Disappointing Leadership

Disappointed with your leaders? Perhaps they're right on the money.

Ron Heifetz from Harvard (Kennedy School of Public Leadership), defines leadership as “disappointing people at a rate they can tolerate”.

Huh. Do you agree?

Breaking The Piggy Bank

Dirty Water makes me smile. Last week, Parkview Christian Academy launched their Dirty Water Campaign. The kids are now little "water evangelists" as their zeal and zest have invaded their classrooms and homes. Daily...they stumble down the halls with dollars and dimes in hand.

Piggy banks have been plundered and hearts have been moved. Generosity defines the day. I love it!

Here's why Dirty Water makes me smile:

Instructing, teaching, and showing these kids how they will impact the world! Fairly plain and simple. Not through distant actions or stories or through checks their parents write. But...through their actions and sacrifices. What a great life lesson! Better yet...what a great truth from Scripture!

I wonder if we, as adults, forget this truth. Impacting lives through God's grace. Through our generosity. Through our actions and sacrifices. Not through hearing compelling stories. But...through authoring compelling stories.

The key? Find your catalyst. That's all these kids were looking for...a simple catalyst. Dirty Water is the catalyst for the instructing, teaching, and showing. The rally cry. Vision defined and realized. So...do you have a catalyst? Does your church or family?

Want to know more about Dirty Water? Click here or here. Thanks!

The Magic Of Love

The top three ways, ten best practices, or five golden rules. These numbers and titles generate traffic to blogs everywhere. They're catchy and generally easy to absorb and implement. But, how many top three, ten best, or five golden exist? All together...the three quickly become the three hundred. Kind of hard to absorb and implement the three hundred. Isn't it?

But, we continually cloud the clear and create the complex. Let's face it...we all want to know these numbers and titles. After all, aren't we steps from the peak? Getting ready to ride the wave of glory and success?

A fellow once had similar thoughts. He decided to vocalize these thoughts and ask the Master. What is the most important principle? Forget the top three, ten best, or five golden. Give me the one! The answer? Love God and love people. Huh? Seems too simple.

However, let's set aside the numbers and titles for just a moment. Not to sound like a love song...but, a little love may generate the traffic we're truly seeking. What about your husband, kid, neighbor, or wife? What would happen with love as your guide and partner? There's no need to answer this question. You already know the answer!

From my good friend, Wes Bell, love is spelled SHOW and TIME. Good advice and good truth for us all. Until next time. Jed.

Dirty Laundry

A church and a pub just a few blocks apart. How do these worlds interact and intersect? Better yet...do these or should these worlds interact and intersect?

Let's travel back a few posts. Perhaps it's time for a reverse Jericho...with the church blowing their trumpets and allowing their walls to crumble. Sounds poetic. But, what does it mean? What does it mean for this church and this pub?

For some reason, these questions are craving my attention. Jumping up and down and waving their hands within my mind. So, I'm letting my walls crumble and venturing out into the world of what ifs...

- What if my church eliminated the word orphans throughout my county?
- What if my church opened a coffee house, counseling center, or laundry mat?
- What if my church provided attorneys or physicians to those without means?
- What if my church united with area churches on any of the above?

These what ifs engage the community and reach the lost. Take the simple laundry mat. The relationships and opportunities. The life change through simple soap and water. Potentially, bringing this church and this pub together.

Or...providing the attorney or physician to the struggling dad or mom. Helping preserve families and kids instead of despair and distraught through secondhand tales.

My church functioning and operating downtown next to the flower shop and insurance agent. Joining the Chamber of Commerce. Waving at the barber across the street. Loving every chime of the front door.

How much more does uniting with area churches impact and improve these what ifs?

So, what should my church be doing beyond their walls? These questions will likely jump and wave throughout my life. What I do know? Don't glance over. Rather buckle down. Break the rules. Stretch the thoughts. Who knows where God will lead! Until next time. Jed.

The Question Everyone Is Asking

Last weekend, my three year old riddled me with one pretty simple question. Here's a summary of our conversation.

Her: "Daddy? I can't see my heart...but, I want to see God. Where's God?"

Me: "Well sweetie...God is everywhere."

Oh boy, now I messed up. What's with my hippie answer? Such an idiot!

Her: "But, I've never seen Him. Where is He? I want to see Him."

Me: "Well...you see...it's kind of like...well...something like..."

Now, how do you explain God to a three year old. After all, this question has haunted and taunted me for decades and counting! I landed upon some wacky analogy involving fun fruits. I'll spare the details along with my embarrassment from this blog. But, I'd like to think it was earth shattering. :-)

So...where is God? This question begs an answer as my three year is not alone. We're all asking. Where is God in my ache, doubt, fear, hurt, pain, sorrow, and worry? Where is God in my everyday life?

"Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together." Jesus. Revelation 3:20.

Turns out...God is only one response away. Our response to invite Him in.

What now leaders and teachers? Simply put. Keep the main thing the main thing. Above all, carry the cross. Look past classes, events, outreaches, meetings, and programs. Let life change rule the day. Are people answering this knocking? Opening their doors?

Success must not rest on dimes and dollars. Success must rest on life change as we have the answer to the question everyone is asking. Where is God? Well...He's ready and waiting on you and me!

So, is life change active within your ministry? Until next time. Jed.

What's Your Surfboard

Found these stats interesting and thought I'd share them with you. Those visiting this blog use the following surfboards.

- 49.1% use Firefox
- 22.3% use Explorer
- 14.3% use Cell Phones
- 11.6% use Safari
- 2.7% use Chrome

So...Firefox comes out on top and is my surfboard of choice as well. It appears Microsoft has an edge over Apple...although I hate to admit that one and wholeheartedly disagree. :-) And...Google drags up the rear, which doesn't happen very often in the world of everything digital.

So, what's your surfboard?

My Story Of Story

Recently, I attended Story and it was an amazing couple days. With speakers such as Dave Gibbons, Thomas Fluharty, Micheal Hyatt, Don Miller, and Ed Young and worship from The Sycamore Band, I'm not even sure where to begin. So, I don't plan to begin anywhere and will allow Scripture to speak of my experiences and thoughts.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother and sister in need but shows no compassion - how can God's love be in that person? 1 John 3:17.

This a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" - and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies, he is God alone. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:15-17.

...upon this rock I will build my church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. Matthew 16:18.

It's impossible to say it better. So, let the above soak in.

On a separate note, Thomas Fluharty and his wife Kristi authored and illustrated Fool Moon Rising. It's an amazing book for your children and grandchildren. Get a copy!