Romney and Hillary . . .

The Republican candidate for president in 2012 will be either Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich. Why? Because all the other candidates – and sometimes there seems to be two dozen of them – have been wired by the old "Missions Impossible" TV show – they will self-destruct in 30 seconds.

Look at the seeming frontrunners recently – Bachmann, Perry, Cain – they had their few weeks in the sun and then they self-destructed, some due to sheer stupidity and others by sheer stupid actions. Regardless, there is not a chance any of them come close to touching the nomination.

Meanwhile, Romney sits in the background biding his time, watching one after another fall by the wayside. And when one of the leading candidates does attack Romney, it is always concerning policy, not personal issues. Wow! There’s a novel idea! Dare someone actually run on their policy record?

But then there is the issue of Romney being a Mormon. It took almost 180 years of national history before a Catholic was elected president – we may not yet be ready to elect a Mormon. Right or wrong, it is just the way it is. The national populace is much like an ocean liner – it takes a lot of time to turn it around from the course it is most comfortable with.

If Romney can not overcome that, that really leaves Newt. He was once the young Turk who took on a Democratic president from the congressional chair. Now he is the elder statesman. I’m not sure he is electable but after having candidates like Dole and McCain, will sure be fun to listen to. And the debates will be wild.

In all this the Democrats will probably simply sit back and watch. Unless of course, Hillary decides that its time to try and make Bill the first gentleman again. Now that would add some fireworks to the whole presidential campaign.

Currently Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well By Billy Graham see related

The Right Book by the Right Person . . .

Some books were just meant to be written by particular people. What I mean by that is this: choose any subject matter and you probably could think of a person who should write a book about it. The subject matter matches the person.

I don’t know if Steve Jobs wrote any books but I would have liked to read a book about vision written by him. Ted Williams wrote a book years ago about hitting – I can’t imagine why any baseball player would neglect reading it. Certain people were made to write certain books.

Billy Graham has a new book. That is surprising first of all because he is 92 years old. [He’ll be 93 on November 7^th.] Most people aren’t writing books at that age. But the book is one that he should write. It’s called, Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well. [Thomas Nelson, 2011]. If there is anyone in our lifetime who should write a book on "finishing well," it is Billy Graham.

Billy Graham isn’t perfect. Come to think of it, I haven’t met a perfect person yet. And there are plenty of people ready to criticize his methodology. But they can’t criticize his moral integrity, his financial integrity, and his single-minded commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. His message at 93 is the same message he had at 33.

Furthermore, as we experience in our news on a regular basis, life in the public eye brings with it a host of temptations and challenges. Marriages fail, financial accounts are compromised, and behavior behind the scenes betrays the public image. In 60 years of public life, Billy Graham has been able to navigate successfully through all of that.

So, if anyone should write a book on "finishing well," it’s Graham. For my leadership students, this book dovetails what we have emphasized in your studies. For my friends and colleagues, this is a great reminder and encouragement to finish well.

Thank you, Billy Graham, for writing the book. Thank you more for living the life.

What will a million dollars buy you?

What will a lot of money buy you these days? I’m not talking about chump change – I’m talking about millions and millions of dollars! What will it get you? For 22 major league baseball teams this year – nothing! The owners must feel like they are living proof of an Old Testament prophet’s prediction: "You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." Consider this year in baseball.

Of the top nine spending teams in Major League Baseball – only two made it to the playoffs – seven stayed home. The payroll for 25 players on their major league rosters was between $112 million and $161 million. Granted, number 1 (the New York Yankees) and number 2 (the Philadelphia Phillies) made it. But here’s the irony – the Arizona Diamondbacks are 25^th and the Tampa Bay Rays are 29^th (out of 30)! That means 24 teams spent more than they did, but they still got their money’s worth. [for my Wisconsin Brewer fans – Milwaukee was # 17].

Does market size help? Obviously for some. The New York Yankees are in the market category all by themselves. No one else is close to them. Of the large market teams, the Tigers and the Phillies advanced. Above average market teams – only the Cardinals. Of average market teams – the Brewers, the Diamondbacks and the Rangers. Below average market teams – there’s the Tampa Bay Rays. Of the playoff teams, Tampa Bay is last in payroll and last in market size.

Well then, what about television revenue? The Milwaukee Brewers are dead last . . . and they are in the playoffs. [The Yankees are number one . . . again.] But five of the eight playoff teams are in the bottom half when it comes to revenue. [Tampa Bay is 19^th and the Cardinals are 24^th.]

So what does all this mean? Money helps you assemble a team but it may take more than that to win a World Series. [Of course, if the Yankees win this year, my whole argument is somewhat mute. Not completely, but somewhat.]

Maybe it takes teamwork and good coaching and a burning desire to win no matter what. Maybe the same thing that helps Little League teams win also helps the big guys win as well.

Go Tampa Bay! Even though you beat by big-spending, large market, television revenued Red Sox.

Currently Erasing Hell: What God said about eternity, and the things we made up By Francis Chan, Preston Sprinkle see related

Retirement . . .

I’m starting to think about what "retirement" will look like. I put the word in quotes because my "retirement" will not exactly be the normal retirement. I will still work – just not at the pace I currently run.

Thinking about it is prompted by several things. Many of my peers are hitting retirement "age" – whatever that is – and they talk about it frequently. Family members are starting to reach that time as well (although no one seems to have informed my Dad, at 85, that retirement is an option-- He is still serving the Lord full-time).

Thinking about it is also prompted by visits to other parts of the country that would be "nice places" to retire. My Mom and Dad now live in Charlotte, NC. Judy and I really liked the city. I especially liked the one-month winter. Judy especially did not like the big bugs. We also liked Lexington, Kentucky. Very pretty country. I probably could enjoy the mountains of Tennessee, but Judy is not real fond of geography that is either up or down a steep hill. But its fun to dream.

Ultimately, however, the decision will revolve around our children. Where will they and the grandchildren be? In the end relationships are much more important than geography or climate. We have 30 years of friends in Kenosha. Starting over in that department does not appeal to us, although retirement by its very nature will bring some of that.

I find it interesting that I’m even thinking about it. I mean, just yesterday I started as the pastor a IBC . . . I can’t possibly be at the other end, can I? Yes, I can. Just another reminder of the truths of Scripture – life is but a breath. It goes by "faster than a weaver’s shuttle." And a reminder of a poem that I have heard dozens of times:

Currently Renovation of the Church: What Happens When a Seeker Church Discovers Spiritual Formation By Kent Carlson, Mike Lueken see related

Lessons learned in the last 40 years . . .

On Sunday, August 14^th, Judy and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage. Neither one of us believe the number is accurate – we’re quite sure it is a conspiracy by the government to make us feel older. The number "40" is supposed to be for "old" people, not young lovers like us. Nonetheless, it has arrived.

Along the way, we’ve learned some pretty important things about marriage. Let me share a few of them.

1. We will always be opposites and we’ll never change the other one to be like me. Took a long time to learn this. Judy and I are polar opposites. If she likes it, I don’t and vice versa. It’s been that way since the day I declared, "that’s not how my mother did it." I remember early in marriage Judy asking me, "would you help me get organized?" I was ecstatic! As a man driven to organize everything in life, my wife had finally seen the light! So I made charts and folders and lists and explained in detail how all of this would make her life absolute bliss. As I remember, after 24 hours the experiment had died. I also remember on several occasions, especially with the children, Judy politely asking me to "chill." I didn’t even know "chill" was a verb! I still don’t . . .and probably never will. Intensity is the spice of life!

2. Your family of origin has a bigger impact on your life than you think it did when you got married. Judy and I grew up in very different homes. My father is a former Marine who became a Baptist pastor. He grew up in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. I lived in at least six different towns and cities in five different states. Judy is the daughter of a hardworking New England farmer. She lived her whole life in one town. My family had their patterns and habits as did hers. When we first got married I was simply and only in love with her. I did not realize at the time that you marry into a family. I assumed that my family did everything the normal and right way and Judy assumed the same about her family. We were both wrong. It took a lot of work and compromise for both of us to assimilate into each other’s family – a task which has brought incredibly rich rewards for both us.

3. Date nights and vacations for two are an important part of your relationship. Every couple needs some time without kids, family, and friends. Just the two of you. Judy and I have been dating for years – I really can’t remember not dating. Sometimes they are very simple – ice cream and a drive to the lake. Sometimes they are a little fancier. And our favorite part of vacation is the meandering trip back from visiting relatives or friends. We’d always leave four or five days for the return trip so that we didn’t have to drive too far and we could simply enjoy each others company. I highly recommend the practice.

4. Although this might initially seem to contradict the last point, it doesn’t – every couple has differing needs for "space." To put it another way, no couple has the exact same need for "time alone", without the other. As you would anticipate, Judy and I are different, and we’d adapted to those differences. I generally need some time alone, by myself, every week or so. Long rides on the Harley by myself meet that need. Just me, my thoughts, and the Sportster – incredibly refreshing. Judy doesn’t need much alone time. She likes lots of time with me – try to explain that one! At any rate, there is great wisdom in the garage or the workbench or the scrap-booking room or even the kitchen for some. It has nothing to do with love or the lack of love – we’re just wired differently.

A few lessons we’ve learned that have made the trip smoother . . . there’s probably a couple of dozen more . . . Enjoy.