This morning I went back to some previous entries I missed.  This past Tuesday’s was so powerful that I want to share it with you. It doen’t matter where you are in your life journey, this is for all of us.

MARCH 19

I SPEAK TO YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF YOUR BEING.  Hear Me saying soothing words of Peace, assuring you of My Love.  Do not listen to voices of accusation, for they are not from Me.  I speak to you in love-tones, lifting you up.  My Spirit convicts cleanly, without crushing words of shame.  Let the Spirit take charge of your mind, combing out tangles of deception.  Be transformed by the truth that I live within you.

The Light of My Presence is shining upon you, in benedictions of Peace.  Let My Light shine in you; don’t dim it with worries or fears.  Holiness is letting Me live through you.  Since I dwell in you, you are fully equipped to be holy.  Pause before responding to people or situations, giving My Spirit space to act through you.  Hasty words and actions leave no room for Me; this is atheistic living.  I want to inhabit all your moments – gracing your thoughts, words, and behavior.

One piece of this entry that REALLY challenges me is, “Pause before responding to people or situations, giving My Spirit space to act through you.”  I don’t always get this right…but I want to.

Be encouraged.  We are in this life together.

For some reason God laid you on my heart this morning.  I pray specifically that you continue your quest to change the world rather than seek the folly of waiting to be inspired.

I’m not going to lie, this one messed with me a little.  I was kinda pissed when I read it.

You see, the author of this message is someone who caused pain in my life several years ago.  Not the “sticks and stones” variety but the deep emotional kind that affects the heart.  Know what I mean?  And although I invested in some much needed therapy to help me through it, and even had the opportunity to meet face to face and extend forgiveness, my initial reaction to that text was along the lines of, Why now?, and, How random!

Thankfully my heart has softened over the years and therefore I can better appreciate the intent and content in the message.  The reality is this…I do want to change the world, and I don’t want to wait to be inspired but rather act on the many times I am inspired.  So I am genuinely thankful for the message.  It reminds me of what is important in life.

Our church is in the middle of a message series entitled, “How People Change.”  This past Sunday’s message, When Hearts Are Soft, was very timely.  Click on that title and check it out.  I challenge you to act on it.  You won’t regret it.

Now batting 3rd for your St. Louis Cardinals, Scott Sutherland!

Playing shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals.  That was my dream.

From 1972-1986 I lived and breathed baseball AND the St. Louis Cardinals.  Trips to Busch Stadium with my grandparents to watch incredible players like….

Lou Brock

Bobby Bonds

Bruce Sutter

“The Mad Hungarian” – Al Hrabosky

Willie McGee

Ozzie Smith

….and the list goes on.  Those games are some of the greatest memories I cherish today.  These were the guys I watched.  I pretended to BE them.  They inspired me to practice, practice, practice.  And I played it all!  Tee Ball, Little League, Babe Ruth, and high school ball.  I lettered my Freshman year and I was on my way.  That is what gave me purpose growing up.  But right there at the end of my senior year is where the dream ended.

I felt lost.  “WHAT NOW?!”

Over the years I battled and battled with the whole “finding purpose” thing.  And where did I try and find it?  My work.  And although there have been many joys in the job, that deep sense of purpose eluded me.

Then I noticed God trying to get my attention.  Kinda like “Donkey” in the movie Shrek jumping up and down behind the crowd saying, “PICK ME, PICK ME!”  And I notice him doing it every day.  He didn’t create us to find our purpose in our work.  He created us to find our purpose in him.  And what exactly does that mean you might ask?  It means that we were created to love each other BECAUSE He loves us.

So what if I didn’t become the shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals!  Who cares?  What I did become is this….

My mother’s son

My sister’s brother

My wife’s husband

My kids’ father

My team’s leader

And I love them all through the good, bad, and ugly.  THAT’S MY PURPOSE!!

I don’t know about you but I get this all the time.  I suppose one of the main reasons is because of where I work.  For those of you who watched last year’s Super Bowl you might remember this photo….

Our hotel was the Media Center for Super Bowl XLVI.  Our Grand Ballroom was transformed into a mass TV & radio studio where I got to see and interact with some of the greatest NFL players of all time.  Players like Joe Montana, Kurt Warner, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Fran Tarkenton, and many more.  It was also surprising to see other celebrities like Adam Sandler who was there to promote his next movie.  We received comments from so many different people, including the NFL staff that they LOVED our hotel!  That they LOVED Indy!  Some even said it was the best Super Bowl experience EVER!

So YES, I love that I work at a high profile hotel and all the attention it gets both locally and nationally.  I truly am proud to represent our company and the hotel.

BUT…

We have over 800 employees.  And we are a service industry.  So as I’m sure you can imagine there are many challenges and situations we face at this fun and exciting hotel that are not…well…fun or exciting.

SO…

I stay focused on how I can help those within my sphere of influence enjoy their jobs.  I am the Supervisor of the Event Concierge team at our hotel.  And what I love most is that I get the wonderful opportunity to lead a group of young adults who for the most part are right out of college and getting started in their career.  Currently we are ranked #3 in the JW Marriott brand for our service just behind the JW Marriott Tuscon Starr Pass and JW Marriott Camelback.  This crew has worked really hard and they deserve that recognition.  But my job is not just about empowering each of these incredible people to learn the Event Operations side of the hotel business and do their job with excellence.  Its also about helping them learn how to simply DO LIFE well.  Its about building relationships of trust which includes alot of listening.  Its about not trying to FIX their situation(s) but effectively offering advice that challenges them to think about those situations differently.  Its fun, its exciting, its challenging, and sometimes its messy.  Its what I look forward to the most when I head into work each day.

Maybe you enjoy your job and this blog is an affirmation of a great situation you have.  If so, AWESOME!

Maybe you need a fresh perspective.

Who is in your sphere of influence at work?

Try looking for ways to help others enjoy their job and I guarantee you’ll enjoy it more too.

Two years ago my family and I took a week-long “workation” to Tennessee.  Emily had to be in Gatlinburg and Nashville for work related events and so we thought we’d all go and mix in some family time along the way.  A highlight was spending a few days in Nashville with some friends of ours, Gordon & Kimberly Mote.  We love this family.  Being with them is so refreshing because we can just be ourselves, and I believe they feel the same way.  Plus, it doesn’t hurt that we get great decorating ideas from Kimberly and her amazing sense of style.

During our visit with the Motes, Kimberly told the sweetest story about their daughter Samantha.  And I guess this would be a good time to let you know that Gordon is blind.  The story goes like this….Samantha was about 4 years old and wanted to invite a friend from school over to her house.  Samantha told her friend that she was so excited about her mom and dad meeting her.  Samantha’s friend replied, “But how will your dad know me if he can’t see me.”  To which Samantha replied, “Oh, he’ll be able to see you, he just won’t know what you look like.”  WOW!

That’s how I want to “see” God, and quite frankly, everyone.  Not so much with my eyes, but with my SOUL!

struggle

pain

surrender

self-awareness

lessons learned

reinvention

and then……

the dream and the dreamer start over.  Start fresh.  And they make everything and everyone around them better because the focus is no longer inward but outward.  And ultimately, their impact on the world becomes greater than they originally thought possible.

Woo!  Gives me chills just thinking about it.

How about you?

Do you and your dream need a restart?

I do.

The last several years have brought some gut-wrenching and heartbreaking circumstances for me and my family.  And while we certainly wish some things had gone differently, we have chosen NOT to become a victim of circumstance.  Instead, we chose to embrace where we are and learn.  Therefore we have become wiser as a couple, family, and as individuals.  It’s time to start over.

So I’ll ask again.  Do you and your dream need a restart?

Most importantly I want you to know and accept the fact that starting over doesn’t mean you’re a failure.

Here’s an excellent book to help get you started – “Plan B” by Pete Wilson.

I hope I shed some tears while watching or reading about YOUR success story someday.

I wish I could tell you that every morning starts out like it did today–kicked back with a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee and one of the many books I’m reading.  Yes, even working from home doesn’t mean I automatically take advantage of the early morning peace and quiet of our family room, AND the comfy over-sized chair.  Nope!  I’m usually right out of bed writing or answering emails, and working on the details of my latest project.  But I’m happy to say this morning was different.

My book of choice today was, “Walking with God”, by John Eldredge.  I’m about half-way through this book, and John is talking about how crazy his life has become.  He primarily speaks of the fast pace he/we try and keep.  He calls it, Purposeful Distraction.  John explains it like this:

Every age has a certain spirit or mood to it.  Ours is busyness.  What begins as a creative outburst is now just Get It Done!  Seriously, I’m irritated that my email takes four seconds to download when it used to take ten.   For some reason we feel we can’t stop this pace or we just don’t want to.  Till then, the life of not living but getting things done has its benefits.  For one it provides us with an illusion of security – I am tackling life, I am staying on top of things.  We might not be so honest as to say, ‘God doesn’t seem particularly involved in taking care of these things for me so I have to do it’.  Then there is the wonderful quality of the endless distraction it provides – purposeful distraction.  I don’t have to face myself or God because I am so very busy.  And the bonus is, I don’t have to feel guilty because ‘this is just the way it is’, and by golly, at least I am showing that I’m a responsible person by getting things done.  Thus I can avoid any real disruption while feeling the victim of circumstances beyond my control. Is this really ‘living’? If we really wanted to live differently, there would be some sign of it in our choices.

You know its funny – I’ve read stuff like this before.  But what struck me this morning was the realization that what John is talking about in this segment never ends.  It’s always in front of us no matter what day, month, year or decade we’re living in.  Now, does this mean that we completely abandon our vocational responsibilities?  Of course not.  What it does mean is that we as individuals, and as families, have to first determine, “What does really living mean and what purposeful distraction has become our excuse?”

What do you think?  I’d love to hear from you.

Rarely has our family taken a Spring Break vacation.  In fact since the birth of our children, now ten and thirteen, we’ve only taken about five,  including the one we are on right now.  Sure I’ve been somewhat jealous of families who have the means to religiously vacation during this time each year.  But honestly, we are more thankful and appreciative when these opportunities are less frequent.  My heart swells when I see my kids expressing hearts of gratitude to people who are serving them at a restaurant or providing transportation to and from the hotel or allowing others to get on an elevator before them.

On the flip-side, it grieves me to watch people treat such opportunities with what seems to be a sense of entitlement.

Which brings me to the subject of this post.  Who are you?  It never ceases to amaze me how much you can tell about a person while traveling.  Are you thankful for the people who serve you at the hotel or on the airplane?  If so, do you thank them?  Do you tip them?  My hope is that you’re a person who shows gratitude instead of someone who believes they’re entitled.

This past weekend our church resurrected an older worship tune that I had not heard in a long time.  It so penetrated this worn and wounded heart, giving me a much needed message of purpose, hope, and affirmation of what I believe is important.  My wife, Emily, happened to be on our worship team that morning.  And the added bonus came in the form of her sweet gentle voice leading out on this song:

when the music fades
all is stripped away
and i simply come
longing just to bring
something that’s of worth
that will bless your heart

i’ll bring you more than a song
for a song in itself
is not what you have required
you search much deeper within
through the way things appear
you’re looking into my heart

i’m coming back to the heart of worship….

Jimmy Morris.  His story is the subject of one of my favorite films, The Rookie.  Jimmy’s dream was to play baseball in the big leagues.  Growing up he struggled to gain validation of his love for baseball from his military father.  The family moved frequently and finally settled in a small Texas town where baseball was almost nonexistent.  The odds were against him.  Although Jimmy was drafted by the New York Yankees, he never quite made it to the majors due to an injury to his throwing arm.  So he retired early and became a teacher and baseball coach at the local high school.

Loved by his players, Jimmy agreed to a bet that if his team won State,  he would try out for the majors.  The team won State.  So after much hard work battling his demons and getting the blessing of his family, Jimmy Morris tried out and was signed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the age of 35.  In baseball years, THAT’S OLD!

And while the dream didn’t play out quite like Jimmy originally planned back in his prime, it was the support and belief of those around him that led to the dream being fulfilled.

I too have a dream.  In fact I’ve had my dream for a while.  And just like Jimmy Morris, I almost gave up because of fear, self-doubt, and time.  But surrounding myself with people I love and respect, and who believe in me, a moment of clarity hit and I’m back on track with more passion and drive than ever before.

What’s your dream?  Have you given up on it?  Don’t!  Your dream just might be the answer and hope that someone else needs.