I’m still a bit ashamed. On our recent trip to London we made extensive use of the Underground. “Mind the Gap!” What a wonderful and efficient mode of transportation it is. It’s clean, simple to use, and gets you all over the city inexpensively and quickly. And if you’re paying attention, it can also teach you a valuable lesson.

One of our days in London we were rushing from one place to another. (When you take the tube it seems like everyone’s in a rush, so you try to keep up with the fast pace.) As we were descending the steps to get to the platform we were slowed by an old woman. She had a push cart and was taking the steps one by one. My initial thought was: “Can’t this woman hurry up. She’s kind of in the way.”

So we descended the steps and were about to go around her. Just then, two young women ahead of us stopped and said to the woman: “Can we help you?” And they proceeded to lift her cart and help her to the bottom of the steps.

Boy was I put in my place. Here I was on my holiday. I really had no place important to go. We were simply making our way to our next tourist stop. Instead of being annoyed, my first thought should have been to help the woman with her load. But apparently I had to learn a lesson. So two young women showed me what my reaction should have been and provided a perfect example.

The lesson was this: Always be ready to serve. Whether you’re on vacation, in your daily routine, or out and about, keep your eyes open. Look for opportunities to serve. Instead of being self-centered keep your antennae up for ways to help others.

It’s a simple lesson. But it’s a profound one. We live our lives too often keeping to ourselves and thinking only of our own agenda. What can we do to help others that we encounter? In the end it’s really a gift to be able to serve. Those two young women gave me some food for thought. It would have felt really good to help that poor woman with her load down the Underground steps.

Next time I hope to be the one who will jump into service.

Will you?

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It was the trip of a lifetime. My wife and I just got back from visiting two places we had dreamed of going our entire lives. First we spent a week in London. Then we had another week in Italy, or more specifically, Tuscany. The whole trip was really beyond words. But as we experienced another country and another culture, I couldn’t help but notice five specific things about Italy.

It’s a whole other wonderful world:

1. Driving is a real life video game. You know those lines in the middle of the road called lane markers? In Italy they are only suggestions. People disregard them willy nilly. There are automated speed traps that record your speed without an officer being present. I did have the pleasure of driving an Audi with a manual transmission. It was a blast! I just had to keep my eyes open for cars coming straight at me around those hairpin turns in the hills of Tuscany.
2. Air conditioning and refrigeration is at a premium. While we were there the weather was hot. It got up into the 90’s. Even so, there was very little air conditioning to speak of. When there was it was only slightly cool in a train car or restaurant. Refrigerated bottles of water were only lukewarm. And if you want some ice cubes in your drink you have to ask. Even then you’ll only get a cube or two.
3. Waste is at a minimum. In the city of Florence there are waste receptacles that go right down into the ground. They come together in groups of three. One is for regular waste, and the other two are for various types of recycling. In addition, cars tend to be very small and economic when it comes to gas. We could learn a thing or two here in the United States.
4. Stuff is old. One of the first things one notices about Italy is the age of everything. Here in the U.S. we consider something “old” if it’s been around 200 years or so. But in Italy many things are centuries old, and some are millennia old. It’s mind boggling to think that the places we walked have been living, active places for centuries more than our home country has even existed.
5. Views are spectacular. Drive up to San Gimignano, or Volterra, or Montalcino, and you will see picturesque views worthy of the finest photographers eye. In fact, you’ve probably seen these views in photos at one time or another. But photos don’t do the views justice. It’s breathtaking to see it in person.

Oh, how I’m looking forward to going back. There’s so much more to see and do.

What have you noticed when you’ve been overseas?

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Anticipation is a powerful thing. For almost as long as I can remember I have wanted to travel to Europe. Specifically, I have wanted to go to England and Italy. It’s been my dream. I’ve been able to travel to the Holy Land, but never Europe. My wife, Tammy, has never been overseas at all. But in just a short while we will be visiting both London and Tuscany. The anticipation has been a powerful motivational factor.

For more than a year now we have been planning, dreaming, and saving for this trip. We are using gifts we have received and the help of dear friends to make this dream a reality. The trip is going to revolve around the 60th birthday of a great friend. We’ll be able to share our experience with people we love, and will miss others who won’t be able to make it.

I don’t know about you, but for me, anticipating something is more than half of the fun. It’s such a blast to picture the places we will soon be. And then it will be fun to compare the way we pictured it with how it really is. The anticipation is so great that I almost don’t want our trip to start. But it must. And it will.

And it will make memories that will last the rest of our lives.

Here’s what anticipation’s secret power did for us:

1. It helped us save. Goals are great things. When you anticipate something big it brings the willpower to cut back on certain things, put money in the bank, and delay the gratification.
2. It helped us plan. Anticipation is a great motivator when it comes to education. It’s been so much fun to learn, to read, and to study the places we will be visiting.
3. It drew us together with friends. We have come to know new friends amongst the group who will be traveling together. It will give a group of people shared memories and topics of conversation for a long time.

If you don’t have something to anticipate right now, try to find something. It’s a powerful way to keep life interesting. It motivates growth. Looking forward to something keeps you moving toward goals.  It will help you save money or move ahead in life. Anticipation even draws you closer to people.

What is it that you are anticipating today?

Memorial Day has, over the years, become increasingly important to me. The older I get the more I realize the cost of freedom. When freedom is taken away by terror it becomes even more precious. The price of our freedom has been spilled on acres upon acres of foreign soil.

My heritage doesn’t include anyone who paid the ultimate price for America. I am thankful for that. But it doesn’t mean that I appreciate any less those who have given me my freedom.

But this Memorial Day will be different for me. I now know someone who has sacrificed his life for me and my country. He was the friend of our two children. When he was in high school he came to our home numerous times. He was happy, friendly, gregarious, energetic, and passionate. The passion that he had for life translated to his love for country.

So he became a Green Beret and a medic. He always wanted to help and serve. That’s what he did for a living as he served the people of the United States on a mission in Afghanistan. On August 23rd, 2016, this young man was killed in action. A roadside bomb took his life.

Because of him and those like him we have the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the freedom to bear arms, and the ability to freely elect our leaders. These are gifts that should never ever be taken for granted. They are paid for with the price of blood.

I hope and pray that my children and grandchildren will never have to pay this price. But I am hopeful that they will always know, enjoy, and appreciate the freedom that has been won for us. Freedom is far too expensive to ever take for granted.

Have a blessed Memorial Day.

And please, please remember as you celebrate this holiday in your own way, that America as you know it was bought on the backs of selfless citizens.

The ants are back. This time with a vengeance. A couple of months ago we had some ants on the counters in our kitchen. In a climate filled with all kinds of creepy crawlies, it could be much worse. The last time they appeared our exterminator came over, and in a matter of a day or two they were gone. But now they have come back. And it’s more than I’ve ever seen inside of a house. It’s really not good.

But our trusty exterminator has been called. I have every confidence that he’ll once again take care of it all. But in the mean time it’s been disruptive. We’ve had to spend time killing ants. Our cooking has been done to maneuver around those little buggers. We can’t wait until they are once again gone. They’re not really icky or gross. They’re just annoying.

These pests may be annoying to us, but they’re only trying to get their job done. They all seem to be carrying something. They’ve got some kind of project going. As they do so:

1. they are persistent, and
2. they are disruptive.

Sounds like a pretty good lesson in productivity and growth, doesn’t it? If you’re trying to make a ruckus in ministry or in the marketplace, you could do worse than to:

1. be persistent, and
2. be disruptive.

Those ants don’t quit. They just keep coming back. They will not be deterred. They keep going. Even when their mates go down the work continues. Nothing will hold them back (except maybe The Exterminator).

They’re also disruptive. They have our attention. We can’t seem to get around them. They are most definitely noticed.

Here’s your assignment for today:

1. Be persistent, and
2. Be disruptive.

In other words, keep going. Whatever it is you’re working on, it’s worth it. Someone’s going to benefit. If another person doesn’t, you most certainly will just by virtue of the work you’re putting in.

And be disruptive. Do something to draw attention to your important work. There are all kinds of tools these days to do just that. Just one example: Facebook Live. It jolts people into paying attention. They are naturally attracted to video. They can’t look away. I’m sure you can come up with other ideas.

An ant never says, “I can’t.” Why should you?

What do persistence and disruption look like to you?

Last week my wife and I attended a Social Media conference. It was for businesses and non-profits that use social media to advertise, expand business, and spread the word(s). There were people who were wildly successful and people who were just starting out. I was there to learn how I could help our church’s ministry with online resources. My wife was there to learn ways to help her newfound business grow. What I noticed is that one has to be patient to watch risks pay off. A good number of business and projects aren’t built overnight.

To be completely honest, we’re in the “patience” phase of Tammy’s business right now. She quit her teaching job at the end of December with an eye toward starting her own thing. She was paid through the end of February. We have money saved up. But now we’re having to dip into that savings a bit.

We’re to the point where we’d really like to see the business begin to take off a bit more than it already has. Tammy asked me whether I thought it was a good idea to quit her job and take this risk. I responded that it absolutely was. She has more freedom. She’s been able to spend time with our grandson. We’ve been able to do things together that we never would have had she still been working.

We’re finding ourselves in the phase of Tammy’s business that Seth Godin calls “The Dip.” The dip is what happens when someone starts a business, a task, or a project and then doesn’t immediately experience the result that they had hoped for. The majority of people at this point quit. They can’t see their way through the dip. But those that push through often see success on the other side of the dip.

To make it through the dip requires one to be patient. It’s not easy when the money isn’t coming in or people aren’t responding to your project as you’d like. But if you keep creating, learning from mistakes, and refining on the fly, your patience will often pay off.

Patience doesn’t pay the bills, but it most certainly often pays off. Push through the dip with patience and you might just see results greater than you could have ever imagined. We’re certainly beginning to see signs that this could be true for my wife’s business. If we’re patient we might just see what’s on the other side of the dip.

What are you patiently waiting for? Can you find your way past the dip?

One of the highlights of my life has been the opportunity to mentor people. A few years ago I created a mentoring group for four young men. They were all in their mid-twenties. We met together monthly for discussion, support, and prayer. Part of the time was reserved for advice-giving. I would share thoughts with the guys. They would share thoughts and ideas with one another. And though they learned a great deal, I’m certain that I learned even more in that year.

It’s been very satisfying for me to see where those young men’s lives have taken them since that mentoring year. One moved to a new city to take on a new job and became a father. One advanced in his career and is extremely happy with where his life has gone. One went back to school for a very specialized trade. And one purchased a van, traveled the country with his brother, and is now doing so on his own. You can follow his journey here.

Advice is a difficult thing. You never know when you should heed it…or from whom. It’s also sometimes dangerous to give. You never know how it might be misconstrued or misused.

But what if you could give yourself some advice? That’s what I asked my Facebook friends today: What advice would you give your 21-year-old self? The responses were fascinating. Here’s a sample:

• Don’t be afraid to take chances. Be more confident. Buy stock in Apple.
• Before you make a big decision, pray about it, ask 3 other trusted people, and wait a minimum of 30 days.
• Go after your wildest dreams, and don’t get scared that you can’t handle them when they start to come true.
• Don’t worry about what other’s think…be your own person!
• Be sure to plan for your retirement. You never know what can happen.
• Don’t waste time or mental energy worrying what people think of you. Everyone just pretends to know what they’re doing anyway.
• Set better goals!
• Get your butt back in church sooner!
• Pick your battles wisely and fail fast.

And then there was this: 

Don’t let fear get in the way of pursuing your dreams. You know “you” better than anyone else. You know what you’re interested in and what you like to do. Talk to people who are doing it and ask for help. Get a mentor who will guide you along the way. Your parents may not understand what you want to do and may not know how to help you do it. Find trusted advice and make a path to your dream job.

An undercurrent of all of these responses could be summed up in one word: regret. One of the goals I had for the four young men in my mentoring group is that they wouldn’t live with regret. I sense that many of the people who responded to my Facebook question have regrets in life. They have learned from them. But some wish they had never done one thing or another. They wish they wouldn’t have done things just to please other people.

One person even messaged me personally to express regret. Advice to our 21-year-old selves reveals a great deal about our inner thoughts and where we wish we would have gone or what we might have otherwise done.

But here’s how to transform advice to your 21-year-old self: Take the same advice and apply it to your life today.

It’s never too late to reverse your regret. Live the life you’ve imagined. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Say “I’m sorry.” Take the class. Go on the trip. Buy the stock. Don’t worry about what others think. Buy the van and head out west.

It’s not too late.

What advice would you give to yourself today?

I’m just now recovering from two days revolving around modern medicine. I had to have a “procedure.” You know, the kind you have to have when you get a little older and have to be screened for potential cancers and other issues.

Yesterday I had to fast all day. All day. Then came the awful “prep.” Early this morning my wife took me to the medical clinic. I was put under sedation. And in what seemed like five minutes it was all over. I woke up and went to have some breakfast. Then I spent the day today “taking it easy” just as my doctor told me.

Going through all this has caused me to appreciate modern medicine and the things that revolve around it. Things like these:

1. Food. When was the last time you went through an entire day without it? The Bible calls Christians to prayer and fasting. But I wonder how many of us really do it. It’s a discipline that enables us to focus on the Provider of all things and sharpen our thoughts and hearts on what really matters. I did some of that as I fasted. But I’m here to tell you that I was hungry. I love food. I was so thankful to be able to eat again today. What a gift it is.
2. Caregivers. By my count there were at least nine people who cared for me in one way or another while I was at the clinic. Every single one of them was as nice as could be. Not only that but, more importantly, they were educated and skilled in what they had to do to help me through it all. From nurses, to the anesthesiologist, to the doctor himself, every person carried out their duties to perfection. It was modern medicine at its finest.
3. Rest. It’s difficult for me to sit still for two entire days. But that’s pretty much what I did. I did a little bit of work. I started a great book. There are some awful shows on daytime TV. But mostly I rested. I even took a nap. That’s a rarity for me. But every once in a while some forced rest is a good thing. It’s even godly. The Lord Himself rested on the seventh day and called us to do the same.

There is much more to appreciate about modern medicine. What a miracle it is. But these three things came to the forefront of my mind this time around.

What do you appreciate about modern medicine?