Another Lesson by the Stream

This last week I was meeting with a group of pastors I coach. It was a time for me to lead a group of leaders in a good self-evaluation, challenging them to press onward and inward. We met at a trout club in front of the fire in a man cave of a lodge. Lots of dead fish and game mounted on the walls. Rustic décor. Natural setting. It’s a great place. We talked about calling, the posture we take before God, how the Holy Spirit is speaking to us. We compared how we prepared sermon notes, how we preached, and talked about getting input on our preaching skills from an associate or a trusted elder. We committed to asking an open-ended question to our wives about future dreams and hopes. We prayed earnestly about our callings, our roles, our character. It was a valued and powerful time.

But the greatest lesson I learned that day, the greatest reminder of my calling didn’t come at the meeting. It came by the stream. After lunch before I settled behind the computer for a little work I hit the trout stream. Threw a pearl luminescent streamer, silver bead head, red tread. I caught ten trout in an hour. I then went in and tackled some computer project by the fire.

Around 4pm I wanted to hit the stream again before I left. When I left the lodge, I discovered that another group (salesman on a district sales training day) were having a team competition fly fishing on the streams. 20 + adults who had no experience fly-fishing. With my fishing vest on I was mistaken right away for a worker at the lodge. “Hey lost my fly can I get another?” Not wanting to watch this group just be frustrated, I set my rod aside and for the next hour retied lines, taught casting, put individuals on good spots and holes, coached how and where to cast to and worked the stream.” An hour later a group of rookies had caught 16 trout. 14 were caught by individuals I was coaching. I didn’t catch any. I didn’t wet a line.

Driving home it hit me hard. That was the real leadership lesson of my day. Leaders come alongside others, share their knowledge, they encourage, they challenge, they equip, they coach, they direct others that they might succeed. Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” THE LEADER, made leaders. Leaders pour their lives into others. That they might succeed.

Who are you coming alongside? Who are you teaching to fish?

So how do you think of yourself?

I had one of those incredible moments in the Word the other day.  One of those moments when something so often overlooked jumped off the page at me.  It was one of the defining leadership moments.  One of those moments when all I could do was say,  “yes Lord I hear you.”

Most leaders have a clear understanding of their calling.  Some are called as pastors, some as entrepreneurs, some as international workers, or children’s workers, youth leaders, labors, doctors, elders, administrators.  For many leaders they become accustomed to identifying themselves by their calling.  I’m a pastor.  I’m an international worker.  I’m a banker.  I’m a businessman.

I admit I do that all the time.  Every Sunday I introduce myself to our congregations as the “Lead Pastor of Norwalk Alliance Church.”  

So on Thursday in the window at the coffee house I’m focusing in on a new devotional study I wanted to undertake.  Seeking insight into Paul’s leadership I planned to do a slow and deliberate study, pouring over the Book of Romans.  Using the English Standard Version I dove in.  I managed to get all the way through the first verse before the Holy Spirit opened my eyes.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,  (Rom 1:1 ESV)

There it is.  Huge isn’t it.  

Do you see how Paul thinks of himself?   Look at his introduction.   It isn’t “Paul, the Apostle, the carrier of the Gospel to the Gentiles.”  No it’s “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle.”  

Apostle was what God choose for Paul.  It was the calling he laid upon him.

Servant was what Paul chooses for himself.  It was the posture, the identity he assumed.

Wow!  Paul identified himself first as a servant.  Not just a servant a slave, a doulos, a bought for and owned bond slave.  How Paul thought of himself was vastly different than how I normally thought of myself.  If you’re like me it’s easy to think of yourself as leader with a calling.  Paul saw himself as a servant with call.

How do you think of yourself? 

No Cheap Love

     I saw it on the internet the other day. It was an ad for an engagement ring. The picture of the ring is pretty spectacular. The photograph did a great job highlighting the attractive setting of the ring. The large stone was surrounded by 18 smaller chips and five similar chips were set in the band itself. It looked amazing I could only guess the small fortune it would cost. $2500? $3000? $5000?
     The only problem-it was a fake. "Brigitte's Imitation Diamond Solitaire Ring, Price : $30.00"
     Imagine the disappointment, imagine the insult, and imagine the anger when a woman finds out that her engagement ring, the pledge of his love was a fake.
     We're called to love, especially as leaders who claim the name of the Forgiver. We are called to love.
     So imagine our people, our friends, our family discovering that our supposed love for them was nothing more than an act, a fake, an imitation.
     In one sentence in Romans Paul sets the standard for a leaders love. "Love must be sincere." Romans 12:9 NIV
     The Greek word for sincere could be translated. . .

Guileless - open and honest and not expecting others to behave differently
Pure - clean and free from impurities
True - not pretended or artificial
Genuine - having the qualities or value claimed
Without hypocrisy - without false claims or pretense
Without dissimulation - seeking to hide true feelings, thoughts or intentions

The Forgiver's leaders LOVE.

Lost Lid

A heavy storm blew through my neighborhood last week. It reminded me of one of those leadership principles I think about so often. It occurred the morning of our usual garbage pickup. Up and down the street, the garbage cans and recycling bins placed at the curb the night before had been dutifully emptied by the sanitation department earlier that morning. But with most people away at work when the winds came, lids, cans, and bins became scattered up and down the street. Anyone driving down our road was forced to avoid numerous objects blown into the street.

At about 3:00 pm I was heading home to get ready for an appointment. As I drove through the garbage can maze, I wondered if I'd find all my cans and lids. A quick survey of the yard revealed a recycling bin and lid, two garbage cans, and ONE lid.

Rats! After a search up and down the street, a search through the landscaping around the house, and a walk through the neighboring yards, it was apparent. The lid was lost.

The lid is a vitally important in getting my garbage out each week. Without a lid, my garbage becomes prone to raccoon invasion. It's not that I dislike raccoons, it's just the mess they make when they get into my garbage.

I had a choice to make. I could: (1) keeping looking; (2) hope that a favoring wind would bring it back; (3) live without a lid; (4) replace the can. Option 4 made the most sense, so $10 and one trip to Wal-Mart later, the problem was solved, the mission accomplished. I could get the garbage out without raccoons getting into it.

So what were the leadership reminders?

1. Storms happen. Sometimes they leave consequences that cannot be avoided.
2. In the wake of a leadership storm, assessing your choices is always the first step.
3. Not every choice makes sense.
4. A leader makes the choice that preserves the mission.

As the church was spreading across Asia Minor, the apostles dealt with leadership storms-storms about Gentiles, Judaizers, legalism versus freedom. Read Acts again and watch leaders in the wake of storms make the choices that preserve the mission.

Leaders lead. Their choices matter, especially in the wake of a storm.

North by North Whatever

I'm standing at a conference in the middle of a worship service and pull my keys out of my pocket. I'm not sure why. I'm surrounded by fellow leaders, pastors and ministers; each of us dealing with different issues, circumstances and journey to travel in our role as leaders. I don't why but I'm staring at my keys. As I do my focus is drawn to one object and I have one of those "man in the window" moments when His Spirit speaks to mine. I am moved, challenged and encouraged all at the same time.

On my key chain hangs a clip-on compass. Can't remember when I got. Can't remember when I clipped it on. But there it was and as I stared at the dial it swung the arrow point to North. In the building in which I stood, I had no idea where north was. But the compass always points to north. Yes, Lord. I hear you .

Just as the compass found north, so does the undergirding principle of a leaders life always bring him back on point. The call that defines our purpose, swings the dial and points the way.

Like every leader, my life sometimes gets really hectic and very full. I can be distracted by work, by leisure, by challenges, by ease. So many things can distract me from the call, the purpose, the direction the Forgiver has set for me. Yet one thing always puts me back on track and reorients me. It keeps me focused on the goal. It's my true north.

Who am I? Bought and paid for by the sacrifice of the Forgiver, I am a man called to know Him and make Him known.

Leaders who follow the Forgiver know their true north. The calling that always points the way. It is the direction our lives will take no matter the circumstances, challenges or constraints.

It is our compass point, the orientating direction of our lives.

Leaders know that remembering it helps us to make course corrections, stay on track, and to keep moving forward.

Without Limit (or Maybe Not)

I was having one of those duh moments in my study and reflection time. It occurred as I was thinking about one of those passages in scripture that those of us in ministry or in church have read, heard, studied or even preached. The living Word was again proving it was sharp and about to pierce right through to the very marrow of who I was.


Let me share the passage with you.
   Matthew 25:15  To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, . . .

There it is. Huge! I know in the past I've read it, studied it, preached it. I can name the teaching points.

· He gave to each one.
· He gave according to their ability
· He gave expecting a return
· He gave and it's our choice how we use them.
· He gave and he will give more to those who are faithful.
(feel free to add your own key points)

But none of these points were what God was speaking to me about on this particular morning. The truth cutting to the marrow of my being was this.

· He gave to each one with limits.


That's right, he gave with limits. We are called to minister, to lead, to work within those limits. Sometimes we live, minister, lead, and work as if there were no limits, no boundaries, no confines. But he gave with limits. Three talents are smaller than five. One talent is smaller than three. Limits.

As leaders it is easy to fall into the trap of being over-committed, over-extended, and operating with little margin in our lives (a trap this leader has sometimes failed to avoid). But if God gave with limits, when we find ourselves consistently operating in that over-extended pace, it's time to admit we've lost sight of His limits, His agenda, His calling.

I've been in one of those evaluation periods, seeking to ensure that I'm operating within His limits. Is it time for you to take a similar look?

I've Been to the Mountain Top Valley

     A week ago I was having my worst day dealing with feelings of blueness and depression in the last 9 years of my life.  Over the years I've had my battles with the darkness, but for a period of years I enjoyed brighter days and not near the struggle, so I was rattled to find myself battling some significant blueness.  Knowing that a break from my regular habits and disciplines often helps in times like that, Cheryl and I planned a weekend away.
     Friday afternoon we headed out to a cheap hotel in but not too close to the city. Dinner and movie, browse time in a bookstore, a good night's sleep, a great day at a great zoo, a swim in a pool later, a card game in a coffee house and by the time Saturday evening closed I was feeling quite better. But it was Sunday morning that was the turning point. Sometimes it is a great thing for a pastor simply to attend another church as a worshipper; to experience a Sunday with no responsibilities other than to meet with God.
     Something in the worship service that morning spurred a thought that I found very comforting. I wrote it out in my journal.
     "Mountain tops are a great place on which to stand, but little growth occurs there. Most real growth occurs in the valleys."
     I've skied in the alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific North West. Above the tree line, the views are spectacular, but there's not much that grows there, a lot of rock, a few sparse trees. But not much else. As you go the mountain, life teems everywhere. "Real growth occurs in the valleys."
     I don't think anyone likes it when they are battling a period of blueness. Like most I love the mountaintop experiences of life. But on Sunday the Holy Spirit was reminding me that He was at work, in the valley. For this leader, it's what I needed to be reminded of. God is at work in the valley, real growth occurs there.
     My God bless the valleys.

iPod Sync

"Sync"-ed

I have an iPod Nano.  On it is uploaded a series of songs, a playlist I listen to when I run, a series of podcasts, everything from Ravi Zacharias, to "Things I Missed In History Class," and a number of messages from a pastors' conference at Moody Bible Institute.  On numerous long drives I've enjoyed the company of my I-pod.  It is always attached to my arm when I am running, whether in a 5k or just taking a trip through the neighborhood.

The other day it hit me how much I was learning from my iPod.  I'm not referring to what I'm learning from all the authors, speakers and sermons.  I'm not referring to the lyrics of some of the incredible worship music.  My iPod has been teaching me in a different way.  I've been learning from how it works.  Not the electronics (though I have had to change the battery), but from how it keeps itself up to date.

Most times when I need to recharge my iPod, I plug it into my laptop.  As soon as I do, iTunes pops up, connects to my iPod, and automatically does a sync.  "Sync" is short for synchronize. When you sync a device, you synchronize it with data on your computer. It updates both the device and the computer with the most recent information.  Data is merged in a real time interface.  If a message or song has been added to my computer, it gets updated to my iPod.  Podcasts that have been listened to on the Nano are removed.  The only time this fails is if I break the connection before the sync is completed.  My iPod even warns me not to do this.  It flashes a message "sync in progress, do not disconnect."

There's the lesson.  Huge isn't it?  The perfect example of what it means to connect with God occurs every time I recharge my iPod. 

I want to be in sync with what God wants to instill into my life and to have what is of no use removed.  Every time I connect with God I should expect that he is going to be uploading new messages for me, but he is also seeking to remove other things.  My iPod teaches me that there are two ways to goof up the process of hearing from God.  First, I can neglect connecting, never getting recharged, never receiving updated messages from God.  The second is to break the connection before the sync is complete, not allowing God to do what he wants to do in my heart and my life that day.

When I see my iPod it reminds me to be sure I'm getting connected and letting the sync take place. 

How's your sync?  Up to date?  Current? Recharged?

The man in the window

 

Bruce D. Rzengota
Norwalk Alliance Church

Prayer is not preparation for the battle, it is the battle.

Questions?

Every leader asks questions. The nature of the questions shapes the leader. What are the questions contemplated in your heart? At this point in my life, in my calling, in my role, I've been struggling with a few. The same ones keep surfacing time and time again. The first one opens the door to so many more.

What does it mean?

What does it mean to want God's glory and not your own?

What does it mean to be all things to all men and yet work only to please the Lord?

What does it mean to be LIGHT when most of the time I avoid the darkness?

What does it mean?

What does it mean if I drive by a funeral and don't wonder about the person's fate?

What does it mean when I count my days and know there are more behind me than are likely to be ahead of me?

What does it mean when I remember that one day I will stand in his presence and give an account?

What does it mean?

What does it mean that I have claimed his name, read his word, shared his truth for thirty-two years and yet still battle with sin, toy with apathy, and get distracted so easily.

What does it mean?

What does it mean that I have been cleaned by grace, set free from sin, empowered with gifts, called to purpose?

What does it mean that I live where I do, surrounded by specific faces—specific lives, specific needs. What does it mean?

What does it mean that I am supposed to lead? What does it mean?

What questions are shaping you? As for me, I am haunted by the ones that begin, "What does it mean?"

 

The Man in the Window

A Sign from God

Devo -- A Sign from God

Signs and wonders. I confess that most of the time I wonder more about signs and wonders than I ever experience them. I have no stories about the heavens opening, dove descending. No writing on the wall, no parting of waters. It's not that I am closed to the idea of God breaking into my day in a miraculous way; it's just that most often I don't expect it.

But one verse is challenging me to change that. It's one of those passages that I have read time and time again. I've heard it quoted, preached and taught, and now it's got me looking for a sign—a sign that is vital to my relationship with the Forgiver; perhaps it is more vital than anything else in my experience with Him.

I'm looking for a sign. I'm trying to develop the habit of looking for it every day as I go about all the other routines of my life. I'm starting to get glimpses of it, and it's powerful. It is both challenging to me and rewarding when I recognize it and obey.

Yep, I'm looking for a sign from God, a divine interruption in the busyness of my day, my life, my mind, my schedule.

What's the sign I'm looking for? It's one that most of us will encounter today and pass right on by, but now I'm trying to look for it and obey.

Want to find it? Get in your car today and drive to a four way intersection. A residential neighborhood is likely to be more helpful, but you can discover this sign in any city, any town. Keep your eyes open and assume the posture of a searcher. Look for the sign. This is critical. If you're not looking for it, you're likely to miss it.

Before long you will encounter it. It is a guarantee I can make from this computer. There it will be right in front of you. Usually off to the side, visible day and night.

It's an eight-sided sign with one word painted on a red background—STOP.

There it is, my sign from God.

STOP

Every time I see it, I'm seeking to remind myself that God wants me to do just that—STOP. Stop and pause, connect with His presence, break the busyness with a moment that alters reality. STOP. I am not alone. STOP. He is in control. STOP. I am loved. STOP. He is real. STOP. Let the eternal redefine the temporal. STOP. He is speaking. STOP. And know that he is God.

I am trying to imagine how my life would change if every time I encountered a stop sign, I stopped, just for a few moments and reconnected with the God who transcends time. I'm looking for a sign from God, and every time I see it, I'm trying to obey.

¹⁰Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. Psalm 46:10 (The Amplified Bible)

Go ahead and look for the sign.

The Man in the Window.

What Does It Mean?

I live on fairly nice little street in a smaller little dead end neighborhood. You can't really drive through my neighborhood and get to another one. All roads into my neighborhood start from the same road and lead out to the same road out. The houses are modest, most lawns are well kept, and many have flowers in the yards, bird feeders among the landscape, swings on porches, patio furniture in the yard.

What does it mean to live there?

It means I mow my lawn and weed the flower beds. I trim the trees and rake the leaves. It means I take in the mail and take the trash to the curb. Empty bins are returned back to the house. I repair the sidewalk and keep it clear.

But what does it mean to live there?

I live among people, families, couples, children, and singles. So I'm polite to my neighbors; I wave in passing, play my music low and observe the boundaries between our yards. I've learned their names, returned the wrongly delivered mail.

But what does it mean to live among them?

I'm a follower of the Forgiver who just happens to work at a church.

So what does it mean to live there? The same thing it means for every follower of the Forgiver. It means that living there is more that mowing the lawn, being polite and learning names. It means that living there is a part of my calling, my place of service, my purpose.

It means that living there is a vital part of the advancing the kingdom. It means I have a role to discover in the relationships of those around me, friendships to be develop, and lives to be shared. It means I have a savior to be unveiled, a light to be lived out, love to be demonstrated, truth to be shown.

What does it mean that you live where you live?

The same thing.

The Man in the Window

This is one of those videos worth sharing

http://www.godtube.com/featured/video/steve-harvey-introduces-jesus-christ

Bruce D. Rzengota
Norwalk Alliance Church

Prayer is not preparation for the battle, it is the battle.

What Does It Mean?

I live on fairly nice little street in a smaller little dead end neighborhood.  You can't really drive through my neighborhood and get to another one.  All roads into my neighborhood start from the same road and lead out to the same road out.  The houses are modest, most lawns are well kept, and many have flowers in the yards, bird feeders among the landscape, swings on porches, patio furniture in the yard. 

What does it mean to live there?

It means I mow my lawn and weed the flower beds.  I trim the trees and rake the leaves.   It means I take in the mail and take the trash to the curb.  Empty bins are returned back to the house.  I repair the sidewalk and keep it clear. 

But what does it mean to live there?

I live among people, families, couples, children, and singles.  So I'm polite to my neighbors; I wave in passing, play my music low and observe the boundaries between our yards.  I've learned their names, returned the wrongly delivered mail. 

But what does it mean to live among them?

I'm a follower of the Forgiver who just happens to work at a church. 

So what does it mean to live there?  The same thing it means for every follower of the Forgiver.    It means that living there is more that mowing the lawn, being polite and learning names.  It means that living there is a part of my calling, my place of service, my purpose. 

It means that living there is a vital part of the advancing the kingdom.  It means I have a role to discover in the relationships of those around me, friendships to be develop, and lives to be shared.  It means I have a savior to be unveiled, a light to be lived out, love to be demonstrated, truth to be shown. 

What does it mean that you live where you live?

The same thing.

The Man in the Window

What's on the Scroll?

I was reading in Psalms this morning, Psalm 40 to be specific, and I was hit with another one of those leadership moments. I was struck by the wording of verses 7-10.

7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-
it is written about me in the scroll.
8 I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

What a powerful thought. David understood that on a scroll before God things about him were already written. A godly leader is always aware that a record is being kept of not just deeds and accomplishments, but a scroll detailing character and habits is perpetually being written before God. As I sit in the window at the coffeehouse I ponder, "What was written on the scroll about me?"

David knew the character of his heart and life were reflected there.

· I desire to do your will.
· Your law is within me.
· I stand for righteousness.
· I speak of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

What would be written about me on the scroll? What would be written about you?

Every leader who follows the Forgiver should remember this truth. There is writing on the Scroll.

The Man in the Window

Running in the Face of Challenge

I got asked how my "Couch to 5K" running program is working.  I admit I'm learning a lot about myself.  For instance, I know I can run for over 25 minutes without stopping. Now I admit I'm not setting a blistering pace, but I'm running.  I know that I can run and not have my old knees give out.  I know that it takes a determined effort to start, and that getting going seems harder than I expected.  But as I've begun to run longer distances (well longer for me), one of those leadership principles is jumping to my mind.

You see, this week I've begun to run 2.1 miles without stopping.  Okay, it's not a great distance for runners, but for me it's the first time since I was in the military 34 years ago that I've run that far.  And considering that I only had to do it once in the military, 2.1 miles seems like a huge hurdle.  Just the thought of it is overwhelming.  As I set out it seems insurmountable.
 
But I've discovered a secret that works for me.  I have the IPod loaded with uplifting, inspiring music, but that isn't enough.  My secret to running in the face of this bigger challenge is this-I spend a lot of time looking at the ground right in front of me.  I watch the sidewalk, the road, the trail about 10 feet in front of me.  I glance up occasionally and see my progress, but most of the time my head is down and I'm watching the road.  I run 2.1 miles, 10 feet at a time. 

Leadership is often like that.  A leader will face challenges and hurdles.  More often than we would like, those hurdles and challenges seem huge, insurmountable, overwhelming.  Staring at them can be flat out discouraging and defeating.  But real leaders know the secret of facing challenges and hurdles-set your face and keep running.  You keep plugging away bit by bit, step by step.  You look up occasionally and judge the distance to the overall goal, and then you put your head back down and run on.  Building, analyzing, recruiting, modeling, implementing, evaluating, organizing, defining, detailing, equipping, encouraging, we run on-step by step toward the goal.

Proverbs put it this way, "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. "

Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV

Staring into the face of some big challenges?  Put your head down and run on.

The Man in the Window

NEWS

NEW KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT INITIATIVE.  On Thursday evening, after months of meetings, forums, discussions and prayer it became offical.  On August 1st Sandusky Allaince Church will cease it's ministry.  The remnant will merge with Norwalk Alliance Church in a New Kingdom Advance Initiative targeting the an overlooked demographic.  31% of families in Sandusky are led by single mothers.  28% led by two parent families undereducated and underemployed.  We're targeting that demographic.  Pray for the core as it seeks the Father's will.

Bruce D. Rzengota
Norwalk Alliance Church

Prayer is not preparation for the battle, it is the battle.

Simple Lessons

I never cease to be amazed at how easy it is to stumble over our tongue.  Using it can lead to encouragement and relationship and at the same time it can be used in ways that lead to hurt and alienation.  Someday, it will be great to be far beyond the times when I trip over my tongue.  God continue to tame my tongue.

the man in the window

My wife and I headed for Mansfield on Saturday. Planning on spending an enjoyable day at a matinee and browse through our favorite bookstore, we settled in for some good conversation on the drive. As we headed south out of town I glanced down at the dashboard and noted we were "Running on Empty."

I admit the lyrics to Jackson Browne Hit from my teen years ran through my mind.

Running on, running on empty

It's interesting how long I'm willing to let the car run on empty. The warning light wasn't on yet, though I expected it to come on at any time. On the country roads we were taking there were few gas stations along our route. The few that we would come across would likely be higher in price that those in Mansfield, so I determined to just keep (sing it with me) "Running on, running on empty."

In order to just keep running on empty I had to put a few significant possibilities out of my mind.

Running out of Gas was a distinct possibility. The consequences of Running out of Gas would be significant. Not only would there be the loss of time, but I could find myself walking to a gas station in the cold and rain. But it was only 35 miles to Mansfield, so why not just press on.

It's interesting how much running on empty consumed my thoughts as we traveled. Every few miles I looked at the gauge. Still no warning light. We had to be just about on fumes. But even as I came upon gas stations, I ignored the empty gauge and kept driving.

Thinking about it this morning as I sat in the window at the coffee house I realized how easy it had been to ignore the emptiness. I was aware of it. I know there could be consequences, but I just pressed on. Sometimes I realized how much I can be like that spiritually "Running on Empty." Ignoring the emptiness that has crept into my life, I just keep pressing on as though it didn't matter. Sure I know there are possible consequences when we run on empty. But it's too easy to ignore them.

Consequences like:
I get more impatient
I lack compassion
I'm more vulnerable to temptation
I begin to act like I'm entitled to special favor
I'm cynical
I'm critical
I'm disobedient, distant from God
Running on empty is a problem maybe a big problem waiting to happen.

Been running on empty lately? Just hoping that you don't experience problems?

This leader has been reminded once again how important it is to avoid "Running on Empty."

Jackson Browne penned it this way.
I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on
Running on, running on empty
Running on, running blind
Running on, running into the sun
But I'm running behind

Paul said it this way.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

How are you running this week?

Trickle Charge

I own a 500 Piaggio automatic motorcycle. I purchased it a few years ago to help with the ongoing gas crunch we were feeling as prices at the pump soared. I ride it from April well into November and occasionally have even ridden it on an unseasonably warm day in December or March.
Last Thursday on April 1st I went to ride and discovered that my battery was dead. It was my own fault. Being out of town and then country so much over the last two months, I had never thought of starting the bike and getting it charged.

No big deal (I thought). I'll simply give it a jumpstart and be off (right).

Challenge #1: I had no idea where the battery was. After opening every accessible compartment, looking through each service port on the fairing and fenders I still had no Idea where it was.

Challenge #2: I had to locate the owner's manual and seek the information I needed on how to get access to the battery. That would also necessitate locating my reading glasses. A quick read later (not hardly - the Italian owner's manual was not organized in what seemed like a logical way) I discovered the battery was under the tail light compartment.

Challenge #3: To get access to the tail light compartment and the battery, I had to remove the rear hard top stage carrier. Of course since this was an add-on accessory, the owner's manual didn't cover its removal. 20 bolts, four screws and 30 minutes later, I had access to the tail light cover.

There it was, the battery. Success was in sight. I took a 2 amp trickle charger and hooked it up to the terminals. Six hours later, I tested the battery. Fully charged. I tried the starter, and the engine turned over and started.

Success.

I recently spent a month in West Africa,
working with Teams from the US Alliance, the Canadian Alliance, HCJB Global, international workers and indigenous workers doing the same thing (sort of). In the midst of a country locked in darkness as team of individuals installed a radio satellite relay station to allow the Holy Spirit trickle charge access to the land.

To get it hooked up required facing numerous challenges, lost luggage, delayed tools, three cases of heat exhaustion, one broken arm, average weight loss per man was 12 pounds. But in the end, the switch was flipped and it worked.

For all those who went, who gave, who prayed, who stood in the gap, who picked up the ministry pieces at home, the labor was not in vain. In Paul's words, "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 NIV

Seven Words

One thought led to another. The profound truth of a single statement consumed me as I sat in the window at the coffee house. John Crotts in his book Craftsman: Christ Centered Proverbs for Men said "Everyone becomes like that which surrounds them."

Seven words.

"Everyone becomes like that which surrounds them."

The truth is evident everywhere.

*Surround a positive person with critical ones and the positive spirit becomes more critical.

* Surround an enthusiastic person with apathetic ones and watch how easily passion is lost.

* Surround an outward-focused follower with self-focused believers and watch the burden for the lost diminish.

"Everyone becomes like that which surrounds them."

Sure there are exceptions. Fish that swim against the flow of those in the school. The man or woman of unshakable principle that does not bend, does not waver, does not compromise.

But. . .

Most of us are like the "everyone."

And "Everyone becomes like that which surrounds them."

So today what will surround you? What will surround me?

Which friends, which co-workers, which fellow-followers will be the influences in the "surrounding" of our lives?

It matters.

Living Life Unwrapped

How do you say you want to live your life? Which of these statements resonates with
your heart?

--I want to live a life that matters.

--I want to make a difference.

--I want to count for the kingdom.

--I want to know Him and make Him known.

Or maybe you are more modern in your jargon.

--I want to live an authentic transformed life with Jesus.

--I want to live in community with others and God.

--I want to live a Missional lifestyle.

--I want to journey the different path.

Most of us who claim the name of Jesus, most of us who are in a relationship with Jesus can likely sum up how we desire to live our lives in a statement like one of those. They inspire us. They challenge us.

I read a great quote today about how we live our lives. Leaping off the pages of the book I was reading was this quote:

"How we live our days is ... how we live our lives." -- Annie Dillard

How I lived yesterday, how I live today and how I will live tomorrow determines how I live my life. A simple thought. A profound reality. The life I live unwraps before me each day. The daily decisions of what to do, the day after day expressions of what I value paint the picture of my life.

How do I live my life in the day by day reality so that it matters? Jesus summed it up in two commandments. He made it all about the vertical and horizontal.

Love God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, all your strength and
from where those disciplines take you, love everybody else.

Game on! Goal set. Target in sight. Unwrap the life that matters.

Love God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, all your strength and
from where those disciplines take you, love everybody else.

Today, as a leader, as follower, how are you intentionally unwrapping a life that matters?

Stunned

I was watching one of those reality TV shows where belligerent speeders are being arrested. A 17-year-old young woman was pulled over for speeding and possible intoxication. She adamantly refused to cooperate with any request the officer made, let alone the request to get out of her car. Finally having had enough of her defiance, the officer removes his taser and informs her that she will be tased if she doesn’t get out of the car.

The driver still laughs at the officer and even says “right, your gonna tase me. Sure go ahead.” Warning her one last time the officer tases her when she fails to comply. Stunned, she is dragged from the car and falls face down on the ground.

Ezekiel had a vision by the river Kebar. In chapter one he spent 27 verses describing the experience. Finally he declares, “That is what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of God.” (MSG) Having had that epiphany, stunned he falls on his face to the ground; an instant response to the sovereign God.

What does God have to do to you, to me, to get us to comply to His authority, His lordship, His dominion over our lives, our ministries, our work?

Who are you more like, Ezekiel or the 17-year-girls? When God exercises His sovereignty, do we recognize His authority and respond? Or do we force Him to use the “taser” on us?

May this be a year in which we avoid the “Taser.”

Darn it! There Goes My Favorite Expression!

I've got a fickle electronic lock on my van door. It's the sliding door on the driver's side. At least once week when I press my unlock button on the car remote or the electronic button inside the car it fails to unlock. Sometimes locking and unlocking again will correct the problem, but every so often even that fails to work. The only way to get the door unlocked is the old fashioned way of reaching in and pulling up the lock.

Since this only occurs when I need to get in the back seat for some reason or the other, the electronic lock failure is inconvenient. Really inconvenient! Because of the inconvenience I've noticed that I've developed an attitude about the situation. Whenever it occurs, my mouth is quick to utter, "Darn it!" I have begun to express immediate frustration when the door lock fails.

Immediate frustration?

It's a minor problem with an electronic convenience, and when it fails I immediately express frustration!

I didn't get it. I didn't see the picture. I didn't put two and two together until the other day I heard my daughter use the same expression in the kitchen. As her father and mentor I was about to encourage her with a "It's not a big deal," "Let it go" and a "Don't let the little things bother you."

That was when the Holy Spirit hammered me. "Preach it brother." "Preach it directly to your heart."

There I was standing in my kitchen under the conviction that I had grown so use to convenience that even a small problem led to "immediate frustration."

James said to consider it all joy when you encounter various types of trials. How will I ever consider a big trial joy when just the small ones were leading to "immediate frustration?" Since that day the Holy Spirit has been leading me through a series of heart checks. He's is challenging me to remove the favorite phrase from use, not substituting it with another. Instead to simple accept the inconvenience as just that a little thing.

There will always be frustrations. It's a part of life. And as leaders we open ourselves up to more frustrations with the responsibilities we carry. Have you found yourself quick to be frustrated in recent days.

This leader had, and The Leader wants to correct it.