Joel Stiff's Adventure

Philippians 3:13: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Jesus said that anyone who put their hand to the plow and looking back was not fit for the kingdom of God.

Why would someone plowing a row look back? The interpretation I have heard most frequently is that of one who looks back at a former life that they long to return to. Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with farming. Someone plowing a row would look back to see how they were doing. Is my row straight? Is it deep enough? Do I need to make adjustments?

The problem with looking back is that you then take your eyes off of where you’re supposed to be going. Looking back causes us to go off track.

The teaching is simple. Don’t worry about where you’ve been or what you’ve done. Just look at where you’re supposed to be going.

Some when looking back decide to rest on past accomplishments. All they can talk about is what they used to do.

Others when looking back see past failures. This makes them think that a failure is all they will ever be.

Jesus said, don’t look back. He is not interested in 2014. He is interested in 2015.

Paul said, “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”

As you face the new year, keep your focus on where you want to be going and not where you’ve already been.

There are fewer than two hours left of 2014.

People all over the world have celebrated, are celebrating or will soon be celebrating the new year.

Except that nothing at all is new. Sure, the calendar flips, but the only thing that changes is the numbers on the paper. We are all the same. At least the same as we were a week, a month or a quarter ago. Our bank balance is the same. Our house is the same. Same car in the driveway.

What is it that we celebrate then?

I have pondered the long lives of early humans like Adam, Noah and Methuselah. I wondered how they could live such long lives without losing their minds. I mean, how exactly do you spend nine hundred years on this planet?

I believe I know how. They approached life one year at a time. Just like we do.

A new year represents hope. It’s a reset button for life. The new date on the calendar represents a fresh start. No matter what happened, no matter what we faced, no matter our failures, we look at it as a new beginning.

Praying that you take your new year as that new opportunity to do and become all that you dream of.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 7,800 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

It frustrates me watching my brother work a keyboard.

He is VP of operations at his company as well as manager of the IT department. To watch him type and manipulate a keyboard is nothing short of amazing. His typing speed is over 100 words per minute. Beyond that, he knows keyboard shortcuts and maneuvers I didn’t know existed. He tells me that he can do anything on a computer that can be done using the keyboard alone, no mouse necessary. If you took away my mouse, I’ve got nothing.

He frustrates me because I want to be able to do the same thing. One big difference is the amount of time each of us spends on our computers. He probably spends ten hours to every one that I do. On top of that, he just may be more talented and able. Not everyone can do what others do. No matter how badly I want it, I could never play ball like Jordan.

The frustration of dreamers is their limitations. Most of which revolve around the clock and calendar. I would love to spend the time to learn to work a keyboard like he does. I’d love to learn Spanish, French and German fluently. I’d love to learn to play the piano and guitar. I just don’t have the time. So I must make choices. Hard choices.

I remember a song my mom and dad used to listen to – you can’t have it all.

Your head isn’t in the game.
You’re not as sharp.
Your preparation doesn’t change your lack of effectiveness.
Go to work anyway.
Do the work anyway.
The best batters only get a hit a third of the time.
You’ll get em next time.

I saw a picture the other day with Miley Cyrus on one side and Sadie Robertson on the other. The caption read, “We need fewer Miley Cyrus’s and more Sadie Robertsons.”

Even the casual observer of popular culture knows these two names. Miley Cyrus began as a young girl in the Disney circuit and has now gone off the deep end in the pop music world. Sadie is the daughter of one of the Duck Dynasty clan and is still quite young. She is being applauded for her Christian beliefs.

The thought I had was, a few years back Miley was being applauded for her wholesome, clean cut, Christian image as well. So was Britney Spears. And we see the difference between where they started and where they end.

It is horrifying to witness what the immersion in Hollywood culture does to our young women and men. I certainly do not wish to criticize these who have chosen the wrong path (although in today’s American culture, the only sin is claiming that sin exists), but point out that many of these young ladies start of wholesome and Christian and end up far from it.

I certainly hope Sadie stays true to her faith. There have been enough casualties.

Proverbs 9:8: Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

How well do you take it?

This is my 42nd Christmas morning.

Granted, I don’t remember the first several. For that matter, I don’t remember too many of them individually. I do remember what they are like though. They are always special.

On this one, I’ve managed to beat everyone up and stayed quiet enough to keep them asleep. The tree is the only light in the room, which is my favorite. I spent a few minutes in the quiet thanking the Lord for what He’s done for me. Now, Frosty is playing quietly on the tv in the background.

Last night, we had our second ever Christmas eve service. I am still wondering if it was a blessing to our people. A few have told me it was, but I am still unsure. Such is the life of a pastor. My heart hurts this morning for our folks who are having a tough time this Christmas. Some of their problems are because of their own doing while others are not. Either way, the pain is the same.

I look forward to the events of the day. Gifts have been bought for my family and we always wait until Christmas morning to open them. Soon, this will take place and we will all enjoy what we receive. Far after the newness and enjoyment of our gifts wear off, we will still have each other.

I am thankful for Jesus, forgiveness, Heaven, family, church and the opportunity to serve Him.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Two things that differentiate humans from computers are judgment and discretion.

A computer can be programmed to operate within certain boundaries and parameters given certain data, but they cannot make a judgment call.

Movies like I Robot like us to think that someday computers and robots will develop the ability to think on their own outside of human input. But the very nature of being manufactured by humans negates this possibility.

I have been struggling the past week because a certain company I do business with is set up to only make decisions based on what their “system” will allow. The humans that answer the phones are literally bound by the decisions of the computers. I read the fine print and this is even stated there.

Relying on technology to make decisions for us is lazy and limiting.

Then there is the way people’s discretion goes out the window when posting something on the internet. We say things online we would never say to someone’s face.

I don’t know, maybe the machines will take us over someday after all.

I have friends who at Christmas strive to make everything perfect.

The tree has to be perfect, dinner has to be perfect, gift wrapping must be perfect.

Family pictures must be perfect, children’s behavior must be perfect, reactions to presents has to be perfect.

The trouble with seeking such perfection is that it is the breeding ground for disappointment.

Nothing is ever perfectly perfect. There is always something that could have been improved, done better.

I’d argue that imperfections actually create the charm that makes something special or memorable.

There is a reason we prefer hand crafted over mechanized.