leprechauns in mobile
This may quite possibly be the funniest thing I have ever seen. You have to watch it and share it with everybody. Apparently, this is real too cause it's from a news report. Oh my goodness....
tourist to communion
Courtesy of Tim Elzea from a message preached by Mark Batterson. All I can say is "wow." This will make you think about communion the next time you take it.
"I visited the WWII Memorial this weekend. You can tell the difference between the tourists and the veterans. The memorials mean something to the veterans. If you go to the Vietnam Wall you can tell the difference between those who are just there to see a wall (Tourists)....And those who have lost a loved one in the conflict. It means something to them and the loss of their loved one is close to their heart.
It brings one to tears. Emotions well up inside as you ponder the sacrifice of the one who gave their life for freedom.
How do we go about communion? Do we approach it as a memorial to the sacrifice of Christ or do we approach it like a tourist? We should well up with tears as we ponder and reflect on the sacrifice Jesus paid for us at the Cross. Freedom isn't free and a LOVED ONE (Jesus) sacrificed His life for us.
Labels: christianity
the leader-coach
First of all, I love this movie. Secondly, I was drawn to this because I'm realizing more and more that great leadership is about great coaching. I'm a coach to those I lead. This is from the latest issue of John Maxwell's Leadership Wired monthly newsletter.In the comedy What about Bob, Bill Murray plays the character of Bob Wiley, a neurotic man with every conceivable fear and insecurity. Looking for help, Bob calls upon renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin. Dr. Marvin shares with Bob the secrets of his new book, Baby Steps, and works with Bob on a plan to cure him of his phobias.
Grateful for Dr. Marvin's insights, Bob leaves the office with a newfound optimism. However, his panic attacks soon resume, and it becomes clear that the restoration of Bob's health demands more personalized attention than a program or an instruction manual can give to him. Bob craves someone to walk with him step by step as he recovers. His anxiety and neediness drive him to track down the famous Dr. Marvin on a family vacation. The ensuing antics between the needy patient and the self-important psychiatrist form the basis of this comedy.
While Bob is an exaggerated caricature compared to a normal worker, his hopes in Dr. Leo Marvin have merit in expressing the qualities followers wish to find in a leader-coach. First, employees want a leader-coach who is willing to intentionally spend time with them. Next, they are searching for more than task knowledge—they are looking for a leader-coach to aid their development. Finally, they want to be involved in an environment where they are challenged to grow.
In a recent article adapted from Sharon Ting and Peter Scisco's work, The CCL Handbook of Coaching: A Guide for the Leader Coach, the Center for Creative Leadership breaks down the basic characteristics of the leader-coach.
Leader-coaches are intentional.
Leader-coaches strategically spend time discovering the strengths, weaknesses, goals, and values of those they lead. With an accurate picture of an employee's dreams and desires, the leader can coach the individual in areas which appeal to the employee's internal motivations.
Aside from the benefit of understanding an employee, a leader-coach bestows value and importance by intentionally giving attention to those on the team. When employees feel anonymous they atrophy, but when they feel appreciated they tend to respond by giving their best efforts.
Leader-coaches focus on performance and development.
Whereas in the past leaders primarily looked toward productivity and results, today, leaders must place great importance on developing their personnel. With a highly mobile workforce of growth-focused employees, leaders cannot afford to treat employees as cogs in a machine.
Workers want to expand their skills sets in addition to being part of a successful team, and if they're not being developed, they'll soon be departing. An employee enjoying growth opportunities will be more likely to offer loyalty and commitment to organizational performance.
Leader-coaches take a systemic perspective.
While leaders may take interest in individual employees, leader-coaches see their role as creating a culture of leadership growth. Such leaders tailor tasks to present new and strategic challenges to those they manage. Leader-coaches, in tandem with employees, may make a habit of scheduling extended learning experiences with the purpose of highlighting the growth within their team or department. A leader-coach with enthusiasm for personal and team development initiates a contagious climate in which growth is sought after and prized.
To learn more about leader-coaches, visit the Center for Creative Leadership by clicking here.
Labels: christianity
life isn't a piece of cake
man, life can be rough sometimes. it seems like this has been the case for me and lacey lately. in a lot of different areas: friends, ministry, the future, church.
i don't want to go into a lot of details, but for us, it's one of those defining seasons. we have a lot going through our heads now and it just doesn't make sense. i feel alone and stuck. stuck trying to find myself and the route to my purpose, stuck away from people i love, just stuck in a very frustrating situation.
i'm just walking because that's all i know to do. i'm walking down this path that i know leads to god, but it's blank before me and i can't quite make out the next step. but as erwin mcmanus says, "go until you get a no." i'm just going to keep going until he says to stop. i've got to.
what's encouraging though is i still feel him near to me, and i still hear his voice.
all i know is that life is tough. jesus never promised luxury, but he did promise abundant life. i'm living that life. a life of assurance and trust in almighty god.
life isn't always a piece of cake. but when it's all said and done, i'm going to have my cake and eat it too.
Labels: christianity, personal
book review
from the beginning to the end, the multi-site revolution is packed with great information. no chapter is a let down.
with the need for thriving churches at an all-time high, few, if any, solutions can serve as a remedy to the need. being one church, in many locations just may be the most likely and successful answer to spread the name of christ across america and to the nations. while not the only viable answer, it can have a lot of benefits and carry a big load.
the heart behind the book is not to grow your church but to keep your church growing. growing churches equals reaching people. chapter 2 gives a number of different options for reaching people using the multi-site movement and opened my eyes to the many unique models: video-venue, regional campus, teaching-team, partnership, and low-risk. each model is described in detail with the pros and cons discussed. this list serves as drawing board as you dream your own dream of going multi-site.
there is a vast misconception that only white, suburban churches are successful with multi-site or even have the resources to pull this thing off. this isn't the case though. whether a church is rich or poor, rural, urban, multi-ethic, or race specific, multi-site can be done quite easily. it can be as simple as beginning another ministry in your church.
the dream for multi-site will only go as far as having people create the movement in your church. the vision must be sold and bought into by your people. along with this vision though, leaders must be developed to be able to reproduce when the time comes. chapter 11 just may the be best chapter in this great book focusing on leadership development and reproduction. more opportunities for serving and leadeing will become available as the this approach emerges. tips for spotting potential quality leaders and training them will prove to be helpful no matter what type of approach you may use.
there are many multi-site models to follow, but not all will work in your community.
using an analogy from world war II chapter 6 six says,
"they couldn't build a boat big enough to move 300,000 people, but 1000 little boats could do the job."
our churches must become "little boats" in reaching our communities. the goal is to see people know and follow christ. it is emphasized in this book that our cultures must never lose site of that vision. as a soon-to-be bible college graduate with a dream to plant a church, this book will shape the way things will be done. this is a great book written by those are doing it right and providing a great model to gain insight and wisdom from. what a resource for all pastors and church leaders. it will continue to prove vital for years to come. get it, read it, and keep it in your library. you will find the multi-site revolution to be incredibly beneficial.
different sizes, different focues, and different approaches are all welcome. just make sure you are in.
to order your copy, click here.
just chillin...
this is nice.
this is the first night in a long time i have had absolutely nothing to do... at least that can't wait until later. i started to read a book but i got bored with it after a few pages and put it down. i'm really too tired to do anything so i'm just sitting here on the coach with my laptop about to check the heat-pistons score. no agenda, but just relaxing after a hard, busy week.
Labels: personal
impact of the divinci code
this article was taken from www.ag.org."da vinci code" survey reveals some surprises may 19, 2006
in recent months, dan brown's novel, "the da vinci code," has received worldwide media attention, ranging from a very public lawsuit to a multitude of press releases by some outraged religious organizations - along with the normal hollywood hype.
according to a survey conducted by the barna group, a well-known research organization, among the adults who have read the entire book, one out of every four (24 percent) said the book was either "extremely," "very," or "somewhat" helpful in relation to their "personal spiritual growth or understanding." also, only five percent of those who read the book said they changed any of their beliefs or religious perspectives because of the book's content.
"few people changed their pre-existing beliefs because of what they read in the novel," explained researcher george barna, the author of numerous books about faith and culture. "the book generates controversy and discussions, but it has not revolutionized the way that americans think about jesus, the church or the bible."
however, barna is quick to note that although the percentages aren't overwhelming, the book has sold more copies than any other fictional work in u.s. history and has been read "cover to cover" by about 45 million u.s. adults. those numbers translate into about 11 million people who have been "helped" and about two million who have changed beliefs or religious perspectives.
"any book that alters one or more theological views among two million people is not to be dismissed lightly," barna adds.
"while 'the da vinci code' is admittedly fiction, it exalts the humanity of jesus at the expense of his deity," says gary allen, director of ag ministerial enrichment. "it will certainly raise doubts about christ and the validity of the church in the minds of those who have little or no personal relationship with jesus."
on the contrary, allen continues, "mel gibson's 'the passion' provided great insight into the biblical view of jesus and his atoning death, causing many to accept him as savior, 'the da vinci code' will do nothing to advance the kingdom."
barna warns that although the book didn't significantly impact adults' belief systems, youth who go to the movie (as well as view it later on dvd), could be at more risk to be impacted. the report states that since young people's belief systems are still in the process of development, they are more susceptible to new teachings.
"second timothy 3:16 declares a truth every generation needs to recognize, understand and grasp with conviction...'all scripture is god-breathed,'" states jay mooney, national ag youth ministries director. "the subject can be difficult to broach among the cultural whirlwinds of interests. yet, the 'da vinci code' book and movie make the subject 'current' fodder for a generation thirsty for doctrine, even though they may not know to call it that.
"ironically, it's like a second century battle for the beliefs of a third millennium generation - it's a battle that can be won," mooney adds. "it is important that youth engage the truth of scripture and not just 'the da vinci code' itself. josh mcdowell's new paperback book, 'a quest for answers: the da vinci code,' is an excellent narrative resource for engaging youth in a grasp for truth."
Labels: christianity
running with god
do you ever have those moments where you just feel like running with god?
really for no reason at all, except you feel free... you feel him pushing you forward to move faster and faster.
yesterday i had one of those moments... literally. i was outside spending time with god walking and just listening to my ipod. i just felt god with me and all i wanted to do was run and run hard. so i did.
on my journey with god, i've had a lot of tough moments for a lot of different reasons, but i love the moments like yesterday when you feel god so near and he is just pulling you closer to him.
Labels: christianity
church planting thought
i got the multi-site revolution free the other day from the leadership network. i just have to write a review on my blog and on amazon. i was really excited when i got it in the mail.
i love business and i love church. so i had this thought when reading the book... why not be entrepreneurial and missional with a church plant? a lot of plants have trouble finding a location, but it would be really cool to start a business or have someone start a business and it double as a worship center and business operations' base.
don't know how well it will actually work, but it was just a thought. i have a few years to figure it out before i actually need to know...
Labels: christianity
24 finale
with every episode of every season, 24 produces countless shocking twists and developments. this was by far the best season (at least out of the one's i've seen). lacey and i went to pastor dan's to watch the finale with a lot of people from seven. it was so intense and then to see the final little twist at the end... so frustrating! all i can say is season 5 concludes but season 6 is set up for what should be an exciting and different season of episodes.
Labels: personal
update on dell
ok after 2 1/2 hours of dealing with unhelpful dell support, i dropped the chat and just emailed them. it was just so much easier, even though it did take about 6 emails to get it done. they are sending darreth a new motherboard. good luck d.
Labels: personal
dell home support is dumb
i'm on the phone with my brother right now. his computer is continually rebooting for no reason. it won't even get to the windows splash screen.
so i went online to get dell's number but they don't have one for home users. you either have to email or chat with a tech. it's real dumb... it doesn't even make any sense. i'm chatting with one right now, and i've told her i think 5 times i can't perform troubleshooting to the computer. she's about to make me mad if she asks me to do it one more time.
we'll see how this turns out. all i know is dealing with these people is real fru. i guess i can't do anything but be patient though.
Labels: personal
leadership lesson
i finished my lesson earlier today for class on sunday. i'm really excited about teaching it. i love the concept-elite culture.
i'm talking about the danger of creating a culture that is not beneficial to unbelievers and losing focus of souls being our mission. the question is have we separated ourselves from sin or sinners? it's a whole lot easier to consume more than we create, but this common practice ends in a collapse. we have to deal with our paradigm. a shift has to occur. it's not about creating an elite culture, but an inclusive community with no pretenses attached. the needs of those outside the faith must drive the priorities of us that are believers as we reach out to them. and until we complete the great commission, we must continue.
Labels: christianity, seven
i need to know html or something...
this week has been unbelievably non-stop. i didn't get back to hachie until about noon monday morning, and i got swamped at work as soon as i came in. sde registration was going on for summer classes so i've been having to deal with that all week. they need to get their act together sometime because all the extra work falls back on me. it's pretty fru.i worked on my blog all week trying to get the template fixed. and i don't know enough about html to be any good. and on top of that i'm so detailed i wanted it to look exactly the way i wanted it to. or at least as close as i could get it. i think it's there for the most part. a couple of minor things i need to fix, but they can wait.
changing my template
i've been thinking about this for a little bit, but i haven't had the time to mess with it. i went ahead and changed the template up but it may take me a few days to get everything back up to normal.
on the road again
lacey and i have traveled so much lately just for a lot of different reasons. this weekend we are in fayetteville, arkansas, for my brother's college graduation. we got here about 1 this morning... the trip took for-e-ver. traffic was slow in dallas because of a wreck, so we got slowed up pretty bad with that. and we left later because of fine arts in waxahachie this weekend. we stayed to watch a couple of students perform.
lacey was coaching this girl in short sermon and made me do most of the work. but it was a lot of fun, and janelle was really good. she hit out of the park yesterday when she went. i was real proud.
anyways i'm really glad we get to spend a lot of time with my family this weekend. pretty much everyone is here so that will be good. plus, it's mother's day weekend so it doubled up the weekend.
Labels: personal
teaching leadership class
baier asked me last week if i wanted to teach seven's leadership class next week.
i'm really excited becasuse i love to write and teach. it's a passion of mine...
and who doesn't like to do what they love?
i'm trying to come up with something good... just not exactly sure what yet.
thanks baier for the opportunity. you've grown me so much.
Labels: seven
put it in the books
so, for the past 2 months i've been working on the last series in seven's student discipleship curicculum. it's been so hard. we have developed curicculum for 6th-12th grade students, broken down into 4 quadrants for each grade... 12th grade actually has 5. each series has 13 lessons in it developed around one main topic. it's so crazy because this was the 29th and final series to write.
i've been really busy the last two weeks writing so i could meet tomorrow's deadline. and i was done a day early. this one was over the history of christianity and was so much work. i had to research, write, research, write a lot for each lesson. it was a lot of fun, and i feel like i learned a lot and was stretched by writing it. it is probably the most rewarding series i wrote.
history of christianity... put it in the books. you're done!
Labels: seven
finals... done!
this week is finally over. well kind of. at least i’m done with finals and school. it’s hard to believe i have one more semester until i graduate from SAGU.
besides finishing up school and finals, i have a writing deadline for student discipleship. our last series is almost in the books; i can taste it. four more lessons to write and it will be. i just need to write two more this week and the last two next week by friday. this series has been over the history of christianity and by far has been the toughest series for me to write. history is hard to write if you don’t want to make it boring—let’s at least hope i did a decent job. it’s a 13 week series for our high school seniors. it’s should be/ it’s gonna be good.
p.s. my first zone meeting is tonight... fun.
i gotta go home and clean part of our apartment before... not fun.
Labels: personal
demotivating leaders
when the right people are doing the right job, you really don't have to motivate them to work. they will just do it. as the leader or coach, our job is to make sure we are not demotivating our teams.
here are ten things to be careful of when leading a motivating team. otherwise, your team may become demotivated. (i know i feel like this lately)
why do some people come back day after day to serve, while others try it once and never return? according to simmons, "we don't have a recruitment issue with volunteers. we have a retention issue."
simmons gives his top 10 reasons volunteers quit or fail to perform their services:
1. a sense that their service is not valuable.
2. a sense that they do not matter as a person, only as a "worker."
3. a sense that their contribution is not as valid as others.
4. a lack of community.
5. a lack of connection with a bigger purpose.
6. poor leadership and management.
7. poor communication/direction.
8. lack of appreciation.
9. failure to recognize them as a donor.
10. lack of development of them as a person.
Labels: christianity
