At the end of 2011 I posted new years resolutions in a post called 12 in 12. In the post I identified patterns of life I wanted to create or enhance. I can honestly say I did better at most of these things this year. Here is a review of 2012 (all opinions are relative to 2011).
1. Spend more time with other people I care about. I think I can say I accomplished this. I spent more time developing friendship locally, traveling to see life long friends, and spending quality face to face time with my family.
2. Have more purpose-full conversations. I can distinctly remember several intintial conversations this year. Some were quite good for my soul, and others were very difficult.
3. Remember I have friends and relationships I want to continue building. I have called my life long friends more often, gone on more adventures with friends, and gotten better at spending time with my favorite person Mollie.
4. Participate in my faith rather than simply contemplating it. I'm a thinker so this one will always take practice. Even in contemplation though I am moving more toward a faith beyond belief. That is a faith that moves from the cognitive to manifest itself in the every day actions of life. While I may never can be satisfied in this endeavor I do think I have made at least some progress since 2011.
5. Become more pragmatic in business and less pragmatic with the people that surround it. This has become a greater conviction of mine throughout the year, and it has proved increasingly hard to do. I can say that the business part has become more pragmatic, but in doing so I am afraid that some of my relationships surrounding my also have received this approach.
6. Become more humble, vulnerable, and comfortable with doubt. None of those sound any fun. If I could go back and rethink late 2011 I might have chosen different areas of self improvement. The instances that come to mind for each one of these areas were all uncomfortable experiences. That said, they have each been memorable and caused me to grow as a person.
7. Write more blogs. Make more videos. Done and done. However, fewer and fewer are getting published these days.
8. Read a book every week. This was a lofty goal that I can affirmatively say I did not reach. I can say that I probably read close to 52 books if not over this year. I often am reading 4-10 books at any given time which means some weeks I finish 6 and others none. I've decided I like my method better than trying to read one a week anyway.
9. Fish more. Teach someone to fish. Ahhhh my proudest accomplishment. I got a slow start this year and didn't get much done, but more than made up for it in July and August. I took new people fishing with me and showed them the art of river fishing for small mouth bass.
10. Convince my friends to do something great together. In business I am in the process of making this happen still. Greatness doesn't usually happen over night. Personally, I did convince a number of friends to take a couple of great hikes together. One particular hike in Arkansas to find caves on a mountain top that has no trail proved a test of my leadership abilities, but the payoff at the top made it well worth it.
11. Visit Nashville. Mollie and I loved our trip to Nashville to visit friends this past year. We will do it again.
12. Breathe mountain air. Twice. The Ozarks of northern Arkansas and Blood Mountain in Georgia. Both trips happen to be bachelor trips I planned for two of my best friends Ben Backus and Brandon Barrett.
John Stumbo says finishing well is an important part of being able to begin well. I hope I have done just that.
Merry Christmas Sons and Daughters of God!!
Ever wonder why a God who was already active throughout history would send his Son to earth. There were hundreds of stories of a God who had already made himself known. It's not like we needed to see what God looked like in order to know of or believe in his existence. So if Jesus' primary reason for coming to earth was not to show us what God looks like then what was it. I think it much more likely that he came to show us what it means to be human. He came to show us how to be more human.
Christmas time is often about family. I know that growing up in my family each person played a particular role defined by their birth order. The same is true in God's family and in the Christmas story. I want to look at what it means for God to send his Son.
In the Old Testament the phrase "Son of God" is first used to describe Israel. Israel was God's chosen people whose job it was to show the rest of creation what it meant to love and serve their heavenly Father. In their culture the father was the one who made plans for the family, and the first born was the son whose responsibility it was to act out those plans. Israel, the first born of man, held the task of being the image-bearers of God. They were to reflect God's image to the rest of the world. When Israel failed to live up to their occupation as image-bearers the God who was already active and moving in the world sent Jesus to fulfill the task of being first born Son.
So when we say Jesus is the Son of God, we are saying he is the first born son who came to act out the will of the Father. He came to do what humanity could not. He came to be the most human and perfect image-bearer of God. In embracing this task he became the necessary sacrifice for all mankind so that we may truly become sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters with Christ. When Jesus claimed to be the Son of God he was accepting the full responsibility of being first born. Not in becoming God but in becoming human Jesus created the path so that all of us could journey together as the children of God.
Merry Christmas
Christmas time is often about family. I know that growing up in my family each person played a particular role defined by their birth order. The same is true in God's family and in the Christmas story. I want to look at what it means for God to send his Son.
In the Old Testament the phrase "Son of God" is first used to describe Israel. Israel was God's chosen people whose job it was to show the rest of creation what it meant to love and serve their heavenly Father. In their culture the father was the one who made plans for the family, and the first born was the son whose responsibility it was to act out those plans. Israel, the first born of man, held the task of being the image-bearers of God. They were to reflect God's image to the rest of the world. When Israel failed to live up to their occupation as image-bearers the God who was already active and moving in the world sent Jesus to fulfill the task of being first born Son.
So when we say Jesus is the Son of God, we are saying he is the first born son who came to act out the will of the Father. He came to do what humanity could not. He came to be the most human and perfect image-bearer of God. In embracing this task he became the necessary sacrifice for all mankind so that we may truly become sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters with Christ. When Jesus claimed to be the Son of God he was accepting the full responsibility of being first born. Not in becoming God but in becoming human Jesus created the path so that all of us could journey together as the children of God.
Merry Christmas
Convincing the Chickens: Why I am Quiting Chocolate
To say I am quitting chocolate would be an overstatement. I won't be rude and refuse your fresh baked brownies or chocolate candies if you offered them to me. Nor am I willing quit buying chocolate all together. I like sweets, and I really like chocolate.
Why quit chocolate then? Because I know that child slavery is wrong, but do the chickens know? I know that it is wrong for children to be enslaved to work on cocoa farms, but do the institutions that buy their products from the farm know that it is wrong? It would appear that at least some of them do not.
Why chocolate and not some other fair trade issue? Well because fair trade in itself is a sticky issue. Due to a basic understanding of economic principles, I am not sure that want to quit buying products that are produced by employees who are not receiving a "fair" wage. Our concept of a "fair" wage is something of a western ideal, and I'm afraid that in our idealism we may hurt more than we help. Boycotting a product that manufacturers can buy cheap from a developing country because of low production cost(low wages) sounds like a good idea at first. But when that company sees a decline in profits it will not be those with the lowest production cost getting cut first, but those producers with higher cost(higher wages). Manufacturers will always buy their products at the lowest cost first. And let's say that the boycott is really successful and the company closes all together, then the very people we set out to help are left jobless and hoping another company can make use of their cheap labor.
What makes chocolate different? It is as simple as the distinction between child-slavery and child-labor? I am not opposed to children in developing countries working to support the basic needs of their family. I would have gladly done it to help mine. I am quite opposed to child slavery. There is nothing justifiable about the child abduction and forced labor that tears families apart.
Côte d’Ivoire(the Ivory Coast) produces 43% of the world’s chocolate, and is a region known for child slavery. An estimated 15,000 children are forced to work as slaves. Suffering economies demand cheap labor, leaving parents unable to support large families. Families are bribed to give up their children, promised that paychecks will be sent back, or the workers are simply kidnapped and trafficked to plantations. There the children are subject to horrible conditions, abuse, and punishment for any resistance. Those who manage to escape are shunned and must find work on their own, creating a new kind of orphan.
Who are the Chickens?(the companies responsible)The names might surprise you but here are some of the names of companies that knowing use chocolate produced by slave labor:
The sort of good news is that most companies have pledged to be slave free by 2020. The bad news is that until then the bottom line will remain more important than the lives of children. My hope is that I can one day freely pick up a chocolate bar without having to research it, but until then I will do my due diligence. I will still eat chocolate. I will just have to do my research before I purchase it and probably spend a little more to make sure I am not indirectly responsible for child slavery.
I believe child slavery is wrong, and this is how I begin to convince the chickens that it is wrong.
Convincing the chickens is no easy task, and which chickens I choose to address will be a direct result of my own convictions. It would be a bit overwhelming to be concerned with addressing all the world's social injustices myself. It is not that I should not become aware of all injustices, but rather that my energies are more effective when focused.
And in that is my recommendation. Take responsibility for addressing structural evil in the world by choosing something that weighs heavy on your heart, and focus your energies on that thing. Pick an injustice that makes you sad or mad, and do more than convince yourself that the problem is unjust. Work to convince the chickens!
Why quit chocolate then? Because I know that child slavery is wrong, but do the chickens know? I know that it is wrong for children to be enslaved to work on cocoa farms, but do the institutions that buy their products from the farm know that it is wrong? It would appear that at least some of them do not.
Why chocolate and not some other fair trade issue? Well because fair trade in itself is a sticky issue. Due to a basic understanding of economic principles, I am not sure that want to quit buying products that are produced by employees who are not receiving a "fair" wage. Our concept of a "fair" wage is something of a western ideal, and I'm afraid that in our idealism we may hurt more than we help. Boycotting a product that manufacturers can buy cheap from a developing country because of low production cost(low wages) sounds like a good idea at first. But when that company sees a decline in profits it will not be those with the lowest production cost getting cut first, but those producers with higher cost(higher wages). Manufacturers will always buy their products at the lowest cost first. And let's say that the boycott is really successful and the company closes all together, then the very people we set out to help are left jobless and hoping another company can make use of their cheap labor.
What makes chocolate different? It is as simple as the distinction between child-slavery and child-labor? I am not opposed to children in developing countries working to support the basic needs of their family. I would have gladly done it to help mine. I am quite opposed to child slavery. There is nothing justifiable about the child abduction and forced labor that tears families apart.
Côte d’Ivoire(the Ivory Coast) produces 43% of the world’s chocolate, and is a region known for child slavery. An estimated 15,000 children are forced to work as slaves. Suffering economies demand cheap labor, leaving parents unable to support large families. Families are bribed to give up their children, promised that paychecks will be sent back, or the workers are simply kidnapped and trafficked to plantations. There the children are subject to horrible conditions, abuse, and punishment for any resistance. Those who manage to escape are shunned and must find work on their own, creating a new kind of orphan.
Who are the Chickens?(the companies responsible)The names might surprise you but here are some of the names of companies that knowing use chocolate produced by slave labor:
- Hershey’s
- M&M/Mars
- Nestlé
- Kraft
- Toblerone
- Hauser Chocolates
The sort of good news is that most companies have pledged to be slave free by 2020. The bad news is that until then the bottom line will remain more important than the lives of children. My hope is that I can one day freely pick up a chocolate bar without having to research it, but until then I will do my due diligence. I will still eat chocolate. I will just have to do my research before I purchase it and probably spend a little more to make sure I am not indirectly responsible for child slavery.
I believe child slavery is wrong, and this is how I begin to convince the chickens that it is wrong.
Convincing the chickens is no easy task, and which chickens I choose to address will be a direct result of my own convictions. It would be a bit overwhelming to be concerned with addressing all the world's social injustices myself. It is not that I should not become aware of all injustices, but rather that my energies are more effective when focused.
And in that is my recommendation. Take responsibility for addressing structural evil in the world by choosing something that weighs heavy on your heart, and focus your energies on that thing. Pick an injustice that makes you sad or mad, and do more than convince yourself that the problem is unjust. Work to convince the chickens!
Convincing the Chickens: A Explanation
To make sense of this post read my original post Convincing the Chickens to understand the illustration.
Of course like most stories I write this one is a sort of parable. I am not the original author of this one, but I have adapted it because I think it illustrates the concept well.
Poppy finishes the story by saying, "I know that I am not seed upon the ground, But do the chickens know?" ...... or in other words "I know who I am, but do the chickens know who I am." Poppy may need to visit the friendly Doctor because he is crazy, but it isn't because he has convinced himself that he is crazy. The chickens have convinced him that he must be!
This is the common idea that: I know I need to change, but the world around is convinced that I do not. Or in some cases the opposite: I know I do not need to change, but the world around is convince that I do.
Common Examples:
I know that I do not need to starve myself to be beautiful, but the magazines send the message that I do.
I know that an expensive education will not guarantee a life full of success, but that is the dream the university is selling me.
I know time with my family is more important than money, but corporation needs me to work longer.
I know that chocolate is be produced in areas known for child slavery, but the companies keep producing it anyway.
In each example we allow ourselves to participate in the system, in the larger structural evil. We know that it is wrong to take part, but we pass the blame on to someone else. We do not need to be convinced, it is the Chickens who need convincing!!!
Of course like most stories I write this one is a sort of parable. I am not the original author of this one, but I have adapted it because I think it illustrates the concept well.
Poppy finishes the story by saying, "I know that I am not seed upon the ground, But do the chickens know?" ...... or in other words "I know who I am, but do the chickens know who I am." Poppy may need to visit the friendly Doctor because he is crazy, but it isn't because he has convinced himself that he is crazy. The chickens have convinced him that he must be!
This is the common idea that: I know I need to change, but the world around is convinced that I do not. Or in some cases the opposite: I know I do not need to change, but the world around is convince that I do.
Common Examples:
I know that I do not need to starve myself to be beautiful, but the magazines send the message that I do.
I know that an expensive education will not guarantee a life full of success, but that is the dream the university is selling me.
I know time with my family is more important than money, but corporation needs me to work longer.
I know that chocolate is be produced in areas known for child slavery, but the companies keep producing it anyway.
In each example we allow ourselves to participate in the system, in the larger structural evil. We know that it is wrong to take part, but we pass the blame on to someone else. We do not need to be convinced, it is the Chickens who need convincing!!!
Convincing the Chickens
Poppy, a young farm boy, had been seeing a psychologist for some time. The first time he went the good Doctor asked him, "Poppy what is bothering you today?"
Poppy replied, "I know it is ridiculous, but I think I am seed upon the ground. I am scared to death that the chickens are going to eat me."
The Doctor answered, "You are right. That is ridiculous. Look at your hands. Look at your feet. Look in this mirror. Do you not see that you are a creation of God? As long as you know that the chickens can not eat you. You are safe." After a long conversation Poppy left the Doctor's office convinced that he was not seed upon the ground but indeed a fully functioning human being.
Two weeks later Poppy returned to the good Doctors office with the same concern. Again the Doctor convinced him that he was a human being. Again he left convinced of who he was.
However this happened again several more times. Each time leaving the Doctor convinced he was human and returning sure that he must be seed upon the ground. Finally after a long session with the good Doctor, both Poppy and the Doctor felt certain that Poppy would return home with a clear understanding of who he was.
For weeks the Doctor did not see Poppy, and he assumed that everything going well. But after a long pause in their relationship Poppy returned once more to the Doctor saying, "I am scared to death that Chickens are going to eat me! What can I do?"
The good Doctor replied,"My dear Poppy we have been over this again and again. You are not seed upon the ground. You are a human being made in the image of God. If you know this the chickens can not eat you!"
Poppy replied, "I know that I am not seed upon the ground, But do the chickens know?"
Poppy replied, "I know it is ridiculous, but I think I am seed upon the ground. I am scared to death that the chickens are going to eat me."
The Doctor answered, "You are right. That is ridiculous. Look at your hands. Look at your feet. Look in this mirror. Do you not see that you are a creation of God? As long as you know that the chickens can not eat you. You are safe." After a long conversation Poppy left the Doctor's office convinced that he was not seed upon the ground but indeed a fully functioning human being.
Two weeks later Poppy returned to the good Doctors office with the same concern. Again the Doctor convinced him that he was a human being. Again he left convinced of who he was.
However this happened again several more times. Each time leaving the Doctor convinced he was human and returning sure that he must be seed upon the ground. Finally after a long session with the good Doctor, both Poppy and the Doctor felt certain that Poppy would return home with a clear understanding of who he was.
For weeks the Doctor did not see Poppy, and he assumed that everything going well. But after a long pause in their relationship Poppy returned once more to the Doctor saying, "I am scared to death that Chickens are going to eat me! What can I do?"
The good Doctor replied,"My dear Poppy we have been over this again and again. You are not seed upon the ground. You are a human being made in the image of God. If you know this the chickens can not eat you!"
Poppy replied, "I know that I am not seed upon the ground, But do the chickens know?"
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