Someone Is Waiting On You To Start A Movement
Back in October 2011, my wife Julie and I were in New York City during the time of the Occupy Wall Street protests to attend a conference on ministering to immigrants that are arriving daily in the United States. While walking through the area around Wall Street in Manhattan, I came across the guy above and asked if I could snap his photo. Apparently he was wanting to start his own movement (no pun intended). Today, several years later I came upon the photo and began to wonder, "What type of movement could I begin that produces change." Change for myself, my family, my friends, people I coach and train that are planting churches in Cleveland. I believe that we have the ability and capability to begin movements that create change. Change that is temporal as well as eternal. This has me asking the question, how?
In my thought process, either wrong or right, a movement can take on the nature of a business, a political agenda, or a movement that is spiritual. Some people might call a movement a cause, but I think that is really one dimensional. A movement is more than a cause, it is different. A movement changes me, the individual. It changes others.
(more…)
Crafting A Personal Vision Statement
Info Graphics have been gaining in popularity as a simple visual to help communicate ideas. I have created a info graphic that outlines visually how to write a personal vision statement.
Writing things down is so important in life. For us men, how many times has our wives given us a task that we have quickly forgotten about because we failed to actually write it on the honey-do list? Big mistake! Most people think they don’t need to write things down because they have a great memory or it isn’t that important in the first place. I have learned that writing things down makes things a lot easier in life, especially the things that are important to my wife.
I have had the opportunity to attend many conferences during my adult life, in both the business world and also as a pastor. Nearly every one I’ve attended has dealt with vision, goals, etc., and all have made it a point that one of the keys to knowing where you are going is to write out your life/church vision or mission statement. In May of 2004, I attended Ken Davis’s “Dynamic Communication Workshop” in Colorado. There, I met Cheryl Dick, the director of operations for Chick-fil-A restaurants. As we exchanged business cards, I was pleasantly surprised to see Chick-fil-A’s corporate purpose statement on their business cards: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” It didn’t impress me that much that the fast food chain had a purpose statement printed on their business cards, as this is rather common. What did impress me, though, was that they had the audacity to start their statement with their purpose, “to glorify God,” Followed by their vision, “to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
The vision statement is what God wants you to do. What you are going to do next is work on the reasons for the vision to begin to take shape.
Thanksgiving and Toilet Paper
I am sure I got your attention with the title for this post. Smile.
Being part of a large family, holidays are interesting when you gather around forty people together to celebrate. Once such Thanksgiving in 1994 stands out, as that was the year our Dad passed away. As my Mom and siblings and their children gathered around a circle to pray and share what we were thankful for many of the usual answers were given. Those answers included thankful for health, family, God's grace and forgiveness until it came to my brother-in-law Roy's turn. In six quick words, Roy reminded us of the simple things of life that we many times take for granted. Those six words that Roy spoke were simply, "I am thankful for toilet paper." Talking about changing what had become an emotional time as we reflected on the loss of our Dad, those words did it. I will never forget the lesson that Roy taught me; be thankful for everything no matter how small or how large.
(more…)
Here is a ten thousand-dollar time management seminar in two letters. NO. That ability to say no. You remember the anti-drug motto, “Just say No.” A lot of us are addicted to speed. Not the drug, the lifestyle. We’re addicted to the adrenaline it produces. We’re addicted to the lifestyle of going faster and faster and how important it makes us feel. We have to learn in our lives to just say no. It’s difficult for many of us to say no to others, to the requests that they bring. Many, many of us have great difficulty with that. The number one reason our lives get overloaded is we just say “Yes” too many times to too many people, people that we love, to too many things that are important. But soon, once again our schedules are overburdened. We’re living this verse in Proverbs 20:25 “A impulsive vow is a trap. Later you wish you could get out of it.” Ever have that one? “Why did I say yes to that? Why am I doing this? Why am I caught up in this?” Don’t promise without pondering. Don’t decide without deliberating. Carefully and prayerfully make your commitments. (more…)
Freedom of Speech And Followers of Jesus
We live in a country where we insist on our freedom of speech. You can’t tell me what to say or what not to say! I have my rights! I have the right to speak my mind! Sound familiar? It’s our constitutional right. It’s our God given right. Or is it? Do we have the right to speak at the expense of others? Do we have the right to speak even when our words may hurt the person who we are speaking to or about? Do we really have the right?
(more…)
How To Revitalize Your Faith
In Revelation 3:2-3, Jesus speaks to the church in Sardis about this incredible gap between reputation and reality and He says here’s what you do. “Wake up! Strengthen what remains. Remember what you’ve received and heard. You obey it and repent. If you don’t wake up I'm going to come like a thief.”
How do you revitalize faith? How do you revitalize a relationship? How do you revitalize a sense of closeness with God? Jesus says here’s how you do it. And He walks them and us through it. He says, “Wake up.” (more…)
This is where your calling to write can be hard. It is not easy to get out of bed everyday knowing you have to write. Knowing that this is your passion will give you motivation and sense of purpose to write. After all, that is the question of the ages – “What is my purpose?” Knowing your purpose in writing is fulfilling yet can be frightening as well. That is why it necessary to see what you are doing as a calling. You are writing to help make someone’s life better spiritually, financially, emotionally, relationally, and eternally. While I write, my call is not to be a writer, but to be a missionary writer. Basically I am a missionary that writes!
(more…)
The Apple TextEdit App Icon - Crazy Ones
It is no secret that I am a Apple enthusiast. I thought about labeling myself as an Apple evangelist, but I don't go out and preach Mac to the masses. Apple has always been a company that focuses on creativity, which is not one of my stronger points, although I do see myself as a visionary thinker and leader. In Apple's cadre of applications that comes installed on a Mac is the program TextEdit. Text Edit is a simple text editor that can be used to type up basic notes and letters. I never paid much attention to the launch icon for this app, but noticed that there is writing on the icon, a note pad with a pen laid on top of the pad. The content of the writing is too small to be seen with the naked eye. I decided to find out what was written on the icon and the graphic above is my finding, a larger shot of the icon.
This is the copy from a commercial that Apple aired during the final episode of Seinfield and it was the only time it ever aired. I love the copy! You can be a "crazy one" that changes things. The copy describes what it means to be one of the "crazy ones, misfits, rebels and troublemakers." Read on to find out my thoughts about the content of this icon.
Learning To Discipline Your Child or Grandchild
Discipline is a misunderstood concept. The words disciple and discipline come from the same word that means Learner. If a child can’t learn to obey a parent who is visible, he or she will never learn to obey a God who isn’t. God’s dream for your child isn’t to make them happy. It is to make them like Jesus! Happiness is a by-product of God’s plan for our kids. You as a parent can be working against God’s plan for your children because you care more about their happiness, success, or popularity.Parents who are afraid to put their feet down usually have children that step on their toes. (more…)
When Your Priorities Are Messed Up, You Need Help!
Many go about life with the wrong priorities. Many feel they have to keep up with the Smiths next door. So they set their priorities consciously or not, as they move in to that neighborhood, to have money, success, or comfort. It doesn’t matter if they run a huge debt. After all, those seem to be the measure of “success.” Then, perhaps only when something tragic happens, they begin to reassess their priorities, choosing to focus instead on those things in life that really are the most important. They realize the importance of health, family, good friends, their faith.
The question is "how can we get our priorities right from the start" instead of waiting for some kind of "wake up call?" It may be a tad late when the wake –up call suddenly comes. This post will help you to discover and determine God’s priorities for you life. So, what are God’s priorities for your life? (more…)
