U2 GO HOME



@ my office doing some last minute "weekend" stuff listening/watching the U2 dvd, "U2 Go Home Live From Slane Castle, Ireland".

So sweet....

U2 is THE BEST.

CHRISTMAS



Great, great Christmas. Hope yours was too.

I think that what made our Christmas great this year was not just the giving and receiving of gifts, or the food, or the laughs - although all of that was great too. (By the way, thanks again Cara for those candleholders - they'll look great in my office!) But to me, what made Christmas great this year was the continued realization of how incredibly blessed I am to be a part of my family.

Believe me, I am not naive to the fact that for many, Christmas is not a great time of the year. In fact, I know people who view Christmas as a depressing time of the year in their lives and that deeply saddens me. Especially during a time like Christmas, where we tend to express (to some degree), our love and care for one another through giving and receiving. (Don't read too far into this Uncle Norm - again, the moose was Amanda's idea...)

So anyway, I am thankful that I am a part of a family who really loves and cares for one another and who would, at any given moment, drop everything in their lives to take care of each other. I'm also thankful for my friends - many of whom were with their own families today - but whom I missed on a day like today.

So there's my quick reflection on Christmas before I hit the hay.

How was yours?

HOWIE CONNECT

In my computer bag is a stack of papers in a file that I call my “to read” file. This file consists of articles, writings and blogging ideas that I run across on a regular basis. I usually scan through the articles online or in my email and then print them to read more in depth. Well tonight, I ran across an article written by a marketing “guy” by the name of Howie who writes an online newsletter called, “howieConnect”. You can check it out here.

In an article dated October 17th, 2003, (yes, I'm behind in my reading...) Howie shares some very interesting thoughts about marketing and reaching an audience. His ideas/thoughts are super simple, yet it’s amazing how many of us fail to incorporate these practices when it comes to reaching our “targets”. (For the church, the target should be unchurched people.)

In the article, Howie asks this question: “Are you marketing in You-ish or They-ish?” Check out this excerpt:

When I start marketing a product, I naturally start out by talking to myself. I write sales copy that appeals to my values. I argue the price/value question in ways that I find convincing. I use layouts and pictures that affect me.

Bad Howie.

Unless my market is very much like me (which rarely happens, believe me), I’m going to fail.

I’m speaking Gorilla-ish to Dogs. To me, I’m saying, “Buy my stuff,” but they hear, “Run away! I’m a Dork.”

I’m not going to succeed in teaching my prospects Howie-ish. If I want to communicate with them, I have to learn their language.

Then Howie answers the question of, “How do I go about learning their language?”

Here is a condensed version of what Howie does to learn “their” language:

Howie says:

1. I do research.
2. I go through thought exercises. (I imagine myself living their lives, having their problems, dreaming their dreams.)
3. I start writing like I would talk to them, knowing everything I know. (When they sense that I’ve made the effort to bridge the gap and understand them, my prospects often take a step toward me as well.)

These are some good thoughts – and definitely something that those of us in the church world (in general), need to keep in front of us. In fact, if you think about it, this is nothing different than what missionaries do when they go to a foreign country. They do research, they (hopefully) do thought exercises to try and understand the people they are attempting to reach, and they learn the language.

Well comment, challenge, let me know your thoughts.

(Not totally new ideas for some of us, but good thoughts to reinforce why we do what we do to encourage us to keep doing!)

Good stuff – long post. Sorry!

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SEAT



Ok, I HAVE to share this site. It's called SeatGuru.com and it's a great idea.

Before you book those online plane tickets, go to this site to find out the best seating choices on all major airlines. Seats are rated by either: Very Good Seat, Be Aware!, and Bad Seat.

It even gives you video & audio information (how many music channels, etc...) for each plane.

The only thing missing is information on the person who will be sitting next to you.

This one is definitely going into My Favorites!

CHRISTMAS IS HERE

It's hard to believe that Christmas is here. Of course, that also means that a new year is quickly approaching. This year, we will be spending Christmas Eve & Christmas day between both of our family's homes. On Sunday, we'll be shooting up to Upper Peninsula Michigan (brrrr....) for about a week to do some skiing at Indianhead w/ some family. Depending on snow conditions I might try snowboarding this year. YIKES!

Today I will be wrapping up things here @ the office, doing some last minute Christmas shopping and then doing a Christmas Eve service rehearsal tonight. I know my blogging has been minimal lately, but things have been hectic. I promise some good posts soon!

Happy Day before Christmas Eve!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS!



Today my dad (Larry Hodge) turns 60. A few months ago we had the big surprise party, but today it is "official".

Happy birthday dad!