Spoof?

I thought this was a spoof, but turns out this was a real Christian pop band from the 1980's called "Sonseed"... Wow, Contemporary Christian music sure has changed! (thank you, Lord)...

Fun

Never doubt what white paper, scissors, glue, a little creativity, and a ridonculous amount of time can do...

The Big Picture

Y'all know what Thursday night means...yes, a brand new episode of The Office! We are at commercial break, and Michael has just ungracefully broken it to Andy that his fiancee, Angela, is having an affair with Dwight. Ouch!

Earlier in the show, Michael had a good line...(well, one of many actually). He related to the camera that the CEO had asked to meet with him to discuss some "big picture" issues. Michael admitted that he had no idea at all what that meant, but that it was probably bad!

I am a firm believer in the importance of stepping back and looking at the big picture. At work, this is an important concept no matter what line of work you are in. If I do this, what will be the ramifications? What are the larger implications of this action or decision, five or ten years from now? What is REALLY important? (Of course, this is what managers like Michael are supposed to be good at!)

When Brandon and Zach were little, we would frequently have conversations similar to this:

Brian: Why are you playing Nintendo?
B/Z: Why not?
Brian: Because I told you to finish your homework! It's important that you finish your homework...
B/Z: Why?
Brian: Because if you don't, you'll get a bad grade.
B/Z: So?
Brian: So, it is important to do well in school.
B/Z: Why?
Brian: So you can get into a good college.
B/Z: Why does that matter?
Brian: So you can get a degree, and then get a good job.
B/Z: Who cares about that?
Brian: You'll care, that's who, when you're digging ditches instead of.... yada yada yada

You get the idea. Of course, I was trying to help the guys see the "bigger picture" instead of just focusing on what was easy or fun at the moment.

But it is amazing to me how many people in life fail to keep asking these kinds of questions, which seem to come so naturally to children... Once we "grow up" and get a job and have a family, we relax and think that we have discovered all that there is.

I am thankful that at age 23, God created within me a curiousity to keep asking the "bigger picture" questions... Who am I, really? Why do I exist? What happens when I die? Is this life all that there is? Why does it matter to be "good"? What did God uniquely create me to do? What should I be doing with my life? What we believe regarding the answers to these questions will in large part determine how we live out the remainder of our lives. God's answers to these questions certainly changed the course of my life.

With 2009 starting, instead of just making New Years resolutions this year, why not step back, and consider the "bigger picture" questions?