It’s not that I want to work a lot, or really any at all, but that sort of comes with the territory of being a grown man with kids, a mortgage, a car payment, and the desire for a new cell phone.

I’ve also been fighting a bad attitude since about 9am Monday morning.  We won’t go into the “why” of that bad attitude, but it’s there.

But one cannot continue in “bad attitude” and still accomplish what needs to be done, so I’m working to take some steps to improve.

• Stop complaining externally.
• Stop complaining internally.  In my head, I can moan and groan continuously, even while smiling outside.
• Do the best I can.
• Accept the fact that failure is almost guaranteed.
• Enjoy the happy moments that come along.
• Smile even when it sucks.
• Ask God for a miracle. Seriously.

Yet, with the exception of some toy drums that might occupy my home, I do not own a single drum.  I own sticks, and I own a practice pad.

One. Practice. Pad.

I would love to really be a “drummer”. Even tho I play piano and guitar, rhythm is actually the coolest part of the music to me, at least at this point in my life. Weird, but that’s one of the things that seems to have risen up in me since that temporary death otherwise known as open heart surgery.  (I was totally obsessed by guitar prior to that, with only nominal interest in drumming…)

But, in fact, I can’t claim to be a drummer.  I don’t own a drum.  It’s like wearing a Harley-Davidson tee-shirt but not owning a bike of any sort.

However, I CAN play drums.  I even practice a lot.  Two, three, four, or even more times a week.  With real sticks.

I sit in one chair and use another one (a padded kitchen chair or a folding metal chair with padding) as my kit. I usually use the top half for my high-hat hits, and pick spots on the seat to be different drums. If done appropriately, this allows just a small difference in sound, which lets me “feel” a little more of the real feeling of drums.

Drives my family crazy, but they tolerate me pretty well, and at least it’s not as loud as real drums.

Someday.

ETA – This does leave something to be desired in the kick drum department, as I typically just have to pat my foot for that. So, I’m sorta looking for a kick drum practice method that’s very, very cheap. Any ideas will be kindly regarded.

It’s frustrating, indeed, to make a determination of sorts, on Friday, to not be so negative, and then be faced with a Monday with problems like crazy.

It is also difficult, truly, to write advice to oneself about escaping an “angry funk” while one is still in that funk.

But here’s what I’m trying…

1. Be patient. Don’t make any decisions while I’m angry. Anger will fade.
2. Sleep.
3. Enjoy my beautiful children.
4. Remind myself that I do what I do so that those beautiful children can do what they do. Hopefully they have a lot more fun doing theirs than I do doing mine.
5. Pray for the ability to forgive someone for making me really angry, even though they have not apologized, will never apologize.
6. Plan to repeat #5 for several days while I try to figure out some way to accomplish some things that are virtually impossible.
7. Make a determination to not talk badly about the person I’m angry with.

Hopefully this will not be a huge example of failure.

I don’t like the name of the blog, based on how I want to “proceed” from here.

But neither do I want to lose the followers that I have by changing the URL.

Perhaps I should just change the name and take the chance?

Your thoughts?

While it’s clear (yes, I see that pun…) that water is the best choice, period, is sweet tea an improvement over soda?

16 oz Coke, Sprite, or Dr. Pepper – 150 calories – 9.4 calories per ounce

21 oz Sweet Tea – 180 calories – 8.6 calories per ounce

While that’s really just one comparison, it’s enough to tell me that I don’t need to be drinking either one on a regular basis. Better to spring for the bottled water if the local tap water is unpalatable.

Livestrong has an article about this that’s worth considering, too…

This list may grow as this series goes on; if you’re not on it yet, don’t panic. As well, this is not a reflection of who has “the best blog”. The blog may be horrible, but perhaps there’s something about the blogger that I really like.

• Addie Zierman
• Justin and Trish Davis
• Sammy Adebiyi
• Michael Hyatt
• Jamie Wright
• Tammy Hodge
• Tamara Lunardo

In the coming weeks, there will be posts telling why I like these people. Stay tuned.  They’re all pretty awesome, just in different ways.

Purpose… I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s going to be different.  I’ve been far too negative here, and other places, and that’s going to change.

But I’m still responding to Mandy…  I’m just doing it here instead of as a comment.  (Mostly just because I can…)

1. I love to mow.  I have terrible allergies in late April, early May, but I love to mow.
2. I don’t trust ANY automotive mechanic.
3. I hate having dirty hands, although I don’t mind doing things which result in dirty hands.
4. I would SO love to truly relax for an entire week.
5. I love Perry Mason books and episodes.
6. I love to exercise but can’t bring myself to get started again because I hate being so on – off – on – off.

What about you?

You’d think I could squeeze in a blog post, but somehow that doesn’t seem to be a goal that I can reach.

I think this is perhaps one of the most damaging statements that can be made in the context of encouraging Christians to share their faith.

Typically, I have heard this in the context of a “Great Commission” or “evangelism” sermon.  Christians are encouraged – even pushed – to “witness” to everyone that they encounter.  In the mind of the sermonizer, this means that the Gospel is shared in significant detail.  The Christian must bring the victim to a full knowledge of their sin and confront them with a decision to either choose Christ or choose Hell, or “witnessing” has not been accomplished.

This has the immediate, certain, and unfortunate result of crippling the growth of the church.

This means that only those who have made a decision to follow Christ are encouraged to come to church.  This creates the perception that only Christians should come to church.  In some Reformed circles, this is actually the intent.  I read entire discourses on the idea that church meetings are not intended for evangelism, that only believers should really even attend.  ”Seekers” really don’t exist, and they sure aren’t welcome.

I call that, for lack of a better word, baloney.

I want sinners to come to my church.  I want people with problems to come to my church.  I want people who don’t even believe in God to come to my church.  I want people that I don’t like to come to my church.

Because I believe that the context of a “corporate worship meeting” is the absolute BEST environment for the Holy Spirit to touch a heart and make it tender to the Gospel.  I don’t believe it’s the ONLY environment, and I don’t believe that someone MUST come to church to meet Christ.

But I am sick and tired of “pastors” belittling those who invite people to attend their church.

Inviting someone to our church should be one of the FIRST things we think of in a new friendship or any other relationship.  Here are some reasons why…

1. It’s quick.
2. It’s easy.
3. It WORKS.  People who are INVITED to church are, statistically, INCREDIBLY more likely to show up than those who are reached by ANY other method.  And if they show up, they are in the best environment possible to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be loved on by Christians.

So, here’s how I see it.  If you know people that you have never invited to church, you need to think about what you’re saying. Or, more correctly, what you’re NOT saying.  Either…

1. You don’t truly care about that person, or…
2. You don’t like your church, or…
3. You don’t really believe God loves that person.

Ouch.

Invite somebody.  Repeat.