A Tip On Achieving Excellence

I’m hardwired as a disciplined learner.  It’s the way I was created.

As a result, I’ve been able to learn to do a number of different things competently, not because I’m naturally skilled at them but because I’ve ascertained the fundamentals then diligently practiced them.

Malcolm Gladwell in his book, Outliers, makes a compelling case for “The 10,000 Hour Rule,” in which he asserts if you practice anything for 10,000 hours you will become excellent, even if you are not naturally gifted for it. Continue reading “A Tip On Achieving Excellence”

How To Know If You Are Legalistic

After rereading yesterday’s blog post, I became concerned I might be misinterpreted, that some of you might mistakenly think I was suggesting Christians shouldn’t participate in organized athletics when I was simply using sarcasm to make a point about some things that are wrong with organized athletics.

I was afraid you might think I was a legalist, and I know I’m not a legalist. After all, I drink martinis, go to R-rated movies and make regular trips to Las Vegas to play blackjack.  (Note: I don’t get drunk, I turn away during nude scenes at movies and I don’t gamble with money I can’t afford to lose). Continue reading “How To Know If You Are Legalistic”

3 Things I Learned From Athletics

There is much talk in the U.S. about the importance of athletics and specifically how it builds character.

Having played organized basketball from the time I was 7 years old and received a basketball scholarship in college, I thought I might share with you three things I learned from organized athletics.

1.     Winning is everything. I learned this early on. The trophies went to the teams that won, and the coaches repeatedly reminded us winning was the most important thing, or as some would say, “Winning is not the most important thing; it’s the only thing,” which I think was another way of saying winning was the most important thing. I also learned this from watching college athletics. Coaches that lost got fired and the coaches who won got better jobs and more money, even the coaches whose players didn’t graduate and got in trouble with the law.

Continue reading “3 Things I Learned From Athletics”

The Key To Finding The Best Mate

When I was single, like most singles I hoped to get married one day.

At some point, I began to pray for my future wife, even before I knew who she was.  I prayed that she would have all the characteristics I wanted in a wife.  The list was long and the bar high.

One day while praying a thought hit me, a thought I am convinced was from the Lord because thoughts so piercing and objective about ourselves rarely originate from within. Continue reading “The Key To Finding The Best Mate”

Seinfeld and Secular Hypocrisy

Seinfeld, they say, is life.

The other day I was thinking about that episode where George Costanza,while working late one night, has sex in his office with the cleaning lady. I know, I know, this is not the stuff of Sunday School lessons, but I’m assuming my audience is mature, and I am headed somewhere with this.

So George’s boss finds out, and George has to come up with a strategy to avoid the inevitable end game of all of George’s employment. Continue reading “Seinfeld and Secular Hypocrisy”