I'M ALIVE...

...and busy studying all weekend for teaching on Sunday. Topic: Parenting. YIKES!

Click here for a new pic posted to my fotolog.

Later...

BUNCH 'O LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS

Thank you for all of the cards and flowers... My tooth is feeling much better. I have a 4:30pm appointment on Thursday and I'm hoping to get this taken care of. I've been on meds. Last night and today I've been taking Tylenol with Codeine. Not good... That stuff messed me up royally. I felt drunk, tired, numb and high - all at the same time. Ok, let me back up... I've never been "high", so I'm not sure if I felt high, but I felt like what I would imagine it would feel like to be high. Pause... (After that last sentence, I'm sure you must think I am high.)

Just read that expert bodybuilder, Pat Robertson is endorsing Arnold for Governor of California. Ok, first of all, this articles quotes Robertson as saying that he a bodybuilder. Does anyone know if this is true? Not that I'm doubting him - afterall, he looks just like Arnold.

Speaking of Pat Robertson... I ran across this image the other day. LOL...

Britany Spears is supporting President Bush according to this news flash on drudgereport.com.

Well, before I start sounding like Paul Harvey, I better go to bed. Goodnight.

ABSCESS FROM HELL

I'm not having a good night. It's 12:16am, I have to get up in 5 hours and I have one of the worst toothaches I've had in years. I'm sure it's an abscess.

About 6 or 7 years ago, I had a very bad abscess. In fact, it was the worst one the doctor had ever seen. When he drilled into my tooth, the stuff inside of the bad tooth sprayed him in his face. No lie! It was horrible. He even cussed.

I called a dentist office today (where family goes...) and he can't get me in until Thursday. I think I'll look for someone else in the morning.

In the meantime, I'm going to take some more Tylenol Codeine and try to get some sleep. Fun...

UNCERTAINTY

Click here to read a great article by Andy Stanley entitled, "The Uncertain Leader". I heard Andy teach this at a leadership conference a couple of years ago. It is excellent!

Enjoy!

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS? (sorry - it's a mini-book...)

Have you ever heard someone say, “No news is usually good news”? I hear this frequently and have usually adapted to its theory. Until now…

I want to take a moment and address the “usually” part of this phrase. I would agree, for the most part, that “no news” is good news. But I think sometimes we shoot ourselves in the big toe when we ASSUME that just because someone is silent that they are supportive of a particular initiative – especially in a major organizational transition/change process.

In our change/transition as a church, we have seen all sorts of different people fly out of the woodwork. You can usually categorize them in one of the following categories:

1. The “against the change” group. These are those who are very clearly against the particular change of an organization. Their unhappiness with the change initiative is usually expressed the loudest out of all of the groups. They will either let everyone know how much they don’t like what is happening or they will just leave. (Note: some of these people can be salvaged – but not many. And in some cases, they are better left to move on…)

2. The “for the change” group. These are those who believe in the vision, support the leadership and are constantly finding ways to get “plugged in” to what’s going on. Unfortunately, this group doesn’t get listened to enough. (Group #1 is always the loudest for some odd reason…) Thank God for this group! They are the fuel…

3. The “no news” group. This is the group who everyone is sort of unsure of. We "hope" that they are excited and a part of the future, and we usually adapt the “no news is good news” theory to these individuals. And because of this assumption, we either back off of the vision casting with them because we think they are “on board” or we sort of think to ourselves, “Let’s not push it with them – let them be!”

Here’s the problem with that kind of thinking - I think that this group is often times silent not because they are bad people or "against" what is happening - but rather, because they are trying to process what’s happening and whether or not and how they fit into it. Because of that, I think we have to cast vision in even a greater way with this group.

This is a core group that can help an organization move forward, and we should never assume (break that word apart…) that because they are “quiet” that they are 100% “on board”.

One more thought – casting vision to people is not easy – it takes CONSTANT work. Casting vision one on one with people seems to be the most effective way to do it (not always manageable, however...). People are less likely to open up and be honest in a group – but if you can get them one on one and ask questions and let them talk, you will probably be able to cast some serious vision and find out how they fit into that picture.

Let me hear your thoughts/comments…

CHICAGO JAZZ FEST & SHISHLEEK

This one has to be quick. My alarm will be going off in about 5 hours.

Went to Chicago Jazz Festival tonight in downtown Grant Park. Sat and listened to Elvin Jones and his "Jazz Machine". We had a hard time finding somewhere to sit. Our first spot was nice, but the marijuana smoke was bothering my eyes so we went to the beer tent and found a seat. Jones is a 78 year old drummer who pulls together his band in a way that earns him the title "legend".

Afterwards, my friend Kevin and I shot uptown to the Andersonville neighborhood and had dinner at Reza's Restaurant. We enjoyed some fine Mediterranean fare - specifically the Shishleek. The menu describes it as "One skewer of char-broiled juice big chunk of filet mignon, served with grilled onions, tomatoes, green peppers and Persian white rice." Instead of the white rice, I had the dill rice - which was a little bit overbearing in the dill department. (Hint: Dill Rice will generally taste like dill.) But the ambeince was fantastic. The front of the restaurant was wide open (floor to ceiling doors which were opened all the way) - and all of you in Chicago know the great evening it was in the weather department tonight. The music was great - jazzy strings.

Well now I have to go to bed. Goodnight.

PS - For those of you who don't know me well, for the sake of clarification, the marijuana smoke was not my own...