Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Coconuts and Peaches by Chelsea Yadon
Everyone is born a coconut. I certainly was, but due to self-searching and my upcoming adventure of college I have discovered I want to be a peach. This revelation is recent yet fervent. I have realized that my entire life, my primary goals, have always been centered on myself. What do I need? And how do I get it? I have consisted of a hard shell, which required taking a jackhammer to to reach the meat of my core so that I might serve another. But that will no longer characterize me. I want to be a peach who’s nectar is as accessible as picking me off a branch. I want to serve.
Humans are born vulnerable seeds and as they are exposed to the harsh, competitive world we live in, their shell takes shape. At three years old I went to pre-school and was mocked for the large pink bow my mother forced atop my mop of curls. Voila! We see the formation of the endocarp, the inner shell surrounding the seed of the coconut. It is human nature to protect oneself from disparagement. A few years later I found that I needed to get the right answers at school, and if I failed to meet authoritative criteria, I would be ashamed. This defined the mesocarp phase, the fibrous husk which ultimately surrounds the hard woody layer called the endocarp. The outermost layer, exocarp, formed with the belief that in order to have success (which intailed having straight A’s and going to a great college) life had to be a competition. The more people become self-serving, the harder their shells becomes. The seed has become too enclosed and the next thing you know a trained pig-tailed macaques is required to climb a 30 m tree just to be within reach of the real you.
My newfound purpose is to search for those who are in need and do everything in my power to help. In essence, serving others will free me from my restricting shell. IU is a matchless place of learning and excellence. I have the upmost confidence that is will facilitate my transformation. Through my experiences at the distinguished college I will become best suited to contribute to the world. The beauty of a peach is that it doesn’t take a jackhammer or a tree-climbing monkey. Simply reach, grab, and bite and the peach serves its purpose. Peach trees are 3 meters high.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
What is Your Life Worth?
Today I am eternally grateful that my worth is not measured by the size of my bank account, what talents I may have, the things I possess or the any of the trappings of success so sought after. Jesus loved me when I was being formed in my mother’s womb and NOTHING can separate me from the Love of Christ. The things I carry in my heart, my freedom, my memories, my wife, my children, all the people I have loved, my relationship with Jesus; those are the things of true value in my life. The things I am willing to die for are the things that make life worth living.
I like what one man said: “Life’s worth is not measured by the amount accumulated, but by the amount given.”
My daughter Chelsea wrote a college entrance essay recently that touched my heart (I will post it in the future). She said she had realized that she had become a coconut with a hard shell that had fruit that was difficult to get at. Her goal now is to be a peach, easy to access and ready to serve. The more we love, give and serve, the sweeter and more precious life becomes. There we find real meaning, purpose and substance. The cool thing is anyone can Love. God doesn’t need our abilities to change the world, just our availability.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Truth of the Mirror
A few years ago I bought a 1800s Seth Thomas Clock from a fellow in Strawtown Indiana. Best that I can tell from my research, this clock was made somewhere around 1834. The front door to the cabinet has clear glass on the top half which covers the clock face and a mirror on the bottom half. I was looking in that mirror the other night and the thought struck me of how old that mirror is and how many faces have looked in the mirror in the last 177 years. The mirror seems timeless, yet as time marched on, the faces that glanced into it cycled from babies to old and decrepit many times. You cannot see the past or the future in a mirror, only the truth of now. I don’t care how old the mirror is, if you look in it, you will instantly see the present. The mirror will show you your physical body but it cannot see inside your heart. If you want to see your heart, look into the mirror of the Word of God. It hasn’t changed and will do its job every time. I would say looking at your heart is more important than looking at your face. The cool thing is, as our faces cycle toward old age, our hearts are getting ready to soar into eternity.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Cancer is Limited
'Cancer is limited:
It cannot cripple love,
It cannot shatter hope,
It cannot erode faith,
It cannot eat away peace,
It cannot destroy confidence,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot shut out memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot reduce eternal life,
It cannot quench the spirit,
And it cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.'
Bulletin board in the Mayo Clinic
Friday, January 14, 2011
A Twist on the Serenity Prayer
God
Help me to Accept the People I cannot Change
The Courage to Change the One I can
And the Wisdom to know it’s Me
-John G Miller
Monday, January 10, 2011
BIG PLANS FOR YOU!
I happened to catch a commercial last night for the TV show “Biggest Loser”. It showed one of the new contestants struggling to continue walking on the treadmill. The fitness coach Bob Greene was standing there saying “don’t give up, I have Big Plans for you!” I turned to Debbie and said, “How would that make you feel to know someone believed in you like that?” She said, “That is what everyone wants, someone to believe in them”. Something about knowing someone else believes you can accomplish a big plan is motivating.
If there are times when we don’t feel like we have a champion in our life, there is no one there rooting us on, and we may feel like giving up, when our belief in our self is wavering and we feel like we can’t go on, we need someone to tell us “don’t give up, I have Big Plans for you!” Someone that can see us not as we are, but as we can become. Someone who has done it before with other people. Someone who is confident that it CAN be done.
It is a rare treasure to find someone who will truly come along side you and be your champion. Too often a self centered attitude rules the day. “How can I help someone else considering all my issues, problems, concerns, limited time, limited money…” Let’s pray that God will give us His heart for people.
Our young people need this. “God I ask you to raise up mentors, encouragers, people who will affirm them, people who will believe in them and people who can help to raise their vision of what is possible in their life. We need people who will look beyond the faults and weakness and SEE Powerful and Amazing individuals. I must be these things for my family, but our kids need more that Mom and Dad telling them they can do anything.
As adults we need a champion. I mean a specific encourager who can see our strengths and potential and speak into our lives specific words of vision and affirmation. “Oh I am tough, I don’t need anyone one cheering me on.” Please don’t kid yourself, everyone needs a champion.
While it would be wonderful to have another human cheering for me, there are times in life when it seem like we walk the road alone. During those times it is comforting to know that we can “encourage ourselves in the Lord” as David did. Just think, the very God of the Universe says to YOU, “For I know that plan I have for you”, Declares the Lord, “Plan to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God has BIG PLANS for YOU!
I want to internalize the fact that God believes in ME and is cheering for ME and already sees what I can be. Then I want to partner with God and come along side someone else and be their champion. There are no perfect coaches or champions, only willing people that allow God to use them to reach out a hand and pull someone else up to a higher level with them.
Finally, if you are reading this and know of a good life coaching, mentoring, Bible based program for young adults please post a comment and share the info. Love.