mike.couchman's blog

Once a month or so, I'll sneak out and grab Five Guys. It's one of my too many fast food indulgences. And I KNOW better, but "the flesh is weak" sometimes.

So last week, I'm jumping back into my ride after swinging by Five Guys. And I heard some news report about making healthy eating choices.

For a moment, I felt guilty about my lunch. Then my head cooked up images of people in my life who take GREAT care of themselves. They eat right. They work out. Frequently. They make it known. Frequently. All I know about these people centers on their appearance, because that's all they seem to focus on. It comes off as one-dimensional and uninteresting to me.

It's no secret that I'm a Star Trek geek. Not in the "Trekkie" sense where I get costumed up and chase conventions (at least not yet...sounds fun though!). One of the things that's most fascinated me in many of the Trek movies and shows is the idea that space and time aren't as concrete as we think they are.

Without meaning to, that concept acknowledges our limitless God. He is never bound by the clock, never hindered by square footage, never kept at bay by the size of a checking account.

Lately I've experienced a few things that line up with a prayer I stopped praying years ago. I never stopped wanting what I had prayed for, nor did I give up on these things. I simpy got swept up in life and had to focus on other concerns.

Imagine walking into your church, and instead of seeing the Crucifixion Cross prominently displayed, your eyes are drawn to an electric chair near the altar. Picture the cover of your Bible, with The Cross replaced by "the chair."

The more you glance around, the more you notice the eponymous symbol for modern execution on display from every angle. All the crosses in your church have been replaced by electric chairs.

We are used to seeing the cross Christ hung on as a symbol of hope, salvation, forgiveness, and peace. We take comfort in what the Cross has come to represent.

In fact, I rarely associate the image of The Cross with the brutality of what took place on it, or leading up to the time Jesus spent on it.

Unless you're in one of those rare places where Daylight Saving Time isn't a thing, I figured you might want some help setting your clocks to the EXACT right time.

These links should come in handy, hopefully!

The official time U.S. Naval Observatory Master Clock (don't forget to adjust from UTC to your time zone): http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/what.html

The U.S. Time Zone map: http://www.time.gov/

Sometimes God gives us what we want to show us it wasn't what we really wanted at all.

Sometimes He keeps our wants from us because He knows they're exactly what we don't need.

OK so maybe "break" wasn't the right word. Maybe it was just a cheap ploy to get your attention.

If I have it, check this out:

Thanks for signing the petition and spreading this around!

http://savesaeed.org/

I'm quite forgetful lately, for no good reason. Maybe it's just part of getting old? HOPE NOT! The other day on my show, we kicked around ideas on improving memory.

For anyone you know who'd like to be a little less forgetful, here are some highlights:

1. Write things down. Even if you forget to take the thing you wrote on with you, the mere act of writing can burn stuff into your brain.

2. Use technology: set up alarms, alerts, etc. on your computer and/or smart phone.

3. Exercise your brain! One person told me she plays Brain Age to keep her mind sharp. I personally attempt the same thing via Words With Friends, Scramble With Friends, and Hanging With Friends (what can I say...I like word games!).

My wife has been SO diligent this (and every) Christmas, trying to make sure each of our three boys (ages 7, 5, and 2) feel equally loved this year. In other words: making sure there is parity under the tree.

Ensuring this equality often involves money. But not always. We're trying hard to teach our kids their gifts are a celebration of God's ultimate gift. After all...you know how it is...even the BEST, most expensive gift you find at the store will in all likelihood be something most children get bored with before Christmas week is done.

That's why I found these gift ideas (penned by Joshua Becker) much more intriguing, and possibly long lasting:

Anger. Heart broken. Despair. Empathy for all impacted. More Anger. In fact, of all the emotions I've been dealing with today as we learn about the tragic school shooting in Connecticut, anger has been my strongest and most frequently recurring feeling.

Probably like you, I am still sorting through a lot of emotions and questions. Including the one some Christians may be afraid to ask: WHY, GOD???????????

Short of having that answer, I did find a couple thoughts from some of my Facebook friends comforting: