Planer Graphs and Dr. Seuss

Without getting too technical I want to talk to you about graphs. You know, those things you probably hated to do in math class. When you get into a little more advanced mathematics it’s important to know if a graph is planer or not. That’s p-l-a-n-e-r. In other words, do all of the connectors on the graph lie in the same plane with no overlapping connectors?

The following graphs show simple planer graphs.

The second shows the connectors overlapping, however it can be redrawn in “planer” fashion as shown below.

The last shows a non-planer graph. The connectors overlap. It cannot be redrawn to eliminate the intersections.

Our lives are not planer. We have to interact with others. It’s called life. It’s the place where change occurs, decisions are made. When you met your spouse, that moment became an intersection for you. The two of you were traveling different directions. The dynamics at that intersection were strong enough to take both of you a different direction.

Sadly, many live their lives trying to avoid the intersections. They order the various aspects of their life with as few intersections as possible. This is not how God created you to live. Others think they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, regardless of what others may think; go any direction they choose without thought of who or what may be in their way. This is not how God created us to live.

Dr. Seuss is an amazing theologian. He wrote a book about Zax.

One day, making tracks In the prairie of Prax, 

Came a North-Going Zax And a South-Going Zax. 

And it happened that both of them came to a place 

Where they bumped. There they stood.Foot to foot. Face to face.  

“Look here, now!” the North-Going Zax said, “I say! 

You are blocking my path. You are right in my way. 

I’m a North-Going Zax and I always go north. 

Get out of my way, now, and let me go forth!”  

“Who’s in whose way?” snapped the South-Going Zax. 

“I always go south, making south-going tracks. 

So you’re in MY way! And I ask you to move 

And let me go south in my south-going groove.”  

Then the North-Going Zax puffed his chest up with pride. 

“I never,” he said, “take a step to one side. 

And I’ll prove to you that I won’t change my ways 

If I have to keep standing here fifty-nine days!”  

“And I’ll prove to YOU,” yelled the South-Going Zax, 

“That I can stand here in the prairie of Prax 

For fifty-nine years! For I live by a rule 

That I learned as a boy back in South-Going School. 

Never budge! That’s my rule. Never budge in the least! 

Not an inch to the west! Not an inch to the east! 

I’ll stay here, not budging! I can and I will 

If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!”  

Well...Of course the world didn’t stand still. The world grew. 

In a couple of years, the new highway came through 

And they built it right over those two stubborn Zax 

And left them there, standing un-budged in their tracks.

When we’re born, we have a pre-disposition to go a certain direction, the way of Adam. Jesus came to be an intersection in our life. He forces us to make decisions, to change direction. Jesus comes to us to show us “The Way, The Truth, The Life.” We now have a choice to make. Do we continue to follow “our” path or do we choose His way for us?

This is where the phrase “cross roads” comes from. You see, the roadway system is not planer! In the early days of automobiles there were some strange procedures developed to ensure you did not have a collision at intersections, or cross roads. You first had to stop the vehicle and shut off the engine. You then sounded your horn to indicate your presence. If there was no response it was suggested that you then fire a shot with your gun to indicate you were about to enter the intersection; very different than today’s driving.

If you notice, there’s always traffic control devices at cross roads. It’s as simple as a stop sign, or as complex as multiple direction traffic lights. These are all designed to keep us out of trouble.

The same is true when you begin your journey on the path of Christ. Our spiritual “traffic controller” is the Holy Spirit. That is why it is so important to learn to hear His voice. He speaks to give us information that will help as we traverse the non-planer graph known as the Christian life.

Communion is one such “cross roads” that we must choose to encounter. It’s a built in rest stop on our journey where we can take opportunity to rest our souls, check the tires, see if there’s anything that is going un-noticed on our vehicle, and deal with it. Paul said to “consider the Lord’s body” to see if there’s anything unclean in us. It gives us a chance to adjust our course, check our map to see if we are still on track with the Holy Spirit, pursuing the destiny that we took on when we encountered Jesus at the “Salvation Cross Road.”

It is not ironic that the symbol of our faith today is a cross. As a matter of fact, it is the very reason Jesus came from heaven to earth. He came to “cross” our path to introduce us to the Father. What will you do with your “Cross road” moment? Let’s choose well. Let us choose Christ.

If Wal Mart Can Sell Valentines At Christmas, I Can Talk About Easter At New Years

It's amazing to me how retail has started getting the jump on every holiday. I remember standing in Cracker Barrel in early August. There was, of course, football everything and the remnants of July 4th, but also Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas merchandise everywhere. I was in Wal Mart on Christmas Eve and noticed Valentine's Day displays. It's pretty crazy, but not more crazy than a minister of music's life.

While the Christmas decorations are still hanging I'm in full-blown Easter mode. Actually, I've been working on it for about a month, even before we performed our Christmas music at church. It's just the way it is.

This year I'm working on a new approach to telling the Easter story. I would like some input on this, so if you're willing, so please comment either here or on Facebook. Or, you can private message or even e-mail if you prefer to be more anonymous at ibworshipin@gmail.com.

The things I'm looking for are the elements of the story you find most compelling, and why. Was it the triumphant entry, or the Passover meal with the disciples? Perhaps the trials, betrayals, etc.? Gethsemane? The crucifixion itself? What about the burial, or the resurrection? How about the Emmaus Road experience, or other sightings of Jesus after the resurrection? The ascension?

I'm looking at some of the backstory to why Easter was needed in the first place. Things like the Garden of Eden - the place of original sin. Or the deliverance from Egypt - instituting the Passover. And then there are numerous prophecies, types, and shadows of how Messiah would die, be resurrected, even the method by which He would die.

Any thoughts you have along these lines would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking forward to hearing some of the elements you find most interesting about Easter. Thanks in advance.

By the way, any unique ideas I choose to use I will give you credit, if I know who you are.

Any Day Can Be New Year's Day

My friend, Jeff Jenkins, posted something today that brought a verse to mind. He said, "It's not just the beginning of every New Year that we can have a fresh start, it's the beginning of every day! Every new day is God’s invitation to a start all over again."

In Exodus 12, before Israel had been delivered from Egypt, God spoke to them and said, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.” Exodus 12:2 (ESV)

Regardless of your circumstances, even while you are still in the middle of the problem, your life can be changed. Any day is an opportunity to begin a new life, get a fresh start, begin to live, maybe for the very first time!

Never consider your life over. I have several friends fighting for their life against disease. Today could be the day that God speaks a new beginning for them. Even if you're not facing something this dire or dramatic, it still matters to God. He wants you to have the life Jesus bought for you through His sacrifice on the cross. In John 10:10 Jesus said, "I came to give you abundant life." Abundant means, "The God kind of life." The life He gives exceeds anything you could imagine.

Be willing to allow God to change your circumstances. Like Israel in Egypt, they had to believe what God said to them and act on it. The result was freedom for centuries of captivity.

A new day. What a concept. Literally, a new beginning.

Improvement vs. Criticizing

I notice problems. I don't consciously look for them. They just pop out at me. This can be both a blessing and a curse. When you are attempting to fix something that is broken it is a good thing. When you are listening to something inspirational, not so much.

I know others that have this knack in them. The most important thing is what is done with the information. I attempt to use the newly identified problem to help improve things. If I notice something not working correctly on the soda fountain at the local fast-food chain, I bring it to the attention of the manager so they can correct it. If the door-closer at the church is broken I report it to the person responsible for building maintenance. Because of this, I consider myself an Improver.

Others, when learning of a problem or an issue, will tell everyone except the person that can correct the problem. These folks are Criticizers. They have no desire to see anything improve. Instead, they seek opportunities to point out flaws in others.

There are others, still, that simply do not notice the problems at all. These are called Happy People. Sometimes I wish I was one.

I remember a quote, but cannot recall the source. I believe it was from a CEO that said, "For every problem you bring to the board you also need to bring at least two possible solutions." Be an Improver!

Triggers - An Interesting Concept

Roy Roger's horse was named Trigger, but that's not the subject of today's blog. The mechanism that begins the process of firing a gun is also called a trigger, but again, not the topic.

Psychologists refer to something as a trigger that causes an emotional response. It can be a word (or just a sound), a song, a picture, a smell - just about anything - that when experienced brings an immediate emotional response. The brain has indexed certain experiences by these triggers and performs immediate recall. It is almost involuntary the way we are moved by these triggers.

The reaction to a trigger is actually a habit. You may not even be aware you have the habit. Some habits are so "comfortable" or "natural" that they are not seen as habits. That's one reason habits are hard to break. Habits, however, are not all bad. The habit of waking at a certain time because the trigger (alarm clock) set off the morning routine can help start your day on a productive note.

As we approach the new year many begin to evaluate life to see if anything needs to change. Resolutions are made, and quickly broken, because the old habits do not yield to the new ones. It takes conscious effort to make a new GOOD habit.

Back to triggers. The habits that cause us the most problems are those brought on by triggers that we do not even recognize. Why do we have sudden outbursts of anger? Overwhelming sadness can come on us suddenly and we cannot seem to put our finger on the "why". Something has triggered the response. Identifying the trigger can help begin the change that is needed to thwart the undesirable behavior.

Sometimes it may require help from a professional counselor. I'm married to a really good one if you happen to be in the market. Many times we cannot see the pattern or habitual behavior that keeps us in a non-productive cycle.

A habit is made up of three components: trigger, action, reward. Yes, your habits are designed to bring a reward. The trigger and reward are usually not the problem. It's the actions we take in between the two that cause the problems. If we can identify the trigger, we can then alter the behavior (action) that follows, and still reap the reward afterward. We simply replace the action with something that will bring a good outcome instead of the destructive actions we normally choose.

Regardless of when you begin, it will require constant attention until one day you are simply doing the new action "habitually". That is the beginning of a new life. Not habit-free, but productive instead of destructive. Live well!

Me Three

Disclaimer: This is not an opinion article about the #METOO movement.

I think it can safely be stated that the prevalent state of mind, at least for us in the Western culture, is "Me". This is not new. It has simply been amplified though all of the forms of media we have at our disposal.

Self-preservation is a core impulse built into our very fiber.
1. When faced with danger our body automatically kicks into "fight or flight" response.
2. When great emotional stress is placed on us our brain can disconnect (become dissociative), in order to preserve our well being.
3. Deflecting the blame is as old as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I remember from my childhood when a group of kids would be asked a question, one would immediately begin to cry out, "Me, me, me!" Another would chime in with, "Me, too!" Then another, "Me, three!" We all want to be chosen. We all want to be considered special. When we perceive this is not the case, it can cause poor behavior in order to attract attention. Other, out of their frustration, may actually attempt to harm themselves, or others.

In these days let us remember to treat everyone with respect, even if we do not feel they deserve it. That is not our call. Give them the same respect you would want to receive. Speak a kind word. Give a smile. You never know how it might affect their day.

The Game Called Communication

Language has become my favorite pastime. There are so many things about it that keeps me curious, but here a few for you to consider.

When I took Spanish in college, the first few chapters of the text was incredible. It described the near perfect language that had rules for everything (and I love rules). We studied verb conjugation, looking at the vosotros and nosotros forms. I loved it. It all made sense. Then the most dreaded chapter in the entire text appeared: Irregular Verbs. That's when I started hating Spanish.

It is interesting however, that English has the same problems, it's just that I grew up learning English. The most common irregular verbs are verbs of being. Words like is, am, are, was, were, etc. If you did not speak the language you would not immediately recognize how closely these are related. But, all of them speak of the same subject: states of being.

Perhaps we have such a difficult time communicating our state of being that our language reflects this. It is something to consider.

Another thing that makes language difficult is the use of idioms and colloquial expressions. Several stories from speaking with interpreters come to mind. The term "brand new" makes perfect sense in our Western culture, but Kenyan's have no idea what it means. The word "snit" does not translate well either.

A term my mom used often was "off like a jug handle." Many have never seen a jug, and did not know they had handles. Add the Southern drawl to it is unintelligible to most.

Yet, we still have to communicate, and our native tongue is the best shot we have of getting our message across. The only thing I know to do is keep trying.

Christmas Memories

I only remember about three Christmases from my childhood.

The first is when I wound up in the emergency room. My brother and I were on the front porch bouncing a ball against the house which had recently been decorated with Christmas lights. These were the old colored incandescent bulbs (the real ones). The ball hit a bulb and it burst, sending fragments of glass into my eyes. Fortunately there were no long-term affects on my vision.

The second was the last Christmas we had with my dad. It was such an amazing experience. There were more presents that morning than I had ever seen. Each of us had a pile of gifts. If we had only known that five months later dad would be gone, our focus might have been a little different.

The last Christmas from my childhood that I recall is the first Christmas without my dad. I had a very sour attitude. I knew the truth about Santa, and just wanted my presents. I didn't want to wait until Christmas morning. I wanted them Christmas Eve, when some of my friends' families opened all of their gifts.

During my middle years I did not enjoy Christmas. Even after the kids came along, there always seemed to be something that would ruin the moment: a broken gift, the wrong gift, family rifts, or just plain tired. I always dreaded the holidays.

Something changed, fortunately, that has brought a great relief from the holiday doldrums. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but part of it stemmed from a fresh look at the Christmas story told in scripture. I found the part about Anna and Simeon that had never been told, at least not that I recall, in the telling of the Christmas story growing up.

One of the most significant experiences that brightened Christmastime for me was hearing Jack Hayford speak on his book, "The Mary Miracle." It is one of the best I've ever read.

When I learned there were those who anticipated the coming Messiah all of their life, and to finally see Him, gave me hope again that life is worth living ... every moment of it, including the holidays.

Gifts still break, or the wrong gift is still given, but I believe the main difference is inside me.

Glass Half Full/Empty

I'm not a glass half empty nor half full. I'm more of a "drink if you're thirsty, fill it up if you're not" kind of person. I tend to be utilitarian in my approach to most things. I focus on outcomes, but am mindful of processes needed to achieve those outcomes, and aim for doing them in the most efficient way possible.

This is not always optimal. I have learned (through many times of getting it wrong!) that sometimes people are not interested in efficiency. They enjoy the journey, even though it may not be the quickest or most effective. Some enjoy reading the backstory instead of "just the facts." The long way is not always the wrong way.

When it comes to interpersonal relationships efficient does not equal effective. People require time. An individual is not a problem to solve. That leads to Machiavellianism. Approach others as an opportunity to learn, to grow, to enjoy, not to correct. This will make you both better people.

Always Start at the Beginning

There are problems in the world. Since Eden, there have always been problems in the world. Our approach to solving them determines how successful we are at living a productive, peaceful life.

If every problem you have is external (someone else's fault) you can never live at peace. Before asking your neighbor to be nicer, why not try to be nicer yourself? Most problems are noticed because we are not at peace with ourself. This is always the first place to start.

Introspection is almost non-existent today. We have information streaming toward us 24/7/365 with no breaks to process the data. The negative, of course, catches our attention much more quickly than the positive. As the negative inputs begin to amass we start to recoil to counter act them without taking time to consider whether we are actually part of the problem.

Self-examination is usually not fun. It is hard to confront the evil that lives inside of us. That's why most avoid it. Let's keep the focus on others, because after all, they are much more evil than me!

Until you take time to find out what is on the inside, why the negative news affects you the way it does, you do not know if you are actually the one that needs to change.

The Written Word - Possibly the Worst Form of Communication

The more I learn about communication the more I am amazed that humans have made it this far. Our ability to communicate seems to be fading daily, yet there is more information available than ever before. Everyone is talking, but very few are actually listening.

It intrigues me to know that our Creator-God chose the written word to tell mankind of His plan. I know He sent Jesus (in human form), but most people on earth never saw Him - before or after He lived on our planet. Words are so sterile when you see them on a page. Any emotion has to be derived from the reader. This requires actually engaging with the text and trying to envision what the author actually said.

Hence, the many, many different interpretations of the meaning of scripture makes for an even more confused people. I hear it so often spoken from pulpits that "the Bible clearly says ..." This is a misnomer. The Bible says very few things "clearly", but this does not mean we should not read it, or try to understand it. What I believe it means is we need to spend even more time with others discussing the meaning instead of arguing, red-faced with neck-veins popping, trying to convince one another that "WE have the TRUTH!"

Before you throw me into the "heresy" pile please hear me out. The Bible is God's Word sent to us. However, the written words are only part of the communication. Jesus, before leaving earth, promised to send "another" comforter, the Holy Spirit, who would lead us into all TRUTH. Without the Holy Spirit, who abides in EVERY believer, and who will lead us (the Church, the Called-Out Ones) into the Truth, we will never know the proper meaning of scripture.

Personally, I do not believe it is as hard to understand as many make it out to be. I do not think it is a "code" to be deciphered. I cannot imagine a Creator leaving us with His instructions for living without knowing that we could understand it. Let's read it as the "open letter" that it is, and not as some secret handbook that only a chosen-few will ever understand. Let's talk about the Bible's contents instead of arguing over it. We might actually learn something.

The Real Cost of Thanksgiving

Everything these days seems to be broken down to show the cost. Every action is dissected to determine who caused it. Even the slightest thing can explode into a major deal because of perceived intent. I personally believe one of the mitigating factors is the number of lawsuits filed on a daily basis, but I digress.

What is Thanksgiving? If you parse the word itself you find a very simple meaning: to give thanks. Then, you are left with the "interpretation" and that is where we find the difference of opinion. Who is to be thankful, and to whom should thanks be given? And the more important question, why should we be thankful, and for what?

One of the first things that has to be sacrificed in order to give thanks is pride. By thanking someone else you in essence are admitting you did not do it all yourself. None of us have done it all alone. Everyone has received help. To deny this is the ultimate display of pride. All of us have reason to be thankful.

The primary reason I resist allowing Christmas to overshadow Thanksgiving is because of the importance I place on giving thanks. First and foremost, each of us should give thanks to our Creator-God for the very breath we have in our lungs. Secondly, we should be thankful for our parents for bringing us into this world (regardless of how they treated you). If you live in the U.S.A., you should be thankful that you have the freedom to pursue any dream you have.

In all of these, it requires us to confront realities that we are not self-sufficient. This, I believe, is the reason Christmas has eclipsed Thanksgiving. We tend to shun the idea of exalting others above ourselves when instead we could reap all the gifts that we want others to bestow upon us.

The real cost of Thanksgiving: humility.

Life Through Your Eyes

Everything we see is filtered by our life experiences. If you are the firstborn you had time alone with your parents and could easily see the presence of your siblings as an interruption. If you are the lastborn in a large family you rarely had time alone with your parents and could view the presence of your siblings as an intrusion.

If you grew up in an underprivileged household you may have a greater appreciation for things like your first car, new clothes, or a meal out. If you were born into a family of influence you may never know the hurt and shame in being left out.

It is very difficult to see life any other way than through the filters of your experience. To be able to view things differently would require an event that would alter your world-view. The phrase “paradigm shift” is a ‘90s term, but I can’t think of a better, more up-to-date one, that describes what I’m trying to say. In Steven Covey’s book, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, he gives a description of a paradigm shift.

“I was riding on the subway in New York. There was a father with three young children on the train. The children were very rambunctious and loud, running around, disturbing those around them. The father sat there and said nothing. The more this continued the angrier I became. ‘Why doesn’t he do something about those little brats’, I thought. Finally I had to speak. I said to the father, ‘Your children seem to be a little wild today.’ The man looked up and responded, ‘Yes. We just buried their mother and I guess they don’t know how to act.’”

Instantly, you see things differently. If only we could do this in other areas. We can try, but we can never feel the emotion of missing a meal, or having no place to sleep. We anguish over what to wear, not where to find warm clothes. We choose the job with the best pay and benefits instead of hoping to find a few hours of work for unskilled laborers to buy formula and diapers.

The only way to be able to see life differently, other than being thrust into it yourself, is to allow the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to what is around you. We must become sensitive to His prompting, and be willing to follow His leading. It may not meet our standards, and it may not be comfortable, but following His direction will bring “joy unspeakable” to you and those you encounter on the way.

Live with eyes wide open. Be aware of those around you and realize they may be hurting instead of “acting up.” The reason for their desperation may be survival, not terror. Let us learn, as The Church, to be Jesus to our world.

Contents Should Match the Label

One of several books that I have started but haven't finished is called "Managed Expectation". It describes the idea that if we can properly set expectation to match the delivered product or service we will win every time.

One of my many pet peeves is realizing after the fact that what was promised is not what was delivered. It's like opening a can of creamed corn to find beets. For me, that would be a major disappointment. Or, you go to your favorite restaurant to order the Special of the Day only to learn that they have sold out.

My most recent experience came with the computer language I use at work. SQL has a data type called "Numeric" (only numbers, no letters). It seems pretty simple. A common thing we do is convert pre-formatted text data into Numeric. SQL even provides a test to ensure the contents of the target field is, in fact, Numeric.

The problem is they use different definitions for the word "numeric". The data type "Numeric" only contains numbers. The test provided, IsNumeric, will return a positive result if it "looks" like a number!  This means it can contain "$" or "," and still be considered a number, but it is not a SQL Numeric.

This slight difference cost me a couple of hours over the weekend. It led to much frustration before finally figuring out the distinction. I know I harp on language and communication a lot, but it is so important. Be sure that what you are advertising is, in fact, what you plan to deliver.

Deception may earn you a few quick bucks, but it will never produce the lasting brand success that most businesses are attempting to achieve. Let your contents match your label. You will win in the end.

Setting the Standard

How does something become the standard?

Before the game of golf was invented, how did we measure hail?

Before sauerkraut was created, how did we know how cold something was?

It's curious how idioms develop in a language. The examples I gave are humorous, but they illustrate things to which we compare other things. Some of these are not as humorous.

When the United States first created its currency it was based on gold reserves. The amount of money in circulation was dependent on the amount of gold the U. S. Treasury had in the vault. In other words, we were solvent as a nation. When we moved away from the gold standard inflation was an immediate result.

Standards matter. Some standards never change. For Christians, the Bible is THE standard by which we shape our lives. Other standards are dictated by culture. Unfortunately, these standards change over time.

The lack of standards seems to be the norm these days, or perhaps it's just my age showing. There are many things in our Western culture that seem to have no prevailing standard by which things are measured. Most things are determined by the individual's "right" to be however they choose.

I know this didn't develop overnight. It has taken decades to arrive at this place. I wonder how long it will take the pendulum to swing the other direction? I hope within my lifetime.

Keeping Perspective

Years ago while helping with a seminar at our church, there were a few details that got dropped. Since I was responsible, I was fretting quite a bit, to the point of extreme frustration with myself. Evidently my frustration was apparent to those around me.

During one of the small group sessions (I did not lead a small group) the facilitator came to my office. I had retreated there to try to regroup. He came in and sat down. I immediately began apologizing for the errors. In a very solemn voice and calm demeanor he said, "Dudley, it all matters."

But before I could begin another round of apologies, he continued, "Just not very much."

He helped me learn a valuable lesson that night. While it is important to plan and execute the details, EVERYTHING is not critical to the mission. Sometimes you have to let some of the extraneous things slide to protect the success of the principle goal.

So, when things are not all going according to plan, I can hear Joe's words ring clear, "It all matters, just not very much." My measuring stick for importance has become this: Will it matter a year from now, ten years from now, or a hundred years from now?

Most things will not even matter tomorrow. Learn to let them go. First of all, you cannot change the facts of history. Learn from them so you do not repeat them, but let them go. Everyone will be better off if you will.