From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 1 00:05:16 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Feb 1 00:05:58 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Pop Your Stack Message-ID: <5ACD7D25-8265-4564-9D49-6BDC5C152617@clanwebb.com> Many of the concepts and structures I use while writing computer software are based on things outside of the industry. One such idea is something called a stack. When I ask you to describe a stack of items, you probably imagine a stack of books or a stack of paper where you can see the entire stack at once. A stack in engineering terms is a little different. It's more like that spring-loaded stack of plates at a cafeteria. You can only see a few plates, but as you lift them off the spring pushes more up. You can add plates (called pushing items on the stack) or remove plates (called popping items off the stack), but you can only work with the top of the stack. You can't take anything out of the middle or from the bottom. The critical concept about a stack is something short- handed as LIFO: Last In, First Out. That's just what a stack is. The last item you push is the first one you can pop. You can't change that rule. Stacks are useful because you don't have to know how big it is to use it. It doesn't matter if that blue plate was the first plate on the stack or the fiftieth, you know that if you push it now, it will be there when you come back to pop it. Often, in software, we will create a stack that is used by many different parts of the code. When I write that code, I have to be aware of an important rule: If I push something on the stack, I had better pop it before I'm done. If I don't, then when someone else comes back to pop their items from the stack, mine will be in the way. And, since there is no way to get past that first item, everything else in the process is stuck. While working on code just like this, I began to see a parallel in my spiritual life. God is the foundation of my life. When I start to stack up sin, though, I push Him down and away from me. After just a few pushes, I can't even see Him anymore. How many of us in that situation, though, won't understand why God left us? In fact, we pushed Him away. Reconciling with God can only happen one way: You have to deal with that stuff you put on the stack. You can ignore the stack, but it won't work: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8 Or, you can grab that sin off the stack and put it out for you and God to deal with. Confess it and get it out of the way: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9 If you think God is ignoring you, or you're feeling disconnected, you might want to see if you've forgotten to pop your stack. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 1 21:50:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Feb 1 23:42:52 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Control Yourself Message-ID: <07DE08F8-18C8-41DA-AA88-A237E8B1709D@clanwebb.com> When we become mired in our own troubles, we really become a pain in the neck to those around us. It is difficult not to focus on our own troubles because they affect our lives. On the other hand, people aren't stupid and they know hard times fall on everyone from time to time. The world sucks. If it didn't, we'd all fall off. (Sorry, couldn't resist) Look the lesson about self is simple, but when it is happening to us it isn't easy. The key is control and that can be the hardest part. "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self- control." Proverbs 25:28 How often do we say, "Get ahold of yourself!"? Self-control requires balance. "But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." Romans 2:8 "In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool." 2 Corinthians 11:17 This is tipping to the wrong view of self. "... gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:23 This is correct self-control. Look for what God has provided. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 Look for it. You have it. Don't stop until you uncover it. I read the following quote and I realized why God made each of us unique. "Never try to make anyone like yourself - you know, and God knows, that one of you is enough." Ralph Waldo Emerson Blessings Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Feb 2 23:31:17 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Feb 2 23:33:05 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Explain It Again Message-ID: They did it again! I love to watch the National Geographic channel, but it is getting a little repetitive when it comes to certain subjects. I am fascinated by "The World's Largest Structure", "The World's Mega Machines", and so on. But, the hair stands up on the back of my neck when the lead to the program is, "Tonight, we explain the origin of the earth." I just think to myself, "Here we go again." Pull up your chairs, little children, and I will tell you how millions and millions of years ago the cosmos was filling up with stardust. That's right, kids, stardust. Isn't that exciting? Then when there was enough stardust, the dust began to attract itself and began to swirl round and round. At this point, a really smart scientist stands on a little merry-go-round and stretches out his arms holding two lead balls. His really smart assistant (usually an underpaid graduate student) then spins the really smart scientist and he goes round and round. As he pulls his arms in, he goes round and round faster, thus demonstrating that as the stardust became more dense it eventually formed the sun and all the planets. The spinning continued after the formation of the sun and the planets and it is the gravity formed by all of them that keeps everything in its proper place. This was further proved when an astronaut had some time on his hands while in space and put all types of materiel in baggies with water. Things like salt, coffee grounds, and other stuff. The clever astronaut then shook them up. My goodness, the little particles attracted each other, thus confirming how the sun and planets were made. The demonstration is all very dramatic. There is the rolling back of the giant roof of one of the observatories at Kitt Peak in Arizona. There are wonderful pictures of space taken from the Hubble telescope, pictures of the space shuttle, pictures of Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon, and the obligatory picture of molten lava belching up from the center of the earth. Come my children and kneel at the altar of science. Now, don't get me wrong. This repetitive pounding may be exactly right, but I wonder why they never talk about the elements of their explanation. 1) Where did all the stars that exploded to form the stardust come from? 2) Where did all the space come from? 3) How did it all start? (Remember the underpaid graduate student) 4) If the Hubble telescope, the space shuttle, the cameras, and all the other technology required designers to enlighten us, why did the universe - which is infinitely more complicated than a tubby scientist standing on a lazy susan - not require a designer? A few weeks before I watched a presentation from the same show on how one little sperm joins with one tiny egg and, in nine months, becomes a person. They didn't miss a stage of development. Each week the miracle became more apparent from the first heartbeat until birth. Yet our Godless culture, enamored with self, sees nothing wrong with killing that miracle, harvesting the organs, and selling them all in the moral standard set by science. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Revelation 22:13 "even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; you works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:12-14 Men, the politics of science are such that the community doesn't agree upon much of anything except that a Biblical explanation is unacceptable. Your faith in God is well placed. Faith in the world is misplaced. Be strong. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Feb 4 00:44:13 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Feb 4 00:44:55 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Factory Defect Message-ID: <8BB3582B-96FE-4BF2-A50B-FFD04976E147@clanwebb.com> I have often heard artists describe the thrill of creating through putting their energy into making something out of nothing. They have crafted something that will cause people to react, think, and maybe even change the path of their life. While not nearly as thought provoking, I get that same thrill out of creating software. I can create something mundane and utilitarian. Or, I can create something that brings joy or learning or assistance. There's a very similar feeling in regards to parenting. When my son was born, I had this immense sense of responsibility. I knew that God had entrusted my wife and me with the care and upbringing of this boy. There's great exhilaration in knowing that you will help to shape this boy's life. There's great fear that I might screw it up. Now, society will tell you that babies are innocent and blameless. Any problems that child has later in life can be drawn back to childhood trauma, bad parenting, or an unhealthy environment. We feel better if we can point to the causes of these behaviors because that implies that we can fix them. If we point out that ignoring your child early in life will cause them to act out more, then we can formulate a solution. Just pay more attention to them. There are shelves and shelves of books that direct parents to all of the different ways to raise your children so they are problem-free. This point of view is not only incorrect, but it's arrogant. First off, it implies that sinful people can create a sinless child. "Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!" Job 14:4 "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Psalm 51:5 Second, it implies that there is some theoretical way to guide a child through life such that he would die sinless. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 These things just aren't true. You need to work from the assumption that all children have a spiritual birth defect. We are all born with a sin nature thanks to Adam and Eve. We inherently have an impulse of selfishness that will drive us to sins large and small throughout our lives. Our job as parents is not to train our child to never sin (that's impossible), but to teach them to repent of it when it happens and look to Jesus for guidance. We need to teach our children who Christ is so that they may accept Him early in life. Then we need to guide them to watch for sin and how to avoid it. "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" " John 1:29 Without Christ, it's much, much harder. Take it to Christ. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Feb 4 23:53:07 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Feb 4 23:56:23 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Truth Message-ID: I was watching an interview with the former President Bush and his first lady, Barbara Bush. They were asked what they thought about the Internet. I suspect that it was one of those questions that the interviewer thought would be a great way to show what an older generation thought about a civilization-changing leap in technology. Email, the web, and all of it's implications were impossible ideas when the young George and Barbara were born. I half expected them to make comments similar to ones made by my mother-in-law and father-in- law when it comes to computers. The use of technology is something for which they have very little use and it seems totally out of reach. I was surprised as both discussed the Internet and email in the same terms. They talked about their concerns. Mrs. Bush had grave concerns about how so much information could saturate the world in such a short time. She knows full well that falsehood as well as truth travels at the same speed and, in some cases, lies travel faster. She said she knew this not because it was in defense of her family, but that much of the information they received about their political opponents was false. The former President spoke about a conversation he had with David McCullough, the great British historian, where he expressed concerns about how future historians could accurately compile history when so much was not written in the original hand of those that were making history. Both focused on what might happen to the truth. This is a great question to ask: "What has happened to the truth?" In the past, historians could look at the personal letters and correspondence of a President or a Prime Minister and build a great picture about the way they thought. They could report on their fears and aspirations and feel with some certainty they were correct before they made their report. The world today won't have a Rosetta Stone or Dead Sea Scrolls. Anything can be deleted, retyped, cut-and-pasted, imported and exported with impunity. What will happen to the truth? The people that want to rewrite history are out there. They want to remove God, chisel Him out of the granite and marble, take Him out of the books and off anything future generations can refer to when they need to verify truth. John Weldon and John Ankerberg say it this way in their co-authored essay: "The words of men must be perceived differently from the words of God. One we examine critically, one we bow before." One can never put as much faith in the words of men as we can in the inspired words of God. For one by his very nature is sinful and is able to lie while the other cannot lie. The one who currently rules the earth uses lies as his native language. "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures." James 1:18 "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation ? having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." Ephesians 1:13 The truth will always be the truth. What is published will be determined by the hearts of the writers and the desire of the reader to seek. Always seek the Word of God because it will reveal the truth about anything written. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 5 23:35:38 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Feb 5 23:36:25 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Do I Know You? Message-ID: <9B4AEA02-456C-4564-AF08-786BEF614323@clanwebb.com> My wife loves old movies. I like old movies, too. Here ends the similarity. My wife likes manly men who dance, sing, and talk their way into a woman's heart. I like manly man who beat each other up, blow each other up, make evil-doers pay the price, and who toss the girl over their saddle and do what's best for them without a lot of words. Because I am the man of the house, my wife understands my perspective. However, quite often, we watch men who dance and talk. One such epic had Gene Kelly, a dancer and talker extraordinaire, singing the song, "I Gotta Be Me". My attention span took a nose dive and I began to wonder if after I died I was "gonna stay me". I began to do a little research and I couldn't find the scripture that said anybody I knew on earth would know me pre- or post-arrival. I don't know if I like the idea of being so different that I would have to reintroduce myself, or even if I could. I began to feel anxious, a feeling I attribute to watching too many men who dance and talk, until I found what some other fellow concluded: "One important biblical support for the belief in personal identity after death comes from Mark 12:26-27 where Jesus said, "Now about the dead rising?have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him [Moses], 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' He is not he God of the dead, but of the living." Jesus explained that even though these patriarchs had been dead for centuries when God spoke to Moses, God meant that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still existed as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob during Moses' time. God's words further imply that these men still exist as themselves today. Abraham and the others retained their identities after death. Even after physical death, they kept the relationships with God they had enjoyed during their earthly existence. Jesus therefore assured believers that death does not end human existence or personal identity. In Luke's account of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw that "the appearance of [Jesus'] face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus" (Luke 9:29-30). Not only were these prophets still spiritually alive, but they also retained their identity as Moses and Elijah! Additional biblical support for a belief in the continuation of personal identity after death is found in the accounts of Jesus' appearance to His disciples following His resurrection. When Jesus appeared to the disciples on the evening of His resurrection, He spoke to them and showed them His wounds (John 20:19-23). John 20:20 says that "The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." The risen Christ the disciples encountered in the upper room was the same Jesus they had known before His death on the cross. These Scripture passages demonstrate that humans survive the physical death with personal identity intact. Thus, we can reasonably infer that people will know each other in heaven." Dr. Ronald Nash (professor of philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida and at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.) Thank you, Doctor Nash. They don't have guys that dance in heaven, do they? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Feb 7 00:23:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Feb 7 00:24:11 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Control and Being Chosen Message-ID: I'm in the business of making life better for people. Specifically, my work for the last 11 years has been directly related to helping students learn better. That's an admirable goal and I feel good about the work I do. When you think about it, just about every job there is supports the goal of making life better for people. If you're a cop, you make life more orderly. If you're a doctor, you make life longer and healthier. If you're a soldier, you keep us safe from enemies. If you're a bus driver, you make the commute easier. If you're a professional athlete, you make life more entertaining. We are all trying to make life better in some small way. A worthy goal that justifies a pat on the back. Unfortunately, it's a never ending goal. There is no finish line labeled "better". There's always something better. That's because we cannot make life perfect. We don't have that control. In the end, control is what it's really all about. People want to control all aspects of their own life so they can decide how it plays out. If we could control every knob and switch on the control panel of our life, things would just be great. However, it's a paradox. How does an entity choose to create itself? We did not design and build ourselves. We don't have access to all of the adjustments because we aren't the creators. We didn't choose our own beginning, therefore we cannot be in complete control. Bettering yourself is a good goal. Having control over your entire life is impossible. Quit trying. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit?fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 15:16 Okay, so instead of killing ourselves trying to figure out every nuance in how to control life, why don't we just follow this rule? Recognize that we were chosen (cool! I'm loved!) and we have a job to do (even cooler! I have a purpose!). When we allow ourselves to follow that appointment, then God will give us whatever we want. Don't fight it. Choose to follow Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 8 00:01:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Feb 8 00:02:11 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Let It Go Message-ID: How can I describe the Super Bowl? "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice." Job 19:7 The imperfect world caught up with the Hawks on the wrong day. As long as we look to men for perfect justice we will be disappointed. Had the game gone our way, we would have overlooked the mistakes of men. But, because it didn't, we will rise up and point out their imperfections. "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?" Matthew 7:4 So, what are we to do? "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell." Matthew 5:22 Ah, yes. Well, after all it is just a game and there is always next year. Besides, Mariners Spring Training starts soon. Blessings Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 8 23:58:47 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Feb 9 00:12:53 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Have Confidence Message-ID: <00875F46-30C4-4190-B805-8C2D033D708F@clanwebb.com> So there I was: late in my junior year of high school. It was easily the toughest year of school I had ever gone through, but I had muscled it out and maintained my GPA. I was at the top of my class and had every reason to think that I would be able to go to the college of my choice. And yet, my highest aspirations at that time were the local state school. It was a fine institution, but I wasn't aiming very high. One teacher who I had built a friendship with knew that I could do better. She suggested that I aim high and apply to the top of the list of engineering schools. My guidance counselor seconded the motion. My parents, not wanting to pressure me in any way, left the decision up to me. This was a real gut check. Why not aim high? The worst that could happen is that they'd say "no". On the other hand, I might have been afraid of that very situation. Up until that time, I was the big fish (academically) in a little pond. Getting turned down by any school might lower my self-image in some way. I really don't know where the nervousness came from. I realized, though, that I was having a hard time believing that I might actually be chosen to attend such a well-known school. For all of my self-confidence at that time, I really didn't think that I was cut out for something that big. God presented the Israelites with a similar decision when they left Egypt. He brought them through the wilderness and to the land He wanted to give them. It was the best land around and appeared to be the perfect settling place. He was offering them a chance to step up in the world. They were nervous, though. They didn't think they could handle it. They sent spies to see what the land was like and who lived there. Even though God had clearly said that He was giving this land to them, they panicked. They were afraid of the powerful people living there. They didn't think it was right for them. Remember earlier that some of these people were suggesting that they go back to Egypt to be slaves again. There wasn't just a lack of self-confidence, there was a lack of confidence in God. In fact, they were so unconvinced of God's power, they flat out disobeyed Him and refused to enter the land. He wasn't happy about it. "do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways." So I declared an oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest." " Psalm 95:8-11 God presented a golden opportunity and they ran they other way. Not only did that generation miss the opportunity of living in the land of milk and honey, but they had to wander in the desert for the next forty years. I didn't pass up the opportunity. I did apply to the top and I was accepted. Even then, I had to overcome the feeling of inadequacy of being just like everyone else. I had to work ten times harder. It was an opportunity God placed in my path, though, and He has blessed me for following it. I know too many folks who skipped similar opportunities, so I know where I would be and I feel even more blessed. God knows where He wants you to go. He has a path marked out. When the time comes, have confidence in His ability and take that step forward. Don't panic. You may not have forty years left in you to wait for another chance. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Feb 9 23:34:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Feb 9 23:38:11 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Prepare Them For The Same Old World Message-ID: <0A5F0D42-D769-419A-A7B5-2605DC46962E@clanwebb.com> I started reading a new book and it captured my attention. It is about a young man that was raised in a Christian home. His mother was a strong believer and his father was not. He came to the Lord early, but when he was old enough he left home to get an education. His mother sent him money and he went about finding himself. He loved entertainers and revered their lifestyles. He drank, had lots of sex, fooled around with astrology and other mystical stuff. After a while, he came to some powerful conclusions: "My mother foresaw what would come" "I feared less to commit a barbaric act than I feared that I would feel envy at those that remained pure." "I deceived my parents out of a love of play" He cheated others, but when someone cheated him he was sure to point it out. He finally came to the conclusion that the world was full of people who "delighted in carnal babble." He saw the world without God. "Yet they cried, Truth! Truth! and spoke about it to me all the time. But their words were lies that had nothing of You in them, for truth is only in You." When you prepare your kids to go off to school and into the world, be sure they are grounded in the Word so that when they stray they have something to come back to. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9 By the way, this young man was Augustine of Hippo (354-430). He is considered to be one of the top Christian scholars of all time. Allen From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Sat Feb 11 00:24:51 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Feb 11 00:25:43 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Promotion Message-ID: In retrospect, it seemed that the planets aligned and created the impossible opportunity. I know, however, that there was a guiding hand to create that moment. I had been working as a software engineer in my company for over five years. I had gradually become one of the more senior level engineers in the group and I was hoping that I might be given responsibility for our new product. During my time there, we had two engineering managers and a Director of Engineering. The director slot was empty and we had just burned through the second manager in one of those slots. There was certainly a vacuum of leadership. Furthermore, the remaining manager had pretty much reached his peak of ability. He wasn't going to be promoted much more. I felt good about the work I had been doing and I was hoping to use that as leverage with the new VP of Development (since the intermediate slots in the hierarchy were empty, he was running my group directly) to get myself into the cherry project. I wasn't prepared for what was about to happen. One afternoon this VP walked into my office, closed the door, and made me an offer. He needed someone to manage the engineers and he didn't have any confidence in the one remaining manager we had. So, here I was hoping for a senior project position and I was being offered not just a management position, but the title of Director of Engineering. I would basically be skipping a level. I would be one of four directors that managed the entire development group and my group would be the biggest. I had never managed in my life, but I jumped at the chance. My new boss told me that he had offered me this position based on how well I had managed my own tasks and the smaller teams I had been given in the past. In his eyes, I had proven my worth and he was ready to give me more responsibility because he believed I could do it. I leaned on him greatly as I learned the ropes, but I feel very good about how I handled those years. God is waiting to see us do well, too. He has given us all various levels of responsibility in His kingdom and He's watching to see how we handle it. "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" Matthew 25:21 If you are faithful to Him and do the things He's asked you, He will promote you to more responsibility. This is not an opportunity to grab power or glory in your rank, but to serve God. If you serve Him well, it only makes sense that He will want you to handle more and more things in His kingdom. He will bless your life and your abilities to be greatly used by Him. Even that job, though, ended and I had to go back to being a grunt for a time. However, that experience and training has prepared me for the next opportunities God will place in my life. I'm sure of that. By the same token, God may see fit to start you over somewhere else. Don't take it as a demotion, just see it as a new opportunity. Whether He's asked you to manage a million dollar missions budget or just make the coffee, do it with the same desire to do well and be faithful. God promotes the faithful. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 12 00:38:24 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Feb 12 00:39:08 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Holy Construction Message-ID: <37C00188-36C8-487A-9C72-C84A195213D1@clanwebb.com> I had a fun afternoon. I got to spend a few hours with an old friend of mine. We chatted. We laughed. But, mostly, we put up drywall. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating that part about fun. It was still a good time and I'm glad he thought of me to help. It just means that he's at the top of my list the next time I need to build something. Something my friend said popped into my head later this evening. As we were surveying the framing job he had done and considering how best to tackle the project, he pointed out several defects in the new structure. Some protruding nails that had missed studs, some ugly looking supports, and a best-I-could-do system of attaching it all to the floor. Then he turned to me and said, "But, that's okay. Drywall covers it all and nobody will ever know." It was true. By the time we were done, none of those blemishes could be seen. Only he knew they were there, because he had made them. As far as everyone else was concerned, it was just a wall. Don't you wish you could just put up a few new sheets of drywall over parts of your life? Don't you wish you could just wall up some things and act like they aren't there? Well, I have good news. You can. "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalm 32:1-2 Okay, great, so I'll be blessed if my sins are covered. Who can do that? "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases," Psalm 103:2-3 Ah, okay, God can do it. What do I have to do? "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38 Oh, right, you need to confess those blemishes to God. You need to repent of them. Then, He will cover all of those sins. He will never see them on you again. You will be a clean slate in His eyes. Of course, this only works if you let Him do the cleanup. You can't do that on your own. You just don't have that ability. Let God, the spiritual drywaller, cover that up for you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 12 23:53:29 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Feb 12 23:54:16 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Cashing In on the Promise Message-ID: <387C3B7D-AFF2-4361-8B62-8C617910A388@clanwebb.com> Do you really know the difference between gross and net? You can't spend the gross. In short, the gross is what you tell your in-laws you make and the net is what the grocer knows you make. The thing about God is that the gross IS the net. God is the only one that pays off and you get to spend it all. Nobody intercepts part of the promise. Nobody can levy taxes on the promise. Nobody lays claim to your inheritance except you. We work our whole lives for the inevitable check. Then we look at the stub and ask, "Who is this FICA guy and why is he taking so much money?" Some folks get ahead of the game and they don't participate in the end-of-the-month rush like most folks. It doesn't matter. God's promise is the great equalizer "In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:19 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20 This includes the IRS. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 April 15th indeed.... Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Feb 13 23:51:08 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Feb 13 23:52:13 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Choose Your Destination Message-ID: It doesn't seem fair that we are born with what amounts to a death sentence. We get a few short decades, if we live to the averages, and then eternal agony. The world would rather just not think about it. They would rather rely on their ability to manipulate it or imagine an outcome that is fair and equitable in their minds. Sooner or later, though, everyone thinks about what happens and how they might tilt the odds in their favor. Imagine: You are a prisoner sentenced to death. However, you might be able to escape through an unorthodox determination of fate. The night before your planned execution, you are brought to two large boxes. One contains fifty white balls, the other contains fifty black balls. The next day, the executioner is to reach blindfolded into either box and draw a ball. A black ball represents death for you, a white ball lets you go free. Beforehand, you are allowed to mix up each box, placing some white balls in the black box or vice versa. Each box must contain at least one ball, and you are not allowed to take any balls away - all one hundred balls must remain. Now, placing the white balls on top of the box is impossible since the executioner is blindfolded and could reach to the bottom of the box. Is there any way to maximize your chance of living? This is the same paradox every person faces when the think that God grades on the curve. I'm not the best, but I'm not the worst and that must count for something. It is inconceivable that God would damn me when I'm in the top 50% (and, clearly, by any calculation I'm in the top 50%). I'm a good person. I'm honest when it really matters. I have a conscience and respond out of abundance and convenience. How are you going to arrange the balls? How do you want to face death? Like a riddle? Or like this: "and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:21-23 That's a guaranteed outcome based on a promise from God. Or, you can take one white ball and place it in one of the boxes and all the other balls in the other box. There is a fifty-fifty chance the executioner will choose the box with the one white ball with a guarantee of him picking the white ball. If he chooses the other box, you have slightly less than a fifty-fifty chance that he will choose a white ball. At that point, your overall chance of him picking a white ball is just under 75%. That may sound pretty good, but would you make that bet on eternity? I still don't like those odds. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Feb 14 23:58:50 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Feb 15 00:00:28 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Comparisons Message-ID: <85BEC6C3-7329-4717-9AF5-5B9E721DCD47@clanwebb.com> When it comes time to upgrade some piece of technology in my home, I go about it very methodically. I research prices. I read reviews. I ask friends for suggestions. Whether it's a new stereo, a new TV, or a new computer, I know that I'm making an investment that needs to last a while. I want to make sure it's a good investment and that I won't regret my purchase later. During the process, I always try to find a store that carries my last two or three choices so I can compare them in person. Ideally, I can compare the picture or the sound and see what it's really like for me. I'm always amazed at how two products with very similar reviews and opinions can be so obviously different to me when I experience them personally. It's like I'm taking off the rose-colored glasses and seeing the products for what they really are. When I really look, the choice becomes obvious. Over the last couple of weeks, I think people around the world have had a similar opportunity. We've been told by those preaching tolerance and inclusiveness that Islam is no different than any other faith. In fact, I've had to listen to several talking heads try to convince me that Islam actually is more accepting of other faiths than Christianity is. Islam is more tolerant! Well, guess what, I believe that something fundamentally wrong has been exposed. No matter how they try to spin it, there is an aspect of that faith that involves violence against unbelievers. Some splinter groups have made that their centerpiece. Others have pushed it to the edge, but it's still there. And, when a small group of leaders decide it's time to unleash the flood, they convince their followers that violence is the answer to a perceived slight. I'm not an expert, so I can't tell you whether drawing a cartoon of Mohammed is really as insulting to Muslims as we're being told. What I do know is that we're seeing a clear contrast in response. That faith has decided to riot, destroy, and kill over an insult. As a Christian, I have been insulted many times by people who do not share my faith. My response has never been violence. I've been disappointed, but my urge is to pray for their salvation. I pray for them to know the peace I have. I can't quote from Islamic scripture to prove my point, but I can simply point you to the news to see that there's something wrong. As for Christianity: "He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." Ephesians 2:17-18 I think the comparison is clear. They do not worship the same God as we do. We worship the God who is love. Given the choice, which would you choose? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 15 22:19:34 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Feb 15 22:20:17 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] On Your Marks... Message-ID: "Second place just means you're the first loser." "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." These sound harsh and driven beyond our normal comfort level. We have been taught to disdain some of those feelings, but there are many professional athletes and coaches who drive themselves this way. These tend to be the ones we watch on TV. It's a warm and fuzzy feeling when an athlete says, "I'm just happy to be here," but that statement reveals that the speaker may think they've already peaked. This may be as good as it gets. They are carrying some doubt as to their ability to win. The truth is that we should never be satisfied with "just getting there" when it comes to salvation. We can't play life the way some folks go through high school (just doing enough to pass). God doesn't want us to do just enough. God wants our all. You have to play to win. You have to pull out the stops and sell out to God. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24 Don't be satisfied with good enough. Don't pat yourself on the back for getting saved. You didn't do any of the heavy lifting on that one anyway. Jesus just showed you where the starting line is. Now it's time to get your game on and get moving. Don't saunter down the track waving at the crowd. Run to win. Ready...set...go! Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Feb 16 23:36:09 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Feb 16 23:37:41 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Fear Message-ID: <99010346-84A4-4FCC-96D3-1737A5229536@clanwebb.com> It has been said that we fear what we don't understand. I think this is true in the case of men that don't embrace Jesus Christ. It is logical to fear jumping out of an airplane until you have been trained by people that have a respect for jumping out of an airplane but no longer fears the event. The same is true with a relationship with Jesus. It's a scary thing to think about a personal connection with the most powerful force in the universe. It takes an example to belay fear. Being an example is also fearful if you have not been trained by someone whose fear has become respect. Fear can be a good thing however, fear can lead to exploration and exploration to discovery and discovery to knowledge and knowledge by its nature can conquer or enhance fear. The operative word here is fear. People conquer fears everyday. It might be public speaking, learning to drive, job interviews, or a host of other life experiences. The deal with fear is that it is an imprint on our DNA. This is another obvious proof that we have a designer. We are also designed to grow and overcome fear. That is also part of our blueprint. Like most areas of the universe, there is always that "big one". The biggest mountain, the brightest start, the raging rapids, etc. The big fear is death. After all, I have never seen an interview with someone after they died. There is no reference or instruction guide on how to take it on. Anyone can turn out the light, but what do you do next? You can't turn to the back of a magazine and scan the ads to find a course on how to prepare for that trip. Many civilizations pack luggage for the trip: food, money, and clothes. The trouble is that when we dig them up, all that stuff is still there. Many world religions claim to know what it is like, including these idiots that make the trip for the promise of women on the other side. Some think you get a round trip ticket and can come back as someone's cat. None of these people have ever made the trip. There is only one man that has taken the journey and come back to tell the tale. Only one. There were no other members of the expedition. There is no film. There's just the word of a man that never lied. "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I got to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2-3 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." " John 14:6 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36 He turns fear into excitement. YBIC, Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Feb 18 00:54:57 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Feb 18 00:55:54 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Fallen Pride Message-ID: <1319EEF5-F372-4F06-B552-D4E9DDF0381E@clanwebb.com> I watched an amazing thing happen during the Olympics. I watched an American athlete, well on her way to winning a gold medal, engage in a moment of pride. That wasn't the amazing part. Unfortunately, athletes do that all the time. What was amazing to me was that the consequences of her actions were felt immediately. You see, she did a little showing off near the end of the race that she was leading handily. However, she fell. She came in second and got a silver medal. She would have had gold but for a moment of pride. Now, I'm not passing judgement on this young woman, but I think there was a clear spiritual lesson there. Pride never pans out. You can either follow through on what you bragged about or fall short. Humility never loses. You leave much more room for overachievement. God blesses the humble. Pride will often lead to a fall months or years later. For this young woman, it was a split second later. "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 Pride is a sin just as easy to succumb to as any other. It's just that pride annoys everyone else... including God. You have nothing to be proud about from your own life. Anything good you do is from God, so you should be proud of Him. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 Nothing. That's what you can do without God. Absolutely nothing. Pride claims otherwise. Pride has always got it wrong. The key here is that pride is the result of selfishness. It's thinking that you're more important. Hey, buddy, guess what? It's not about you. It's about God. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6 Being humble doesn't mean disappearing into the background. It means keeping the focus where it belongs. Keep the focus on God. Stay humble. He'll lift you up at the right time and for the right reasons. When He does, remember how you got there and remember who it's all about. It's all about Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 19 00:02:38 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Feb 19 00:03:26 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Specks and Logs Message-ID: <78828C8C-1090-473A-B2B4-22994CED1FCD@clanwebb.com> Today is special. Today God confronted me with an issue on which I am very opinionated. I have scripture underlined in my Bible about this matter and I am very definite about my beliefs concerning this issue. God, in His infinite wisdom, has decided that I should not change my mind about my beliefs, but He has very definitely announced to me that I should change my approach. He also reminded me, again, of some very important axioms concerning my walk with Christ. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Matthew 7:3 I can be, but I don't want to be, the type of person that points to another's sin in order to elevate myself from my own sins. Jesus Christ was a friend to prostitutes, dishonest people, murderers, thieves, adulterers, and all other sorts of sinful folks. Where do I get off comparing my life with anyone and passing the idea that I know how God feels about any one individual? What a relief to be reminded that it is not my responsibility to point at anyone and announce that I am the truth-bearer about what plans God has for them. I must concentrate on being able to give a reason for why I believe what I believe. Frankly, that's the easy part. Living what I believe is the hard part. "Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." 1 Timothy 1:16 What a terrible thing it would be if I were to keep someone from knowing Christ because I attempted to pass judgement upon their lifestyle. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Feb 20 00:17:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Feb 20 00:19:30 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Saved? Now Serve Message-ID: <9D2FDABF-B6D3-4315-8D13-EE65D2851001@clanwebb.com> Our pastor has a great line that he uses to remind us that being saved should radically change your life. He likes to tell us that, "There are no Secret Service Christians." It's clever and gets a laugh, but I suspect that many in the congregation are laughing nervously (including me). The point of that quip is that you can't get saved and then go into hiding. It's calling us out and reminding us that we need to serve, too. Some might argue that if you want to get close to God, you should go to a monastery and study the Bible all day every day. That might make you more knowledgeable, but that doesn't fulfill the service He's assigned to you. How can you work for the advancement of God's kingdom if you're hiding out in the mountains? I hear you saying, "But I'll never do that. It's not like I'm hiding from real life." Wait a minute. How is that any different from living in the suburbs, working at your job, attending church once a week, but not serving the Lord? Will your neighbors know the difference? Paul was grateful for the opportunity: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service." 1 Timothy 1:12 Joshua proclaimed it proudly: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15b These are not passive men. They served God with passion and with all of their strength. Following God isn't like signing up for a newsletter. You don't get to read what's happening in Christianity and then go back to watching TV. Following God involves service. Last time I checked, "serve" was a verb. It's something you have to do. If you aren't doing, you aren't serving. You may be saved, but you may still be missing out on the abundant life that Jesus offers. If so, it's because you haven't left the world behind to serve God. If there's something keeping you from serving the Lord, then I suggest you have it removed. That impediment is disrupting the plan God has for you. It's slowing you down and getting in the way. Don't miss out on how God wants to bless you. Don't get saved and then hide in plain sight. Experience the fullness of what He's offered. Serve. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Feb 20 23:59:32 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Feb 21 00:00:30 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Good or Bad Message-ID: <1B42E079-C1D7-48C9-A791-C4E08B9E6490@clanwebb.com> Someone sent me an email the other day with humorous intent. It posed the situation of, "What people would like have said about them as friends and family passed by their open casket." There was a lot of emphasis on wanting to have folks say you were a good person. That is a difficult concept to get your arms around. A person can be good one moment and bad the next. In fact, I would say that in any given life there is a stack of good and a pile of bad. The question is some sort of tipping point: when does the stack overcome the pile? Or, can it? This paradox also makes it uncomfortable when trying to explain the Christian walk. You are always going to find professed Christians doing good and doing bad. This is how King David wrote about it: "O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the Lord; He swears to his own hurt and does not change; He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent He who does these things will never be shaken." Psalm 15:1-5 No easy task to be sure. By the way, my favorite item in list from the email was, "Hey, look! He moved!" Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 22 00:04:51 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Feb 22 00:07:00 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Perfect Dad Message-ID: <403F34BE-527E-4CC9-B1D3-314110F9C20C@clanwebb.com> I had the great fortune to be baptized the same day my father was when I was twelve years old. It was a great experience, but it also meant that I was around before he was saved and I watched him change into the father God intended him to be. I love my father, but as I grew older I began to discover that he made mistakes. He wasn't perfect. Fortunately for me, he was still a great role model, but I had a mental checklist of things I would never do. Now I'm a father and my son is thirteen. I've made an effort to not make the same mistakes my father did. I've just made a whole new set of mistakes. There are times I pushed my son when I should have comforted him. There are times I disciplined him when I should have felt compassion. There are things about being a father that are just plain hard to do and I've dropped the ball. At first, I was afraid of how I was scarring my son and depressed that I had blown my chance. I realize now that my father wasn't perfect and neither am I. No matter how hard I try, I can't be the perfect father. It'll never happen. I am sad for those people who only know an imperfect father and suffer the consequences of those imperfections. My joy is that along with my imperfect father I also know a perfect Father. My hope is in the fact that I've introduced Him to my son so he can know Him, too. He doesn't make mistakes. He knows just the right thing to do. "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:2-8 I'm glad my son has a perfect Father to depend on when his earthly one fails him. You can, too. If you do, then introduce Him to others. We all need a perfect Dad. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 22 22:05:58 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Feb 22 22:26:28 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Evidence of Evil Message-ID: <464928EE-0DAF-4731-A4AE-5FD726F3A04F@clanwebb.com> How do we know Satan is in the world and working to eradicate our relationship with Jesus? Consider how many people have died because a newspaper printed an image of Mohammed. We as a world are so focused upon preserving the slightest inference to him or the Koran. Yet the following happens thousands of time a year: The procedure is usually performed during the fifth month of gestations or later. The woman's cervix is dilated, and the fetus is partially removed from the womb, feet first. The surgeon inserts a sharp object into the back of the fetus' head, removes it, and inserts a vacuum tube through which the brain is extracted. The head of the fetus contracts at this point and allows the fetus to be more easily removed from the womb. This is done up to the fifth month of pregnancy. Two more weeks would give the baby a 15% chance to live outside the womb. Here's a convincing statement from Paul E. Rockwell, M.D.: "Eleven years ago while giving an anesthetic for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy (at 8 weeks gestation), i was handed what I believe was the smallest living human ever seen. The embryonic sac was intact and transparent. Within the sac was a tiny human male swimming extremely vigorously in the amniotic fluid, while attached to the wall by the umbilical cord. This tiny human was perfectly developed, with long, tapering fingers, feet and toes. It was almost transparent, as regards the skin, and the delicate arteries and veins were prominent to the ends of the fingers." Dr. Rockwell continues, "The baby was extremely alive and swam about the sac approximately one time per second, with a natural swimmer's stroke. This tiny human did not look at all like the photos and drawings and models of 'embryos' which I had seen, nor did it look like a few embryos I have been able to observe since then, obviously because this one was alive! When the sac was opened, the tiny human immediately lost his life and took on the appearance of what is accepted as the appearance of an embryo at this stage of life." "They slay the widow and the stranger And murder the orphans. Pay heed, you senseless among the people; And when will you understand, stupid ones? He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see? They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death." Psalm 94:6,8,9,21 Pray men. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Feb 23 23:57:19 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Feb 23 23:58:06 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Be Transparent Message-ID: <4FBBD725-6A1A-4AAA-B1FC-3CF53B544056@clanwebb.com> My company has decided that the current process we use to develop software and manage projects is no longer useful to a group our size. We continue to struggle with the same kinds of issues and they only get worse as we grow. So, we have adopted a new process that will dramatically change the way we go about building software. This new process has a great strength which is also it's weakness. We will be depending on more self-managed teams that are given goals and allowed to pursue them as they see fit. This method will work well as long as the team members buy in to the system and work as a team toward the goal. One primary responsibility of the team and the process itself is transparency. That is to say that it's very important that everyone on the team know all they can know about what's going on and what impediments are in the way. Team members need to be totally honest and truthful about their work, how much they've accomplished, and what is proving to be too difficult. If someone begins to hold back, then the process begins to suffer because the team cannot function without complete knowledge. Someone keeping a lid on a problem or avoiding having to mention that they are stuck can really impede this whole system. The bottom line is that we intend to depend on the front line workers more to direct themselves, but they will have to take responsibility for their work and their contributions to the team. If they do anything outside of those bounds or work towards a goal that is not one that the team has, then the entire project will suffer. Part of the reason I like the idea of trying this system is because it encourages behavior that I recognize as being good for the spirit as well as for the company. I like the parallel of having to be completely open and transparent to God about what you are doing and what your motivations are. Now, God can certainly see all of this Himself, but the value is in the confession and the relationship you build with Him by leaving it all on the table. "He who conceals sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." Proverbs 28:13-14 When you think about it, it's just silly to try to hide from Him anyway. Unlike my office, where someone could successfully hide something from managers, you can't do that with God. "If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?" Psalm 44:20-21 "For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:20b So, empty your pockets. Clean out your briefcase. Turn your backpack upside down. You need to reveal everything to Him. Become completely transparent and hide nothing at all. Then, you will be ready for Him to work in your life. Then, you will find a better relationship with Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Feb 25 00:25:00 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Feb 25 00:27:20 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Reconditioned Message-ID: I received a catalog in the mail. In it were some pretty good bargains on tools. In fact, some prices on name brand items were quite attractive. I noticed that some of the items were "Factory Reconditioned", but also included a guarantee. This, of course, explains the great price. These tools were used or came from the assembly line with a defect and stopped working the way they should. So, they were returned to the factory, taken apart, reassembled, tested, and proclaimed to be as good as new. It rather begs the question, "Can something that isn't new be as good as new?" I'll bet if I order one of those tools, I'll be able to look at it right out of the box and tell it isn't really new. I will be able to see some of the scars of its usage when it was trying to function with the defect. There will, no doubt, be a dent or two and a special tag that says "second" or "reconditioned". I will always know that it isn't really new. However, after the first time I use it and store it with the rest of my tools (those other tools that were new, but are now used) and my neighbor comes over to borrow it, he won't know its past defects. When he takes it to his place and uses it and it performs the job and makes good its work, then it will indeed be "good as new". Men are like that. Some of us have to be sent back to the factory to cure a defect before we can be effective in the field. We have to be renewed. The factory is the Word and our walk. It may take association with a factory rep, a renewed tool himself, to show us how to dismantle ourselves, fix the defect, and then reassemble the pieces. But, as long as they have the original owner's manual, it can be done. Don't despair. The parts are available direct from the factory and no model has been discontinued. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2 Tune up, brothers. Replace the belt, armature, pulley, shaft, and rheostat and then fire it up. Git 'r done. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 26 00:57:16 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Feb 26 00:57:59 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] He Knows Message-ID: I love watching my son grow up. I fondly remember teaching him how to throw a baseball and how to hit one. I love it when I get to witness that "A-ha!" moment as he unlocks another truth. It's great to see him think and learn. I'm proud to watch him mature into a young man. Part of the joy of watching this is that I remember going through those same stages. I remember my dad teaching me sports. I remember how I felt as I began to understand things about the world in a better way. I remember what it felt like to be a pre-teen, a teenager, a new husband, and a new father. The bad news for my son is that my memory is good enough that I remember how I thought and what my motivations were. Whenever he tries to pull a fast one on me, I spot it right away. It drives him nuts! The good news for my son is that remembering how my thought process went helps me to know what he needs to hear. I remember when I just wanted to be encouraged. I remember what I needed to be treated like a man. I remember when I wanted a hug, but would refuse to ask for it. Most of the time, I recognize the attitude, the speech patterns, and the actions and I can figure out what's going on. I've got some inside information on what it's like to go from boy to man. I share my insight with him every chance I get. Sometimes he listens. Sometimes he doesn't. How much more so is Jesus in a position to help us? He knows what it's like to grow up in this world. He knows what it's like to have imperfect parents (Joseph and Mary were still human, after all). He knows what it's like to be tempted by sin. He knows how hard it is. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." Hebrews 4:15 So many will dismiss the Word by saying, "What does He know about my life? How can this help me?" How is this any different than when my son says, "You don't understand, Dad. You don't know what it's like."? I do understand what my son is going through. And, doubly so, Jesus understands what we are going through. He's been through it all. He has the inside information on how to succeed as a human being. He shares His insights and knowledge with us whenever we're willing to listen. Sometimes we listen. Sometimes we don't. My suggestion? The same one I give my son: Listen better. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 26 23:53:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Feb 26 23:59:27 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Why Message-ID: <000B007D-AE7F-47C4-8584-5E2A759714D8@clanwebb.com> Why am I here? You don't know until you start to search Where do I look? Writings and conversations are the only avenues. Who do I talk to and who do I read? People who have already started the search. How do I know who to believe? Use your brain and believe only what is believable after you use it. Will I ever know absolutely? It depends on how long you search, but it is only logical that more belief is better than less and the more you search the more you will have. Absorb, digest, contemplate, and make a decision. Every bit of information is suspect because it can all be traced back to the mind of a human being. Make a rule: Until I make a decision, I'll keep searching. Do you need all the information about something to make a decision? Just keep in mind how many times in your life that a lack of research has led you to a bad decision. Where do I start? The universe is, at last calculation, at least ten billion light years in diameter. Did that happen by accident, or is there something out there that directed it? I believe: a) It is all an accident b) Something out there directed it Because there are two options of belief, not everybody is going to agree. So, don't expect it. Also, don't use it as an excuse not to search. You can't get everybody to agree about any one thing. The search is about you and why, not about everybody and why. Take the whole thing personally. Be selfish and look out for number one. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Feb 28 00:40:57 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Feb 28 00:41:37 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Embracing the Situation Message-ID: Over this past weekend, my company moved from one building to another. While the logistics went fairly smoothly, there were some interesting behaviors to watch amongst my coworkers. The new building is very different from the old. Previously we were in a series of suites in a two story smallish office building. We outnumbered the other tenants by quite a bit. Each suite was cozy and held about ten to fifteen people. The largest meeting room we had could barely hold the entire company of sixty plus. It was comfortable and felt casual. The new building is much larger. We have doubled the amount of space we are leasing, but we still take up only a third of the building. It's a three story building and we occupy the top floor. There are many more tenants in this building. Rather than being separated in smaller group, we are now a little more blended in larger spaces. There are many empty cubes and offices because we're planning for the future. We have more conference rooms than we know what to do with. The largest conference room is almost three times bigger than before. We have all new cubes, desks, and furniture. The space was re- carpeted, repainted, and had new blinds installed. It's a dramatic difference. To add another upheaval to the move, we've also started grouping team members together in a more communal atmosphere (fewer walls and shared spaces). It's more togetherness than most are used to and yet another thing to adjust for. What was interesting today was to watch folks who had left the office on Friday in one situation and arrived on Monday in a completely different situation. Some adjusted just fine. Most had a few complaints. And some had some strong reactions. My boss, who is cofounder of the company, is having a hard time dealing with the corporate feeling we now have. He preferred the casual, comfortable feeling we had last week. Some of the long time engineers are clearly agitated and distracted by all the change and they are having a hard time getting work done. They are the ones who keep asking questions that tell you they really want it all back the way it was. They just want to rebuild their old cube or sit in their old office and go back to their old work. They are not only uncomfortable with change, but are resisting it. I've seen people quit in other places for reasons smaller than this. For me, it was only one more good analogy for my spiritual walk. I've taken the attitude that we're here and we're going to do it a new way. I'm going to use all the skills I have to make it work and make my team productive. I am looking for the silver linings and I intend to take advantage of them. When God picks you up and drops you in a new situation, you have a similar decision to make. You can curl up in a ball and try to avoid reality. Moses tried that and God chewed him out. Jonah tried that and took an unusual vacation as a result. Or, you can praise Him that He's using you. Grab the new opportunity with both hands and do your best for His glory. There's no value in complaining about your situation. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 Go out and do His work. You're there for a reason. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 1 00:05:16 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 00:05:16 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Pop Your Stack Message-ID: <5ACD7D25-8265-4564-9D49-6BDC5C152617@clanwebb.com> Many of the concepts and structures I use while writing computer software are based on things outside of the industry. One such idea is something called a stack. When I ask you to describe a stack of items, you probably imagine a stack of books or a stack of paper where you can see the entire stack at once. A stack in engineering terms is a little different. It's more like that spring-loaded stack of plates at a cafeteria. You can only see a few plates, but as you lift them off the spring pushes more up. You can add plates (called pushing items on the stack) or remove plates (called popping items off the stack), but you can only work with the top of the stack. You can't take anything out of the middle or from the bottom. The critical concept about a stack is something short- handed as LIFO: Last In, First Out. That's just what a stack is. The last item you push is the first one you can pop. You can't change that rule. Stacks are useful because you don't have to know how big it is to use it. It doesn't matter if that blue plate was the first plate on the stack or the fiftieth, you know that if you push it now, it will be there when you come back to pop it. Often, in software, we will create a stack that is used by many different parts of the code. When I write that code, I have to be aware of an important rule: If I push something on the stack, I had better pop it before I'm done. If I don't, then when someone else comes back to pop their items from the stack, mine will be in the way. And, since there is no way to get past that first item, everything else in the process is stuck. While working on code just like this, I began to see a parallel in my spiritual life. God is the foundation of my life. When I start to stack up sin, though, I push Him down and away from me. After just a few pushes, I can't even see Him anymore. How many of us in that situation, though, won't understand why God left us? In fact, we pushed Him away. Reconciling with God can only happen one way: You have to deal with that stuff you put on the stack. You can ignore the stack, but it won't work: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8 Or, you can grab that sin off the stack and put it out for you and God to deal with. Confess it and get it out of the way: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9 If you think God is ignoring you, or you're feeling disconnected, you might want to see if you've forgotten to pop your stack. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 1 21:50:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 21:50:26 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Control Yourself Message-ID: <07DE08F8-18C8-41DA-AA88-A237E8B1709D@clanwebb.com> When we become mired in our own troubles, we really become a pain in the neck to those around us. It is difficult not to focus on our own troubles because they affect our lives. On the other hand, people aren't stupid and they know hard times fall on everyone from time to time. The world sucks. If it didn't, we'd all fall off. (Sorry, couldn't resist) Look the lesson about self is simple, but when it is happening to us it isn't easy. The key is control and that can be the hardest part. "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self- control." Proverbs 25:28 How often do we say, "Get ahold of yourself!"? Self-control requires balance. "But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." Romans 2:8 "In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool." 2 Corinthians 11:17 This is tipping to the wrong view of self. "... gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:23 This is correct self-control. Look for what God has provided. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 Look for it. You have it. Don't stop until you uncover it. I read the following quote and I realized why God made each of us unique. "Never try to make anyone like yourself - you know, and God knows, that one of you is enough." Ralph Waldo Emerson Blessings Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Feb 2 23:31:17 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 23:31:17 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Explain It Again Message-ID: They did it again! I love to watch the National Geographic channel, but it is getting a little repetitive when it comes to certain subjects. I am fascinated by "The World's Largest Structure", "The World's Mega Machines", and so on. But, the hair stands up on the back of my neck when the lead to the program is, "Tonight, we explain the origin of the earth." I just think to myself, "Here we go again." Pull up your chairs, little children, and I will tell you how millions and millions of years ago the cosmos was filling up with stardust. That's right, kids, stardust. Isn't that exciting? Then when there was enough stardust, the dust began to attract itself and began to swirl round and round. At this point, a really smart scientist stands on a little merry-go-round and stretches out his arms holding two lead balls. His really smart assistant (usually an underpaid graduate student) then spins the really smart scientist and he goes round and round. As he pulls his arms in, he goes round and round faster, thus demonstrating that as the stardust became more dense it eventually formed the sun and all the planets. The spinning continued after the formation of the sun and the planets and it is the gravity formed by all of them that keeps everything in its proper place. This was further proved when an astronaut had some time on his hands while in space and put all types of materiel in baggies with water. Things like salt, coffee grounds, and other stuff. The clever astronaut then shook them up. My goodness, the little particles attracted each other, thus confirming how the sun and planets were made. The demonstration is all very dramatic. There is the rolling back of the giant roof of one of the observatories at Kitt Peak in Arizona. There are wonderful pictures of space taken from the Hubble telescope, pictures of the space shuttle, pictures of Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon, and the obligatory picture of molten lava belching up from the center of the earth. Come my children and kneel at the altar of science. Now, don't get me wrong. This repetitive pounding may be exactly right, but I wonder why they never talk about the elements of their explanation. 1) Where did all the stars that exploded to form the stardust come from? 2) Where did all the space come from? 3) How did it all start? (Remember the underpaid graduate student) 4) If the Hubble telescope, the space shuttle, the cameras, and all the other technology required designers to enlighten us, why did the universe - which is infinitely more complicated than a tubby scientist standing on a lazy susan - not require a designer? A few weeks before I watched a presentation from the same show on how one little sperm joins with one tiny egg and, in nine months, becomes a person. They didn't miss a stage of development. Each week the miracle became more apparent from the first heartbeat until birth. Yet our Godless culture, enamored with self, sees nothing wrong with killing that miracle, harvesting the organs, and selling them all in the moral standard set by science. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Revelation 22:13 "even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; you works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:12-14 Men, the politics of science are such that the community doesn't agree upon much of anything except that a Biblical explanation is unacceptable. Your faith in God is well placed. Faith in the world is misplaced. Be strong. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Feb 4 00:44:13 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 00:44:13 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Factory Defect Message-ID: <8BB3582B-96FE-4BF2-A50B-FFD04976E147@clanwebb.com> I have often heard artists describe the thrill of creating through putting their energy into making something out of nothing. They have crafted something that will cause people to react, think, and maybe even change the path of their life. While not nearly as thought provoking, I get that same thrill out of creating software. I can create something mundane and utilitarian. Or, I can create something that brings joy or learning or assistance. There's a very similar feeling in regards to parenting. When my son was born, I had this immense sense of responsibility. I knew that God had entrusted my wife and me with the care and upbringing of this boy. There's great exhilaration in knowing that you will help to shape this boy's life. There's great fear that I might screw it up. Now, society will tell you that babies are innocent and blameless. Any problems that child has later in life can be drawn back to childhood trauma, bad parenting, or an unhealthy environment. We feel better if we can point to the causes of these behaviors because that implies that we can fix them. If we point out that ignoring your child early in life will cause them to act out more, then we can formulate a solution. Just pay more attention to them. There are shelves and shelves of books that direct parents to all of the different ways to raise your children so they are problem-free. This point of view is not only incorrect, but it's arrogant. First off, it implies that sinful people can create a sinless child. "Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!" Job 14:4 "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Psalm 51:5 Second, it implies that there is some theoretical way to guide a child through life such that he would die sinless. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 These things just aren't true. You need to work from the assumption that all children have a spiritual birth defect. We are all born with a sin nature thanks to Adam and Eve. We inherently have an impulse of selfishness that will drive us to sins large and small throughout our lives. Our job as parents is not to train our child to never sin (that's impossible), but to teach them to repent of it when it happens and look to Jesus for guidance. We need to teach our children who Christ is so that they may accept Him early in life. Then we need to guide them to watch for sin and how to avoid it. "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" " John 1:29 Without Christ, it's much, much harder. Take it to Christ. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Feb 4 23:53:07 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 23:53:07 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Truth Message-ID: I was watching an interview with the former President Bush and his first lady, Barbara Bush. They were asked what they thought about the Internet. I suspect that it was one of those questions that the interviewer thought would be a great way to show what an older generation thought about a civilization-changing leap in technology. Email, the web, and all of it's implications were impossible ideas when the young George and Barbara were born. I half expected them to make comments similar to ones made by my mother-in-law and father-in- law when it comes to computers. The use of technology is something for which they have very little use and it seems totally out of reach. I was surprised as both discussed the Internet and email in the same terms. They talked about their concerns. Mrs. Bush had grave concerns about how so much information could saturate the world in such a short time. She knows full well that falsehood as well as truth travels at the same speed and, in some cases, lies travel faster. She said she knew this not because it was in defense of her family, but that much of the information they received about their political opponents was false. The former President spoke about a conversation he had with David McCullough, the great British historian, where he expressed concerns about how future historians could accurately compile history when so much was not written in the original hand of those that were making history. Both focused on what might happen to the truth. This is a great question to ask: "What has happened to the truth?" In the past, historians could look at the personal letters and correspondence of a President or a Prime Minister and build a great picture about the way they thought. They could report on their fears and aspirations and feel with some certainty they were correct before they made their report. The world today won't have a Rosetta Stone or Dead Sea Scrolls. Anything can be deleted, retyped, cut-and-pasted, imported and exported with impunity. What will happen to the truth? The people that want to rewrite history are out there. They want to remove God, chisel Him out of the granite and marble, take Him out of the books and off anything future generations can refer to when they need to verify truth. John Weldon and John Ankerberg say it this way in their co-authored essay: "The words of men must be perceived differently from the words of God. One we examine critically, one we bow before." One can never put as much faith in the words of men as we can in the inspired words of God. For one by his very nature is sinful and is able to lie while the other cannot lie. The one who currently rules the earth uses lies as his native language. "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures." James 1:18 "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation ? having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." Ephesians 1:13 The truth will always be the truth. What is published will be determined by the hearts of the writers and the desire of the reader to seek. Always seek the Word of God because it will reveal the truth about anything written. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 5 23:35:38 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 23:35:38 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Do I Know You? Message-ID: <9B4AEA02-456C-4564-AF08-786BEF614323@clanwebb.com> My wife loves old movies. I like old movies, too. Here ends the similarity. My wife likes manly men who dance, sing, and talk their way into a woman's heart. I like manly man who beat each other up, blow each other up, make evil-doers pay the price, and who toss the girl over their saddle and do what's best for them without a lot of words. Because I am the man of the house, my wife understands my perspective. However, quite often, we watch men who dance and talk. One such epic had Gene Kelly, a dancer and talker extraordinaire, singing the song, "I Gotta Be Me". My attention span took a nose dive and I began to wonder if after I died I was "gonna stay me". I began to do a little research and I couldn't find the scripture that said anybody I knew on earth would know me pre- or post-arrival. I don't know if I like the idea of being so different that I would have to reintroduce myself, or even if I could. I began to feel anxious, a feeling I attribute to watching too many men who dance and talk, until I found what some other fellow concluded: "One important biblical support for the belief in personal identity after death comes from Mark 12:26-27 where Jesus said, "Now about the dead rising?have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him [Moses], 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' He is not he God of the dead, but of the living." Jesus explained that even though these patriarchs had been dead for centuries when God spoke to Moses, God meant that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still existed as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob during Moses' time. God's words further imply that these men still exist as themselves today. Abraham and the others retained their identities after death. Even after physical death, they kept the relationships with God they had enjoyed during their earthly existence. Jesus therefore assured believers that death does not end human existence or personal identity. In Luke's account of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw that "the appearance of [Jesus'] face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus" (Luke 9:29-30). Not only were these prophets still spiritually alive, but they also retained their identity as Moses and Elijah! Additional biblical support for a belief in the continuation of personal identity after death is found in the accounts of Jesus' appearance to His disciples following His resurrection. When Jesus appeared to the disciples on the evening of His resurrection, He spoke to them and showed them His wounds (John 20:19-23). John 20:20 says that "The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." The risen Christ the disciples encountered in the upper room was the same Jesus they had known before His death on the cross. These Scripture passages demonstrate that humans survive the physical death with personal identity intact. Thus, we can reasonably infer that people will know each other in heaven." Dr. Ronald Nash (professor of philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida and at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.) Thank you, Doctor Nash. They don't have guys that dance in heaven, do they? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Feb 7 00:23:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 00:23:26 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Control and Being Chosen Message-ID: I'm in the business of making life better for people. Specifically, my work for the last 11 years has been directly related to helping students learn better. That's an admirable goal and I feel good about the work I do. When you think about it, just about every job there is supports the goal of making life better for people. If you're a cop, you make life more orderly. If you're a doctor, you make life longer and healthier. If you're a soldier, you keep us safe from enemies. If you're a bus driver, you make the commute easier. If you're a professional athlete, you make life more entertaining. We are all trying to make life better in some small way. A worthy goal that justifies a pat on the back. Unfortunately, it's a never ending goal. There is no finish line labeled "better". There's always something better. That's because we cannot make life perfect. We don't have that control. In the end, control is what it's really all about. People want to control all aspects of their own life so they can decide how it plays out. If we could control every knob and switch on the control panel of our life, things would just be great. However, it's a paradox. How does an entity choose to create itself? We did not design and build ourselves. We don't have access to all of the adjustments because we aren't the creators. We didn't choose our own beginning, therefore we cannot be in complete control. Bettering yourself is a good goal. Having control over your entire life is impossible. Quit trying. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit?fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 15:16 Okay, so instead of killing ourselves trying to figure out every nuance in how to control life, why don't we just follow this rule? Recognize that we were chosen (cool! I'm loved!) and we have a job to do (even cooler! I have a purpose!). When we allow ourselves to follow that appointment, then God will give us whatever we want. Don't fight it. Choose to follow Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 8 00:01:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 00:01:26 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Let It Go Message-ID: How can I describe the Super Bowl? "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice." Job 19:7 The imperfect world caught up with the Hawks on the wrong day. As long as we look to men for perfect justice we will be disappointed. Had the game gone our way, we would have overlooked the mistakes of men. But, because it didn't, we will rise up and point out their imperfections. "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?" Matthew 7:4 So, what are we to do? "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell." Matthew 5:22 Ah, yes. Well, after all it is just a game and there is always next year. Besides, Mariners Spring Training starts soon. Blessings Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 8 23:58:47 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 23:58:47 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Have Confidence Message-ID: <00875F46-30C4-4190-B805-8C2D033D708F@clanwebb.com> So there I was: late in my junior year of high school. It was easily the toughest year of school I had ever gone through, but I had muscled it out and maintained my GPA. I was at the top of my class and had every reason to think that I would be able to go to the college of my choice. And yet, my highest aspirations at that time were the local state school. It was a fine institution, but I wasn't aiming very high. One teacher who I had built a friendship with knew that I could do better. She suggested that I aim high and apply to the top of the list of engineering schools. My guidance counselor seconded the motion. My parents, not wanting to pressure me in any way, left the decision up to me. This was a real gut check. Why not aim high? The worst that could happen is that they'd say "no". On the other hand, I might have been afraid of that very situation. Up until that time, I was the big fish (academically) in a little pond. Getting turned down by any school might lower my self-image in some way. I really don't know where the nervousness came from. I realized, though, that I was having a hard time believing that I might actually be chosen to attend such a well-known school. For all of my self-confidence at that time, I really didn't think that I was cut out for something that big. God presented the Israelites with a similar decision when they left Egypt. He brought them through the wilderness and to the land He wanted to give them. It was the best land around and appeared to be the perfect settling place. He was offering them a chance to step up in the world. They were nervous, though. They didn't think they could handle it. They sent spies to see what the land was like and who lived there. Even though God had clearly said that He was giving this land to them, they panicked. They were afraid of the powerful people living there. They didn't think it was right for them. Remember earlier that some of these people were suggesting that they go back to Egypt to be slaves again. There wasn't just a lack of self-confidence, there was a lack of confidence in God. In fact, they were so unconvinced of God's power, they flat out disobeyed Him and refused to enter the land. He wasn't happy about it. "do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways." So I declared an oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest." " Psalm 95:8-11 God presented a golden opportunity and they ran they other way. Not only did that generation miss the opportunity of living in the land of milk and honey, but they had to wander in the desert for the next forty years. I didn't pass up the opportunity. I did apply to the top and I was accepted. Even then, I had to overcome the feeling of inadequacy of being just like everyone else. I had to work ten times harder. It was an opportunity God placed in my path, though, and He has blessed me for following it. I know too many folks who skipped similar opportunities, so I know where I would be and I feel even more blessed. God knows where He wants you to go. He has a path marked out. When the time comes, have confidence in His ability and take that step forward. Don't panic. You may not have forty years left in you to wait for another chance. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Feb 9 23:34:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 23:34:30 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Prepare Them For The Same Old World Message-ID: <0A5F0D42-D769-419A-A7B5-2605DC46962E@clanwebb.com> I started reading a new book and it captured my attention. It is about a young man that was raised in a Christian home. His mother was a strong believer and his father was not. He came to the Lord early, but when he was old enough he left home to get an education. His mother sent him money and he went about finding himself. He loved entertainers and revered their lifestyles. He drank, had lots of sex, fooled around with astrology and other mystical stuff. After a while, he came to some powerful conclusions: "My mother foresaw what would come" "I feared less to commit a barbaric act than I feared that I would feel envy at those that remained pure." "I deceived my parents out of a love of play" He cheated others, but when someone cheated him he was sure to point it out. He finally came to the conclusion that the world was full of people who "delighted in carnal babble." He saw the world without God. "Yet they cried, Truth! Truth! and spoke about it to me all the time. But their words were lies that had nothing of You in them, for truth is only in You." When you prepare your kids to go off to school and into the world, be sure they are grounded in the Word so that when they stray they have something to come back to. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9 By the way, this young man was Augustine of Hippo (354-430). He is considered to be one of the top Christian scholars of all time. Allen From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Sat Feb 11 00:24:51 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 00:24:51 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Promotion Message-ID: In retrospect, it seemed that the planets aligned and created the impossible opportunity. I know, however, that there was a guiding hand to create that moment. I had been working as a software engineer in my company for over five years. I had gradually become one of the more senior level engineers in the group and I was hoping that I might be given responsibility for our new product. During my time there, we had two engineering managers and a Director of Engineering. The director slot was empty and we had just burned through the second manager in one of those slots. There was certainly a vacuum of leadership. Furthermore, the remaining manager had pretty much reached his peak of ability. He wasn't going to be promoted much more. I felt good about the work I had been doing and I was hoping to use that as leverage with the new VP of Development (since the intermediate slots in the hierarchy were empty, he was running my group directly) to get myself into the cherry project. I wasn't prepared for what was about to happen. One afternoon this VP walked into my office, closed the door, and made me an offer. He needed someone to manage the engineers and he didn't have any confidence in the one remaining manager we had. So, here I was hoping for a senior project position and I was being offered not just a management position, but the title of Director of Engineering. I would basically be skipping a level. I would be one of four directors that managed the entire development group and my group would be the biggest. I had never managed in my life, but I jumped at the chance. My new boss told me that he had offered me this position based on how well I had managed my own tasks and the smaller teams I had been given in the past. In his eyes, I had proven my worth and he was ready to give me more responsibility because he believed I could do it. I leaned on him greatly as I learned the ropes, but I feel very good about how I handled those years. God is waiting to see us do well, too. He has given us all various levels of responsibility in His kingdom and He's watching to see how we handle it. "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" Matthew 25:21 If you are faithful to Him and do the things He's asked you, He will promote you to more responsibility. This is not an opportunity to grab power or glory in your rank, but to serve God. If you serve Him well, it only makes sense that He will want you to handle more and more things in His kingdom. He will bless your life and your abilities to be greatly used by Him. Even that job, though, ended and I had to go back to being a grunt for a time. However, that experience and training has prepared me for the next opportunities God will place in my life. I'm sure of that. By the same token, God may see fit to start you over somewhere else. Don't take it as a demotion, just see it as a new opportunity. Whether He's asked you to manage a million dollar missions budget or just make the coffee, do it with the same desire to do well and be faithful. God promotes the faithful. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 12 00:38:24 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 00:38:24 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Holy Construction Message-ID: <37C00188-36C8-487A-9C72-C84A195213D1@clanwebb.com> I had a fun afternoon. I got to spend a few hours with an old friend of mine. We chatted. We laughed. But, mostly, we put up drywall. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating that part about fun. It was still a good time and I'm glad he thought of me to help. It just means that he's at the top of my list the next time I need to build something. Something my friend said popped into my head later this evening. As we were surveying the framing job he had done and considering how best to tackle the project, he pointed out several defects in the new structure. Some protruding nails that had missed studs, some ugly looking supports, and a best-I-could-do system of attaching it all to the floor. Then he turned to me and said, "But, that's okay. Drywall covers it all and nobody will ever know." It was true. By the time we were done, none of those blemishes could be seen. Only he knew they were there, because he had made them. As far as everyone else was concerned, it was just a wall. Don't you wish you could just put up a few new sheets of drywall over parts of your life? Don't you wish you could just wall up some things and act like they aren't there? Well, I have good news. You can. "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalm 32:1-2 Okay, great, so I'll be blessed if my sins are covered. Who can do that? "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases," Psalm 103:2-3 Ah, okay, God can do it. What do I have to do? "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38 Oh, right, you need to confess those blemishes to God. You need to repent of them. Then, He will cover all of those sins. He will never see them on you again. You will be a clean slate in His eyes. Of course, this only works if you let Him do the cleanup. You can't do that on your own. You just don't have that ability. Let God, the spiritual drywaller, cover that up for you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 12 23:53:29 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:53:29 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Cashing In on the Promise Message-ID: <387C3B7D-AFF2-4361-8B62-8C617910A388@clanwebb.com> Do you really know the difference between gross and net? You can't spend the gross. In short, the gross is what you tell your in-laws you make and the net is what the grocer knows you make. The thing about God is that the gross IS the net. God is the only one that pays off and you get to spend it all. Nobody intercepts part of the promise. Nobody can levy taxes on the promise. Nobody lays claim to your inheritance except you. We work our whole lives for the inevitable check. Then we look at the stub and ask, "Who is this FICA guy and why is he taking so much money?" Some folks get ahead of the game and they don't participate in the end-of-the-month rush like most folks. It doesn't matter. God's promise is the great equalizer "In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:19 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20 This includes the IRS. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 April 15th indeed.... Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Feb 13 23:51:08 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 23:51:08 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Choose Your Destination Message-ID: It doesn't seem fair that we are born with what amounts to a death sentence. We get a few short decades, if we live to the averages, and then eternal agony. The world would rather just not think about it. They would rather rely on their ability to manipulate it or imagine an outcome that is fair and equitable in their minds. Sooner or later, though, everyone thinks about what happens and how they might tilt the odds in their favor. Imagine: You are a prisoner sentenced to death. However, you might be able to escape through an unorthodox determination of fate. The night before your planned execution, you are brought to two large boxes. One contains fifty white balls, the other contains fifty black balls. The next day, the executioner is to reach blindfolded into either box and draw a ball. A black ball represents death for you, a white ball lets you go free. Beforehand, you are allowed to mix up each box, placing some white balls in the black box or vice versa. Each box must contain at least one ball, and you are not allowed to take any balls away - all one hundred balls must remain. Now, placing the white balls on top of the box is impossible since the executioner is blindfolded and could reach to the bottom of the box. Is there any way to maximize your chance of living? This is the same paradox every person faces when the think that God grades on the curve. I'm not the best, but I'm not the worst and that must count for something. It is inconceivable that God would damn me when I'm in the top 50% (and, clearly, by any calculation I'm in the top 50%). I'm a good person. I'm honest when it really matters. I have a conscience and respond out of abundance and convenience. How are you going to arrange the balls? How do you want to face death? Like a riddle? Or like this: "and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:21-23 That's a guaranteed outcome based on a promise from God. Or, you can take one white ball and place it in one of the boxes and all the other balls in the other box. There is a fifty-fifty chance the executioner will choose the box with the one white ball with a guarantee of him picking the white ball. If he chooses the other box, you have slightly less than a fifty-fifty chance that he will choose a white ball. At that point, your overall chance of him picking a white ball is just under 75%. That may sound pretty good, but would you make that bet on eternity? I still don't like those odds. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Feb 14 23:58:50 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 23:58:50 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Comparisons Message-ID: <85BEC6C3-7329-4717-9AF5-5B9E721DCD47@clanwebb.com> When it comes time to upgrade some piece of technology in my home, I go about it very methodically. I research prices. I read reviews. I ask friends for suggestions. Whether it's a new stereo, a new TV, or a new computer, I know that I'm making an investment that needs to last a while. I want to make sure it's a good investment and that I won't regret my purchase later. During the process, I always try to find a store that carries my last two or three choices so I can compare them in person. Ideally, I can compare the picture or the sound and see what it's really like for me. I'm always amazed at how two products with very similar reviews and opinions can be so obviously different to me when I experience them personally. It's like I'm taking off the rose-colored glasses and seeing the products for what they really are. When I really look, the choice becomes obvious. Over the last couple of weeks, I think people around the world have had a similar opportunity. We've been told by those preaching tolerance and inclusiveness that Islam is no different than any other faith. In fact, I've had to listen to several talking heads try to convince me that Islam actually is more accepting of other faiths than Christianity is. Islam is more tolerant! Well, guess what, I believe that something fundamentally wrong has been exposed. No matter how they try to spin it, there is an aspect of that faith that involves violence against unbelievers. Some splinter groups have made that their centerpiece. Others have pushed it to the edge, but it's still there. And, when a small group of leaders decide it's time to unleash the flood, they convince their followers that violence is the answer to a perceived slight. I'm not an expert, so I can't tell you whether drawing a cartoon of Mohammed is really as insulting to Muslims as we're being told. What I do know is that we're seeing a clear contrast in response. That faith has decided to riot, destroy, and kill over an insult. As a Christian, I have been insulted many times by people who do not share my faith. My response has never been violence. I've been disappointed, but my urge is to pray for their salvation. I pray for them to know the peace I have. I can't quote from Islamic scripture to prove my point, but I can simply point you to the news to see that there's something wrong. As for Christianity: "He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." Ephesians 2:17-18 I think the comparison is clear. They do not worship the same God as we do. We worship the God who is love. Given the choice, which would you choose? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 15 22:19:34 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 22:19:34 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] On Your Marks... Message-ID: "Second place just means you're the first loser." "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." These sound harsh and driven beyond our normal comfort level. We have been taught to disdain some of those feelings, but there are many professional athletes and coaches who drive themselves this way. These tend to be the ones we watch on TV. It's a warm and fuzzy feeling when an athlete says, "I'm just happy to be here," but that statement reveals that the speaker may think they've already peaked. This may be as good as it gets. They are carrying some doubt as to their ability to win. The truth is that we should never be satisfied with "just getting there" when it comes to salvation. We can't play life the way some folks go through high school (just doing enough to pass). God doesn't want us to do just enough. God wants our all. You have to play to win. You have to pull out the stops and sell out to God. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24 Don't be satisfied with good enough. Don't pat yourself on the back for getting saved. You didn't do any of the heavy lifting on that one anyway. Jesus just showed you where the starting line is. Now it's time to get your game on and get moving. Don't saunter down the track waving at the crowd. Run to win. Ready...set...go! Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Feb 16 23:36:09 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:36:09 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Fear Message-ID: <99010346-84A4-4FCC-96D3-1737A5229536@clanwebb.com> It has been said that we fear what we don't understand. I think this is true in the case of men that don't embrace Jesus Christ. It is logical to fear jumping out of an airplane until you have been trained by people that have a respect for jumping out of an airplane but no longer fears the event. The same is true with a relationship with Jesus. It's a scary thing to think about a personal connection with the most powerful force in the universe. It takes an example to belay fear. Being an example is also fearful if you have not been trained by someone whose fear has become respect. Fear can be a good thing however, fear can lead to exploration and exploration to discovery and discovery to knowledge and knowledge by its nature can conquer or enhance fear. The operative word here is fear. People conquer fears everyday. It might be public speaking, learning to drive, job interviews, or a host of other life experiences. The deal with fear is that it is an imprint on our DNA. This is another obvious proof that we have a designer. We are also designed to grow and overcome fear. That is also part of our blueprint. Like most areas of the universe, there is always that "big one". The biggest mountain, the brightest start, the raging rapids, etc. The big fear is death. After all, I have never seen an interview with someone after they died. There is no reference or instruction guide on how to take it on. Anyone can turn out the light, but what do you do next? You can't turn to the back of a magazine and scan the ads to find a course on how to prepare for that trip. Many civilizations pack luggage for the trip: food, money, and clothes. The trouble is that when we dig them up, all that stuff is still there. Many world religions claim to know what it is like, including these idiots that make the trip for the promise of women on the other side. Some think you get a round trip ticket and can come back as someone's cat. None of these people have ever made the trip. There is only one man that has taken the journey and come back to tell the tale. Only one. There were no other members of the expedition. There is no film. There's just the word of a man that never lied. "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I got to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2-3 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." " John 14:6 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36 He turns fear into excitement. YBIC, Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Feb 18 00:54:57 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:54:57 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Fallen Pride Message-ID: <1319EEF5-F372-4F06-B552-D4E9DDF0381E@clanwebb.com> I watched an amazing thing happen during the Olympics. I watched an American athlete, well on her way to winning a gold medal, engage in a moment of pride. That wasn't the amazing part. Unfortunately, athletes do that all the time. What was amazing to me was that the consequences of her actions were felt immediately. You see, she did a little showing off near the end of the race that she was leading handily. However, she fell. She came in second and got a silver medal. She would have had gold but for a moment of pride. Now, I'm not passing judgement on this young woman, but I think there was a clear spiritual lesson there. Pride never pans out. You can either follow through on what you bragged about or fall short. Humility never loses. You leave much more room for overachievement. God blesses the humble. Pride will often lead to a fall months or years later. For this young woman, it was a split second later. "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 Pride is a sin just as easy to succumb to as any other. It's just that pride annoys everyone else... including God. You have nothing to be proud about from your own life. Anything good you do is from God, so you should be proud of Him. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 Nothing. That's what you can do without God. Absolutely nothing. Pride claims otherwise. Pride has always got it wrong. The key here is that pride is the result of selfishness. It's thinking that you're more important. Hey, buddy, guess what? It's not about you. It's about God. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6 Being humble doesn't mean disappearing into the background. It means keeping the focus where it belongs. Keep the focus on God. Stay humble. He'll lift you up at the right time and for the right reasons. When He does, remember how you got there and remember who it's all about. It's all about Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 19 00:02:38 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 00:02:38 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Specks and Logs Message-ID: <78828C8C-1090-473A-B2B4-22994CED1FCD@clanwebb.com> Today is special. Today God confronted me with an issue on which I am very opinionated. I have scripture underlined in my Bible about this matter and I am very definite about my beliefs concerning this issue. God, in His infinite wisdom, has decided that I should not change my mind about my beliefs, but He has very definitely announced to me that I should change my approach. He also reminded me, again, of some very important axioms concerning my walk with Christ. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Matthew 7:3 I can be, but I don't want to be, the type of person that points to another's sin in order to elevate myself from my own sins. Jesus Christ was a friend to prostitutes, dishonest people, murderers, thieves, adulterers, and all other sorts of sinful folks. Where do I get off comparing my life with anyone and passing the idea that I know how God feels about any one individual? What a relief to be reminded that it is not my responsibility to point at anyone and announce that I am the truth-bearer about what plans God has for them. I must concentrate on being able to give a reason for why I believe what I believe. Frankly, that's the easy part. Living what I believe is the hard part. "Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." 1 Timothy 1:16 What a terrible thing it would be if I were to keep someone from knowing Christ because I attempted to pass judgement upon their lifestyle. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Feb 20 00:17:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 00:17:30 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Saved? Now Serve Message-ID: <9D2FDABF-B6D3-4315-8D13-EE65D2851001@clanwebb.com> Our pastor has a great line that he uses to remind us that being saved should radically change your life. He likes to tell us that, "There are no Secret Service Christians." It's clever and gets a laugh, but I suspect that many in the congregation are laughing nervously (including me). The point of that quip is that you can't get saved and then go into hiding. It's calling us out and reminding us that we need to serve, too. Some might argue that if you want to get close to God, you should go to a monastery and study the Bible all day every day. That might make you more knowledgeable, but that doesn't fulfill the service He's assigned to you. How can you work for the advancement of God's kingdom if you're hiding out in the mountains? I hear you saying, "But I'll never do that. It's not like I'm hiding from real life." Wait a minute. How is that any different from living in the suburbs, working at your job, attending church once a week, but not serving the Lord? Will your neighbors know the difference? Paul was grateful for the opportunity: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service." 1 Timothy 1:12 Joshua proclaimed it proudly: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15b These are not passive men. They served God with passion and with all of their strength. Following God isn't like signing up for a newsletter. You don't get to read what's happening in Christianity and then go back to watching TV. Following God involves service. Last time I checked, "serve" was a verb. It's something you have to do. If you aren't doing, you aren't serving. You may be saved, but you may still be missing out on the abundant life that Jesus offers. If so, it's because you haven't left the world behind to serve God. If there's something keeping you from serving the Lord, then I suggest you have it removed. That impediment is disrupting the plan God has for you. It's slowing you down and getting in the way. Don't miss out on how God wants to bless you. Don't get saved and then hide in plain sight. Experience the fullness of what He's offered. Serve. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Feb 20 23:59:32 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 23:59:32 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Good or Bad Message-ID: <1B42E079-C1D7-48C9-A791-C4E08B9E6490@clanwebb.com> Someone sent me an email the other day with humorous intent. It posed the situation of, "What people would like have said about them as friends and family passed by their open casket." There was a lot of emphasis on wanting to have folks say you were a good person. That is a difficult concept to get your arms around. A person can be good one moment and bad the next. In fact, I would say that in any given life there is a stack of good and a pile of bad. The question is some sort of tipping point: when does the stack overcome the pile? Or, can it? This paradox also makes it uncomfortable when trying to explain the Christian walk. You are always going to find professed Christians doing good and doing bad. This is how King David wrote about it: "O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the Lord; He swears to his own hurt and does not change; He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent He who does these things will never be shaken." Psalm 15:1-5 No easy task to be sure. By the way, my favorite item in list from the email was, "Hey, look! He moved!" Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 22 00:04:51 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:04:51 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Perfect Dad Message-ID: <403F34BE-527E-4CC9-B1D3-314110F9C20C@clanwebb.com> I had the great fortune to be baptized the same day my father was when I was twelve years old. It was a great experience, but it also meant that I was around before he was saved and I watched him change into the father God intended him to be. I love my father, but as I grew older I began to discover that he made mistakes. He wasn't perfect. Fortunately for me, he was still a great role model, but I had a mental checklist of things I would never do. Now I'm a father and my son is thirteen. I've made an effort to not make the same mistakes my father did. I've just made a whole new set of mistakes. There are times I pushed my son when I should have comforted him. There are times I disciplined him when I should have felt compassion. There are things about being a father that are just plain hard to do and I've dropped the ball. At first, I was afraid of how I was scarring my son and depressed that I had blown my chance. I realize now that my father wasn't perfect and neither am I. No matter how hard I try, I can't be the perfect father. It'll never happen. I am sad for those people who only know an imperfect father and suffer the consequences of those imperfections. My joy is that along with my imperfect father I also know a perfect Father. My hope is in the fact that I've introduced Him to my son so he can know Him, too. He doesn't make mistakes. He knows just the right thing to do. "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:2-8 I'm glad my son has a perfect Father to depend on when his earthly one fails him. You can, too. If you do, then introduce Him to others. We all need a perfect Dad. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Feb 22 22:05:58 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 22:05:58 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Evidence of Evil Message-ID: <464928EE-0DAF-4731-A4AE-5FD726F3A04F@clanwebb.com> How do we know Satan is in the world and working to eradicate our relationship with Jesus? Consider how many people have died because a newspaper printed an image of Mohammed. We as a world are so focused upon preserving the slightest inference to him or the Koran. Yet the following happens thousands of time a year: The procedure is usually performed during the fifth month of gestations or later. The woman's cervix is dilated, and the fetus is partially removed from the womb, feet first. The surgeon inserts a sharp object into the back of the fetus' head, removes it, and inserts a vacuum tube through which the brain is extracted. The head of the fetus contracts at this point and allows the fetus to be more easily removed from the womb. This is done up to the fifth month of pregnancy. Two more weeks would give the baby a 15% chance to live outside the womb. Here's a convincing statement from Paul E. Rockwell, M.D.: "Eleven years ago while giving an anesthetic for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy (at 8 weeks gestation), i was handed what I believe was the smallest living human ever seen. The embryonic sac was intact and transparent. Within the sac was a tiny human male swimming extremely vigorously in the amniotic fluid, while attached to the wall by the umbilical cord. This tiny human was perfectly developed, with long, tapering fingers, feet and toes. It was almost transparent, as regards the skin, and the delicate arteries and veins were prominent to the ends of the fingers." Dr. Rockwell continues, "The baby was extremely alive and swam about the sac approximately one time per second, with a natural swimmer's stroke. This tiny human did not look at all like the photos and drawings and models of 'embryos' which I had seen, nor did it look like a few embryos I have been able to observe since then, obviously because this one was alive! When the sac was opened, the tiny human immediately lost his life and took on the appearance of what is accepted as the appearance of an embryo at this stage of life." "They slay the widow and the stranger And murder the orphans. Pay heed, you senseless among the people; And when will you understand, stupid ones? He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see? They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death." Psalm 94:6,8,9,21 Pray men. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Feb 23 23:57:19 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006 23:57:19 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Be Transparent Message-ID: <4FBBD725-6A1A-4AAA-B1FC-3CF53B544056@clanwebb.com> My company has decided that the current process we use to develop software and manage projects is no longer useful to a group our size. We continue to struggle with the same kinds of issues and they only get worse as we grow. So, we have adopted a new process that will dramatically change the way we go about building software. This new process has a great strength which is also it's weakness. We will be depending on more self-managed teams that are given goals and allowed to pursue them as they see fit. This method will work well as long as the team members buy in to the system and work as a team toward the goal. One primary responsibility of the team and the process itself is transparency. That is to say that it's very important that everyone on the team know all they can know about what's going on and what impediments are in the way. Team members need to be totally honest and truthful about their work, how much they've accomplished, and what is proving to be too difficult. If someone begins to hold back, then the process begins to suffer because the team cannot function without complete knowledge. Someone keeping a lid on a problem or avoiding having to mention that they are stuck can really impede this whole system. The bottom line is that we intend to depend on the front line workers more to direct themselves, but they will have to take responsibility for their work and their contributions to the team. If they do anything outside of those bounds or work towards a goal that is not one that the team has, then the entire project will suffer. Part of the reason I like the idea of trying this system is because it encourages behavior that I recognize as being good for the spirit as well as for the company. I like the parallel of having to be completely open and transparent to God about what you are doing and what your motivations are. Now, God can certainly see all of this Himself, but the value is in the confession and the relationship you build with Him by leaving it all on the table. "He who conceals sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." Proverbs 28:13-14 When you think about it, it's just silly to try to hide from Him anyway. Unlike my office, where someone could successfully hide something from managers, you can't do that with God. "If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?" Psalm 44:20-21 "For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:20b So, empty your pockets. Clean out your briefcase. Turn your backpack upside down. You need to reveal everything to Him. Become completely transparent and hide nothing at all. Then, you will be ready for Him to work in your life. Then, you will find a better relationship with Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Feb 25 00:25:00 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 00:25:00 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Reconditioned Message-ID: I received a catalog in the mail. In it were some pretty good bargains on tools. In fact, some prices on name brand items were quite attractive. I noticed that some of the items were "Factory Reconditioned", but also included a guarantee. This, of course, explains the great price. These tools were used or came from the assembly line with a defect and stopped working the way they should. So, they were returned to the factory, taken apart, reassembled, tested, and proclaimed to be as good as new. It rather begs the question, "Can something that isn't new be as good as new?" I'll bet if I order one of those tools, I'll be able to look at it right out of the box and tell it isn't really new. I will be able to see some of the scars of its usage when it was trying to function with the defect. There will, no doubt, be a dent or two and a special tag that says "second" or "reconditioned". I will always know that it isn't really new. However, after the first time I use it and store it with the rest of my tools (those other tools that were new, but are now used) and my neighbor comes over to borrow it, he won't know its past defects. When he takes it to his place and uses it and it performs the job and makes good its work, then it will indeed be "good as new". Men are like that. Some of us have to be sent back to the factory to cure a defect before we can be effective in the field. We have to be renewed. The factory is the Word and our walk. It may take association with a factory rep, a renewed tool himself, to show us how to dismantle ourselves, fix the defect, and then reassemble the pieces. But, as long as they have the original owner's manual, it can be done. Don't despair. The parts are available direct from the factory and no model has been discontinued. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2 Tune up, brothers. Replace the belt, armature, pulley, shaft, and rheostat and then fire it up. Git 'r done. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 26 00:57:16 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 00:57:16 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] He Knows Message-ID: I love watching my son grow up. I fondly remember teaching him how to throw a baseball and how to hit one. I love it when I get to witness that "A-ha!" moment as he unlocks another truth. It's great to see him think and learn. I'm proud to watch him mature into a young man. Part of the joy of watching this is that I remember going through those same stages. I remember my dad teaching me sports. I remember how I felt as I began to understand things about the world in a better way. I remember what it felt like to be a pre-teen, a teenager, a new husband, and a new father. The bad news for my son is that my memory is good enough that I remember how I thought and what my motivations were. Whenever he tries to pull a fast one on me, I spot it right away. It drives him nuts! The good news for my son is that remembering how my thought process went helps me to know what he needs to hear. I remember when I just wanted to be encouraged. I remember what I needed to be treated like a man. I remember when I wanted a hug, but would refuse to ask for it. Most of the time, I recognize the attitude, the speech patterns, and the actions and I can figure out what's going on. I've got some inside information on what it's like to go from boy to man. I share my insight with him every chance I get. Sometimes he listens. Sometimes he doesn't. How much more so is Jesus in a position to help us? He knows what it's like to grow up in this world. He knows what it's like to have imperfect parents (Joseph and Mary were still human, after all). He knows what it's like to be tempted by sin. He knows how hard it is. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." Hebrews 4:15 So many will dismiss the Word by saying, "What does He know about my life? How can this help me?" How is this any different than when my son says, "You don't understand, Dad. You don't know what it's like."? I do understand what my son is going through. And, doubly so, Jesus understands what we are going through. He's been through it all. He has the inside information on how to succeed as a human being. He shares His insights and knowledge with us whenever we're willing to listen. Sometimes we listen. Sometimes we don't. My suggestion? The same one I give my son: Listen better. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Feb 26 23:53:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 23:53:26 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Why Message-ID: <000B007D-AE7F-47C4-8584-5E2A759714D8@clanwebb.com> Why am I here? You don't know until you start to search Where do I look? Writings and conversations are the only avenues. Who do I talk to and who do I read? People who have already started the search. How do I know who to believe? Use your brain and believe only what is believable after you use it. Will I ever know absolutely? It depends on how long you search, but it is only logical that more belief is better than less and the more you search the more you will have. Absorb, digest, contemplate, and make a decision. Every bit of information is suspect because it can all be traced back to the mind of a human being. Make a rule: Until I make a decision, I'll keep searching. Do you need all the information about something to make a decision? Just keep in mind how many times in your life that a lack of research has led you to a bad decision. Where do I start? The universe is, at last calculation, at least ten billion light years in diameter. Did that happen by accident, or is there something out there that directed it? I believe: a) It is all an accident b) Something out there directed it Because there are two options of belief, not everybody is going to agree. So, don't expect it. Also, don't use it as an excuse not to search. You can't get everybody to agree about any one thing. The search is about you and why, not about everybody and why. Take the whole thing personally. Be selfish and look out for number one. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Feb 28 00:40:57 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:40:57 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Embracing the Situation Message-ID: Over this past weekend, my company moved from one building to another. While the logistics went fairly smoothly, there were some interesting behaviors to watch amongst my coworkers. The new building is very different from the old. Previously we were in a series of suites in a two story smallish office building. We outnumbered the other tenants by quite a bit. Each suite was cozy and held about ten to fifteen people. The largest meeting room we had could barely hold the entire company of sixty plus. It was comfortable and felt casual. The new building is much larger. We have doubled the amount of space we are leasing, but we still take up only a third of the building. It's a three story building and we occupy the top floor. There are many more tenants in this building. Rather than being separated in smaller group, we are now a little more blended in larger spaces. There are many empty cubes and offices because we're planning for the future. We have more conference rooms than we know what to do with. The largest conference room is almost three times bigger than before. We have all new cubes, desks, and furniture. The space was re- carpeted, repainted, and had new blinds installed. It's a dramatic difference. To add another upheaval to the move, we've also started grouping team members together in a more communal atmosphere (fewer walls and shared spaces). It's more togetherness than most are used to and yet another thing to adjust for. What was interesting today was to watch folks who had left the office on Friday in one situation and arrived on Monday in a completely different situation. Some adjusted just fine. Most had a few complaints. And some had some strong reactions. My boss, who is cofounder of the company, is having a hard time dealing with the corporate feeling we now have. He preferred the casual, comfortable feeling we had last week. Some of the long time engineers are clearly agitated and distracted by all the change and they are having a hard time getting work done. They are the ones who keep asking questions that tell you they really want it all back the way it was. They just want to rebuild their old cube or sit in their old office and go back to their old work. They are not only uncomfortable with change, but are resisting it. I've seen people quit in other places for reasons smaller than this. For me, it was only one more good analogy for my spiritual walk. I've taken the attitude that we're here and we're going to do it a new way. I'm going to use all the skills I have to make it work and make my team productive. I am looking for the silver linings and I intend to take advantage of them. When God picks you up and drops you in a new situation, you have a similar decision to make. You can curl up in a ball and try to avoid reality. Moses tried that and God chewed him out. Jonah tried that and took an unusual vacation as a result. Or, you can praise Him that He's using you. Grab the new opportunity with both hands and do your best for His glory. There's no value in complaining about your situation. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 Go out and do His work. You're there for a reason. Wyatt