A Thanksgiving “Gratitude Adjustment”

Thanksgiving is a time to appreciate the things we have and not demand the things we don't. For one moment, can we stop long enough and give thanks? Gratitude will help us get back on track. Gratitude is on the "endangered virtue list." I'm calling for Gratitude Adjustment this Thanksgiving. When I allow gratitude to work its way in my heart-an adjustment takes place to the way I respond to life's trials and joy's-I begin to appreciate the things I have.

The philosopher Cicero said "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others". Gratitude is a virtue and a virtue is a Habit of the Heart. We choose what we allow to marinate in our hearts. Below are three gratitude adjustments we can pursue this thanksgiving:

Gratitude frees us from worry: Worry is a powerful emotion that intrudes my present state of mind. When I worry I cannot accept what is, instead I worry about what will be. Gratitude brings me back to the present-accepting what is. It's difficult to worry and appreciate at the same time.

Gratitude removes the insatiable need of demanding "my rights". It's hard to demand and appreciate at the same time. The more I appreciate-the less I demand. There is no guarantee I will wake up tomorrow. Life is a gift from a loving God and the rights I have are given to me by Him. That's my starting point. Some people I know put their trust in politics or other things for their well being. It seems to me they spend a lot of emotional energy being angry about life's unfairness-ironically some of them blame it on a God they do not believe in.

Gratitude cracks the illusions I created about life and brings my expectations back down to earth: "Reality Bites" as the saying goes and when I don't like reality-I create my own. If I live in an illusion-I hold un-realistic expectations to fit this world. And these self-deluded expectations don't match with reality; therefore they can never be met so I become disappointed. Gratitude brings me and my expectations back down to earth. When my expectations match reality I appreciate what I have. I cannot be disappointed and appreciate at the same time.

I admit, I need a "gratitude adjustment" sometimes as I am pulled into a culture that emphasizes the "what's-in-it-for-me" attitude. So this thanksgiving let's all stop for a moment and be grateful for what we have and allow gratitude to soak through our soul and see how appreciation will replace all our self centered attitudes.

Turning 50

I'm at Starbucks listening to Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me" on my iTunes-a retro song on a new gadget. I've been in this "time warp" lately. My mind is being transported back to the days of my youth. You see I turned 50 a few days ago and I'm trying to wrap my head around it. Am I getting old or am I getting older? "Older" I can live with, but "Old" sounds, well-Old.

Turning 50 for a Man today has its challenges. Men need to have a purpose. Turning 50 in a young man's world gives me pause. I'm not whining and I refuse to be a victim. Turning 50 has its advantages and I still enjoy hanging out with my younger friends. But I began to notice some changes in the way I thought about my future, my life and my manhood. I noticed that the ambitions I had at 30 were no longer relevant at 50. When I was 30, I wanted to climb the corporate ladder. But at 50 I'm climbing down that ladder. When I was 30, the race was before me-at 50 the finish line is before me. It's time to pass the baton-which is my legacy.

My friend Perry said "turning 50 is like sitting on a mountain peak, where you could look in the distance 30 years and see 80. Then turn and look 30 years behind you and see 20". 50 is the equi-center and I am now entering the second half. My task is to find a balance between feeling like a 25 year old and not acting like one.

There's a difference between being Cool and being Creepy. I can enjoy the company of my young friends without trying desperately to be like them. I use the "cool and creepy" test for most my interactions, like what I put on my Facebook status, to how I talk to a young lady.

The other thing I began to notice was, the things that bothered me in the past were no longer the "pebble in my shoe" today. I asked myself if the regrets and unresolved issues of my past are really worth carrying into the next phase. I could see the finish line. I want to finish the race without out that old baggage weighing me down.

Turning 50 is a gateway to the next phase of life and I'm going into it without the hang-ups of the past. Turning 50 helped me clarify what is most important in life and that is My Faith-My Family and My Friends.

Turning 50 is cool.

The Power of Forgiveness

Bitterness is "poison of the soul" which confines a person to a continual cycle of pain and misery. Bitterness robs me of joy. I've seen the face of bitterness-the empty eyes that point to an empty soul. Bitterness is the "slow burn" of resentment that has metastasized.

{Material from this post is drawn from the work of Lewis Smedes, Professor/Author; Fuller Theological Seminary and his great book on the topic "Forgive and Forget"}

Is there freedom from this misery? Yes there is through the act of Forgiving.

Forgiveness is "soul surgery" for the deepest of wounds. The "wounds" that need forgiveness are pervasive and invade my daily life-a life in which I become obsessed with the hurt-the hate and the incessant fantasy to strike back. This is the hurt that nurtures bitterness and it is the pain that turns to poison. The only antidote for the poison of bitterness is forgiveness. The red flag of a bitter heart is resentment.

Resentment is where I "play back" in my mind the incident and relive pain all over again-it becomes a continuous loop that goes like this: memory-hurt-hate-revenge. The actual incident is long gone but the memory is alive and continues to deliver its "kick in the gut". Resentment metastasizes into bitterness. Forgiveness stops the spread-removes the pain and set's us free.

Forgiveness doesn't get the person who hurt me "off the hook"-forgiveness get's me "off the hook"-the hook of bitterness. It's no wonder that Jesus tells us to forgive one another-He is the great surgeon of the soul- He knows that bitterness brings death and forgiveness brings life-forgiveness is cool water to a dry and parched soul. Forgiving is an act of the will-it is hard work but it is "soul work".

As I actively forgive, something inside me awakens as I am being released from the pain. At the same time it frees me from the urge to condemn and bring vengeance to the one who hurt me. While I am being released, the person who hurt me is being released simultaneously from my "mental" prison. When forgiveness has taken hold, a heavy weight is lifted from me-I have a new perspective of the past hurt-I may remember the incident but no longer feel the pain. The anger and rage towards the person slowly turns into pity or we have no more ill will towards them.

And although forgiveness is not dependent on reconciliation, it can begin the healing of a broken relationship-give it a new start. Forgiveness is redemptive. Don't be discouraged if it takes a while, forgiveness is a transformative journey towards a healthy soul. It comes with some scrapes along the way but it is worth it. One day you wake up and your joy has returned. Forgiveness is your freedom.

A Temper Tantrum at Target

We expect a two year old to have a temper-tantrum-sometimes we call this age the 'terrible twos'. But a two year old grows up and grows out of tantrums-right? Well, most do but some don't, and they become 22, 32 or 42 year old tantrums-not a pretty sight. My friend Tammy was the victim of a full blown-adult 'temper tantrum' at a Target store parking lot.

It started when an 'adult' lady (and I use that term loosely) pulled up behind my friend with her blinker on, which indicates she spotted the open parking space first. When Tammy saw the ladies blinker on, she gave her preference-which of course is the unspoken rule-no problem so far. Then Tammy saw a spot next to the lady open up, so she turned on her blinker, for that one.

Once Tammy hit the blinker-the lady hit the roof-she went from zero to ugly. It turned into a 'Jerry Springer incident'. The lady accelerated her tantrum from honking the horn-to swinging a purse-to spitting in Tammy's face. The entire freak show was witnessed by the ladies 12 year old daughter, who sat in the passenger seat, head down covering her face. The 12 year became the adult and apologized to Tammy for her mother's behavior. It's too bad the 12 year old wasn't the one driving and her mom in a child "car seat". Why are we observing so many Adult temper tantrums lately?

I don't believe we are worse off now than any other time in history-but let's face it-civility is taking a hit-adults are near the boiling point which sometimes spills over. Recently a Congressman, a Hip Hop star and Tennis pro were unable to keep it together and they hit the ugly button. There may be many causes, but it all boils down to self control-the ability to govern our emotions.

There are two competing urges we fight daily, one is an infantile need "to be taken care of" and the other is a desire to be 'responsible for ourselves'-the first one makes no demands-the latter one demands responsibility. The first one breeds entitlement-the latter one breed's autonomy. If we don't govern ourselves-we will be governed. The lady at Target chose to be governed by her emotions.

4 “Considerations” of Life: cont’

In my Last post, I spoke of 4 "things" I have considered that have put me on a path towards authenticity. I call them the "4 Considerations of Life" they are:

1. Consider God's Love.
   
2. Consider One Another
   
3. Consider Your Words.
   
4. Consider Your Purpose.
   

I conclude with the other 3 considerations-but first a recap on God's Love.

Consider God's Love

Sounds easy right? Even Mother Theresa had doubts about God's love. We view God's love through a "cracked" lens. I begin my life with "blurred vision" as it pertains to love. Human love is an essential Human need. It is a love that is expressed in relationship to one another. And this is where it gets messy-for some people it brings profound pain and disappointment. So I'm not surprised that God's love gets thrown into this man-made mess. It would be easier to consider "Unicorns" than God's love for some. Read the rest here: http://thepirateway-bob.blogspot.com/2009/09/4-considerations-of-life.html

Consider One Another

I like to sit and watch people-not in some creepy-stalker way, but to practice empathy. Empathy is "walking in another persons shoes" as Carl Rogers defined it. "Considering" the other person is practicing empathy. Empathy is not passive-it is actively developing a curiosity and wonder about my friend or the person I interact with. When I consider "you", I train my mind to listen for what is important in your life-what are your anxieties-your hopes and your goals? What does "life" look like through your eyes? I stop making assumptions, because my focus is on your life and not my interpretation of it.

Consider your words

Your words are a window into your heart. What you say reflects who you are. If your word means nothing-your
integrity means nothing. I had an unfortunate experience the other night. I listened to 4 politicians on a Sunday talk show saying a lot of words that mean nothing-hollow promises that reflect their shallow character. Many politicians have "spin doctors" and "pollsters" that tell them what to say and how to say it-they're empty shells. When I consider my words-I consider who I am and my responsibility in what I say. Let your words and your actions match-say what you mean and mean what you say and as Jesus say's "Let your yes be yes and your no be no".

Consider your Purpose

Why are you here? When I consider my purpose, I begin with this belief: My life means something. My life is intentional-it has meaning and a purpose. When I consider my purpose, I consider my worth. I also realize that God has given me a path by which I walk and along the way my purpose interacts with loved ones, friends and acquaintances. My purpose has a responsibility attached to it. Will I squander my purpose? When I die what will my epitaph say? That will have been my purpose.

4 “Considerations” of Life

This is the first part of a 4 part post…

What does it mean to consider something?

To consider something means I ponder the "thought" without judgment. It takes practice to quiet the mind and just allow the idea to idle. It forces us to take a look at what is being considered. Author Steven Covey's "5th Habit" (out of his 7 Habits) says "Understand before being understood". When I consider, I move towards an understanding.

Life affords us many things to consider-some trivial and some deep. There are 4 things I have considered in the last few years that have put me on a path towards authenticity. I call them the "4 Considerations of Life" I invite you to consider them also-they are:

1. Consider God's love.
   
2. Consider one another.
   
3. Consider your words.
   
4. Consider your purpose.
   

Consider God's Love

Sounds easy right? Even Mother Theresa had doubts about God's love. We view God's love through a "cracked" lens. I begin my life with "blurred vision" as it pertains to love. From day one, I need love to thrive-that is "parental love" as expressed with physical touch and emotional affirmation. Human love is an essential Human need. It is a love of "mutuality" that is nurtured in relationships. And this is where it gets messy-for some people it brings profound pain and disappointment. So I'm not surprised that God's love gets thrown into this man-made mess. It would be easier to consider "Unicorns" than God's love for some.

God's Love is hard to fathom because there is no human equivalent. Parental love is the closest we come but even then, it is a two way street. God's love however is one way as it flows from His being without conditions to us. God does not say "I will love you, under one condition"-He strikes out the "under one condition" part and say's "I will love you". God's love is given freely-even when we were in rebellion towards him. His love is expressed sacrificially in the death of Jesus who was executed on a cross for us.

God's love is a "life transforming" love. His love gives life to a dead soul-no human love can do this. I was spiritually dead now I am alive. God's love is a perfect love. Not only does God love, He is Love. And He created me in His image therefore I am capable of giving love. As a "follower of Christ" I live under the "ethic of love" I am to love one another. But my love is not perfect. Sometimes I get it right-sometimes I blow it. When I consider God's love I'm grateful a perfect God loves an imperfect man like me.

When I think of God's love, the words of St Paul come to mind as he beautifully describes love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails". Considering God's love moves me towards this "ethic of love" and the desire to unshackle the hurt from the past-to live a free and authentic life.

So I ask you to consider God's love…

Get Over Yourself

Several years ago my friend Kreg told me to "get over myself" and I did. I remember going on-and-on about how someone slighted me. I was getting tired of my own voice-it was that bad-I wanted to say "shut up already".

At first I was ticked off by his "cut-the crap" remark. But I noticed something was happening in me as I was making this effort to "get over myself"-I was becoming genuine.

St Paul says "For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you, not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith God has assigned- Paul confronts a "prideful attitude" and he provides a nice way to temper this selfish disposition-by the "measure of faith God has assigned us"-which is sufficient. Pride is an "inflated sense of self" and eventually this illusion leads us away from an authentic life and genuineness.

Genuineness is closing the gap between "who you are and who you think you are". It seems to me, that in order to maintain this grandiose illusion you must always be "on". It's almost like having an insatiable need to always prove yourself-it's exhausting.

I remember a time where I wanted to fit into this certain social group. I would concentrate on making a witty comment or a timely joke while monitoring if the group was accepting me or not. It was emotionally draining because I spent an enormous amount of psychic energy trying to be someone I was not.

Then it hit me-my value and worth was not found in another person's acceptance of me-that's an unfair burden to place on other people. The burden is on me to accept myself.

We all desire to be accepted, which is normal, but before I can be accepted by others-I must accept myself-flaws and all. I began to mull over this thought: If God created me in his image, has given me life and loves me even though I stuck-it-to-Him in my rebellion-who am I to say "I am no good"? That's not my call. My worth comes from the one who created me and loved me while I was still running from Him.

In time I needed to stop proving my existence and just live. I needed to close the gap. I began to find a certain freedom in being genuine. For me "Getting over myself" meant no longer proving my existence to others. I am nowhere near the genuine place I want to be, but as I become "smaller" in my life-my enjoyment of others becomes bigger. Not only do I accept myself but other people feel more comfortable around me.

G.K. Chesterton has a quote that I carry as one of my "life statements": "How much larger your life would be if your "self" were smaller in it-if you could really look at other people with common curiosity and pleasure-you would begin to be interested in them"

So in the wise words of my friend Kreg: Get over yourself"

Dishan is Gone-to Sri Lanka

Go and make disciples of all nations is the clarion call of the Great Commission. We who are followers of Jesus are to GO.

The great commission is a journey that brings new life to a dead world-as St. Paul says: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news". But wait-there's more. Paul presents a series of questions in reverse order to demonstrate the importance of going:

How can they believe-if they have not heard?
How can they hear if no one preaches?
How can they preach-if they are not sent?

I sat down the other day with my friend Dishan Wickramaratne who has GONE-Gone to Sri Lanka-where death-disease-civil war and terrorism confront him frequently. This isn't Dishan's first rodeo in Sri Lanka-he was born and raised there. Our conversation turned towards his life and ministry on the small island. I summarized the conversation below:

Bob: How would you describe the people of Sri Lanka?

Dishan: First of all Bob, I can't get over the fact that you're all dressed up. In Bible College all you wore was jeans and a casual shirt.

Bob: Thanks for noticing Dishan-I think. Now how would you describe the people of Sri Lanka?

Dishan: The large cities are pretty modern with the latest technology. There's a large contingent of young professionals that are upwardly mobile and seek a better life for their families like you and me. But there is also abject poverty and a strong "socio-class system"-as it always has been-the poor are very poor and poverty is in your face. It's not hidden like on the outskirts of town.

Bob: Like the movie Slumdog Millionaire?

Dishan: Exactly. Yeah that's reality.

Bob: What's the major religion?

Dishan: Buddhism is the major religion then Hindu-then Muslim and only 1% is Christian.

Bob: What impact does Christianity have in the culture?

Dishan: Christians are in the minority. They are often targeted with violence and persecution-churches were burnt down recently by Buddhist extremist.

Bob: Come at me again-Buddhist what?

Dishan: Yeah I know-even in Buddhism they have an extreme element.

Bob: Wow that's an oxymoron

Dishan: What'd you call me?

Bob: No not you Dish-when I think of the "Buddha"-I think of peaceful thoughts and food-but not violence

Dishan: I know it's crazy but since they are the majority religion there are some who love power more than peace.

Bob: What about Christians-what impact do they have?

Dishan: Christians are very active in social service. Our church reached out during the 2004 tsunami-we helped with housing, clothing and food for the victims. Our church has about 10, 000 that attend. We are very involved in the community-we practice lifestyle evangelism.

Bob: What's an example of lifestyle evangelism?

Dishan: Believers in Sri Lanka can't be overt because of the persecution. So we have creative ways of being a witness. For example I have a radio spot called "Think a Minute" where I discuss moral lessons about family, faith and life. It has been a positive influence. One time I was going through customs at the airport and the guy saw my passport and said "Hey are you the Dishan on the radio?"

Bob: Who were your Missionary Influences?

Dishan: My Dad (Colton Wickramaratne). He really lived the Great Commission. He was poor-no home and no means for work. He traveled to the U.S. and was stranded. But God provided for his needs and since then he has been serving God fully. (A Biography of Colton is called: "My Adventure in Faith") see link below

http://www.allbookstores.com/book/9781880689172/My_Adventure_in_Faith_How_One_Man_Dared_to_Trust_God_for_the_Impossible.html

Bob: What is God saying to you nowadays?

Dishan: God gave me this word recently: "Live right and walk straight and I will take care of the rest"

Bob: God really breaks it down to a simple proposition-huh?

Dishan: Yes, we complicate things and God's say's "I have an easier way."

Bob: How did this word impact your life?

Dishan: Last time when I was in the states, I was invited to preach in this church and I was going through my sermon files and praying which one would be applicable. Then I heard God say-"you don't need a sermon-you need a word." And that's when I received the "live right and walk straight" word. So I was at the pulpit and I began to preach-a few moments later I stopped preaching-and called for all those with back problems to stand up-22 people stood. I prayed for them and afterward I asked who was healed-22 people raised their hands. I always remember what God said that day: "live right and walk straight" he will take care of the rest.

Bob: That's a great word to end on Dish. It was great to connect with you, bro after all these years-any parting words?

Dishan: I'm still impressed by your dress attire.

Bob: Now I'm nervous.

As I left Dishan that evening-I realized how much more I need to tune in to the Great Commission-here in my own backyard.

Mullets and Biases Oh My

I ran into a guy at Starbucks with a mullet. At first I didn't know how to take it. I was both amazed and amused at the same time. So I sat down at the table next to him with my Venti Ice Green tea with 3 splenda. He was enjoying a Grande Colombia Nariño Supremo.

In my mind a picture unfolded of who I perceived this guy to be: He's not married-He rents a room from his mom-He works for a small Auto Parts store-stocking Delco Water Pumps. Call it a hunch but I got this guy figured out-or do I?

As I was studying the mullet without posing as a stalker-I realized I had a bias towards men, who were stuck in the "Joe Dirt" world of the 1980's- you know in a failure to launch kind of way. But for all I knew this guy could be a Superior Court Judge. We all have a certain bias about life-it's how we perceive things to be. We lean a certain way or we have tendencies to respond to people based on our experience and beliefs about them.

Sometimes reality confirms our biases-like if a guy is comes at me with a knife I'm biased to believe this isn't good. I'm not sticking around to see if he's going to butter my toast or slice my throat-other times my bias clouds reality. Like the guy with the mullet, I perceived him one way-but was it accurate? I was seeing him through his mullet and making assumptions.

So with this in mind I turned to the guy and said "I haven't seen a mullet in years-pretty cool". We began a conversation. He told me his name was Rick and he played in a band. I found out that he was married and he had two kids and although he didn't work in an Auto Parts store-he did change his own oil.

Our biases are filters of the psyche-they're neither good nor bad-its how we act upon them. I'm open to check my biases for accuracy. Maybe learn something new. I'm not an ideologue-I'm always finding new and fascinating things about people along the journey of life. It was a good thing to see Rick through who he was and not through what I perceived him to be-mullet and all.

Dad and The Grad

I'm the proud father of a High School grad-Matt my oldest son. As he received his degree he had a spring in his step and a thousand pounds lifted off his shoulders. He turned towards the stands in our direction and gave us the thumbs up. My mind flashed to the day he was born. He was just a few minutes old when the doctor handed him to me. I asked the doctor "what do I do with him?" The doctor said "raise him-you have 18 years."

So here I am 18 years later watching Matt morph into a young man. But I was changing too. I was struck by the idea that Matt has more years ahead of him and is beginning his life and I have more years behind me and am winding down. I too was promoting to the next phase as a father-but without the fanfare and I was cool with that.

The role I held before was that of an active parent with the responsibility to make sure Matt had the stuff to make it to this place today. As he increased his responsibility I decreased mine-as he was taken more control of his life I was relinquishing it. My role was changing from a top down-authoritarian relationship to that of a partnership giving him advice. I was still his dad but in a different way. The change needed to happen-for my growth. Otherwise I'd be wearing a hat on backwards and a t shirt that read I'm with stupid.

The other ah ha moment came when I walked on the field after graduation. I saw Matt with a perpetual smile walking my way and he said "Dad I did it!"-HE did do it. His mom and I could only do so much but in the end Matt took what we gave him and-Did It.

I also realize that that there is power in the words a father imparts to his son. What I say can nudge him forward into manhood where he takes the mantle and moves forward or my words can deter his journey where he spends the rest of his life seeking the affirmation of being a man-a lot of times in the wrong places.

When Matt and my other two boys' were born, I made a concerted effort to speak affirmation into their lives as young men and as followers of Jesus. I am not the perfect father and I have probably made more mistakes. But on that football field watching Matt and his class walk the line-a Dad and his Grad made the next step in our father and son relationship. A journey I am looking forward to.

You Did it Son!

The First Paul part 3

As Ignacio say's to Encarnacion in the movie Nacho Libre- let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

The authors of The First Paul are not espousing Liberation Theology or Marxism. What they do believe is that Paul teaches Distributive Justification in contrast to Retributive Justification. There is a dispute among theologians about the type of Justification Paul has in mind. Andy Johnson writes in his Reclaiming Paul blog the different views http://www.reclaimingpaul.org/?p=103

To be sure, both positions hold that Justification is given to us freely by Gods' Grace through Faith: This is Paul's battle cry of the Gospel-Martin Luther marshaled in the reformation with these words. So what's the difference?

Let's start with Retributive Justification: We are sinners and fall short of the Glory of God-our works of righteousness are not enough to put us in a right relationship with Him. But righteousness is possible for us through Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. God declares us righteous-it is imputed to us and is activated by our faith-Justification by grace through faith.

The authors present Distributive Justification, which is also freely given to us by God's grace and activated by our faith. But righteousness is not imputed to us-God does not declare us righteous. Instead God's righteousness is transformed in us-distributed through us-as a part of God's character. After being transformed through faith, we distribute God's justice including,radical equality to the world. This is God's way of making the world just.

I do agree with the premise of this book that the Radical Paul preached that a radical Kingdom has been ushered in through a risen Christ-in direct opposition to the Kingdom of the world. Paul spoke a kingdom language that is summed up in famous terms. This Kingdom language put Imperial Rome on notice and drew lines in the sand-a demarcation that would eventually lead the believers to their death. What were these terms that brought the ire of Caesar? Here are some:

Jesus Christ Is Lord: Before Paul introduced the phrase Jesus is Lord this was already a divine designation to Caesar-Caesar is Lord. There could be only one Lord and for Paul it was Jesus. Caesar had been dethroned.

Christ Crucified: Paul says Jesus was crucified not killed or murdered why? The term Crucified places the execution of Jesus in the hands of Imperial Rome. For Paul it was a Roman cross. Rome crucified those who challenged the iron rule of Caesar which the Kingdom of God did.

Life Together In Christ: this was
Paul's vision of believers living together as the Body of Christ-one body-one spirit and contrary to the ways of the world. The radical equality of living in Christ was experienced in the community-from there to the neighborhoods and then to the world.

The book also discusses the $64 thousand dollar question nagging all believers-What was Paul's Thorn in the Flesh? Its conjecture but what they say makes sense:

Thorn in the flesh: I once heard a preacher say that people have a natural tendency to mimic famous characters-so if we knew what Paul's thorn was, we would all have it. The authors speculate that Paul's thorn in the flesh was the symptoms of Malaria he contracted as a boy in Tarsus which had an overabundance of marshes and mosquitoes. The authors reference the work of Mitchell Ramsey and his book: St Paul and the Traveler and Roman Citizen: He combines Gal 4:13 with 2 Cor. 12:7 and concludes this Stake in the Flesh or Thorn was a species of chronic malaria fever: Paul had contracted malaria during his youth at Tarsus from a climate that easily produced the chills and fevers, the uncontrollable shivering and profuse sweating, the severe headaches, nausea and vomiting of chronic malarial fever.

The First Paul is a good read and it clarifies the 3 different Paul's we see develop over time in his writings-as a fan of Paul I was re introduced to this great man and apostle of Jesus.

"The First Paul": part 2

I finished reading this fascinating book called The First Paul. The book paints a clear picture of St. Paul-his life and teachings. But there are also a couple of positions the authors hold that need to be explored further in a third part-that is the belief that Paul taught a Distributive Justification and a Radical Equality to reconcile this world to God. I agree with much of what they write but there is some areas that may lead one towards a Liberation Theology. More on that in part 3.

But overall the book opens a window into Paul's radical life and vision to which I agree with. The book tracks the 13 letters attributed to Paul and chronicles how Paul-the radical-morphs into 3 different voices. (See Part 1): http://thepirateway-bob.blogspot.com/2009/06/first-paul-book-review_04.html.

The First Paul is the real deal. His teaching comes from the authority of a risen Christ and a radical Kingdom. This Kingdom comes into direct opposition to the Kingdom of the World-which in the time of Paul was represented by Imperial Rome. So it sets up a collision course of Two Kingdoms-Two Visions-Two Theologies-Two Destinations. With this entire backdrop, the authors state the problem:

"This is our first insight into how radical equality within Pauline Christian theology opposes and replaces the normal hierarchy within Roman imperial theology. And the tragedy is that the Paul of the post Pauline tradition is not only de-radicalized; he is Romanized."

Simply stated Paul (or others writing in Paul's name) softens his radical views on the issues of equality and conforms more to the views of Rome.

To find an answer to this dilemma, the authors start with an important aspect of biblical study-Historical Context.

I don't mean to jump hermeneutical on you, but a pretty good study habit is to peer into the cultural surroundings of a biblical text. The first thing to note is, Paul's letters were not intended for us to read. They were written to a particular person or group. Secondly the recipients of the letter had a pretty good handle on what was written . Finally Paul wrote his 7 genuine letters (see part 1) from around 50 AD to 67 AD.

Scholars place Paul's' death around 67 AD. The book points out that Paul and Peter and thousands of other believers were tortured and executed during the Great Persecution of Christians at the hands of Nero in the year 67 AD.

A day-in the life-of Paul could be viewed through 3 concentric circles (think of drawing a small circle-then draw a larger circle around that one and one more larger circle around both of them) The smallest circle is the people Paul wrote to-like the church at Rome or an individual like Philemon. The next circle is the religious times in which he lived-this was during the early Jesus Movement within Judaism and Judaism is within the largest circle-the Roman Empire. It would look like this:

Philemon>Early Jesus Movement>Judaism>Imperial Rome.

Claudius and Nero were the Roman Emperor's who ruled during this time. Rome was The Known World-there was no competitor on earth but there was a kingdom of much more power and authority-the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God was ushered in by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the kingdom that radicalized Paul. Imperial Rome represented the Kingdom of the World and was espoused by Caesar-two violently opposing visions.

Here is a theological note: The kingdom of God is here among us through the death and resurrection of Jesus and it is yet to come. This is the filter by which Paul lived and saw life-the term he uses often of this kingdom life is: "In Christ." Paul's' vision of this kingdom life was-and is-the antithesis of the Kingdom of the World that was enforced by Imperial Rome.

Claudius was the emperor while Paul began writing the genuine letters and Christians enjoyed a mutual peace with Rome. But when Nero came along he began persecuting Christians. It is at this point we see the first stages of Paul becoming softer on the radical vision of equality and more in line with Rome's hierarchical norms.

This de-radicalization was happening because the young church wanted to remain viable and not come into disfavor with Rome. The authors provide a contemporary example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer-when he told relatives in Nazi Germany that saluting the Fuhrer was a small sacrifice for the larger battle against the evil of Nazism.

The book goes on to define Paul's language of the Kingdom of God as expressed in many of his famous phrases like:"In Christ" and "Jesus is Lord"-among others which I will discuss in the next post. I will also speak to the controversial issues in the book.

“The First Paul” A Book Review

I have to write this post in 2 parts because it's full of fascinating stuff about Paul-his life-and those who wrote in his name after he was dead.

Joshua and Paul are my favorite bible characters. I was lurking around Borders the other day and saw a book titled The First Paul. So right away I picked it up to read and I couldn't put it down. Nor could I buy it-yet. So I came back every day for a week. Then my 40% off- Borders coupon came in an e-mail and I printed it out-walked in to Borders with pride and bought the book.

The authors are Marcus J Borg and John Dominic Crossan. Borg is a Lutheran and Crossan is a Roman Catholic-a Catholic and a Lutheran. Bar jokes aside, I like this combination because Augustine and Luther were influenced by the life and teachings of Paul.

The authors describe themselves as Mainstream theologians. That's fancy talk which means they study scholarship from mainline denominations. I turned the book over to see the endorsements and became skeptical because author Elaine Pagles who wrote Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas gave an endorsement. Then I read they are both Evangelical-that's good because F.F. Bruce is an Evangelical Theologian and he is The Man when it comes to the study of Paul.

The book is well written and stays away from unintelligible-hermeneutical-professor speak. They get right to the point and describe an evolution of Paul-from a radical who rocks the Roman world with radical ideas to a conformist with a go-along-to-get-along attitude. The radical Paul writes of a life "In Christ" which promotes a radical equality for all-including Slaves and Women.

That's the Paul I know (and Jesus for that matter). But something odd happens to Paul. He sheds the Radical reputation and morphs into a conformist as he instructs slaves to obey their masters and women to remain silent.

What happened to Paul? He becomes de radicalized. The book tracks this de radicalization. But first the authors give some background: There are 27 books in the New Testament 13 of which are attributed to Paul but not all were written by Paul. Second it is important to place his letters in historical context. Third his message, his teaching, his Gospel is grounded in his life changing and sustaining experience of the risen Christ. This is the evangelical part of the book I agree whole heartily-our lives are transformed by the risen Christ.

But a fascinating thing happens-3 Paul's emerge in the 13 books attributed to him: The First Paul is The Radical Paul-the Second Paul is the Conservative Paul and the Third Paul is the Reactionary Paul. Will the real Paul please stand up?

Paul changes his radical tune and he blends in more with Imperial Rome-he still preaches the Risen Christ but with less offense. The First Paul is the genuine apostle. The 2^nd and 3^rd Paul's were most likely followers of his who wrote in his name at a later date- when Nero was persecuting the church.

So let me sum this up so far: Out of the 13 books/letters attributed to Paul-7 was written by him-3 are disputed and 3 are not written by him. The three Pauls' are identified in each category. Looking at the hot political and moral issue of Slavery, we can see this shift of attitudes in each category. I broke it all down below:

7 letters written by Paul: The Genuine Letters

Romans-1&2 Corinthians-1 Thessalonians-Galatians-Philippians-Philemon

This was the Radical Paul who repudiated the hierarchal norms of Imperial Rome

An example is the letter to Philemon: Paul instructs Philemon to free his runaway slave Onesimus and treat him as a brother in the Lord-freely and equally

3 letters are disputed: The Disputed Letters

Ephesians-2 Thessalonians-Colossians

This is the Conservative Paul who conforms to hierarchal norms of Rome- The author writes of mutual requirements between Slave and Master

An example is Eph 5: 6-9 (I abbreviate) "Slaves obey your Earthly Masters (as you obey Christ)-Masters-do not threaten them for you both have the same Master in heaven.

3 letters NOT written by Paul: The Pastoral Letters

1&2 Timothy and Titus

This is the Reactionary Paul who conforms to hierarchal norms of Rome but removes the mutual instructions and writes directly to the Master and not the Slave.

An example is Titus 2:9: "Tell slaves to obey their masters in every respect…"

Next post I'll tell you the reasons of why the change and other cool stuff in the book…

Bob’s Top 20 Guitarists

I made this list of great guitarists for Facebook a while back. But I wanted to post the list again as The
Pirate Way Blog's Official list.

In putting together my top 20 guitarists of all time, I was thinking, everybody probably has their own version of top guitarists, but here are mine...

Eric Clapton
Jeff Beck
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jimmy Page
Jimi Hendrix
B.B. King
Carlos Santana
Robin Trower
Duane Allman
Eric Johnson
Joe Satriani
Eddie Van Halen
Edge
David Gilmore
Tony Iommi
Ritchie Blackmore
Randy Rhoads
Robert Johnson
Martin Barre
Ted Nugent


I left out a lot of the old blues guitarists-they may be in a separate category all themselves. This list consists of the guitarist I grew up with. I know there is quite a bit of good talent currently out there. But I also believe there was a talent drought in the 80's...

Who would you add? Who is your top ten?

10 Ways to Cool It

People are on the edge. They're about ready to explode. It's like a slow burn bubbling below the surface-F Bombs-Rudeness-Hostility-Disrespect-tick-tick-tick-BOOM. I began to feel the heat and decided I needed to cool it before I got burned. So I changed some behaviors in my daily routine. I tried 10 different ways to cool it. I began feeling the difference right away.

Feeling the heat? Well you can cool it too. Try these ten things below for 1 month and feel the slow burn-cool down.

1. Smile at people you see today-not in some creepy way but just be natural.
   
2. Turn off news and politics
   
3. Turn on music-something you can chill to-but stay away from Death-Metal
   
4. Listen to what people say-don't respond right away-just ponder and then speak if necessary
   
5. Don't talk too much about your self
   
6. Read something inspirational
   
7. Laugh at yourself
   
8. Run or walk-just get your body moving
   
9. Quiet the noise
   around you. Find a quiet place with natural sounds like waves crashing on the beach or the wind rustling through the trees. Take in the silence
   
10. Think on the things God has blessed you with-family, friends, happiness, health…
    

Stay Cool.

Superstar-Superflawed

In this post I want to expose the flaws of the Superstar.

But first a question:

What do Brett Favre, Brad Pitt and Bob Abair have in common? (Besides the obvious)

In my last post I stated that being a Superstar
is intoxicating-but this creates an illusion-a fantasy. But it is also an attitude. So being a superstar is not limited to the Football Hero or the Hollywood Actor-it can happen to any of us.

Now do you know the answer to my question- what do Brett Favre, Brad Pitt and Bob Abair have in common?

Answer: We're all capable of having a Superstar attitude-And so are you.

You've heard the terms Diva, Celebrity, Superstar right? Most of us apply these terms to the rich and famous. But they can be attributed to us. That's why we need to be aware of the 4 flaws of the Superstar:

Flaw 1: Believe the Hype:
My Dad once told me that a pat on the back is a few inches from a kick in the pants-thanks Dad. I know what my Dad meant-to keep things in balance. Later in life I began to realize that both praise and constructive criticism are important for two reasons: One-if I live only off the praise then my ego is inflated and if I live only off the criticism my ego is deflated. Two-this balance keeps me grounded and both praise and criticism nurture gratitude-I am grateful for who I am-flaws and all.

Flaw 2: Crave the Approval: It's exhausting to be beholden to another person's approval. You spend a lifetime chasing the wind. I was speaking with my friend Sherry about a person we admire for her sincerity and Sherry made this observation she's down to earth because she has nothing to prove. I thought about how true that statement is-if you're comfortable in your own skin-you can be yourself. You don't have to monitor what you say and how you act.

Flaw 3: Finding Significance in the Wrong Places: All of us search for significance. We want our life to count for something. If we seek significance outside of ourselves like in people or relationships or our career, then we end up with emptiness. Our significance is measured in who we are which points to my worth as a person. Our lives count because we are valued and special. My significance though, is found in something bigger than myself-it has too because I'm flawed.

My faith leads me to this something bigger-and perfect-who is God. I am an flawed person who receives significance from a perfect God as seen in this passage-all of us were created in the image and likeness of God.

This is where I get my value and worth. If there is no God and we evolved from pond bacteria then my significance is no better than e-coli.

Flaw 4: Not Able to Transition to the Next Life Passage: Life is a journey through passages. From birth-to puberty-to AARP membership-we travel. Maturity happens as we transition from one stage to another. Developmental Psychologist Erik Erickson says we travel through eight life stages-each stage having a specific virtue we learn before we move to the next stage. My life journey takes me through the virtues of Hope-Will-Purpose-Competence-Fidelity-Love-Caring and Wisdom.

Being a superstar is cool-for the moment. But when the curtain is pulled away and the flaws are exposed then we come down to earth and live the real life-not the life of an illusion.

Brett Favre Has Gone Wobbly

I'm dizzy. It doesn't make sense. Brett Favre-a future hall of fame QB is known for his grit and self assurance. But words like indecisive, waffling and unsure have described the sports star. On the field he has a swagger-off the field he goes wobbly-what's happening to this legend? He cannot say goodbye to the game he has come to know and love. He is stuck in a revolving retirement door.

It started last year when he retired from the Green Bay Packers-then came out of retirement to play for the New York Jets. At the end of this season he told us "this was it." He's retiring for sure. And we believed him. But guess what? Brett has been in contact with the Minnesota Vikings considering a return to the football field-it's getting weird. What keeps him from moving on?

I can't get into Brett's head and the answer is a combination of factors. I'm guessing it could be fear and a belief he is losing his purpose that nurtures his ambivalence. Fear and Purpose are two powerful forces. But there is another force-something just as powerful and that is the cultural phenomenon of being a Superstar.

Being a Superstar is intoxicating-there is the spotlight and the adoring fans, but this creates an illusion-a fantasy. And like any illusion it can disappear just as fast it was created. The band Bad Company wrote a song about this phenomenon called "Shooting Star" the chorus of the song explains its fickle nature:

Don't you know that you are a shooting star
And all the world will love you just as long
As long as you are

Sport Stars and Celebrities are not the only ones idolized. Because of our cultures tendency to exalt celebrities, anyone who has a public stage can be assigned superstar status.

The politician is idolized by the voter.

The evangelist is idolized the faithful.

The professor is idolized by the student.

The gang banger is idolized by the neighborhood.

Many high profile people never buy into the superstar illusion. They are grateful and humble for the position they have achieved and I believe Brett Favre is in this group. However being on the public stage can make you vulnerable to 4 superstar traps I list below:

• Believe the hype
  
• Crave the Approval
  
• Finding Significance in the Wrong Place
  
• Fear of Failure
  

I will discuss these traps in detail next post…

My Take on Star Trek

I've never been a Sci Fi guy. But I did cut my teeth on Star Trek. So when the movie came out last weekend, I took in a matinee to relive some childhood memories.

Below are random thoughts from my Captains Log: Stardate 2009:

• After buying the ticket I notice a lot of men-50 years and older are here to see the movie too-"Live Long and Prosper"
  
• Note to self: slow down on the popcorn-it's a long movie. I ate half of the bucket before the movie started.
  
• The movie starts with Captain George Kirk, Federation captain saving his crew and wife who is pregnant with pre-natal James T Kirk-the nut didn't fall far from the tree
  
• Kirk the Elder dies fighting the Romulans-Like the Hatfield's and McCoys'-it seems the Romulans have always had a beef with the Federation.
  
• Ok jump forward 12 years-Junior High-Jim Kirk is joy riding in the families sports car with the Beastie Boy's song Sabotage playing in the background-I get pumped
  
• Spock is half human and half Vulcan-the Vulcan's can't "feel"- they're too analytical. But Spock has a choice to feel-what would he choose? Then I wonder what it would be like not to feel. I couldn't feel pain or joy. I wouldn't want to go through life not being able to feel. There is a certain callousness in our culture that has taken away the ability to feel empathy-just an observation.
  
• Kirk represents Passion and Spock represents Reason-together they both make an awesome team.
  
• Reason and Passion are essential for life-they must live in harmony-Reason is the anchor in a sea of Passion-With Reason I see life objectively and I feel life with passion.
  
• I love the polyester long-sleeve-crew neck T's-with the Star Trek Insignia on the pocket-got to get one.
  
• Quantum Physics is as exciting as a door knob but the results are cool- like traveling through space at warp speed and being transported to the USS Enterprise while in flight-shout out to Scotty for that one.
  
• I give the movie one and a half thumbs up. The movie stays true to Gene Roddenberry's humanistic themes of man's ingenuity-desire to explore the final frontier and scientific progress-I wasn't disappointed.
  
• As I was walking out-a man flashed me the Vulcan salute (nothing inappropriate for those below the age of 25:you form a V with your hand) and he said to me "the movie was like the old days". I smiled and returned the salute and said "Live Long and Prosper Pal". Not a bad day at the movies.

A Face To Face Encounter with Facebook

I was using Facebook a lot. It was taking up my down time. I needed to take a break. So I set off for a seven day FB furlough to reset my priorities-it took one day.

I realized I was using Facebook for the wrong reasons. But first I have to say, I love Facebook. It's a special part of my day to log in and enter the cyber neighborhood. But I would enter this virtual community often and to the point where it was meeting a need only a real flesh and blood-community could and this, became the problem. I realized that I was putting unreal expectations on FB and the FBer's in this cyber village.

I have a passive relationship with FB. I am a sightseer sitting down from the comfort of a table at Starbucks. I log in and enter this electronic city. I could poke my friend Ed-race Lisa in her corvette and respond to Mari's post and do it without leaving the table. As a sightseer I'm scanning the scene-maybe make a comment or respond to a post and even send some energy packs to my pirate crew. But I was feeling bad when a post went unanswered or when I ignored an invite to "Watch the Paint Dry" social group.

I'm not physically present with my FB friends but we connect anyways. When Barry made that wisecrack I smiled. When Ron requested prayer-I prayed and when Cory told me I only took 7 furloughs days and not 8-I did the math. They didn't see me do this but we connected. In FB you post or poke or race or just hang out and view the profiles. I don't need to respond every time someone posted-I may but it's not necessary. This is a virtual community. I'm not physically in Sacramento, Las Vegas, London or the Philippines-I'm in So Cal as a cyber sightseer who is enjoying this passive but fun relationship.

This is both the dilemma and the joy of the virtual neighborhood-I respond to someone's post alone and yet we're together through the miracle of the internet. So to all my FB friends (and twitter and MySpace for that matter): I got the post-I felt the poke and yes Lisa you beat me again in the race. But most importantly I am glad you added me as an FB friend.

The CEO Pastor: Problems From the Top Down

I got the May Edition of Christianity Today or CT as I like to tell my wife, who really doesn't care. I'm excited because this is my 4 week trial. If I'm not satisfied, I just write cancel on my subscription and return it. No questions asked. And I get to keep the May issue FREE-I like that.

I recently had some "guy time" with a couple of close friends. We went on about two perpetual problems that churches and pastors deal with ad infinitum-Money and Health. It seems as the need for money goes up the health of pastors go down. So I'm reading the magazine and sure enough these problems pop up.

Check out these the articles: (Church Pink Slips
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/may/2.15.html and Caring for the Caregivers
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/may/3.16.html)

I wasn't surprised to read that clergy are more likely than laity to report excessive job demands, criticism, feelings of loneliness and isolation. I've been there. I've experienced the trouble from the pulpit as a youth pastor and from the pew as a board member. Money problems lead to stress and heartburn for me. Talk about money at any board meeting and watch the temp rise. But money is the filter by which ministry flows-budgets; building programs; pastoral staff; attendance and giving; debt and growth-it all revolves around money.

I was reading these articles and recognized a common way-of-thinking about the Pastor and the Church-an attitude that is built in to the Traditional Church model which goes something like this: The Pastor is CEO and that the Church is a Corporation. (Read the CT articles, they even use these terms). I could never get my head around this idea but it is real. This organizational-top down model works well for the corporation but not the church. The CEO is driven by the values: Performance-Production and-Profit and unfortunately so is today's Pastor-here's how:

Performance: Pastors are evaluated for their ministry performance and their salary is negotiated by a church board.

Production: Pastors are expected to produce effective programs, recruit volunteers, increase attendance, generate contemporary worship services and preach relevant sermons.

Profit: Churches are nonprofit organizations for sure but they need a stream of revenue to hire staff and maintain an annual budget. This means keeping a certain number of people to sustain church operations.

Frank Viola writes in his book Reimagining the Church "the clergy profession is little more than a one-size-fits-all blending of administration, psychology and oratory that's packaged into one position for religious consumption."(pg 161)

As an aside: Frank Viola http://frankviola.wordpress.com/ and Neil Cole http://cole-slaw.blogspot.com/ have written extensively on the subject of the Organic church and Traditional church models.

My friend Sherry was worried that I was judging the church-I assured her we are the church not the structure. God blesses pastors and those who worship in all kinds of structures and the Traditional Church will always be around. It's not going anywhere and there are wonderful churches out there. My point is, the CEO mentality creates impossible hurdles for pastors to jump. The traditional model may still remain but the attitudes and beliefs can change.

A return to a kingdom way-of-thinking is needed. We could reset our thoughts on what the body of Christ is-a gathered people under the headship of Jesus-not a flow chart. I'm all for praying and caring for pastors who are stressed. But let's add to our conversation how the mentality of the CEO Pastor actually nurtures the problems of Money and Health.

Living the Verse 25 Life

A Reflective look at Romans: Chapter 7:21-25

I am a big St. Paul the Apostle fan.

The only time Saint Paul put a pen to paper was to put his John Hancock on it. Paul laid out his prose freestyle-dictating it to Tertius his scribe. I could tell you how this went down: Paul is pacing back and forth like a trial lawyer making his case to the believers, the critics and the cynics. He cross examines the Pharisee, the Heretic and The Philosopher. In his mind he is arguing point/counterpoint with Seneca the Roman philosopher, his contemporary
and rival.
Paul and Seneca were equals in smarts. Paul probably met Seneca on the speaking circuit.

In Paul's letter to the church at Rome-Chapter 7:21-25-what takes place is nothing short of a street brawl. But this wasn't your typical meet you in the parking lot after school fight between a jock and a punk. The altercation takes place in Paul's mind between two parts of himself-God's Law and his Carnal Mind. The carnal mind is in open rebellion towards God-corrupted by sin-it can never bring us to a right relationship with God. We all have the carnal mind in us through Adam and as believers we have the mind of Christ through Jesus. Both are at war with each other. Paul is tormented by this fight. He is compelled towards sin but he wants to love God's law. The fight takes an ugly turn.

Paul comes face to face with the darkest part of his soul-the part that is hidden from others. I know this place all too well. You know it too. I hate this pace. I try to hide it-make believe everything is ok. When someone comes close to this place I defend it-don't go there.

I'm a spectator in Paul's fight right now. But I've been where he is. It reminds me a car accident, I don't want to see the wreckage yet I peek like everyone else and I think "I hope she is ok"-then I think "I'm glad it wasn't me". But it is me. I've been in the wreckage of the verse 24 fight. That's where Paul is now.

The battle escalates…Paul sees hell…the end is near…the fight is over…then he cries out what a wretched man I am who can deliver me from this body of death? This is verse 24.

Is this the end of the road for the Christian? If it is I'm done. I'm no better off than the fatalist who says nothing matters and we all die. If this is it then our faith is dead too.

But there is Good News-it doesn't end at Verse 24…there is a verse 25.

In Verse 24 we cry out in pain "what a wretched man I am who can deliver me from this body of death?"

In Verse 25 we cry out in Joy "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

In verse 24 we die to sin-in verse 25 we live in Christ.

In verse 24 we are humbled-in verse 25 Christ is exalted.

In verse 24 we can never boast look at how good I am-in verse 25 we boast look how awesome Jesus is.

In verse 24 we no longer live - we live in Verse 25.

This is the Verse 25 life

Live it…

I'm An ESFP

I'm an ESFP-nice to meet you. Let me introduce my wife-she's an INTJ and my friend Allan here-is an INFJ. What are you?
Find out now by clicking on this online test by Humanmetrics and get your own 4 letter personality profile:http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
When I say "Myers Briggs" my friends say oh yeah, "I'm an ESTJ or I'm an ISFJ"-whatever. But if I say "Carl Jung" my friends have this odd stare and drool falls from their mouth-it's rather disturbing. But it was Carl's insights on the human psyche that inspired a mother and daughter- Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs-Myers-to develop the Myers Briggs personality test. The 4 letters are your MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator)
Breaking Down The MB (Myers Briggs)
My personality is a combination of traits, characteristics, tendencies and dispositions which make up the real ME. It puts the B.O.B in Bob. Carl Jung said within the personality there are:

• Two Attitudes: Extravert or Introvert and

• Four Functions: Sensing; Intuition; Thinking and Feeling:

• Extravert: Outer-directed, chooses people as a source of energy, often action-oriented.
• Introvert: Inner-directed, chooses solitude to recover energy, often reflective.
• Thinking function: Logical, cool, distant, frank, questioning.
• Feeling function: Creative, warm, intimate, a sense of valuing positively or negatively.
• Sensing function: Sensory, oriented toward the body and senses, detailed, concrete, present.
• Intuitive function. goes with hunches, impractical, sometimes not present.

For a detailed description of the myers briggs test click here: http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/tt/t-articl/mb-simpl.htm
Consider these questions:
Do certain people drive you crazy because of their personality?
Do you like to get involved with social events at work?

Ever wonder why you have a tendency to be shy?
What personality traits in people are you attracted to?
My personality helps me know my preferences for work, relationships and recreation. I know there are other factors involved as to why I act a certain way-like values and life circumstances. But knowing who you are and what makes you tick goes along way into becoming authentic and enjoying your life to the fullest.

Jack Kemp R.I.P.

Jack Kemp passed away last night of cancer. He was 73 years of age. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8031283.stm

In the 80's when I was more ideologically minded and politically involved I was inspired by Jack Kemp. He was a rare conservative voice that spoke with passion and conviction to people of all political persuasions. People may have disagreed with him-but everyone respected him.

He was a"bleeding heart conservative" with a "street fighting conviction". He knew his stuff about economics and true conservative principles. He believed that power should be concentrated at the most local level first-the Individual-the Neighborhood-the County-the State-The Federal Government. This is called Federalism.

Jack Kemp took this idea to the inner cities. Conservatives were wary and Liberals were threatened. Enterprise zones reflect Federalism at it's best. It said to Joe, the owner of an Auto Shop, stay in the neighborhood and we will give you huge tax breaks and work with law enforcement to clean up crime. Enterprise zones gave every incentive for the local business owner to stay and not leave due to oppressive tax burdens. The local neighborhood would keep people employed and not return to a crime ridden blighted inner city. Pretty cool idea where you give the locals control of their destiny-free them up and they will thrive. But when we have politicians on both sides of the aisle more interested in their power -we the people are jacked up.

I no longer am an ideologue and politicians on both sides are more interested in their own power. Jack Kemp was the real deal. We will miss this tough and compassionate man. A rarity among the political power class today...

Jack Kemp R.I.P

You’re A Nice Guy But Not My Type

I got dumped by a girl with a great personality. She was pretty also. I was a junior and she was a sophomore. I wrote about this predicament in my last post. http://thepirateway-bob.blogspot.com/2009/04/yeah-but-she-has-great-personality.html . It started out as a favor for a friend but turned out as a pleasant surprise for me. Whenever a guy told me a girl had a great personality that was code to run and not look back.

I thought things were going well until I got the "we need to talk" phone call. Nothing good ever comes after those words. I rode my skate board to her house and sat on her porch. She sat down next to me-looked me right in the eye and sent me reeling with this break up line: "you're a nice guy but you're not my type". I went numb. I said something that didn't matter while I was picking up my heart up from the sidewalk. I needed to get away-hang out with my buds-do guy stuff.

Four months later I was over her. But on a fateful Friday night after pulling off a great prank I was soon to find out what my type was. Growing up in Catholic schools I learned the fine art of crafting a good prank.

One Friday night after a football game my friends and I pulled off the big one. We detached the statue of Saint Anthony in front of our High School and drove him a few miles to another parish school-Saint Maria Goretti. We placed St. Anthony next to the St Maria Goretti statue and attached a sign that read "A Match Made in Heaven" and drove off.

One thing about Catholics is that we have big families and if someone from another parish church doesn't know you they know your cousins, brothers or sisters-it really is six degrees of separation. So someone who knew someone saw me and my friends trying to be matchmakers with the saints. On Monday morning we were called into the principal's office, Brother Fredrick. The good Brother was not amused with the Match. Com. stunt. We had to go recover St Anthony and put him safely back at the school. Included in this penance were three weekends of picking up trash and a trip to the school counselor to find out what the heck was wrong with us.

So off I went to see this guy dressed in tennis shoes, polyester pants and a turtle neck sweater. He gave me this test with questions such as: "Would you rather read a book or be with friends?" Then the turtle neck guy reviewed my answers and told me my personality type was an ESFP. The counselor was not surprised I was an Extravert. He said this explains my desire to get attention. I said thanks. I found my type. I wish I had this info at the time the cute girl was breaking up with me. I could have told her my type was an ESFP. That may have impressed her and maybe give me another shot. The funny four letter abbreviation came from the Myers Briggs Personality Test. I'll say more about this test in the next blog post. Also there will be a link to take the test yourself…see you next time.

Yeah-But She Has A Great Personality

My friend Roy had a sister who had a friend. Roy's sister Kristina frightened us. One day she told Roy she wanted me to go out with her friend-no questions asked. Roy didn't ask any but I did. I asked Roy if she was cute. Roy couldn't answer. I got queasy. Roy snapped back with the She has a great personality line. I don't know about you but if you get the "nice personality" line, it wasn't hopeful. I decided to meet her because I enjoyed being alive. So I rode my sting ray with the banana seat to Roy's house, walked in the front door and saw this pretty girl and Kristina. My knees went wobbly-my mouth went dry and I think I blurted out something unintelligible that sounded like Hi…The girls laughed and I went to Roy's room. Our little chat went something like this:

Bob: "Where is she?"

Roy: "Who?"

Bob: "The girl with the great personality"

Roy: "She's in the front room with my sister"

Bob: "I thought you said she had a great p-e-r-s-o-n-a-l-i-t-y"

Roy: "She does, why?

Bob: "But she's cute"

Roy: "What's wrong with you?"

Bob: "I don't know"

It was true I didn't know what was wrong with me. I have been on both ends of the "Nice Personality" excuse before. I also was a victim of the "It's not you -it's me" and the"Let's just be friends" line before. So you could see why I was gun shy. But I learned two things that day:

First: Everyone has a personality independent of their looks.

Second: I hit the jackpot-a good looking girl with a great personality.

We dated three weeks then she dumped me. On the dump day she told me "I was nice but not her type". That's a new one, I thought. That actually got me thinking "well what is my type?" I would find out soon enough. In fact I found out my type is a four letter word…The story continues next post.