Crazy Eyebrows...

As you watch this video, see if you can stop your own eyebrows from going crazy.



I think these kids live next door to me.

Quotable Quote...

It's interesting that God does his best work in our weakness... yet we hate our weaknessess.

The God Who Uses Stories...

Who could have imagined that a video whose concept was hatched around a table over breakfast at the Towne Crier early one Monday morning would be viewed by almost two and a half MILLION people?! This video has evoked a spectrum of responses from those who've viewed it. It has encouraged, excited, perplexed and disturbed... but it doesn't appear to have left anyone ambivalent.

This short video recently attracted the attention of NBC News. Here's how NBC reported the story which they headlined, "Looking For God on YouTube."

I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that millions of people all over the world have already watched this video... and thousands more are watching it every day.

Isn't it just like our great God to use YouTube, a tool of our global information culture, to connect Himself to people?! I really shouldn't be surprised... because isn't this what God did when He walked the earth in a fleshly body. Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories. (Matthew 13:34 CEV)

Managing Change...

I'm convinced that a critical task of leaders and leadership is managing change appropriately... as nothing can be as upsetting to people as change. Nothing has greater potential to cause failures, loss of confidence, or falling expectations than change. Yet nothing is as important to the survival of a church or organization as change. History is full of examples of organizations that failed to change and that are now extinct.

The key is appropriately managing change.

Resistance to change comes from a fear of the unknown, or an expectation of loss. The front-end of an individual's resistance to change is how they perceive the change. The back-end is how well they are equipped to deal with the change they expect.

An individual's degree of resistance to change is determined by whether they perceive the change as good or bad, and how severe they expect the impact of the change to be on them. A person's ultimate acceptance of the change is a function of how much resistance to the change they have, and the strength of their coping skills and their willingness to trust their leaders. The leader's challenge is to address this resistance to change from both ends in order to help the individual reduce it to a minimal, manageable level. It can never be a function of leadership to bulldoze individual's resistance so change can move ahead.

Leaders have to help those they lead understand the purpose behind change. People want to know what the change will be and when it will happen, but they also want to know why. Why is it happening now? Why can't things stay like they have always been? Why is it happening to me?

It is also important that leaders help people understand what is not changing. Not only does this give people one less thing to stress about, it also gives them an anchor, something to hold on to as they face the winds of uncertainty and change.

Leaders need to understand people's specific fears... and then speak to those fears... and then walk with those they lead through the change.

Emotional Endurance...

Mark Batterson's recent post about "Emotional Endurance" provided me with one of those... "Thanks, I needed that" moments. Here's what Mark had to say:

One of the keys to effective leadership is what I would call emotional endurance. If you're going to make it as a leader, you have to have a high threshold for a wide variety of emotions.

Every once in a while, fellow ministers will ask me about the greatest challenge I face in church-world. Frankly, I think it's managing your emotions. You have to manage the fear and the discouragement and the anxiety. If you can't, you won't make it. But if you allow the challenging situations to build emotional endurance, you'll be prepared for even bigger challenges.

One of the things that has helped me deal with criticism and stress is my perspective. I don't particularly like criticism or stress, but I see it as building emotional endurance. And if I'm going to do bigger and better things for God, then I'm going to need more emotional endurance.

I met with my alma mater's basketball team this week and told them that the lessons they learn on the basketball court will translate to leadership. A big one is managing emotions. When the game is on the line and you're at the free throw line, you have to perform under pressure. I feel the same butterflies when I preach in a high-pressure situation as I did when I ran out of the locker room for a big game.

What I'm getting at is this: God wants to sanctify your emotions. He wants to build emotional endurance. And that generally involves high levels of stress or criticism or fear or discouragement. But if you grow through those circumstances then you'll become a stronger person emotionally.

One of my most distinct college memories was speaking at my commencement. I was so nervous! Good thing we had graduation gowns because I was shaking. But I look back at those kind of situations that were outside my comfort zone and they built emotional endurance. I was able to step into a high pressure situation with a little more confidence the next time around.

I think it was Martin Luther King who said, "What does not destroy me makes me stronger." So true! So I don't wish perfect peace upon you. If you don't build up emotional endurance, God can't use you!

May God give us thick skin and a soft heart.

How Twitter Can Make You A Better Person...

The follow was recently posted by Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, on his blog. If you're a Twitter user (like me), or a participant on any social network, I'm thinking you'll find Tony's post an interesting read.

I thought this would be an opportune time to write about a topic that I've been thinking a lot about over the past few months: how Twitter has contributed to my own personal growth and made me a better person, and how you can take the same principles and apply them to yourself if you'd like.

I've talked a lot in the past about how we've used Twitter at Zappos for building more personal connections with both our employees and our customers. In fact, we recently debuted on Fortune Magazine's annual "100 Best Companies To Work For" list, and they began and ended the article talking about our use of Twitter to build more personal connections with people. That in itself is its own reward that has both personal and business benefits, but for this blog post, I wanted to share my stories and thoughts on how Twitter has helped me grow personally.

For me, it comes down to these four things:

1. Transparency & Values: Twitter constantly reminds me of who I want to be, and what I want Zappos to stand for.
2. Reframing Reality: Twitter encourages me to search for ways to view reality in a funnier and/or more positive way.
3. Helping Others: Twitter makes me think about how to make a positive impact on other people's lives.
4. Gratitude: Twitter helps me notice and appreciate the little things in life.

The great thing about all four of these things is that not only have they helped me grow as a person, but they've also led to me being generally happier in life.

Meet Tim & Beth...

The SoHills' media team is producing some incredible videos to support our launch of Groups. Stephen Corbett, SoHills Congregational Life minister and the "Yoda" of our media team, combined efforts with BJ Lewis to create the video below. Watch this clip and see if you don't agree that they've hit another home run.



In the spirit of full disclosure, I must point out that the gifted artist who drew the images for this video is my extraordinarily talented eldest daughter, Katie Lea. I am surrounded by unbelievably creative people!

What Makes A Man's Legacy...

The Bush daughters have written a letter to the Obama daughters about life in the White House. The letter is a sweet affirmation of friendships and family... and especially fathers.

I've been hearing a good bit lately about presidential legacies. I'm convinced the greatest legacy any man who is privileged to be a father will leave is the life and love he lived before his children.

You Can Quote Me...

Busyness is a synonym for barrenness.
More margin equals more creativity, more productivity, and more vitality.

The Important Stuff...

Stephen Covey tells the story in First Things First of attending a seminar in which the instructor pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar. The instructor placed the jar on the table next to some fist-sized rocks.

“How many of these rocks do you think we can get in the jar?” he asked.

The students made various guesses. The instructor then proceeded to fill the jar with the rocks. When the jar appeared to be full, he asked the class, “Is this jar full?” Everyone looked at the jar and agreed that it was indeed full.

The instructor then reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He then dumped the gravel into the jar. The gravel went in between all the little places left by the big rocks.

The instructor grinned and once more asked, “Is the jar full?” By this time, the class was on to him. “Probably not,” several of the students said.

“Good!” he replied. The instructor reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He poured it into the jar. It went into all the spaces left by the big rocks and the gravel. Again, he asked the class, “Is this jar full?”

“No,” the class shouted.

The instructor said, “Good!” He then grabbed a pitcher of water and poured almost a quart of water into the jar. Then he said, “What’s the point?”

Someone said, “If you really work at it, you can always squeeze more stuff into your life.” “No,” the instructor responded. “That’s not the point. The point is this: if you hadn’t put these big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?”

I would make an additional point. The big rocks are a metaphor for the important stuff. If you don’t make room for the important stuff, it will be overwhelmed by the less important stuff.

Your Thoughts...

As I sat in my favorite booth at Sharky's yesterday (I really don't have a favorite booth, I like all of the booths equally), these words were spoken by the young person sitting across from me: "I've prepared myself educationally to serve a church as one of its ministers... but I've done several internships, and seen so much of church, and how church people act toward each other... I'm having second thoughts about my next step. What do you think?"

Slide alongside me into my booth, and join me in responding to this young person's question. Allow me to briefly introduce you to them: they are bright, sincere, dedicated to Bible study and prayer, a leader on their university campus and at their church.

Praying that the Holy Spirit would give me the words to speak in response to this young person's soul-searching question, I said... hmmm, how about before I tell you what I said, I let you think about what you would have spoken in response to their query.

And you would have said...

What Makes Up A Group At SoHills...

We're moving toward a launch of Groups at SoHills on February 15. My ministerial team mates and I have spent months thinking and praying about Groups... and those efforts have been supported and supplemented by our Groups Leadership Team. I am excited about the direction we're pointed... as I believe the path we're on will create a new Groups dynamic and culture at SoHills.

A key aspect of our Groups launch at SoHills has been a sharply focused communication strategy. The video below will take you less than 60 seconds to view. Watch it and see if you don't agree that this video succinctly answers the question, "What Makes Up A Group At SoHills?"



The creative genius behind this video is my partner in ministry, Stephen Corbett.

A Lesson in Friendship...

If this video clip doesn't tug at your heartstrings and cause you to be thankful for the friends in your life... nothing will.

The "Vannket"...

You've probably seen the ad for the revolutionary, new keep-warm garment called the "Snuggie."
I'm thinking about marketing a piece of fabric with three holes cut in it and calling it the "Vannket." The "Vannket" will sell for $19.95 each, or two for $40.

Best Practices of Best Leaders...

In today's global environment, it's more important than ever before that leaders know what their job really is. A question I frequently hear ministers asking is, "What's my job? Where should I be focusing my time and effort?"

I was encouraged to discover that there is actually a short list of the “Best Practices of the Best Leaders.” What's most encouraging is the fact that these best practices are not rocket science. Anyone can focus on and grow in these five areas. However, don't let the simplicity fool you. These best practices are the best practices of the best leaders. The more you can narrow your focus to these five things the greater your potential for impact.

Nurturing Vitality
Leaders must lead themselves before they can lead others. You have to be a disciple in order to make disciples and you will always produce what you are. The best leaders pay close attention to their own lives. The best leaders "nurture (care for, feed, pay attention to) their own vitality (strength, health). The best leaders understand that we can't give what we don't have. They understand that leadership is a discipline and this is reflected in their physical, relational, financial, emotional and spiritual vitality. They have what others are calling "it", but at the same time they understand the high price that comes with getting "it". Are you nurturing your vitality?

Being Ruthless About The Vision
There is a ruthlessness that's required to be a great leader when it comes to vision. The best leaders are not ruthless people, but they are ruthless about the vision. They understand that vision comes from God, therefore they are relentless about protecting the vision that God has given them. They refuse to allow anyone---or any group---hijack the vision and are relentless about guarding their own heart when it comes to vision. With this comes a passion for communicating the vision that includes both art and science. They are gifted at communicating vision, but they work just as hard at it. Being mean about the vision also means a relentless commitment to make hard calls in an effort to please God and God alone. Are you being ruthless about the vision?

Financing The Vision
Perhaps no practice separates great leaders from good leaders like financing the mission. Every great vision requires an incredible amount of resourcing to implement. Churches that are seeing the greatest impact understand the importance of balancing faith and wisdom in this area. Financing the mission is not something that simply happens, but something the best leaders take personal responsibility for and spend lots of time working on. The best leaders give inordinate amounts of time developing a culture of generosity within their church or organization and raising up men and women committed to financing the mission. In today's global environment, it's more important than ever before we take responsibility to build fully resourced organizations. Are you taking the responsibility for financing the mission?

Thinking Team
Leaders who experience significant breakthroughs are always thinking team. It is one of their primary responsibilities. They have the ability to identify and raise up teams out of their organization. However, it doesn't end there. They also have the ability to attract high level team players and coach them to play at their greatest capacity. The best leaders spend lots of time with their team. The best leaders understand that entrepreneurship is not leadership. Entrepreneurship plus teamwork is. Are you thinking team?

Redefining Discipleship
A leader sets the culture and spiritual temperature of their church. They understand that they set the pace for helping people discover the centrality and simplicity of Jesus and his ways. They have a white-hot passion for Jesus and not only do they spend time keeping this passion for themselves, they create a culture, strategy, systems, and process for leading others to this white-hot passion for Jesus. The best leaders help lead people to understand that discipleship is not primarily about church programs, Bible studies, and busyness at the church. Rather, discipleship is based on the simplicity of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving others more than we love ourselves! Are you helping the people within your organization redefine discipleship?

How many of these best practices are you practicing?

Get Out of the Boat...

What would it feel like to walk on water? When Jesus invited Peter to climb out of the boat and join him on the waves… what thoughts went through Peter’s head? Did Peter stop to ponder Jesus' invitation? Maybe, without taking his eyes off Jesus, Peter just kicked off his sandals and stepped out of the boat.

Is walking on water like walking on Jell-O? Maybe… but if you’re walking on Jell-O you wouldn’t be able to bend down, poke your hand in and touch a fish swimming underneath you. Matthew 14 doesn’t tell us what it was like to walk on water… just that Jesus was doing it and Peter got to join him.

And why did Peter doubt? One minute he’s walking on the water toward Jesus, and then… he takes his eyes off Jesus. At that moment, Peter ceases to walk on water. The reason: He stopped looking at the One who made the impossible possible.

No longer did the water provide support to Peter’s feet. He starts sinking. But Jesus is there to provide strong hands that rescue Peter from a watery fate.

Now… if you’re one of the other disciples in the boat, what are you thinking? “I knew Peter couldn’t do it.” “It serves him right for trying a stunt like that!” “Peter just didn’t have the right kind of faith.” But then it hits you… Peter was the only one of the guys in the boat who stepped out onto the water.

I wonder what I would have done if I’d been in the boat that night.

Do I trust Jesus enough to do the impossible?

Can I keep my eyes fixed on him… no matter what?

God, please keep me focused on the One who teaches me how to get out of the boat.

Heart Issues...

My ministry partner, Stephen Corbett, and I were leaving the SoHills church building on a recent afternoon when we were approached by a man... let's call him Dave... who indicated he was in a tough spot. Dave said that he was stranded in Abilene without any money, hungry... and needing to get to Odessa where a "good opportunity" awaited him.

My initial response in situations such as this is "respectful wariness." I always struggle to not jump to a conclusion, and my prayer is that I will listen to anyone's story with the ears and heart of Jesus.

Stephen and I listened to Dave's story... a story which continued to evolve and change as Dave unraveled it. "Lord," I prayed, "don't allow my heart to become hard... show me how you'd have me respond to Dave."

To address Dave's hunger, I pulled into a local fast food restaurant. Dave's response was, "I don't want to eat here... they serve dog food!"

"Lord... please don't allow my heart to become hard."

I drove on through the restaurant's parking lot and headed to the bus station, the place where Dave had asked Stephen and me to drop him. We parked, and I pulled Dave's bag from the car's trunk. Dave seemed surprised and asked what I was doing with his bag. He said he might want to be driven elsewhere, and to leave his bag.

"Dave, that's not what we agreed we'd do," I said. "You asked to be taken to the bus station and that's where we've taken you.... we're not driving you anyplace else." At that, Dave became sullen, and asked if we'd take him back to the fast-food place where we'd been earlier.

"No, Dave... you said you wouldn't eat their food, so we're at your last stop... the bus station."

Dave muttered comments about phony Christians who didn't really care about people as Stephen and I walked him into the bus station. As we turned to exit, Dave turned his back on us... not making eye contact or saying a word.

As Stephen and I climbed back into the car, my prayer was still, "Lord, please don't allow my heart to become hard."

Blue Parakeets...

I've just finished a most interesting book by Scot McKnight titled The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read The Bible. Didn't agree with everything Scot wrote, but my thinking was strectched... and that's always good for me. Here's an excerpt from his blog in which Scot introduces his blue parakeet concept:

Since I was a high schooler I've been bugged by what is commonly called "pick and choose" when it comes to the Bible. Thirty years later convinces me that:

(1) We all do this.
(2) We need to talk about something underneath it all: HOW we pick and choose.

I believe that Christians have always read the Bible carefully and have "discerned" how to live the Bible out in the world today. But this runs smack-dab into the face of perhaps the most common attitude that many Christians think they are using when it comes to "applying" the Bible. Here it is:

1. God says it.
2. I believe it.
3. That settles it.

In The Blue Parakeet we address this entire issue of picking and choosing (what I'd prefer to call "adopting and adapting") and how it is that we have learned to apply the Bible. It is a process of discernment. I don't believe those three numbered points above are how we actually apply the Bible... unless we want to use it has a hammer against someone else.

This is how we apply the Bible most of the time: we see what the Bible says and we discern how to live it out. What we do is try to live out today what we see in the Bible... and we need the guidance of the Spirit in the context of the community in order to do this right.

Take, for an example, footwashing. The text of John 13 clearly shows Jesus expected his followers to wash the feet of others. He didn't expect them just to do acts of service for one another. But, because of cultural shifts and the like, we "discern" from a specific act (footwashing) and a specific command (to wash feet) that the way to "apply" that today is to take a visitor's coat, offer them something to drink or eat, and usher them to a comfortable place in our home.

That act of "discernment" is what The Blue Parakeet explores. I believe most application of the Bible works like this; I don't believe the above three points are how we apply the Bible most of the time.

To ask this question means we have to look at some very difficult passages, passages that we read and know deep inside that we don't practice that verse as it says, and I call these passages "blue parakeet" passages.

Quoteable...

Is the work you're doing actually leading you where you want to go, or merely keeping you busy? ... Seth Godin

Could You Live A Year Like Jesus...

I found the following article in a recent on-line version of USAToday. I have excerpted it for your reading enjoyment.

Ed Dobson (pictured at right) has spent most of his life following Jesus. But only now does he realize how hard it is to live like him.

This retired pastor has spent the last year trying to eat, pray, talk and even vote as Jesus would. His revelation: Being Jesus is tough.

"I've concluded that I am a follower, but I'm not a very good one," Dobson said. "If you get serious about the Bible, it will really mess you up."

Dobson has preached in bars, picked up strangers needing rides and voted for a Democrat who he believes best reflects Christ's teachings. During his recent Christmas celebrations, as fellow Christians worshiped the Christ child born in a manger, Dobson appreciated more than ever the man who preached love, only to die on a cross.

"Everybody loves a baby," mused Dobson. "But when you start reading the teachings of this baby, and about the sufferings of this baby, you begin to understand better who he is."

Dobson has known suffering. He was diagnosed in 2001 with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Neither its deteriorating effects, nor his work as a vice president at a local Christian university, deterred his determination to emulate Jesus.

Cornerstone University President Joseph Stowell, who hired Dobson as vice president for spiritual formation last spring, said he admires Dobson's commitment, but is not surprised by it. It reflects his longtime friend's desire to "live outside the box" despite his health challenges.

"God often uses suffering to drive us deeper," Stowell said. "Ed's disease has put a heart-and-head focus on a deeper walk with God through the person of Jesus."

Dobson never knew how demanding that walk could be until he resolved to take it — and found it took him in unexpected directions.

He decided to devote a year to living like Jesus after reading The Year of Living Biblically, A.J. Jacobs' account of obeying Bible commands as literally as possible. If a non-religious Jew could do it, Dobson decided, so could a practicing Christian.

That meant following Old Testament laws about eating, clothing and behavior, since Jesus was a Jew whose followers created Christianity. Observing kosher dietary requirements to not mix meat and dairy products, Dobson gave up his beloved chicken-and-cheese burritos.

"I can't wait to order it for the first time" in the new year, he said with a chuckle.

The normally tee-totaling Dobson also allowed himself an occasional drink, noting Jesus was accused by critics of being a "glutton and a drunkard" who partied with pagans.

"If I'm at a party with a bunch of people who don't know the Lord and they offer me a beer, I'll take it," said Dobson, adding, "People at bars are wide open to talk about anything, including God."

Dobson celebrated Jewish holidays such as Yom Kippur and Passover and often prayed at a synagogue. He refrained from work and travel as much as possible on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, but made an exception to watch his grandchildren's soccer games.

Obeying the biblical command not to trim beards, he let his grow as long and shaggy as an orthodox rabbi's.

"It's a pain in the neck when you're eating spaghetti," he observed.

But a messy beard was the easy part of living like Jesus.

"The hard part is trying to live up to his teachings," Dobson said. "I've realized how far I fall short."

Dobson, who preached for 18 years, re-read the four Gospels every week. He took to heart Jesus' commands to help the poor and visit the imprisoned. He also heeded his warning that only those who do God's work will enter heaven. He prayed daily, repeatedly reciting "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me" — the plea of a blind man Jesus healed.

Dobson doesn't pray to be healed of ALS, but relies on God's goodness to help him through the slowly debilitating disease. His frame grows thinner and his hands weaker by the day. Focusing on Jesus helps.

"I'm getting up every day not worried about what doesn't work; I'm getting up concerned about how do I live out this Jesus stuff."

The "Jesus stuff" has been good for Dobson, said his wife, Lorna.

"I respect him highly for doing that, but I always have respected his desire to do what he learns from the God's Word and his relationship with the Lord," she said.

Dobson said he hopes this time of economic hardship will make people think more about a Savior who came to help the poor and hungry and who wants his followers to do the same.

And, while he looks forward to cutting his beard and eating burritos in the new year, he won't forget what he has learned from Jesus.

"I intend to keep trying to live out his teachings in the new year," he said, "even more seriously than right now, if that's possible."

What do you think would be hardest about trying to live like Jesus?

Pew Humor...

This picture seems to be crying out for a great caption. Any suggestions?

The Great Storyteller of the Great Story...

Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories... Matthew 13:34 CEV

Have you ever noticed that when someone asked Jesus a question, he often responded with a story?

According to the latest research, it seems Jesus was way ahead of his time. Cognitive scientist Roger Shank tells us research is showing that "humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories." I noticed this again last year when reading a book on Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was constantly telling stories in response to questions or difficult decisions, sometimes much to the chagrin of the people around him.

"Honest Abe" was on to something. He knew that stories resonate with people at a far deeper level than logical information does. Clearly, information has its place... but it pales in comparison to the imprint stories make in people's hearts and minds.

So, here's the question for the day. When explaining your point of view, do you rely more on information or story? Now, here's your assignment for the day. When explaining something to a co-worker, friend, child or whomever... try to be a storyteller instead of an information distributor. I bet you'll find something powerful happens. Your point will have greater staying power connected to the story you tell.

The question of information versus story is also particularly important for those of us who are Christ-followers. Perhaps one of the most important things we could do this year is simply become better storytellers. After all, I'd say Jesus is a pretty good story to tell. Some, in fact, say he's the greatest story ever told.

Kingdom Opportunities...

I was in New Orleans over the weekend (joining thousands of Alabama and Utah fans... but I didn't make the Sugar Bowl) to celebrate the dedication of Carrollton Avenue church's plant of a new congregation in the Hollygrove community of New Orleans. Here are a few pictures from Sunday's dedication.

What Makes You Want To Read It...

I like lists. I especially like lists of good content. Considering the internet is a Niagara Falls of content, lists help you zero in on the good stuff.

Despite the plethora of lists, I run across dozens of things each week that I really want to read... but don't have time to... or don't get around to reading.

Partly this is because they're too long. I want short content. Interesting, funny, thought provoking ... efficient. However, I've noticed lately there are several such things, short bits of interesting content, that I want to delve into, but never do.

For example, there are several great blogs currently bookmarked on my Firefox toolbar. Why don't I take the time to engage this material that I really like (and know I really like)... especially after the producer has taken the time to package it so nicely, and make it short and good?

Do you have this problem? What do content creator's need to do to make us engage their content?

Prom King & Queen...

This clever video was produced by Community Christian Church.



You've got to admire the Prom King and Queen... as they're still finding time and energy to put on the crowns and love each other.

Happy New Year...

Best wishes for the new year!

In 2009:
Think abundantly.
Plan intentionally.
Execute consistently.
Celebrate frequently.