Hornet Praises...

My ode to the Hornets:

"It's been a long, long road to tread,
And just when I thought all hope was dead,
You beat the Mavericks in four games,
You erased all my years of shame.

Peja, West, and CP3,
You don't know what you mean to me.
You don't know what you mean to me..."

Grandmama, the Hornets, and a childhood miracle...

When I was younger, I witnessed a childhood miracle: a cumulation of no less than 4 of my very very very favorite things in the entire world rolled into one amazing phenomenon. Maybe you remember this historic event... maybe not. But I know that I will never forget the day that God smiled down upon a nine year old and answered a prayer that I hadn't even prayed.

My favorite basketball team of all-time was the Charlotte Hornets. I say "was" because now the Hornets are in New Orleans, and - while I still love the Hornets of today - the Charlotte Hornets will always be my first and strongest NBA love. I just adored them. Mugsey Bogues, Dell Curry, Alonzo Mourning, Kendal Gill, and, of course, Larry Johnson. A child could not have loved an NBA team more... or worn more merchandise on a daily basis.

Another thing that I loved was TGIF. It was a great family time every Friday nite to watch the good old shows like Full House, Boy Meets World, Hanging with Mr. Cooper, and Family Matters. I loved it. And Family Matters was probably my favorite one.

So, you can imagine my unabashed excited and glee when I was watching TGIF one perfect Friday nite with my wonderful family around me and Larry Johnson from the Charlotte Hornets was on Family Matters!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was playing his alter-ego Grandmama in a street 2-on-2 basketball tournament. It was he and steve against Eddie and a guy named Spider. Grandmama and Steve totally won. It was awesome. I had pure joy in my heart and the hugest smile on my face the entire 30 minutes. And it was all that I talked to myself about for weeks afterwards!

Basically, it felt like a miracle to me. I thought that God made them create that show just specifically for me. That is how special I felt that nite.



(Later Larry Johnson has a career-altering injury followed by the disbanding of the team due to free agency and the ultimate removal of the team to a different city...but still. That was a great 30 minutes.)

Never Tailgate in Africa...

I think that I probably share these stories mostly just so that I don’t forget them. Usually something throughout the week will remind me of an experience I had in Ecuador or Kenya, and I try my best to remember it. So now I am going to ensure that I will remember it – at your expense! Don’t worry, this one isn’t too boring (I hope).

I think I have probably a dozen different stories about the matatus in Kenya. Basically a matatu is a public transportation van that runs just about everywhere and is the main mode of transportation to take people from point A to point B. Well, that is the theory of the matatu – the reality is a lot different from the theory. This is one of those realities.

I was in a matatu with about 15 other people traveling from the rural country back into Nairobi. I had probably one of the worst seats possible (very back in the middle), and I couldn’t really see anything going on around me. We had been driving for an hour or so on this old country road when all of a sudden we stopped. Right in the middle of the road, the driver just slams on the brakes and then he rushes out of the matatu. I had kind of been in a lull, but now I was wide awake – mainly because everyone was hurrying out of the matatu and screaming and yelling.

My first reaction was to be a cultural observer and just see what was going on. That is my was of saying I was a scared musungu (white person) who had absolutely no idea what was happening and didn’t want to get my camera stolen. But, really, I had no idea what was happening. As I think back, it was probably a pretty funny image. This wide-eyed musungu sitting in a frozen stupor of apprehension as all of the Kenyans flowed out of the matatu all around me yelling and screaming.

But finally I got out, too, to see what was going on. There was another car directly behind us, and our driver was talking to their driver. And by talking, I totally mean fighting. It was almost like there were two gangs: our matatu driver and passengers vs. this other driver and his friends. It was nuts. But they were fighting and yelling and screaming and it was pure chaos. I still didn’t really know what was going on.

When it finally ended, everyone just got back into the matatu. We all got back into our seats and started heading back to Nairobi. I leaned over to the guy next to me and was like, “What happened? Why did we just fight that car behind us? What in the world happened?” The man turned to me like what just happened was no big deal and just an everyday occurrence and said, “The man in the car was following too closely to us. Our driver did not like that.”

Lesson learned.

How to Live Each Day... Part Two

So how should we aim to live our lives each day? Well, I believe I have the beginnings of an idea. Granted, it probably only makes sense in my head, and when I write it out on paper it will appear to be word-vomit... but I will give it a shot anyway.

We should live everyday like we would do it again the exact same way.

Yahh? Yahh? Awesome, right? Just kidding. It doesn't sound too exciting on the surface, but stay with me. I think it might have some potential - boring potential, but still potential nonetheless.

Think back upon your day today. Did you do anything today that you would do differently tomorrow? Anything you said wrong or did wrong or reacted wrong? Any choices that you would like to take back? Any decisions that you would like to make instead of something? Think about it. Consider if you would do anything differently then what you did today. Maybe you want to do something better. Maybe you want to stop doing something. Whatever it is, there are things in life that we want to improve...and then improve some more... and then add... and then tweak... and then refine... and then refine... and then....

The end goal is this: you can reach a point where you would live each day as if you would do it exactly the same if you had the chance to do it again. Maybe you are thinking, "Oh, but if I could do yesterday over again, I would do it totally different!" Well, then, good. Do it different. Whatever you are thinking, just do that today. If you want to live your life different, then do it. Do it today. And try to get to a point where you wouldn't have to say that. Get to a point where you would do yesterday exactly the same if you had the chance. You wouldn't change anything because you are so in tune with yourself, your relationship with God, and your relationship with others. The goal is to get to a point where you are doing, saying, thinking, acting, and being exactly what you want to be, what God wants you to be, and what others need you to be - so much that you wouldn't change yesterday at all. You would do it all again exactly the same.


So this is my encouragement and challenge to you: LIVE EACH DAY AS IF YOU WOULD DO IT AGAIN THE EXACT SAME WAY.

How to Live Each Day... Part One

Have you ever heard the saying “Live each day like it is your last”? It’s an inspiring thought. I can definitely see the direction it is going, and it is most assuredly something to think about. But, honestly, when you actually think about it, this concept doesn’t make any sense at all. No one should live every day like it is their last.

Think about this. If you knew – you absolutely knew – that today was your last day ever on earth – what would you do? What kind of things would you do if only had one more day to live? You would probably talk to your parents, wife, kids, loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you. You would enjoy any few minutes that you might have with them; there would be many tears and quiet moments of reminiscence. You might get your favorite food in the world to eat. You would probably make sure that you were prepared to go spiritually and have some good moments with God. In all, it would be a very emotional, reflective day that would be just as difficult as it would be meaningful.

More importantly (and these are the things that nobody thinks about), what would you not do? Well, if you knew this was your last day here are a few things that you for sure would not do. You wouldn’t save money for retirement. You wouldn’t care about going to work. You wouldn’t take a class to learn a little bit more about something. You wouldn’t care about life insurance, health insurance, dental, vision, or anything else. You wouldn’t do so many of the things that people need to do for a good, functioning life.

Seriously, it is a HORRIBLE idea to live each day like it is your last. Maybe I am being too literal, but I think that this euphemism just doesn’t work. It doesn’t work logistically, and it really doesn’t even work as a mindset, either. It is not a very good way to live your life because it just doesn’t make sense if you really think about it.

So how should people live their lives each day? Is there a mindset that actually makes sense? (Foreshadowing for Part Two…)

An Embarrassing Bend in an African Road...

One of the most embarrassing things in my life happened one dark nite in Kenya.

I actually had about seven different stories happen to me that day, but I will just share one of them here: the embarrassing one.

In Kenya, I lived just outside of the capital city of Nairobi. It was about an hour matatu ride in normal circumstances. I would usually leave around 3 from the city, get to the junction around 4, and then walk the hour to the orphanage to be there by 5. But this was not normal circumstances. I got a late start, and there was freaking awful traffic. I didn't make it to the junction until it was 9PM. In the States this wouldn't really worry me so much, but this was a whole nother bag of oats.

This was my first time being outside of the orphanage after dark. And I still had to walk an hour to get back there. And when I say dark, I mean dark. It was pitch black, and I was a liiiiiitle bit nervous. But I hitched up my backpack and started walking briskly to the orphanage. All around me the locals were laughing and talking and enjoying the evening. They were on either side of the road in the small shops and houses speaking in Kiswahili and carrying on with each other. And here I was: the determined white guy walking as quickly as I could with this huge backpack strapped tightly to my back.

So I am walking and walking and walking - getting more nervous with every step and each noise. But I am starting to feel a little bit better. I had been walking for about 5 minutes and nothing had happened. Ok, I can do this. I can make it back to the orphanage. I can do this. I can - - -

Next thing I know I am facedown in a ditch. I had totally forgotten that there was a bend in the road. My brisk pace and I walked directly into this 10 foot deep ditch. Literally, I took one step on the ground like normal, and then one step just on the air. I fell completely head first into this unfortunately deep ditch...and landed right next to a startled donkey. Pretty embarrassing.

But I wasn't fully embarrassed until a local man came running over to help me up. He pulled me out and then proceeded to solidify my embarrassment. He said, "Masungu, what were you doing there? My friends and me, we watched you walk right into the ditch. Why do you walk right into the ditch? It looked like you wanted to walk into the ditch - you were walking so fast and straight. But we did not believe that you wanted to go into the ditch until you really walked into the ditch. We have never seen a white person walk so purposefully into a ditch. Why did you want to go into the ditch, masungu?"

Well, I know why I want to go in there now... to get my dignity back. Sowa sowa.

Michael Scott: A Depiction of an American Phenomenon

How many of you have seen The Office? In this television show there is a boss named Michael Scott. The more I watch The Office, the more I see that Michael Scott is the epitomy of so many Americans today: lonely, looking for any type of meaning, and completely absorbed by work by default.

Loneliness is an unspoken plague that has infiltrated every part of America from rich to poor, white to black, and young to old. It is amazing. And Michael Scott is a perfect portrayal of what this looks like. If you ever watch the show, it is evident in almost everything that he does. He is constantly looking for a friend - any friend, any friend at all. Weekends are killer for him. He is constantly asking for a friend to do stuff with him. He is constantly depressed when everyone else does things without him. He jumps at any chance to gain friendship in any form. Even though he hides it with jokes, shenanigans, and laughter – anyone can see that Michael Scott is terribly lonely.

Also, Michael Scott is looking for any type of meaning in his life. He is constantly trying to fit into any group that he can. He tries to be fulfilled through different events, projects, and programs. Michael searches and searches for anything that will give his life any meaning outside of the small influence he has at work. The mental picture that it leaves is like someone grasping at straws. Michael truly is grasping at straws as he pretends that he is involved in philanthropy, sports, and everything else. Any time anybody brings up any sort of group, Michael always pretends to be involved. But you can easily see that he would love to be involved with something – anything. Anything that can bring his life a little bit of meaning.

But since he does not have a ton of friends and no other places where he can find meaning, Michael has to completely absorb himself in his work by default. He loves his work. He loves the people at his work. He focuses all of his energy, interests, efforts, and life toward his work. Granted, I am sure he would love to find meaning in something else, as well. But all Michael had was his work. And that was the only place and the only opportunity where he could insert himself.

In my opinion, loneliness is one of the biggest problems in America. Life being lived without meaning is also another one of the biggest problems. These things lead people to dedicate their lives to their work, and yet they still are not going to be satisified.

Where there are problems, there are opportunities. The Church can provide tangible help and authentic Hope to everyone suffering from loneliness and lack of meaning. There is a giant opportunity for good people of The Way to fill this void in people’s lives – to fill it with love, friendship, and the purpose that comes with Jesus Christ.

The Church needs to be able to recognize and assist the Michael Scott’s of the world. How? That’s a whole nother question…

The Stats of Life

Here is something that I have never been able to figure out, but the weird thing is that I think it might actually be important. It's all about stats.

How many times have you heard stats like: "1 in 5 people have cancer" or "1 in 3 people have been abused" or things like that? How many times? It seems like these kinds of stats are thrown around on the nitely news like it's no big deal. But I got to thinking the other day. If all of these are true, wouldn't that mean that all of us are going to have like 4 or 5 of these things? Can this really be true?

Ok, stay with me on this. If there are five different studies out there about health and things that all say "1 out of 5 people have this..." - does that mean that I would have to have that? Five studies with 1 in 5 chances - wouldn't that mean that I would have one of those five? Maybe my math and logic is off a little bit, but there are like thousands of these studies! There are just thousands of these studies that have things that say "1 in 3 people will have this..." or "1 in 5 people have done this..."! Just thousands!

Wouldn't that mean that we would have to have some of these things? Like if you took a thousand of those studies and a room with thirty people - wouldn't the studies show that the people in the group would have like hundreds of these diseases or whatever? Am I making any sense here? Probably not.

I just think that there are a ton of statistics out there, and I don't know why we believe all of them blindly.

And I am not alone. 1 in 3 people agree with me.

Food and Drink Quandries

Ok, three things. And, let me thank you in advance for putting up with my complexities, idiosyncrecies, dry sense of humor, and poor spellmanship. Your efforts are appreciated.

Ok, here are three things that I - just - don't - understand.

1) The entree of Biscuits and Gravy: I almost go into hysterics every time I see it on a menu. It is actually considered a meal. And that blows my mind. It's a side item and a condiment! Put together! It's like adding up 1/2 (side item - biscuit) and 1/4 (condiment - gravy) and coming up with 9.99! It's just ridiculous! Most every single entree comes with a biscuit. And then you can just ask for gravy... and they just give it to you! The meal of biscuits and gravy will forever blow my mind. And people think they're getting ripped off at the gas pump...

2) Broccoli Soup: Seriously? When I first heard about this type of soup I literally thought it was a joke - like a practical joke. Are you for real? Do I want to eat a whole cup of cheese and broccoli? What do you think? Ok, let's separate these two things. One, broccoli has the worst reputation of all the vegetables. Nobody likes broccoli. Two, ummm, without the broccoli, it would just be a cup of cheese. I am just trying to figure out what went through the chef's head when he was making it. "Hmm, well, so far I just have a cup of melted cheese. What can I put in there to make this an awesome soup? Oh, of course - broccoli." I rest my case.

3) Coffee: Ok, granted, this one is more of a stretch, but, please follow me on this exchange.

Kenton: Hey, what are you drinking?
Zac: Oh, it's coffee. I'm trying to get used to it.
Kenton: What do you mean?
Zac: Oh, well, I can't stand how it tastes. So I have to put a bunch of sugar and creamer in it and all that stuff to even get it down.
Kenton: Why?
Zac: Well, I'm trying to get to like coffee. I figure I can drink it with all this stuff in it and slowly take the stuff out. Maybe in like a year or two I can just drink straight coffee.
Kenton: Why don't you just drink something that you like?
Zac: (silence).

I mean, for real? If you have to put all that stuff into it just to drink it and it still tastes really bad, why are you even doing that? Why? I don't think I will ever understand coffee (although, I should start to drink it).

Good times.

Where is life leading us?

Does it ever seem like the world should stop for a second and breath? Life has changed so much within the 20 or so years that I have been alive with the advent of computers, the internet, cell phones, digital cameras, and so many other technological things. If my life has seen so much change, imagine the amount of change that a person in their 80’s or 90’s has seen! And what about the changes that have happened since the beginning of the 20th century?

For most all of humanity, people lived off of the land. The vast majority of people were farmers. Barely anyone lived in cities. Communication was very minimal. Transportation was even more minimal. Comforts like air conditioning, refrigeration, television, and other entertainments were not even imagined! Life was totally and incredibly different for most all of humanity until the last 100 years or so.

So what does this mean? Well, it could mean a lot of things. But I just want to look at one aspect today. I wonder where this is taking all of us. Where is life leading us?

If life were like a graph, try to picture what that would look like. For the first 10,000 years of existence – from before the time of Christ to 1,900 years after the time of Christ – everything was a straight line at the bottom of the graph. No huge changes. Maybe a blip here or there, but nothing huge. Then the line just skyrockets in the 20th century!! It goes from straight and consistent at the bottom of the graph for thousands of years to a sheer vertical rise. It’s not like we had a slow progression of all of this technology – 200 years to figure out cars and trucks, 300 years to get used to computers, and 100 years to understand the internet or cell phones. No, instead, we have all of these changes and technological advances mostly in the last 50 years. And some of them in the last 10 or 20 years! There has been more advances in the last few years than in all of humanity combined (probably, I mean, I’m not a anthropologist or whatever…)!!

But, again, where is it leading us? Are we going to keep having advances at the breakneck pace we are setting right now? If we do, then where will that take us? How easy is life going to get? How hard is life going to get? Is there a ceiling to all of this? Should there be? The world and society and humanity and life have not even had a moment to breathe and reflect. I just wonder if we will look back one day and wish we had.

Where is life taking us? Just something to think about.

The Adventure of, well, Adventure...

"MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS."

This was the ad placed in British newspapers by Ernest Shackleton when he was trying to recruit men to come with him on his Antarctic journeys in the early parts of the 20th century. I guess like 5000 guys responded to it and showed up for the adventure. He couldn't take that many, but that outpouring attests to the fact that people want adventure. Both guys and girls - man, we just want the adventure of, well, adventure.

How much more fun is life when there is a challenge, an adventure, a story? I really believe that God made it that way for us. He instituted this sub-conscious need and longing for adventure. He created situations in order for us to be challenged and stretched. He gave us this world in order for us to explore and discover. He gives us strength and courage for the battles and adventures that we face. What a God! What a life!

But, is it always like that? I think that the biggest adventures some of us have is in traffic on the way to work ("Did you see that guy cut me off? That was so crazy!"). Or the 'adventure' that we have at Wal-Mart ("That checkout line was SO long!"). Or maybe some of us have some wild times at work ("Yahh, I only had 30 minutes for lunch today instead of an hour. Can you believe that?"). It's like we read all these stories and see all these movies about adventure, but, I mean, where is it? Can we still find adventure in our lives today?

(Dramatic Pause) YES!

Yes, I really believe we can. With all my heart.

I still believe there is adventure out there to be had.
There are mighty deeds to be done.
There are stories yet to be told - they are just waiting for someone to do something.

Adventure can be found in so many different things.
It can be experienced in so many different ways.
It can be lived out every single day.

It's the adventure of, well, adventure. How are you going to do it? What is going to be your adventure? What is going to be my adventure? What kind of good stories will we tell? What mighty deeds will we attempt and accomplish?

I don't know... but let's find out, eh?

Eh.

Living in the Moment

I can’t tell you how many times I wish I did this better. Unlike other problems, this is one of those things that you cannot go back and fix. Regrettably (but humorously), I always say to myself right after going through a situation with which I should have been more involved and present, “Man, I should have been more into that moment. Crap.” Shoulda. Woulda. Coulda. We can’t get those times back. We can hope for more in the future, but they are not guaranteed – and we cannot spend our present hoping for the future. Truly, I can’t tell you how many times I wish I did this better.

And, yet, I distinctly remember when I have done this well. I think I remember it because I was truly in those moments. I lived them. I breathed them. I enjoyed them. My mind, my heart, and my spirit were in tune with those moments. Whether it was a rainstorm on a safari in Africa, river-swimming in a cave in Ecuador or simply golfing with my dad in Nampa, Idaho – I have lived in some moments… and I have loved it.

What does it mean to live in the moment? I hadn’t heard of the concept until a friend told me this story. My friend was in Taiwan listening to a teacher explain the exciting study abroad program that lay in front of the students for the next three months. In hopes of encouraging the students to get the full amount of the experience, the teacher told them about his favorite student of all time. “I have never seen another person be fully into every moment like he was,” the teacher stated. “It is the first thing you noticed about him, and it is the last thing you will remember – the way he could fully immerse his heart and soul into every moment of his life. He never went through the motions. He never sat out a play. No matter if it was studying for a test or trying to speak Spanish with his family – he was fully present in each and every moment. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.”

When I heard this description, I wanted to be that guy. I mean, I want to remember the past and plan for the future – but, doggone it, I want to live in the present. I want to live in every moment.

Life is too short.

Life is too good (even when it’s bad).

Life is too…

You fill in the rest. And then live it. Live every moment of it. Heart, mind, soul, and spirit – with God, with friends, with family, with strangers – in love, in hope, in wonder, in adventure – let’s all live in every moment.

(So stop reading this blog, and GO!)

Time and Life...Hand in Hand

I am 23 already. Can you believe it? I hardly can sometimes. 23? 23. I bet in 30 more years, I will kill to be 23 again. But, also, I know when I was 15 I thought that I couldn't even fathom what it would be like to be 23. I am two years from 25. And 25 is half of 50. Weird. I am almost 30.

Really, I just write all of that to try to prove a point. Can you believe how much time impacts our lives? In some areas of the world, it is amazing to make it to 23. For some, 23 was the best time of their life, and now they are constantly living in the past. For others, they lived horrible lives when they were younger, and they would never go back to that age. To be 23 is young to some, and it old to others. It is desireable for some, and it is scary for others. And to think - some people on earth do not even know or care how old they are.

So what is my point? My point is this: time and life go hand in hand.

Do you want to make the most of your time on earth? Then live. Live such a life.

Do you want to have a great life on earth? Then value your time. Take advantage of time.

We are all given 24 hours each day. We can never get today back. We can never get our time back. It is the most precious commodity that we are all given in equal measure. Tomorrow is not promised. Yesterday is not revived. There is today. There is life in today. Or at least there should be life in today.

What are you doing with your time? What are you doing with today? If you are waiting for life - stop. If you are going through the motions today - stop. I would hate for anyone to be near the end of their life before they started to open their eyes. I would hate for anyone to be in regret over time wasted and lost. I would just hate for anyone not to experience life, and life to the full.

Therefore, I will end with two questions I have often asked myself and now I pose to you. So what are you doing with your time? What are you doing with your life? They probably go hand in hand...