Nicodemus File

Book Review: Why God Won’t Go Away by Alister McGrath

2011-10-20T07:48:00.001-05:00

First I must confess that once of the books I used in my Constructive Theology class in Seminary was McGrath’s book and it was the most well-worn out book of the lot that I had as I was going through the two semesters of Constructive Theology 1 and 2. With that said, I was looking forward to reading his work about the New Atheism.

I think the first thing that the reader needs to understand is that this book was not written in order to convince someone to come to Christ. Instead it was written in order to discuss the concept of the “New Atheism” and review writings of 4 of the most prominent writers in this area, Richard Dawkins, who also teaches at Oxford where McGrath teaches, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens.

McGrath’s purpose is discuss the logic that the “New Atheism” authors lay out and pokes holes in them to show the flaws of what they believe. I like the way that McGrath does this since his points squarely puts the ball back in the court of the “New Atheism” authors to explain their positions and account for the holes. Instead of just point fingers and saying you’re wrong because this is what I believe, McGrath looks at their arguments logically and says okay if this is what you believe that shows that there is no God, then explain these issues or flaws in your logic.

I really liked McGrath’s book. This book is very informational, well-written/researched book on the “New Atheism” and what the movement is about. At the same time, McGrath really does provide a logical understand of the flaws that this movement has and provides you with some interesting points to think about regarding the “New Atheism.” The book leaves me longing to see a debate between McGrath and Dawkins. While this may not be a book for all Christians, I would recommend this book to anyone who really wants to understand and see what the “New Atheism” is from their perspective with an understanding of the flaws of their arguments from a Christian perspective.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Jolt!

2011-07-03T21:46:00.001-05:00

Jolt! is a book about change. It is in the genre of the self-help pull you up by the bootstraps mantra that has been around for years. The author provides 25 vignettes that you can use to help deal with change, overcome difficulties in life and in general change your thinking about things to help you get on the right path.

What this book seems to do is offer a solution for those who fell like they have hit a wall in their pursuit of goals. The author even talks about his own experiences with hitting the wall. His change was the loss of a job, but the overall theme is that in any situation where you are stagnate or just content with where you are unless you have a jolt, you will not change.

One of the things that I like about this book is the faith based aspect of it. Instead of it just focusing out what are dreams are it reminds us that we need to understand God’s bigger plan for us and how we pursue it. I also like the short chapter set up. Instead of feeling that you have to sit down and read the whole book, you can read a chapter, think about it and consider how you might apply it. Or maybe after some reflection, you decide it is not for you and you move on to the next. The book setup gives you the flexibility to do this.

While the book at times may seem like a rehash of yesterday’s self-help, I think that it is a very good book for today’s fast paced, technology savvy world that needs short jolts to help them along the way.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255vf: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Fatal Convications Book Review

2011-06-17T14:47:00.001-05:00

Fatal Convictions is a melding of spirituality, law and thriller that leaves the reader wanted to continue to turn the page of the book without putting it down. In this story by Singer, he mixes his can’t miss drama with the difficult topic of Muslim culture in American. In his story a Muslim converts to Christianity and soon suffers an honor killing in America. A imam of the a local mosque coming under fire as the evidence mounts up suggesting that he is the one who ordered the honor killing. To make things even worse, the woman’s husband and Imam’s best friend both have past ties to Hezbollah.

In this story the main character Alex Madison who is part time pastor and full time lawyer agrees to defend the imam. He does it though no for the reason of helping to protect someone, but because he thinks it will open the door to a personal injury case that he thinks will give him a large settlement. Even will ulterior motives, the more Madison gets into the case; the more he starts to belief that the imam is truly innocent and soon finds himself dealing with feelings for the imam’s daughter. With the intersection of faith, law, love, Muslim and American relations, Singer finds a way to keep you hanging on to the edge of your seat until you are completely surprised with the how the case ends.

What I like about this book is the way that Singer dances between difficult topics in American society with grace and honor. He paints the portrait of what it means to be a Christian from the stand point of love and grace, but does so while still showing the hones t human side of people, especially a pastor a person who we often forget is a human too. He does a great job of showcasing the struggles that we have when dealing with difficult topics but reminds us of the need to be accepting, loving and grace filled people.

The book is a little long and the plots and characters evolved quite a bit. It almost dictates reading it in a short amount of time as if you put the book down even a little bit, you might find yourself confused with where you left off.

However if you are a fan of thrillers like Grisham and Patterson then I think you will find this an entertaining book which intersects thriller with spiritual matters.

I was provided this book free by Tyndale House Publishing. I was not required to post a positive or negative comment and the thoughts expressed here are my own opinion of the book.

Book Review: The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

2011-06-02T12:01:00.000-05:00

I think that this book came with glue on the outside of the dust jacket. Once I picked it up and started to read it, I could put it down. This book continues with the exploits of David Ponder. He has brought to the “Final Summit” by the angel Gabriel. He is one of many people who are picked to help mankind on the quest for the answer to the question “What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?” David is then put to task to understand this along with the likes of great historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc and even King David.

I liked the book from the perspective of bringing in historical characters that have had an influence of people throughout time to help David with his task. For some it might be difficult to follow the path of the character of David Ponder without having read the previous book The Traveler’s Gift, but to some degree it stands on its own.

I really appreciate the reader’s guide at the end. I think that if one is serious about engaging the book that they should read it then re-read it with a group or oneself and use the reading guide to go along with it.

Another thing I appreciate is that while it is Christian, it is not overtly Christian. Sure the setting is in Heaven, but there is not a bunch of Biblical quotes or theology that is spread throughout the book. I think that this is important since it might allow for non-believers to engage through this book and open doors for possible discussion down the road.

The book is rather history to help give perspective on the characters in the book and some people may not like that, but I appreciate it, especially for those who are not completely familiar with the rich histories of each character.

Some people may also be disappointed with the answer to the question, I will not express it here, but I can say that after reading it, that it provides a valuable insight for all of us. While it may seem overly simplified, it is still something that we have to take into consideration in all that we do, if we do not consider what Andrews says to us in this book, and then we are doomed to live in our own self-fulfilling prophecies.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Doing Virtuous Business by Theodore Malloch

2011-03-16T09:18:00.002-05:00

As one of my business friends tells me, he always had a hard time with making money since the Bible does not seem to lend to the practice of making money. Malloch tries to combat that by looking at how we can do business ethically and from the perspective of a religious and moral attitude. He supports this with examples of ethical businesses that perform at level that is higher than their competition.

I got this book primarily for the fact that I do ministry to professional in the workplace. The book is written in the vein of many of business/management/leadership books. It does a good job of creating a biblical business world view. The author couches this belief with a variety of quotes from the Bible and other Christian business leaders who are in defense of capitalism done right.

He also provides a broad since of religions as he includes other businesses which are Muslim or Hindu. While he writes from a Christian point of view, he talks of spiritual capital. He calls this “the fund of beliefs, examples, and commitments transmitted from generation to generation through a religious tradition, attaching people to the transcendental source of human happiness." This is very open to an understanding of the business world as it relates to not only Christianity, but to other forms of religion as well.

He also compares company from family own to larger corporate conglomerates, not leaving out any area type of business. In essence, he shows that anyone in any type of business big or small can adhere to these principles.

The book was an easy read for me as I read it in one sitting. It can be a little business technical in writing, but it appears to be a book written specifically for this group. I highly endorse this book for anyone in the business world who has an interest in learning to live out their faith in the work that they do.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren

2011-03-09T09:33:00.001-06:00

Spiritual practices have been around for a long time and McLaren takes a contemporary look at these practices that as Christians we do to try and get closer to God. McLaren likens the concept of Spiritual practices to running a marathon or speaking a language or even playing an instrument. In order to do well at these things you have to train, train, train, practice, practice, practice, do it, do it, and do it. Unless you do this you can’t get the true benefit out of the practices you do.

Like Foster’s classic Celebration of Discipline, McLaren emphasis both person and communal Spiritual practices. He goes through the understanding of practices like spiritual reading, prayer journaling, solitude and silence (which I struggle with everyday), gratitude and tithing and so forth. In essence what McLaren is doing is setting the ground for a series of 8 books that focus on returning to the accident Spiritual practices.

As part of my passion, I have a workplace ministry. As I was reflecting on this while I was reading the book, I realized that McLaren is calling us to do something that I have been trying to convey to folks for many years. That is religion is a life style. We can and should live out our religion in our lives. McLaren even provides some ways to help equip us to do that in our lives in a way that shows love and compassion to folks. McLaren attempts to show us how to cleans our lives and focus on getting closer God.

One of the things that I notice is the McLaren makes references to his own beliefs and concepts that he has outlined in some of his previous books. This can be awkward if you are not really familiar with him and have not read him. While the book stands alone, it does warrant some background on the author to really grasp what he is referring to in this book.

Overall I really liked the book; however, knowing the way that McLaren rubs some people the wrong way, it is possible that this could be a very polarizing issue as McLaren’s beliefs and concepts run deep in it. If you are not familiar with his concepts this can be a difficult read for some.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Couples Who Pray

2011-01-17T11:09:00.001-06:00

I have to admit that I was very intrigued with this book, especially in light of the fact that this is a practice that my wife and I try to commit to doing already. The premise of this book is that couples who pray together have better outcomes than those who don’t. The book suggest that if you spend at least 5 minutes a day for 40 days in prayer with your spouse that communication will elevate, you can reach more agreements, respect rises, satisfaction in your love life and that happiness is a way of life.

I have to say that I do not know about better outcomes since life happens, but I can say that they have better marriages. They are able to deal with adversity better than those who don’t. They enjoy richness in life that is only brought about through prayer. I know having been in a marriage from both perspectives, one that did not pray together and one that does, but with the same wife of course that the relationship is much better with prayer.

The book provides some real life examples of people whose marriage was saved from the brink of divorce through prayer and it provides some real life examples of what prayer can do. Prayer is a door to God and this book concentrates on explaining the importance of that door. One thing I would caution folks about is that this book places a big emphasis on prayer and that it can change things. Prayer can change lives, but prayer is a discussion with the couple and God. Any change that comes from prayer, God deserves the honor for that work in the life of the couple. I think the book comes a little short of being clear in that respect, but it is still a good book and resource for couples.

If you are willing to sit down with it as a couple and spend the forty (or more) days with it. I believe the book as the power to be very impactful. It has the ability to put you on the right path to true Godly change in your marriage. I highly recommend this book for any couple who in any state of marriage. I believe that it can have an impact regardless of what season of life you are in. The book also has an online component that helps to supplement the book and keep you striving to achieve the 40 day challenge.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book review: Living Life in the Zone

2011-01-11T14:14:00.001-06:00

This book is a 40 day spiritual guide to help men grow in their faith. The authors are the founders of a ministry related to sports, so as you can imagine the book is filled with rich images of athletes and sporting events. Even the way the lessons are laid out with a coach’s corner, game plan, playmakers, home field advantage tend to shows the athletic tendencies of the authors.

The 40 days of lessons are divided primary in to six areas to help strengthen an individual man. The first section deals with finding out how you know you are living a life in the zone. The next four deal with relationships, being in the zone and dealing with your wife, then with your children, your friends and then relationships at work. The final section is about finding your zone as you look to the future.

I really enjoyed each section and really felt like the authors did a good job addressing the areas that men really need to think about, especially in their spiritual growth. I felt, as a man, that the book connected with me and really provided me some really good insights to think about in my spiritual growth. Each section provided a take-a-way that was useful for me and I think can be helpful to anyone who reads it.

One of the most useful things that I found was the Home Field Advantage section. Most of the time devotionals have us focus on the specific topic and how to improve in and expound on it. While this book does too, the Home Field Advantage section adds a little twist. It asks you if there are any prayers, concerns or request or praises, which you have. It is a simple process, but one I think that we tend to forget sometimes. It is easy to think about these in the midst of a Sunday school lesson or small group, but often as individuals, at least for me, it is not something I really think about. I pray and spend time with God, but this is a little added benefit to my time with God that has helped make my prayer life better.

I also liked the motivational aspect of the playmakers section. In this part of the devotional, the authors provide some stories from the world of sports to help provide some motivation, inspiration and something to think about. These stories are a great way to see faith in the real world and also provide someone that men can look to as role models in terms of other men of faith.

I recommend this book for any man that is looking for a way to grow spiritually in their life, relationships and their future. Not just the sports fan, but any man. This book will help you focus on God, get into the zone and coming closer to being more like Jesus in your everyday life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference

2010-09-24T09:41:00.001-05:00

It is really hard for me not to be encouraged and excited to read just about anything from Max Lucado. In Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference, Max does not disappoint. He provides a look at the Acts 1-12 in order to get the most out of our life. It reminds me of the concept that I learned from Stephen Covey about what we strive for. To live, love, learn and leave a legacy. It is the leave a legacy part that is what I am reminded about in this book. Will the things that you are doing today make a difference once you are gone.

Max does a great job of weaving in stories and anecdotes to illustrate how to achieve this way of outliving your life. He addresses some of the key concerns of the Acts’ church such as hospitality and dealing with neighbors to how you can deal with issues that rock our world such as dealing with the homeless. What Lucado does is presents this where you feel like you can make a difference that you can do something to achieve this king of “outlive your life.”

Lucado really hits to the core of things. One of the things that I like is the way that he focuses on what it is that we need to do in the world. He points out that we need to see what the need is in others, but that we need to touch the hurt and help to heal it. But he is open an honest when he tells us that we have to recognize that this type of love is one that brings persecution with it and we have to be prepared for it. Making a difference in not easy and Lucado does a good job of paint a realistic picture for us and not trying to sugar coat it. We also need to remember those who Jesus referred to as the least of these of the “Have-Nots” as Max refers to them in the book. These are those folks that we need to stand up for since they generally do not have the ability to do it themselves.

But I think that the most important thing that Lucado talks about is that we need to do good, but quietly. I think that one of the overlooked characteristics of Jesus was His humility. In this case, we need to remember that doing good is done out of who we are and what we believe. Not because we want to it for recognition or anything like that. So do good, then fade into the background. Don’t seek acclaim out of it.

What I really appreciate is that there is a supplement in the back of the book for use in discussion with others and with ideas on how to put words in action. You can even get a supplement guide to go along with it. This book can be used as a personal development growth manual for yourself or even as a group discussion session for small groups or Sunday school classes.

Whatever the case, if you read this, you will be challenged. You will be pushed to think about what are you doing today and is what you are doing today for you or for others. Are you doing for self or to be more like Jesus? Are you there to genuinely help people or to make yourself look good? Regardless Max Lucado provides a roadmap to help you make a difference and out live your life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews or better said choices and their enormous impact.

2010-08-18T09:05:00.002-05:00

Andy Andrews’ latest book discusses the cause and effect that our choices have. It is a book in the vein of coffee table books, a gift or graduation book or one those little books with leadership quotes in it. It will not take long to read, but will have a significant impact on you, in my opinion.

I believe that Andy’s purpose in this book is to remind us that our lives, decisions, choices, actions (and even inactions) make a difference once way or another. He draws from the scientific theory that a butterfly’s wings flapping in the wind could set off a chain of events that would eventually lead to a hurricane on the other side of the world.

This book is also about what Andy does best, tell stories. He tells the story of the actions of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a story that I have heard many times at many a motivational seminar. Joshua was a college professor who was enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. The story focuses on his actions at the battle of Gettysburg. Joshua was told to shore up his end of a long line of troops. His platoon was able to hold off several Confederate attacks, but men started dying and they were low on ammunition. The Confederates were getting ready for their final attack. Chamberlain was down his commanding officers and realized that he was staring doom in the face if he did not do something. He ordered what soldiers he had left to fix bayonets to their rifles and charge. Confused and shocked by the offensive being launched at them, the Confederates started to retreat thinking that the Union had reinforcements. Chamberlin took action and he was able to get the Confederates to surrender while carrying out his orders to shore up the line and stand firm.

Chamberlin is a text book case of every choice or action that we make matters and can have a significant impact on what happens today and tomorrow. If Chamberlain had given up, we could be Confederation nation today. What would that have yielded?

This book is a great pick me up and reminder of the power of persistence and choices. It does focus on the positive side and leaves a little to desire in terms of reminding us that choices we make have consequences too, but I think that it will provide a logical way of thinking about good choices and perseverance.
The book is beautiful with attractive pictures along with a power story. It paints a picture though that some of the things we do could have impact, but in a way that we will never know now or even in this lifetime. This, I think, helps us to rest assured that even if we don’t see our lives making a difference that if we live it with purpose then our purpose will provide new meaning for others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Wild at Heart (revised and Expanded) Author John Eldredge

2010-08-04T10:24:00.002-05:00

I had heard so much about this book that when I was able to get a copy of it to review, I was really excited. The book is unique in that it can be read by a man or a woman and they get different things out of it. At the same time, I encouraged my wife to read this to help understand me a little, but more importantly our son’s.

In essence what Eldredge is trying to do is remind men who they are and also allow women to understand why men are the way they are. He points out the proper design for men and their hearts. The author points out that boys and men have been emasculated and forced to be more feminine in their roles than they were designed for. This has lead to a decrease in man’s passion and has left many men and boys deeply wounded so much so that they cannot heal. This trend has left many men to feel insecure and to have what he calls a “false sense of self.”

What I appreciate is the way that Eldridge uses his own experiences and what the Bible has to say to help create a recovery plan to help men regain their passion and strive to be the man the God intended for them to be. He points out that a Godly man is one who is strong, secure, dependable, selfless and wild.

Eldridge also puts together a great recovery plan for men to go through to help them recapture who they are and provides resources to continue their efforts even after finishing the book. Having read this book it really made feel better about being a man and also provided me some food to think about in terms of who I am, but also some insight into how to deal with my son.

I whole heartily recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The Right to Lead by John Maxwell

2010-06-26T16:27:00.001-05:00

Maxwell puts together another great book to motivate us in what we do day in and day out. Recognizing that almost all of us are leaders in one way or another, this book can provide insight and thought provoking ideas for all of us.

Maxwell’s book is written based on 7 areas of inspiration based on different character traits that leader’s posse. He provides us with inspiring stories based on taking action, having vision, sacrificing, taking risk, having determination, giving service and living with integrity. Each one of these seven areas has several inspiring stories, quotes and ideas that can provide each of us with motivation and to make us think about where we are in our lives and what we can do about it.

The great part about this book is that you can just about pick it up anywhere and start reading one of the stories and get something out of it. Pages are masterfully designed with inspiring pictures reminiscence of the motivational posters you would see at many people’s offices. The stories are short and do not take a long time to read so it is not time consuming especially for someone who is busy and has very little time. As a matter of fact, I sat down and read the whole book in about 40 minutes.

Maxwell also has a well-developed faith and Jesus and provides stories where folks get to share their personal testimony in Jesus as well as stories from well known historical figures as well as some that are not so well known. He also peppers the book with some things from prior works that he has done as well.

This is the type of book that would be a good Father’s Day gift, graduation gift or something for you boss on Boss’s Day. In essence it is one of those good gift books or even coffee table book that you would have lying around. However, if you are need of a real pick me up then you will enjoy this yourself and I suggest you pick up a copy and put it on your desk or table by your bed for instant motivation.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hitting the Wall and Breaking Through It

2010-06-25T13:31:00.002-05:00

Listen folks. We all do it. We all work hard and drive to reach results and go go go go gooooooo! But then we also get to points in our lives, where we hit the wall. It is almost a gut check situation because it feels like we have lost our passion; we are worn out and tired and it seems like we are powering down without a power booster in sight. I know this from personal experience, because it really hit me a couple of weeks ago, I was just worn down. Wanted to go back to sleep as soon as I woke up, could not concentrate and get stuff done. So I tried to do some things to help and it was a balance of these things that helped me to get through the wall and feel better.

1. First, I delegated. I did a quick review of my projects and pressing items on my plate. Anywhere I could, I delegated. I had a huge sense of release, just being about to take some things that were on my desk and moving them off. (By the way, I suggest that you have a good system in place for keeping track of who it was delegated to and when it is due. Check out David Allen’s Getting Things Done for more on this.)

2. Second, I reorganized. Since I have delegate quite a bit and was trying to get a hand on everything. I went through a mini-reorganizing event where I went through my planner and made sure everything was up to date and put in its right place. (This is all based on the GTD system by David Allen mixed with some 7 Habits. You could call it a breaking through the wall weekly review)

3. Third, I dropped the caffeine. I have been trying to supplement my body with caffeine in order to get energy. It had gotten to the point where it was not working. So I went to water (except for the occasional caffeine free tea). It was hard in the beginning and I kept longing for some taste, but after awhile I started to feel better and realized that I did not crash as much through the day like I did with caffeine.

4. Next, I broke up tasks. I was spending too much time working on things. I realized that I need to take a step away from my projects to get some refresh time. I found that I was much more refreshed and able to concentrate on what I was doing, plus given the fact that I was drinking a ton of water, I had a reason to get away. :-)

5. Finally, as much as I hate it, I started to do more exercises. I am not a very diligent person when it comes to this, but I realized that when I walked about the neighborhood or did my elliptical that I was more refreshed. It does me well, even if I do not want to do it.

These are some of the tips that I use to help me when I hit the wall to break through it. What are some things you do?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What is the emergent church?

2010-06-09T14:27:00.002-05:00

All across the spectrum we hear about the emergent church. I have struggled with trying to figure that out. Is it missional? Is it organic? Is it about small groups? Does it have to do with church at all? I have spent time looking into to this to formulate what it means to me.

Much of stuff that I have read comes from Brian McLaren as he seems to be one of the cutting edge writers on this subject. While the movement has been a polarizing one, I think that the key is that there is a shift that needs to occur in the church. In essence, the movement began as a look at what it means to be called to go and make disciples in a postmodern world. Things have changed in 2000 years. This is not the world of Jesus and we have to accept that. As McLaren put it “it had its genesis in a desire to share the Gospel in a changing social climate.”

Not only is the social climate changing, but with the advent of social media and things like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, the way we communicate and talk in today’s world is completely different that it was in the past. It is not about just making the church culturally relevant through updated buildings or new music and worship. Instead it is about looking at the tired old stale theologies that we have tried to use for 2000 years. We have to move towards updating the way we think theologically, issues around who we are as a culture in a postmodern world and also how we are going to deal with the social justice issues that we face. After all that is what Jesus did, he worked with the poor and the outcast to provide ways for them to have better lives.

Live is more diverse and church should be too. The emergent church has to focus on the fact that church life is much more diverse that it was today. Churches need to break down the walls that silos off groups that look alike coming together in church. I think that it is the silo mentality of our churches that make it difficult for us to really see the marginalized since we are so insulted with people who look like us and act like us that we are blinded to the real issues in society.

Dan Kimball is another person on the forefront of this emergent church idea. He also points out that “When the whole emerging church discussion began, it was primarily about evangelism and mission to emerging generations.” I think that the point here is that we need to make sure that if we are working on being emergent that we balance what started the movement and not forgot in an effort to address some of the very important theological issues that need to be redressed, renewed and reinvigorated.

So this is my look in to the emergent church. Regardless, we cannot do church like we always have and we need to consider what that means for us today and find ways to reach out to those who need it.
God bless.

Book Review: Mystically Wired by Ken Wilson

2010-06-04T12:06:00.002-05:00

When I first got this book from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze.com, I remember thinking to myself that this has to be interesting especially with something titled mystically. We do not general accept mystical in the realm of Christianity, so I was intrigued as to what the book would say in respects to this.

What I got out of this book is that the author, Ken Wilson, is trying to prove the point that we are “wired” for prayer. That is as beings created in the image of God, our human instinct is for prayer and something that we need as part of our survival. It is a vital part of who we are and a vital part of how to stay connected to the Creator.

If I am to be honest, the first half of the book is a little tedious. It is written to explain the science behind being hardwired for prayer. It was refreshing from the stance that the author was addressing this, which is generally not what Christians do, but I was ready for and looking for tips and ideas for having a better prayer life. I did get this in the second half of the book, which was basically the handbook to improving your prayer life. The author even proves some simple prayers to get you focused on increasing your prayer life.

This book is not a traditional self-help Christian book. It really focuses on the science behind it and is uncommon in the way that it presents ways for you to improve prayer. This is probably difficult for many Christians who have a hard time intermingling the science and the divine together, but Wilson does provide some solid research and understanding behind prayer. This type of approach could also be very upsetting to some Christians and make it difficult for them to want to read.

The good part about this book is that Wilson really tries to walk you through understanding prayer, his journey with prayer and he really tries to make you understand that it is not about just doing it, but why it is an important part of who we are as a created being. He pushes us to prayer as the importance of who we are and the relationship we have with God, not just because we are supposed to do it. The practical suggestions are also very helpful and I look forward to integrating a few of them in my life.

The negative part about it was that the scientific part could be a little difficult to wade through and hard to comprehend. Even as intriguing as the concept of praying having a physical impact on the brain is, it was still hard to get to that point of understanding it with all the information Wilson provides. I even found myself have to read some passages several times in order to get it.

All in all it was a good book, I might not have picked it up in the book store, but it is worth a read if you are interested in prayer, but if you are not interested in the science you might want to skip the first part.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Do you have a mission statement?

2010-05-15T07:51:00.000-05:00

Most companies whether for profit or not for profit have some type of corporate mission or vision statement. It is a document that provides and understanding of purpose and helps to provide direction for the company. In essence, it is something that answers the questions “What are we in business for?” It is the glue that holds the fabric of a company together and provides purpose for its employees.

So don’t you think that if it is this important for companies to have mission statements, that we should too. After all we are the CEO of ourselves. We are the employees that make ourselves go. We are the maintenance staff, support staff, and doings of company “Me.” So if we are serious about ourselves, then we need to be serious about putting together a mission statement to help define purpose for us, to provide direction and help us to harness out abilities to reach our goal.

For me, I started the process of developing my personal mission statement about 12 years ago. I did it at the behest of my FranklinCovey Planner, which had a section in it titled mission. I have spent most of the 12 years honing it, praying about it, refining it and changing it to get where it is today. I use it every day of my life. I read it each day before I look at the task that I need to do. I reflect on it each week when I plan for the following week and I spend time pouring over it and refining it once a year when I do long range planning for my life.

So how do you get started? There are some links to mission statement builders such as this one from FranklinCovey or this from Nightingale Conant. You can use these if you want, or you can consider the following steps to help you create your own person mission statement.

1. First, think about your passions in life. What is it that gets you up in the morning? What is it that makes you tick? What is it that when you do it time seems to fly by. Whatever it is that drives you, write that down because you will need it through the process of putting together your mission statement.

2. Also, Identify your Core Values. What is it that defines you? What are the core ideas or attributes that describe you? After you put your list together, consider talking to some close friends or a significant other or spouse and get their take on what values they see in you. You may come up with a lot, but I would try and keep it down to 5 to 7 values that are really important. When you get those, then consider writing a statement that expresses that value and how it functions in your life.

3. Next, consider the various roles that you play. What are the different hats you wear? For example, for me it is father, husband, disciple of Christ, worker, project leader, minister, me, family/friend and so forth. I suggest that you limit this to 7 at the most. Once we get past seven you start to get into analysis paralysis. When you have determined the roles, then put together a statement about what success looks like in the different roles.

4. Finally, what do you want said at your funeral? I know this sounds a little weird, but it is the best test to determine who you hope to achieve. Stephen Covey tells us that we have an innate desire to Live, Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy. The Leave a Legacy part is how we want people to remember us. So think about that and consider using that as part of the creation of your mission statement.

Take the answers to these four questions and started crafting your mission statement. It can be whatever format you want it to be because it is yours. It can be poetry, prose, bullet points, hymns, songs or paragraphs and just do it.

Consider these steps and put together your own personal mission statement. I believe that you will find that you will be more focused, it will be easier to say yes and no to request in your life and get more stuff done that you had before. A personal mission statement will provide clarity for your live. Couldn’t you use that?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Missional Faith Communities

2010-05-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

When did we start going wrong with the mission of Jesus, to go out and evangelize to the world and make disciples? We went out into the world and tried to take Western Christianity and imprint it throughout the world in total disregard for their cultures and their ways of life. We try to find ways to “Christianize” them make them more like us rather than reaching them where they are.

I had the pleasure of listening to missionaries recently who talked about this concept. They asked to remain anonymous, but I wanted to provide you some things that they talked about that they do to make missional faith communities.

Use you gifts to reach them. God has gifted us with something. It could be that we can dance, or do art. We may have been gifted with the ability to do sports or teaching or even bean counting. The point is that we are all gifted in something and in a missional faith community; we have to find ways to take our gifts and what we do and turn it around for the glory of God and to express what it means to be like Jesus to others.

Live Amongst Them. Don’t try to make them look western. Instead try to understand their culture, their ways of dress, speak their local dialect, understand their local music and arts and find ways to incorporate that into you missional faith communities and outreach. Don’t forsake local values and customs; they can be powerful if used properly to win souls for Christ.

Find People of Peace. Find people who are spirituality open and influential in the community. Even if they are not Christians, if they practice God’s truth in the real world that gives you a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work and if you can bring that spiritual leader over to the Lord’s side, they can have tremendous influence over others in the community.

Following Jesus. Think about what Jesus did. He lived and preached among the people. He went out to the poor, the meek, the hurt, the dirty and downtrodden. He was among them doing something. Not preaching to them or standing from on high in an ivy tower pointing out what they should or should not do. Same holds true with the missional community model. You have to live with them and understand them and show them the light in Jesus. You have to be following Jesus before you can convince them to be following Jesus and they have to see it happening.

Sharing Truth. It is good to live amongst people and serve them, but sooner or later you will have to share the truth. Share stories from the Bible with people. It will come up in day to day conversation, most people are not going to sit down and ask you to tell them some stories of the Bible. Stories are powerful and can really make a difference in the lives of people. Stories need to be done in a contextual way though, you don’t preach King James to them, you use words that they understand and can relate to. Contextualization is extremely important in being mission. It is a way to speak the truth in a way that they understand.

Building Hospital Community. A lot of places that you go and visit out in the non-westernized worlds are built around community. Decisions are made at the community level, not as individuals. In order for people to engage Jesus and explore the Gospel it is best done in the context of community. Where community is a place of discovery where they can explore and discover for themselves the truths of Christ. That also means that you accept people where they are in their lives. You have to welcome people into the community regardless of their background, beliefs, addictions, or what they wear or even if they have tattoos.

I will leave you with this thought about how they decide if something is worthwhile:

1. Is there an opportunity to share the gospel?

2. Is it meeting the need of the local community?

3. Is this really building community?

This was an enriching conversation and discussion with the missionaries. They use their unique talents and gifts to reach people where they are. If they can do it, shouldn’t we?

Gold Nuggets for the Professional Life

2010-05-11T23:28:00.001-05:00

I just got the Classic Wisdom for the Professional Life to review. This is a Thomas Nelson book that was edited by Bryan Curtis. It is an easy read to get through since it is just quotations. Classic Wisdom is a book of gold nuggets from successful business leaders, politicians and cultural leaders around the world. The book is relatively small and compact at about 8 x 5 inches so it is not a difficult book to keep around at any time to get insight and motivation.

In a day where most professional have very little time and read more Executive Summaries than books, this book provides the ability to provide insight without having to feel like you have to sit down and read the whole book. This is the type of book that could be put on your night stand or desk and read in the morning or at the office at that time you need a pick me up or just plain old motivation. You don’t even have to read it linearly. You could practically open the book to any page and find a quote that will lift you up, motivate you, drive you and help you to become focused.

This book will also help you to find ways to love your job. These quotes will ground you in what you do and provide ways to understand and see your professional life differently than you do now. It will push you towards the rich life you can have when you love what you do, do what you love and make a difference each day. I think that if you can internalize this, it will definitely bleed over into your personal life and make a huge difference.

Take-a-ways from the book

1. You can take control of your professional life.

2. There is wisdom in the quotes of others.

3. No matter what your state during the day, you can find motivation.

4. You can love your job.

I will leave you with this quote from David McCullough in the book. “Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.” You can find your lifework in the work you love and this book can help you to be motivated to realize that. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for motivation and gold nuggets to help you realize your dreams.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The Noticer

2010-05-06T07:19:00.001-05:00

I like to read and I also like to try and blog a little bit....I know I have been bouncing back and forth for a while keeping up with it, but when I cam upon Book Sneeze I thought I have died and gone to heaven. Review books and blog about them, the best of both worlds.

For my first foray into this world, I picked Andy Andrew's book The Noticer to read. I have to admit that this was not that hard to do, after all I have read The Traveler's Gift and The Lost Choice and thoroughly enjoyed each of them.

It is hard to classify Andrews writing style. While it comes across as fiction, it is almost more of a parable that inspires than anything else. The books stars a mysterious man named Jones. Jones shows up, in seems, at just the right time. He shows up in the middle of people's crisis. Jones speaks like he is right from the Wisdom Literature of the Bible and he "notices" things about the people who he interacts with and provides some practical and common sense things for them to think about. Often times it is just a way of pointing out the alternative ways to look at the situation. In a way, he lifts up people above the trees so that they can see the forest.

Perhaps one of the most important things that Jones does is to remind the characters in the book and the readers that the most important part of our lives is not what is happening or what has happened, but what it is that is ahead of us and how we can take hold of that and change our lives. No matter how back it is now or was, we have the chance to choose to look forward to what the future holds.

Jones finds ways to bring perspective to people who are going through a variety of difficult crisis in their life such as marriage issues, dealing with bankruptcy, feeling like you have no hope, and a variety of topics that could apply to your everyday person. Jones provides the perspective so that you can look at the situation differently and reclaim the situation to make a bad one better.

The book was a great read for me. I think that you will find that once you start, you cannot stop and will find it difficult to put it down. Andrews does a great job of providing nuggets all through our the book that we can take and use in our own lives just as much as those lives in the story itself. He walks us through how we can put on our "new perspective" glasses and look at the situations in a new light.

Another part of the book that I appreciate is the reader's guide. It takes the story and makes it more personal to the reader by providing some thought provoking questions that can be used individually or in a group setting. That in itself is a blessing to me as I continue to read the book again and think about how it impacts me.

I recommend this book whole heartily. You will be hard pressed to not read this book and be touched by it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Is loving your neighbor radical?

2010-04-28T06:10:00.001-05:00

When asked what one has to do, Jesus said that we needed to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves. Is that radical? Is that out there? It is a concept that we will often quote in church and to each other, but do we really do it? Jesus was a radical for his day. He met with women by himself in public. He met with sinners, sick people and a host of others that were just wrong for Jewish males, let alone a rabbi to be in public or by themselves with. Talk the Samaritan women for instance. Jesus was not only alone with her, a big no no, but he was also alone with a Samaritan, which was an even bigger no no. You see in that world, Jewish despised Samaritans. They would take the long way around Samaria which required crossing two rivers just to get from one side of the Promised Land to the other.

Jesus also gives us the story of the Good Samaritan for our consideration. Using the same type of person that Jews despised to show an example of what it means to be a good neighbor. This example provides us with what it truly means to be friend. Giving up time, money, and convenience in order to help those in need, even if they are someone you would generally despise. So what can we take from this example of Jesus?

Everyone is our neighbor. Everyone is our neighbor and we should not discriminate. At the same time, if everyone is our neighbor that means that we have to love them as ourselves even if they engage in things that we may or may not approve of. After John 3:16-17 reminds us that God sent the Son to save us and gives us eternal life, but it is 17 that reminds us that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it. If that is the case, we cannot condemn the world, but try to love and save it. No condemnation means that we have to push past polarizing issues such as homosexuality, people who drink, or have sex, the poor and the downtrodden. What someone does should not matter to us as much as loving them as our neighbor.

Love happens outside of the church. Did you ever notice where Jesus does most of his ministering and healing? In the church? No. Out in the church and on the fridges of society. Where people were cast out, left to fend for themselves, and overlooked. Rarely did Jesus every ministry or heal in church. He did it out side of the church. He did speak in church and provide teaching there, but love and healing for the most part took place outside of the church. What does that mean for us? Should we not go out and do rather than stay inside and hide. That is not to diminish time together with believers and worship, after all Jesus did that with the disciples, but we need to recognize when it is time to go out and be the hands and feet and not just hang around in the sanctuary.

Being a neighbor takes resources. In the story of the Good Samaritan, we get the glimpse of what it takes to be a neighbor. One of the things is resources. We need to make sure that we are willing to offer shelter, pay for food and other incidentals without question. Why, because God told us too. Jesus gave the example for us to learn from. And we are called to go out and do on the Lord’s behalf. We have to be ready to provide resources when we can and in any way we can.

So what king of neighbor will you be? Will you be an example of the Good Samaritan or will you be an example of someone who lives in their Christian bubble and never goes out into the word. Jesus told us to go out and create disciples and baptize and obey everything Jesus commanded to us. He did not say stay…..he said go. What will you do?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Can you over plan?

2010-04-27T21:19:00.000-05:00

I work with people in my office and friends on time management and planning. I even try with my 12 year old, but I keep getting these looks like “Are you serious?” Regardless, I do my best to provide a myriad of topics to them based on my research and trial and error over the past 10 to 15 years of trying and failing and be successful at time management. The one thing that I suggest to them that gets chuckles the most is that you should try and plan as much as you can even time with yourself or family members. I usually get this look like “You’re kidding.” But I explain to them that it is important to plan time for what you need.

I suggest to them the follow:

1. Time scheduled is more likely to be kept. We often tell ourselves I will clean the garage out this weekend or mow the grass tomorrow night and it seems that they never get done because we get caught up doing something else. I often point out to people this question “When was the last time you missed a meeting or an appointment that was scheduled in your calendar?” Most the time it is I haven’t. Then I point out that if this is the case, why would you not schedule the things in your life that you need to get done too.

2. Faith, Family and “Me” are big rocks. Using the FranklinCovey method of big rocks. Things related to faith and family and myself are the big rocks that need to be scheduled first on our calendar. This way they are put into the calendar and should be marked as non-negotiables in our life. We need to get these scheduled first. Then we can plan everything else around us. I schedule things as innocuous as prayer time in the morning and homework time with my son and time out with the wife and kids. Some people call this going over board and trivialize these things. But I do not think so. It makes my commitment more to them knowing that I carve out time for them and let others know that the time is a non-negotiable. Plus it also allows people who have access to my calendar at work to know that these times, I am not available.

3. Schedule goof off time. Really? Are you losing it? That is what most people say. But if you do not do this, you will find yourself working yourself to death, taking care of others and soon find you self burned out and worn down. We have to have time to sharpen the saw and refuel. Again in my experience, if you don’t plan it you are less likely to do it. If you are less likely to do it, you might not do it at all.

4. Have a family calendar. In order to keep everyone on the same page and for family members to know what each one is doing. I often suggest a common calendar for family. This calendar has info on it for everyone’s activities and then family members know who is doing what and when time is available for them. As part of this I recommend setting aside time to sit down together, each week if possible, to plan for the follow week and update the family calendar.

5. Schedule time once a year for deep reflection. I schedule time a day or two at least for deep reflection once a year. This time is usually spent reviewing my mission statement and updating it. At the same time, I look at things from a high level perspective and plan the big rock goals that I will work on for the following year. This time is refreshing, realigning, revealing, and provides great revelation. I suggest this to all who ask.

Can you over plan? Maybe, but for me it seems to work. Not everything I teach or suggest works for everyone but it does work for some and it might work for you. So, what do you suggest? What types of things do you do to control your time and getting things done? Let me know.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Are you organized?

2010-04-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine at work is trying to get their life organized. They have tried, unsuccessfully, to take a class that I teach on getting organized about 4 times. They have recently purchased an organizer by Franklin Covey to try and help too. I helped them put their planner together and reminded them of some of the tricks of the trade that we have talked about before. I also recommended reading the David Allen book that I posted a review about before.

As I think about this, I wanted to try and put together some best practices list that would help people based on the years that I have been trying to work on this. This is a melding of ideas and I will attempt to make sure that I give proper credit where credit is due.

1. I recommend that you have some type of organization system. It needs to be organic, that means it grows as you grow and changes as you change. I use a combination of Microsoft Outlook and a Franklin Covey planner.

2. Time management all starts with a deep seated understanding of who you are. I was introduced to this concept in the 7 Habits and through the Franklin Covey system. The concept is to have a personal mission statement. It took me about 10 years to get one done and in line with my beliefs, so do not get discouraged if you think that it is not coming along. It is similar to a mission statement of a company, but it is for you. The reason that this is so important is that you need to make sure that you have a basis for what you are going to do each and every day. With a mission statement you have a “true north” and Stephen Covey would put it. You can agree and not agree to do things based on that statement and you can feel good about it. It also reminds you what the important things are and the not so important things are as you start to plan you days each week.

3. A combination of things that I have learned from my experience with Covey and with Allen is the importance of scheduling/reviewing weekly. You need to take time each week to look at what you did, see if there is anything new you need to add into the system and then plan for the following week. It is important to set aside this time each week to do this.

4. One of the best rules that I learn from David Allen is the “2 Minute Rule.” Anything that you encounter through the day (or as David Allen puts it the “stuff” that you encounter) you need to look at it and ask if it can be done it 2 minutes or less. If it can be done then you need to go ahead and do it since it would cost you more time to look at it now, put it in the system and retrieve it and do it. This is a great bit of advice for dealing with e-mail and snail mail as well.

5. David Allen also tells us of the importance of the 3 Ds. That means you need to either do it, delegate it of defer it. I think the important part is about deferring it. It needs to be considered when you have things that have gone undone or that you have not been able to get it. By doing one of the three Ds you allow yourself to help clear things out of your head and you start to think clearly.

6. Speaking of getting things out of your head, another David Allen topic, it is important to keep paper and pen close by all the time. This allows you to write down anything that comes to mind that you need to get out of your head. In essence, this provides you a way to get the mess out of your brain and clear up some of the space between your ears that you can use to be more creative and focus on the things you really need to focus on.

7. When you are planning, plan the “big rocks” first and then the “little rocks” next. I learned this in Franklin Covey training. Big rocks are the things that are most important in your life and need to be addressed and put into the calendar first. Once those are in your calendar or system, then you can start scheduling less that are of lesser importance.

8. I learned this helpful tip from David Allen. Group similar tasks together and get them done at the same time. Take the time to schedule and make all your phone call that you need to make. If you have a variety of work that needs to be done with the use of a computer or the internet, schedule them together and make sure you are at your desk. Taking time to group things makes it easier to get them done and helps you to compartmentalize things in your brain so you are not worrying about calls when you are working on your computer and vice versa.

9. I used to get bogged down the massive tasks in my life. It seems like I would just stare and big things and never get them done. It was only when I started to realize that I need to not look at how big the task was, but break them down to smaller levels that I was able to get things done. It also allowed for me to celebrate successes on the way to getting it done and I was able to help build momentum for the larger task at hand.

10. Sometimes I think that by nature we are intense people. Because of that I could get started of something and then get burned out quickly or start to lose focus the longer I was at it. So I had to realize that something I needed to step back and take a small break and then make sure I was not to focused and missing things. It allows for recharging the batteries and making sure that I am able to get the most out of my abilities.

11. Another tip I got from David Allen is to have things available for down time. Often we do not sue our downtime wisely. We have free time that just slips by us when we could be using it to get things done. You can listen to books on tape during commutes to and from work or if you are picking the kids up. You can have articles and books available that you can read during the wait for the doctor or while you are waiting for soccer practice to end. Having things with you that you can do when you find yourself with extra time is important for getting things done.

12. Finally, I would suggest knowing when your peak times are. What I mean is that we all have different times of the day when we are in the zone versus out of the zone. When our energy is higher than other times of the day. Remembering this will help you to understand how to schedule work based on your energy cycle and will help with concentration too.

These are just a few of the tips that I use to help me stay organized through the week. Doing these things help me to live a life that is easier, look at a e-mail box that is almost always at zero and to free up my mind to think about the important things in life. I hope that they will help you too.

God bless

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What does it mean to be a servant leader?

2010-02-11T15:12:00.001-06:00

I am reading a book called Practicing Greatness and meeting with a peer group to discuss it. We were revealing the first chapter on the art of self-awareness. It seems to me that all that we do as good leaders’ starts with self-awareness. If we do not know who we are then we cannot ensure that we are not letting things blind us to our opportunities and keep strengths hidden and not used.

As part of the discussion, the concept of servant leadership came up. This is a topic that has been around for a long time especially with the seminal book by Robert Greenleaf call Servant Leadership. It has also been a focal point of Christians as we look to the example of Jesus and what He might model to us about leadership.

For example in Matthew 20:25-28 we get the following passage “25Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” This is similarly quoted in Mark 10:42-45.

But what is the key to servant leadership. The corporate world would seem to severely contradict this type of model, but I am sure that there are some that do it. Churches nowadays seem to follow the corporate model to set up its hierarchy, so can the church practice servant leadership this way.

It would seem to me that the key to this concept is “humility.” While Jesus was the ultimate example of what it means to be a servant leader, He is also the ultimate example of humility. Imagine what it took to be God, yet decide that in all His power and glory that He would in term lower Himself to the level of a human and in order to save us. This is the ultimate practice of humility and the example that we should look to in order to determine how to be a self-aware, humble, servant leader.

So what can we do to help us become self-aware and humble servant leaders? I think the first thing that we do is look to other great leaders who exhibited these qualities and read about them and see what it is that they did that helped them to get to where they are and how they practiced their habits to developed these characteristics.

Look for ways to have an impact on others. Great leaders bless, inspire and encourage others. They help them to become something bigger than they are themselves, but they do it at a personal cost. Being a servant leader takes time and resources if we are going to help others. Just as the Good Samaritan gave of his time and money to help the injured man, so we must be willing to do so to if we are going to build up the body. This also means that we might just being creating people who are even great that we are and that requires a great amount of humility to be able to handle that.

Disciplines or practices can also help us grow in this area. Reggie McNeal in the Practicing Greatness book talks about self-awareness, self-management, self-development, mission, decision making, belonging and aloneness as some practices that will help us along the way.
For me there are some things that I do daily to help in this. One is that I surround myself with people who I can trust to tell me about the good and bad about what I do. I call it my “Board of Jim.” Only when we are open to people who can point out both our weaknesses and strengths, can we find ways to grow as individuals and become better leaders.

I also would like to expand on the concept of mission. As much as it sounds weird, along with my board, I also have a mission statement, just as most companies do. This is a very helpful document as it helps me to know what things to do in life and what things to say no to. Plus it is rejuvenating each day to read my mission and to remind me about what it is that makes me tick.

I also find time to carve out of my day for quite time, devotional time, prayer and Bible Study, each important for the development of oneself, personally and spiritually. This also helps to make sure that I am right with God before I try to be right with everyone else.

Hopefully this will give you some thoughts to think about and it will peek some interest into what it means to become more like a servant leader and also how to develop oneself to become formed, or better yet transformed into the image of Christ.

May the grace of the Lord be with you.

Haiti: Hands and Feet

2010-01-21T15:04:00.000-06:00

Few people have not been touched, devastated, nor amazed at what has happened in Haiti. This devastation is something that, at least in my lifetime, is unfathomable. It is amazing what the forces of nature did to this tiny island country.

In a short time period, major news networks had set up ways to get money for aid, the State Department, singers and others have introduced the text for Haiti program, and celebrities are rallying for the cause and even companies are donating money.

Several days into it, I heard on the radio that World Vision was getting involved and started to hear more and more about Christian involvement, although I was disappointed by what one prominent religious leader had to say about it. I know that people are entitled to their opinion and I am not going to judge someone for what they said. I am just really troubled when we focus on the negative of a situation instead of how we can help. Jesus said “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17) We often forget that 17th verse and I think we would be served well to remember it.

I guess here is the point, who cares why it happened or if there is any big cosmic reason that it did occur, or if the sins of the father and mother are put up on that country. The fact of the matter is that it occurred and the next step should be how we can be the hands and feet of Jesus. One of Casting Crowns new songs is title “If We’ve Ever Needed You.” The point is that we need Jesus’ light shining in the world today and if the people of Haiti ever needed followers of Christ, it is now.

Most people say that they wish that they knew what to do. We all can’t go. We can’t be there in the physical presence. But we can be there spiritually through prayer. We can be there through our ability to donate aid to help them. We all cannot be like companies that donate millions of dollars or a celebrity that does the same, but if enough of us rallied to the cause a million $5 donations becomes $5 million in aid, $10 can become $10 million, and $50 can become $50 million and so on and so forth. Each of us can give up a Starbucks or value meal for one day to make a difference in the life and well being of this country that if they ever needed Christ and Christians, they need us now.

Will you be the hands and feet.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The Monkey and the Fish

2010-01-12T15:59:00.002-06:00

I recently read Dave Gibbons book The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church. Perhaps the best part of the book for me was the analogy he uses through an Eastern parable. It is the parable of the Monkey and the Fish. In essence we have a monkey, whom perhaps is well-intentioned, who sees a fish in the water. There has been a recent typhoon and the fish is struggling with all its might to get to up river. The monkey sees this and reaches down into the volatile waters at great personal risk to save the fish. The monkey grabs him and places him on dry land. To the monkey the fish showed great excitement but soon fell into a peaceful sleep. As Gibbons so eloquently puts it, it died. As so his revelation to the church in the 21st is that we are flapping away in excitement on the land, but soon if we are not careful we will to will be asleep with the fishes.

With that Dave walks us through the concept of Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church. In other words, how do we in the church world lead in the global world of today? In order for us to do that we need to live like Christ did in a culturally contextual world that allows us to understand the people to whom we are trying to reach. It essence it shatters the old mission concept of going into a land and build churches that look like western churches with their big pillars and pews, instead it asks us to look at how we can meld faith into the cultural context of the group we seek to be missionaries to.

Dave goes on to explain that to be first culture is to embrace one culture, to be second culture is to embrace another culture. The synergy point is the third culture or that you do not embrace either/or, but to embrace both/and, working synergistically hand in hand with both cultures.

He talks about how to lead in a third culture church through his chapters Liquid, Wardrobe, Neighbor, Liquid Bruce Lee, Three Questions That Become the Answer, cWoWs: Everyone Plays and Ripples. Liquid focuses on the need to understand globalism and how this impacts the church. It also focuses on how we can understand and embrace other people’s culture better in the vein of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In other words, we need to be willing to cross lines, whatever they are, in order to reach people, where they are, not where we think that they should be.

This is a warning cry for the church. The more we try to reach people the way we think, the more we push them away from us. Just think about the story that Gibbons uses with the Good Samaritan. The way of the church at that time was to think of the Samaritan as a lesser person, someone that did not deserve the time of day, yet Jesus uses this person as a powerful example of what it means to live in a “Third Culture “ world where you are friends to all. Being a good neighbor means being good to those who are different than us. It also means to be a good neighbor to people who believe different than us.

This book is a must read for anyone in church leadership, but it also has some powerful things to think about for those of us who are lay leader and just members. Gibbons not only points us in the direction of leadership in a “Third Culture” world, but gives us just some good life lessons to live by as a people who are called to follow Jesus and embrace His calling and fulfill the Great Commission.

Some people have said that they do not think that Dave’s exploitation of “Third Culture” is clear. However, he tells us that it emerges from Genesis 12. This is a great passage. This is the call to Abram to go out to a land that he is not familiar with and God’s promise that “all peoples on earth will be bless through you.” (Genesis 12:3) “Third Culture” is about being called to go out, to love, to server and to do it no matter what even if it is difficult. Why? Because all people will be blessed through all of us that go and serve as God has commanded us to.

We are often too worried about our own kingdoms that we forget about those who are on the outside, marginalized and cast aside. These are the people that Jesus went to do his ministry with. He meets them where they were. He ate with them. He walked with them. He cured them. He saved them. He died for them….and us.

The good news is that this it is not too late. We have been given a tremendous challenge by Dave’s book. We can either watch the fish swim upstream and pull it out to be with us, or we can just into the water with the fish and help it get to its destination. The choice is yours. God has prepared you. Now you need to take the next step.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Should women preach in the church?

2010-01-08T14:54:00.001-06:00

I was reading an interesting article about Reverend Robert Schuller, the founding pastor of the Crystal Cathedral in Southern California on Ethics Daily. The article pointed out that he was going to be turning over the administrative duties of the ministry to his daughter Shelia Schuller Coleman. As I was reading this it reminded me of the old debate that has ripped apart many congregations as well as a few conventions as it relates to whether or not women should preach in church.

I remember attending the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship convention a couple of years ago and as I was walking around, I saw a lot of shirts that women were wearing that said; this is what a pastor looks like. It makes me wonder why this has been such an issue of debate to the point of becoming a civil war in the midst of the church. The Bible is filled with examples of women who have done great things on behalf of God and even talks about some who founded some churches too. Yet thousands of years later we are still dealing with this issue today.

The interesting part is that I have talked to a lot of people and most of them come down on one side of the fence, and it is about 50/50 in terms of people I talk to. I do not know why that surprises me but it does. I guess I had hoped that we had move on in the world of squashing women in ministry. But alas we have not.

The classic text that is always brought up is the text-segment in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. So how would you help someone understand this particular text-segment?

When addressing this passage, I think that it is important to understand the issues that surround the text. First, there is the thought that this is a later addition into the letter. There are manuscripts that indicate that 34-35 was actually after verse 40 in some cases and was written into the margin of some of these writings. Given this, it is possible that Paul did not even write this in his original letter. However, this could be a difficult discussion to broach with a member of the church who may not understand the implications of how the Bible came together and that there could be variances in the Holy Word.

However, taking a closer look at what is written can also provide some basis to discuss the concept further. We have to take the original meaning to heart when we look at this passage. It seems that Paul is addressing a specific issue and unless we examine that issue we cannot truly understand what Paul was addressing. We already know that there are conditions to think about with this passage. As a matter of fact in 1 Corinthians 11:5, Paul clearly indicates that it is okay for women to prophesize as long as their head is covered, which is another issue to talk about.

One of issues in our passage is that verse 35 presumes that all women have husbands to go to ask questions. Obviously, we know that not all women would, so it would seem that this is meant to address a specific issue as it relates to something going on in the community faith as it relates to women who do have husbands.

After considering this, we have to look at part of the issues facing the church at Corinth. Paul is arguing to the Corinthians about their abuse of the gift of tongues and their views about spirituality. In other words, the church has been abusing their gifts and using them more as an example of their religiousness versus for the reason God intended them to. Given this, it is possible that Paul could have been admonishing some of those women who were abusing their gifts rather than making an edict that no woman should speak.

So in this way, it seems that Paul may have been actually encouraging women in speaking and prophesying in church, but perhaps they are not to speak out for merely show. This would also fit in with the cultural context of the situation at hand.

It would not be very subversive for a woman to speak and prophesize, but it may have been very controversial for them to interpret or evaluation someone else’s prophesies. There may have been a faction of women, who were married, that were taking their gift and making a scene with them and Paul may have been advising them not to disrupt the service and seek guidance from their husbands in this case.

In any case, it is clear that it is difficult to really understand the passage, without really looking into it and making sure you understand the context surrounding it. Given this, it would be wise for us to consider what it means in the passage and reconsider the role in women in the church. After all, if it were not for the women of the world, we would not have half as many churches we do today. But that is this person’s humble opinion.

God bless.

Science and God

2010-01-05T16:10:00.002-06:00

I read an article once about how Isaac Newton tried to calculate dates of the apocalypse or the end of the world based on his readings of the Bible. What really struck me about this article was how we often seem to think that people in the sciences do not believe in God or in a Creator. Or that somehow science and religion cannot co-exist together for some reason.

Newton is known for his groundbreaking work in physics, astronomy, math and optics. Four areas not necessarily know for their groundbreaking work in the religious world. However, it appears that Newton also studied the Old Testament books carefully especially taking time in the Book of Daniel looking for clues about the end of the world. This seems to be interesting research for one of our greatest scientist.

Based on Newton’s work, he felt that the end would be no earlier than 2060 (I guess that is good news for us ;-)). Not that we know when the end of the earth will come, since it is not for us to determine when, but it is still interesting that Newton took the time out of his studies of physics to read the Bible and to try and understand it more clearly in relation to the end of the world.

It is also interesting that Newton notes in his writings that he is doing this more to protect the works of prophecy. What he meant is that by trying to determine the real time the world would end, it would help to stop the large number of people who were already predicting the end of time, but failed. These people who failed discredit the good prophecy and so his role was to try and maintain the good prophecy.

Regardless what we believe about end times, I think that it is important to recognize those important figures in history and highlight the entire person, good or bad, believer or non-believer. I think that this lends credibility to the faith and shows that even brilliant thinkers understand the importance of God in their lives. But is should also tells us something about today. Most of us would consider this the work of a mad man who was not all with it, trying to read the Bible and predict end of times, but no one would argue that Newton was not one of the foremost intelligent person of his time.

But it also means that we need to take time to learn about people of history. Too often we just accept the tidbits that we are taught in school or that are regurgitated to us by the media or others. In essence, these people, like Newton, were deep and had more to their lives than what we know and sometimes we might find ourselves surprised to find out more about these people who influenced our lives. There just might be more to the story then we are accustomed too.

When we acknowledge this, we are acknowledging the deep tradition that has gone on for thousands of years. The understanding of the importance of God in our lives and His Word given to us as a guide to help us in our journey in this world and to prepare us for the ultimate destination, to be with the Lord and Jesus.

Even the best and brightest did this, so should we.

God bless!

Time Management Tips for 2010

2010-01-05T15:00:00.001-06:00

As I rang in the New Year, I thought about ways to doing it again in 2010. In other words, what I can do to continue to balance time and maintain a healthy life between work, family, school and church. I am been practicing tie management skills for over 15 years and as I reviewed and prepared for this year, I went through my notes, books and some helpful websites to put together a list of things to think about to stay focused and to manage the time you have.

For me, planning is very important, I suggest that you schedule the big rocks first; I learned this from the Franklin Covey system. What this means is that you need to schedule you non-negotiable items in your calendar first, whatever has to be done and cannot be changed you need to do first. Once you have done this then you will have a better idea of what time you have to do other things.

With that in mind, if you are going to be a planner you need to take time to plan. You need to take time every week to schedule events and take time every day to plan for the day. There is nothing better than have the plan ready to go. I know that I feel much better when I do this even if there is no much on the calendar; it at least refreshes me and focuses my attention on what needs to be done today.

I used to get analysis paralysis. That means that I used to see big daunting task and thing that I could not do anything about it. Try taking big items that you are fearful of and break them down into little pieces that you can handle. This way you can celebrate successes for the small things and help build momentum for the larger task at hand.

Always use the 3 minute rule. If you can do something in 3 minutes or less, then do it. I got this from David Allen (see prior post on his book) and it is a masterful piece of work. Once I started to do this things were getting done much quicker. This is especially very helpful when dealing with e-mail.

Re-negotiate time lines if needed. If you realize that you are not going to finish something on time. Re-negotiate the time with the persons who are involved if possible. This will make you feel better and give them a heads up on what is going on. It will also release the stress that you have from not being able to meet the time line.

Group similar tasks together and get them done at the same time. Take the time to schedule and make all your phone calls that you need to make. If you have a variety of work that needs to be done with the use of a computer or internet, schedule them together and make sure you are at your desk. Taking time to group things makes it easier to get them done and helps to compartmentalize things in your brain so you are not worrying about calls when you are working on your computer.

Sometimes it is best to take a break and step away. Sometimes when I get so focused on doing something that I forget to step back and look at things and make sure that I am not missing the point of my work or running myself down until I just can’t do it. Stepping away allows for recharging you batteries.

We are all inundated with work every day. More than likely we are given so much that we cannot even finish it all, when you can, delegate and match the job to the right person. There is no reason to do work that you don’t have to do if someone else can do it and help you out. No one said you had to do it all on your own.

Keep things with you that can be done in down time. Often we do not use our downtime wisely. We have free time that just slips by us that we can use to get our stuff done. You can do this by listening to books on tape during commutes, reading articles, books or messages while waiting on the doctor or when you are waiting for a child. Have things with you that you can do when you find yourself with extra time in-between things.

Know when your peach times are and work during you peak times. I am a morning person and I start to trail off in the afternoon, but I get a burst of energy right before work is done. I schedule complicated things in the morning to work on. Remembering this will allow you to schedule work for the appropriate time in your energy cycle.

These are just a few tips to think about. Regardless, you need to take time to schedule and prioritize work in a way that helps you to be efficient. I know from my perspective it allows me to do things like clear my desk off and have zero e-mails in my inbox each day I leave work. I hope some of these tips will help you out.God bless.

Book Review: Getting Things Done

2009-12-23T11:22:00.003-06:00

Finally, I have found a concept that I can apply to everything I do.

The Five Phases of Mastering Workflow is great. It helps me deal with every item that I come into contact with no matter how little or how important. The Phases: Collect, Process, Organize, Review, and Do, allow you to not just clean the desk off, but to put things where you can find them, increase your productivity and....yes, even clean out that e-mail box. I use to have an inbox of 100-150 messages, now everyday that I go home; I have the big 0 in it. It is amazing how the simple steps that David focuses on can help create a better, more efficient life for me in the office and out of the office.

The Natural Planning Model that David Allen has created has improved not only my organization, but my productivity. It incorporates all the things that you have heard from all the business speakers and brings it down to a level that you can apply to your life. The Planning Model helps you to develop a purpose, determine you successful outcomes, brainstorm, organize, and perhaps the most important part, identify what your next step is so that you can take action; the key to getting anything done.

Perhaps the most important thing that I learned from David is the "Two-Minute Rule," if you can do it now in 2 minutes or less, then do it. If not it will take longer to deal with it later. This is probably the most important rule when dealing with the overwhelming e-mail inbox.

Finally another great action that comes from David is how to clear out your mind from all the clutter in it. Not exactly something that we think of in terms of organizing. But David makes a good point that we tend to get a lot different thoughts going around in out head and we get brain overload, or as he likes to put it, our physic ram gets full. He shows you the path to empty your head. Trust me; it is a great feeling once you incorporate it into your daily life.

This is a great book for the person who is looking for practical application to help you get organized, become more efficient, and better prepared for dealing with anything that life has to throw at you. This is a definite recommended read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Spiritual Formation

2009-12-23T11:10:00.002-06:00

As I continue on my journey with the Lord and seek to be transformed more into Christ, I have taken a keen interest in spiritual formation. It is important for me to think about those disciplines that can help shape me. There are many things that can transform us and form us to be more like Christ. Some of these we will explore together. Some I will just talk about from my own experience.

To me, spiritual formation is about spiritual transformation. Accepting Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit is a significant event in our lives and we should not be surprised to see dramatic transformation in our lives after this event. With that said, we are still creatures of habit and humans and while there might be a change in our lives, we still come to the change with the habits and baggage that we have always had before, hence the term sometimes used, disciplines, in describing the practices we do to become transformed.

We practice the disciplines to help us develop new habits and to help us on our spiritual journey. Spiritual formation is a process that brings us closer to God and makes us more like Jesus in what we do, what we think and who we are. The Bible helps to guide us in our journey and provides the blueprint on how to get there. Also, there are great resources out there for disciplines that we can draw upon to help us in this walk with the Lord.

Check out such books such as Celebration of Discipline by Foster or even Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith by Henri Nouwen (anything by Nouwen is pretty good). You can also learn more at the Valparaiso project at www.practicingourfaith.org for good insights as well.

One of the things that I have found difficult is working my day this way. It is hard to plan and execute your day in a manner that keeps one connected with Jesus day in and day out. There are forces out there that will try and make it difficult for us to do that. But we have to find ways to act like Jesus, live like Jesus, be like Jesus and then do everything for Jesus. When was the last time that you thought about doing everything for Jesus?

If we are called to be like Jesus, then we have to walk with Him in our spiritual journey. And we have to do this each and every day (it is not easy, I know). Whatever we do, we do it in the name of the Lord. We work in the name of the Lord. We live in the name of the Lord. We should eat, breath, look and listen in the name of the Lord. Try that for a day and see what happens.

As we do these things we do them in the name of Jesus, looking to Jesus as the example of whom to follow. That means that we also have to do this in the same character of Jesus. Jesus was the unblemished one. The one who could cast the first stone, but he didn’t. Can you image doing everything (and I mean everything) the way Jesus would do? Would Jesus curse at the car that cut you off? Would Jesus think mean thoughts about the person in the next cubicle to you? Would He gossip about them at the water cooler? Would Jesus get mad because someone else got a promotion that you thought you deserved? Would Jesus refuse to talk to someone because they made Him mad? Would Jesus leave work early? Show up to work late? Take a late lunch? Would He not talk to someone because they believe, act or live in a different way than you do? In my opinion, these are all tough questions to answer, but even harder to do. However, as followers of Jesus we have to think about the hard questions and how we are going to handle them. No one, including Jesus, said that this was going to be easy. But in the end it will be rewarding.

So as you go through your day in whatever you do and wherever you do it, asked yourself what I can do to be more like Jesus. We are called, as Christians, to become more like Jesus and we cannot do that unless we put ourselves in the position of doing, thinking and being more like Jesus.

So try it tomorrow. Wake up like Jesus. Get dressed like Jesus. Eat like Jesus. Pray like Jesus. Work like Jesus. Talk to others like Jesus. Take time with family and friends the way that Jesus would. Look at the world through the eyes of Jesus and act upon it. You just might be amazed at what you see.

May God bless you on your spiritual journey to become more like Jesus.

Welcome To Nicodemus File

2009-12-23T11:04:00.001-06:00

Hello and welcome to the Nicodemus File. Nicodemus File is my blog dedicated to my personal Spiritual journey as well as my interest (especially books and movies). I hope that you will enjoy my blog and look forward to many discussions and exciting times pondering some great questions and issues. I am current working in the insurance business in Murfreesboro, TN. I am attending Central Baptist Theological Seminary pursuing my Masters in Divinity. I am married to a wonderful woman named Mary, I have four children. I look forward to more post.