Book of Cool and Practice

This entry won't win any awards, but it might point you to a cool gift. No hints. Check out the Book of Cool. It is an instructional DVD set for many things that most guys would say is really cool.

I must confess that I think it looks pretty cool I'd like to be able to do all of those tricks. I am afraid, though, that just knowing how to do them is only a small part of doing them. If they are like most things worth doing they involve skill. This means you have to practice.

I am reading Steve Pavlina's blog pretty regularly now-a-days, and he has an interesting idea about how to acquire new skills. He uses the analogy of progressive weight training. It is really a great analogy. Maybe it woud apply to the skills one could acquire from the Book of Cool.

In the arena of the faith, it reminds me of the testimony of Steve Childers an RTS professor. He had a guy disciple him from being an atheist to being a church-planter and seminary professor. The guy had a very definite path of discipleship. At various points he had Steve read particular books, speak in particular venues, witness to particular types of people. Each step depend Dr. Childers understanding of the faith, himself, and others. After working that out they guy moved him to the next level until he was ready to replicate the experience with another young believer.

I thought this was a very interesting idea. It also makes me think of Dallas Willard's idea of spiritual disciplines. They are not an end in themselves, but they are to prepare you for situations in which you will need the skills and character you have developed. John Ortberg, commenting on this, compared it to athletics. You don't expect o be able to pitch a perfect game with no practice. Spiritual disciplines are like practice for a godly life, but they are not the godly life itself. They help you best love others and give glory to God in the best way when the time comes.

Well, off to bed. Enough rambling for now.