Category: Life

Church would be better if people thought like and agreed with me!

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Coffee-LoveI finally found the solution to ALL the church’s problems! For sure this will be a chapter in my up and coming book “Humility and how I achieved it.” Oh wait! I do have a chapter about that! Let me be frank, cause I love you. Church has a big y’all don’t agree with me issue. Here is what I mean:

Be a cheerleader
That’s right. Start off by trying to encourage people not be a critic. (Yeah, some of you preacher boys should just stop reading right now and focus on this part.) We all have too many critics but not enough cheerleaders. My critics practically killed me! Cheerleading is a choice.

Be loving
There is nothing more comfortable than being around a loving person. That person may even point out where you’re wrong, like a loving mommy saying “you’re not wearing that are you!?” while baking you epic chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, love comforts. Don’t pour gas on a bad situation. Bring about peace and comfort. That’s what I do.

Be a team
You live as a team or you die as a team. Period. Work together. I do believe the Spirit is readily available to help with this. After all, if we don’t row together alike a team… Work it out and be a team. Easy to do when the above is true! So, get in line and be like me!

Be Loyal
We have affection and and sympathy for people we are loyal to. An we even do that for friends of our friends. So, care about the people I care about.

Be one
Here is what it comes down to: You need to have the same mind and love as me. Really. Church would be so much better this way. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that this whole thing is be in arrogant. “Oh course everything in church would be better if we thought like you, duh!” “You’re just thinking of yourself! What about diversity all?” My response? You’re just thinking about you. In fact, you think church would be better if people were one with you and not me.

Why I’m right and you should be like me
I could have had the good life, but I didn’t. I sacrificed and worked hard just like you do. But, I did it for you and not myself. I put up with a lot. And frankly, it killed me. You humiliated me and being in this job I got blamed for things I didn’t even do. But hear me out. There is a day coming when everyone will agree that I am right and people should be like me. Mark my words: everyone.

The bottom line:
This chapter is called Philippians Chapter Two. My brother Paul wrote it for me. (If y’all think like and agree with him you’ll be well on your way to being like me.) Humility is the KEY! So, what church to be better? Be humble like me. It’s the only thing that work.

Love you all!
~Jesus

Manic Monday: Out of time?

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We are all given 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to accomplish God’s will. I often find that people who get burned out in ministry often do so because of time management. There are times when people have taken on too many ministry assignments, but I’ve found that to be the exception rather then the rule. I find ministry burnout is often a result of an over busy life. Here is a prescription for ministry burnout:

Redeem the time Ephesians 5:15ff
A key aspect to spiritual maturity is how one uses their! To be godly is to be wise and to be wise is to be godly. God gives us each the same amount of time. It takes discernment to utilize our time. It takes wisdom to live a simple life.

Learn to rest Psalm 46
A key aspect to utilizing our time is to wait upon God. We too often think that business is a mark or spirituality. Sometimes the most spiritual thing to do is rest. Remember, God is God and we’re not! The danger of not taking the time to rest and just plain ‘ol stop is we forget God. Busyness is the vaccine against relational intimacy!

Learn who you are Psalm 139
Let me be frank, you cannot do anything you want. God wired and artistically designed you as a unique creation that brings Him glory. He’s given you a combination of gifts, passions, abilities and experience unlike any other. Pursuing and understanding how God designed you is key to utilizing your time. Take time to name your purpose and values in life. They help guide in saying yes or no to things.

Start walking Ephesians 2:10
God has a plan for you life. The only way to discover it is to pick a direction and to start following it! You can’t steer a still ship. Trust in the fact that God has a plan and pursue something. God has a way of showing up and guiding you in the adventure called life. Remember, salvation is secured on the cross. Sometimes we think in making decisions about our time we may make the wrong one. Relax, make a decision and pursue it. Even our mistakes God uses to shape us into the image of His son.

Helpful resources:
Here are a couple of resources I found very helpful in navigating how to redeem the time. I’m sure there are others and what works for me may not work for you, but it’s a start.

http://www.thinktq.com/
http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/resources
http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/Home/home.htm

Manic Monday: iShock…

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As an Apple fanboy (nut?) I was shocked to read about Steve Jobs retiring as CEO. Then, seeing all the articles pondering what Apple will be like without Jobs interested me. From a leadership perspective here is what I think…

Apple’s best days are ahead…
Enduring organizations hold vehemently to their set of values. The language used over the last decade from Apple centered on its DNA. Steve focused on keeping Apple’s values first and foremost. The saga around the iPhone 4 Gizmodo deal pointed this out greatly.

Apple figured out its culture
Culture leads long term where a person cannot. Apple returned to its culture and who it was. At a point where everyone thought Apple was done, it came back. Many companies have gone through this cycle. Ford is going through this journey.

Apple figured out discernment
Apple figured out the power of no is a stronger yes. This is hard for anyone to do. Learning to say no also sets an organization up to act vs react. Apple astutely states: if people don’t like it, they wont buy it. Apple gave realization that people really want quality & artistic expression.

Apple learned to take steps not add programs
Everything Apple did since ’97 propelled it to the next step. A key part was choosing to focus on usability vs speed & specs approach to development. In the computer race Apple was the tortoise as its 30% market growth over the last few years demonstrates.

Apple may not succeed
Qoheleth states one cannot control what happens after them. Is it possible Apple is Jobs? Yes. Is it possible that for other reasons not related to Jobs Apple will decline? Yes. But, it’s possible for reasons stated above that Apple may endure as well. And, we may suppose, that a day will come when another company will take the reigns of innovation and wow us.

The bottom line:
We cannot control what happens after us.

Manic Monday: Slow times

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Kelly and I had the joy of serving in the normally crazy full nursery Sunday. It was quiet. Just a few kids. Scary. We waited for kids to drop from the ceiling and yell SURPRISE, but no such ambush occurred. Quiet and slow times are good. You need them.

When I worked at a Buick dealership as a teenager and college student I remembered a  phrase often said. I told myself I needed to remember it. I didn’t. Now I did.

“Slow times are training times.”

When things are slow you have opportunity to work extra on things you normally wouldn’t have time for in the normal business of life and especially hectic business of life.

In slow times you can: Play, prep, train, clean, experiment, connect, network, catch your breath, and/or prepare the ground for rain. (In Seattle that would be prepare yourself for Sun.)

Use the slow times to your advantage. God knows we need them.

(especially on Monday)

Manic Monday: Appreciate the little things…

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Monday is a huge day in my household. It’s garbage truck day… Seriously.

I smile at people’s reaction to what has become bigger than football at our house. (Of note pretty much anything that makes your kids smile makes you smile- other than fine china being dropped and shattering in slow motion.) The oft-repeated phrase “you need a life.” is stated. Ok, here’s the lesson…

Kids appreciate the little things in life. What we take for granted, they see as wonders of science. The garbage truck has what every boy loves: horsepower, noise, banging sounds and it’s big. (The garbage truck is also a significant support actor in the movie Toy Story 3,)

Imagine a world without garbage trucks, plumbing, electricity or Toy Story 3, and you’ll gain an appreciation for what we consider a little thing in life.

(especially on Monday)

Manic Monday: A return to story

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Story is everything. It captures. It captivates. Throughout history, story carries knowledge and teaching above any other medium. Story and narrative carries what a bullet point, an outline or a technical guide cannot.

In a view documentaries about Pixar one key point stands out: Story is everything. Pixar’s successes clearly shows this.

For Christians we struggle with the concept of story. This is interesting since the primary genre in the Bible is narrative. Even the New Testament letters are a pieces of a greater story. I think the issue is being overtly Christian.

There seems to be an unwritten law that to be a Christian story-teller one needs to have a conversion or a distinct struggle and return to God. This comes from two things: 1) We have a distinct message we must carry out. 2) We are very passionate about that message from our own encounter with it.

Mission, or the carrying of our most important message, has both an overt and a covert aspect. Overtly it is the clear presentation and proclamation of what we believe. Covertly it is being in the world and not of it. We fear that being “covert” violates proclaiming our most essential message or being off mission. It is not. The idea seems more spy like- its most frequent usage- instead of the other aspect of covert- not openly displaying something.

We need more covert stories. Story for story’s sake, or art for the sake of art. Here is the concept of being in the world but not of it:

The best person to reach teenagers is a teenager.
The best person to reach a musician is a musician.
The best person to reach lawyers is a lawyer.
The best person to reach a writer?

Being covert- doing life with people- allows builds credibility to share what is most important. It’s allowing people to see our story, our faults and successes, and in God’s timing the core of our story.

The best part of story is if forces us to look at, examine and engage life. More than the highs and lows of life, story deals with dreams, the little things and all that makes life a gift from God. For inspiration for story beyond overt struggle with or conversion  to God one only needs to look at Proverbs. Proverbs deals with the “other” issues of life.

There is a place for overt communication of the Gospel. Even with that urgency there is a place to write about the other aspects of this gift of life God gave us.

What’s your story? We need more story tellers.

(especially on Monday)

Manic Mondays: Eating Elephants

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One the proverbs I gained in life is the answer to eating an elephant: One bite at a time. Dad (very) often would quote this…

In a moment of seminary insanity & syllabi shock I whispered to myself what dad would say and my pending eye roll reply. Enter Dr. Engle, the wise and soon to be retired Hebrew & Old Testament professor… who said it… and he caught my eye roll.

“You’ve heard this before, I take it,” He quipped.

I’m sure you have too. So, here is what to do: Take your current Elephant and plan out the first couple of bites… I sense an eye roll coming on…

(Especially on Mondays)

Manic Monday: The little things unplugged

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I’ve been choosing one day a week to be unplugged. This is starting to turn into unplugged times throughout the day. This leads me to a few thoughts:

1) We’re human and not machines. Technology is helpful, but natural and organic life moments cannot be replicated.

2) starting to unplug will drive you nuts. What I found is the nuts part is often lots of ideas and creativity wanting to get out… It’s as if some ideas are scared of tech. Yes, that’s an anthropomorphism, but it’s true. (Especially for art.)

3) You’ll play more when unplugged, be more relaxed from lack of bleak news, and you’ll be a little stir crazy resulting in more housework done and a happier wife.

4) You’ll discover in rest moments that God really did give life as a gift to be enjoyed. The irony? That busyness can hide life. Rest moments should not be invested in busyness, and must be weekly.

If God, who is omni- you name it, took a day to rest; who are we, who are mortal and finite, to not do the same?

Take time an plan out your rest moments for the week!

(especially on Mondays)

Manic Mondays: The big things

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One of the helpful questions that I like to ask on Monday is: What are the big things that need to get done this week? I then schedule the time needed for them. Often, focusing on what is most important helps get even the “least important” things accomplished. Why?

We need margins in our schedule. God gives us all 24 hours a day and 2 days a week to accomplish His will. Rick Warren aptly stated: If you constantly have more work then you can get done, you’re probably not doing God’s will.

God’s will includes times of rest, reflection and enjoying life: “Eat, drink and enjoy the fruit of your labor for this too is a gift from God.” ~The Preacher of Ecclesiastes

So….Focus on the BIG, and have margin in your schedule

(especially on Monday)