Joel Stiff's Adventure

Winter is over as far as I’m concerned.

The cold temps of the past few months have given way to high forties to mid fifties. The daylight saving time adjustment keeps the sun around until 8:00 PM. It’s the type of thing that draws us out of our homes and back into the full swing of things. When you live in a cold climate, life doesn’t stop, but it does slow down somewhat.

I truly do believe that the winter helps me appreciate the spring, summer and fall that much more. In Michigan, we experience four full distinct seasons. Winter helps us appreciate the others so much better.

That’s what hard times do. They help us appreciate the good times that much more.

We become like the people we hang around.

As we try to grow in our lives, we find ourselves associating with different people. People who are what we are seeking to become. Inevitably, those we are trying to separate from will try to drag us back down. They will criticize, chide or even attack us. Their goal is to get us to respond in kind. When we fall for their tricks, we become like them and find ourselves back in their circles.

As difficult as it may be, we must resist the urge to retaliate. We must ignore their attempts to get our attention. We must continue to press forward in the direction we need to go.

It’s never easy to refrain from giving an answer, but it is absolutely necessary if we are going to be like Jesus.

On my morning prayer drive, I happened upon a skunk enjoying a cold breakfast of deer carcass.

He was on the side of the road and having a good time. I crept up slowly to get a good look. He was so involved in his meal, that he didn’t notice me right away. Once he saw me, he slipped about four feet away before coming back in for one last bite. I wasn’t moving, but he was afraid. He started to move down the road and then back again. It was obvious he was afraid of me. Yet, I meant him no harm. He could have stayed and eaten and I wouldn’t have bothered him a bit. His fear cost him his food.

I wonder how many times irrational fear keeps me from getting what I want?

If you wonder what you value, look at your schedule and bank statement.

We spend our time and money on what we value the most.

If your schedule and bank statement do not match what you say you value, you are deceiving yourself.

If you want something to matter to you, start spending your time and money on it.

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Yesterday, I mentioned our struggles getting a pizza delivered to our home. Jet’s didn’t have a driver and so lost out on the business. We then turned to a local chain called the Pizza Company. They make pretty good pies and even offer to replace an inferior pizza you may receive from another company for free.

We call and place the order. The young lady was extremely competent and helpful on the phone. She gets the entire order correct and I am confident. The delivery man shows up at our door in a reasonable time, but I notice that he has brought the wrong 2 liters of pop. Shannon craves her diet cola and they brought a Mt. Dew. We bring this to his attention and he begins to tell us Mt. Dew is what’s on the slip and so that must be what we said when we placed the order. Nothing like telling the customer he’s an idiot. He then realizes he read the slip wrong and with a frustrated tone says he guesses he will have to go and get us a replacement. I guess when a business promises to deliver what the customer wants, they have to follow through. How frustrating!

The promised replacement never arrived.

If you can’t get a little thing right, like following through with a bottle of pop, you’re going to lose a ton of business from a pizza connoisseur.

Smart businesses make up for small mistakes in big ways. Call the customer. Inform him that the next time he wants pizza to call and the order will be on the house. That’s how you make a customer for life.

Little things add up to big things.

Proverbs mentions a few things that can be compared to people who are undependable. A broken tooth, a foot out of joint and smoke in the eyes are three that come to mind.

It was pizza night at our place. We have several different options in our town. This particular night, we decided on Jet’s. As I was dialing, I mentioned how inconsistent they are in their deliveries. It’s not that they bring the wrong food or show up late. It’s that more often than not, they don’t have a driver on hand.

The phone rings and I hear, “Jet’s pizza, Davison.”

“Yes, I’d like to place an order for delivery.”

“I’m sorry. We are not delivering right now.”

This strikes me as funny. Their store sign says they deliver. Their literature says they deliver. They have delivered to us in the past. So what’s the problem? Inconsistency. And it frustrates me to the point of telling you about it.

Shannon tells me that the reason they are so inconsistent is because they have difficulty finding reliable people. I don’t care anything about that. Pay a good enough wage and people will want to do the work. In the end, it’s on Jet’s.

If you say you’re going to do something, do it.

Before yesterday, my last post was on February 21st.

Before that, I was posting nearly every day for about 320 days. I’m not sure why I stopped. It wasn’t intentional. I just didn’t know what to say. Writer’s block I guess? Even now, I’m struggling. I’m writing about my lack of ability to write.

But write I must. Even if it’s not great. Even if it’s not even good, I’ve got to do it.

You don’t get better at anything you do not attempt.

I was around for the big brouhaha when Coca Cola came out with New Coke.

The public outcry was heard loud and clear. No one wanted this new coke. “Bring back what we’ve always enjoyed”, they said. And so, classic coke returned to shelves and coolers across the country.

Ironically at about the same time, Coca Cola switched from using cane sugar to high fructose corn syrup. It is true that things that are different are not the same. If you find a glass bottle of Coke shipped from Mexico, you will taste the difference from what we have in the states.

So what we drink today is not the coke of my youth. It is changed, just like when they changed to new coke.

The difference? One change they told you about and the other they didn’t.

Change happens when you’re not paying attention.

Jesus used these words a lot in the gospels. In Matthew, we find them five times, three in Mark, five again in Luke and six times in John.

Interesting to note is that anytime He spoke them as a directive, it was always to a man.

Jesus never told a woman to follow Him. Did He want women to follow Him? Absolutely, but He didn’t have to tell them to do so. Ladies will naturally follow when leadership is available. Ladies sought Jesus out often and followed Him as disciples.

Men, on the other hand, are not so inclined to follow. Many men I know are comfortable being alone and sticking to their own path. They do not want to get out in the fray and be seen visibly as followers. They are loners by nature.

And so Jesus tells men, “Follow me.” He doesn’t ask. He doesn’t say pretty please. There were those who made excuses for not following Him and He rebuffed them. Jesus expects men to follow Him.

String churches are found when men will stand up for Jesus and follow where He leads.

If you’re a man and wonder whether or not you follow Jesus, ask your wife and kids. They know you better than anyone knows you and can tell you exactly where you stand.

You’d think Michiganders would be used to colder weather by now.

It’s so humorous to listen to everyone voice their concern over the cold. Nearly all of them work indoors coincidentally. I have yet to hear a lineman or law enforcement officer complain.

It has been quite a peaceful winter, especially considering what happened last year. The winter of 2014 cost our church $4600 in snow removal costs. This year we are at $350. The temperature has been quite moderate with some nice warm days interspersed. Overall, winters like this are a joy.

So why the outcry?

People in general tend to live only in the moment. We believe this is the way it will be forever. Satan likes us to think like this. If he can deceive us into believing that this pain or sacrifice or trial or grief or woe or heartache is how it is always going to be, he can tempt us to quit.

If we understand that the trial is for just a short while, we can have the tenacity to hang in there. He hates it when Christians see the big picture. The likelihood is that they will stay faithful even when the trials come.

When I woke up this morning, the air temperature was -20 degrees. Tomorrow the high is supposed to be 32 degrees.

I wonder if anyone will be talking about the sudden 52 degree warm up that will have taken place over 36 hours.