From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Jan 1 02:17:23 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Jan 1 02:17:37 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Vision Message-ID: <63A439A5-7B86-46A8-BA80-B144C45BA0DF@clanwebb.com> Our pastor challenged us last night. He challenged us to be working towards a vision of the future. "Where there is no vision, the people perish [...]" Proverbs 29:18 KJV Life counselors will often ask you to make a five year plan or a ten year plan as a way to guide you through thinking about the future. It gets you to think about the path you are on and whether it will bring you any closer to those goals. The difference here is that we shouldn't be looking for our own vision. We should be asking God what His vision for us is. If we are not pursuing His vision for us, we're just walking in circles. If you find yourself hoping that you'll be more holy someday or that you'll be a better Christian someday, consider the path you're on. Why not be a better Christian today? Do you know what God's vision is for you? He doesn't always reveal the big things ahead of you, but He'll certainly have something for you to do next week. If you don't even know what that is, then what goal are you pursuing? It's either the wrong goal, or you're aimless. Seek God now for His vision for the new year. Pursue that vision. Then you won't perish. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Jan 2 00:02:56 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Jan 2 00:03:11 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stand Out Message-ID: <1D7BD8B3-7F3C-433D-B0D9-C4D677EE7E8C@clanwebb.com> "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ." Philippians 3:18 It's not a pleasant thought, but it's clearly true. In fact, we're outnumbered. The closer I draw to my God the more outgunned I feel here on earth. It's not a feeling of panic, though. I'm confident in my salvation and my citizenship is in Heaven. It's still overwhelming to see those who are both ignorant of and antagonistic towards Christ. We shouldn't be surprised, the Bible describes these folks pretty well: "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." Philippians 3:19 Those who don't know Christ all seem to follow this pattern: They worship their wants and lusts. They will do whatever they feel is right in their own mind. They glory in things that ought to be shameful. Society celebrates and glorifies those who are adulterers, liars, cheats, murderers, criminals, and otherwise immoral. They aren't ashamed of their behavior, they brag about it. Their mind is clearly set on earthly things and, if they don't get saved, their destiny is set. How about you? Are you guilty of any of these classifications? Do you worship your wants and lusts? Are you proud of that which should shame you? Even if your destiny is set in Heaven, you can still fall down and roll with the dogs. It's hard to show the lost the way out if you are lost with them. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" John 13:35 As much as you may feel outgunned, you should endeavor to stand out like a flashing red light. Don't try to blend in. Their path leads to destruction. Be different. Challenge the norm. Follow Christ with passion. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Jan 2 21:41:51 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Jan 2 21:49:25 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Trust Message-ID: We are always looking to find someone to trust. I believe that if we are honest with ourselves, we trust very little. Then, it can be debated, that the world offers very little to be trusted. When we vote, look for a tradesman, listen to a proposition: the issue is always trust. In deeper introspect, we must admit that we can't always trust ourselves. I don't mean that we don't look out after our own interests, because we always do, but that we can't always trust ourselves to do the right thing. Those basic needs imprinted on our DNA for self- preservation, desire, pleasure, security, recognition, and the rest will always test us if fulfillment of those needs comes at a cost of right or wrong in the subjective world. You can always find someone to tell you that you did the right thing! The point of course is that we will never get the nuances of right and wrong because we will never be perfect in the basics. What joy we must be missing because of our sin nature. This situation is the hole in every person's heart as we want it both ways and don't have the capacity to perform. Our very minds betray us. It is why we need a savior. We need something bigger, better, and infinite. Then, our natures may betray us, but not unto death. We just have to trust the Savior. "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:4 "being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." Romans 4:21 "O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me." Psalm 30:2 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 3 22:36:08 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Jan 3 22:36:21 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Do The Right Thing Message-ID: <6176C6F7-CE14-4553-9E5F-3901CAD0681F@clanwebb.com> Imagine you are walking up a forest trail and notice a well-covered land mine directly in the path of the trail. You carefully walk around it and continue on. A minute later there's someone walking the other direction and about to pass you. Do you tell them about the pit? Imagine you are working on a construction site and notice a girder near an edge that appears ready to fall. It's balanced such that one extra nudge will send it crashing down. Do you simply avoid it or tell the others around you? Imagine you are eating at a buffet and notice something shiny in the potato salad. Upon further inspection, it appears to be aluminum shavings. Do you simply move on to the macaroni or do you warn those in the line behind you? In each of these cases, the compassionate response seems obvious. Clearly we should warn people of things that will cause them harm or even kill them. And, yet, we struggle with telling others about Christ. "When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself." Ezekiel 3:18-19 It's not our responsibility to make people act correctly. However, it is our responsibility to tell people about the truth we know: that they have a choice. God is not a secret to be kept. He is a discovery to be shared. You have the privilege and the responsibility to do so. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Jan 4 22:01:40 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Jan 4 22:01:56 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] FBLP Message-ID: <51EA29E1-E437-4065-B27F-A1DF1532514B@clanwebb.com> I think it was Pat McManus who first described the "Modified Stationary Panic" and the "Full Bore Linear Panic". The former is how to react to bad situations in confined spaces. The latter is used to achive maximum distance between the person panicking and the person or thing causing the panic in a minimum amount of time. It's a hilarious image to think of someone hightailing it in cartoon fashion through the forest and down the road at full speed. You laugh, but you know that you are capable of both kinds of panic in dealing with bad situations. The key is knowing when to use which one. I have come to the conclusion that, despite being saved, I often use the MSP when I should be using the more effective FBLP. Even God has said as much: "Flee from sexual immorality [...]" 1 Corinthians 6:18 "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." 1 Timothy 6:11 "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousnesss, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:22 I sometimes find myself panicking in place. I don't escape the temptation. I just try to stand there and resist it. Flee has a connotation of a rapid exit in the opposite direction. I think these are times for the FBLP. Joseph demonstrated it: "One day he went into the house to attend his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house." Genesis 39:11-12 That's the way to flee sin. Don't stand in place and try to talk yourself out of it or start to negotiate with it. Flee. Run. Get away. It's much harder to sin if you have removed yourself from the opportunity. If you see me running, you'll know that I'm doing it right. Just stay out of the way. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Jan 5 22:15:05 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Jan 5 22:15:39 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] One at a Time Message-ID: My wife shared an article with me about multitasking. The premise is that this concept actually makes one less efficient rather than turning one into a superman or superwoman. It goes into the science of the brain and all that left side/right side theory. When you ask your brain to interfere with a task you have already started is when you find yourself at a standstill asking, "Why did I come in here? What was I going to do?" I think the article is right in that the more tools I have the more projects I start and the fewer I finish. I think that, Biblically, I am on very firm ground when I say, "Prioritize and then go about things one task at a time." God could surely be said to have the ability to do more than one thing at a time (probably even to do all things at once), but His infinite wisdom chose to set forth the example of my previous statement. Consider Genesis 1:1-31 Day one: light. Day two: expanse. Day three: plants. Day four: heavens. Day five: fish. Day six: animals and man. Undeniable, I say. One day for one task. Each one is building upon the previous one to a successful day of rest. So, can we stop driving, eating, talking on the phone, and changing lanes all at the same time? We have become a society in one heck of a hurry in order to get everything done so we can have some free time. Get a clue! Do something to completion, say that it's good, and then rest. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 6 23:44:03 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Jan 6 23:45:04 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Counting Your Army Message-ID: <779DA57D-F167-479F-A9E1-A27A7E80093E@clanwebb.com> "You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done." Kenny Rogers, "The Gambler" There's a Biblical truth there, but you have to dig a little. How about another example: My son and I enjoy a class of video game known as real-time strategy or RTS. Think of a complex Risk-like game where there are no turns. You just play as fast as you can. There are usually resources in your part of the map that you have to mine or gather to build up your army and give it the capabilities you need. Another key to this kind of game is that you often have little or no view into what the enemy is doing. So, any time you decide to attack, you are making an educated guess at how prepared they are to defend. As I've played these games, I've noticed something interesting that happens psychologically. As my army gets larger and gains more advanced abilities, I begin to feel more and more like I'll win. This is interesting only in that I often have no idea how the opposing army looks. If I knew he was building slower and had a smaller force, then I'd be justified to feel that way. But, he may very well be building faster or more efficiently and be in a much better position. I just won't know it until our first skirmish. More than once, I've ordered my army into battle convinced that I would overwhelm the enemy only to be shocked at the size of the enemy force. I then usually lose pretty quickly. The key here is that I was finding my confidence and strength in my perception of power. I'm sure kings and heads of state go through the same problem when they watch their armies march by. What the song is describing is that you should play the game the same whether you're winning big or losing. Don't let a large pile of chips give you false bravado only to lose it all due to poor decisions. David decided to count his chips before the game was over. He wanted to know how large an army he could assemble if he chose. "So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are." " 2 Samuel 24:2 This was a sin, however. It's not clear why, exactly, but I personally believe it had to do with a sin of pride. David sought to measure his power and influence by counting the able-bodied men in his kingdom. After he got the answer, he knew what he had done. "David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." " 2 Samuel 24:10 David knew that his throne was secure as long as he followed God. He chose to puff himself up, though, as if the power and influence he enjoyed had come from himself alone. How often do we decide that our life is going well just because we have a good job and nice house? How often do we decide that we're in control because things are going our way? I'm beginning to learn that it's pointless to count the size of my army because I cannot predict the enemy. I need to take God with me into battle and let Him fight. That's the only sure way to win. Furthermore, there's no point in counting your gains until the game is over. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 7 22:43:39 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Jan 7 22:43:58 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Dirty Message-ID: <2D6F6F29-BFD0-441A-BA51-9EF1636E00A9@clanwebb.com> My wife is a great mother. She had worked in daycare and as a nanny for many years before our son was born, so she had some idea of how to handle little ones. Nonetheless, she's done a bang-up job over the last fourteen plus years. She has some pet peeves about child rearing that has led her to some hard and fast rules. They may seem trivial to others, but they are lines that will not be crossed with her. One of them is that our son would never go to bed dirty. Specifically, she's thinking of the case where he's been playing in the dirt all day and comes home exhausted and ready for bed. It doesn't matter. A bath or shower are in order. She feels strongly that our son would sleep better and feel better when he's clean. Plus, it saves a laundry load of sheets the next morning. That seemed a great comparison to another rule that we were taught while doing our preparatory counseling before our wedding. We were taught to never go to bed angry at each other. The reason is quite similar to the first rule. You don't sleep well and you're much happier when you get up in the morning. There's no reason to carry the dirt from today over into tomorrow. I believe that God feels that way about sin, too. He doesn't want us to try to hide it from Him (impossible anyway). He wants us to be clean and feeling better as soon as possible. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 If you carry it with you day after day, it corrupts your life and creates more problems. You can't hide the dirt, it just gets spread around. So, get clean each night and save yourself some grief. Don't go to bed dirty. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Jan 8 22:10:55 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Jan 8 22:11:18 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stuff Happens Message-ID: <344151E4-21A7-4606-A2AA-8FA19584F1A6@clanwebb.com> It doesn't take much to stumble and then fall. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo can now write a book on one small mistake. Such a short distance to glory and then one lapse led to defeat. However, he can get up and go at it again. There will be other chances for redemption. If he could not have the opportunity to make good, what would his life be like? If that last play was the end and he never suited up again, how would he feel? He would relive that mistake a thousand times a day. He would go to bed with it every night and get up with it every morning. Does this sound familiar? Do you have a mistake or mistakes in your life that you relive over and over? Do you think about something in your past at least once a day? Are you wracked with regret? God has a cure! "But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing." Psalm 3:15 "though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:24 Be strong, get up, and get on with the next thing. God doesn't read the newspaper. He asks His son who replies, "Don't worry, Dad, I paid his fine and I have him in the palm of my hand. The guy is going to be just fine. I have plans for him." Stuff happens. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 10 00:00:58 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Jan 10 00:01:12 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Get Rich Quick Message-ID: <067A1955-5E09-40AA-8D78-5C8FDB8550C1@clanwebb.com> I started working in high tech in the early 90s. It was during those years that the Internet really took off and the dotcom bubble started to grow. In the mid-90s, I watched many of my peers take jobs with amazing perks (in-house chef, $500 work chairs, new cars, etc.) so they could work 15 hour days on some harebrained idea. The plan was to make a successful web business that some large corporation would buy and they could cash out on the stock options. There were quite a few overnight millionaires made that way, but they worked their tails off. The guys I knew figured they just had to find the right wagon to hitch to, and they'd be abundantly wealthy in a year or two. The truth was that there was too many people building too much junk during that time. Most of them never caught on. The companies shut down. The stock options were worthless. These folks were out of a job while there was a glut of people with the exact same skills also looking for a job. Getting rich quick just didn't happen. I was reminded of those stories as I read Proverbs 9 today. It's the allegory of two women named Wisdom and Folly as they invite us to join them. Wisdom calls with promises of knowledge and understanding: "Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding." Proverbs 9:6 " "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer." " Proverbs 9:10-12 Then, Folly calls out with her offer: " "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!" But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave. " Proverbs 9:17-18 I noticed that Wisdom is promising long term benefits through the commitment to knowing God. Notice the words "beginning", "walk", "years", and "reward". These are all words of travel and time and personal investment. She also clearly describes the alternative. It takes dedication, but the reward is great. Folly speaks about instant gratification. She promises food and drink that are stolen or forbidden that you can have right now. She doesn't describe the consequences of joining her. When it comes to knowing God, there is no way to "get rich quick". You'll just go back to the beginning and get started later. Make the investment. Plan to take the long route, because the short one doesn't lead where you think. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 10 22:31:37 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Jan 10 22:32:03 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Callouses Message-ID: I wore cowboy boots during most of my youth. They were always a bear to break in, but once you suffered through, man, you knew comfort. The thing about starting young and having a foot that has been described as a bear paw, is that I have developed callouses. I can sit down on a rock with my knife and remove great hunks of dead, unfeeling flesh. I think I could walk on hot coals or cross the burning sands of the Sahara without shoes. I am a man of unfeeling feet! Some people allow their lives to get in the same shape as my feet: hard and unfeeling. They have wounds covered by unfeeling scabs that will never allow the wound to heal properly. It just gets worse and worse until no feeling can find a way through. It is a terrible thing to not be able to feel. Pain is the surest proof you are alive, but it is also proof you are wounded. If you leave the wound unattended, you become deformed. See the doctor! Take the cure! "For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." Acts 28:27 Make an appointment. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Jan 12 00:06:08 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Jan 12 08:11:56 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Influences Message-ID: <6FCFD591-6581-43BD-90DA-1C577FD6B466@clanwebb.com> Like most of us, I think I can point to quite a few aspects of pop culture that had some influence on my life. At the least, they served as a background to my formative years. Movies, music, TV, sports, and a variety of other things that would be mildly interesting by themselves are important to me because of the part of my life they represent. Lately, I find myself wanting to share those things with my son. Partly it's to show him what was interesting and fun for me when I was his age. But, I also think that there's a part of me that thinks he's missing out if he doesn't experience some of the same things. I've been trying to convince him to watch some of my favorite movies that came out in the 80s and 90s. He doesn't get it. They don't appeal to him like they did to me when they were new. From his point of view, it makes sense. Why waste an afternoon watching 20 year old movies when he could catch a new one with much better special effects and with actors he recognizes? Why invest in the old stuff when there's more than enough pop culture to go around now that's more interesting to him? In the end, it's just another reminder to me that God will shape us all in His own way. I'm sure I showed just about as much interest learning about the culture background of my father's life when I was young, too. God used the world of the 50s and 60s to shape my father. God used the 80s and 90s to shape me. He'll use this decade and the next to shape my son. Those are each the right tools at the right time for each of us. It's really just my job to teach him about Jesus. God will lead him the rest of the way. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6 I should teach as the Proverbs do: "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching." Proverbs 4:1-2 It's not "The A-Team" or "Top Gun" that will make him a good man. It's Jesus. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 13 00:15:04 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Jan 13 00:15:20 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stay Cool Message-ID: <97F0F57B-EF5F-49E2-BED4-126AABC0EBCC@clanwebb.com> I am patient and cool headed most of the time. It can take quite a bit for me to lose my temper, so those moments tend to be notable. There's one time in particular that I remember losing my cool at work. During my first project as an engineering lead, we were suffering through slow progress and an overly complicated design. The team I was leading had been working long hours for a couple of weeks by the time we had a status meeting with all of the leads and some of the senior management. During this meeting, the project manager (who was largely responsible for the lack of focus in the design) was asked about the missed deadlines. I remember him saying something that sounded innocuous except that he implied that the engineering team hadn't be living up to the promises we had made. He was passing the buck. Now, I can stand my ground when someone challenges my own skills or integrity, but here someone was insulting the integrity and effort of my whole team. I felt responsible for protecting them from becoming scapegoats. My frustration level peaked at that moment and I lost it. I interrupted him immediately and reminded him that we had continually updated him on our progress and issues and had chased the moving target as close as humanly possible. He had no reason to act surprised or uninformed about the state of the project. I told him that I would not allow anyone to imply that my team was doing anything less than their best. The QA lead for that project was a good friend and she told my wife later that she'd never seen me act that way. She told her that she knew something had pushed me over the edge because during this whole episode my ears had turned purple. I'm not sure what that means, but I get reminded of it frequently. I tell you all of that to make this point: Despite my apparent justification, this incident did not help the situation. I could have made the same point and achieved the same result without cranking up the tension in the room. My relationship with the project manager went downhill from there. I may be a patient guy with a long fuse, but it was still a bad time to let it go. "A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult." Proverbs 12:16 "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." Proverbs 16:32 "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11 "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." Proverbs 29:11 It's clear that there are times to be angry. However, there is never a good time to lose control of your temper. There is never a good reason to fly off the handle. It's not about whether or not you're right, it's about what people see in you when it happens. Prove yourself wiser. Know God is in control and keep your cool. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 13 22:16:21 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Jan 13 22:16:33 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Time Shift Message-ID: <6BB9F8E9-4DB6-4808-A68B-9A3B7ADC9036@clanwebb.com> Have you ever had one of those days when you take an unusually long nap or sleep in much longer than usual? For me, after I wake up, I'm always disoriented by the time shift. If I fell asleep after lunch, I'm shocked to find it well after dusk outside. I spend the next few hours adjusting to the unexpected change. I have those moments in regards to my life as well. It's those times when you stop and wonder what happened to the last ten years. I had one of those moments today. I stopped by the church for a quick meeting and walked into the full-on preparations for a wedding later that afternoon. I saw the groom walking around in a bit of a haze and trying to keep his groomsmen organized. I saw the bride getting her hair done in one of the side rooms. As I watched them I flashed back to my own wedding which still feels like it was only a few years ago. It wasn't. It was over seventeen years ago. I had to shake my head and let myself adjust. I wasn't one of those young men carrying a tux and getting ready for a brand new life. I've been married since those young men were in elementary school. I began to think of all the ups and downs they had ahead of them. I've been happy with my life for as long as I can remember, but I've never longed to go back to an earlier time. I'm also happy that while I may not notice how the world seems to shift as time passes, God never does. "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4 I'm never going to wake up and wonder where God went. I'm never going to turn around and realize that He's left me behind. He made me and He will carry me. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 14 22:27:05 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Jan 14 22:27:23 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Right Tool Message-ID: <0075A39E-DEAC-45BE-B84B-4EC963C14BD2@clanwebb.com> It could be easily argued that, at times, I am not a subtle fellow. No, really, I am not always the calm, cool, and collected guy on the project. Here is a case in point. During my college years, I always knew where I was going to be from about 2pm until 10pm. This was the time that was set aside for all theater majors to be involved in the current production. The afternoon was set aside for building the show and the evenings were spent rehearsing. I could be downright irritable towards the end of a production. One particular occasion, when my usually kind and understanding self contemplated murder, had to do with Richard, the tool crib guy. The tool crib was his domain and he took his responsibilities very seriously. One rule Richard was very fond of was that unless you used the proper name for the tool and it was the proper tool for the job, you could not check it out. I was working on an electrical problem and asked Richard for a Crescent wrench. I was informed that there was no such thing as a Crescent wrench. "Really," I replied, "well then what do you call that thing hanging on the pegboard right behind your head?" Richard smiled, folded his arms, and informed me that what I had indicated was called an adjustable wrench. He went on, "Crescent is the trade name and not the proper tool name." I wasn't amused and told him I was going to use it as a hammer anyway. Now, using the proper tool for the job is important and knowing what to ask for is important. However, from time to time, the job is most important. So it is with the use of scripture: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" 2 Timothy 3:16 The Bible is God's expression for all things in life and, as a tool, it is all good. It is not a good idea to be a Richard about it. By that I mean, don't be rebuking people when they don't use it exactly as Richard might think. At the same time, it isn't right to be flippant when someone truly wants you to use it properly. The goal is to get the job done: namely, to use it to bring people into a mature relationship with Jesus. Sometimes it's an adjustable wrench and sometimes it's a hammer. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Jan 15 23:25:49 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Jan 15 23:26:07 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] For Your Own Good Message-ID: <96D8B63B-8851-4B49-A6B5-463C23A05A05@clanwebb.com> While we were growing up, our parents would always try to put a positive spin on punishment: "I'm doing this so you will learn." Then our teachers took over the job with, "I want you to do this over because you can do better." Then the church steps in with the, "joy of discipline!" Somewhere along the way, a boss would have said, "I am giving you this negative review on your performance because I expect more from you." Don't forget how our girlfriends and wives only have our best interests at heart as they try to mold us into "the man I know you can be." I guess that is how Alexander became "the Great". God is a little more understandable about this process. "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:2 Somehow, this makes it easier, but not necessarily less painful. Knowing God is doing the pruning, I have more confidence when He lops something off that I won't be needing it later. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 17 00:44:16 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Jan 17 00:44:31 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Balance Message-ID: <75D4722F-5B77-4503-8CCD-FDDD281127A8@clanwebb.com> Imagine, for a moment, a playground seesaw. On one end is reality and on the other is fantasy. Fantasy being a mystery with great attraction. Modern man is right in the middle and, depending upon the state of his individual life, he will walk toward one end or the other. When he has had too much of one, he will turn and walk toward the other always seeking balance, but never being satisfied. This constant motion means he's always off balance. The fantasy of the world's delights bring him toward one end and he may go so far as to lose sight of reality and get very lost. While too much of the world's reality may sap him of all his strength so that he has no hope and escape into fantasy allows him to be recharged. He is always off balance, however, because he is never quite sure where one end starts and the other one ends. The wonderful thing about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is that they are real and, yet, mysterious. The Godhead is the perfect balance of reality and fantasy. We see the reality in changed lives and the wonder of His mystery fulfills our desire for fantasy. Having the example of the perfect man, Jesus, allows us to see where reality and the world's fantasy begin and end. He is the line on the seesaw that shows us where to stand and have balance. He keeps us from getting lost or losing hope. "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. " 1 Timothy 3:16 And that, my friends, is reality and great fantasy. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 17 23:47:29 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Jan 17 23:47:42 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Your Choice Message-ID: When I hear folks say, "I couldn't help myself," I have to agree with them. The fact is that we are fallen and we can't help ourselves do much of anything other than get caught up in the world. If a person is not saved, then he really don't have a chance. The world will chew him up and spit him out. There is no unconditional love that hasn't originated from God. However, when I hear a brother say, "The temptation was too much. There was nothing I could do," I know he is mistaken. I'm not here to hammer those of us (including me) who have succumbed to temptation. But, each man needs to be honest with himself and admit that he chose to give in. There was never a moment where he was unable to resist. In that moment, he didn't go down fighting. He gave up and chose for it to happen. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 There is no such thing as an irresistible temptation for the saved. We have God. He won't let that happen. So, He's already protecting you by not allowing you to face the impossible. Furthermore, when you are tempted, He provides an escape hatch. He loves you that much. At the critical moment, though, you are still a creature with freewill and He won't take that away. You still have to make the decision. Don't kid yourself into thinking that your sin was unavoidable or not your fault. If you know God, you have always had a way out. If you stumble, you must return to Him and admit that you blew it. If you try to shift the blame, it will affect your relationship with Him. The world will never make you an offer you can't refuse. Don't claim that it did. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Jan 19 00:08:09 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Jan 19 00:08:27 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Another Lap Message-ID: Somehow we have come to a point in our society that the term "making it" is everything. Standing on the top step of the platform at the Olympics, winning the Super Bowl, the World Series, or the Stanley Cup is equal to nothing, except perhaps becoming the next American Idol. As Christians, we are on a quest to never reach the the top, never to come to a conclusion and get a medal nor the adoration of millions. In fact, we cannot ever finish our quest here on earth and receive our reward. We have to see ourselves as the spiritual athlete that, every time we come around the track, we are not closer to the end, but gaining strength to do better on the next lap. Our goal is not to be the fastest, but to run right into Heaven. The spectators should say, "He died running. He improved his time with every lap. His last lap was his personal best." "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:8 Increasing measure makes you more effective, more productive, wiser, and closer to Jesus. See you on the track! Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 20 00:58:22 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Jan 20 00:58:37 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] A Voice in the Wilderness Message-ID: <0F2D941C-4066-4971-BE37-B70DBAF5A390@clanwebb.com> I had the great luck to take a college course in acoustics from Dr. Amar Bose. He happens to be the man who founded Bose Corporation which makes all those cool speakers and stereos. On the last day of class, we were all invited to a tour of the Bose plant which was near campus. He even graciously allowed me to bring my wife along for the tour. Among the many cool things we saw was a room in which they were testing the full range of their highest-end speakers. They make something called the Acoustic Wave Cannon. It's basically a six-foot long piece of pipe that's about eight inches in diameter. The speaker is mounted about a third of the way down inside the pipe. These are designed to be used in auditoriums and, specifically, movie theaters. They are the kinds of speakers that make the floor rumble. They had a room set up with a few of the Cannons and several other high-end speakers all playing white noise at full volume to test the actual reproducible range. We were allowed to wear protective headphones and enter this room during the test. It felt like I was standing next to a jet engine. My insides were vibrating and the noise was immense. I jokingly tried to yell something at my wife, but there was no chance. I couldn't overcome the cacophony. For me, this was the ultimate feeling of being unheard. There was no way I could communicate verbally in that environment. Nobody would listen. However, that wouldn't necessarily mean that what I was saying was false or unimportant. Then, there's John the Baptist. He was, quite literally, a voice in the wilderness. He preached a radical message out in the desert. I'm sure that, at first, there were only a few who listened and the "normal" people thought he was crazy. Today, we would probably think he was nuts, too. "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." " Matthew 3:1-2 Despite his appearance and his relative obscurity at the beginning, he spoke the truth. He taught true doctrine and people came. Eventually, the leaders of the church came to see what he was doing. They came to him. I give you these stories to encourage you to speak truth and live right. You may feel like nobody's listening. You may be the only person at your job or in your school who chooses to live that way, but that doesn't make it wrong. Speak the truth and live right. Be that radical for long enough and the normal people will come to you to see what's going on. Then, you can share Jesus. Don't be afraid. Just speak the truth and live right. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 21 00:34:57 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Jan 21 00:35:12 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Be a Fool Message-ID: <8C23D434-8E65-4DDF-9377-7D0C124F9E31@clanwebb.com> I have strong opinions about politics and how it is invading every aspect of American life. I enjoy a reasonable debate about the pros and cons of national health care or Social Security reform. I have interest in how science and technology affects our lives and the ongoing debates around global warming, nanotechnology, privacy in the digital age, and so much more. My patience, however, becomes very short when the people I hear or read refuse to debate truth. You've seen these folks on TV or in the paper. They flatly state things that are untrue or wildly misinterpreted. I recently read how an executive at The Weather Channel said publicly that any climatologist or meteorologist who refused to accept the "fact" of global warming should have their accreditation revoked. I've heard repeatedly how expressing concern about illegal immigration is racism. Heck, there are even heads of state who declare to the world that that Holocaust never happened. Conversations that start from these points of view are dead ends. You cannot make logical, rational arguments or conclusions if you start from a point of falsehood. "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions." Proverbs 18:2 Once again, God has written in Scripture about a common social problem we have today. It's frustrating to talk or work with people in this mindset. It's impossible if they get locked in to something like this when it pertains to the work they do professionally. That ends careers. So, how does it look to the unsaved when we start to delight in airing our own opinions? Don't take the confidence you have in God and apply it to everything you hear that sounds good. Declaring that your belief in a man-made idea or opinion is just as firm as your belief in Christ is folly. When the man-made is proven faulty (and it always will be in some fashion), you have diminished the value of Christ in the eyes of those watching you. Don't be a blowhard and air opinions other than God's. Take pleasure in understanding and applying the Word to reality. Don't be a fool. Be a teller of truth. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 21 23:33:25 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Jan 21 23:33:37 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Under Control Message-ID: One of the reasons I enjoy watching sports is because you might see something amazing at any moment. The more I follow sports, the more I realize just how much work and preparation most athletes put in to be in the best position to win a game at a crucial moment. Because all games have rules, the best players are the ones that have learned a level of physical and mental self-control that is spooky. Good hitters can pick up the spin on a slider in the first fraction of a second after it leaves the pitcher's hand. Then, they can decide where the pitch is going and when to start swinging the bat. Those with good bat control can almost aim a hit. Just watch Ichiro for a season to see this phenomenon. Football players learn to jump in the air, catch a ball, and then, somehow, force their feet down in-bounds. I have never been able to figure out how you make yourself fall back to earth faster. Whenever I jump, my landing point is pretty much fixed at the moment of takeoff. If you ever watched Julius Erving or Michael Jordan, you have seen those who have the physical self-control to change their mind and adjust their trajectory in mid-air. That still blows me away. Then there's the mental self-control to not get flustered when you're running out of time and your team is losing or to not get overwhelmed when you have to pitch with the bases loaded. The discipline to know when to put the team on your back and carry them and when to play with the game plan you had coming in. It's all very impressive when you think about it. So, if there is so much hero-worship happening on ESPN for these kinds of character traits, where's the applause and praise for spiritual self-control in this world? The fact is that spiritual license is praised in our society. We're supposed to be impressed with those that have reached beyond our simple spiritual options and chosen to be more enlightened. Just listen to Richard Gere and Tom Cruise. That's not better spirituality, that's just spiritual selfishness. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age," Titus 2:11-12 "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:13 Being self-controlled is a holy trait. That means controlling your physical urges, your thought processes, and your spiritual life. We are taught to be self-controlled. We know it is an aspect of being alert and aware of the enemy. We are told to be self-controlled in preparation for the coming of our Lord. What parts of your life do you have under control? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Jan 22 22:15:48 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Jan 22 22:16:10 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Get Pruned, Not Cut Message-ID: <7A5BFC76-2F7B-4747-93A8-D87E7CEBFDB5@clanwebb.com> There is a yoke to the Christian man. We forget that our choice to follow Jesus was not ours alone. We may think we made a deep, spiritual decision to offer our lives to Jesus Christ and that He was unsure of the outcome. However, the reality is that our decision was nothing more than a timed announcement of our previous selection. Only the person making the decision had any new revelation at that moment. Jesus knew all along. What do we have to offer Him? What do you get for the guy that has everything? Time to wake up, men. Your ticket was punched the day you made the decision, but it was printed before the train was built. "You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit?fruit that will last." John 15:16 God is the gardener for His son and He doesn't call in Saturday mornings to the local radio station for advice. He goes about His business with purpose and He only puts up with so much. Then He makes a decision. Note the first line in this verse: "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:2 The Greek word for prune also means "to clean". My advice is to do your best to squeeze out some fruit or get cut off permanently. Pruning indicates spiritual production, but it seems pretty simple: no production, no connection. Is it worth the connection? "Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 15:16 It is not science. It's faith. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Jan 23 22:11:55 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Jan 23 22:12:08 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Hidden Direction Message-ID: "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1 This was the "verse of the day" on a website I visit frequently. For some reason, I kept reading it over and over. Each time through I saw something else worth remembering and something I wanted to share. Scripture is amazing that way. At first read, I see that I am to help brothers get out of sin. Being a guy, I start thinking about tough love and how to shame my brother into repenting. Then, I re-read and see the word "gently". Oh, I should probably do it with love and understanding. I should remember that the roles could be reversed some day. "The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him." 2 Corinthians 2:6-8 Then, I also notice the phrase "those who are spiritual". A ha! That means that if I'm not right with God, then I'm in no position to help a brother get right with God. It's like on the airplane: put on your own oxygen mask before helping the person next to you. You can't help him if you can't breathe. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Luke 6:41 Finally, I see the "watch yourself" warning. It's not there by accident. It's there because that's exactly what can happen. If I'm caught unaware, the enemy will tempt me. I'll have the opportunity to rationalize my behavior and water down my conviction when facing a brother. If I'm not careful, I'll end up with him. I know I need to make sure my pride doesn't leave me vulnerable. "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 So, in a passage about helping a brother, I find three different things I need to work on in my own life. Three different things I need to get squared away before I'm of any use to my brother. Notice how productive relationships with others start by having a productive relationship with God? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 24 23:18:58 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Jan 24 23:19:22 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Occupying the Brain Message-ID: <23DDAE3E-CB93-4FF3-9762-CD6B01F7B0DC@clanwebb.com> I had an hour to kill the other night so I did what millions of Americans do and turned on the TV. I flipped to ESPN, but they were showing something uninteresting. I looked for a basketball game to watch for a bit, but there wasn't one on at that moment. I flipped to a western, but it wasn't grabbing me. So, I went around again looking for something. Here I was with some free time and I couldn't think of anything to occupy my brain. How quickly I forget: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable?if anything is excellent or praiseworthy?think about such things." Philippians 4:8 Not only are these good choices when there's nothing else, but these should be my first choices! I should seek out time in the Word. I should read things by and about those who love God. I should desire to spend my time on things that are noble and pure and true. That doesn't mean I can't watch a movie or a game, but I should never find myself watching or reading something less than noble because I couldn't find anything better to do. I will admit to not measuring up to the standard Paul has set out. I felt convicted. Do you? If so, what are you going to do about it? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Jan 25 22:45:54 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Jan 25 22:46:21 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Approaching the Throne Message-ID: Imagine you had the opportunity to meet with President Bush for an hour every day. Would you take advantage of that? At first, I think I'd feel lucky to meet him and I'd just want to make small talk. If I went every day, I imagine that we'd get to know each other better. Over time, he might even come to be interested in my opinions. Eventually, I would be comfortable enough to start offering my ideas and making suggestions. Now, there's no guarantee that he would be interested in listening to my opinions, but it would still be amazing access to one of the most powerful people in the world. That's an almost unimaginable prospect, and yet we pass up something similar every day. I was just reminded that I do. This morning at my Bible study we went around the table sharing prayer requests. When it came to me, I said, "Nothing really. Life's good!" Then, when we started to pray, one of the brothers said, "Lord, please lay a burden on Wyatt's heart. Help him to have something to pray for." That pierced me. I was being nonchalant about my opportunity to bring a request to God. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16 I have direct access to God. Think about that. I can bring my requests to Him at any time. Furthermore, He wants to give me whatever I ask! Why in the world do I leave that access underused? Why am I not petitioning to God every day for any concern I have? I don't have a good answer to that question. I just know that I have something to work on. How about you? Why aren't you approaching the throne? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Jan 26 23:13:56 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Jan 26 23:14:10 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Patterns Message-ID: <3FEB5898-2E35-472F-90B1-06031DD6E3A1@clanwebb.com> In the late 80s, two computer scientists had the idea to look for patterns in software design. They were inspired to do this by a book written a decade earlier about, of all things, patterns in architecture. The architecture book had the idea of documenting common architectural patterns so that other architects could use them quickly and know they were reliable. The author recognized that there were many tried and true designs that had proven themselves and wanted to make them available to all who were interested. The computer scientists saw this and realized that something similar could happen to software design. There are well-tested programming techniques used to solve different classes of problems. The knowledge about these techniques, though, was not collected. So, these two guys started doing that. Design patterns in computer science are now a well-accepted concept and most good developers nowadays will have read about them and be able to discuss them with a common terminology. It has made us all more productive. In both of these cases, experts in the field wanted to document and create patterns that would make their peers more productive and better at their jobs. The idea behind a design pattern is to match your problem to a similar situation documented as a pattern. Then, use the programming technique in whatever programming language you are using to mimic the pattern as documented. You have now quickly applied a time tested solution to the problem in much less time and with much less pain than if you had done it alone. Guess what? This is not a new idea. Paul did it, too. "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." Philippians 3:17 Paul wrote his letters to lay out the patterns for a Christian life. He then pointed believers to those letters and to those who were following them as good examples. Paul contributed to the best book of life patterns available. We are to match up our problems and situations with those described in Scripture and then apply the paths and solutions described therein. It helps us get back on our feet more quickly and prevents unnecessary pain in the process. Instead of trying to reinvent them on our own, we should use the ones that we know will work. We should follow the patterns that the expert in the field has shown to be worthwhile. It's not hard. They're all written down. Just follow the pattern. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 27 22:06:44 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Jan 27 22:06:59 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Share With Your Children Message-ID: <8A5D6D59-4D10-4D82-9DF3-1DDA1E14114B@clanwebb.com> The Proverbs are filled with great insight and advice on living. There are valuable foundational elements of our faith in this book. Things like: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7 and this: "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; lover her, and she will watch over you." Proverbs 4:5-6 These are critical messages to us all to seek out more knowledge and more understanding about our God. We are not a faith that prefers ignorance. Our faith and relationship with God strengthens as we know more about Him. What struck me, though, was the model of behavior that wraps up these chapters. "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching." Proverbs 4:1-2 This is a father writing for the sake of his sons. He knows that their happiness, their success, and, most importantly, their salvation depends on them knowing God. Over and over in this book, we see exhortation from father to child to listen carefully and learn. He understands how valuable this information was for his life and, because he loves his children, he wants to pass it on. He cannot depend on anyone else in the world delivering this information. As a father, I see not only good advice for me in this book, but I see a commission for me to teach my son these same things. His road of life may be changed dramatically by how well I do that. Are you sharing the Word with your children? Or, are you depending on someone else to do it for you? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 28 22:24:48 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Jan 28 22:25:04 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Understand Justice Message-ID: I have a beef with some folks who call themselves Christians, but seem to have missed the point. I'm talking about those who have crossed the line to a point where they believe the ends justify the means. When it comes to moral issues, I have never found this to be the case. Jesus never had to sin to make a point or to cause justice to be served. Those who have decided that murdering abortion doctors is the way to stop them have become lost in their anger. They have justified sin to stop the sinner. No matter the apparent good it would do, it's empty because it's built on sin. Those who condemn and judge homosexuals without ever offering open arms have become proud and self-righteous. They have justified their arrogance to condemn sin. No matter the truth of the argument, they have forgotten to love the sinner and to represent Christ in the matter. When you sin or justify sin to any end, you are in the service of evil. When you serve evil, you cannot be the hands of God. "Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully." Proverbs 28:5 Those who have focused on condemning sinners forget that Christ died for us all. We are all equally guilty and we all deserve equal opportunity to come to Him. Do not find yourself handing out justice while doing evil. Seek the Lord and justice will happen by His hand. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Jan 30 00:02:04 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Jan 30 00:02:18 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Befriending the World Message-ID: <650027E2-0DE5-4909-A7C3-92B8118239E8@clanwebb.com> I was a pretty clean cut kid while I was growing up. I spent time with other kids that my parents could trust. I didn't get into much trouble. During high school, though, I met a guy a few years older than me who was trouble. His name was Jason. Jason had finished high school and delivered pizza for a living. He would show up at my window in the middle of the night with a box of donuts just to hang out. He introduced me to a different group of peers. I was especially interested in the girls he knew as he seemed to attract the pretty ones. While it never impacted my grades, his friendship did lead to sneaking out at night to hang out with friends or go driving where we shouldn't. He never broke the law or encouraged me to, but he did encourage a rebel attitude that challenged what my parents had been teaching me. You could never call him a bad guy, just someone in love with the world. In retrospect, this was a clear picture of my life choices at that time. I had made friends with the world by befriending Jason. That friendship challenged my desire to obey my parents and follow Christ. I realized soon after he passed out of my life that I had an either/ or decision. There was no way to do both. My thoughts and ideas were clouded. My reasoning and justifications were misguided. I was falling into the very trap described here: "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:1-4 Look, it's simple: you're either with God or you're against Him. I wouldn't recommend being against Him. That's a losing proposition. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 31 00:08:50 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Jan 31 00:09:01 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Balanced Diet Message-ID: <94031271-5CC4-45A2-B9EC-D1D92807E39E@clanwebb.com> I once heard someone describe all things in life as falling into one of three categories. Everything you did, thought, or possessed could be thought of as meat, poison, or junk food. The meat represented those things that honored God. That would include your quiet time with Him, sharing the Gospel, serving in ministry, and even things like being a Godly husband and father. These were things that clearly strengthened your relationship with God and were done in obedience to Him. The poison represents those things that did the opposite. These would be the idols you have, the sins you won't give up, and the things you won't give over to Him. These are the things that make you sick and cause you to be ineffective as an ambassador of Christ. The junk food represents those things that were neutral. They weren't sinful or tempting of sin, but they had no redeeming value either. Junk food always has the potential to turn into poison if you consume too much of it. If you allow it to replace any meat in your diet, you will become ill. Junk food isn't bad by itself. It's bad in excess. "If you find honey, eat just enough? too much of it, and you will vomit." Proverbs 25:16 Jesus is the bread of life and He gives us living water. Those are the things we need to live on. The junk food won't kill you, but it can get in the way. If the Twinkies are too addicting, avoid them altogether. If you can't put down the Doritos, throw them away and never look back. Of course the analogy here is that if watching football, working on your car, or playing video games gets in the way of your relationship with God, then you need to set it aside. Are you eating a balanced diet? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 31 23:13:30 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Jan 31 23:13:41 2007 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Be Still, Stop Eating, and Listen Message-ID: <9E68E5C5-EC41-42F8-974F-EDBA1A86DFCC@clanwebb.com> There are several names for it in the software industry. Some call it the death march. Some call it the big push. I call it crunch time. It's that time near the end of a software project when it becomes clear that there's no way the product will be ready to ship in three months, so everyone starts working longer hours. Eight hour days go to twelve and then sixteen and even twenty hours. Five day weeks go to six and seven days. Soon, you find yourself eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at work. When I was part of these kinds of projects, my work habits would change, too. I'd go from having an open door to my office to closing it. Then, I'd start hanging a sign on it that said, "Knock for emergencies only". Pretty soon I'd stop returning phone calls to other folks in the company. My email would back up as I would start to ignore everything non-essential to my immediate tasks. I would stop reading and watching the news. The effect was to shut off all of the surrounding interruptions so I could be the most efficient worker possible. As a rule, we should be working to minimize the distractions in our relationship with God every day. We need to keep other idols out of our life. We need to spend time in prayer and in the Word drawing nearer to Him. But sometimes, you need something more drastic. You may need to turn off the TV, the phone, and the Internet. You might need to exert every effort listening: "The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." 1 Kings 19:11-12 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." Acts 13:2-3 So, sometimes you need to ignore the wind and the earthquakes and the fire. Sometimes you need to shut up and sit still long enough to hear Him. Sometimes you need to dedicate yourself to prayer and fasting. Yes, sometimes you even need to give up food for a time to focus your mind on Him. But, in all of these cases, when the believers made the effort, God spoke to them. Do you have anything that you'd like to hear from God about? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Jan 1 02:17:23 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 02:17:23 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Vision Message-ID: <63A439A5-7B86-46A8-BA80-B144C45BA0DF@clanwebb.com> Our pastor challenged us last night. He challenged us to be working towards a vision of the future. "Where there is no vision, the people perish [...]" Proverbs 29:18 KJV Life counselors will often ask you to make a five year plan or a ten year plan as a way to guide you through thinking about the future. It gets you to think about the path you are on and whether it will bring you any closer to those goals. The difference here is that we shouldn't be looking for our own vision. We should be asking God what His vision for us is. If we are not pursuing His vision for us, we're just walking in circles. If you find yourself hoping that you'll be more holy someday or that you'll be a better Christian someday, consider the path you're on. Why not be a better Christian today? Do you know what God's vision is for you? He doesn't always reveal the big things ahead of you, but He'll certainly have something for you to do next week. If you don't even know what that is, then what goal are you pursuing? It's either the wrong goal, or you're aimless. Seek God now for His vision for the new year. Pursue that vision. Then you won't perish. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Jan 2 00:02:56 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 00:02:56 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stand Out Message-ID: <1D7BD8B3-7F3C-433D-B0D9-C4D677EE7E8C@clanwebb.com> "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ." Philippians 3:18 It's not a pleasant thought, but it's clearly true. In fact, we're outnumbered. The closer I draw to my God the more outgunned I feel here on earth. It's not a feeling of panic, though. I'm confident in my salvation and my citizenship is in Heaven. It's still overwhelming to see those who are both ignorant of and antagonistic towards Christ. We shouldn't be surprised, the Bible describes these folks pretty well: "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." Philippians 3:19 Those who don't know Christ all seem to follow this pattern: They worship their wants and lusts. They will do whatever they feel is right in their own mind. They glory in things that ought to be shameful. Society celebrates and glorifies those who are adulterers, liars, cheats, murderers, criminals, and otherwise immoral. They aren't ashamed of their behavior, they brag about it. Their mind is clearly set on earthly things and, if they don't get saved, their destiny is set. How about you? Are you guilty of any of these classifications? Do you worship your wants and lusts? Are you proud of that which should shame you? Even if your destiny is set in Heaven, you can still fall down and roll with the dogs. It's hard to show the lost the way out if you are lost with them. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" John 13:35 As much as you may feel outgunned, you should endeavor to stand out like a flashing red light. Don't try to blend in. Their path leads to destruction. Be different. Challenge the norm. Follow Christ with passion. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Jan 2 21:41:51 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 21:41:51 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Trust Message-ID: We are always looking to find someone to trust. I believe that if we are honest with ourselves, we trust very little. Then, it can be debated, that the world offers very little to be trusted. When we vote, look for a tradesman, listen to a proposition: the issue is always trust. In deeper introspect, we must admit that we can't always trust ourselves. I don't mean that we don't look out after our own interests, because we always do, but that we can't always trust ourselves to do the right thing. Those basic needs imprinted on our DNA for self- preservation, desire, pleasure, security, recognition, and the rest will always test us if fulfillment of those needs comes at a cost of right or wrong in the subjective world. You can always find someone to tell you that you did the right thing! The point of course is that we will never get the nuances of right and wrong because we will never be perfect in the basics. What joy we must be missing because of our sin nature. This situation is the hole in every person's heart as we want it both ways and don't have the capacity to perform. Our very minds betray us. It is why we need a savior. We need something bigger, better, and infinite. Then, our natures may betray us, but not unto death. We just have to trust the Savior. "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:4 "being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." Romans 4:21 "O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me." Psalm 30:2 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 3 22:36:08 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 22:36:08 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Do The Right Thing Message-ID: <6176C6F7-CE14-4553-9E5F-3901CAD0681F@clanwebb.com> Imagine you are walking up a forest trail and notice a well-covered land mine directly in the path of the trail. You carefully walk around it and continue on. A minute later there's someone walking the other direction and about to pass you. Do you tell them about the pit? Imagine you are working on a construction site and notice a girder near an edge that appears ready to fall. It's balanced such that one extra nudge will send it crashing down. Do you simply avoid it or tell the others around you? Imagine you are eating at a buffet and notice something shiny in the potato salad. Upon further inspection, it appears to be aluminum shavings. Do you simply move on to the macaroni or do you warn those in the line behind you? In each of these cases, the compassionate response seems obvious. Clearly we should warn people of things that will cause them harm or even kill them. And, yet, we struggle with telling others about Christ. "When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself." Ezekiel 3:18-19 It's not our responsibility to make people act correctly. However, it is our responsibility to tell people about the truth we know: that they have a choice. God is not a secret to be kept. He is a discovery to be shared. You have the privilege and the responsibility to do so. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Jan 4 22:01:40 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 22:01:40 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] FBLP Message-ID: <51EA29E1-E437-4065-B27F-A1DF1532514B@clanwebb.com> I think it was Pat McManus who first described the "Modified Stationary Panic" and the "Full Bore Linear Panic". The former is how to react to bad situations in confined spaces. The latter is used to achive maximum distance between the person panicking and the person or thing causing the panic in a minimum amount of time. It's a hilarious image to think of someone hightailing it in cartoon fashion through the forest and down the road at full speed. You laugh, but you know that you are capable of both kinds of panic in dealing with bad situations. The key is knowing when to use which one. I have come to the conclusion that, despite being saved, I often use the MSP when I should be using the more effective FBLP. Even God has said as much: "Flee from sexual immorality [...]" 1 Corinthians 6:18 "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." 1 Timothy 6:11 "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousnesss, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:22 I sometimes find myself panicking in place. I don't escape the temptation. I just try to stand there and resist it. Flee has a connotation of a rapid exit in the opposite direction. I think these are times for the FBLP. Joseph demonstrated it: "One day he went into the house to attend his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house." Genesis 39:11-12 That's the way to flee sin. Don't stand in place and try to talk yourself out of it or start to negotiate with it. Flee. Run. Get away. It's much harder to sin if you have removed yourself from the opportunity. If you see me running, you'll know that I'm doing it right. Just stay out of the way. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Jan 5 22:15:05 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2007 22:15:05 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] One at a Time Message-ID: My wife shared an article with me about multitasking. The premise is that this concept actually makes one less efficient rather than turning one into a superman or superwoman. It goes into the science of the brain and all that left side/right side theory. When you ask your brain to interfere with a task you have already started is when you find yourself at a standstill asking, "Why did I come in here? What was I going to do?" I think the article is right in that the more tools I have the more projects I start and the fewer I finish. I think that, Biblically, I am on very firm ground when I say, "Prioritize and then go about things one task at a time." God could surely be said to have the ability to do more than one thing at a time (probably even to do all things at once), but His infinite wisdom chose to set forth the example of my previous statement. Consider Genesis 1:1-31 Day one: light. Day two: expanse. Day three: plants. Day four: heavens. Day five: fish. Day six: animals and man. Undeniable, I say. One day for one task. Each one is building upon the previous one to a successful day of rest. So, can we stop driving, eating, talking on the phone, and changing lanes all at the same time? We have become a society in one heck of a hurry in order to get everything done so we can have some free time. Get a clue! Do something to completion, say that it's good, and then rest. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 6 23:44:03 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 23:44:03 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Counting Your Army Message-ID: <779DA57D-F167-479F-A9E1-A27A7E80093E@clanwebb.com> "You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done." Kenny Rogers, "The Gambler" There's a Biblical truth there, but you have to dig a little. How about another example: My son and I enjoy a class of video game known as real-time strategy or RTS. Think of a complex Risk-like game where there are no turns. You just play as fast as you can. There are usually resources in your part of the map that you have to mine or gather to build up your army and give it the capabilities you need. Another key to this kind of game is that you often have little or no view into what the enemy is doing. So, any time you decide to attack, you are making an educated guess at how prepared they are to defend. As I've played these games, I've noticed something interesting that happens psychologically. As my army gets larger and gains more advanced abilities, I begin to feel more and more like I'll win. This is interesting only in that I often have no idea how the opposing army looks. If I knew he was building slower and had a smaller force, then I'd be justified to feel that way. But, he may very well be building faster or more efficiently and be in a much better position. I just won't know it until our first skirmish. More than once, I've ordered my army into battle convinced that I would overwhelm the enemy only to be shocked at the size of the enemy force. I then usually lose pretty quickly. The key here is that I was finding my confidence and strength in my perception of power. I'm sure kings and heads of state go through the same problem when they watch their armies march by. What the song is describing is that you should play the game the same whether you're winning big or losing. Don't let a large pile of chips give you false bravado only to lose it all due to poor decisions. David decided to count his chips before the game was over. He wanted to know how large an army he could assemble if he chose. "So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are." " 2 Samuel 24:2 This was a sin, however. It's not clear why, exactly, but I personally believe it had to do with a sin of pride. David sought to measure his power and influence by counting the able-bodied men in his kingdom. After he got the answer, he knew what he had done. "David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." " 2 Samuel 24:10 David knew that his throne was secure as long as he followed God. He chose to puff himself up, though, as if the power and influence he enjoyed had come from himself alone. How often do we decide that our life is going well just because we have a good job and nice house? How often do we decide that we're in control because things are going our way? I'm beginning to learn that it's pointless to count the size of my army because I cannot predict the enemy. I need to take God with me into battle and let Him fight. That's the only sure way to win. Furthermore, there's no point in counting your gains until the game is over. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 7 22:43:39 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 7 Jan 2007 22:43:39 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Dirty Message-ID: <2D6F6F29-BFD0-441A-BA51-9EF1636E00A9@clanwebb.com> My wife is a great mother. She had worked in daycare and as a nanny for many years before our son was born, so she had some idea of how to handle little ones. Nonetheless, she's done a bang-up job over the last fourteen plus years. She has some pet peeves about child rearing that has led her to some hard and fast rules. They may seem trivial to others, but they are lines that will not be crossed with her. One of them is that our son would never go to bed dirty. Specifically, she's thinking of the case where he's been playing in the dirt all day and comes home exhausted and ready for bed. It doesn't matter. A bath or shower are in order. She feels strongly that our son would sleep better and feel better when he's clean. Plus, it saves a laundry load of sheets the next morning. That seemed a great comparison to another rule that we were taught while doing our preparatory counseling before our wedding. We were taught to never go to bed angry at each other. The reason is quite similar to the first rule. You don't sleep well and you're much happier when you get up in the morning. There's no reason to carry the dirt from today over into tomorrow. I believe that God feels that way about sin, too. He doesn't want us to try to hide it from Him (impossible anyway). He wants us to be clean and feeling better as soon as possible. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 If you carry it with you day after day, it corrupts your life and creates more problems. You can't hide the dirt, it just gets spread around. So, get clean each night and save yourself some grief. Don't go to bed dirty. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Jan 8 22:10:55 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2007 22:10:55 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stuff Happens Message-ID: <344151E4-21A7-4606-A2AA-8FA19584F1A6@clanwebb.com> It doesn't take much to stumble and then fall. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo can now write a book on one small mistake. Such a short distance to glory and then one lapse led to defeat. However, he can get up and go at it again. There will be other chances for redemption. If he could not have the opportunity to make good, what would his life be like? If that last play was the end and he never suited up again, how would he feel? He would relive that mistake a thousand times a day. He would go to bed with it every night and get up with it every morning. Does this sound familiar? Do you have a mistake or mistakes in your life that you relive over and over? Do you think about something in your past at least once a day? Are you wracked with regret? God has a cure! "But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing." Psalm 3:15 "though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:24 Be strong, get up, and get on with the next thing. God doesn't read the newspaper. He asks His son who replies, "Don't worry, Dad, I paid his fine and I have him in the palm of my hand. The guy is going to be just fine. I have plans for him." Stuff happens. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 10 00:00:58 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:58 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Get Rich Quick Message-ID: <067A1955-5E09-40AA-8D78-5C8FDB8550C1@clanwebb.com> I started working in high tech in the early 90s. It was during those years that the Internet really took off and the dotcom bubble started to grow. In the mid-90s, I watched many of my peers take jobs with amazing perks (in-house chef, $500 work chairs, new cars, etc.) so they could work 15 hour days on some harebrained idea. The plan was to make a successful web business that some large corporation would buy and they could cash out on the stock options. There were quite a few overnight millionaires made that way, but they worked their tails off. The guys I knew figured they just had to find the right wagon to hitch to, and they'd be abundantly wealthy in a year or two. The truth was that there was too many people building too much junk during that time. Most of them never caught on. The companies shut down. The stock options were worthless. These folks were out of a job while there was a glut of people with the exact same skills also looking for a job. Getting rich quick just didn't happen. I was reminded of those stories as I read Proverbs 9 today. It's the allegory of two women named Wisdom and Folly as they invite us to join them. Wisdom calls with promises of knowledge and understanding: "Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding." Proverbs 9:6 " "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer." " Proverbs 9:10-12 Then, Folly calls out with her offer: " "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!" But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave. " Proverbs 9:17-18 I noticed that Wisdom is promising long term benefits through the commitment to knowing God. Notice the words "beginning", "walk", "years", and "reward". These are all words of travel and time and personal investment. She also clearly describes the alternative. It takes dedication, but the reward is great. Folly speaks about instant gratification. She promises food and drink that are stolen or forbidden that you can have right now. She doesn't describe the consequences of joining her. When it comes to knowing God, there is no way to "get rich quick". You'll just go back to the beginning and get started later. Make the investment. Plan to take the long route, because the short one doesn't lead where you think. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 10 22:31:37 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:31:37 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Callouses Message-ID: I wore cowboy boots during most of my youth. They were always a bear to break in, but once you suffered through, man, you knew comfort. The thing about starting young and having a foot that has been described as a bear paw, is that I have developed callouses. I can sit down on a rock with my knife and remove great hunks of dead, unfeeling flesh. I think I could walk on hot coals or cross the burning sands of the Sahara without shoes. I am a man of unfeeling feet! Some people allow their lives to get in the same shape as my feet: hard and unfeeling. They have wounds covered by unfeeling scabs that will never allow the wound to heal properly. It just gets worse and worse until no feeling can find a way through. It is a terrible thing to not be able to feel. Pain is the surest proof you are alive, but it is also proof you are wounded. If you leave the wound unattended, you become deformed. See the doctor! Take the cure! "For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." Acts 28:27 Make an appointment. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Jan 12 00:06:08 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:06:08 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Influences Message-ID: <6FCFD591-6581-43BD-90DA-1C577FD6B466@clanwebb.com> Like most of us, I think I can point to quite a few aspects of pop culture that had some influence on my life. At the least, they served as a background to my formative years. Movies, music, TV, sports, and a variety of other things that would be mildly interesting by themselves are important to me because of the part of my life they represent. Lately, I find myself wanting to share those things with my son. Partly it's to show him what was interesting and fun for me when I was his age. But, I also think that there's a part of me that thinks he's missing out if he doesn't experience some of the same things. I've been trying to convince him to watch some of my favorite movies that came out in the 80s and 90s. He doesn't get it. They don't appeal to him like they did to me when they were new. From his point of view, it makes sense. Why waste an afternoon watching 20 year old movies when he could catch a new one with much better special effects and with actors he recognizes? Why invest in the old stuff when there's more than enough pop culture to go around now that's more interesting to him? In the end, it's just another reminder to me that God will shape us all in His own way. I'm sure I showed just about as much interest learning about the culture background of my father's life when I was young, too. God used the world of the 50s and 60s to shape my father. God used the 80s and 90s to shape me. He'll use this decade and the next to shape my son. Those are each the right tools at the right time for each of us. It's really just my job to teach him about Jesus. God will lead him the rest of the way. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6 I should teach as the Proverbs do: "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching." Proverbs 4:1-2 It's not "The A-Team" or "Top Gun" that will make him a good man. It's Jesus. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 13 00:15:04 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:15:04 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stay Cool Message-ID: <97F0F57B-EF5F-49E2-BED4-126AABC0EBCC@clanwebb.com> I am patient and cool headed most of the time. It can take quite a bit for me to lose my temper, so those moments tend to be notable. There's one time in particular that I remember losing my cool at work. During my first project as an engineering lead, we were suffering through slow progress and an overly complicated design. The team I was leading had been working long hours for a couple of weeks by the time we had a status meeting with all of the leads and some of the senior management. During this meeting, the project manager (who was largely responsible for the lack of focus in the design) was asked about the missed deadlines. I remember him saying something that sounded innocuous except that he implied that the engineering team hadn't be living up to the promises we had made. He was passing the buck. Now, I can stand my ground when someone challenges my own skills or integrity, but here someone was insulting the integrity and effort of my whole team. I felt responsible for protecting them from becoming scapegoats. My frustration level peaked at that moment and I lost it. I interrupted him immediately and reminded him that we had continually updated him on our progress and issues and had chased the moving target as close as humanly possible. He had no reason to act surprised or uninformed about the state of the project. I told him that I would not allow anyone to imply that my team was doing anything less than their best. The QA lead for that project was a good friend and she told my wife later that she'd never seen me act that way. She told her that she knew something had pushed me over the edge because during this whole episode my ears had turned purple. I'm not sure what that means, but I get reminded of it frequently. I tell you all of that to make this point: Despite my apparent justification, this incident did not help the situation. I could have made the same point and achieved the same result without cranking up the tension in the room. My relationship with the project manager went downhill from there. I may be a patient guy with a long fuse, but it was still a bad time to let it go. "A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult." Proverbs 12:16 "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." Proverbs 16:32 "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11 "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." Proverbs 29:11 It's clear that there are times to be angry. However, there is never a good time to lose control of your temper. There is never a good reason to fly off the handle. It's not about whether or not you're right, it's about what people see in you when it happens. Prove yourself wiser. Know God is in control and keep your cool. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 13 22:16:21 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 22:16:21 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Time Shift Message-ID: <6BB9F8E9-4DB6-4808-A68B-9A3B7ADC9036@clanwebb.com> Have you ever had one of those days when you take an unusually long nap or sleep in much longer than usual? For me, after I wake up, I'm always disoriented by the time shift. If I fell asleep after lunch, I'm shocked to find it well after dusk outside. I spend the next few hours adjusting to the unexpected change. I have those moments in regards to my life as well. It's those times when you stop and wonder what happened to the last ten years. I had one of those moments today. I stopped by the church for a quick meeting and walked into the full-on preparations for a wedding later that afternoon. I saw the groom walking around in a bit of a haze and trying to keep his groomsmen organized. I saw the bride getting her hair done in one of the side rooms. As I watched them I flashed back to my own wedding which still feels like it was only a few years ago. It wasn't. It was over seventeen years ago. I had to shake my head and let myself adjust. I wasn't one of those young men carrying a tux and getting ready for a brand new life. I've been married since those young men were in elementary school. I began to think of all the ups and downs they had ahead of them. I've been happy with my life for as long as I can remember, but I've never longed to go back to an earlier time. I'm also happy that while I may not notice how the world seems to shift as time passes, God never does. "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4 I'm never going to wake up and wonder where God went. I'm never going to turn around and realize that He's left me behind. He made me and He will carry me. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 14 22:27:05 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:27:05 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Right Tool Message-ID: <0075A39E-DEAC-45BE-B84B-4EC963C14BD2@clanwebb.com> It could be easily argued that, at times, I am not a subtle fellow. No, really, I am not always the calm, cool, and collected guy on the project. Here is a case in point. During my college years, I always knew where I was going to be from about 2pm until 10pm. This was the time that was set aside for all theater majors to be involved in the current production. The afternoon was set aside for building the show and the evenings were spent rehearsing. I could be downright irritable towards the end of a production. One particular occasion, when my usually kind and understanding self contemplated murder, had to do with Richard, the tool crib guy. The tool crib was his domain and he took his responsibilities very seriously. One rule Richard was very fond of was that unless you used the proper name for the tool and it was the proper tool for the job, you could not check it out. I was working on an electrical problem and asked Richard for a Crescent wrench. I was informed that there was no such thing as a Crescent wrench. "Really," I replied, "well then what do you call that thing hanging on the pegboard right behind your head?" Richard smiled, folded his arms, and informed me that what I had indicated was called an adjustable wrench. He went on, "Crescent is the trade name and not the proper tool name." I wasn't amused and told him I was going to use it as a hammer anyway. Now, using the proper tool for the job is important and knowing what to ask for is important. However, from time to time, the job is most important. So it is with the use of scripture: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" 2 Timothy 3:16 The Bible is God's expression for all things in life and, as a tool, it is all good. It is not a good idea to be a Richard about it. By that I mean, don't be rebuking people when they don't use it exactly as Richard might think. At the same time, it isn't right to be flippant when someone truly wants you to use it properly. The goal is to get the job done: namely, to use it to bring people into a mature relationship with Jesus. Sometimes it's an adjustable wrench and sometimes it's a hammer. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Jan 15 23:25:49 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 23:25:49 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] For Your Own Good Message-ID: <96D8B63B-8851-4B49-A6B5-463C23A05A05@clanwebb.com> While we were growing up, our parents would always try to put a positive spin on punishment: "I'm doing this so you will learn." Then our teachers took over the job with, "I want you to do this over because you can do better." Then the church steps in with the, "joy of discipline!" Somewhere along the way, a boss would have said, "I am giving you this negative review on your performance because I expect more from you." Don't forget how our girlfriends and wives only have our best interests at heart as they try to mold us into "the man I know you can be." I guess that is how Alexander became "the Great". God is a little more understandable about this process. "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:2 Somehow, this makes it easier, but not necessarily less painful. Knowing God is doing the pruning, I have more confidence when He lops something off that I won't be needing it later. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 17 00:44:16 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:44:16 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Balance Message-ID: <75D4722F-5B77-4503-8CCD-FDDD281127A8@clanwebb.com> Imagine, for a moment, a playground seesaw. On one end is reality and on the other is fantasy. Fantasy being a mystery with great attraction. Modern man is right in the middle and, depending upon the state of his individual life, he will walk toward one end or the other. When he has had too much of one, he will turn and walk toward the other always seeking balance, but never being satisfied. This constant motion means he's always off balance. The fantasy of the world's delights bring him toward one end and he may go so far as to lose sight of reality and get very lost. While too much of the world's reality may sap him of all his strength so that he has no hope and escape into fantasy allows him to be recharged. He is always off balance, however, because he is never quite sure where one end starts and the other one ends. The wonderful thing about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is that they are real and, yet, mysterious. The Godhead is the perfect balance of reality and fantasy. We see the reality in changed lives and the wonder of His mystery fulfills our desire for fantasy. Having the example of the perfect man, Jesus, allows us to see where reality and the world's fantasy begin and end. He is the line on the seesaw that shows us where to stand and have balance. He keeps us from getting lost or losing hope. "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. " 1 Timothy 3:16 And that, my friends, is reality and great fantasy. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 17 23:47:29 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:47:29 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Your Choice Message-ID: When I hear folks say, "I couldn't help myself," I have to agree with them. The fact is that we are fallen and we can't help ourselves do much of anything other than get caught up in the world. If a person is not saved, then he really don't have a chance. The world will chew him up and spit him out. There is no unconditional love that hasn't originated from God. However, when I hear a brother say, "The temptation was too much. There was nothing I could do," I know he is mistaken. I'm not here to hammer those of us (including me) who have succumbed to temptation. But, each man needs to be honest with himself and admit that he chose to give in. There was never a moment where he was unable to resist. In that moment, he didn't go down fighting. He gave up and chose for it to happen. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 There is no such thing as an irresistible temptation for the saved. We have God. He won't let that happen. So, He's already protecting you by not allowing you to face the impossible. Furthermore, when you are tempted, He provides an escape hatch. He loves you that much. At the critical moment, though, you are still a creature with freewill and He won't take that away. You still have to make the decision. Don't kid yourself into thinking that your sin was unavoidable or not your fault. If you know God, you have always had a way out. If you stumble, you must return to Him and admit that you blew it. If you try to shift the blame, it will affect your relationship with Him. The world will never make you an offer you can't refuse. Don't claim that it did. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Jan 19 00:08:09 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 00:08:09 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Another Lap Message-ID: Somehow we have come to a point in our society that the term "making it" is everything. Standing on the top step of the platform at the Olympics, winning the Super Bowl, the World Series, or the Stanley Cup is equal to nothing, except perhaps becoming the next American Idol. As Christians, we are on a quest to never reach the the top, never to come to a conclusion and get a medal nor the adoration of millions. In fact, we cannot ever finish our quest here on earth and receive our reward. We have to see ourselves as the spiritual athlete that, every time we come around the track, we are not closer to the end, but gaining strength to do better on the next lap. Our goal is not to be the fastest, but to run right into Heaven. The spectators should say, "He died running. He improved his time with every lap. His last lap was his personal best." "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:8 Increasing measure makes you more effective, more productive, wiser, and closer to Jesus. See you on the track! Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 20 00:58:22 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 00:58:22 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] A Voice in the Wilderness Message-ID: <0F2D941C-4066-4971-BE37-B70DBAF5A390@clanwebb.com> I had the great luck to take a college course in acoustics from Dr. Amar Bose. He happens to be the man who founded Bose Corporation which makes all those cool speakers and stereos. On the last day of class, we were all invited to a tour of the Bose plant which was near campus. He even graciously allowed me to bring my wife along for the tour. Among the many cool things we saw was a room in which they were testing the full range of their highest-end speakers. They make something called the Acoustic Wave Cannon. It's basically a six-foot long piece of pipe that's about eight inches in diameter. The speaker is mounted about a third of the way down inside the pipe. These are designed to be used in auditoriums and, specifically, movie theaters. They are the kinds of speakers that make the floor rumble. They had a room set up with a few of the Cannons and several other high-end speakers all playing white noise at full volume to test the actual reproducible range. We were allowed to wear protective headphones and enter this room during the test. It felt like I was standing next to a jet engine. My insides were vibrating and the noise was immense. I jokingly tried to yell something at my wife, but there was no chance. I couldn't overcome the cacophony. For me, this was the ultimate feeling of being unheard. There was no way I could communicate verbally in that environment. Nobody would listen. However, that wouldn't necessarily mean that what I was saying was false or unimportant. Then, there's John the Baptist. He was, quite literally, a voice in the wilderness. He preached a radical message out in the desert. I'm sure that, at first, there were only a few who listened and the "normal" people thought he was crazy. Today, we would probably think he was nuts, too. "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." " Matthew 3:1-2 Despite his appearance and his relative obscurity at the beginning, he spoke the truth. He taught true doctrine and people came. Eventually, the leaders of the church came to see what he was doing. They came to him. I give you these stories to encourage you to speak truth and live right. You may feel like nobody's listening. You may be the only person at your job or in your school who chooses to live that way, but that doesn't make it wrong. Speak the truth and live right. Be that radical for long enough and the normal people will come to you to see what's going on. Then, you can share Jesus. Don't be afraid. Just speak the truth and live right. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 21 00:34:57 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 00:34:57 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Be a Fool Message-ID: <8C23D434-8E65-4DDF-9377-7D0C124F9E31@clanwebb.com> I have strong opinions about politics and how it is invading every aspect of American life. I enjoy a reasonable debate about the pros and cons of national health care or Social Security reform. I have interest in how science and technology affects our lives and the ongoing debates around global warming, nanotechnology, privacy in the digital age, and so much more. My patience, however, becomes very short when the people I hear or read refuse to debate truth. You've seen these folks on TV or in the paper. They flatly state things that are untrue or wildly misinterpreted. I recently read how an executive at The Weather Channel said publicly that any climatologist or meteorologist who refused to accept the "fact" of global warming should have their accreditation revoked. I've heard repeatedly how expressing concern about illegal immigration is racism. Heck, there are even heads of state who declare to the world that that Holocaust never happened. Conversations that start from these points of view are dead ends. You cannot make logical, rational arguments or conclusions if you start from a point of falsehood. "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions." Proverbs 18:2 Once again, God has written in Scripture about a common social problem we have today. It's frustrating to talk or work with people in this mindset. It's impossible if they get locked in to something like this when it pertains to the work they do professionally. That ends careers. So, how does it look to the unsaved when we start to delight in airing our own opinions? Don't take the confidence you have in God and apply it to everything you hear that sounds good. Declaring that your belief in a man-made idea or opinion is just as firm as your belief in Christ is folly. When the man-made is proven faulty (and it always will be in some fashion), you have diminished the value of Christ in the eyes of those watching you. Don't be a blowhard and air opinions other than God's. Take pleasure in understanding and applying the Word to reality. Don't be a fool. Be a teller of truth. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 21 23:33:25 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 23:33:25 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Under Control Message-ID: One of the reasons I enjoy watching sports is because you might see something amazing at any moment. The more I follow sports, the more I realize just how much work and preparation most athletes put in to be in the best position to win a game at a crucial moment. Because all games have rules, the best players are the ones that have learned a level of physical and mental self-control that is spooky. Good hitters can pick up the spin on a slider in the first fraction of a second after it leaves the pitcher's hand. Then, they can decide where the pitch is going and when to start swinging the bat. Those with good bat control can almost aim a hit. Just watch Ichiro for a season to see this phenomenon. Football players learn to jump in the air, catch a ball, and then, somehow, force their feet down in-bounds. I have never been able to figure out how you make yourself fall back to earth faster. Whenever I jump, my landing point is pretty much fixed at the moment of takeoff. If you ever watched Julius Erving or Michael Jordan, you have seen those who have the physical self-control to change their mind and adjust their trajectory in mid-air. That still blows me away. Then there's the mental self-control to not get flustered when you're running out of time and your team is losing or to not get overwhelmed when you have to pitch with the bases loaded. The discipline to know when to put the team on your back and carry them and when to play with the game plan you had coming in. It's all very impressive when you think about it. So, if there is so much hero-worship happening on ESPN for these kinds of character traits, where's the applause and praise for spiritual self-control in this world? The fact is that spiritual license is praised in our society. We're supposed to be impressed with those that have reached beyond our simple spiritual options and chosen to be more enlightened. Just listen to Richard Gere and Tom Cruise. That's not better spirituality, that's just spiritual selfishness. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age," Titus 2:11-12 "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:13 Being self-controlled is a holy trait. That means controlling your physical urges, your thought processes, and your spiritual life. We are taught to be self-controlled. We know it is an aspect of being alert and aware of the enemy. We are told to be self-controlled in preparation for the coming of our Lord. What parts of your life do you have under control? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Jan 22 22:15:48 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:15:48 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Get Pruned, Not Cut Message-ID: <7A5BFC76-2F7B-4747-93A8-D87E7CEBFDB5@clanwebb.com> There is a yoke to the Christian man. We forget that our choice to follow Jesus was not ours alone. We may think we made a deep, spiritual decision to offer our lives to Jesus Christ and that He was unsure of the outcome. However, the reality is that our decision was nothing more than a timed announcement of our previous selection. Only the person making the decision had any new revelation at that moment. Jesus knew all along. What do we have to offer Him? What do you get for the guy that has everything? Time to wake up, men. Your ticket was punched the day you made the decision, but it was printed before the train was built. "You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit?fruit that will last." John 15:16 God is the gardener for His son and He doesn't call in Saturday mornings to the local radio station for advice. He goes about His business with purpose and He only puts up with so much. Then He makes a decision. Note the first line in this verse: "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:2 The Greek word for prune also means "to clean". My advice is to do your best to squeeze out some fruit or get cut off permanently. Pruning indicates spiritual production, but it seems pretty simple: no production, no connection. Is it worth the connection? "Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 15:16 It is not science. It's faith. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Jan 23 22:11:55 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 22:11:55 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Hidden Direction Message-ID: "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1 This was the "verse of the day" on a website I visit frequently. For some reason, I kept reading it over and over. Each time through I saw something else worth remembering and something I wanted to share. Scripture is amazing that way. At first read, I see that I am to help brothers get out of sin. Being a guy, I start thinking about tough love and how to shame my brother into repenting. Then, I re-read and see the word "gently". Oh, I should probably do it with love and understanding. I should remember that the roles could be reversed some day. "The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him." 2 Corinthians 2:6-8 Then, I also notice the phrase "those who are spiritual". A ha! That means that if I'm not right with God, then I'm in no position to help a brother get right with God. It's like on the airplane: put on your own oxygen mask before helping the person next to you. You can't help him if you can't breathe. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Luke 6:41 Finally, I see the "watch yourself" warning. It's not there by accident. It's there because that's exactly what can happen. If I'm caught unaware, the enemy will tempt me. I'll have the opportunity to rationalize my behavior and water down my conviction when facing a brother. If I'm not careful, I'll end up with him. I know I need to make sure my pride doesn't leave me vulnerable. "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 So, in a passage about helping a brother, I find three different things I need to work on in my own life. Three different things I need to get squared away before I'm of any use to my brother. Notice how productive relationships with others start by having a productive relationship with God? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 24 23:18:58 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:18:58 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Occupying the Brain Message-ID: <23DDAE3E-CB93-4FF3-9762-CD6B01F7B0DC@clanwebb.com> I had an hour to kill the other night so I did what millions of Americans do and turned on the TV. I flipped to ESPN, but they were showing something uninteresting. I looked for a basketball game to watch for a bit, but there wasn't one on at that moment. I flipped to a western, but it wasn't grabbing me. So, I went around again looking for something. Here I was with some free time and I couldn't think of anything to occupy my brain. How quickly I forget: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable?if anything is excellent or praiseworthy?think about such things." Philippians 4:8 Not only are these good choices when there's nothing else, but these should be my first choices! I should seek out time in the Word. I should read things by and about those who love God. I should desire to spend my time on things that are noble and pure and true. That doesn't mean I can't watch a movie or a game, but I should never find myself watching or reading something less than noble because I couldn't find anything better to do. I will admit to not measuring up to the standard Paul has set out. I felt convicted. Do you? If so, what are you going to do about it? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Jan 25 22:45:54 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:45:54 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Approaching the Throne Message-ID: Imagine you had the opportunity to meet with President Bush for an hour every day. Would you take advantage of that? At first, I think I'd feel lucky to meet him and I'd just want to make small talk. If I went every day, I imagine that we'd get to know each other better. Over time, he might even come to be interested in my opinions. Eventually, I would be comfortable enough to start offering my ideas and making suggestions. Now, there's no guarantee that he would be interested in listening to my opinions, but it would still be amazing access to one of the most powerful people in the world. That's an almost unimaginable prospect, and yet we pass up something similar every day. I was just reminded that I do. This morning at my Bible study we went around the table sharing prayer requests. When it came to me, I said, "Nothing really. Life's good!" Then, when we started to pray, one of the brothers said, "Lord, please lay a burden on Wyatt's heart. Help him to have something to pray for." That pierced me. I was being nonchalant about my opportunity to bring a request to God. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16 I have direct access to God. Think about that. I can bring my requests to Him at any time. Furthermore, He wants to give me whatever I ask! Why in the world do I leave that access underused? Why am I not petitioning to God every day for any concern I have? I don't have a good answer to that question. I just know that I have something to work on. How about you? Why aren't you approaching the throne? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Jan 26 23:13:56 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 23:13:56 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Patterns Message-ID: <3FEB5898-2E35-472F-90B1-06031DD6E3A1@clanwebb.com> In the late 80s, two computer scientists had the idea to look for patterns in software design. They were inspired to do this by a book written a decade earlier about, of all things, patterns in architecture. The architecture book had the idea of documenting common architectural patterns so that other architects could use them quickly and know they were reliable. The author recognized that there were many tried and true designs that had proven themselves and wanted to make them available to all who were interested. The computer scientists saw this and realized that something similar could happen to software design. There are well-tested programming techniques used to solve different classes of problems. The knowledge about these techniques, though, was not collected. So, these two guys started doing that. Design patterns in computer science are now a well-accepted concept and most good developers nowadays will have read about them and be able to discuss them with a common terminology. It has made us all more productive. In both of these cases, experts in the field wanted to document and create patterns that would make their peers more productive and better at their jobs. The idea behind a design pattern is to match your problem to a similar situation documented as a pattern. Then, use the programming technique in whatever programming language you are using to mimic the pattern as documented. You have now quickly applied a time tested solution to the problem in much less time and with much less pain than if you had done it alone. Guess what? This is not a new idea. Paul did it, too. "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." Philippians 3:17 Paul wrote his letters to lay out the patterns for a Christian life. He then pointed believers to those letters and to those who were following them as good examples. Paul contributed to the best book of life patterns available. We are to match up our problems and situations with those described in Scripture and then apply the paths and solutions described therein. It helps us get back on our feet more quickly and prevents unnecessary pain in the process. Instead of trying to reinvent them on our own, we should use the ones that we know will work. We should follow the patterns that the expert in the field has shown to be worthwhile. It's not hard. They're all written down. Just follow the pattern. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Jan 27 22:06:44 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:06:44 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Share With Your Children Message-ID: <8A5D6D59-4D10-4D82-9DF3-1DDA1E14114B@clanwebb.com> The Proverbs are filled with great insight and advice on living. There are valuable foundational elements of our faith in this book. Things like: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7 and this: "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; lover her, and she will watch over you." Proverbs 4:5-6 These are critical messages to us all to seek out more knowledge and more understanding about our God. We are not a faith that prefers ignorance. Our faith and relationship with God strengthens as we know more about Him. What struck me, though, was the model of behavior that wraps up these chapters. "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching." Proverbs 4:1-2 This is a father writing for the sake of his sons. He knows that their happiness, their success, and, most importantly, their salvation depends on them knowing God. Over and over in this book, we see exhortation from father to child to listen carefully and learn. He understands how valuable this information was for his life and, because he loves his children, he wants to pass it on. He cannot depend on anyone else in the world delivering this information. As a father, I see not only good advice for me in this book, but I see a commission for me to teach my son these same things. His road of life may be changed dramatically by how well I do that. Are you sharing the Word with your children? Or, are you depending on someone else to do it for you? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Jan 28 22:24:48 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 22:24:48 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Understand Justice Message-ID: I have a beef with some folks who call themselves Christians, but seem to have missed the point. I'm talking about those who have crossed the line to a point where they believe the ends justify the means. When it comes to moral issues, I have never found this to be the case. Jesus never had to sin to make a point or to cause justice to be served. Those who have decided that murdering abortion doctors is the way to stop them have become lost in their anger. They have justified sin to stop the sinner. No matter the apparent good it would do, it's empty because it's built on sin. Those who condemn and judge homosexuals without ever offering open arms have become proud and self-righteous. They have justified their arrogance to condemn sin. No matter the truth of the argument, they have forgotten to love the sinner and to represent Christ in the matter. When you sin or justify sin to any end, you are in the service of evil. When you serve evil, you cannot be the hands of God. "Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully." Proverbs 28:5 Those who have focused on condemning sinners forget that Christ died for us all. We are all equally guilty and we all deserve equal opportunity to come to Him. Do not find yourself handing out justice while doing evil. Seek the Lord and justice will happen by His hand. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Jan 30 00:02:04 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 00:02:04 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Befriending the World Message-ID: <650027E2-0DE5-4909-A7C3-92B8118239E8@clanwebb.com> I was a pretty clean cut kid while I was growing up. I spent time with other kids that my parents could trust. I didn't get into much trouble. During high school, though, I met a guy a few years older than me who was trouble. His name was Jason. Jason had finished high school and delivered pizza for a living. He would show up at my window in the middle of the night with a box of donuts just to hang out. He introduced me to a different group of peers. I was especially interested in the girls he knew as he seemed to attract the pretty ones. While it never impacted my grades, his friendship did lead to sneaking out at night to hang out with friends or go driving where we shouldn't. He never broke the law or encouraged me to, but he did encourage a rebel attitude that challenged what my parents had been teaching me. You could never call him a bad guy, just someone in love with the world. In retrospect, this was a clear picture of my life choices at that time. I had made friends with the world by befriending Jason. That friendship challenged my desire to obey my parents and follow Christ. I realized soon after he passed out of my life that I had an either/ or decision. There was no way to do both. My thoughts and ideas were clouded. My reasoning and justifications were misguided. I was falling into the very trap described here: "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:1-4 Look, it's simple: you're either with God or you're against Him. I wouldn't recommend being against Him. That's a losing proposition. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 31 00:08:50 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:08:50 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Balanced Diet Message-ID: <94031271-5CC4-45A2-B9EC-D1D92807E39E@clanwebb.com> I once heard someone describe all things in life as falling into one of three categories. Everything you did, thought, or possessed could be thought of as meat, poison, or junk food. The meat represented those things that honored God. That would include your quiet time with Him, sharing the Gospel, serving in ministry, and even things like being a Godly husband and father. These were things that clearly strengthened your relationship with God and were done in obedience to Him. The poison represents those things that did the opposite. These would be the idols you have, the sins you won't give up, and the things you won't give over to Him. These are the things that make you sick and cause you to be ineffective as an ambassador of Christ. The junk food represents those things that were neutral. They weren't sinful or tempting of sin, but they had no redeeming value either. Junk food always has the potential to turn into poison if you consume too much of it. If you allow it to replace any meat in your diet, you will become ill. Junk food isn't bad by itself. It's bad in excess. "If you find honey, eat just enough? too much of it, and you will vomit." Proverbs 25:16 Jesus is the bread of life and He gives us living water. Those are the things we need to live on. The junk food won't kill you, but it can get in the way. If the Twinkies are too addicting, avoid them altogether. If you can't put down the Doritos, throw them away and never look back. Of course the analogy here is that if watching football, working on your car, or playing video games gets in the way of your relationship with God, then you need to set it aside. Are you eating a balanced diet? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Jan 31 23:13:30 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:13:30 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Be Still, Stop Eating, and Listen Message-ID: <9E68E5C5-EC41-42F8-974F-EDBA1A86DFCC@clanwebb.com> There are several names for it in the software industry. Some call it the death march. Some call it the big push. I call it crunch time. It's that time near the end of a software project when it becomes clear that there's no way the product will be ready to ship in three months, so everyone starts working longer hours. Eight hour days go to twelve and then sixteen and even twenty hours. Five day weeks go to six and seven days. Soon, you find yourself eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at work. When I was part of these kinds of projects, my work habits would change, too. I'd go from having an open door to my office to closing it. Then, I'd start hanging a sign on it that said, "Knock for emergencies only". Pretty soon I'd stop returning phone calls to other folks in the company. My email would back up as I would start to ignore everything non-essential to my immediate tasks. I would stop reading and watching the news. The effect was to shut off all of the surrounding interruptions so I could be the most efficient worker possible. As a rule, we should be working to minimize the distractions in our relationship with God every day. We need to keep other idols out of our life. We need to spend time in prayer and in the Word drawing nearer to Him. But sometimes, you need something more drastic. You may need to turn off the TV, the phone, and the Internet. You might need to exert every effort listening: "The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." 1 Kings 19:11-12 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." Acts 13:2-3 So, sometimes you need to ignore the wind and the earthquakes and the fire. Sometimes you need to shut up and sit still long enough to hear Him. Sometimes you need to dedicate yourself to prayer and fasting. Yes, sometimes you even need to give up food for a time to focus your mind on Him. But, in all of these cases, when the believers made the effort, God spoke to them. Do you have anything that you'd like to hear from God about? Wyatt