Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Are You a Coffee Bean?

This is a cute story I head the other day from my buddy Dan Lind. This young man said to his mother that he was having a bad day and that all the students in college were poking fun at him. She asked for him to elaborate while she pulled out a pot, from the cabinet, and filled it with water and dumped some carrots in it and turned on the burner to boil the water and carrots.



Then the young adult told his mom that he was having trouble with his studies and was ready to give up school for good. She asked him to tell her about it while she pulled out another pot and filled it with water and eggs. Again she turned on the burner to bring the eggs to a boil.

After this the young man said he was having problems with his girl friend and all he did was upset her. Again the mom started asking follow up questions while she pulled another pot out of the cabinet. She filled this one with coffee beans and proceeded to bring this one to a boil as well

The young man was a bit confused and looked at his mom and asked "so what do you think?" The mom proceeded to pour out the stained carrots in a bowl and asked her son. "How are the carrots?" He said they were soft and mushy. Then immediately after she pulled out the eggs and gave him one to eat. "How is the egg?" she asked. He said it was tough and hard. Then she proceeded to pour the strained liquid in a cup and said "taste this". He said "this is great".

The Mom then said "Life puts you under pressure like the boiling water does all these ingredients. They are like people. The weak people turn out mushy and the bitter people turn out hard boiled. But the coffee beans change the water into something better. Son, you need to be like a coffee bean flavoring life with the best with a splendid aroma."

Bottom Line:

We all come under pressure. I pray that my life would be like a coffee bean where my influence is in good taste and my spirit picks up other peoples senses and energy levels. By the grace of God I would like to be like the wonderful coffee bean. Are you a coffee bean or want to be one?

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Confidence Amongst Turmoil

Looking at today's world and you can see that the seeds of change are sprouting. We see geopolitical upheaval. We hear threats and rumors of wars. We are seeing things that are unprecedented. Is this because of the technical revolution that is impacting everything? Is it because we are approaching the limits of how many people our plundered planet can support? Is it because there is a power grab to be in the best position as resources deplete? It might be a bit of each, but the real question is

                                "What do you put your confidence in today?" 



Your Own Dreams & Efforts:

There are many self esteem coaches that say you need better self esteem and better dreams and all your problems will melt away. Getting to maximum physical shape is also a major thrust today (I'm still looking for my six pack). Others say keeping your mind sharp to last into your later years is fantastic way to go forward. This helps, but

Your Family & Friends:

We have families that love us for the most part and friends that accept us unconditionally. I suspect when the "chips are down" and things get tough, there will be fewer friends and part of that family support system will fade. Family and friends help, but

The Younger Generations:

Youthful energy and fresh ideas always get accepted into society and help all generations alive and to come. The question is will this be enough and youth may lack experience. Youth helps, but

The System & Institutions:

We look to our governments and businesses to take care of us. It seems with everyone fighting for the few funds that are there, we the people get lost in the shuffle. Look at how companies used to be loyal and took care of their people. Now longer. Government institutions can help, but

Technology & Science:

There are new medical and technical breakthroughs happening daily. These are encouraging and they will continue us to help cope and extend life expectancies. Technology will help extend the power and reach of man, This is all good, but

Bottom Line:

These issues we face are bigger than all of these combined and the momentum of change and potentially bad outcomes will accelerate. I would suggest you put your confidence in God first because He loves you unconditionally. All these other things help, but are insufficient over the long haul. We are eternal beings, but life on earth is temporal. We all need to get to know this God who loves us. Keep seeking brothers and sisters with a humble spirit and God will meet you where you are with the grace He can only provide through Christ Jesus.