excellence

Today, we were building a new stage design and taking down the old Christmas one for our main stage.  I had a worker cut some 2x2ft boards at the local hardware store that were slightly off the 2x2ft. This made it look only slightly off and we probably could have gotten away with it, but the guy I had asked to help with the project is a perfectionist, which in this case is a good thing.  He is taking them to re-cut them to get it right.
There is a difference between perfection and excellence.  There is only one who is perfect and His name is Jesus, but we can strive for excellence.  Excellence, is giving your very best to everything you do.  Do you work with excellence?

here and gone

It seems like Christmas flew by this year.  I feel like the older I get, the faster life goes.  I heard one older guy say, at 20 years old life moves at 20mph and at 40 years old it moves at 40mph, etc.  With life seeming to pick up speed, we had all better be intentional with how we use our precious time.

all talk

Are you just a talker or can you back it up?  I have found that it is one thing to talk it and a whole other thing to walk it.  Talk is cheap and easy, but to walk, is heavy and will cost you greatly.  Without the courage to move forward and walk, dreams never become a reality.  What do you need to quit talking about and start walking toward?

run at it

Gary Fowler (our exec. dir.) and myself have from the very beginning of launching C3 Church have made a promise to run at any problem or threat to the unity of our church.  What if we did this in our everyday lives?  Many times we let things fester or don't deal with the elephant in the room and it continues to grow.  As difficult as it can be, I have found that running toward your problems is always the best solution and here is why:
- You don't have to carry that emotional baggage of the "what if's" for long periods of time.
- It's usually not as bad as I thought it would be once we sat down to get it out in the open.
- Many times, what I feared the most was only in my head.
- It restores unity back to the relationship or team.
- It spoke volumes to those on my team who are under my leadership.

- What other reasons do you see?

school assembly

Today, I was so honored to speak to 400 7th-8th grade boys at Ridgeview Jr. High School, which is literally is only feet away from our church.  A young lady in our church Shayna Fowler has started "the Butterfly Project" which is an amazing school assembly of self respect and how girls should treat each other.  Through her they asked me to put together something for the boys we called "Own UP" which dealt with responsibility for our actions.  My prayer is that some of those young men were able to grab a hold of some truth that will help form them into men.

never lose it

Yesterday, for family moving night, we watched "Arthur Christmas."  There was a scene at the end where Santa, his older son (next in-line to be Santa) and his younger son Arthur were watching a little girl open her gift on Christmas morning.  Santa (about to retire) and the older son, had lost the real joy and sense of awe that Arthur possessed for what was happening.  In prayer this morning it made me think.  I have seen pastors/leaders who allow either enormity of what they are called to do, or maybe the difficulty of leading people, lead them to a calloused heart where they lose the "wonder and awe" of seeing people come to Jesus.  May I never forget what this life is all about.....loving people to saving grace of Jesus Christ.

possiblities

Today, I had the privilege of meeting with an incredible believer who is very gifted in a certain industry.  He is dedicated to furthering the Kingdom of God through His business and with his life.  God is blessing his business as he continues to pour it back into seeing people come to Jesus.

Can you imagine what could happen if all the believers in the world linked arms for the sole purpose of reaching people for Jesus, we could literally change the world!  As believers, if we can keep pride, greed, ego and the flesh out of the way, God could link us up to make a greater difference.  God has not called us to build OUR Empires....but HIS KINGDOM!  So let's change the world.....TOGETHER.

knee jerk

What is your knee jerk reaction?  In other words, when something negative happens, what is your first response?  I'm learning in leadership, that wisdom does not REACT, but rather RESPONDS to situations.  Reaction is natural and is almost always led by my emotions, which are fickle and not rationale.  Responding, on the other hand, is looking at the big picture, taking myself out of it and deciding what is the WISE thing to do.  If we are going to lead well, we must learn to keep a level head and not let our emotions get the best of us.  Do you react or respond?

seasons over

My deer season has come to end and it goes down as my best yet.  I was blessed to harvest 6 deer between 2 states and my freezers are full.  I feel refreshed because of spending time alone in the solitude of the woods where it was just me and Jesus.  I find myself every year craving to unplug and get away.  We all need times to get away.  It keeps us fresh and allows us to think.