Leadership Friction Principle
July 1, 2008
Wonderfully Made!
June 18, 2008
Watch the WHOLE video.
Cruise Control
May 21, 2008
The last two days’ Swerve talks about “disrupting” the comfortable patterns we find ourselves in. This has resonated with me in a big way! There are areas of my life where I feel like I am on cruise control. For me this means I am too comfortable. Now comfort is fine, but not if I am “cruising” with regard to these main areas:
- My relationship with family and friends
- My prayer, worship, Bible study and obedience of God
- My leadership and love as a husband and father
Cruise control is fine if you’re on the highway and want efficient travel from point A to point B. However, we should never “cruise” through life (and our relationship with God and others). I want/need to be sharp, passionate, loving, wise, selfless (not selfish) and growing!
Are you “cruising”?
On Our Heart…
March 24, 2008
Molly and I were chatting last night about Easter. We were wondering what God would think about the way we celebrate it. Similar to Christmas, it’s easy to get caught up in the hussle and prep of the day (i.e. dinner plans, church preparation, tradition, family, etc.). We had a great day at church, with family and with God…. BUT, something did not quite settle with us in regards to our heart.
Together we intentionally decided to commit to a new TEST for our lives (we have subconciously tried to follow this, but never consciously). This test is: “If we are too busy (or tired, distracted, etc.) to love God and others, we are too busy.” If we fail the TEST, we take action, cut something out, change our attitude…or whatever.
What test do you use for your life?
Catalyst
October 13, 2006
Last week I went to Atlanta for a huge next generation leadership conference called, “Catalyst.” It is a Christian focussed event which is designed to equip and encourage those leading the Church of today and tomorrow. The simplest (most simple?) description of this 2 day event would be… “boarderline overdose.” The resources, content, music, speakers, entertainment, truth, questions and the presence of 10,000 other hungry leaders was excitingly overwhelming! I felt like a druggie on the verge of an “od” twitching with so much brain stimulation… it was crazy!
This is the third year Molly (my wife) and I have attended this conference. Every year, I walk away stoked beyond explanation. However, each year I am always challenged to maximize the impact on my life, leadership and devotion toward God. This year was no exception. Marcus Buckingham (one of the speakers, this year) shared with us that HUGE myth in leadership is that we are encouraged to grow and become the “super me” we always dreamed of… someone whose weaknesses are stripped away, is sexier, smarter, bolder, new and improved! Marcus went on to explain that the truth is, the best we can do is to become more of who we already are… the person we were as a young kid. If I was an extremely competitve young dude, there is little chance I am going to become anything other than that as I grow older. That might not me the best example, but here’s the context: I walked away from Catalyst last week with dreams and aspirations of being this rad, uber sweet husband, father, business owner, youth pastor, leader, etc. Nothing wrong with that, right? Nope… however, the reality is I won’t become “super dude” overnight… or EVER! God didn’t build any of us that way. So, I am working on this formula: Today’s Guy x (Dreams / Potential) = Reality Guy (don’t know if this formula is correct… hopefully you get the idea). I have to become “Reality Guy!” That’s my goal. This will be place where my impact will be maximized… that’s where God is.
So, here I am a week after my sensory overload experience called “Catalyst” working on becoming the guy God wants me to be… saying goodbye to dreams of “super dude.” See ya.
Check out some cool Catalyst links: www.CatalystSpace.com www.CatalystConference.com
