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Not by the cover!

Human intuition, marketing, and experience tell us that if it looks great it probably is great.  We judge scenery, food and people that way.  But Susan Boyle caused us to recall the words of God to Samuel, "don't judge by the outward appearance of a man."

The AP wrote:  "She may not have won, but unlikely singing star Susan Boyle showed she could face the music.  Boyle, with her show-stopping voice and frumpy appearance, became an Internet phenomenon after she auditioned for the television talent show." 

"Boyle's entree into the limelight has become reality-show history, after being viewed millions of times — the fifth-most watched clip ever on YouTube.  She introduced herself on camera as someone who lived alone with her cat, Pebbles, and had never been kissed. Those details, combined with her matronly appearance, had sent the studio audience into titters."

"But then she began to sing. And as Boyle hit a high note, Cowell's eyebrows rose along with her voice."

"The 48-year-old church volunteer defied naysayers who doubted her place in 'Britain's Got Talent' and gave a polished performance that earned her second place in the finals Saturday night, behind a dance troupe called 'Diversity.'  It was unlikely to be the end of Boyle's showbiz dream, however, as she told Boyle told broadcaster ITV she hoped to release an album and would 'play it by ear' in her new music career."

"For the finals, she returned to the song that made her a YouTube sensation, 'I Dreamed a Dream' from the musical 'Les Miserables.' She wore a glamorous but modest sparkly floor-length dress, and her once-grey frizzy hair was a soft brown halo."

"'A lot of people said you shouldn't even be in this competition, that you weren't equipped to deal with it,'Judge Simon Cowell told Boyle after her performance. 'You had the guts to come back here and face your critics, and you beat them.'"

Next time words of judgment or immediate perception begin to surface, remember Susan Boyle and God and look deeper.  Aren't you glad God sees your heart?

Tomb of the Unknowns

The Soldiers who guard the Tomb of the Unknowns are amazing people.  Their commitment to their task is phenomenal.  I've read this information many times and never grown tired of the service and commitment reminders.

"For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30. They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.  

 

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.  

 

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the  top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. 

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery . A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty. 

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!'

 

Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an as assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930." 

In light of this...to what am I that committed?

Handling Stress!

The AP headline read:  Ump called up from minors, tosses 4 in Sox win.

And then the story.  The homeplate umpire is Todd Tichenor,a 32 year old man recently called to "the show" from the AAA Pacific Coast League.    In a wild series of events he gave the boot to both catchers and both managers during a wild seventh inning that "ended with Red Sox starter Josh Beckett giving a dismissive wave toward home plate in disgust."

"Everybody handles things differently," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of Tichenor. "It looked like he had his hands full today. Their guys were getting ejected, we're getting (ejected). That's probably not your goal of the game."

"Dustin Pedroia lifted a sacrifice fly to right field and Jason Kubel fired a perfect strike to MIke Redmond at home plate as Jeff Bailey came barreling home. Redmond applied a sweep tag and replays showed that he appeared to hit Bailey on the arm just before Bailey's hand touched the plate."

"But Tichenor called Bailey safe, prompting an animated protest from Redmond. Tichenor tossed Redmond almost immediately after the catcher approached him.  Twins manager Ron Gardenhire jumped out of the dugout to defend Redmond and was ejected himself.  "I just thought he had a quick gun there," Gardenhire said. "He just pulled the trigger too quick, and I went out to defend and he threw me out too."

"I couldn't believe he threw me out, honestly," Redmond said. "I don't go out there, ever, to get thrown out.  I can't get thrown out. I really can't get thrown out. I didn't swear at him. I didn't do anything. He just had a short fuse I guess."

Things escalated in the bottom of the inning when Beckett threw a pitch that Varitek tried to frame for strike three. When he didn't get the call - replays showed that it appeared to be outside - Beckett seethed. Varitek stood up to intervene, turned around and got in Tichenor's face.

Ejection No. 3.

"I just said it was uncharacteristic of him," said Beckett, giving the clean version. "It was all caused by me."  Then it was Francona's turn to defend his player.

See ya.

"He handled it the way I like to see a person handle it," Crew Chief Jerry Layne said of Tichenor. "He didn't let the game get out of control by not taking charge. He didn't throw anybody out that didn't deserve to be thrown out. He did his job. The managers did their jobs. Varitek stuck up for his pitcher. That's baseball."  Tichenor was unavailable for comment after the game. 

So...how do you handle stress?

Jesus Rescues!

Rescue.  According to Wikipedia rescue refers to operations that usually involve the saving of life or prevention of injury.  I have been rescued many times in my life.  When I was about 5 I found a marble behind the couch.  I put it in my pocket as my dad took me to the grocery store.  While we were shopping I put the marble in my mouth and was rolling it around with my tongue when suddenly it went the wrong direction and became lodged in my throat.  My father saw me choking, pulled out his handkerchief and tried to grab hold of the marble.  The store clerk saw what was happening, grabbed me from my dad, turned me upside down and slapped me on the back until the marble flew out.  He rescued me.

Another word for rescue is salvation.  When Jesus entered the world the Jewish nation was under the rule of Roman authority.  Their picture of the Savior or Messiah was one who would rescue them from foreign bondage, much as Moses had done from Pharaoh and the Egyptians.  So when Jesus came and was communicating a kingdom coming they could get behind that.  They wanted to be rescued.

We often see salvation as a place in heaven and an avoidance of hell.  And that definition is true but Jesus came to provide something so much more.  Salvation is not the finish line it is the starting line.  Being rescued is more than looking forward to a place and skirting another.  Being rescued is a way of life...a new way to see the events of daily life.  Being rescued is a new outlook on relationships and giving meaning and purpose to every moment.  Jesus came to give us abundant life today.

Brian McLaren writes, "salvation means being rescued from fruitless ways of life here and now, to share in God's saving love for all creation, in an adventure called the kingdom of God, the point of which you definitely don't want to miss.  Plus, of course, the wonderful gift of assurance that you will not perish after this life, but will be forever with the Lord."

So everyday, wake up and experience the new life of Jesus.  You have been rescued!

Missing The Point

Have you ever forgotten what it is you're really trying to do?  Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo have teamed up to write Adventures in Missing the Point.  In the first section there is a quote from Jim Henderson which illustrates this point:

"I'm in Home Depot.  A series of consumer canyons tower menacingly overhead.  All I need is a thingamajig.  Where is it and who cares?  My eyes quickly scan the horizon of stuff looking for a little just-in-time customer service.

I want to scream: Take your eyes off those boxes!  Get down off that stupid ladder!  Quit visiting with your coworkers!  Don't pick up that phone!  Pay attention to me!

But it's pointless, and I finally get it:  I'm an interruption.  An irritation.  They'd prefer I wasn't in their building.

They've forgotten why they went into business.  It wasn't to count boxes.  Or visit each other.  Or ignore the customer.  They went into business to pay attention to the customer.

Employees like these have missed the point."

Do we ever do that as a church?  Do we ever catch ourselves thinking that the already saved should gorge themselves on the spiritual feast and forget the starving unsaved?  Have we missed the point?

Catch a glimpse of Jesus.  Be a bystander...a reporter, watching how Jesus spends his day.  What was the point of his journey?   And if we understood his mission how would it change our daily lives?  And how would it change our Sunday gatherings?

Thank You!

Thank you to my brother who serves in the Army as a reservist.

Thank you to my step-father who served in the military for our country.

Thank you to my father-in-law who fought in WWII.

Thank you to my brother-in-law who served in the Marines in Vietnam.

Thank you to all the Mom's & Dad's of my classmates in Elementary, Jr. High and High School in Newport, RI who served in the Vietnam era.

Thank you to Jim, my neighbor, who served in WWII.

Thank you to Jim's son, Jim Jr., who serves in secret places today.

Thank you to Floyd who served and still was weeping Sunday morning for his friend who lost his life while serving.

Thank you to Adrian Burke and his family for all they give for him to serve as a Marine.

Thank you to all those at NCCC who have served and currently serve.

Thank you to all the wives, mothers, fathers, dads, brothers, sisters, children and other family members who lost loved ones in service to our country.

Thank you to all who shed their blood so that I may enjoy freedom in this great country.

Who do you need to thank?

Building Trust

My current class in grad school is called "Perspectives in Change Leadership".  The basic premise of the class is that change constantly occurs in every environment and leadership must acknowledge and compensate in their style of working with people if they are going to be successful.

In today's world people are more virtual in their lives and so organizations must learn to adapt and capitalize on this reality.  This is not only true for companies but also for churches and families. 

One key component in this new reality is that trust must be built, established and maintained.  Trust experts, Dennis S. Reina and Michelle Reina, recently wrote Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace:  Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization.  According to them, the behaviors necessary for leaders to establish trust are:

1.  Manage expectations. Both explicit and implicit expectations regarding the work must be clear.  In addition, managers must set realistic goals.

2.  Establish boundaries.  Roles and responsibilities must be well defined, and the parameters and direction of the project must be clearly mapped out.

3.  Delegate appropriately.  When giving responsibility, you must also give them the necessary authority, resources, and voice to accomplish the goal.

4.  Encourage mutually serving intentions.  You want your team members to share the attitude that they are all in one boat and together can pull through any storm.

5.  Be consistent.  Even when adapting your strategy to the demands of a constantly shifting environment, your behavior should be based on principles and values rather than on expediency.

6.  Keep agreements.  If you must break an agreement, renegotiate promptly.

The beauty of the bride

I enjoy weddings.  Flowers.  Music.  Decorations.  Candles.  Smiles.  Tears.  Of all the segments of the wedding the bride is the most elegant and beautiful...she always reminds me of my bride and my wedding.  When Linda turned the corner around the last row of pews I began to cry uncontrollably.  The love of my life was strolling towards me with her father at her side.  I knew I was blessed.

Today I was able to experience the beauty of a different bride...the church.  Camping.  Archery.  Zip lines.  Paintball. Volleyball.  Basketball.  Conversations midst the sunny windy day.  I was able to witness Christ followers out of the usual element of worship services...dressed up and quick conversations.  Today I was able to sit, relax and interact in casual or deep conversations.  I was able to chide people who were shooting down the zip line.  I was able to trash talk the archers aiming at the bulls eye.  I watched people laughing and having a blast.  

The church is such a blessing.  The people...not the building.  For all her problems, she is a beauty.  She is the bride of Christ.  I am the bride of Christ.  We have an amazing, loving husband in Jesus who gave his life for us.  It is a joy to be a part of this delightful family.

Thank you for sharing your life with me people of NC3 (NCCC).

6 year old boy takes the wheel

I love stories about children...they are amazing.  No wonder Jesus loved them.  Read this story from the AP. 

"NORTH PLATTE, Neb. - Police say a 6-year-old boy grabbed the wheel of their pickup after his dad passed out from low blood sugar and kept them from crashing until a North Platte police officer could bring the truck to a halt. Tustin Mains was in the back seat with his 3-year-old brother when he noticed that his dad, Phillip Mains, slumped down on Sunday evening while they were driving home from a restaurant.

Tustin hopped up from the back seat to his father's lap so he could steer and see out the windshield. His dad's foot had slipped off the accelerator, but even at idle the Chevrolet Avalanche was going an estimated 10-15 mph.

Officers noticed boy driving
Other drivers noticed the boy driving the truck. Some maneuvered their vehicles in front or behind the pickup and turned on their emergency blinkers.  Tustin remained at the wheel for several blocks, even turning around when he got into a neighborhood he didn't recognize.  He was then spotted by North Platte officer Roger Freeze.

Freeze maneuvered his car near enough that he could stop, get out and run up to the pickup. The driver's side window was down, so Freeze reached in, grabbed the gearshift and rammed it into park. Tustin's dad was grateful to Freeze as well.  "To chase down a moving vehicle and get it stopped the way he did took a lot of nerve, and if it weren't for him, things could have turned out much worse."

For a kindergartner, Tustin did a pretty good job of driving. The pickup sustained only a minor scrape when it brushed a piece of a bridge as Tustin turned to head back into town."

Emotional Health

Emotionally healthy people are able to deal with change and challenges in ways that bring continued personal growth and foster strong relationships.  Leaning on others for personal strength rarely occurs as people learn to accept responsibility for decisions and choices.  Strong people know what they believe and do not need to triangle others into their discussions.  They are able to stay connected in community even when disagreement rises.  Emotionally strong people are able to remain focused and stay on course...they have emotional stamina.  As well, they have a good sense of limits...they don't take responsibility for others actions or decisions.  They know where they begin and end in community. 

Peter Steinke is a minister who helps churches develop into healthy congregations.  Some of his principles about churches are:

• Purposeful.  They have a clear sense of direction and are frequently asking “What is God calling us to do?” 

• Manage Conflict.  They use resources and strengths to manage conflict and do not let conflict fester.

• Clarity.  Healthy congregations are always working on clarity, whether clarity of beliefs, direction, or responsibility. 

• Energized in mood and tone.  Better functioning congregations are more energized. Their interactions are charged with the spontaneity, creativity, intensity, and a wholehearted involvement. 

• Mature.  Healthy congregations are invested in the growth of people. From a systems approach, the growth process that receives major attention is the person’s capacity to grow as a mature person. 

• Accept Differences. 

• Foster Healing Capacities.  Healthy congregations focus on renewing and regenerating themselves, not the disease process.

• Foster Gratitude.  Healthy congregations foster generous people who give of their talent, money, and time. 

Take notice of your relationships and your verbal interaction.  It is easy to foster unhealthy relationships, but takes a great deal of work to develop healthy ones.