Life N Geer

SNOW!!!!  Tiffany and I get as excited about the snow as my kids do, though we do not last out in the snow as long as they do. I think it is the sense of change and adventure that it brings. Last night I was so excited the snow was coming I decided to stay up until it arrived.

The whole family went to bed and I found myself at about 1:30am chatting on king5.com’s website with about 1500 people all waiting for the storm.  People would report when the snow would fall in their city and together we watched it move up from the South. At 2:17am I noticed the flakes beginning to fall in Covington. I reported it to my new friends on King5.com chat and then promptly woke my wife to let her know. She was not as excited about it at I thought she would be. Finally at around 2:37am I finally slept with the anticipation of waking up to a winter wonderland.

I was not disappointed:  Today was a great day playing with the kids.  Snow angels, snowmen, snowball fights, and even snow soccer. Oh yeah, how could I forget? I was also a horse on all fours in the snow for Kyla until my knees and hands turned numb.  We spent the day creating memories that we will spend a lifetime sharing with each other even after we have heard the story a hundred times. I wouldn’t trade today for anything. Nothing else would have had the lasting effect on my family as spending a few hours in the SNOW!!!!

Kevin Geer  Jan 18, 2012 Uncategorized

I like lists. I really like check lists. I really really like check lists that I make for other people. However, now that I think about it, I am not always a fan of the check lists my wife makes for me. In fact, the more I think about that one, I don’t think I like check list as much as I thought I liked check lists. Okay forget it…so check lists have a mixed review, but here is a check list of some things we all should do every day.

• Laugh. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A happy heart is like a good medicine.” There are many things to laugh at. I at laugh at things my kids say, tweets by others, at my spouse (carefully), and recently the Broncos beating the Steelers. (That laugh sounded more like BWhahahaha.) I have found the best medicine for me is to laugh at myself. I am far from perfect so finding humor in my mistakes keeps me from giving up and helps me to continue finding joy in the journey.

• Hug. Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for man to be alone…..” Never go through a day without a hug. Even if you are not a hugger give someone a pat on the back. Life is better lived together then alone, regardless of your personality. I choose to be a giver of hugs. I am on hug nine and it’s not even noon yet. Though the random guy at Starbucks may have been a bit too much.

• Learn. I try to learn something new every day. This one is pretty easy. Learning often comes through reading, watching a documentary, my personal devotional time, or even just talking with people. It is the intentionality behind it that gives it meaning. Try to learn something new, and then try to apply it. I often will try using a new word I have heard. This has left me with red cheeks many times but that usually leads to laughing so in the end I killed two birds with one stone. (Psalms 119:15)

• Give Thanks: Depending on your situation this can be a challenge but giving thanks helps have the right attitude to overcome that challenge. 1 Thessalonians says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Beyond giving thanks to God, which is important, I try to extend this to others by letting them know I appreciate them. It’s amazing how even giving a quick text, tweet, email or phone call not only brightens someone else’s day but mine as well.

• Say “I Love You”: Life is so short. Take every day to express love to those around you. Don’t believe the lie, “They already know.”  Often the best “I love you” comes from the person you already know does. Say it daily and there will come a day you will be glad you did. (Philippians 4:1)

• Forgive: The last on this checklist is the hardest but it will help you accomplish all of the other things on the list. When you lay your head on your pillow at night, know that you hold no angst (my new word for today) against anyone. If you do, pray for them. (Luke 6:27-28) Don’t let a day go by carrying a weight you are not meant to handle. Forgiving will help you sleep better, live longer, and influence others.

What on this checklist do you still need to accomplish today? 

Kevin Geer  Jan 17, 2012 Personal

Being a parent brings with it many responsibilities. As a parent, I play a significant role in determining my children’s core values and future. One of the most important things I do as a parent is pray for my kids. Here are five ways I pray for each of my children:

• Health – Every one of my children at some point has caught a cold or come down with the flu, both of which they love to share with me. This is a natural time to pray for their health but this should not be the only time. I often pray for my children’s health; that God would protect them from sickness and give them good healthy bodies.

• Wisdom – I pray this nightly for my children as I kiss them goodnight. I pray that God would give them wisdom—that they would know right from wrong and choose to do what is right. It is in choosing to do what is right that real wisdom is shown. I strongly desire for them to make those wise choices.

• Ear, Heart, Feet – My children’s relationship with God is even more important than their relationship with me. (That previous sentence may be worth reading again and pondering.) I pray that my children will have ears open to hear God speaking to them, that they will have hearts that are soft that God can shape, and lastly that they will have feet that are obedient to where he leads them.

• Future Spouse – The most important decision my children will make after choosing to follow Jesus is who they will marry. I often pray for my daughters’ future husbands and my son’s future wife. I pray for them like they are my sons and daughter now. I pray that God would protect them spiritually, physically, and mentally as they grow up and I pray that they would love Jesus with all of their hearts.

• Love for Family – Lastly, but by no means least; I pray that my children will have a love for each other. A strong loving family that is indivisible is able to weather any storm. A family that loves God and each other is a home of peace, joy, and love.

In our home, above the fire-place, is a picture of all of us holding hands and at the bottom of the photo is Nehemiah 8:10 “The JOY of the Lord is our STRENGTH.”  This is a constant reminder to us to always seek the Lord and put Him first in our family’s life.

Kevin Geer  Jan 14, 2012 Family, Parenting

There are certain people in my family that can simply look at a plant and it will grow. They talk to the plants and they bloom. They sing and the plants sprout a whole new plant. I am not one of those people. What I can do is turn anything green and growing to brown and dead. In fact I am looking around my living room and kitchen as I write this and I cannot see one plant….Because I killed them all. In fact, my yard is almost the same way. Sure, we have pine trees—they grow in the Northwest with or without my help but any other plants—even grass—not happening. When we first moved into our house, I even weed whacked a rhododendron bush for a couple of years before I knew what it was.

This lack of a green thumb bothers me because I actually love plants. I love how they look in a room, the vast varieties there are, and even the smell of the flowers they can produce. The bottom line is I don’t have plants because I don’t take care of them.

Our spiritual lives are exactly like a plant. We want to be close to God. We want to wake up with worship in our mouths. We would love to see people they way God sees them, but too often we find ourselves looking at our spiritual pot with a dead plant in it. Then we spend time working hard to get that plant alive and just when we think it is getting healthy again we go into cruise mode and it slowly begins to turn brown again.

Here are five things I do to keep my spiritual plant healthy and growing:

• I have an established reading plan. I love my Bible app on my iPhone. It comes with several reading plans and will even read the Bible to you. I use this feature all the time when driving to work or a meeting. Here is the app: You Version Bible

•  I talk about what I am reading in my Bible. This was modeled to me by my parents. I would often hear them talking about what they read that day. It caused a hunger to grow in me to read. Sadly I don’t hear people talking very often about what they have read. I think probably for a couple reasons. For some it is because they don’t what to sound over spiritual. For others, it may be because they don’t want their friends to feel guilty for not reading their Bible.  I need to talk about it. The more I talk about it the more it gets into my heart and the more I live it out. I don’t preach it to everyone but I will slip it into conversation when it fits. I am amazed how often it does.

• I pray out loud. This is such a simple thing but can have such a huge effect on people’s prayer lives.  I have challenged people over the years to spend five minutes a day praying out loud and so often the response I get from them is that they can’t believe how much it helps. David modeled this for us. David often writes how he would open his mouth and cry out to God.

• I memorize Scripture in areas I am weak. Ok this one is crazy awesome. When I become aware of something in my life that is not healthy or Godly I start memorizing 1 or 2 verses on that topic. Then I repeat it to myself, sometimes even out loud, until I began to see a change. Psalms 119:11: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

•  I pray for others. I really enjoy this one. Whenever someone comes to my mind I try to pray for people. Then sometimes I will text them and let them know I was praying for them. Not in a boastful way, I just want them to know God’s on their side. So often I hear that is was just what they needed that day and I know that I know that I know….If God is watching out for them, He is also watching out for me.

My hope is that at least one of these tips will help your spiritual plant grow. You just might find that it is not as hard as you thought. You might even be surprised how much you enjoy it. I sure was surprised when I found out that bush I was weed whacking for several years had beautiful flowers.

Kevin Geer  Jan 10, 2012 Leadership, Personal

Wow!! What a game. Watching the Denver Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime was awesome. Watching anyone beat the Pittsburgh Steelers is awesome, but there is something special about watching Tim Tebow to do it. I am not an expert on Tim Tebow but I am a fan who has jumped on the bandwagon over the last half of the NFL season.

In full disclosure, I used to dislike the Broncos as much as the Steelers. Growing up in Montana and being a Seahawks fan was torture. We only received a couple of TV channels and they only aired the Bronco games. The Seahawks were also in the AFC West Division with the Broncos and that just added fuel to the fire.  I have forgiven the Broncos but never the Steelers… and don’t spiritualize this. That is one reason I like Tim Tebow—he doesn’t over spiritualize things. Here is a list of things I have learned from Tim Tebow:

• Tim Tebow always thanks God for the opportunity to play football and that he has a platform to share his faith. He does not say that God helps him win. (God is a Seahawk fan so that would be crazy.)  May I always recognize where God has placed me, wherever it may be, and take advantage of that to promote my faith in God. I don’t want to cower when it is not popular but with boldness proclaim my love for Him.

• Tim Tebow doesn’t give up when it seems almost everyone thinks he cannot do it. He doesn’t listen to the naysayers; he simply controls what he can control. There will always be people who will tell you your dream is impossible or what you are setting out to do is foolish. I want to stay focused on what I can control, listen to those who believe in me and love me, and then take care of what I can take care of. The door the Lord opens no man can shut. Rev. 3:8

• Tim Tebow expresses his faith in humility.  I love how he shared in the post game press conference about the child he visited in the hospital. Living out his faith is more important than any game. He does not ram his faith down other’s throats, he just lives it out. I remember when someone said they could tell I was a Christian just by looking at me. At first I was offended by that—I was foolish. I hope everyone can see just by the way I live my life that my faith in Jesus is real. I want to be different. I am.

• Tim Tebow is not perfect. I don’t even think at this point he is a great quarterback. Yet, I love that about him! I am not perfect and on this earth I never will even be close. I am daily reminded of my shortcomings, which if I listed would make this my longest blog ever. Through my shortcomings, however, I am reminded that God’s mercy is new every morning. So I carry on with the call God has placed on my life. I am not perfect but that doesn’t mean I am not useful to God.

Tim Tebow is not a Christophany but he does carry himself Christ-like, and that is why people are fascinated with his story. To me this story is not about whether Tim Tebow wins a Super Bowl but whether or not I can apply a few life lessons to my own life from a Denver Bronco quarterback.

Kevin Geer  Jan 8, 2012 Leadership, Personal

A few years ago I called the cable company because my bill was increasing and I really did not want to pay the extra money it was going to cost me.  While talking to the cable representative I kept getting the answer “NO” to every question I asked. Out of frustration I finally asked her, “Do you even have the power to say YES?”

You will never guess how she responded…. “NO!”  I had wasted 20 minutes asking questions of someone who only could answer with NO.

I came up with a life rule that day. I will never take a NO from someone who doesn’t have the power to say YES—pretty simple. If I ask a question of someone and they say NO I simply ask them if they even have the power to say YES. If not, then I politely ask to speak to someone who at least could say YES.  It is amazing how often a NO has turned into YES.

By the way, I got my cable bill lowered and I felt so good about it I called my mortgage company to get my interest rate lowered. They still said NO even though they had the power to say YES.  Oh well the principle is still true.

Kevin Geer  Jan 6, 2012 Leadership

It’s a new year and for me that means I begin a new adventure. For the last 8 years I have picked a subject to discover and study for entire year. It is an opportunity for me to expand my knowledge,  discover new hobbies, meet fascinating people, and even learn about myself. Usually about the month of November I stumble upon some subject that begins to get more interesting to me and by mid-December I am pretty sure I know what the adventure I am going to choose. This year’s topic came to me one night when I was flipping channels and landed on a TV show called NOVA. This episode was about how time is not constant for everyone but relative to each individual. Ok have I lost you yet. I was lost. I ended up rewinding certain parts of that show to listen to it again and again just so I could understand it. It was fascinating!  Over the next few days I became more and more interested in this topic and decided that this year I would pick Astrophysics as my yearly adventure.

Here is a list of steps that help guide my adventure during the year.

• I read 3 books on the subject
• I listen to a monthly podcast
• I spend a certain amount of money on the subject
• I talk to an expert or two in the field of study
• I take part in an experience that is subject exclusive
• Random other stuff – Like follow Grail A&B Moon mission or the Curiosity Mars Mission

I have so many stories I could share from the above years and I am looking forward to the memories I will create this year.

If you could pick a topic for a year what topic would you choose?

Kevin Geer  Jan 2, 2012 Uncategorized

I love playing games. The more strategy in the game the  more I enjoy it–games like Settlers of Catan, Space Alert, Monopoly, Acquire, and Rook.  Growing up I would spend many evenings sitting at a TV tray in front of my dad’s chair playing either Chess or Stratego.  I would lose over and over and over again but there was always this hope that someday I would beat him and what a day that would be. Every time my dad  beat me, either by putting me in check-mate or capturing my flag, he would always lean back in his chair and laugh. Not the kind of laugh that is demoralizing but a laugh of enjoyment and delight. Maybe it was this laugh more than anything else that kept me coming back time and time again.

For Christmas my wife got me a Stratego game. This is the first time I have actually owned the game in many years and was excited to teach my kids. Connor and Morgan have enjoyed playing it a lot. Everyday they ask if they can play against me. Last night while I was watching the Alamo Bowl my son set up a TV tray and we played. I am always the blue team. When they beat me they can be blue.  They really want to be blue. After beating him two games in a row I leaned back in my chair and this delightful, joyful laugh came out. Connor smiled big and asked to play one more.

I haven’t lost yet and have heard the kids talking strategy with each other about how to beat me. The truth is, it’s not about me winning all the time but more about making them work hard for a victory that someday they will achieve. When they achieve it they will remember it forever. Then I will teach them Monopoly.

Kevin Geer  Dec 30, 2011 Family, Parenting

I am writing this from my phone. Just checking out how well this works. If it does I will absolutely love it.

Kevin Geer  Dec 29, 2011 Personal

I have been here before… 2008 I launched www.lifengeer.com and this was going to be my new blog. It was for about 4 months and that was the end of that. The site is still live if you want to jump over there and check out some early writings. Now it is 2012 (in the next few days anyways) and I am going to start-up again. This time maybe I can last for a little longer. They idea came to me when I was writing a 40 page paper, it was my last paper for my Masters. I enjoyed the writing more than I want to admit. While I know I am not the best writer,  I also know you only get better by writing. So the journey begins. I have lots to write about. I even have a topic list in an Evernote file. From Evernote to this Blog is the goal… On your mark, get set, GO!!!

Kevin Geer  Dec 28, 2011 Personal