Cooperland

I’m excited for tonight for it is the start of the regular football season for public schools.  At 7:30pm, both the Timberland Wolves and the Berkeley Stags will be playing at their home fields.  Sadly, I cannot be at both games.  By-the-way, I’m still working on solving this problem so I can be at two places at once.

Bridgett and I will be at the Berkeley game.  Our niece, Kameron, as well as many other students attend Berkeley High, and we’ll be supporting her boyfriend.  GO STAGS!!!

This Saturday, Restoration Ministries is hosting the Kingdom Come tour featuring Ascend the Hill and The Ember Days.

These bands are up-and-coming, but from what I hear they are great.  Come out and enjoy a great and free show.

I had to laugh at this one.  Because a handful of people have tried to find my house via GPS, but failed.  Not long after I give them my address I get a phone call, “Can I get directions?”

Haha!

I love technology and all, but it’s still not perfect.

This is interesting.

I read this Saturday night.  3 John 1:13-14, “I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink. For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face.”

I think Paul understood a distinct leadership quality.  The willingness and desire to spend time with those he was leading.

Technology has become ingrained into our personal and professional lives.  Blogs, e-mail, social networks, cell phones, etc. all designed to assist us in staying connected has only provided us an avenue to disconnect from real human interaction.  As a leader, these are great tools in communicating vision, upcoming events, or whatever needs to be broadcast.  And sometimes, a lack of time hinders our ability to spend time with others so using Facebook to “chat” becomes a great way to counter this deficiency in time.  But just because it is convenient doesn’t make it better.

Note: Please keep in mind that I’m not advocating the demise of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (well, maybe MySpace), cell phones, etc., but these are my thoughts on why it’s nice to disconnect from them from time-to-time.

3 Reasons Why Face To Face Is Better Than Facebook

1) We were built for human interaction.

Genesis 2:18, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.‘”  When God created Adam he immediately understood the importance of him having another person to interact with.  And not just interact, but to work together.

2) You can’t get everything from an instant message.

How many times have you posted to someone’s wall, commented on a status, or “chatted” with a friend to find that something you sent was taken the wrong way because you couldn’t properly illustrate your tone of voice or emotion?  The same goes with conversing via phone.  Tone of voice could be determined, but body language is still missing.  A full conversation includes all of these: body language, emotion, tone of voice, the actual words, etc.

3) You’re making a choice.

If there’s anything that makes us not God, and that is we can’t be in two places at once.  With Facebook, Twitter, text messaging, and others, a person can “be” in more than one place through a virtual environment, which is great.  But what’s even better to the person to whom you’re spending time is being in the same place physically with them.  Why?  Because you’re choosing to be in that place with them instead of being somewhere else.  You could be anywhere else in the world, but you’ve chosen to be with them.  And that’s an honor.

On a personal note

This is a huge deal for me.  As an introverted person, I find it way easier and less confusing to interact via the online world.  It also doesn’t help that I’ve chosen to immerse myself with computers at work and home.  As a leader, I have to break this habit.  I am working on this.

Video

Here’s a cool Coca-Cola video.  It delivers the message that sometimes we can get too immersed into our online worlds instead of seeing the opportunities to connect in the real world.

Coca-Cola ‘Avatar’ from Nexus Productions on Vimeo.

And no, Bridgett is NOT pregnant.  Just wanted to make that clear.

This week, Bridgett began babysitting a ten month old, Ryder, and he is awesome.  He doesn’t really cry, and is absolutely fun to play with.  Oh, and his smile is so addicting.

I stayed home from work today to take a little break, and got to spend all day with him.  We walked down an open path to my parents’ house, played around some, and he even fell asleep in my arms.  Really making me look forward to when Bridgett and I have our first kid.

It’s amazing that just a few years ago I was scared to be around babies, because I felt like I was going to hurt them.  Now, I can’t help but love being around them.  They are truly God’s gifts.

Today, we celebrate Bridgett’s 27th birthday.  I’m happy to say that God has provided me with the best woman in the world.  Especially one who will put up with my rants and other issues.

To celebrate, we are going out on a date to downtown Charleston.  The place where I went to college (and absolutely adore), and, more importantly, where I asked her to marry me.  Maybe we’ll even get the chance to visit the same spot at the Battery where it all started.  We’ll see.

Bridgett, I just want to say that I love you, and you are the most important person in my life.

Last week, I quickly posted my thoughts on working long days.

Lately, my job (my “real” job) has me and my co-workers working upwards to twelve hours per day including weekends.  Through all of this working two thoughts have come to mind:

1. I have a new-found respect for men/women who work these long hours on a regular basis.

In fact, it is normal for them to pull 50+ hours per week.  I’m used to 40 hours even.  No more.  No less.  But I’m learning that these long hours are tiring, but sometimes necessary.

2. “Sometimes when we ask God for a harvest he gives us a handful of seeds. Stop expecting a handout, & do some work.”

God gave me this thought on July 4th.  What’s funny is that God knows I could use the extra cash so he’s given me an opportunity to work extra hours to get overtime pay.  Wow!  God’s got a wicked sense of humor.

This to way too true to many people when asking them to speak in public.  Honestly, this still happens to me from time-to-time.

Anyone want to share their fear of public speaking?

Last Friday night, my brother and I went to our pastors house for a steak dinner.  Our wives would have joined us (and eventually did), but they were busy with other plans.  It was cool though, because we had a great time eating, conversing, laughing, and generally enjoying each others’ company.  It was refreshing, and generally a good time.

Do you ever have these times where you just sit back and enjoy someone’s company?  When was the last time you did just that?

Welcome to the newest addition to the Cooperland entries family, Open Field Fridays.  Like the Rewind posts that are published on Monday mornings (hence the series’ name), Open Field Fridays will be posted on…wait for it…Fridays.

These posts are meant to create an atmosphere for discussion in the comments section.  I’ll start it off by posting the entry each week, then it’s an open line for discussion.  And, I’ll close the comments section or delete any comments I deem inappropriate if I see that it must be done.  I hold that right since this is my blog.

So, ask a question, make a statement, encourage someone, or just say something.  Just remember to keep it clean and to keep it friendly.