Image by Jeffrey Beall via Flickr

I am sitting at home watching the NFL playoff game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. My daughter is watching with me while keeping an eye on her Twitter feed. I am amazed at how much is being said about Tim Tebow. Not because he has not been a lighting rod this year but because the people with the most negative comments start their visceral by saying that they are Christians too, but …..

Now think about it with me. What has Tim Tebow really done? He has done three things that seem to bring all the ire of these Christians. (1) He talks openly about his faith. (2) He prays before, during, and after games. (3) He wins more than he looses. And for this he is spoken of as if he is the devil himself. Most of those who are quick to criticize him do so with no knowledge of him, no relationship with him, and no real understanding of who he is in his life or what is really important to him.

Adam Wainright, St. Louis Cardinal star pitcher, has a different view. He was recently quoted as saying, “I am obsessed with Tim Tebow. I’m not afraid to say it. It’s almost embarrassing to us athletes that this much emphasis is put on Tim Tebow because that means we aren’t living our lives as we should. If we did that more often, the way he is living wouldn’t be as big a story. I’m so proud of him for living out his faith.”

I think that it would be good if Christians across America would understand that Tim is just trying to live his life in a way he feels honors God. It doesn’t have to be the way any others live theirs. And more than anything I wish Christian people would not be sucked into attacking a believer, not for his skills as a player, but for his desire to live to the glory of God.

Maybe we should read and re-read Wainright’s assessment and realize that Tim wouldn’t appear to be so unique if we all lived our lives for the glory of God.

Just my thoughts!

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My Three Words for 2012 – Basics, Focus, Strength

Image by bobby-james via Flickr

Several years ago I ran across an article that spoke about the end of the year and the setting of “new year resolutions.” The author of the article was someone who I have followed every since (Chris Brogan). Chris’ blog is a business oriented blog, but his idea about the new year is to find three words that best describe your intentions in the new year and then focus some portion of everyday to those three areas.

I like that much better than some resolution that is going to be set by the wayside within just a few weeks of beginning (as has always been my habit). This year my three words are: Basics, Focus, and Strength. My plan is to accomplish something everyday that will move me forward in those areas. My end will be a life better lived for directing my attention to these three words. Thanks again to @ChrisBrogan! (His twitter handle.)

What does your new year hold for you? Are you going to make, and then break, a great sounding but meaningless set of new year’s resolutions? Maybe instead you could take a lesson from this great business mind and find your three words?

I would love it if you would share your three with me here! What do you think?

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One of the most staggering things about life in the 21st Century is that, with all the technology that exists, with all the talk about people wanting to “connect” and build “real relationships,” we seem to be more fragmented and compartmentalized than ever before.

Politics is surly operates “us and them” mentality.” There is not much parity in education, business, or even religion in most places these days. We have created such a competitive world that even national newspapers debated Bristol Palin’s place on Dancing with the Stars. (Are you kidding me!) We are being isolated from each other and that isolation is going to destroy us in the end.

I was driving through the older section of the city I live in with my son just yesterday. I was pointing out to him the proximity and number of churches that all existed in a single neighborhood that was about ten blocks by ten blocks. What is fascinating to me is that at the time these beautiful buildings were being built, whole neighborhoods were being positively effected by their presence. People had a basic belief in the concept that people were people and that we all had obligations not only to ourselves, but to the neighborhood.

I know someone could rightly point out problems and difficulties of those days (I am sure there were many, primarily because people were involved) but there was also a kindness and a willingness to help that has disappeared as we have been isolated by narrower and narrower “group think.”

Well … at least for me that is over! I am done with “us and them.” For me I am going to just see you. I will engage you and hopefully you will engage me because we are fascinating people that each would like to know better. I don’t care who you voted for, how much money you do or don’t have, or where you have chosen to go to church. If you are alive and breathing, if I am curious about your story, if I am at awe over your skills or talents, or if there is some way I can bless your life, I want to know you!

In order to make this work, I have set up a special Twitter account @dwellmanonline. I am looking to find 100 real, honest, and true friends in 2011. If you want to join the movement stop by and follow me there. All the talk will be there for awhile as things shake out. So, join in and speak up. No more “us and them,” just you and me and 98 of our closest friends. When we get to 100, we will decide together what to do next!

Talk more later ….

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You know one of the craziest things that I have done in a long time was to begin to cut back on all my “social networking” stuff. I get new “follow” notices from Twitter everyday, new “friend” requests from Facebook everyday, and many other similar requests on a regular basis. Yet, like so many of them, these folks always seem to have something that they want me to buy, buy into, or otherwise spend my money on.

I am a capitalist and understand the power of the internet to provide the “average person” with  a worldwide audience, but I guess I am getting tired of feeling like the only reason someone “likes” me is because they have something to sell.

I love invention, innovation, creative thinking, and want to encourage people with thoughts like that to express themselves in every way. So here is what I have decided to do:

1. I am going to give away my thoughts, knowledge, and any wisdom I encounter for FREE!
2. If I happen to come across a product or service that I like AND use I will put it on my blog and IF you want to know about it, I will share my experiences. If after you hear about what I have experienced, you decide to order it, I will make an affiliate commission.
3. I am going to live by the advice I got reading the book Rework. Two things really stuck out to me: (1) I am going to scratch my own itch. That means I am going to follow my passions and then let you in on what I learn along the way. (2) I am going to be small by choice. I have come to the conclusion in my life that being truly free means that I cannot be “big.” So, if you are looking for a guy who “has it all” you will need to look elsewhere. I will only have what I need/want and that will be purposefully less than most.

I love being online and talking with all my friends around the world, but what intrigues me most is having a close-knit group (that could number in the 100′s) who love to spend time with each other and share life’s important truths. If you are tired of all the noise and want a quiet place to think, talk, and even rest … this might just be the place!

Talk more later ….

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