"The Way I See It"

I have started going to Starbucks over the last few months. I know that is different because I do not drink hot drinks I get them and let them get luck warm then I drink them. Starbucks puts something on their cups called "The Way I See It." The reason they have this on their cups is found at: http://www.starbucks.com/retail/thewayiseeit_default.asp

Here is the reason Starbucks puts this on the cup: "Sparking conversation In the tradition of coffee houses everywhere, Starbucks has always supported a good, healthy discussion. To get people talking, “The Way I See It” is a collection of thoughts, opinions and expressions provided by notable figures that now appear on our widely shared cups."

This past week I got Starbucks twice well I was at school. On my cup "The Way I See It" said this:

The Way I See It #196

The greatest leader is a servant. Don’t be a boss. Be a real leader, a servant leader. A servant leader is a winner. Even when he loses everything, even when he loses his life, a servant leader wins it all.

-- Pat Williams Senior vice president of the Orlando Magic.

Reading this quote really got me thinking. I started thinking about the greatest servant leader very to walk on the world. It made me think of Jesus who is known as the greatest servant leader. It says in the Bible:

"You know that those who are regarded as rulers of
the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high
officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to
become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
(Mark 10:42-45)

Think back to quote from Starbucks it said "Even when he loses everything, even when he loses his life, a servant leader wins it all." Jesus lost/gave His life for many yet He won. Think about that He was the greatest servant leader, He gave up things to come to earth to live a sinless life and then he gave it up by dying on a cross so I can have a relationship with God. He severed up His life so I might have life.

Thanks
Howden Matt Howden

"Signs"

I know it has been a few weeks since my last thought. The last one I wrote was the day before I left to Guatemala I have returned. I am going to get back to writing my thoughts each week. I was going to write a few weeks ago but the last few Saturdays I have been busy with things. Like hanging out with friends, a school "mock missions boot camp." Yesterday I was going to write but I was to tried to think and I was so tried I was falling a sleep at 3 p.m. So my new day to write is Sundays.

This is a thought I have been thinking about for a few weeks now. I was going to have lunch with a friend of mine, Brad is his name. We were meeting the first Saturday I was back from Guatemala. We were meeting in Brantford at a restaurant called Montana's . I thought I know where it is, I do not need to ask Brad how to get there. I was driving along on the highway and I saw a sign that told me to get off the highway at a different exit then I thought but I said to myself I know where I am going and this exit is to early. I drove to where I thought it was and I was wrong it was not there. I called Brad and told him I do not know where it is he told me where to go to get there. When I got there I said to Brad I saw a sign telling me to get off at this exit . If I would have followed the sign I would have found it faster and I would not have got lost.


I thought to myself what if I would have followed the sign how much easier it would have been to find it. Now I am going to start to follow more sign. It makes me think of the song by the Five Man Electrical band called "signs" The one line in the song goes:

Sign, sign everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

The second thought I had was that Jesus is like a road sign. He said thins like I only do what the Father (God) does. Much like a road sign points us in the right way to go to get some where Jesus point us to God the Father. We can choose to follow Him and see what happens, or we can do what I did and say I know how to get there and I am not going to follow the signs.

I am making Jesus just a road sign. He is so much more then that He is God in the flesh, He is the Son of God. But He points us to God! and I think that is sweet!

Thanks
Howden Matt Howden