"The simplistic genius"

You can probably remember as a kid watching Popeye cartoons. I remember his famous "instant muscles potion" was a can of spinach, he had that crazy laugh, he was always telling the boys "ol' war stories", but perhaps a less famous rememberance was the line "I yam what I yam". On one hand there was such a lowly "oh well, I give up" mentality about him, but on the other hand he would do anything to please Olive Oyl. He would beat up, break through, run over, swim under ANYTHING he had to, to help her!

I remember in McAlester once when I was telling a friend (another minister) about some challenges I was facing with parents. Nothing too specific, but dealing with some parents that just seemed to cause some problems for me. He told me that the way he dealt with it was "DWI". He just told the parents they had to Deal With It! Needless to say within a month or two of the conversation he was looking for a new job...he had gotten fired. I learned a good lesson from him that day that humility can be a great thing even though most of the world wants nothing to do with it. Side note: The interesting thing about "those parents" is that the majority "got gettin when the going got tough". The worst of whom doesn't even go to church any more. I'm thankful that all things come to light sooner or later, but that scares me at the same time...if ya know what I mean (that "humility" thing again)!

The reason why I mention popeye is I have been thinking a lot about "Shawn" recently. Who am I? What's important to me? You know life goals and the whole bit. Now I know I just turned 33 and I hardly think I'm going through a midlife crisis, but I feel like I'm at a point in my life when I took a little bit to look around and I haven't liked everything I see. There's a lot of things in my life that I'm proud of and that God has TOTALLY changed me many areas. But I'm learning that most of the things I DON'T LIKE are about ME! I am content with who God has made me to be, all the blessings and privileges He has given me, but I'm not completely content with what I have DONE with what He has given me. For example, I'm trying to move a little more in "search of my rock hard abs buried under a thick layer of winter insulation". I'm trying to read a lot more books. I've always read the Bible, but other books too. I'm scheduling specific time with my children and a weekly date with my wife. I have special time daily to pray and read my Bible. Basicly, I have come to realize that a little more discipline in my life can make all the difference. In the end, I can relate to Popeye in saying "what you see is what you get", but I also want to make a commitment to God that I'm continuing to transform into what He wants me to be. Please keep me in your prayers as I strive to grow above my circumstances, limitations, past sin, failures, weaknesses and whatever other excusses Satan hands me on a silver platter!

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Phil. 3:10-11