Month: October 2013

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Knowing Your Boundaries

As I was doing yard work yesterday on my day off of work (yes, I do my own yard work) I realized after a while, after I had stopped, that I had done too much. Now, let’s be honest here. I’m not that young any more, and I’m not in as great shape as I’d like to think. I’m pushing 40, and I’ve got more than one strike against me when it comes to physical limitations. But I’ll admit it, I overworked myself.

How did I know I had done too much? Maybe it was that my hands were still numb and tingly 30 minutes after I was done. Maybe it was the fact that I fell asleep on the couch before the kids’ bedtime routine even started. All I know is that one minute I’m working, and the next minute I’m flat on my back, wondering which truck hit me. Everything after that (and most of today, as well) has been a blur.

What happened is that I couldn’t tell when I had reached my limit. As long as I could keep moving and working, then I must be okay, right? Until I stop (or am forced to stop) and realize just how much I overdid it. It’s easy to see in hindsight, like most problems. I should know after all these years how far I can push myself without causing adverse physical effects, but I don’t. I get so caught up with doing what I think needs to be done, I miss the signs, and next thing you know I’ve blown myself up.

Why don’t we know when to stop? We change physically over time. Just because I could work in the heat for 8 hours when I was 20 doesn’t mean I can do it when I’m 40. Just because something we did worked years ago doesn’t mean it will still work like we remember. Sometimes our memories of something supersede our current circumstances, often to our own detriment. If I don’t exercise daily, then my threshold for exercise slowly declines.

That sounds awfully familiar… Continue reading “Knowing Your Boundaries”

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Fighting Ego

For the last year or so, I’ve been (slowly) working towards simplifying my life. This has been both educational, and very difficult. It’s only when you realize how much modern America has strayed from it’s self-sufficient roots that you begin to realize how radical Frugality is nowadays. Years ago, fixing your own car or canning your own home-grown produce was not just commonplace, it was expected. People sewed their own clothes, for goodness’ sake! Shoes got repaired, not replaced. People rode bikes everywhere. It was unusual for a family to have more than one car, if they had one at all.

Today, life looks much different. On one hand, I’m totally repulsed by it. On the other hand, I’ve been raised in it long enough that I’ve adapted to it, and have come to expect things will be there when I want them. I’m used to getting whatever I want, whether or not I can afford it.

This is called Hedonic Adaptation. Basically, the idea is that despite America (or any other developed country) having more riches and amenities than any other time in the history of the human race, we’re not really that much happier than people were hundreds of years ago.

What it boils down to is this: we quickly adapt to the level of comfort we are given, and over time, what was once “awesome” now becomes “ordinary” because well, everybody’s got one. Nobody missed the iPhone 5 fifty years ago, because nobody knew what one was, and nobody cared. They didn’t miss it. They didn’t need it. People could still call their friends on the phone, and could still send them text messages (written on paper, but still…) but today, a smartphone is seen as a “necessity.”

Let me tell you something: Smartphones are not necessary to be happy. Continue reading “Fighting Ego”

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“Joy To the World” Isn’t Just For Christmas

Sometimes, you just have to stop trying to be happy.

Where in life do we balance “being content” with “reaching for more”? Paul says in Phillipians 4:13 that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He was referring to those who live in plenty, or live in poverty… this applies spiritually and physically. Sometimes we just need to be content with where we are, and understand that God will give us what we need, and get us through.

There are times, however, when being content with misery isn’t going to work. You can say all you want about being humble, but God doesn’t want us to be miserable, either. If there is more misery in your life than joy, there’s a good reason for it… just not the reason you’d expect. The church today (little “c”) has found success in promising people happiness and comfort. And yes, if happiness comes from physical comfort, then they’re very good at making church members “happy.”  But Jesus never promised fame, fortune, or worldly success. Or happiness.

So if that’s the case, where does our contentment, our peace, our joy come from? And what’s the difference anyway? Well, our joy comes from God… not doing things for God, not learning about God, not talking about God. Joy comes from God Himself.

There is no formula. There isn’t a “if X then Y” flowchart. The only way to have Joy is to be in the presence of God. And that looks different for everybody. You may feel closest to God when you pour through scripture. You might feel close to God when you’re singing praises, or helping the poor, or painting a picture. But, it comes with common sense, too. You can’t say “I feel closest to God when I’m downing a fifth of Vodka.” Sorry, but what you’re feeling isn’t God… that’s momentary happiness, maybe. Certainly not Joy, because the funny thing about Joy is that is doesn’t wear off easily. If we spend time with God steadily, it doesn’t wear off at all. And most importantly, Joy from God doesn’t leave you feeling drained, worn out, or hung over.

When you get to the point where you’re trying so hard to be close to God that you’re worn out, you can pretty much bet you’ve left God behind. He’s not in the maelstrom, he’s not in the typhoon, he’s not in the earthquake… God is that still, small voice, calling to you in your exhaustion and misery.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30 – MSG

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Saving Money The Hard Way

Every now and then, stuff breaks. That’s shocking, I know, right? But it does. It might be your clothes dryer, your car, your TV, or who knows what. Sometimes you can fix these things, and sometimes you can’t. But if you can take the time to learn how to fix things, it’s worth the time invested! let me explain.

If you have, let’s say a car, that snapped a timing belt. Well, the first thing you do is make sure it’s the timing belt. Do you know how to check the timing belt on your car? Do you even know what a timing belt is? Time to learn. Go go Google and find out.

Then, you need to know if a timing belt something you can replace on your own. Sometimes a snapped timing belt will destroy an engine… sometimes it won’t. It depends on whether the engine is an interference design or not. If it’s not, then chances are there’s no serious damage. Do some research and find out!

If your engine isn’t an interference engine, and you know it’s the timing belt that went out, then you’re in luck! You can probably fix it yourself, for less than $50. It will just take some research, and about 5 hours or so. Chances are your car would be in the shop more than 5 hours, so overall, this isn’t bad.

Yes, the photo in this post is me changing a timing belt. I already had the tools, but tools can be borrowed (usually for free from an auto parts store) and information can be learned. It’s not that bad.

The real thing I want people (that means you, reader!) to understand is that it’s not as hard to fix things as you’d think. Some people say “I don’t have the mechanical aptitude to fix anything!” but I don’t believe that. There are tons of articles and videos on the internet that can walk you through it, step-by-step. You can save thousands of dollars this way! I’m not trying to stiff mechanics and repairmen, but let’s be honest, their time isn’t cheap. Most repairs aren’t that hard.

Don’t be afraid to do some research on your problem to figure it out for yourself. The added bonus is, once you’ve learned how to fix something, that’s a permanent skill! If you keep adding to your list of skills, eventually you will be confident enough to tackle jobs you never thought you could.

This is how I got started in frugal mechanics… out of necessity. Now I do it because I can, and the long-term benefits are well worth it!

What are some things you’ve accomplished that you never thought you could tackle?

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The Story of Stuff

Sad reality check of the day: we have too much stuff. Specifically, *I* have too much stuff. I’m preparing myself for a massive personal minimizing, and hopefully, it will help motivate my family to do the same. You can believe what you want about ecology and conservation, but I definitely agree we’re consuming too much, and I’m going to start with myself.

If you remember my post on the difference between Minimizing, Frugality, and Simplicity, you’ll remember “Simplicity” is our goal, not just getting rid of everything… minimizing is just a means to an end. Once I’ve de-cluttered my surroundings, I can focus on what’s important… family, music, and writing.

I’m going to try to document stuff as I get rid of it, and possibly will use the Ebay Mobile app to get rid of the more, um… “interesting” bits of hardware I have laying around.

Lastly, here’s an interesting video to get you thinking about all our “stuff.”

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW_7i6T_H78″ autohide=”1″]

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Thoughts On Technology In Worship

If you’ve never heard of it, there’s this new thing in churches called Environmental Projection. There’s a new company dedicated to expanding worship spaces using- you guessed it- projectors. This is just the latest in a long line of technology-driven “improvements” in worship services.

My initial reaction to this was disbelief, then understanding, then skepticism. I totally understand why it works, and I think it’s extremely cool. But deep down, I’m very cautious of things that we add to the worship service just to make it “more appealing.” Now, before you think I’m a fool, I don’t mean we should try to make the service unappealing. We’re not Franciscan monks. This does bring up a very valid point of discussion, however, and I’d like to indulge in it. There are generally two lines of thought on this. One, we should use whatever means possible to reach the lost and bring people closer to God. This is hard to argue, and with newer technology, it’s getting more and more prevalent. There are even Seminary degrees for Church Media Arts.

The flip side to this is that it is very easy for things like beautiful sanctuaries, large orchestras, feel-good preaching, and so forth to take the focus away from God and His message. If you can only worship in a sanctuary with 360° projectors, a full orchestra, and nice padded seats, then are you worshipping God, or something else? Are we including new technology to reach the lost, or are we simply catering to a specific crowd? Honestly, I don’t really think churches are using technology to “Reach people” as much as they are using it to satiate their existing membership (or woo other churches’ members).

*Disclaimer* I am a born-again techno-geek Renaissance Man. I love technology and the possibilities it brings. I’m also a Bible-believing man, who recognizes God, and more specifically, God personified in the form of Jesus Christ. I like technology, but I also understand that it is simply a tool, a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. I do not believe in technology for its own sake! Everything should have a purpose, and apart from that, it is by definition unnecessary.

So where do I stand on this? Where should the Church stand on this? Well, I wish it were simple, but there’s a few things to consider. Continue reading “Thoughts On Technology In Worship”