meetings
I've been the meeting beast the past couple of days.
But they've all been good.
I'm realizing first-hand the need to delegate tasks and ownership to other individuals. I know all the principles behind delegation, but applying them has been difficult for me honestly.
I hate to seem if I'm just using someone for a job and not valuing them as an individual. It's also hard because I'm so particular about things. I know this is something that God is stretching me in though. I have to get over my personal taste, so that I can focus on bigger tasks at hand that need my personal attention. It's also difficult because a lot of times I don't think about what I have to do... I just know and do it. Does that make sense? So, it's really hard to have someone be a part if I can't write out a list of specific tasks for that person to complete. But I'm working hard on this one.
I'm seeing that I will become a bottleneck for Thrive if I don't learn do practice what I know. This is one reason for so many meetings. I've been talking to potential students to intern with me on a consistent basis. And for me, if it's a consistent week-to-week schedule for the intern, I will not feel near as bad asking them to do a project for me because it's a part of their role.
I'm in this process of development right now as a point leader. It's a completely different role than I've ever been in... and it's tough. Real tough at times.
Labels: leadership, thrive
whirlwind
The past couple of weeks have felt like a whirlwind from playing catch-up.
It's simply been maintain mode, and I hate that.
The speed of things should change in the next couple of weeks... not slow down, just change. Our last full service for the next 6 weeks at Thrive is Wednesday.
Over the past few weeks, we've been looking at our series, We are Family. The series has been a lot more vision-casting than I ever would have expected. This Wednesday we finish it up with some direction for our summer plans. We are test launching homegroups on Wednesday nights for five weeks to introduce them to our students. I'm so excited about this. I know they can be so life-changing and will eventually become a part of our culture.
Labels: thrive
surgery 1
I'm out of the hospital after my first surgery.
I'm feeling much better today than the past couple of days. I feel a little more mobile and energetic.
When life gets back to "normal," maybe I can blog regularly again.
And blog about something more than health updates. I know those are boring to read.
Labels: personal
health update
After my
hospitial visit a couple of weeks ago, I was referred to Dallas to visit a specialist. I visited a world-renowned urologist today in Dallas,
Dr. Margaret Pearle. She's incredible and has had a lot of success dealing with my specific kidney disease,
cystinuria. I'm thankful to be able to be under her care now.
It's going to be a long next few months as I have to have four major operations to remove all the kidney stones I have.
Once all the operations are done, I will have to be put on an aggressive plan to treat and prevent stones from forming in the future. Aside from medication, I will have to increse my fluid intake. Basically, I've got to take in about 8 Liters of fluid per day. Yeah, 8.
Truthfully, I do understand why I'm dealing with all of this. It doesn't make sense, but it's just one of those things life deals you sometimes. I know God is so close to me and his grace will be enough to help me through everything that I face. I'm really relying on the words of Paul in II Corinthians 12:9 right now:
9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Through all this, I know God is close. And his power and strength will be made known. My prayer has been first of all for healing [obviously], but secondly for God to be glorified and known through all of this.
Labels: personal
speed the light
Missions giving is a huge value of Harvest Time, and as a church, we give a considerable amount of money towards missions per year. As a student ministry of Harvest Time, we want to continue to raise up a new generation who value giving to support ministries locally and around the world. As believers, we really can't afford to lose this value to help speed the spread of the name of Christ to those who don't yet know.
Every year, Thrive puts on a golf tournament that raises several thousands of dollars for Speed the Light, which is the missions emphasis for Assemblies of God students. It provides media equipment and transportation for missionaries and ministries all around the globe.
I'm thankful that we are able to raise this money through the golf tournament, but essentially it takes no sacrifice or personal commitment to give on the part of our students. And they need to learn the importance of personally taking a responsibility to give to others. It's a part of maturing in their relationship with God.
We had a special emphasis last night at Thrive to highlight every believer's responsibility to give and to give students the opportunity to make a monthly commitment for the rest of the year. I asked my friend Nathan, who is preparing to be a missionary to Muslims in the near future, to come speak and challenge them. He did such a great job focusing on a personal responsibility to missions, especially because we are so blessed here in America.
Understand this: anyone can work a fundraiser to raise money, and it's a one time thing that only requires your time. Some will give a one time gift in an offering. But unless it's a developed commitment, only a few will make the decision to consistently support and bless others.
Making this commitment to give requires sacrifice. It's a decision to bless someone else and not be selfish about all your money. It's so important that personal giving continues to remain an emphasis. Salvations take place because of it, and people's lives are bettered. God will always provide and bless our ministry and our lives when we put others before ourselves and honor him with our giving.
So, go ahead and give. Give from a commitment of the heart. Value and cultivate the heart of a giver. Our giving is literally taking God's story all over the world and giving others an opportunity to be in a relationship with Christ. We must continue to give. Labels: christianity, thrive
