Resolutions

In the 1960's, a study was done on the campus of Yale University. The subjects were Yale seniors who were educated about and encouraged to get a tetanus shot. Most of the students were convinced by the lecture that they needed to get the shot. But only 3% actually went and got the shot.

Another group of students were given the same lecture, but they were also given a copy of the campus map with the location of the health center circled. Then they were asked to look at their weekly schedules, make a plan for when they would go and take the shot, and look at the map and decide what route they would take. 28% of that control group got the shot. That is nine times as many! Why the radical increase? Because they identified how, when, and where?

I'm guessing all of us need to make a change going into the New Year. You need to stop doing something or start doing something. You need to do something less or do something more. But I'm guessing about 3% of us will make the change because we never identify how, when, and where!

So here's a plan. It's as simple as 1,2,3.

#1 Look at the calendar and schedule an hour between now and January 4th. Make an appointment with yourself. It may be in the morning or in the evening. It may be at your house or a coffeehouse. It may be on New Years Eve or New Years Day. Just set aside one hour.

#2 Spend an hour reflecting and praying. And here’s a suggestion. Think in categories. I think it helpful to think in these five categories: spiritual, relational, intellectual, emotional and physical. Do an honest self-assessment. And ask God to reveal the answer to this question: what change(s) do I most need to make?

#3 Make the change. Call it a goal. Call it a New Year's Resolution. Call it whatever you want. The goal is to make a change that honors God. Here's another suggestion. Don't make ten resolutions! If you make lots of resolutions you'll probably keep none of them. Make 3 or less. And I'd start with the spiritual category.

Once you come up with your resolution you need to write it down. Then you need to keep it visible. Put it on a screen saver. Put it on your bathroom mirror. If it's diet related, put it on the refrigerator. You might even want to find an accountability partner who will make the same resolution. It helps to have someone hold you accountable.

Just resolving to resolve. For me, the main items will be reading through the Bible (spiritual), taking vacation time (I didn't take a full week of vacation last year, that is not healthy) - more time with family with a plan already in place, increasing exercise / watching my diet.

Bible Reading

Beginning tomorrow I will begin reading through the Bible from start to finish (Genesis to Revelation).

If you would like to receive daily thoughts / devotions from this reading or the reading schedule, please email me at mishana826@yahoo.com

I will not be posting them on the blog.

Please pray for this time of reading. There are about 63 people signed up and I would love to end the year with over 130 people on that list. That would be awesome.

So, if you have not already received emails about the Bible reading, email me if you are interested.
Invite friends, family, and even non-Christians. All are welcome.

Time off

Some of you may be wondering about why no blogs, especially about Christmas, etc.

I took a few days off of blogging and will actually try to do a little less next year (beginning tomorrow).

The Deutsch family had a wonderful Christmas. It was very relaxing. We stayed home, played and ate and just hung out together. That usually does not happen. So, this was nice.

It's always fun for the boys to get excited about Santa and what will come the next morning. An extra good part is that they do not wake up at 5 a.m. They woke up around 8, so a note from Santa, and presents, then they played with other stuff. Well trained boys!

Anyway, even though a few days late, Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Musical

A quick note of appreciation to Pastor Doug and the choir, to Tommy Thomas, our drama folks, to Jeff Brown for managing lights and sound, and to the ladies in the kitchen for their hard work.

GREAT JOB!! I'm proud of all of you!!

Graduation

A couple of grad pictures. . .

I am on the right being congratulated by interpresident of Trinity, Jeanette L. Hsieh. A very pleasant and articulate person. Interesting that a conservative school like Trinity has a woman as an interim president.

Me walking down the aisle after receiving my diploma (which will be mailed to me in March 2009).

Recapping the last weekend . . .

So glad we drove to Chicago when we did, we beat the freezing rain in Central Indiana and the (6 inches) in Chicago.

We swam Thursday night, slept, woke up to 6 inches of snow. Whung out after breakfast, I went to Trinity to get my robe (regalia - kind of a cool word). Then we went shopping and ate at Portillo's. If you want real Chicago hot dogs, that's a great place to go.

Graduation was wonderful. The environment, the singing, all great. You could sense the Spirit's presence. Dr. D.A. Carson, one of the more famous Trinity prfoessors gave the message, which was right on.

The reception was great. Amazing food, sandwiches, fruit, cheeses and cakes!!!

Below is a family picture . . .

The happy family after the graduation.

Living Rich for Less

Living Rich for Less is a wonderful and practical book. Especially during our difficult financial times, this book comes at the right time.

The book is filled with practical tips to help each person save money, even on the most modest incomes. When you hear the story of Ellie Kay, you will realize what she did and how she helped her family save thousands of dollars.

This book falls in line with our classes from Financial Peace University from Dave Ramsey.

For example, Ellie was able to help her family eliminate $40,000 of debt in just two years on one income; they paid cash for 11 different cars; gave 3 of those cars away, bought 2 five-bedroom homes; took regular family vacations, nicely furnished their home, clothed their kids in style, and supported more than thirty nonprofit organizations in a dozen different countries by giving away more than $100,000. WOW!!!

Think about what we could do if we saved our money, and honored God with our money!

Ellie shares the 10/10/80 rule - giving 10 percent, saving 10 percent and spending smart the remaining 80 percent of your income.

She separates the book into those three sections; spending, saving, and giving. As I said, the tips are great, as I underlined many sections and will use this book as a reference to help my family be better stewards with the blessings and money God has provided us with.

You can find the book at

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=446015&netp_id=570367&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

OR

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Rich-Less-Lifestyle-Spending/dp/0307446018/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229727027&sr=8-1

Hello Chicago!!

We made it with ease! We even stopped to drive by my old stopping grounds in Skokie. I had not driven by my hood for many, many years. It was fun to show the family where I grew up, although it was night time.

We made it to the hotel, hit the pool and now I am sitting in the lobby while Debbie settles the boys to sleep. I checked the weather in Alexandria and I can certainly see it is sleeting and freezing rain abounds.

The bad news in Chicago is that they are supposed to get 6 inches of snow tonight. We made it before the snow started, so, we'll hang out tomorrow, cruise around Deerfield, and get ready for graduation.

So . . . be careful, stay safe and hopefully, we'll see you Sunday!

Why Blog?!

So . . . why do I blog? Actually, it's a good question, because there are times when I have thought it is better not to blog, and in all honesty there are many times I don't intentionally blog.

I blog for a couple of main reasons ~

1. I want you to get to know me a little better. I want you to hear my thoughts, to be challenged by other writers and thinkers, even ones I may disagree with. I want you to see and hear and know the types of articles, books, issues that I encounter in a typical day, week, month, etc.
2. I want to challenge you. I want you to read my thoughts and others and be challenged. For this reason, when I give you articles from others, I often leave out my thoughts. I want you to think and experience on your own, not with me telling you how to think.
3. I want to bring glory and honor to Christ! Jesus was a radical! He didn't do as the religious elite wanted Him to do, He did the opposite, He challenged, He got in their face, He was rejected time after time. While I don't want to be rejected, I know that is part of the calling. If God saw it good enough for His Son, He very well may see it as good enough for me. By challenging you and me, maybe we grow a little more Christ-like. Maybe we do a little more for the kingdom, who knows. . . He knows.
4. I so desperately want us to fulfill His mission for our church, so I want to pass on any and all information I can to help us.
5. Bottom line, if you don't like what I write, you can always unsubscribe, I will not hunt you down. I'll be disappointed, but such is life.
   
6. Bottom line #2, keep an open heart, spirit and mind; be challenged; be engaged; be passionate about Jesus. Let Him lead your life
   

Lessons from the Alchemist

Paulo Coelho in his book, The Alchemist, which has sold 65 million copies, in 67 languages, tells the story of a shepherd boy and his quest to live his dream. Along the way, the boy meets an alchemist who has the power to inspire personal transformation. This Alchemist gives the boy a number of life’s lessons - lessons that are as fresh and applicable today as they were hundreds of years ago. The lessons by themselves are interesting, but it’s only when they are applied, that the power of personal transformation can be unleashed.

So what can Paulo teach us about life and pursing dreams in the face of obstacles that caused 65 million people to buy his book? Consider how these 12 lessons may help you in your walk with Christ.

1. It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.

2. Support your children in pursuit of their dreams.

3. There is nothing to hold you back, except yourself.

4. There is only one way to learn, and that is through action.

5. Trust your gut, your heart .

6. Follow your dreams.

7. Know what you want.

8. Make a decision and dive in with massive action.

9. Move on - always look forward.

10. You will encounter obstacles and take detours while realizing your dreams.

11. Don’t fear the unknown.

12. Learn to understand the universal language - the language without words.

Wednesday Fun

In light of Illinois being called one of the most corrupt states and with a governor who is absolutely arrogant and stupid, let's have a little fun and try this challenge.

You have to figure this one out for yourselves,

http://funstufftosee.com/frogleaptest.html


Click on the above link or paste it into your browser and see if you pass the Leap Frog test.

Have fun!!

Living in a Bubble

If the company you were running lost $10 billion this year, then you asked for a $10 million bonus, you'd be laughed out of the room, right?

You might even get fired over it.

Not unless you work on Wall Street, where the CEO of Merrill Lynch says he deserves $10 million because the company would have lost more if not for his leadership. Maybe true, but he was not very smart (stupid) to ask for $10 million when he already makes an enormous salary with amazing perks while nearly everyone thinks his industry is already overpaid and reckless with money. His bubble prevented him from sucking it up on a $750,000 salary until his company was profitable.

Before Detroit's Big 3 CEOs first showed up on congress' doorstep asking for monetary help, public opinion was about 50% against bailout help. With half of the country thinking the Big 3 don't deserve a nickel. Then we learn that each CEO took an expensive company jet to Washington to ask for money. The symbolism of cluelessness couldn't have been more obvious. After their first appearance before congress, public opinion against the bailout surged to 61%. Their bubbles made them oblivious to the obvious.

As I think about the local church being the last and only hope of the world, I wonder how many times we become comfortable living in our bubbles, that we just don't see what really is happening. I believe it is true in most of our family systems, as we just don't see our dysfunction until someone can point it out. Not that we want anyone to point it out, but if we are to grow as Christians, as people, then we need to see the good along with the not so good.

Have you recognized any bubbles in your life that need to be popped?!

A response from Anonymous

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I don't believe...but I want to give back":

I think there has to be a way they can serve, because I would hope that through serving with believers they, in turn, would become a believer. But I do believe this could get dangerous.

If someone openly doesn't believe, they should not be a leader of anything in the church. They would become a distraction at best, and a stumbling block at worst.

Only God knows the inner workings of our heart, but if we espouse a belief that runs counter to the church's very foundation, then what does that say to others who don't know Jesus? And doesn't that say something negative about a person that does serve in a ministry that they have no belief in?

I would hope that the non-believer could be swayed to know Jesus as their Savior (and maybe they have a place in service), but I do think it could be a dangerous game for the church to play. I think that any ministry that is truly working for the Lord will be tested by Satan. When that happens, it can be hard enough for a Christian to stay on track, but what is there to guide that non-believer?

Michael's response:

There is the potential for danger, but a nonbeliever would never have a position of authority or leadership, for that matter they would not be on a committee, but to serve, to enter the realm of the church world may be a huge step towards faith in Christ. If the church closes the door, then how are we helping them get their feet wet and meeting and working alongside other Christians?

The hope would be that as the person continues to worship and serve, the power of the Holy Spirit would work on their heart and spirit and they would come to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life. What a great testimony they would have to share with other friends and nonbelievers. It could help break the mold of how other nonbelievers think about the church and Christians in general.

Thanks for the response.

one more video

This is scary!!

Video of Black Friday

I'll be talking about this at the beginning of the sermon on Sunday . . .



This is amazing what people are like!

Black Friday crowds

Watch this crowd charge for Friday morning goodies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZYxKR-IdGo&feature=related

GM, Ford, Chrysler

I read the following about GM . . .

"When General Motors released its 37-page plan for restructuring observers immediately began to scratch their heads. The plan calls for plant closures, brand cut-backs and layoffs--but it is wholly silent on the details of where and when, and very little on why. In sum, this is a very long memo that could have been summarized in two words: "Trust us."

Sadly, we don't, and neither should Congress. A bailout might make sense for Detroit if what emerges from painful pruning looks like a viable car company with a coherent set of brands and a modern manufacturing base and streamlined workforce.

But GM hasn't provided the details any reasonable lawmaker or interested citizen would need to pass judgment on the proposed plan.

Congress should help GM, and Ford and Chrysler--but only if it makes sense. That conclusion will require a great deal more detail than has been provided to date."

It seems to me the church operates a lot like that GM plan, we don't set many concrete goals, we need to do that and that will be part of next year's plan for me and committees and church leadership - - we need far more accountability for what areas of responsibility and authority.

Secondly, back to the automakers, if congress bailed out the banks and loan companies who were fraudulent, then they should bail out the automakers who were just stupid, not stealing.

10 Reasons I Don’t Like Most Christians

A pastor in South Carolina did a little research with some people he knows and came up with these 10 reasons why he does not like Christians (and possibly why others have a low view of Christians, as well.)

This is what he wrote,

"I mentioned recently that I’m not sure I like Christians. With the help of some of my friends, here are the top…

10 Reasons I Don’t Like Most Christians

1. They consistently seem angry and bitter and worried. I thought Christians were supposed to reflect joy and kindness and peace.
2. They don’t dream big dreams. That seems odd given the fact that we’re supposedly worshiping a God who is “able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare ask or hope.”
3. They seem to worship their theology more than Jesus. For whatever reason, this appears to be especially true for folks that come from a reformed theology.
4. They don’t like it when other people or ministries experience success. Think about it. There are Christians who would be overwhelmed with joy if NewSpring experienced fewer salvations, fewer baptisms and our attendance dropped.
5. They use prayer as an excuse for inaction. They’re waiting for God to do his thing, but they aren’t willing to step out in faith and obedience.
6. They’re more concerned with the BMW next door than the lost person who drives it. Christians hate people with money. They’re willing to sacrifice time and money for those without it, but they’re satisfied to let “rich” people go to Hell.
7. They would rather people live life without Jesus than give up their personal preferences. What happens when your preferred teacher doesn’t teach? What happens when your preferred worship leader doesn’t lead? What happens when you don’t like the music?
8. They are fake. They dress up a certain way on Sunday and they live as completely different people the rest of the week.
9. They think they’re better than other people. That’s why they create rules to follow. It helps differentiate why they are holy while others are not.
10. They’re comfortable with mediocrity. Doesn’t matter where. Think Christian music and movies. Think how we invest our time and money. You don’t seriously think God deserves our best do you?

The reality is that I’ve sinned in just about every one of these areas. It pains me to say that, but it’s true. If people hear the Gospel and reject Jesus, that’s one thing. If I’m the barrier to people accepting Christ because of me and my sin, that’s a completely different deal. Fortunately, God’s much bigger than my stupidity.

When does your humanness get in the way of people knowing the hope, forgiveness and love of Jesus? Does your life make people curious about the claims of Jesus or does it make them flee? What would you add to the list"

Quotes from Tony Morgan.

More on the Church

Here are some comments from Anonymous (part 1).

I received two responses from Anonymous, and am not sure if they are one and the same. Here are these comments . . .

We have not led our people to evangelize. We are good at taking care on each other once people are here. We have an opportunity to learn to promote our church, invite others to come, and follow up on those that are missing.
Lots of opportunities there.

My responses - Good observation on that one. We could learn to do evangelism, however, we have become comfortable since the church grew after we moved to Rt. 9. There are lots of missed opportunities. Do we really care that people are going to hell?


Gossip. Think to yourself, is that story feasable? Could there be more to that story?
Is that story worthwile for me to know? WHAT GOOD DO I DO TO PASS ALONG SOMETHING THAT I ONLY HEARD SECOND HAND?

My response - Good questions to ask when someone is giving you the dirty low down about someone. All we need to do is ask them why you need to know this about someone else, and if we should go and tell ___________ what is being said about them and by whom!

Mission and passion
Do we as a church all know what our church vision is and how we all fit into that vision. Do we have a clear cut vision? or are we shooting for nothing and hitting it?

My response - No, no and kinda-sorta. I am not sure the church has ever had a clear cut compelling vision, which means we are shooting from the hip and having some success, but not the amount we should have. That will change next year, with some ideas I have for vision discovery. My vision for the church is that 'we are passionate and contagious about Jesus and we make a relevant difference in the world.' That is pretty basic and simple, but there is a lot that is packed into it.

The rules should fit the mission. We can't just choose to ignore the rules sometimes and follow them others. That is how people get hurt, mad and leave. We need to tackle the church by-laws (Divorce, Women etc) and adapt them to what we need to do. The rules should work for us and not against us. But we must have rules and all follow them. It will work.

My response - We need to take a good look at the by laws, what is written and what is unwritten. Do our by-laws get in the way of mission? If yes, the by-law needs to go. At the same time we need to have some structure or there is chaos, yet, would not a little chaos be fun (yes for me) if the chaos was the result of lots of ministry taking place and lives being changed!

People leaving
I don't want unhappy people to stay where they are not happy. Life is too short. But I have a more bold approach. I want to teach, convince, educate, that the mission is good, and to jump on board and come along and be part of something exciting and worthwhile. If I take the approach to show the door to everyone who doesn't agree with me I will soon be standing in a room by myself!

My response - The approach is not to show the door to people who don't agree with me or with you or with anyone. We need to build a consensus about what this church represents, what our mission is (advancing the kingdom of Christ - according to the articles of incorporation). How are we advancing the kingdom of Christ? Are we, or are we advancing our kingdom?

I'm not looking to kick anyone out, but if someone is really unhappy with all of our changes (there really have not been that many), then they should leave if they are going to be a negative influence. If they are willing to stick around and get involved in ministry and work towards advancing the kingdom, then great! We should be teaching and educating and equipping people for ministry, but we need to get people out of their comfort zones, and work together, as one body, for the good of the kingdom and growth of the kingdom. I am a firm believer that faithfulness produces fruitfulness. It's a continual image from John.

Outside the box thinking.
Not everything has to be new to be good,nor is everything old the only way. A mixture of our heritage, mixed with new thoughts, and new generational thinking, situational adaptations of the practice of faith while protecting the fundamentals of the faith will create a new box.
Are we brave enough to look at a new box. Do we want a new box or do we want things to never change? Thought-- We were lucky to have had years with little change and we were unlucky that we got comfortable that we didn't have to change!

My response - The statement which grabs me is "Are we brave enough to look at a new box." That is a crucial statement. Are we really brave enough to look at a new paradigm, a new way of doing ministry. It does not mean the old way was wrong, but is there a better way, a way which can be measured so we can determine did we get it right, or did we miss our mark. If we don't measure what we do, how do we know if we hit the target?

The last sentence is very true. Years with little change leads to stagnation and after stagnation comes death, if we do not move / change. We're comfortable, and we need to remember God is a God of comfort, not comfortability. He never wants us comfortable, content, yes, comfortable, no.

You asked for thoughts you have some of mine.

And thank you for your thoughts!!

Thoughts on the Church

Not many people responded and I commented I would put anyone's comments here. So, here goes for two comments by Anonymous - - -

1. My concern about people leaving... Obviously some people will leave for petty reasons or what are essentially non-issues (like moving), but we do need to have a feel for why someone is leaving. Are we being unfriendly to people who haven't been members for 10+ years or shooting down ideas or offers of help because it came from someone who is new (and wears jeans to church! gasp!).

My response ~ While I don't chase after people, I know why they leave via information from others. Most churches state they are friendly, but are not; I have heard from some visitors that we really are friendly (kudos to the folks who greet and meet newcomers)!

I would also hope that we are not shooting down ideas, in fact, I crave ideas from others, and hope they are willing to help implement the ministries they are passionate about.

Sometimes we need to say goodbye to someone (especially when they are here for the wrong reasons... i.e. personal glory), but we also need to periodically examine ourselves as a whole to see if we are part of the problem too.

My response ~ We really do need to examine ourselves, it's not an easy thing to do, more often than not it is painful, but if honest and willing to improve ourselves, that makes a difference to others. . . and yes, sometimes we need to say good-bye to some.

And I agree with the other comment about examining the by-laws. Are we being too narrow in our interpretations of scripture, or ignoring some parts altogether (because it challenges our comfort zone or our own position)?

My response ~ I'm in full agreement, but remember, and I know this one from experience, when you talk about by-laws (written and unwritten rules) they bring about more stress than anything you can imagine. By-laws and unstated rules often arise out of mistrust of one another, which IMHO is the reason for the use of Robert's Rules of Order. If we trusted, we would not need the detailed process, we could talk as brothers and sisters in Christ; agreeing and disagreeing, praying, discussing the needs, hopes, dreams, mission and vision for the church.

How do we want the congregation to give feedback? If I am unhappy about something, how do I let it be known? It may not always be obvious to members who they should talk to. It may be a more trivial aspect to someone else, but it may bother that person for a legitimate reason. If you complain to the wrong person, that won't usually get any results (and, sadly, can generate gossip) and they may not refer you to the proper person (because they don't share the concern, or because they don't know,or because they are annoyed, whatever).

My response ~ That's a good comment, and food for thought about the process. Yet, why do we need to complain . . . gripe, gripe, gripe. Why are we so passive and reactive, not proactive about what we believe God is calling us to do. If we were really involved in spiritual growth/maturity and serving Christ according to His call in our lives, we would not have time for complaining, we'd be too busy having the time of our lives . . . serving Him.

We should be willing to become part of the solution, not perpetuate the problem. My door is never closed to anyone who wishes to talk. Sadly many people prefer to talk around me, than to me. Not all of my ideas work, and I am willing to listen and learn, if people are willing to discuss. And often times the answer is right before us, but we're too busy yapping to someone who does not need to know what is going on. People should refer others with issues to the correct person, or not give them an ear. That is healthy, even though we don't usually believe this or practice it.

But the point is: is there a way to give concerns a voice and to prevent grumbling?

My response ~ It's simple, go to the source! More often than not we sit on our hands and say nothing that may be construed as confrontational or controversial during business meetings. I'm not looking for fireworks, but we need to speak up if we have a concern.

Change for the sake of change is wrong, but resistance to change because of our insecurities or discomfort is also wrong.

My response ~ Yup, on both accounts. I have really, really, really tried to be aware of that first precept. . . change for the sake of change is harmful. I'd rather stay status quo, which kills me, than to change just because.

Thanks to anonymous.

FUN

Okay, a little serious thus far today, now for a little humor.

watch this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar_k8JjVWQA

"I don't believe...but I want to give back"

"I don't believe...but I want to give back"

Pastor Dave Ferguson in Naperville, IL wrote about an encounter he has with some new attenders at the church he pastors. The new attenders said, "I'm pretty sure that I don't really believe all the stuff that you believe...but I'm here because I feel a need to serve and I want to give back."

What is your reaction to this conversation? Do you think this is a trend or do you think this is just two isolated conversations?

Do you even think this should be allowed in the church . . . allow nonbelievers to serve?

The Car Industry

Detroit is showing it's a bit smarter in how it asks for bailout money.

Instead of traveling by corporate jet, GM CEO Rick Wagoner will drive a Malibu hybrid for the 520-mile trek from Detroit to Capitol Hill; Ford CEO Alan Mulally will drive an Escape hybrid. The travel plans of General Bob Nardelli of Chrysler are secret for "security reasons" (guess he's flying). (Update: Chrysler got wise and said he's driving, too.) All three are to present their plans for $25 billion in taxpayer-backed loans on Thursday and Friday.

If they were very smart, the CEOs would drive unreleased, next-generation cars that get 100 MPG. They would have left on Monday, and stopped in dozens of towns along the way and would invite local reporters and TV crews to ride shotgun for a short distance. They would update their status on Twitter, facebook and the like. They would write a few posts for the company blog. They would shoot video and put that on the blogs and have major media play it as well. They would also talk about how they messed up in the past, how they are selling their corporate jets, all of them, and they would talk about plans for the future.

As a result, they would get some great PR, which they desperately need.

They would prove they can work together, yes, Ford with GM and Chrysler . . . They would show they are visionary leaders who are breaking the mold of the ways business has always been accomplished.

GM said late Tuesday it needs $18 billion, yesterday, to survive, and only have a few months of life left.

Wagoner and Mulally said they would work for $1-a-year salary IF federal assistance was forthcoming. Hint: Arrive in Washington having already cut your salaries to $1!!

What do you think: Give Detroit a line of credit, or let 'em file for bankruptcy and work it out in the courts like the airlines?

Let them go under and see what happens?

My take is if we allow them to go under, we will no longer be in a recession, we will enter a depression.

Amazing video about our economy

I was watching a video from 2006 and 2007 and it can really, really stink (nice word) to be the contrarian voice in the herd, as Peter Schiff was in 2006, two years before the economic walls came down.

It takes guts, perseverance and, as Peter instructively demonstrates in this video, quiet confidence. He would've been still be right had he been screaming a la Jim Kramer, but it's easier to side with a screaming optimist than a screaming skeptic. Click on the link and watch this 10 minute video and you will see how messed up some of these predictions are, and how right Peter Schiff was, and how he never wavered from his amazingly accurate prediction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I0QN-FYkpw

More Thoughts on the church

More thoughts about the church . . . where are we and who are we?

I did some writing about my thoughts yesterday, here is some, but not all - - what are your thoughts?

Some things we need to consider. We need to . . .

. . . Think differently about our church culture
* Don’t say, “Our people won’t ___________” (insert problem).
* Instead can we say . . . “We have not led our people to ____________” (insert problem); this is a great opportunity, how are you willing to help, no complaining allowed, helpers only.

. . . Think differently about criticism and gossip
* We love to engage in gossip, especially the juicy variety and then we pass on what we want. In
essence changing some of the story to suit our sickness.
* Instead, say something good about that person. Then say no to bitterness, rage, anger,
brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Follow the one another’s, love, forgive,
serve . . . (from Ephesians 4:31-32).

. . . Think differently about the mission and vision
* Are we passionate about the mission and vision {Okay, what the heck is the mission and
vision, anyway?}
* Or are we more passionate about guarding people’s feelings, only when it suits our purposes
and rules, at the expense of the mission and vision?

. . . Think differently about people leaving the church
* The normal mindset is “we can’t let anyone leave.”
* Why keep those who are dissatisfied, they will continue to spread their poison. Anyone want
poison?

. . . Think differently about limitations
* We say, “we can’t because we don’t have _______.”
* Are we willing to become creative and not only think outside the box, but create a new box?

. . . Think differently about ourselves
* We think we are better than others. We look down on those who are not like 'us.'
* We are sinners just like everyone else, fortunately we know Jesus (hopefully intimately), so
life is different because of Jesus, but are we growing in Christ, or just the same old pain in the
booter (my boys word for the buttocks)?
* As a result, are we willing to get our hands dirty and do ministry or . . . ?

Those were some Monday thoughts. What are your thoughts?

Come on, people, I know you all have thoughts, let's get them out, because the time is coming when I will be laying as many of our PINK ELEPHANTS on the table. If they are present in our church, then they are blocking the movement of Christ and the Spirit in our church, and frankly that is 100% unacceptable.

If you are willing, what are the Pink Elephants? As an FYI, Pink Elephants in the room are issues, etc. which everyone knows exist, but nobody is willing to talk about.

Either post them here, or email them to me (mishana826@yahoo.com), and I will list them after a few days.

I told you a couple of weeks ago, I'm stirring the pot. It's time.

Dessert

First, why is it I always have to look up how to spell dessert. I can never remember if it is with one or two s's.

And why is it the place with lots of sand and little vegetation is the same word which means someone who leaves you? I think I'd rather have dessert!

Anyway, have you ever seen a dessert which look so good that you cannot help but go for it, even if you should not, but then when you take that first bite, the looks were a whole lot better than the taste.

That happened to me today.

It also led me to think about how we view other people. We look at the outside and make quick judgments which are so superficial and often times prove totally false. I was reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 23:26-28, when Jesus said,

• 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
  
• 27Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.
• 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Sadly, that is how many people view the church. We are a bunch of self-righteous, arrogant, full of ourselves hypocrites. We look good and clean on the outside, but when we speak and act, the filth comes out.

So, how can I / you change that perception, sometimes true and sometimes not . . . ?

All that from a good looking, but not good brownie.