http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=1804
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Authentic Transformation
http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=1804
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
It's a Beautiful Day!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A Friend of Mine Once Said . . .
Most of these small journals start with the words
of other men. But this one I feel should begin with my own
words.
Why is it that the words of other men inspire me? Do
the men who spoke these words gain their perspective from other men as
well? I like to think they are original thoughts. Maybe they were
crafted from the various snippets of inspiring words by
others.
Most of these thoughts are from experiences in life.
Penned with great emotion and passion.
These records of inspiration have the power to change the world. Alter the course of a wandering soul.
It is for this reason we must write and speak what is on our
mind. Share what is heavy on our heart. It makes no difference how
we convey these thoughts. They may be meaningless to some, but they
may be understood by one and that one who comprehends can be changed
forever.
The words can be deemed as spiritual
food. Nourishment to advance a pilgrim down the road. Energized
to further his journey. Live to fight another day.
It is not only words that we must share. Our life must be open for all to explore
also. This becomes frightening for some, especially for me. What if
I am found out? That people see me for who I really am?
But that is the gift of a shared life. For our failings and
shortcomings is precisely where we gain our strength. It is where we
can support one another. Where one is weak, the strong can fill the
void.
I think that is why God created us with different gifts and
personalities. He wanted our lives to be intermingled. Joined
together to become one holistic organism. Working together to glorify Him
through love.
When we hole up and escape to our caves for extended
times I believe we lose some of the giftedness of togetherness. Spend
to much time alone and it is hard to engage with other lives.
I have a great tendency to want to be alone. Although I think God wants us
to spend some time alone. But it is in these moments that I must take
those who are in my life with me in spirit. For in these times of solitude
I hear whisperings from God. Nudgings from the Holy Spirit. "love
your brothers" He says. "Fight for my Kingdom, share Me with those
who don't know Me, help the weak, give to those in need. Understand
the depths of My love."
Lord, Help me be bold enough to share my
life. I am am not perfect by myself, but when locked in arms with my
brothers in Christ, I am powerful beyond measure. The Kingdom gates are
flung open and your love floods out. Saturating our souls,
filling our every void with your spirit. may those moments come with
greater frequency and with increasing power.
Come Lord Jesus, come!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
On "Vision"
Consider . . .
“To the person who does not know where he wants to
go, there is no favorable wind.”
~ Seneca“All men dream: but not equally.
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to
find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they
may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.”
~ T.E. Lawrence“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but
has no vision.”
~ Hellen Keller“Keep yourself clean and bright; you are
the window through which you must see the world.”
~ George Bernard Shaw“The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes.”
~ Marcel Proust
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Anniversary of a Homeless Man's Passing
I believe what I believe is what makes me
what I am.
I did not make it, no, it is making
me.
It is the very truth of God and not the
invention of any man.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Final Leadership Summit Session, #10
Blue Like Jazz
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A Pattern of the Psalms
It’s almost as if hope and praise become expressions of the same thing – I suspect that might be true in that God is the source of our hope and the object of our praise. So for me, is God trying to point me to seeing that, yes – I am in a season of anguish over leading at my church – but that at the end of the day, I must have hope and offer it as a praise offering? Is it that simple?
Lord Jesus, as You will and as You know – AMEN.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Summit Session 9
Carter listed his ideals for inner-circle leadership, which were:
- Integrity
- Honesty
- Compatibility with Basic Principles of the Team
- Loyalty
- Expert in Area of Responsibility
- Free to Disagree
Carter also proclaimed that the greatest challenge facing our world must be bridging the growing chasm between the rich and poor of the world; the church must break out of its "Cocoon of Comfort."
President Carter closed by simply saying that a human should do what Christ did as a Champion of Peace, quoting Psalm 34:14 - "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
Bella
A line from the movie really captured me: "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans."
More info on the movie can be found here.
Summit Session 8
You may be wondering why Hybels would ask Curtis to participate in The Leadership Summit. The humanitarian event known as Live 8 is partly the work of Curtis (along with Bob Geldof and Bono). So Curtis runs in good company when it comes to seeing a vision to make the world a better place. Here are a couple of his thoughts:
- The texture of life improves with laughter (Curtis is the man who gave us Mr. Bean, by the way).
- To accomplish something great, everyone must understand the direction the project is to go.
- People are looking for a chance to do good.
- The Sermon on the Mount is the truest thing I've ever read.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
The Air We Breathe
I was recently encouraged by a passage of Scripture in my daily reading that reinforced this truth of the supremacy of Christ in our lives. It has stirred me, and I share it with you in hopes of it stirring you as well.
From Job 34 (Message):
If he (God) decided to hold his breath, every man, woman, and child would die for lack of air.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
The Wisdom of a T-Shirt
Our critical purpose lies not in what others think of us,
but in what others think of Christ because of us.
Summit Session 7
John reeled off several fears that a leader faces:
- The fear of failure: When a leaders fails, it's public knowledge.
- The fear of mutiny: As a leader, you are at the mercy of those who're supposed to be following you.
- The fear of criticism: The more diligently you lead, the harder life gets.
- The fear of disappointing people
And then he listed a leader's greatest fear: Choosing a shadow mission over our true mission. To understand this a bit, let me capture some of John's thoughts on "shadow mission."
- We are tempted to allow our lives to center around a shadow mission, which is dark and ungodly.
- This shadow mission is typically closely related to our gifts and talents, and can maybe best be described like this: It is our true mission hi-jacked by Hell.
This was a personal session, and these rambling notes may not make a lot of sense; it's very much one of those "you had to be there" kind of deals. So in closing, I will share a couple of other basic leadership highlights from Ortberg, and leave the deep stuff of shadow mission to a face-to-face discussion - let me know if you'd like to talk this over.
- The higher you rise in an organization, the less truth you are likely to hear.
- Do I want engagement or compliance?
- A huge challenge facing most leaders is facing a difficult task without becoming discouraged - we need a Mordecai in our lives to challenge us when we settle. Who is that for you?
- A question from Ortberg: When is the last time you and your team had an extended period of prayer seeking clarity and guidance on your mission?
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
10,000 Charms
The cat in the photo is Shannon Hoon, the former lead singer for Blind Melon. He's an Indiana boy. He felt incredible pain in his life. And he's dead.
I guess a lot of rock star deaths seem like accidents, but I have to wonder if people really just get to a point where they feel that there is no answer, no way out. No escape. Just typing that makes me think of a biography I read in high school about Jim Morrison entitled No One Here Gets Out Alive. Not a very hopeful title, and Morrison believed it to the point of death.
You and I may not know a rock star. We may not be able to come alongside of the next Shannon Hoon and point him to Life. But what about the other folks in our circles, our communities, who feel that there is no answer or no way out? They're there, you know. And Jesus stands ready to save them. Do we really live a life that reminds people - that clearly tells others - that in Jesus' arms there are 10,000 charms? May my life - and yours - be one that sings this old hymn . . .
Come ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore
Jesus ready stands to save you
Full of pity, love, and power
Come ye thirsty, come and welcome
God's free bounty glorify
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings you nigh
I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms
Come ye weary, heavy-laden
Lost and ruined by the fall
If you tarry until you're better
You will never come at all