The nature of prayer

I just had an “ah ha” moment. A moment of clarity. A literal enlightenment.

I’ve been listening to the Mosaic pod casts and once again God is speaking to me through McManus. He was talking about the nature of prayer. Here’s a quote:

“See, I think a lot of times prayer is just saying back to God what God is saying to you. So that he can He will be honored in your life. So that your faith can be built by knowing that it was Him who instigated it all.”

It’s a matter of seeking God’s voice, not just fulfilling a checklist. It’s honoring God in humility, not legalism.

It’s because I want to, not because I have to. It’s motivated by love not requirement.

Good stuff ..

Good stuff for parents

All Pro Dad (http://www.allprodad.com/) is a great website. I get daily emails from them -- insights and wisdom on how to be a better father. Here was today's email, and it was good enough to post here:

Your Superman Moments

One of our All Pro Dad Team Captains, Terry, writes: “My definition of time is that it’s the most valuable thing in the world I can give my son. Though I’ve believed this since he was born, I have a different perspective now. My father is dying of pancreatic cancer and during my visits with him, I’ve been flooded with memories from when I was a young child. One memory that stands out for some reason is that when I was probably three years old, I watched him use a post hole digger at the end of our driveway to put a mailbox in. He was big, strong, and invincible. He seemed like Superman to me. While visiting him at the hospital recently, I told my dad about that memory and he couldn’t remember it at all. I have no idea why that stands out in my mind, but it made me realize something about the time I spend with my own son. Sometimes things we do with our children that seem insignificant to us will make a huge, lasting impression on them. It may not be WHAT we do with our children so much as that we are doing SOMETHING with them; that we are sharing our time with them. We all hear about spending ‘quality time’ with our children, and I agree that it’s very important. But please realize that time spent with our kids doing what seems like the smallest, most insignificant things to you may be the things they will remember most about us. You never know when you’ll have a Superman moment for them.”

Superman moments. I love it!

Bruce Lee and Jesus

I've been reading about martial arts. I studied it when I was younger, and it's coming back into my consciousness recently.

I read a quote from Bruce Lee about his martial arts style called Jeet Kune Do. I’d always thought that it was an amalgam of all the different styles he’d studied and used for his movies and his art. I realize now that I was wrong – along with the rest of the world – in thinking that.

It’s actually the OPPOSITE of an amalgam. It’s stripping away all the fluff and getting into the core of self-defense and the martial arts.

“I have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.”

– Bruce Lee


Simplicity. Humility. Truth outside of molds. Sound familiar?

I thought so too.

Dale

Karate and God

I studied Kajukenbo from the time I was six years old until I was about 17 or 18. I didn't go very far in the belt system. Most of my instructors didn't appreciate my sense of humor and I would rather have studied the kumite (fighting/sparring) rather than the kata (technically means ‘dance’, but comprises all the knowledge that advances you in the system). Both my older brothers made their black belts.

We used to pray before every lesson. I’ve said this prayer a thousand times, but not for about 20 years. As a child – who really didn’t want to be in karate class to begin with – I just mumbled the prayer to get on with it. But since I’ve grown in age and as a follower of Christ, the prayer takes on a new meaning.

We would kneel, sitting on our heels, with our hands clenched in fists and our knuckles on the ground next to our knees and pray:

“Almighty and Eternal God, Protector of all who put their trust in thee, accept the humble homage of our love and faith in thee, the one true God. Bless our efforts to preserve the integrity of our United States, a nation founded on Christian principles. Enlighten our rules, Guide our lawmakers, protect the sanctity of our homes. And bless our efforts in these exercises, whose sole purpose is developing our bodies, to keep others mindful of thy commandments. Give us perseverance in our actions, that we may use this as a means to keep closer to you, the one true God. In the name of thy beloved son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”

(Written by Frank Ordonez in 1947, the Kajukenbo Prayer is recited at the beginning of most Kajukenbo classes. The Prayer shows kajukenbo's beginnings as a Christian and United States-based martial art.)

There is something strange and beautiful when this Western ideal of Jesus is mixed with an Eastern martial art. It never struck me until now.

I need to go back and train. Get back into shape and get my black belt. And be mindful of the prayer that begins the class -- to Whom it’s given.

Dale

The Top Three

I get a daily email from a website called All-Pro Dad. It's an NFL-themed mini-devotional that enlightens certain parts of being a dad and how to improve. I recommend it for all my brothers out there, fathers or not. (You can apply this wisdom to pretty much any relationship.)

Here's todays thought .. pretty good stuff:

The Top Three

Author Charles Swindoll conducted a survey of folks over 85 years-old and asked them if they could do life over, what would be some things they would do differently. The top three answers were: more time meditating and reflecting, taking more risks and spending time on eternal issues. It wasn’t making more money, being more famous or driving a nicer car. Think about the three areas that mattered most to these octogenarians and ask yourself how you can start living now to make your life more meaningful.


Risk=reward. Risk in everything -- love, labor, money, God, etc.

http://www.allprodad.com/

Blessings!

Dale

This is the new Mr. and Mrs. Lance and Tracy Clontz!

The wedding was a blast! We are very happy to have Tracy in the family. I posted this picture so that you can see the new couple!

Also, the toast got a great response, so I thought I would post it here so you could read it if you'd like. (You'll need the picture to understand it.)

(clicking glasses with silverware)

OK, now everyone!

(everyone clicking, very loud)

OK, now stop!

(quiet)

OK, go again!

(clicking again)

OK, now just the girls! OK, now the men! Very masculine!

I'm Dale, Lance's younger brother. I wanted to talk to you a little about Lance and Tracy. See, I've been tussling with this toast a little. My wife and Tracy both told me to be nice, but I want to be honest. So I had to search my soul long and hard to make a decision:

I'm going to be honest.

There are actually three people in this relationship. You are all here as a wedding party to witness this occasion, but also to hold them accountable to their vows and their commitment. So you NEED to know this.

There’s Tracy. There’s Lance. And then there’s that freakin Pharaoh-looking goatee on Lance’s face.

The first time I saw it I thought I was Moses! (singing) “Let my people go!”

Or, even better (to the tune of Louie, Louie): “Pharaoh, Pharaoh, whoa whoa, let my people go.”

And with that white stripe down the middle? He looks like Pepe Le Pew!

(in a French accent): Ohhh, mon cheri! I will take you to the cazbar and we will make beautiful music together! (kissing noises)

Then Tracy runs away and Lance says, “Where are you, my little fruit pop!?!”
I’m not kidding. He looks like King Tut.

(Waiting for laughter to die down)

Do me a favor – think off all the things that are important to you. Make a mental list. Now I’m sure that everything in the top two or three has something to do with a relationship – with God, with friends, with family. That’s because on every list in every culture everywhere in the world, it’s always the same.

Our relationships are the important things to us. We scurry around and dig ditches and work hard and sometimes we lose sight of that – I know I do. But we are here to pay honor and respect to Lance and Tracy’s new relationship. I wasn’t kidding when I said that you are here as witnesses, and that means you hold them accountable to their vows and their commitment. That’s true for all of us.

So let’s raise our glasses for luck and love to:

Lance, Tracy .. and Pepe.

Here here!


Anyway, the food was great, the company was great and the whole thing went off very well.

Nice to be home .. it’s hard work going to a wedding!

I thought 300 was the best movie this year

UNTIL I SAW THE TRANSFORMERS!!!!

You have to understand how much of a Transformer head I was when I was a kid. The Transformers were only a VERY close second to comic books. BIG fan. We used to sit around and make up new Transformers, and give them histories and powers and stuff. STUPID into the Transformers.

And Michael Bay KNOCKED this one out of the park.

I know some people like to knock Mikey -- stilted dialogue, slow scenes when there's no action, etc -- but as a guy who's been waiting for 22 years for this movie -- MIKEY, YOU DID A GREAT JOB!

To see a huge live action Optimus Prime opening cans of whoop-ass all over the place? Please .. DOPE ..

And to have Peter Cullen (the original voice of Optimus Prime from the 80s cartoon) reprise his role? Shut up .. SICK ..

When Optimus introduced himself, the whole theater ERUPTED! I was on my feet!

The new Camaro looked GREAT .. totally bad to the bone. I will have one, oh yes, I will. :)

Nine trillion thumbs up! Best movie so far this year. I haven’t even caught my breath yet!