unfortunately, this is true

Leadership magazine cites how a man named Mark Russel spent a year interviewing people in his community who no longer attend or take part in a church.  He writes:

Most people left church not because they had a deep theological problem with something like the virgin birth or the resurrection of Christ.

They left because people in the church have the tendency to be small and mean and couldn’t deal honestly with their own sins or the sin of others. As one man put it, 'People in the church were more invested in the process of being right than in the process of being honest.'

Ouch.

Unfortunately, this is true.

And I'd like to do something about it.

Starting in me.

I'm going to try an experiment this week of speaking the truth in love, more than I think I already might.   Meaning, I won't be trying to water down awkward moments but will simply go for it.  And I will be asking others to speak some of that my way as well - including you.

It reminds me of something my wife once said.  When she was a camp counselor, the head of the camp told his staff that if they ever wanted to hear an honest summary of what he saw in them... potential as well as stuff they needed to work on, they could set up an appointment and have that conversation.

Not too many people took him up on it.

So let me know if you want to be a part of that experiment... or if we should avoid each other for the next week and pretend like we're being honest.

watch your speed, because neil armstrong is

Just when you thought no one was looking, and you were getting away with it... BAM!

Satellites to issue speeding tickets from space

Something tells me that we're closer to that creepy future in Minority Report than we think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBaiKsYUdvg

fight the funk

The other day I was in a bit of a funk. I'm not really sure it was anything internal, but I was feeling the burden of the people around me. It really weighed me down, and I found myself broken and literally weeping for their pain. It got me to the point where I was too exhausted to even eat dinner, and barely got through bedtime with the kids before collapsing into sleep around 9pm (early for me).

You don't need to worry about me, I am totally fine now. But that day I wasn't.

The sleep I ended up in started out as prayer... I decided it probably wasn't a good idea for me to do much else but talk with God. I first dropped a minor comment on Facebook about it, but quickly realized I needed more than what human interaction could offer. So I prayed... and it ended up becoming a rest that cleared my spirit.

The book of Lamentations is full of this kind of holy venting - sort of like a cross between social media and prayer. But listen to what is written here in the midst of all the pain:

"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'"  (Lamentations 3:22-24)

I know sleep can do wonders, but I also sense there was something about falling asleep in prayer. It allowed me to wake up more than physically refreshed, but spiritually refreshed, too.

Because let's face it - pain can suck the Life out of life, be it your pain or someone else's pain. And at some point you need to get back to doing what you do. Get back to the business of being a parent, sibling, friend, blue-collar or white-collar worker, and so on.

So that morning I woke up and determined to fight for the opportunities in my friend's lives, even if they weren't able to. It's certainly not a quick-fix solution, but it is biblical direction. Some days it's easy to get so focused on yourself or others that you forget God has given you a purpose within all of that.

Today, if something has you down, I want to say to you:

• Feel it, then...
• Pray it, then...
• Release it, then...
• Overcome it.

If that means a tough conversation you've been putting off, pony up and have that conversation. Or if it's time for you to get some spiritual depth you need that you think you're just not disciplined enough to have, dig deep and get over your apathy.

Get back to the God-given purpose of your life.... with God. If that needs to start with exhaustive prayer, then pour out your heart so that He can refill it to the brim with something that will powerfully overflow.

going loco for coco

I really enjoy people whose self-deprecating humor only makes them more likable:

"In three months I've gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I'm headed back to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly."- Conan O'Brien

In case you missed the news, O'Brien (who has been doing a live comedy tour only to be sure that all the people that used to work for him on the Tonight Show had a paying job this year) signed a deal recently for a late night talk show on TBS during the 11pm slot. 

Wait - does that mean that in bumping George Lopez to an hour later he will be crushing Lopez's childhood dream of having a late night talk show on TBS? :)

Actually, Lopez is fired up in the best way possible.  Check out a quick summary of his comments this week here: http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=884d725f-5545-4ce9-b3d1-6038f54c66c0





Which, to me, only underscores the beauty of teamwork.  Lopez is well aware that Conan's presence and lead-in will only add to his own success at the midnight slot.  Great stuff, and an even greater attitude.

what to do in the meantime

Every once in a while we catch a whiff of a huge opportunity in front of us.  We don't have words for it, and yet we sort of "know" that something big is about to happen.

Only because we can't see it just yet, we go crazy wondering what your next step "should be" and "could be."  We wonder if it's all written in stone or if it will only happen if we make the "right" decision.  I know from personal experience how tremendously frustrating this can be.

What do we do in the meantime?

How can we go somewhere when we have an idea of the destination but can't adequately explain how we will get there? I've learned that the clear answer to the unclear question is daily faithfulness.  Dee Hock explains it this way: 

One need not know and be able to prove in advance what could be accomplished. One need not have a precise plan about how to get there.

In a complex, rapidly changing world, a clear sense of direction, a compelling purpose and powerful beliefs about conduct in pursuit of it, seemed to me infinitely more sensible and robust than mechanical plans, detailed objectives, and predetermined outcomes.

(p. 169, One From Many, Dee Hock)

I dig this concept, and yet I find that this isn't easy for most people.  I used to be one of those guys who needed to know every step of the way, and today I'm more willing to throw myself into the moment and trust that what I am giving my best swing at is somehow linked into whatever needs to happen down the road. Meaning, if I love God and others completely in whatever I'm doing (and without reservation), the rest doesn't matter because that moment absolutely does... and it becomes the metaphorical pebble that creates the ripples into the rest of the pond. 

And the secret of that?  One must live for something that actually lasts so that the details (which don't seem to last and yet demand so much of our attention) don't choke the life out of us.

there's something about Oprah... I mean, Mary

Interesting insight I just came across regarding Oprah Winfrey via a USA Today article:

What (Kitty) Kelley discovered while investigating Winfrey was, not surprisingly, her need to be in control, plus what Kelley calls Winfrey's "world of secrets."

Winfrey makes all employees sign confidentiality agreements — and if she is spoken about in public, they have to refer to her as Mary, not Oprah, just in case someone is eavesdropping.

Huh.

What do you think - while this is "smart" of Oprah to maintain whatever image she wants the public to have of her, is it "too much" or inauthentic?

ten signs a leader is losing it

Great thoughts from Perry Noble on things most leaders overlook in themselves (taken from a study of the life of Saul, Israel's first man to be King)

http://www.perrynoble.com/2010/03/25/ten-signs-a-leader-is-losing-it/

something for our church leaders

Easter is a big deal for many people, and it should be.  This is one of the reasons that those who serve in a church (as I do) try to make the most of that opportunity to connect with someone's genuine itch to connect with God. 

So last night I wrote something to our church leaders - those who serve on our lead team, support team, and resource team.  As I got to thinking about it, though, I realized this is something I should share with everyone... especially since leadership is more about serving and less about position.

And so I'm posting it here.
----------
Subject: A note to our church leaders.

Yes... that's you.

Like it or not, you're a church leader. God has put His fingerprint upon you and I've seen it. :)

This is a big weekend, and we need you on deck in every way possible.

BUT...

I want to ask you to try to not out-do God.

Meaning... please pitch in where you can, and stretch into new opportunities.

But the success of this weekend is not on our shoulders. It's on the One who conquered death and will change the lives of anyone who will let Him.

So let's start by asking Him to change ours first.

That means, simply and practically, give this weekend your best swing. If you're responsible for something, don't be trivial about it... while we know this runs on God's power and not our own, don't "not" give your effort. Also, please don't be crass in your words... speak with intentionality to anyone who may be listening (including those who are listening and you don't realize it).

The best way to ensure both of those things happen? Spend time with God... let Him fill your tank. Otherwise the "stress" of the "to do list" will take over and you'll put your best foot forward while leaving your soul behind.

And if you're not directly responsible for something this weekend, please invest into people... all around you. In fact, I'd invite everyone to come to the hospitality planning meeting we're doing Thursday night at 6:30pm.

We are in this thing with God, and He's about to do something amazing,

Just as He always has.

"And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle." (1 Samuel 3:11)

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

Together,

Tony