In need of a little editing

I remember the first time I wrote an article to be considered for professional publication. Before submitting it I had a respected teacher read it over. After reading it through a couple of times he commented, "The content is very good, but I can tell you are a little emotional about the subject matter. Put the article in a desk drawer and don't look at it for two weeks." I took his advice and sure enough two weeks later I felt differently about the content. I repeated this process two more times and when I finally submitted the article it was accepted and published in October, 1984.

Wouldn't it be great if we could go back and rewrite some of our own history. There are more than a few things I would have edited out of my past - moments of shame, times I disappointed those I love, mistakes I made as a parent. People who say, "I wouldn't change a thing because it made me the person I am today," are little selfish in my estimation - they forget that their actions impacted more lives than just their own.

I had some time this weekend for reflection and realized that I am still a work in progress. There are a lot of areas of my life that need some editing. So just to quell your thirst and curiosity, here are a few things I would have done differently.

• I would spend more time in personal communication with God. More time in meaningful prayer and more time in pursuing His will for my life.
• I would listen more and talk less. Most people aren't looking for solutions they are looking for a sympathetic ear to listen. I still have a lot of work to do in this area.
• I would have focused more on the compassion side of ministry and devoted more time to helping those who others overlooked. We spend too much time in church ministering to the healthy and neglecting the sick.
• I would have provided my children a better example of how to live. I tried to teach them the right lessons about love, respect, relationships and the important things in life, but I didn't always model those lessons in the most effective way.

The nice thing about being a writer is the ability to go back and change what you have written, delete the things that don't work and allow others input into the process (that will be another blog). The great thing about life is it's not too late to change.

I Thirst

I can only imagine the anguish and struggle Jesus faced as he hung on that Roman cross in Golgotha. Spat upon, betrayed and beaten he struggled as each breath grew weaker. At one point he cried out, "I Thirst," an expression of fleshly agony, but it also serves as a metaphor for the longing and desire we have for life's simplest and most essential element - water.

When Jesus sat with the woman at the well (John 4:4-26) we learn a great deal about role and importance of water. A community well was a social center where people would come, gather their essential water for cooking and cleaning, but they would also share their knowledge of community news and world events. As travelers passed through they would communicate the happenings of a world most would never see.

When Jesus sat with the woman at the well he told her about the "living water," and she was eager to know more about the commondity that would forever quench her thirst and provide for her needs. Jesus used water, essential to the body, to the life of individuals and communities as a metaphor for eternal life. While we take water for granted, most of the world understands the precious nature of pure, potable, sanitary water. Consider a few of these facts:

• Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation causes 80% of all disease and kills more people than all forms of violence, including war, combined.
• 90% of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week are to children under the age of 5 and are a direct result of preventable disease.
• Today over 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe, clean drinking water (1 out of 8 people).
• IN Africa, 40 billion hours are spent every year walking for water (most of this work is done by women and children). Even though most of those water sources are not safe for drinking. During their walk they are at greater risk of harrassment, sexual assault, theft and violence.
• The overall economic loss in Africa because of a lack of safe water is $28 billion, about 5% of GNP.

Those are just a few of the troubling statistics concerning the lack of safe water around the globe. Imagine for just a minute the impact that a well planned water ministry can have on the world population.

• Again the well becomes the social center of a community. A place where life giving water can be delivered for both the body and soul.
• The well becomes a place for sanitary and spiritual education. Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within  him" (John 7:38).
• The walk for water is reduced from hours to minutes.
• The availbility of water and the time saved in water delivery allows for agricultural development, irrigation, sanitation and economic growth of the village. (The average daily income where water is NOT present is less than $2.50 per day).
• Children spend more time in school and education and the community advances as the next generation become teachers, hygiene workers and business owners.

"Living Water," our Lord wasn't kidding. Everyday I go and get cold, filtered glass of water from my refridgerator door and never stop to think about the 4 children who die every minute because of a lack of potable water. We can change the world, save the lives of millions, but most importantly we can provide a center in villages around the world where we can tell others about the "living water" that comes only through Christ.

I Win

"I didn't lose, I just ran out of time at the end of the game."

I laughed the first time I saw this quote on the back of a T-shirt. I figured they are either in denial, or they had a real grasp of what life is always about. Never giving up on your dreams. The teams that lose a championship one year and come back to win it the next - those are the organizations I really have respect for.

I believe there are two keys to living an untethered life.

1. Never give up on your dreams. It is never too late to do great things. At 62 Tolkien published the first of his Lord of the Rings stories. At 71 Katsusuke Yanagisawa became the oldest man to climb Mt. Everest. At 89 Albert Schweitzer ran a hospital in Africa. At 95 Nola Ochs became the oldest person ever to earn a college degree.
2. Embrace the journey. If I am going to be 95 when I get my diploma, or 71 when I reach the top of Everest, I am going to enjoy the journey along the way. I would love to see all my dreams and aspirations come to fruition tomorrow, but it's just not going to happen. I have a series of successes and failures ahead of me, so I will revel in the victories and learn from my defeats, but I will continue to cherish this path God has set me on till I finish the course.

So win or lose, victory or defeat - I win at life. I embrace the journey, cherish the moments along the way and at the end of the day, maybe I will be remembered for something exceptional, but if not, rest assured that it was a great ride.

Foundations of Freedom

As the celebration of our independence draws near I think it is important for us to remember why our founding fathers threw caution to the wind, "pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor," to this cause we call Liberty.

The American Revolution centered around one key principle, "throwing off the yoke of an oppressive government." The growth and prosperity of this new Republic was being threatened by a strong central government that imposed oppressive taxes and sought to control the freedoms and liberties of the people. We often forget that the threat these new colonies faced was from their own government (the primary reason we have the 2nd amendment - to protect us from our own government, not invading armies).

Today we are faced with the same threats. A strong central government that is taxing the life out of the citizenry, laying the burden of their own excesses on the backs of our children, while failing miserable with the most important mandate given to federal powers - protecting the citizens they serve. Terrorists and illegals flood across our borders, almost every month we hear of a new attempt by terrorists on our own soil and many of our leaders talk about the "rights" of our enemies.

Most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence did sacrifice their lives, their fortunes, but never their sacred honor. They fought and died for freedom. The spent their fortunes in defense of liberty. They honored their commitments to the greater good and the chorus of freedom and liberty spread across the globe.

As the sun was rising over Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 the first shots of the revolution were fired. "The shots heard round the world." Our founding fathers were willing to fight and die for freedom from an oppressive government, they made personal sacrifices for the cause of liberty, they were committted to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

As our national day of independence rapidly approachs, the question is what will we sacrifice to fend off an oppressive government? What actions will we take to insure that the financial burdens of our nation are not thrust on the backs of our children? Who will join me in pledging their lives, fortunes and sacred honor in defense of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Open Source Living

I just finished the book, "What Would Google Do?," and I found it a very compelling read. Much of what Google has done is to build an open source community where others can build, or profit from their platform (of course Google profits most from this philosophy). The fundemental premise is to open your platform to others who will improve, revise and contribute to the greater good in the community (i.e. OpenOffice & Wikipedia). Yes, Google also has closed networks, and proprietary features, but the general concept has helped others and in so doing enriched Google.

What if we practiced "open source living."  Everyday I am trying to be the best I can be, but unfortunately I do that from a skewed, biased perspective. If you ask me, I am a pretty good guy, talented, intelligent and if you are over 50, I am not to hard on the eyes (and yes there is a little ego there). What if I allowed others to contribute to my pursuit of perfection - yes there are risks, but let me share three thoughts with you about "Open Source Living."

1. We already allow others to impact our "programming." We read self-help books, hire trainers, dietitians, even medical professionals to advise us how to have a better life. Some of us consult with counselors, preachers or friends in areas we need improvement. Still, we can be very protective in this area, even when we seek advice and improvement.
2. Your life has certain open source elements already. There are people who talk to us and about us with or without permission. They comment on our shoes and on our work-ethic. They make judgments about our moral conduct and our parenting skills. People are trying to write chapters into our lives whether we want them too or not.
3. So what if we take a Wikipedia approach to life. Here is Trent version 1.0. Make your edits, your changes, and your contributions. Once you are finished, I will go back and edit the results in an effort to retain accuracy (and my overly active ego). Folks are going to talk about me anyway, how about I give them permission to do it to my face.

So here is your chance friends and enemies, brothers and sisters, acquantances and strangers. Today is an experiment in open source living. This is your chance to add your praise or criticisms, your suggestions and concerns. Trent version 1.02 will be released after the weekend.

Trent Wheeler

LIghten Up

I have done some pretty ignorant things in my life. From high school antics that nearly landed me in jail, to thrill-seeking adventures in developing countries that could have gotten me killed. With the exception of those times my actions and behaviors really hurt other people, I've had a great life.

I have accidentally walked into women's rest rooms and laughed at myself later. I have stood in the midst of crowded theme parks and done the YMCA song just to embarrass my children. Last year I decided to do a little Lynyrd Skynyrd karaoke on the cruise ship, only to be mocked by someone who sings even worse than I do.

Isn't it time we all lightened up a little bit and learn to live. Jane Austen wrote in one of her books, "What do we live for but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn." With that in mind I only have two suggestions in today's blog:

1. Learn to laugh at yourself. Don't be shy, don't be ashamed, don't be afraid. If you are living life with the volume turned all the way up, people will stare, they will make comments, they may even try to impune your character - so what. Don't rob yourself of the joy of the moment and don't let others rob you of it either.
2. Cut others some slack. If you haven't read "The Sisters of Angelica" post I added a couple of weeks ago, go back and read it. These women were loud, obnoxious and absolutely hilarious. I almost missed the chance to join in the revelry by judging them. Most people are just trying to squeeze a little joy out of the day. Who are we to rob them of that moment.

So, lighten up. Go out tonight and dance under the stars. Walk up and talk to a stranger in the supermarket (tell them you like their shoes and see what happens). Pick up the phone and swap a childhood memory with an old friend.

Stops along the road

In August of 2008 I was made an honorary chief in the village of Ukpom-Abak, in the Akwai-bom State of Nigeria. It was an interesting experience with all the pomp and circumstance that accompanied such a ceremony. That region of the country is made up predominantly of the Ebo tribe (and tribal affiliation is very important).

Later that week I was scheduled to speak and choose a set of cloths given to me by some of my Yorba friends. I tried to make a joke about being Yorba, with my blond hair and blue eyes, but it didn't translate well.

Regardless of where I travel, or what honors I recieved those moments contribute to who I am as a person, but they don't define me. For a very brief period of time I was alloted the honor of being an Ebo chief. In Abeokuta I was shown great courtesy by the Yorba community. No matter how hard I try, or how accepted I may be, I will never be a native Nigerian of any shape or form.

How often do we forget that lesson? Our interactions on the road of life are just that - stops in a very long and wonderful journey. Some of those stops will feel like we are in the armpit of the world, others will lift our spirits into realms we rarely visit. The risk and danger is when those moments, those small dots on a map, or interactions with others begin to define us in significant ways. My head gets full of the praise and adulation of the masses after a moving speech or presentation, or I begin to question my self-worth when someone criticizes me for something they don't like.

Embrace the journey through life. Don't think to highly of yourself when things are good, and don't get too discouarged when things are bad. God paints light and darkness into the pallets of our lives. It adds contrast, color and definition to the people we are becoming.

Sunshine

This year I have reconnected with a lot of old friends from the past. Re-establishing those old friendships has been a mixed blessing. While it is fun to recall all the high school antics, and remember the "good ole days," there has also been the reality that life is very uncertain.

At least three of my friends are having serious bouts with cancer, two are battling Lupus, and suddenly I am reminded that tomorrow is tenuous at best. I think this is one reason Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow...  Can worry make you live longer?   Can worry make you any taller? Don't worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself. (Luke 12:25-34).

I think that all my travels to places far and wide have ruined me for any kind of "normal" life. Every year I long for a simpler existence. I have friends in Africa and Central America who are content with a small plot of land, their daily bread on the table and the simple necessities of life.

Today I road through the backroads around Nashville, soaked in the sunshine and thought about the simplicity of life when we cast off all the cares, worries and STUFF that consumes us. This week a friend reminded me of the simple pleasure of just laying out in the sunshine and how lucky we are to be able to stop and smell the roses.