Unexpected Blessings
Thoughts while hiking...
Sabbath thoughts...
6 Year Anniversary!
Katie- I love you more than the most for ever and ever and infinity in Illinois! Plus 1!
My thoughts on complaining without education.
I am currently reading The Golden Compass by Pullman. I have noticed recently that Christians are just now forming an opinion about this book. The Golden Compass has been printed since 1995. Twelve years and we are just now forming an opinion. This reminds me of the reaction that we had to the Harry Potter series as well. The fact that these books are written does not sadden me, I particularly love reading books that challenge my faith and cause me to defend what I believe. The fact that we haven't even commented on this story until now, twelve years later and on the brink of a motion picture, shows how uneducated we choose to be. I choose not to read Christian literature any more, because most of it is half truths and subtle attempts at poor theology. But I hear noone complaining about the bad theology in a Left Behind series, Ted Dekker book or Frank Peretti novel. Which should we be complaining about: A Christian book that teaches poor theology (and sometimes herasy) that subtly claims to be a form of truth or a Fantasy book that in no way claims to present a real picture of the world. Maybe we should complain more about Christian literature and movies. Perhaps we should leave those things alone that don't claim to represent reality. And (last rant) perhaps we could pick up books and educate ourselves early so that our complaints will have an impact rather than be relegated to white noise.
I love turkey!
This is #5 in the series. If you'd like to see the rest to be able to understand them better, just visit Youtube.com and search "Christ Follower." That should bring up the series.
Another interesting thing to note is the comments that people leave below the video. They show some of the attitudes and views that secular culture has towards Christianity.
FREE TURKEY!
Taking the next step...
We are taking the next step in our education. Katie recently received an acceptance letter from Drexel University! I am so proud of her. This means that we will be in the area for at least another year. This also was the catalyst for me to finish my masters degree here at VFCC.
This means that we get to hit the pause button on the church plant for at least one year.
10k
My Hiking Trip!
I went camping with Brandon on the Appalachian Trail last weekend. It was a ton of fun. The trail was one of the rockiest that I have ever been on! We hiked a total of 26 miles in two days. The scenery was amazing, though not as amazing as Washington. We had a great time though. At one point on the trail, there was a vine (not a rope!) that was hanging from a tree. We decided to try to swing from it. It was so much fun! Sorry about the sideways video!
Thanks to our prayer team!
If you are at all interested in joining our prayer team, we send out requests about every 2-3 weeks. Just email me at pastorjayrich@msn.com.
Choices...
It's hard to view choices as an investment, but that is truly what they are. Sometimes we assume that the choices that we make are trivial and not impacting. The truth is that choices are long lasting "shapers" of our lives, our ministry and our marriages. Choices affect our relationships. They affect our workplace. They affect our spouse. Our choices will have a long lasting and impacting affect on our lives. Be wise in the choices that you make, your future depends on it.
Camping and Whitewater Rafting!!!
Leadership Summit 2007
What I learned from Carly Fiorina...
Q: How important is it to motivate a team?
A: It's everything. Leadership takes motivation. Trying something new forces people to face their fears. You have to have a vision that is greater than their fears. Couple a vision with the hard reality of what it's going to take and don't sugar coat reality.
Q: Did you ever have a boss that really motivated you?
A: Leadership is about unlocking potential in others.
Q: Were you a proponent of leadership development in your CEO days
A: You must first develop yourself. You have to provid those LEADING_UP times for other people. Create experiences for people that put them outside of their comfort zone. It's important to communicate that everyon can lead and get better.
Q: What does leadership take?
A: Leadership requires passion and dispassion. Passion: You really have to believe and own what you are leading. Passion cand blind as well as motivate. Dispassion: A leader has to have enough objectivity to see what has to be done. You have to also be able to make the tough choices in staffing. You have to see when an employee isn't cutting it. It is the ability to see the truth.
What I learned from Bill Hybels...
You must process the vision
- Formulate the Vision
- Refine the Vision
- Declare the Vision
Once you have launched the Vision realize that...
- Vision Leaks
- You must celebrate small steps made towards that Vision
You must personally own the Vision
What I learned from Marcus Buckingham...
Three myths you need to blow up
- As you grow your personality changes.
Truth: As you grow, you become more and more of who you already are. - You grow the most in the areas that you are the weakest.
Truth: You grow the most in your areas of greatest strength. - A great team member puts his strengths aside and does whatever it takes to help the team
Truth: A great team member brings his best to the table.
Three skills you need to learn
- Identify what your strengths are.
- Change something; Each week put together a "Strong Week" plan.
- Be able to talk about your strengths without bragging and your weaknesses without whining.
Blog Archive
About Me
Books I'm reading in the coming weeks...
- The Prophet of Yongwood
- Peter and the Shadow Theives
- Seeing Redd
Books I've read in 2008...
- The Prophet of Yongwood
- The People of Sparks
- The City of Ember
- A Wrinkle in Time
- Jumper
- I am Legend
- The Looking Glass Wars
- Peter and the Starcatchers
- Peter and the Star Catchers
- The Feild Guide (Spiderwick)
- The Seeing Stone (Spiderwick)
- Lucinda's Secret (Spiderwick)
- The Ironwood Tree (Spiderwick)
- The Wrath of Mulgrath (Spiderwick)
- Messenger
- Gathering Blue
- The Golden Compass
- The Subtle Knife
- The Amber Spyglass
My Running Totals!
Ministry related books I've recently read...
- The Multi-site Church Revolution, Surrat, Ligon, and Bird
- The Big Idea, Fergussen
- Spiritual Gifts, David Lim
- Master Your Money, Blue
- Christ Centered Preaching, Chapell
- Preaching to a Postmodern World, Johnston
- The Connecting Church, Frazee
- Biblical Hermeneutics, Kaiser and Silva
- 7 Practices of Effective Ministry,
- Christian Worship, Segler
- The New Worship, Barry Liesch
The church I attend:
Recent Audiobooks...
- The Wide Window
- The Miserable Mill