Harmony

Doppleganger...who do you look like?

Facebook dedicated the first week of February 2010 to "doppleganger week" where each person is to post a picture of their celebrity doppleganger.  I chose to be Indiana Jones for the week.  Not sure why...just did! 

According to Wikipedia (of course the most reliable place for information) A doppelgänger     ( pronunciation (help·info)) is the ghostly double of a living person, a sinister form of bilocation.  In the vernacular, the word "doppelgänger" has come to refer (as in German) to any double or look-alike of a person.

So the question must be asked, who do you look like?  And do you like looking like them?  Some of us want to be someone else or at least what we think someone else is like.  We see the surface life of Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Brees, or others and perhaps wish we could live their life.  We envy the guy in the car that costs more than ours, or wish we had the looks or body of one who works out 25 hours a week and has bot-ox injections 10 times a week.

Why are we so unhappy with who we are?  Why do we often wish we were someone else or lived another's life?  I am not exempt from this.  I see the star athlete and remember my hyped up glory days.  I see the much younger person and recall having that much hair and wrinkle free skin.

So how do you feel in your own skin?  Do you like your life?  Do you wish for something more?  There is  nothing wrong with dreaming as long as we return to earth before we go home.  There is nothing wrong about wanting to change our physical health for the better...after all our bodies are temples of God!

Learning to relish, cherish and enjoy the life you have chosen and been given is important to happiness and peace.  The grass is rarely greener, just a different kind of turf.  God made you.  There is no one else like you.  He wants you to be you.  He wants you to experience all he made for you especially the relationship with him.

Open your eyes and see your life from God's eternal perspective.  He loves you just the way you are.  Yes, he does want a more holy life for you because he knows it will be greater than any life you could muster by your own energy.  Keep your eyes focused on God.  See your life through his lens.

"Listen for my bell"

A friend of mine sent me this story.  Enjoy! 

 

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.... 
 
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing. 
 
If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell.  Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. 

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray. 
  
When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell. 
 
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. 
 
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way.... 
 
Good friends are like that... You may not always see them, but you know they are always there. 
 

Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours. 

How does Jesus rate your life?

I love surveys...NOT!  It is always interesting to read polls on how people perceive the economy is doing or whether the stimulus package is working.  I am fascinated by the information on how we rate Presidential performance.  I'm sure the information is scientific but I've never been asked and would love to give my opinion.

How do you rate your life?  If you took a poll about your life how would you rate yourself?  What categories would you wish to rank?  Financial life?  Debt management?  Relationships?  Marriage?  Parenting?  Church life?  Serving others?  Taking care of others in your family?

How do you rate your spiritual life?  And what are your standards?  It is amazing to me the standards some people set for themselves as well as others!  Where do they come up with them?  What are the standards or polling questions Jesus would have for you?  Would it be how often your read?  How much you read?  Prayer life...how long and in what fashion?  Giving to the church? Serving in ministry...how many hours? Attendance at functions?

How do you rate your life?  And are you becoming more like the Savior?

How does Jesus rate your life?  Maybe that is the more important question.  Take a look at his Word to see what his standards of measurement would be.  Don't be tied to a humans requirements.  Remember...Jesus looks upon the heart.  Christ has set us free from human standards and requirements.  It is Jesus who makes us whole.  It is Jesus who saves us, sustains us, and will take us with him into eternity.

So...what would his standards be?

My toes don't taste too good!

Communication is such a challenging process.  I have a meaning in the words I say and you may hear them with a different meaning.  Fun!  Conflict happens due to words, tone and meaning, and must be expected without the escalation that often occurs.   So how do you avoid or minimize communication conflict?

Communication at all levels presents a myriad of challenges.  Dr. Andrew Edelman shares some of the most common pitfalls in which we find ourselves:

1.  Attacking the person rather than the problem.

2.  Over control - using your position to intimidate or push others around.

3.  Disrespecting cultural diversity.

4.  Re-escalation - rousing a person's anger or hurt feeling.

5.  Lack of awareness of others listening or watching the scene.

6.  Counterproductive language or phrases.

7.  Failure to allow someone to vent.

8.  Appearing disinterested or judgmental - rolling of the eyes.

Avoiding conflict in communication is impossible, but learning to minimize the frequency and severity is possible.  Treating others with respect is key.  I especially see this violated with interaction between parents and children.  Responding in love.  Being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.  Scripture is filled with ways to communicate and resolve conflict in heavenly ways.  Take a look at Jesus...watch his walk...listen to him speak...witness his communication.

Preparation for the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is Sunday.  Players from both teams have been concentrating on this game and preparing themselves for the battle on the field.  They continue to condition their bodies.  They strengthen weak areas in their offense or defense.  They watch game films to see how the other team operates.  The goal is to win the Super Bowl and so every preparation will be made.

In everyones life, almost every day is a Super Bowl.  We wake up and it is "game on!"  We do not have the luxury of escaping to a location where we can watch game films of our spouse, boss, children, parents, friends and foes to see how they have reacted in the past to prepare us for the day.  Every day it is "game on."

Everyday we interact with those whom we have chosen to engage in relationships.  Whether it is business, social, marital or familial we are involved in the daily opportunity to act like Jesus.  So how do we prepare to act like Jesus?  To love as he loved.  To forgive as he forgave.  To respond with kindness when hatred is natural.

A heart transplant must take place.  God's heart for our natural heart.  And the heart comes with chambers that pump new blood through our spiritual veins.  The more we engage our hearts and minds in relationship with God the more we will act like him.  The more we drink him in, breath his air, eat his food the more we will respond as he did when walking the earth. 

It is not easy.  It takes commitment to self-feed...to not expect the church or someone else to pour it into you.  The church sets the table, puts delicious food out to eat, but the responsibility is personal to come to the table and feast.  But don't expect the two or three times weekly food regiment to provide the sustenance for real change.  It is a daily choice to engage in that self-feeding.  Reading his Word, conversing in prayer, allowing the God of the universe to alter our heart and actions is a part of the life change.

It is taking brief moments throughout the day to allow God in.  Those moments will make a change.  Those moments will prepare us for the daily game of life.

How do you prepare yourself for the daily game?

"You gotta serve somebody!"

Poor customer service drives me crazy.  My internal temperature gauge climbs quickly.  Now I know that part of that is arrogance to think I deserve good service, but part of it is expecting a level of service for the amount paid.  Today I had one of those combustible moments with the company from whom we purchased our church phone system.

I heard from one of my constituents of a phone problem today, and so quickly called the company and attempted to mix calmness with urgency as I communicated the issues.  I spoke clearly and directly to the issues at hand.  Answers began to gush forth.  We'll now see if the problem is resolved.

Providing good customer service seems easy but often is not.  It requires an attitude of helpfulness and serving regardless of the ask or need.  When I was in sales we were reminded often of how devastating the communication is from a dissatisfied customer.  When a problem happens the bad news travels faster, farther, and more frequent than good news.  So keep customers happy!

Church's often miss this component in welcoming and greeting guests.  We insiders who will show up rain or shine, dirty parking lot or clean, cold or hot temperature.  We will continue to arrive, serve and look beyond the surroundings.  But not guests.

We have just a few seconds to make a good impression.  As they approach the building they look at the architecture, plants, pavement, cleanliness, people's facial expressions and decide immediately what kind of church this is.  For many who come to church, they have no heritage of religious practice.  They do not see a church sign or name and decide it is their church.  They are looking for good customer service and in that will find God or not.

The Greeting Team at North County is working hard to analyze how to improve the "customer service" element on Sunday mornings.  We are examining how and where to place friendly smiling people to welcome guests as they arrive.  We do not wish to be obnoxious, just welcoming.

This attitude flows into every area of church life.  How we answer phone calls and schedule events makes a difference in the image the church has in the community.  Every church member has the wonderful opportunity each Sunday to notice guests and make their experience the best possible.  The end goal being that they stay long enough to become interested in a life with Jesus and then give themselves to accept his call.

Become more aware of the service you provide and your church provides.  It may make an eternal difference.

Get off my fence!

Boundaries are good and essential.  Boundaries define what does and does not belong to you.  As a young boy I remember my dad and other men putting up a large fence around our backyard.  When we moved in there were no fences between any of the yards.  For children, like myself, that was a blast...wide open space.  For adults trying to protect us, it was a nightmare.

Boundaries take time to establish.  As the men put in the fence I had a chance to help use the post hole diggers.  I recall the difficulty in trying to hit the hole again with the digger and then scooping out the dirt.  Hours were spent digging, pouring cement, placing boards and nailing them in the proper spot.  But once it was complete the boundary was established.  Well, at least for a little while.  Now it was something to climb on and over.

Healthy relationships have boundaries.  A personal protective space and guidelines to follow in dealing with others.  We do not approach each other and ask "how much do you make?"  We do not seek private information about credit scores, voting patterns, giving amounts to church and so on.  Unspoken, universal boundaries!

At times we do like to crawl over into each others space, even when the boundary lines have been established.  My rights to know invade your space for privacy.  My need to control invades your area of control.  My desire to take back an area I have given to you creates conflict.  Sometimes we may need to renegotiate the boundaries again.

Boundaries are good and important.  Parents, spouses, children, and leaders in every category of life experience conflict when others attempt to cross the pre-established fence lines.  Ignoring the crossing only leads to greater frustration.  Swift handling of the "invasion" is necessary to regain position.  As a child, my brother and I would cross the middle line in the backseat of the car.  Immediate disruption took place.  I would attempt to regain my space.  He would attempt to regain his space.  It always ended with my parents retaking their space (and peace and quiet) by clearly defining the line or the car would be "pulled over."

Boundaries are good and essential.  Notice where your boundaries are.  Notice where others boundaries are.  Ask if the boundaries you have set are healthy for you and others.   Ask if you need to set more clearly defined fences.  See if your boundaries are controlling another's personal space in a way that is destructive to them and you.  Redefine lines so that conflict is diminished.

What boundaries have you established that others try to cross?

Why go to church?

All around our world on the first day of the week, Sunday, people will gather to "worship" or some call it "go to church".  Some will arrive to see their friends.  Others will come to find friends.  Some will gather to take communion or the Lord's Supper, others to sing praises to God.  Some will arrive to ask for prayers and others to pray.  Some will come to seek forgiveness from God.

All of these reasons are legitimate, but are they equal in the eyes of God as the reason to gather as a community of believers.  When you read the scriptures many reasons are given to meet.  Learning takes place as well as encouragement to continue on the journey with God.  Repentance and confession as well as remembering the sacrifice of Jesus.  Is there a main reason for followers of Jesus to meet together?

The main reason, since the early times of humans inhabiting the earth, seems to be to exalt God...to lift his name high...to acknowledge his dominance and prominence in life.  To thank and worship.  The reason this is the primary purpose is to help us maintain proper perspective that "church services" and "worship" is not about us!  It is about God, and when I see him as Lord then repentance flows, prayers become legitimate, friendships have a reason, communion happens for the right purpose.

Tomorrow, January 31, the North County church family will gather together into one service for the first time in 4 years.  Last Sunday we met in 4 different services since that is how we have to meet with the size of our worship centers.  But tomorrow we will meet in a 1600 seat building.  English and Spanish.  Children and adults.  All coming from various places on the journey with God.

It will be awesome and amazing to see everyone together in one place.  But the most amazing part of the day is that 1000+ people will lift their hearts, minds and voices to heaven to praise our God.  In that effort we will be united.  We will receive forgiveness.  We will find old friends and make new ones.  God will make all of the reasons for which people may arrive, perfect.  He will bring wholeness to all.

May all who gather as a community of believers in various parts of the world first seek God.  And when that happens, lives will be made whole

The Tough Choices of Leadership

My current class in graduate school focuses on leadership in for-profit and nonprofit organizations.  The following is the paper I wrote last evening on Leadership and Change.

 

Leadership is one of the most exciting roles to fill, but also one of the most challenging.  The dynamics of an ever changing economic situation and regulatory environment, keep leaders on the edge.  Managing people and dealing with governing boards creates a tightrope walk to maintain differentiated healthy boundaries.

 

One of the most challenging aspects of leadership is maintaining focus on the big picture refusing to become consumed by the nagging minutia of daily struggles.  Whether leading for-profit or nonprofit organizations this struggle is real.  David Walker in The Futurist writes concerning the United States Government “myopia…can undermine a nation’s willingness and ability to act…strong economic growth, modest inflation levels…have given many policy makers…a false sense of security.”  Debt continues to plague our country at record levels.  Walker goes on to demonstrate 2 nations who dealt with tough choices: “Australia and New Zealand chose to face their fiscal facts and made difficult decisions that caused some short-term pain in the interest of long-term gain.” 

 

A leader’s ability to maintain a clear focus on the future long-term endeavors of any organization is necessary and prudent.  A clear cut strategic plan and measurement of key indicators are able to assist leaders in staying on track and not being sidelined by the urgent less important matters.  Walker writes “the value of a strategic plan is probably obvious to futurists.  By thinking more comprehensively, learning from the past and others, and focusing on the future, governments can better set priorities, target efforts and capitalize on new opportunities.” 

 

Tough choices must be made, at times, by leaders as they examine the realities of various situations.  Leaders have to be able to dream and vision cast, however a balance must be maintained in the present environment.  When leaders are willing to make the difficult decisions then destruction is more likely avoided.  As Walker evaluates the United States Government at the time of his writing in 2007, “there’s no way we will grow our way out of our fiscal hole.  The sooner we begin to act, the better, because we are the world’s largest debtor nation, and time is working against us.”

 

There are key attributes required to navigate the challenging path in every organization.  Integrity is vital for a leader to manage change.   A leader must know who they are and where they are going in order to follow the determined road.  Courage is necessary to stay the course.  Many people and situations will attempt to distract leaders to follow other options.  Stewardship is required by leaders so that a long term path is maintained.  It is easy to accomplish short-term results, but to guide an organization through continued obstacles takes real stewardship.

 

Whether the organization is a church, business, government, nonprofit or a home, healthy leadership requires difficult and complex decisions.

The Top 10 Worst Inventions of the Century

Since I'm in a fun-filled mood this week and looking for things to keep the laughter high and loud take a look at this.  This post has no redeeming value...just laugh!

Fox News Posted the following information:  "For every good invention, thousands of others manage to slip past the patent office's proverbial golden gates, winding up in various states of production and distribution before anyone thought to question the practicality of their design."

"It is for these inventions — the worst of the worst — that this list has been compiled.  In no specific order, here are the Top 10 Worst Inventions of the past century — plus two more that might not be so dumb:"

"1. The Detachable Dog Sack
Enjoy a drive with man's best friend, but hate the hair he leaves behind? Then the detachable dog sack is for you. Now your pet can ride outside the car in a pouch attached with rubber-padded hooks to the open window of your vehicle. Because, let's face it, who needs safety when you have a sack? " 

"2. The Cat Wig
It's pretty difficult to decorate a cat, but with a kitty wig, it's easy!"

"3. iPhone Fingers
Ranging from small to extra large, one Austrian company offers only the best in latex digital protection to keep your iPhone smudge-free."

"4. The Pedal-Powered Wheelchair
For those who can't stand ... but can still pedal."

"5. The Inflatable Dartboard
Completely collapsible, the inflatable dartboard could — amazingly — be stuffed into a space the size of a small cup. Great for use in tight spaces and for those looking for a quick, single-player, single-hit game. There's no need to worry, though — it comes complete with a "puncture repair kit" in case anything should go wrong."

"6. iFlyz Portable Media Player Airline Holder
Bag of peanuts? $3.50. Toilet entrance fee? Pending. Hands-free iPhone viewing device ready to use even in the "stowed and locked position?" Priceless (i.e., $29.95 with shipping)."

"7. Battery-Powered Battery Charger
Motorola's P970 was Zen-like in its simplicity — a rechargeable battery that recharged your cell phone's battery via a mini USB port. Too bad it's no longer on the Motorola Web site."

"8. Method for Collision Recognition With a Pedestrian
After a hit-and-run accident, it might be nice to be able to know whether you hit a person or a traffic cone — not that there's a difference or anything."

"9. Anti-Eating Face Mask
Essentially a metal cage that attaches to your face to prevent those of us lacking any self-control from ingesting solid foods, the Anti-Eating Face Mask is pretty straightforward, but there must be easier ways of losing that extra winter weight."

"10. The Prankster Fire Alarm Trap
Coming straight out of the February 1938 issue of Modern Mechanix magazine, the prankster-proof fire alarm traps the hand of any offender in a metal handcuff until the fire brigade arrives to release him. Perfect for fake fires, but in the event of a real blaze, you're taking one for the team."

"Then there's two more that sound stupid at first, but turn out to be not so dumb:

1. The Helicopter Ejection Seat
Vertical propulsion and spinning overhead propellers: probably not the best method to escape death. And yet the currently operating Kamov Ka-50 Russian attack helicopter does have just that. Its secret? Before the pilot ejects, explosive charges blow off all six twin rotor blades so he can soar through their airspace without being decapitated. Theoretically, at least.

2. The Zero-Gravity Space Pen
You've probably heard the old story: NASA scientists spent millions developing and creating a pen that would write in upside down and in zero gravity. When faced with the same problem, the Russians just used a pencil.  Supposedly a testament to simplicity, the story is completely false.

In actuality, the Zero Gravity Pen was developed by American industrialist and pen manufacturer Paul C. Fisher and was marketed as the only pen that could write in space, underwater, on wet and greasy paper and at any angle.  Both NASA and the Russian space program eventually adopted the pen, due to the danger that broken pencil tips posed in zero gravity. NASA in no way funded the development of this perhaps not-so-useless invention."

So what would you add to this list.