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05/22/2009

@grshortstop’s personal blog and why I like it

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shortfamily

There are a lot of people who think that blogging is a self-absorbed, trendy fad that is going away soon. It might be. But here is why I like the trend: I get to still keep in touch with people that otherwise I would never know anything about.

For example check out this blog. Sarah was a kid in a youth group that I helped to lead back in the early ’90′s. I haven’t seen Sarah in probably at least 7 years. That is until last year. Then I saw Sara all the time. I didn’t see her in person. I saw her on Facebook. Then I saw her on Twitter. Then I saw her blog. As a result I have gotten to reconnect with Sarah and get to know about some of her life even though she lives halfway across the country with her husband and kids.

Here are just a few of the things that I know now:

  • Sarah is a great writer and blogs more consistently than anyone I know who has a personal blog. In fact she has written 575 posts in the last 2 years. That’s a lot of writing and she is good at it.
  • Sarah is a great cook and shares her talent with lots of people through her blog. I haven’t tried her recipes yet, but I have 3-4 that I am going to soon (the chicken piccata looks awesome).
  • Sarah has a great family and cares a ton about her kids and husband.
  • Sarah is real and authentic and writes about stuff that is really cool to read about.
  • Sarah has a deep and inspirational faith – that encourages me to think about my own faith and ask questions. I really appreciate that.

I could go on, but you get the point. Now get out there and find out about someone you care about, or share with people who care about you. It’s the new way the world works – if you want it to.

Keep moving forward,

Greg

p.s. I forgot a bullet that I should have included – she is a great photographer also!

07/05/2008

“nobody cares about you after 25″

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That’s a big statement. Honestly it disturbs me. I have this understanding that I think is how followers of Jesus are to operate and this doesn’t fit. This was a statement that Trent said while we were talking Tuesday night. I got a lot out of our time with Trent. He’s a great example of a guy who is living a great life following Christ. But that statement bothered me.

It’s not that I disagree. I asked him if that is the way it is supposed to be and he just said “that’s the way it is”. I think in practice he is right, Trent’s a realist and I think that is reality.

But it doesn’t mean it has to be that way. To tell the truth, I still want to be cared for and care for others. I want to be loved and to love. I’ve heard a local say for a long time that in the final analysis the thing that matters in life is who we love and who loves us. Now that sounds more like the way of Jesus that I know. It also sounds like what I want.

I recently spent some time with a friend and mentor who was encouraging me in the faith. I was talking about some particular relationship issues that I was dealing with. It’s been a a painful situation and has produced a lot of struggle in me. Very early in the conversation I was struck that the root of the problem was simply that I wasn’t loving the other parties.

Dallas describes love as intending the best for someone. This seems like a simplistic way of viewing love, but as definitions go I think it stands nicely. When I look for the best of the other person I am willfully looking for what is best for them and that is truly what we all want isn’t it?

When I realized the position I was in I was able to change my attitude and realize that the problem was that I was really looking out for my best and not the best of the others in the relationship. It doesn’t make it easy but it does make it clear. Clarity means a lot.

So what does this have to do with the fact that nobody cares about you after 25? For me, it means that I will stand against that reality as is currently is. I still want to be loved and to love deeply. That takes a lot of effort and time and energy. That takes extra-ordinary effort really. But it is more of the way that I want to live than any other way.

When Jesus said “love your enemies” he wasn’t saying that as a punishment or consequence to being a Christian. It isn’t that when you’re a Christian you have to do these difficult things that no one on earth would really want to do. He is saying that loving others is the best way to live. Period.

I want to be a man like that. At 25, 45, 75 or 105. I still want to love and be loved. I’m going to do it.

Greg

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