I am linked to a fellow in the Netherlands on LinkedIn dot com. We’re also connected at Plaxo Pulse. I’ve never met him before, but today he blessed my life with the video posted here.
I remarked to Bev what a wonder it is that I could have this online relationship without ever having any physical contact with this person. And had I not had those connections, I would have never been aware of this video. This is truly an digital blessing.
When our daughter was in high school and feeling omniscient, she had a phrase that she used to repel any attempt to enlighten her or explain some idea. The word was “whatever,” and it was guaranteed to stop any further conversation as she served notice that she had no interest at all in what was being said by her parent. “Whatever” was the ultimate definition of indifference or scorn. Fortunately, she outgrew this.
Whatever has other definitions. 1. Everything or anything: “Do whatever you please.” 2. No matter what: “Whatever happens, we’ll meet here tonight.” 3. Any number or kind: “Whatever requests you make will be granted.”
There are some other definitions, but this gives a good idea of its absence of a specific reference. Whatever is used in interesting ways in the Bible and gives some insight into the kind of freedom that God gives us all. To the disciples Jesus said, “Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.” By so indicating, Jesus gave his disciples the freedom to choose the towns they would go to.”
The writer, Paul, told the church at Corinth that whatever they did, should be done for God’s glory. The only boundary or limitation that Paul placed on their activity was that it be God glorifying.
The writer, James, took this a step further and said that to knowingly fail to do something something good is sin. So there is an accountability that is laid on us to make good personal judgments and act on them. It is as if God is saying to us, “Do something good.”
In Philippians 4:8 we are given the freedom to dwell on any and everything that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable or praiseworthy. Permission is not needed. We have carte blanche on these good things. We are also accorded similar freedoms in prayer. Whatever you ask…” Jesus said.
God gives his people enormous freedom to act on the many good choices around them. Doing good has God’s endorsement and has already been approved as long as it is for God’s glory. That’s a no brainer.
I found out last Friday that a friend had died. I knew her at a previous church for which I worked. She had been an insulin dependent diabetic since age 3. I was always impressed by her personal discipline. Had she not been, I doubt she would have survived until her late 50’s.
The recent death came on the heels of what the doctors think could have been a stroke or a fast moving infection. Whatever it was took her life quickly. Though it was painful to her family to lose her, it was actually a grace. She did not have to exist in a hospital or go through lengthy suffering.
She was a person of great faith. So if she had known she was coming to the moment of her death, I think she would have said, “This is the moment I have been getting ready for.” All of us who knew her watched her live with great spiritual integrity and hope. Death was just another stage of her journey toward God.
So on the day before Thanksgiving I will have the blessing of talking about her life. It will be a pleasure because of the inspiration and hope she gives me. She died in victory.
One of the greatest sins a “leader” can commit is to work alone. Good leadership equips, empowers, trusts, and releases. The best way to do this is through teams, and this is a good definition of team. “A team is a group organized to work together to accomplish a set of objectives that cannot be achieved effectively by individuals.”
Teamwork is the wisest means by which to contribute to an organization. An organization that does not use teams is limited by the capabilities of its weakest or most fearful leader.
Weak leaders function like log jams that slow everyone else down or even prevent forward motion. Fears, vested interests, ego, or prejudices can hamper the health and effectiveness of an organization.
That’s why teams are important. In teams, everyone has a vital role to play, everyone is empowered to contribute, and every opinion is important in the formation of direction. Teams also require humility to function correctly. A “leader” with huge ego issues will not be able to function in a team setting; it will be too threatening.
The same article about teams, quoted above, has a set of guidelines for team membership. The whole list is not printed here, but note the emphasis on individual contribution in the items listed.
Autocratic and egotistic leaders are only able to reach to their personal limits. In team work, individual commitment usually transcends the team. A team outperforms an individual and all reasonable expectations given to its individual members. That is, a team has a synergistic effect…one plus one equals a lot more than two.
Jesus understood the importance of “team” and its ability to transform individuals. He took 12 men who, individually, could never have accomplished what they did as a team in a few short years. During his three years with them, he empowered them, allowed them to fail, and when needed, supplied specific teaching.
Teamwork is vital to healthy organizations, business or religious. An individual that tries to “lead” by himself is a danger to progress and growth, because he will function like a governor on a motor and slow the organization to his own limitations.
Bob Kaylor, senior writer for Homiletics Magazine, has gotten me to thinking about my vocabulary, particularly in regard to people who are not currently part of a church community. I’ve struggled with what name to use to refer to this rather large group. Sadly, I’ve resorted to the all-too-common term, “unchurched.”
Kaylor writes that being “churched” is not necessarily a good thing and “being in church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than being in a garage makes you a car.” I like that. It reminds me that I need to be more concerned about a person’s proximity to Jesus.
Plus, you wouldn’t necessarily want a new believer to look like some of the “churched” folks. Kaylor has an 11–person playlist of people that you might want to avoid looking like in church. They include the following six:
LifeSpring wants to attract people who have no current relationship with Jesus and/or with disciples of Jesus. That can be very different from people who simply “go to church.” There’s far too many of that kind of person.
Several years ago a friend of mine a friend of mine told a joke in order to explain Daylight Saving Time. According to the joke, a man wanted to lengthen his blanket, so he cut a portion off one end and sewed it on the other end.
Okay, not very funny, but that’s about how much sense DST makes. Especially on the morning in the spring when I have to get up an hour earlier than normal.
Benjamin Franklin is given credit for originating the idea of DST in 1784 when he suggested that Parisians could economize on candles by arising an hour earlier to use morning sunlight. In 1905 Englishman, William Willett was inspired to invent DST when he observed that Londoners slept through the best part of a summer day. He lobbied unsuccessfully for the proposal until his death in 1915.
It’s now time to “fall back” to Standard Time. I look forward to the extra hour of sleep and the longer evenings. Even though I don’t enjoy the way it messes with my circadian rhythms.
Last night, around 8:00, I was sitting on our couch-recliner, and it started vibrating. It felt so eerie, I actually got up to see if there was someone behind the couch. This was an irrational act since I was the only one at home at the time. The movement lasted long enough for me to wonder what was causing the motion.
It never occurred to me that this was an earthquake. Until…..
A message scrolled across the bottom of the television screen announcing that a temblor had struck the Bay Area in the vicinity of San Jose. Later news reports filled in the information. The 5.6 shock struck about 9 miles northeast of San Jose, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Residents reported feeling the quake as far east as Sacramento and as far north as Sonoma.
It added a little bit of excitement to an otherwise “normal” evening.
Last week I accompanied Bev to Sunnyvale where she was going to attend a workshop for speech-language pathologists. The workshop was on Friday, so we went a couple of days early to have some much needed time off. The time away was valuable and restful.
We arrived on Wednesday afternoon. Because of Hotwire we were able to find a hotel for bargain rates. The room included a free breakfast and no charge for parking. Sometimes parking charges can add substantially to the price of a hotel. The hotel was the Wild Palms, a small boutique hotel. Very nice and inexpensive.
We ate at a wonderful Persian restaurant on Wednesday evening at the suggestion of the hotel staff. Our waiter was a UC-Santa Cruz student, and he provided lots of valuable information during the evening. He also gave Bev a container of powdered Sumac.
Thursday we used to go over to the coast. We went over highway 17 to Santa Cruz. From there we turned north and went up to Half Moon Bay. On the way up to Half Moon Bay we stopped at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. This is a grand old lighthouse, currently in disrepair. Funds are being raised to restore it and its large Fresnel lens. A highlight of the day was walking Main Street and checking out all the little, interesting shops.
Bev’s conference started at 8:30. We ate breakfast and drove her the 1/2 mile down to the conference location. I didn’t have to vacate our hotel room until 1:30. I was grateful for the flexibility of the hotel staff. I found that the room was too quiet. So I left at 1:00 and went to Starbucks. The low rumble of the voices was a helpful addition to my creative process.
At 3:30 Bev was done, and we got in the car to head home. We arrived in Merced about 6:30, and we had to change clothes to attend the Chamber of Commerce annual Cioppino Dinner. It was a long day. Bed was a welcome relief.
Sunday is the date of our annual Kiwanis pancake breakfast. It occurs on Sunday, so I’m unable to participate in the event.
So, the way I contribute is by helping with the setup on Saturday morning. The event is held at Merced High School in the cafeteria. A group of Kiwanians and Kiwins (the local Kiwanis high school sponsored youth group) met at 8:00 AM to begin the set up.
Tasks include putting out placemats, setting up the grills, running the gas line, scrubbing the grills with pumice stones, and arranging the tables and chairs. Setting up the grills takes the longest time. They come mounted on a trailer which has to have it’s tires removed, covers taken off, and the supplies unloaded off it. The grills have to be jacked up and set on a dolly to be moved into the cafeteria.
Normally I would have done my Saturday duties and then gone about the rest of my day as usual. Today, however, I was extremely tired. This was probably because of being gone to San Jose for three days and also attending a Friday night party. It made for a long day today.
It’s 8:30 PM, and I’m thinking that 9:00 is looking like a tempting bedtime.
Yesterday our new BNI leadership team got its official training for the new BNI year that begins on Thursday. The Director of BNI Central Valley came down for the 3 hour training, and we met at a local business’ conference room.
I have to say that I am really impressed with the quality of BNI ideas and training. Part of the reason that BNI is so successful is that they invest heavily in keeping members trained and up to a certain (expected) standard of performance.
New members have to receive MSP (Member Success Program) training in order to be able to do the extended 8–minute infomercials. The MSP program gives some basic information and skills. It helps you to form your ideas for your infomercial so that it is as effective as it can be.
Occasionally an area BNI chapter will host a 2–hour conference on some subject relative to marketing business. BNI members are encouraged to attend and to think of it as attending a marketing meeting for your company where all the attendees are members of your marketing department.
BNI leaves nothing to chance. Everything that is done has a purpose, and that is to make each member as effective a marketing agent as possible. Which makes me wonder why more organizations, including churches, do not invest in the training of their people in the same way.
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