Wait a minute ... Say What?

I recently picked up a little hymnal at church; you know the supplemental ones we “make” ourselves from other song books or borrow with credit from others?! Well, some of you know what I mean! LOL. As I casually flipped through the pages, a very old but familiar song caught my attention. Not so much the song, but a phrase from the song. The song was “It’s gonna rain”. I’ve heard sung by church choirs, on the radio, on TV, even preached in sermons. The phrase is “It’s gonna rain, it’s gonna rain, you’d better get ready and bear this in mind …” Wait a minute “bear this in mind”? Who put that in there!? That’s not right! It should be “better send mind”! Right?! I asked a few people, their response was yes “bear this in mind” (however I think they googled itJ). I asked a few more and they like myself said yeah … better ... send mind … (I could visualize the perplexed looks on their faces when they wrote it out). Sure enough though, those are the words “bear this in mind”. Hmmmm. I guess when you think of it, there are several words and phrases that are commonly mispronounced such as:

Acrossed instead of Across

Affidavid instead of Affidavit

Antartic instead of Antarctic

Bidness instead of Business

Blessing in the skies instead of Blessing in disguise

Card shark instead of Cardsharp

Doggy dog world instead of Dog-eat-dog world

And one of my favorites … Forte instead of Fort (look it up J)

So I asked myself, “how did it come to happen that after all these years of hearing and in some cases singing something, did I have it all wrong (or most of it anyway)? Let’s get a CLUE …

One thing that I’ve learned as a leader is that all too often, people will listen to and follow your instructions and directions, not so much because they are correct, but because they believe you to be correct. They believe that you have done your homework; put the necessary think time in; used the best resources at your disposal to come to the heavy conclusions you come to, etc. For the most part I agree that leaders should be given credit for their knowledge, expertise, and competence in their specialty. But it is also up to followers to really do what followers do … follow. I mean, follow the example of the leader. If he or she studies profusely, take the initiative to develop good study habits as well. If the leader is steeped in research and analysis, show your due diligence as well. The leader’s job is to “feed and lead” but it is the follower’s job to take in and digest it properly. Too often however, the followers knowledge base begins and ends with and only with, the dominate thought of the leader and very few times does he seek out for the meaning himself. Like with the song, he just listens, takes in, and assumes that is what it says even if it doesn’t make sense. Do you think “better send mind” makes sense … really? One person commented that they thought that it was something the old folks said that had some meaning that they were too young to understand. One thing that God has blessed each of us with is a mind with a billion or brain cells floating around in there. Let’s not be afraid to aks – ask - J some questions from time to time to see if what is said is really what is said. As leaders it is always our tasks to be clear, lucid, unambiguous, and explanatory. Make sure your people hear, read, and understand! And followers, before you repeat anything, sing anything, or teach anything, make sure you know what’s what.

You’ve been CLUEd

What’s below the surface!

Ok, I don’t have a green thumb! I think it’s sorta brownish in color! LOL! Well, anyway, there’s a tree in my front yard that didn’t grow any leaves this season. Not unusual for this tree because for some reason it doesn’t always have leaves like the other trees around us. Finally my Dear One (that’s my wife) says “you know that tree is dead right!?” I thought, “how can it really be dead when it’s still standing, it just didn’t grow leaves this year, right?” So after closer examination I noticed that although the bark was still covering the tree, it was brittle and easily pulled away. I also notice several, what appeared to be “tracks”, just under the surface of the bark. It looked as if an artist had used precise tools to form an intricate design on the wood to create a piece of fine art. Oh but no! There is no artist here … how about wood-eating-disgusting-ugly bugs! Their MO appears to be to covertly enter the untreated tree, work methodically under the surface (uninterrupted), and (although the outer bark did show signs of sickness) sap all the life out of the tree from within! By the time you notice it (unless you got that green thumb thing goin on) it’s a little too late! The damage is done! The tree is all but ready to be pulled out of the ground and made into a bench! My analogy is not hard to comprehend, but let me be clear … the same thing can happen within our lives! Let’s get a CLUE!

Prov 4:23 says “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

An untreated heart is set on a path of destruction. When we allow sin and evil into our hearts and leave it unchecked, just like the tree, it will begin to do irreparable damage from within! On the surface you may look well and healthy, but under the surface is where the problem is! Tracks of hatred, envy, strife, jealousy, bitterness, and plan ole sin make their way throughout your whole body! And like the biblical disease Leprosy, by the time it shows up, it’s already been working under the surface of the skin for too long! (Leviticus 14)  There are a few ways in which you the leader, parent, head of Christian organization, etc can “keep” your heart pure. After all, if you the leader work on your heart it will in most cases have positive effect on your followers, members, family, etc.

1.       Watch what goes in. Ps 101:3-5 3 I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all crooked dealings; I will have nothing to do with them.  4 I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.  5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. (NLT)

2.       Monitor what comes out. Matt 15:19 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. (KJV)

3.       Welcome necessary changes. Ps 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (KJV)

So many of the “issues” of life that we struggle with can be traced to a lack of “keeping our hearts” with all diligence! Like my tree, our hearts must be treated with a continued dose of spiritual insecticide … and the best I’ve found is none other than God’s word, the Bible!

You’ve been CLUEd!

A Tribute to Mother!

On Mother’s Day we recognize and celebrate the woman we call Mother. It is our privilege to do so. Let us be mindful of the fact that God Almighty, in His boundless wisdom has so declared that the one we call mother should be honored and held in the highest regard and esteem. Thus the bible says “Eph 6:2, 3
"Honor your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." (NIV)

God attached an incidental promise of life and wellness to the commandment to honor her. If we are wise we would listen and conform to the wisdom from above. For the mother is the backbone of the home; the mother is the foundation of the family; the mother is the crowned jewel of our lives. So we pause and in the name of Jesus we say “Thank you”. Thank you for all you have done, are doing, and will do.

Thank you for your undying love and never ending care. We thank you for standing up so that we could sit down … we thank you for holding your tongue so that we could speak our minds … we thank you for sleepless nights so that we could rest … we thank you for being our comfort when we were hurting … we thank you for being our peace in the midst of our confusion … we thank you for your sacrifice in the midst of our situations … Yes, mother, momma, nana, and ma … we thank you and love you with the Love of God! You protected us from the bully’s on the block … you held our hand as we traveled through the traffic … you picked us up when our pipe dreams exploded … you laid our heads across your lap when the death angel approached and took our loved ones. And like Superwoman, you exposed yourself to the kryptonite's of life in order to prevent any harm or danger from defeating us.

Yes, as God is our witness, we must honor her … we must love her … we must admire her … we must pay tribute to her.

And Father God, we thank you for your kind care and consideration for the feeble beings that we are, to not only send your only begotten Son, but to provide us with a bosom of blessedness … one who wipes our earthly tears and mends our earthly bruises … one whose acceptance is endless and whose commitment is continual ... We thank you for Mother!

You've been CLUEd!