Jake Stum

My Blog Is Moving

2009-02-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. I am moving blogging platforms. The new site is up but it still needs some work. From now on, though, I will be blogging on the new site. This new site allows people to comment easier. I would love for you guys to offer comments and engage in the dialogue. It will be fun (to me anyway).

Check it out...
www.jakestum.com

Jake

True Community

2009-02-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

I had an overwhelming experience at church this morning. I help lead a class that targets our homeless population. This morning we had almost 30 people in our class. In the last few weeks we have had three people get jobs and they are now looking for housing. This is exhilarating to me, but the really cool part is what else is happening–story time…

First, let me tell you about a friend that I will call Bob (not his real name). We helped him get a job about a month ago. He was able to get a little car and moved out of the warehouse and into his car. With his first pay check he went and bought some whole turkeys and brought them to the church. He said that because the church had done so much to help him, he wanted to give something back.

Second, this morning was amazing. One of the guys in the class, who has recently gotten a job, fixed up some used bicycles and brought them to the other members of our class so that they could have transportation to job interviews. Then a senior adult ladies class heard what was going on and has offered to donate the money for this guy to continue buying bikes and fixing them so that everyone in the class can have some type of transportation.

Third, we have had several who have committed their lives to following the way of Christ who have NEVER been into our sanctuary. They wouldn’t feel comfortable there, but we have made a place for them to connect in community.

Geez! I sat in the class witnessing the church in action. Unbelievable. Don’t know what else to say.

Prepetually Ignorant?

2009-02-14T04:26:00.000-08:00

The post below contains a quote by Elbert Hubbard. Here is another one...

"The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge."

Few things in this world bother me more than people who aren't willing to have dialogue. I used to be the person that would either avoid or argue with people who had ANY different opinion. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is the power of true dialogue. I believe that I can learn from anyone if I will value them and attempt to listen more than I talk.

Glad I am stupid

2009-02-14T04:24:00.001-08:00

I came across a great quote today by Elbert Hubbard that really encouraged me...

"Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped."

Most of the time I feel more "stupid" than "genius." According this quote that actually gives me an advantage. Yes!

How to earn respect

2009-02-14T03:32:00.001-08:00

I am reading through the Old Testament book of Exodus. I noticed something this morning that is interesting to me. Moses was able to earn respect with people of Israel and the people of Egypt (except Pharaoh). At first he was a stammering outcast, but became one of the greatest leaders in Israel's history. There are several reasons for this, but what struck me this morning is that one of the main reasons is everything Moses said was going to happen really happened. He said plagues were coming and they did. He said the children of Israel would get to leave Egypt and they did.

This is a good leadership lesson about earning respect. I have been guilty of making statements that did not come to pass. When this happens on a regular basis followers begin to lose respect. Here are some reasons why I over-promise and under-deliver:

1. I speak too soon: Many times I will start talking about an idea before I should. I will begin to implement something or cast vision when it is not formulated enough to be public knowledge.

2. I say too much: I have "ideas" all the time. I can start spouting off all of these ideas and eventually they become white noise for those I am leading. They think, "we have heard this stuff before. It isn't going to happen." They mistake my verbal brainstorming for intentional plans.

3. I am lazy: I can tend to plan some big project, promote it, then realize that I don't really have the energy to pull it off. After a few of these failures people will begin to lose enthusiasm for new projects because they aren't convinced they will really happen.

Following through on our promises will help us earn respect.

Blog Recommendation

2009-02-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

Just came a across the SAMBA blog... great stuff.

A clear view does not equal a short distance

2009-02-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

Today I read a quote by a Grand Canyon hiker...

"Don't mistake a clear view for a short distance."

That statement resonates with me. So many times I feel like I can see clearly where I need to go. I often, however, underestimate how long it will take to get there. This can lead to disappointment. Just because I have a vision/idea/project clearly in my mind doesn't mean it is easy to achieve.

Grapevine Communication

2009-02-10T06:58:00.000-08:00

We are studying informal communication in our program right now. It's pretty interesting. We have had some good conversation about the grapevine form of communication. Otherwise known as rumors or gossip. The most interesting aspect of this is that great leaders see the grapevine as something positive.

1. They figure out how to listen to the grapevine to sharpen themselves. What is the grapevine saying about me? What are others saying? This can be detected if we will open our heart for honest critique. This is hard, but effective.

2. Great leaders also learn how to send information down the grapevine. This happens by knowing who people turn to for information and feeding them with information that you would like passed along. This way they have something to gossip about that will benefit the leader rather than hurt him/her.

Interesting.

selfishly selfless

2009-02-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

We can't be completely selfless because we will burn out. We can't be completely selfish because we will be miss out on the thrill of helping others. The balance?...Become strategic in our selfishness so that we can continue to be relentlessly selfless.

Swagga

2009-02-08T17:19:00.001-08:00

So tonight Merica and I were giving our boys a bath and I decided it should be hip-hop night. We made up a little ditty that goes like this..."No one in Benwood has swagga like us." Benwood is a neighborhood in our town. That was the only line of our song. But we kept repeating it and doing the hip-hop bounce. Dosen stopped, looked at me with a really serious look and said, "Daddy, can I dance?" I said, "Dance my son." Then he broke it down. It was awesome. Merica, Luke, Dosen, and I proceeded to have a dance party in the bathroom.

Holla.

The coolest kids...

Just get started

2009-02-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

The most daunting task for me in most projects/assignments is getting started. If I will make up my mind to just take the first step, then most of the other steps become clearer. Many times I allow the fear of getting started to keep me from starting. I am trying to become better at simply doing something: making a phone call, writing the first sentence, reading the first page, having the first meeting. What do you need to get started on?

Rest

2009-02-07T05:11:00.000-08:00

I was reading Hebrews 3 & 4 this morning and was fascinated by the theme of rest. Several times it calls establishing a relationship with God as "entering into His rest." The writer continues to value the importance of rest (peace) that should come along with our relationship with God. Sometimes I think that we, in today's society, miss out on this promise. So many of the people that I work with are overly stressed, worried, and fearful. Hebrews 3:1 gives the following warning,

"Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it."

That verse is very convicting to me. Many days I come short of entering His rest. But the absolutely amazing thing is that His rest is available every day. And if it was available and real for the early Christians who were facing extreme hardships, then I have no excuse.

Today I will rest.

be scared

2009-02-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

I was reminded today of a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, "Do one thing every day that scares you." This has been my world this year. From submitted articles to get published, to launching new services, to going to a neighborhood today that we are adopting this semester. We went to our neibhorhood today to simply introduce ourselves. It is always intimidating to go door-to-door, but today we had the best experience. Everyone was so kind and excited that we were going to be hanging out with them. Many of them have lost their jobs in this economic crisis and were thrilled that we would take time to pray with them. It was encouraging to me.

So many times I am tempted to play it safe. I hope that I can continue to take risks and do one thing every day that scares me. Great challenge. Thanks Eleanor.

Props to my boy Micah

2009-02-05T16:08:00.001-08:00

Hey friends. One of the guys from my church who is in Las Vegas is an aspiring photographer. He is uber-cool (i am jealous of his dreadlocks) and wrote an amazing post today. He also has some of his photography included in the post.

Peep it by clicking here.

Creativity loves a problem, but it hates a lousy audience.

2009-02-05T06:24:00.000-08:00

I am fascinated by the topic of creativity. I think it is one of the most valuable assets in a leader's toolbox. Creativity is powerful: it inspires, it gives hope, it makes new possibilities, it thrives in economic crisis.

The title of this blog was borrowed from Seth Godin's blog. It is brilliant enough to type again here.

Creativity loves a problem, but it hates a lousy audience (click the link to go read Seth's blog on this topic). What a thought this is! Creativity would not be needed in a problem free environment. It is in crisis that creativity thrives. But creativity is squelched often by lousy audiences. I have often experienced a situation where someone has offered a very creative solution to a problem, but the lousy audience dismisses the creative solution.

I need to think more about this one....

How Valuable is a Good Idea?

2009-02-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

I am making my way through Bill Hybels' book Axiom. I just finished the chapter on the value of a good idea. I loved this thought...

Leaders traffic in idea creation. The best leaders I know are ferociously disciplined about seeking them out and incredibly committed to stewarding them well.

Leaders traffic in idea creation. Now that is is profound thought and challenge. I have been much more intentional with this so far this year. I have tried to go through everything that I am involved with and re-think them. Is there something that needs to be changed? Can we make this better? Is it still relevant? How could we risk and possibly make it more successful? As I think deeply about all of these things, I realize that every single one of them can be improved. It is usually simply a good idea that can provide momentum to push these things to a new level.

Some things that have helped me:

1. Scheduled time to take one thing (ministry, assignment, article, meeting, sermon, etc..) and think deeply about that one thing; taking time to think, write down every thought no matter how ridiculous, pray, listen, then decide a course of action.

2. Included other people in the idea creation process. I am realizing that if they are involved with the creation of the idea, then they will be excited about seeing the idea through to implementation.

3. Stopped assuming that everything was "okay." Just because a certain part of my job description is "fine" doesn't mean anything. Each area needs the next good idea to push it forward.

I want to traffic in idea creation.

the fray

2009-02-05T05:54:00.000-08:00

Their new album is out. I can tend to be a "band wagon" guy, but this album is amazing. I had the chance to see these guys in a very small venue (at the Q conference in NYC) in which they shared quite a bit about themselves and their songs. I was impressed with their transparency, genuineness, and boldness. I will from now on be a fan.

www.thefray.net

Can a Leader Remain Selfless?

2009-01-31T16:17:00.000-08:00

I think that one characteristic of amazing leadership is selflessness. It seems difficult, however, to be a great leader and remain selfless. I have witnessed so many people who begin leading with the best interest of the followers in mind, but then fall in love with having people who do things for them. The emphasis can quickly shift from selfless leadership focused on empowering others to selfish leadership focused on manipulating others. Leaders can have the tendency to fall in love with being served and forget to serve. Even though I never claim to be a great leader, I have sensed this in my own life lately. I can find myself wanting to get out of some hard work, so I convince others to do the work. I mask the request as selfless-- "I think it would be great for you to be involved in this capacity. You would be great at it." But what I am really requesting is selfish-- "I don't want to do that. It is going to be difficult and time consuming. Will you suffer instead of me?" I wish I could be both a great leader and a selfless leader.

The Power of Being Available

2009-01-31T16:09:00.001-08:00

I have this unverified theory...one of the greatest aspects of leadership is availability. It is a shame to me that as people increase in influence and favor they become more unavailable. Being available can be time consuming, risky, and annoying, but it is also an overlooked tool in a leaders' arsenal. Sometimes I will go and do my work at Panera (or somewhere in public) and I will ask God to bring people across my path that day. I am always amazed at the people who will come and sit at the table with me. It never fails that I encounter someone who would never have come to my office to talk, but are so glad to have a chance to sit down for a few minutes and have some conversation. This is a reason that I leave my facebook account open some days. I am often surprised by the people who will begin a chat with me about life issues simply because my status said "online." I hope that I always make myself available to people. It is simple and underestimated aspect of great leadership.

Your Present is Your Purpose

2009-01-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

I have been reading lately about the life of Joseph. It is incredible how in every new situation the Bible states things like:

"And he was a successful man..."
"And God gave him favor..."
"And found favor in the sight of God and man..."

This really emphasizes that our purpose is to handle our present well. Sometimes we think that our "purpose" will simply mysteriously arrive one day. Instead I think our purpose comes as we are excellent in our present. If we can capitalize on our crappy situations (like Joseph in prison) and make them better, then when we are in a good situation (like Joseph becoming 2nd in command) we will be able to make it into an amazing situation.

Our present is our purpose.

Brokenness

2009-01-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading the manuscript of the Ted Haggard video from Larry King Live. It broke my heart. I struggle to put into words any profound thoughts on the situation, but Anne Jackson has brought up an interesting point on her blog today. Read it here then the rest of this post will make more sense.

It is a shame that Christians feel like they can't be honest. I get caught in this trap also. It is a vicious cycle that goes like this: I have a struggle in my mind with something, I don't want to act on the struggle, so I share it with someone, they don't know what to do with honesty, the conversation is awkward, we quit sharing, we keep pretending, we continue to act like things are fine, we never have a healthy outlet for the struggle, it grows internally, then eventually we act upon the struggle, people are shocked, but we are not. Somewhere in this cycle has to be some people who are genuine, caring, confidential, bold, and loving. Help me be that person. Send me those people.

Thriller on Broadway

2009-01-27T04:08:00.000-08:00

I am pumped. Michael Jackson's Thriller is going to Broadway. In third grade I had the Michael Jackson jacket, glove, sparkely socks, black leather pants, and penny loafers. I would practice my moonwalking at recess.

You can read about the new Broadway show here

Oh goodness!

2009-01-27T04:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 27:13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

This verse resonated in my soul this morning. I firmly believe that we are, and will continue to see, the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. We don’t have to wait until heaven to see the goodness of God. I have seen the goodness of God several times this week:

-friends who are adopting 4 children from Ethiopia

-college students who volunteer to tutor younger students who couldn’t afford to pay for tutoring.

-college students who are teaching a group of ladies how to set up a sewing business so that they can produce a sustainable income.

-I witnessed a group of homeless friends pull together the little bit of money they had to help someone else.

-A young lady in Uganda is nursing several children back to health after finding them abandoned.

I promise this list is of things that have happened so far this week! The goodness of God is evident all around us. Amazing!

are people talking about you?

2009-01-26T20:26:00.000-08:00

My favorite blogger has once again inspired me tonight. The following quote is from Seth Godin's blog today.

The way to win is to make things that tiny (or large!) groups want to talk about, or care about, or engage in. That's the story that spreads.

So many things that I have attempted in ministry simply weren't inspiring. They didn't make people talk.

You can read the entire post quoted above here.

Whoa

2009-01-26T20:17:00.001-08:00

One of those days today when I will finally get to bed and be so exhausted and excited at the same time. We have worked tirelessly today to get ready for the launch of a new worship service tomorrow night. So many people are working so hard. If you are in Bradley County- come check it out tomorrow night. www.selahfbc.com

Lil Wayne and Garth Brooks

2009-01-26T04:42:00.001-08:00

According to Spin Magazine. Lil Wayne is dropping a rock album in April. Let's just all hope it is better than the Garth Brooks attempt at the rock world as Chris Gaines. I think I may have a preaching alter ego that I attempt- Bishop R.J. Stum.

Argyris' intervention theory

2009-01-26T04:31:00.000-08:00

In this doctorate program I am doing I constantly having to "dumb down" these theories so that I can understand them. I just finished some conversation about Argyris' intervention theory. He says that when leaders intervene in a situation their goal is to present the parties involved with valid and useful information. The leader intervenes by finding out about the situation, then by helping others see it from different angles. Then THEY decide the proper course of action. He says that for there to be long lasting change and commitment to a new course of action it is vital that the people being lead consider the information given to them and then decide how to proceed. This could result in more commitment on behalf of the followers to a common goal than if someone intervenes and simply tells everyone what to do. Interesting.

TED talks

2009-01-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard of TED conferences, be sure to go check out their website. They state their purpose is, "to bring together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes)." Every talk is available on the website. Many of which you will disagree with, some use rough language, etc.. But they are absolutely brilliant.

check it.

www.ted.com

Sermon Series

2009-01-24T07:40:00.000-08:00

We will launch a new series this Tuesday night at Selah called Alive: Dying to Live. The big idea for the first sermon is "Your Present is Your Purpose." I am stoked about it.

www.selahfbc.com

Really Cool Story

2009-01-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

Our family is addicted to Kidd Kraddick in the morning. It is a morning show that we listen to every day on our way to work. Kidd posted this really cool story on his blog. If you are up for a little reading today go check it out here...

Our Gotcha Day!

2009-01-23T05:04:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day for our family. One year ago today we officially became Dosen's parents. The year has been such an amazing year. He has adjusted so well to our family. To be honest, the first month that we had him I worried that I could never love him as much as our son Luke. And Dosen didn't know what to do with his new big ole, hairy daddy. Now I can't imagine life without him. It is obvious that God chose Dosen for our family. He is the perfect addition to the Stums. He and Luke have become best buds. I am head over heels for him. And Merica has always been crazy about him.

A couple of videos..
1. This first video is of the church where Dosen was abandoned. He was left on the front stoop of this church when he was two months old. Going to this location was very emotional for us.

2. This is just a short video I shot on my phone this morning. One year ago Dosen didn't have very many smiles for me:) But now he is totally my boy...

Psalm 12:5
5 "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs."

completely random but definitely "rad"

2009-01-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

For some absolutely unknown reason I was tempted to use the word "rad" today. That made me think about the movie Rad. I was obsessed with this movie back when I was 9. I would watch it and then go outside, hop on the redline dirt bike, and rip up some rad moves. Okay, so maybe my moves weren't really that rad in reality, but in my head they were totally rad....

I also had an airbrush t-shirt that was white, no sleeves, and had the words "totally awesome" on the front.

Man, I wish I was still cool.

So terribly excited

2009-01-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

I am in a weird season of life right now. I have never been so simultaneously frightened and completely stoked. We are attempting to do some things this year that are definitely beyond our capabilities. Merica and I are attempting to launch a new organization (more to come on that I am sure). I am launching several new initiatives at church. I have never been this excited about a ministry endeavor. I have never attempted anything on this scale before which is frightening. But I figure I can either sit back and keep having "good ideas" or I can put some ideas into motion and see if they really work. This is the year to see if they work. God help us all:)

2009-01-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

Great post today on the America World Adoption Agency website. I am copying the story below from their post. It is an incredible story.

In 1982, Mother Theresa was asked to come and help rebuild a children's hospital and orphanage in war-stricken Beirut. After convincing the Israeli army and Palestinian guerrillas to temporarily cease fire, she agreed. When her plane arrived, the heads of government and thousands of people showed up to see her and her entourage begin their mission. They'd expected Mother Theresa to bring an army of volunteers, equipment, and supplies to rebuild the war ravaged area. They'd organized dozens of vehicles and security personnel to escort Mother Theresa and her crew to the hospital. Instead, to everyone's surprise, she walked off the plane alone. She met the heads of government and immediately asked them to bring her to the site where the children were being kept.

When she arrived, 37 wounded and mentally handicapped children lay in a tent near the ruins of their former orphanage and hospital. With a crowd of hundreds looking on, Mother Theresa ran up to one of the children, held him in her arms, and began praying and rocking the child back and forth.

After 10 minutes, a weeping woman ran up to Mother Theresa and told her that she would bring the child into her family and raise it as her own. Mother Theresa then ran to the next child and did the same thing. Within an hour and a half, ALL of the children had been adopted into loving homes. She had done what she went there to do. She was driven back to the airport, and within 3 hours of her arrival, she departed having rebuilt that community. We all know Mother Theresa for being a woman who was on a mission. What we need to understand is that she WAS the mission. She lived by being an example to us all.

You can read the full post here...

New Sermon Series

2009-01-21T05:17:00.000-08:00

I am working on a new sermon series called "hope dealers and hug pushers." Had the idea early this early morning. It's gonna be fun. It will start on February 17th at the Selah service.

www.selahfbc.com

God is in the mundane

2009-01-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Genesis 28:10,11,
10 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place…. 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Verse 11 says that Jacob came to a “certain” place. In other words he came to no place in particular, a common place. He wasn’t at his destination, it just happened to be some random place that he decided to stop and sleep. In the night, however, he had a vision from God. When he awoke he said (my paraphrase), “Wow! I didn’t even know God was here. I thought it was just some random place. I wasn’t aware that God was here in this ‘certain’ place and it turns out that this is the very gate to heaven.” This struck me because I think our days are similar. Most days are simply common, ordinary days. I wonder how often our mundane days and ordinary places could be transformed into the very gate of heaven. I am glad that God will at times show up in the “no certain place” and transform it into the “very gate of heaven.”

I want to become a hope peddler

2009-01-20T21:45:00.000-08:00

I want to become a master at giving hope to people. Don't know how it's done, but Jesus did it. I want to do it. Love Seth Godin's blog today on this topic. Peep it here.

my wife rocked this post

2009-01-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

Gotta go check out my wife's reflection on today's events.

http://thestums.blogspot.com/2009/01/cant-help-it.html

The art of acting stupid

2009-01-20T21:21:00.001-08:00

I had a friend that was a brilliant young leader that always did something very interesting. In every conversation with someone he would act like he was completely ignorant on virtually every subject. He would always say, "I don't really know anything about it, tell me what you know." Sometimes he would say that and I would know that he actually knew way more about the subject than the person he was talking to. I asked him about it and he said, "if other people think you don't know anything, then thy feel less intimidated and more confident to share their thoughts. I can learn a lot from someone if they think I am ignorant." This was a brilliant statement. He spends the majority of his time listening and hoping to learn something new.

I recently read a quote by an insanely smart leadership expert (Argyris), "“one should advocate one’s not-knowing, becoming a learner and trying to get others to do likewise, thereby diffusing responsibility for learning; and ‘the process of learning must ultimately be made part of the [organizations] culture." This is a really fancy way of saying what my friend said. Whew, so maybe it's okay to act stupid.

Superstar of Dance

2009-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Our son loves the show Superstars of Dance. This is a classic video of him straight breaking it down by performing his best break dance routine...

What are you going to do with your life?

2009-01-19T05:06:00.000-08:00

Length warning: This post is longer than most...
Do you want to know what to do with your life? How to find the sweet spot? How to thrive? I read a great article this morning addressing some of these questions. I will give you two options: if you will take the time to read the entire article click here to go to the fast company website now and don't read this entire post (caution, it does contain some rough language). If you won't take time to read it, you can read some highlights below...

These are all direct quotes from the author, Po Bronson

Your responsibilities are not keeping you from your purpose, they are part of your purpose, often the very most important part. Envisioning your responsibilities as being outside the circle of "purpose" will lead you to make bad decisions about your life. (Page 1)

Mostly, crappy opportunities come along, and in the meantime, you make the best of them. But that skill and habit, of making the best of your situation, is essential training. Because one day, a good opportunity will come along. And if you make the best of it -- if you're good at making the best of things -- you will turn it into a great situation. A "calling" is not something you know, the moment you see it. For real people, in the real world, a sense of "calling" is something you grow into, over the course of your life, by having an impact on your organization and the community around you. (Page 2)

7. Don't tell me you don't know what you want from your life. Don't ever say that, don't ever fool yourself into that stupor. Of course you know what you want -- you know the feeling you desire -- fulfillment, connection, responsibility, and some excitement. The real problem is figuring out how to get it -- how to find a path that doesn't suffocate those natural feelings in you. Which is hard. Of course it's hard. It's supposed to be hard. If it weren't hard, you wouldn't learn anything along the way, and thus you would never get there. If you don't know how to make the best of a bad situation, you will never get there. If you are not willing to put up with some [crap] work, you will never recognize that a good opportunity is staring you in the face. If you are not willing to be humble and repeatedly be a beginner in new areas and learn the details faster than the next guy, you are not capable of transformation. (Page 3)

I may not say it exactly the same way, but these are some powerful thoughts. I also may not agree with these statements in every scenario. I think there are some people who have a "calling" and know it instantaneously, but it hasn't worked out that way for me so this was encouraging.

afflict the comforted

2009-01-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

This morning I turned on the radio in my car and there happened to be a pastor preaching. I listened for a while and figured out that he was from a small, rural, pentecostal church. Right before I got out of my car he ended a prayer with the following sentence that I haven't been able to get out of my mind all day:
"And Lord, would you comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable?" Maybe that is a prayer that is prayed often, but I have never heard it before. It has stuck with me. Sometimes the comfortable need some affliction. We all seek and strive for comfort, but the absence of comfort cause us to grow, change, and stretch ourselves. Great thought. Way to go rural preacher dude- whoever you are.

Woot Shirt

2009-01-17T08:31:00.001-08:00

I love the woot shirt website. A new t-shirt every day while they last. They are only $10 which includes shipping. These are American Apparel shirts (because you know I am a t-shirt snob).

peep it

http://shirt.woot.com/

what's cool; what's not cool?

2009-01-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

I am fully aware that I am not extremely "cool" but I sure try to be:)

This video is a really "cool" monologue from Granger Community Church. The monologue takes up the first 4-5 minutes. The rest of the video is a song by their worship team. The monologue is worth watching...

Songs that ispire Obama

2009-01-17T06:43:00.001-08:00

I thought this was an interesting list. He said that These are songs that inspire him. He submitted this list to Blender magazine...

» The Fugees- "Ready or Not"
» Marvin Gaye - "What's Going On"
» Bruce Springsteen - "I'm on Fire"
» The Rolling Stones - "Gimme Shelter"
» Nina Simone - "Sinnerman"
» Kanye West- "Touch the Sky"
» Frank Sinatra - "You'd Be So Easy to Love"
» Aretha Franklin - "Think"
» U2- "City of Blinding Lights"
» Will.I.Am - "Yes We Can"

cedar of lebanon or seed of mustard?

2009-01-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

Luke 13:18-19
18 So He was saying, "What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19 "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS BRANCHES."

Brilliant verse here. Many scholars think that Luke is playing on a metaphor that was common among the religious crowd of his time. They compared themselves to the great “cedar of Lebanon” which was a large tree that would house the large, beautiful birds. The symbolism was that they would become a great and powerful nation made up of powerful rulers. Jesus re-defines this metaphor by saying that his kingdom is more like a mustard seed. Jesus’ uses the metaphor of a tree that has a small beginning, grows slowly, spreads and overtakes everything around it, and is shelter for the ugly, unwanted birds. I am tempted to make this connection and describe what all I think this means for us Christ followers, but I will leave it open ended for now for you to give it some thought.

when consensus is bad

2009-01-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

Many churches seek consensus. Tony Morgan has a different view of consensus:
1. It embraces the status quo.
2. It gives the malcontents an equal voice in your decision.
3. It short circuits the radical ideas that lead to the biggest breakthroughs.
4. It leaves unresolved conflict on the table.
5. It discourages people from dreaming big dreams.
He has much more to say. Check it out here.

Robbie Seay Band

2009-01-16T10:31:00.001-08:00

I have my itunes on shuffle today. The Robbie Seay band was selected. I forgot how much I like them.

http://www.robbieseayband.com/

Flight of the Conchords

2009-01-16T04:20:00.000-08:00

For all of you Flight of the Conchords fans, they are going to release a new song every week. Here are the details...

Are you pulling your weight?

2009-01-16T02:55:00.000-08:00

Luke 11:46 But He said, "Woe to you experts on the law as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”

I think that I do this sometimes too. These leaders were expecting their followers to carry a heavy burden of law keeping. They were expected to keep the law at every point. At the same time, these “leaders” weren’t doing anything to help them keep these laws. This verse also implies that the followers were expected to keep laws that the "experts" would never consider keeping.

Lessons from this verse:
1. As a leader I fear that I expect a lot from people, but may not really help them achieve these expectations.
2. I can't expect people I am leading to do things that I am not willing to do myself. I can't expect the people I lead to be people of prayer if I am not a person of prayer. I can't expect them to care for the poor if I don't care for the poor. etc......

Jodie Meeks can't shoot

2009-01-15T07:22:00.001-08:00

I am a big UK basketball fan, so now I am a huge Jodie Meeks fan. In case you didn't know he hung 54 points on TN last week. This was the most points scored by any player in any regulation NCAA game in the past decade. His uncle is quoted as saying:

"Coming out of high school, they said he couldn't shoot," Orestes Meeks confided.

"Who said that?" a reporter asked.

"You'd be surprised how many people," Orestes said.

Hopefully none of them is a college basketball coach.

I am glad that Meeks didn't let those words define him. Have you been told that you were no good at something, but it is the very thing that you want to be good at? Marcus Buckingham defines strengths as something that makes you feel strong, not necessarily something that you are good at. You can improve an area if it makes you feel strong.

I have had this experience when people have told me that I wasn't a "great communicator." This devestated me because that is precisely what I feel strong doing. This story about Meeks lets us know that people's assessment of us should be taken to heart, but not allowed to define us. If he had given up he would have never dropped 54 on the Volunteers of TN.

The power of spoken word

2009-01-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

I am fascinated by the power of the spoken word. I am amazed by anyone who has the ability to communicate effectively. It is such an incredible art form. The spoken word may have influenced our society more than anything else. People in history have been able to communicate in such a powerful way that it has literally changed the world (some in good ways and others in bad). I love it all: sermons, speeches, lectures, talks, and even hip-hop. Many of you know that I am a big fan of hip-hop and I think this is precisely the reason. I am amazed by anyone who can communicate creatively and powerfully through the spoken word.

FYI- As I have been thinking about this I have revisited some old school rap. I am actually listening to a little Eric B. and Rakim right now. Rakim was a great lyricist/spoken word artist. This duo was popular in the late 80s so many of you won't remember them. If you have rhapsody check it out here...

I am boring....

2009-01-15T05:49:00.000-08:00

Once again, I am borrowing from a blog by Seth Godin (who has my favorite blog). Today he posted the following post...

If the marketplace isn't talking about you, there's a reason.If people aren't discussing your products, your services, your cause, your movement or your career, there's a reason.

The reason is that you're boring. (I guess that's what boring means, right?) And you're probably boring on purpose. You have boring pricing because that's safer. You have a boring location because to do otherwise would be nuts. You have boring products because that's what the market wants. That boring staff? They're perfectly well qualified...

You don't get unboring for free. Remarkable costs time and money and effort, but most of all, remarkable costs a willingness to be wrong.

This post is simple, but very true. I can tend to be lazy and plain ole boring at times. Who knew that being boring could be so detrimental? I believe that we (Christians) have the greatest story every told, but we represent it in such a boring manner sometimes...

Here is a link to the post I quote above...

overcoming impurity with charity

2009-01-15T04:40:00.000-08:00

Luke 11:41 "But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you."

We underestimate the power of serving others. Sometimes we think, “I can’t serve others because I am so jacked up.” But in actuality it could be that serving others could help us not be so jacked up. I think that selfishness is more ugly than any of us can imagine contaminating us from the inside out. I also think that selflessness is more beautiful than any of us can imagine purifying us simultaneously from the outside-in and the inside-out.

How can you "give that which is within as charity" today?

100 best songs of 2008?

2009-01-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

Follow this link to the Rolling Stones Magazine list of the top 100 songs of 2008 and see if you disagree as much as I do...

Google Reader

2009-01-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

I know that many of you will consider this old news, but I just set up a google reader account and love it. Basically it is one place to track any blog you may be following. It will show you when the blog has new posts or updates. Sign up by clicking here.

Tell a great story, do great things

2009-01-14T06:52:00.000-08:00

I am convinced that change is initiated by inspiration. If someone makes a positive life change, he/she was probably initially inspired by something to consider the change. And I believe the greatest way to inspire is through powerful stories. Put all that together and here is the equation: Tell a great story = provides inspiration = positive change begins to be considered = eventually change happens by those who remain committed. I am not saying that inspiration completes the process of change, only intitiates it....

I want to direct you to this great link which is a pastor's recap of Seth Godin's book All Marketers are Liars. This short post has some great thoughts on the idea of "story."

Big Impact takes Big Energy

2009-01-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

So Merica and I are really praying that 2009 will be the year of action for us. We have some amazing ideas that we are attempting to move from ideas to reality. Personally, I am going through my departments at church and taking risks in every area. This year I would like to impact more people for positive life change than I ever have. The problem that I am facing is that making large impact really requires a large amount of energy. I am very quickly learning a few things...
1. When you try new things, people want to help. It gets them excited too, so allow them to carry the load. I always fear that I am going to ask too much of people, so I seldom ask. This may be the case if we are simply doing the same old stuff. But if it is something that is actually making a difference, they really want to help so I need to let them.
2. I have also been reminded of my days working construction (4 months of torture). I did learn a lesson though that there is ALWAYS something to do. I wasn't allowed any "down time" because small things could always be done. I have to use my time wisely in order to make things more excellent.
3. I don't have time NOT to pray. I have to stay connected to God. I have to practice intentional spiritual disciplines. Anne Jackson is coming out with a book next week that speaks to the epidemic of burn-out in America (specifically with church staff). I don't want to be in that category.

Let's all be more excellent this year and increase our efforts to make a positive impact in our world.

I like big crowds and I cannot lie

2009-01-14T05:49:00.000-08:00

Luke 11:29
29 As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation;

Ahh, this is one way that I am not like Jesus at all. This little phrase convicted me terribly. When Jesus saw the crowds growing he says, “you are all wicked.” This is probably not the way I would respond. I can tend to allow numbers to define my success. I hate this about me, but it’s true. I try to think of things to say to make the crowds bigger. Francis Can borrowed a line from Sir-Mix-A lot (two of my favorites☺) when he said, “I like big crowds and I cannot lie.” Sometimes I am even compelled to speak a “bold” message and I water it down because of fear that some of the crowds won’t return. Wow, I need to be more like Jesus!

little white liar

2009-01-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

Genesis 20:11-12
Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12 "Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife;”

I, unfortunately, identify with this verse. Abraham is caught in a lie. When confronted he tries to justify his lie. He says, “well it wasn’t REALLY a lie because technically she is kind of my sister (weird).:" I find myself sometimes jumping through truth hoops also. I will think, “I can phrase this in such a way that it isn’t completely false.” I can tend to be a little white liar like Abraham. If I was always completely honest then there would not be a need to tell half-truths. God- help me be completely truthful.

A blind guy who has vision

2009-01-13T06:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, you may have to forgive me for the length of this post. It could be a little longer than most. I just had breakfast with a modern day hero. Steve Morgan (pictured left) is a friend of mine who may be the most inspirational person I know right now. He was diagnosed with MS several years ago. Three years ago around Christmas he lost his sight over the period of a week. He was faced with a sudden stark realization that he would not see his girls grow up or ever see his wife again on this side of heaven. The cool thing is that he didn't throw in the towel. Since then he has been on two international trips helping the blind, he has killed a deer (long story), and has inspired hundreds of people, and is preparing to go to Africa in two weeks.

We had a "dream" session this morning about ways we want to impact our world this year. These are some quotes from Steve-

"Jake, I have found my sweet spot. This is the best of season of my life."

"Our family, including my two teenage daughters, decided at Christmas this year that there is no way we would go back to when I could see because we have grown so much closer to each other and to God in the last three years."

"I can hit a golf ball so much better now because I am not so worried about how far or which direction it is going, I only care about connecting with ball."

He is dreaming to start an organization that ministers to the blind. Many people in the world are blind, but could be cured with simple medical procedures and/or medication. He wants to help give people their sight back by raising money to have proper medical care for people in that situation. And in situations where people's sight can't be restored, he wants to help them adjust to life.

He said, "Jake, I have more vision now than I have ever had in my life."

Now that is a story that inspires. If you are a church leader, you should have Steve come speak to your church/organization.

Awesome website

2009-01-13T06:34:00.001-08:00

Okay, check out the website linked below. This is the most creative product advertisement ever. Click the link below and watch this page load.

http://producten.hema.nl/

I am not in the mood to make a difference today

2009-01-12T10:22:00.001-08:00

Okay, I hate to keep stealing seth's blogs but he has had some good ones lately. You have to read this one. He totally described me. Basically he says that we could all work toward our dreams, but we just aren't in the mood. Ouch...

Passive Racism

2009-01-12T05:49:00.001-08:00

People get tired of hearing me say this, but racism is alive in well in our world today. There is now proof that it is true. Check out this article that is the result of a current study on racism in America.

It isn't always the vehement racism of the 60s and 70s, but it is a passive racism. It can be detected in statements like I overheard yesterday at church from a young person who was raised in church-- "It doesn't matter if that Mexican gets arrested, he needs to be deported anyway." It is the idea that there is an "us" and there is a "them" and the "us" is in any way superior to the "them."

God forgive me if I have any form racism within me. Help us honor and respect everyone in the same way we expect them to honor and respect us.

The Commodity of Safety

2009-01-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

Psalm 12:5
5 "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs."

Few things in the Bible compel God to action like hurting people. He responds to the plight of the oppressed. This verse communicates that God arises on behalf of the devastated, afflicted, groaning, and needy. That he desires to set him/them in the safety for which he/they long. We should desire the same. People in our communities and around the world are desperate for safety. When we adopted our son from Ethiopia, one of the thoughts that occurred to us several times was that finally he was safe. He was safe from famine, abuse, and abandonment. Each of us should arise and help provide "safety" for people in whatever capacity we are able.

The Next Frontier

2009-01-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

I was reading one of my favorite blogs today which ended with this captivating sentence.

"Own your Zip code. The next frontier is local."

This really struck me. I am constantly dreaming of new initiatives that will make an impact on the world. I seldom dream of ways to impact my zip code. Pretty convicting thought for me. Maybe this year we can dream of ways to "own our zip code" and make a positive difference right where we live.

You can check out the post here.

trend watching

2009-01-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Trend Watching is an incredible website to keep up with trends. There is some great free information on this website that can help leaders become aware of what is on our horizon.

Peep it...

http://www.trendwatching.com/

Just a thought

2009-01-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

Luke 9:6
Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

This verse is great. I love this thought. They did go out to preach the gospel but they also healed everywhere they went. I would love for that to be a goal of mine; that everywhere I go this week I will attempt to bring healing with me. Could be coffee with someone lonely, some time with one of my homeless friends, or just going out of my way to show kindness... How about you? Up for the challenge?

the beat boxin brothers

2009-01-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Okay so many of you know that for some reason I am fascinated by hip-hop. At the same time I have no rhythm. This is torture. So I am trying to teach my kids the beautiful art of beat boxing. This is Dosen and Luke's remix of "twinkle, twinkle". Dosen starts it off with a little "Up above..." then the magic happens.

The next barry white

2009-01-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

This video will explain the random post below this one. Maybe our son, Dosen, is the next Barry White....

the legend

2009-01-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

This may be the coolest picture on the entire internet...

God's timing

2009-01-08T05:33:00.001-08:00

So I was reading a little this morning and once again came across a verse in Genesis that always makes me cringe for some reason...

Genesis 15:13-14
¹³ God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. ¹⁴ "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions."

This is part of the "promise" that is made to Abram. Basically that he will be fine, but his people will be enslaved for FOUR HUNDRED years. It seems that God's concept of time is much different than ours. Did it really take that long for the children of Israel to deserve deliverance? Of course I know all the traditional answers, but sometimes I think it is good to simply ask a question without attempting to provide an answer.

This verse does place some perspective on times when I have felt like God was taking too long to answer a particular prayer in my life!

Article

2009-01-07T18:17:00.000-08:00

Below is a link to an article that I wrote that will be in the February issue of Church Solutions magazine. If you are really bored, you should go read it...

http://www.churchsolutionsmag.com/articles/balancing-ambition-with-contentment.html

message in hand

2009-01-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

Another creative initiative to impact our world. If you happen to have a cafe in your church or a locally owned cafe in your town, you should get them to use these sleeves...

http://www.messageinhand.info/

Table Fellowship

2009-01-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

Jesus was constantly getting flack from the religious crowd about who he ate with. In their day "table fellowship" was very important. The people that you included at your table defined you. Jesus chose to surround himself with the hurting, poor, weak, and marginalized.

Now for the convicting question... How many of us will have people at our dinner table in our homes this year who are hurting, poor, weak, marginalized, of another race/culture, or of a different religious perspective? We can't get around this by saying that we give money to others who are doing this ministry. May we all be challenged this year (including my family) to have our guest list more resemble Jesus' on several occasions!

What would someone pay you to do?

2009-01-07T06:26:00.001-08:00

I came across this intriguing question on a blog that I follow (http://www.benarment.com/)...

What is it that people are most likely to pay you to do for them? Which of your abilities are most marketable?

Some great questions to consider.

Fermi Project

2009-01-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

In case some of you have not heard about this project, I will post a link to the website. I am a huge fan of Fermi Project and the Q conference. They are attempting to create culture and motivate others to do the same.

www.fermiproject.com

Ethiopia Guest Home

2009-01-07T06:17:00.001-08:00

Many of you know about our deep concern and connection with Ethiopia. This is a link to an amazing ministry in the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Abbaba.

www.ethiopiaguesthome.com

Selah

2009-01-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

There is an interesting word found 74 times in the Old Testament....Selah. It is a word that is found mostly in the Psalms. Most scholars believe it was a time in the worship to stop, listen/meditate, and respond to what was happening. I love this idea. I think that our lives should be filled with these Selah moments. Times where we pause during our day to re-connect with God, take a deep breath, maintain our focus, then proceed with the day. May you have some Selah moments today.

Levi...the baby compassionate genius

2009-01-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

You have to go to the link below and read this post. It is from our dear friends who adopted their son at the same time that we adopted ours. This story is about their son...

http://ourunveiledfaces.blogspot.com/2009/01/blessed-are-your-eyes.html

Kanye West

2009-01-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Just had a conversation with an unnamed source. We were arguing over Kanye West. Is he a "joke" or a "genius"?

Music

2009-01-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

I am a music fanatic, but I am kind of a faker. I typically just like the popular stuff. I would love to ultra-hip and discover bands before anyone else, but I am not quite that cool. I do look forward to Relevant's list of top 10 albums to at least keep me on the outskirts of cool.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=7706

Blog Recommendation

2009-01-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

Merica (my wife) and I have become addicted to a blog. This blog... http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

It is the journey of a young girl from TN who is doing some absolutely amazing stuff in Uganda. Most of you know that one of my passions is to motivate young adult Christians to creatively express their faith in practical ways. Katie is a great example of everything that I admire about her generation.

adaptive or innovative

2009-01-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

One of the theories that I have become really interested in is Kirton's adaptive innovative theory. He suggests that everyone has a unique cognitive style. We all think and solve problems differently. He suggests that everyone falls on a continuum between adaptive and innovative. Adaptive people seek "to do things better." Innovative people seek "to do things different." One is not better than the other, just different. It is important to understand our cognitive style and the style of those on our team. We can't expect an adaptive oriented thinker to operate in innovative ways on a regular basis. Maybe more on this later- i think the theory can help on many practical levels.

making the jump for about the fourth time

2009-01-06T07:33:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I guess I will give this a go again. I have attempted to become a blogger several times, but I just am not good with anything requires consistency. And I wonder who in the world would to read my random, ADD, scattered thoughts. So here it goes one more time:)