NEW FOTOLOG!

I've started a new "fotolog" - you can view pics that I post. Click here to check it out.

GO INTO ALL THE WORLD

"Preach
the Gospel
always, and
when necessary
use words"
- St Francis of Assisi -

What a quote. I guess I keep coming back to this subject because I am continually being "dealt with" by God in regards to my interaction with those who are not in a relationship with Him. It is SO EASY to speak words to people, but it is NOT always easy to live out those words in a way that will convince people that Christ is right for them.

It's amazing to me, but more and more, as I talk to those who are either new to Christianity or have not yet made that "leap", I am finding that the concern of the typical "postmodern" is not "Did Jesus exist?" or "Is the Bible authentic?" - the real question is, "Why is this Christianity thing right for me?" or "Is what I'm seeing in you what I want to become?" OUCH!!! What a thought...!

I can't think of too many places in scripture where Christ said that it will be by our words that people will know that we are His followers. Actions speak louder than words. Talk is cheap.

God, help my life to reflect your love. When people see me, help them to see You. Let my words have the backing of a committed life. Amen.

WHAT SHOULD GOOGLE DO?

Click here to read Seth Godin's new (and free...) e-book, What Should Google Do? It's what I like to call a "creativity stoker"!

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download located here).

ACCOUNTABILITY & WHITE SOX

A while back, I read Rudy Giuliani's book Leadership - how he turned NYC's crime rate around in a rather short amount of time. His secret? Accountability.

In my opinion, accountability (Not peer to peer accountability as in "moral" accountability - I'm talking about leadership accountability) is simply holding someone to their word and/or responsibilities. In our church, we have begun implementing systems of accountability on all levels - staff, volunteers, etc... and have literally watched the standard of leadership rise. It's not perfect, but it's getting better all the time.

It's also not always easy - especially in a transitioning organization where accountability hasn't always been a top priority. All of the sudden, there is follow up and accountability where before things were allowed to "fall through the cracks" and not get done.

In my opinion, accountability is what separates the "great" leaders from the "good" and even sometimes "not real good" leaders. Hopefully, when it's all said and done, you end up with a strong leadership team (at all levels) who appreciate and see the benefits of accountability.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this - please comment!

Gotta go - White Sox game tonight. $1 hot dog night. HALLELUJAH! :) (By the way - I'm not a Sox fan, but the tickets were free...)

George W. Christ?

President Bush is a good man, but this is pushing it just a little...

.PIF = PRETTY INTENSE FRUSTRATION

I logged online here @ Starbucks this morning and felt pretty important when my email inbox showed me 75 new emails. That is, until I realized that they all had viruses attached to them. I've been hit. Hit hard...

Check out this link if you're having problems too. The emails have an attachement with them ending in ".pif" - which I believe stands for "Pretty Intense Frustration"...

DADGUM VIRUS

Ok - I'm being bombarded with viruses today!!!! @*#&$*#&@(*$&@#(*&!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone else getting it? I'm getting the W32.Sobig.F@mm.

If anyone is bored and doesn't have anything to do, I can send you a copy...

MIND GAME...

While sitting at your desk make clockwise circles with your right foot.

While doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand.

What direction is your foot going now?

FRISKY FROGS IN MISSOURI; INNOVATION; RANDOM THOUGHTS...

Just returned from hanging w/ some "ministry" friends in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Quick trip, but well worth it. Spent lots of time on a boat...

There's nothing better than hanging out with friends and sharing some great laughs and scattered conversations.
I must say that the creativity factor is much higher in Missouri than I last remembered. There were several restaurant names that continue to resonate in my mind. (Examples: The Horny Toad; The Frisky Frog, one that I better not say, but rhymes with DECKERS, Clown & Poop Deck and The Happy Fisherman.) Some real eye catchers, let me tell you...

I began a book while out of town entitled, Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation by Robert Sutton.

I haven't gotten too far, but the "jist" of the book (up to this point) is that the people who stand out as being "innovative" and "creative" are people who just downright accomplish more than most people - which means that they also tend to fail more than most people. And then on occassion, these people happen to stumble upon "success".

In other words, many great innovators/inventors, etc... spent more time failing than succeeding - primarily because they spend more time "DOING". I'm not sure how much sense that last line made, but I'll share more later.

Oh yeah - I also ran into Harry Carry while at a Dairy Queen in Missouri. He looked pretty good for having passed away a few years ago... (prime example of "scattered conversation"...)

Anyway, glad to be back home in the land of strip malls, good drivers, Starbucks Coffee and lots of Home Depots. (Just kidding about being glad about strip malls...)

Goodnight friends.