Good but not Right

Matthew 8:21-22
²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Last night my son Kai got out of bed to ask me an "important" question.  He comes up with all the most essential questions after he is supposed to go to bed.  When he came into the living room he saw that I was cleaning up the room.  Immediately he forgot whatever his primary excuse was for getting up and asked if he could help me clean up.

Doesn't that sound awesome?  What a responsible young 4 year old.  Of course I said, "NO!"  And warned him that if he got out of bed again he would be in big trouble.  He begged me to allow him to help saying, "But daddy, when  will I ever get to help clean??!?!!"  I wouldn't let him help, and 5 minutes he was crying in bed because there will never be anything for him to clean......

This morning, I offered for him to help me pick up some stuff before breakfast.  Guess who had zero interest in cleaning?  That kid!

Ultimately, his issue last night was not his heartfelt desire to be a helpful kid, it was his unwillingness to do what he was supposed to do...Go to Bed!  He is too smart to just say, "Can I watch a movie and eat candy??"  He says, "Daddy, let me clean for you"  Hoping that pretending to be a good kid will get him more traction with his dad to get what he wants. 

We create these false comparisons in our heads all the time.  Sure, I am not doing what I really should be doing, but look, I am doing something REALLLLLYY important right now.  We avoid primary responsibilities by filling our time with peripheral distractions.  The trick is that the things we use to avoid what is Right is not by doing something "bad", but in doing something that in a vacuum is a good thing as well.

In college I was the king of only cleaning my room if I had a paper to write.  I could guarantee that during midterms and exams my stuff would be spotless.  For weeks I had no concern about piles of laundry and unvacuumed floors, but the minute something I didn't want to do that I absolutely should do came up, I became a cleaning machine. 

Our ultimate purpose, the essential truth to what is Right and Good, is to follow hard after Jesus.  And when the call comes, we have all sorts of legitimate sounding reasons to put off the true life of Discipleship. 

I knew a guy in college who never had time for the things of God because he was so busy doing "school" and other such important things.  He most confidently assured everyone that once college was over he would be sooooo serious about Christ.  Guess how that worked out?  Just up and left his wife for another woman without warning 3 years after getting married.....

That which is the Right thing to do, is the primary thing we should do.  Not just what is "good".   

When the man tells Jesus that he will follow him after he buries his dad, he is saying, "I totally know you are a priority, but let me do this other stuff first."  The language doesn't indicate that his dad had just died, it indicates that he was just going to wait for his dad to die, whenever that might be.  See, he claimed he wanted to follow Jesus, as long as it didn't interfere with his plans.  

We want to relegate Jesus to a little convenient box in the back corner of our heart.  When we "need" Him, we'll pull Him out and let Him do His thing.   But, most of the time, we just want Him to keep quiet in there since we "got this".

There is nothing more essential, more valuable, more Right, than following Christ.  What are the "good" things that you use as excuses for why today is not the day you start?

Catching up on sleep?

School?

All that family "stuff"?

Gotta fix this "problem" first?

Waiting to "feel" more into it?

Once the kids grow up?  Or, you grow up?

If we start with that which is merely "good", we will never do that which is RIGHT.  If you prioritize that which is Right, we will find ourselves constantly successfully living within that which is Good.  When Christ goes before you, all the other issues that have been distractions to walking with Christ will be accomplished in ways beyond your imagining.  When we don't start with Christ, those things will never cease their consuming nature in your life.


No more "legitimate" excuses.  Become a disciple!

 

Is this how you deal with priorities?

 

Astonishing Jesus

Matthew 8:8-10
⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

There are many different ways my kids approach me when they need something.  The "how" often is much more important than the "why."  Consciously or not, we all do a bit of quick thinking evaluation of what is really going on when someone approaches us for something.  Attitude plays the largest role in how we discern the heart behind the request. 

When my son approaches me angrily I know before I even hear his words that it is going to be a request most likely rooted in selfishness.  His anger betrays his heart.  Sure, it might be legitimate that he wants "this", but his attitude informs me that it is all about him and God help those who do not bow to his wishes.  At that moment I exist, in his head, to simply be a conduit for achieving his self-centered desires. 

On the other hand, when he approaches me quietly and meekly, I know that there is a much different heart going on.  He isn't coming to demand, but instead to ask for help from the one person he knows is capable of helping him.  Usually, this approach follows earnest self-attempts to do whatever it is he wanted.  And when he realizes that he can't accomplish what he wants without his daddy, he comes hoping for help, knowing that I am capable.

When we read this account of the Centurion coming to Jesus to heal his servant we see a man who is outside of the Jewish community, but having a faith that amazed Jesus.  How would you like to have a faith that Jesus is amazed by?  All scripture is for our edification and so what can we take from this and apply to ourselves. 

I see two important parts to the visible display of the Centurions faith:

1)  Humility. 

"I do not deserve" was such a great line.  How many times I approach God with demands and expectations.  We treat God like a Holy Vending machine so easily.  Here are my prayer inputs....now....where are my goodies?!?! 

We cannot hope to approach the cross on our feet.  The only way forward is on our knees.  The very act of living with self-righteous justification towards our right to approach God with demands shows how far our hearts are truly from God.

Is God simply existing to be a conduit for providing for our desires, or, is He a Holy and Righteous King who exists not for our pleasure, but His own?


2)  Belief in the authority and power of Christ.

The Centurion doesn't just say, "do you think you can do this".  He basically says, "I know you can with no more than a word". 

I am about as far from the "name it claim it" camp as one can possibly be.  So, don't take this the wrong way.  But we live so often paralyzed in fear that God isn't who He says He is.  We do not live in the freedom and satisfaction of knowing that God is in control and is working all things to the good of those who love Him. 

We have a very limiting view of the problems we do have, and, the problems we may have.  They consume us, we allow anxiety and worry to rob us of hope and peace.  Do you know that there is a Limitless God who loves you beyond measure?  No matter the immediately "felt" realities of the difficulties in life, our hope is not in "today", but the forever Tomorrows.

The Centurion isn't just hoping that Jesus is who He says He is.  He trusts it completely, and humbly places his hope in Christs' hands.


How about you?  Let me challenge you, and me, to pursue a heart that is rooted in Trusting Humility.  Jesus is who He says He is.  And, we are who He says we are.  We have no right to ask Him for anything.  But He invites us to come to Him out of love and see that He is indeed who He promised He would be.

Savior

Healer

God With Us

King

Don't judge me, This is a pretty amazing Astonished Jesus

If I Had a Hammer

I Corinthians 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

One of the greatest life truths about how we operate as people is, "To the man with only a hammer, every problem appears to be a nail!"  Our tendency is to fall back on to what it is we are most comfortable with.  That which we feel we have the most success with. 

For example, if the only thing you know how to do when there is an interpersonal problem is to argue and fight, when there is a problem, your go to place is anger and antagonism.  Whether or not it is the most effective tool for that particular problem, it is what you know, so that's what you do.

Generally speaking, we are very one dimensional as people.  We adopt behaviors and mindsets pretty early on in our development and we stick to them.  Making new choices can be difficult, and, even painful.  So we avoid those.  Even when the "hammer" causes as many problems as it fixes, we keep using it.

A few months ago I went with a team of men to help build a turkey coop for a troubled boys home in rural Ohio.  No one told me that I needed to bring anything.  I really only own a hammer, so I did bring that.  Everyone else brought a truckload(no exaggerating) of power tools and other assorted specialty items.  Needless to say, when we got there, the only help I could provide was on those rare occasions they actually needed something hammered.  I felt pretty silly.

The problem in our lives is not just that we only have one or two tools at our disposal, but that we are constantly facing problems that are in constant flux.  You can clean up one mess, to only find yourself in completely uncharted territory that you still aren't prepared for.  It can feel like we are always playing catch up. 

But what if there was one universal tool that spoke directly to every problem?  One second it is a hammer, the next it is a power drill.  If you could invent that, you would have ALL the money.  Everyone would have a tool bench with this one miraculous tool that adapted to perfectly fit the need.

People are a lot more difficult than nails and screws, wood and metal.  Our hearts are an ever changing, and often hurting, cornucopia of heart ache, old wounds, new frustrations and anxiety.  And we often approach everyones problems with our very limited self-created tools.  And, sometimes it helps, sometimes it.....does the opposite.

There is one tool that is perfectly suited for every problem.

The Cross.

In the very midst of our labyrinthic messes, the Cross comes in and speaks the exact truth that is needed.  Applies the correct salve to the wound.  Picks up the very thing that has fallen apart.

Paul reminds us that the one power we have is that of Christ Crucified.  The cross.  For the very reasons your life is falling apart Christ went to the cross.

Your problems will always change.  What works today, will be broken tomorrow.  How you cope with something now, will fail  you later.  Only the power of the Cross will ultimately satisfy. 

What anger causing you to boil?  Christ died to give you peace.

What resentment is eating you up?  Christ died to bring healing.

What relationships are broken?  Christ died to restore you to fellowship.

What self-hate is destroying you?  Christ died to give you perfect and lavish love.

When we bring our hurts, pains, disappointments and concerns to the Cross, Christ tenderly takes them from our shoulders and hangs them there with Himself.  With Christ they die.  And through Christ you will live. 

If everything feels hopeless, come to the Cross.  Even if you don't believe it fully.  Come to the Cross.

Every problem is a nail.  The hammer is the Cross.

What will you do with the hammer? 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaWl2lA7968 (The song)

Touching A Mess

Matthew 8:3
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said.  "Be Clean!"  Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

When my sister and I were little we would often end up at my dads church to play while he worked.  They had an electronic super powered stapler that we were absolutely not allowed to touch.  It was the kind that you didn't push on, you just slid something in the slot and "BLAM!"  Staple in.  We had been told on multiple occasions how playing with it would lead to big problems.

Clearly, I was the well behaved child, so I listened and followed these instructions.  My little sister did not.  She stuck her thumb into the slot and had a staple shoot right through her nail and into her flesh.  At the time no one knew.  Though she was in great pain, she was sure that the pain of her impending punishment for disobeying would be far worse.  She couldn't get the staple out on her own so she just sat around whimpering while holding her thumb in her hand so no one would see. 

Being the sensitive and caring soul that I am, dripping with empathy clearly, I didn't even notice that she was so upset.  She acted fine enough that we got home without anyone noticing and it wasn't until my mom got involved that she recognized that my sister was not acting normal.  After holding her in her lap and gently asking what as wrong and telling her that she could share anything, my sister, through tears, showed her thumb while begging to not get in trouble/spanked.

My sister did not get in trouble at all(I am still bitter about that).  Instead my parents took her to get it taken care of right away.  They were sweet and loving with her as she dealt with the great amount of pain she was going through.

It's funny seeing how we can become so concerned about what people will think about our problem that we don't even share it with those who can help.  Though she was in excruciating pain the driving logic was that admitting she had done wrong and possibly getting in trouble would be worse.  Obviously, the logic of a child didn't think through the long term consequences of having a thick piece of metal jammed into her thumb.  She was too concerned with the fears of what COULD happen if she asked for help.

Leprosy is a disease you can't hide.  It is literally written on your face.  Arguably, the worst part of leprosy is that your disfigurement could make all personal relationships change radically.  You were disgusting, possibly contagious, dying.  Who wanted to be around you? 

In Jesus, this leper sees hope.  That someone would see him, not as a diseased and deformed monster, but as a hurting person with a condition that he couldn't fix on his own.  Would Jesus finally give him a life not defined by his problem?

What is powerful about this passage is not that Jesus healed the man.  We have already seen multiple occasions where Jesus is able to do the miraculous regarding disease.  What blows me away is this:  Jesus reached out and touched him!

The leper did not ask to be touched.  He asked to be healed.  A leper was not someone who could expect human contact.  Their flesh was literally rotting right off of them.  Who would want to touch that? 

Jesus healed the man.  But He did something even more profound.  Even before the leprosy was gone, even before the ravages of this mans problems were erased, He touched him.  He was not turned away and cringing at the sight.  There was no statement of, "Sure, I'll heal you, but can you stand a bit farther away??"  In the very midst of this mans mess Jesus touched him.

We are messes.  Absolute rotting, disgusting messes.  And often, when we are honest, that mess has a lot to do with our own choices.

So we hide from people.  We shut down.  Instead of transparency, we present the image of ourselves that we wish was true.  Like my sister was, we sit nursing great pain, but the fear of actually asking for help, and what might come from that confession, causes us to try to just endure.  And we never endure.

Jesus loved the leper enough to not be turned away by the mess that he saw in front of him.  No, he showed tenderness, love, intimacy.  He touched the disease with his own hands.

God's people are called to be Christ's hands and feet. 

Are you touching peoples messes with love?  Or, are you averting your gaze because it disgusts you?

Are you willing to trust that the hand that touches your mess is the tender hand of a loving savior?  Or, are you still believing the lie that you are no longer worthy of being loved like that?

We need to start touching messes.  And we need to start letting people touch our own messes.  Healing comes from being touched at our deepest level.  Stop hiding your face.  God calls you beautiful.

Finding Love on Valentines

1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Yayyyyy Valentines Day!

Sarcasm.....

Don't get me wrong.  I love LOVE.  I love loving my wife.  I love loving my kids.  In general, I just love love. 

But what I don't love is what our society tells us about what love is. 

Goosebumps, heart racing, sweaty palms, lust, attraction.

You know what is the common denominator about all of those feelings of "love" we are encouraged to seek and "maintain"?  They are about what that person does for YOU.  When we celebrate something like Valentines day we are giving gifts and having dinners to tell that person how pleased we are that they make us feel a certain way. 

Think of the things that you would typically hear on a Valentines date:

"You are so beautiful"

"You make me so happy"

"You do such nice things for me"

None of those statements or sentiments are themselves necessarily a bad thing.  But they are not the core component of what love is.  We dangerously build all of our romantical notions around the idea of what that person produces in us. 

And, when they no longer create that sense of euphoria and desire in you anymore, than you have "fallen out" of love.  Typically, the response of the world is that this is a sign that it is time to move on.  They don't make your toes tingle anymore like that barista at the Free Trade Coffee bar does, so, go find love!!

What is Love?  True love?  Selfless love?

Jesus laid down his life for those who were his enemies.  When Jesus went to the cross, he did not do it with the expectation that everyone was just going to start cleaning up their act and return his act of love consistently, or, at all.  But he did it anyway.  True love, the love that God designed us to desperately need, is found in not what others do for us, but giving up of ourselves for others.

When we live out of a sense of selfishness, whether consciously or not, we are creating a life where the love our soul cries out for will always be out of reach.  We will just keep roving, hoping that around this next corner we will finally find it.  But we won't.  Because Love is not about getting.  It is about giving.

Any time we base our satisfaction in the current status of our relationship based on the feelings it provides, we are in trouble.  When we commit our hearts to acting and serving in love without expectation of getting, but only for the sake of their receiving, a funny thing begins to shift in our hearts and minds.  We begin to discover a more permanent joy and satisfaction in the relationship.  A love that surpasses the giddy feelings of "first love(attraction)" begins to develop and shape your entire perspective.

Where is your heart today?  Are you still hoping to find love? Are you hoping to feel loved?

Begin to ask yourself who the primary relationships in your life are.  Spouse, kids, parents, friends, co-workers.  What would it look like to start loving them for their sake, and not yours?  Even if it could cost you everything. 

You can't do that alone.  In our imperfect and sinful nature we are constantly seeking self gratification.  Prayerfully and humbly come to the cross, seek the breaking of your selfishness, begin to make new choices that challenge the "comfort" of the ones you have made before.  To experience the love your heart desires, stop doing the things you did before.  Lay it down.  It is worth it.

Best cards out there!

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

One of the greatest challenge for evangelism in the modern age is the profound lack of intimate relationships with those outside of our "group".  Whether it is politics, lifestyle, or, religion, it is a far deal more comfortable to talk "about" another person/group than it is to talk WITH them.  Christians have become far too comfortable with talking at people and doing what I like to call, "Drive by Evangelism". 

My purpose is not to unpack the whens, why's and hows for how this came to be.  What matters is that it is wrong.  Deadly wrong.  And if Paul's letters in the New Testament are to be considered Scripture, then we must to be willing to engage our hearts and lives with the people who are in desperate need of the Gospel.  And, not just for the sake of the Gospel, but for the reality that the "other" is someone who is made in the image of God and we are called to love them regardless of the artificial and man made walls that may exist between us.

With that in mind, Nabeel Qureshi's new book, "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus", is an insightful and challenging personal story that does much, for me at least, to engage hearts and minds with the message of the Gospel in a "foreign" culture.

Regardless of the interesting information a book may provide, it is important to understand the purpose and themes the author intends to convey to be able to be accurately informed  by that information.  My reading of "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus"(SAFJ) led me to believe that Qureshi had three main themes he was trying to communicate;

1) Insider perspective on Islamic culture, especially that of 1st and 2nd Generation immigrant culture and families. 

2)  Apologetic argumentation.  Primarily for Biblical Christianity, but also for comparable Islamic apologetics. 

3)  Personal biography that served as a backbone for the "nuts and bolts" of Nabeel Qureshi's journey from Islam to Christianity.

To best evaluate the book I think it is important to understand and address each of these themes separately. 


Review of Theme 1:  Insider Perspective on Islamic Culture


As a Pastor of a small rural Church in the corn fields of west central Ohio, my personal familiarity with Islamic culture is very limited.  "SAFJ" was like drinking information from a fire hose.....in a good way.  In college I had taken an early Islamic literature course and had a very brief exposure to the culture.  On nearly every page I felt I was being provided with insights and information that blew away some of my misconceptions. 

I would contend, after reading this book, that most Westerners have a very caricatured understanding of Islamic culture, and for that alone I would recommend reading this book.  Qureshi did a fantastic job of not just explaining the information regarding his culture, but detailing how it practically influences behavior and familial relationships.  What was especially interesting was the explanation and examples of how Personal Authoritative structures(people that must be respected), and honoring those structures, take precedence over the Western ideals of Logic and Reason superseding personal relationships.  Coupled with a deeply interwoven Honor and Shame system of reinforcement it illustrated the great difficulty that trying to communicate across cultural lines creates.

The main weakness I have with this theme of the book is that Qureshi's heritage is far from normative for worldwide Islam.  Most people know that there are a number of "sects" within Islam, but learning the depth of those differences was very interesting.  And, Qureshi, in his journey discovered how much different his particular doctrinal and theological influences were than the majority of Islam.  It was eye opening to hear him retell a story where he listened to an Islamic Apologist(of his "tribe") go on a rant about how terrible it was that other Muslims claimed that their group were not truly Muslim.


Review of Theme 2:  Apologetics

If one is coming to this book antagonistically, I do not believe that they will appreciate his frequent, and limited, references to Christian Apologetic arguments.  While Qureshi is currently on staff with Ravi Zaccharias ministries, I do not think his main point was to make an airtight case for Christianity.  So, if that is what you were hoping to find, look elsewhere.  The apologetics served mainly as a narrative engine to assist in driving the biographical journey forward. 

If you already are on board with Christian Apologetics you will find it very refreshing to see how the reasoning for Christianity played a large part in Qureshi's faith journey.  But I would caution anyone to take passages from the book whole cloth as future arguments with non-believing or Muslim friends.  One of the strengths of the book is that each chapter leads you to review more in depth resources regarding that chapters particular theme.  If you are looking for more Gospel apologetics, utilize those resources, not the book. 

As more Islamic apologetics work their way into the narrative it was helpful to see how the Authority structures within Muslim thinking and scholarship effect the way they even approach answering "tough" questions.  Whether you agree with Qureshi's sentiments about the inability of Muslim history and scholarship being unable to withstand careful scrutiny, it can be very helpful to see how the typical Western thinking approach to apologetics is not necessarily helpful in "debate".


Review of Theme 3:  Biography

The backbone of the book, that which all the other points hang on, is by far the best part.  Qureshi does not desire to simply give you "facts and figures" to make a case for Christianity vs Islam, he wants to change your heart about Muslims.  There are many touching and heartbreaking stories that give real life to what really hangs in the balance.

If this book was just an apologetic or a cultural primer, it would not be that helpful.  By interpreting all the information through the lens of deep personal experience what changes will not be your mind, but your heart.  The end of the book brought tears to my eyes as I was deeply moved by the personal trials that this journey has brought to Nabeel.


Conclusion:

This book is a great read regardless of your intentions for reading it.  It was engaging, entertaining and very insightful.  In my life there are a number of books that I wouldn't recommend to people at certain places in life, but this is a book that I feel is universally valuable regardless of where they are currently. 

Full Disclosure:  I received "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus" as an advance copy for the purpose of reviewing it.  I do not personally know Nabeel Qureshi, or, any of his associates.  Nor have I ever read anything else by him, or heard him speak on any topic. Other than receiving the book for free, I will receive no compensation for reading and reviewing. 

When the Rains Come Down, the Floods Come Up

Matthew 7:24
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who builds his house upon the rock."

The other night I was hanging out at my wives place of employment waiting for her to get off of work.  I was sitting at the bar, nursing my diet Dr Pepper, when a regular of the place sat down next to me and started to chat.  Over the course of the conversation it came up that I was a Pastor.  After apologizing for his cursing(which I don't really care about), he asked me how I am able to encourage people when the world is so messed up. 

In the parable of the wise man there is an unstated accepted reality; The rains will come.  It doesn't say, he built his house on a rock so there were no storms in his life.

CS Lewis once said that our problem is not that we don't believe that God will see us through storms, we are just worried about how much it will hurt while we go through them.  We have bought into a philosophy of life that tells us that the highest ideal in the human existence is "happiness". 

This is a terrible lie.  This is a destructive lie.  It is a goal that when we set our sights on obtaining we are guaranteed to never possess it in permanent consistency.

What is happiness anyways?  How do you define it?  And there is the problem.  How do YOU define it?  While there is nothing inherently wrong with the experience of "happiness" it is an ambiguous and subjective concept that is constantly in flux. 

When I was about 13 years old my best friend and I spent an entire night sleeping in shifts so we could complete an entire video game in one sitting.  It was awesome.  If you asked me if I thought staying up all night to play video games was something I wanted to do this weekend, I would want to vomit.  As I have changed and grown and my priorities have evolved, what made me happy when I was 13 would do the opposite for me today in my 30's. 

We change. Sometimes we change daily.  When our goals for life become "to be happy" we have set for ourselves an impossible standard that leaves us always coming up empty in the ultimate sense.  If I based my future around the fun experience of staying up all night playing video games what would my life look like today?  When happiness becomes the standard we become arrested in our development and are locked in a spiral of ever decreasing experiential happiness.

Happiness, as it is most often sought for, is ultimately a selfish pursuit.  If happiness is the goal, it is rare that others will be brought into consideration.  And even acts of perceived selflessness are rooted in feeling good about oneself, or, helping create or maintain a personal image that gives happiness.  And, when there is no longer a direct sense of happiness being experienced by the selflessness that had previously been shown, it will come to an end. 

This goal of happiness does not protect against the ravages of the storms that the world throws at us.  We will all suffer at some point, if we aren't suffering now.  The foolish man builds his life on the sifting and ever changing sands of "happiness".  When life creates change, when circumstances eliminate the source of where you sought happiness, or, if the former source of happiness is now a source of pain, you are lost.

How do we help people(and ourselves) in a world that is full of such crap?  Where is encouragement found when this world is such a mess?

Our ultimate goal needs to be Truth.  The Ultimate, capital T Truth, is found in God and God alone. 

When we become rooted no longer in self, but Truth, there develops a sense and experience of security and peace.  The self is going to betray you.  The things you seek after for visceral momentary feelings of "happiness" will turn on you.  Instead, plant yourself on the unmovable foundation that does not remove storms, but takes the rain that floods and makes it rain that grows.

What are you seeking?  Are you seeking happiness, or truth?  If you seek happiness, you will have neither.  If you seek truth, you will have both.

Storms are coming, are you really prepared?