Sticker shock!

Well, what did you hear in Bryan's story? I expect various men in various foxholes picked up on various details. And that's kind of the point. We have made a conscious decision in 2018 to leave the foxhole times less structured and allow the Spirit to take you wherever He sees fit. To facilitate that, the foxhole follow-up conversation will revolve around the same three questions each month:

• Follow-up 1: What did you hear?
• Follow-up 2: What applies to you?
• Follow-up 3: What are you going to do with it?

So last week, I told you that I heard a guy who was generally angry about his marginless life, but was at least recognizing that something needed to change and had started working toward that. This week the attention turns to application. It's easy to run ahead on these questions, but I really encourage us all to take time to marinate in each week's discussion and listen to our brothers as we process these things together. Listen to the podcast again if you want, at https://www.convoynwa.org/, under the Audio tab. 

I really liked the conversation Bryan had with his daughter after their basketball team lost 50-2. When my life gets overcrowded and over-scheduled, it's almost always because I took on "just this one more thing" without stopping to consider how or where it was going to fit in or what else would take a backseat as a result. Bryan didn't discourage his daughter from making the commitment to do what she would need to do in order to become an elite basketball player. But he wanted to be sure she understood the cost involved. There's nothing wrong with becoming an elite "fill in the blank". Most of the things we commit to are worthy endeavors - no one would look down on us for making the investment to be excellent in our execution of them. But it is an investment. Some are big and some are small. Some are short-term and some last a lifetime. And some just seem like they're going to last a lifetime! But make no mistake - every time we say "yes" to this, we are by default saying "no" to that. 

There's something I have done way too often - perhaps you can relate. Instead of counting the cost, I go ahead and commit, and assume I will figure it out later. And I do, sort of.... Most of it gets mostly done, though not always very well and hardly ever in a way that leaves anyone smiling. My wife calls it "task mode". There is no joy in "Task Mode Land". I regret to say that some of my most cherished relationships have been damaged by thoughtless things said and done while I was in task mode. Was making and fulfilling a commitment to that "one more thing" worth it? Probably not, but by the time I got around to counting the cost, it was too late.

"For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?"  - Luke 14:28.

Represent well this week, men. Heads up, eyes open!