Changing People Serving an Unchanging God

Have you ever noticed how much human beings change over time? It's ridiculous, and more often than the seasons. It's no wonder 'mood rings' are an actual thing. But, besides changing moods every hour or so, we change lifestyles, we change the songs on our favorite playlists, and, some of us, even change our clothes. We change from high school to college and from college to adulthood, and life rarely looks the same that it did 'four years ago' at any point. We're a species and people that love change, so we're constantly changing. 

But we were created by a God who never changes.

How does that work, and why does it often feel like God has and does change sometimes?

Lately, I've been doing a lot of reading in the Old Testament section of the Bible. I've read through Genesis, Exodus and Job, and frankly, it seems like God changes a lot through those three books as I read them, like more so than it seems like He might change from the Old Testament to the New Testament. In just three short books, He goes from walking, talking and conversing with man and creation fairly regularly and communicating to many of His servants to only communicating with one or two men on top of a mountain or inside of a tent behind a vail in order to communicate to His people. Then, He sets up the Law, and it all goes downhill from there. It doesn't seem to take long when reading the Bible to question or notice that God, who is never-changing, seems to change and seem different at different stages and points in Scripture.

God doesn't change. It says that in the Bible several times, namely in the book of Micah when it says, "I am the Lord; I change not." It's pretty point blank; however, sometimes it seems like God has changed over time, and it's easy to think and feel that. Heck, sometimes it seems like He's changed more than me; however, that can't be true because that would go against the very thing that He tells us about Himself: that He's eternal. 

It's easy to read into scripture and question that God has changed. Just like I did above^. However, it's even easier to step back and see that He hasn't. He's always been just, He's always been in control and He's always been full of grace- grace that comes every. single. day. That's unchanging. 

I change my socks, I change my tunes and I change my mood. I'm rarely the same person one morning that I was the morning before, and I rarely treat anyone with the amounts of grace I should, especially daily. I'm changing, but God isn't. Hopefully, I'm changing a little bit each and every day to look a little bit more like my unchanging Creator. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Just because God doesn't change, doesn't mean you shouldn't (socks included). 

HELP: I'm An Adult & Forget How To Read For Fun

A lot of changes happen throughout the years of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. You go through puberty, you start driving cars instead of playing with them and your capes turn into ordinary blankets again. Another thing that happens in the transition from childhood to adulthood is that you begin to read for different reasons, and, sadly, the only thing your parents read to you is your great aunt's Facebook status. The nights of bedtime stories spent with the latest adventure story disappear and are replaced with nights of all night study sessions with the latest $200 text book or 'self-help' literature. Sadly, at least for me, reading seems to have changed.  

The other day I walked into Barnes & Noble with the goal of coming out with a book to read that was "fun," and frankly, I had no idea where to even start looking. For as long as I can remember (or at least for the last six years of my life), all that I've seemed to have read have been theology books, books on faith or text books. I honestly couldn't remember reading anything for fun since my high school days, and the only author I could remember was J.K. Rowling (if she started writing again, all my book problems would be solved, but alas she has not). It was a seriously weird realization for me. All the fun books and authors I used to know were in the teenager section, and I knew I didn't want find myself pouring over another angsty-teen novel at age 24, so I headed for the adult fiction section and hoped for the best.

Hope was lost.

I felt like I was looking for Waldo in the Candy Cane Forest. I couldn't find anything, and I had no idea where to even start. I mean, Barnes & Noble has like a bazillion books, and not all of which, I'm assuming, are good. Therefore, I got overwhelmed, shuffled my feet out the door and left, book-less. 

It was as I was walking out the door that I came to the sad realization that I have forgotten how to read for fun. It's kind of like that feeling a competitive swimming has when all of his or her friends want to go hang out by the pool in the summer and 'swim.' The only thing that 'swim' means to you is swimming laps, and your friends definitely aren't going to be doing that, so you're left wondering, "How does one just 'go swimming' without swimming 1,200 meters?"

Realizing I'd forgotten how to read for fun really irritated me and left me feeling even less like a kid. Sure, I could've gone into the bookstore's fiction section and grabbed anything written by Charles Dickens or Mark Twain and been fine, but there was just something empty feeling about walking into a bookstore with literally zero idea of any authors or creative stories to pick up. I miss the days of having a list of books to get through throughout the school year and reading stories because they're stories, not just because they contain loads of knowledge. There are lots of creative minds and creative works out there ready to by read; I was just at a loss for how to find them.

Like most instances when I'm at a loss, I told a couple of friends about the problem I was having, and two short days later, I had a list of five 'fun' books to check out, the location of the nearest public library and a copy of a book called, "This is a Book," (fun title, right?) in my hand. So, if you're like me and at a loss for what to read or how to read for fun as you've gotten older, here's a simple solution: Ask a friend for help. Odds are, not everyone you know has forgotten the secret art of reading for reading's sake. As Reading Rainbow once said, "Take a look; It's in a book."

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Reading doesn't have to be all about theology, knowledge and textbooks. It can be fun, no matter how old you get.  

Embracing My Inner Hipster

Do you ever fear that your true self is someone that culture constantly mocks or considers a cliche? For example, let's just say you're a Dallas Cowboys fan because that's who your parents liked when you were growing up. Even though it's the most cliche NFL team in the country, you still like them, and any time someone asks you who your favorite team is, and you respond with, "The Dallas Cowboys," they give you that look. You know, the look that only Dallas Cowboy fans and hipsters know. The look of "Oh, of course you are. How original." The person couldn't care less that you genuinely grew up liking the team as a part of a family tradition, and they just automatically put you into the category of being a cliche Dallas Cowboy fan. 

The more I look at myself now-a-days, the more I feel like I fall into this category of a cliche. Why? Because I fit perfectly into both of said categories above - one more than the other. Yes, I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan, but more so than that, I feel like if I looked at myself in the mirror, I would call me that word we all know and love: a hipster (I guess the first step is admitting it). 

I'm going to tell you a few of my favorite things, and I'll let you decide for yourself whether or not I fit the mold:

• Blogging
• Converse shoes
• Coffee shops
• Music
• Apple Products
• 'Slim' pants
• Photography
• Graphic design
• Vinyl
• Hiking
• Traveling

I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. If you were to draw up a person that looked like what I just described, you'd probably add on some thick rimmed glasses and a beanie, but for the most part, you'd come out with a hipster-ish looking individual. Now, for the longest time, this bothered me. I didn't want to be put into a category, especially a category as cliche as 'hipster,' but really, that list above describes me pretty well, despite how cliche it may be. Those are the things and hobbies in life that I find most enjoyable; they aren't part of a mold that I'm trying to fit into. It's just life.

I'm not writing this to admit to being a hipster, and I'm not writing it to encourage you to 'just be yourself no matter what that looks like!' I'm writing this because I want to encourage you not to be afraid of what culture may or may not call you. If you like country music, wearing cowboy boots and farming, don't be afraid of the word 'redneck.' If you like school, reading and have to wear glasses, don't be afraid of the word 'nerd.'

Whatever category you fear you may fit in, you're more than a category. You're more than a label, and you're more than a word that someone may call you. We all have our own interests, and we all have things in our lives that genuinely make us happy. It's not about living up to or not living up to what culture says about you. Don't be afraid of 'fitting a cliche' or not. Enjoy what you enjoy and embrace your inner 'hipster' (or whatever the world calls you that you may or may not like to hear).

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: If you look like a _____, sound like a ______ and smell like a ______, you might be a blank, but that's not always a bad thing. (results vary) 
 

Why God's People Multiply Under Persecution

Have you ever sat by a stagnant body of water? You know, like an old pond where the water is murky and covered with algae or a just a stagnant creek that hasn't seen the light of day all summer. Maybe I'm alone on this, but I just feel like they're one of the grossest things out there. They're full of mosquitos, moss and weird kinds of bacteria that are bound to cause diseases unknown to man if the water is consumed, and they're in no need of a 'no swimming' sign because that's the last thing anyone would want to do in them. Stagnant bodies of water are just kind of repulsive. 

I sat by a stagnant body of water this weekend. Sure, it's the middle of winter, and there's no mosquitos or moss out yet, but it was still a very unappealing piece of nature. It smelt funny, and I could only imagine what kind of larva were laid in its depth just waiting to hatch come spring time. It was a reminder that there isn't a lot of good that comes out of a stagnant lifestyle.

The other day, I was reading in the book of Exodus, and in the first chapter, there's this verse that says, "The more they (the Israelites) were oppressed, the more they multiplied, and the more they spread abroad." In this verse, it's basically talking about talking about how the worse the Egyptians (the people enslaving the Israelites, God's people) treated the Israelites, the more they multiplied. In other words, the more the oppressed and the more persecuted God's chosen people were by the Egyptians, the more they grew as a people and multiplied throughout the land. Essentially, it sounds kind of like for every one Israelite that might have been treated poorly, 10 more Israelites were born. God's people just kept having babies, and there was nothing the Egyptians could do about it because the harder they tried, the worse the situation got. The Israelites were not a stagnant people; they were multiplying and spreading all over the place. But how and why? They were spreading and multiplying because they were oppressed and God was blessing them in that oppression. They weren't stagnant because they were in the face of persecution. 

 I think this same situation applies to God's people and the Church today. I think God multiplies and spreads His people the same way He has always, and sometimes, we forget that. Just as the Israelites multiplied and spread under great persecution and oppression from the Egyptians, the early Church multiplied and spread under great persecution and oppression from the Romans, and now, in modern times, just as the early Church multiplied and spread under great persecution and oppression from the Romans, the modern Church is multiplying and spreading under great persecution and oppression all around the world in countries like China where Christianity is illegal.

America is different. For the past couple hundred years, the Church here hasn't seen much persecution or oppression. On the contrary, it has seen the opposite. It has been supported by the majority of the population, and is, for the most part, known as a Christian nation. It's for this reason, that it seems like the Church in America has become stagnant at times. It has been a place that doesn't seem to move or multiply as much because it has lacked persecution; however, I think this could be changing, and I think for the first time in a long time, the Church in America may begin to start experiencing some of the persecution and oppression that God has always used to multiply and spread His people. 

As things seem to get crazier and crazier in the 'nation under God,' I believe the Church will begin to lose some of its stagnation. I believe it's going to start to moving again, not that it hasn't in the past couple hundred years, but in a new way that it hasn't before. I believe the American Church is about to shake off some of the moss from its stagnant comfort and ease and move into a new period of multiplication and growth in a time when it's becoming harder and harder to be a Christian in this nation under God. It's going to be hard, and it's going to be different, but I'm excited. I'm excited to see what God has in store for this nation, and I'm excited not to be a stagnant pond any more. Let the waves roll in. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: God's people multiply when God's people experience persecution. 

Hot Tub Time Machines

This past week, I joined a local gym for the first time since I've moved to Tulsa. It's a great little gym connected to a hospital with all of your basic gym needs such as weights, cardio equipment, etc., but the best thing about this gym is that it has a hot tub!

Hot tubs are like the perfect combination of a bathtub and a swimming pool; it's hot like a bath tub (minus soap), but big (and public) like a swimming pool. Hot tubs are also great because you get to experience awkwardness at its finest. I mean, what's better than sharing a bubbling pool of luke warm water with half naked strangers who may or may not be the same gender as you and may or may not be twice your age. It's great not only because it's awkward, but also because you never know what kind of good conversations you're going to over hear. 

Today, during my hot tub session, I walked in on two older gentlemen, each over the age of 70, having a discussion about their loss of vision over the years. One was a doctor from Philly and the other was a Tulsa kid, born and raised and a big fan of the Temple University basketball team. Now, you may be thinking, "Why is he peppering in all of this information for backstory? What's the point?"

Here's the answer, I don't really have a point other than the fact that there is just something so cool to me about listening to older generations discuss life with one another. Have you ever just sat around and listened to older people talk? It's so enlightening. These two guys never got around to asking me how my vision was, if I'd been to Philly or how I thought Temple would fair in the NCAA tournament this year, but that didn't matter. I was more than happy just listening and they were more than happy just sharing. It was like my own hot tub time machine. I don't want to call this eavesdropping; I want to call it learning. It's not like I really learned any super valuable life lesson from their talk, but I did learn some of their story, and that in itself is cool and worth it. 

Hearing and knowing a piece of someone's story is a special thing. After all, a person's story is something we all have, yet something none of us have in common. Stories from older generations are even better because they're old stories to new ears with new applications. If you haven't before, sit down and listen to some old stories, even if it takes eavesdropping in a hot tub. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: You don't need a time machine or a hot tub to travel through time.  

When Prayer Feels Overwhelming

I met with a good buddy of mine every Wednesday morning at the same coffee shop at 6:30 a.m. It sits about 4 blocks from both of our houses, so it's a great location, and it has just about the best dirty Chai latte either of us have ever had (shoutout to you, Shades of Brown). We meet up to read, exchange successes/struggles and discuss random facts of life. It's a great time.

Anyway, today we were talking, and the topic of prayer came up. I asked him a question about whether or not he thought that prayer seemed overwhelming at times, and just as I feel, he too said it felt overwhelming at times. It was a great piece of honesty that I've never gotten off my chest before, and I'm glad I wasn't alone in feeling that way.

I mean, think about it. The Bible tells us to 'pray without ceasing,' there's always prayer requests coming in from friends and family and then to wrap it all up, there's always local, national and global issues and leaders to pray for. It's A LOT, and frankly, much of the time, I'm not sure what to do with it all and how to feel about it.

Usually, I spend my 'high points' of prayer in the morning and at night each day. Those are the times when I shut my door, turn everything off and am able to sit in the presence of my Maker to pray. These are also the times when I find myself most overwhelmed by prayer. As I'm praying, the task of trying to remember all the request I've been asked to pray for over the last few days, the needs of my country and the praises of answered prayers past seems daunting, and I often find myself trying to remember things rather than praying for them. After all, I don't want to be the guy that says, "Yes, I'll be praying for you," and then never actually do it.

So, the more my friend and I talked about this situation and this feeling, the more we realized that praying doesn't have to be a set schedule, and it doesn't always have to be everything all at once. Prayer can be whenever, wherever, and the last thing it should be is 'overwhelming.' It should be the opposite of that, really. Don't worry about piecing all the prayer requests you have stored up in a two minute prayer before you walk out the door. We have 24-hours in a day for a reason, and we're to pray without ceasing for a reason. It's inevitable that the Holy Spirit is acting in the hearts of believers, and He will guide your mind and your heart to prayer. If you randomly think of someone/someone's request in the middle of the day, take a moment to say that prayer for them you said you would say. Odds are, you didn't just think of them randomly for no reason.

God knows our hearts, our minds and our souls, and He hears all of our prayers- the out-loud ones, the silent ones and the ones we stop and say during the middle of the day when it might seem most inconvenient; it's just up to us to acknowledge that wonderful promise and act on it. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Prayer shouldn't be overwhelming; it should be encouraging. 

What Blogging for 100 Straight Days Taught Me

Today is a day that I thought would never, ever get here. Today is day 100. This is blog number 100 out of 100, finally completing the goal that I set for myself on Oct. 18 last year to complete 100 blogs in 100 days, and now, as I look back on it and where it started, I feel like I'm over looking the Grand Canyon. What. A. Workout. 

It's funny how Cliff Notes has evolved over these past few months. It has guest posts, posts about faith, posts about life and helpful hint posts, but most of all, it has posts about relatable life lessons. Therefor, I find it ironic, yet somewhat fitting, that like most things in life and most things written on Cliff Notes, blogging over these past few months has taught me a life lesson. It's not a life lesson that's super profound or mind-blowing, and it's not a life lesson that I can't say that I haven't thought of before. It's a simple, practical life lesson that I think we can all relate to.

The life lesson is this: If you set a goal and want to do something, sometimes you just have to do it, even when you have no idea what you're doing, and it's the last thing you want to do. Just do it. It may look like a never-ending journey with no end in site, but it isn't. All goals have an end, and all goals better you in the end.

Over these last 100 days, a lot has happened. There have been nights I've stayed up longer than I've wanted to just to get a blog out, nights that I've been out with friends and not gotten back till 1 a.m. and had to stay up to write and, mostly, nights that I literally have had ZERO idea of what I wanted to write about; I think that's the funniest part and where I've learned this life lesson the most: Blogging for 100 days doesn't mean that I've had 100 ideas of something to write about. On the contrary, I've probably had about 20 ideas I've wanted to write about, and the other 80 ideas have come from just sitting at my lap top the night of and reflecting on the day. Most of the time, blogging has been a means to look back at a day lived, reflect on it, realize a lesson learned and share that lesson with others who I know have probably encountered the same thing before. It has become an exercise to practice honesty and vulnerability, and it has become something that has made me realize that you don't always have to know what you're doing or how you're going to do it in order to do something. Sometimes you just have to step up to the plate, take a swing and hope to hit the ball.

When I started this 100 days of blogging, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but now, I don't think I'm going to stop. I may not write EVERY SINGLE DAY, but It'll be close to that. So, thank you to everyone who has kept up with Cliff Notes over these past few months, who has not gotten annoyed with it clogging up your newsfeed and especially those who have sent any sort of encouragement my way to keep writing, no matter what. It's come on the days I've needed it most and on the days I've felt like quitting. Here's to the next 100 days.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Whatever goals you set, do what you need to to accomplish them. Do it when you want to, when you don't want to and when the world doesn't want you to. You set the goal for a reason.  

A Life-Lesson From: "Will You Open This For Me?"

It's funny how just noticing and analyzing human behavior during the mundane things of every day life can really open your eyes to how your own behavior in certain situations. I'm by no means a psychologist or a sociologist, but I do like people watching, and I do like learning from other people and myself. Because of this, I had one of those learning moments this afternoon. 

Today at work during our lunch break, my friend was trying to get the lid of her soup unscrewed. After trying for a few seconds, she gave up with a sigh and looked to the guy on her left to ask if he could open it for her. Naturally, he obliged, and after some effort and time spent trying himself, he was able to pop the top off, and she was able to enjoy her soup.

This got me to thinking about how these scenarios usually go for me, personally. If I'm in her shoes, and I can't get something open, I usually give up pretty quickly just like she did because I feel awkward and weak when I can't open something, especially with people staring, and so I pass it a long to another person to see they have any better luck with it. If they do, I immediately chime in with the, "Well, I loosened it," line. On the other hand, if I'm on the receiving end of a container that I can't be opened, I'm much more likely to put forth more effort to open said container than I would if it was my own container, especially if it was a female who handed it to me. There's this sense of 'saving the day' if you're able to open someone else's jar, and you definitely don't want to be the person looking weak after the other person "loosened it." Simply put, I spend a little more time and work a little harder when it's not my container to open.

This may just be the case for me, but honestly, I think it's the case for a lot of people. I believe we would all say we'd try a little harder to open someone else's container. Why? It could be simply because we want to help people, or it could be something deeper, like the idea of wanting to impress our peers. I know that's the case for me. If I'm honest, I don't always want to open your jar of pickles because I want to help you get your sour cucumber of goodness; I usually want to open your jar of pickles because I want to prove my strength because I'm a guy and that's what guys are supposed to do. 

It's a weird moment when you realize a motive behind something so common as opening a jar for someone. It's a reality check, and it's a check to my ego. I don't want to do 'nice things' out of selfish motives; I want to do 'nice things' out of selfless motives. True, the nice thing gets done either way, but much of the time when we serve or do anything for anyone, it's the heart behind it that counts, not just the service.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Actual strength isn't found in opening the pickle jar; it's found in the heart behind the hand opening the pickle jar. 

When Bison Make You Feel Like a Baby

Have you ever been to the ocean just to stand in front of it and let it breathe on you? If you haven't, I highly suggest it sometime. Sure, if you're going to the ocean, definitely go swimming, play, tan and do more than just stand in front of it, but at least take a moment to stand in front of it, look out upon it's vastness and let its breeze breathe the fresh salt air on your face for a few minutes. It will make you feel smaller than the grains of sand you're standing on. 

There is something to be said for sitting in the presence of something greater than yourself. It's a small feeling, a humbling feeling and honestly, a feeling of reverent fear. This looks different for a lot of people. Some people feel small next to mountains, others oceans and for some, even trees do the trick; however, for me, lately it's been beasts. I'm not sure if you've ever thought about it before or not, but there are a lot of things out there that can kill or seriously maim a defenseless human being. There aren't just lions, tigers and bears out there, there's more- Like hippos, snakes and even insects can do some damage. However, today, I spent some time in the presence of something just as dangerous as any other animal roaming the earth that might make your knees shake: the American Bison.

This afternoon, I took a trip over to Osage County in the Northern part of Oklahoma to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. It's there that over 2,000 American Bison call home. There were herds and herds of them around every curve of the gravel road throughout the state park, and it provided me with just the right dosage of 'feeling small' that I needed.

There's just something so cool to me about sitting and watching pieces of creation that could tear me limb from limb just do their thing. I literally did nothing but watch and photograph buffalo for three hours, and not once was I bored. I was in awe, entertained and humbled all afternoon. At one point, my truck was completely surrounded by at least 20 buffalo for about five minutes, leaving me unable to go anywhere; the last thing I wanted to do was honk my horn and make one mad. I don't think my car insurance covers buffalo damage, so I just had to sit and wait in the middle of what I felt like was a circle of beasts that could easily have their way with my F-150 and myself if they wanted to. It was awesome.

If you never have, I would encourage you to intentionally go sit in the presence of something greater than yourself. Go to the zoo and watch the lions eat, go to the mountains and stand at the base of them or go to the ocean and let it's breeze blow you away. Whatever it might be that would make you feel small, humble and defenseless, take a trip to see it; it will remind you Who your Creator is.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Creation is a great reminder that you are not greater than the Creator. 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I drive a lot. I'm not sure why or how it always ends up happening, but it seems like I always end up spending a lot of my free days driving for at least an hour or two somewhere to see someone or some thing. It's been that way since college for me, really, as the job I had in school required me to drive a lot during the weekends. Driving has become something that I look forward to and enjoy because it's fairly easy going, it provides a lot of time for one to think and it's a time that I can blare and connect through music- my favorite part. 

There's nothing like throwing on some of your favorite tunes and hitting the road by yourself. You don't have to stress about playing DJ or worry about what anyone else wants to listen to. You can throw your music into shuffle mode, hit skip as many times as you want and then land on something that fits exactly how you're feeling without having to worry about whether or not any one else in the car is feeling it. It's a great time to let out emotions, be honest with yourself and play steering wheel drums as loud as you want. This was something I got to do today, and there was one song in particular that I connected really well with that I never have before on an interesting level.

This afternoon during my shuffle session, the song 'The Good, the Bad, the Ugly," came on by Lecrae (no relation to the movie, 'The Good, the Bad, the Ugly). If there's one thing I like about listening to Lecrae, it's his lyrics. Sure, he's revitalized and set a new standard within the Christian hip-hop world with his style and quality of music, but more so than that, he's set a high standard of honesty within his song writing that I don't find in a lot of music. This was something that I connected with today in a new way.

As a writer, myself, I know how hard it can be to be honest in writing, especially when that writing is for other people and available for the entire world-wide-web to read. It's a place of vulnerability and a place that's hard to go to because it exposes everything to everyone. It's kind of like standing naked out in public, but instead of everyone seeing your body on display, it's your heart, mind and soul. It can be scary. 

Anyway, in this song, Lecrae opens up his past for the world to see; all of it, the good, the bad and the ugly parts. He talks about the drugs he used to struggle with, the girls he used to mess around with, and even more than that, he confesses the abortion he supported in order to keep his life the way he wanted it. Really, if you stop the beat and just hear the words, it's a song of complete vulnerability and honesty, confessing to his fans, followers and friends who he once was and what he's once done.

Today was the first time I think I'd really listened to that song before, and it really meant a lot to me. As a brother in Christ, and as a man trying to live a life of honesty and accountability, to hear someone put that kind of intense messiness out for the world to see was really inspiring. It spoke to me heart and I sympathized with him, just through a song. I became aware of the fact that the Church is really full of messy people who are sometimes pretending to look clean all the time. If we were really honest about our good, bad and ugly sides, I think the Church might be closer together than it is. It's just my opinion, but I think if Christians stopped trying to look like a bunch of perfect people and instead were real and honest about our imperfections, we might begin to see more perfection. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: The good, the bad and the uglier the Church, the prettier it will be. 

Change: The Extrovert in Me

Have you ever gone through a change in life when you're just stuck kind of wondering, "Whoa, when did that happen?"  It might be a  change you notice yourself or a change that someone points out to you, but it's a change none the less. It can be a good thing, a bad thing or just something weird, like being able to finally grow out a full beard (still not me). 

Well, recently I experienced one of those really weird changes that I'm still trying to figure out myself, and honestly, still trying to figure out if it's even a change. So, here it is: I believe I have turned into an extrovert. There. I said it, and I can't believe it.  

For the longest time I've always considered myself to be extremely introverted. Why? Because I'm a pretty shy guy, I've always liked my personal space and I don't do good in large crowds. Now, however, I'm not totally sure that these three 'areas of my life' are where I get my energy from. Lately, it seems like the opposit. It seems like I get most of my energy from stepping out of my comfort zone, being around people and hanging out in large crowds, and I have zero idea when this changed happened. Maybe it's because I lived with 30 people for 10 months; I don't know. I just know that it's a weird change in my life, and I have no idea when it happened. 

I'm wondering how many other random, completely out of context life changes are set to happen in life in the future. Like, is this just a stage? Is it normal? Do other people experience such drastic randomness? Who knows, and who knows if there's truly any such thing as a true introvert or extrovert. Maybe we all have some of both and that's just something I'm just now noticing in myself and in others.  

Life's funny and so are personalities. Embrace change because you never know when it might happen.  

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Change happens, even if it's grey hair, and it's okay.  

5 Ways to Become a 'Morning Person'

Waking up in the mornings is a funny thing. It's almost like waking up from time travel. One moment it's one day, and then the next moment, that day is gone and it's another day- all with the literal closing and opening of an eye. It's like going on this long 6 - 8 hour journey that usually feels like five minutes in which you don't remember anything about. Then, you open your eyes, wake up and feel like you've either been hit by a bus or had a long night of drinking the night before. 

Another funny thing about waking up in the morning is the way that it effects your thought process. Take for example this common situation: It's 6:30 a.m., and your alarm goes off. You push snooze because in your mind at that moment in time, eight more minutes sounds like an hour and sounds like if you can only get that eight more minutes of sleep, you'll be fully rested. Eight minutes goes by, your alarm goes off and you push snooze again. And again. And heck, you're already going to be running 30 minutes late, what's wrong with hitting snooze one last time? It doesn't even matter at this point, right? See, the mind does funny things when it's morning and your reasoning function isn't full awake yet. When I think about that situation now while I'm fully awake, I think it's dumb to push snooze that many times; I would love to have the extra 30 minutes to myself in the mornings so I don't have to rush around to get to work on time; however, if you ask me at 6 a.m. if I want that extra 30 minutes, you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to take it. It's like I'm two different people. 

You see though, I really do like mornings. I don't know if I'd call myself a morning person, but I enjoy the part of the day before anyone else is awake yet; it's so quiet, and I feel almost like I have the world to myself. The hardest part of it all is the first minute and a half of trying to convince myself to crawl out of my warm cocoon and put my feet on the cold, wooden floor so I can make my way to the kitchen. After that 90 seconds though, early mornings are worth it. 

So if you're like me and trying to get into the whole early-morning adulthood thing, here's a couple of bullets of advice:

• Start by setting your alarm just 15 minutes earlier each morning until you're used to the early times.
• Don't set your alarm to the tune of your favorite song; By day three you'll hate your alarm and you'll hate that song.
• Set your alarm far enough away form your bed that you have to get out of bed to shut it off.
• Don't give up, even if you still find yourself hitting snooze.
• Think about why you're waking up as you wake up, not why you shouldn't wake up early.
  

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: You snooze, you lose.​

For When You Feel Ripped Off

Today was a happy day! After 2.5 long weeks, I finally got my truck back from the shop after my little fender bender that happened a month or so back. I was so pumped! I finally got transportation back in my life without having to rely on my friends (sorry, guys), Ubers or walking everywhere in the cold January air. I felt the freedom flow back into my anxious, lead feet, ready to hit the road again to drive around and see friends here and there. But then. . . I saw the bill. 

You know how sometimes you're like, "I bet I know what this is going to cost," (you know, because of estimates). Well, I did NOT know what this was going to cost me because the estimate they gave me was a lightyear away from what it ended up being. Long story short, I left the shop feeling PUMPED that I actually got to drive my own vehicle home, but by the time I got home, I felt broke as a joke and kind of ripped off, outweighing said PUMPED feeling momentarily. 

This circumstance provided a chance for me to do a heart check on myself by asking the question, "How should I respond when I feel like someone rips me off?" It's a question we should all ask because, eventually, we're all going to feel ripped off at some point.

Should we be angry? Do we say something, or better yet, do we retaliate? Should we pretend like nothing happened and just move on to the next thing with a little less cash in our pockets? WWJD? Do we make a vow to never use a business again? There are just so many options, thoughts and feelings, but which one is the right one? 

I'm still not sure, and I'm still not totally sure how I'm going to respond, but I know this, as angry as I was about it, I don't want to be angry, and as much as I wanted to walk back into the shop and demand to know why the cost was so much higher than predicted cost, I don't want to be a demanding person. I actually want to be the opposite of those types of things; I don't want to be angry or demanding, and I definitely don't want something like money getting me down in the dumps. There are bigger things to worry about and other things I'd rather be known for. 

Looking back on it now as the anger has flared down and I've asked myself that question, there's probably a logical explanation for what happened between the estimate and the actual. Going in there with my agenda and my thoughts on how they should fix it probably won't make any difference, and, honestly, I probably don't know enough about cars or the situation to justify anything. With that, I guess the best way I can think to respond when it feels like someone has ripped you off is to step back, let the anger flare down and begin to think logically, not emotionally, about the situation at hand. Weigh the facts and try to see things from the other side of the fence. Sure, you may and I may get ripped off, but in the end, aren't we supposed to turn the other cheek and give someone our shirt if someone takes our coat? 

Sometimes we're going to get the short end of the straw, but that's okay. Life happens, and in time, everything works out. If you feel ripped off, take a breath, step back and think about what happened and why the other party did what they did and why you're responding the way you're responding, then, if they have ripped you off,  rip off some kindness and send it their way. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: If you feel ripped off, rip off some kindness. 

How to Make a Frozen Pizza Without Eating Wax Paper

There's something about being a young bachelor and frozen pizza that go hand-in-hand. If you're under the age of 30, a male, unmarried  and have no one to cook for other than yourself, odds are, you probably eat frozen pizzas on a semi-regular basis (semi meaning at least once a week, maybe twice if it's cold outside). In my book, frozen pizzas are right up there with dogs as man's best friend, maybe even better because you don't have to feed them; they feed you. They're convenient, quick and great for any occasion, except, when they betray you. Tonight, I was betrayed by my frozen pizza.

Like most people, not just single guys, I don't like doing dishes, so I do anything I can to alleviate the number of dishes I do. When I make a frozen pizza, this involves one key thing: Placing aluminum foil between the pizza and the pizza pan so there's no pan to wash after the pizza is done. The foil protects the pan from the pizza crumbs and cheese, and you can just slip it back into the cabinet; it's a great concept if you haven't tried it. Anyway, this time, I was COMPLETELY out of aluminum foil, so I decided to try using the next best thing: a wax paper baking sheet. 

Except here's the thing; a wax paper baking sheet wasn't the next best thing.

You see, I feel like there's a little bit of misleading information in the term, "wax paper baking sheet." One, because wax tends to melt when it gets hot, and two, because baking involves heat. Heat and wax don't mix, so why are there wax baking sheets? Heck if I know, but I know I won't be using them again anytime soon because this happened:

I ate an entire sheet of wax paper. Literally, an entire sheet. How did this happen, you might ask. Well, let me tell you. I forgot that I had put the wax paper under my frozen pizza when I put it in the oven to bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes, and apparently, the wax paper baked into the crust, because that's what happens when wax gets to 400 degrees; it melts. I didn't even notice or remember I'd put wax paper under it until I'd gotten to my last slice when I pulled a sliver of the paper out of my mouth because I noticed I was chewing on something that wasn't pizza. That's how it happened. That's how I ate an entire sheet of wax paper in one sitting.

I don't really understand how this happened. I've seen my mom use baking sheets hundreds of times, for cookies, bread and all sorts of stuff, so I don't know why my baking sheets melt and hers don't. Technically, I don't really know anything about baking or cooking, and I don't really have a 'Cliff Note' or a moral to this situation or story either, other than this: If you're under the age of 30, a male, unmarried and have no one else to cook for, and you like frozen pizzas, save time on dishes by putting something between your pizza and your pizza pan, but whatever you do, don't make that something wax paper. Otherwise, you'll eat, and you won't even know it until it's too late.

Cheers.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Wax melts when heated. Don't heat it, or you'll eat it. 

Trading a Birthright for French Fries; The Short-Sightedness in Our Decision-Making Process

Waiter: "What would you like with your sandwich? We have salad or fries."

Me: (thinking to myself) "Why am I having to choose from two of the most different foods in the entire world as a side? Is there no middle ground?"

Waiter: *waiting*

Me: "I'll have the fries."

I think we've all faced this situation before. The waiter asks you what you want for a side, and you can pick one of two options: The healthy option or the unhealthy option. Rarely is there ever a middle ground. One option, the healthy one, will be better for you in the long run. It's full of veggies, vitamins and freshness that ultimately, will be better for you. It's the option that you'll feel better with after you leave the restaurant and count as a win for the day as far as trying to eat healthier. The other option, the unhealthy one aka: fries, won't be better for you in the long run, but it's also the option that will satisfy what you want at the moment. The fries are the option you pick immediately because you know they'll taste the best, even if it'll cost you some health points at the end of the day. In the moment, it's easy to see the fries as the most satisfying option, but then later, it hits you. All that grease. All that fried-ness. All that artery clogging joy.

We're all faced with these kinds of decisions ever day, decisions that can either give us immediate satisfaction or decisions that require patience. We have to make choices that can either give us joy in the moment or choices that we have to wait and be patient for. Usually, it's the choices that require patience that are the tougher option, and it's also those choices that, usually, lead to the better result, like salad compared to fries. 

I read a story about this today, kind of. It was a story in Genesis of two young guys, one named Esau, and the other one named Jacob. They're twins, but Esau is the older of the two, so accordingly, he received the birthright of being the first born male. One day, Esau came home from work and was hungry, and he saw Jacob cooking some stew, so he asked for some. Jacob, being sly, said he would give Esau some soup if he would sale him his birthright right then. Esau, being hungry, and maybe slightly ignorant, obliged to Jacob's request and swore his birthright over to Jacob. Esau got his soup and Jacob got the birthright. Esau sold a lifetime promise for a moment's satisfaction without a second thought. 

Now, any normal person, or me on any day of the week, would look at this situation and say that Esau made a terrible move trading some Campbell's Cream of Mushroom for a lifetime of right of possession and privilege. It's easy to say he made a stupid decision and didn't think through what exactly he was doing; however, how often do we do the same thing whenever we're faced with temptation? We trade a moment of immediate satisfaction for a lifetime of promise. We want the soup, not the birthright because that's what's in front of us. In our short sightedness, we want what will satisfy us immediately, not what's best for us in the long run. 

It's easy to get lost in short-sightedness in our decision making process, whether it's order a side order to go with a sandwich, or in the face of temptation when it comes to choosing to sin or not to sin. We too easily associate the positives with what we ultimately  know is going to be a negative situation, rather than the negatives. If we want to help our decision making process, adjust your sights, look long-term and weigh both the positives and the negatives; don't just focus on the instant gratification. Look at the ultimate, lifelong promises at hand, and don't sacrifice those for something that will only temporarily satisfy your desires. A lifetime promise is greater than a moment's pleasure. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: If opening a restaurant, include something other than just salad or fries on the menu. Add a middle option too. Like apple sauce.  

'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' & Travel Dreams

Last night, I watched the movie, 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.' It's a great flick, and easily one of my new favorites. It's one of the few movies out there I can watch more than once and not get bored with, not to mention, it has an absolutely perfect soundtrack to go with it. Essentially, the movie is about a man named Walter who works for Life Magazine. He spends his days day dreaming a lot because he doesn't do anything exciting in real life, except work, until he loses an important photo for Life's final print magazine cover. He ends up traveling to Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas searching for this photo, battling sharks, drunk helicopter pilots and volcanos along the way. Needless to say, his life goes from boring to full-on pretty quickly. It's a great reminder that 'Life' doesn't have to be a boring routine, and that it can be an epic adventure at any moment. All it takes is a few leaps of faith. Anyway, anytime I watch this movie, it makes me want to stop whatever I'm doing and get on the next flight possible leaving the nearest airport, which can be both healthy and unhealthy. It does another thing too. It makes me dream of what I think I want my life to look like.

I think if I had a dream life it might look something like this: 

Seeing the world and meeting the people in the world would be the highlight. The jobs I would have would be temp jobs that wouldn't require a long-term commitment but paid enough to have a small apartment. I'd be able to work until I'd saved enough money to travel to a new place. Then, I'd sell/give away some more of the stuff I'd acquired, move on and start the process all over again. I wouldn't really want to own a lot, maybe just a couple of suitcases of clothes- one for winter and one for summer, a laptop for writing, a camera for pictures, a few books and a phone to stay in touch. And an orange VW van. Definitely an orange VW van.

The trouble with this dream life is that it doesn't seem plausible. It doesn't really provide any way to get health insurance, have a family or prepare for any sort of retirement. Not to mention, there isn't really any guarantee of a new job each and every time I want to find another one after a stent of traveling. It also seems kind of selfish because it all centers on me. 

Living a life full of traveling, telling people about Jesus, seeing the world, writing, taking photos and working in temp jobs sounds like a dream, but is it? Sure, it would be the perfect life to live if I wanted to match it up perfectly with the ultimate Indie playlist on Spotify, but how realistic of a life is it, not just for me but for those around me? After all, mom and dad won't always be around to cover my back if things don't go according to plan. I'm not sure, but a life like this seems a little iffy. 

I'm not sure what exactly shaped this life dream of mine that lacks permanence and realism. Maybe it's the fact I just have the travel bug, or maybe it's something deeper. Maybe it's because, in the words of Switchfoot, "I'm just looking for a world where I belong." I think I'm at a stage in life where I'm still trying to figure life out. I'm at a stage in life where I'm learning that this world really isn't my home, and no matter how many places I live or how many times I scratch my travel itch, I'm still going to have that refugee feeling in my soul. I'm still going to have that unfilled feeling of not belonging that only eternity will be able to fulfill. Until then, I'm still going to have these unrealistic dreams of traveling/living that are unrealistic because the reality is, traveling the world and seeing it all doesn't ultimately satisfy one's heart's desire. My ultimate heart desire can only be met one day in eternity when I finally enter a world I belong in with my Creator. Then, maybe then, my travel itch won't itch any more. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Don't watch 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' unless you want to get the urge to drop whatever you're doing and get on a plan and go to Greenland. 

The Eye of a Needle

I spent my Saturday fishing. I hopped in my little rental, blue smurf car and headed to a lake that's about 20 minutes out of the city called Lake Keystone. It was supposed to be the warmest day of the MLK Day long weekend, so I decided to take advantage of it.

On my way to the lake, I had the radio tuned to a country station, and a song came on called 'Buy Me a Boat.' In the song, it has this lyric that says, "​I keep hearing that money is the root of all evil, and you can’t fit a camel through the eye of a needle. I'm sure that’s probably true, but it still sounds pretty cool." Now, I'm sorry if this offends you, but I totally fall into the category of believing that country music has some of the simplest/lamest lyrics out there of all the genres. I still enjoy it, but still. The lyrics could get better, especially lyrics like this.  

Anyway, the reason I point this lyric out of this song is because I thought it was super ironic that it was talking about threading something (a camel)​ through the eye of a needle, while I knew I was going to be practically threading needles all day fishing. 

You see, when you fish, you break lines, and when you break lines you have to tie new hooks on, which is, essentially, the most difficult part of fishing. It's tedious, time consuming and takes a steady hand, especially the part of putting the line through the eye of the hook. 

The line from the song is quoting a verse out of the Bible in which Jesus says it's easier for a camel (A CAMEL) to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. This description became a reality for me today as I spent a lot of my time tying hooks, rather than catching fish. It was surprising a lot more difficult than I'd remembered trying to get that tiny fishing line through that tiny hole of the eye of the hook. If it's that difficult to get something that small through an eye, I can't imagine what it would be like trying to get a camel through there. Fat chance of that happening. 

I say all this to say, I totally see where Jesus is coming from. I totally get how hard it is to not rely on yourself and rely on God when you have loads of money. It's easy to rely on yourself when have the capabilities of gaining the world yourself. It would almost seem unnecessary to rely on God. ​It makes sense that wealth is that big of a barrier to knowing God fully. I hope it's a barrier that I can avoid, and I hope it's one the guy who sings the song 'Buy Me a Boat' avoids too. 

​-Cliff

Cliff's Note: On the whole, country music needs to work on its lyrics. 

3 Keys to Finding Something to Do

Have you ever noticed that when you visit and/or move to a new city, the number of possibilities of things to do/places to go seems relentlessly long? Everything is literally new because it's a 'new' city,' and like all new things, you just want to try it and try it all. It's slightly daunting. 

When you're in a new place, you don't so much have to 'find stuff to do.' It's actually more like a you have to 'pick something to do.' It would be like hunting for beef in a pasture full of cows (not that that's something anyone would ever do); It's too easy, and the possibilities are endless. There are new restaurants to try, new roads to drive down and new people to meet. You don't have to seek these things out; they're just there. It's just up to you (and me) to go out and do it. But how? 

Ask for Advice
If there's one thing that people are especially bad at these days, myself included, it's asking for advice. There's just something about it that's kind of awkward/kind of hesitant. It's like a last resort for a lot of people; however, without advice, how would we really the secrets of what to do. After all, you can't believe everything you read on the internet, can you? If you want to find something to do and narrow down your choices, ask for advice. It'll give you some direction and give you some local secrets. 

Take a Friend
Doing things alone has it's perks because you can do whatever you want, but doing things with someone has it's perks too, number one being that you're not alone. There's something about making memories with someone else that holds more value than making them alone because then you have someone to reminisce with, laugh with and learn with. Having a partner in crime is a solid way to help find something to do in a new place. Sure, you may have the awkward, "What do you want to do?" "I don't know; What do you want to do?" moment, but in the end, you'll both be able to narrow something down pretty quickly and be able to find something to do you'll both enjoy. Plus, you'll miss out on the awkwardness that sometimes comes along with doing things alone in a new place. 

Don't Be Afraid of Being 'the New Guy'
This one is a tough one for me because I hate being 'the new guy,' or better yet, 'that guy.' Whether I'm visiting a new church for the first time or going into a new restaurant for the first time awkwardly wondering whether or not to seat myself, I always feel like I reek of the new guy smell. It's like people just know you're new because of the way you behave or because they just don't recognize you, and sometimes, this can be intimidating; however, it shouldn't be. Everyone is new at some point, and I know when I see someone new, I don't think anything about it. I'm excited to meet them and introduce them to my friends, and odds are, they're thinking that same thing. Let people know you're new, whether it's by reeking of 'new guy' smell or just telling them. Where your new smell proudly and accept the politeness of others when they try to help you out.

If you're in a new city or new place, embrace it, enjoy it and awkward it up. After all, you're only new once, and soon, you'll be the person getting to help along someone else who is new. Find something new to do and enjoy it!

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Ask for advice, find something new to do with someone and embrace being the 'new guy.' It'll make your 'new' experience better!

Skies Out Fries Out

I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but the weather outside today was absolutely amazing. The sun was out, it was warm and there wasn't any wind. For Oklahoma in the middle of January, that's pretty stinkin' good. I'd forgotten just how much of a blessing warm days in the middle of winter are, not just because it makes for a beautiful day, but because it provides a lot of relief for a lot of people who need a break for the cold.

Anyway, during today's beautiful sunshine, I met a man; let's call him 'Dave.' Dave was sitting on the sidewalk, up against a restaurant here in Tulsa called McNellie's soaking up the sun. He was wearing some black shoes to go with his black sweat pants and Chicago Bulls jacket, and he had a hat on to keep the brightness out of his face. I had just finished up eating at McNellie's when I caught sight of him as I swung out the door and headed down the sidewalk with a group of co-workers. We had just finished up at an employee's farewell lunch.

Dave was sitting by himself, not talking to anyone or doing anything, just sitting there smiling. He looked happy, so I stopped by him to say hello. He returned the greeting with a smile and asked if I had a couple of bucks to spare so he could go buy some french fries. Being a lover of french fries myself, I had to oblige. We talked about fries, what he was up to for the afternoon and sunshine for just a minute or so, but I don't think I've ever met anyone so content with simply sunshine and french fries.

Dave talked about how happy he was that he was getting a break from the cold weather and how he was ready for spring, and I couldn't help but realize just how big of a deal it was that he was getting a dose a spring time early. It was a small thing, but at the same time, a really big thing. It was a reminder that all cold seasons come to an end and have their moments of relief, just like all 'cold' seasons in life have their end and their moments of relief, and we should enjoy those moments and be thankful for them, basking in their sunlight.

It's easy to go through life enjoying the sunshine and not being thankful for it, just as it's easy to go through life not enjoying the cold and complaining about it; however, take some advice from Dave: "Take shelter when it gets cold and be extraordinary grateful when it's sunny. Life's gunna have its cold, and it's going to have its hot, so enjoy what ya got."

Dave was a cool guy; I hope to run into him again soon. Maybe we'll get fries.

-Cliff

Dave's Note: "Take shelter when it gets cold and be extraordinary grateful when it's sunny. Life's gunna have its cold, and it's going to have its hot, so enjoy what ya got."

The God Who Reads Minds

I don't know about you, but when I pray, I usually bow my head, close my eyes and pray silently. It seems pretty rare that I pray out loud, unless I'm praying with/for a group of people or another person. It's something I could definitely stand to grow at, but I just noticed one thing about praying to myself the other day that I think is is cool: God can read minds.

You don't have to have me tell you that God has a lot of really amazing characteristics. He's loving, kind, good, merciful, just, etc., etc. The list could go on for eternity; however, this whole idea of God also being  all-knowing, aka omniscient, really just recently stuck out to me. Yes, all-knowing means that God knows everyone and whats going on everywhere, but it also means so much more than that to me. It means He knows my thoughts, knows my heart and knows my prayers even when I don't verbalize them. Think about that for a second and let it sink it.

Remember all those times you prayed those silent prayers to yourself? All those times you prayed along silently while the pastor prayed out loud? All the times your mind was screaming out for help but your mouth stayed shut? Yup. God heard every single one of those, and this blows my mind.

The omniscience of God gets Him access to everyone's prayers ever. Not just mine, not just yours, but everyone's from all over the world. From the young kid across the big pond saying a prayer for the very first time to the elderly folks down the street praying for their long, lost friends, He hears them all, both the silent pleas we're too afraid to say and the audible cries out for help when we're most desperate. This is extremely comforting.

Psalm 139:4 says that "before a word is even on our tongue, He knows the thought completely," and then He comes back and promises us in 1 John 3 that He is greater than our heart, even when our heart condemns us because He knows all. Essentially, He overcomes all obstacles to knowing us. He already knows us. He knows us better than anyone will and anyone every could, and as scary as that may sound, I think it still sounds more comforting. I'm thankful I have a God that I literally can't lie to because He already knows. I'm thankful that I have a God Who already knows what I need when I need it, even when I may not recognize it yet. Having a God Who reads minds may seem like too much in some people's books, but in mine, it's amazing. I can be honest with Him because He already knows the truth, and He already knows the truth because He is the Truth.

Think about it. God already knows you are.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: God can read my mind. Cool. He can hear my prayers even when they're silent. Cooler. God knows my prayers before I even say them. Coolest.