Change is inevitable, except in vending machines.

"I am the LORD, and I do not change.” Malachi 3:6

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:23

Yep, its one of those things that happens not when you least expect it but when you least want it.  When crazy change is all around us we look to Him who never changes.  Our stresses come and go.   We are up and down, things change for the good, things change for the bad, they always change…. But He doesn’t.  He never does.  He always was and always will be.  He is constant; we are not, we are finite, He is God and never changes.

Since change is here to stay, how do we deal with it?  It is better to learn to anticipate and adapt to change than to try to resist or alter it.  Flexibility is essential and helps one adapt with change.  However, if change is such a constant, how do we remain flexible but not lose sight of who we are or what we do?  Here are some quick thoughts to help us deal with things when they are not what we think they should be.

1.    Have the attitude of change.  Another way to say this is to change your attitude and welcome change.  Attitudes are not always easy to change but they are more valuable to us if we do.  Attitude is either your best friend or worst enemy so it makes sense to do whatever it takes to change our attitude for the good.

2.    Have good boundaries - since we know change is coming, build boundaries in your personal life to absorb them.  If we plan back to back to back, we allow little room for change, response or adaptation.  This should apply to work tasks, long term planning, family life and spiritual growth among others. 

3.    Be an optimist – Henry Ford said, “Think you can or think you can’t, either way you are right.”  Think right, think positive, think do it, get it done.  The “can do” attitude no matter the task is the person who gets the job done.  Strive to be the “can do” attitude person.

4.    Embrace it - find creative ways to like change.  Sometimes if you continue to push against something and it doesn’t move, you might ask if you need to pull. 

In the end, when it is all said and done, our problems will be gone.  Change will take place and things will be different; and depending on our choices, change should be for the better.  But we have confidence in this.  "I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One." Revelation 1:8

Sanitizing the Sacred

Thanks to my friend and guest blogger today.  Great post!

Sanitizing the Sacred

By Gary Zelesky

Matt, 15:33 After Jesus had taken him aside from the crowd; he stuck his fingers in the man's ears. Then he spit and put it on the man's tongue.

Matt. 16:23Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the man's eyes

John 9:6 After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground. He made some mud and smeared it on the man's eyes.

The Jesus I have come to know over the past 42 years was a man’s man; He was never predictable, seldom on time, hanging out with the wrong kind of people, didn’t always tell his parents where he was going and apparently liked to spit.

He was a carpenter most of his life and knew the touch of wood and what it was like to feel the pain of the hammer and the nail. He worked in a dirty carpenters shop making stuff out of wood with his father Joseph. He lived at home until he was 30 years of age and yet took on the full responsibility of a man when he turned 13.

When he went to church he hung out with the old guys having no problem talking to them about the things that mattered and they listened to him.

When he decided to start his church he chooses 12 dudes many who never went to church and put a thief in charge of the money. Apparently he lacked insight! Most of the time his guys didn’t have a clue what Jesus was even talking about but his only requirement of them was to follow! I guess he knew guys liked it simple.

What if Jesus were to plant a church today?

He better have a non-spitting leadership team.  He better know the right target audience he will be reaching out to and never spit. He must know what acceptable behavior is and never spit. And he must never hang around those who do spit or he could become a spitter too.

I find it a bit ironic that what we find as gross and disgusting Jesus used as a healing anointing oil. I fear that men have lost the power of the Holy Spirit and the adventure of living the Christian life because they are no longer allowed just to be men. We can no longer spit! Many Christian men are bored with their lives because it has become ruled by a feminist approach to being a man!

I not saying that men become the chauvinistic pigs that ruled the church years ago but what I am saying is that we have so sanitized the sacred that we have replaced the power of the Holy Spirit for the sophistication of acceptability. My heart is broken!

A Presidential Attitude

Attitude

And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you (Ephesians 4:23-24)

In light of presidents day, this is a good one.

Attitude is almost everything and a good attitude often means a great smile.  Anyone can smile on a good day.  An old adage but true.  Its way more difficult to smile on a day when you got too little sleep, woke up late for a meeting, forgot to iron your clothes, rush to the office late and then realize its Saturday, yep, much more difficult.  We all have bad days and will have some in the future but the good news is, a bad day doesnt have to mean a bad attitude.  Attitude is so important and because its indirectly affected, probably overlooked way more than it should be.  Attitude is our best friend or worst enemy.

Since presidents day is approaching I think of one of Americas greatest presidents, Honest Abe.  This guy had justifiable reason for having a bad attitude but history doesnt record that.  It does record his trials and triumphs and we all celebrate his ultimate triumph of freedom and equality. Below is a tough track record, but untimatly, we remember him as one or the best leaders in history and certainly one of the best presidents of the US.

Lincoln's Attitude
Your attitude is communicated to others in three ways,—7 percent by words, 38 percent by tone of voice and 55 percent in non-verbal ways, such as posture. 

Those who have the most to overcome in life are often the ones who make the most of it. People usually consider Abraham Lincoln one of the top 5 of the best presidents of all time. Look at some of his many obstacles. 

If anyone had a "reason" to have a bad attitude, it was Lincoln.

* He had to work to support his family after they were forced out of their home. 1816 
* His mother died. 1818 
* Failed in business. 1831 
* Was defeated for legislature. 1832 
* Lost his job and couldn't get into law school. 1832 
* Declared bankruptcy, and spent the next 17 years of his life paying off the money 
he borrowed from friends to start his business. 1833 
* Was defeated for legislature again. 1834 
* Was engaged to be married, but his sweetheart died and his heart was broken. 1835 
* Had a nervous breakdown and spent the next six months in bed. 1836 
* Was defeated in becoming the speaker of the state legislature. 1838 
* Was defeated in becoming elector. 1840 
* Was defeated for Congress 1843 
* Was defeated for Congress. 1846 
* Was defeated for Congress again. 1848 
* Was rejected for the job of Land Officer in his home state. 1849 
* Was defeated for Senate. 1854 
* Was defeated for Vice-President -- got less than 100 votes. 1856 
* Was defeated for Senate for the third time. 1858 
* Was elected President of the United States. 1860

Next time you feel like you have more reason to frown than smile just remember, its easier to act your self into feeling than feel your way into acting. 

Make it a great day!

Top 10's of 2011 - Music Releases

Regardless if they were released in 2011 or not, i got em in 2011

U2 - Duals
Some stuff you have hear of, most you havent but all the songs are with U2 and someone else.  My fave is Where the Streets Have No Name/Amazing Grace (U2 and the Soweto Gospel Choir) and I've always loved Miss Sarajevo (Passengers and Luciano Pavarotti).


Asteroid Galaxy Tour - Fruit
I first heard this band on a Heineken commercial then on an indie compilation.  Once I got the music I was hooked.  Good, different and worthy of multiple listens.  Fruit was originally released in 2009 but I guess the underground from Denmark to Dallas took awhile.  Indie bands, sheesh.


Portugal the Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud 
Heard them in the background many times and never paid much attention til my friend Scott Sorgea sent me a link to "So American".  I still cant get enough.


Adele - 21
Cant say enough so I'll say little.  If you actually have been under a rock, get this recording.


Civil Wars - Barton Hallow
Simple, whiny, beautiful.  So melodic and harmonic and did I say whiny.  I guess I like that.


Mumford & Sons - Sigh no More
Thank Justin La Fond for the recommendation.  Part folk, part Irish sounding (although they are another Danish band) and part psychedelic cool (but more folk harmonies and feel good toe stamps than anything else).

Evanescence - Evanescence

The fourth release in twice as many years is saying were here for a while.  I loved them in 2003 and thought their cool goth/rock/power vocal with a pinch of bubble-gum might grow tired but I was wrong.  I bit more maturity here but the same old Evanescence.

Beatles - Abbey Road
Stop making fun.  I know this was released in 1969, I just got it.  Been loving it for years and just came to the party.  I want you is still so creepy and cool.

Mutemath - Odd Soul
Thanks again Justin.  From a city know for everything rock, good old NOLA rock never sounded so good.

Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials

I'm intrigued with FATM but also uneasy.  More vocals than I like but the music makes up for it.

Bamboo Farming, the Saw and the Goal

Its a hodgepodge post but stay with me, they all fit together.


I've recently become a bamboo farming theoretician.  Not really, what I mean is, I've been doing some research on the growth of bamboo plants and trying to pull some stories or applications from that.  Its actually pretty interesting stuff.  At the same time I've been asked to write an article about how to best use the 7th Habit (See Stephen Covey's great book) all while pondering my New Years goals, new starts and all the other stuff that one thinks about around this time of the year.


BAMBOO
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet.  It is very sustainable, has a myriad of uses and is relatively easy to grow.  Bamboo can grow two or three feet in a day with the right circumstances (but usually 12-14 in a normal growing cycle).  Here is where things get more interesting.  It if very difficult to harvest and plant bamboo seeds because bamboo rarely flowers (when a plant releases seeds) and when it does it is irregular and if/when it does, they seeds are difficult to harvest.  Here is what i'm intrigued by; sometimes some varieties of bamboo seeds take a long time to germinate; some take a couple of months, others a year or two.  When the bamboo seed does finally push through the ground and when the roots system is ready it can rapidly grow.  During the time the seed is growing its root system UNDERGROUND is getting ready for rapid growth ABOVE GROUND. 


SEVEN HABITS
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is a must read book.  It deals with values, life, productivity, purpose and success (among many other things).  The book develops 6 habits (the list) and the 7th is making sure the other 6 stay healthy and in balance.  Those 6 habits are divided into two categories; PRIVATE VICTORY and PUBLIC VICTORY.


NEW YEARS GOALS
Each year I plan out my New Years Goals. I see my goals as elements for growth; a flower needs sun, etc.  For some time I have organized my goal elements according the scripture that shows the growth of Christ; "He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and favor with man."  I make a couple of goals in each category: wisdom (mental), stature (physical), favor with God (spiritual), favor with man (social) and it seems to keep me well balanced.  Without these four elements I wouldn't have very good goals and without goals to help me grow, even worse.


SYMBIOSIS & INTEGRATION
All three of the above are related, they need and are dependent upon each other.  Unless we have roots, foundation or personal victory, we cannot achieve growth, flowers or public victory. Without the elements of soil, water, sun,(mental, physical, spiritual, social) etc there would be no plant growth at all.  To grow a healthy plant/life, etc I believe all of these things need to be in harmony. 


Without out one element a plant can survive, without two, it is in trouble, without three it stands little chance.  The same is with us, we need we rounded goals; all four areas in place.  When they are, we can best grow strong and healthy.These well balanced and healthy goals help us continue to grow and growth above and underground helps us to maintain our goals.


NOW LETS MAKE SOME GOALS

Mental Goals
1) ________________
2) ________________

Physical Goals
1) ________________
2) ________________.

Spiritual Task
1) ________________
2) ________________

Social Goals
1) ________________
2) ________________

If more goals are needed here are some additional suggestions; marriage, family, ministry, educational, financial, emotional, professional

Improving Your Serve

There should be a scale whereupon we can measure our servanthood.  Something like a thermometer that would instantly tell what a person’s servant quotient was; their SQ.  If we could have a barometer for individuals, we should also have one for organizations.  It would be great to see just how effective organizations that exist to serve a cause or people really are. How would governments fair?  Are postal workers or politicians serving their communities?  What would our SQ be as the church?  Would church hierarchy even have an SQ or do they really exist not just to say they serve, but to have others serve them?

Unfortunately, this chapter doesn’t contain an SQ test, but we should be able to look into our own hearts to see what kind of marks we would give ourselves as servants.  After all when the Lord returns we’ll have to answer to what we’ve been doing down here all this time while he has been in heaven building us a home.  Have we been building THE kingdom or our own kingdom or have we been building at all?  If this is a wake up call, its time to get busy and start serving.  Its never too late to build your SQ.

DO ELEPHANTS NETWORK (aka The Necessity of Networking and Peer Learning)

THE ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD

I recently watched a documentary about the Elephant Graveyard.  Fact or fancy, the tale goes something like this (oversimplified is an understatement).  Older Elephants get the sense of their impending demise and travel sometimes thousands of miles to die in the "Elephant Graveyard".  The EG is rumored to be littered with thousands of tusks and elephant bones.

TRUST YOUR GUT

Truth or fiction, the point is that there is something in our gut that tells us certain things.  I know!  You know it and Malcolm Gladwell (blink is an amazing book that needs to be in every thinkers library), among others have written books about it.

GUT, NETWORKING, HEALTH, LONGEVITY

We all know that hanging out with peers, like minded and even those better than us makes us better.  We also know that we get further down the road by stealing (I mean sharing) ideas, praying for each other and creating deeper connections.  So why dont we network regularly?

IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT

Some of the best things in life are like this.  Important but not urgent.  Several things come to mind; eating healthy, exercising , personal growth...anyone feeling me yet?  We would all rather eat junk food and never improve ourselves with exercise or education and hope we would all look like we just jumped off the cover of People mag, but good health and looks are not accidental.  Neither is being a good Youth Worker.  We must work at!  Almost everyone I chat with agrees that Networking is Important but they also dont attend local meetings as much as they should.  Sound like passing on the burger for the tofu sandwich?

WHAT TO DO?

1.  Get involved in a local network.  

2.  Make a commitment to attend regularly even come early and bring some business cards to share with others.

3.  Chant this...Better Together, Better Together, Better Together.  Then believe it.

4.  Play it forward. Thats just it, go first, lead the way.

The law of reciprocity is one of my favorites.  When it comes to networking maybe we should think about others and not just ourselves knowning that we will receive way more than we imagined.

Lastly, I dont know if elephants network but if they do, I'm sure they wouldn't have to travel thousands of miles to do it.