Need vs. Want

I just spent a few minutes looking back and reading last January’s journal entries.  I was specifically looking for any I had written about setting goals.  I’m not much of a resolution maker, but I do like to set a few goals as a guide to direct me in a more positive direction.  I didn’t find any entries with anything in the title about goals, but I did find one entitled “Top 10 Things I want in 2008.”  You can click on the link if you’re curious.

The interesting thing is, I can still use all 10 of these for 2009.  I still “want” everything that was on my list in 2008 and I’m going to continue to work on each of these.  The wants on my list tend to be more like goals, so it’s pretty easy for me to carry them over, because I still “need” to work on them.  Or maybe I was just so focused and had such clarity on the goals I set for 2008, they are good enough for 2009.  I’m pretty sure that’s not the case, but either way they are still applicable.

As far as needs verses wants, there are plenty of things I need in my life and those needs generally fall in the area of self-improvement.  When it comes to wants I rank up there with the greediest of Americans and have a pretty large list of wants.  Most of the time they fall in the area of material possessions, so I have to work extremely hard to find the right balance between satisfying my own desires and meeting the needs of others.

I think the key between needs and wants is looking for wants that line up with what God desires for his people to do.  With the smorgasbord of advertising we are bombarded with every minute of the day, it’s easy and almost natural for me to think “I want a new TV for my family room” and I might even think I need it.  But, since we just won a TV at my company Christmas party, which we put in our game room, do I really need a new one in my family room too?  Does spending more money on another TV that will rarely get watched make much sense?  No!  But, the empire of individualism, consumerism, and our addiction to stuff, often overrules what really makes good logical sense.

Now if I made it a habit or practice to start lining my wants up with what God desires for his people, then it would make more sense and be more logical for me to take the same amount of money I crave to spend on another TV and sponsor a child with Compassion International.  It’s going to cost me about $430 to purchase a 32″ LCD for my family room and I can sponsor a child with CI, for a whole year, for only $384.  I actually save myself money by helping someone else.  In my opinion, that would be lining up my wants with what God desires for his people.

Certainly I don’t think it’s wrong to want things and we all have times when we need something, like a new dryer when the old one goes out.  I’m not saying it’s wrong to want and need, but I am saying it’s about time for all of us to get our priorities straight and start wanting for the right and appropriate things.  According to the world’s standards, the people who will read this article, are rich beyond measure.  I think it’s time we all start doing something with our riches to help this world be a better place for EVERYONE to live.

And to my friends who are likely to read this and were part of the TV conversation on Sunday, in spite of what you might think, I’m not picking on you!  This is purely about how I’m feeling towards the purchase of another TV for our family room!

Music Soothes My Soul

I was thinking last night, as I laid my head down to rest, how music soothes my soul.  I need music in my life, because it’s another way for me to connect.  When I listen to music something happens within me that helps me to relax, to dream, and to think about the past and the future.

Have you ever been listening to a song and a flood of feelings and emotions flowed through you because that song was playing at the time of a specific experience you had?  Sometimes it can invoke sad or negative feelings and other times they are happy and positive, but they are still feelings and whether you’ve ever realized it or not, you are connecting.

Music is a gift and I love people who are musically gifted.  They have such a wonderful way of expressing who they are, their thoughts, and their lives with the world.

As I drifted off to sleep last night I had some music playing softly on my night stand, but I was specifically thinking about the music experiences I had this year and wanted to share a few of them with you.

My most moving experience would definitely be from the private concert we had at the Q conference in New York, with The Fray’s, Isaac Slade at the piano and Joe King playing the acoustic guitar.  They shared several new songs that hadn’t even been recorded on their new album yet.  It was definitely a special memory for me and my wife.

I also had an opportunity to see Jon Forman perform a few songs, with Keith Tut on the Cello, at the Catalyst conference.  Always a good show with the two of them together and very reminiscent of the private concert they did last year at the Tabernacle in Atlanta for the very first Q conference.

Purchasing several new albums this year has been a ton of fun and I’ve absolutely loved listening to them during all my trips.  Some were newly released this year and others are older but new to me.  Here they are in no particular order.

• Secondhand Serenade “A Twist in my Story.”
• Fall Out Boy “Infinity on High”
• Falling Up – “Captiva.”
• Coldplay – “Viva la Vida.”
• David Cook – “David Cook.”
• We the Kings -  “We the Kings.”
• Guns N’ Roses – “Chinese Democracy.”

There may be more, but these are the ones I’ve worn out.

If you enjoy music as much as I do and feel a special connection with the songs you listen to, then you already know about music soothing the soul and can understand why I was surprised and excited to find a $15 iTunes gift card in my Christmas stocking.  Now I’m on the hunt for even more new music and I’m hoping once again to find music to soothe my soul.

I’m certainly open for recommendations, so feel free to send them my way!

My Christmas Prayer

 

God, thank you for the way you’ve blessed me and my family.

Thank you for your love, your grace, and your peace!

Thank you for loving me in spite of my sin, my mistakes, and my selfishness.

Thank you for sending us your son to die for my sin.

 

Thank you for entrusting me in the areas of leadership and giving me the responsibility to serve others.

Help me to take my leadership and responsibility seriously and to always do what is right.

Give me strength to persevere when I feel like giving up.

 

Lord help me to love others the way you loved.

Fill my heart with compassion for people, especially the poor, outcast, and marginalized.

Fill my mind with thoughts and ideas that will guide me to help others.

 

I pray God you will help me in the areas I am week.

Surround me with people who are talented in areas I am not.

Help me to find people who are willing to serve you and will join in this Kingdom Restoration.

Give me the wisdom to understand and do your will.

 

God you are amazing and I’m so happy you are my life.

I’m glad you understand me and pray you will help others who don’t understand me.

I pray that I can live at peace with ALL of your creation,

and may you guide me as I work to help others understand and live at peace

with ALL of your creation.

 

God I pray you will;

Use me.

Heal me.

Ruin me.

 

This is my Christmas prayer! 

Hear me now as I pray….Amen! 

 

Oh Christmas Eve

It’s Christmas eve and I’m sitting in my game room waiting for my U-verse to reset since I just upgraded to receive their HD package.  I’m excited!  They gave me an awesome deal and even with the upgrade my bill will be dropping.  Yes!  Christmas comes early for the second time this year.

I was reminded this morning, as I took my son to purchase a gift for his mother, how excited children get for opening up presents.  I’m either getting really old or it’s just not as exciting for me anymore.  Maybe my perspective has changed from gifts to friends, because as I shopped this morning all I could really think about were friends.  Friends from high school, college, and current friends who are really important to me, like the ones who sit on my board of directors for Retread.  I value and appreciate them so much.

This year has been incredibly challenging and I’ve had to overcome some major personal struggles.  I’m still working on some, but I’m confident I wouldn’t be where I’m at today, if it weren’t for friends.  It has really been a defining year and it’s helped me realize how important my friends truly are.  I’ve learned I can’t live my life alone and the importance of community, friendship, and being surrounded by people who I love is vital to my ability to exist. 

I’m confident this Christmas eve will continue to be filled with memories and thoughts of friends and those memories and thoughts are such a wonderful gift to me this Christmas.  I’m excited about the new year and what it holds and look forward to developing new friendships, redefining old ones, and spending more time with the friends who are currently in my life.

I hope today, you’ll spend some time thinking about your friends and consider the true gift they are in your life.  Merry Christmas!!!