Passion 06—A generation united for His renown

passion

During the Christmas holidays, I stayed over to volunteer with the Passion 05 conference in held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville...

The heartbeat of Passion is the glory of God — specifically, a generation of students living radically for His name and campuses across the nation awakening to His fame.

The Passion 05 Conference was off the charts - God is doing some amazing things with the 11,000 plus students in attendance. I had the privilege to be on the Touch Team - meeting, greeting, encouraging, blessing and interacting with the students as they arrived into Nashville prior to registration - many came in busloads from Texas, OK, New Jersey, Florida and some spent $1000 in airfare and lodging to grab hold of Isaiah 26:8 and Psalm 86:11-12.

There were students representing 46 states and 8 other countries around the world, including Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna Islands.

Wish you guys were there to hear the Holy Spirit fall Sunday night when Charlie Hall open with "He is Exalted" to be joined by Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin and David Crowder sing "Holy Is The Lord" and "How Great Is Our God". I became undone.

What's significant about the Passion Conference in my mind was that these students came ready to worship, not to attend a concert or an event. My heart is greatly encouraged to see that these radical students and lovers of God are our leaders of tomorrow poised to grab hold of the Kingdom and commit to expressing Jesus Christ on the various campuses and mission field.

What's even more interesting is that these students are so academically gifted, but they are very desirous from us "older" types for wisdom, mentorship and living life from our life lessons from walking out the Christian life - I believe that God is taking me to a new level to engage with the college students here particularly with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill -

Check out the web site

and especially the renown video (download the video - it's a keeper - requires Quicktime)

and a newspaper article...

Join me in prayer as several of us begin to connect in the Durham / Chapel Hill area to get involved with campus outreach - it's becoming clearer that's why I'm here in North Carolina - that I have been genetically designed and geographically assigned by Almighty God to speak life and encouragement into these young leaders.... I've had this burn in my spirit since September for college students, so I'm committing myself to service for His glory to invest in this 268 generation...

"Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your Truth,
we wait eagerly for You,
for Your name and Your renown
are the desire of our souls."
Isaiah 26:8

I desire that my life be a part of a generation that lives
for the glory of Your name. (Psalm 86:11-12)

To register for Passion 06 click here for info,

click here for a recap of Passion 05 with photos

:: Passion Network :: 268 Store :: Passion: How Great is Our God - Live Worship from Passion 05 [Limited Edition CD with Bonus DVD] Ships on 4/12 ::

When He Was On The Cross, You Were On His Mind

This is Good Friday and it is the moment that the entire Universe watched its Creator being Crucified. As a child I was confused as to why someone would call the day that Jesus died a “Good Friday.” It wasn’t until years later that I fully understood just how Good this day was.

That Cross that He picked up was really made for me. Jesus Christ loved me so much that He willingly died in my place and freed me from the Eternal Death Grip of Sin. Why would He do this? He saw some value in me that I obviously cannot see in my own self. No one would die for something worthless. This true story drives that truth home.

A gem dealer was strolling the aisles at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show when he noticed a blue-violet stone the size and shape of a potato. He looked it over, then, as calmly as possible, asked the vendor, "You want $15 for this?" The seller, realizing the rock wasn’t as pretty as others in the bin, lowered the price to $10. The stone has since been certified as a 1,905-carat natural star sapphire, about 800 carats larger than the largest stone of its kind. It was appraised at $2.28 million.

It took a lover of stones to recognize the sapphire’s worth. It took the Lover of Souls to recognize the true value of ordinary-looking people like us. This is what makes this Friday so GOOD! We are reminded of how valuable we are to God. The only difference is that He wanted to pay the premium price of His only begotten Son to purchase us.

Thank God! You and I were worth more than $10.00 to Him!!! Today I hope that you’ll reflect on the obvious worth that you are to God the Father. Rejoice in that amazing love that was displayed on the Cross to redeem your life from eternal death and destruction.

You are one of a kind, and I heard the Father saying to me this morning to tell you that He is preparing to put you on display. He has had to grind you down a little, knock some things off of you that didn’t look like Him, and oh that buffing process, lots of friction has been required to get His Shine on you! But you are nearing the moment that you’ve been Dreaming about for and that He has been waiting patiently for!

- Pastor Danny Chambers, Oasis Worship Centre
http://www.oasisworship.com/

May the above e-Word encourage you as it did for me on this Good Friday -
Blessings - Kerry

architecture, stadiums, tall buildings and the tallest apartment

For 5 years, I was involved with Promise Keepers, a Christian men's ministry (that warrants a separate post, as I dearly love the ministry, the resulting changed lives and impact on my life).

One of the byproducts of working with the ministry was coordinating arena and stadium events across the country. Being a huge NFL and sports fan, I was privy to be part of helping to plan events in major sports facilities - and scoping out the logistics of where everything goes. I have come to appreciate architecture and how stadiums and arenas are designed.

One of my favorite architectural firms is HOK Sport + Venue + Event - their clients include 24 of 30 Major League Baseball franchises, 30 of 32 NFL franchises, 75 professional and civic arena clients, 40 soccer and rugby teams, and 75 colleges and universities.

Some of the my favorite stadiums that I have set foot in with Promise Keepers include Bank One Ballpark, the RCA Dome, Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN, the Georgia Dome, Edward Jones Stadium, The Coliseum in Nashville (with the Billy Graham Crusade) and oh my gosh, while exactly not my favorite, but a most memorable experience nonetheless, the Lousiana SuperDome with all the catacombs and serious walking from point A to B. My legs ache still thinking about that place 10 years later.

My favorite arena hands down is the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, TN a magnificent facility built for sound and the NHL Predators with great people working there as well.

My son Gary and I are on a life mission to see a NFL game in every city. As a friendly tip, never, ever go to a Cleveland Browns game in December! We went one year to see the Tennessee Titans vs. the Browns in their new stadium and froze in minus 40 wind chill with snow to boot from the lake!

For fun, check out these links and especially:
The World's Tallest Virtual Building!
View World's Top Ten Tallest Skyscapers
Stadiums of the NFL

History of the Internet

Okay not the complete history but just the cool stuff. This is a history of the Internet from the perspective of a computer geek who likes knowing more than what the instructions tell us.

On another note regarding Al Gore and the Internet -
"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet" Gore said when asked to cite accomplishments that separate him from another Democratic presidential hopeful, former Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey, during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN on March 9, 1999.

I could not find a reference to Al Gore! Don't you hate it when history is rewritten?!? History of the Internet link

Music from TV Commercials

If you are a couch potato watching way too much TV and a music lover, here's a wise use of your time!
Click Here
This web site contains listings of music from TV commercials dating back to 1996.
It's an independent effort and lots of the research, as well as many submissions from contributors make up this treasure chest of music. I discovered "new" music like the Kinks "Picture Book" (HP) and The Caesars "Jerk It Out" (iPod).
There are samples available; I just go to Napster and download the track to enjoy!

LOOKING FOR HEROES

"Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge." Proverbs 23:12 (NIV)

As I wrote earlier in a previous post on mentoring, here is a good article with many links to the subject of mentoring by Stephen Caldwell. Stephen is one of my favorite authors and is one of the founders of The Life@Work Co.® which exists to blend biblical wisdom and business excellence.

"Mister, I ain't found nobody I want to be like!" -Response from an anonymous child when asked who he wanted to be like when he grew up.

If you're looking for the perfect person to be your Discipler, Teacher, Master, Tutor, Guardian, Guide, Father/Mother-figure, Trainer, Leader, Instructor, Counselor, Mentor, and/or Coach, then I've got some bad news for you. That person doesn't exist.

The disqualifier, of course, is the word "perfect." Aside from Jesus, no one meets that standard. Jesus should fill all those roles (Discipler, Teacher, Master, etc.) for us. We should never discount his ability to come along side us with the solutions to our problems, whatever they might be.

To read the rest of this article,
Click Here

How the iPod Ran Circles Around the Walkman

This article resonated with me, as I fondly recalled when I worked at Warner/Elektra/Atlantic (WEA), the distribution arm for Warner Bros., Elektra, and Atlantic Records. Very cutting edge times back then from 1976 to 1984 when I worked as a merchandising & marketing "everybody loves me" new kid in town, freshly relocated to Nashville from Atlanta to help open up the emerging country music market.

In the era of satin jackets, LPs and 8 tracks, with all the music I cared to listen to, free drinks on the house, concerts every night, promotional trinkets, posters and boxes of free t-shirts and albums, it took a forced relocation to Nashville to fulfill my destiny where I fell in love with my precious wife of twenty six years, Becky.

Music was really happening then, when Fleetwood Mac's Rumours was the all time best seller, Rod Stewart was sexy, Bob Marley was smokin! and Talking Heads, the Pretenders, Genesis, the Eagles, Rolling Stones and countless others were so innovative in their music. I was making the rounds with many bands, with my long haired flea bitten varmint coworkers to support the grassroots promotional efforts such as a new Irish band named U2 to local college stations and retailers to get some sales going. Being an urban cowboy in Nashville with EmmyLou Harris, Hank Jr. and Conway Twitty was cool too! (Kerry, you name dropper you...)

Cassettes came on the scene, and it was a tough sell to convince retailers to reconfigure their shelves for this concept of portable music when 8 tracks were king. Then Sony came along in 1979 with the "Walkman" and music was never the same again!

Now, How the iPod Ran Circles Around the Walkman article by Randall Stross in the New York Times Business section is a mini history lesson for us old timers who cut their teeth when marketing was so fun and hip! Think about it - having Bugs Bunny as one of your bosses was very cool. Our sales pitch back then was, "Every album is a hit; some just sell more than others." Twenty six years later, history repeats itself - Walkman then; iPod now.

"At first glance, digital music is the field in which Sony's considerable assets seem best suited, with a little rearrangement, for a comeback. On one side, Sony has 50 years of experience in producing portable music players, beginning with transistor radios in the 1950's and extended by its Walkman franchise that has sold more than 340 million players. On the other, it owns one of the world's largest music labels to supply content. Yet in the iPod era, Sony's headstart counts for nothing. It's as if the company were the Sony Graphophone and Wax Record Company."
Read on and rock on!

Basketball Fever in North Carolina! and Coach K

Apparently, every year during March in North Carolina, or at least in the region that I live in (Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham) basketball fever rules! Yeah Baby! With University of North Carolina, Duke, NC State and other ACC schools in my backyard, a boy from Nashville, Tennessee would think that Mardi Gras was in full swing (without the beads). Everybody except me is talking about basketball - even the cultured here take Abe Lemons to heart: "There are really only two plays: "Romeo and Juliet, and put the darn ball in the basket."

I'm a big NFL football fan (Cowboys and Titans), and I don't care for baseball at all which is nothing but five minutes of action crammed into two hours - and golf... well, I'm not old enough to play yet. But I'm starting to catch the college basketball culture a bit, rooting for the UNC TarHeels - albeit cautiously - I don't want to get addicted to a sport that consumes my time - for the same reason why I don't watch college football - too many teams plus giving up my Saturdays? NO WAY! With NetFlix, woodworking, reading, projects, work and now blogging, can I possibly work all those games into my twenty hour daily lifestyle? A friend at work countered with the fact that college basketball season is actually a short season. I didn't buy it.

Woody Allen in Annie Hall quipped, "What is so fascinating about sitting around watching a bunch of pituitary cases stuff a ball through a hoop?" On the other hand, James Naismith says, "The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. Those boys simply would not play "Drop the Handkerchief."

OK - enough said - I don't want to get shunned at work!

On a serious note about basketball - Duke style, here is AN EXAMPLE OF LEADERSHIP.

(CBS) If you passed him on the street, you might think he was an accountant. But this mild-mannered fellow is one of the most inspiring men in America -- the master of motivation.

His name is Mike Krzyzewski, and he's the head basketball coach at Charlie Rose's alma mater, Duke University in North Carolina. "Coach K," as he's known, has put his teams near the top of the NCAA basketball tournament nine times in the last 16 years -- three times as champion. And he's done it with a style unlike anything you would expect.

He doesn't talk like a typical coach, or act like one. Though he can be tough, and temperamental, Krzyzewski is hardly a tyrant. He hugs, he listens, he supports. He wants every player at every game to feel he has something at stake...."
To read the rest of this report, click here

COME THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING

Hymns - I love them! The richness of the words and the theology of the lyrics resonate with me.

As churches get more "modern" for lack of a better word, the hymns in my opinion get shoved out for songs of rousing, foot stomping, hand clapping choruses, let's party type of worship songs. I can appreciate being celebrative mind you, but it is kind of odd to rouse up enthusiam - sort of like a lead singer in a hair band urging the audience to clap (and flick a Bic, if you approve!). Worship to me flows out of heart of gratitude, not a sonic bombastic boom.

I'm a member of newhope church here in Chapel Hill, NC and I love all of the elements of worship - the hymns (done Passion style), framed by great sermons, communion, stained glass windows and the richness of relationships born out of small groups.

When I say Passion style, the CD that is playing nonstop on my A playlist is Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern "a celebration of the centuries old confessions of the Church, rich songs of faith and tradition that have anchored believers through the ages. Though almost all over 100 years old, these classic hymns pulse with new life as lead worshippers Charlie Hall, David Crowder Band, Nathan and Christy Nockels, Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman fuse old and new in their unique styles—artistry and history wed seamless expressions of praise to the God of the ages."

Read more and Listen

Not all hymns are ancient - Graham Kendrick is writing some great modern day hymns like "Shine, Jesus Shine" and "Knowing You (All I Once Held Dear)"

One of my favorite hymns is - COME THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

From CyberHymnal

Words: Robert Robinson, 1758; appeared in his A Collection of Hymns used by the Church of Christ in Angel Alley, Bishopgate, 1759.
Music: “Nettleton,” Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second, by John Wyeth, 1813

David Crowder Band has a version of the hymn on Passion - our love is loud CD.

What are your favorite hymns?

THE A TO Z GUIDE TO A PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE

As the bestseller The Purpose-Driven Life says, God made you for worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism. Most of us feel more comfortable in one or two of God's purposes for our lives, but we're made to embrace all five! Here are 26 potential next steps for you as you try to become a more balanced and purposeful follower of Jesus written by Tobin Perry. Make a commitment to try these next steps during the weeks leading up to Easter ...

Every thing rises and falls on leadership...

"True leadership means to receive power from God and to use it under God's rule to serve people in God's way." Leighton Ford

"First pride, then the crash. The bigger the ego, the harder the fall." Proverbs 16.18 (The Message)

When I converse with others on leadership, invariably Donald Trump's reality series The Apprentice comes up as the best show on marketing and leadership. I totally disagree – I see bickering, lack of teamwork, absence of servant leadership, and our sin nature in humankind rears its ugly head. Just as God was calling out to Adam in the Garden, when he "messed up" in disobedience, The Apprentice confrontation takes place in the Boardroom before the Donald - displayed for us to see Thursday night - The "team" members, just as Adam did, cover their sin, hide, affix blame and justify their actions for self preservation (at the expense of others).

Thank God for His grace, mercy and kindness that leads to repentance!

Greg Morris of Leadership Dynamics writes, “True leadership is not about impressing people, but about serving others. It is not about manipulating those around you but about motivating them. Authentic leadership is not about controlling those under your supervision but about communicating to them a vision for God-designed excellence.”

“To be a Christian leader means you operate under the guidance and control of the Savior. We need to ask ourselves often, "Am I building people or am I building my own dreams and using people?" For the Christian leader, people must come first. People aren't the means to an end; they are the end!”

So what about the Donald? I wouldn’t want to work for him! Kris Laroche explains it better in his essay -
Donald Trump's Leadership Lessons: The Great Man Myth Lives On
By Kris Laroche
Originally published in the August 2004 Issue of Link & Learn.

What explains the shocking popularity of the Donald Trump's reality series The Apprentice? There are a number of possible reasons. It certainly could be our endless curiosity about the lives of the rich and famous. It may also be explained by our current interest in staring into the fishbowl drama watching real life struggles, humiliations and victories. Perhaps it's the chance to witness, from a safe distance, the scary and possibly all-to-familiar horror of being fired from a desirable position. These are reasonable answers however, there seems to be much more to it than this. The wildly successful show, The Apprentice, has hit on something big. It responds to an ongoing and unresolved fascination with the mysterious, complex and universally meaningful phenomena called LEADERSHIP.

Kris goes on to write about:
Seven Leadership Lessons Courtesy of THE DONALD: A How Not-To Guide of Great Leadership

LESSON #1
The leader is in complete control, taking charge of everything, and holding the key to success.

According to Donald Trump, leadership is all about control and power. Trump's words, as well as his actions, throughout the series indicate that he lives what we call, "The Great Man theory" of leadership. He interrupts, commands, directs, instills fear, controls, and makes all the decisions. He has "advisors" who play the role and he allows them a brief opportunity to speak, yet rarely do they disagree. We saw this with both of his weekly side-kicks. Self-important is a defining trait. Trump never allows others to interrupt or talk over him. When one contestant said, "let me finish", early on in the series Trump pounced, making it clear that he is boss which means he speaks first, foremost and loudest. Most of his behavior and words ("I'm not going to be happy if you're late") reinforce the notion that everything that everyone does within the organization is about pleasing him. You could see the results of this as contestants focused all of their efforts during each week's task towards guessing what Trump would like and how he would handle a situation.

Read on for more:

In closing, here’s a simple prayer:

“God, give me something that I can give others.”
John C. Maxwell’s prayer

12 Rules of Life really are:

1. Never give yourself a haircut after three margaritas.

2. You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

3. The five most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship are "I apologize" and "you are right."

4. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them. (love this one!)

5. Never pass up an opportunity to pee.

6. If he/she says that you are too good for him/her - believe them.

7. Learn to pick your battles; ask yourself, "Will this matter one year from now? How about one month? One week? One day?"

8. When you make a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm.

9. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance!

10. Living well really is the best revenge. Being miserable because of a bad or former relationship just might mean that the other person was right about you.

11. Work is good, but it's not that important. Money is nice, but you can't take it with you. Statistics show most people don't live to spend all they saved; some die even before they retire. Anything we have isn't really ours; it was given to us by God; He just letting us borrow it while we're here...even our kids. So enjoy it while you have it.

12. And finally.. Be really good to your family and/or friends. You never know when you are going to need them to empty your bedpan.

contributed by Scott Deeke

FINDING A MENTOR TO HELP YOU GROW

"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning." PROVERBS 9:9

I always been fascinated with mentoring; for someone who grew up in public school - lets say not compelled by academics, but rather the arts - music on the radio, drawing and painting in art classes, day dreaming in class and certainly bored with history and lets not even talk about science in high school - just me a "F" and spare me the pain! I was a football jock who not only wanted to play for the Dallas Cowboys, but desired to be a sucessful commercial artist as well.

One day in 12th grade, my substitute history teacher, as best I remember a very grandfatherly African American man, looked out the very same window I was day dreaming in and talked about how he was growing up in Richmond, Virginia recalling changes in the city in his lifetime. My ears perked up as I was capitivated by what he was sharing. Back in 1970, I was part of the court ordered busing initiative in Richmond; the motive was to have balanced racial diversity in all of the schools - all I remember was my friends fled to the suburbs and the school I went to - Maggie L. Walker High School - instead of being 100% African American was now 98%; a far cry from the 50 - 50 court mandated diversity desired - The experience was a great one for me as it planted seeds that twenty five years later help me to speak about racial reconciliation, but I digress...

What this substitute history teacher did for me was share his life experiences, painted a picture of what it meant to be a young kid (like I was in 1972) growing up in the depression, in a city that celebrates the Civil War, the Confederacy and other stuff that I don't recall. What I came away that day, was the power of sharing one's life - which was so much better than a history book.

So my point is find a mentor to help you grow!

I for one have been extremely blessed with mentors who have shaped my life, especially after I became a Christian. Keep in mind the Holy Spirit guides us in all wisdom through the Word with Jesus as the Model. With great fondness, my mentors included Don, my pastor of twenty years who taught me nothing but Christ and whom I consider my spiritual father; Don and Ralph, two Christian businessmen who ran their business by the Book; Bill, a football coach who modeled how to be a Godly man and love your wife 24/7 despite a flawed past (like all of us); Charlie - a wise man who help me understand ministry in the marketplace; Larry - a man despite great physical obstacles taught on finances and humbleness and Jim, a Navy guy and professor who spent every Monday with me at lunch fleshing out leadership questions against the Word of God.
- Reminder to myself to get permission to write about these Mighty Men of God in more detail -

Here's a great PDF by Della Aynsley on FINDING A MENTOR TO HELP YOU GROW

She writes: If you received help from someone to learn, to sort out a problem or to devise a plan you have probably already had a mentor. It may have happened spontaneously and the word ‘mentor’ may never have been used. The term ‘mentoring’ is being used more widely now in our society and people are often encouraged to seek out a mentor. So what is mentoring and how do you go about finding a mentor?

Definitions

Mentor: “A wise and trusted guide”

The Macquarie Concise Dictionary (2nd Edition)

“Mentors are helpers. Their style ranges from that of a persistent encourager who helps us build self-confidence, to that of a stern taskmaster who teaches us to appreciate excellence in performance. Whatever their style, they care about us and what we are trying to do.”

Shea, Gordon (1992) Mentoring – a practical guide Crisp Publications

“Mentoring is a relationship which gives people the opportunity to share their professional skills and experiences, and to grow and develop in the process. Typically, mentoring takes place between a more experienced and a less experienced employee.”

Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment
Mentoring Made Easy, a practical guide for managers

Who is mentoring you? And are you mentoring others? Read on!

THE ONE-ANOTHERS

The "one-anothers" in Scripture hold a wealth of guidance on how to deal with co-workers and colleagues in a Christ-like manner. If we all practiced them, we'd have far fewer problems in the area of relationships.

"Be at peace with each other." Mark 9:50
"Love one another." John 13:34
"Be devoted to one another." Romans 12:10
"Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10
"Stop passing judgment on one another." Romans 14:13
"Accept one another." Romans 15:7
"Instruct one another." Romans 15:14
"Greet one another." Romans 16:16
"Serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13
"Carry each other's burdens." Galatians 6:2
"Be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2
"Be kind and compassionate to one another." Ephesians 4:32
"Forgive each other." Ephesians 4:32
"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." Ephesians 5:19
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21
"In humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3
"Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom." Colossians 3:16
"Encourage each other." I Thessalonians 4:18
"Build each other up." I Thessalonians 5:11
"Spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Hebrews 10:24
"Do not slander one another." James 4:11
"Don't grumble against each other." James 5:9
"Confess your sins to each other." James 5:16
"Pray for each other." James 5:16
"Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another." 1Peter 5:5

Words mean what you want them to mean

I am a lover of quotations and quips. I file them them away like crazy... there are great respositories on the web or even a classic hardback collection such as John Barlett's Familiar Quotations.
But I found the following from an article that I clipped out twenty years ago from a "filler" service that a business can use in a mailer to stay in touch with customers. Anyway, for your enjoyment...

Words mean what you want them to mean. But sometimes it's helpful if we agree on our definitions. Here is a list of the real meanings behind some of the words you thought you knew, by people you thought knew better...

Acquaintance: A person whom we know well enough to borrow from but not enough to lend to. -- Ambrose Bierce

Baby: A loud noise at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. -- Father Ronald Knox

Celebrity: A person who works hard all his life to become known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. -- Fred Allen

Conscience: The inner voice which warns us that someone might be looking. -- H.L. Mencken

Egotist: A person more interested in himself than in me. -- Ambrose Bierce

Friends: People who borrow books and set wet glasses on them. -- Edwin Arlington Robinson

Genius: One who can do anything except make a living. -- Joey Adams

Originality: Remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it. -- Laurence Peter

Professor: One who talks in someone else's sleep. -- W.H. Auden

Television: A medium. So called because it is neither rare or well done. -- Ernie Kovacs

Inspiration / Beautiful Web Sites

I keep in my Internet Favorites a folder tagged "INSPIRATION". I love things done with excellence. I grew up wired with a creative side, so I am visually stimulated when I see texture displayed in a tapestry of color - nature, trees set against radiant sunsets or a printed promotional piece with beautiful 4 color processed ink on paper (textured of course!)
So now with the internet, I bookmark websites that I find inspiring and in my eyes' mind, that are done with excellence. Here's a site that I'm sure pleases the very heart of God. The opening page is stunning -

Their mission as posted on the site:

Mars Hill Productions is a nonprofit, non-denominational ministry using media to draw people to Jesus Christ. For more than 25 years, award-winning Mars Hill films and videos have been used around the world to introduce thousands of people to Jesus Christ and to motivate thousands more to share their faith in Christ with others.

But check this out

Are you called to know God? There is no greater thing than to know Jesus Christ.

Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my blog - I guess I better say something! Should I rant, rave or simply encourage and speak life? The Wonder of it all!

This is my first attempt at blogging or even writing publicly, but over the coming days, my desire is to capture thoughts, pictures or provide links that inspire, affirm, encourage, build up and speak life - one could say use technology for a redemptive purpose.

So after reading many blogs, being a junkie for useful information, fascinated by wisdom in quotes, proverbs, biblical principles, great literature, wonderful godly mentors in my life and even the humourous way that life unfolds that cracks a smile or even generate a belly laugh, I say why not start writing a blog?

At the same time, I want to see life through heaven's eyes. Am I talking about prayer? Most likely - I'll dig into this on another posting...

Gordon McDonald in his book

Ordering Your Private World

has a masterful section of capturing thoughts in a journal. He writes, "Journal Keeping--A Way to Listen to God"

"When I studied some of the mystic and contemplative Christians, I found that one practical way to learn to listen to God speak in the garden of my private world was to keep a journal. With a pencil in hand ready to write, I found that there was an expectancy, a readiness to hear anything God might wish to whisper through my reading and reflection."

So I guess this blog is just an extension what I can share publicly; do I dare share my hurts, pain and challenges publicly on a blog? Probably not - those are best done in a context of a covenant friendship sharing coffee sitting at a kitchen table.

But going back to why even do this thing called blogging, I'm going to share what I am passionate about! I trust that I'll connect with others that are passionate about the same things I am engage in - but at the same time be ready to enter into a dialogue, read, understand and listen, really listen and see life speak all around me. As a Christian, I want to be sensitized to hear God when He speaks -

And along the way, I'll learn to write, craft sentence structures, use proper grammer, HTML and other byproducts of being disciplined to content this blog.

So here goes - I got my hands on the plow; no looking back!