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If you spell Chuck Norris in Scrabble, you win… Forever.

“I’m too good for this job. I was meant to bear my workload in my mind not over my shoulders. But I kept my head up. The school thing was a bump in the road, but I landed on my feet and got a job quickly even if it is a job that’s ‘below’ me.” These are the type of thoughts that were going through my head when I started working at the store. My future, as I saw it, was no longer an option. And even in the midst of a huge failure, I was still very proud. And I took that pride with me everywhere I went. But then things like this started to happen.

Them: “How is school going?”

Me: “I got kicked out”

*puzzled look*

Them: “Ha, good one. Like that would happen. So schools good?”

Me: “No I actually got kicked out. I don’t go to [College Name] anymore.”

*Smiles gone and the conversation ends*

Over and over again I had this interaction. Each time it broke me. Having to re-experience the failure, the disappointment, and the sadness connected with it until after a while there was nothing left. At that point I was a zombie, just going through the motions.

But Chuck, he was a great worker. He was knowledgeable not just about the products but how to use them. He would give tips to help with the project or go over gotchas so the customers weren’t caught by surprise. In fact, the longer I worked with him, the longer I wondered why he was working at this store. He could have been a general contractor or something similar with the skill-set he possessed. He was better than this job too.

When we worked together, Chuck would share stories with me about his family. His wife and kids, things he did in his off time. He even invited me to his house for breakfast one day. He would share with me stories about he and his wife, or lessons he had taught(or tried to teach) to his kids, and that’s when I saw it. Working in the lumber department, wasn’t Chuck’s job, being a husband and father was. Sure he would be at that store a lot over a week, but it was the moments he shared with his family that really counted. He had ‘work’ to do, but that work just allowed him to support his family, and with a view like that how can your perception stay the same.

I realized that I too had a purpose, and I’m not too good for any work that will help me get to, or accomplish, my purpose. I had a new view on the work I was doing. If chuck can be more educated and experienced than the typical worker at the store, I can as well. Its an opportunity to serve not be a slave, it developing me not defining me, it’s the removal of prideful desires and replacement of God given purpose.

To say that my time with Chuck was humbling is an understatement. God used this time to completely destroy who I thought I was, and point my heart towards him.

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Crop circles are Chuck Norris’ way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie down.

I’m not even sure how I got a job in the lumber department. I’m a computer guy, the only thing I had built was a bird house(and my uncle provided most of the work there). But they brought me on anyway, gave me my vest and introduced me to Chuck. I was going to be working beside him to learn the ropes. Things like: what pressure treated lumber is and when to use it, how to mix and pour concrete, and how to figure how many squares of shingles were required for a roofing job(and what a square of shingles is). The first few weeks I’m sure were a disaster.

I had no clue what I was doing. Most of the time, if I was alone I felt like I was drowning. Questions about the proper nails to use(16 pennywhat?) and how to build a deck left me feeling inadequate and stupid. But Chuck was right there next to me. If there were things I didn’t know how to do, he would step in and teach me as he helped the customer. And in the unsteady moments when I was still learning he would provide the reassurance to keep me going. He would go over the interactions I had to show me where I had gone wrong, or to praise the things I did well. If I couldn’t answer a question, he would step in and answer it. Afterward he would tell me the reasoning behind the answer so I was learning more than just the right answer. Chuck had a cool temperament and gave me the room to learn and grow in my job. Chuck genuinely cared about my training. To him it was more than just a series of motions to go through, it was a mindset a way of life.

Looking back over the experience, its amazing how big the impact was that Chuck had on me. He was a great trainer and an amazing person. When I was working with Chuck I felt like I had a friend on my side, someone who had my back. And I knew that if I needed anything, or if I got into trouble he would be there. He naturally gravitated to leadership wisdom that some only learn through years of training. I’m not even sure if he had a college degree, but it  didn’t matter. Chuck’s training prepared me for the work ahead of me, in the home improvement store and in life.

Chuck wasn’t just training me he was discipling me. When I disciple someone I want it to be like that.

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Chuck Norris counted to infinity…twice.

It’s not my intention to actually talk about Chuck Norris, but rather a guy named chuck that I got to know years ago.
I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason. That they have something we must learn, and we are led to those who help us most to grow…

Well I don’t know if I believe that’s true, but I know I’m who I am today because I knew Chuck.

I met Chuck while working at a local home improvement store.We were in the same department and he did most of my training. I learned much more from Chuck, however, than how to operate a fork lift. Some of the lessons took hold immediately and some I only realized years later.

Now, I know I started this post on a pretty sappy note but I know that we all have those people who have made a huge impact on our lives. They have shaped who we are in big ways and small. Sometimes they don’t even know the impact they’ve had. Chuck is one of those people, and over the next few posts I’ll go over his influence in my life.

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When I was young my brother and I would sometimes get to boating with our aunt, uncle and cousins. We would load up, head to the lake, and spend the day tubing and skiing behind the yellow speedboat.Usually at some point midway through the day we would head into a little cove on the lake, anchor the boat and swim around for a while. I’m not sure why, but I loved anytime I got to help anchor the boat. It wasn’t rocket science but you had to make sure the boat actually wasn’t floating away, and that the anchor didn’t get stuck.

Now to contrast the anchor duties, my uncle was usually the only one to drive the boat. He knew when to speed up, and when to slow down. The nice areas to go into and the places to stay away from. He knew how to pull a skier vs. a tuber, and he knew appropriate speeds for the varying ages, and how far to push it when we said ‘Go Faster!’. He had the skill necessary to properly captain the boat.

Recently I heard someone say we’re all on the boat and you’re either an anchor or an engine. You can keep the boat where it is or you can push it forward. As I thought about that my mind took it a step farther. I think some people are naturally anchors, they cling to history and tradition. And while it may seem like there isn’t much to the anchor, they remember how and why things are how they are.

But there comes a time to raise the anchor and push forward. That’s where the engines come in. They push things forward. These people are striving for improvement and change. They must know how to navigate the waters. When to drive fast, when to drive slow, and how far to push the limits. They must not, however, ignore where we come from.

When anchors and engines are used together properly it’s a great combination. Without the engine there is no progress and without the anchor you’ll loose your purpose. I think I’m an engine, and I married an anchor. My Lady is always keeping me grounded and ensuring my push for progress is rightly motivated.

Which are you? Anchor or Engine?

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During my very first national CITRT roundtable, the pastor of the host church took a moment to speak to us. It’s been years since then, but this little nugget is one I won’t soon forget. “There are four options; you can innovate, change, update, or die.”
To this day I still am amazed at the truth in this statement. I’ve been thinking about how I might fall in each of these categories.

Innovate: To create something new.
Now lets bypass the ‘There are no new ideas’ discussion and take this to mean that you can do something no one else is doing. This is definitely an exciting category. You are stepping into the unknown, and with that can come great success or great failure. I’m no good at this. I think my mind is too logical to function this way. I find that most of my ideas are usually just an abstract amalgamation of things I’ve seen or heard.

Change: To transform.
This guy has gotten a bad wrap. Change is when things begin in a new direction. For the better or for worse, as Sam Cooke said,”Change gonna come.” Either way I love it because this is my wheelhouse. Small or drastic, slow or quick, I’m all about change. As I said before I love finding new ways to leverage what we have. I like to think of it as ‘innovation of the existing’, but that’s probably because I’m bitter about not being in the first category.

Update: To make current.
I think this tends to be more of a stop-gap measure than an actual solution but is still a viable path. I think you find updating happening when you are waiting on an innovation or change. Updating is a delicate matter. New principles can not simply be applied to old systems, you must have a very transitional individual who can see through the situation from beginning to end.

Die: To Die(metaphorically of course)
The End. If there is no forward movement because of innovation, change, or updates you will slowly cease to be. Some people are so resistant to progress that it leads to stagnation and then death.

Where do you fall?

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I like to read about pages. You know the page that a site author uses to inform/brag/warn you about themselves. Wait, warn you? Yeah, it seems odd to me as well, but sometimes you’ll find a disclaimer here.

Now I get the general idea behind this. Things posted on the internet can sometimes have unexpected and unintended effects, and this is an attempt to protect the writer from some of the repercussions. But is there any actual protection in a disclaimer?

Here’s the general feel for most of the disclaimers I have seen.

The things that I write are my own ideas not of anyone else. So don’t hold anyone else to them but me, especially not {insert organization here}.

Honestly I wonder, what purpose do they serve? We know whose ideas they are but when you are affiliated with an organization your ideas/values should probably line up, especially if you are someone who can ‘communicate’ for said org. It seems to me like a cop-out to just say don’t hold them to my ideas. I think if you represent something you should probably not start off by trying to distance yourself from it. Own up to the responsibility, if there is a disparity between you and your organization it should probably be dealt with.

Also, who would be reading your blog and thinking; “I can’t believe this is posted. it goes against everything that…..Oh wait now I see these are just his/her ideas and no more. I guess that it’s all fine then.”  It won’t happen like that.

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Have you heard of this book by Dr. Seuss?
It was a popular gift to graduates when I was graduating high school. I, however, never received this book.(a bit of a sore subject, lets not bring it up) But I really enjoy it.(I’ve stood in a bookstore and read it, as I don’t have my own copy)

This book had a profound impact on me after I had been ‘academically dismissed’ from college. I was searching for purpose after my plans had completely fallen through. And God used a Dr. Seuss book to show me the way. I felt worthless, I was a failure, and I didn’t know where I was going. The first page says,

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

And it made me think, “Despite the complete lack of direction you feel – you are on your way to good things.” it was a representation of Jeremiah 29:11 wrapped up in Seuss(Does God do that?) I felt God’s love in that moment. He hadn’t forgotten about me, I hadn’t messed things up for good this time. The simple truth that I needed to see, nothing could separate me from his love. Romans 8:38

On the last page is my favorite part.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

Mountains! I know I’ve heard that somewhere before. God has big things planned for me. Huge things, I just need to have faith. I can’t help but smile when I see or read this book anymore(even though I don’t have my own copy). Anytime I see it on a shelf or a store it makes me think of God’s promises.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were more everyday things that caused us to look to God?

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of all trades. That’s what you were thinking too right?

Information is everywhere. You can find anything out if you take the time to look for it. I really get a kick out of finding a subject or a task and researching/learning about it. I spend a good deal of my free time teaching myself new things like playing the guitar, hypnosis, or 5 different ways to tie my shoes. Even my work lends it self to constantly researching information and learning new things. As great as it is to have this breadth of knowledge, it has a downside. I’m not an expert at any of these things.

Jack of all trades, master of none is how I believe the saying goes. Not a new idea, but what I’ve been wondering is; is this a good thing?  Is it better to be ‘well rounded’ or to continually develop one particular skill? Now I know that this isn’t black and white and that there are usually multiple disciplines involved in every field, so I’m just asking on which side would you err?

I think its my personality/nature that leads me toward the breadth rather than the depth of knowledge. Once I reach the point of comprehension I’m ready to move to the next thing. It is almost painful for me to reach the ‘expert’ level. I like to go just deep enough to engage in a substantial way.

This scenario raises some questions in my mind. What effect does this have on my commitment? How does this change my process for learning? What are the strength areas here that I can focus on?

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This was one of the nuggets of information I gleaned while Rick Warren was dropping truth bombs(quuaaacckk) on us IT folk at the Spring CITRT. It’s no more than three statements, but something that resounded within me.

D-W-A
Divert Daily
Withdraw Weekly
Abandon Annually

The man has a thing for alliteration doesn’t he? This year I have put a heavy emphasis on discipline in my life and a part of that focus leads to ensuring I am allocating my time appropriately. I am the type of person that will run himself ragged with responsibilities. I’m lucky to have a wife that will point out times when I might be overcommiting myself, but even with an adequate load I think it’s important to make sure that you don’t edge out that personal time we all need. These three ‘axioms’ are a guideline to keep you refreshed and renewed.

Divert Daily-
We need to be sure to get our quiet time with God. It’s a foundational part of any day and can be quickly edged out by other more ‘urgent’ matters. Take time each day to connect with God, and to spend time in His word.

Withdraw Weekly-
This one snuck up on me. We need a personal sabbath, a day of rest. A time that we don’t fill with other responsibilities orchores and truly rest. I’ll admit I was the first guy to fill his day off work with…more work.

Abandon Annually-
Complete disconnection.  Every year we should take time to remove ourselves from our day-to-day lives to reflect and renew. The time frame on this might be different for others but I need 5 days to remove myself completely from other responsibilities. And I like to do so on the beach.

Simple words with huge implications. I am working to make these departures a regular part of my life. What method do you use to keep your soul refreshed?

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