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After saving my hard-earned money for months, I finally had enough to buy it—the brand new, bright yellow, Sport Sony Walkman. Man, I loved that 1984 Sony Walkman!

I remember listening to U2’s Joshua Tree album (cassette tape) on it.

My Sony Walkman went places with me and it looked great hanging on my belt (only problem: it was 6lbs and made my pants fall off).

It played my favorite hits of the 80’s.

Did I mention that I loved my 1984 Sony Walkman?

Fast forward—time moved on…

Things changed, as they always do.

Technology progressed.

Eventually, they stopped selling cassette players and cassettes.

CD’s were the new thing.

Soon my precious ’84 Sony Walkman was a clunker.

Next came the digital revolution.

MP3’s.

The iPod.

Still today, I have fond memories of my 1984 yellow Sony Walkman.

Heck, I’ll even give myself permission to love it… but I’d be an absolute fool to hate what replaced it.

Seriously, the iPod I have today isn’t just better than my ’84 Sony Walkman—it’s better than my first computer!

Here’s what I’m driving at…

You can love ____________ (fill in the blank) from the past, but you would be a fool to hate what took its place.

You have permission to love the 1984 Sony Walkman (or whatever it is from the past that you have fond memories of— a technology, a song, a method, a style, traditions, a building, a format, an arrangement, relationships, etc.).

This is the real kicker…

While you have permission to love the 1984 Sony Walkman, you also have a responsibility to embrace the new!

Permission to love the old; responsibility to embrace the new.

Remember: yesterday’s home run won’t win today’s game.

Picture in your mind a trailer—one that has arrived and has been in that same spot for years now…

Brittle, cracked, flat tires with weeds growing out of them.

Moss and other plants thriving on the roof.

This trailer may have arrived…

But it’s stuck.

Stuck = unmovable, done, finished, over, going nowhere—the best days are all in the past now.

Beware of “arriving”.

We tend to celebrate arrival (graduation, marriage, career, parenthood, retirement).

Unfortunately, we also tend to get stuck soon after arriving.

When we’re stuck, we become brittle, cracked and weeds start growing out of us.

And moss grows on us.

After leaving Egypt, God’s people looked like a trailer that got stuck in the desert.

They spent 40 years there as if they had “arrived” – but their time in the desert was only supposed to be an 11 day walk to somewhere else… (Deuteronomy 1.2)

Even Paul – the “super apostle” – knew the danger of arriving: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on…” (Philippians 3.12 NIV).

Kevin Plank, the founder and CEO of Under Armour, recently said: “What I do know is that we have not yet built our defining product at Under Armour. We are not living in the past. Our larger competitors are 20 times our size. There is running room all over.”

I really love that line: “There is running room all over.”

Beware of “arriving”.

Moving forward, growing, changing, learning and pressing on is a bigger deal than arriving.

Graduated? Keep studying, learning, achieving.

Married? Keep dating, growing, loving, learning.

Got your career? Keep producing, climbing, inventing, creating.

Got kids? Keep growing younger, live, laugh, embrace each season.

Retired? Keep investing, serving, blessing, contributing, loving, encouraging.

I know we like to celebrate arrival, but I think it’s just as important (probably more important) to celebrate movement and progress.

Keep going—your race isn’t over yet!

The start of a new year brings a sense of new opportunity and hope for a better tomorrow.

Maybe you’ve been going in circles for a long time.

Maybe 2010 sucked.

Maybe it’s time for you to start moving towards a better tomorrow.

God delivered his people out of slavery in Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the desert—and on their way to the Promised Land.

Unfortunately, they got stuck in the desert for a long time.

Aimless wandering.

Going in circles.

Frustration.

Finally, God told his people it’s time for you to start moving towards a better tomorrow: “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north…” (Deuteronomy 2.3 NASB).

Here’s the Message paraphrase of that verse; “You’ve been going around in circles in these hills long enough…”

Maybe today you need to hear that same message: “You’ve been going around in circles long enough—and it’s time to start moving towards a better tomorrow.”

We’ve already crossed over from 2010 to 2011.

I say, let the cross over continue…

Let’s keep moving forward, believing for greater days.

I like how the Apostle Paul said it: “I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep running…” (Philippians 3.12 CEV).

It’s pretty simple really—we’re not where we used to be (thank God!), and we haven’t yet arrived… so we keep moving towards a better tomorrow.

“Now you and all the people prepare to cross over…” (Joshua 1.2 HCSB)

The cross over is that place of change, transition or movement from one place to another.

Crossing over requires faith, strength and courage.

Change can be unsettling, but it’s no time to curl up in a ball and wish for the “good ol’ days”.

If you live with the belief that your best days are behind you—you will inevitably be pulled backwards.

If you live with the belief your best days are still before you—you push forward.

We use bridges to cross over—moving from one place to another, from where we’ve been to where we’re going.

Bridges aren’t destinations, they are cross over points.

There are no U-turns on bridges.

You can’t drive backwards when you’re on a bridge.

Bridges in large cities often have tow trucks on either side, ready to quickly tow stalled vehicles from the bridge.

In life, we must move ahead, press on, push forward… cross over.

Here’s how the Apostle Paul said it: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on… forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press on toward the goal…” (Philippians 3.12-14 NKJV).

Never get stuck!

Keep learning, growing and changing.

Your best days are ahead—not behind you.

It’s embarrassing how little, insignificant things can trigger a mood swing—causing me to go from normal to jerk in 4.2 seconds. I recently had an incident like this at Radio Shack. Ugh. Embarrassing.

When I think about the story of Joseph (Mary’s fiancé), I’m struck with how many opportunities he had to loose his cool (finding out his fiancé is pregnant and he’s not the father, long road trip with his fiancé in her third trimester of pregnancy, crowded village with no hotel rooms available, etc.).

Matthew 1.19 says, “Joseph was a good man…”

Here’s my interpretation of that verse: “Joseph wasn’t a jerk.”

In my book, he had plenty of reasons to flip his lid—but he didn’t. He kept his cool.

It’s easy to be nice when everything is going your way… but not so much when bad news comes.

Maybe Good News—when it gets ahold of us—changes us.

Good News has the power to change jerks, transforming them into good guys. Think about Zacchaeus, the jerk tax-collector-thug—he was transformed into a compassionate philanthropist; think about the naked guy who ran around the cemetery howling and cutting himself—he was transformed into a sane, normal, contributing member of society.

Good News people aren’t jerks (we shouldn’t be—not if the Good News has really gotten ahold of us).

Good News People readily admit they aren’t always right. Jerks are always right.

Good News People have soft hearts. Jerks have mean, tough, calloused hearts.

Good News People are open to redirection, correction and are willing to be led. Jerks refuse to be led.

Good News People have positive attitudes even when the news is negative. Jerks have attitude problems.

Good News People speak graciously. Jerks dish out an endless supply of cruel and hurtful words.

Good News People are kind and willing to be inconvenienced by others. Jerks are gifted in the art of putting themselves first.

Don’t be a jerk.

Nobody’s perfect. We know that already.

But we can be Good News people—good guys who…

• are able to admit it when we’re wrong
• have soft hearts
• are open to redirection and correction, willing to be led
• keep a positive attitude even when the news is negative
• are gracious in our speech
• are kind and willing to be inconvenienced by others
• are willing to be used by God

Every baby I’ve seen wears the official baby uniform: a onesie.

When Jesus was born, he didn’t have much—not the latest and greatest from Babies “R” Us, not a crib, not a rattle, not a binkie… not even a onesie.

Here’s how the Bible tells it: “She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.” (Luke 2.7 NLT)

Baby Jesus didn’t even have a onesie.

He didn’t have the official baby uniform—but he was clothed; he was cared for and provided for.

Ya know, it’s easy to come up with long lists of all the things we don’t have (and all the things we wish we had).

Unfortunately, when we’re consumed with list-making, we quickly lose sight of all the blessings we already have.

Rather than complaining about what we don’t have, maybe we should celebrate what we do have.

Mary didn’t have a onesie for her newborn baby—but she had strips of cloth for him.

Good News people are conscious of their blessings.

Good News people make the most of every situation.

Good News people celebrate what they have.

Good News people are content.

Good News people are grateful.

It’s pretty easy to list what the manger scene was not…

It was not luxurious.

It was not comfortable.

It was not sanitary.

It was not heated or air conditioned or ventilated.

It was not the Overlake Childbirth Center.

It was not a place Mary or any other expectant mother would plan to give birth in.

And yet… it was something.

It was some form of shelter.

It was the place where Jesus was born.

It even had visiting hours—shepherds came and wise men brought gifts.

The story of the birth of Jesus has plenty of bad news: Mary—pregnant before the wedding, Joseph her fiancé isn’t the father, the census and taxes, traveling during the 3rd trimester of her pregnancy, a crowded village, no vacancies, no doctors or midwives or nurses, no extended family there, no hot tub, no shower, no epidural, a crazed king issuing orders to kill all baby boys born in Bethlehem…

That’s a lot of bad news.

Yet, in the midst of bad news, Good News shined.

The Savior, the Messiah, the Lord—was born and this is good news that brings great joy to all people.

Just like it’s easy to list what the manger scene was not, it’s easy list “what’s not” in our lives—highlighting what’s missing, lacking and not working. Yes, coming up with a big list of bad news is easy work.

But we’re Good News people, right?

Rather than complaining about what we don’t have, we celebrate what we do have.

Bad news is all around us, but we shine.

The Apostle Paul said, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4.11-13)

Permission to speak frankly—and with common sense…

Smallness on the inside keeps us from doing big, significant things for others.

Herod was the big man on campus, the king. He was loud, brash and intimidating. He was consumed with making a bigger name for himself—not by giving to others but by taking from them.

Herod was tiny on the inside. He was a wee little man.

Insecure. Afraid. Paranoid.

When Jesus was born, Herod was asking: “What if Jesus takes my big man on campus position?”

It’s easy to get lost in the “What ifs” of life. Unfortunately, the “What ifs” keep us small on the inside; they prevent us from doing big, significant things for others.

The wise guys, on the other hand, were big on the inside.

We’re not even told their names in Scripture and we don’t know much about them.

When Jesus was born, the wise guys were asking: “How can we bless, honor and give to this newborn King?”

They travelled far with gifts for baby Jesus—gold, frankincense and myrrh. The wise guys didn’t get stuck asking all the “What ifs”…

What if we get lost?

What if we get robbed?

What if Jesus’ family isn’t grateful?

What if they waste the gifts we brought?

No—the wise guys didn’t bother with all the “What ifs”.

In confident trust, they came to bless, honor, worship and give.

People have always wondered what happened to the gold that was given to Jesus. Scripture doesn’t mention it, but there are a two prominent legends…

One story says that the criminals crucified with Jesus were lifelong thieves who, decades earlier, had stolen the gold from Jesus’ family. Another story says the gold was invested and later used to fund Jesus’ ministry—and Judas, as treasurer, misappropriated the money.

Notice: both stories are bad news. They affirm our “What if” questioning.

The reality is—we live in a bad news world.

But we are Good News people!

Good News people are big on the inside.

Good News people don’t get hung up on all the “What if” questions in life.

Good News people, in confident trust—come to bless, honor, worship and give.

Good News people do big, significant things for others.

__________________

Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! (Hebrews 10.35 NLT)

Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting is the way. (Luke 6.38 MSG)

One guy (Herod) worried about something being taken away from him.

Some other guys (the wise guys) came to bless, honor and give.

Same baby Jesus—two different responses.

Jesus would later teach: “Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting is the way.” (Luke 6.38 MSG)

Some will live like Herod—trying so desperately to get, keep, protect, hoard and preserve.

Others will live like the wise guys—going great distances to bless, honor and give.

Be wise (guys).

Just a random post…

Life isn’t all about the push.

When it’s all about the push, life becomes stressful and joyless.

Ya gotta play—take time to smell the roses, enjoy the journey, laugh and be silly.

Similarly, life isn’t all fun and games.

When it’s all fun and games, life becomes frivolous and inconsequential.

Remember:

When you’re pushing, take time to play.

When playing, get recharged for your next push.

Question:

Do you have enough push in your life?

Do you have enough play in your life?