A Study in Leadership 3

Let's jump right into the study this morning.
I love this picture. It's a picture that should describe my heart at all times. I didn't say it always does, but it should.
Catalyst worship - worship that affects change. Change in me, change in people around me, change in the community around me and the world in which I live.
Part 3:
Passionate about God
Many people, when asked, will say, "I love God", but what does their heart say?
Let's define passion:
A strong, enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance.

Wow... now that's passion in a nutshell. But let's get into some detailed practice.

• It's about the heart of the leader.
  Our hearts need to be in our worship. We can't just go through the motions. If you find yourself going through the motions, you need to stop & find out what's wrong. Again... Ask someone you trust.
• Personal worship
  Worship can't be a Sunday thing. It has to be a lifestyle. Everything you do can be worship... it just matters where your heart and mind are.
• Get real
  Don't deny your own feelings to "act" like you think a leader should in an attempt to "fool" even your own self.
• Be real - Be an authentic follower of Christ... That means admit that you're not a perfect follower of Christ.
• Allow yourself to be transparent. Let others see your faults as well as your strengths.
• Don't keep people at a distance. This is just another way to feel elite. Instead, embrace them.
• Use every opportunity to teach, but don't be the leader that can't relate. This smells like judgment... because it is. When you come across an opportunity to teach, take it, but do it in love and a genuine care to help... not hurt.

I guess that's all I can think of right now. More to come tomorrow!!!

A Study in Leadership 2

I'm sitting here listening to Edwin McCain. I love the lyrics of his songs.
It's Friday morning and I'm going to continue on this study of Catalyst Leadership - Leadership that affects change.

Part 2:
Uncompromising Integrity
When I was in Marine Corps boot camp, my Drill Instructor, Sgt. Charboneau, sat me down and explained why Integrity is the most important character trait.
He said,

"Integrity is important because it is the foundation of your character."

I was only 23 at the time, so the importance of that statement took years to really sink in.

Integrity can't be taken away. It can only be given away.
Integrity covers so many other words... Honor, virtue, courage.
It's the belief that we cannot just lie and half-step through life. We have to do what's right.

But integrity is more than doing what's right. That, in itself, lends itself to a zero-defect mentality. We all know that this is not real life. Life is anything but zero-defect.
Integrity is also taking responsibility for your mistakes. Face it... You're going to make mistakes. That's okay. Mistakes are a part of life.
The question is this -

What are you going to do when you make a mistake?

Are you going to hide it?
Are you going to run away from it?
Are you going to blame someone else?
Or
Are you going to take responsibility and make it right?

If you don't know how to make it right, ask someone whose judgment you trust.
Someone whose answers may not necessarily be what you want to hear, but what you need to hear.

When you decide what needs to be done, just do it and move on. Don't beat yourself over the head about it. What's done is done. You've made it right, now get over it.

In other words... Let it go.

A study on leadership

For you, my 5 faithful readers... Are there still 5 of you?
I'm going to attempt a study on what has been called, "Catalyst Leadership".
Catalyst Leadership, in my own words, is leadership that affects change.
Change in the way we think, live, and interact with the world around us.

I will be using as few "religion" type terms as possible to ensure I'm including everyone. Leadership is not exclusive. Leaders are not the "elite few". Leaders are people who are not willing to just play the hand they've been dealt. They also are not willing to sit idly by and watch others
Instead, they choose a re-shuffle, and a new deal, and encourage others to do the same.

wow... that almost looks like there's a not-so-hidden message in there.

Quality #1.
Authentic in Influence.
Leadership, by definition, is influence. I cannot force people to follow me. I must be genuine in my actions, and in doing so, my influence will be natural. It will compell people. They will be attracted to what I'm saying and doing.
If I don't do it this way, I'll constantly be trying to "defend" my leadership and I will be rendered useless.

My influence must match my character. If I try to lead in a way that is inconsistent with my own character, people will see the contradiction and will refuse to believe me.
If people don't believe you to be truthful, you've lost your ability to influence.

Disclaimer... Influence is not manipulation. Manipulation is sneaky and underhanded and has a hidden agenda. Influence is open to any examination because it is genuine. The motive behind genuine influence is plainly visible.

Put simply, people see where you're going and why you're going there... and they want to tag along.


To be continued.

Just wondering

Have you ever had one of those, "What the heck am I doing" moments?

I think everyone who follows Christ, and is truly honest with themselves, has to say, "yes".

I sometimes look at myself and say, "Am I a fool?".
My answer is obvious, hence my reason for continuing to follow God.

However, I find myself at another crossroads yet again.

I want to accept people as they are, but I also want them to realize that they don't have to stay the way they are. Not for my sake, but for their own.

If I accept people as they are, why do I want to help them change?

Is this a contradiction?

If it isn't, then where do I draw the line? I truly want people to be all God has created them to be.
In order to be all God has created them to be and fulfill their destiny, they must change...
As must I.

I wonder how Jesus did it.
When he hung out with the so-called "scum of the Earth", He was looked down upon by the religious types. However, the people He hung out with saw Christ's love and compassion.
They wanted to be more like Him. When He told them, "Go and sin no more". I have a funny feeling they made a decision in their hearts to do their very best not to let Jesus down.

I'm not likening myself to Christ, but I wonder how I can do that.
How can I be a leader that doesn't judge, but also doesn't let people think I approve of what I see?

That's harder than one may think.

A guessing game...

Here's a pic of the boys goofing off in B/K.
I truly cherish moments like that.
Moments when we're together and just having fun.

I think can I spend too much time trying to correct them and showing them how to do the "right" thing, so to speak.

I have to remember that they need to make mistakes and don't have to be perfect.

Just like me!!!
I don't have to be perfect either.

I guess I'm afraid they're not going to live up to MY standards. When did I set standards for my boys?
More than that, when did I set them so high my boys can't live up to them?

Man... this sucks. I'm starting to be one of those dads that are never happy no matter what their sons do.
This is not good. I need to fix myself most riki-tikk.
It's harder to do than to say. I want them to be happy and do well in everything.
I guess you can't always be happy if you're always trying to do well.
I guess you also can't always do well if you're always trying to be happy.

Weird paradox, huh?

One more guess. I guess balance must be the key.
My job must be to help my boys find balance between what they need to do and what they want to do. This way, they'll be happy and successful at the same time.

I wonder if it's too late for us all to follow this advice and find this balance.
I guess we should find out, huh?

Just a little frustrated

That's not me, but it's how I feel.
Too long have I had to sit idly by and watch the "Christian" community put on such a mamby-pamby wussification of my culture.

I'm sick of it!!!!

So sick I feel like I'm going to yak up a Care Bear.

Did I miss a meeting? When did we decide that following Jesus meant we had to be a wuss?

I get emails from people with rainbows & clouds, cutsie little big-eyed kids handing each other flowers...

I want to take those little kids & punt them "somewhere over the rainbow".

I wish I had a time machine. I could take these people back in time to when Jesus & His disciples walked the Earth.

They'd see that Jesus was no one to be trifled with.
He called 'em like He saw 'em.
He told 'em like it was.
He never beat around the bush.
He went into a church courtyard and started quite a ruckus with a bullwhip.

Sound like a panzy to you? Me neither.

Don't get me wrong. I KNOW that Jesus loves me... and you for that matter.
I just don't see Jesus walking around with a Barry the Bible Bear in one hand and Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul in the other.

I also don't see him driving a car with bumper stickers that say stuff like, "God is my co-pilot" or "Angels on Board"

AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

We need to realize that we are a REAL culture... With REAL life issues. All of us.
And we're not going to cut it as a bunch of Care Bear totin' Mamby-Pamby-Happy-Happy-Joy-Joy email sending sissies.

Let's deal with life head on as real people... not Strawberry Shortcake dolls.

Who's with me???

If I could just sit with you a while

Listening to a song by Todd Agnew.
Lyrics go like this:

If I could just sit with you a while,
If you could just hold me.
Nothing could touch me,
Tough I'm wounded, though I die.
If I could just sit with you a while,
I need you to hold me.
Moment by moment,
til forever passes by.

This song really speaks to my heart.
You can tell it's a cry of Todd's very soul.

We had "Doubt Day" at New Faith today.
People put all sorts of tough questions on 3x5 cards and turned them in anonymously.
Mind you... these were questions most "self-respecting" Christians wouldn't dare ask in church for fear of looking faithless. I love the fact that our church allows for that kind of free thinking and doesn't just throw mindless dogma all over the place.

Pastor Chuck was in his usual form in answering every one of the questions without judgment or bias. He also managed to provide every answer with scripture and also kept his own self out of the answer.
This showed me his wisdom. He cleverly sidestepped his own opinions and kept focus on what God's word said... not what Pastor Chuck says.

Well done my friend.

Pam is at Heather's house for a girls' night (watching the Oscars or something... no thank you)
Everyone else is finally in bed ('cept me) so I get some peace and quiet.

I guess that's why I like this song so much. It reminds me that I need to just sit quietly with God sometimes. Just sitting with Him allows us to "be still and know that He is God".

This year, I want to find God in more places. I hope to find Him in places most good respectable Christians, so to speak, wouldn't try looking.

I can't wait to see where He turns up.

Howdy

Got back from Great Wolf Lodge last night.
Pam and I opted for a massage while we were there.

I've got to say... very cool.
It's amazing how much pain you can get used to in every day life.

As I was being massaged, I noticed that pain that I had ignored all this time actually went away.
Wow...
It makes me think about how much we, in life, can get used to.
We tend to push it off as, "Oh well, that's just the way things are".
It makes us settle for second best instead of working & fighting for the very best.

I'm going to make two pain-saving decisions right now...

1. I'm definitely not going to let physical pain settle in on me like it has
1b. I'm going to get more massages too.
2. I'm definitely not going to allow life to happen to me... I'm going to take a more proactive stance in my life. If someone or something upsets me, I'm going to do something about it instead of just settling for it just being that way.

Let's see how that goes.