CELEBRITIES CALL FANS?

Hollywood Is Calling - Check this link out.

I'm just wondering... What makes these people think they actually have "fans"?

What has hollywood come to??? I can think of a few more actors who better get on this list...

PARDON ME...

Whale flatulence stuns scientists


OH MY! What a shock! Whales have gas! WOW! Imagine that... And it smells bad too! (Read the article...)

STARBUCKS VS. CARIBOU COFFEE

Don't tell anyone, but tonight I visited Caribou Coffee... Being the crazy and almost sick Starbucks fan that I am, I feel as though I have committed the ultimate coffee related sin: Coffee Shop Treason.

I have a perfectly good excuse as to why my car drove itself to Caribou instead of Starbucks. Tonight, we filled our cars up with a bunch of students and decided to go "off-campus" for our Bible study and chose Caribou. We chose Caribou because of it's outdoor seating area - which, I must say, the Starbucks down the street is severely lacking in. But, as always, as I sipped my 3 shot, extra hot, skim mocha, I quickly remembered why Starbucks has my vote. Here's why:

1. Wireless Internet - Caribou doesn't have this.
2. Wall plug-in's for my laptop - Caribou didn't think of this. Or if they did, they didn't think hard enough...
3. Better coffee. I know this is debatable, but the coffee @ Starbucks just tastes better.
4. I don't know anyone who works at Caribou, so I have to pay for my coffee every time. (Lord, help the corporate people at Starbucks not to read this...)
5. Nicer decor/environment @ Starbucks. Caribou is "cute", but I feel like I'm in a lodge somewhere in Northern Minnesota (I guess that is what they are going for...), but Starbucks "feels" better - and is a more productive environment.

I'm sure there are more reasons, but I have suddenly gotten so tired that I am literally seeing 2 computer screens in front of me and there is drool running down my chin.

Goodnight.

BLUEBERRY MORNING

Good morning.

I'm ticked... For 2 reasons.

1. I can't say.

2. My local Starbucks isn't carrying the orange cranberry muffins today. So, I'll settle for the low-fat blueberry muffin.

(Aren't my problems huge?!)

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JESUS, SAVE ME FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS!

Ok, I've got to get this out of my system... Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, "Jesus, Save Me From Your Followers!"??? Well, I have to admit - I laugh everytime I see those. Actually, I just sort of smirk a little bit and try to put myself in the shoes of the person who thinks like that.

Like me sometimes...

Ok, really - think about this. I know I'm reading into this (probably way too much) kind of far, but think about the cry of that statement. "Jesus - I believe in you and your power to help me, but those Christians who "follow" you, I just don't know about them."

What is up with this?

Could it be that many Christians have developed a "persona"? A persona of being judgemental, sarcastic (towards those who aren't following Christ), with the "I'm better than you because I am a 'believer'..." attitude.

What is this?!

I think the grace of God is amazingly powerful - yet in some ways, thin. Thin enough to see through it and remember what our life was like without His grace. For most of us it was an ugly life - full of things that none of us are proud of. I know we are supposed to forget about the past, but sometimes I think it's good to remember what our life was like BEFORE the change.

I recently read a story about some students who were being interviewed about religion at The University of California. When asked what they thought about Jesus, their responses were incredible! Words like, "Jesus? He's beautiful!" or "Yes, Jesus...He's my man...!" But when asked about Christians, words like this were uttered: "hypocrites, judgemental, etc..."

Again, What's wrong with this picture?

I don't picture Jesus walking around towns and villages staring down his nose at people. I think a lot of it has to do with our reaction towards those who have not yet bowed their knee to Christ. We expect non-Christ followers to act like Christians. We hear someone cuss or get upset and say something that we all probably say anyway when no one is looking, and we jump on them or look at them like they need to step up to our definition of "proper Christian behavior."

I can only speak for myself, but my hope is that when a seeker or unchurched person sees me and my life that they will look at me and say, "Now, if that is what God does in someone's life - then I want it." I hope that I'm seen as a "safe" person for my unchurched friends and family members to come to with their "issues" and "problems". If they feel like they can't, then there's a problem - it's at that moment that maybe I've become less like Christ and more like the religous Pharisees.

Comments!?

P.S.

One more thing... Just so you know, the "comments" are posted publically on the site. That means that everyone can read your posting. If you're ok w/ that - than post away! If you're not, you can email me at: happyweeble@hotmail.com and it will be private!

Thanks.

YOU HAVE A VOICE!

I have added the ability for you, the reader, to make comments after each post. Click on the part that says, "COMMENT" and go for it! I can't wait to hear what you have to say!

SH

TRACE YOUR MONEY - NEW HOBBY?

I've heard people say before, "I just don't know where all my money goes!" Well, now there's a way to find out!

A few days ago, I was rambling on in my blog about where our dollar bills end up over a lifetime (mine in Iraq?). Well, Bob from St. Louis sent me this link which actually traces the life of a dollar bill.

I think we all need to take the time to enter in the serial number of every dollar bill that we run across. What d'ya think? Sounds like a new hobby to me...

Where's George?

NEW LOOK; JIM COLLINS (Good to Great) THOUGHTS

I hope this new "color" isn't hard on the eyes... If you feel like giving me feedback, let me know. I've been screwing around with HTML - just changing colors, etc... on the site and learning a little bit in the process as well.

I'm happy that Monday is finally here. It's been a CRAZY week - Leadership Summit (which I will share more about after I have a chance to digest it all...), teaching this weekend, etc... This coming weekend we are heading to Lake of the Ozarks for a couple of days to visit some friends and hang out. Quick trip, but should be a good time.

Ok - I guess I will share a couple of thoughts from the Leadership Summit. Jim Collins spoke at one of the sessions (author of GOOD TO GREAT).

One of his ideas that I really like (which I've read about before - but it just seems to keep coming back up...) is his idea of how if you want to move an organization from good to GREAT (good is the enemy to great) than you must first get the "right" people on the bus - which involves (in the process) getting the "wrong" people off of the bus. Then, once you have the right people on the bus, it's time to get the "right" people in the "right" seats. Then, after all of that is said and done, the decision is made as to where to drive the bus.

This thinking is quite different from many leadership paradigms - which would say, "Get a great plan first, then gather the people." The idea behind Collins' teaching is before the decision is made where to go, get the right people on the bus and then decide. Interesting concept and I think I would have to agree - because "buy in" from people needs to be based on the heartbeat/values of the organization - not the current "approach" or "style" - both of which are subject to change as our external conditions change (i.e. culture/ideologies/etc...).

Especially important for the emerging church...

Selah.