Archives For Personal Thoughts

Creative people are usually a little….different

Sam —  July 12, 2011 — Leave a comment


To be someone who doesn’t just think outside of the box, they smashes the box they were meant to fit in, means you have to think differently.

Sometimes you even look a little differently.

Dress a little differently.

Act a little differently.

 

 

When you think like that, it seems strange to most and will probably make you feel like an outsider.

That is until people begin to see what it is that you have created.

You weren’t intended to live your life in the confines of a box that someone else created for you.

God created you to be you. One of a kind. Special.

You were created for the purpose of leaving a lasting mark.

Not so YOU can be remembered…so HE can.

What makes you different? Unique? You?

 

 

* Side note – I couldn’t find an actual picture of Jesus, so I went with this one.  Also, I am not saying that any of these people are on the same level as Jesus or that Jesus was crazy. So, lay off!!!

 

** Side, Side note – Can you name everyone in those photos? The first person to guess them all will win a free Otter Pop!

 

In Creativity, Personal Thoughts
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Should I or Shouldn’t I?

Sam —  April 25, 2011 — 1 Comment

I know that I struggle with blogging consistently. Let me give you a glimpse as to a couple of reasons why.

1. My wife and kids are my priority. When life gets hectic, the first thing to go for me is blogging and social media. I think Facebook, Twitter or just surfing around on the interwebs can be a great time waster. As I learn how to best leverage technology, I use it and then walk away from it all the time.

2. I am concerned about what I might write. I honestly don’t want to offend anyone. But the truth is some of the most interesting things for me to write about would be what I read or hear from others that I disagree with. That could lead to me hurting some people I really like. I don’t want to do that…do I?

3. I don’t want to be too honest. It would be nice to write EXACTLY how I am feeling. I just think that it could be a little shocking at times and also a little inappropriate. But it might be therapeutic for me too. Hmm….

Ultimately, I need to blog. I have so much going on in my brain and I need to find an outlet for it.

I am a creative individual.

I have thoughts, ideas, dreams, passions and just crazy randomness that I need to get out of my system.

Should I or Shouldn’t I Blog Again?

The answer is that I should.

Will I be consistent?

I am not really sure.

In Creativity, Personal Thoughts
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Confession Wednesdays #14

Sam —  May 5, 2010 — 1 Comment

Every Wednesday I share a personal confession of my own and all I ask from you in return is that you leave a comment to share a confession of yours as well. So, here goes…

I fell into the zebra exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo.

The rumors are true.

About a month ago, Dana and I took the girls to spend a day hanging out at the zoo.  Abby wanted a map so she could guide us to her favorite animals.  Our first stop was the zebras. Abby and I were right at the rail of the exhibit when she accidently dropped her map over the rail.  My wife told her it was gone and we could just get her a new one.  Abby was still pretty upset and wanted THAT map!  This is when SuperDad came into the picture.  The rail was just a little above my waist and the map was right on the other side.  I thought I could just hang over the rail, balance myself to grab the map and prove again to my daughter that her dad is amazing!

I hung over the rail…

I lost my balance…

I fell into the zebra exhibit.

Abby screamed. My wife scolded. Everyone else just stared.

I had landed on my left shoulder and onto two agave plants.  After laying in the dirt for a second to soak in the moment, I made my way out of the enclosure.

To answer the question you all have…I got the map!

Dana continued to remind that we could have simply walked back to the main gate and got a new map for Abby, but that wasn’t HER map.

To help me remember the moment I have a small scar on my right arm from one of the agaves I destroyed and my left shoulder made a popping noise as I walked for about a week or so.

You will never look at the Zebra Exhibit the same ever again!

Now it’s your turn..

Have you ever fallen into an exhibit at the zoo?

Have you ever done anything more embarrassing than that?

What’s your embarrassing story?

Don’t be shy…I JUST TOLD YOU I FELL INTO THE ZEBRA EXHIBIT!!!

Comment below!

In Humor, Personal Thoughts , , ,
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Confession Wednesdays #7

Sam —  March 17, 2010 — 12 Comments

Every Wednesday I share a personal confession of my own and all I ask from you in return is that you leave a comment to share a confession of yours as well. So, here goes…

WARNING: This confession is a little gross.

I still giggle like a little school boy when people pass gas.

How immature is that?

I am not really sure what’s funny about it but it just is.

The sad part is my two little girls now laugh hysterically after they let one rip….AND then I end up laughing too.

It was funny when I was a kid and it’s still funny today.

Now it’s your turn….IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH..

Am I disgusting?

Are you ask immature as I am?

Are you one of those people that likes to leak one out in a crowded area, walk away from the scene of the crime and then hide like a ninja to watch complete strangers experience the horror??

I want to know!

In Humor, Personal Thoughts
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Confessions Wednesday #6

Sam —  March 10, 2010 — 1 Comment

Every Wednesday I share a personal confession of my own and all I ask from you in return is that you leave a comment to share a confession of yours as well. So, here goes…

There are moments in my life that I wish I could do over.

It’s true.

I have regrets.

Bumper stickers and t-shirts that tell you to live your life with No Regrets are really cool…but I can’t relate.

Sometimes, it would be nice if life were more like a multiple level video game, where you were able to hit the restart button and get a retry.  This last sentence might have been a little too nerdy for you.

*RESTART*

I do have regrets.

I have hurt people with decisions I have made that I wish I could go and correct.

I have wasted so much time and would love to get some of it back.

I have taken some of my relationships for granted.

I have done/said some terrible things that replay through the recordings of my mind sometimes and still break my heart.

These mistakes have made me who I am…but they also had ripple effects that have negatively impacted others.

I hate that.

That’s why I it would be nice to have some do-overs in life.

For anyone that happens to read this blog and isn’t going to be joining  the Sam Frederick Fan Club anytime soon because of something I have done that has hurt you….just know that I remember it too.  It bothers me too.

The positive from this is that I am thankful to be a work in progress.

Thankful for grace.

For people that believe in me. Have forgiven me. Have challenged me.

And I guess I should also be thankful that there are no do-overs in life because it would totally SUCK to screw up again!

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

Do you have moments in your life that you regret?

Sharing the specifics of your regrets in the comment section of this blog post may not make the most sense today.

So, how should we respond?

I guess this would be my prayer for anyone who might read this.

Could you make time TODAY to ask for forgiveness for something you have done that you know was wrong? Something that hurt someone else?

Maybe it’s your spouse. Children. Co-worker. Boss. Or an old friend.

Apologizing is never easy…but confessing you were wrong can be a powerful thing.

And even more powerful than that…Forgiveness.




In Personal Thoughts
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Speak No Evil

Sam —  March 8, 2010 — 5 Comments

Have you ever had one of those days where you want to say EVERYTHING that is on your mind?

I am not angry today or anything, but I just have this urge to shoot very, very straight and say exactly what I am thinking.

That is a very dangerous place for me to be at.  I have always “enjoyed” being open and honest with how I feel.  I don’t struggle with this at all.  To be honest, this is probably one of the areas where God has been working the most with me on.  I tend to do a little too well at this.

Not sure if I just enjoy the sound of my own voice.

…or if I feel like I am the Golden Child that Eddie Murphy was searching for in the 80′s and I hold the answers to all of life’s questions.

Whatever it is, today is a day where it is very wise for me to keep my mouth shut.

I have learned that the things I want to point out or attack in others is usually  a weakness in my own life that I need to be working on addressing.

That’s why today I decided to do the smartest thing I could and simply keep my mouth shut.

But…

I am also INCREDIBLY sarcastic.

Sarcasm gives me an easy out to say what I want and just mask it as sarcasm.

So, if I say anything over the next few days on my Blog/Twitter/Facebook accounts that seems like it might be a comment about you or something you did….don’t worry about it…it totally is.

Did God create Sarcasm for moments like this?

Which monkey in the picture above do you most identify with today?

In Personal Thoughts
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Confessions Wednesdays #4

Sam —  February 24, 2010 — 7 Comments

Every Wednesday I share a personal confession of my own and all I ask from you in return is that you leave a comment to share a confession of yours as well. So, here goes…

Today’s Confession is brought to you today by my incredible wife, Dana Frederick!

Since it is Confession Wednesday, I’ll tell you that my secret is I am a HUGE  fan of the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer. I have no idea why, but I always get embarrassed when I tell people that I have read the books (maybe because it is targeted for 13 year old girls and I am nearly 20 years older than them). And I haven’t just read the books, I have read each of them multiple times, seen Twilight and New Moon more times than I can count, and keep daily tabs on KStew and RPatz. I refuse to think that I am addicted though (am I lying to myself?)

It started very innocently…being a youth pastor’s wife, I heard all of the girls whispering about Bella, Edward, and Jacob and asking questions like, “Who will Bella choose?”, “Will Bella become a vampire?”, “Are you for Team Edward or Team Jacob?” It was such a dominate topic among the girls that I had to find out what the obsession was about.

For three weeks my children spent lots of time playing independently and my husband went to sleep by the light of the bedside lamp. I completed all four books in record time (for me, at least). I can’t remember a time that I have read that much. It got so bad that when I finished Eclipse I had to go out the same night and buy the last book in the series, Breaking Dawn. I finished Eclipse around 11 p.m.

I’ve spoken to friends and family, some older than me and some younger, who are also Twihards. It isn’t that the books are incredibly well-written or easy to relate to (I mean, they are about vampires and werewolves). For me, it was an easy read with a main character who was normal caught in a very abnormal love triangle (making it a great read…if you are a girl).

So, I will be first in line at Target on March 20th to pick up my Blu-ray copy of New Moon and, I’m sure, will gather with my friends to see (another) movie marathon before the Eclipse premiere.  But, I will still say that, by no means, am I addicted!

So, what do you enjoy even though you know you are not the “target audience”?

Disneyland? Chuck E. Cheese? The Jonas Bros?

Now, it’s your turn to confess!

In Books, Entertainment, Personal Thoughts , , , , , ,
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What Matters Most?

Sam —  February 23, 2010 — Leave a comment

This past week Dana and I took the kids to spend a few days in San Diego with her family.  One of the hardest things about living in Arizona is not being able to be closer to the ones we love.  We know we are where we are supposed to be, but we also want to do everything we can to be with our family as much as possible.  The photo above captured one of the moments from our trip where Abby was watching dolphins swim with “Papa”, when one of the dolphins came right up to the side of the tank. It was a really cool moment that I just happened to capture and one Abby might not ever forget.

To extend on my post from yesterday about focus, are you enjoying those things that matter most in your life? Life might not be perfect right now, but don’t let those special moments pass you by.

Enjoy your friends, hug your children, travel with those you love and make memories together.

Maybe today would be a good day for you to go through some of those photos from times that you will remember forever.

Loved ones that are no longer here with you, but meant so much to you while they were living.

Trips that you never wanted to end.

Moments that meant so much to you that if you closed your eyes right now you can almost transport yourself back and feel everything you felt while it was happening.

It’s always good to remember those special times in our lives…to reflect.

Just don’t let the best times be in your past. Start doing all you can today to create new memories.

Your story is still being written.

So, what matters most to you?

What are you going to do today to start enjoying them more?

In Family, Fatherhood, Personal Thoughts, Uncategorized
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What are you focusing on?

Sam —  February 22, 2010 — Leave a comment

Don’t sweat the small stuff this week.

Keep things in perspective.

Focus on the things you enjoy. The things that bring joy into your life.  The bigger picture.

You may be in a season in your life that seems terrible, but what is it about this season that you can learn from, grow from, and use to propel you forward to where you want to be?

Finally, for the sake of those around you, don’t be a “Debbie Downer“!

(Oh..and that’s a picture I took this weekend of my daughter, Sidney ,hard at work on the beach. Notice she was enjoying the moment and wasn’t worried about the small things…like her butt crack showing.)

In Humor, Personal Thoughts, Uncategorized
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Unsought Advice – For Future Pastors…(pt. 2)

Sam —  February 17, 2010 — 2 Comments

• BECOME A LIFELONG LEARNER. Learn from everybody! Read books and not just the new “cool” ones, read the classics like Boenhoffer, Lewis, Sproul, Nee.  Also, read fiction, business books, leadership books, biographies.  Mix it up.  To be effective in having an impact in your community you need to hear other perspectives from both inside and outside the church.  If you look for opportunities to learn as often as possible I believe you actually learn the key to being an effective minister anyway….listening. Which brings me to my next point…

• OFFER YOUR EARS MORE THAN YOU OFFER ADVICE. I love the quote that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.  So true.  The best way to care for those around you is to simply learn how to ask the right questions and just listen.  Along with this, learn that when you are in a conversation with someone BE IN THE CONVERSATION!  Put your phone back in your pocket, stop looking around the room for the next person you are going to speak with and give whoever you are speaking with your attention.  If you have 30 seconds to speak or 30 minutes, give your best.

• DON’T MAKE MINISTRY A POPULARITY CONTEST. With social media like Twitter and Facebook, you have an opportunity to connect with a lot of great leaders that can become long distance mentors to you. It’s incredible how much access you can get to people that are doing some amazing things all around the world.  Just don’t chase the “cool kids” so much that you forget to connect with those that are around you.

• FAMILY FIRST I once had a friend of mine who was a youth pastor tell me about a night when he was in the parking lot of his church, heading to his car after a Wednesday night service.  His wife met him before he got to his car and, with tears in her eyes, told him she had been watching him talk to people the entire night.  Then she said, “I wish I was married to the same person that listens so well to everyone that talks to him and offers such amazing advice.” Always remember that you have a responsibility to your family first.  Make sure to create boundaries in your life that favor your family.

I have struggled with every single point I have shared over these last two posts at some point in my ministry.  Always remember to focus on the journey and not just the destinations.  My hope for you is that you would leave a legacy that you can be proud of, wherever you go and in whatever you do.

In Church Stuff, Personal Thoughts, Religion
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