Neal's Notepad

Happy Father's Day 2011 - Wherever you are...

2011-06-18T10:03:00.002-05:00

Louis (l) and Dad (r)

I will not be able to see Dad on Father's Day. While I'll be staying in his house after meeting #1 daughter on her return from Italy, Dad will not be there. I'm not absolutely sure where he's going to be. See, he's on a road-trip of his own...

Two weeks ago Monday, Dad loaded the car and headed for Moab, Utah. Last weekend, he joined a team of men and women on a "Builders for Christ" mission trip from the Noonday Baptist Association in Marietta, GA. Some of the folks on that trip, like Louis in the photo, are mutual friends from our time of ministry and service in that association.

When I last talked to Dad, he was just outside of Denver, visiting with one of my cousins. On the return, he plans to visit with another cousin in Boulder. Like the family vacations I remember from my childhood, I think he has just more or less pulled out the map, found his destination, then selected a series of roads that looked like they might take him to interesting places along the way. He'll drive until he's ready to stop, visit family when he can, make new friends, get reacquainted with others, and find a way to serve someone else. Because, as my kids sometimes say, that's the way he rolls.

I am who I am because I am my father's son. And, that's more than ok with me. Dad is still packing a lot of living into his life. Don't think I mentioned that he'll be 79 in November? I know he's missing mom on this trip. They logged a lot of miles and ministry together. Yet, I'm grateful that he's back in the driver's seat on his own.

So, Dad... drive safely and I'll see you sometime after you get home. Have a Happy Father's Day and thanks for continuing to inspire your boys and girls, your grandchildren, and all who know you. Love you.

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan - A Summaview

2011-06-16T13:56:00.007-05:00

Crazy Love is a book I've had on my "to read" list for quite some time. I wish I had gotten to it a lot sooner. Published in 2008 when Chan was serving as pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA, this book is not unlike David Platt's Radical in calling Christians to a lifestyle of total, sold-out obedience to a soverign God. Today, Chan's ministry is one of full-time writing and speaking and I'm greatly anticipating his next book, Erasing Hell: What God says about eternity and the things we made up, which releases in July.

I read this book because I am not immune to creeping staleness in my walk with God. There, I said it.

Dr. Jimmy Draper, former president of LifeWay Christian Resources, once said that the driest vocation spiritually a person could have is pastor of a local church. (He later amended his statement to say it was president of LifeWay.) What he's trying to say is that in the midst of doing "good stuff," it's easy to let our time with God slip. I agree with him. Preparation for Bible study, meetings that begin and end with perfunctory prayer, ministry, etc. can become substitutes for good, old-fashioned time with God. Chan gave me some new perspective on how to keep that freshness in my life - in this time of my life when I need it.

Chan says "the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts - its falling in love with God." He's right. And just as being passionately in love with my wife and family drives me to make decisions that change the way I live, so should our relationship with God. So, get a copy of Crazy Love and read it. Meditate on it. Then, dive into God's Word again with a perspective that is from the heart of God.

The outline and summary of major concepts in the book are as follows:

Stop Praying. Just pause and ponder the greatness of God
You Might Not Finish This Chapter. Life is transient, short and unpredictable. Live, not selfishly, but as a servant, for He is all that matters.
Crazy Love. The greatest good on this earth is God. He created you and wants you to love Him. while we need Him, we mostly avoid Him.. That's crazy.
Profile of the Lukewarm. A log of things are good by themselves, but all of it together keeps us from living healthy, fruitful lives for God. [This was a powerful, insightful, and indicting chapter. I'm glad it didn't end here.]
Serving Leftovers to a Holy God. Jesus' call to commitment is clear. He wants all or nothing. The thought of a person calling himself a "christian" without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd.
When You're in Love. There's nothing better than giving up everything and stepping in to a passionate love relationship with God.
Your Best Life... Later. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers. Downsize so others can upgrade for eternity.
Profile of the Obsessed. What does it mean to be obsessed. It's not alt all about you. [This is a liberating chapter.]
Who Really Lives That Way? Case studies of those who are obsessed.
The Crux of the Matter. Learn to listen to and obey God. Love Him. Love others. That's the crux.

One last thing. www.crazylovebook.com has some great supplemental information for this book. Did I say you need to read this book? Thought so. I hope you will.

Let It Rain

2011-06-16T07:24:00.009-05:00

photo © Michael Jastremski
for openphoto.net

There were thunderstorms overnight. Given our extreme drought, they were very welcomed. As I drove to the office this morning, a flood of reflections washed through my mind. Without a great deal of polish, I present them here.

As soon as the lightning and thunder began, I saw the light across the hall come on. I knew #1 son would soon make his way to our room. Sure enough, he crawled over us and snuggled in for the rest of the night. When storms come in our lives, it's good to have a place of comfort and people who we trust to reassure us that all is well. He went back to sleep. I did too - well, sort of.

There was much debris in the streets this morning. I noticed that it was especially heavy under trees. Leaves, limbs that had died under the stress of drought, and fruit had fallen under the power of the wind and rain. I was reminded that the dead parts of my life are often stripped away when trials come. Wouldn't it be less painful to recognize those parts and shed them away when not under duress?
Where leaves and limbs and thatch have accumulated in lawns, they were now piled in little waves of debris marking the high water mark. Lying hidden in the grass, it was revealed in the flood. When the storm and flood comes, the trash in our lives is often piled up. Better to keep it cleaned up before the storm comes.
It seemed as if the grass was a little greener this morning. When you are parched, it doesn't take much water to sate your thirst.
David Platt, pastor of the Church at Brook Hills, made the following statement in a podcast I was listening to as I drove: "short-term circumstances are poor measurements of the long-term character of God." When the storms come, don't be overwhelmed. Even in their aftermath, be assured that you are not left alone. In the timeline of the eternal, our storms are microseconds.

The PsaImist said: I remember the days of old; I meditate on all You have done; I reflect on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; I am like parched land before You. Psalms 143:5-6 (HCSB)

Let it rain.

Reflections on 50 Years of Life - Part 4: The Bucket List

2011-05-23T13:50:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is. The last of the series of posts from reflections on 50 years of life. Bobb Biehl has encouraged me in my ministry for a number of years. Bobb uses a series of questions to help one focus on their dreams, aspirations and goals. These are:

Who do I want to be?
What do I want to do?
What do I want to have?
Who do I want to help?

So rather than listing only the things I want to do, I'll expand the list to be, do, have, and help.

Who do I want to Be? One who is…

An encourager who serves enthusiastically and faithfully with a sense of purpose and intentionality
An equipper, serving others with humility, discipling them in the image of Christ
Burdened by the lostness of man without Christ
Physically fit, emotionally, mentally, intellectually and culturally healthy
Disciplined
Generous with the resources God has given me
A living example of my Core Values
Financially independent so as not to be a burden to anyone

What do I want to Do?

Cruise the inside passage to Alaska
Cruise to Bermuda via New York
Take my kids to some of the great historic sights in Georgia, including Rock Eagle, the MLK Jr Nat'l Historic Site, Chattahoochee River NRA, Andersonville, and the Jimmy Carter Nat'l Historic Site
Assault on Mt. Mitchell
Visit Cape Hatteras
Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway
Explore Great Smokey Mountains National Park by car and backpack
Vacation in Montana vacation
Return to Virgin Islands, Buck Island, Christiansted Fort
Drive Natchez Trace Parkway
Raft the Obed Wild and Scenic River
Ride in a gondola down the Grand Canal in Venice with my love babe, Joan.
Vacation in Iceland
Travel to the Holy Land
See a full moon on three remaining continents – Antarctica, South America, Australia
Bareboat the Caribbean or Mediterranean
Climb a frozen waterfall
Climb Grand Teton
Shoot the rapids on the Snake River in Idaho
Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails
Fly over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter
Cycle Blue Ridge Parkway
Bike Natchez Trace Parkway
Drive through the Canadian Rockies from Banff to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway and then continue on to the Alaska highway to Fairbanks.
Cross the Andes by driving from Mendoza in Argentina through the vineyards, winding roads, and ski resorts to Santiago in Chile. The Switchback road coming down is one of the world’s great sights and drives.
Drive up the coast of Northern Chile into Peru. You will go through the Atacama, the world’s driest desert, with the Pacific beaches on one side and the Andes soaring on the other with good pavement all the way.
Drive the road along the Pacific to Big Sur in California

What do I want to Have?

An intimate relationship with God built through worship, prayer, and the study of His Word.
A home that values love, honor, protection, and provision
A home that encourages intimacy, security, growing self-esteem, and affection.
A life beyond my career
Place of retreat & refuge
Comfortable home consistent with lifestyle

Who do I want to Help?

Others to know Him and experience the joy he brings by building encouraging relationships
Pastors, leaders and others to find simplicity out of clutter; harmony out of discord and opportunity in the middle of difficulty
Others to adopt healthy lifestyle

What's on your list?

Well, you don't have to wait until your 50 (assuming that is yet to come) before reflecting on your life. I hope you'll begin today. May you be blessed in so doing.

The Walk by Shaun Alexander - A Summaview

2011-05-22T16:38:00.002-05:00

The Walk: Clear Direction and Spiritual Power for Your Life by Shaun Alexander

Shaun Alexander was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks out of the University of Alabama. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, he set NFL and team records in 2005 while leading his team to the Super Bowl. After career changing injuries, Alexander continued to seek after God and today speaks to a variety of audiences, encouraging others to align their lives to God's perfect will.

The Walk examines a progressive pattern of discipleship. Through each of the five stages of Christian maturity, God shapes our lives and guides us through the trials, traps and victories of each stage. Alexander uses Peter as an example of each stage.

I chose and received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review, because God is calling me again to my responsibility to live as a disciple and lead others to do the same. This book provides additional depth to a framework of discipleship with which I am familiar. If you are interested in helping people take their next steps of obedient discipleship The Walk can help you.

The outline and key concepts are as follows:

1. The Walk - Shaun's story: from football star to a walking servant. God says, "I'm not looking for perfection. I'm looking for order."

Part 1: The Unbeliever

2. The Wanderer and a Wonderer - Unbelievers are either wanderers (drifting from place to place, idea to idea) or Wonderers (searching for purpose, seeking to fill the hollowness of modern life.) God is ready to answer both.
3. Trials, Traps and Victories - The trials of both are to live long enough to find answers that satisfy. The traps are the obstacles Satan uses to prevent their coming to Christ. The victory is salvation.
4. Peter Walks into Real Belief

Part 2: The Believer
5. Life as a Believer - Believers enter into belief with a simple statement of faith: a "yes" in response to the call of God.
6. Trials, Traps and Victories - Believers don't know what it means to believe. They only know that they believe. The trials come as they are stretched, the traps when faith is questioned and victories when their lifestyle, character and personality start to reflect more of Christ and less of themselves.
7. Peter as a Believer

Part 3: The Example
8. Becoming an Example - Believers become examples as their approach to the world, their minds, and the way they live changes as their will is submitted to His will as suggested in 2 Peter 1:5-7
9. Trials, Traps and Victories - Beware of pride in the form of self-righteousness, perfectionism and diminished faithfulness to time alone with God.
10. Peter as an Example

Part 4: The Teacher
11. Becoming a Teacher - the coach, mentor, encourager who teaches by serving and shepherding others who are on a walk of their own. The best give you the benefit of the things they've seen and heard and done and experienced. Teachers must live the life of examples.
12. Trials, Traps and Victories - The challenge is to teach while remaining a servant - refusing to adopt and exaggerated sense of their own importance - and refusing the trap that you don't have to study anymore. Good teachers allow themselves to be taught and are able to bring others along with them.
13. Peter as a Teacher

Part 5: The Imparter
14. Called to Be an Imparter - An Imparter has the ability not only to enjoy the presence of God but to impart that presence and blessing to others. God pours his anointing on the Imparter. those who are close by are drenched as a result.
15. Trials, Traps and Victories - Simply put, for men, it's Gold, Glory & Girls. For women, it's Gold, Glory & Gents.
16. Peter as an Imparter

Part 6: Walking the Walk
17. In Order - Out of Order. Each stage has a powerful influence on those behind them. While God uses us to help pull others to the next stage, it is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit to bring about transformation. You cannot skip ahead.
18. The Year God Gave Me Nine Cities - Strong testimony of how God brought a group of men together with Shaun and led them in paths they couldn't imagine.
19. God Does the Unthinkable Through the Unqualified - The rest of the story as Shaun relates how God used these men to do great things.
20. The Walk to Spiritual Maturity - a closing challenge.

I'll be hanging on to this copy for a few more weeks, using it to provide depth to a seminar I'm preparing for Sunday School teachers who are willing to disciple others. After that, I'll be looking for a young man - an athlete who can relate to Shaun's story.

Reflections on 50 Years of Life - Part 3: Experiences.

2011-05-10T19:15:00.003-05:00

Part 3 of reflections and journal scribbling on my life as I celebrated my 50th birthday.

In post 1, I reflected on the spiritual, personal and family areas of my life. Post 2 addressed the social, professional and financial priorities of my life.

Today: I'll focus on experiences.

A friend and colleague once introduced me as someone who had "packed a lot of living into my life." I like that. I do enjoy life. And I enjoy variety. One of the nicest comments ever made on a peer evaluation is that "Neal is a true renaissance man." As I continue reflections on my 50th birthday, here is a "top-of-mind" list of experiences that have contributed to who I am.

Since you're wondering, yes, the picture is me climbing at "Rocktown" in northern Alabama.
I have visited 29 countries,* many of them multiple times. I have lived in 2 foreign countries (3 if you count Texas - and I do.)
There are only 2 states - Rhode Island and Hawaii - that I have not visited. @swimcoachjoan visited Hawaii without me. Never again should that happen.
I define a career as "a field in which, after one year on the job, you imagine you could do that until retirement. I have had seven.**
I grew up in a home located on a dirt road. I had woods to explore and fields to drive in or ride a motorcycle through for hours on end.
My 9 years of firefighting/rescue showed me poverty I had never imagined and the results of poor choices, primarily through the modeling of others.
I hold associate, bachelor, master and doctorate degrees.
I have solo backpacked in wilderness areas and have encountered bears in the wild twice.
I worked hard for 3 years in high school to make the starting defense football team. I dislocated my elbow in the 2st quarter of the 1st game of my senior year and missed the rest of the season. I ran 42 miles in summer training that year: 7 miles for each minute I played. We lost.
My granddaddy had a huge impact on my life. We enjoyed simple things together: afternoon naps, learning (at his insistence) to drive slower than the speed limit, trot line fishing, exploring beaver dams and a quiet peace that comes from faith.
In 1979, I had lunch with Senators Herman Talmadge and Sam Nunn in the Senate Dining Room in Washington, DC.
I met "Miss Lillian," President Carter's mother at Rock Eagle 4-H Camp. I was giving Billy Carter's daughter a "goodbye hug" at the time. I think "Miss Lillian" was amused.
At the risk of repeating myself, I'll say again that 25 years ago, I married my best friend. Together, we've reared two children who have taught me responsibility and the impact of long-term investment in others.
I have been surrounded by dolphins, some of them leaping from the water, while sailing.
I have seen people die. And, I have seen babies born. I don't really understand either, but I do know that one inevitably leads to the other.
I know the power of optimism, for I have observed the consequences of the opposite. Most days, I am a realist, believing the glass is neither half-full nor half-empty, but rather the wrong size to begin with. The other days, I'm an optimist.
I turned down a job with Lockheed after college graduation, telling the recruiter I was "too talented to do work in an engineering pool doing time studies." (Ahh, the arrogance of youth.) Six months later, with less than $100 in the bank, I accepted a job with a German equipment company and began travelling the world. Our team closed and managed contracts wort millions of dollars in the late 80's.
I wrote the first draft of this post sitting on the pier on St. Simons Island. I took a break to watch fishermen land a 2' shark and a sting ray with a 4' wingspan.
I played on the first soccer team my high school fielded. I payed goalie because I didn't (and still don't) like to run.
On my 40th birthday, I went mountain biking in the Czech Republic and have completed Century rides (100 miles) multiple times on a road bike. I much prefer screaming down a mountain over grunting my way to the top. I will grunt to get to scream.
I have been asked to leave a lot of places because they were not friendly to inline skaters. That stinks.
There are over 1,000 books in my library. I have read most of them. It used to bother me that there were books on my shelf that I had not read. I'm more flexible now.
My first computer was a Texas Instruments 99/4a. The BASIC programs I wrote had to be saved on a Panasonic cassette recorder. There haven't been many days since 1982 that I have not used a computer. Addicted? Perhaps. Probably.
I'm still waiting for the statute of limitations to expire (and my kids to reach 30 years of age) before I "tell it all." Just kidding. ;)

Well, there you go. Just a little bit of my background that might help explain a little about who I am. I collect experiences like some collect shells, antiques, or dust. And they make me rich.

...to be continued. Part 4 - The Bucket List.

*United States, Canada, Germany, Fance, Poland, Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Italy, Denmark, unisia, Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia, United Kingdom, Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
** Machinist, firefighter/EMT, engineer, minister, consultant, trainer, and missionary.

Reflections on 50 Years of Life - Part 2

2011-05-08T07:26:00.002-05:00

This is Part 2 of reflections and journal scribbling on my life as I celebrated my 50th birthday.

In post 1, I reflected on the spiritual, personal and family areas of my life.

Today: Who am I? Reflections on the social, professional and financial priority areas of my life.

My relationships are best characterized as large in number with but a few deep personal relationships.
I have been privileged to have made the acquaintances of thousands of people (1,762 of which are on FaceBook.) Most have been for times and seasons, budding rapidly, then going dormant until our paths cross years later. A couple of years ago, I saw a colleague in the international arrivals area of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport whom I had not seen for over 20 years. I recognized him instantly, and for a few minutes, we remembered, then went our separate ways until we meet again.
My friends at church are more than that as they are my "extended-extended family."
My wife is @swimcoachjoan and works with the Golden Isles Swim Team. Her friends there have become my friends.
Likewise, the members of the Golden Isles Sailing Club are my friends in and around the marina.
I serve as a pastor. I am blessed and fortunate that my physical needs are met by the congregation I serve. While I serve vocationally in that role, it is simply an extension of how I lived my live while working in the engineering field. I was a minister before it became my vocation.
I am committed to the idea that learning is a prerequisite for leadership. I seek professional learning experiences that expand my skills and knowledge.
I understand my strengths and serve from them. Too many organizations hire people on the basis of their strengths, then evaluate them on their weaknesses. This is unfair. Knowing and serving from my strengths gives me the confidence to refer people and delegate tasks to others who are more gifted than I in other areas.
I am wealthy; not in the sense that I have a large bank account, but in the sense that God has always given me just what I need, just when I need it. My health, family, friends, church and vocation are the vehicles God has used to provide my financial needs.
I am a steward of that with which I have been provided. It was not given to me to use for selfish ends, but to invest in those things that are lasting. As such, I use my resources to invest in my legacy through my children and through ministries that extend the Kingdom of God.

...to be continued.

image provided by www.freefoto.com

Reflections on 50 Years of Life - Part 1

2011-05-05T15:53:00.002-05:00

I celebrated my 50th birthday this week. It was a celebration for I don't buy all the fuss about "getting older, over the hill, aches and pains," etc. I'm as optimistic as @Traceyy, the "glass half-full girl" and see this milestone as just that: a marker on the journey of life that gives pause to where one is and where one is going.

As such, I've spent some time reflecting and journaling on my life this week and will share these thoughts in the days to come.

Today: Who am I? Reflections on the spiritual, personal and family priority areas of my life.

I have a growing faith - tested, questioned, but established and unbroken. It will stand the test of time.
I have come to understand that I cannot prove God to anyone; however, I can endeavor to take others to a place where they might meet Him (Thanks to Erwin McManus for helping me with that understanding.)
I am wonderfully made. That is, I am uniquely gifted and experienced to play a vital role in the Kingdom of God. By performing that role, He chooses to use me to hasten the coming of His kingdom to all.
I am healthy. I am reasonably fit - I could jump on my bike today and ride 50+ miles, as long as it's in south and not north, Georgia. I am free of disease and chronic illness.
I am blessed with the ability to learn. My base of knowledge is broad. I have earned an Associate Degree in Fire Science Technology from what is today Perimeter College, a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering Technology from Southern Polytechnic University, a Master's of Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Strategic Leadership from Regent University.
I am emotionally healthy (subject to some debate, but I'm OK with that). I am aware of my feelings and emotions and, while I too often choose to ignore them, I am aware of the emotions of others also.
I have a broad base of cross-cultural experiences. Serving and living in many countries and cultures, I appreciate what I have, what others have and the intersections and exclusions of the two.
I am blessed with a family who loves and values one another.
My wife has been "happy to be stuck with me" for 25 years. She chooses to overlook my quirk (there's only one: a belief that I have only one quirk) and loves me deeply. She has contributed to who I am by choosing to follow only one career path in our marriage and to find activities and jobs which bring her joy regardless of where my career has taken us.
My daughter makes people smile - me most of all. Beautiful. Intelligent. Articulate. Zealous for life, love, faith and friends. She brings me great joy.
My son is witty, compassionate, intelligent, handsome and curious about who he can and will be. He cares deeply for others. He likewise brings me great joy as I see him become a young man who will continue to become a man after God's own heart.
My family enjoys one another. They go out of their way to spend time with one another.
I am blessed to have had a godly mother. She died last year. I miss her, but she lives on in me and my family because she invested greatly in us.
My dad is a hero to me. He provided a home that was secure for me and he taught me how to live my life by following God's desire for me, not His desire for someone else. I lacked nothing I really needed, because he provided.
My brother and I are different. Our interests diverged years ago. Yet, I have no doubt that he is for me and will stand with me when I need him to do so. There's not much more one could ask for in a brother.
I have an extended family that is large in number and diverse in interests. When we spend time together, I realize how much I appreciate and love them - all the while rejoicing that they are my extended family! ;)

... To be continued.

The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir - a Summaview

2011-03-30T15:09:00.001-05:00

The Corruptible is the second Ray Quinn mystery by Mark Mynheir. Ray Quinn, former homicide detective now private investigator is on the trail of the killer of cop-gone-bad Logan Ramsey. From board room to biker hangout to the seedy side of Orlando, Quinn, with his partner Crevis Creighton follow the clues with enough twists to keep the pace of the novel flowing.

Joining them in the chase is Pam Winters, former client, now turned office assistant and tutor for Crevis who is overcoming dyslexia and preparing for the police entrance exam. Pam is the a lady of faith who bears a quiet and not-so-quiet witness for Christ to Ray. Of course, as Ray puts it, "I'm glad someone was praying for me, because I wasn't inclined to do it for myself. Prayer, to me, was like surrender. And I'd rather be knocked out cold any day than quit."

That's one of the things I liked about this story. Ray is a real guy. Tough, yet with a tender side he wants to keep hidden. Hard, but with a good side that gives of himself to others. Yet, he's without a personal relationship with the Lord at the beginning of the story, and still lost at the end. At the same time, you can sense Ray is becoming more honest with his life with Pam and with God.

I'll pass this along to a friend in law enforcement. I think he'll enjoy the story and pass it along to other men who are fighting battles of their own.

Oh, and I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Soulprint by Mark Batterson - A Summaview

2011-02-28T22:23:00.004-05:00

Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny by Mark Batterson (lead pastor of National Community Church who blogs here.)

In a world where we're seeking to overcome our past, seek meaning in our present and significance in our future, Batterson's quote "It's never too late to be who you might have been" really hits home. Discovering your divine destiny is a journey on which it is never too late to start. Like a fingerprint - a unique collections of whirls and swirls that distinguish you from others - Batterson explores the idea of a soulprint - the perspectives and experiences that set you apart. Understanding your soul print helps you understand who God has created and shaped you to be.

Using examples from the life of David to unfold the dimensions of the Soulprint, Batterson could just as easily used Joseph, Paul and Jesus to develop his theme. The outline of the book, key questions and concepts is as follows:

OPENING: Soulprint - What is your Soulprint? Hint: David couldn't fight Goliath like Saul. He had to fight like David.

SCENE I. Holy Confidence - How does God use your perceived disadvantages, challenges or weaknesses to shape you? Hint: Your past is preparation for the the future and God can use anything if you will let Him, with the result of something other than self-confidence.

SCENE II: Lifesymbols - What is the role of your memory in developing your soulprint? Hint: without it, you'll learn, forget and see your faith falter. Once you discover your lifesymbols, every nic-nac in your life becomes a reminder to worship.

SCENE III: The Crags of the Wild Goats - Who are your becoming in the process of living out your soulprint? Hint: that's much more important than where you are going. Your integrity will never be tested in the light, but in the shadows.

SCENE IV: Alter Ego - What do the words humor, humiliation and humility have in common? Hint: They often result from (not in) embarrassment, and, if you haven't been embarrassed lately, maybe it's time for an "ego check".

SCENE V: The Devil's Workshop - What leads us to engage in sinful habits? Hint: it's often the disengagement of holy pursuits and until you face the reality of sinful habits, your soulprint will never be completely expressed.

CLOSING: The White Stone - Who is the only one who can answer the question "who am I?" Hint: it's the one who created you as you - with a unique soulprint waiting to be discovered and realized.

One thing I like about Batterson's approach is the emphasis on experiences and formative events as foundations for identity rather than the more systematic gifts, passions and personality approach. I'll be passing this book along to a young man I know who is seeking new insights into who he is with a goal of understanding how God is preparing him for ministry.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain - a Summaview

2011-02-08T17:26:00.001-05:00

The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind by Barbara Strauch

Barbara Strach, author of The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries about the Teenage Brain Tell Us about Our Kids and deputy science editor and health and Medical science editor at the New York Times. A fifty-six year old baby boomer at the time of writing the book, Strach seeks to understand what exactly does middle-age mean, especially for the brain.

If you've ever been confronted with questions like "Why can't I remember why I can into this room? I know you, but who are you again? or Am I fated to fade into the gray haze of alzheimers or dementia?" you'll find the parts one and two of this book especially fascinating. (Part three: healthier brains is also interesting, but somewhat tedious with the citing of research studies, etc.)

Both my mom and grandmother were affected by diminished mental capabilities in their final years. I read this book in part to understand what is ahead for me and how I might stave off what I thought was inevitable. Stauch suggests that the middle age brain is incredibly resilient, functional and adaptable, and that it is entirely possible to put off the effects of aging. If you would like that kind of encouragement, read this book.

Contents, key questions and concepts from the book:

Part One: The Powers that Be

Am I Losing My Mind? Sometimes, But the Gains Beat the Losses. What should I expect as I age? Can I get smarter as I get older? Hint: Evidence suggests that our cognitive abilities continue to grow as we age.
The Best Brains of Our Lives: A Bit Slower, but So Much Better - Am I really getting better, not older? Hint: Our ability to handle complex mental challenges is at it's prime.
A Brighter Place: I'm So Glad I'm not Young Anymore - Half-full or half-empty? In middle age, we tend to focus on the good rather than the bad.
Experience. Judgement. Wisdom: Do We Really Know What We're Talking About? We can certainly get the gist of the issues.
The Middle in Motion: The Midlife Crisis Conspiracy. Midlife crisis? I'll pass, thankyouverymuch.

Part Two: The Inner Workings

What Changes with Time: Glitches the Brain Learns to Deal With. What's in a name? Hint: It's a problem of retrieval, not of storage.Why can't I remember what I started, read, was looking for, etc.? Hint: In middle age, your brains are tempted to go to default mode and are easily distracted.
Two Brains Are Better Than One: Especially Inside One Head. What happens when my left and right brain work together?
Extra Brainpower: A Reservoir to Tap When Needed. Can I store some brainpower for the future? Hint: Yes, and there are some practical ways to do so.

Part Three: Healthier Brains

Keep Moving and Keep Your Wits: Exercise Builds Brains. So, the brain is a muscle? Hint: No, but it can be worked out.
Food for Thought: And a Few Other Substances, as Well. Brain food? Hint: yes, and it's dark in color.
The Brain Gym: Toning Up Your Circuits. Can I strengthen my weaknesses? Hint: you'll have to do something other than what you're doing now.

Epilogue: A New Place for Better, Longer Lives.

The epilogue sums up the entire reason for reading this book for me: if you expect to live longer physically, wouldn't you want to live longer mentally? Yes, I would.

The Sword and the Shield [A Summaview]

2010-12-28T12:58:00.004-05:00

The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB by Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin

Christopher Andrew is Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Cambridge University. One of the leading authorities on intelligence history, Andrew is also the official historian of Britain’s Secret Service (MI-5). Vasili Mitrokhin served as an archivist in Russia’s KGB, and having become disillusioned with the Soviet worldview during Krushchev’s rule, began copying sensitive and highly classified documents from the KGB archive. He defected in 1992, and over 25,000 documents were retrieved from the contained them, buried beneath the floor of his dacha.

The Sword and the Shield follows the history of the KGB from Lenin’s Cheka, to Stalin’s OGPU through the establishment of Yeltsin’s presidency. Andrew documents the operations and impact of several hundred spies who operated during that time frame.

The sheer volume of the material is overwhelming. As a result, reading is somewhat tedious with only a few paragraphs dedicated to each operative. Andrew is a historian and has contributed greatly to our understanding of Soviet Intelligence operations. I found myself skimming many sections and reading those which were of special interest, such as operations directed against the United States and those surrounding the Prague Spring in 1968. That would be my recommendation for the amateur historian.

That said, I did enjoy the book. Secret Service, spies, intelligence, counter-intelligence and related stories fascinate me. Andrew focuses on people and what they did. I would have enjoyed a greater discussion of trade craft and operations than he offered. In any case, his work added to my understanding of a secret and until now, hidden world.

Contents and concepts

The Mitrokhin Archive
From Lenin’s Cheka to Stalin’s OGPU
The Great Illegals
The Magnificent Five
Terror
War
The Grand Alliance
Victory
From War to Cold War
The Main Adversary - Part 1: North American Illegals in the 1950’s
The Main Adversary - Part 2: Walk-ins and Legal Residencies in the Early Cold War
The Main Adversary - Part 3: Illegals after “Abel”
The Main Adversary - Part 4: Walk-ins and Legal Residencies int he Later Cold War
Political Warfare: Active Measures and the Main Adversary
PROGRESS Operations - Part 1: Crushing the Prague Spring
PROGRESS Operations - Part 2: Spying on the soviet Bloc
The KGB and Western Communist Parties
Eurocommunism
Ideological Subversion - Part 1: The War Against the dissidents
Ideological Subversion - Part 2: The Victory of the dissidents
SIGINT in the cold War
Special Tasks - Part 1: From Marshal Tito to Rudolf Nureyev
Special Tasks - Part 2: The Andropov Era and Beyond
Cold War Operations Against Britain- Part 1: After the “Magnificent Five”
Cold War Operations Against Britain- Part 2: After Operation FOOT
The Federal Republic of Germany
France and Italy during the Cold War: Agent Penetration and Active Measures
The Penetration and Persecution of the Soviet Churches
The Polish Pope and the Rise of Solidarity
The Polish Crisis and the crumbling of the Soviet Bloc
Conclusion: From the One-Party State to the Yeltsin Presidency

Andrew, C. M., & Mitrokhin, V. (1999). The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB (1st ed.). New York: Basic Books.

The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin’s Secret Service [A Summaview]

2010-12-20T15:46:00.006-05:00

The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin’s Secret Service by Andrew Meier

Andrew Meier, a former Moscow correspondent for Time magazine is the author of Black Earth: A Journey Through Russia After the Fall and Chechnya: To the Heart of A Conflict, has compiled a remarkable and unknown history of Isaiah Oggins, an American who was murdered on Stalin’s orders in 1947. His case remained unkown to the world aside from a brief mention in 1992 until Meier began searching for clues to Oggins’ story in 2000.

Oggins, born in 1898, was recruited by Stalin’s secret service in 1928 and travelled extensively through Europe and Asia on behalf of the Soviet state. Meier’s research uncovers a man who moved carefuly in the shadows until his arrest and sentence to the gulag in 1940. So much so, that Oggins was relatively unknown by the United States until the post World War II period. Meier’s discussion how diplomats from both countries found it difficult to handle the situation his emergence from the gulag presented was especially interesting to me.

The Lost Spy is a non-fiction book that reads like a modern day spy thriller (a genre I read often for recreation). Having lived in Europe and traveled in Russia, I enjoy understanding the historical foundations of modern culture. This book provided insight for me into Americans who became enamored with the promises of revolution and communism at the beginning of the last century, much like Tim Tzouliadis did in The Forsaken: An American Tragedy in Stalin's Russia . I also enjoyed the photos and archival documents which Meier discovered in his research.

If you enjoy historical biographies of forgotten people, Cold War Era espionage, diplomacy or similar genres, you will likely enjoy learning of Oggins’ story in The Lost Spy. As for me, I'll be seeking out Meier's Black Earth: A Journey through Russia After the Fall before long.

Contents

Arrest

     1. “The American Professor”
     2. Thread City
     3. War

The Lubyanka: 1939

     4. Revolution
     5. Into the Night
     6. A Change of Sky

Gulag: 1940

7. The Red and the White

Butyrka: 1942

     8. Journey to a War
     9. The Stamp Market
     10. Truth Will Win

Execution

11. The Note to Stalin
12: Afterlife

Bibliography: Meier, A. (2008). The Lost Spy : An American in Stalin's Secret Service (1st ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership [Summaview]

2010-12-13T13:10:00.005-05:00

Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures by Gary McIntosh and Samuel Rima

Gary L. McIntosh is president of the Church Growth Network and professor of Christian ministry and leadership at Talbot School of Theology. He leads seminars and has written several books, including Biblical Church Growth and Beyond the First Visit. Samuel D. Rima is director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Bethel Seminary, where he is also a faculty member in the Center for Transformational Leadership. He is the author of Leading from the Inside Out and Rethinking the Successful Church.

The stories of leaders who crash and burn are many. It seems that as many leaders fail to finish well as a result of self-destructive habits as those who fail at the hands of others. This book found it’s way onto my reading list because good leaders are self-aware. They know their strengths and they know their weaknesses - especially those that reside behind the public face. This book makes and delivers three promises: 1) help the reader understand what the dark side is; 2) assist in identifying one’s dark side; and, 3) help to overcome the dark side lurking in one’s success before being blindsided by it.

McIntosh and Rima’s work should be mandatory reading for all leaders (in my humble opinion). Drawing from a variety of fields, the lessons learned from leaders who succumbed to the dark side are clearly articulated. It was easy to find the danger I pose to myself and those I would lead. In addition, part 3 of the book has practical steps to redeeming our dark side and I believe it will be helpful to redirect the energy and passion that lead to failure into more productive efforts. Editorially, this book has one of my favorite features in books designed for reflection and improvement. Each chapter closes with a summary of key points and application of insights through open ended questions, assignments and surveys.

The table of contents and key concepts are as follows:
Part 1 Understanding Our Dark Side

Blindsided by the Dark Side - The dark side is the inner urges, compulsions, and dysfunctions of our personality that often go unexamined or remain unknown to us until we experience and emotional explosion… or some other significant problem that causes us to search for a reason why. (28)
Danger on the Dark Side - When we refuse to process in healthy ways feelings of insecurity, unhealthy co-dependence issues, feelings of personal shame, deeply sublimated anger or fear, or some combination of these or other issues, they will wreak havoc in our lives and leadership and eventually endanger ourselves and others. (40)
Company on the Dark Side - The dark side if found across eras in the lives of leaders. Those who accomplish much have confronted their dark side.
Shedding Divine Light on the Dark Side - The raw material for our dark side are pride, selfishness and self-deception. (59)
How the Dark Side Develops - The critical factor in how our dark side will impact our leadership is the extent to which we learn about its development and understand how it influences us… There are definite signs we can become sensitive to that will help us identify the unique ways it has developed over the years as well as the specific shape it has taken in our life. (70) In short, any behavior that seems to overpower us, as well as any urge or motivation that seems to uncontrollably drive us, is a possible sign indicating the presence of our dark side. (71)
Seafood, Pictionary, and the Dark Side - The dark side can provide energy for success.
Paradoxes of the Dark Side - When our drive to achieve, fueled by unmet needs and existential debt, is channeled in the right direction, it can be a power for good. However, when that need-fueled drive becomes misdirected, it can result in disaster… (99)

Part 2 Discovering Our Dark Side

The Compulsive Leader - Example: Moses. Compulsive in a leadership context describes the need to maintain absolute order. (105)
The Narcissistic Leader - Example: Solomon. For the narcissistic leader… the world revolves on the axis of self, and all other people and issues closely orbit them as they get caught in the strong gravitational pull of the narcissist’s self-absorption. (115)
The Paranoid Leader - Example: Saul. …Paranoid leaders are desperately afraid of anything or anyone, whether real or imagined, they perceive to have even the remotest potential of undermining their leadership and stealing away the limelight. (123)
The Codependent Leader - Example: Samson. An emotional, psychological and behavioral condition that develops as a result of an individual’s prolonged exposure to and practice of, a set of oppressive rules that prevent the open expression of feeling as well as the direct discussion of personal and interpersonal problems. (133)
The Passive-Aggressive Leader - Example: Jonah. A resistance to demands to adequately perform tasks, often expressed through behaviors such as procrastination, dawdling, stubbornness, forgetfulness and intentional inefficiency. (141)

Part 3 Redeeming Our Dark Side

Overcoming the Dark Side - Leaders are expected to exercise a higher degree of self-management, redeeming their darks side and thus mitigating its potentially negative influences. (149)
Spiritual Composting - While parts of our personality are not particularly useful in their present form, they can be redeemed and transformed for a useful purpose. (161)
Step 1: Acknowledge Your dark Side - If we want to overcome our dark side, we need to start by acknowledging its existence and understanding the shape it has taken over the years… All too often the Christian community… relegates the moral failures and other problems that result from the dark side of our personality to the realm of spiritual warfare and demonic attack. (168) The sooner we stop denying our dark side’s existence, t he sooner we will stop blaming the devil, our parents, bad breaks, and every other possible reason for our struggles. (169)
Step 2: Examine the Past - We are the sum of the experiences of our lives. The most successful and effective leaders recognize this and are able to separate fact from fiction in their childhood memories while understanding the role these memories have played in their personal development. (174)
Step 3: Resist the Poison of Expectations - Because the influence of expectations is so powerful, many leaders often live life at a dangerously frenetic pace in an effort to meet all of them and satisfy all of the people who have made them known. (190)
Step 4: Practice Progressive Self-Knowledge - [Spiritual] disciplines and tools will provide us with a constant stream of information about ourselves that we can use in an effort to understand ourselves and overcome our dark side rather than passively being controlled by it. (199) These include scripture reading, personal retreats, devotional reading, journaling, personality pro0files and tests, professional counseling and therapy, accountability groups and formal performance evaluations.
Step 5: Understand Your Identity in Christ - We must come to the point where we recognize that our value is not dependent on our performance, position, titles, achievements, or the power that we wield. Rather our worth exists independently of anything we have ever done or will do in the future. Without the grace of God that is found only in his son, Jesus Christ… our best efforts and most altruistic acts are like filthy rags in God’s sight. Everything we might learn about our dark side will be without significant benefit if we fail to find our value in Christ. (213)

I think this is a valuable resource. In fact, it ranks as my #1 book for 2010. Therefore, it will remain on my shelf and referenced during personal planning retreats.

Bibliographical entry: McIntosh, G., & Rima, S. D. (2007). Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures (Rev. ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Your Money and Your Brain by Jason Zweig [a summaview]

2010-12-06T12:14:00.004-05:00

Your Money and Your Brain: How the New Science of Neuroeconomics Can Help Make You Rich by Jason Zweig

This is not my normal genre, aside from the fact that I read widely. I received it as a gift and decided to wade through it.

Jason, editor of the Intelligent Investor newsletter, worked with neuroscientists to examine how the brain processes information related to investing. Zweig subjected himself to several studies and imagery programs illustrate how the brain reacts to experiences such as anticipation, gain, loss and regret. Chapter titles include: greed, prediction, confidence, risk, fear, surprise, regret and happiness.

From the book jacket: “Why do otherwise smart, rational people make irrational, foolish decisions about money? Combining psychology, neuroscience and economics, the new science of neuroeconimics answers that question… Your Money and Your Brain exp=lains why we oveten misunderstand risk and tend to be overconfident aobut our investment decisions. Zweig blends anectodes from experimends in which he participated with stories aobout investing mistakes - some from highly successful people - distilling them to offer practical steps that investors can take to make better decisions and take control of the battlefield between reason and emotion.”

The book has application for leaders as well as investors. In any field in which we take responsibility for our own decisions and actions, help to understand how we process information is valuable.

A few broad takeaways for me.

Anticipation seems to be a stronger motivation than does receiving.
It has been my experience that all history is revisionist, and all revisionist history is nostalgic. Stated simply, we remember only the best of times and upon reflection, our recollections are rarely objective.
If investing, make a log of thoughts, processes, and feelings when you make an investment. It will help you document your path when you are tempted to second guess yourself. Same goes for any decision.
The brain is a wonderful gift. It is fascinating in its ability to adapt, process information and (re)program itself.
We are prone to deception. We may fool ourselves or be fooled by others. We must be aware of that and careful to guard against it.

I’ll be passing this book along to a friend in the investment business, rather than keeping it on the shelf for reference.

Bibliography - Zweig, J. (2007). Your money and your brain: how the new science of neuroeconomics can help make you rich. New York: Simon & Schuster.

yymmdd - or sorting by date

2010-11-30T07:20:00.003-05:00

Ok, this is a weird post, but what can I say. Neal's Notes is about the extraordinary emerging from the ordinary. I "discovered" this trick some time ago and am still amazed that few others use it. So, I'm going to do my part to spread the word.

Do you find your disk directories or folders with scrambled files? Ever have the need to sort them chronologically? Then abandon the old MMDDYYYY format and adopt YYYYMMDD. See, when the month is the first part of the name, it will sort all January, February, March, etc.but if your files bridge years, well, it's a alphanumeric train wreck just waiting to happen. So, move that year up front! YYMMDD will sort chronologically. Amazing, isn't it?

I have newsletters from several years past filed away. How are they named? title_yymmdd. Those rascals just sort right out in order. How about scanned documents with time off requests? empname_yymmdd. Incredible. Excel sheet with a date column. Same thing. List in a Word document? yymmdd and sort those paragraphs!

Yeah, it's weird. But, it's extraordinary!

When a Nation Forgets God [A Summaview]

2010-11-29T09:33:00.004-05:00

When a Nation Forgets God: 7 Lessons We Must Learn from Nazi Germany by Erwin W. Lutzer Erwin Lutzer has been the senior pastor of The Moody church in Chicage since 1980. With “the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other” Lutzer offers Biblical insight into the cultural context of our world. When a Nation Forgets God draws parallels between the circumstances leading to the the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany and changes in our contemporary culture, concluding with a challenge to Christians to remain faithful to our calling to live completely dedicated to the call of Christ.

Having lived in Germany and served across Europe, the history of that region fascinates me. I read this book to gain an understanding of how a country in which the Reformation began could give rise to Hitler's Reich. What I discovered is that a number of religious, political and social transitions occurred in that country which bear an amazing similarity to the transitions which I perceive to be happening in our country today. Will be give rise to another reich? Probably not, however, the paths of political correctness and reform can surely lead us to places we would rather not go.

The book outline and summary of key thoughts is as follows:

When God is Separated from Government, Judgement Follows - What is the role of the church in the face of governments that have self-consciously excluded God from their policies? (22) When God is ousted from government, transcendent values are replaced by: the raw use of power; eroticism; arbitrary judicial rulings; and, the morality of personal pragmatism (27)
It’s Always the Economy - An economic crisis is always a gift to a leader who wants to capture a nation. (40) … the economy often trumps matters of liberty and principle because money is so integral to who we are and, of course, we need money to live. Unfortunately, sometimes it also trumps those values that are eternally important, such as one’s honor and witness for the Gospel. (49) As far as I know, no government in history has had a great record in providing expanded benefits without eventually also expecting more control of its citizens. (53)
That Which is Legal Might Also Be Evil - Laws reflect a nation’s priorities, agenda, and values. (58) Look behind the law and there is your god! (59) Without a belief in God, nothing is unconditionally wrong. (61) With the erosion of a theistic base, law would no longer be based on an absolute view of morality; values would become relative and human worth devalued. (65)
Propaganda Can Change a Nation - …the capacity for independent thought must be supressed; thus language must be corrupted to serve sinister ends. Sanitized terms were used to camouflage unspeakable crimes. (79) [A cultural current is] a dominant idea promoted by the media and willingly adopted by a critical mass of people wh want to believe a myth so badly they will close their minds to all contrary evidence. When such a cultural movement gains momentum, people will stare at facts and filter out what they don’t want to believe… Before we know it, we are in a world where facts do not matter. (80)
Parents - Not the State - Are Responsible for a Child’s Training - The fact is that laws making education in public schools compulsory have historically been found in the most totalitarian of governments where state-sponsored indoctrination was a major goal of the educational system. (98) The purpose of school was not independent thought, but rather to transform the attitude and values of children to conform to what the state wanted. (101) The educational system became more focused on setting affective, not cognitive goals (outcomes). (103) Values clarification was invented by Dr. Sidney Simon in order to change the beliefs, convictions, and moral values of a child. It is based on the notion that there are no absolutes - no right or wrong. Such transformation is to come into the life of a child by affirming the following: (1) personal values should be left up to each student, not dictated by parents or the church, and (2) questions are to be used that solicit open-ended answers to teach the child that there are no absolutes… Now that the child has been stripped of his previous values… (3) the teacher is to tell the child that he must make up his own mind as to what values he will accept…, and then (4) the child must publicly declare his “conversion” to the new values systems… [Finally] (5) the child is to regularly act on these values. (107-8)
Ordinary Heroes Can Make a Difference - Today in America we need an army of ordinary heroes to stand against the gathering darkness in our land. We need people who will stand for truth courageously, consistently, and with humility and grace. We need millions of believers who will represent Christ in the various vocations of America. We need to enlist people who know what the believe , why they believe it, and how to live out their convictions in diverse situations. (118) …we need ordinary people living authentically for Christ in their vocations, among their neighbors, and positions of influence. We cannot look to a man or even a movement as musch as to the common person who is committed to Christ and living for Him. (120) It is not how loud we can shout but how well we can suffer that will convince the world of the integrity of our message. (121)
We Must Exalt the Cross in the Gathering Darkness - … for us as Christians, the conflict is really between humanism and Christianity; or alternative religions and Christianity. On one side is a deteriorating culture and on the other side of the divide is the cross of Christ with its message of hope and redemption. (133) Have we forgotten that God’s power is more clearly seen in the message of the cross than in any political or social plan we might devise? (134) In previous eras we have seen the gospel neglected or even mocked by religious liberals and nominal Christians… What is different today is that the message of the cross is being ignored even by those who claim to be saved by it’s message. (136)

When a Nation Forgets God certainly has application to the culture in which we live. While there is no suggestion that we stand on the threshold of the emergence of another Hitler or the horrors of the Holocaust he initiated, there can be no doubt that there is a deep need for Christians to resist the changes which marginalize them and the Gospel which describes their being. Lutzer challenges the reader in closing to consider the following questions: At what point do we have to become lawbreakers rather than betray our faith? At what price are we willing to take the cross into the world and identify with our savior? How do we both love the people of the world and yet oppose the agenda of those who would crush the Gospel? (139)

I’m passing this one along to people who have an interest in reading our culture and responding in the power of the Cross.

Bibliography: Lutzer, E. W. (2010). When a Nation Forgets God: 7 Lessons We Must Learn From Nazi Germany. Chicago: Moody Publishers.

It's a... It's a.... What's a Book Summaview?

2010-11-29T08:41:00.002-05:00

I am a reader. I love the world of books. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say, I love the world of information. I am an info-junkie. The movie character with whom I have most closely identified is the robot in “Short Circuit.” Input. Input. Input.

That said, I’m adding a new “feature” to Neal’s Notes. Each week, I’ll plan to post a “summaview” of a book I’ve read this week. As you might guess, a “Summaview” is sort of a cross between a book summary and a review. (I have also been described as a “word-nerd,” which follows from being a reader. If I can’t find the word to describe my thought, I’ll create one.) You will be introduced to the author(s), why I read the book, why you might consider reading it and my overall evaluation. The heart of each summaview, however, will be a list of the table of contents along with the key concept of the chapter.

While I most often read non-fiction books which will be of interst to organizational leaders and managers, pastors and leaders, I also read books related to my hobbies and interests. I also read a lot of fiction and non-fiction books as well, especially of the international espionage genre.

Oh, I’ll also include a link for each book on Amazon.com. This is shameless self-promotion, as each book you might purchase through that link will add a few nickels and dimes to my book fund. So, help me keep ‘em coming!

For Tracey on Moving Day

2010-08-12T07:47:00.005-05:00

As I write this, we are three hours away from leaving to take you to college. Reflecting on your life, I remember your first cries, first steps, first words, first boo-boos, … plane rides… days at school… laughs… friends… disappointments… first hurts and on and on. As I do, I think that I remember the joys so much more than the hurts. And I am at great peace today.

One reason I have peace is that today is the fulfillment of 18+ years of expectations. For your entire life, your mother and I have tried, to the best of our ability, to influence you for this day: a day in which you will demonstrate your independence of us and a new level of dependence on God and yourself. We have tried to model, teach, admonish and exhort you to make wise choices and depend on God in all things.

In my quiet time today, I read 1^st and 2^nd Timothy, and have a new understanding of Paul’s letter and the expectations and aspirations he had for Timothy. As you go to college, my daughter, my prayers for you will be:

Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Tim 4:12 (HCSB)

...pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. 1 Tim 6:11 (HCSB)

You, therefore, my [daughter], be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful [ones] who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim 2:1-2 (HCSB)

Your mother and I love you and are for you. Know that you can never be more loved than you are right now. God bless you, my daughter.

Sunday Night Scribbles

2010-06-27T20:45:00.003-05:00

Summertime. A lot of folks are out and about. I look forward to when they come home.
I wonder if God thinks the same thing: a lot of people are out and about. I look forward to when they come home.
Take away from Dr. Bob's morning sermon from Jonah 1: the path of self-will is always downward.
What a wonderful gift we have in the Spirit of God who tells us who God is. 1 Cor 2:10-14.
How can we describe a God that conceived all that there is when there was nothing at all and then created it? How can we describe a God who directs lightning bolts, created a sun & then set it apart from night so that we might rest? How can we describe a God who sees the depths of our hearts and loves us anyway? Indescribable. That's the God I serve. (Hat tip to Chris Tomlin.)
Kudos to @traceyy and @jncordle for their performance in the Gathering Place opening skit. Well done, children.
Grateful for the opportunity to serve Brunswick.

Sewing Sails

2010-06-27T15:21:00.003-05:00

I went to the marina on Friday. the wind was really blowing: about 15 knots with gusts over 20. While I really wanted to go out, there were two criteria that had to be weighed. One: do I want to work that hard? Two: Is my boat up to the conditions.

While I would have enjoyed the experience, I had to to conclude there were a couple of issues with the boat that had the potential to create much more of an adventure than I was up for. specifically, I knew that my main sail had a couple of relatively small tears that could easily become quite large if I went out in this wind.

I reluctantly stripped the sails from the boat, folded them and took them home for mending. Saturday morning found me under a shade tree with a needle and thread to effect the repairs. As I mended, I reflected on the leadership lessons I was learning.

1. Steven Covey used the metaphor of "sharpening the saw" to illustrate the need we all have to stop work and renew ourselves. Just as a lumberjack must sharpen the ax or saw if he wants to continue to cut timber, we need to take time out to make sure we are as effective as we can be. In the long-term, the job will go much easier when all our tools are honed and maintained.

Sail repair is not glamorous, but keeping them mended will preserve them. Truth be told, I'd like a new sail. But, I'll nurse this one through another season with care. Rather than stressing them on Friday, I chose to reinforce them.Leaders need renewal. We must regularly take time out for the task to mend, heal, learn, recall and reinforce our abilities. By doing so, we'll be ready for the high winds.

2. I stuck myself with the needle. More than once. Even drew blood. Leader lesson? Mending can be painful. Renewal can be painful.The satisfaction in the end makes the pain fade away. Oh, and try not to bleed on the sail.

3. A good job finished well brings satisfaction. My stitches weren't exactly neat and uniform, or even in line. But they should hold. Knowing that I took time out to mend them gives me satisfaction, for I know, deep down, that it was the most important think I could do on Friday and Saturday morning if I am to enjoy the next afternoon sail.

Saturday afternoon, I bent the sails to the rig again. As we left the dock, the wind filled in at 12-15knots. And we sailed. confident that we and the sails were up to the task.

Leader do you need to take a time out today? To sew the sails? To sharpen the saw? To renew.

Sunday Night Scribbles

2010-06-13T19:28:00.003-05:00

I don't do hot and humid very well.Thankful for air conditioning and patient people who will (hopefully) put up with me.
Looking forward to VBS this week more than ever before.
There are some fantabulous people at FBC Brunswick. Encouragers. Servants. Disciples.Friends.
I am thankful and grateful for Dr. Mounts. He has passion for the word and an ability to communicate hard truths in an easy way.
I'm feeling the need to spend some time in planning this week. Would like to re-focus on the next 100 days personally and professionally. Hope to carve out some time sometime.
Two weeks into Dixville. Eight to go. Will be praying for Dave, Chandis, Donnie and team this week.
Hmmm. Sailing this week. May have to wait until Sunday. Happy Father's Day to me.
Our housekeeping staff will have to be on their A game this week. Go Jackie, Rayfield and Larry!
Quote I haven't been able to get out of my mind from the morning message: "I am responsible for what I know AND I am responsible for what I could have known." Must redeem the time and use every moment wisely to learn what I am supposed to learn so that I can think the way I am supposed to think and act the way I am supposed to act.

Swinging into the wind

2010-06-07T19:48:00.002-05:00

Went to the beach this afternoon. There was a steady east wind blowing off the ocean. Enjoyed watching the sea gulls flying, soaring, hovering, overhead. When flying downwind, they would glide by quickly. Then, with seemingly little effort, they would wheel around into the wind, flare their wings slightly and settle gently on the sand.
Then, facing into the wind, they would run a couple of steps, flick their wing tips and rise swiftly into the air.
Repeat. Over and over again. And I watched, fascinated by how they could use the wind to move across the waves and the beach. They never seemed to fight the wind, but used it to their benefit.
What a life lesson. We can choose to fight the circumstances that come our way. Or, we can swing into them and face them, using them to our advantage. Take a few steps. Leap into the air. Swing into the wind. Settle into a place of rest.
P.S. I've never seen a sea gull in a gale. If the winds are overpowering, hunker down. The storm will pass.

Sunday Night Scribbles

2010-06-06T20:35:00.010-05:00

1. It's vacation time. Some folks came back to church today. Others have gone. I pray they enjoy and return again.
2. Dr. Bob Mounts will be a real blessing to our church. He's maturing, experienced and committed to the Word for the glory of God.
3.Rumors traveled slowly in New Testament times. So Paul had to deal with a lot of stuff in 1 Corinthians. What if Twitter were possible then? How would correction, doctrine, reproof and admonition be disseminated?
4. I'm thankful for Bible study leaders who cover for one another. I'm thankful for brothers who cover for me as well.
5. I know Dr. Mounts is communicating when my son tweets a thought from his sermon.
6. Hugs from 2- and 3-year olds are fantastic. They can so make my day complete. Love with no strings attached.
7. Flowers have grown to obscure 1/2 of our sign. Should we raise the sign or mow the flowers?

A Great Cloud of Witnesses

2010-02-01T20:49:00.002-05:00

Last night was staff night in AWANA. Each year, our staff hangs out with the kids in AWANA clubs in an attempt to connect with them. Past years have been challenging, particularly during game time as the competitive nature of our staff members has not always been held in check.

This year, we made a few changes in the format. Our staff divided among the three age groups and we spent the evening with our group. I was with the Cubbies - most of which are about about four-years-old.

During game time, I sat on the line and cheered my team as they participated in the relay races. As our time drew to a close, the leaders invited me and the other two staff members in our group to race one another. Soon, my Cubbies were chanting "Bro-ther-Neal, Bro-ther-Neal!" I was pumped. As they cheered, I was off around the game circle. Yes, I passed both my competitors, careful not to touch them or shove them "in the love of Christ" out of my way! And, yes, as a matter of fact, I did win.

And I owe it to my cheering section. I couldn't let them down, now could I?

You know where I'm going, don't you? " Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us..." Hebrews 12:1 (HCSB)

Just as my Cubbies cheered for me, you are being urged on by the fathers of our faith. RUN!

On the Fall of the Wall - Again

2009-11-12T08:59:00.000-05:00

In an article published online yesterday in the Wall Street Journal entitled Reagan in Berlin, John Fund recounts some of the debate around President Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall Speech" he delivered in Germany in 1987. Many recognize this speech as the tipping point leading to the demise of the Soviet Empire. Fund mentions that streets are named after Ronald Reagin in Budapest, Warsaw and Cracow. But, in Berlin, no name changes have been made (though I do recall having been on JFK Street there). Fund then quotes Lothar de Maziere, the conservative who served as East Germany's last president before the country was dissolved:

"The decision to name streets is done at the district level, so maybe something can be done with the local officials," he told me. De Maziere, who as a lawyer defended people who had failed to escape East Germany, says he has no doubt that average people give Reagan a lot more credit for the Wall's fall than do elites. "The name of Reagan is in the heart of ordinary Berliners," he says. "While many people jostle to take credit for what Reagan set in motion, in the end his legacy is secure."

The last line has me thinking this morning. Each and every day you and I seek to set things in motion. To act today so that a better tomorrow can be realized. And we labor in the shadows - in secret - unnoticed and unheralded. But, we are effective. There will, in many ways, be a better tomorrow because we have given people hope, encouragement, exhortation and challenge today. And, if the change is really big (or at least significant), someone might even try to take credit.

But, in the end, you know and I know it was our influence that helped make it happen. And, in the end, our "legacy is secure."

So, the real challenge is this: are you willing to stand firm, labor silently in the shadows, and endure today knowing that it may be in excess of two decades before the effects of the change you influence today is realized? Knowing that your legacy or the significance of your influence may never be realized in your lifetime? Then, carry on.

Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Cor 15:58 (HCSB)

On the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

2009-11-10T07:35:00.002-05:00

These thoughts were recorded in 1998 as I prepared to journey to Eastern Europe for a three-year mission term. On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall, I thought I'd re-post them here.

In 1987, I made a choice. I was in Germany and had a free weekend to sightsee. My wife and I had been in Munich a couple of weeks before and I had enjoyed the visit. On this free weekend, I could return to Munich (which was familiar and "known") or I could journey to Berlin (the unfamiliar and "unknown"). I elected to return to Munich and enjoyed the weekend.

Two years later, I watched with millions of others around the world as "The Wall" came down, reuniting the divided city. At that moment I realized I had missed an opportunity that would never again be available to me. I had missed an opportunity because I had opted for the safe, familiar and comfortable destination rather than the one that held some "risk" for me.

For some reason I reflected on this experience this weekend as I thought about the people God brings into my life every day. Some I will never meet again. Others need a kind word of encouragement. Still others may learn something from our encounter that will impact the rest of their lives. For others, God might use the opportunity to draw someone into a personal relationship with Him.

God, help me recognize the opportunities of lifetimes. May I never turn from their challenges by escaping into the familiar and comfortable.

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiahless/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Where did that come from? Redux

2009-10-13T13:42:00.003-05:00

In the last post to this blog (a long time ago), I told the story about how a 10-digit number popped into my head while filling out a deposit slip at the bank. It was my oft-used, long-time frequent flier number.

Last week, I received a note from my airline explaining that, since they had merged with another operation, I now have a new frequent flier number. Really. After 23 years, I now have a new number.

I thought it was a loyalty program! How loyal can it be if it can be -gasp - changed without my knowledge or consent. It's my number! I want it back! Even if it is for my own good. Yeah, right.

Laughable isn't it. I found myself caught up in the "how dare they change anything without my consent."

Change. No one likes it. But it is necessary. That's been my mantra. I've used that line all too often. And, you know? Now that the shoe is on my foot, it fits. I embrace change.

And, in 23 years, maybe I'll have it memorized, too. Like the combination to the lock I used in high school and lost years ago.

Where did that come from?

2009-06-12T05:56:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the bank to deposit a check. I do not carry deposit slips, but complete counter slips in the lobby. I filled out the slip from memory, including the branch number of the bank and my account number - all 10 digits.

After handing over the deposit to the teller, I watched her enter the data into the terminal and verify it. The expression on her face changed, and she re-entered the account number.

"That number is wrong, isn't it?" I asked.

"I think so," she replied.

I removed the slip of paper from my wallet with my account number and she made the correction. What troubled me was that I had no idea where the 10 digits I had written on the deposit slip came from. It surfaced in my memory without effort. It was the right length. I continued to stare at the number and wrote it on the receipt to so I could figure out where it came from.

Later in the afternoon, I did a search for the number on my PDA. Immediately it popped up in context, and I laughed out loud. My son looked at me with curiosity. I told him what had happened. Then, I apologized for having traveled so much when he was younger. That 10-digit number? My Delta Frequent Flier account.

Where did that number come from? From my experience. Yet another example of how we must be careful about what we take in from our experience - what we see, read, hear, etc. For, as my pastor says often, "what is down in the well, comes up in the bucket."

Did you wake up with worry?

2009-05-17T07:04:00.000-05:00

In these uncertain times, it's not difficult to find something to worry about.

Someone has said, "Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday."

So, did your worry yesterday change anything? If something changed, it probably wasn't a result of your worry, but your perspective.

Jesus said it this way: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? -- Matt 6:25-30 (HCSB)

Stripes with Plaids

2009-05-04T08:13:00.003-05:00

There are a number of websites I read daily. Sailing Scuttlebutt is one of those. It is a summary of links related to Sailing and Sail Racing. It also concludes with CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION, which is a quote or observation that is normally quite humorous. Such as the following:

Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.” - Albert Einstein

Don't really have time to elaborate. You can see the point. Slippery Slopes are just that. Once you start down them, it's hard to stop. As you go through your day today, beware of compromise. We don't need anyone else wearing stripes with plaids or dark socks with shorts.

Lightning Storm

2009-04-24T10:26:00.002-05:00

During a time of prayer on Wednesday, I had a strong sense from God that I needed to rearrange my schedule to include a visit with my parents on Thursday. It wasn't difficult to do so. The unique thing was that God seemed to be speaking very clearly. So, I did so yesterday.

Last night, as we sat in the living room - watching TV, talking and me catching up on e-mail - a storm rolled in. Actually, it had been all around us for an hour, but after checking the NOAA weather radar, I commented that it looked like a big cell was heading our way. A few minutes later, the rain intensified, and it sounded like hail was bouncing around.

Now, I like a good storm. The raw power of nature is awesome ( in the truest sense of the word) to me. I love watching lightning, feeling the rain and wind, and just listening to the sounds. After growing frustrated wth my wireless connection dropping in and out, Dad and I walked out to the carport. to watch.

The storm was close. Popcorn-sized (not golf-ball) hail was bouncing around. I was standing on the doorstep and dad was just inside the door. FLASH/POW! The hair on my arm stood up. I grabbed Dad's arm. I'm not a jumpy guy, but that startled me. We were now standing in the darkness as several lights were out. Wow.

We went inside and reset several breakers in the electrical panel. Noticed several lights were still out as the strike had caused them to burn out. Then I noticed a smoky haze. As a former firefighter, I began searching for the source. First stop, the attic. All clear. The haze was very light, had an electrical smell and was getting marginally thicker.

Mom had not moved from the recliner. She just kept saying "that whole corner lit up." So, I walked over to the corner and saw little bits of plastic in the floor. And two ends of what used to be one wire. And smoke marks. Apparently the lightning struck of flashed the TV antenna on top of the house and basically exploded at a connector joint. Mystery solved.

Now the inventory. Everything attached to that antenna was damaged: 2 TVs, 2 VCRs, and a satellite receiver. (Insurance has already told them to go shopping today. They have "good neighbors.")

I sat down to blog this last night, but found that I had no internet connection. Troubleshooting that led to fried wires in the phone junction box as well. Not sure about the DSL modem after checking it again this morning.

Storms still amaze me. I still like them. And nothing was damaged that can't be replaced. But there is a larger point. The extraordinary from the ordinary. Here it is.

I was there.

Because I was listening and willing to change my plans, I was there. While Mom and Dad could have handled everything without me, I'd like to think I made it a little easier for them. Because I was there. And, I experienced a really big storm from dead center, right in the middle of the chaos, make your hair stand on end ground zero.

Are you listening today? Is He calling you to make some adjustments to you plans? Can you hear Him? Are you willing?

Being Present in the Present

2009-04-03T19:55:00.001-05:00

Until now, it's something only my Men's Fraternity small group knew. Something that I've been striving for. Something that has been challenging, but in the fleeting moments of success, something that has paid great dividends in my relationship with my family. My goal has been to increasingly "be present in the present."

Say what? Well, it means that when I'm with my family, I try to put what has happened up until that moment out of my mind. And, I try not to let my mind wander into the demands of the future. Finally, and this is the most difficult, I have to set aside the gadgets, quit trying to multi-task (which, by the way, I've come to believe is not possible) and focus on the immediate needs of the relationship.

Wow. That has been challenging for me. But, I think I'm making incremental progress. And now, the biggest test of all is upon me. And I'm going cold turkey.

Spring break is upon us. We have not had a family vacation that did not involve a visit to our extended family in years. So, we have been saving our time and money for this vacation. On Monday, we snagged a last minute deal to stretch our vacation dollars. Tomorrow we will leave for six days of "just the four of us and a couple of thousand other people" fun in the sun, sand, and water.

The test? When we leave home tomorrow, I'll leave without my computer. GASP! And, on Sunday, when we leave the car in the parking lot, my cell phone will be in it. ARRGH! Unplugged. No Twitter. No Facebook. No blog (not that that is a big stretch these days...). No Drudgereport. No e-mail (I'm sure I'll pay for that when I return).

It's my choice. It's an investment in the relationships that are most important to me. I want to be present in the present. No distractions. No intrusions. Just un-interrupted time with my family.

I'll let you know how it goes when I plug in again next week.

New Computer

2009-04-03T19:18:00.003-05:00

My absence from this space is, in part, a result of changing computers. The system I was using had to be reassigned, so I took the opportunity to move into the ultra-portable, tablet PC world. After a warranty claim, a reshipment that was held up in customs, and a climb up the learning curve, I finally got Scribe Fire configured again.

I know, I could have posted directly w/o this platform, however, old habits die hard. I've been reminded of that point in the last week as I grew accustomed to Vista, MS Office '07 and several other new twists related to the new system.

Each of us are continuously creating new habits. Would it not be in our best interest to make sure that the habits we are forming are helpful and not harmful? Old habits die hard. Let's make it easy on ourselves.

How happy are those who uphold justice, who practice righteousness at all times. Psalms 106:3 (HCSB)

Why You Need a Coach - Or, "What I learned from my first week of contacts"

2009-01-24T16:37:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been a week of learning experiences. First time I've ever tried contact lenses. Here is a summary of what I learned: about me and about life.

Day 1- Friday: My "Contact Coach" aka the lady at the eye Dr.'s office, while watching me attempt to put the contacts in my eye for the first time, said "you're blinking." Well, duh.
     For over four decades, I have embraced the maxim "don't run with a stick or you'll poke your eye out." Notwithstanding the fact that you won't really poke your eye out - you might poke it IN, but not OUT - I have trained my eye that when fingers approach, CLOSE IMMEDIATELY. So, yes, I was blinking.

Day 2 - Saturday: Attempting to put the contact lens in my eye this morning, it strikes me that it is difficult to see this small, round, transparent object without having the small, round, transparent object actually in my eye so that I can see small, round, transparent objects. What's wrong with this picture?
     Ok, put on glasses, position lens, take glasses off, attempt to insert... oops, dropped it, find glasses, put them back on, find lens and repeat, skipping the "oops" step.

Day 3 - Sunday: Applying the "better living through modern chemistry" approach, I take a dose of antihistamine when I get up. It doesn't make the lens go in any easier, but it does cut down on the sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes.

Day 4 - Monday: Tried at home for 20 minutes to get the lens in with no success. Packed the stuff up so I wouldn't be late for a breakfast appointment. Ordered by memory since I couldn't read the menu. Arrived at the office. Tried for 20 more minutes without success. Frustration level mounts. I pack the stuff up again and drive to see my "Contact Coach."
     When I walk into the office, the coach says perkily, "Hi, may I help you?" Without pausing in my stride, I say, "Yes, you can. You can come over here to this table, watch me poke my eye IN, and tell me what I am doing WRONG! Please."
     She did. Thankfully. I think I was afraid I was going to break them. "No, they're very durable," my Coach assured me.

Day 5 - Tuesday: Success at last. I got them in my eyes in under seven minutes.

Day 6 - Wednesday: Yesterday was a fluke. After 15 minutes, I packed things up in a hurry to get out of the door. When I get to the office, I open the case to try again. I realize that when you don't take the time to get the lens all the way into the case, floating in the solution, when you screw the cap down, you can slice that little sucker right in two. Durable, indeed.
     Back to the Contact Coach. I showed her what happened. She rolled her eyes. I prayed her contact would pop out.

Day 7 - Thursday: Whoa! Driving 3 1/2 hours with mono-vision contacts. Now that's a hoot. But I made it without running over anybody or anything.

Day 8 - Friday: There is hope. I got them in and had the best day yet.

Day 9 - Today: It's my off day. I'm glad I kept my glasses! :)

Seriously, I have come to appreciate my Contact Coach. I have come to admit that I'm much more comfortable coaching others than I am in receiving coaching myself. Why? Because I have to admit my inability to perform. But, leaders are learners, so I've been reminded of the value of a coach.

For the notepad - You need a coach because:

A coach can change your perspective. Coaches see things you cannot see. When you know what to look for, you can see things differently, so your perspective on your position changes. It is important for leaders to see from the proper perspective.
A coach can improve you performance. There is no doubt that my coach has helped me be able to get these lenses in more quickly and with less trauma to my eye and my attitude. Who knows. Maybe I'll actually decide to keep them.
A coach can increase your potential. With practice, we can all be better at what we do. And with improved skill, we can be more successful at other things as well. I'm learning to be more patient. I'm learning to control my frustration. And that gives me more potential to work patiently and calmly in other settings as well.

In Acts 9:22, Luke writes that "Saul grew more capable." In context, he was spending time with Ananias and other disciples in Damascus. Luke doesn't say it explicitly, but I believe that Saul was being coached. People around him watched him, listened to him and then helped him with his perspective, improved his performance, and increased his potential.

Want to grow more capable? Get a coach. SEE you later! When I get my lenses in...

Game On!

2009-01-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

Like many of you, I receive a lot of cold calls from a variety of organizations seeking to sell me a product that may or may not be of any use whatsoever. Having been involved in sales and customer support, I know many of the techniques. If I take the call, I'll usually get politely to the point and cut through the pitch to the next action step.

If I can't take the call, but the sales rep asks me to return the call, I will out of respect. (I know that's sort of strange, but having made these kinds of calls, it really bugged me when church leaders said they'd call back and didn't. Can you say integrity?) Anyway, I just returned a call from a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, I called at 9:15. And the representative was not expecting my call. So, she wasn't prepared. The excuses included everything from "my computer is slow, what church did you say you were calling from," to "what is your zip code so I can look you up."

Needless to say, the call was brief, I didn't buy anything, and probably won't in the future. In retrospect, she could have benefited from Art Sobczak’s Telesales Blog.

For the notepad:

If I ask someone to return my call, have my game on when they do. Be ready with the pitch or elevator speech to move the conversation to a point that is mutually beneficial.
If I promise to make a callback, deliver with integrity. James 5:12 says "Let your yes be yes, and your no, no."

Patriotic Grace: What It Is and Why We Need It Now

2009-01-13T21:55:00.000-05:00

    Peggy Noonan has been an inspiration to me. Ms. Noonan was a speechwriter for President Reagan. So, you know she has the ability to communicate. I've always had an appreciation for the way she uses themes in her essays, which are published regularly in the Wall Street Journal.

    More recently, her writing contained something else. A strong supporter of President Bush - she actually took a sabbatical to work for his campaign in 2004 - she became critical of his leadership and administration. Even though I've often said that critique is good, I was still troubled that one of my heros didn't seem to see things "my way."

    I've just finished her latest book and have a new understanding for Peggy. The book was summarized by this quote from page 170: "We need more actual adults who are serious about the business of the nation." Indeed. Her essential point is that, as a nation, we are tired of the politics we have experienced for the last two decades and long now for "leaders who can summon us to greatness and unity."

    If you are a political junkie and wonder why you feel so burned out or cynical as we await the upcoming inauguration, you'll find some solace in this little volume. If you are a little awestruck and anticipate the pagentry, pomp and circumstance of the largest peaceful transfer of power in the world, you'll find this book a great "curl up by the fireplace" read as well.

    The most important thing I gleaned from this book was a greater understanding of Peggy Noonan's perspective. I thought she had jumped ship. Instead, I found she simply ran to the bow to sound a warning to us as we try to navigate our country through some very dangerous waters. I'm grateful that she's still aboard. And, I'm grateful that she taught me something new about seeking first to understand.

Make XP Look Like Windows 7? Why?

2009-01-12T21:28:00.000-05:00

I enjoy productivity websites. Lifehacker.com is one of my favorites. They recently posted an article entitled: Featured Desktop: Make Your XP Desktop Look Like Windows 7. My question is simply "Why?"

Admittedly, I can be a technogeek. An early adopter, but non a bleeding edge kind of guy. And, I really need to see a benefit before jumping to new technology.

As I understand it, Windows 7 is still in a beta state as I write this. Vista is the current version of MS Windows. On most of the machines I work on, we're still running XP. So, I ask again, Why would I want to make my current generation software "look like" the generation after next software version. If I really wanted the look, shouldn't I upgrade? It sounds to me like I can run the old stuff, but give the appearance that I have something new. There used to be a couple of words that describes this situation, as I understand it: poser or faker.

Hmmm. There are a multitude of applications here. Just think of a situation in which you want to hold on to the old, while pretending that you are state of the art. A relationship that is broken, but you pretend that it's not. You pretend transparency, but wear the mast.

C'mon if the new version is worth the upgrade, make the investment. We don't need any more pretenders.

Break My Plans

2008-11-19T10:30:00.001-05:00

I heard the group This Hope present this song last week at the Georgia Baptist Convention. Frankly, it was a high point of the meeting for me. Based on the "story of a Romanian hymn writer imprisoned in 1959 for
exercising his faith through music, the song is an
emotionally stirring ballad of faith under oppression. While in prison,
and without pen and paper, Nicolae Moldoveanu composed 366 hymns!"

It has encouraged and challenged me this week, so I'll pass it along to you.

Context and Perspective for the Family (and our nation)

2008-11-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

I read Patrick Lencioni's new book, The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family this week, and really enjoyed it. Lencioni takes the principles he has applied to organizations and business and applies them to the family. It is a worthwhile read.

Question #1 is "What makes your family unique?" Leadership scholars recognize that core values, mission, purpose, vision and strategy collectively define an organization's unique identity. They define the organization's context: the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc. Defining context is a way of plotting our position on a map in terms of culture, economics, politics, geography, and so on.

The frantic family does not have the same desire to define context as businesses or organizations. Lencioni simplifies the concept of context to a simple question: What makes us unique? What do we believe? What do we think is important? What do we do as a matter of routine? The answer to these questions is our context.

Pat's 2nd question is "What is our rallying cry?" Given our context, what should be our priority for the next few months? This is a question of perspective which is defined as "the state of one's ideas, facts, all relevant data etc., in meaningful interrelationship." In other words, my context (facts and circumstances) feeds my perspective on the future. The interrelationships represented in context give me perspective to make decisions on the next actions I should take to move toward my desired future.

For question #3, you'll need to buy the book, check it out from your local library or go to Lencioni's resource page.

Defining context and understanding perspective are essential roles of leadership. This is the development of clairity of purpose and direction for an organization. Context is complex and dynamic. Because perspective is about interrelationships, it is even moreso. Oh, and there is no "right" answer, because everyone's context and perspective are unique! The more effective a leader is at this task, the greater her ability to bring simplicity out of clutter, harmony from dischord and discover opportunity in difficulty (hat tip to Al E.)

This post is an illustration of context and perspective. We are three days post-election and have a new president. I did not vote for President-elect Obama. My perspective - my view of the interrelationship of his policy positions and my personal values and belief system (context) - would not allow me to do so. However, he was elected. So, our country now has a new context.

If we view our country's context through only one lense - politically, for example - we recognize that the presidency and both houses of congress are controlled by one party. Should we fear the immediate implementation of the agenda articulated in the campaign? Probably not, because another fact that informs context is that the majority is not "fillibuster-proof." Perhaps the minority party will provide a moderating influence (from my perspective, that would be a good thing.)

But to really define context, we have to add other lenses. Take economics. With the debt crisis, increasing unemployment, and the global nature there is a real limit as to how much tax policy can really change. And the lense of globalism? What would really happen if we left Iraq and Afghanistan? And culture? Will 48% of the people who did not embrace the new president's policies really just roll over? Oh, and my context is that God has not been surprised by anything this week!

Ok, must close. Here's the final application and thought. In the midst of our circumstances, our context is at risk of being narrowly defined. We can be paralyzed if we see only the negatives in a narrow context. On Wednesday morning, many expressed grief, angst and other negative emotions because their context was defined by the outcome of an election. To move forward, we need to back away and get a perspective that is shaped by the interrelationships of broad context. And when I do so, my optimism increases, the sky is not falling, and I have a responsibility and ability to shape the future!

And mid-term elections are but two years away! ;)

A Google Perspective

2008-10-15T19:26:00.003-05:00

A text message was forwarded to me today which read:

"Google stock has lost $70 per share in the last few weeks. If you owned 10,000 shares, you would have lost a lot of money."

My response was that if you owned 10,000 shares of Google today, you would still own $3.45 million worth of Google stock.

It's all about perspective...

R E S P E C T

2008-10-09T11:53:00.001-05:00

How do you know that you respect someone? They ask you to change and you do.

Do you have the respect of others? Why not?

What's Up with "The Shack"

2008-10-09T11:13:00.001-05:00

The Shack has been something of a publishing phenomenon in the last few months. The topic of many discussion groups, it's popularity speaks for itself. However, the Shack has also been criticized by many in the Christian community. I'll not repeat the theological critiques here. Instead, I'd rather make some observations on reading The Shack and other books in the "Christian fiction" genre. BTW, to a believer, that sounds oxymoronic - which should reveal my bias.

I'll begin by acknowledging that The Shack is fiction. While it may be based on facts, like historical fiction, the author is at liberty to let his or her imagination run freely in an attempt to engage the reader in the story. Parable, allegory and metaphors are powerful devices for communication. While not to be taken literally, they may be most valuable in driving the reader to explore the facts behind the fiction. If The Shack does this - drive the reader to explore the truth upon which the story is founded - it serves a noble purpose.

The challenge for readers is to separate fact from fiction; to recognize where artistic license crosses the boundary between the two. Unfortunately, authors don't necessarily help in this manner, leaving it for the reader to do the work. The back cover of The Shack says

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question,"Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.

This synopsis suggests that The Shack contains truth (it does) within fiction (it is). Many (that includes me) would suggest that the line between the two is blurred.

It is then the reader's responsibility to recognize where the author's imagination has been bound by truth and where he may have crossed the boundary between presenting, at best, imagination, and, at worst, heresy. As an aside, this same challenge exists when reading any author of the genre such as LaHaye & Jenkins, Peretti, Dekker, or Oakes for that matter.

How does one go about determining the line? Well, the most obvious truth is that one should know the Truth. Christians believe the Bible is God's Truth on matters of life and faith and questions such as those with which The Shack wrestles. So, I'll be so bold as to suggest that if one wants to know where the boundaries are, one should spend at least as much time in the Word as in The Shack. Otherwise, one's theology is informed more by pop culture's authors than the Author of the universe.

One final thought: Many have suggested to me that The Shack has been a great discussion starter. I suppose this blog post is evidence of that discussion. Ok, I'll buy into that argument - if and only if the discussion moves beyond fiction to Truth.

The Paradox of Sharpie

2008-10-02T07:31:00.001-05:00

Someone wrote on a display in our church with a Sharpie permanent marker. After a quick web search to determine how permanent "permanent" is, I discovered there are actually a lot of ways to remove a sharpie stain. But, the best way for me to remove this particular mark was, using what I had on hand, ... drumroll, please... a dry erase marker.

I simply scribbled over the permanent mark with the impermanent mark, let it dry about 30 seconds, and wiped it off. <trumpet fanfare!>

That seems strange to me... It does remind me how easy it is to ruin a habit, reputation, or resolution with a simple moment of inattention.

What the Bible Says About Alcohol...

2008-09-23T14:13:00.001-05:00

A big shout-out to my friend, Mark Marshall, pastor of Clearview Baptist Church in Franklin, TN for this post on What the Bible Says About Alcohol?

Let me get this part on the table right up front. Nowhere does the Bible prohibit the use of alcohol in all circumstances. In other words, nowhere does the Bible say you are to avoid alcohol completely. However, Scripture gives a number of very strong warnings about its use.

He then goes on to outline what the Bible does say. Well done, Mark!

If you've ever wondered what the Bible says about alcohol, take a few minutes to check it out here today.

Consider the Source?

2008-09-11T11:28:00.003-05:00

I was confronted today by someone whom I love dearly and trust greatly. He drew my attention to a personal flaw and challenged me to face it and change it. He is right. I know it and will continue to work to right it. But there's a larger question that I considered after our discussion.

Why is correction so much easier to take from some people than from others? I mean, correction is correction, right?

If someone observes something in us that needs to change, and tells us, that should be enough, no?

No. Because we have a hard time separating the message from the messenger and the motive behind the delivery. Some comments and critiques come easier from people whose motives are noble and unquestioned.

Noble motives are those based on love and altruism. In other words, people who act selflessly, for the benefit of others, doing the right things right for the right reasons with nothing expected in return are noble people. Noble people also act consistently, therefore their motives are unquestioned. That's the kind of person we desire to be: one who can offer critique that is received eagerly.

We know all this, do we not? It's why we console ourselves when we receive a message we don't want to hear with the cliche "consider the source."

Here's the gotcha. We dismiss criticism coming from some people at great risk to ourselves. Though the messenger may be ignoble or inconsistent, he may still offer us valuable insight into our character and our behavior. Critique is easier to receive from some more than others. "Considering the source" may ease the pain now while shielding us from what we really need to hear.

Job said, How painful honest words can be! (Job 6:25). But the writer of Proverbs says whoever listens to counsel is wise (12:15) and listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise in later life (19:20).

No caveats. No disclaimers. No "consider the source." Instead, consider the critique. Regardless of the motive of the messenger, there just may be something there.

Wood rot...

2008-09-09T13:53:00.001-05:00

This subject deserves a little more treatment than I could give in a Tweet and a Facebook status update.

After Tropical Storm Hannah passed through last week, my wife noticed a water stain in the window sill in our sun room. I looked a little closer and when I pressed on the wood, it felt like a sponge. It was definitely rotten.

The paint was just as clean, bright and white as it was on day one. Only when pressing on the wood was the damage obvious. I looked outside and found that the caulking around the window had begun to dry and a hairline crack was evident upon close inspection. It was enough to let water in and, over time, the damage was done.

Last night, as I pried, chiseled, pulled and levered the old wood out, the parallels to our lives became more and more evident. It is easy to paint over the blemishes and imperfections in our lives. It is just as easy to hide the private, inner thoughts that we want to protect from the scrutiny of others. But they are still there. Like the water. Creating an environment in which the damage occurs on the inside. Then, when a little stain appears, and someone prods a little deeper, the rot is exposed.

So what to do? First, find the leak and caulk the seam. Stop the intrusion of whatever is tempting, gnawing, chipping away or attacking you. Then, expose the rot and get it out. It will be painful (think hammers, wood chisels, and Dremel tools), but necessary if repairs are to be made. Then celebrate that healing has come.

Our best? Or just good enough?

2008-09-03T07:45:00.001-05:00

Yes, I do like Dilbert. Scott Adams can certainly present extraordinary insights into organizational behavior by observing what are all too often ordinary occurrences. Sadly, I find "us" depicted in the strips. And it challenges me to change.

This strip reminded me of a book I picked up in seminary: An Enemy Called Average by John Mason. This book is a great collection of devotions, quotes, anecdotes and thoughts that challenged me then and now. I think it was the first place I saw the concept that the enemy of "doing our best is not doing our worst. Instead it is doing 'just enough.'"

Let's raise the bar today. A new benchmark. Our best.

What are you doing right now?

2008-09-02T08:22:00.001-05:00

Is reading this post the best thing you could be doing? I hope so... <G>

Merlin Mann, over at 43Folders posts "Right Now, What Are You Doing?" noting how easy it is to be distracted by the web, social networking, etc. He illustrates a "fix" with a page that loads with his browser or tab-sets, that is an instant reminder that the path of distraction lies directly ahead.

That's true spiritually as well. It is easy to be distracted from the most important things by otherwise good things. They're just not the best things.

When your focus or attention begins to drift, Merlin suggests "Catch the drifting as it happens, refocus, then repeat as necessary."

That may be the best thing you do all day. In fact, repeat often enough, and it could change your life.

Spill the wind

2008-09-01T15:48:00.004-05:00

One of the things I like about sailing is the infinite number of adjustments that can be made to the trim of the sail. Some days I just set them and forget them. On others, I tweak them in all sorts of ways by easing or tightening lines, trying to eke out that last bit of speed drawn from the power of the wind.

Today, the wind was blowing about 15-20 miles per hour in the St. Simons Sound, with gusts much higher. Several of the gusts led to our being overpowered, which is evident by the heeling of the boat and the excited shouts from my crew as they awaken from their seasick-induced slumber.

One of the sail adjustments available is to increase the amount of twist in the sail. Simply put, the bottom of the sail is presented full on to the wind for power, but the top twists away, spilling the wind from the sail. This reduces heel angle without sacrificing too much speed, especially in breezy conditions.

While James said "resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7), Paul suggested that there are times we need to run rather than resist: from immorality (1 Cor 6:18), idolatry (1 Cor 10:14), and youthful passions (1 Tim 2:22). Paul's words suggest to me that I need to spill the wind when faced with temptation. While resisting the temptation, I need to run toward righteousness, faith, love, peace and a pure heart (1 Tim 2:22). I resist the enemy by standing firmly in the word, but I present him less of a target as I head off in pursuit of higher aims.

So, if you are being overpowered today, spill the wind. Don't try to stand against everything that comes your way. Stand firm where you can and then run from the rest.

What happens after the meeting is over?

2008-08-31T15:24:00.001-05:00

Had a hard couple of days last week with late night travel and haven't had time to post this thought.

I was driving home Thursday evening and heard bits and pieces of Barak Obama's acceptance speech. It obviously was well received by the crowd in Denver. Almost immediately, I began to wonder how many would remember what he said the next day? I also thought about how easy it is to be enthusiastic when surrounded by people who think as do I. The real challenge is to maintain the enthusiasm after the crowds are gone and I find myself all alone. This is even more difficult when I am alone and face opposition.

Is is not the same with discipleship? And maintaining a Christian witness? When the service is over, and I'm all alone, and I face opposition, the excitement can wear off quickly. That is the danger of relying on emotions. They can quickly turn against you when your circumstances change.

That's the value of values. Knowing what you believe and why can provide the stability you need and the motivation required to be steadfast in your witness and testimony. That's true of politics. And it's true of discipleship.

But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed... 2 Tim 1:12 (HCSB)

Carpe Daddy

2008-08-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

In the early pre-dawn hours, my eyes fluttered open as I sensed my wife sitting up in bed. "What time is it?" I whispered.

"6:27" she replied.

"Good, you have three minutes to hug me before the alarm goes off," I said.

As she snuggled up to me, she said "Carpe Daddy - seize the daddy."

I laughed. I liked that.

Then, alarm went off....

The movie Dead Poet's Society popularized the phrase carpe diem - seize the day. The challenge is to embrace every day with it's opportunities, challenges and experiences with total abandon. That's a good way to live. Live the moment. Capture every opportunity to serve others and demonstrate God's glory. Sieze the day.

Of course, sieze the daddy is a pretty good start as well. Oh, and a casual glance at a Latin dictionary this morning showed me that "carpe dea" means "sieze the goddess." I can hardly wait to get home!

Connector, Maven or Salesman

2008-08-22T11:06:00.002-05:00

This was a neat article from Mary at Stepcase Lifehack. Referring to Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point, she asks which type might describe you. I'm a maven... And you?

From the original post:
Know Your Strength for More Success: Are you a Connector, a Maven, or a Salesman? - Stepcase Lifehack

The strategy of enhancing our talents means that we should foster the strength we have as a Connector, a Maven, or a Salesman.

* As a Connector we can focus on connecting others with each other, as well as creating groups where people feel at home.

* As a Maven, we can focus on sharing our information with others so that they can benefit from our research.

* As a Salesman, we can focus on making others happy with our good cheer.

Twittering

2008-08-22T10:45:00.002-05:00

I don't know how long it will last, but I'm going to try Twitter. I don't really understand it, so I'll try it. I'm not really a read the instruction kind of person - more of a jump in the middle and figure it out.

If you twitter and are interested in following me, you can go to Twitter, and search for me by name, or username (ncordle). I already see two limits I'll have to set for myself:

Limit posts: otherwise one spends more time telling what they are doing rather than doing it.
Limit how many people I follow (So, don't take it personal if I don't add you immediately.)

I guess that's the extraordinary leadership lesson today. Think in advance about the limits you have to impose when you are embarking on a new endeavor. And don't be afraid to adjust those limits as you gain new information.

Influencing Like Jesus

2008-08-21T10:26:00.003-05:00

Finished this little volume last night. It's a good read. Dr. Zigarelli lists 15 principles of persuasion as illustrated through the life and teaching of Christ, including prayer, modeling, service, asking for their opinion, telling stories and others.

One of the things I liked best is his focus on practical application. He suggests that you think of someone whom you would like to influence and what kind of attitude, behavior or circumstance you would like to change. Then, as you read each chapter, you are challenged to apply the principle to that situation.

I am becoming more and more a fan of "short books." Get to the point and let me move on. Influencing Like Jesus fits that category. It is to the point and the point is sharp. You can find it here.

Teaching with the end in mind...

2008-08-14T06:25:00.001-05:00

It has been my experience (that's both personal and what I have observed) that too many teachers (did you catch the part about this being personal) both prepare and present with too much focus on what is personally important. The remedy: seeing things from your learner's perspective.
The post at PastorHacks: Teaching with the end in mind... has five great questions for pastors and teachers to help them prepare a lesson that will affect attitudes and behaviors.
Yes, it takes more time to prepare and present lessons in this way. But consider the return on that investment.

A Wolf Hunt

2008-07-09T07:34:00.003-05:00

I often listen to the local police and fire departments on a scanner when I'm driving around town. This morning, on the way to the office, the following dialog occurred.

DISPATCHER: Unit 441, respond to Glynn Ave and 4th Ave. Caller advised there is an orange colored wolf walking around checking out the neighborhood.

OFFICER #1: Dispatch, you advise a wolf?

DISPATCHER: That's 10-4. Orange in color.

OFFICER #1: Ok, I'm in route.

OFFICER #2: 448 to 441, What's your location?

OFFICER #1: Glocester and Glynn Ave.

OFFICER #2: I'm on 4th Ave. I'll take that call if you want.

OFFICER #1: Ok, 448, you go look for the wolf.

DISPATCHER: I'm clear. 448 is looking for the wolf.

(a few seconds later)

OFFICER #1: 448. You see anything?

OFFICER #2: Negative. I see a bunny.

OFFICER #1: The wolf is probably following him.

OFFICER #3: 448. Call if you need backup.

OFFICER #2: The bunny's got my back.

The wolf was never located.

But, I was laughing out loud... as were the officers. Remember, no matter how routine or mundane, there is novelty and uniqueness just waiting to burst on the scene. Don't forget to laugh and encourage others to do so as well.

Sailing sideways

2008-02-18T17:00:00.001-05:00

I was sailing off St. Simon's Island last week on a beautiful Friday afternoon. The wind was light and there were still about three hours before the tide turned as I headed the boat toward the marina.

When I looked at the back of the boat, the water rushing from beneath the hull left quite a wake. The sails were trimmed so that they were maximizing the power from the wind. I could feel the breeze across my face as I looked over toward the lighthouse. After some minutes, I realized that I had not moved in relationship to the lighthouse. The water still raced by. The wind was still blowing. Through the water, it seemed as if I was making 3 knots. But, in relationship to the island, I was not moving.

It did not take me long to realize that the force from the wind propelling me forward was in almost perfect balance with the force of the tide pushing me backward. In fact, my GPS device calculated that my net progress was .5 knots... sideways. That is a little bit less than a foot per second.

It became something of a game: read the wind, trim the sail, shift the tiller and maintain almost perfect balance. In fact, I played the game for about 20 minutes. And found myself about a quarter mile closer to shore than when I started. Had I played long enough, it is possible that I would have run aground. So, I gave in, fired up the Nissan and motored across the current toward home.

Compromise can be like that. You can think you have the forces of two opposing values in balance, when in reality, you're sailing sideways. If you do not have a full range of references, you will not be able to accurately assess your location. And if you do that long enough, you'll be aground.

Dense Fog

2008-02-04T08:41:00.001-05:00

When I launched my browser a few minutes ago, a little window appeared with a "severe weather warning." When I clicked it, I was informed that there is a "dense fog advisory." Well, duh, I thought. I just drove through it.

It was thick this morning. It is something to be dealt with in Coastal Georgia. Many mornings the fog is so heavy, sight is obscured beyond 50 or 100 feet.

Such fog calls for a different set of driving skills. I find myself more alert to lights, the reflectors in the middle of the road and the white lines on the edge. I slow down and pay much attention to giving more room to others.

On several occasions last week, I heard references to wilderness experiences. The speakers were referring to the times in our lives where nothing seems to work out the way we plan, we are confronted with feelings of isolation and loneliness and there is the sense that we are lost and without direction.

The wilderness is like the fog. It calls for a different set of driving skills. Paying more attention to the things right around us. Slowing down. Building more "white space" into our lives. Be patient. Don't rush the experience. It may take a while, but eventually, the fog will lift (my weather applet says by 10am) and the wilderness will end.

Devotions

2007-08-27T08:01:00.001-05:00

I am currently posting the collection of Devotions for Spiritual Leaders I prepared as a part of my doctoral work on our church's website. The first three of ten are now available at http://www.fbcbrunswick.com/devotions.

Coming home

2007-04-24T15:59:00.001-05:00

Several years ago, while looking for a new home, I drove into a neighborhood about sundown. It was a fall evening, the air was crisp and the leaves were turning. As I drove by one house, it seemed so inviting. Lights in the window. Big, red door. It just looked cozy. While we didn't buy that particular house, it has served to inform every subsequent search for a new home: if it feels like we are coming home, it will be high on the list.

We had such an experience when we moved to Brunswick. The first time I drove into the neighborhood in which we live, it was a grey, rainy day. The main road winds underneath a canopy of moss-covered oak trees that are centuries old. It felt like I was coming home.

The Psalmist said:

When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? Psalms 8:3-4 (HCSB)

As I drove out of the 'hood this morning, I didn't see the heavens, the moon, and stars... those moss-covered oaks - works of His fingers - reminded me of His provision. And it felt like coming home.

More Booknotes

2007-04-23T08:29:00.001-05:00

I use a lot of summaries. ACMC - Missions Help for Church Leaders is another source of weekly book summaries.

David Mays writes notes on the books he reads, sends them to an email list of more than 800 subscribers, and posts them on this web site. Books deal with leadership, management, church, missions, spiritual growth, cultural issues, and more. Last week, he did Mark Sanborn's You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader, which is a great little read.

Mays' notes are not exhaustive, but they do help me discover if I want to purchase or borrow a book to dive deeper. In a world in which we are inundated with information, finding others to help filter out the clutter can be incredibly helpful and free up time for more significant endeavors.

P.S. http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/ also released a new summary of Serve God, Save the Planet by J. Matthew Sleeth, MD

I'm a jotter...

2007-04-13T14:53:00.001-05:00

I've become a jotter. Set up a free account here, program a speed dial on your cellphone and jott. You call the number, dictate up to 30 seconds and soon receive the transcription or audio of your message via e-mail. You can also send jotts to others... (my assistant loves that!)

Jott.com - Mobile Note Taking and Hands-Free Messaging

Ordinary technology - extraordinary productivity.

The Right Stuff (and slow leaks)

2007-04-13T14:40:00.000-05:00

Get the picture: Wednesday night. 10:30. Last few minutes before bed. Relaxing on the couch and talking about the day with my wife. She looks up behind me and says "Uh, oh!" You just know this is going to be good.

I turned and saw a spot on the ceiling below the upstairs shower that is 6 foot long by 2 feet wide, brown stained and dripping. Plastic drop cloths, buckets, you know the drill.

When I found the leak, it was no more than a pinhole. But, as a result, five gallons of water was following the path of least resistance through the ceiling.

All was well when the plumber arrived. 10 minutes, some PVC, the right tools and some know-how (the right stuff), and all was well.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 HCSB)

Are you equipped with the right stuff to stop the leaks in your life?

Bonus observation: When he woke up the next morning, my son said, "I saw that spot on the ceiling yesterday after school, but I didn't tell you." Grrrrrrr... Can I point out that many people have slow leaks in their character? They think the results are not evident, but they are. How about you? Got any slow leaks? Acknowledge it and get a "plumber" - someone with the tools and some know-how to help you plug it up before it causes damage.

Book Summary: Just Walk Across the Room, Bill Hybels.

2007-04-11T09:30:00.001-05:00

Christian Book Summaries states it's purpose as "enhancing the ministry and impact of thinking Christians by providing thorough and readable summaries of noteworthy books from Christian publishers."

They have just posted a summary of Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels. Haven't checked it out yet, but will before the end of the day.

The summaries are free and there is an archive. Purchasing the complete books through their site helps keep the service free. An e-mail notification service is also available to keep you "in the know."

Love, Legacy, Lean

2007-04-11T09:02:00.001-05:00

I've been reading No Man Left Behind by Patrick Morley, David Delk & Brett Clemmer. They highlight this verse, and it struck a chord with me.

There is a person without a companion, without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches. “So who am I struggling for,” [he asks,] “and depriving myself from good?” This too is futile and a miserable task. (Ecclesiastes 4:8 HCSB)

Fascinating. No companion = no one to love. No son (children) = no legacy. No brother = no one to lean upon. So, he works hard, becomes prosperous, but finds not contentment, but futility and misery.

If we're honest, guys, we want each of these. Someone to love. A legacy that outlives us. Someone to lean upon. That's where contentment comes from.

P.S. I cannot read anything in Ecclesiastes without reading the last 3 verses: But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body. When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is:  fear God and keep His commands, because this [is for] all humanity. For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 HCSB)

Technorati Tags: men, ministry

Heh, Heh, Heh... Finished

2007-04-10T22:17:00.001-05:00

I finally received the e-mail I've been looking for last Friday. It was from Dr. Bekker, the supervisor for my doctoral project. It went something like this: "It is my privilege to call you Dr. Cordle."

Yes, after 3 1/2 years, I finished. Neal Cordle, D.S.L. (Doctor of Strategic Leadership). Well, it will be when they update my transcript at the end of this semester!

A few observations.

I remember a conversation with a minister over four years ago in which he shared his goals and ambitions. He spoke of this leadership program at Regent University. Driving home that afternoon, God made it clear that He wanted me to pursue this path myself. We argued. He won. Obedience is like that. Ultimately you decide to walk forward without knowing where the journey will end. Looking back, I'm glad I did, though I'd still like to know where the journey ends!
There is incredible satisfaction in knowing that one has embarked on a journey, has continued steadily toward the goal, and has reached a waypoint.
After 3 1/2 years of intense study on the themes of leadership, I'm humbled by what I don't know. The dean said it would be like this at my very first residency. He was right.
What I do know is this: Spiritual leaders are called or chosen by God to display His glory to others as they move from where they are to where He wants them to be. Their goal is to understand the specific and preferred future God has for them and those around them. Their strategy is to develop a culture in which people relate to one another in mutually beneficial ways to execute defined processes that result in everyone reaching the goal.
I'm not really finished. I'm really just beginning to learn. The title simply means I've developed and demonstrated the competency to learn.

So, at this particular spot, I've learned a new perspective on Paul's writing:

Not that I have already reached [the goal] or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 3:12-14 HCSB)

Never hit your snooze button ever again

2007-04-04T10:01:00.001-05:00

This is interesting. A clock that transfers money from your bank account to the organization you select every time you hit the snooze button. Geekologie - Never hit your snooze button ever again.

Pick an organization you do not like and you have additional incentive to GET UP!

Now, generally, I'm a "figure out when you want to get up, set the alarm and get up when it goes off" kind of guy. (Though occasionally, I do enjoy a little snooze time.) But overall, if it needs doing, do it now.

Back to Ephesians 5 again. Be wise in the way you live, redeeming the time - which is to say, buy it up for an intentional purpose. Don't hit snooze, because once the moment is gone, it is gone for good.

New stuff...

2007-03-02T11:42:00.001-05:00

I've been fooling around with blog editors this morning. Isn't it amazing how much time one can lose while trying to get a new software tool to work? Of course we blame the software, and, no doubt, it could be easier to use.

On the other hand, what if we view a new software tool like any other tool. "Some assembly required." Aside from coffee pots, can openers, and other kitchen appliances, there are a lot of tools that do not work out of the box. And many require experimentation before getting them to work.

Now, I'm no apologist for poor programming or design. I do think we could do with a lot more civility toward others and try to understand that "they" (whoever they are) are not out to get us at every opportunity.

I think the term is forebearance.

The Power of You

2007-03-02T09:42:00.001-05:00

Dr. Hayes was one of those teachers who could challenge and inspire students to greatness. One of the key lessons he taught students in his technical writing class at Southern Tech was the power of you.

His observation was that too many letters begin like this: "I am writing you today because I want you to know what I am going to want, need, try to sell, etc...." You see his point don't you? By the end of the first sentence, you know already that this letter is not about you, but "I."

He encouraged his students to re-work their correspondance from the perspective of "you." For example: "Shopping in your store was a wonderful experience. You helped me so much. The shirt you helped me pick out was wonderful. Could you help me exchange it?"There is a difference. It's not manipulative. It's about putting others first. The apostle Paul said it this way: "in humility consider others as more important than yourselves." Phillippians 2:3 (HCSB)

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Trash Day

2007-03-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

Tuesday is trash day in our neighborhood. Like many communities, ours is sometimes hard on our local sanitation service. On the other hand, sometimes we just need to brag on these servants.

Normally, my wife rolls the trash to the street when she walks our son to the bus. One Tuesday, the can wasn't in place as the garbage truck rolled by. The driver blew the horn as they passed, and my wife realized that the truck would be returning in a few minutes on the other side of the street. She hurriedly rolled the can to the street.

When the truck returned, they stopped, dumped the can, blew the horn and waved as they drove away. We think they were laughing, too. It was a win all the way around: garbage gone, driver smiling, and we benefited from someone who went the extra mile.

There's some great "life-learnin'" in this story. The people around us often make mistakes, fall short of our expectations, or otherwise place themselves in difficult situations. We could "drive on by" and let them suffer the consequences. Or, we can take notice and do what we can to help them out. I think, when I look back on my life, I'd like to be known as one who took notice of others and was willing to pitch in to help them when I could.

For you see, that's what God did: "But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!" Romans 5:8 (HCSB)

3 Questions of Priority

2006-12-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

I ran across the following quote in a text I was reading today.

"Constantly ask yourself these three questions:

What shall I do?

What shall I not do?

What shall I do first?"

Attributed to Harold Ivan Smith in No Fear of Trying (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1980), these are three great questions for setting priority. The first is a question to reduce complexity to simplicity. The second is a question of eliminating those things which contribute little or nothing to the pursuit of our priorities. The final question is one to prompt action - planning must give way to action or nothing happens.

The Apostle Paul had it right: "but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal..." (Phil 3:13-14 NRSV)

And those are good words to live by...

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Who sees you (in the car lot).

2006-09-13T14:41:00.000-05:00

At the intersection of Ocean Drive and the Causeway from the island, there is a vacant lot where people put their cars, boats, RVs, etc. on view "for sale by owner." As my daughter and I drove by one afternoon this week, I found myself laughing out loud. I could only point the scene to my daughter who joined me in laughter.

A late model SUV had drawn the attention of a young family. "Mom" and "Dad" stood beside the vehicle and pressed their faces against the window between their cupped hands to look at the interior. You know what I mean. You shade the light around your face and lean in to examine the details.

Standing to their side was their son - maybe 3 years old. Just about the same height as the front tire. Following the example of his parents, his hands were cupped around his face as he pressed firmly against........... the fender.

I'm not sure what he expected to see. As the light changed and we drove away, I found myself hoping that they picked the child up and allowed him to look through the window.

What I am sure about is that he was simply following the example of the adults. I was reminded again that people are watching me (and you). In their naive trust, they imitate us. Our faults. Our failures. And, our faith.

Who sees you? What are they missing? What should you do to help them?

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Salt shaken?

2006-08-17T08:32:00.000-05:00

A friend and I were talking recently about the objectives of a conference our church is hosting in 2007. Our question was: “What is the our responsibility as a church to confront our culture collectively and individually?” Our discussion took me back to an understanding God helped me gain a year ago as I prepared to come to Brunswick.

Many churches elect to relocate their buildings to places of visibility and access. For many, that’s not a bad decision. However, I think there is a deeper principle. The thought I had a year ago, and believe more fervently today, is that our church currently “relocates” hundreds of times a day. Monday morning, the people who were present in church Sunday go to school, to work, to shop and hundreds of other places in the normal course of their lives. My new question is: “To what degree are we using these experiences to confront the culture with the love of Christ?”

We confront our culture collectively when we engage it individually. “Salt, shaken out into our community.”

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Is bloggress a word?

2006-07-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

In a discussion with a friend and colleague today, I asked if she would like to be a bloggress. Her response was "is that a word?" Frankly, I don't really know... if it's not, it should be.

I googled bloggress and found 107 hits. So maybe its coming along.Of course, if google is our standard of what is true and right... well, that's another issue.

Words do have meanings. Sometimes we can't find the word we want, so we're tempted to invent a new one. Same thing with sound effects. Now that I think about it, that explains a lot about Hollywood... can't find what you want, invent it.

I ran across this Mike S. Adam's article yesterday entitled The Bible Told them So. It's a great essay and illustrates how people have, through the ages, invented or discovered concepts that were already described in the Bible. I wonder how often we resort to inventing concepts, words or solutions to problems when the answer already exists... if we know where to look?

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Who knows?

2006-07-26T22:41:00.000-05:00

Well, this is an experiment. I read on LifeHacker of this new tool "Qumana" that is supposed to make it easier to maintain multiple blogs. This is the first post. So far, it appears to be pretty straight forward. So, I'll try it and maybe be more proficient at posting.

Of course, now all I need is a tool to make it easier for you to read my posts, right?

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I Saw a Bird Sing

2006-06-26T10:29:00.000-05:00

As I sat in the sun room this morning watching the sun rise over the marsh and burn the fog away, I heard it before I saw it. The voice was simple, short and pierced the silence. A clear whistle. I looked into the crepe myrtle and saw the bird silhouetted against the bright sky. I do not know it's species. Perhaps a Blue Jay, or a Mockingbird - it really doesn't matter.

I watched as it seemed to crouch against the limb, wait in preparation, stretch it's legs, lift it's head, open it's beak and sing. Again and again: crouch, wait, stretch, lift, open and sing. On one hand, it reminded me of a cartoon bird, it's name long forgotten, who, with great effort, crouched, then lifted, puffed it's chest and sang. The animator had it right. How many hours must she have watched a bird to draw her sequence.

On another hand, I reflected on what it means to find one's voice. To discover one's unique song is to strike a chord of harmony found at the intersection of giftedness, purpose and opportunity. One crouches and waits, then stretches his legs, lifts his head, opens his mouth and sings! A clear call that he is made for a purpose, uniquely shaped, formed and gifted, to sing with the dawn a song. The song pierces the silence in which the singer finds himself. And those around him are blessed.

Find your voice. Sing. Crouch, stretch, lift, open and sing!

Yes? or No?

2006-06-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

Credibility. It's hard to build and easy to destroy. This is a life lesson we're working on in our home now. With one child a year away from her learner's permit, we're trying to think now about what life will be like for a teen driver. (She's not real thrilled with our idea of curfew right now, but that's for another post.)

One of the lessons we are working on now is trust and credibility. The idea is simply this: if I can trust you today with the little things, I can trust you tomorrow with greater things. Our motto has been "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." That is pretty self explanatory. Say what you mean. Mean what you say.

A couple of nights ago she came to her mother with a little twinkle in her eye. Pointing to the Bible verse James 5:12, she read: "Your 'yes' must be 'yes,' and your 'no' must be 'no...'" Her conclusion? This is cool! It's in the Bible.

So, what did I learn?

I took it for granted that she knew it was a Biblical admonition. My bad... (though I used the teachable moment to encourage her to find the other reference where the same words are used).
She was reminded that the wisdom found in the Bible is practical.
We all have much to learn about credibility....

Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

Tourist or Traveler?

2006-05-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

As the summer travel season approaches, I would like to ask you to consider this question as you go: Am I a traveler or a tourist?

Being a new resident to the Georgia Coast, I suspect that I am going to meet many of the latter. Tourists breeze into town, see the sights, wonder why things are not the way they are back home, spend a little money and leave. Travelers, on the other hand, take time to explore off the beaten path, get to know the people who live here to understand their unique insights and recognize that while things may be different, that variety offers opportunities to learn and leave richer for the experience. And, yes, they do spend a little money and eventually leave.

I think Jesus was a traveler on earth. He always had time to stop and spend time with people. He took boat rides, hung out in the town square, climbed mountains and hiked into the desert. He often enjoyed good food and fellowship along the way. As you travel, do not be content to be a tourist. Learn to travel.

The metaphor extends to life as well. You can choose to rush hurriedly from "sight to sight" and miss the opportunity enjoy the journey and the people you meet along the way. Or, you can learn to travel and savor the people you meet and the experiences you enjoy. And, if you take time to get to know them, you will hear them express the little hurts, the confusion, and the frustration which opens the door for you to share the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). Be safe. Travel well. Give them Hope.

Mariachi Mass

2006-04-30T07:13:00.000-05:00

While in San Antonio last weekend, we took the opportunity to attend a Mariachi Mass at the San Jose mission south of town. This mission is 200+ years old and has an active congregation today, though they made up only 1/6th of the attendees.

The chapel is of the baroque style, simple and plain in it's decoration. The unique aspect of this worship service was the mariachi band - trumpet and guitars - that filled the chapel with music. It was a celebration and I enjoyed the experience of worship.

During the service, a statement was made that has stuck with me all week: "When you love someone, you're more concerned with their pain, than in how they express their pain."

That's true isn't it? When people are hurting, they often lash out at others. I think that in their loneliness, Biblical heroes Job and David each expressed their pain and frustration with strong words directed at others and at God. But God loved them both. And He was more concerned with their pain than their words.

I've found myself being a little more patient this week with people who lash out in anger, frustration, bitterness or hurt. If I love them, I'm more concerned with helping them overcome the pain than in the way in which it is expressed.

Time Released

2006-03-12T07:56:00.000-05:00

It's allergy season again. Have you heard the ads for time released medicine. Time release. It's an interesting concept. To be released is to be set free or loosed. It suggests a potential that becomes actual.

Think of things that are released. Lions. Medication. Prisoners. Floods. Parachutes. Each has the potential for benefit or harm that is realized only when that potential is released.

It seems to me that people are often time released. There is potential that lies dormant until the time and occasion intersect to see that potential become actual. What, then, binds people? History. Past missteps and mistakes. The agendas of others. A lack of training. A Lack of relationships.

A debate often rages about leadership: are leaders born or made? I enter the fray and state emphatically - "yes!" They are born AND made. And I think there is a third option, which may be more important than these two. Leaders are called. By this, I mean that the skills and abilities, the characteristics and traits, and the charisma and virtue with which one is born or develop often lie dormant until the time and opportunity presents itself. At that time, they are released and the potential for leadership becomes actual.

Think of the leaders you know. Is this born out in your experience? What about you? Is there a circumstance or occasion that is today waiting for you to be released? It may be your moment. Answer the call.

Sleep Study...

2006-02-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

Adjacent to our local hospital is a "sleep research center." As I left the hospital parking lot about 8:45am one morning this week, I noticed a new sign on the door. It appeared to be hand-lettered on red posterboard and read "Sleep Study in progress. Please be quiet!"

My immediate reaction was "How can I get a job like that?"

As I write this afternoon, I'm reflecting on the events of the week: the President's State of the Union Address and succeeding commentary, the release of Oscar nominations for a western with a twist (or is it a twisted western?), a stat that I heard that suggests 95% of sexual relationships depicted on TV are extra-marital and I'm wondering if I, like many others, are already participating in such a study?

Could it be that our society is asleep, that a study is being conducted to see just how far things can go? Maybe there are too many who are asleep, afraid to stop the test. If that's the case, I'm ready to shout it out: "WAKE UP!"

Church Signs #2 (an occasional series)

2006-01-25T11:40:00.001-05:00

"Have you taken your pet to the vet?"

Well, ok, it's not a church sign, but obviously a veterinarian clinic. It made me chuckle. It's a good sign. The rhyme makes it easy to remember and sort of fun to say... (relax and repeat "pet to the vet" 5 times, real fast and see if you agree.)

And I don't even have a pet - aside from the squirrels in the attic and the frogs and lizards that show up everywhere.

Rhymes, alliteration and rhythm are devices we can use to help us remember important things. For example:

Your attitude determines your acts
Your beliefs drive your behavior
Your character is manifest in your conduct
Your demeanor is reflected in your deeds

This little ABC&D is a good reminder that what's on the inside will eventually show up on the outside. Computer programmers used to say (and I guess still do, but I don't know many programmers these days) GIGO; "garbage in, garbage out."

Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Proverbs 4:23 (HCSB)
For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. Matthew 12:34 (HCSB)
A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. Luke 6:45 (HCSB)

Out of failure

2006-01-19T13:21:00.000-05:00

I read the following story this week in Michael Michalko's Cracking Creativity:

"Michelangelo's masterpiece, David, was the result of another sculptor's failed attempt. Back in 1463, the authorities of the cathedral of Florence acquired a sixteen-foot-high chunk of white marble to be carved into a sculpture. Two well-known sculptors worked on the piece and gave up, and the badly mangled block was put in storage. Other sculptors were brought in and asked to carve a statue. They refused to work with the mangled block and demanded a new block. Their demands were not economically feasible, so the project was scrapped by the cathedral. Forty years later, Michelangelo took the mangled block of marble from storage and carved it into the youthful, courageous David within eighteen months. He took what existed and sculpted it into one of the world's greatest statues."

While Michalko's recitation differs slightly from the record at wikipedia, the emphasis on starting from another's failure is well taken - as is building on another's success.

I was reminded when reading the story for the first time, that my preconceived notions are often wrong. When I move beyond them and begin to experiment, not giving up as if all were lost, I make some of the greatest discoveries. I also recognize that my failures, which I perceive as total and absolute, may not ruin things forever, but open the door for someone more gifted than I to construct something of great value. I could give examples...

It seems better to approach life with an understanding that I am unique and have unique abilities. When I live from my strengths, I live as my Creator intended. When I live from my weakness, the block may lie ruined until the one with a true gift takes it up and releases what is contained within. So, as with Paul and Apollos, I may sow while another waters. Ultimately, God uses both to nurture the growth He brings to pass.

The Remote Channel

2006-01-12T07:37:00.000-05:00

Did you see the Garfield comic for January 12? (You can go here, and click on "the vault" to see it). Garfield is sitting in his comfy chair, and clicks on the TV. There's a new channel - the "all remote channel" which says "put down that remote, we'll click through the channels for you."

That's an easy trap to fall into, isn't it? What I wouldn't give for a "todo list that would execute itself - or a blog that would post to itself daily. Apparently others are looking for the same solutions. Did you ever notice how many e-mail and phone messages you get from people who want you to do something for them? There are a lot of Garfields out there, I suppose.

Of course, the programmers of the remote channel have it figured out. Find a need and fill it. Make someone else's life easier and they will be loyal to you - at least until someone else finds a better way to meet their need.

"Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant." (Matthew 20:26) Other focused. Meeting the needs of others. Making others successful. That's a great step of leadership. And in the process, you earn the right to lead. Followers give their loyalty to those who they trust.

So, will you be the remote channel? Or are you comfy? :)

Broken Boxes

2005-12-20T09:07:00.000-05:00

Christmas shopping. It's all the rage right? I noticed something this week as I watched people making their purchases: given a choice between a crushed box and a "perfect" box, they'll take the perfect every time.

Take a look next time you're at your local discount store. If a box has a dented corner, the shrink-wrap has a small tear, or the like, a shopper will rummage past it to find an undamaged package - even if there's a guarantee that the contents are undamaged. Are we that caught up in appearances and perception that we can't accept damaged packaging? I think the problem is not new.

There's an old story about the selection of a king. One by one, candidates passed by the prophet who was responsible for the choice. As the strong, handsome and mature prospects passed by, the prophet was required to reject each in turn. Finally, the youngest son was selected. The story is told in the Bible passage found in 1 Samuel 16. Verse 7 reads:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart. 1 Sam 16:7 (HCSB)

You see the application don't you? It's so easy to get caught up in appearances that we fail to see the real value of person - the heart, the character, the integrity, the soul, the mind.

Have a merry Christmas. Take time to be consider the broken and crushed boxes around you. Be thankful for what's inside!

OLD Daniel in the Lion's Den

2005-11-22T11:16:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the fall, I enjoyed leading a group of men on a study in the book of Daniel. Now, I was born at Georgia Baptist Hospital (baptist at birth!) and have heard the story of Daniel in the lion’s den a lot of times. However, this fall, I learned something that I had missed all along.

All my life, I had pictured Daniel as a teenager when King Darius served him up to the lions for lunch. However, let’s do the math:

According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, Daniel was transported from Judah to Babylon in his early youth 605 B.C. The text does not indicate his precise age, but let’s assume he was in his early teens. Daniel remained in Babylon under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (604-562 B.C.), Evil-Merodach (561-560 B.C.), Neriglissar (559-555 B.C.), Labashi-Marduk (555 B.C.), Nabonidus (555-539 B.C.) (who left son Belshazzar in charge while he was away), Cyrus (539-529 B.C.), Cambyses (529-522 B.C.), and finally, King Darius I, (522-486 B.C.).

If Daniel were, say 12 when exiled in 605, and were put into the lion’s den sometime after 522 B.C., he would have been in his 90’s when he faced the test! Daniel was faithful for nine decades – no wonder he had confidence in God.

The lessons you learned as a child take on new meaning with your life experiences. You learn new things. You have new frames of reference. When was the last time you read an old, favorite Bible story? Why not read it again with a goal to learn something new.

The grass is taller under the trampoline

2005-11-18T07:17:00.000-05:00

We were out playing "glow-in-the-dark-football" last night and were finding ourselves dodging bird feeders, trees and the trampoline. Deciding to leave the trees where they are, we chose to relocate the bird feeders and trampoline. This morning, the circle of tall grass clearly indicates where the trampoline once stood. And I've already put the lawn mower up for the season...

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a song on the radio. I began to explain to my daughter that its important to be careful what you put into your head - what you listen to, and what you think often about (meditation). She looked at me with a puzzled look that seemed to ask, "What brought that on?" The puzzled look became a look of horror as I began singing along with the radio: "I remember when rock was young...."

Yes, I'm almost ashamed to admit, I remember the lyrics to "Crocodile Rock." And if I sat down at a piano, I just might be able to play it as well. There were some cruel jokes my high school years continue to visit upon me.

Ok, to sum it up, you have to be careful what you put into your head - and life. It takes work to keep the grass mowed in the hidden places. But its important to do both, for you never know when the trampoline will need to be moved, or you'll find yourself singing to yourself... Out loud... In public... Something you wish you could forget....

As Paul admonished in his letter to the Philippian church:

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise - dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8 HCSB)

Have a great weekend.

How much is riding on your Maxxis?

2005-11-11T18:31:00.000-05:00

Do you, like me, take tires for granted. That is, until you're coasting down the Sidney Lanier Bridge... watching your speedometer creep up to 40 mph... in a crosswind... across the expansion joint... hearing a pop and hiss... feeling the rear tire get soft... on a bicycle?

That was my experience today. Just one of those things.

Thankful that I was able to coast to a stop, I walked to the bottom of the bridge to fix the flat. (Hey, some may say I'm dumb for being on the bridge on a bicycle anyway... but, I'm smart enough not to try a repair on the shoulder...)

As I rode home, I reflected that I normally do pay attention to tires, keeping them inflated, rotated and balance (unbalanced tires can sure be an irritant - but, that's a post for another day.)

I try to pay attention to other things as well - time with God, family. Rest. Exercise (well at least I want to...) 'cause I know what's riding on my "Maxxis" - me. And when the hazards come, as they surely will, I want to maximize my chance of success.

1st Grade Smiles

2005-11-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

Is there anything "cuter" than a first grade smile? You see a young girl or boy and you think "she (or) he looks like about first grade..." Then she opens her mouth and there's that big gap! You say "you sure are big for a first grader!" and the smile grows wider, the shoulders are thrown back and you can watch her spirits lift.

Then there's the tongue... pressed against the back of the teeth, it bulges through the gap. Oh, and milkshake straws just seem to fit through the gap.

Mischief and giggles. Both escape through the gap. As does the amazement and wonder that the little one is growing up.

Somehow, I think Jesus had a cute "first grade smile." Perhaps he was called the Aramaic equation of "snaggle-tooth." And he met it in stride. Laughing all the way to eternity.

What's the parallel in the Christian's life? What can God see that is tangilble evidence of our growth? I wonder if He looks at us with a similar pleasure. Thots?

Church Signs (an occasional series)

2005-11-03T06:45:00.000-05:00

On a church sign: "Aspire to Inspire before you Expire"

We all have aspirations don't we? ambitions, desires, ultimate and lofty goals. To aspire is to stretch your wings and soar.

Inspire. That's a word that has meaning far beyond the way it's sometimes used today. To inspire is to "fill with enlivening or exalting emotion, stimulate to action or be the cause or source of something." I think there are people I'll meet today who need to be enlivened, spurred on to action and, if I fill that role for them - inspire them, will achieve great things as a result.

Uh, oh. Expire. We don't want to think about it do we? But our time is limited. Once a minute passes, it cannot be reclaimed. Our lives, minute by minute, are opportunities to inspire others. don't miss the opportunity.

"Let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works" is a phrase found in the Bible (Hebrews 10:24). That seems to be a good word.

Join me in making it my ambition and goal to encourage and enliven others now, while we still can!

Asking and pausing

2005-10-29T22:04:00.000-05:00

A year or so ago, I signed up for "The TelE-Sales Hot Tips of the Week" e-letter and found many tips for building relationships of influence. This week, the tip was especially relevant to teaching and bears repeating in this space:

One of the best ways to learn about your prospect or customer [or learner] is using a pause at two points in your questioning: after you've asked the question, and after the listener has answered.
Not just a brief pause, but a 2-3 second pause. Here are some of the benefits of this technique.

1. You won't feel compelled to continue talking after asking the question if you force yourself to pause. People don't always immediately answer, and pausing gives them the opportunity to think a bit.
2. The number and length of responses will increase. People feel more comfortable when you give them time to frame their answers, which will likely be more comprehensive.
3. The amount of unsolicited information will increase. By not jumping in immediately after they've answered, they're given a little time to contemplate what they've just said, which may prompt additional comments.
4. You'll have more time to understand what they've said. Since you know you're going to pause, you can spend all of your listening time focused on the message, not on what you will say next.
5. You'll have more time to formulate your next comment. You can use your pause time to develop your next question or statement, which will be more meaningful, since you'll possess more relevant information.
ACTION STEP
Force yourself to pause after your question, and after they answer... Practice this on the phone and in all areas of your life. You'll find you get more information than you ever have.
Source: Art Sobczak, President, Business By Phone Inc. 13254 Stevens St., Omaha, NE 68137, (402) 895-9399. To sign up for TelE-Sales Tips weekly e-letter, go to www.BusinessByPhone.com and enter your email address.

In working with teachers, I've found there are two significant barriers to pausing after asking. The first is a fear of silence. In our culture, it seems that we view silences as voids to be filled. Perhaps they are, but I've found it beneficial to let others fill them for us. The second barrier is our tendency as teachers to provide answers. Yet, each of us would probably agree that the most significant learning occurs when the learner discovers the answer for herself.

The extraordinary often emerges from the pauses. Ask, pause, and listen.

A breath of fresh air

2005-10-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

My wife was "encouraging" our son to turn off the Playstation yesterday and go outside to play. "You need to get some fresh air," she said to him.

He walked across the room, opened the door, stuck his head outside and took a deep breath. "How many breaths do I need?" he asked.

I wonder how often we approach God the same way. A couple of breaths and we're ready to go back to what we were doing.

Take some time today to fill your lungs. Go outside and play. Spend some time with God. Breath deeply.

A few links for Bible Teachers

2005-10-17T14:36:00.000-05:00

I was planning for a conference this weekend on training Bible study leaders and collected a few links that are useful ideas and resources to build community, communicate and prepare for Bible study. They are posted here both for the benefit of those I'll meet Saturday as well as for anyone else who happens to drop by!

E-mail and community building

E-groups such as http://www.groups.yahoo.com
Electronic Group Management programs such as http://www.mybiblestudy.com. (MyBibleStudy.com also includes lesson preparation tools which allow you to use standard or create custom Bible study plans for your group.)
Web logs or “blogs” are easy to use means of disseminating information. http://www.blogger.com/ or http://www.typepad.com/ offer free services.

Lesson Preparation

http://www.lifeway.com/sskickoff - Updated annually, this site includes resources such as the Five Step Formula for Sunday School Growth resource booklet in .PDF format, leadership training plans and evaluation tools for leaders of all age groups and How to Use Curriculum Guides
http://www.lifeway.com/SundaySchool - Gateway to articles and helps for teachers and leaders of all ages
http://www.lifeway.com/myextra - Supplmental teaching resources using current events to help make timely application of Bible truth
http://www.bibleteachingnotes.com – Published by Omar C. García, Minister of Missions and Evangelism at Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy, Texas. Content for all Sunday School leaders including teaching notes, background, fellowship ideas, etc.
http://teachinglifewaylessons.blogspot.com/ - Published by an adult Bible teacher at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. This teacher searches the web weekly for ideas, illustrations, stories, etc. to broaden the Bible study experience
http://www.joshhunt.com/sunday-school.htm - Updated questions to “get people talking” and resources for training
http://www.crosswalk.com/ - Gateway site to Bible study tools, articles and resources to build strong Christian leaders

Changes... changes... changes...

2005-10-07T00:29:00.000-05:00

Been away for a while. We moved last week. After 12 days away from home, I arrived home at midnight on Sat the 24th. Movers came and packed us on Monday, loaded truck on Tuesday, closed on our house sale on Wednesday, drove to Brunswick, GA on Thursday, closed on our house purchase on Friday and moved in that afternoon. Not bad for a week, huh?

Ok, so what's so extraordinary about that? People move all the time, right? Well, yes, I guess so. But, I don't! :)

So, now we're living on the Ga coast. Just north of Brunswick. I awaken in the morning and look out the window across the famed "Marshes of Glynn" and see St. Simons Island in the distance.

I believe God created it... out of nothing at all.... Frankly, I think that's extraordinary.

Every new sunrise brings new opportunities. And if I don't go to bed, I'll miss mine in the morning.....

Locked up?

2005-09-04T07:22:00.000-05:00

Friday night, there was one of those knee-high, European, two-seater convertibles with the top down parked in the space across from me. I watched as a young man came out to the car, reached into his pocket for the keys, and yes, unlocked the door.

Ok, blonde jokes aside, why would someone lock a convertible with the top down? I haven't figured it out yet.

My best guess is habit. I get out of the car, I lock the door. Perhaps it would be the same if I had a convertible.

So, from the ordinary, comes the extraordinary. What are your habits? What are the little things that are so ingrained in your being that you do them without thinking? And, the bigger question: Are your habits helping you or hindering you.

Reading a time management book this week, I was reminded that if it's not important, don't do it. Redeem the time. Buy it back. Invest it in habits that help.

Speed Trap

2005-08-27T22:26:00.000-05:00

I was out for a bike ride earlier this week and had just tucked myself onto the aero bars to get "low and fast" when I realized I was going just as fast as the cars in front of me. I watched the numbers on my bike computer begin to climb and recognized that if the folks in front of me didn't speed up, I'd have to scrub some speed. Slowly, they began to pull away from me, giving me some room to pedal and pick up more momentum.

Then I saw them. Two of Cobb's finest had parked their Harley's on the side of the road and were aiming their laser guns at each vehicle on the road.

As I passed them, one shouted out "33!"

I smiled and pedaled harder. The speed limit on this stretch is 35... it became a goal... and I reached it.

Amazing what a little word of encouragement, spoken at the appropriate time can do for one's attitude. Somehow, my workout seemed to go a little easier that day.

Who around you is laboring? Can you offer them an "atta boy?" It just might be that your encouragement is just what they need to press on or eke out a personal best.

I have a friend....

2005-08-18T07:36:00.000-05:00

While waiting recently for my flight from Atlanta to Hartford to board, I was pleasantly surprised to see a friend from church enter the waiting area. Realizing we were both headed to the same destination, we enjoyed a few moments of conversation in the waiting lounge until we boarded, taking our seats on opposite ends of the plane.

The flight was relatively uneventful and as we began our approach well after dark, I was amused by the conversation of several boisterous people who were returning from a Caribbean cruise.

"There's the airport."
"Where's the pilot going?"
"We're going in circles."
"We'll be up here all night."
"There's the casino... It's supposed to be on the other side of the plane."
"We're lost."

and so on... You get the idea. We're often surrounded by "armchair experts" who would want us to believe they know the game plan. There's an entire Old Testament book describing the story of a man named Job who had such an experience.

Throughout our approach, I simply settled into my seat and listened to those around me. "What do they know?" I thought to myself.

I knew we had nothing to worry about. For you see, my friend was the pilot. And when you know and have faith in the pilot, you can just relax and enjoy the ride.

Seven minutes a day

2005-08-12T08:55:00.000-05:00

I read the following guide to a "seven minute in the morning devotional time" in a Stand Firm magazine:

A half minute of prayer for guidance;
Four minutes reading the Bible; and
Two-and-a-half minutes to pray through the acronym ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.

No doubt, investing seven minutes a day in these activities shapes the way I approach each day.

I recently added a morning stretching routine (that takes about seven minutes) which help me wake up and provide some physical benefit as well.

Seven minutes a day. I'd guess there are a lot of seven minute blocks of time that, for most of us, pass by in the most ordinary of ways. I wonder what extraordinary results might occur if we selected a few blocks of time and invested them intentionally.

Out of towels

2005-08-11T06:52:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, my son and I had breakfast together at a national chain restaurant known for their breakfast menu. As we prepared to leave, we stepped into the men's room to wash the syrup from our hands. We turned from the sink to note that there were no towels in the dispenser. This proved not to be a major problem for either an eight year old or his dad!

Passing the cash register and thinking I might be helpful, I paused to tell Larry - the epitome of a manager of such a chain - that "you're out of towels in the men's room."

His reply was interesting. "Thanks. I was waiting for them to run out."

All the way to the car, I thought through his comment. Larry was apparently watching the bottom line and saving a few cents by making sure that he used every towel on the roll. However, as a customer, I found myself wishing he had committed these same few cents into customer service. It seems a little short-sighted.

As we drove away, I tried to help my son understand the difference between an expense and an investment, with limited success I'm sure.

I also realized that My relationship with God is sometimes like that. I try to wring every bit of encouragement from my last experience with Him. Perhaps you've experienced something similar with personal renewal. You find yourself going too far too fast for too long as you wait for the roll to empty before replacing it.

Make an investment. Change the towel roll.