To whom much is given, much is required

There are moments in life when we fall short and have to say, "my mistake" or "I'm sorry". That said, after listening to Tiger Woods' statement today, I'm taken back at the level of surprise from the public at his shortfall. In no way am I judging Tiger Woods, he's a great golfer and athlete, but talent and athletic ability doesn't automatically equate to integrity and character. I'm reminded of a text that states, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God"; my best guess is, "All" includes the great and famous as well as the common and unknown. As a society I believe we want to "hero-ize" those that excel in their area of talent and expertise, but less we forget, that they're human too. In listening to his apology today, my heart goes out to his children, wife and those that respect(ed) him. The media is running a muck in analyzing his apology and in doing so, there's a tendency to judge him...why go there? Sadly enough, men and women fall short everyday in marriages and relationships and the heartbreak is no less painful for them than it is for Tiger Woods and his family. So why all the publicity? Because-- to whom much is given, much i required. Leadership isn't always perfect or right. A person can be athletically, technically or intellectually competent and still lack character. Moral character, integrity and uprightness should be as important (if not more so) than talent when living in the spotlight and in the public's eye. With great wealth and fame comes great temptations, responsibility and consequences. So what's my point? Simply this-- people are less than perfect, and that will always be the case. A heart-felt apology often acknowledges mistakes and seeks forgiveness; BUT saying "I'm sorry" doesn't eliminate the responsibility, accountability and consequences of our actions. Over time, I'm certain that Tiger Woods will recover from this. His talent, some time out of the spotlight and perhaps some intervention-- Tiger will find himself back on top of his game. Hopefully his past will not have cost him something (or someone) his wealth or a check couldn't replace.

Love Defined, Happy Valentine's Day

(image courtesy of Jason Graham)

Happy Valentine's Day! I couldn't wait to start today as I thought about Valentines Day. Chocolates, red roses, flowers jewelry -- are some of the things that will given to express love today. For years, writers, poets and psalmists have made it a point to define, portray and share love. Today, I'd like to share a few thoughts on love; but first and foremost I want to wish my wife Jami, my girls--Jacelyn, Tiana and Adonhyah a Happy Valentines Day.

How do we define love? How SHOULD we define love? I would dare to say that if seven people were asked to define love, we would likely get seven different definitions, or better stated--seven perspectives of love. That's not a good or bad thing, it is- what it is. I believe love has already been defined and demonstrated for all of mankind. Where? In the Bible. This blog isn't intended to be an online Bible study, BUT I certainly want to cite the Bible as the best source and absolute STANDARD for defining love. Not to be dogmatic in approach, I believe that over time man has diminished the absolute meaning of love in our attempt to define it as WE see it. That said, the below bullets illustrate from a biblical point of view, what love is and is not to ME.

1. Jesus is Love (see I John 4:16) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

2. Real love is demonstrated through great sacrifice - Love is first given, then received. Scripture tells us this in:

• (John 5:13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
• (John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

3. Real love goes beyond what we say, it's what we do and how we live.

• (I John 4:7) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
• * In reading I John 4:7 I would question if anyone can express "real" love apart from God. I know that sounds harsh, but even fools gold has a luster and glass diamonds a sparkle--but their value is far from the genuine items they imitate.

4. Contrary to the modern-day philosophical statement "Love hurts", REAL Love heals. I believe misconstruing lust for love and broken promises lead to broken hearts (think about that one for a minute). Lust of the flesh distorts the purity of love and beauty of marriage. From Genesis to Revelation the word love and or a variant of this word appears 558 times and NOT ONCE does it demonstrate hurt or pain (aside from the pain Jesus suffered on the cross as a result of His love for us).

I could go on and on but I'll stop here. My hope is that someone browsing will read this and be drawn closer to Christ; and that this might be an encouragement to a couple, a family a young man or young lady. Enjoy the day and tell someone you love them.

In love & truth, Quentin

A Great Day to live

This is my first time, trying the whole blog thing... the picture of the pup here is my old friend Peety. We lost him last year to coyotes, but he still holds a place in our memories and in our hearts. This picture reminds me that in spite of all the stuff going on in the world, there are times when you just have to stop, breath and rest. I've come to realize that most problems don't go away, while I'm napping--dealing with them after [much] prayer and some rest, I've found that I'm able to solve them a lot faster.