Pick your Poison

I was asked the other night what my favorite book is. I knew it was coming because others around me had been asked just moments before but I was rushing to pull out a good title. I've been asked that before and have yet to come up with a satisfying answer to it. In a stupid way this bothers me.

Most who know me know I love to read. I have loved it for as long as I can remember, despite my brief hiatus in college. I'd lay for hours in my room as a child, lost in the details and descriptions of a fictitious story. Although, I think I have only re-read about 2 books in my whole life. I don't like to re-read, perhaps because to read over the same story I might find different details or might be caught in a different time of life that will negatively affect my opinion of the story. It's better to not disturb those positive thoughts.

What bothers me most about this question as of late is my journey in writing. I decided I would just take a step of faith and enroll in the Christian Writer's Guild program and work to become a published author of some sort. Why? Because I like to read stories and enjoy the thought of telling a story for someone else to enjoy. I'm not great at verbal communication so writing works out well for me, it's slow and I have time to think through my thoughts and find the right words.

As a novice author I feel the need to nail down my favorite book. I can't bring myself to commit though. The truth is I like A LOT of books. All for different reasons. To compare one book to another is definitely comparing apples to orangutans. It'd be easier for me to narrow it down to specific genres and I can pick specific books within genres but to say one title holds my vote over all others is impossible for me.

Historical fiction is definitely my favorite genre of writing. I will read many other types of books but I always find myself subconsciously drawn to historical fiction stories.

So back to the question, "What is my favorite book?" because I couldn't come up with an answer I was then asked to narrow it down to 3, this I could do. So in no particular order I said, The Help, Where the Red Fern Grows, and........I couldn't do it. I just couldn't choose. There are way too many books I like.

What is your favorite book? Can you choose or do you have anxiety about committing to just one like me?

Trusting in Mere Humans

I read though Isaiah 2 this morning and at the end of the chapter I read this: 


"Stop trusting in mere humans, 
   who have but a breath in their nostrils.
   Why hold them in esteem?"

It's harsh but I like it. It's a good reminder we need to stop looking to humans to fulfill ALL of our needs. Please take note of the word 'all' because certainly there are times when humans can and do fulfill some of our needs. 

I am constantly reminded humans will disappoint, I will disappoint. I know I have and will continue to disappoint those close to me, those I come in contact with, I will disappoint myself, and dare I say, God. Sure, God already knows everything I'm about to do and knows who I am...blah blah blah. This doesn't mean He's not disappointed in my choices. This seems to be the very reason He asked Jesus to be the sacrifice. 

I see people church hopping because they put too much stock in sinful leaders to change their own walk with God. Men and women of all ages jump from one relationship to the other because they thought another human could perfectly fill each and every void in their life. Others use all their time and resources to promote a presidential candidate only to be severely disappointed the elected did not fulfill their promises. 

Idolizing people is dangerous, although easy. While God speaks through broken humans, He comforts others through selfish men and women, God challenges us to be better people by using those who aren't really better themselves we cannot forget everyone will let us down eventually and God will not. 

Only God can fulfill EACH AND EVERY ONE of His promises. Only God can speak a message so earth-shattering your life can change forever. Only God can be perfectly faithful in every way to the ones He loves. 

Psalm 36:5
Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

Global Leadership Summit Day 2 part 2

During the first part of the morning (on the first day actually) Hybels shared a change in schedule. CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, was supposed to speak on the second day. I think he was supposed to speak about Vision and how Starbucks has done well to stick to their vision. Well apparently a group of homosexuals found out Schultz was going to be speaking at a church (they thought Willow Creek Church was anti-gay, my, how they are misinformed) and so they started a protest on Facebook asking people to boycott Starbucks. After meeting with the Summit leadership, including Bill Hybels, Schultz was released of his contract to speak and didn't show. Hybels and his team immediately pursued those who started to the boycott so they could sit down and discuss Willow Creek's ACTUAL view on homosexuality. I'll let the reader make their own opinion about Schultz but having watched how Bill Hybels handled the situation was encouraging. Here is a video clip of the situation.

After Rhee shared we went to lunch and came back to Dr. Henry Cloud, a clinical psychologist, speaking on The Evil, The Foolish, The Wise. Essentially saying, "you cannot deal with every person the same." Seems easy right?

*The wise person is someone who changes when faced with changed. They make sure they are the match for the situation, are good with feedback, stay challenged.

*The fools try to change the truth, instead of changing themselves to go along with it. They will generally shoot the messenger, minimize and externalize the situation. They are usually angry people who take no ownership.

*The evil person is bent on destruction. They want to inflict pain and will usually involve lawyers, guns, and money in trying to "solve" any situation. These people, Cloud said, need to be removed because they will attempt to destroy any vision or step of progress that is trying to be made and they WILL bring others down with them.

*I liked one of his opening statements: "God has called you to be a steward over a vision. To change something. Are you going to allow difficult people to prevent you from carrying it out?"

*When looking for people to be your support in your vision you should ask yourself, "What does a person do when the truth or reality comes to them?" Are they wise, foolish, or evil?

Again, "Don't let someone's character problem stop you from carrying out the mission God has called you to. Which reminds me of Paul and Barnabas splitting up. Not that they weren't both effective, but they knew their visions were different at a certain point of what God wanted them to do and they had the maturity to split. Unfortunately, I know not all people will handle things as maturely.

John Dickson, senior minister at St. Andrews Anglican Church in Sydney spoke on Humility. It was an interesting topic with a different twist. Dickson is a senior research fellow in the Department of Ancient History at a local university so his study on humility went far back into the ancient civilizations. One cool note and story he shared was of being in a band in his early years and getting to meet Bono. Him and a friend snuck in to the hotel where U2 was staying and were able to meet the band. It was a great story. Here are a few points on his talk of Humility.

*Humility does NOT mean Humiliation or Low Self-esteem.

*It IS to hold power in the service of others.

1. Humility is common sense. None of us is an expert at everything (although we try to be...or I try to be sometimes). Expertise in one area counts for very little in another.

2. Humility is beautiful. We are more attracted tot hose are who humble. Mark 10:43, Philippians 2:3-8

3. Humility is generative. it's a place of learning and growth.

4. Humility is persuasive. Ethos - Character, is central to persuasion

5. Humility is inspiring. It makes people think they can be just like the "great" (This is where his story of meeting Bono came. Bono had enough humility to meet with Dickson and his friend when he didn't have to, so Dickson had a sense like he could become great like Bono)

Since Schultz couldn't make it, his stand-in was Patrick Lencioni. President and found of The Table Group, which does consulting for businesses. He spoke on vulnerability which I felt tied in nicely with Humility. He had a lot of great stories about meeting with CEO's and other leaders of companies who were unwilling to be vulnerable and the impact it had on their employees.

*Vulnerability means you're open to attack.

*There are usually 3 fears of being vulnerable:
1. Fear of losing the business or fear of rejection -- Enter the danger, speak the kind truth (we won't always be successful)

2. Fear of being embarrassed -- Ask questions, are you looking out for their (employees) best interest? Celebrate our mistakes. He shared a short story about a woman farting in a large group meeting and trying to ignore it. If she would have acknowledged it everyone would have had a good laugh and moved on, but as she ignored it, it grew more awkward. It was a funny story.

3. Fear of feeling inferior -- Show people you are willing to do what you ask them to do. You won't always be rewarded. Honor your clients work.

*Being vulnerable breeds trust, loyalty, and commitment.


Last, but certainly not least, Erwin McManus. Erwin has written many books and is the pastor of Mosaic church in California, among other things. A lot of his books could be considered "post-modern," if you believe that term to exist. He has a new way of thinking about things that is often right along with the newer generations. His topic was "Chasing Daylight" or seize the day!

*One of the greatest challenges as a Christian is to change how we do relationships.

*Looking at Ecclesiastes 1, "There is nothing new under the sun..." this phrase is killing the church. People are not looking for things to do better.

*Why do we wait for someone else to create the future? (sound similar to another speaker's topics?) Become cultivators of human talent (Acts 7)

*There is no ordinary person born but most of us all painfully, tragically die ordinary.

*What is spiritual leadership if we do not set the human spirit free?

*The church needs to reclaim it's place as the epicenter of creativity

*It's not that hard to bring people to Jesus by telling stories.


And there it is. My final summary of the leadership speakers. While I know this is dragged out for those reading, it's been nice to go through my notes a few weeks afterward and review some golden nuggets I took away. Each person, though not all Christian, seemed to have a pretty God-centered message. Yes, there were times where the content was more business related but still those principles can be implemented in other areas.

If you've never gone to a Leadership Summit before, you NEED to go next year. Yes, I said NEED TO.


It's already scheduled, August 9 & 10 2012.