Unbelievable!

Two of the stupidist things I've heard in a while...

1) What in the world was Joe Biden thinking? If anyone doubts that racism in this country is alive and well, there it is. We must do something proactive about this.

2) How could the Comedy Network be so irresponsible as to put blinking packages on bridges, street corners, and subways? Did they think all this free media coverage outweighed their moral obligation to society? Or, are they somehow ignorant enough not to foresee the Boston chaos of today?

Developing my daughter

Emmaleigh and I had a great little dad/daughter time this morning. Every so often I like to make sure and spend some one-on-one time with each of my three kids. I couldn't decide where to take her so we just ended up at Starbucks for coffee, chocolate milk, and my favorite, Classic Coffee Cake.

On the way out the door I grabbed my binder full of notes from some life/professional coaching I received last year. These lessons have been priceless for me and I want to pass them along to others including my kids.

So... over coffee I shared with Em about "having an overcoming style" and "having consistent desires". I explained these concepts in a way a kid can understand with examples and also fun drawings. I wasn't sure how she'd respond to this semi-formal teaching from me, but she loved it. Later in the day we also got to relate one of these concepts to the scripture verse the kids are on today. As always happens, I sure later this week we'll have a chance to apply these concepts to real life together.

I love developing people!

Setting Priorities

A friend reminded me of a little tool to organize priority of tasks...



You just write down things in the correct boxes and the start doing the things in the HIGH-HIGH box first.

I've been using this tool this past week and it's been great!

The question which arises is the order in which you tackle the boxes. Like I said above, of course HIGH-HIGH is first. But what is next? I prefer to put HIGH_IMPORTANCE/LOW_URGENCY next. I don't want the tyranny of the urgent (but unimportant) to crowd out things like reading, thinking, family time, etc.

Have you ever used this particular tool before? Has it been helpful? And what is that big ugly smudge on the graphic from my scanner? Sorry...

Breakthrough

As a Monday morning plane begins to rise
the city skyline beautifully silhouettes against a hazy pink horizon on an otherwise
drab, overcast morning

One minute under the gray canopy
the next instant all white with a spot of light increasingly burning through
to unaccustomed eyes then breakthrough

An immense blue dome
A brilliant sun
Crystal clear vision
The gray of moments before
Long behind

Do you need a breakthrough?

My commissioning for ministry

I was blessed to be commissioned for ministry by Legacy Church last Sunday. story...

Peach Black

Dad: "Hey Susie did you sleep well last night?"

Susie: "Yes, but it was kind of scary. You know how I don't like it to be peach black."

Manage yourself, not the other person

There's only one person you can really manage... you!

Do you ever find yourself frustrated by the actions or inactions of others? Maybe someone isn't leading you just like you need to be led. Maybe someone does things that drive you crazy. Maybe someone has different work habits -- things like planning, organization, scheduling, priorities -- than you do. Often times in these cases we gripe and complain about that other person -- we try to "manage" that person into what we want them to be -- instead of managing our own lives.

If you don't like how someone is leading you, don't follow!

How can someone else actually drive you crazy??? Take charge!

If someone's work habits don't line up with yours, either make a conscious decision to be flexible for a season for certain reasons or say 'no' to the work.

Status quo is the enemy of truly managing ourselves and our situation. It's much easier to go with the normal flow (and gripe about it) than it is to make courageous decisions and manage our lives to a better place.

Don't let OTHERS keep YOU from doing what YOU are supposed to do.

Anxiety comes when we work on things that are not our business to work on (managing others)
AND
Anxiety comes when we neglect things we are supposed to work on (managing ourselves)

The Apprentice

I don't care who says what about Donald Trump! I like The Apprentice.

I had been looking forward to the new season which started last Sunday and I loved it.

I like the new twists in the show this season:

1) The winning team's project manager remains project manager for the following week's task. (in past seasons the project manager for both team changed every week)
2) The winning team's project manager get to sit with Trump in the boardroom and helps (along with Trumps daughter) advise him regarding who on the losing team should be fired
3) And the biggest change...... The losing team has to live in a tent for the week following its loss while the winning team lives in a mansion. It'll be interesting to see what effect this "haves vs have nots" has on the outcome. Will the adverse conditions in the tent motivate the losers to become winners or will the tent-dwellers spiral downward?

I miss Carolyn and the gentleman (can't remember his name) who advised Trump last year and were his "eyes and ears". Trump's daughter is now advising Trump and doesn't seem to have the leadership credibility that those two seasoned advisors had last year.

Initial thoughts:
Heidi is great
Frank is obnoxious and won't admit any mistakes although he clearly makes them

No more victim mentality

Bad things happen... you can choose to be a victim or you can choose to move on stronger to the next thing.

Victims think people owe them. They can even think God owes them.

I have to confess that I've acted like a victim sometimes since August. I've felt like certain people owed me and like God owed me. I had a lot of disappointment in my last job and I'm somewhat scattered from my friends... BUT this doesn't obligate the God of the universe to give me a new job and life that's easy and comfy. God is amazingly huge and powerful. I need to BEG him to use me... not EXPECT him to help me and use me.

I've been blessed with so many things...
Good family of origin
Awesome wife and kids
Good friends
Good health
Education
Food to eat
Comfortable place to live
More stuff than most people in the world would ever imagine having

I don't need to live in despair. I could get a job. Deb could. We have 3.5 university degrees between us. We have so much. As we beg God to continue opening doors for us to work in our passion, we must remember we are asking for a privilege or gift and should not feel it an entitlement.

One night I took Deb's mom back to her home while Deb stayed behind to get the kids to bed. On the way back I had an amazing time. It was a beautiful starry night and within the span of 20 short minutes I realized again how big God is and how small I am. He who flung the stars into space is not obligated to me. So what if I gave a few years of my life in an endeavor that didn't end up well... big deal......... Jesus left heaven and bore my sin.

Great Questions

Kathy Sierra asked these great questions for getting to know people. A little more thought-provoking than some I've seen... My answers are in comments... what about your answers?

0) What's your name and website?

1) What's the most fun work you've ever done, and why? (two sentences max)

2) A. Name one thing you did in the past that you no longer do but wish you did? (one sentence max)

B. Name one thing you've always wanted to do but keep putting it off? (one sentence max)

3) A. What two things would you most like to learn or be better at, and why? (two sentences max)

B. If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn? (two more sentences, max)

4) A. What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you?

B. Now list two more words you wish described you...

5) What are your top three passions? (can be current or past, work, hobbies, or causes-- three sentences max)

6) Write--and answer--one more question that YOU would ask someone (with answer in three sentences max)

[Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?]

Baby Dolls

While our kids were with my parents the last few days, they went to the store so that each kid could buy a few little dollar toys. I was happy to see that Susie had picked out two dark skinned baby dolls. I'm so proud of our family that no one said anything silly to question her choice. It's a little thing, but it is encouraging to see our deep desire for our family to love all people lived out.