Trying a new deal here - from the written word to the spoken word.  Video blog.  Yep, kept it simple using a web cam.  Click on the link & give it a look.  http://vimeo.com/36926810

Point And Propel
Have you ever shot an arrow?  If so, then you know that the arrow goes exactly where you aim it.  It may not seem like it does, but it does.  Obviously there are other elements such as the wind that may cause it to get off course, but for the most part, the arrow ends up where we aim it.  In the words of William Shakespeare, “The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves if we are underlings.”  Sometimes our aim is not very good. 
Parenting is a lot like shooting arrows.  In a phrase, we parents have a critical responsibility – to point and propel.  We point our children in the right direction, then we propel them in that direction.  Yet, pointing and propelling begs the question:  Which way?  In which direction are we pointing our children?  The haphazard propelling of an arrow is hazardous.  So it is with children, but multiplied a hundred.  What do we want our children to be?  This question is not about career or college choices.  That question is:  What do we want our children to do?  That is a different question.  Point and Propel is about being, not doing.  Rather than focus on what we want them to do, we need to ask what we want them to be.  Working as a lawyer, plumber or teacher is not the answer to that question.  The question about being is about character.  It means pointing our children in the direction of integrity, courage, compassion, strength, perseverance and humility. . .if that is what you want them to be.  And it causes us to ask the question if we want them to be more than we have been?  We often discuss how we want our children to have more than we did growing up, but the greater question to ask is do we want them to be more?  Remember that what a person is always trumps what a person does.  If we can point the next generation in the right direction of being, then the doing will take care of itself. 

Pass it Along

I pointed out some interesting black & white photographs on the wall of the hospital corridor to my wife.  They were shots of various random scenes of an old farmhouse, a windmill and other scenes.  She said, “When I was young, I would go to the motocross races to watch my brother ride.  I would take our camera and take the pictures.  I really enjoyed it.  My parents ordered a photography magazine for me.”  I chuckled because it reminded me of when our middle school started a 4H club.  The advisor asked each of us what we liked to do.  I noticed they had information on small engine repair.  Since our lawnmower at home was constantly broken, I thought that would be a great area to learn.  The next week I got an instruction manual.  We both chuckled.  

It reminded me that young people need more than information when it comes to pursuing desires of the heart.  They need someone who will walk down the path with them.  They need someone who is interested in them, someone who will listen.  Hopefully that person is a parent.  Sometimes it is not. 

If I can be that person for someone, then I will gladly invest my time and energy. 
Now that I have passed the “50” mark, I believe that the most fruitful years of my life are ahead of me.  They may not be the things I do personally.  Rather they may be the things that others do because of me.  As I invest my life in a new generation, I believe it will multiply and live on in the hearts and minds of those who follow me down a road marked not only by my footprints, but also the footprints of many others, including Jesus.  I want to invest in others so that when they experience the “AHA” moment of why they are here, I can be a catalyst for them to embrace that purpose and live a life of purpose.