Same but Different Part 1.5

So D.J. and I were talking about the swimming and the renewal of sorts that came from jumping into the pool. He offered a valuable insight into the scenario with his question, "So it's a mental thing?" I was a little confused and asked for clarification. He said it was like my mind was saying that I was tired and sore and ready to be done but in reality the body was capable of more. This really blew me away. It really is a mental thing in so many ways. However, what happens when the mind is renewed? Transformation. New life.

Romans 12:2 (New International Version)

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Once again, I'm pooped. This has been another long day after being up way too late last night/this morning.

I have some more to write about same but different, but this will wait for another day.

Out!

Some good advice

Well, it is already Saturday morning.

Here is some great advice that Jennifer shared (I'm not sure where it originated):

If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the precipitate.
Nothing like some great chemical wisdom. After all, chemistry is the central science!

Later!

Same but Different Part I

We make wire and cable at Copperfield. I work primarily in the wire fabricating portion of the business. We receive 5/16" (.3125") diameter copper rod and draw (think stretch) it down to diameters as small as 0.0037" and nearly everything in between. After we get the wire down to the correct size, we apply heat to the wire and this gives it back some ductility. We then take the correct number of wires of a given diameter and bunch or twist them together to make a larger wire. Sometimes we take these bunches and twist them together to make still larger bunches. Last week, we made a cable made up of 3325 little wires - 19 bunches of 7 bunches of 25 little wires. Some of the finished wires are very flexible and some are rigid. Some are small and some are large. However, regardless of the construction, diameter, flexibility, ductility or any other properties, it is all copper. The finished product looks very different from the incoming rod, but it is still copper. Regardless of the shape or form, it is the same but different.

I have switched up my morning work-out from biking and running to lifting, cardio, and swimming. This just kind of happened, but it has been a blast (literally in some cases). The morning starts with lifting, and then cardio, and finally swimming. By the time it is time for swimming, I'm starting to feel pretty tired and even sore and very drenched (I need to mop up my puddles after elliptical or stepper). Then it is time for swimming. I walk to the edge, pause for a moment, and take a jump. Instantly, I feel refreshed. The muscles start to relax and the tiredness seems to wash away and it is time for some laps. Wow, I'm still the same tired and maybe even sore Todd and yet I'm a little different, a little refreshed. Enough energy is available after all to swim some laps. In that moment, as the water encompasses me, I am the same but different.

I've been thinking about this whole same but different thing most of the day. Part II will come hopefully tomorrow because there is much more to the story.

Walking

Tonight, my good friend, Jan, and I took one of our western walking routes. We always share some pleasant conversation - about our day (or week depending on time between walks), about our families, about life. I always learn a lot on our walks. Tonight was no different



Jan shared that oftentimes we have to look for God. If we don't look, we probably aren't going to see. This is something that I have really been learning about this summer and hope to put into something coherent.



I'm going to paraphrase here, but she also noted that it takes time - three years - to start fitting into a job. Again, this is something that really hit home - particularly in this time of increasingly instant gratification.

Okay, I'm really tired and need to hit the hay.

(By the way, isn't there something special about eating breakfast at night?)

Out!

What's the problem?

So next week I start some undergraduate classes in economics and finance at Bethel. These are prerequisites for a potential MBA. Because the classes are part of the adult studies program, they include first assignments. So for these classes, I need to read a couple chapters for each class and write a short paper for one of the classes.

Have you ever wondered, "What's the problem?" I mean, why are there rich people and poor people? Why are there wars? Why is there suffering in much of the world? Why are there starving people who will not make it through tonight? Why are there so many unhappy people?

The first paragraph of Chapter 1 in Tucker's Economics Today defined the problem as scarcity. Scarcity is "the condition in which human wants are forever greater than the available supply of time, goods, and resources. Because of scarcity, it is impossible to satisfy every desire."

Folks, it is impossible to satisfy every desire. That is why the rich have to increase their wealth. That is why houses are replaced with larger houses. The text stays primarily in the material realm - money, houses, cars boats... However, I think it is probably safe to say that this applies across the boards. It is impossible to satisfy every desire. We aren't loved enough. We aren't happy enough. Our thirsts are never quenched.

Jesus offers an alternative economy.

John 6:35 (New International Version)

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

He is more than enough.

Wow, you can actually see the house

I can't believe today is Sunday and my last post was Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were my first days at the weight room. This is something new for me and I'm really looking forward to giving it all that I can in the next few weeks and months to come. Thursday and Friday were also the shift meetings at work and I was able to share that one of my projects has resulted in over $1 million in savings so far this year. On Friday evening after the rolling tailgate party, Jim, Holly, and I took off on a trip through the countryside to the Little Egypt cemetery. We took the White Cloud. The White Cloud is this amazing old school bus. Random couches, chairs, and even a bed take the place of the original bus seats. As we were leaving the parking lot, Jim asked if I wanted to try driving. It has been a long time since I drove the dumptrucks on the farm so I was more than a bit nervous but really wanted to give it a shot. The drive was great and we made it back to town - despite passing by one of the supposed haunted places of Indiana.

Saturday, after riding bike, Trent and I started "trimming" some hedges and bushes around my house. I put trimming in quotes because more fitting words might include slaughtering or obliterating because Trent brought Ben's chainsaw. Let me tell you something, there is nothing quite like holding a chainsaw, pulling the cord, and hearing that baby roar to life. Oh the power! Abby captured some pictures of this exhilarating event. (The guy on the ground in the top picture is my brother, Troy. He stopped by for awhile, too.) We did some serious damage and had quite a bit of fun doing it. Actually, we did round two this morning and ended up with a truck and trailer filled with trimmings. In fact, Trent looked at the hack job that we ended doing to the tree in the top photo and said, "That just needs to come out." So he addressed the situation and in a fleeting hour it was gone. As we were working this morning, one of my neighbors stopped by and commented, "Wow, you can actually see the house." I started thinking about this. The hedges and bushes were so overgrown that it really concealed a good portion of the house. Strangely, I could relate to this. It is so easy for life to get overgrown by the weeds of life - worries and fears. These can choke the life right out of me - make me into someone who I'm not, conceal me. Last night, Jim talked about the parable of the sower. (This is also the same message that he referred to a turd sandwich but that is probably worthy of its own post.) Matthew 13:22 (The Message) refers to the weeds of life: "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it." Nothing comes of it. I really hope to continue on the journey closer to Jesus and away from the strangling weeds. I have renewed hope that rather than being strangled, by God's grace, I can produced a crop (see vs 23)

Letting go of the handle bars

Tonight, as the daylight waned, I set out on a quick bike ride through town. Under the protective shield of the darkening evening, I did some experimenting.

I tried letting go of the handlebars. (Disclaimer: I am not an advocate of riding bike at night or letting go of the handlebars.)

My balance is not the greatest. In fact, if I spit when riding bike, then I have a tendency to nearly lose control. It is kind of funny really, as long as there is nothing too close. Nevertheless, tonight, I tried letting go.

Okay, I'll be honest, after about 15 minutes of practicing, I still couldn't let go for more than a few seconds. However, those few seconds offered a glimpse into something different. I mean, the handlebars are there for a reason right. Bicycles have handlebars (or some kind of steering mechanism). That is just the way they are. We use the handlebars to steer. As I was trying to let go, I could just sense the bike wanting to go out of control and I would quickly grab the handlebars again. However, with some practice, I gained just a little bit more freedom (albeit just a few seconds) and the bike continued on course.

This reminded me about Jesus. Life is kind of like the bike. I try to steer the bike and my arms and shoulders and back start to get soar. But I keep steering to avoid going out of control. Yet, the more I let the go of the handlebars - the steering wheel, the reigns, whatever - of life, the closer I can get to Jesus. Yeah, it might seem rocky or out of control but Jesus is right there offering to take more control of the handlebars.