the bobBLOG

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 13:42:00 +0000

These men missed the point - Have you missed it too?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 14:55:00 +0000

In the final meal with His followers, Christ told them what to expect. He let them know that that this is the last meal they would have together. He informed them He would be dying soon.

He knew what He was about to face, but they could not understand what He was telling them. He tried to make them see it. He said it directly and in parables. They still did not grasp what was about to happen.

They were distraught over the fact that their Savior would be leaving them soon.

They were upset at losing HIM; they were not concerned about what He had to go through FOR them.

He was about to suffer the sin of the world, face a grueling death and take the punishment that we deserved. They worried about themselves.

Even so, Christ consoled THEM.

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going. Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”John 14:1-4

Truly amazing grace is poured out for them, yet they cannot see it.

It is easy for us to see this and think they were ignorant for not understanding, but would we have been any different?

Today we have more information on what happened the week of Christ's death than ever before. Eye witnesses to the Last Supper, the arrest in the garden, the beatings, the crucifixion, the resurrection and His appearance before His ascension.

Yet, many people still do not believe.

What I find marvelous and sickening is that He knew us THEN. He knew our sins and He felt the punishment for them on the cross. He knew that He would be dying for everyone though many would not accept him (Matthew 22:14)

We do not have to try and understand what will happen to Him on the cross. We already know the entire story. We just have to do something with the information. We have to acknowledge that He did not just die to be a martyr. He died to pay off a debt; our sin debt.

Take some time with your family and fellow Christian believers to really let this sink in. If you read this and have not accepted this payment for your sins, do it now. There is no better time than this moment. We have no idea how many "moments" we have left on this earth. (Mark 13:32)

Thoughts or questions? Leave a comment or drop me a line: bspeakman@gmail.com.

Being a dad means...

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Leading the family in all matters; especially spiritually.

Starting over when your leadership is less than perfect.

Watching your kids become little versions of yourself and being both proud and terrified about it.

Thinking about how much more patience you will have once you're home from work only to have that theory tested within two minutes of being home with them.

Teaching your son to treat females with respect and kindness.

Teaching your daughter to never trust a boy. :)

Understanding again just how amazing your wife is after spending a few hours at home (or Walmart) with your children.

Taking that wonderful woman for granted because you're selfish.

Understanding what true love is... both giving and receiving it.

Knowing that your actions scream your character to your children, but your words are only a whisper.

Preparing your children for the real world at far too young of an age.

Treating your kid's honesty to you with respect, gentleness and love.... knowing that any overreaction might lead to them being less honest in the future.

Being an example for other dads to follow.

Living intentionally.

Being strong, but not ever being afraid to cry.

Never quitting. Ever. Not on your marriage, not on your kids. Not on your life.

Addition by Subtraction (aka Thrift Shop shorts)

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:20:00 +0000

I refuse to buy brand new shorts unless they're on a crazy sale at Kohls, we have 30% off and the stars all align.

Im not what you would call a "tightwad". I'm actually a little too free with my money. However, shorts are one of those non-negotiables for me.

They're half pants, but not half price.

I've paid less for most of my jeans than I would pay for brand new shorts. This is why I buy them at a thrift shop.

You don't always get what you pay for in life. Things are rarely "fair". Look at Mondays. After a beautiful day of rest and worship, you go back to work. Holy Spirit buzz kill.

It is easy to react in the obvious way.

"Its MONDAY! Uuuuuuggggggghh!"

"Its only TUESDAY??? Why is this week taking SOOO long???"

"It is Wednesday? Feels like it should be Friday! I want to punch that camel in the throat".

"Well, just two more days left of the work week. Then the weekend will fly by and it will be MONDAY again!"

"Friday is finally here! I've put in a good week of work... I can take it easy today".

Whew. Do we hear ourselves? Pointing at myself while pointing at you (one finger at you, three fingers at myself... and a thumb that sort of ambiguously points toward the ground).

We scold children for whining and complaining? What are we doing? The same thing!

You want life to be better? You can make it happen. We control how we react in every situation. Paul was imprisoned and yet he found reasons to rejoice. Christians are being beheaded for believing in Christ. Feel bad yet? I do.

Make the most of whatever day of the week it is... I won't pay full price for half pants. I make a choice to do something about it. Is that too simple of an example? Probably, but it makes the point that life is filled with simple choices.

Simplify... take the negative out... you've added much more joy to your life. In other words, Addition by subtraction.

#BadHairDay - Going From Great to Bad to Great Again

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 13:17:00 +0000

FEATURE FRIDAY

It is a relatively small office that I work in. On an average day I might see 15 people for just a few minutes.

Making coffee as part of the normal morning routine. A woman walks in and I enthusiastically say,

"Good morning!"

She smiles back and emphatically says, "Good morning!"

Clearly just seeing me smiling made her day. I will change the world one person at a time.

A few other folks came across the ray of sunshine that is typing to you right now. They too, smiled and said hello.

I really do have this whole "living" thing down. This will be a great day. Quick pit-stop at the restroom before starting my quest to conquer everything that is laid before me.

I take a quick glance in the mirror.

The picture in this blog post gives no justice to just how bad my hair looked. I don't have much hair so when it looks bad, it is BAD. I washed my hair. I dried my hair with a towel.

I did not comb my hair. AT ALL.

Of course my mind replays the entire morning and count how many people saw me like this: at least five, maybe six. Then my brain does the typical brain thing.

Enter the Swirling Vortex of Self-Deprecation.

My mind starts to replay everything from the morning and now cast a black shadow over it all. They were not happy to see ME. They were happy to see me looking stupid. If only the self-deprecation could stop at this one event.

That's the bad thing about a vortex. It does not pick and choose what it destroys; everything is fair game.

Pretty soon everything that I've done wrong over the last week replays itself. The last month joins the vortex party. Select items from the last year join in too. I'm never alone in discovering these horrible memories about myself. There's always a voice that says to me at that point, "You're worthless". I begin to believe the lies being told to me by satan.

I begin to submit to the lies. I start searching for other things I've done wrong to add as well. Then the moment of clarity comes.

**Another voice sweetly whispers, "You do not have to do this. You are worth so much more".**

We cannot control our circumstance, but can choose how we react to it. How we choose to proceed at this moment is of utmost importance One of two choices appear in the midst of the Swirling Vortex of Self-Deprecation.

1. Let the Vortex consume us and ignore the loving words of our Savior.
2. Blow that sucker up.

The choice was mine. I prayed that He would take this from me. I thanked God for never leaving me... and we pressed the button together.

KA-BOOM!

Christ conquered sin on the cross. We cannot save ourselves, but we can take claim of the greatest victory in all of human history. We did not personally defeat satan, but we can share in the celebration!

We do not have to live in shame. We are not the defeated. We are the victors. HE personally created you to be uniquely you. Satan will look for an "in" by any means possible.

Are you in a Swirling Vortex of Self-Deprecation? Blow that sucker up.

34 “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; 35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36 But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” LUKE 21:34-36

I Wanted the Saxophone #TBT

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:28:00 +0000

Almost everyone wanted the saxophone in Elementary School Band.

I wanted the saxophone.

First preference was given to children with some level of natural music ability. After they picked their instruments, it was narrowed down to those who are quick learners. Finally, it was down to the remaining few kids.

No dramatic twist here. I was not in the first group of kids, nor was I in the second group of kids. The saxophone went quickly and dashed my dreams of saxophone fame.

I got my second choice; the trumpet.

It wasn't that the trumpet was a bad instrument. It was difficult and required discipline to hit certain notes. I had not taken any characteristic evaluations in that early stage of my life, but I knew even then that "disciplined" was not a word ever used to describe me.

It only had three buttons (keys, or whatnot) but it might as well of had 20. How you blew into the trumpet, how you pursed your lips, etc. all had an effect at how it sounded.

I practiced at school. I sort of practiced at home. We had a big recital coming up for Christmas and I was ready. Sort of.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. Never before or after had I ever been in front of a crowd of that size performing in any capacity. I knew my parts in each of our songs very well, but dreaded one note.

I cannot remember which note; I believe that God graciously blocked that part out of my memory. However, I do remember the song. "Up on the Housetop".

In practice that day I tried the note 10 times - I nailed it once. I was as ready as I would ever be. The concert started and I saw my parents way in the back. We started and everything was going well. Two songs down and time for "Up on the Housetop".

As we went through the song I started to gain confidence. I actually started to believe in myself and think that it would be possible to hit that terribly difficult note. I decided to not only go for the note, but really belt it out at that crucial point in the song.

Somewhere a family of cats started to mourn. Clearly one of their own had been captured and tortured. They may have plotted revenge, but not on this day.

I went for it with everything I had. The note could not have been any further off and any louder if I tried. It was atrocious.

But at least I tried. I failed, but I gave it everything I had. So where did it go wrong?

Preparation. I practiced at home, but not enough. I halfheartedly readied myself when there was much more I could have done.

Playing trumpet wasn't my "thing". It never came naturally, nor did I have a passion for it. It was just something I signed up for. Even though it was fun to be part of the band, I was not fully committed to it.

Lessons you learn as a child rarely stick with you well enough to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. Why do we continue to be miserable doing something we do not enjoy? We have dreams for something more, but do nothing to make those things happen. Time to take action.

Never just quit. Form a plan. Then form a backup plan. Then set goals and work toward those plans.

Then you'll be ready. If your adult life version of the saxophone is taken away from you, will you just settle for a year of doing something you do not enjoy and then quit (like the trumpet)?

Instead, use that time doing something you don't enjoy to hone your skill-set to prepare for the opportunity to do something you love. The opportunities will not create themselves.

Time to stop settling for what hand we're dealt by this world, and start reaching for more. We're all a little off-key at times; maybe we're just playing the wrong instrument.

Connected by His Blood, Not Our Own - Church Family

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 20:02:00 +0000

Church family. Just like a real family, they're not perfect. You love them despite their flaws and they do the same for you. The difference in the two is the type of blood that connects you. In a church family you're connected by the blood of Christ.

Outside of your relationship with Jesus, your spouse and children, nothing is stronger than the bond you have with other believers through Christ's payment of sins.

The Bible does not say we have to go to church every week. Jesus very rarely spoke in a religious building when He taught people.

"When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them" Matthew 5:1-2

Even so, we're humans. Humans need other humans. We need each other for encouragement, to grow, and to hold us accountable.

Discipleship is key.. Matt 28:19 says "Go and make disciples..." Being trained... Training others... to GO.

So GO! :)

Human Jungle Gym

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:36:00 +0000

My wife warns me not to get down on the floor.

Every time I do it leads to the same thing. Human jungle gym.

One - if not both - of the kids come running directly at me and throw themselves on top of me.

I have four pairs of pants that have holes worn in both knees from playing on the floor with them. Likely my wife will comment with the correct number of ruined pants if I'm wrong.

Lee Dungarees... Can't Bust 'Em, eh? They clearly don't have kids. Those pants bit the dust as quickly as any of the others

Why do I keep doing it? Because I'm a big kid? That's part of it!

I realize there will come a day when they don't want to wrestle with their dad. They will stop wanting to do a lot of different things with me. I'll be completely uncool.

Until that time - or my knees go bad - I'll keep getting down onto the floor.

Monday Morning Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:20:00 +0000

Monday holds promise,
A fresh start to chase your dreams.
Don't lose your focus.

So be not afraid,
Fear can rob us of our dreams,
But action kills fear.

I lost my voice once

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 20:47:00 +0000

I got laryngitis in the Summer of 1989. I had been on tour for six straight weeks and my vocal chords took a beating. I sat down next to my bassist, Tommy and I said, “Dude. I think its over”. We both wept. That’s when we wrote the power ballad, “I Can’t Believe its Over (I Wept)”.

A piece of me died that year. I got a cat to fill the void. I named him after the late drummer from my band, Billy. Billy really was late all of the time. We almost missed a gig in Moscow once because of him. Thankfully we made it because the people in Idaho are really nice. Did you know they had potatoes there?

Confession. That story isn’t completely true. I’ve never been to Moscow, Idaho. I’ve also never had laryngitis.

I did lose my voice once though. In Middle School always thought it would be cool to lose my voice. You’d get some attention and it would be kind of nice to not have to worry about talking for once. I also wanted braces so bad once when I was in 5th grade that I put aluminum foil on my teeth and pretended to have them. Not sure which was worse: the act of putting foil on my teeth or that three kids believed me.

Anyhow, I lost my voice once. It was not fun like my tween-self counterpart thought it would be. Not only was it uncomfortable, it was extremely frustrating. Everytime I would try to speak it came out in puffs of air and a squeaky sound that was rivaled only by the prepubescent versions of Hanson.

The harder I would try to speak, the worse it sounded.

The same can be said for anyone who is hot pursuit of their dreams. We work hard at our goals. We go to sleep late and wake up early. We’re spending hours of each day focused on our craft.

Then without warning we lose our voice. The brand that we worked so hard to build is not even recognizable anymore. We keep pushing on strong but that only makes it worse.

Work hard at your awesome, but wear yourself too thin. Let the world hear your voice, but make sure it never changes. Always be yourself.

Your voice is uniquely yours. Don’t ever let it die.

Oh… and that was terribly hard putting a picture of Hanson on my blog

58.11 There's Always Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 04:23:00 +0000

We all procrastinate from time to time. Some more than others.

I am one of the "some" who does it more than others. I trick myself into thinking that tomorrow is the day I get things together. Tomorrow is the day I turn it all around.

"I could do it today, but I'll start earlier tomorrow and have more time to do a better job".

"I do my best work in the (insert time of day here), so there's no point in doing that now".

"It won't take me anytime to get that done, so I'll save that for later".

I am so over this.

Waiting until tomorrow means I might miss out an opportunity today. Putting of basis household chores until later only stresses out the wife... and sets up an expectation of being underwhelmed for the future.

If God cannot trust me with a day's worth of "to dos", how can He use me for anything past today?

It can feel overwhelming at the bottom of mountain looking up, but once you make it to the top you can feel proud that you accomplished what you set out to do.

This post is part of a blog series called "The 58 Degree Perspective" based on my original blog post "The 58 Degree Perspective".

Things You Might Think, but Would (PROBABLY) Never Say

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 16:26:00 +0000

We all think things that we likely would never say in person... at least I hope not.

Stop smelling my food. You're robbing me of the taste molecules (half the taste is in the smell!).

Get off the phone and finish your... "business". So gross.

I like talking to you. I'd like you more if you were not a foot from my face.

I really don't mind eating at McDonald's.

Do you really want to know how I am doing? Or just making conversation?

Could you throw the rest of the chip bag away now that you've had your dirty hands in it?

Cannot wait for the Golden Girls marathon tonight!

I am going to pretend like I know what you said because I don't want you to have to repeat yourself... for my sake.

Wow. That was a long story. What did I do to you?

Does the food taste better when you chew with your mouth open?

That was a terrific belch (or fart). Think of how good yours are when they aren't rudely done in public!

I am only helping you today because I will need help moving in a month.

I hope you feel better.... so you don't give that to me.

These are all in fun! :) Any that you thought of that I didn't put on here? Add it to the comments!

The Hobbit and Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 18:15:00 +0000

I am glad I got to watch the new Hobbit movie with my Father in law and brothers in law last night, as has become the tradition for each of these movies.

However, the movie itself was "ok". The fight scenes were great, but the movie overall was dark. A lot of death and very little redemption. Many lives lost for nothing.

I realize that it's a fictional movie... someone else's take of a fictional book, rather... but it does make me think of our society.

Between terrorists groups killing thousands of innocent people because they think differently than they do... to people taking the lives of unborn babies in the name of a "woman's right"... to school shootings and random acts of chaos.... Senseless killing happens all the time.

It is easy to glorify killing in a movie because it is not "real". However, when we think about how bad things have become... we realize that it is all too real... and very close to our own back doors.

Our time here on earth is finite. It is not without end. We breathe a certain number of breaths and we're gone. It could be seen as depressing, but it should be motivating. It should inspire you to make the most out of life.

Invest in others... Show love... but above all else, seek Christ. Jesus isn't just a prophet or a "great man" in history. If you believe those things, but do not believe in Him as our savior, one of two things is happening. You either don't know much about Jesus or you're lying to yourself.

Jesus was never "just a man". He was fully God... in the flesh. He came to us because we needed a savior. A savior from our sins. God created us to live with Him for eternity... and He gave us a choice - free will - to do what we wanted to do. We always choose sin. We cheat, we lie, we lust, we kill, we directly disobey the very One who gave us life.

He could have just left us this way. Left us to our own busy, self focused lives while sin slowly kills our earthly bodies. He could have let Hell be our only option. He did not do that. He came.

He came for you.

He loves you too much to just let you go. He won't beg you to come to Him and He shouldn't... You should run to Him.

Light in the darkness.... The Hobbit may have been mostly dark with a few glimpses of light... The real world, however... it is very dark at times, but His light is always there. Shining as bright as it did on the night of His birth. The star lead the lowly dirty shepherds to the place where He was born. It lead them to their savior.

It lead them to the Way. The Way, the Truth and the Life. The Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace. The Holy One. You can deny His existence, but it does not make Him any less real. You can reject the gift of His love and redemption, but your loss is Hell's gain.

Just like the characters in the movie, you do not know when your time will be. Be ready.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him. Matthew 24:44

The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Matthew 4:16

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment Hebrews 9:27

58.10 Rear-view Mirror

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 02:21:00 +0000

Imagine you're driving and you decide it is time to switch lanes. You look in your side mirror, beside you and then over your shoulder to see if anyone is there. If not, you turn on your signal and check again.

Then you switch lanes. It really is that easy. But sometimes we over look the most important detail of all. The following words that are printed on your car's side mirror.

"OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR".

If we misjudge how far a vehicle is from ours, we could be putting ourselves in serious danger. We can do the very same thing my misjudging things in our own lives.

We assume we have all the time in the world, but we forget that things often are outside of our control. We think we put off important things until later, but later comes sooner rather than... well, you get the point.

If we instead assume that tomorrow is not promised and that nothing lasts forever, our perspective starts to change.

Today is the day to START doing what you've been called to do. Once you know your dream, go for it. Start today and don't look back.

Relationship Voltron

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 01:55:00 +0000

I am in love with my wife. Not in a "I'm married to her so of course I love her" kind of way.

I love her in the "she's my best friend in the entire world" kind of way.

No one gets me like she does. She laughs at things others mind find silly and she is one of a handful of people that can truly make me laugh too (Yes, I'm high maintenance).

They say that the longer a couple is together the more like each other they become. That is us. Some might find our humor lame and not get what keeps us going. I see it as the opposite. We are truly better together.

One thing that has kept us so close and our relationship so strong is that we share another relationship. A close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Add in God the Father and the Holy Ghost and you have yourself a relationship Voltron.

What is Voltron you ask? It is a group of space explorers that pilot robot lions who join together to form the giant robot with which they defend their galaxy from evil.

So yeah, we're kind of like that.. in a non-robot lion, saving the galaxy kind of way.

We are a team though. When we communicate to each other how we feel and involve Christ in everything we do, we are unstoppable. We've been married for a few years now (it will be 12 years next month) and we work at our relationship.

Butterflies and lovey dovey feelings are easy to obtain. True love is hard work. Once a couple realizes that it actually gets easier to manage.

I love you sweetheart. Sorry I compared our relationship and faith in Christ to a giant group of galaxy saving robot lions.

Random Passing Thoughts, Iss. 15

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 02:42:00 +0000

One of the blog series I used to write was called Random Passing Thoughts. I really miss writing those.

Speaking of missing things... Many of us missed Hostess and rushed out to buy some. Then we realized that Twinkies aren't real that good.

Speaking of buying Twinkies.... Not sure why I did. I don't love them to begin with.

Speaking of not being sure... I have no clue where I am going next with this blog post.

Speaking of clue... remember that game? It is not as great as it was back in the day.

Speaking of not being as good as back in the day... you ever go back and watch old tv shows you used to love, but now after watching them again you're not sure why?

Speaking of old TV
shows that you aren't sure why you ever loved them... Have you WATCHED Alf recently. Bad.

Speaking of bad... there is a lot of it out there.

Speaking of out there... That's where I'm putting myself so that you know the real me.

START - Day 5/6

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 01:51:00 +0000

Consistency can be an elusive trait to own. We will never stumble into it by accident. We cannot work toward it half-heartedly either.

To paraphrase Steven R. Covey from the "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" we not only need the knowledge on how to develop a habit, but we need the ability and the desire as well.

I have the ability and the knowledge on how to stay organized at home and work. Yet I clearly lack the desire to do so, or it would be a habit by now!

I have the desire and the ability to keep my blog updated daily, but lack the knowledge on how to keep it going when life gets in the way.

I want to be consistent in everything I do in this life. I want to make promises and always follow through.

Sometimes I make the mistake of covering the idea of consistency with the cloak of monotony. I see being consistent as always doing the same actions over and over again, but that is not the truth. To be truly consistent we have to have a single thread that runs through everything we do.

I feel like real consistency is having the desire to not just believe in my ideas, but actually perpetuate those thoughts into tangible real world actions. Each day doesn't have to be exactly the same. It is the driving force behind what you do that becomes unchanging.

Every word written to this point is negated if your consistency is not rooted in good and pure motives and a desire to improve the world around you. Consistency at being inconsistent does not count.

To be consistent in a positive way is about building a legacy with word and with action that future generations can carry on.

Every person everywhere should want that for themselves. We are a selfish people. Why not be selfish about being consistently good?

START - Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 03:01:00 +0000

In today's blog post I really want to write about.... hold on. Son is awake again.

15 minutes later...

As I was saying, I really want to write about dis... why is the cat running up and down the hallway wanting to play NOW of all times? I hope he doesn't wake him up again....

Anyhow, today my blog is all about distra...man does my wrist hurt. Between all of this typing I'm not used to doing and pulling weeds last night my wrist is throbbing.

Breath... Stay calm... and focus.

Today is day four of the START experiment and I'm finding plenty of things that can distract me. It is taking my focus away from the tasks at hand. Some of these irritants are always present I believe, but now that I'm doing something more than just watching TV they are now morphing into distractions.

The second cause of distractions are self inflicted, nearly ADD level tendencies to have my attention drawn away by the simplest thing. Like the dogs in the movie Up I am more or less saying, "Squirrel!"

Beyond that I like to believe I'm truly onto something. Maybe the reason distractions happen is because I'm finally doing what God wants for my life. I am starting to feel like I could possibly do something much larger than me.

If that is true I want to view distractions as a worthy, but beatable opponent. If I can punch fear in the face, I can dance past distraction while its not paying attention.

I will keep going strong. Maybe the only thing that comes out of these 24 days is me knowing myself better than I did on day one. If that's all I get out of it I can still be happy. Anything above and beyond that is just additional blessings that I do not deserve, but would humbly accept.

START Day 2/3

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 02:58:00 +0000

As I continue through this experiment I cannot help but feel blessed. I have group of 23 other dreamers who are at different stages in their lives. Some have already worked hard and are so close to their dream they can reach out and touch it. Others are about halfway there.

For me its about finally taking MY road less traveled.

From ChasingaMiracle.com

Last week my wife and shared one of those rare moments of child free conversation. I blabbed on and on about this experiment while she listened with interest, as she has always done.

In discussing choices that we make in life a thought kept coming into my mind.

What if we made different choices at key points in our lives?

If we had not left our apartment to live in a small "mother in law" suite (both of us thought the other one wanted to live there to save money - we both hated it) we would have never been motivated to buy a house.

We also may not have learned the valuable lesson on communicating to each other. One item after another popped in our heads about what would have been different had we not made that initial decision to move into what we affectionately refereed to as "the box".

Same goes for our relationship. We missed meeting each other multiple times, but finally did at a school dance - her school's dance - that I went to with a friend. The choice to go to the dance ultimately lead to my girlfriend breaking up with me. At the dance I met her, I shook her hand and we danced.

We would eventually start dating, get married and have two wonderful kids. All because of a decision to go to a dance that wasn't at my school and was far from my comfort zone. One decision affected the course of our lives.

It does not have to be big decision either. Holding a door for someone and smiling as you say "hello" to them. You may have turned a day around that otherwise could have ended tragically. Choosing to forgive someone instead of holding a grudge may melt a heart of stone. Taking the high road at work when you don't get what you want can cause others to see that something is different in you and cause others to follow suite.

Everything happens for a reason. You are reading my words at this very moment for a reason that you might not know yet. Maybe you're hurting and need to know someone cares. Maybe you're struggling with someone and need someone to pray for you. Maybe you're afraid to fail so you won't chase your dream with everything you have.

Now is your time. You cannot change your past. You can reflect on it and see how your decisions affected you and others. You can, however, change your future.

The trajectory of your path to excellence can take a sharp turn upward today. The decisions you make today will affect you and others around you for many years to come. Is that scary? It most definitely is. However, it should also be exhilarating.

You cannot do anything about the decisions you made leading up to this very moment, but your future is up for grabs. Every decision matters. Every good choice paves a path to excellence. Every poor decision sets you back a few steps.

Make a decision today to build your legacy one choice at a time. I'll be praying for you as you do.

START - Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 02:38:00 +0000

As Day One of the START Experiment comes to a close I feel closer to my goals than I ever have.

I wrote a couple of chapters in a short story I started years ago. I never finished it and I'm starting to understand why. What if I finished and it was terrible and no one liked it?

Now I know the answer to the question. Maybe the story is not perfect, but neither am I. Just as God is still working on me, I must keep working at my passion. I must keep on fighting fear. I must beat fear like Batman and Robin beat the villains.

Fear just got a Batman styled butt-kickin' today.

BAM!
BIF!
POW!
BLAP!

Over 2,000 joining together for one purpose. To kill the fear and rise above normal. To stop being ok with being "ok".

I am so proud of everyone doing this. I read the stories and continue to get inspired. I know longer feel jealous of other people's accomplishments. I only want to celebrate them and gain an even greater confidence that I can do it too!

Day two... we're ready for you. Are you ready for us???

START Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 02:47:00 +0000

Over 2,500 people have joined together for an experiment. It all starts tomorrow.

Some of us will be unaffected by this "experiment"; some of us will never be the same.

I'm hoping for the latter.

It is a "START" experiment that was created by the author, Jon Acuff. I'm excited, yet nervous. Excited that I might finally do something with my dreams. Nervous that I might finally be pushed outside my comfort zone.

I have made promises to myself that I have not kept. Everytime that happens my dreams die a little bit. I move further away from the me that God intended me to be. I cannot let that happen anymore.

It is time to go toe to toe with fear and win. It is time to punch fear in the face.

Fear is going down.

God help me be who you made me to be.

58.9 - Back to the original 58

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:11:00 +0000

I started a blog "series" entitled "The 58 Degree Perspective" a few years ago.

The blogs help show the different ways we look at life and how sometimes we all just need some perspective.

As weather in Ohio took a turn for the awesome, I thought I would revisit the original concept.

We spent a lot of time this weekend enjoying this beautiful weather. I breathed the air in deeply and felt a little more alive than I had as of late. Spring was on its way and we can finally start to thaw.

As the weather turns nice, folks will not appreciate it for long. The same people who complain about the cold will find all new reasons to complain.

"Yay. Warm weather. That just means bugs are coming back soon".
"This weather change keeps messing with my sinuses. I cannot catch a break".
"Better not get used to it. I'm sure it will get cold again".

Weather has become the bridge over the great conversational divides we have; race, religion, hobbies all are forgotten when the weather is mentioned. It is only natural to shift to the next available weather topic. However, when we start digging for things to complain about, we have a problem.

Being content does not come natural to us. I'm not sure if it has always been that way, or if it is a fairly recent societal development. Regardless, we nearly have to force ourselves into accepting the good things happening now without thinking about the impending problems of tomorrow.

Accepting the way things are and embracing our happiness can help us find a new appreciation for our lives and the world that surrounds us. That's only part of it.

Knowing Jesus.. accepting His work on the cross as a payment for our sins. That's the next and greatest step of all. Happiness is circumstantial, joy that comes from Christ is not.

Once you have that joy, it cannot be taken away. So the "what ifs" of this world become "so whats". There's nothing this world can do to take away your salvation. When you have Him in your heart it makes the "good" days better and the "bad" days a future testimony for His goodness to us.

As the weather warms up please take a moment to enjoy it. Breathe in the fresh air. Take a walk and soak in all of what God created for us. Live and appreciate your blessings. Everything is temporary. Just like spring, our lives are only just a season.

SBBS 1.7 - The Substitute

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 02:59:00 +0000

Season 1, Ep. 7 - The Substitute

Plaid Jacket + mullet = Dreamy!

I probably should have waited to show the picture you see to the left. Now that you have seen it, you probably will not read this now. He is one fine slice of man cake.

You are thinking, "I never had a substitute like this guy". I hope you are right. I hope you have never had a substitute who was clearly being ogled by minors in his classroom, who lead his first class by roleplaying Romeo and Juliet and who asked the girls to come sit with him while eating at the Max.

Creepy. These things happen all the time, but never end well. If you are the creepy teacher, you either have a cronie of Nancy Grace camping outside your house, or you have someone play you in a Lifetime Original Movie.

At the end this substitute teacher seems shocked that the teenage boys are being upstaged by a man. So, instead of "manning up" and just teaching the girls what "five to seven" means, he played along with the actress the guys hired to be his fiance'. He is smooth.

Professor Dreamy only lasted an episode, but he raised the bar for all of the boys of Bayside High. He also raised the awareness of Principal Belding that hiring without a background check or references is not the best idea.

SBBS 1.6 - Aloha Slater

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 03:29:00 +0000

Season 1, Ep. 6 -Aloha Slater

For Zack Morris only one thing mattered. From the moment he woke up at 4 AM to start working on his hair, to the point he went to bed he was thinking about girls. Things were going well for him in that department as he only had a few nerds to contend with.

Then along came AC Slater. He was everything that Zack wasn't; tall, strong and athletic. So when Zack found out that Slater's dad was possibly being reassigned to Hawaii, he pounced on that opportunity.

Zack did everything he could to convince Slater he needed to move on. All the while he tried to convince the girls that Slater was dying.

Slater had moved around a lot and finally found a home in Bayside. Though he had always wanted to go to Hawaii with his dad, his priorities changed. He no longer desired yet another move to a city where no one knows him. He finally found a place he called home.

Even though he didn't like the competition, Zack really started to find a friend in AC. What felt so important to him at first, really didn't matter... and what really didn't matter, became very important.

SBBS 1.5 - Screech's Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Speakman) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 02:37:00 +0000

Season 1, Ep. 5 - Screech's Woman

You've heard this story: Boy falls in love with girl. Girl turns out to be not real. Girl is actually a guy.

Screech got "Catfished".

Though that term wasn't made popular until years after this episode, and technically he never experienced that "gotcha" moment that truly defines the Catfish hoax.

Everything leading up to it, however, is exactly the same.

Screech loves Lisa Turtle. Lisa loves clothes, money, herself and - in this episode - some other guy. There's a scene where Screech runs toward Lisa with open arms. She seemingly is doing the same thing. However her open arms aren't for Screech.

Zack is teamed up with Screech for a science project. It is going really well, until Screech gets his heart broken in the aforementioned rejection at the MAX. Zach immediately becomes concerned with his buddy's well being. Not because he cares for him, but because his ticket to a good grade is bumming hard.

He searches high and low for a girl to date Screech. Instead of just giving up, he takes one for the team, Team Morris that is. He decides to dress like a girl and go out with Screech.

Enter "Bambi". Screech truly was interested just in what a girl liked over anything else. Why "Bambi" had to look like a 45 year old diner waitress from the 70's is beyond me.

Zack learned that there's always a point of going "too far" when it comes to messing with someone's heart. Society as a whole is far from learning that lesson. We toss the word "love" out so often we water it down and make it unrecognizable.

We trample on the sanctity and sacrifice in marriage. Few can even empathize for another human being anymore.

Zach learned that love isn't something to be manipulated for our own gain. If only other folks could get that memo. Maybe they should watch this episode! :)