Elementary School Musical

Don't ever underestimate the power of the media.

Somehow Disney has so invaded my home that my son has been living out the annoying phenomenon we know as "High School Musical", but at a much simpler level.

First of all, he looks too much like a 5th grade version of Zac Efron.

Secondly, his CLBL basketball team headed into the playoffs with a 10-1 first place record.

And thirdly, his small role in his school's production of Willy Wonka would conflict with the Championship Basketball game.

That's where the similarities end. The mighty Nuggets were dethroned in the Final Four, but the play goes on.  

We were all disappointed with the loss, but on some level glad to have a simpler schedule to  navigate this  weekend.

A Blog of Very Few Words

If you fall into the minute people group who like following blogs but don't like to read, you'll love Indexed.

The Simple Life

With only $25 in his pocket, Adam Shepherd spent 10 months in South Carolina, eventually landing a job, buying a pickup truck, and renting his own apartment.

How well do you think you would do if you set aside your experience, your education and your contacts and started all over? Could you do without the "necessities" of that daily cup of joe or your cell phone?

Stuff never equals happiness. It never has and it never will.

"We lived simply, but still we were happy."  -Adam Shepherd

Are you ready?

I'm not sure what your plans are for tonight, but if they involve some sort of long drawn out meeting, you need to be ready. To be ready to get your caffeine fix from somewhere other than Starbucks.  Tonight from 5:30-8:30 Starbucks will be closing their doors.

Between me and you, they are simply training baristas, but according to the press release, they are refining our experience and celebrating who they are.

I wonder if we should do that in our homes, our offices and in our churches as well?

We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.    3 John 1:8

New Tunes

Just downloaded the latest from Jack Johnson. This music makes me wish there was not freezing rain outside and that my topless Jeep could make it's way out from the garage.

There is not any season of the year that I do not like, I just find myself constantly looking forward to the next one. Spring does not officially start for another month but I'm hoping for some mild weather to lead the way.

3 Days vs 6 Days

This three day work week worked me over...

-150 emails...both love and hate the speed of technology.

-two chapel messages...fun to move a student's focus away from themselves.

-one very late Tuesday night meeting...after 10pm, I'm worthless.

-high school message on love...the broader the topic, the more intense the prep.

-reworking budget numbers...draining, not filling my tank.

-figuring out who does what and with or for whom...I'm all about systems.

-5th grade basketball practice...we're 8-1 going into the last game of the season.

-girls u13 A-team lacrosse tryouts...would not have been a big deal if it were not an hour away.

-a couple of good lunches...any meeting is better with food.

and

-another no school ice day today...took half my family to Vantage Point and the other half to Be Kind, Rewind. The former was made for the theatre and the latter for my dvd player.

I'm looking forward to having 5 or 6 days next week in which to enjoy my work, instead of just 3. I love my job and am very aware of how much time is needed to do it well!

How many days does it take for you to get to the bottom of your to do list?

President's Day

Today is a real day off for me. 

Yesterday was packed and it feels good to awaken today to no real set agenda. I'll enjoy my family, run a few miles, eat some recently-delivered Girl Scout cookies, and maybe sneak in a nap. You won't be hearing from me again today, so in the mean time, go surf over to one of my favorites:

-Rhett and Link.

-You Tube Super Bowl Ads.

-Granger Community Church. 

(Be sure to click on the media player tab in the upper right hand corner.)

-LifeChurch.tv.

-Or find me on Facebook.

Daily Light

Realizing that the spiritual content of this blog took a noticeable nose dive over the past week, I thought I'd share with you what I read in Daily Light this morning...

The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one (Ps. 14:2-3). Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8).

To will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice (Romans 7:18-19). We are all like an unlean thing and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away (Isaiah 64:6).

The Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe (Galatians 3:22). God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them (2 Corinthians 5:19).

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:8-9).

This was a difficult, albeit truthful, devotion through the first two paragraphs but gives hope in the latter two. I'm grateful this morning that Jesus "reconciles" us to Himself and "cleanses" us from the junk in our lives. May we each live in light of that great truth today.

LOL

As a fickle fan of American Idol and a consistent fan of Rhett and Link, this made me Laugh Out Loud.

Valentine PSA

The blog entry is offered as a public service to the many of us that are Valentine-impaired.

Guys, if you are reading this and have not gotten your significant other something for Valentine's Day, then stop reading and start buying. She may have told you that she didn't want gifts this year, but what she meant was something entirely different.

Enjoy.

Simple Math

If more of what you do in a week drains you, then you will run out. Simple, right.

You'd think so, except many of us find ourselves running on empty by the end of the week. We've got to find the balance between what drains us and what fills us.

It works the same way with my bank account, if all I ever do is use my atm card, then eventually the bank won't let it work anymore. So, I've got to generate some cashflow to refill my account.

This formula works with our time, our money, our relationships and our lives.

In your life and relationships, have you made enough deposits to cover the withdrawals?

What Drains You?

A majority of my day was spent staring at numbers on a computer screen. I'd add them up and there wouldn't be enough. I'd pray and rearrange them and yet still there did not seem to be the right formula. This is an obvious drain of my energy. Some of you would be energized by this, and for that I'm thankful, but I'm not wired that way. I'm the guy that should be meeting with people (preferably over a good meal), not the guy glued to the pixelated numbers.

In the course of your week, what drains you and what fills your tank?

What next?

The Pro Bowl was yesterday, and although nobody  ever really watches it, it does mark the end of the NFL season.  So, what will you watch next?

-Nascar?

-College Basketball?

-Golf?

-World Wife Carrying Championships?

Sunday M&M's

Two quick questions for you...

What do M&M's have to do with Monopoly?

And what do they have to do with your personal finances?

If your sweet tooth can handle it, get the answer to these and many other pressing questions at Destiny this Sunday at 10am... 

Organization Finale

One last bit of organizational advice: give yourself some space to think.

John Maxwell uses a thinking chair in which to ponder. I'm going with a chairlift for the same purpose...hoping the East Coast conditions are good tomorrow!

No matter where you sit, take some time away from the phone, laptop, kids, spouse, newspaper, tv etc, and think. Think about relationships, tasks, priorities, methods, systems, or whatever else might warrant some pondering. The distance away from the task offers a fresh perspective.

Then, after you are done sitting and thinking, you'll need to get up and do...

Organization IV

"Redeem the time, for the days are evil."

Today I'd like to recommend a book I've never read or even held in my hand. I wholeheartedly recommend Eat That Frog anyway, because I've learned a lot from the title and the book's basic premise:

An old saying is that "If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long!" Your "FROG" is the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don't do something about it now! It is also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your life and results at the moment.

In terms of organization, here is what we have said so far: I. use the system that works for you, II. delegate to others, III. do the right things and now today principle IV.: do the difficult things first. Procarastination will surely erode your personal organization, so avoid it at all costs. If you are still overwhelmed, and feel like there are too many difficult things to do in your life, consider this bit of wisdom:

It has also been said that "If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first!"

No frogs were harmed in the research and publishing of this post.

Organization III

"Redeem the time, for the days are evil."

You may have already developed a management system that works for you which puts you way ahead of the curve. And you may have already mastered the art of delegation which puts you in the all star category, but if you don't do the right things, then it won't really matter. 

Take a look at Stephen Covey's time management matrix below and honestly assess how you spend your time. This might be convicting, but many of us will find ourselves spinning our wheels in Quadrant III and IV when we should be camping out in Quadrant II.  Quadrant I is virtually unavoidable, but nobody wants to live there...

How can you add the focus activities of Quadrant II to your busy life starting tomorrow?

Let me know how it goes, I'd really be interested...

Organization II

"Redeem the time, for the days are evil."

Once you have determined what task management system works for you (Covey, Get things Done, etc), you may still be overwhelmed with all that is on your plate. If this is you, try delegating, not abdicating, but delegating. Consider Jethro's words to Moses when his son in law was overwhelmed....(this also communicates a lot about healthy in-law relationships, but we can talk about that later...too convicting for a Monday).

Jethro to Moses:  “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.  Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him.  Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.  But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.  They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you.  If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” Exodus 18:18-23

Here is my basic formula for this: You are uniquely gifted to do a few things really well + There are others around you who can help you with the stuff that challenges you - (If you do it all yourself, you will not do it well, and you will rob others of their opportunity to do what God has uniquely gifted them to do) = Delegate and then "all these people will go home in peace".

Groundhog Day

In honor of Groundhog's Day (and the classic movie of the same name), here are the graphics from yesterday's post. Organization II will be up tomorrow.

Organization I

This week, let's take a look at how to, as Solomon once wrote, "redeem the time, for the days are evil."

In my life, I like knowing what I need to do and I like having a plan to carry it out. I also do not want to waste time, mine or anyone else's. My job is different every day and my task list is extensive. I used to keep all of this on my antiquated Palm Pilot and then on my Motorola Q, but I've moved backward technologically as I've moved forward organizationally.

I've turned to Moleskines and I'm here to tell you they can change your organizational life. Take a look at the variety of Moleskines and decide which one best fits your life. My preference is the large squared style because I'm straight-line impaired. I've mentioned on this blog my use of youversion and Bible Gateway for my onscreen devotions, but when it comes to my task lists, I like good old fashioned paper. If these now-hip notebooks were good enough for Picasso and Hemingway, then they ought to be good enough for me.

Some of you are wondering why the step back? Well, I'll give you three good reasons to go to Moleskines instead of your pixeled task list: 1. Nothing beats the feel of pen and paper. 2. I like to actually physically check off my tasks. 3. Doodling might be considered art in a Moleskine. And reason 4, (at no extra cost to you): sermon notes, stage blocking, creative ideas, task lists, and budget figures all fit side by side in my 240 pages. Moleskines are great for my role as self-proclaimed Chief Strategic Officer here at Destiny Church and may be a good fit for you in your complicated world as well.

Watch for the game or the ads?

Here is one (for you JT fans) that is supposed to air in the first half on Sunday. Creative, yes, but doesn't it always seem like the beer commercials make us laugh the most? Enjoy.

Modernized Monopoly

A few years ago, Monopoly messed with a good thing, they changed their tokens. So the first question is: Are you classic or modern? And if you are modern, which token best represents you?

Are you a world traveler or do you stick to walks in your neighborhood?


Is caffeine what drives you or are you simply a driver?



Are you a dog lover or are you into super sizing your meals?



Perhaps you are a techno communicator, do these tokens represent you well?