(Chapter 4) Applying Vision - Hans

Short post today, but I wanted to reflect on chapter four titled "Should've seen that coming." This chapter references Proverbs 27:12 which says,

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it."

Andy Stanley describes two situations about looking ahead, the guy who bought the billboard in the middle of the forest and the skipper who knew his weather report. These two accounts are on pages 49-53 in the text.

I'm guessing that I related so well to this chapter because I know I don't do well looking ahead. Honestly speaking Katie is the better visionary for our family. She looks months ahead and starts planning for things with effortless attention to detail.

But I find it interesting how God puts together a series of events to teach you lessons. I haven't picked up the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People lately, but it is a really good read. The last time I was reading it we were learning about planning ahead. Covey recommends planning a week and a month in advance. Most people just plan day-to-day. Do you already do this? Well it was new to me but it became a discipline that made life easier. I'm still working on it but it makes so much sense. The skipper prepared for a 5-day journey by having weather forecasts for all five days (maybe more in case the weather moved in sooner than expected) and he acted on his reports.

What does that look like in my life? For me it's about planning events, activities, and trips for our family. If I sit back and let my weeks and months play out without planning, we won't do anything as a family. I need to constantly be planning for family, work, personal development, budget, and career direction to stay on the right path. We get so easily sidetracked if we don't regularly look at our map.

Chapter 4 (Aunt Sue)

Just finished reading chapter four "Should've Seen That Coming". Quite interesting to read that at age 54:) but one of the clear messages that comes through is ...do the right thing, even when it may not be the easy way. Once again I love the emphasis on choosing a simple Scripture that will give us a focus when difficult decisions come our way. I ask again, does anyone have Scriptures chosen for themselves, their families? Please share in the comments! Uncle Steve and I chose Psalm 40 as "our chapter" when we were first married. This has become more of a prayer to us as the years go on, a guide to praying. But it is amazing how applicable it has been for the path God has us on as we read it each year.

At the end of this chapter, Andy shares a family prayer from Proverbs 27:12
"Lord, help us to see troubles coming long before it gets here. And give us the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it."
Wow, that is an important prayer! A prayer that would help us to be aware of the wrong path...like the examples Andy uses of those he knows those who have chosen smoking and are now living with lung cancer, or those who have chosen to live above one's financial means and live with the consequences of debt. Yet there are those other times in life when a loved one suffers from cancer for no apparent choice they made, or you are let go by a company not because of your work choices, but their choices. Those difficult things that happen to us not because of a choice that we have made, but it becomes part of the path we are on. Then what? Well, this is also the time for the above prayer...give us the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it...reminds me of

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference"

I know I could make some seriously bad choices on how to respond to the difficult times that have surprised me on the path, but by the grace of God...He has awesome "principles" about this too! Trust...wait...pray...love...

How Do I Know I'm On The Wrong Path?

First of all, thanks Hans for setting this up and sorry it's taken me (Matt) so long to put together my first post. I'm looking forward to seeing this grow and develop until the next Family Reunion.

I think the thing that I like the most about the Principle of the Path is its simplicity. Actual direction - not intentions - determines our destination. From an intellectual standpoint thats a pretty easy concept to understand. From a personal reflection standpoint it's also a pretty easy concept to apply to our own situations. So why is it that it is still so hard to admit that we are lost and on the wrong path sometimes where are direction and intentions are not aligned?

I think Andy sums it up perfectly when he talks about the powerful, emotional appeal of the wrong path. As humans not one of us is perfect and so we make flawed decisions, and when we make them we are convinced they are the right one's. I think the biggest lesson that I am taking from the first three chapters is the need to take time to be with God and to ask him to show me the situations where my direction and intention are not aligned. I truly believe that in asking God to show us, he will.

The question then becomes, am I willing to stop. Turn around, and follow the right path, even when it's hard? My prayer for us as a family is that we would be willing, and to encourage each other when being on the right path is hard.

Chapters 4-5

I hope everyone who wrote and read about chapters 1-3 enjoyed the blogging experience.  I've heard through the back-channels that a few other contributors might be posting soon, but I won't mention any names (Brad, Cranney).

So let's move on to the next couple chapters.  Remember, you can always go back and read previous posts.  You can also go back and comment on other posts.  If this happens more and more I can set it up where we get notifications when someone comments on an older post that may have gotten "buried."  You can also feel free to "subscribe to follow-up comments" when you comment on someone's post - look at the very bottom.

So as we start the week where my Robertson Family Fantasy Football team had a 50-point destruction of Justin Olson's "team", let's look ahead to the next chapters of the book.  In the next two weeks let's plan on reading chapters 4-5.  Feel free to post whenever you have time.  If you start writing and can't finish, you can "save draft" and then come back and finish posting later.

Have a great couple weeks.  By the way:  Justin's team had a big loss on Sunday, but the family was still a winner -- Kelly finished the Chicago Marathon!!  Great job Kel.

-- Hans

Yahoo!!! The family blog is up and running!!!!

Hello dear family,

I am so thankful that Hans got this blog up and running. It is such a wonderful tribute to my mother. I am hoping that many contribute. I read chapters 1-3 and liked what I read very much. I think much of what he says makes perfect sense thus far. I felt convicted by how many times I say, "I should do such and such...." or "I really need to try and do..." Both statements are non-committal statements. The Principle of the Path would encourage me to say, "I will do such and such..." or "I am going to do ...." Those statements indicate follow through. I am looking forward to reading the next portion.

Paul has read the first half of the book. He will comment later. My dad has read the whole book and it really made him think about the here and now as he is making lots of decisions about his near future with moving.

Thank you to Uncle Paul and Aunt Jeri for picking out another great and practical book. Blessings to all of you as your read.

Love to you all,

Heather

PS When I have been up in the night nursing I have several times gotten gripped by fear over a variety of things. (ie H1N1) Anyway, by God's grace I have decided to take those thoughts captive and put them to rest and I am now praying for each one of you by name. If any of you have specific requests please let me know.

Aunt Sue ponders...

Aunt Sue here...blogging for the first time!(thanks to my son in law and excellent blogger, Hans:) Last Thursday morning I was attending a moms club at our church. Pam Olson, trainer of "Love and Logic" parenting method(author Charles Fey, www.loveandlogic.com )was the special speaker. I have heard her before and really support alot of the ideas that are taught to parents. The basic philosophy behind Love and Logic is to "train" your child to make choices that are beneficial to them. So at every age level the training looks different, but behind it all is the love a parent has for their child...a kind of love that looks way beyond the moment you are in, to the reality that as they grow "beyond you" as a parent, you have an opportunity to teach the important skills that will enable your child to know that their choices have consequences, good or bad.

As I was sitting at that meeting, surrounded by young moms with little people on their laps, I started to think about our family book club and the book we are reading by Andy Stanley and how this is a continual process for us all, isn't it? Every little step by every medium step, by every leap we make along the path God gives us...and in my view "step=choice".

I love the use of Proverbs in the first chapters. What do you think about their family choosing a verse that guides them? Anyone have a verse to share that helps guide them?

This Sunday we will cheer Hans on as he runs the Milwaukee marathon he has been training for...GO HANS! I watched Uncle Steve train for this run, up until his injury that stopped it all, and it is work! But crossing that finish line must be an awesome feeling. So when I think of all of you dear family I say "GO PEOPLE I LOVE!"and thank God for you all...
OK, what chapters are next again, what's the deadline:)?