Origins of Who Dat…

While celebrating the Saints huge win tonight with a house full of friends, I found myself explaining lots of my hometown New Orleans lore and tradition, like:

- Mardi Gras – A week long party like none other. A celebration with food, beads and parade to signify the approaching leaner times. “Throw me something Mister” are the most used words.

- Bourbon Street - A street where anything goes, and usually does (and anything is nothing good).

- Etouffee – A Cajun dish typically served with shellfish or chicken over rice and is similar to gumbo, and the featured dish tonight!

- Who Dat?

Instead of me trying to explain it, take a look for yourself – vintage 1983 (back when everyone was beatin’ those Saints)…

End of An Era…

My oldest princess, Mackenzie, played her final high school basketball game last night – ever.

Ouch…ever?

I love basketball.  I love the team aspect of the game.  I love the fundamental focus of the girls game.

I love my girls. And the fact that 50% of my 4 girls love basketball too….thank you Jesus.

Mackenzie was 5 years old when the YMCA was desperate for a dad to “coach” her little team and the whistle just happened to fit around my neck. And for 8 of the next 13 seasons I had the blessing of being her coach.  She is a senior this year, and last night she shot her last free throw, swatted her last shot, bounced passed her last assist, and cleared the block for her last rebound.

You played the game with joy Mackenzie.  You played the game as a team member.  You gave maximum effort every time you laced up your high tops. From wherever I sat to watch you – from the bench as your coach, to the top row of the stands with the other dads, you made me proud.

Thank you.

You gave me joy. Your teams were better because you wore their jersey. You made the refs smile…you knocked down your opponent in the true grit of competition, but you always extended a hand to help them up.

So an era has come to an end.  But my prayer for you my princess is that the lessons you have learned from the hardwood have prepared you for the next season in your life.  Mackenzie, thank you for bringing your ol dad so much joy through the sport of basketball.  I love you.  I am proud of you. I believe in you.  The game is not over – in fact, it’s just tipping off.

And I will forever be your biggest fan.

My Mom

It’s her birthday today.  God, I love her…

She is a princess of the King of Kings and worthy of many TRIBUTES.

So I devoted my time with God this morning to searching His word- finding out what He says about moms who chase after His heart like my mom does.  Here is what I found:

Proverbs 1:8-9 ESV Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, (9) for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Proverbs 6:20-22 ESV My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. (21) Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. (22) When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.

Proverbs 10:1 ESV The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Proverbs 15:20 ESV A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

Proverbs 19:26-27 ESV He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. (27) Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Proverbs 20:20 ESV If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

Proverbs 23:22-25 ESV Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (23) Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. (24) The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. (25) Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.

Proverbs 28:24 ESV Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “That is no transgression,” is a companion to a man who destroys.

Proverbs 29:15 ESV The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Proverbs 30:11 ESV There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

Proverbs 30:17 ESV The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

Vultures?  Yea…that’s how much GOD loves moms too.

Happy birthday mom.  Thank you for your Godly example of love.  I love you.

- your little boy….

The Soul of New Orleans

The soul of New Orleans is in a trumpet in a low ceiling bar…

I lost more than my home town in Hurricane Katrina.  I lost one of my heros – my uncle Jim, who died preparing his home just north of the city for the arrival of the hurricane.

Things have never been the same for me or my family.  But one thing remains – a love for a city and a memory of a hero.  Maybe this little clip will explain why:

The soul of New Orleans is in me…

Giving or Taking?

Ogori is a cafe in Japan that poses an interesting challenge, a game if you will, with each of it’s patrons.  You get what the person before you ordered (and paid for), and the next person gets what you ordered.

Would you go?

What would you order?

Cheap or expensive?

Give or take?

Mind Mapping

How do we make sense of all of these touch points?  I have spent months trying to figure out how to coordinate all of these ever increasing social networks and tools!  There must be a way that technology can be harnessed for “good” instead of allowing it to suck us deeper and deeper into it’s warp speed evolutions.

Enter Mind mapping. I know, sounds weird.  I had to get past that too.  But this little tool has helped me make sense of life with life seems to confusing. I use MindNode

Chris Brogan wrote  ”Outposts are  touchpoints where you connect with others in some way.  You might weigh your outpost efforts differently. You might determine where else you spend time (various forums, Flickr, etc) that contribute to your strategy, but without keeping your home base central and your outposts as a secondary part of the value, I think leads to a bit of frustration.”

Just something to think about…

Dangerous

If satan has a pet, I think I know what it is.

Prior to dinner last night, I thought that living dangerously was an adventure left to Indiana Jones and to the dreams of middle-aged men.   That was until  Jeanne told me about a chat she had with her friend Cindy  (perhaps over a nice Pinot or Zin).  They shared a common dream –  to live dangerously for Jesus.

Yes!

But………..

“Should we?….ahhhhh, I dont know….”

Ahhh, the irrationality of human behavior.

Enter satan’s pet.

Seth Godin calls this hesitation – the Lizard. “We say we want one thing, then we do another. We say we want to be successful but we sabotage the job interview.  We say we want to be thin but we eat too much. We say we want to be smart but we skip class or don’t read that book.”

We want to live dangerously for the causes of Christ, but….

“The contradictions never end. When someone shows up and acts without contradiction, we’re amazed. When an athlete just does the sport, or when a writer just writes the words, we can’t help but watch, astonished at the purity of their actions. Why is it so difficult to do what we say we’re going to do?” wrote Seth.

The lizard brain.

“Or as Stephen Pressfield describes it, the resistance. The resistance is the voice in the back of our head telling us to back off, be careful, go slow, compromise. The resistance is writer’s block and putting jitters into every project we attempt.

The resistance grows in strength as we get closer to action, as we get closer to an insight, as we get closer to the truth of what we really want, to the truth that God wants for us.  That’s because the lizard hates change and achievement and risk. The lizard is a physical part of your brain, near the brain stem that is responsible for fear.

Seth wrote “Want to know why so many companies can’t keep up with Apple? It’s because they compromise, have meetings, work to fit in, fear the critics and generally work to appease the lizard. Meetings are just one symptom of an organization run by the lizard brain. Late launches, middle of the road products and the rationalization that goes with them are others.”

Your lizard brain is here to stay, and your job is to figure out how to quiet it and ignore it.

Kingdom work has been stunted by the lizard.  I’m done bowing to him.  I bow only to HIM. Even if that means living dangerously….

Who Dat?

I grew up in the greater New Orleans area.  Admitting out loud that “I’m a Coon-Ass” at age 8 was my first and only parental sanctioned cuss word.

And my first love were the Saints…those lovable losers.

But now, the Saints in the Superbowl?

New Orleans is likely to explode into a chaotic revelry unlike anything the city has ever seen.  Add in the fact that the Cresent City will be in the midst of Mardi Gras during the game and it’s almost scary to think what could go down there on February 7, 2010 with the Saints in Miami.  I know this won’t mean much to those of you not from N’Awlins, so thank you for indulging me. Maybe it will give you a peek into a culture like none other:

8 things that could happen since the Saints made the Super Bowl

1.  Alcohol shortages:  All groceries, convenience stores and drug stores within a 100 mile radius of New Orleans will completely sell out of beer, wine and liquor.  If the Saints win the Super Bowl, you should stock up at least a week in advance otherwise you’ll be stuck with soda and water.

2.  Extreme noise:  The sounds of 1.13 million cheering fans in metro New Orleans will reach more than 500 decibels. Hundreds of thousands of stomping feet will create shock waves and tremors as far away as Houston and Atlanta.

3.  Regional smoke screen and CO2 emissions:  Smoke from barbecue pits, fireworks and bonfires will create a 250-mile long cloud in the sky that will be seen from satellites and on Google Earth.  Tens of thousands of residents will boil seafood in their backyards and CO2 emissions from the burning propane tanks will create a hole in the ozone above New Orleans.

4.  Total gridlock:  The crowds of people trying to get to the French Quarter will back up traffic all the way to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.  If you’re driving in from the east, you’ll likely have to park somewhere on Judge Perez in Chalmette and walk the rest of the way.  The line to get into Pat O’Brien’s will end somewhere in the Marigny and the spillover from Bourbon Street will run all the way to Decatur.

5.  The city will use parking tickets to fund Mayor Nagin’s Super Bowl trip:  The City of New Orleans Parking Enforcement will mark the day on the calendar and send out busloads of meter maids to issue thousands of tickets to those having a good time downtown. After the game, they’ll use the proceeds to send Mayor Nagin on a luxury 13-day cruise down the Nile followed by a jaunt into space with Richard Branson.

6. In response to the massive crowds, the city will put out 3 more port-o-lets for a grand total of 12. This will increase ratio of toilets-to-people to an impressive 1 toilet per 24,000 visitors.  The wait time to pee in the French Quarter will drop from five hours to only 4 3/4.

7.  Who Dat migration:  Thousands of vehicles, mostly Chevy Silverados with fleur de lis stickers in the back windows, will make the trip down I-10 then head south on I-75 and I-95 to Miami .  “Who Dat!” will be heard at dozens of gas stations along the way  which will also subsequently sell out of Bud Light.   Much of the 862 miles of interstate between New Orleans and Miami will be littered with beer cans and chicken bones.

8.  Thousands of televisions will need to be replaced:  Country folk Who Dats on the north shore and in wooded areas surrounding New Orleans will shoot out their televisions in excitement.

Bu-Bye Followup

Facebook firestorm!

Had no idea yesterday’s post would create the stir that it did…more comments and readers to this little blog than ever. It even made it’s way to San Fran where my buddy Andy, author and blogger extraordinaire, had this to say on his always insightful site.

And I had no idea how hard it would be to actually deactivate my FB account this morning! Ugh…

But I did.  Had to.  I know in my heart it is what I am supposed to do.  My personal decision created strong reactions from you – both negative and positive, and that’s a good thing.  I love the dialogue!  Anytime we evaluate and articulate what is important to us, we better understand who we are and what Christ has called us to do.

Please hear my heart on this – I never ever intended to condemn.  Please forgive me if I offended you. I wrote with passion and conviction what the Holy Spirit revealed to me, and me alone.  I will tell you that for every comment, text, email, and phone call I received telling me why FB is great, I had twice as many “you have no idea the issues FB is causing in my relationship.”

So my prayer for you and me this morning is this:

1. Guard your heart. We are in a war.  Slam shut every door that may give the evil one access.

2. Evaluate your time.  Balance is so hard to achieve. You have a specific Kingdom assignment with so precious little time to get it done. Your King and the rest of us are counting on you.

3. Be Obedient. Ask the Holy Spirit, is this what you want me spending my time doing?  If so, GREAT! If not, deactivate.

Bu-Bye Facebook

Facebook. We need to talk.

No, no, no…it’s not you…it’s me.  You did nothing wrong.  You are who you are, and I knew that when we first met.  I tried to break up with you last year, but your pull was too strong…I came running back.

But this time the breakup is certain.  I gotta go.  Please don’t take it personal.  I’m sure you’ll find a replacement for me in a matter of… seconds.  Cause it was never really ME that you wanted, but my time, energy, focus, and attention…all things that are precious to me…too precious to waste on you.

Besides, Facebook is for single people and in my opinion, should be deleted no later than your wedding day.

I didn’t…

The Bible is clear.  In the final book of the Old Testament, Malachi 2 talks about setting up a protective perimeter around the covenant relationship, “And what does he want from marriage?  Children of God, that’s what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you.  So watch yourselves. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t cheat.” (The Message).

I could make an effective argument that Facebook is the worst thing to come along in a long time for married couples or people in relationships. It causes nothing but insecurity and heartache. If you are in a marriage or a serious relationship, why would you need Facebook?

To keep track of old relationships?

To open doors to new ones?

***edit*** of course FB can be used for good, but you must open the door for the good to come in – and bad will always follow an open door.

So today is the end ol’ friend.  You can find me over on Twitter or here on Hooked… where the boundaries are (for now) more secure.

Not judging…just speaking the truth in love as I see it.

Farmer List

When I grow up I want to be a farmer!

Thats what I used to think, sexy, I know. Thank you Chris Brogan for your Farmer post and Fred for your metaphor – both inspired me…

I have just awakened to the truth that I am a farmer.  Took a walk outside to survey my garden, and after years of neglect things were a mess.  And I was reaping the intensifying consequences of my passivity.

Garden = all that I am responsible for and to.

Chris wrote “Farmers are fairly no-nonsense types. They wake up, get breakfast, and do their chores. They live by the season, worry about the yield, and think in reasonably conservative terms about what’s going to work for them.

Your Farmer List

By “farmer list,” let’s call this the chores you’ve gotta do every day. They’ll be different for everyone, but let’s lay out some starters to get you thinking. Then, the real opportunity will be for you to lay out your own farmer list, inspired by what this one makes you think.”

Here is my Farmer’s List:

Daily Chores

• Spend intentional time in the Word of God.  It is alive.
• Pray – 20% talking to God, 80% listening.
• Get my blog post up. Make it spiritually helpful, worthy of comments, and unique.
• Comment back to people who’ve commented on my blog/tweets.
• Intentionally map out today’s touch points in the lives of those closest to me. I know how they receive and need to be loved.  It’s up to me to sow…daily!
• Send 2 encouraging texts to those God gives me for today.
• Connect with five people not in my vertical.
• Reconnect with people who matter. Drop an email or call. Don’t ask for anything.
• Look at the map of where I think things are going for my business. Anything change?
• Think about what seeds I might plant for future projects.
• Share at the farmer’s market my best yields.

It’s work.  Hard work. But not optional…

What goes on YOUR farmer’s list?

Leveraging Tech for the Kingdom

In less than an hour I am hosting a Board Meeting that has all indications of yuck….big time yuck.  My spirit  is heavy.

Pray right?  Right.  Ask others to pray too? Right.

Enter Facebook/Twitter where my closest friends are but Tweet away.  Isn’t it about time that we leverage technology to advance the Kingdom?  So I put out a plea for prayer, and within minutes I was blessed.

Here are a few:

• Yes I’ll pray. Remember if it’s hurtful, it gives you yet another idea to what Jesus felt like. If I need to pray down lightning lemme know.
• Praying Roy. May you find favor and grace before God and man. God bless you.
• Of course; any time, night or day, my friend…
• Prayed for you right now…
• Praying with you – believing God to go before you!
• Raising a sword for you bro!
• Interceding for you.
• Listen to Phil Wickham’s “Safe” before your Board Meeting today. Praying for you as I listen to this song. Be blessed.

My spirit has been lifted.  Thank you Lord for the tools you have given us to do your work.  May we take what satan may intend for evil to advance your Kingdom.

The Undoing of a Lifelong Passion…

It started with this:

If your happiness depends on what an 18 or 27 year old does with a pigskin, you might need to get a life…

And then this:

“11 minutes, according to a study from the Wall Street Journal. of actual live game action in a typical NFL game, which usually takes up 2 hours, 54 minutes of real time. Most of the time – 75 minutes – is spent with players standing around, returning to the huddle or substituting.  During the broadcast, an hour is made up of commercials, and replays take up to 17 minutes, or about 6 minutes more than game action.” – Jones, St. Pete. Times

And ended with this:

My dad told me about a quote he has on his desk – “Whatever I choose to do today better be good, because I am trading a day of my life for it.”

OK God, I’m getting it.  But can I keep my NFL lunchbox?

The Gift of Your Need

I am not accustomed to being needy.

I don’t like it…makes me feel weird…uncomfortable.

So much so that I would rather ignore my own internal warnings than admit my need – a recipe for personal disaster, trust me.

My need is someone else’s blessing of love, purpose, and obedience.

Love God, love others…right?

Love others, especially when they need love the most…in their greatest time of need.

By me withholding my need, others can not love me.  Shame on me.

Struggling to admit your need?  Check your pride – it was my biggest obstacle.

I am still working through my season of need.  God has me here for a reason, probably lots of reasons. I sometimes feel like The Coach has pulled me from the game and has me sitting on the bench next to Him, and I gotta be ok with that.  Sure, I wonder if He will ever put me back in the game.  I get antsy sitting.  But our seasons of need are just that, seasons.

But then last night I got a text – “I sure could use a friend right now, would you come find me?”

He had a need.  He was hurting. I went. I found him. We hung out for hours.

Am I back in the game? Nooo.  This morning I sense The Coach calling me back to the bench, to the seat right next to Him.  But I treasured that brief “playing time” last night.

And my friend has no idea what a gift his need was to me.

All Other Ground…

Deserts have a way of reclaiming whatever is built upon them.

In the case of Dubai, the global financial implosion has sent that process into overdrive. After six years of frenzied expansion, during which the emirate’s population grew at 7% annually and nearly $600 billion went into construction (the world’s tallest building! the world’s largest shopping mall! the biggest man-made island! an indoor ski resort!), reality has come rushing into view.

Abandoned Mercedes are a common sight in local parking lots.

Dubai is sinking into the sandy foundation on which it was constructed.  It’s the way it goes in God’s economy.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

Where are you building?

Top 23 Rules on Being A Gentleman

Being a daddy to 4 amazing young ladies, passing down the art of being a gentleman will just have to wait till some young man comes “a callin’” for one of my girls.  And then if they know whats good for them, they may just…WILL listen.

The art of being Gentleman is an indeed a learned behavior.

And I will forever remain in the classroom.

My mom and dad were very intentional with me.  From numerous etiquette classes to multiple opportunities to practice gentlemanly behaviors, I knew early on that a real man was a gentle man. They regularly called me a gentleman, so I’ve always had something to live up to.  It’s amazing how our words of expectation can set the course for a lifetime.

Here are a few collective suggestions from those that have perfected this art beyond me, plus a few of my own.  Of course, the obvious rules to be a gentleman are assumed and not mentioned (opening doors, allowing others to go before you, etc).

The list is far from complete, but every list should include the following:

• Find a good tailor.
• Your shoes are a reflection of you.  You need more than one pair!
• Wear a belt. It’s called underwear for a reason.
• Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com should be your best friends.
• Try not to go straight to the sports section of the newspaper.
• Watch the news, preferably more than one channel. Suggestions: FOX News.
• Don’t just talk the talk.
• Look people in the eyes when you greet them and shake their hand, firmly.
• Take criticism with an open mind. You can improve from listening to superiors and by changing your actions to serve them. Don’t mess with the pack order—it’s there for a reason.—A. Matthews
• Be on time to meetings—early if you can.  Five minutes early is five minutes late.
• In meetings, don’t hold conversations at the same time someone else is speaking. Let the person finish his point before giving yours.
• In meetings, earn the right to speak up.
• Don’t talk down to coworkers, including subordinates. You may be above them in rank, but as a human being, you’re on a level playing field.
• Don’t be afraid to share the spotlight in your workplace. Rather than being self-centered, work together with somebody of equal ambition. You don’t always have to be in the front seat—the backseat is cool.
• At a restaurant, let women order food first, and stand up when a woman leaves the table.
• Avoid the use of expletives, especially in the presence of a woman you’re trying to impress.
• Always put your napkin in your lap at dinner. Stuffing it in your shirt is grounds for getting slapped.
• Caveman behavior at the dinner table isn’t good. Use utensils, avoid chewing with your mouth open, and don’t leave a messy plate.
• When eating out, always tip more than 20 percent. Waiters live off of customers’ kindness. And you don’t want to make other people at your table reach into their pocket to cover your cheapness.
• Treat older women as if they were your own mother.—C. Mathis
• Always have a woman walk on the inside of the sidewalk and on the side of parked cars in a parking lot, basically using your body as a barrier from harm.
• Brush your teeth, gargle or have a breath mint before getting up close and personal.
• Invest in a hair trimmer.  Eyebrows, ears, nose – trim down Sasquatch

Us fellas have so much to learn, but you princesses deserve our best effort.  Lord help us…..

Truth in Love – part 2

Players:

Fred – my counselor

Larry – Fred’s mentor

Me – Playing myself

Fred: “Let me tell you a story…”

I love stories!  In fact, stories (or parables) can communicate truth sometimes more effectively than the truth itself.

I asked my counselor “Will you teach me what it means to speak the truth in love?”

Fred agreed to do so using a simple yet painful conversation he had with his mentor Larry.

Larry asked Fred – “You know I love you.  You know that I care for you.  I treasure our friendship.  Do you know that?  Do you believe that?

“I do, of course I do” Fred answered in anticipation.

Larry then asked Fred – “Do I have permission to speak into your life right now and say some hard things?  Some things that you may find difficult to hear?”

Fred told me that he sheepishly nodded in approval and gripped the arm rest of the couch.

What Fred heard from his trusted friend was extremely difficult to hear.  He said it was as if his friend pierced his heart with a sword, twisted it, and yanked it out with a mighty force.

Ouch….

Fred then asked me – “Roy, do you see it?  Do you get what it means to speak the truth in love?”

The story has complex layers.  Here are a few:

• - the friend had earned the right to speak truth
• - he reaffirmed his love for Fred
• - Larry asked permission
• - Larry did not sugar coat the truth
• - Fred received the difficult yet truthful insight from his friend.

Lord, may we speak the truth in love today in such a way that brings honor to you and your children.

Truth in Love – part 1 of 2

Speaking the truth in love – an art mastered by few and massacred by many.  Lord, help me learn…

“Roy, what does it mean to speak the truth in love?”  Filtering his question, I remained silent hoping it to be rhetorical.  He didn’t budge.  In an increasingly awkward silence he continued his piercing stare towards me.  I looked away and then back at him again.  He expected an answer. I looked away again – hoping to buy more time.  I had nothing on my own… so I kicked into a mad search through my Sunday school memory bank of answers. More silence.

Knowing he had just tapped into a deep weakness of mine, and after an eternity of a holy hush, he mercifully broke the silence.

After 6 months of counseling he readied a diagnosis – “Roy, you are a people pleaser, and people pleasers find it nearly impossible to speak the truth in love.”  People pleasers are actually closet control freaks.  We are more concerned in keeping everyone happy by controlling an environment than we are the truth.

“Can you teach me how to speak the truth in love?”.  He answered, yes.  It’s actually very simple.

(Late for work, will finish this tomorrow)

10 Rules for Being Human

1. You will receive a body – and you don’t get to choose the model

2. You will learn lessons

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons

4. A lesson is repeated until learned – and sometimes repeated and repeated and repeated

5. Learning lessons does not end

6. There IS no better place than HERE

7. Others are merely mirrors of you – what bothers you most about others is a reflection of what really bothers you about YOU

8. What you make of your life is up to you – we are a sum of our decisions

9. The answers to life’s questions are found in the word of God and the Holy Spirit living within – QUIT asking Oprah and ask the source of life that lives within all those who profess Jesus Christ!

10. You will forget all of this – ahhh life……

- Adapted from Cherie Scott

Pressing Reset

If you are like me, most of the conflict in our life comes from unmet expectations.

Confession – I have high expectations of those around me. Oh, they are subtle. In fact, only when they are unmet do I realize how high my expectations are! It may be time for me to press reset.

Question: Do you expect more from others than is realistic under your life’s circumstances? If you find yourself getting upset because someone does not live up to a certain expectation of yours, then maybe it’s time to back off and reset that expectation.

Dr. Jim A. Talley says, “You expected somebody to do something. That person didn’t do it, and you get mad. What makes you even madder is that person doesn’t seem to give a rip that he or she didn’t do it. Now you’re really hurt, and you begin to boil on the inside. You shift at that point to real bitterness. You have to go back and reset your expectations to what you can control and deal with. You can’t force other people into your expectations. Reset your standards to a place where you can function, and examine your motivation for having that expectation in the first place.”

“People may think they are doing what is right, but the LORD examines the heart” (Proverbs 21:2 NLT).

Heavenly Father, sometimes I expect too much and for the wrong reasons. Show me how to reset those expectations to a healthy and productive level. Amen.