Monday Ride (Part I)

Get Outside. #GetOutside

Just before hopping on the bike this morning (after I slept in 90 minutes longer than intended), Kelly Ripa & Ryan Seacrest were telling me that we spend over 85% of our time inside (not all of us, of course…but a scary majority of us). Whether it’s inside our home, or inside the place where we work, or inside a car (with the windows closed tightly)… As much as I love being outside, I’m guilty too…although I’d like to think it’s under 85% for me…I sure hope.

I often wonder if we truly are our own worst enemy. I mean…we’re not the enemy, but do the ways in which we ‘protect and fortify and cushion’ ourselves weaken us rather than actually making our situations better? We were created for being in nature and nature (a gift) for us (book of Genesis basics here…). We’ve somehow come to a place where we’ve separated ourselves from nature, as if we’re truly not part of it. We think we’re ‘more civilized.’ Hardly.

I have always believed that if we cannot adapt to our habitat, we weaken. The dinosaurs can relate. Adam & Eve didn’t need clothing. They were reluctantly given clothing…fig leaves, by the way…to which I am sure many of us would be allergic.

I love the kid’s movie, The Lorax. However, I fear that we’re becoming (or wanting to become) the family who doesn’t need a real tree because the man-made tree in the ‘yard’ is working just fine and doesn’t shed its leaves (which I can actually relate with at the moment).

Don’t just ‘like’ the rainforest page on Facebook. If you really care about it, go live there. If you really care about deforestation, go live in a forest and be a good steward of that forest. If there’s anyone else there…love those people. Be a good neighbor.

Am I going too far with this? Perhaps…

The climate is changing and always has been and always will. The dinosaurs can relate to this as well. Get outside anyway. Despite the change, enjoy the gift of outside. I do realize…not every ‘outside’ space is the same. Make your outside space better…safer, cleaner. I promise it will be a better place with you being part of it, than if you just ignore it.

15% of time spent outside? Really? I’m not asking you to be a mountain climber. Sit on your porch if you have one. If not, buy a lawn chair…even one with a drink holder if need be. Put a mile on your shoes today. Open the windows when you drive. Enjoy the breeze that God will never send you an electric bill for…

Yes, this post had little to do with my ride. Two more posts coming…from other thoughts I had during my morning ride.

John

Photo by Lucija Ros on Unsplash

Subtract

Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

In my last post, I shared the above quote. Addition by subtraction. Enrichment by simplification. For about the past decade, the theme of simple has been a recurring and crucial thread in my life. Simplifying: easier said than done.

Simple: it’s one of the reasons I often utilize others’ photos (and give credit). It’s one of the reasons I prefer following a design guide over creating and recreating, over and over. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons I’ve gravitated back towards my acoustic guitar over the many bells and whistles that my electric guitar rig offers. I definitely believe it’s one of the reasons I am currently more content with apartment living over home ownership.

The enemy of art is the absence of limitations. –Orson Welles

In my spiritual journey, I have learned that growth isn’t defined by addition, but rather by allowing Jesus to do away with in my life, that which I was not created for. I am healthier and happier, not when I have more events on my calendar to do, but when I have increased margin to invest in the parts of my life that are more fulfilling. Each time I write, I spend more time editing and stripping away unnecessary words and statements than I do in writing out the initial draft. Clarity and simplicity over a buffet of words.

For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. -Jesus (Matthew 11:30)

When we allow the Holy Spirit to strip away that which is more like us than like Him, He is freeing us. He asks to travel light…leave the baggage. We don’t do that by addition, but rather by subtraction.

Simplifying is often difficult because we’re conditioned to think that saying ‘no’ may be rude. In a recent podcast by Jon Acuff, he states ‘Exercise like your life depends on it. Because it does.” I love that! In the same way, say no like your life depends on it. Say yes to simple.

A friend on Instagram shared the following today, from a funeral she had attended. A beautiful example of successful simplicity.

So, when all that’s left of me is love, give me away. -Merrit Malloy (Epitaph)

John

Photo by David van Dijk on Unsplash

 

 

News (unfed)

I had a great meeting recently with a couple of colleagues. We meet once a month to chat through some of our challenges, we help one another look for solutions, and we find opportunities that we can take to improve our own workflows and ultimate results. Simply put, iron sharpens iron…but only when we’re willing to grab up the tools we have available to us and make it happen. As a practice for the moment, we’re reading Todd Henry’s Accidental Creative together, to help guide our conversations.

In the last meeting, I expressed one of my personal challenges…the newsfeed, which I often refer to as the ‘death scroll.’ I’m not pointing my finger in any one social media or newsfeed’s direction. Whether it’s the 24 hour news channel, Twitter, or even the daily paper…we can easily become lost in the midst of whatever today’s ‘newsfeed’ is feeding our unbeknownst hunger for knowing where our acquaintances are spending their lunch breaks or whatever new unending Russian investigation has begun that day.

My admitted trap…Facebook. Some would say, ‘just stay away’ or ‘just close that tab.’ Easier said than done. One of my primary roles is in helping to oversee our church’s social media pages. However, with an actual solution for me, one of my colleagues gave me an immediate gift, likely because they themselves had experienced the same trap.

If you have this struggle yourself or if you know someone else who might benefit, I’m paying it forward as a give to you! My daily newsfeed (on my MacBook, at least) now appears as follows:

News Feed Eradicator is available for several browsers. Check it out for yourself. One quote for the day, and nothing more. Just a few days ago, it led me to share the following quote (somewhat ironic), which I’ll end with and probably write more about in the near future:

Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

John

Photo by Kingston Chen on Unsplash

Playlist

I am a huge fan of #Spotify. My wife and I upgraded to the family plan sometime last year, I believe. It has changed my music-listening experience for the better, to say the least. We’re discovering new music everyday and loving it.

One of the coolest things about Spotify is what they did for me, just before Christmas. Basically, it was a really cool analysis of my music listening over the course of 2017. They told me how many hours I listened, what I listened to the most, and they created a playlist of music that I ‘may have missed.’ In addition to that, they created a playlist of all of the music that I listened to the most; basically a custom, ad-free/talk-free radio station. As one who is not a fan of radio, it’s by far the best station ever…(because it’s mine, of course…).

The natural tendency, of course, would be for me to listen to it. After all, Spotify created it just for me. It would be rude not to. I have listened a few times, for sure. However, it would be a bit embarrassing perhaps, if my 2018 listening was nothing more than a repeat of 2017. I fortunately can assure you, as early as it is in 2018, I’ve continued finding new artists and I am somewhat confident that this year’s station will not simply be a repeat of my 2017 playlist. If, by chance, it were identical…I would hope that Spotify would call me out on it. ‘We appreciate your membership and your money, but please…please listen to something new, John!”

As much as we all realize that there’s no literal wall between 2017 & 2018, be challenged to embrace and own your past (for better or worse)…but don’t live there. Revisit, remember, reminisce, recycle…but by all means recover, refocus, and rejoice that there is beauty yet to be discovered in your life!

Psalm 96:1 Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

John

Photo by Ryan Stefan on Unsplash

Lead us not…

temp·ta·tion

tem(p)ˈtāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. a desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.

According to a quick search on Google, this was the first definition of the word ‘temptation.’ For the most part, I probably would have come up with something similar…knowing myself however, it likely would have been more wordy and I may have used the word ‘sinful’ rather than ‘wrong.’

Now, don’t get me wrong. Temptation is not a sin. There, I said it. However, don’t stop reading here. You would give me a great big thumbs up if I just stopped there. After all, we enjoy our flirtatious relationship with temptation. To some, temptation might mean to sip, rather than to chug. It might mean to look, but to not touch. It may mean to gamble for quarters, rather than for dollars.

I may be absolutely wrong on this, but it’s what I believe. Temptation is not a sin, but entertaining temptation can become a sin. For me, a temptation is to drink alcohol (one of my former vices…and not one that I did in moderation). I don’t drink now because I believe it would be sinful for me to do so. I believe that for me it would, without a doubt, lead to alcoholism.

Something I noticed about myself years ago…I still walked down that aisle at the grocery store, allegedly with no intention to purchase. I desired. I thirsted. I was envious. I could practically taste it. I knew enough about myself that I knew I couldn’t handle it. It was a form of self abuse, I believe. Entertaining temptation…perhaps sinful. I now avoid that aisle, if and when possible.

This won’t be a popular post of mine. I’m ok with that. I’ve pointed judgmentally only at myself. What even brought me to write it? What about #LegDay or pull-ups or today’s weigh-in? I’m reading a YouVersion plan called The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down, which as you may have already guessed is a 5-day brief study on The Lord’s Prayer. In my study this morning, something that hit me…like never before.

But then it made sense why I felt convicted to not walk down particular aisles anymore. Jesus taught us to pray, ‘lead us not into temptation‘ (Matthew 6:13). He didn’t say ‘lead us to not sin’ or ‘help us to know how far is too far’ or ‘help me to not get addicted.’ He prayed against experiencing temptation. It’s no coincidence that in that same Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also draws distinct lines as it concerns adultery, divorce, murder, and love (among other things).

I’m not inferring that Jesus goes as far to call temptation ‘sin.’ He doesn’t. However, in its context, I believe that entertaining temptation can become a sinful act.

Fun post, right?

I don’t know what all of this means for you. Perhaps nothing. However, it may mean your route home from work changes. It may mean ‘look away’ rather than ‘look, but don’t touch.’ I shared a bit about what it meant for me. Praying about what more it may mean as I grow and as He continues to transform my life.

John

Photo by Vladislav Klapin on Unsplash

2018, the ball’s in your court…

2018 could be better. We would all like for it to be. It doesn’t have to be, but it could be. A videographer friend of mine shared some great thoughts on this earlier today and I thought I would share on how my new year has begun.

My morning started with coffee, eggs, the bagel, and of course some cheese…not all that early, around 8am I suppose. Pretty quickly, I headed to the church to begin preparing to play a little music. I was blessed today, to have been invited to participate in a celebration of life service for a well-respected lady in our community. I’ve played and sang before in memorial services, but never alone.

If you know me at all, I am the guy that sheds at least a tear or two for every movie…ever (every movie…ever). I was nervous. I knew I would be emotional, and I was.

The family shared and it was absolutely beautiful; the memory and ongoing legacy of a life well-lived (and cut all too short). There have been too many of this type of memorial service in 2017…and 2018 began with another.

That being said, my 2018 began better for having been a part of this service. She had lived life to the fullest, she had found Jesus, she had fought the worst kind of sickness, and she had passed her life, her legacy, her fight, her passion for life, and her Jesus to those in her circle of influence. I was grateful today, to have been in her circle of influence…even if just for a short, distant time.

I didn’t exercise today, not at all. I ate well, and had a lot of coffee. I had the day off with my wife. I had a nap. It was a good day.

2018 will bring crap. It will bring trials. It will bring waiting. It will bring bills. It will bring pain. It will bring loss. Whether 2018 will be better than last year or not, that is up to us…each and every one of us. The grace with which we will face all of the above-mentioned trials will determine the quality of the year…not just for ourselves, but for those in our circles of influence.

In addition to the obstacles that await us in 2018, there will be weddings and births and birthdays and hugs and kisses. You’ll surprisingly find a quarter or a dollar or a five in a jacket you haven’t worn in months. There will be sneaky rain showers that hit midway through your bike ride. Picnics and meteor showers on warm evenings. Pay attention and the good will outweigh the bad.

Grace is given freely and on a regular basis. If you’re feeling a bit low on grace, you might want to double check to make sure you haven’t been turning it away. May your 2018 be filled with both giving and receiving grace!

John

Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash

Feeling (awakening)

Why, out of nowhere, did I begin writing again? In part…it was for expression, art, transparency…in part, I was trying to figure it out and work through it (what I’m feeling), rather than hiding behind it.

For quite sometime, I was journaling daily. That was a great couple of months. Daily turned into every other day, then weekly, and then so forth… At one point, I legitimately had a fear of running out of pages and not being able to buy a new journal until the house sells (still on the market after two contracts that fell through). Silly thought for sure, but I had it at one point…perhaps just poor justification for taking a break from it.

Today, I began writing in a recently unfamiliar way. I had been putting it off for a few days…trying to finish a song that I began writing this past summer when I was in the beginning stages of feeling this…this ‘whatever’ that I am feeling.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is a powerful claim found in a section of Paul’s letter as he is addressing sexual sin.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

I am not my own…those words. They kind of hurt. They kind of take the pressure off. Not only am I not my own…my guitar is not my guitar, my car is not my car, my apartment is not my apartment (it’s literally not…I was entrusted to take care of it for a monthly fee, and it will never belong to me). My house is not my house (wishing that were even more true in a worldly sense today…selfish thinking, I suppose). Whether alive or dead, happy or sad, rich or poor, broken or built, sensitive or, well…numb, my feelings (or lack thereof, perhaps) don’t give me a free pass to just stop.

While writing today, this didn’t come to me until the chorus, which came last today. Often, the chorus comes first for me.

“…just because my heart is ticking, doesn’t mean I’m really living. I’m glad I’m not my own anymore.” (excerpt from Not My Own, John Lawson 2017)

That’s it! Scripture I had highlighted on YouVersion about 1 year ago, according to them…came back to me today, as I was simply trying to put on paper (in the form of a song) what my heart began to feel on July 8, 2017 (when I voice-recorded the first line of the verse on my iPhone). The Spirit is faithful…

So…no matter what I’m feeling or thinking…No matter how tired or aching my body is…No matter what obstacle seems to be in my way…I am to keep walking!

I believe that the One True God wants victory for me. He believes in me. I belong to Him, not to me. For that, I am grateful.

John

photo credit @kimonmaritz

screenshot from YouVersion

When you have a goal…

I have a new spring in my step…a new excitement in my soul. I’m not saying I’m ‘on top of the world’ or that I am even in a ‘mountaintop experience.’ However, I have a simple thing…a goal that I am working towards.

A few years ago, I began going to the gym. For too long, I had become happy with my mediocre weight loss from 2006 to 2011 or so. I was pretty happy with the 18-25 lbs I had kept off. However, I knew…everyday, every moment…that more needed to come off.

When that process began (more weight loss), it was truly a journey…a difficult journey, to be brief and to say the least. Several months after I began, I heared the first ‘compliments’ as questions…”are you losing weight?”…”have you started lifting?” Twenty pounds later when I realized I had lost 50 total since 2006 (246 to 196), I realized that my goal(s) had become an accomplishment, a win! While I’ve been able to keep most of that off, I still realize I could make some further goals in that direction. I’m not there yet…

I shared a few days ago…a new goal…playing and singing in a coffee shop. Seemingly, this is not a huge goal. After all, I’ve probably done this close to a hundred times in my life. However, it’s been awhile, quite some time ago…when I was way younger and when I still thought I was cool. Now, I simply know how uncool I am. When a date is on the calendar, I’ll quietly let you know.

Healthy goals are huge! When I say healthy…I mean, if you meet your goals…will they help you to become more of the person that you were created to be?

1. When’s the last time you set a goal? (sure, New Year’s Resolutions can count)
2. How determined were you to meet that goal?
3. Did that goal help you to be more like the person you were created to be or were your motives more in pursuit of someone you weren’t, but wanted to be?

JohnALawson

Obligation Versus Prioritization

A friend and I had a conversation recently about the choices we make and why. Often, we feel obligated to make choices that will appease others, without thinking about how those choices might affect ourselves, our families, and our friends. Perhaps less often, we make educated decisions that we have analyzed much more intentionally.

In case you didn’t know…every choice you make affects every person. Yes, that is a heavy statement and yes, I meant it. Argue against it and I’ll argue right back. If you think the decisions Adolph Hitler made do not affect you today, you’re wrong. There were choices of others in his ancestry that affected him as well. Every choice, every action, every motive…has a domino effect.

The products you buy can affect one or two or one thousand individuals in a nation you’ll never step foot in. The drink you have can affect every individual you come in contact with…and well beyond that. A student walking into a classroom, tardy, can affect the classroom for a whole day or more…all because a lazy dad or mom or kid ignored or ‘snoozed’ the alarm clock. I’m not saying that we’re intentionally malicious against one another (not even most of the time). However, all choices are important…to everyone, not just you.

It is my goal to put more thought to ‘simple’ decisions. I always think long and hard about what I believe to be enormous decisions, but in the past I have often made simple decisions based on the wishes or hopes of someone else. I tend to be a people pleaser, which…by the way, often pleases no one in the long run.

Jesus doesn’t want us to feel obligated to say yes to Him, to attend church, to read our Bible, to pray, to sing, etc…He wants US. He wants our whole life. Not so He can be more victorious or more powerful or more affirmed in His identity. He wants us to choose Him because we love Him…because love itself is who He is. Us choosing Him affects everyone in a positive way, even if some folks’ response isn’t positive at all.

Salt. Light.

Earlier this week, I made a difficult, bittersweet decision. It affected me, my family, a colleague, and more folks than I care to mention. Initial effects are perhaps seemingly negative, but I am confident that it is a right decision that will be a good thing within the big picture. Often, big right decisions hurt. Prioritization hurts. If it doesn’t hurt, then you probably didn’t truly prioritize.

However, making decisions based on obligation can have long term effects of which the word ‘hurt’ doesn’t scratch the surface.

JohnALawson

Not for my elbow…

I have a friend who was found…in very rough shape, unresponsive. Upon arrival back home from Maine, I found myself in the ICU talking to a friend…who couldn’t talk back. I wasn’t sure that he could hear me or remember me, for that matter.

Life support. Comatose. I was leaving two days later with my beautiful for week 3 of my sabbatical and I had no clue if I would see him alive again on earth.

To catch you up, since that was July 5th…he’s almost fully recovered and coming home this weekend!

Doctors cannot explain it. John 5 can, just as one example. I’ll take that back…at least one of the doctors actually used the word ‘miracle.’ I often hear inside and outside the church, ‘why don’t we see miracles in modern times?’ This question is typically asked during times of great trials. If and when we miraculously overcome and persevere those trials, we seldom give God enough credit for the miracle(s) that just happened.

Miracles happen everyday, every hour, every moment. I dare you to look for them!

JohnALawson