Category Archives: Life

8 Days Later

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Today is January 8, 2011.  We have tasted the new year and have stepped back into our post holiday schedule; work, school, life. There are 357 days left in 2011, what are you going to do with them? What do you WANT to do with them?  We are completely guilty of burning entire days on nothingness.  Ok, so there are “have-to’s” in every day.  We have to work to provide for our families.  We have to take care of our families, because we love them and they need us.  There is great joy in the responsibility of family.  But what about those other hours of the day we blow on TV or video games or mindless cruising of the internet. (I’m not opposed to mindless wandering of the internet if that’s what led you to read this.)

Consider for yourself the meaningfulness of your life.  Is the content of your days like a fruit salad? Light and tasty but it doesn’t stick with you long? Or are your days meaty.  You know, do the experiences of your day stick with you or even change you?  Yes, I said the “change” word.  Some would say they are too old to change.  Ok, so let’s try on the word, grow.  Are you ever too old to grow spiritually, emotionally or intellectually?  Let me help you here, NO.  This life thing we are on is a journey.  The people we meet, the books we read and the experiences we have should change us; help us to grow into the person God wants us to be.  How much more interesting are we as individuals if we broaden our horizons beyond the water-cooler mindless droning of our medias?

Like a recipe for a good meal, we have to be purposeful in adding the ingredients that will give a little bit of sweet, a little salty and the meat that will stick and build us up.  To be purposeful, we have to understand what we want in the end.  We need to know what our goal is. For me, the meat of my day usually comes from something I’ve read, heard on the radio, news articles or talking with someone smarter than I. 

My overall goal or mission in life is to make a difference.  At the end of the day, week, month, year or my life, all I want is to make a difference.  So, each year I write personal goals that lead me spiritually, professionally and intellectually.  It is well known that goals are more likely to be met when they are written and reviewed daily.  I write goals every year, but I only review them every now and then.  Yes, many of my goals are accomplished but not all and not the big ones.

Hopefully, the few minutes you have invested in reading this will pay you returns.  My goal is to leave you hungry for growth and change.  Find that spark within you that will foster your motivation.

Happy New Year, friends.  I look forward to our year and the many adventures we will have together.  May you and your family have a healthy blessed year.

All the best,

KK

New Year and New Lessons sermon from Dave Stone, Southeast Christian Church, listen and be inspired.  http://www.southeastchristian.org/?page=3476&project=85385&program=334912

A Guy and his dog

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A couple of weeks ago I was driving on I-64E near the Gene Snyder.  When I describe to you what I saw remember I was traveling 65 miles an hour (or so) and was trying to not miss my exit.  As I made my approach to the exit there was a hitchhiker with a small dog.  The man had a beard and a full size pack as if he had everything he owned in the pack or was just prepared for a long journey.  Ok, so we’ve all seen hitchhikers or backpackers, but what struck me as unusual was the small dog he had on a leash with him.

Then just today I was the exit at I-64 and Hurstbourne lane.  A man was there with a red and black back pack and a dog on a leash.  It was not the same man or the same dog.  While waiting for the light to change I observed a woman in an SUV stop.  That’s right, she didn’t just hand him some odd change or a dollar, she pulled off the road, got out of her car and asked him if his dog had been fed.  She then proceeded to open the back of her car and pull out a opened bag of dog food and bowl.  She poured some food in.  While the dog was wagging its tail, it didn’t seem too hungry; even when she pulled out the milk bones.  She gave him some extra dog food for later.

Our light turned green and we had to leave the scene.  It just made me wonder about the man and his dog and even the woman.   Driving past them, I couldn’t help but remember the other man I’d seen.   Two men probably homeless each with a companion, a dog.  I wondered about the woman who stopped to help one of the dogs.

Tonight as we said our bedtime prayer, we prayed for these people who God created for a purpose and that He would take care of them.

What are your thoughts?

All the best,

KK

Take Ten

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I don’t travel long or far without a book to read in my car, bag or purse.  It may be a novel I’m reading for fun, a how-to book on writing or editing techniques or a business trend book.  Many times I have a variety of all three going at once.  Having these books handy means that if stuck in traffic I can get a page read, or by chance I’m early for an appointment, a chapter could be consumed, or if I’m at ball practice watching Cole, I might get a little reading done.  These opportunities give me minutes that I use to take in a story or information.  Why then, didn’t I mention the Bible?

Before we state the obvious, think of the books of the Bible in terms of the stories they tell.  Family histories, trials, triumphs, love, drama and a happy ending – the same kinds of stories we pull off the shelves in the fiction section.  The Bible provides the “how to” and “self-help” for any situation or season of life.  And yet, it’s not in our quick read pile.

Why not pick up the inspired word of God for a verse, chapter or book?   The Bible comes in all shapes and sizes.  It can be taken anywhere.  Yet, we leave by the bed, on a shelf or in the car only to carry into church on Sunday morning.

The one, five or ten minutes in traffic or waiting on others when we pull out our other reading materials, we could use to connect with God’s word and the people He used to teach us.  I certainly am not saying to exclude a good fiction or informational book from your reading.  I’m encouraging you to keep the Bible in your regular reading pile.  Treat it like the life handbook and great literature that it is.

Let me know how it goes.

All the best,
KK

Step outside your own perspective –

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From inside my house looking out I can see snow, lots and lots of snow.  Looking to our front yard I can’t see the landscaping wall.  It’s all blended in with nearly seven inches of snow.  The street and sidewalks are covered.  Looking out our window, it’s obvious that there is too much snow to go anywhere.  But I did.

I drove two blocks down to the main entrance of our neighborhood and the site was much different.  The road at the end of our street was clear.  It has a few wet spots, but for the most part is it was dry and easily passable.

Sometimes our perspective on things keeps us stuck where we are.  If I judged whether or not to go out based on what my yard and what the neighborhood looked like, I would be at home for the next month.  But a trusted source told me it was ok to venture out, in fact, once at the end of my street, things were better than they were in front of my house.  I would never had known or experienced the difference had I not left my driveway.

Have you limited your options because of your perspective?  Have you not trusted someone to help you pull out of your comfort zone to something better?

We have all done it – in our jobs, in our relationships (or fear of relationships), in our life experiences.  We have stayed inside our safe, warm homes thinking there was snow and ice everywhere, and not trusted those who have gone before us.

Sometimes at work if I’m trying to work out a problem or detail on a project I will sit on the other side of my desk in the visitor’s chair.  Changing my point of view, changing my perspective many times brings new ideas or fresh answers.

Be encouraged today to step out and explore a little, change your scenery and you might change your mind and heart about some things.  Let me know how it goes.

All the best,

KK

Things not to miss – be in the moment

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In our hurried schedules and rushing lifestyle, what are we missing?  One of the life lessons that has come to me recently is “being in the moment.”  Short of an emergency, I have the time to slow down when the opportunity presents itself to experience, truly experience something wonderful in a given moment.  There are times when multitasking is good and necessary.  For those other times let me encourage you to take a deep breath and look around.  Are you missing something?  Are you sacrificing the experience of life on the altar of productivity?

Recently I was hustling around running errands trying to squeeze in the opportunity to drop off dry cleaning into a packed schedule when a family of geese decided to cross the street.  They took their time with no regard for the long line of cars filled with professionals headed to the nearby office buildings.  It struck me that they really didn’t care about my schedule or any of the others.  The young geese have fluffy down coats and followed mom.  Her only concern was the safety of the young. 

As I slowed down to a stop and watch, a smile came to me.  The simplicity of their lives, the peacefulness of their way – reminded me to pay attention and take in the moment.

Yesterday on my way to work I saw a couple riding a bicycle built for two.  It was totally out of place crossing traffic at rush hour.  The site rattled my thoughts away from my “to do” list and onto something refreshing.

What have you seen lately that makes you stop and think?  Let me encourage you to not to miss what is going around you.  Is there something that is extra-ordinary, that gives you a smile or breaks your mundane thoughts and stresses of life?

All the best,
KK

Can we COEXIST?

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Recently I have noticed a bumper sticker with the word COEXIST on it written in symbolic letters representing different genders, religions and beliefs.  The first couple of times I saw it, I tried to figure out the symbols, but then I saw it on three more cars in the same day.  This made me think.  Is it possible to truly coexist?  It is my hope that those who know me see that I try to live my faith and beliefs.  But what if my faith and beliefs disagree with yours?  Can we work together or be friends?  Can we respect one another and our differences?  The answer is yes.

 I will not compromise to be your friend, but I’m mature enough to agree to disagree.  Actually, I will respect you if you live your beliefs even if I disagree with you.  At least you are being consistent and true to yourself.

I might share with you my beliefs and invite you to make them yours, but don’t take them unless you are really going to live them.  Be yourself don’t lose your self trying to be my friend or anything special to someone else.

There are people very close to me who disagree with my political views.  Over the last several months of election and change of administration, we have had several conversations about politics and the priorities of each party.  We bantered back and forth several times making various points that made the other think a little, but neither changed sides.

Coexisting with different beliefs spiritually or politically is one thing among friends or co-workers, but it’s a whole other issue when it’s a dating relationship.  I do believe that a couple needs to have similar spiritual beliefs to make a relationship work.  Relationships are hard.  Marriage is a blast, but has its challenging moments.  In those times – those seasons – that aren’t all chocolates, roses and googly eyes, you have to have a belief system that follows the same guides.  Otherwise, when it comes time to figure it out, one of you is going to come at the problem from one side and the other from a whole other direction.  If your convictions are weak, you may cave in.  When you do that, you are losing part of your self.

My encouragement to you is to respect others and accept them where they are.  But don’t get sucked into believing something you have no good reason to believe.  Do your own research and choose your beliefs wisely – be it moral, spiritual or political beliefs.

All the best,
KK