I could remember it so clearly. I was heading out on a cross-country trek, riding from Los Angeles to Delaware and so I stopped and bought supplies at that very store. I bought special pumps, water bottles, velcro straps to hold my tool kit, bike mirrors and more. I wanted to be ready for anything.

By the time I got to Delaware, though, I didn’t have any of that stuff. It was all dead weight. In fact, none of the real pro riders carry around a bunch of gear. All I needed to cross the country was two spare tubes strapped to my handlebars with a cheap rubber band and a pump. No more, no less. I’ve not ridden with anything else since.

I wonder how much of the rest of life is like that? Do we really need an office and new computers and stationery to start a business? Do we need Bible software and endless seminary classes to start a church? Do we need to read a thousand books on marriage before we tie the knot?

Here’s a tough truth I’ve had to learn: I probably won’t know what I need till I’m already on the journey. Everybody’s journey is different and everybody is wired differently so what we each need will be different. But we won’t know until we get started.

For me, most preparation is just a delay tactic because I’m scared.

What if we just stepped into our journey slowly and figured out what resources we needed along the way? What if you started the church and picked up the Bible classes and counseling classes as you needed them? What if you started a business and printed your business cards or bought that new computer the day you realized they were necessary?

What if the first part of the journey was to just start pedaling?

If I’d had known that five years ago, I’d have saved a couple hundred bucks.

Anybody need a rear-view mirror that sticks out from the end of your handlebars? I found it works better just to turn my head. Also, a bike horn? I have two and don’t use either. And I’ve got a Hello Kitty water bottle if anybody needs that. Let me know.

What Tools Do I Really Need to Follow Jesus? is a post from: Storyline Blog

Sunday Morning Sermon: David Foster Wallace on Life Before Death is a post from: Storyline Blog

Saturday Morning Cereal: The Best Viral Videos We Found This Week is a post from: Storyline Blog

That might sound a little odd at first. I picked a fight with Dale Gardener when I was in the 7th grade. He was huge. He almost blocked the sun when he walked by. I didn’t like Dale because he was a bully and beat up the little guys on campus. I’m not sure why he didn’t like me, maybe because I wasn’t a little guy.

It was pretty easy to pick a fight with Dale, actually. I told Dale one day when he was beating up another kid that I was “calling him out”. That’s junior high speak for let’s have a fist fight; so we did. We really didn’t settle anything in the cul-de-sac a few days later other than trade bloody noses and  let off some steam. We both got expelled for a couple days (which just made for a long weekend), and by Monday we were back at school exchanging gunslinger stares as we passed each in the hallways.

That’s not the kind of fight I was referring to when I made my list. I want to pick a fight where I can make a meaningful difference somewhere in the world. It’s not a fight with a particular person or institution; I want to pick one fight among the many fights being waged on the planet and see if there is a way I can get some skin in the game; to help in some way; to make a tangible difference.

It’s easier to pick an opinion than it is to pick a fight. It’s also easier to pick an organization or a jersey and identify with that fight than it is to actually pick your own; commit to it; call it out and take a swing. Picking a fight isn’t neat either. It’s messy. It’s time consuming. It’s painful. It’s costly. Stated differently, it’s what many of us should be all about as followers of Jesus.

Picking a fight can be scary because we might be going it alone sometimes. That’s why organizations and groups are sometimes a bridge to the fight. But we need to make sure that those organizations and groups don’t become an impediment to us actually doing something. We need to be the ones calling out the bad guys and not leave it to the organizations. It’s having the mindset that it’s not thier fight that we are joining; it’s our fight and we’re standing back to back with those organizations or friends in a common struggle.

Just as Joshua was going to enter the promised land, he meets an angel who stands with his sword drawn in front of him. Joshua asks the angelic warrior something I would ask: “Are you for us or against us?” It’s a logical question (He must have had some lawyer in him). No doubt, Joshua was hoping that the angelic warrior was “for” them. That’s what I’d be hoping. I love the warrior’s answer to Joshua’s question about which side he was on: “Neither; take off your shoes.”   The angel wasn’t interested in having Joshua and his buddies pick sides, he wanted them to pick God. They were on holy ground, just as we are today, because God was present. Perhaps God doesn’t want us spending our time picking sides or teams and trying on jerseys either. He wants us to pick a fight and then pick Him.

I want to pick a fight because I want someone else’s suffering to matter more to me. I can’t make it matter to me by just listening to the story, wearing the bracelet or hearing the song about it. I need to pick the fight myself; to call it out. Then, most important of all, I need to run barefoot towards it. I want to go barefoot because it’s holy ground; I want to be running because time is short and none of us has as much runway as we think we do; and I want it to be a fight because that’s where we can make a difference. It’s where we belong as we get to the “do” part of faith.

What fight are you running barefoot towards?

How To Pick A Fight and Do Something That Matters is a post from: Storyline Blog

It’s been a long time coming for me to view a relatively unsuccessful writing day as a victory, but I’m glad this is now my perspective.

What I mean by this is writing is not an exact science. It’s not like screwing bottle caps on bottles, in which each day you can measure your accomplishments. There are too many mysterious forces in writing. It’s more like playing basketball, I’d say. Some days you’ve got a jump shot and other days you don’t. Who really knows why. But like in basketball, there are things you can do to increase the chances of a ball going in. You can practice, for example, and you can stay in shape.

In writing, it’s all about routine. My job is not to get up every day and write two-thousand words. My job is to do this:

1. Go to bed before 9pm. This assures I will get up early and be ready to write.

2. Wake up at 5am or so. Respond to a few emails, then turn off my phone. Take the dog for a walk and think and pray about what I’m going to be working on.

3. Don’t force the inspiration. I sit down and ask myself what I feel like writing. I remind myself that I have a book, and need to stay within that range of topics. I also remind myself that I have some chapters in that book, and that the book has structure. I dig around a little within that structure to see if there’s anything there.

On most mornings, something, a thought transpires, and I write it down, letting the words come. Once the thought is finished, I try to find a place within the existing structure where that thought might fit. I then file it on my computer for review later when I start compiling the book. I repeat that process until my mind gets just a little bit sloppy, which is normally just before noon. That’s the end of my writing day, and the beginning of my day as a manager of a writer’s life.

But that’s what my writing responsibilities look like. Some days I walk away from the computer having accomplished a mountain of work. Some days just a little pile of words. Today was a pile of words. But I don’t feel bad at all.

Now, I turn my phone on and there will be voicemails and text messages that, had I left my phone on, would have derailed me completely. I have the rest of the day to not worry about the book. I’ll start thinking about this book at 7pm tonight, when tomorrow’s writing day starts with me slowly orbiting my bed, brushing my teeth, walking the dog, reading a few articles, watching a television show before I lay down a little nervous and excited about what might get written in the morning.

(this is a repost from the archives)

A Successful Defeat – How to Feel Good About a Bad Day of Writing is a post from: Storyline Blog

His star continued to rise in his twenties as he signed an exclusive contract with Columbia Masterworks. Particularly acclaimed for his interpretations of Bach and Beethoven, in the classical music world, he was becoming known around the globe as the “next big thing.”

And then, when he was in his 30s, at the peak of his career, something happened. Over a brief period of time, he gradually lost the functional use of his right hand. It simply wouldn’t work. Doctor after doctor couldn’t diagnose the problem. Physical therapy didn’t help. Counseling wouldn’t bring it back. Medications failed to make a difference.

Predictably, he sank into a depression and wondered if all was lost. I don’t know this for sure, but I would imagine suicide could have been a real option. It appeared his career was over.

A singer loses his voice.
A dancer loses her foot.
An artist loses her eyesight.
An audio engineer loses his hearing.

What would you do? How would your respond?

Soon, his world renown returned, this time for his beautiful and intricate left handed concerts. Take a look a Leon Fleischer performing in his seventies:

So, here’s the rest of the story. When Fleischer was in his seventies, after more than forty years, the cause of his hand disorder was discovered and in time, the use of his right hand returned. In early 2000, Fleischer embarked on yet another world tour to promote his new CD, “Both Hands.”

Before you read any further, I want you to sit with this story for a few minutes.

A man had it all, then lost it all, wandered in the wilderness, found something again, and late in his life, was given even more. It’s a rich story of hope. I have wept over the beauty of it all.

So what do we do when tragedy strikes and takes away the equivalent of our right hand – our job, our marriage, our reputations?

I’d like to suggest a prayer that the Benedictine monks pray during times the call “Desolation.” Desolation is when things don’t work – when life, relationships, God – all seem disconnected at best.

When that happens, our natural prayers are usually variations of the word “Why?”

Why?
Why me?
Why this?
Why this now?
Why God?

The Benedictines suggest a different question. They ask us to pray this simple prayer, “God, what do you have for me here?”

Do you notice the difference? While honest, the why questions presume we are entitled to something and the current problem has no place in our life or the universe.

“What do you have for me here?” presumes that there is a larger story told by a storyteller who loves us and is far more creative in his telling than I would ever be. It also presumes that if my right hand ceases to function, unknown to me, sixty years later, someone I’ve never met might be writing a blog because my story touched him and gave him hope.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer in one of his prison poems, wrote this in the weeks before he died, “That which is lost will return to us again as life’s most living strain.”

Bonhoeffer died before I was born and thus far, Leon and I have not crossed paths. However, in the mystery and mingling of stories that weave in and out of one another, they are dear friends who have taught me to lean into loss and ask a different question.

A Question to Ask When Faced With Conflict is a post from: Storyline Blog

Then something incredible happened.

We sat down, he opened up his laptop, and proceeded to take notes while asking me engaging question after engaging question about my work, my family, my interests, and more. When it was all said and done, he hit me over the head with one more: “How can I help you?”

He’s a politician, but his interest in me wasn’t disingenuous. He wasn’t trying to schmooze me. I have no money to give him, no political connections of any value. But for 45 minutes he made me feel important.

The result? I will vote for him in every possible scenario I can. I will tell my friends to vote for him. I will attend his events. I will support his initiatives. I will put up a yard sign. I will put up two yard signs.

Thriving in the connection economy is based on one important principle:
Getting people to like you.

People who like you will support your ideas, buy your product, hire your services, introduce you to their friends, and go out of their way to make your life better.

If you’re an extrovert, getting people to like you is simple:
Stop talking so much.
No seriously. Stop it.

I know a lot of people who, out of nervousness or excitement think the best way to engage people is to talk them into utter submission. As if their endless words, jokes and anecdotes infused with Red Bull and hooked up to a V8 engine will fast-track them into the Connection Economy.

What so many don’t realize is that the secret to building relationships isn’t in the words you say, but in the questions you ask.

If you’re an introvert, the same truth applies. Don’t change who you are, just be more strategic in how you foster dialogue.

Popularized in an article by Jeff Haden, he breaks down this scenario:

You meet someone. You talk for 15 minutes. You walk away thinking, “Wow, we just had a great conversation. She is awesome.”

Then, when you think about it later, you realize you didn’t learn a thing about the other person.

Remarkably likeable people are masters at Social Jiu-Jitsu, the ancient art of getting you to talk about yourself without you ever knowing it happened.

Social Jiu-Jitsu masters use their interest, their politeness, and their social graces to cast an immediate spell on you.

And you like them for it.

Social Jiu-Jitsu is easy. Just ask the right questions.

As soon as you learn a little about someone, ask how they did it. Or why they did it. Or what they liked about it, or what they learned from it, or what you should do if you’re in a similar situation.

Before our lunch order had even arrived, my politician friend Social Jui-Jitsu’d me into submission. And I love him for it.

Becoming a remarkably likable person in the Connection Economy is a crucial step to building the network you need to make a real impact in the world.

“Be interesting, be enthusiastic, and don’t talk too much.” – Norman Vincent Peale

The Simple Step to Become a Remarkably Likeable Person is a post from: Storyline Blog

A study done of the happiest countries named Denmark as the world’s happiest country. I believe America was 32nd on that list. And when researchers took a closer look, they realized the key characteristic that made people in Denmark so happy was, and you won’t believe this, they had generally low expectations in life. They were always pleasantly surprised at how things turn out.

So in Christian culture, when we increase our manmade expectations (and trick ourselves into thinking this is faith in God) we are setting ourselves up for emotional instability. But the Bible does not set false expectations for us. The lives of the Apostles testify to this. So ours is a life filled with hope of what will come. We are like that bride, excited about her coming wedding, still thick with the frustrations that come with betrothal.

*This video is from the Million Miles Tour and is also a chapter in A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.
(this is a repost from the archives)

Will Jesus Fulfill us Here on Earth? is a post from: Storyline Blog

Sunday Morning Sermon: Dallas Willard on the Relationship Between Belief and Doubt is a post from: Storyline Blog

Saturday Morning Cereal: The Best Viral Videos We Found This Week is a post from: Storyline Blog