Category: General

Dream: Journey

In this dream I was on my way somewhere, but we stopped off at this place that looked like a house kind of on stilts or something. We parked the car underneath and went upstairs to eat and hang out. After a while I realized that we shouldn’t be there, so I headed down to the car, but as I was about to open the door I saw a snake sitting on the glass. I looked up and above me were the people from inside the building throwing snakes down on top of my car. At first I was scared, but I quickly figured out that the snakes weren’t going to hurt me. I gave the people upstairs my standard “Seriously?” look and then got in the car and drove off.

I ended up at a bus station meeting Pastor Joe and a group of people. When I got there I was so excited to share with everyone my new software program. But the strangest thing was that the software wasn’t for the computer, it was inside of me. The program was designed to hold someone’s secrets and then release them at the right time to the right person. I was able to see like a front view of myself; my chest was like a vault and over my mouth was like the combination lock. In the dream all this made sense, I swear. Everybody was kind of looking at me weird at this point, but I wasn’t worried about them. I was focused on some dude a couple of seats down. I just knew he was going to be my first client/tester and I made a pretty big fuss telling everyone exactly that.

Either after we boarded the bus or just before, Pastor Joe asked me to lead, and at first I wasn’t sure what to do, but I just stood up and did it.

Avoid the Pitfalls of your Masculinity

From Pastor Michelle’s Sermon on Father’s Day “Men Behaving Godly”:

Here are the six pitfalls of our masculinity to avoid:

1. Arogant husbands and fathers. Men are 90% ego wrapped
in skin. Unique blend of pride B/C we are warriors. But we have to get Godly pride.
2. Autocratic husband (tyrant) misinterprets the verse that says men is the head of the house but forgets the part that says we are to love our wives.
3. Absentee husband. Men walk around making babies but don’t want to take care of them or their mothers. Forget baby mommy and baby daddy mentality and realize the baby has a mother and a father. Rebellion and misbehavior can be cries for attention.
4. Abusive husbands and fathers. Men taking out anger and fustrations on wives. You don’t have to inflict abuse physically but you can do it emotionally too. Phys can be more painful but emotional can be more destructive.
5. Aloofness (loners) means to be emotionally distant, cold or distant. When we get mad we clam up. Does not line up with psalms 112 women and children interpret silence as rejection.
6. Angry husbands and fathers. Most of us don’t even know what we are angry about.

Interested in Traveling the World?

From Jeff Goins – @jeff_goins:

As you probably know, I work with an organization called Adventures In Missions (AIM), and we offer an 11-month missions program called The World Race, where participants travel the world, grow in their identity in Christ, and learn how to become missional, global citizens.

I just sent this note to our facebook group, but I thought that I’d share the same opportunities to see the world here. Below are a few trips we’re offering this Fall:

September 2010 – Starting in the Philippines, then going through SE Asia (Thailand, Cambodia), moving into Eastern Europe where you’ll get to gypsies in Romania, and then finishing in Africa, this is going to be an amazing journey. (For more click here)

October 2010 – This trip begins in Latin America, then takes you to East Asia (including a stop in China, yes, China), and then ends in Africa with opportunities to participate in some amazing ministry experiences. (For more click here)

November 2010 (Haiti Relief) – This is a special one-month trip to Haiti to help continue the work that World Racer alumni began as soon as the earthquake hit earlier this year. Not only will you get a chance to serve the people of Haiti for 30 days, but you’ll also get a snapshot of what life on the World Race is all about. (For more click here)

As always, for more recent updates, stories, and news from the World Race, visit us at http://theworldrace.org/. (Check out our Updates Blog, too, for some of the best stories and news.)

If you wouldn’t mind helping us get the word out about these trips, I would greatly appreciate it. If you repost this whole post to your blog or Facebook notes, you’ll get a chance at a free book from my library (your choice, if you win).

Just leave a comment here with the link, and I’ll get in touch with you. I’ll pick five winners, and the first person to post will automatically win!

Ready, set, go.

Men Behaving Godly

The key scripture behind Pastor Michelle’s Father’s day sermon:

Psalm 112
1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!

Her exhortation to the men present and those not present was to be a Psalms 112 man, be a man behaving Godly, not a man as the world would be portray us as men behaving badly.

The Gentle Art of Conversational Ping Pong

  1. Listen with your heart. Words are a small part of any communication. The intellectual exchange is only part of the exercise. You can pick up a lot by paying attention to the non-verbal cues, including the other person’s eyes, their tone of voice, and their body language.
  2. Be aware of how much you are talking. I try to talk in sound bites. Frankly, I learned this from doing hundreds of radio and TV interviews through the years. If I didn’t periodically stop talking and give the interviewers a chance to speak, they weren’t bashful about interrupting me or bringing the interview to a close. People are more polite, but you can still lose them, as the would-be consultant did with me.
  3. Hit the ball back over the net. Nothing communicates value and respect to a person more than asking them what they think. Unless you’re giving a formal speech, every encounter should be a dialogue. That means you have to consciously hit the ball back over the net and give the other person a chance to respond. The best way to do this is with thoughtful questions.
  4. Ask follow-up questions. The best listeners I know never stop with just one question. Like peeling an onion, they ask follow-up questions, going deeper each time. This is where you learn the most and where you tap into the possibility to add real value to the other person’s life. One question I like to ask is this, “How did it make you feel when that happened?”
  5. Provide positive feedback. A “poker-face” may help when you are playing cards, but it does not help build trust or develop relationships. People need to know that you are listening and understand them. Nodding your head and providing verbal affirmation are critical skills that anyone can learn, but they must be cultivated.

From Michael Hyatt’s blog The Gentle Art of Conversational Ping Pong

Five Characteristics of Weak Leaders

From Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Michael Hyatt pulls out five characteristics of weak leaders.

General George B. McClellan, commander of the “Army of the Potomac” and, eventually, first general-in-chief of the Union Army…

  1. Hesitating to take definitive action. McClellan was constantly preparing. According to him, the Army was never quite ready. The troops just needed a little more training. In his procrastination, he refused to engage the enemy, even when he clearly had the advantage. He could just not bring himself to launch an attack. When Lincoln finally relieved him of his duties, he famously said, “If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time.”
  2. Complaining about a lack of resources. He constantly complained about the lack of available resources. He didn’t have enough men. His men weren’t paid enough. They didn’t have enough heavy artillery. And on and on he went. The truth is that, as a leader, you never have enough resources. You could always use more of one thing or another. But the successful leaders figure out how to get the job done with the resources they have.
  3. Refusing to take responsibility. McClellan was constantly blaming everyone else for his mistakes and for his refusal to act. He even blamed the President. Every time he suffered a defeat or a setback, someone or something was to blame. He was a master finger-pointer. Great leaders don’t do this. They are accountable for the results and accept full responsibility for the outcomes.
  4. Abusing the privileges of leadership. While his troops were struggling in almost unbearable conditions, McClellan lived in near-royal splendor. He spent almost every evening entertaining guests with elaborate dinners and parties. He insisted on the best clothes and accommodations. His lifestyle stood in distinct contrast to General Ulysses S. Grant, his eventual successor, who often traveled with only a toothbrush.
  5. Engaging in acts of insubordination. McClellan openly and continually criticized the President, his boss. He was passive-aggressive. Even when Lincoln gave him a direct order, he found a way to avoid obeying it. In his arrogance, he always knew better than the President and had a ready excuse to rationalize his lack of follow-through.

From Michael Hyatt’s Blog