When Did I Get So Busy?

I remember being young and having nothing to do but play. My brother and sister and I would spend hours upon hours just playing outside with the neighbors on the street until the dark settled, and our parents would force us to come inside. And I mean force. We were having far too much fun to go back in the boring indoors. There were no stresses, no worries. I don't think I even knew what a deadline was. If I did, I guarantee I didn't care.

Now, it seems like play is something forbidden. When did I grow up? Why do I have to be part of the "real world," where it sometimes seems like adults don't know how to have any fun? It's all about work, work, work. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. Hurry, hurry, hurry! I, too, become guilty of such time-urgent attitudes, which frustrates me even more. Don't you ever wish you could just go back to being a kid? You didn't worry about how much money was in your bank account (mainly because the only bank you knew had hooves and a curly tail), and the only significance the letter "K" had for you was that it was the 11th letter in the alphabet. And you always had time. In fact, sometimes you had too much time.

I currently often find myself wondering where time went. It's as if there are moments when I have to remember to breathe because things get so busy and chaotic. And the crazy thing is, that is the norm for a lot of people who are "grown up." It's all about the job; it's all about the salary; it's all about the success; it's all about not wasting another minute wasting another minute. It's madness!

I have found it's essential to make sure you still play and find enjoyment. Go for a run, ride a bike, play in the rain. You have to be able to laugh and have fun with the time you have here on earth. After all, the time goes by so quickly, especially when you start to grow up. I think Rod Stewart said it best: "Be courageous, and be brave, and in my heart you'll always stay forever young."

Get Your Head in the Game

I love Josh Howard, but I can't say I'm that happy with him right now.

I understand that there are a lot of NBA players who smoke marijuana. No, I don't support it, and I am not happy about it, but I am not too naive to think it's not a reality. Let's face it: there is probably a large number of potheads in the league. But most of them don't go shouting from the rooftops that they use drugs.

Which brings me back to Josh Howard.

My favorite NBA player went on Michael Irvin's show on 103.3 FM ESPN today and actually wanted to talk about his drug use in the offseason. Yes, there had already been a story reported in the Dallas Morning News that Howard doesn't exactly stay clean during the break, but there really wasn't a huge deal made about it. Then he had to go and change all of that with his little chat on the radio today.

He said it doesn't affect the way he plays, and he would never do anything to hurt his team. But what is this doing? Why would he admit this, especially right when the Mavs need to step it up the most? There has already been enough talk about how poorly Dallas has been playing lately and how the team appears to have a lack of heart. And now this? Doesn't he know that the media will be all over this and expose it more than necessary?

One thing that made me even more upset was the fact that he did this right before promoting his basketball camp for kids. These kids look up to Howard and see him as a role model. Now what are they supposed to think? Sure, he's telling the truth and not hiding who he is, but some things really are better left unsaid (i.e. getting high on the ganja in the offseason).

And what will be the ramifications from the league now? David Stern has made it clear that he wants to keep the NBA clean, and he is definitely a fan of having a good image. I mean, there is a dress code for what players can wear when they aren't playing. Is Stern really going to sit back and let players rave about drug use, which obviously doesn't reflect well on the NBA? Doubtful.

I still love Josh Howard. I know he has been through a lot and had a rough time growing up, but this was clearly an unwise decision on his part. When you have a responsibility to a team, and when you hold a role model position, you shouldn't go screaming to the world that you use drugs. Howard needs to do two things: stop smoking dope and start focusing more on his game. The Mavs need him more than ever right now, and Howard needs to put on his hero cape and help get his team back to the Finals.

Go with the dunk over the dope, J-Ho.

Welcome Spring Weather!

I am a Texan. Therefore, it's inherently in my nature to dislike cold weather. In fact, what I consider to be "cold" is probably laughable to most people from the Northeast. Nonetheless, if it gets below 60 degrees, give me a jacket and maybe a pair of gloves, and I may request the heater to be turned on in the car. If it gets in the 20s, it's time to make a cocoon on my couch and vow not to go outside.

I can't fully say any of that is an exaggeration, but it might be. Anyway, I love the fact that the weather is starting to get warmer. It is so incredibly gorgeous outside right now. Yes, the other day we had some pretty nasty storms, but it's amazing to see how God can make the next day be sunny and absolutely beautiful. It's almost time for pool season!

I don't know how everyone else feels about this, but I actually like the hot weather. When it's in the 90s, I probably will not be complaining. There is just something about the Texas heat that is so miserable and so comfortable at the exact same time. I love it. When people from other states come to visit during the summer, they sometimes can't quite understand how we survive when we hit triple-digit temperatures. I guess after living here for a sufficient amount of time, your body just comes to expect it. Anything else would be perceived as odd. I don't consider this breaking news, but: Texas summers=hot. But it's not unbearable. I lived through last summer without air conditioning in my car. Yes, it was sweaty at times, but I made it.

It's nice to be able to embrace this spring weather while we have it. On days like today, parks are filled with friends and families going on walks, runs, bike rides, rollerblading excursions and other things of the like. The bottom line: it's great to be outside! What's the point of staying couped up in a house or office building when you can be out in this AMAZING weather enjoying the breathtaking creations God has put before us?

However, the NBA playoffs start today, so you'd better go out there before the games get started!

Let's Be Honest: Traffic Sucks

I will admit that I am not the most patient person in the world, but I think it's safe to say that not many people enjoy sitting in traffic.

I think traffic really brings out the stupidity in a lot of people. Honestly, how dumb can we be? We insist on cutting people off and merging into their lanes at the last minute, sometimes signaling, but we inch up right to the tail of the car behind us so that others can't do the same to us. Traffic really exposes the innate hypocrisy we all possess as humans.

Don't even get me started if it starts raining. It's like we forget all common sense and become hydrophobic maniacs. I am trying to remember the last time I drove on a highway when it was even just a little wet out, and there wasn't a wreck of some sort. Nope, nothing seems to come to mind.

I think one of the real issues at hand here is that we are all in a hurry. We all want to drive so fast so that we can go do whatever it is we are going to do. Half of the time, we are driving places we don't even want to go in the first place. But we sure as heck don't want to be sitting at a standstill in our cars, that's for sure. At least our actions on the road would suggest as much.

And we become these beasts that usually don't even match our true life characters. It's as if being behind a wheel and in a sheltered vehicle with windows, sometimes even tinted, allows us to take on new personalities and say (or should I say scream?) whatever it is that pops into our stressed out heads at the time. And I won't even go into all the madman gestures I have seen. (And yes, plenty of those were directed at me, I am sure.) It's almost like the road is our stage, and we are all just actors playing parts of lunatics with steering wheels. But, are we really acting? Or are we just revealing pieces of ourselves that we are too afraid to let anyone else see? Sure, other road warriors witness our frustrations, but our thoughts are simply that we don't know those people, so we don't really have to care how they see us act. The truth of the matter is, we should care. If we aren't true to ourselves, even amidst the frustrations of horrendous bumper-to-bumper situations, to whom can we be true?

Yes, I will probably still want to scream at the top of my lungs and maybe not think the nicest thoughts about the person who nearly sideswipes me to get in my lane so that he or she can be one car length ahead of the lane next to us, but I will sure try to control some rage. I am going to make a conscious effort to allow someone to go in front of me if I see a blinker and an eager prowler trying to avoid eye contact with the last person driven to madness by the driver's last action. After all, wouldn't I want to help that person if we were strangers on a street? Wouldn't I hold the elevator for him or her? Wouldn't I try to be kind and generous? So, what's the difference if I am in my car or not? It's just one more car length. It's just another four or so seconds. The chaos of traffic shouldn't cause me to fall so much in my character. It's just one aspect of life.

There are so many more important things about which to worry. Besides, a little decline in the rapid pace of life might actually be helpful every now and then.

Faith like a Child

I was recently at a live radio broadcast of Mike and Mike in the Morning, which is pretty much the best radio talk show ever made, and I met an extremely interesting 10-year-old girl. Not only was she bold in approaching anyone she met in lighthearted conversation, but she also was not the least bit afraid to make her faith in Christ known to the world.

The girl, whose name is Anna, took a liking to me and told me countless stories during the five-hour period we were there. She told me all about a community theater play in which she was involved, what her favorite hobbies and books were and other things of the sort. It was precious. Little did I know, she was going to say a few things that would stick with me far longer than anything else I heard that day.

Anna was doodling when, all of a sudden, she gasped and said: "Oh, dangit!" I asked her what was wrong, and she responded with: "I forgot my tracts. You see, Greeny is Jewish, and I was going to give him one." Greeny is Mike Greenberg, one of the co-hosts of the show. The two Mikes are very approachable and encourage fans to come up between breaks and sign autographs and take pictures with them, which of course I did (as you can see). But this little girl wanted to do more; she wanted to spread Jesus to them. I was amazed with her determination, and then she astounded me even more.

When talking about her role in the play, she said: "You know, I think it's a God thing that I am in this." Being almost shocked that such a young person could say such a wise statement, I asked her to explain why she thought that. She came back with this reply: "Well, my grandmother is flying in town to see me in the play, and it gives me a great opportunity to minister to her, because she is also Jewish."

Wow! A 10-year-old child was so excited to see her grandmother so that she could tell her all about how Christ died for the sins of the world, and she was openly sharing this with somene she had just met! I was rather inspired. But, she wasn't finished just yet.

As we were leaving when the show was over, the girl said: "I take it you know Jesus." I told her that was correct, and she asked me: "Is there anything I can be praying about for you?" Still impressed and astounded by her frankness, I told her she could pray for me to have wisdom and discernment in making some big upcoming decisions and asked if I could pray for her in any way. "There's nothing too big. I am really content and at peace right now, but I guess you could pray that I would remember all of my lines in my play!" Of course I could do that, I told her.

Later in the day, I was thinking about what it is that holds so many of us back that we cannot be as determined as Anna in sharing Christ with others? Why are so many of us fearful? Are we afraid that we will be judged too much? Or do we get anxious at the thought of rejection?

The fact of the matter is that, if a 10-year-old girl with the heart of a servant of Christ can pursue Him so much and in any situation, we all should be able to do the same. There should be no fear. We have the Lord with us, and that's all we need. Anna understands that. I just hope that soon so many others will take on the pure and passionate faith of a child and tell anyone, including famous sports talk radio personalities, about the love of Jesus, Savior of the world.

Happy

What on earth is happiness? How do we find it?

So often we find ourselves in mundane situations in which we complain and let bitter thoughts fill our minds about how miserable we are. Did anyone think of your current job when you read that? What's the point of working somewhere that makes you so incredibly unhappy?

There are definitely times in life when we have to endure things that we don't necessarily want to endure. Take, for example, working a job you hate. Perhaps you have to be there temporarily until you can bounce back from financial hardship to do something that you enjoy more. But, just because you can't stand where you are working now, that doesn't mean you have to show how much you hate it. I have found that even trying to have a positive attitude toward something that makes you cringe can make that awful thing seem more bearable.

Christians are called to do everything without complaining or arguing (see Philippians 2:14). Sometimes we just have to endure trials and rough patches in order to find something even better. Living in pursuit of Christ involves difficulty; it's definitely not just a casual walk in the park. True joy can only be found in Jesus, anyway, so why even bother searching for it in a real-world job? Honestly, it's pointless. You won't find it there.

Because genuine happiness can't come from things of this world, there is reason to give thanks in even the most boring jobs. Right now, I can't stand my job, but I know that God has something better in store for me. I just have to serve Him in this current occupation until His timing works out everything else as it should be.

No, I am not Polly Positive. I have just been thinking and praying about it a lot lately, and God has really opened my eyes and my heart to the fact that not everything is about me. It's about Him. It's about His glory.

So, trust in the only One who can give you pure and undaunted joy. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in a rut sooner or later. But if you just keep seeking His will in your life, you might find yourself smiling and having a snippet of fun at a job you really want to throw out the window.