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It was the end of February last year that Karen and I decided to get serious about the debt thing. I posted about it here. I am excited to say, just over a year later, that for all intents and purposes, we are debt free! Having just paid off the van we drive, we are now out of debt. Now it is time to begin working on baby step 3.

Feels good!

Entering the Politcal Fray...kind of...

I have really not wanted to get too deep into anything political, but someone forwarded this article to me and I found it insightful. I have not really jumped on the Obama bandwagon, nor any politician at this point, but I have heard some people talk about how compelling Obama seems to be. I definitely think this article articulates well what my gut has been telling me.

My New Favorite Cooking show

I am officially a fan of Sam the cooking guy! I have watched him a number of times now and I think he is great. Last night we made our first dish from his show...a peach/pound cake desert with ice cream. It was very good. If you haven't had a chance to see him, check him out. And on top of that, he is a San Diego guy!

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Now playing: Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
via FoxyTunes

Someone at work forwarded this video on and I found it funny...thought I would pass it along!

I shared this thought with Ryan Russell who kept bugging me to write it down so he could post it on his blog. I finally did and thought I would post it on mine as well.

I have often noticed people who promote themselves as leaders push for themselves to be placed in a particular leadership position. Once in that position, if they don't seem to perform the necessary leadership needed for the position, it leads to disappointment in the self promoting person who was so quick to speak of their leadership prowess, but was unable to deliver the goods when it mattered. More often than not, that person is than "reassigned" in a very painful and difficult way.

Though probably taken out of context as far as leadership goes, there is a story in the bible found in Luke 14 where Jesus is having a meal at the house of a "prominent Pharisee" and after observing the situation for a while, shares these words:

"7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The principle is simple, if you desire to be in leadership, then take the lowest place first and humbly work at demonstrating you ability to lead. There is much to be learned and developed by starting at the lowest place and often you have a greater opportunity to demonstrate your true leadership potential.

John Maxwell in his book "360 Degree Leader" talks about the ego challenges of being hidden in the middle of an organizations. He makes this statement, "Remember that consistently good leadership does get noticed." And when the leader of an organization notices a young leader who distinguishes himself by his consistent hard work and effective leadership, in time he will invite that person to a greater level of leadership, perhaps replacing someone who eagerly promoted themselves into a position they weren't really ready for.

Bill Bright and Brian McLaren

This morning I started my day with a walk around the neighborhood and decided to listen to some podcasts. I have subscribed to the Catalyst Podcast for a while and had a couple on my iPod I hadn't listened to yet. The second one I listened to was from the Catalyst conference in 2001 and was a session in which John Maxwell awarded Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade with a lifetime achievement award. That was the initial preliminary, but then Maxwell went on to engage Dr. Bright in a conversation, probably one of the most compelling and challenging conversations I have listened too in a very long time. There are certain individuals who have lived such an incredible God honoring faithful life that when they speak, their words drip with truth, grace, and humility that almost leaves you speechless. That was how I felt about his words. To listen to his humility and challenge was moving to say the least. I would HIGHLY encourage anyone, especially men, to download this podcast and listen intently to the words this Godly man who now enjoys the prize of living a faithful life as he passed away just months following this interview. Just click on the icon and it will take you to it. Soak in the words of this amazing man of faith.

On a separate track, I came into work this morning planning on posting about this podcast, but before I did, I decided to check my email. Mark Reda, who for a short time more leads our media ministry, sent out a forward of some new video from The Work of the People. One of the new videos was a short from Brian McLaren about the "worship industry" that I also found very convicting. How often we get more caught up in the experience we are trying to create rather than sharing the relationship we should be seeking to live, communicated as an act of worship. Two things that challenged me this morning and reminded me how much I still have to learn and grow.

Peace

Great Fun!

Found this video on Crowder's site and had to share it...good stuff!

A Good Day

It feels like it's been forever since I really got to lead worship. Today, I led in Lindsay Project, our junior high and high school services...what a blast! It is interesting to consider that my start in ministry at Central and what so much of my ministry time has been was in that very room with that ministry, and to be back there, leading with students, several of which I was a part of their initial involvement in worship for Central was great. It is a very talented group of kids and a fun atmosphere to lead in and I was truly blessed to do it. There is a certain frustration I sometimes feel when I think that for so long I was a regular, weekly worship leader at Central, and yet now, I fill more of a back-up role when there is a need. I believe God has taught and continues to teach me a great deal during this time, which I am truly grateful for, but I also continue to pray that God would open up an opportunity to lead worship regularly again.



All said, it was still a very good day and exciting to be there. The only downer to the day has been the Suns loss...but they'll come back and win when it counts.

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A New Book...

Well, after hearing much said about the book over the past year from one of our elders, Jeff Thomas, I was recently convicted that I needed to take some serious steps in cultivating my relationship with my wife. Now, like most men, I would be the first to say that I don't think I am a bad guy. I don't beat my wife or anything crazy like that, but I have come to realize that I am not the husband that I need to be. So, I recently went out and bought this book and started reading it.



I have to say, I am very convicted already. The emphasis of the book is really about being Christlike. His point is based off of the scripture in Ephesians that talks about husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church. Like I said, I felt like I was ok at that, but as your read this book, it becomes evident real quick that I have not been Christlike, but rather very selfish in this relationship and in the way I viewed and treated Karen. I am about a third of the way through, and am already being very convicted in how I view my wife, and the way in which I interact with her on a regular basis.



One thing that really stood out was a passage about Christ hearing your prayers (or not hearing them) in relation to the quality of your relationship with your wife (I don't have the book in front of me, but I will quote the passage later). I have been in a season of seeking God, and yet this part of the book really caught my attention in that I still don't live in a great understanding of her and her heart. That is the goal. I want to not only discover my wife, but discover what it means to truly love my wife and be connected to her.



She is a gift, one that I have often overlooked or under appreciated, but that is something I am committed to changing. I hope others will see the value of it as well and do the same!