good and better

I'm trying to discern what's good and what's better.

I love big environments, lots of people coming together. There's obviously a sense of success and significance in it.

Our gathering this past week-end was a good turn out - it felt... good.

Flipside, an event we run for kids in our community and church, is something I love to see take place, especially when I see more kids and newer faces. When that happens, it feels... good.

But I wonder, what's... better?

When my (smaller) community group meets together and I notice people connecting on a deeper level, discerning how to support each other in mission and serve each other when needed - that excites me.

Both environments are good, is one is better?
Both environments are needed, is one more of a fulfillment of our vision?
Both are good, is the big one successful when it funnels towards real life change and community life?

Last Friday, 2 young female leaders in our church got five 11-13 year old's together. They call them the Jr Leaders for Flipside (the event I mentioned above which is for 5+ age group, where the 11+ kids are starting to serve, not only participate).

This small group of tweens hung out, laughed, got to know each other better, went through some scripture and interactively learned about using their passions to serve others. All in the same evening. The start of discipleship.

I have a feeling this was a 'better' kind of thing.

The rubber meets the road when mentoring takes place, relationships are built, growth happens, vision is imparted.

We/I got to figure out what's not only good, but better - in life, family, and ministry,

Where in your life, ministry, or work do you see the better vs. the good?

Writing a story with your life.

I loved the book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. It was such a great reminder that our lives can mean so much more if we take the time to pay attention to the Story we're writing with them.

Here's a promo video about a conference on a similar theme. The main idea of a story is in the video, so enjoy.

What is Storyline? from Donald Miller on Vimeo.

Leading Yourself

This recent post (below) from Dave Ferguson caught my attention a few weeks back. He highlights a self-leadership tool to help you grow personally.

Last week, as I taught through Psalm 1:3 at Westside, about becoming a Life-Giving-Restorative Person, I thought his post could be helpful as a reflection tool:

From Dave:

We refer to this tool, "checking your RPM'S." ... based on Luke 2:52 that says, "Jesus grew in wisdom (mental) and stature (physical), and in favor with God (spiritual) and men (relational)." So for the last week on a daily bais I have put at the top of my journal these four letters: R (relational), P (physicial), M (mental) and S (spiritual) and given myself a 1-10 rating. I am already convinced that using this tool on a daily basis,...may be one of the most powerful self-leadership tools around. I would strongly encourage you to try it for yourself. Let me briefly explain each of these and give you a few questions to ask in your own daily self-evaluation.

RELATIONAL: Our relational world typically includes the people with whom we interact on a regular basis: our immediate family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and small group members. Here are some questions you can ask yourself.

• How are my relationships at home?
• What about my marriage, dating, or family life is going well? What’s not going so well? What would I like to change?
• Who do I consider my closest friend? How is God using that relationship to grow me?
• What are my relationships at work like?
• Which of my relationships give my energy and life? Which are the most challenging or draining?

PHYSICAL: Our physical well-being is often the most overlooked aspect of a leaders life. Yet diet, exercise, sleep, and rest are all vital to our ability to lead effectively. If we are serious about developing as a whole person, we have to take seriously our physical well-being. Here are some good questions to ask:

• Am I getting enough rest?
• How is my current energy level?
• What am I doing to maintain good health when it comes to exercise and eating habits?
• Is there anything about my physical health that I'd like to change?

MENTAL: Another often-overlooked aspect is the development of our minds. In order for us to stay sharp and be a lifelong learners, we need to be challenged. Here are some questions we can ask to see if we are developing mentally:

• What have I been learning lately?
  
• How am I applying what I are learning?
  
• What magazines, books, or websites do I read or access?
  
• What thoughts have been dominating my mind? Are they drawing me closer to God? Are they pulling me away from him?
  

SPIRITUAL: It is also imperative that we discover and act on whatever it is that helps us grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus. Here are some questions we can ask to see how we are developing spiritually:

• How would I describe my relationship with Christ right now?
  
• What does it look like when I am feeling closely connected to God?
  
• Which spiritual disciplines seem to help me draw closer to Jesus? Prayer? Journaling? Worship? Solitude?
  
• Who is holding me accountable to practicing these disciplines?
  
• What has God been saying to me lately through his Word? The Holy Spirit? Other Christ followers? Prayer?
  

The longer I am in leadership the more I am convinced that the most important leadership we can offer is self-leadership. Use this tool everyday and lead yourself!

What do you think? Helpful?

Trees and Streams

Psalms 1 describes a certain kind of person. A person who is...

…like a TREE planted by STREAMS of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

Wisdom literature (e.g. psalms and proverbs) often use a 'tree' as an image for wisdom. You'll also see the combination of 'wisdom' and 'tree of life' used to describe someone who is life-giving or restorative (e.g. Proverbs 3:18; 11:30; 15:4).

Imagine if part of our vision for life would be to become this kind of person:

Life-Giving-Restorative Person.

A person who...
...Blesses others
...Injects life into people around us
...Nurtures people
...Gives hope
...Contributes to the well being of those in his/her life

Does your spouse feel this about you? Are your friends better off because of you or thankful for you? Is your community getting an injection of life because you live there? Have you contributed to the well being of someone in your church recently?

This person doesn't happen by accident. Like the tree, they are intentionally located near streams.

Fruit trees don't grow by accident. They grow naturally, but only if they are nourished. This tree was located near an irrigation canal that constantly fed it.

E.G. Eccl. 2:5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.

If you want to become this Life-Giving-Restorative Person, what kind of streams have you included in your life to help you grow into this?

To be honest, the GOAL is BECOMING, the means are the STREAMS.
The goal of a fruit tree is fruit, but the means aren't fruit, it's the streams.

STREAMS GROW THE TREES
TREES YIELD FRUIT

STREAM SUGGESTIONS:

...Communion with God.
...Spiritual Community with Christ followers.
...Rest.
...Reflection.
...Practicing Generosity and Servanthood.

As you're reflecting on what kind of 2012 you'd like to have, and more importantly, what kind of person you'd like to become, consider the following.

DO I WANT TO BECOME A LIFE-GIVING-RESTORATIVE-PERSON?

ARE THERE STREAMS IN MY LIFE THAT WILL NURTURE ME TOWARDS THIS?

WHAT STREAMS MUST I PUT IN PLACE TO NURTURE ME TOWARDS THIS?
(are there things in my schedule prohibiting me from including a healthy stream?)

* you can use this idea with other goals in your life (go ahead, it's helpful), however the psalm writer seems to believe that one of the more important visions for life the vision in 1:3

ANY 2012 GOALS?

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson

I asked around during New Year's Eve and Day about goals. Simple question: what are your goals for 2012?

There was very little response.

I think most people are tired of New Year's Resolutions or maybe it's overwhelming to think about what you'd like to do in 365 days. However, I did hear a few good ones:

- Turn my job into my career.
- Put frames on my walls (this is specific and measurable).
- Increased family time.

I'm not a fan of New Year's Resolutions as much (joining a gym!), but I do believe that any opportunity to reflect on your life and goals is positive and necessary. You can create your own starting points - day, week, month, quarter, birthday, new years, etc.

Dave Ramsey reminded me via Twitter that this is a great week to lay out your goals for 2012. Goals mus be: in writing, specific, time sensitive, measurable, personal to you.

I've written out a few of my goals, although to follow Dave's advice I got to get them a little more specific, time sensitive, and measurable.

- Re-engage my MA studies (can't complete this in 2012, likely a 18-24 month goal; classes start January 9th)
- Redesign my blog and write 2x per week
- Spend more Saturdays with family and friends (which = more disciplined work on my Sunday teaching during the week; minimizing urgent work so any work on Saturday is important work)
- Monthly date night (an ongoing goal we never seem to get perfect at but will keep trying at)
- Read 30-60min. every evening (this is specific and measurable; I hope to get 200 pages a week in of extra reading)
- Redecorate my sons room by end of February (plans are in motion)
- Learn photography more (step 1 - I got a camera; step 2 - taking lots of pics; step 3 - 2 hour course in January I'm looking forward to)

I have a few more personal and church related goals, but I leave them for my journal and planning meetings.

What are some goals you have for 2012?
How do you get specific and measurable?

Amazon.com is HUGE

I think Amazon is a great company. I get more interested in them then Apple (yes I own Apple products and happen to consume Amazon products on them). They don't have that elitist edge like Apple seems to give off (please correct me if I'm wrong on this).

I like them b/c they're also more sustainable. You have to buy Apple stuff with your Apple product. You don't only have to buy amazon stuff with your amazon.ca account. I can by books, cameras, e-books, memory cards, etc.
Check out this great infographic on them.

I also like the fact that they provide Apple with competition. Since I also use Apple products, competition should keep the price a little lower :)

Source: Frugaldad.com

Create vs. Consume

I've been feeling the SLUG of consumerism lately.

NOT WHAT YOU THINK.

Ok, I've probably eaten a little too much and maybe purchased something I really don't need (that 1/8 inch wire to attach a DVD player to my car speakers - not important when some live on 2$/day)

The consumerism I'm talking about is INFORMATION.

I can't get enough of it. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Articles. It seems like they come in like fire hoses.

To be honest, I hold the valve. I can intake,... or not.

What does this have to do with creating?

Consuming DOES NOT EQUAL creating!!

Consuming can be good, but it can also hurt you.

It makes you procrastinate (one more article on _____ before I start writing)
It gets you tired (one more video on the next iPhone #)
It distracts you from people and priorities (wait honey, I'll be there in 2 min.)

Can you relate?

Tonight I determined to CREATE instead of CONSUME.

I got better at iMovie, making a short video for a community outreach
I wrote the a book review

I'm going to bed fulfilled. Infact, even writing this post makes me feel creative instead of consumeristic.

How are you at with balancing your creativity and consumption?
What products (web, tv, magazines, etc.) do you find yourself consuming?
Is there a good consumption and a bad one?

future is glass

This is a pretty cool look into the future.

In a way it's almost here.

When you lighten things up too much.

This morning I was speaking at Westside Gathering in a series called, Why Work?

It's been a tough series for me to teach. Not because there's not enough to say about work, but mainly because there too much to say. Even more so because as I teach I'm feeling the struggle that some people have with their jobs. And though it would be easy to inspire, pump up, and challenge people to do what they love, change the world, find a job that fits your strengths - sometimes, at least for a season - that's not always possible.

But this post isn't about the struggle, it's about something I did because of the struggle.

I opened up the end of the talk for Q&A to allow people to share the tension that arises with what the scriptures teach about work. To share openly the specific situations the scriptures might not emphasize, but are still work related and need spiritual discernment to work through.

So as people are sharing, I'd often lighten up their comment - a little joke, a quick remark, fun sarcasm, etc. It was all in good fun and made for some good discussion, and honestly didn't stop anyone from sharing. But as I reflected about it, I wonder if maybe I belittled someone's experience, someone's situation, someone's struggle or question. I know my church and they know me, and we both know each other well enough to joke around and be down to earth with each other. But the question still lingers in me - did I lighten it up too much?

Is there moments we need to be more mindful of the heartfelt openness of someone when they're sharing, to know that the best thing to do is listen and not respond?

Any thoughts?

TO LISTEN TO THE SERIES GO HERE.

Spiritual Strategy

I've been struggling with how strategic thinking within the church can get so corporate.

I DO BELIEVE we can learn from the business world.

But, recently, involved in some leadership training I've felt like the God-part was a little weak.

I read this encouraging trend about how pastors are not fulfilled making strategic choices without it being God-centered first.

Read it from Will Mancini HERE

TREND #4: Visioning and Spiritual Formation as Disciplines will Merge More Visibly

True visioning in the local church should always be a Spirit-led, Word-anchored exercise of daily spiritual formation. One consultant, George Bullard, years ago coined the phrase, “The Spiritual Strategic Journey” which I have always loved. But it is easy to separate the strategic and the spiritual in daily practice. Every year, more Auxano clients express direct appreciation for the fact that our consultants (we call ourselves navigators) are pastors first, with a theological training and a Godward impulse. In the future there will be little tolerance for strategic conversations and visioning exercises that aren’t first God-worshipping and God-listening initiatives. Church leaders are tired of anything in the name of vision that smacks of corporate ideology.

Relational Rocks in 2011

As we continue our ROCKS for New Year series on the blog, let's focus on RELATIONSHIP.

I guess everyone might have different key relationships they focus on that is healthy. As a Christian mine go like this: Jesus, Family, Friends, Others.
I say that with some hesitation b/c I want to be the kind of person that is available to everybody - b/c I believe I'm put in my world for a reason. However, I've come to realize that I won't be great help to my neighbors or co-workers or even a homeless person on the street unless I truly love God, my family, and my friends well - otherwise I'd be hypocritical.

What ROCKS/priorities will help you with relationships? What must you put down FIRST in your calendar and commitments?

TIME.
I need to set aside time for the important relationships in my life.
Time = Value
Time = Importance
Time = Love and Appreciation

What does time look like? For me (out side of a relationship with God which I mentioned in the previous post)

FAMILY
Open evenings with little planned with my family around.
Meal times together consistently
Vacations set through out the year - even a simple day trip counts
Serving each other when a need arises
Date night (if you're married or engaged)

FRIENDS
Friends night - people over for supper
Saying yes when friends invite you over
Available to help from time to time (within reason)
Activities together

NEIGHBORS
Outside porch with nothing to do but spontaneously talk to a neighbor or invite them to sit with you for a drink
Scheduling a dinner party or BBQ in advance
Available to help them from time to time

To keep these as ROCKS and not let them fill your life up too fast I suggest giving yourself some priorities
- Weekly Family Night
- 2-3 Nights with little planned
- Monthly Friends Night
- Monthly Date Night
- Yearly Vacation
- Periodic Day Trips
- join a small group at church
- commit to participating in your church's next potluck or social activity
- Monthly New Person Night (neighbor, new person at church, some needing company)

Of course that means letting some demands on you wait a few weeks. It means making sure these come 1st not last. It means, like all priorities in your life, saying yes to some means saying no to others.

WHAT OTHER WAYS DO YOU PUT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS FIRST? HOW HAVE YOU HAD TO SAY NO TO OTHER REQUESTS AS A RESULT? WHICH RELATIONSHIPS COME FIRST FOR YOU? HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE FAMILY/FRIEND/NEIGHBOR TENSION?

Spiritual Rocks for 2011

Based on the previous post about making sure the ROCKS get into your bowl first - as you plan the year - or even your week, here's some thoughts on the SPIRITUAL ROCKS to get in place 1st to help you and me grow in our relationship with God.

Scripture.
Ya, of course. But consider. What other source do we have to help us understand God and his purpose for our lives.
Eugene Peterson said Christians are scripture shaped people. You can't understand or follow God's call in your life apart from Scripture.
ROCK #1 - read and prayerfully digest the scriptures
- read through a book at a time
- read through the whole bible
- don't try and read so fast, but just get through it, slowly absorbing it's story and message

Prayer.
Find whatever way is best for you to talk to God, and then take time to listen.
- walk
- get alone
- pray with friends

Community.
I can't read the New Testament and find a Christian who was isolated. Even the marginalized ones found other Christians to talk with, pray with, read the bible with, worship with, and serve with.
Your relationship with God is as much a team sport as it is your own individual responsibility.
Get connected with a local church; join a home group, worship with them on Sundays, serve the community together; jump into the community and grow together.

ROCKS in your bowl (priorities)

A professor pulled out a bowl in his class... filled it with BIG ROCKS, and then asked the class - is it full.

The class said yes.

He then poured some gravel into the bowl - and they watched the gravel fill up in the spaces b/w the rocks.

Is if full?

He then poured some sand, which also fell b/w the spaces b/w the gravel.

Is it full?

Finally, he took a cup of water and poured it into the bowl, and slowly it made it's way into whatever cracks were left.

He then asked: IF I STARTED WITH THE WATER COULD WE HAVE FILLED THE BOWL UP?

Answer: NO

If you start with the small stuff, you won't have space for the big stuff.

A LESSON IN PRIORITIES:

What ROCKS need to get into your bowl first this year.

Psalm 1:3 says,

Blessed is the man who is like a tree planted besides streams of water, for it will bear fruit in season, and its leaves will not wither.

The Tree is healthy and productive b/c it's near the streams.

ITS LOCATION IS ESSENTIAL. THE STREAMS ARE THE BIG ROCKS.

Instead of merely charting goals (which are good); reflecting on areas you need to succeed in (which is also good), imagine placing our attention on what will nourish you.

As I set up my year: calendar, check book, relationships, evenings, rest, vacation, etc., WHAT WILL COME FIRST? WHAT ARE THE BIG ROCKS?

WHAT STREAMS WILL HELP YOU GROW AND BE FRUITFUL?

I'll post some thoughts on various areas of life over the next few days: spiritual, physical, financial, relational.

For now, start thinking about what streams - if any - are currently in your life?

2010 taught me...

This last year was one of growth and challenge for me. This was good, b/c 2009 was a real tough year for me - more challenges, hard learning, less growth (at least on the outside)

Looking back here are some highlights from 2010.

FAMILY TRIP UP THE WEST COAST
What a beautiful drive we had up the coast - seeing Newport, LA, Santa Monica, San Francisco, The Redwoods, Coos Bay, Seattle, and finally landing in beautiful Vancouver, BC - all by car.
I am extremely grateful for this trip b/c I got to see the beauty of the coast, the uniqueness of each city, and the joy of doing it all with my amazing family.
Lesson: there's beauty all over the world

WHISTLER CHURCH PLANTING RETREAT
This was another highlight b/c it was a very encouraging time for both my wife and I - it inspired to move forward in our vision of reaching Montreal with the gospel, and imagine that it was our first trip without our kids in 9 years. This was a blessing provided by a wonderful group of churches we get to partner with in Canada (CCMBC)
Lesson: take time to get refueled with your wife

A VERY GENEROUS YEAR WITH THE WESTSIDE GATHERING
Our church stretched financially in many ways this year. We gave away 20% of our June offerings split b/w a local church plant and aid to the Ukraine; we added funds to our Ukraine portion to reach 5000$ for a rehab project for men coming out of drug addiction. We held a special anniversary offering towards a future growth fund - and 35,000$ was pledged and donated. With all that going on we continued to move forward with our own local ministry and mission budget as well other local compassion efforts. God has been very faithful and shown us we can't out give him.
Lesson: you can't out give God

MY KIDS HAVE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES IN A FRENCH SCHOOL
In their 2nd year in the french system my kids are really absorbing the french language and moving forward within that context. I'm soooo proud of them.
Lesson: we are able to adapt with some help and encouragement

WE WERE FORCED TO MAKE BUDGET CHANGES
With the growing needs of our family Franca and I hit a hurdle with our financial commitments. The needs went up. This really forced us to some make decisions so we could stick with our priorities: give, save, spend. In the past it seemed seemed like we were hitting those priorities with less effort. But life demanded more = more spending = serious choices. Proved that you must review your budget every 6-12 months, especially with a growing family that needs to eat and grow!! We also had to review our heart so we could stay committed to our financial priorities. Of course this taught us how faithful God is when you keep him first.
Lesson: can't out give God & let your priorities rule your decisions

LEADERSHIP AS A TEAM IS BETTER
For the first time in 7 years I felt Westside has been able to make more decisions as a team. This year we've seen more involvement and team effort. I've seen in it many of our teams, but I've experienced it personally in our leadership team. This fall we made some important steps forward - bringing our core into the process as well - and I felt the decisions rested on broader shoulders than just mine. Very Thankful.
Lesson: Church is a team sport... so is life, it's more fun with others.

MY WIFE AND FAMILY NEED ME
This is not a prideful statement. I realized more this year that if I'm going to live and lead well for the long haul, and if I'm going to keep my family first than I had to prioritize them with more intentionality. This Fall I've attempted to curb my nights out on average to 2 (unless we choose otherwise as a family). I pray I'll be growing more into this in 2011. I'm not there yet, but am making progress!
Lesson: let your priorities guide your calendar & you minister to the people in your home 1st

SOME BOOKS THAT I ENJOYED, BUT ALSO IMPACTED ME
Untamed by Alan & Deborah Hirsh was a great reminder of serious discipleship
When Helping Hurts gave me a better perspective on how to act when trying to alleviate poverty
Fields of Gold by Andy Stanley was a quick and inspiring reminder of how wonderful generosity is, yet how intentional it needs to be.
And by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay was such a refreshing book that gave me better words and meaning for why the church both gathers and scatters - most importantly numbers (large or small) are not the best measurement of success.
Exponential by Dave and Jon Ferguson was a fun read, while giving me new inspiration to see myself and our church multiply into the future.
Finally, JONAH, yes the Bible book, took me by surprise and drew me into it's story and message. I taught it over 4 weeks at Westside in November, but it challenged me regarding God's grace as much or more than anyone who was listening.
Lesson: I am a recipient of grace, God has called me to be a dispenser of it too.

it's not this easy

Got an email from this Christian publisher. They really do a great job at helping churches and families develop kids spiritually.

However, this email came with this line: Building a strong Christian family is easier than ever before...

really... easier... then ever before?

I'm sure their product is helpful, and they mean well, and I might even get it one day (maybe??). But I wonder if this kind of thinking just reminds me that we try and sell people the easiest path to some goal without 1. acknowledging that any path worth pursuing is hard work and 2. nothing of eternal value in our lives (i.e. spiritual growth) is possible without spirit infused gospel transformation.

As a parent and Christ-follower I believe a few things about spiritual growth:
- no one DRIFTS into it - it's always INTENTIONAL
- make sure the SPIRIT is the foundation of your INTENTIONALITY
- you can't do it ALONE - you need a COMMUNITY
- you won't grow without ABSORBING TRUTH (i.e. scripture)
- it takes a while - nothing comes overnight - so it's a PROCESS
- and when it comes to your kids specifically - the best approach is TEAMWORK - where the church and family work together to lead kids towards spiritual growth (some people are calling this ORANGE - the infusion of 2 wonderful colors that create Orange when combined)

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8, see 4:6-10)

When Crisis forces Flexibility and Creativity.

This morning the team at our church arrived to the school we rent for our Sunday gatherings to discover that it wasn't available for us. We confused dates for a cancellation by one week, officially we weren't allowed to be there.

This morning we had a musical guest leading most of the gathering.

After brainstorming and trying unsuccessful solutions, the school offered to let us use their gym - with no chairs, no use of shoes, a strict side entrance, and bathroom use only in the gym! (this would be ideal for afternoon prayer at the local mosque)

A normal Sunday gathering for us requires 1 large room + 4 small rooms for kids + open access to 1/2 the school + equipment.

With some opposition, we decided to go with the gym and make the best of it.

Here's what I learned from our forced situation:

1. sometimes a leader has to just decide and work with whoever commits
2. some people will have different opinions but will go with whatever is decided if we just decide
3. there will always be opposition in a decision - and that's ok - that's community
4. God is still present in less then ideal situations
5. most people go with the flow
6. you can spot the people who get bothered with change or expect environments to serve them rather than they serving the environment
- I was disappointed that some couldn't have a good time b/c they decided ahead of time that our set-up would not let them (due to kids, higher noise level, etc.)
- I was thrilled with many who had a great attitude and encouraged me that this was a great day!
7. surprise crisis's forces you to be flexible and creative - and discover what you really value
8. they also help you see what kind of community you really are - who pitches in, who complains, who celebrates, etc.
9. this morning helped me see that worship is from your heart not your environment
10. we would have missed out on lots of stuff if we would have canceled
- new guests searching for God and a church
- we celebrated a new fund in our church where people still contributed today
- people signed up for upcoming events where they will grow and connect with others
- lots more if I keep thinking
11. on a practical level I think the leader(s) need to communicate quickly and clearly to anyone who was going to be involved and how things are changing - I wonder if could have done that better for a few teams

To sum up my experience: I'm proud of our leaders, volunteers, and guests who for the most part fully engaged the environment and made the best of it. God was faithful and did lots in people's lives. I love my church.

phrases

Do you use phrases that are unique or that you uniquely pack with meaning?

I like to. Some people often make fun of mine, sometimes they like them, but I really don't care, because they are meaningful to me. I do hope that they influence people in some way.

Here's a one I've used lately:

JOYFUL INTENTIONALITY
I used this recently to describe how I hoped people would give to a new initiative our church is heading into.
Think about it.
Intentional means to do something on purpose. To decide to make something happen. To follow through on a conviction or decision or value.
Joyful means to celebrate what you're doing because it brings you... joy.
To do something with JOYFUL INTENTIONALITY would mean to make a decision and follow through on it with joy. That you're thrilled to be doing "this" or be apart of "that"

Consider doing something with Joyful Intentionality; and if you can't do it in that way either your attitude stinks OR you need to do something else.

What phrases have you used or put together lately? Are there ones you use often?

this has to make you think

I wonder what else we can apply this message to?

As a pastor (although I admit I rarely, if ever, get calls like this) I wonder how often we move the responsibility of our spiritual growth onto others. Or the spiritual growth of our children.

on the night stand...

just started 2 books this week that are really inspiring

AND is the sequel to Tangible Kingdom - and continues the conversation about what it means to be a missional church that keeps the focus on relationships and mission.
- it's a great follow up to T.K.
- it's pushing the futile debates between church styles and moves the reader/pastor/ christian/leader to keep the focus on gathering and scattering (a phrase I love as a simple description of how the church functions and fulfills it's mission)

STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP is an addition to the whole Strengths conversation that books like Now, Discover Your Strengths really made popular.
It's a simple read so far and is pushing the idea that leaders will be most effective when they lead from the strengths and not try to be like other leaders or the best at everything.
A cool example was b/w Churchill & Gandhi - both led from completely different positions/postures/strengths - while each of them were needed in their specific situation. In fact, Gandhi's strengths would not have been helpful for Britain, and Churchill's would not have been helpful for India, but confidently being themselves they were effective in their own unique situations.

Some great reading this week...

What would Jesus Tweet? (Ortberg)

From John Ortberg:

Is Facebook good for the soul, or bad? Is our capacity to be electronically tethered 24/7 a spiritual boon or bust? Is a cell-phone, I-Pad, web-world, text-obsessed existence faith-building or faith-toxic?
And the answer is yes.
Technology is always a doubled-edged sword, because it reflects the wonder of the imago dei and the wickedness of the fall. The printing press which brought the Bible to the masses did the same for pornography.
I know that the speed of e-communication can lend itself to shortened attention spans and superficial conversations. I am grateful the gospel of John didn’t start, “In the beginning was the tweet…and the tweet became flesh and twittered awhile among us.”

Read the rest here - it's worth it.

My wife just challenged me to a summer without Facebook or Twitter.
I.E. don't use it for any personal use, only ministry when needed for news releases.
Hmmm.... I'm thinking.