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Overboard Blog

Living the extraordinary life of faith!

How to always be right

Joseph Castaneda

A few days ago I woke up and got into my morning routine when our youngest daughter woke up, poured some cereal into a bowl and then announced that we were out of milk. My wife's shoulders dropped because she remembered last night visiting the grocery store with our son AJ, and the two of them had three things on the list. They came home with two. And now we were out of milk.

 

Traci was prepping to take CJ to the farm to pick up her 4H pig for the fair this year, so I told her I would happily go pick up some milk and pull out $125 cash for the pig. Kalkaska is a great town, and fairly small, so it only took me about 3 minutes to get to the grocery store.

 

At 8am on a Saturday, the grocery store was pretty quiet, and I took the familiar path from the front entry doors, walked between registers three and four and straight through the diaper aisle to the back of the store and the dairy cooler. I found the milk, and walked back up to register six for checkout.

 

The clerk, who was cleaning the top of a pop cooler, cheerfully put down her rag and came to help me check out. When I entered the cash back she informed me she didn't have any $20 bills, so she gave me a $100 dollar bill and said I could exchange it at the customer service counter directly behind me.

 

I walked up to the counter and in an instant I could see that the lady working was already having a bad morning. The phone was down on the counter, and she was looking up something when she tersely stated, "Register six is open for sales." I explained I needed my $100 exchanged and she rolled her eyes, sighed in annoyance and stopped doing anything for several seconds.

 

I assured her I was in no hurry, which seemed to free her to finish her phone call (which turned out to be a fellow employee requesting her schedule for the next week). After hanging up the phone, she came back to the counter, still very agitated about something, and looked at me as though she couldn't remember why I was there. I slid my $100 bill across the counter and asked if I could get change.

 

She opened up the till, and then somewhat aggressively, grabbed two $50 bills from the register and placed them firmly onto the counter in front of me, snatched up the $100, stuffed it in the register and then closed up the till in a fairly fluid motion. I smiled and tried to speak as kindly as possible and stated, "I actually need $20 bills."

 

Without missing a beat, she looked at me and said, "Well today you get $50's" and walked back to counting cigarette cases and lottery ticket rolls. So I thanked her and walked out with 2, $50 bills and a smile.

(After my incident at customer service, I kind of felt like Lou Costello in this classic               Abbot and Costello clip: "Two Tens for a 5!")

Obviously, something had happened to that poor woman to drive her day the direction it was going. This particular store opens at 7am on Saturdays, and I can only figure that her opening hours had not gone as she had planned. Who knows, maybe someone didn't show up to work, maybe a grocery order didn't arrive or came with the wrong contents or maybe she woke up today, after having learned some awful news yesterday, and is trying to figure out what's next in her life.

 

Of course, she could just be a terrible customer service representative or generally just hate people. We've been helped by her in the past so it seems like the former answers are more likely than the latter, but whatever the case, today she was having a bad day.

Don’t let being ‘right’ talk you out of being kind – Bob Goff.

I don't recall where I heard this phrase first, but I remember someone saying, "Don't ever judge a person on their worst day." We all have bad days, and if my encounter with someone, as bad as it might have been, occurred on their worst day, my impression of them may not be very good. Just as if someone's only experience with me came on my worst day, they would be inclined to reject everything else I say based on that one encounter.

 

In the same way, not only do I not want to judge a person who's having a bad day, but I really don't want to add to their misery. Imagine if I had gotten irritated at this woman's lack of listening. I saw the open register, she had plenty of $20 bills and I could have stated correctly, "No mam, $50 bills will not work for me today. Please open the register and give me the $20 bills I requested." If she protested, I would have threatened her, taken down her name and then followed up with the store manager to make sure her attitude was made known.

 

Maybe she would have been reprimanded for her actions. Maybe even fired. Then I could have been satisfied that my customer service experience was properly rectified and that my rights were handled with the utmost importance.

 

I know, I know, "The customer is always right." But is that what living the Overboard Life is about? Being right or being in the right when it comes to customer service? I know, this world – especially in our amazing Western Culture – elevates customers to a place of near deity and sometimes we Christians buy in to the notion that our rights are the most important aspect of our lives. We demand that we should be satisfied, that we should be comfortable and that when we are a paying customer, our needs should be the highest priority of some employee.

 

What happens when we live this way in every area of life? Some abandon marriage easily, commitment to a church becomes a foreign concept, and the seed of bitterness finds ripe soil in which to take root. If my highest good is seeking my highest satisfaction, anything contrary to that is reason for alarm. And if I can't get someone in authority to see things the way I see them, then I leave for greener pastures. I boycott. I passive/aggressively tell others on social media about how terribly I was treated. I constantly justify my actions to me.

 

The Overboard Life demands inconvenience. It requires a willingness to be wronged sometimes, and to embrace the fact that our highest calling is not to our comfort or to proper customer service. Sometimes, maybe even more often than not, we should embrace inconvenience over being “right.”

 

When Jesus was asked “What is the Greatest Commandment?” He responded with two answers: Love the Lord your God with all your heart...and, He said, love your neighbor as yourself. Love God and love others. Everything else in life falls under these two categories, and love sometimes demands that the lover be willing to be wronged.

 

Are you spending a lot of time fighting for your rights? Do you experience constant turmoil, friction or tension because you find yourself constantly fighting inconvenience (perceived or real) or unfair treatment in some area(s) of your life? Embrace inconvenience as a worthy travel companion and focus on what really matters: love God, and love others.

 

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Why your marriage needs a vacation

Joseph Castaneda

Last March, Traci and I enjoyed 8 days away from the chilly end of a northern Michigan winter by basking in the soul-reviving heat of an Arizona spring. We traded snow pack for desert sand, and daytime high temps in the 30s and 40s, for nighttime lows that touched the 50s. We took in a full week of Spring Training baseball, visited with friends, ate out, and packed in as much together time as possible. It was a glorious week of marriage refreshment.

In fact, reflecting on that week of marriage refreshment, here are seven reasons you need to get away with your spouse for at least seven days, every year (minimum!):

Traci and I had a blast taking in warm, late-night baseball games in Arizona in March.

Traci and I had a blast taking in warm, late-night baseball games in Arizona in March.

1. Your marriage NEEDS it. It's not that your marriage is necessarily in trouble, it's that a strong marriage is built on the relationship of two people who are intimately connected to God, and passionately to each other; connections that are built with extended time and shared experiences (quantity and quality). The sad reality is that a lot of marriages end once the kids move out, or couples have to helicopter their grandchildren in order to maintain connection with their kids because they have no relationship with each other! Your marriage needs experiences and time together, because God willing, you will soon set your children free to follow the Lord and your empty nest will only be filled with your marriage.

2. One week is enough time to disconnect and reconnect. It seems to take most people 2-3 days to truly disconnect from life, to unwind from the craziness and to feel like they are "away." We are big believers in multiple weekend get-a-ways for couples, but a week long stay, at least once per year, is essential for couples to make a real break from life, and a real connection with each other. The hard work of getting everything ready for a full week departure is, well, hard, but after seven days away together, it will be richly rewarded.

We were thrilled to come home to our kids after a week away, and they seemed pretty happy to see us, too =)

We were thrilled to come home to our kids after a week away, and they seemed pretty happy to see us, too =)

3. Your kids NEED it. I know, no one knows how to take care of your kids better than you do, and that's really how it should be. But your kids need to learn to live life in other contexts and under the authority of others who care for them. It is good and healthy for your children to experience days apart from you. As a youth pastor for 20 years, we've had so many parents say, "Little Johnny can't do a week at camp because it would be too many days away from me. He's scared." Reality is little Johnny LOVED his week away, and mom's worries were more about mom than Johnny. Your kids will enjoy their week away and even if they don't, it will make them more excited for you to return. That's a win win!

4. Your sex life needs the time. Yes, a week away with your spouse should include a healthy dose of sexual interaction. Maybe you enjoy sex every day you're away, maybe you just set aside a few special and memorable moments, or maybe you spontaneously create some mind-blowing memories! Whatever you do, make sure your week includes the intimate connection that only sex can bring a marriage and make sure you create space in your schedule for it to happen. Don't assume sex will just take place because you are away, create space and time and talk openly about expectation. Sex should be part of the reason you take a full week to enjoy each other on vacation.

New outfit for date night: $45. Dinner at a great little pizza place in downtown Phoenix: $25. Reminding Traci that, apart from my relationship to God she is my highest commitment – Priceless!

New outfit for date night: $45. Dinner at a great little pizza place in downtown Phoenix: $25. Reminding Traci that, apart from my relationship to God she is my highest commitment – Priceless!

5. Your other commitments need to know they can live without you, too. I think one of the healthiest things about being away, is that my other roles can carry on without me. I tell my team that I'm away, and unless it's somewhat imperative, I really don't want to hear from them. Yes, I take a call or two and check my email a couple of times, but for the most part, I want them to figure it out WITHOUT me, and I'm willing to take on a few extra hours after vacation to get caught up. Let your spouse know that they are the priority, and make work secondary while you are away.

6. Your communication skills needs the time away. Lets face it, we all get distracted in life with so many inputs vying for our attention. When you'e away with your spouse, you get focused time at meals, during walks on the beach, during drives to that scenic outlook, or while you're sitting in the hotel room together. Yes, to talk, uninterrupted and undisturbed. Your communication skills get refinement during these extended stays together and it will carry over into your married life when you return.

7. Your dreams need to be revisited. Vacations are a great time to revisit your goals and dreams, to talk about the exciting future you want to have or the items on your bucket lists. You should take the opportunity to connect again with each other's dreams and figure out new ways to achieve them. Vacations are great time to jump start your goals!

Traci and I have been taking a week-a-way, every year, for 20 years. It's never been easy or convenient. Before children it was simpler, though not always easy. After kids, the challenges mounted significantly. It would literally take weeks of prep to make sure schedules were laid out, diapers were supplied and pack-and-plays were dropped off at the right houses.

As our children got older, complex car-pooling arrangements had to be made, and sometimes all three kids would be at three different houses making the challenge even harder. But the payoff for our week away has ALWAYS been worth it. Not once in 20 years have either of us thought, "wow, what a bummer of a week!"

Instead, every time the week ends we recognize how thankful we are that we did the work to make the week happen, and refreshed and reconnected, we are eager to see our kids and get back into the swing of life. So trust us, your marriage needs a week long vacation, and it will be worth it to make it happen!

Go ahead and take the plunge, your marriage is better on the water!

#TeamCastañeda gets stronger when we spend more quality time together!

#TeamCastañeda gets stronger when we spend more quality time together!

Enjoying the sunshine

Joseph Castaneda

Four years ago, God moved my family from the beautiful Pacific Northwest, to the beautiful snow-covered lands of Northern Michigan. We traded an ocean for the Great Lakes, wet drizzly winters for cold snowy ones, and exchanged mild valley seasonal temperatures for cold-colds, and slightly muggy warms. Lots of give and take but we have really come to embrace our new life here in Michigan.

Just one problem: I love the heat.


Granted, there wasn’t a ton of hot weather in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, but summers were typically warmer than here, and we often experienced a good stretch of piping hot summer and fall days. And even though Salem isn’t considered sun country, our move to Michigan reduced our sun intake even further! Also, my best friend Danny, and my brother Dan, lived just a 12-hour drive away from our Oregon home, so in a day’s travel we could be jumping in their pools enjoying the dry desert heat of Southern California.

In fact, I remember being with Danny this past November, and walking outside in nearly 80 degree weather near his house in Yucaipa, California. In Kalkaska, Michigan, winter was preparing to make its arrival by peppering us with 20 degree highs and the occasional snow dusting. I was so thankful for the sunshine, so empowered by its warmth and penetration to my soul, and I remember asking God, "Why can't I live where there is more sun?"

A picture from one of my walks in SoCal during my November visit. Beautiful day at a beautiful park in Yucaipa.

A picture from one of my walks in SoCal during my November visit. Beautiful day at a beautiful park in Yucaipa.

And the Lord reminded me, "I know how much you love the sun. Look, I brought you to CA in November so you can enjoy it. So enjoy it!" I was struck by the fact that my lament of not being in the sun more often was keeping me from enjoying the sun while I was in it. In other words, my pursuit of the sun was keeping me from enjoying the very thing I was pursuing.

Back in March, Traci and I had an amazing anniversary celebration and enjoyed 8 days of rest, connection, Spring Training baseball and awesome Mexican food while being immersed in pure Arizona sunshine. I realized that a lot of people in life are trying to pursue that experience as a life ambition. They want to enjoy days and days of pleasure, of baseball, of sunshine, of sex, of dinners out, of time uninterrupted etc... without any sense of a greater calling. They have made the pursuit of pleasure their greatest desire and calling.

While I loved our time away, and while I know in my flesh I could certainly get used to that kind time with Traci on a VERY regular basis, I am thankful that when vacation ended, we returned to a life focused on major projects God had given us. We returned to work-in-progress and to see great things accomplished for the Lord.
I am thankful that these periods of rest, these breaks in the action, allow us to process what God is helping us become so that we are more prepared to do what He has for us to do. That combination of becoming and doing is so powerful, and you can't become while on vacation! Yes, vacation can be a supplement to the great tasks at hand, but vacation by itself, the vacation life, doesn't create the character that is needed for the work of the Lord.

I'm thankful there is more to our lives and marriage than just vacation. YES, I absolutely LOVE taking time off with Traci and I can't imagine life without these periodic breaks, these fantastic shared experiences, and these profoundly intimate moments shared with the absolute love of my life. But what makes them so sweet, what makes them so awesome, is that they are sandwiched between amazingly difficult work, they are surrounded by days and days of struggle and tension and they are situated between calendars that are full of obligations, prayer requests and God-sized dreams that never seem to stop. What makes rest so precious is the work that precedes it. And I'm thankful God has given us over to a great, mighty and VERY exhausting work!

Being able to be in the moment, whether at work or rest, is the heart of what it means to be content. Wikipedia defines it this way: “Contentment is a mental or emotional state of satisfaction maybe drawn from being at ease in one's situation…” It is being in the moment, at ease, even when the moment isn’t easy! Contentment isn’t about being in perfect circumstances, it’s about choosing your response regardless of the circumstances you live in.

And it is an attitude we should strive for! The Apostle Paul tells us, “…but godliness with contentment is great gain…” You. Can. Choose. To. Be. Content! Contentment is what allows me to enjoy the sunshine in Southern California in November, even though I know I’m returning to chilly winds and falling snow when I fly home to Kalkaska. Contentment allows me to embrace opportunities for personal and spiritual growth, even though it hurts and sometimes leaves me with more questions than answers. Contentment allows me to rest deeply while on vacation, even while knowing that a heavy workload awaits my return.

Choose contentment today, so you can fully experience every moment of life, good and bad.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Airline cheap seats and sharp swords.

Joseph Castaneda

This morning, Traci and I flew in to Phoenix, AZ from Detroit, MI, in order to celebrate our 20th anniversary by attending a week of Spring Training. It was an early flight for us with weird body-clock and weather adjustments. Like the fact that we left Detroit in rainy 30 degree weather at 7am local time, and arrived at 7:45am in Phoenix (after a 4 hour flight) and it was already 75. It feels great to be celebrating 20 years of marriage (our anniversary is in December, but obviously, Spring Training doesn't begin until March.) and to be doing that in sunshine after another cold Michigan winter.

 

After our flight landed, Traci headed outside with our carryon bags while I waited at the luggage carousel for our checked bag. All of us weary passengers stood for about 20 minutes before luggage started falling out of the luggage chute only to find out that the first set of bags belonged to an earlier flight than ours. Following another 15 minute delay, our bags started their trip around the carousel.

 

One young couple walked over to the information kiosk I was standing next to, while the first set of bags was falling, and they were visibly frustrated, trying hard to keep their calm while clearly very anxious in trying to locate their bags. Earlier that morning, their flight from Phoenix to Seattle was canceled, but they had already checked their bags on the cancelled flight. Now, out a bunch of money because they purchased last-minute one-way tickets to get home on another airline, they were in desperate need of their bags to make the flight with them.

 

I felt terrible for them because I know the frustration – first hand! – of feeling fairly helpless at the hands of the airlines while looking for bags or trying to figure out a way to get home (when you're snowed in to O'Hare). Yeah, been there, done that.

 

The airline with the canceled flight and lost bag was a discount airline, the same one we chose to fly from Detroit. I jokingly tell people that “the tickets are often dirt cheap” (we flew from Detroit to Phoenix for $110.00 per ticket; Traci and the girls flew from Detroit to Orland for $29 per ticket last December!) “but don't expect any conveniences. Like seat belts. Or seats that are comfortable.” Ha. It's the trade you make in order to experience such inexpensive travel.

 

As this couple was understandably upset about the service they had received, I was reminded that so often in life we want $110 tickets to cross the county in an airplane, but we expect $610 service for that money. I heard someone on our flight from Detroit lament the fact that the airline charged for all their snacks, and "they should give us something for being in our seats for nearly four hours!" They did, they gave you that seat for $110. That $3 you had to pay for your Coke still leaves you $497 ahead of the game compared to purchasing the same ticket other airlines were offering.

 

Believe me, I’m not casting any stones here. I totally get it, because often I prefer the amenities and convenience the other airlines offer me in my travels. Typically, given the choice, I would rather fly out of an airport closer to home (Detroit is almost 4 hours away), enjoy "free" refreshments, and know that I have a seat guaranteed before I get on the plane. But sometimes, a less expensive ticket makes more sense. For us, the cheaper flight allowed us to use the difference to pay for our hotel for the week in Phoenix; that was worth it on our end.

 

Life and airline travel have some uncomfortable similarities. Just like people are hoping to pay discount airline prices while demanding full fare amenities, too many of us want the best life has to offer while dedicating very little of ourselves to the process of becoming who we were made to be. We want all the benefits of personal growth, but we really try to avoid all the ways that personal growth occurs.

 

Hint: 99% of ALL personal growth, occurs while learning to endure hardships, walking through trials or busting through seemingly impossible obstacles. Character is formed when character is tested, and if there is no testing, there is no change. In my first book, Project Joseph I call it the Heat and Hammer principle.

 

You see, back in the day, swords were super useful weapons for combat. Making a sword was a high demand skill, because the price of going in to combat with a lousy weapon was literally life-threatening. But making a sword requires two key components: heat and hammers.

 

When the swordsmith begins preparing the metal for its combat use, he heats it up, over and over again, and between the heatings, uses a hammer to beat it into shape. The process of heating it and hitting it, allows the metal to develop the strength it needs so that the blade can be sharpened to perfection and used with precision on the field of battle. Without the heat and hammer, the sword will not protect its wielder. Likewise, to become the people God created us to be requires heat and pressure. 

 

You know where personal growth doesn't occur? In completing a 4 day binge-watching Netflix marathon of NCIS (insert your favorite show here). Believe me, I've tried! Or, in reading about others developing awesome character. Or even reading a guy's blog about how character is formed. God didn't design us to experience growth and character by doing nothing, instead, He created a world where everything that is worth becoming requires a pathway through the furnace of affliction, through the heat and hammer of life.

 

Are you under the hammer right now? Are you walking through the furnace right now? Though painful, It's a good place to be, as you learn to trust the Master Swordsmith in how He shapes you for His purposes. Once you've walked through the process, you will never want to go back to the way things used to be, no matter how "easy" it was to live there.

 

My friend Tim Zowada uses this equipment to make awesome custom knives and blades. Check out his work at: http://www.tzknives.com

My friend Tim Zowada uses this equipment to make awesome custom knives and blades. Check out his work at: http://www.tzknives.com

In Isaiah 48:10, we read, “I have refined you…I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” Probably not words you’re going to find on a greeting card anytime soon, but words that speak the truth: the furnace of affliction is where God does His refining work in our lives. Fun? Not usually. Necessary? Absolutely! Do I crave the furnace of affliction? In the words of a dear friend of mine…”I do not like [the furnace of affliction], not on a boat, with a goat, not in the rain, in the dark or on a train…” but I love what the furnace produces: character that makes me more and more like Jesus.

If you’re trying to live the Overboard Life, you must learn to embrace the furnace of affliction. We must learn to endure the heat and hammer so that God can perfect us for His great purposes. The Overboard Life is forged in God’s character kiln!

 

Go ahead and take the plunge, life – even the hard parts! – is better on the water.

An undivided heart

Joseph Castaneda

Do you remember your first “love?” If you’re like me, you probably had some sort of crush on a person while you were pretty young, long before you had any real idea of what it meant to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, what it meant to date or even what it really meant to love someone.

 

I was in 5th grade when I reached out to my first real crush. Her name was Kimberly, and we used to hang out together on the playground at recess. We had attended the same school together, since 1st grade, and had often been with the same teacher during those years. We used to talk, hang out on the playground together and even attended the same summer camp one year.

 

One day I realized that I liked her for more than just a friend, and so over the weekend, my buddies convinced me that it was time to take the next step in our relationship. I learned the method for boldly asking a girl out involved me writing a note that said, “Will you go out with me?” complete with two check-boxes, one with the word “no” next to it, and one with the word “yes” next to it. The proper way to distribute this kind of formal invitation is to hand it to your best friend, who hands it to her best friend, who then hands it to the person you hope will read it.

 

I followed this process to a “T” and anxiously awaited Kimberly’s response. At the end of the school day, the note was passed from said girl, to her friend, to my friend, to me, and I casually placed the response in my back pocket. On the way home from school, as soon as no one was with me, I grabbed the note, took a deep breath and read her response: she had checked the “yes” box! Here I was in 5th grade, and I. Had. A. Girlfriend.

 

Turns out, having a girlfriend is quite a complicated issue. The next day, word was out and people were talking about the school’s newest couple. Yet, when I saw Kimberly, I didn’t know what to do. So being the Suave Latino Lover that I am, I chose to avoid making eye contact, and certainly did not speak a word to her. In fact, I remember making sure our paths didn’t cross for the whole day so that I didn’t have to figure out what to do or say with this girlfriend of mine.

 

Apparently that’s not what impresses a girl. Who knew? The next day, I kept up the same tactic and by day’s end I received a note from her friend to my friend to me, that explained that our relationship just wasn’t working out. I guess girl’s think you should talk to them and engage them if you like them and I was like, “Hey, you can find me on the wall ball court if you want to chat!” And just like that, my first relationship ended as quickly as it started.

 

Recently I was preaching through the “Let Us” phrases of the book of Hebrews, and I came across Hebrews 10:22: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart…” That phrase “sincere heart” has a cool meaning when the Greek is translated literally: “A heart answering to the ideal.” In other words, if a heart answers to the ideal (in this case, drawing near to God) it is undivided in its attention and focus. To draw near to God requires us to approach with an undivided heart!

 

As a 5th grader, I had no idea what it means to pursue someone with an undivided heart. Talking with my buddies, I really liked the idea of having a girlfriend, but in reality, I didn’t have the maturity to understand what a relationship entailed. In the same way, I think a lot of people, a lot of Christians, like the idea of “..draw[ing] near to God…” but don’t have the maturity to understand what it means to pursue Him with an undivided heart.

 

After all, we are a culture of divided interests. We love our sports. We love our food. We love our families. We love our houses and jobs. We love our income. We love our free time. We love our hobbies. We love our technology. We love our kids’ sports. We love our [_____ insert your love here _____] None of these, by themselves, is necessarily bad, but any one of these can become a barrier to having an undivided heart toward the Lord. Should I love my wife? ABSOLUTELY! But my love for her must come secondary to my love for God. When I love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, He enables me to love others more effectively than I could on my own.

 

Drawing near to God, a life-long ongoing process, should be the greatest aim of all believers. It is the root of bringing glory to Him with our lives, and the primary means by which we can gain perspective on everything else. When I am drawn in close to the Father, through Jesus, I have all that I need to manage the life He has given me. Easy? No! Simple? Yes!

 

Tomorrow when you wake up, check the “yes” box next to the question, “Will you draw near to me?” and ask God to help you follow through. Maybe you need to take a break from another relationship or hobby or technology or job in order to find that undivided heart. Whatever it is, know that drawing near to God will help you live life, out of the comfort of the boat, and out on the water where Jesus is building His Kingdom.

 

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

4 years later: time for another presidential prediction.

Joseph Castaneda

[This post was originally written in 2012. I’ve tweaked just a few words, but it’s just as true today as it was 4 years ago!]

 

I already know the results of tomorrow’s election. Call it divine clarity. Call it a spiritual gift of prophetic vision. I actually don’t care what you call it, but the fact remains: I know the outcome of the election, and I know I’m right.

 

Here it is: Wednesday morning, millions of Americans will wake up fearful, sad and even angry.

 

Of course, if you have been engaged with year’s election at all (and it’s been hard to avoid it!), you know how contentious things have been. In my 42 years of living, spanning 13 presidential elections (including eight that I remember, seven that I remember moderately well) I have never seen one being so filled with animosity. The anger, condemnation and verbal beatings exchanged online, in businesses and over office water coolers has been unprecedented. And because of that, I’m confident of this: The “losing” team will not be happy come Wednesday morning.

Image from call-levels.com blog on presidential preference

Image from call-levels.com blog on presidential preference

 

So what are we supposed to do Wednesday morning? Here are a few commitments each of us should make, regardless of our party affiliations.

 

  1. Pray for your leaders: Nothing is simpler, yet has more power to create change, than praying for leaders. For some reason we only employ this tactic when our candidate doesn’t win, basically praying prayers for God to remove the other guy at the next election. Paul reminds us that prayers are to be offered for everyone in authority, all the time: “our guy (or gal!)” or not! On Wednesday, whatever the outcome, commit to pray. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -- for kings and all those in authority...” (1 Timothy 2:1).
  2. Respect those in leadership: It’s Peter that reminds us to “show proper respect to everyone” (1 Peter 2:17), yet I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read something like this on facebook: “I know I’m supposed to respect the president, but....” But? There is no “but” clause in 1 Peter 2:17, or in Romans 13:7 where we are commanded to respect and honor those in authority. The point is this: Don’t “but” your way out of obedience. President Trump or President Clinton, it doesn’t matter, we owe them respect and honor. You don’t have to like their politics or policies, but you don’t have permission to badmouth them to coworkers, social media audiences or family members. Show respect to your leaders for the position they hold, even if you didn’t vote them there. I think we have a duty to fight for the right leaders (see also: #1 above), to converse (strongly), debate (graciously) and vote our conscience in light of Scripture. We don’t have the right to tear down God-appointed leaders. You don’t have to like him (or her), but you do have to respect them.
  3. Live for Jesus, not for a political party: I sometimes worry that believers on both sides of the political spectrum put more faith in the political process than they do the life-changing process of Christ. Your party may have won the White House this week, but only Jesus can win/change the hearts of people. (Romans 2:29, 6:17, Ephesians 1:18) Don’t get lost in celebrating or mourning Tuesday’s election results, believing that hearts will move toward (or away!) from God and His standard because of who is sitting in the Oval Office. Yes, some politicians and policies can create an environment that frees or loosens the public expression of the Gospel, but none of them can contain, limit or strengthen the work of God! Live for Jesus and promote the Gospel, don’t live for your politics to promote a party unless it allows you a better position to share Jesus.
  4. Make joy your daily habit: If your party wins on Tuesday, joy will be a whole easier on Wednesday. But it shouldn’t be. Joy should be your daily habit, whether your guy or gal is president or not. Why? Because Jesus is your king! Paul told us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Win or lose on Tuesday, make joy your response on Wednesday. And Thursday. And Friday... Jesus will still be king. In the midst of the political storms, joy could be your greatest witnessing tool.

 

Will you make these four commitments on Wednesday morning? Will you continue them on Thursday, regardless of the outcome of this year’s election? Politics is serious business, and the election (appointment) of the president of the United Sates (or whatever country/official rules in your home land) is not to be taken lightly. I'm voting my conscience tomorrow on a number of offices and issues, and I hope you are, too. But I'm putting my trust in the God who changes hearts whether my candidate wins or loses.

 

Put your name in the comments if you will commit to prayer, respect, life and joy.

 

So go ahead, take the plunge, life–including politics–is always better on the water!

What to do...

Joseph Castaneda

The other day I was lamenting that I didn’t know exactly what to do next. Sure, I had a general idea about the progress that needed to be made, but I had no certainty about what needed to be done that day to see any steps toward that goal. The lack of certainty created a little paralysis and after a day of shuffling papers, sending emails and questioning whether or not a Netflix binge would be considered progress, I went to bed frustrated.

 

Have you ever felt like you were facing that dilemma? You know the general direction you are moving, but you aren’t certain about the next move nor do you have any clarity about the timing of what’s next. That tension between progress (the way you want to move) and movement (making steps towards that end) can be paralyzing. And when you’re in that tension, it’s easy to watch mindless hours turn into days, and days soon become weeks and months, and before long you feel like the path you started on is more uncertain than ever.

 

After a restless night of sleep, I woke up and thought about my situation: What do you do, when you don’t know what to do? Do what you know to do.

 

What?

 

So you don’t know exactly what to do next? Start by doing the things you know to do–the actions that are always right no matter what the circumstances. Do the right things when you don’t know what to do, and use that as an opportunity to wait for the path to open up clearly before you.

 

Don’t know exactly what to do? Here are a few things to do to help you while you wait for clarity:

 

Be thankful: Paul says to be thankful in all circumstances, so use your down time to practice gratitude. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

 

Pray: In the same passage in 1 Thessalonians 5 where Paul tells us to be thankful, He also tells us to pray frequently. How frequently? Always. (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

 

Surrender worry to the Lord: Times of uncertainty can lead to massive bouts of worry and anxiety. Give those to the Lord. (Philippians 4:6-8, Mathew 6:25-34)

 

Serve others: When we feel a little lost or uncertain of our path, it can be easy to turn our focus inward. The best plan to get it back on the Lord? Follow our Lord’s advice and serve others! (John 13:12-15)

 

Be generous: Feel like things are snug during your uncertainty? Trust me, we know the feeling! To help keep your focus off of the scarcity that can develop, be generous with your resources and trust God even more for His provision and guidance. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

 

Read the book: No matter what else is happening, it is always right to spend time reading and memorizing God’s Word. (Psalm 119:9-11). As a side note, this past season I’ve been able to read through the Bible twice in the past year, and I’ve memorized huge sections of Scripture. Reading the Bible is always a good thing.

 

Love your spouse (family/friends): Again, the inward focus that can arise because of frustration and uncertainty can create relational problems if you aren’t intentional with your community. Create opportunities to intentionally love your spouse or love your children or your friends or your coworkers or the old lady that lives next door. By thinking of practical ways to love others, you are doing the right thing, and moving yourself forward even if it doesn’t feel like it.

 

There are many more of those good and right actions to take, but these seven should give you a good jump on things. It’s ok to feel stuck and uncertain, but even then, do what you know to do, until you know what to do next.

 

Go ahead and take plunge, life–even in uncertainty–is always better on the water!

Watch your mouth

Joseph Castaneda

Last August my family and I spent a week hanging with friends in Baltimore, and then took a few days to tour DC. We had a great time visiting our nation’s capital and touring so many great (and free!) museums. If you haven’t ever taken a vacation in DC, be sure to put it on the calendar for the family, it will be worth it!

Traci taking a quick selfie with AJ, Bethany and the Washington Monument.

Traci taking a quick selfie with AJ, Bethany and the Washington Monument.

 

One night we left our hotel to pick up some late-night snacks for everyone. We found a grocery store about a mile from where we were staying and shopped the aisles looking for each family member’s favorite treat. After everyone was satisfied with their choices, we headed to the check out and found the only register open at that hour.

 

While our items were being scanned, Celina looked up at the African American lady who was our checker, and without any kind of prompting said, “Wow, I love your hair!” The lady stopped, looked over at CJ and the biggest smile came across her face. She said, “Why thank you honey, you are so sweet!”

 

Celina had never seen hair extensions like the ones this lady was wearing, and she was enamored by them. The grocer asked Celina if she wanted to touch them to which CJ enthusiastically responded with a “Yes.” The lady talked to our daughter for several minutes about hair, beauty and how much her words meant to her that night. As we walked out of the grocery store, the lady and her fellow employee (a woman who bagged our groceries) were talking, smiling, laughing and had a totally different outlook on life.

 

All because a ten year old girl said, “Wow, I love your hair!”

 

Just as a careless word can destroy a person, a compliment is a powerful tool when wielded by expert lips. But like any professional in any trade, you become an expert by practicing with the tools of the trade. Are you practicing with your words? I love Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

 

My little girl showed me an incredible example of helpful speech that builds up others, so that even a second teller who was just “listening” to our conversation was encouraged by what she said. Such a little compliment changed the outcome of the night for two grocery store employees and who knows how far that one blessing traveled. I’m sure the one lady told her daughters at home, about the kind words of a little Mexican girl at her store, at 8:30pm that night. I feel certain the two tellers continued to talk about CJ after we left, it really had that much impact.

 

What are you doing with your words? Who is being blessed by your speech? Are you becoming a professional compliment giver and word encourager? Living the Overboard Life requires each of us to use our words according to God’s standards for speech, and the only way to get better is to practice daily. Who can you encourage and compliment today?

 

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

"No Thru Traffic" and the shortness of life.

Joseph Castaneda

I try to walk three to four times a week, partly to keep active and healthy, and partly to keep strengthening my knee after this past summer’s surgery. When I don’t walk with Traci, I often spend my time memorizing verses, praying or just thinking through the challenges and opportunities we’re currently facing. It seems like several blogs have emerged as a result of my walks.

 

On my walk this morning I decided to take a detour through our local cemetery. I chuckled (darkly) as I entered thru the main gate due to the sign that read, “No Thru Traffic.” Indeed, the traffic headed to the cemetery is generally not headed out. And that’s when my stroll turned somber, as I snapped a few pictures, read a few names and tombstones and was reminded of the reality that life is short.

 

Each tombstone in the cemetery represents a life, a story of someone who lived on this earth and engaged others. With their last names listed boldly for others to see, I began to wonder what these people had been like during their living years. Jackson, Walter, Titus, Campbell, Winter Thornburg, Hansen, Olsen, Eherhardt, Sherwood, White, Kies, Brown...on and on the names emerged from gravesite after gravesite. Some were adorned with freshly cut flowers, others hadn’t been visited in years.

 

There is something very sobering about a cemetery and the certainty of death. Two years ago I wrote a series of blogs about being at the statistical half-way point of life. Now, as days turn into weeks, and as years roll by, the reality is that one day I too will be in a vehicle that will pass thru the iron gate baring the sign, “No Thru Traffic” and some other walker or jogger will pass by my tombstone and wonder what I was like, and be curious about the kind of life I had lived.

 

Living the Overboard Life isn’t about fame, fortune, prosperity or comfort. Instead, the Overboard Life is a commitment to follow the Lord, whenever He calls, into any situation He has prepared for us. It’s about living life out of the overflow of God’s abundance, touching the heart of others with the life changing message of a relationship with God and living according to the design with which He has created in everyone of us.

 

Thanks to Jesus, I don’t fear death, but I fear living a small life because I let fear, anxiety and hardship define me more than the truth of who God made me to be. I fear that one day someone will see my headstone, and if they explored my story they would discover a man who let the worries and stress of this life block out the big picture that “could have been” had he grabbed the hand of His creator and lived out Ephesians 3:20: “God can do anything you know, far more than you can ever imagine, guess or request in your wildest dreams!”

 

I left the cemetery today (thankfully!) oddly encouraged to keep pursuing the Overboard Life. Right now life seems hard but only when I lose sight of the one whom I follow. When I keep focused on Him, I can grab the sides of the boat, jump out on the water and live the remarkable life to which I have been called.

 

What about you? Are you going through the motions? Are you defining yourself by the past or letting fear and anxiety cripple your future? Find real freedom by focusing yourself on the one who calls you out of the boat, and out on the water where He is doing His Kingdom work. That life will leave an extraordinary mark behind a tombstone some jogger will find on a quiet fall day, on a detour through the cemetery.

 

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Scoffing at a million dollars

joeacast

My son AJ and I were talking about the million dollar give-a-way at McDonalds and he was a little incensed that McD's would give away one million dollars without paying the taxes for the winner. After all, a multi-billion dollar organization could probably afford to pay the taxes, too, right? His perspective made me look inward about how I view gifts given to me. Would you scoff at a million dollars?

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Happy Titanic-a-versary

joeacast

April 15th is a date most Americans don't like—it's the day income taxes for the previous year are filed. But April 15th has a history of bad memories, as it's the day Lincoln died and in 1912, it was the day the Titanic sank. There's a lot of debate about how the Titanic sank as fast as she did, but discoveries in the past 20 years have given us a clearer picture of her demise and there a few lessons to be learned from the disaster that gripped nations around the world.

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How to be first to the South Pole (part 2)

joeacast

Back when the South Pole was one of the last explored places on earth, two mean, representing two countries and two very distinct styles of exploration, raced for historical immortality as each sought to plant his country's flag first, at the true South Pole. There's a lot to learn from how these men  pursued their goal. (Part 2 of 2)

Read More

How to be first to the South Pole

joeacast

Back when the South Pole was one of the last explored places on earth, two mean, representing two countries and two very distinct styles of exploration, raced for historical immortality as each sought to plant his country's flag first, at the true South Pole. There's a lot to learn from how these men  pursued their goal. (Part 1 of 2)

Read More