I like ice cream. I love it homemade. I don't recall ever having bad homemade ice cream. I have many fond memories of sitting on the back porch while Dad cranked the ice cream freezer. It seemed to me that he turned that crank for hours before it was finally ready! Anticipation can really slow down time...the wait was always worth it though. That first bite of homemade ice cream is one of life's greatest pleasures!
We have a burger joint close to our home that serves frozen custard. I had never had frozen custard before moving to Rochester. I assume there is a difference in the recipe between frozen custard and ice cream, but I am not sure what it is. All I know is that their frozen custard is excellent! And, they have the wisdom to advertise the "Flavor of the Day" on their outdoor sign where we read it every time we come home.
We have an ice cream shop that is part of a national chain close by as well. You pick the flavor of ice cream and the goodies you want to mix into it and they put it together while you watch. It is a favorite place for the family to go!
We have another ice cream shop that is owned by another national chain close by that is one of the most recognized brands in America. You probably already know who it is! I am doubly blessed because they have ice cream within walking distance of my office too! I can have great ice cream at home and at work! What a deal!
We have a locally owned ice cream shop nearby that has a funny name and top-notch ice cream. They make their own ice cream and it is a great place to go on hot days...and days that are not hot!
I have never had a bad bowl of ice cream. I remember a little ditty that went something like this: "Everyone loves ice cream, yes indeed they do! Everyone loves ice cream, I do - do you?" Have you ever known someone who doesn't like ice cream?
Music is like ice cream for the soul. I have never met someone who dislikes music. We all like different "flavors" of music - some like it loud, others soft. Some like it fast, others slow. Some like the words, others the tune. We may like different kinds of music, but we all like it! I personally like both kinds of music - country AND western!
A while back my family attended a Christian conference and the music leader made a comment that "There is no bad music; there is only broken music. It may be broken because of bad lyrics, but all it takes to turn the music good is to change the lyrics." Then he proceeded to take some popular songs with questionable lyrics and rewrote the lyrics to glorify God instead! He was an amazing musician!
1 Chronicles 13:7 tells us that "David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets." Clearly they were in full worship mode that day! Music is truly a gift of God that we can use as praise to Him and which He can use to speak to our souls.
It is a shame that so many churches argue over the "appropriate" style of music to be used in worship. Remember, there is no bad music! While we all have our favorite flavors, it would be a sin to force someone who prefers a different flavor to always listen to OUR favorite flavor! God created mankind with great diversity and I am convinced He loves any song that praises Him as long as it comes from the heart! Let's remember that the next time the music is not our "favorite flavor." Sometimes the "Flavor of the Day" surprises us and we find ourselves worshiping in a new way!
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Difficult Decisions
Sometimes it seems you are in a no-win situation. No matter what choice you pick, it has consequences, and not necessarily fun consequences. I recently went through one of these difficult decisions.
Decades ago I left the college where I began my computer science degree to attend a computer programming technical school in Omaha. I had a decision to make at that time that wasn't easy. The computer science program at college was focused on scientific programming but that was a very small percentage of the computer programming job market. Plus I had financial considerations. So I left the college and turned my focus to business programming, which dominated the job market. I never finished my degree.
I worked on the degree a little more, taking night school off and on, but still never finished the degree. Last fall I discovered a college that would accept most of my college credits, I could earn some credits for the 37 years in my career, and would switch my focus from programming to my ministry. So I enrolled.
I thought I had considered everything and that I could handle the load. After all, I have been bi-vocational for most of the last twenty years. And I read a ton of books every year. If I would put my outside reading aside I assumed I would have time for the college class on top of my job and my ministry.
I was wrong. The college class ate up a lot of my time. My ministry of starting a new church began to suffer. I looked at how I was spending my time. I modified my time management process to help - and it did - a little. I tried to find some help for my ministry that would help take some load off, but no help arrived. After getting half-way through the class I had to make a hard decision - keep going and let the ministry suffer, or quit the class and get back on track.
A lot of thoughts ran through my mind as I debated. I looked to my professor for some advice. I talked to a friend who works at the college for his advice. I prayed with my prayer partner. It came down to my priorities. My number one priority has to be my job. My number two priority has to be the ministry. Then there is family and school. I decided the school had to be stopped at this time. So I called the school and emailed my professor with the decision.
This is the process we must use to make hard decisions like this one. What are our priorities? Who can I seek advice from? What options exist? And, I believe the most important, prayer. When it all came together, there really was only one option - focus on the ministry and put the degree on hold again.
These decisions are never easy. And they have consequences that are difficult to accept. But decisions have to be made. And the above process is the best process I have found. Just don't forget to pray! God alone knows what you are supposed to do. He will make it obvious to you.
Decades ago I left the college where I began my computer science degree to attend a computer programming technical school in Omaha. I had a decision to make at that time that wasn't easy. The computer science program at college was focused on scientific programming but that was a very small percentage of the computer programming job market. Plus I had financial considerations. So I left the college and turned my focus to business programming, which dominated the job market. I never finished my degree.
I worked on the degree a little more, taking night school off and on, but still never finished the degree. Last fall I discovered a college that would accept most of my college credits, I could earn some credits for the 37 years in my career, and would switch my focus from programming to my ministry. So I enrolled.
I thought I had considered everything and that I could handle the load. After all, I have been bi-vocational for most of the last twenty years. And I read a ton of books every year. If I would put my outside reading aside I assumed I would have time for the college class on top of my job and my ministry.
I was wrong. The college class ate up a lot of my time. My ministry of starting a new church began to suffer. I looked at how I was spending my time. I modified my time management process to help - and it did - a little. I tried to find some help for my ministry that would help take some load off, but no help arrived. After getting half-way through the class I had to make a hard decision - keep going and let the ministry suffer, or quit the class and get back on track.
A lot of thoughts ran through my mind as I debated. I looked to my professor for some advice. I talked to a friend who works at the college for his advice. I prayed with my prayer partner. It came down to my priorities. My number one priority has to be my job. My number two priority has to be the ministry. Then there is family and school. I decided the school had to be stopped at this time. So I called the school and emailed my professor with the decision.
This is the process we must use to make hard decisions like this one. What are our priorities? Who can I seek advice from? What options exist? And, I believe the most important, prayer. When it all came together, there really was only one option - focus on the ministry and put the degree on hold again.
These decisions are never easy. And they have consequences that are difficult to accept. But decisions have to be made. And the above process is the best process I have found. Just don't forget to pray! God alone knows what you are supposed to do. He will make it obvious to you.
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