January is out of the way and now we've landed squarely in February. 2023 is just a rollin' along!

The other day, I reassessed my goals. I slashed and burned. I felt like I did the right thing, honing the blade of my focus. Still, it felt...empty. Like I left a lot on the table. 2023 isn't about just getting by. 2023 is the year I reach a greater place; I climb to greater heights. I don't maintain. I want so much more—I need so much more than a chiseled physique and a beard down my chest—OK, so modeling after my barbarian ancestors can't be all that bad! The central focus of the Bible to scaffold everything upon is key, of course. But, after that, I don't haven't anything.

I fired up Xmind—incidentally, it was the first time I've run it on this new Mac. I threw a concept into it and just let my fingers do the walking like the old Yellow Pages TV ad.

...but, I just can't get into XMind—it's a whole lotta sizzle over steak! I ran with Freemind from '05 for a good long time. And today, I use its fork, Freeplane. Once I stammer "simma down na" to its default theme and rock that monochrome, Freeplane is a delightful playspace! When I'm on my morning coffee blitz, a mindmap funnels the extraneous into sweet, sweet Twinkies.

All of that aside, do you know what conclusion I reached as I mindmapped? A LOT of that ol' Dec 31 list! I did! Maybe not so much the specifics but the idea. Yeah, I want it.

Facebook

The mindmap made me re-evaluate my Facebook use.

"Should I Stay..."

• Connect with people and develop friendships.
• Encourage others.
• Showcase a counter to the culture.
• Draw motivation to achieve personal goals.

"...or Should I Go?"

• Promotes a divisive environment.
• Hyper-corrupts people or at the very least waters the weeds.
• Fractures/obliterates friendships.
• Encourages the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
• Drives behavior toward external validation instead of intrinsic motivation.
• Levies a HUGE opportunity cost!

I have to ask this of myself: does Facebook enable me to more effectively love God and love my neighbor?

Daily, I must take up arms again in the fight to humble myself—why extend that energy unnecessarily? Ultimately, it's an issue of trusting God whether He knows best or I do.

I'm sure Facebook is fine for other folks. They haven't spent a restless night grappling with the greater context; it's just a mindless thing to kill time, like a deep dive into YouTube just less suited to their personal tastes. God wired me a little differently: I see patterns...causal relationships. In these sandals, I gotta walk away.

Start With the End

Something that's being defined this year for me is the pursuit of my entire life. The reason. That ol' what do I want to be when I grow up? I look at this, Philippians 3:18–21—what do I do with it? Do I just give the Scripture a happy nod and just do whatever I want? Or, do I live a life that recognizes that THIS is true? ACTUALLY true. Just as prophecy foretold the coming of Christ, Scripture says what will happen to me. Prophecy concerning ME!

Let's stylistically break down the passage..."Billie Jean is not my lover..." Wait, wait, wait...no Moonwalk moves here.

Not my path:

For I have often told you, and now say again with tears;

• That many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
• Their end is destruction;
• Their god is their stomach;
• Their glory is in their shame.
• They are focused on earthly things.

My path:

• But our citizenship is in heaven,
• From which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
• He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body,
• By the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

And so, do I want down the road that is not mine? Do I exhibit behavior from that section? Or, should I recognize the path laid down before me?

It's a no-brainer—why am I an idiot? Easy. Check the sight picture.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:1–4