The 8-Hour Curse

via: www.healthline.com

For as long as I can remember, I've been told that I need eight hours of sleep each night in order to get fully rested.

This little fact has brainwashed me.

I'm haunted by what I like to call the 'eight hour curse,' and it keeps me from doing so many productive things that I want to do. It never fails; every night when it's getting close to my 'bed time,' I'll map out in my mind the exact time I need to go to sleep and wake up to get at least eight hours of sleep. If I know I'm going to get any less than that, I consider it a huge inconvenience to myself, which is quite selfish, so I plan out to the exact minute the amount of time I'll need to sleep, get ready for the day and be out the door. I stick to my guns when it comes to my eight-hour/night minimum sleep schedule, and I don't like anything getting in the way of that.

I don't know how accurate the eight hour sleep pattern fact is. It may be totally accurate, or it may be a stretch of the truth, but I do know this. There are a lot of other things I could be doing within that eight hours that I don't do because I'm so paranoid that I have to get that amount of sleep.The real issue with this arises in the mornings.

I find myself sleeping till the last possible minute before I need to get ready and hit the road for wherever I need to be that day. I neglect taking my time to fully wake up and get organized for what's on schedule for the upcoming day. I think to myself, "Breakfast is for the birds" (I still think it is), and I walk out the door knowing that lunch is just a few hours away, and that I can make it until then.

It also affects my spiritual life. When I'm feeling good and disciplined like I like to be, I enjoy waking up early enough to read and journal before the day begins. It gets me off on the right foot, and it allows me to "see the face of God before I see the face of man." It's a great habit that I like to get into, yet sometimes when I'm feeling really plagued by work, life and of course, the eight-hour curse, I neglect the most important aspect of my life.

I make sleep an idol.

It's true, getting good sleep and good rest are much needed  in order to have a productive day; however, when the soul focus becomes just getting the perfect amount of sleep and rest, and the focus is turned from what really gives one rest, things can get tired.

What are you idolizing in your life that's causing you to neglect what's important? For me, it's sleep. Let's help each other. Feel free to share any waking up, discipline tips with me if you have some!

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: "You can sleep when you're dead."

This Week's Challenge: Meet up with an Old Friend

"Hey man! Lookin' good. I almost wore that same pullover. It sure has been a long time."

"It sure has, man. It sure has."

There's nothing like seeing one of your best friends for the first time in a long time. Sure, in a world full of technology, it's easy to keep in touch through texting, social media and phone calls, but there's nothing like reuniting after a long time apart.

Life goes on. The sun goes up, and then it goes down, and days turn into weeks, while weeks turn into months. The older you get, the faster time seems to go, and before you know it, it's been a year since you've seen someone you used to see every day. It's funny how life cycles through like that.

Meeting up with old friends is priceless. There's so much to catch up on, and it always seems like there's so little time to do it in, whether it's over a meal, a beer or a day-long visit. Life happens. There are new achievements, new relationships and new stories to share, but there are always loads of old memories to reflect on- memories that only you and that other person or people know and can reminisce on. 

This week, I've had the chance to meet up with a few friends I haven't spent much time with in more than a year (and two friends I haven't seen in five years). I've landed in a situation where I'm finally in the same city as some of my best friends again, and I couldn't be happier about it. It's a blessing, to say the least. 

With as much as I've enjoyed meeting up with new friends recently, I want to encourage you to do the same thing. Sometime this week, I challenge you to meet up with an old friend, an old roommate or an old family member you haven't seen in a long time. If you have the time, make the effort and drive a couple hours to do it; it will be worth every minute, and if you have the money, buy the person's dinner or coffee; it'll be worth every cent. Reminisce on the old times and talk about the new. It'll be the highlights of your week.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: There's no friend like an old friend.

5 Unexpected Challenges of Adulthood

Entering adulthood has its challenges. It has its obvious ones, like having to pay for everything yourself and having to shave every other day, but it also has some unexpected ones you might not think about until it's too late.  

Here are some of those challenges: 

1) You don't get week(s) of vacation 

Remember when you were a student, and you got two weeks off for Christmas, three months off for summer and a week off for spring break? Well, you can kiss those days goodbye (unless you're a teacher). Adulthood welcomes (maybe) two weeks of paid vacation and a few public holidays a year to match up against those precious days of childhood vacation. 

2) Half of your friends still get week(s) of vacation

It's inevitable; After you graduate college, you'll no doubt have friends who are still in college, or who have become teachers, and guess what? They still get all those wonderful, student holidays. "Oh, you have to go back to work tomorrow? That's stinks. I don't go back until Jan. 2." Get used to that line. It's a back breaker.  

3) Saying 'See ya!' to casual 

Wasn't it nice rolling out of bed in the morning, throwing on a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie and trotting to class just in time for the professor to start the lecture? You could wear whatever you wanted, and it didn't matter to anyone. No rules. No judgement. Sadly, those days eventually disappear. If you're a guy, get ready to say hello to khakis and collars, and if you're a girl, well, I'm not sure what you'll say hi too, but you'll probably say bye to the 'messy bun.'

4) Mom and dad? 

Remember those wonderful people you've lived most of your life with and who you said a tearful goodbye to when they dropped you off for college? You know, your mother and father? Well, it turns out now you're almost on their level, and it's just kind of weird. For the longest time, they've been the "old" adults, and now it's your turn. You're the adult, as well. I still get chills thinking about it... 

5) Cooking your own dinner 

After a long, hard day at the office, what's the best thing to come home to? A nice home-cooked meal. But wait. Who's going to cook it? Oh yeah, you are. No more of mamma having the food on the table when you come home from a long day- it's up to you to find the energy to stay on your feet another few hours to cook, eat and clean up the dishes. THEN you can relax (after you go to the gym, answer emails, etc. etc.). 

The truth is, growing up has its pains. It has its expectations and its surprises, but despite these few, little things, it's pretty nice. The freedom, income and experiences are all worth it, and so is growing into the person God has made you to be. It's just important to remember this, that growing up is more than mortgages; it's memories. 

-Cliff

-Cliff's Note: "There's always life after death, and taxes."  

Job Jealousy

There are a lot of really cool things in this world, and there are a lot of really cool people who get to do really cool things.

There are professional athletes getting to play sports for a living, nature photographers traveling the world taking pictures of some of the most beautiful places on earth, and there are even people flying in rockets above earth, orbiting beyond us all. There's a lot of really cool jobs out there, and because there are so many 'really cool' jobs out there, it makes it hard to be satisfied with your own job sometimes. 

It's easy to look at someone who snowboards down mountains in Alaska for Red Bull promotions and be jealous of their job. It's harder to look at the person who just took my order at McDonald's and be jealous of their's. Some jobs are just sexier, and sadly, the jobs that seem sexiest, aren't always the most important.

Important jobs are unattractive to most people. Being a garbage man, a construction worker or a fast food employee aren't always the most glamorous to those on the outside, but they are certainly important and necessary. These aren't sexy jobs, but they are jobs that, without them, would prevent society from being as great as it is. These jobs don't always sound great, but they're jobs that I'm greatful exist. 

I've struggled with job jealousy. It's always easy to think someone has it better off than you do in some other position, in some other company, in some other place. I've learned though that job jealousy is often a lie. No matter what role you're in or where you're at, your job is important, and more so, you're important. Wherever you are and in whatever you're doing, be all there, and think of all the reasons why people are better off because of the job you're doing. Don't be jealous of another's job; be joyful in your own, and do it like a champion today.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Work with joy in whatever and wherever you work, and that joy will spread to those you work with. 

10 Francis Chan Quotes that Challenge What 'Living for Christ' Looks Like

Via: churchm.ag

Francis Chan is an author, a speaker and a well-known leader throughout the world in the Church. He's a leader who left a mega-church to follow what he felt God had for him elsewhere, and he's someone who speaks Truth in a very real, very convicting way. His honesty, boldness and genuine life of faith have helped change "radical" into what should be "ordinary" for Followers of Christ.

He has written many books and presented many sermons, so it was hard to narrow down quotes, but these are one's that truly speak to every-day life and culture within the church. Here are 10 Francis Chan quotes that can radically challenge the way you live out your faith daily:

1) "We are a culture that relies on technology over community, a society in which spoken and written words are cheap, easy to come by, and excessive. Our culture says anything goes; fear of God is almost unheard of. We are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry."

2) "We don't get to decide who God is."

3) "When it's hard and you are doubtful, give more."

4) "Christians are like manure: spread them out and they help everything grow better, but keep them in one big pile and they stink horribly."

5) "The irony is that while God doesn’t need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don’t really want Him most of the time."

6) "Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."

7) "We never grow closer to God when we just live life. It takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness."

8) "Both worry and stress reek of arrogance."

9) "Are we in love with God or just His stuff?" 

10) "Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to un-believers."

Chan puts into perspective through his writing and speaking how a life of faith should look different from the world, and how God is truly worthy of all our faith, hope and trust. If you get some time, check out any of his books. You won't be disappointed, and you won't finish reading it without being challenged in some form or fashion, regardless of your theology. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: God is not conventional. He didn't ask us to have good bands and good speakers; He asked us to be united as One Body and to love our neighbor. 

Bedlam on the Brain

Via: siasat.com

Tonight was an important night in the state of Oklahoma. It was the night when the state's two favorite schools, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University battled it out in the state's favorite sport, football. Most folks across Oklahoma call this game 'Bedlam,' which is a word that means 'a noisy and confused state or scene.' It is just that. It's a game where both sets of fans are at their loudest, and a game in which anything can happen, especially confusing things. Unlike this game though that happens once a year in one state, bedlam also happens every day in everyone's life in some form or fashion. This is the bedlam that's in the mind. 

We all have those moments in our minds when things seem frantic and loud. There are thoughts that create stress and thoughts that create so much noise that it's impossible to think of anything else. They're usually the thoughts that question our capabilities, our lives and our beliefs. They create confusion and make noise until they're put to rest by being answered. It's bedlam. 

Bedlam in the mind isn't good. It's distracting, and it steals away our focus from what's important and what's in front of us because often times the thoughts creating bedlam are thoughts that aren't always the most important; They're the worries, doubt and fears. Just like Bedlam in the state of Oklahoma has a winner each year, so does the bedlam in your mind, and it's important for you to be the victor in that matchup.

Conquer bedlam. Turn the noisy thoughts of confusion into quiet thoughts that are silenced by looking at what's in front of you and what's important. Don't worry about the 'what if's' because that's what they are, if's. Pray, and turn the noisy, chaotic scene that is bedlam in your mind into a peace of mind. Leave bedlam to sports games and free it from mind games.

 -Cliff

Cliff's Note: Bedlam is a better football game than a mind game. Keep it that way. 

Don't Be a Thief of Hope

Today, I learned about a really interesting ministry in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but at the same time I learned about this ministry bringing a sense of hope to people, I also learned of the people trying to steal that hope. 

This ministry in Tulsa is a ministry that takes care of homeless people throughout the city.​ every Thursday night, Christians from all over  Tulsa, regardless of denomination, go under a bridge downtown and serve the people who are experiencing homelessness. They serve them a meal, forge relationships, hand out clothes, give haircuts, and do many other things that people experiencing poverty have trouble finding access to. It's a great ministry that unites not only Christians, but also unites the city and the people living in different financial demographics. It's a pretty picture; however, to my surprise, I learned that for a while, the city was trying to erase this pretty picture. 

I don't get why anyone would want to try to erase someone's hope who hardly has any hope left. I understand that providing help for those in need attracts more people who are in need, but I don't understand why that makes it a bad thing to help people. Why is it wrong to offer food and the essentials of life to someone who is down on their luck and truly needs just the basics of food and warmth. I don't understand what that has to do with politics, political sides,​ or being bad for a city, and it hurts my heart when I hear of people trying to discourage helping those who need help. After all, everyone needs help at some point in life. 

​As much as the city tried to steal a source of hope for people, it didn't. As much as this story of help trying to be stopped hurt me to hear, it didn't erase the hope I find in knowing this ministry is still doing its thing by the Grace of God. Don't let someone's hopelessness steal your hope, and don't let someone's burdening steal your helping. 

-Cliff​

​Cliff's Note: Hope and help both start with H.

The 'Giving' in Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is an interesting word. At the root of it is the word, "thanks," and at the end of it is the word, "giving." Looking at it this way is funny because rarely does anyone, myself included, say thanks after they give. 

I realize the actual word is meant to represent the "thanks we give" for all that we're thankful, but still. It's a funny thought to give to someone and say thank you, rather than to say thank you just upon receiving something from someone; however, giving is a blessing, and I think it's good to be thankful for opportunities to give, just as it is to be thankful for opportunities we've received. As the Proverb says​, "The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor." Not only is the blessing of receiving something to be thankful for, but so is the blessing of giving. 

​Even though the heart behind Thanksgiving is being thankful for all we have, maybe it's important to be thankful for all we have gotten to give, as well. After all, it's better to give than receive, and where things are better, things call for more thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!​

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Be thankful not only for all you have, but also for all the opportunities you've given others to "have."​

Why Are We Thankful?

It's Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful, but I'm not sure why.

I feel thankful. I feel thankful that I have a warm car to drive in. I feel thankful that I have a home to drive to, and I feel thankful that I have family and friends surrounding me to see every time I open a door. No matter where I turn, or what I do, I'll always be able to find someone to support me, and I wouldn't trade that for the world. It's definitely something to be thankful for, but in reality, why I am thankful? Am I thankful for what I have been blessed with or am I thankful that I'm not in someone else's shoes- someone else's shoes who might not have shoes, someone who is in need.

I’m not the young man sitting on the corner holding a sign that says, “I take smiles.” I’m not the girl that’s been abused so many times that she can’t even look a stranger in the eye. I’m not the man trying to take care of his young daughter day by day always trying to find somewhere safe to sleep. By comparison, I’m thankful because I’m not in any of these positions.

I have friends. I have family. I have food, clothes and shelter. I'm blessed beyond measure. “Look how much God has blessed me,” I think to myself.

I have become thankful from comparison rather than from compassion. The moment I start to compare myself to others, I begin to feel boastful or “better than."

Jesus was totally the opposite. Jesus “felt compassion on the crowds” when he saw them. He didn’t say, “I sure am thankful I have these five loaves of bread and two fish . . . sorry bout ya’ll.” He empathized with people and served them.

“When we are in the presence of others who are better, we become discontent, yet when we are in the presence of God, even our minds will find gratitude.”

When we dwell on God, we switch from feeling inadequate to feeling gratitude and thanksgiving. We don’t begin to compare ourselves to God, but we, in our smallness, begin to wonder that God would even care for us in our smallness, and we can certainly take joy in that.

Why are you thankful this Thanksgiving?

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Be thankful that in our smallness, God has taken care of us in His bigness. 

Two Suitcases, Two Years

For the past 420 days, I've lived out of nothing more than two suitcases. Talk about minimalistic. 

The past two circumstances I've been in, living in Seattle and living in Australia, required me to live without taking much with me. Having just got back, I realized just how much I'd left behind, and honestly, it made me want to light all my stuff and my entire room on fire. 

I didn't want to deal with all I had accumulated- All the stuff I don't need, while so many others are in need. I didn't want to face my little collection of stored up treasure.

At some point in life, I accumulated SO MUCH STUFF (I think it was in college when everyone tries to transition from high school style to adult style). I had clothes and shoes I didn't even remember having and so many other odds and ends, I was completely overwhelmed. How does someone who lived perfectly out of two suitcases worth of stuff for nearly two years have so much stuff, and why? 

Over my time away, I learned to live simply without even realizing it. I learned that only having a handful of shirts and pants was okay, and that a pair of white Chuck Taylor's and a pair of boots were enough to get by. Now, I have all this stuff and I don't know what to do with it- everything from shoes to jackets (Although, most of them are orange and black). 

I'm not sure how or why I accumulated so much stuff, but I know this- I don't really need it and there are lots of people out there who do. If you're reading this and are in need of some clothing, or know of someone who is, please message or email me to let me know. As long as I have my two suitcases, I'll be okay.  

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Live simply. 

Identifying the Real Need

This afternoon, my dad, my uncle, my cousin and I were repairing some barbed wire fence on our land. It's a pretty routine procedure that gets easier the more helping hands you have. One person can keep the wire out of the way, one person can check the tenseness of the wire down the line, while the other people can work the 'come-along' that pulls the barbed wire tight. In this situation, it was two older men and two younger men working the task. At one point, my uncle, one of the older men, was kneeling on the ground to fix the bottom wire, while I was standing above him keeping the rest of the barbed wires out of the way. As he was finishing up, he reached out his hand to me. I had no idea why; I just thought he was waiting for me to hand him some pliers or some tool that I knew I didn't have, so I just sat there staring at his hand wondering what he was doing. After a minute of waiting and him still awkwardly holding his hand out, I asked what he needed, and he simply said, "I just need a hand getting up."

Oh.

Now, I felt terrible. Here I was just staring at a man struggling to get up, and I didn't have the slightest idea. He's someone I know well and have worked with numbers of times, and he's family, yet I still didn't know he wanted/needed help even though he didn't specifically say it. I wasn't aware of the situation. I couldn't recognize the real need.

Looking back on this simple incident, it reminds me a lot of what it's like going through life. It's easy to look past a person and not realize maybe they just need a hand. Sometimes thing become so routine, it's easy to look past what a person is really needing and feeling. My uncle needed help up. I thought he needed pliers. The man on the street may need someone to talk to. I think he needs money. 

It's so easy to look past the real needs of a situation and try to fix them with something basic or material, like pliers. Sometimes, people don't always need exactly what it looks like they need. Sometimes it looks like someone could use a spare $5, when in reality, they could just use a spare five minutes of your time. Take a few moments within the next few days to slow down and just think: what is the real need in this situation. It's often not what you first think. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: You can't fix everything with pliers; Sometimes you just need a helping hand. 

Hope: More than Wishful Thinking

It's a funny moment when you realize a word means something different than what you thought it meant, and you use it in public. For example, in my 10th grade biology class, we were learning how to give CPR. My teacher asked the class the question, "What bone do you press on to apply CPR to someone?" Me, being in 10th grade and having "paid attention" throughout the majority of the class, confidently raised my hand to answer the question and said matter-of-factly, "The scrotum."

*crickets*

Then the teacher proceeded to call me out into the hallway for a chat because the scrotum is obviously not the bone you press on to apply CPR. It's something else. I know that now; I didn't then, but I sure thought I did (No, I wasn't smarting off with my answer. I sincerely thought the scrotum was the sternum. Oops). 

Messing up words can get you in trouble. It can get you detention (like in my case), it can just create an awkward situation for you, or it can make you believe a word means one thing your entire life when it actually means something else, creating a misunderstanding of most sentences that word is used in. This is what has happened to me with another word, "hope." 

For the longest time, I just thought hope meant something a long the lines of "wishful thinking," and I guess it does mean that to some extent. . . to "hope" to win the game," or "hope to feel better." Today, however, I found out that it means much more than that, at least from the Christian context anyway.

Today, I found out that hope for a Christian isn't just a wishful thinking; It's an expectant waiting, a knowledge of fact. It's superior to wishful thinking, and it's an expectancy of God to fulfill all of His Word and all of His Promises because "God cannot lie" (Heb. 6:18). Learning this today seemingly flipped my world upside down. So many verses made much more sense, so much confidence filled my heart, and so much more life came to God's promises; They became more than wishful thoughts; they became fact. I don't think I didn't believe these promises before, but changing the definition of hope from wishful thinking to expectant waiting separated what once sounded like God hoping to be for me, to knowing God is for me. It just sounds so much better. 

Now, I know why hope is not timid. Hope is confident because hope is Truth. Hope is more than wishful thinking. It's what saves us. After all, "Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently (Rom. 8:24-25)" 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Biblical hope is more than well-wishing; it's belief in fact and waiting expectantly for it. 

Photo Blog: Queenstown, NZ- The Highlights

If New Zealand isn't on your bucket list of places to travel, it should be. The views, the people and the atmosphere are absolutely outstanding, even if you're not into the whole Lord of the Rings scene.

I'll let the photos do the talking. I hope it inspires you to take a visit yourself!

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Go back. 

5 Things Jesus Said That Christians Hate Hearing

No saying or commandment of Jesus Christ is 'easy.'

His commandments are difficult. They're difficult to hear and even more difficult to follow, and frankly, at times, are even commands Christians can hate hearing. Jesus wasn't always gentle with His words, He wasn't a people-pleaser, and He most certainly wasn't politically correct. His teachings were countercultural to His day, and are even more so today. He taught to turn the other cheek, to forgive even in the most extreme cases in the most extreme ways and that He is the only Way to eternity. He gave it to us straight, no chaser. 

It's not just non-Christians, who feel like Jesus' teachings are extreme at times. Even to Christians, there are times that call for head scratchings and, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" moments- Moments like these, when we hate what we hear, but are called to live accordingly anyway:  

1) Love your enemies
"You have heard that is was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,' but I say to you, love your enemies . . ." - Matt. 5:43-44
Humans hurt one another, and no one gets through life without enemies. We have national enemies, friends who hurt us and other people we don't always see eye to eye with. It seems ludicrous to love these people, especially when they cause us harm; however, that's what we're supposed to do, love and pray for them. That's a tough one to swallow.

2) Take up your own cross
"If anyone desires to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me," - Matt. 16:24
Following Jesus comes with a cost. Though the gift of salvation has been paid, it still comes with a cost- your life.

3) The 'Golden Rule'
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." - Matt. 7:12
It's easy to be selfish. It's easy to only do what I want to do for me and forget about others; however, the moment I stop thinking of myself first and begin to think of others, the moment I begin to realize that there's more joy in selflessness that selfishness. It's hard to hear, but makes living so much better. 

4) 'Hate' your family
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:26
We all love our families, our friends and ourselves. It would seem like the worst thing to do to 'hate' the people we love, especially when Jesus says Himself to love everyone. It seems like a command that counters His other commands of loving thy neighbor. I don't believe we are to actually hate, but instead are called to put into perspective the importance of following Jesus, rather than following the world, even if it comes with following Jesus' commands rather than those closest to us. 

5) Let the dead bury the dead
"Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." - Luke 9:60
This sounds intense, doesn't it? No time for mourning or sorrow? It doesn't sound like it. Jesus reminds us of the pressing issue that this life is fleeting, and that the time to preach the Gospel is short. As intense as it sounds, I believe He's right: This life is temporary, and we shouldn't waste it. We should be ready to proclaim the life to come, not the life that has past. 

I think C.S. Lewis had it right:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Jesus was either Who He said He was, or He was crazy. He wasn't just a moral teacher or a God we can listen to sometimes. We have to either take all He said seriously, or nothing at all, even if we hate hearing it.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Sometimes what we need to hear most is what we hate hearing. 

Feeling Uninspired?

​"What should I write about?" - Me

"You could write about . . . *silence*" - Nick

"I haven't read my Bible in three days, and I feel so uninspired." - Me

"I think that's worth noting." - Nick

*Ding*

The less inspired I am, the more uninspired I feel.

It's interesting though, what inspires people. I suppose it's different for everyone.

As me for, I've spent the last three days in beautiful, New Zealand. Honestly, I thought that would be inspiration enough. Spending each day surrounded by some of the world's most spectacular beauty in the form of mountains, lakes, waterfalls and oceans seems like it would do the inspirational trick; however, here I sit uninspired to write something for only the second or third time on this journey of 100 blogs in 100 days.

I always thought nature inspired me, and I guess it does to an extreme extent. I thought sitting by lakes, hiking up mountains chasing waterfalls were all that i needed for real inspiration. These things are lifegiving, but, as of now, seem to have run out of steam on the inspirational train. The truth is, I'm missing out on the inspiration that drives my whole thought process.

I want to piggy back on the post that my friend, Bryce, wrote a couple of days ago about creativity. He wrote about how the Creator ultimately left one of His special marks on us, and that mark is creativity. Yes, just as creation (mountain, valleys and bodies of water) was inspired and created by Him, so were we, and in turn, we are inspired to create by those things, but ultimately we are inspired by Him and His Word. To create and be inspired, we must be in touch with our Creator and be inspired by Him.

For me, that's by spending time reading from His literal Words to us. What's more inspirational than the Word of a Supernatural, Triperson Diety and the Creator of the Universe? Not a lot, i can tell you that.

Dig Deep and find what inspires and sparks your creativity this week.

Create something.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Inspiration won't be found when you're not doing what inspires you.

The 'Present' is a Gift; Enjoy it

It's easy to remember the past, easy to stress about the future and hard to focus on the present. It's easy to reflect on past memories, both good and bad, and realize things could always be better or worse. It's stressful to think about the future and how things may or may not play out; However, why is it so difficult to just focus on the present?

Nostalgia seems like it can take over at every blink of the eye. It takes over the mind with thoughts of past friendships, memories, successes and failures, and it almost always leaves with the "What if?" question. The past is easy to go back to because it's already happened. It's an easy place the mind often goes to when it wants to escape from stress.

On the other hand, however, the mind spends a lot of time dwelling on the future, which in turn, creates stress. It's like a never ending cycle. I'll often find myself day-dreaming away about what could be, would be and should be, and I become consumed with future thoughts that do nothing but stress me out because I believe the only way things can unfold correctly is the way in which I think think them up (stress about) in my head. Focusing on the future leads to stress, and stress leads to nostalgia. The future and the past are not where we should be; we should be in the present.

Staying in the present is easier than said than done. Sure, it's easy to physically be somewhere, but how much harder is it to mentally be there? It's much easier to check out than it is to check in and focus. When's the last time you were fully invested into a conversation without wondering what was for lunch, how many missed texts you had or whether or not the person you're talking to is almost finished talking?

Dwelling on the past and stressing about the future rob the present. It's not wrong to reminisce on old memories, but don't do it so much that you miss the opportunities to make new ones. With that in mind, don't get so worked up about the future that you forget to take care of the present so the future can happen.

"Wherever you are, be all there."

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Don't be so nostolgic that it robs you of future opportunites to be nostolgic.

Create Creativity

The theme of creativity and what it truly means has resurfaced many times in my life, especially recently. So in this post, I’m going to tell my story as it relates to creativity, and then I’m going to help you tell yours. Here goes--

In November of 2010, my freshman year of college, I was given the opportunity to attend the World Creativity Forumin Oklahoma City. This is a world-renowned event, where creative minds from every possible walk of life come together once a year to share their stories and do their part to advance society as we know it. This event can be adequately described in one word: braingasm.

The World Creativity Forum, coupled with a recent discovery and mild obsession with oft-denounced Christian thinker, Rob Bell, made me realize something: I am so deeply compelled by these people who consider themselves “creatives” that I must be a creative person as well.

I didn’t really stop to think why I connected so well with these people. I just knew I wanted to be like them. It’s like we spoke a common language that went deeper than words. Their vibe was electrifying.

So, a year later, convinced of my creativity, I “created” an event at my university called the Oklahoma CreativityFestival (über creative, eh?). That kept me on my streak of “creativity” for a good while.

Fast forward to now, and this small-town Okie has found himself in Los Angeles, the most creative city in the world. I work for the world’s largest and arguably most innovative automotive company, Toyota. In the past few months, we have released the world’s first publically sold fuel-cell powered vehicle, we’ve announced our goal to only sell fuel cell vehicles by 2050 (basically, it’s an electric vehicle, but the electricity is provided by hydrogen which can be extracted from virtually anything that exists, and the only emission is pure drinking water), and we have invested $1billion in two new facilities where we will partner with Stanford & MIT to research artificial intelligence and autonomous transportation with the goals of eliminating fatalities caused by traffic accidents, as well as giving senior adults the opportunity to age at home with their independence and dignity intact.

Pardon me while I wipe the sweat off my brow, because my head is spinning from trying to wrap my head around thelife-changing creativity that surrounds me.

The flow of creativitysurrounding me doesn’t end at my profession though; my church, Mosaic, is situated at the end of the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard, and the mission of this church is to help people understand the critical connection between creativity and spirituality. To paraphrase the pastor, Erwin McManus:

“This is the intersection of creativity and spirituality—humans materialize the invisible… Humans create futures. No other creature has this power. The creative act is proof of the soul. We breathe; therefore we create. Jesus said we are salt of the earth and the light of the world. With those words, He illuminated the potential in us that we so often doubt.”

Why am I telling you all these details about my life? Because I want you to understand the extent of aninternal dilemma I recently faced: I call myself creative, I am drawn to creative people, I drench myself in the creativity of others… but I’m not really all that creative.

When I realized that, I felt defeated. So I began to process it, and I came to some conclusions about the truth of who I am: More and more, I realize that I am so compelled by creative people because I am actually not naturally like them. I’m really pretty boring by nature. It’s the same reason I am drawn to really liberal people: at the deepest level, I lean to the right, even if I don’t say it. That’s just who I am. But I really, really appreciate who other people are as well, and so I just want to get in their minds and live in their shoes sometimes.

Once I accepted that I’m drawn to creative people because I’m not that creative, I decided to dig even deeper into what creativity means, and when I did that, I came to an exciting conclusion: I am creative. I can create. I can take a thought and make it into something, even if it’s just words. That’s creating something, right? So maybe I’m not creative based on my former definition of creativity, which basically equated creativity to artistic expression. And while artistic expression is almost certainly one of the highest forms of creativity and beauty, that definition is also quite limited and narrow.

Here’s the lesson: creativity is not just art. Creativity is an acknowledgement within our souls that there is the potential for a better world, which can only be brought about by the unstoppable force of love. Beneath every riot chant, every protest song, every vulgar painting of war, death, depravity, and nakedness; beneath every poem of heartbreak, every euphoric dance beat, every tattoo, every Excel spreadsheet, every Powerpoint presentation, every cooked meal, every speaker’s message, every. single. output. that. we. make… is an acknowledgment--conscious or subconscious—of the existence of love. Not just brotherly love. Not just erotic love. No. Agape love. The love of God.The force of all that is good.One might argue that some create things that are meant to be evil or even just pointless. But evil and apathetic can only exist when there is love. And there is always love. There always will be love.

I’m not about to tell you that I plan on singlehandedly saving the world by turning Toyota into the PeaceCorps2.0. However, I plan on pouring my energy, life, and love into making the world better, using the auto industry as a vehicle (pun 100% intended).  I live by the Frederick Buechner quote, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” The world needs clean transportation. It needs the ability to safely transport goods and services around the world. Automotive is such an enabler of good… the possibilities are endless. I didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity to work in this industry, because it’s exactly where my gladness meets the world’s needs. It’s the place I can uniquely take love to people. It’s where I can most naturally create.

And therefore, I say to you: create. Create anything. Create the most abstract, indescribable thing you can think of. Because you are powerful. Whatever it is that you create was once invisible. It was a thought, an idea. And you are making it real.

Find what makes your heart the most glad, enter that space, and create within it.

At one time, you were merely a thought, an idea. But God created you into flesh & blood. He created you. And He saw that you were/are good. You are His deepest gladness. In His infinite power, He imprinted His own likeness upon you so that you too could create.

We are not gods, but we are God’s. And we are like God, who is the definition of love. So be like God and create. Do it out of and for love. Your creativity is eternal.

 -Bryce

Bryce's Note: Creativity is essential to your existence as a human; you have the ability to turn the invisible (thought) into reality (action).

This was a guest post done by my good friend, Bryce Rowland, out of California. He's got some big things ahead. Shout out to him for taking time out of his busy schedule to contribute to Cliff Notes.  

What's in your Backpack?

Imagine a backpack on your shoulders. Now, imagine filling it with your 'essentials,' whatever those are. Maybe it's books, a laptop, deodorant, clothes, photos... the list goes on and on. Keep filling it up. Now, imagine the weight of it. How heavy is it, and how much would that weight hold you down? Imagine it.

Today, I walked through the airport with 60 pounds of baggage, and walking through the airport with with 60 pounds of baggage is heavy. With bags on bags on bags strapped across my shoulders, it literally feels like the weight of the world is holding me back. I want to walk fast, but I can't. I want to get where I'm going, but I'm not. I want to feel free, but I don't, all because of stuff.

Packing for a six month stent in another country is difficult. "You may need this, you may need that, and oh, you can't forget this," roll constantly through the mind, creating a sense to need to stuff one's entire life into as few suitcases and bags as possible. Here's a hint from someone who's learned the hard way: you don't need to pack up your entire life and bring it with you because if you do, you're just going to end up with a lot of 'stuff' weighing on your shoulders.

From what I've learned, this is a lot like life. The more stuff I have, the more weighed down I feel. The more stuff I collect and try to put in my bag of 'essentials,' the more tied down, attached and stuck I feel. 'Stuff' does this to us. It makes us feel attached, and it makes it steals our hearts. I literally probably wore 40 percent of the clothes and shoes I brought, and I even packed decorations for my wall. Why? Because I was attached.

The idea here isn't packing, friends. The idea is attachment and storing up treasure. By the looks of what I put into my 'essentials' bag, I'd have to say I've stored up a lot of treasure in this world that is doing nothing but really holding me down and attaching my heart to things it doesn't need to be attached to. My treasure has been in the wrong place, and I can literally feel it weighing on my shoulders.

Where is your treasure, and again I ask, how heavy is your essentials bag? Don't store treasure up here. It will only hold you down and steal your heart, and you can't take it with you when you're gone anyway.

Travel light.

We're only here a short while, and we're heading toward eternity.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: "Where your treasure is, there is where your heart will be also."

The Question We're All Wondering About Communion

This morning at church, we took communion. Communion is a special time for Christians to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus, as we remember the body and the blood of Christ; however, this morning, I have to admit, I found myself distracted by the daunting question that I know we've all wondered:

Where do the leftover communion bread and juice go?

I know you may have clicked on this blog possibly expecting some deep, theological thoughts, but I think this could potentially be just as important as a theological complexity. This is a serious question, folks. Though, probably not as serious as reflecting on the ceremony itself, but still, it's a good question to ask. After all, this is Christ's body and blood we're talking about. We can't just throw that away, can we?

I have three theories that I believe could possible answer this question that we're all dying to know the real answer too. See what you think.

1) The greeters eat it
It's commonly known that the greeters at a church chill in the back and shoot the breeze once the service starts; however, I believe that greeting isn't their only important role. I believe they're the ones who have to properly dispose of all the leftover communion elements by eating it all in the back after everyone has partaken. It may or may not be a rule that all the communion elements must be eaten before the service ends, and it's the greeters job to make sure this rule is followed. If you're a greeter at your local church, please, way in on this theory. I'd be interested to know how long it takes you to eat four leftover loaves of bread.

2) It's given to the kid's ministry
Everyone knows that a kid's ministry isn't a 'kid's ministry' until there are snacks involved. Every once and a while, the kid's ministry is bound to run out of off-brand-Oreos for snacks, so they have to make an exception. In step the leftover communion elements. It's a special Sunday when the kid's get the leftover, stale bread and imitation grape juice.

3) The interns get it
Here's a thought for you: Why do churches always have interns? Answer: To dispose of the leftover communion elements. Here's my thought: The leftover bread and juice get put down a shoot, which lands on a conveyer belt, leading to a Willy-Wonka-like factory with a grape juice river (instead of chocolate) where the church interns sort out the leftover bread remains and re-bag it for future use. It's a great recycling method, plus, it keeps the interns busy in their time off from folding church bulletins.

What do you think? What are your theories on the mystery of leftover communion? Is it simply thrown away, or is there more to it all that we just don't know about?

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Leftover communion- the church's greatest conspiracy

Prayers for Paris

It feels weird to be normal on a day like today, the day after which hundreds of people were injured or killed for no reason. It just feels strange to be living a normal, safe life. 

A huge majority of the world is in pain, sorrow and disbelief after yet another terrorist attack on one of the world's most renowned cities, Paris, France, and I'm just going about my day-to-day life on the other side of the world. It's almost like nothing happened; it's so far off. It just feels strange. I, much like the rest of the world, am simply in shock.

What does someone do when they're halfway around the world and hears about more than a hundred people being murdered and more than a hundred more injured? How can someone in a current state of shock, confusion and displacement help? 

I'm not sure, but I know these things:

1) We can be sad, but we can't be scared

2) We can take a moment to really feel what it felt like on Sept. 11, 2001 and really empathize with our friends in France

3) We can pray for Paris

In moments of terror, shock and pain, we can stand strong, we can surround those that need to be surrounded in support and we can pray for a peace that transcends all understanding. We can take heart in knowing that there is hope in the future, and that hope leads us as we move forward. 

It's easy to dwell on how ugly this world can be, but in the future, I pray that Paris can take heart in how beautiful the world can be when humanity comes together to love on people in need.

-Cliff

-Cliff's Note: Pray for Paris.