Lenten Blog

Below is is my post to the whoisgrace.com blog for Lent. I encourage you to check the other posts out at http://whoisgrace.com/index.php?/staff_blogs/category/lent_2009/

Over the last few weeks, I have been noticing more of the advancements my oldest son (Eli) has been making in his life. Not only is his body growing, but his mind is growing and he is accomplishing things that he has been unable to complete before. What has recently stuck out to me is his new ability to write almost any letter you ask him to, especially his name. He has gradually moved from scribbles on the paper to legible and mostly in line letters. If you are a parent, you know the excitement this can give you. You begin to think, "wow, another milestone...another check mark...he is getting so big...I am so proud of his ability to do this with minimal help from me."

Then my mind began to ponder the excitement our Heavenly Father must feel as we move into adulthood in our spiritual maturity. How proud He must feel when we overcome that nagging sin or take on a Christ-like attribute in an area we just have not mastered yet. As we continue on in the season of Lent, let us take stock of the areas in our own lives that we have been able to grow from scribbles to legible letters. Reflect on the joy God must have felt in those moment? Reflect on how you felt making your Father proud. At the same time, we should also review the areas where we keep missing the target. Have you become frustrated in your attempts to overcome a certain obstacle? Have you given up?

Like most parent's, God and His incredible love are standing by to rejoice when you grow and to encourage you through failing and getting back up. Isn't that encouraging?

Galatians 4:2-7
While they are children, they must obey those who are chosen to care for them. But when the children reach the age set by their fathers, they are free.3 It is the same for us. We were once like children, slaves to the useless rules of this world.4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and lived under the law.5 God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law and so we could become his children.
6 Since you are God's children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, "Father."7 So now you are not a slave; you are God's child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child.

Voting with your feet (repost from my other blog)

For those of us in Office Country or Cubicle Land that have an influence on customers, guests, visitors, etc. I have one question for you:
What is your organizations, business or non-profits "dirty dining room"?

In the world of Restaurants, most people vote with their feet when they visit an establishment that lacks care for cleanliness. Sure, some patrons make a comment to an employee or the manager, but most just don't return. Dining room and bathroom cleanliness is most likely on the restaurants core values list, but lower than the value of something like quality food.

In search of quality food, most diners will complain over a bad meal because they perceive they are paying for quality food and not necessarily cleanliness.

Some thoughts:

• So your customers/guests pay for a main service or product. Your customers may be thrilled with that or at least willing to tell you when they are not. What is your company's "dirty dining room" that they may not be informing you about?
• Are your employees holding this "dirty dining room" to their standards, yours, OR the customers?
• Does your organization have a good avenue for customers/guests to voice their opinions about the "quality food" and "dining room cleanliness" or other values your company considers when marketing their product/service and building repeat business?
  

Our Little Premature Boy (Revisited)

PLEASE HELP US REACH OUR MARCH OF DIMES GOAL!!!!

www.marchforbabies.org/lundbergfamily (please go to this link and donate, even if it is only $20)

This weekend as I was perusing my desk, I found this old floppy disk with the title, "Boy Lundberg" on it. It was a disk from Hamot NICU where we were blessed with such great care when we were surprised on December 1st, 2003 with an early visitor. Eli was born 2 1/2 months premature and has spent the rest of his years catching up and exceeding far beyond our imagination. I admit, we had no idea what we were in store for. Apart from an eye muscle detaching and reattaching surgery, we moved to normalcy quickly. I am almost grateful for the situation. I believe strongly that it has made Eli the boy he is today. He is now 5 years old, 46 inches, 42 pounds of the most nurturing and loving person I know. His loving spirit is such an example to me as his father.

Words can not describe the joys of parenting. Kelly and I both know our lives are richer because of our little "Heroes".

"Your life is an Occasion, rise to it"

Yesterday was a great day off. Movie Day - watched 5 movies - didn't leave the house at all. It was amazing.
One of the movies was Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium. It was a great kids movie, enjoyable for me too (just one 2 min cheesy part near the end)

It was a great movie about life and soaking in every minute of it. My favorite line was when Mr Magorium says, "your life is an occasion, rise to it..." So often we tend to look at the busyness in our schedule or some may focus on what is not going well in their life. When you rise to the occasion, you move beyond the low points - you focus on all the little things that bring you joy and you stress out an immeasurable amount less.

You dance with your kids (and your wife) anytime - anywhere, you play in the dirt, you shovel cookie batter in your mouth, you don't leave your pajamas for an entire day, etc. I love my life and those around me; I just hope I soak it in enough.

Looking through the crap

When you look through the crap of politics, sometimes you get this enjoyable stuff.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sometimes we perscute the crap out of a public figure who has a different opinion then we do, yet what is so great about America is that we are a nation of great humans with different views, opinions, and values. Don't let the Keith Olberman and Sean Hannity's of the world cause you to think otherwise.