Looking Ahead

"Some days you don't feel like going in that weight room, but you have to remind yourself where you want to be once you do get back up there,"
Zack Wheeler, NY Mets pitcher recovering from Tommy John surgery.


Zack Wheeler wants to pitch and be part of the dynamic Mets staff. As a fan, I want him back out there too because he makes the team better overall. I also appreciate how he practices discipline while keeping his eyes focused on his goal. He obviously doesn't just want to return to the mound, but wants to be successful once he gets there. Zack has a vision for where he wants to go and how he wants to perform once his opportunity arrives.

I need those reminders for myself. I believe I have a vision for where I want to go and need to use each day as preparation for future opportunities. We can each have this focus for the different areas of our lives--family, personal growth, career, and our spiritual journey. Realizing the work we put in today will affect us in the future gives more meaning to the present even as we anticipate fulfilling our vision.

Firm Foundation

My mother and father divorced when I was very young and I have very little memory of my dad's family. There is a big gap in my life history from the paternal side and I don't know it will ever truly be filled. Too much time has passed and most of those older generations have passed on as well.

My mother has told me my paternal grandfather was a pastor. The picture above has him seated on the left hand side. The book next to the picture is The Star Book for Ministers, a helpful guide for functioning as a minister, and belonged to my grandfather. These two items were passed on to me after my father's death and while I don't know their complete story, these things signify a foundation.

Even though I am unsure of the depth of their influence, there were things established for me before I knew what path in life I would take. The personal path of ministry was chosen by my dad's father long before I even existed. I don't believe this means I was destined to become a pastor because of his choices. My awareness of this legacy has influenced me in some measure however.

I don't mean to overplay the significance of this book and picture, but it reminds me of the value of the foundation I am setting for my future generations. The decisions I make today are not just affecting me and my children, but also those generations I may never see. It helps me (and scares me a little too) to think about the influence my dedication, faith, and character may have on my future family.

A Worthy Name

I think our society has forgotten about the power and significance in a name. In times past we would give people names that reflected their character and the great deeds they had done. People would be called “Richard the Lionhearted” or “Claudia the Courageous.” Just because we no longer think in those terms doesn’t mean people don’t live with the same purpose and intensity. My wife is one of those women who lives in such a legendary fashion. As our 21st anniversary is celebrated today, I thought it would be appropriate to give her a fitting name: “Dana the Strong."

Our life’s journey has not been what we expected, but then again I don’t know many people who would profess otherwise. Through all of these life changes her internal strength has increased as she conquered each trial. My wife is a woman who:

Conquered cancer
Is willing to fight her fears
Breaks her faith down to the foundation and slowly rebuilds it
Asks tough questions others don’t have the courage to ask
Home schools three girls
Is a pastor’s wife—nuff said
Finished a 1/2 marathon
Climbed a mountain
Survived the rituals of religion to develop a lasting relationship
Takes risks and helps when others would walk away
Shares compassion even when it hurts
Speaks what’s right even if it’s unpopular
Helps others walk through the valleys of life even when it costs her deeply
Supports me fully in my calling even when it’s not easy for either of us
Sees the potential in me and encourages me to become the man I should be

I have been fortunate to have many strong women in my life and even more so to be allowed to partner with this incredible woman. I am grateful for her strength, her loving attitude, her passionate intelligence, and her contagious compassion. She is my life partner who makes me a better man. Happy anniversary, Dana the strong. You are the better part of me.

A Goal in Mind

This morning I got up to run and was about to stretch when I noticed the downpour outside. I'm not opposed to running in the rain, but the thunder and lightning influenced me to change my plans and head to the gym. If given a choice I would always choose to run outside over a treadmill, but I needed to get my miles in and this was the only way it was going to happen today.

Treadmill running is a bit monotonous (even with ESPN on the screen in front of me) and it feels like it takes longer to complete my distance. The lack of scenery change makes it boring and tends to tire me out more quickly. Today I hit a point about two miles before my intended mileage where I just didn't want to run any more. My legs had gotten a little heavy and I thought about calling it quits. The reason I kept running was that I knew I had a big race in a month and this run was an important part of my prep. Knowing what I was aiming at gave me the incentive to push forward.

There are a lot of times when we want to quit in life. We might be frustrated in our relationships, feel as if life changes we have made aren't working, or don't see that our daily efforts are making a difference. We have reached a point where our legs are heavy and it takes a great deal of energy to keep moving. If we don't have a vision of what we are striving towards it can be easy to give up when we get tired. Working for a long term goal helps us persevere through short term difficulties. Having a mental picture of where we are going gives us the strength to push through.

Target Practice

We have two choices when thinking about our future. We can carefully choose our goal(s) and work diligently towards them or decide that wherever we end up is good enough. This is the difference in aiming at a target you have drawn on the wall or drawing the target around your shot after it has landed. One method will push you forward for growth while the other settles for whatever happens.

Intentionally aiming is harder work, but brings greater satisfaction when your goal is reached.

At This Moment

There is an inner part of a leader that is programmed to desire greater things. When we acknowledge it, we realize that we genuinely want to be part of something more. We want our life to have powerful influence and impact. Leaders want to see growth increase and blessings in our life multiply.

As I think about asking God for these things and imagining the potential, I find myself asking this simple question, "Where are you presently being obedient?" We can't begin to think about where our next leap of faith will be if we aren't being faithful to the moment we are in.

The opportunity for future faith is formed through present obedience.

Moving Calendar

I read yesterday that next week we will be closer to the year 2030 than we will the year 2000. That doesn't sound right when you hear it, but it is absolutely true. It seems a bit more astounding to me to think of it this way since 2030 has always sounded so distant & futuristic. Part of me doesn't like to admit how far the year 2000 is in the past either. It means that my girls are nearing adulthood and that I'm not getting any younger either.

I can't do anything to impede the progress of time so I suppose that leaves me with two choices. I can pretend that things are not changing or I can prepare myself the best way I know how. I won't be able to predict everything that will happen, but I can plan ahead to the best of my abilities and trust God to fill in the gaps. Forging ahead into the unknown with some semblance of a plan is better than ignoring the moving calendar and hoping everything works out for my benefit.

Looking Ahead

I meditate often on a quote from Andy Stanley where he asks a focusing question. "Will you be where you want to be five years from now by doing what you're doing today?" It's a daily reminder that is written on one of my whiteboards. When I read it it serves as a reminder of the importance of what I am doing today and how it is building part of my future.

It might seem obvious to most people, but that question is really only effective if you have some idea of the kind of person you want to be in five years. If you don't have any objectives or even a directional goal, then it really doesn't matter what you are doing today. If we want to be forward thinking, holistically healthy people then we need to develop some concept of where we are headed and then work each day to get there. Our positive daily habits will fuel our future success.

Contingency Plan

The big sports story of the day centers around NBA star LeBron James and his decision to sign with his
hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. This brings an end to his four year championship run with the Miami Heat and has shaken up the landscape for other free agents. Pat Riley is the president of the Heat who orchestrated LeBron's arrival and had made great overtures to keep him in south Florida. I'm certain that Pat is greatly disappointed in the decision (as are many Heat fans) and I know the sports shows will be full of predictions for what comes next. 

Just this week I was wondering what the Heat were going to do if their team didn't come back together they way they had imagined. Pat Riley is a highly successful leader and while he might have been knocked off stride, I am sure he has given thought to what his next steps should be. While Riley will have to revamp, I feel certain that he is not scrambling for alternatives at this point. He may not have the circumstances that he desired, but he also didn't wait until this decision was announced to start thinking of what to do. 

Effective, visionary leaders are always imagining possibilities and thinking through potential obstacles to be overcome. There will always be surprises in leadership and leaders with longevity learn to prepare themselves mentally for those occasions. Being completely unprepared for unexpected outcomes puts us further behind in making future adjustments.

Forward Focused

My office is a testimony to things in my past that are important to me. I have pictures and memorabilia of my time at Mainland High School, my first ministry position at Tomoka Christian Church, and special family moments. All of these collectible items might not mean much to anyone else, but they are extremely valuable to me. I enjoy the feelings that these things evoke and the memories of times shared with good friends that come to mind whenever I see them. As much as I treasure the past, however, I know that I must look to the future if I want to develop as a leader and mature as a person.

We didn't arrive where we are today without the influence of our life history. Unfortunately, we get stuck when we only look at the past and reminisce about the glory days. We have to train ourselves to appreciate our life experiences while looking ahead at our next steps of change and growth. It's an understanding that our history serves to give us momentum towards an even better future. 

Predict the Future

Babe Ruth is arguably the best baseball player of all time. In 1930, he was awarded a contract that paid him $130,000 a year to play for the Yankees. His general manager at the time, Ed Barrow, was quoted as saying, "No one will ever be paid more." Contrary to Ed's forecasting ability, the average salary for a major league baseball player today is over $2 million. Obviously, good old Ed wasn't an expert at predicting the future. The truth is that most of us aren't experts in the practice of accurately predicting the future either. If we were more skilled at it, we would make better decisions in our present circumstances instead of being constantly disappointed by the results of our choices.

I suppose that leaves us with two directions: continue to do the best we can on our own with limited success or start trusting God to direct our future since He already knows what's going to happen. Doesn't sound like much of a choice to me even as I continue to struggle with that level of trust. I think part of it is a lack of faith in God's promises while some can be attributed to my stubborn pride that prevents me from accepting things that I may not want to hear. Beginning to trust God's promises instead of my own shaky predictions is the key to personal stability and maturity.

Fuzzy Future Vision

ESPN has a unique game on their website called, Streak for the Cash. It's an interactive event where you predict the outcome of various sporting events and try to build a winning streak. There is a cash reward at the end of the month for the longest active streak and for the most "wins" in a month. I don't participate in it regularly, but was a bit more active in it when it first began.

I consider myself fairly educated in most sporting events and thought that I might be able to rattle off a predictive winning streak. Sadly, my general enthusiasm for sports didn't translate into a pattern of fortune-telling. I never accurately predicted more than 5-6 in a row and my overall record is hovering right around the .500 mark. In theory, I would have just as much success flipping a coin as I do trying to figure out who will win the next event.

The truth is that we live in a world of uncertainty. We do not know what will happen next. We can predict some small things, but no one knows when a diagnosis of cancer will hit us, when tragedy will strike, or when seemingly stable things become volatile. I can allow myself to get frustrated by my poor forecasting or I can recognize my limitations and place my confidence where it belongs. The only accurate predictor of the future is God and since He is never caught off guard it would benefit me to trust Him with my present and my future. I certainly can't guarantee what will happen beyond this immediate moment, but I can at least be comforted in being close to the One that knows and works for my good.

Defining Moments

I have heard some people say that they don't want to be defined by one moment in their lives. Unfortunately, I don't believe that we can deny the truth of that principle. We will be defined by the moments in our lives that are filled with joy and success as well as those described by sorrow and failure. It is up to each of us, however, to decide what that definition will be. It is in the choices we make after these events that our true definition is shaped.

Will we allow these sentinel events to condemn us for the future or be the impetus to change our course for the better?

Get Ready

If you stay ready you don't have to get ready. Russell Wilson

I have dreams for my future. There are things that I want to accomplish, places that I want to go, personal changes that I want to make, and a legacy that I want to build. I have ambitions that are fueled by my personality, but most importantly by God's calling on my life. 

I have confidence that God will bring me into the right future circumstance at the right time if I will be obediently faithful in the present. I won't just accidentally fall into an opportunity for growth and increased impact, but need to prepare for that moment now. My prayers, devoted study, careful meditation, and daily character reshaping will create an avenue for God to prepare me for what lies ahead. 

Opportunity will knock and I don't want to miss it because I wasn't ready to answer.

Not Yet

The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, 

"The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."  Judges 6:11-12

This was far from the truth as Gideon hadn't fought for anything yet. He was more well known for being an inconsequential member of a small tribe of people. God chose to call him by a title that wasn't close to the truth--it wasn't his present reality. 

One of the unique things about God is that He speaks what is possible when He calls us. As difficult as it may be to believe in that moment we have to trust that God can bring it to fruition through our faithful obedience. If we are listening for His call, we then have the opportunity to take the risk of allowing God to make these words come true. We take a leap of faith and believe that what might seem impossible is very possible with God.

God sees us as we are going to be and calls us to follow that future. He's not sharing an impossible dream and hoping it might come true. Listen for His voice and then follow where He leads no matter how ridiculous it might sound. You might be surprised at what God sees in you and shapes into a new reality.

No Consideration

Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her. Look, O Lord, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed. 

Lamentations 1:9

I like to look ahead to the future and try to determine if my actions are leading me where I truly want to go. I will regrettably admit that this is not a consistent personal practice of mine-especially when I was younger. I would make foolish financial, emotional, and spiritual decisions based on the immediacy of the moment and neglect to think about the long-term implications of my choices. The fallout from this short-sighted decision making can be devastating on an individual level, but even more so for the people in our immediate circles of influence. 

What choices are we making today that will directly affect our future? Are we carefully considering the long-term benefits & consequences of those decisions? If we refuse to take the time to meditate on where we might end up we forfeit the right to be surprised/appalled when the results are less than satisfying. When we won't evaluate the potential results we're valuing the present moment much more than the coming future. I've seen too much damage in people's lives to believe this is the right way to go.

Keep Moving

I hate being interrupted when I'm talking to someone. I also hate it when my momentum is interrupted as well. I often feel as if I have a decent rhythm, but if I take my eyes off what is important I can quickly find myself off track. Constant reminders, task lists, and repeating the vision helps me stay focused on the right path. I have to speak the truth of a preferred future often or the malaise of an ordinary present reality takes over.

Hopeful Anticipation

I don't know that many of us look ahead to our future and are filled with anxious anticipation. Instead of seeing our potential in God's plan we paint a gray, dreary picture of mundane activity and habitual drudgery. We can become easily consumed with the dim prospect of facing the same struggles we are facing today, but with a different date on the calendar and more gray hair. 

In 1 Corinthians 2:9, Paul writes that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived the things that God has prepared for those that love Him. This is a verse of hope for our future! It's a tantalizing promise of excitement that God offers for our coming days. It means that He is excited about our future like a father that can't wait to give his children a great gift they've been anticipating. It should change our perspective as we realize what 

God is waiting to share with us-it should give us hope for something more.

What would it take for us to embrace a hopeful future that we look forward to with great anticipation of God's delivery?

New Beginnings

My blog's title represents something that I have found is very important to me--new beginnings. I started this new blog after our departure from Florida amidst my need for a clean slate. It was my

way of recognizing my own need for repentance and the opportunity to begin again. Each time I write I am reminded of how much this phrase is now a part of my DNA. A new beginning is not just about a departure from my old way of life, but it also brings the promise of unexplored territory rife with potential. It represents the newness of each day and my need for God's forgiveness. It is the excitement that I feel when I meditate on the future and the preparation God is doing in my life right now. It marks new steps of faith in my children's lives and the hope I have for their own calling. It's the love affair I have for my wife and the freshness of our relationship after 21 years together.

New beginnings isn't just the name of a place that I write--it's the mantra that I live by as God blesses me each day.

Walk the Line

I keep detailed lists of things--long term projects, vision casting for future events, and personal to-do lists. It's the way I keep track of my personal life, goals & aspirations, and ministry. It helps to have it front of me on a regular basis so that I don't lose focus on what's most important. 

The lists represent an interesting balance between the present and the future. If I stay consumed with present details and needs then I will end up having no vision for the future. On the other hand, if I only pay attention to future vision and aspirations I can end up missing opportunities and victories that are right in front of me. It is a delicate balance of looking ahead while paying attention to where your feet are going in this moment. When I can put emphasis on current needs as well as building for what's ahead, I find momentum moves in the most positive direction.