calendar? The pressure to buy just the right gift, say the right words, buy the right card, and show the proper excitement about it all is pretty intense. I guess we can thank the "marketing gurus" of our time who have somehow convinced us that this is "the" day for saying I love you and saying it with something expensive.
Honesty, I like the romance stuff - sweet words, hugs, kisses and all that comes with it - how could I not be in favor of something so wonderful! My sweetheart of 37 years and I had a great evening on the town last night - dinner, music, sitting close in an embrace - all good! We bought small gifts and shared sweet cards. All so good.
But why do we have to make everything about huge sums of money - every holiday has to rescue the bad economy! It is just a little over the top - way over the top!
Surely love - real love - is more than just the amount of money that we spend on a gift - isn't real love about commitment, genuine kindness, daily attentiveness, respect, support, listening, loyalty, and more. I think that deep down that is the kind of love we are really seeking.
I hope your "love day" has been good - but even more I hope that real love will power your relationships day by day, week by week, and year by year. Invest in living a life of love - now that is a gift that is invaluable!
Just thinking, (overloaded with chocolate)
Steve
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
It Is So Cold...
The "It is so cold" jokes are numbering into the thousands now. It is cold - no joke. My Palm trees were frozen last year for the first time ever - this will make two years in a row. One fellow told me he had to dig up 15 Palm trees that he lost last year and then replaced them and guess what - they are gone again! Thankfully he had a one year guarantee so they will be replaced at no cost except for all the digging, dirt, and blisters to replace them.
One year when we were living in Tyler, Texas it snowed about 10 inches. I had never seen a snow like that in the south - it was wet, heavy snow that stay around for a couple of weeks. We built a Snowman that stood proudly in our front yard for 14 days - it was amazing!
When I watch the weather people, in their Gore-Tex garb, reporting in the middle of a Mid-Western blizzard, I have to laugh. What do you have to do to get a promotion on the Weather Channel? Your willingness to get frost bite or be hit by flying debris during a hurricane is basic.
Al Roker in 70 mile per hour frigid winds is a vivid picture of what the weather folks will do for higher ratings.
As my wife and I snuggle up by the fire tonight, we will thank our lucky stars that the low will only be in the low 20's - not 20 below!
Stay warm tonight!
Just thinking, Steve
One year when we were living in Tyler, Texas it snowed about 10 inches. I had never seen a snow like that in the south - it was wet, heavy snow that stay around for a couple of weeks. We built a Snowman that stood proudly in our front yard for 14 days - it was amazing!
When I watch the weather people, in their Gore-Tex garb, reporting in the middle of a Mid-Western blizzard, I have to laugh. What do you have to do to get a promotion on the Weather Channel? Your willingness to get frost bite or be hit by flying debris during a hurricane is basic.
Al Roker in 70 mile per hour frigid winds is a vivid picture of what the weather folks will do for higher ratings.
As my wife and I snuggle up by the fire tonight, we will thank our lucky stars that the low will only be in the low 20's - not 20 below!
Stay warm tonight!
Just thinking, Steve
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Partnering with Others
During this first month of the new year I have been exploring ideas for experiencing a great year. As we close out the month one additional thought has been bouncing around in my head. The people we choose to partner with in life have so much to do with our success and enjoyment in life.
One of the things that is so clear to me is how dramatically our lives are impacted by the people we spend time with in work, in family, and in our friendships. My Mom and Dad were right when they told me to choose my friends carefully. As a kid I often resisted their counsel, which almost always caused me some serious disappointment.
The people I work with are a rare combination of passion, practicality, and patience. They bless my life beyond what I deserve but I am so grateful. My partner for life, my wife of 37 years, is the most remarkable person I have ever known. Her insights about how life really works in this world have kept me from some great disasters. Her gentle and respectful way of talking to me about my life and our life together is an amazing gift. My friends are a mixture and odd brew - they are as different from me as any human beings could be but they challenge me with their ideas, their dreams, their deep convictions about what really matters.
When I talk with people often one of the first troubling topics is who they are partnering with in life. I remember a conversation when someone told me with great candor, "Everyone I work with is a crook. They lie and cheat as a way of life." I thought when they said that, what a miserable daily life.
I tell people who describe themselves as lonely to not trade loneliness for a coalition with persons who will bring you misery and pain. As difficult as it is to find good friendships and relationships, it is well worth all the time and effort.
One of my favorite stories is the love story of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman Gresham. Lewis was a successful and a much acclaimed writer, teacher, and lecturer, whose unique way of presenting the essence of the Christian faith made him world famous. Lewis was a lifelong bachelor and showed little indication of changing but then his friendship with Joy blossomed into a deep love and marriage. In many ways, C.S. and Joy were nothing alike but their partnership which was tragically cut short by her death, changed Lewis forever. His writing after her death was some of the most amazing and challenging of his life. He became a caring and compassionate Father to her children, which seemed very improbable for a very private man like Lewis. Lewis titled one of his books, Surprised by Joy, a book about his early life and his journey to the joy of Christian faith. Not long after it was published, another Joy came into his life - Joy Davidman Gresham, another remarkable "surprise" that would have a dramatic impact in his life.
This year focus on partnering with the people who will call you to the very best in your life. And have a great year!
Just thinking, Steve
One of the things that is so clear to me is how dramatically our lives are impacted by the people we spend time with in work, in family, and in our friendships. My Mom and Dad were right when they told me to choose my friends carefully. As a kid I often resisted their counsel, which almost always caused me some serious disappointment.
The people I work with are a rare combination of passion, practicality, and patience. They bless my life beyond what I deserve but I am so grateful. My partner for life, my wife of 37 years, is the most remarkable person I have ever known. Her insights about how life really works in this world have kept me from some great disasters. Her gentle and respectful way of talking to me about my life and our life together is an amazing gift. My friends are a mixture and odd brew - they are as different from me as any human beings could be but they challenge me with their ideas, their dreams, their deep convictions about what really matters.
When I talk with people often one of the first troubling topics is who they are partnering with in life. I remember a conversation when someone told me with great candor, "Everyone I work with is a crook. They lie and cheat as a way of life." I thought when they said that, what a miserable daily life.
I tell people who describe themselves as lonely to not trade loneliness for a coalition with persons who will bring you misery and pain. As difficult as it is to find good friendships and relationships, it is well worth all the time and effort.
One of my favorite stories is the love story of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman Gresham. Lewis was a successful and a much acclaimed writer, teacher, and lecturer, whose unique way of presenting the essence of the Christian faith made him world famous. Lewis was a lifelong bachelor and showed little indication of changing but then his friendship with Joy blossomed into a deep love and marriage. In many ways, C.S. and Joy were nothing alike but their partnership which was tragically cut short by her death, changed Lewis forever. His writing after her death was some of the most amazing and challenging of his life. He became a caring and compassionate Father to her children, which seemed very improbable for a very private man like Lewis. Lewis titled one of his books, Surprised by Joy, a book about his early life and his journey to the joy of Christian faith. Not long after it was published, another Joy came into his life - Joy Davidman Gresham, another remarkable "surprise" that would have a dramatic impact in his life.
This year focus on partnering with the people who will call you to the very best in your life. And have a great year!
Just thinking, Steve
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