Friday, December 27, 2013

New Years Resolution

There is something cathartic about starting a new year for me. It is the one time that I dedicate to reviewing what has happened in the previous year and make plans for the next year. I have been consistently doing this for my business for the least 9 years, and I am definitely an advocate. While I have not met my goals every year, it forces me to ask the question during the year, “what am I going to do or change to make this goal?”, and that is the real value to me. Without the goal, there is nothing to strive towards or encourage change. Setting personal goals has been more hit and miss for me. There have been times where I have had an accountability partner. That has been the single most important step for me to make and meet personal goals. I don’t have one now, but my first resolution for 2014 is to get one. I am committing to a weekly meeting/purposeful phone call to stay on track. My mandate for all married people – your accountability partner (business or personal) will be the same sex as you. Enough said. After the accountability commitment, my resolutions look way to normal – eat less, exercise more, turn off phone/computer/TV more, read more, help others more, be with family more, pray more, be still more. I feel kind of stupid listing the same things every year, so if anyone has great ideas on how to tackle any of these, I am all ears.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

"Hallelujah!"

Over 8 million people watched this video since it was posted in 2010, but I missed it.  It is one of thousands of flash mob videos that have become very popular, but I really like this one.  For starters, how did they get the Wanamaker Organ (claimed to be the largest in the world) inside a Macy’s department store?  Secondly, these aren’t a bunch of YouTube junkies that run from site to site trying to get their faces online. This mob consists of over 650 trained singers led by the Opera Company of Philadelphia.  Not many of us get to be treated to a Christmas surprise like this, but I hope I get to be a part of one someday.  The thing I love most about this is it gives me a slight glimpse of what the world could be like if those of us who loved Jesus let it show all of the time.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Tragic loss

This week, an Orlando pastor, Isaac Hunter, took his own life.  Regrettably, suicide is not foreign to church leaders and their families.  Last month, Macon pastor Teddy Parker took his life, and in April, Rick Warren’s son, Matthew, did the same.    I don’t know the statistics well enough to know whether suicide affects church families more than non-church families, but those deaths do seem to get quite a bit of attention.   I think people want to believe that church leaders are immune to the problems that could cause someone to consider suicide, or that they are strong enough to endure those problems should they be confronted with them.   I believe that the pressures on  these leaders could be more intense than anything most of us have to deal with.  I also believe that the depression that leads to suicide is a sickness that we are still learning how to treat.  I didn’t know any of these men personally, but I have known one man who committed suicide.  He is the son of one of my close friends.   I feel the pain of my loss, and I feel the immense pain of his family.  They are all believers in and followers of Jesus, and I believe they would say that the only thing that has enabled them to endure the pain is the love that Jesus has shown them both directly and through their friends.  I pray Isaac Hunter’s family is surrounded by the same kind of people this week.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Coming Out

I love my small group from church that meets on Tuesday nights.  There are a lot of smart people there, and I love to listen to them.  One of those people is Dan.  He is like the EF Hutton guy.  When he talks, people get quiet and listen.  This week, Dan mentioned that he had heard that Kirsten Powers, a Fox News commentator, had recently announced  her “coming out”.   I don’t watch Fox News, so I had never heard of her.  This has to be one of the most amazing stories I have heard this year.   If you have time to read and watch, read the article here and watch the follow up interview here.  It may not be what you expect from a Fox News commentator.