Within Reason

Leader: "Hey guys did you finish the way I wanted?"
Them: "Well, 'within reason'!"

I get this from time to time. As a leader that is such a scary reaction phrase when assessing completion. As a worker/volunteer/intern who doesn't have a strong grasp of excellence, this creates a large gray area of unfulfilled duties, a sort of sick justification. The toughest project for a team leader is to produce the culture in which the hands have a degree or sense of self-responsibility, self-motivation. When they lack this it slowly forces the leader to micro-manage, which any good leader dreads and never wants to walk in that role, at least the good ones. There are some manager/leaders that thrive on the micro-management philosophies. Scary land.

'Within reason' could be defined as 'within the bounds of good sense or practicality'. However within bounds is still missing the mark. Later we can debunk the difference between perfection and excellence but for now lets tackle the issue of settling for mediocrity, which happens to be the lack of excellence. When 'within reason' is good enough then all of our hard work and efforts become wasted time. Now don't get me wrong, some progress could have been made, no doubt, but typically it leaves the work still to be done by someone else. This is basically the Pareto Principle, the law of the vital few. It is based off the principle of factor sparsity, basically 80% of consequences build from 20% of the causes, the vice versa is true. 80% of greatness is created by the 20%. This should help us in our future decision making in all aspects of life and ministry. It should be used by everyone of you reading this, the simple fact that you are taking time to read this implies your desire to grow as a leader or simply your boredom or infatuation of my character (that's a joke).

If you would consider yourself any sort of leader and have any sense of intelligence the Pareto Principle should be part of your daily decisions making, if it isn't yet, then this should be the next immediate change in your life. It can multiply the efficiency of your work force or ministry team(s) and your own personal life in it's effectiveness individually or corporately. The value should not be ignored but leveraged for it's powers and abilities.

The value for you as a leader is that it works as a reminder for you to focus where your efforts where it has it's greatest return, the 20%. Of all the choices you make during your day, only 20% really matters, that does 1 of 2 things for me, makes me feel like I waste a lot of time, but as a pastor/leader/creative/etc it helps me to produce more energy to the GREAT choices that are made through the 20%. I must IDENTIFY then FOCUS then MOVE, process then repeat. Leaders/pastors/creatives, hear me... when the day begins, emails, txts, phone calls, stuff, begin IDENTIFY the 20%, FOCUS on the 20%, MOVE forward on the 20%. If something has to to be skipped, slipped, ignored or not get done by all means make sure it is not of the 20%.

Jesus modeled this greatly. He spent time with the 20% that would make the most changes in a world that was new to the thought of a Messiah that would not rule as others had expected in legal authority and power. The truth is his circle of 12 was probably much smaller than 20% of his regulars.

Some thoughts:

• Have a win range. Have a look at how much win comes from each aspect of your business or ministry. Put your efforts into the 20% that give you 80% of your wins - repeatables.
• Have a product of value. Take a look at the 80% of your success and what is the 20% that is creating it. Do you have a loss leader? - sellables. (Many pastors fear the word product, this can be saved for another post, but you have a product, quit fearing the simple obvious that is helping others be intentionally successful and causing you to sit back and make excuses for your lack of)
• Team leaders. Take a look at your work force, your ministry team. How much profit comes from each leader. Reward, retain and pour into the 20% that are your top winners not your top 20% whiners, yeah I said it! - loveables. (These are your "disciples")
• Have an affiliate program. Find the top 5-20% of those who support you, or give you 80% of your support/income. Support, encourage, affirm and reward your givers - supportables.
• Advertisements. Where does your wins come from, what 20% is it that gets 80% of your word out? People, Internet, twitter, email, etc? Refine your winning processes then re-run them where you can capitalize on them - winnables.

Your biggest rational fear is those in your network, in your area where you are doing things 'within reason'. If you are a pastor admit it... admit that there is an underlying fear of competition. Then if they are tearing it up and making it work you get jealous and begin to explain how it is not of God and it's not going to succeed. The reason they are winning is because they are unreasonably focusing on their 20%. "Oh, but we don't have 20%." Bull, you do, but you are focusing all your efforts on making the 80% happy and pretty and making sure they are comfortable and have nothing to complain about. IS there a balance? SURE, everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. You are not benefiting because your focused efforts are in the wrong place.

It is always the unreasonable entity that establishes a new benchmark or new niche. They then get the opportunity to redefine success and redefine what 'within reason' means. It is also the 'within reason' entity that reestablishes the status quo of minimization and mediocrity!

As Seth Godin says,

"I guess the only choice is to be unreasonable."

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Selling the Sellable

This guy named Jesse at Buckle introduced himself to me. We talked about professionalism in the market place and taking pride in our job. He told me how once he went to P.F. Changs in Scottsdale and ordered food, a plate that he orders custom, half shrimp and half scallions, however this time it was horrible. He then ordered another plate and it was horrible too, two in a row.

He payed and left and went to the P.F. Changs in Tempe and ordered the same meal. He payed twice to get what he expected, in order to get the best that the restaurant had. He explained to them what happened and they gave him a lot of gift cards because of his efforts and how they were honored in his dedication to them and how he was willing to pay twice for what he wanted.

When he was at Buckle he stood for 15 minutes before anyone helped him then when he asked for help the girl didn't know anything about the products. A few days prior I was at Pac-Sun and they didn't know that a jacket I bought had sleeves that zipped off. The first girl was stunned and asked how did I know the sleeves zipped off, I said, "I looked at it", while I was pointing at it. She yelled to another girl and asked her if she knew that and the other girl was as shocked as the first girl.

People do not have pride in their product, in their jobs. How come?

When I worked in retail as a young guy people would always ask me if I got payed commission because I would push products. I prided myself in becoming an expert at our products. They would be confused that I would push one thing over another and not be getting commission. I told them there are some products we sell that I believe in and some that I don't. Based off their needs, wants, desires, comfort level and money they were willing to spend I would give them the best product that met THEIR needs, not the item that paid me based off my selling skills. It should not take commission selling in order for you to want to know about your products. Just like this picture illustrates, we must make people aware of what we know and want them to know before they are willing to make a decision.
Commission sells vs. non-commission sells changes the attitude and commitment of salesmen. Most people will become experts if they get paid based off their ability to make a sell for a given product. When I was 18 I worked in direct sales for a couple years and my pay was 100% based off my ability to move product. I made $700 in a matter of two days but then could go 2 weeks without anything. In a matter of my first week working there I became an expert in product knowledge of our product. Most people learn the power of product knowledge when their lives and income depend on it.

I am not even talking about methods of selling, how to be a salesman, how to move product or anything, I am simply talking about knowing your product!

So how does this apply to pastors/creatives/leaders? What is your product? What is it that you are pushing? Are you a professional, an expert in your product? If not, why? What is your plan to get someone to be aware of what you believe then move to the decision step?

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Mind The Gap

In one of my recent grad projects we had to identify several gaps within our organization. Once identified came the task of trying to figure out the root cause. After knowing the cause the next process was to lay out a plan on how to fix the initiatives. Then the final task of the project was to point out any resistance to the initiatives.

What is tough is not identifying the gaps. We are good at that. We are great at looking at the flaws of a system, item, or process, and sometimes we are even good at exploiting those gaps to help out our own cause. However most of the times we do not inventory the root cause. If we do, typically it is in a cynical approach in which we attack the cause instead of simply identifying it. The difference is simple identification is only a step to better the situation, a cynical approach helps us look better by exploiting the weaknesses or flaws, a very ego-centric approach.

Laying out a plan is difficult for most people because they are not willing to cope with, or admit that the plan may include improving themselves or to point out personal weaknesses. When the plan is laid out the follow through can be a bear. Take for instance an organization that must go through downsizing. Having a plan to cut peoples jobs that you know will largely affect the families is a tough decision that is not made lightly. But because you have the bigger picture of an organization at risk of bankruptcy the plan becomes easier to follow through.

Then doing a little risk assessment and seeing who or what will become a resistance to the follow through of the plan can be pain staking. This becomes one of those conversions of, if it needs to be done then it must get done.

In London the tube has the words, "Mind The Gap" on the ground in front of all the ledges. They understand that not paying attention to the gaps can be fatal. Organizations understand that if they do not mind the gap it can be fatal as well. The bigger question and the personal application is going through the same process for your own personal life. Lets try it.

Step 1
Take a minute and try to identify some gaps in your own life. If you are serious about this you may even ask some friends that are close to you or family members to give you honest feedback. Don’t try to disagree with it, remember perspective is reality in the minds of others!

Step 2
Write these down. Now begin to try and figure out the root causes, there maybe multiple root causes. If it is others perspective then start there. Ask, ‘How might others view me?’ and see why they feel that way.

Step 3
Now make these gaps initiatives to change yourself. Begin to lay out a plan on how you can change these attributes. Remember you can’t change others, but you can change yourself. Changing yourself changes others perceptions. Make the plan simple and goal oriented so that you can measure your progress. Asking someone to hold you accountable is a great way to continue progressing forward.

Step 4
Now identify any thing that can be a resistance to your success of fulfilling the initiative (s). What are the pitfalls that can stop forward continual progress. The only difference between a stepping stone and a stumbling block is the position of your foot. Identify what could be possible stumbling blocks and then figure out how to make sure it doesn’t trip you up but instead help you by being a stepping stone to the next level.

Step 5
Repeat, repeat, repeat. Every few months repeat this whole process. Getting into the habit of personal reflection, measurement and analysis can be on of the best habits to get into. Remember habits are easier to form than to break.

Be changed and different! Mind The Gap!

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Disciplined To Be The Best

George Rathman, a charismatic chemist, felt that the purpose of bureaucracy is to compensate for incompetence and lack of discipline. He also felt that problem largely goes away when you have the right people in the first place. George was the co-founder of Amgen from back in 1980 who brought the company to $1 billion by 1996.

Jim Collins says in his book, Good to Great,

Everyone would like to be the best, but most organizations lack the discipline to figure out with egoless clarity what they can be the best at and the will to do whatever it takes to turn the potential into reality.

If you have heard me speak or heard my life story you have heard the words resonate from my lips.... "Potential." I am often teased for the over-useage of that word in my vocabulary. However lacking to recognize potential can paralyze so many people from growth and excellence. What results is mediocrity and stagnation. Neither of those are traits that draws followers, they operate as repellents. A life without discipline equals a life of unatained potential. That life can also be represented by your church/ministry/business/organization.

Jim Collins calls out two areas for discipline. An egoless clarity and the will or determination, both of these to become the BEST. I have learned that many people are afraid of being the best. Not because it is unattainable but because of the dedication and discipline that it takes. Many times it is easier to wait for the other guy to plow through the land and pave the road then glide down it picking up hints and resources.

EGOLESS CLARITY to be the BEST.
It is not wrong to figure out what you can be the best at. Make sure to also figure out what you cannot be the best at. Simplify your goals. Don't wave those goals in others faces, remember this is egoless. Jeanne Mayo teaches that many times God gives vision that needs to be shelved until the proper time. There are vision destroyers. Guys who have self-esteem issues and will doubt you and in your heart that vision may be destroyed. Shelve it and trust that God in His proper time will unveil it.

WILL TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES
This doesn't mean we try until there is a roadblock. Bud Leikvoll, an instructor at Western Bible College explains roadblocks and attacks of Satan as this. "It is either a stepping stone or stumbling block." It will either make you weaker or stronger. There has to be a tenacity and drive that makes you so relentless that nothing will stand in your way.

We need to stop giving reasons for bureaucracy to exist and be disciplined in our lives. Many times the reason for a micro-manger leaders is because either they lacked discipline and are overcompensating or they had someone fail them due to lack of discipline. Change the rules or change the game.

What, if you knew you would not fail at, would you do?

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Carpe Diem - What Does Your Life Mean?

Jeff, a disbarred lawyer, on a TV show called, Community, signs up for a class at a community college that he heard was an easy ‘A’. When Professor Whitman tells the class to throw their textbooks away and simply "seize the day and live in the moment" to get an 'A', Jeff thinks he has hit the jackpot. Jeff encourages his study group to take a class that is supposed to be a breeze. This class has no tests, quizzes, papers, and appears to be no homework in the modern sense, except to ‘Carpe Diem’, Seize the day.

Professor Whitman catches on to Jeff’s carelessness and freewill desire for an ‘A’ and tells him he must ‘live life’ or face an ‘F’. Jeff begins doing all kinds of acts in front of Whitman to get caught living the moment, flying kites, dressing funny, etc. However Whitman calls him out each time. Professor Whitman finally tells him that he must,

“Live for yourself and not anyone else.”

Jeff gets upset and challenges his professor saying, “Have you seen the amount of work I am putting into this?” as he is trying to live the moment that he is setting up. Whitman then asks him,

“What do you mean, what does your life mean? How long does it take you in the morning to make it look like you have bed head? How many sports jacket combos did it take you trying on to finally find the one that says, ‘I don’t care’? Seize that day, go running naked in a hail storm, kiss a girl in the middle of a day, go fly a kite, BUT DO IT FOR YOURSELF or you won’t just fail my class you will fail life.”

Jeff is so caught up with himself that he doesn’t know how to live the moment and seize the day. He is so preoccupied with his image and stature that he bypasses formalities to gain free opportunities. I know so many people like this in the professional business world as well as the church community and many times even myself. What is unfortunate are the people who follow these self-absorbed individuals blowing them up and puffing their small egos and in a sick way justifies their inability to live for the moment.

So how do you live the moment:

1. Be Authentic_ You can’t be a sell out. You have got to be the real deal. There are enough Guchi impostors out there and not enough Rembrandts. I remember back in the day my posse and me loved to sport ‘Folexs’, you remember, fake Rolex watches. We were big time because we had a $10 watch that looked like a couple grand. Zane Anderson said, “pumped up people always leak but built up people take the city.
2. Be Excellent_ Quit settling for mediocrity. There is more competition for mediocrity then for excellence. Don’t focus on perfection, focus on excellence. Matthew E. May said, “Imperfection drives innovation.” Don’t allow your imperfection to compete for your excellence.
3. Be Direct_ Don’t beat around the bush. Stop weaseling around people to get where you want. The chief cause of failure is exchanging what you want most for what you want at the moment. Soon everything you go through will be seen as nothing more than preparation for the next step. However, the more you scheme for opportunities the sooner you deflate.
4. Seize the Moment_ How sad it is when we devalue real life while gambling our energies on the facade of what could be. You must be focused because there is a point where talent is meaningless or at least minimized if not accompanied by concentration. Take the opportunity, seize it and don’t let go!

What do you mean, what does your life mean? Seize that day, BUT DO IT FOR YOURSELF or you will fail life.

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Image Is Nothing, Desire (Thirst) Is Everything!

You probably can't read the next line without knowing exactly what it is:

"Image is nothing.
Thirst is everything.
Obey your thirst."

Back in the summer of 1996, Sprite, who is made by Coca-Cola was realizing that the old campaign of "I like the Sprite in you" was time to retire. They feared that it was not catching the ears of "Generation X".

"We were looking for something hip, something fresh, something that would appeal to the younger generation," stated Coke spokesman Bob Bertini.

Sprite realized they didn't have the answer so they hired Lowe & Partners/SMS, a New York based advertising agency known for its ability to appeal to the younger masses (Lowe also handles the entire Reebok campaign). Surprisingly within one week the "obey your thirst" motto was proposed and accepted by Coca-Cola.

I promise I am going somewhere with this but check out this first. It was hugely successful. Sales increased by about 9% since the introduction, especially in the younger age groups. 93% of 18-24 said they were effective. Amongst all the consumers, 83% said the same. That is HUGE!

Donald Rifkin was the genius behind the slogan. His inspiration for the slogan came from an old political speech he had run across in his free time.

"I just love looking through artifacts of political history. I chanced across this one particular speech, and the speaker made an aside about thirst that absolutely just stuck in my head. I felt that I could use it somewhere, so I jotted it down. A month later, when Sprite came calling, the match almost seemed too easy."

In 1971, former President Ronald Reagan, then the Governor of California, was addressing a gathering of the Boy Scouts of America on a particularly scorching Southern California day. As he neared conclusion, Reagan paused briefly to take a sip of water. Noticeably refreshed, upon returning to the microphone, he told the audience, "Now, I certainly have spoken on a number of different topics today. However, if you are to remember one thing, and only one thing, it should be this: Speeches are nothing. Thirst is everything. Always remember to obey your thirst."

There is a great line in the Bible that says, "To obey is better than sacrifice." There are so many things in our life that we are forced to obey. Our simple needs to survive includes, but are not limited to, breathing, eating, sleeping, etc. From an early age we are taught to obey our parents. School teachers, law enforcement, most people in uniforms, etc, demand our obedience, at least expect it. For the average person all these areas of obedience are accepted to a degree.

However where most people lose out on their desire to obey comes in their relationship with God. I see many people in the church that sacrifice so much, give so much time and effort, they give monetarily, and they justify it off by saying I am offering my life as a sacrifice to God, they measure how much they are giving. God clearly declares that if we simply lay our lives out in obedience then allow the sacrifice to follow then it works better. Isaac shows this best as his dad Abraham lays him on the altar to sacrifice him in Genesis 22. For the son, Isaac honored his dad in obedience to death. For Abraham, he honored God in obedience that led to what he thought would be the sacrifice of his son until God provided a ram.

We need to allow our obedience to create the arena, the altar of personal sacrifice. As we begin to live that way we will begin to see lives affected as we the eikons of God love in action and truth instead of just words.

How will your day look differently because of your obedience instead of sacrifice?

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Twitteranked and Self-Branding

"Twitteranked? Sweet now I can see how good I am really doing. 14.47, what a loser!

(click on the picture to read the full story)

Notice how I got twitteranked 17 hours ago then low and behold my great friend, God, updated me 10 minutes ago that I was scammed! It coulda been worse than it really was, I guess that's why God was 16 hours and 50 minutes late, the guy likes teaching me lessons.

It is amazing how Twitter or Facebook or Myspace or any other aggregate feeds and social networks create such a desire of self-branding. I will rabbit trail for a moment on 3 studs of professional self-branders, for the simple point for you to realize that...

"Anyone doing anything better than you is providing you the resources, strategies, and ideas for you to be better than you already are." - Me

• Seth Godin, who is a business genius and has an amazing ability to see what many others don't. He made famous the idea of permission marketing, which is as simple as it sounds. He has three elements that is seen in most of his writings. First, he realizes that advertisers can't command the attention of anyone they choose (great thought for church leaders in a post-modern world, that is basically post-modern marketing). Second, consumers are gaining more power, which means more respect, truthfulness and less bias on the marketers (more here for the church leader, are we slow to teach and explain theology in a philosophical way, why are so many Christian college students leaving? They lack the ability to argue theology philosophically). And third, the only way a product or idea will be spread, is that it has earned a buzz by being remarkable. (church leaders please re-read that then repeat two more times. Are we making a buzz in our culture, making a buzz in our community, neighborhood?!?)
  
• Josh Spear, is a youth specialist, trendsetter who saw the blog-phenomenon as a major thread in credible form of media. He, via his blog, has set out to be a "source of inspiration for marketers, brand managers, advertising executives, and a wide range of everyday people from around the world who love to stay ahead of the curve." (What could the church leader be looking into as the next main thread of getting into people's minds and hearts? Are you looking or are you doing tomorrow what you did yesterday?)
  
• Brian Shaler, this guy is one of my favorites, he's a jumper! He's a web developer, marketer, writer, speaker and photographer. He banks the term self-brander, probably one of the best in the field.

Now back to the original post before the rabbit grabbed my attention. In our personal seeking to be self-promoters which by all means we should be. Every human has something to market. The professional business person, themselves, their resume, their accolades, their education. The homeless, their loss, their story, their history. The Christian, their purpose, their life, their hope, their calling.

Our postmodern world leads us to be self-marketers, people want to know you, what you think and what you identify with. What is your brand? Your brand highly dictates your audience, your audience highly dictates your success. Many people get in the wrong arenas and begin to self-promote and fail because they had the wrong audience. You must sell your GENIUS, the Geenie-in-us. What is it in you that is special, that is magical, that sets you apart. Make your story and begin to sell it. Every person has an audience, a circle of people that are influenced by you. One general question I ask is who is your mentor and who are you mentoring?

Your audience was created because of your brand, now learn to market to that audience to hear the best message they have ever heard. For you Christians, be real, authentic, take off the mask regardless how ugly it is beneath the whitewash, then allow your audience to hear the best spoken message God has given voice to. Be an eikon, be the representation of God into your world not just in word but in action and deed too.

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Shallow Waters Devotional 2

Here are some of the most challenging, thought provoking devotionals from some of the most thoughtful minds of our culture. I am honored to be the newest member of their tribe and to even associate with such modern minds! This is one of my greatest friends Sam, check out his blog here!

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Seven Reasons You Might Fail to Become the Best in the World

Seven Reasons You Might Fail to Become the Best in the World
by Seth Godin

1. You run out of time (and quit).
2. You run out of money (and quit).
3. You get scared (and quit).
4. You’re not serious about it (and quit).
5 You lose interest or enthusiasm or settle for being mediocre (and quit).
6. You focus on the short term instead of the long (and quit when the short term gets too hard).
7. You pick the wrong thing at which to be the best in the world (because you don’t have the talent).

By “you,” I mean your team, your company, or just plain you, the jobseeker, employee, or entrepreneur. The important thing to remember about these seven things is that you can plan for them. You can know before you start whether or not you have the resources and the will to get to the end. Most of the time, if you fail to become the best in the world, it’s either because you planned wrong or because you gave up before you reached your goal.

Even worse than quitting in the first six cases: not quitting. Settling. Sticking with it but not succeeding.

Is it possible that you’re just not good enough? That you (or your team) just don’t have enough talent to be the best in the world? Sure, it’s possible. In fact, if your chosen area is the cello, or speed skating, then I might even say it’s probable. But in just about every relevant area I can think of, no, it’s not likely. You are good enough. The question is, will you take the shortcut you need to get really good at this?

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/the_dip/2007/04/the_seven_reaso.html

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Wow, may I never decide to quit, may I never accidentally quit. If I run out of time I will reset my clock. If I run out of money I will beg. If I get scared I will turn on the lights. If I am not serious about it then I will recast my vision. If I lose enthusiasm or interst I will try a new cuisine, possibly a cultural delicacy. If I focus on the short tem goal instead of the long term goal I will look up, if that short term gets too hard I will stop take a breath, a good drink of cold water then look up and go. If I pick then wrong thing because I am not talented I will surround myself with anyhing, everything, anyone and everyone that can help strengthen that talent. I WON'T QUIT, EVER!!!!

I am, I will be a speaker, advocate, lobbyist, activist for the God I believe in, not the Christianity that has been created through ideologies but through the mere understanding of his greatness.

Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised' Hebrews 10:35-36.

God has created me to be who he wants me to be. What ever part of the world in space and time that he wants me to affect I must fulfill. I mut be confident in who God has made me to be. I can't throw that away. Just like in the 7 reasons we fail, without perseverance we are useless. God can't use me if I am not available to be used. If I quit I have limited God and his ability to use me in this place and time to affect my world. Perseverance is in a simplified definition; continued pursuit. Will I pursue God, will I pursue his passions, will I pursue his desires, will I chase his wants? Will I? I must, I have to, I must pursue everything he has for me but not just selfishly, I must pursue him as a living sacrifice. To take up my cross daily is to sacrifice it. God's promises are coming, they are on the way to interact with us in the intersection of finishing the race and doing it with confidence and not quitting. That is the life I want to live.

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Your (you are) Genius (Genie-in-us)

Every single person has in them what it takes to be something, to be someone.

You must take courage to find your genius, when you find your genius you will see that it comes out of your environment.
Have the courage to find your environment where you rub your magic lamp and your Genie-in-us comes out. God gave you the magic. What God gives never comes back in void. God is faithful in everything he says. He has equipped us to be something someday. Our soul for being, our heartbeat for existence is not to settle with mediocrity or to simply be comfortable. Once we know our environment we can begin to take it over. We will simply begin to master it and learn its features. When we know our environment well then we begin to over come it. Michael Jordan was a beautiful genius in his environment. He was the magic to the Chicago Bulls. He was the best person to ever touch the court. Because of his ability and agility to overcome his environment, his courage gave him the MVP and the title of the best player ever.

The saddest thing is that we limit ourselves so much by not believing in ourselves. We hold back our full potential. Maybe somebody one day, one time came down on you or told you that you didn't amount to what you were up against and that took everything you thought you were and it was crushed. You never picked up the pieces and put them together. You stayed there, became stalemate and let the environment overgrow you. IF we don't master our environment the environment begins to take over. I have never in my life seen a garden keep itself weed free, I have never seen a clean house stay clean, or let alone a bedroom. Nature goes bad, our courage to overcome yields its control. We need to step up, take courage and be strong to fight for control over our environment. Then we can be the genius that has been in us the whole time. Our untapped magic is there in everyone, when we see people that are a genius over their environment we think they are a miracle, a perfect package. It is not a miracle, it was one who showed courage over their environment, then the magic comes out and we become a genius.

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God and Our Lack of Worship

Today was a good day. I began to look into some deep philosophies of worship for our youth X/perience:worship: series coming up in March. In one essence I was freaked out, in another I am very excited. God is amazing and as I studied what worship is I learned that worship is initiated with God. Yeah, crazy. He created us in His image to worship him. Him creating us in his image began that worship experience, the initiation process. I think about the students in our youth ministry and see the shallowness, my very own reflection on the shallow pond. Chris Stapley said that it used to be a narrow and a mile deep and now it's a mile wid and an inch deep. I thought about it and thought about it. It came to my mind that our students aren't getting it. They are not getting that God has created them in His image and initiated the worship experience. How/Why/Won't we go after God? What stops us from chasing, pursuing, not stopping until we have caught God and wrap our arms around him and not let go, we say, "God, I'm not letting go until I have X/perienced everything from you."

I imagine it and see it in my mind already. I am not even a father yet. Chez being 3+ months pregnant and already seing me as being a father. I can also picture a father and his young child. The child begins to chase after daddy and he steps back each time as the child is going to grab him. Of course this is an impossible reach for the young child. One step of the father is equal to ten or so steps for the child. The dad also knows that he can run away and hide and the child after a minute will most likely give up, sit down, and quickly be distracted by something and forget all about dad. WOW, is that where our teens are? Could it be that they have lost sight of God, may God have gone too far away and now they have gotten distracted? Well the father knows this and knows not to get out of sight and make the game impossible. Every once in a while the father will stop and allow the child to catch him and the child is exuberant and excited to finally catch his dad. Now I have experienced God in such a real way where he, for what ever reason has allowed me to catch him and I had such an amazing experience with Him. So has God hidden form the teens and they have missed him and found something else? I don't believe so, I believe that the difference between us and toddlers is that as Jesus said, "Suffer not the little children to come to me", then he blessed the child. As adults or even teens we are much more carnal and more self-centered. I truly believe that our reasons for not X/periencing God is because of our self-centered mindset. The psyche of our mind says my needs first before what God wants. Maybe some of us, the teens, have began to focus on themselves and forgot the need and obligation of our being is to worship the One who created us. So maybe I can begin to focus on the reason of my being.

My prayer: How do I convey to a group of teens that God is so worthy of our sacrifices?

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Not Forgetting God

I have been moving out of one house into a new house and it is amazing how many things I have found that I didn't realize I even had. Every time I cleaned out an area I found more and more stuff. Some junk and some forgotten things that brought back memories. I realized that I had to throw out a lot of junk and clean a lot of things up. I realized how many things I forgot about. How dumb am I to forget about so much.

Then I realized that memories never "leave" our brain. Everything that we have ever heard or seen or known is in our memory. In psychology you learn that your memory is literally infinite. So you never "forget" you just have "memory recall failure". It's like going to a door and trying to get in and you have tons of keys on your ring and you can't figure out which key it is. Our problem is linking the memories. you just have to get the right link. I realize sometimes vital information or good memories get put on a shelf or behind that door and what was only suppose to be for a moment becomes "lost".

My question to myself is what does it take for people to really want to experience God. What holds us back? Why are we so calloused to the spiritual things of God? Some guys asked Jesus once, “Which of the commandments (or laws) is the most important?” In other words they were saying that they knew there was no way they could uphold all of the laws with perfection. So which one should they definitely try to nail? Jesus replied, “You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hinge all of the laws of the prophets.” Maybe our calloused hearts began one day when we put God on that one shelf. You know that shelf that is right by your door. Maybe you said to yourself I will pick it up later. Later never came, and now we are comfortable without him. God became irrelevant because we lost focus on him. He just began to collect dust and was meaningless to us. Not because we don't need him but because he isn't the first and primary focus in our life. See after we put God on the shelf only intended for a moment it turns into a day, then a day turns into a week, then he gets covered up and forgotten. That's Jesus' challenge to us, to never put him on a shelf. Jesus knows that if we love our God with ALL of our body, soul, and mind we would never forget him. Furthermore if we love him first then love others all other things fall right into place.

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reformat to end the old and bring the new

shut down the power strip
turn off my pride
is it all about me?
shut me down, hard reset

programs are open
pride speaking through digital mainframe
reset, no need to do this right
if it formats all is ok

it's not about me
my window only reflects myself
i've created a mirror out of my glass box
give me a hammer to break out

my prison is myself
held in by boasting
i’m truly empty inside
puffed up by emotions

surrender these broken shards of glass
to be broken is to live again
if i die, ill breathe again
reborn is better then the sight in these mirrors

powered down, i’m done with myself
reboot me and reformat with anew
breathe a breathe of fresh air
i’m new without the old

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