There is a system of thought out there that says ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” I agree with that. But I can also see the wisdom of the idea that if you aren’t growing then you’re dying. That means that you can’t stay the same by repeating the same thing over and over.
But what I don’t get is for someone who is affiliated with a group of people that like to have fun together, that enjoy each other and that challenge each other on their ideas or behaviors when they don’t seem appropriate, to stop meeting with them.
This group described above is an example of the principle called iron sharpens iron and that means you become like the people you associate with. Ideally the group contains others that can help you learn and grow beyond your current level.
You indicate your agreement with what the group stands for by your attendance and participation with the group as well as your willingness to accept their suggestions, advice and / or criticisms.
Why would you stop attending a group like the one above after several years? I guess there could be a number of reasons from a disagreement with one or more of the group members, something or someone else gets your attention or interest, or you find your beliefs are changing and aren’t the same as the group members. There also may be some other reasons.
Some advice that was given back in the early days of Ancient Greece is applicable I think. The advice is to ‘know thyself’. Good advice but it isn’t always easy to figure everything out for yourself. You can save time and heartache by heeding the advice of others who know you, who have already gone down the path that you are moving down or learn from others who are more knowledgeable in areas that you aren’t. Just as your group can do.
Trusting only in yourself may not be the best approach.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
What a movie can do
Sometimes watching a movie triggers some thoughts, some emotions or some old memories. And sometimes a movie just entertains you.
Watching a movie tonight triggered some thoughts about my dad. The movie was ‘A Warrior’s Heart’.
Watching the movie tonight brought back memories and emotions. I saw a dad who was involved in his son’s life - at least involved in helping his son with his Lacrosse career in high school. His dad would teach him how to be a better player.
My dad and I weren’t real close as I grew up but we did talk occasionally. We talked mostly about sports and some current events after he got home from work at night, if I was home. As I got older I was out most nights.
We didn’t do much together. We didn’t hunt or fish or golf or do chores or walk together or anything like that. Mostly my dad came home from work ate dinner, read the newspaper, listened to the radio, drank a few bottles of beer and then went to bed.
It was pretty much the same on weekends.
During the summer months I would occasionally take him to work so I could use the car during the day so we talked during those times but it was only a 10 or 15 minute trip so we didn’t have a lot of time together.
We did do a few things together. Occasionally I could talk my dad into playing catch with me with a baseball and I did get him to help me deliver papers on my Sunday newspaper route when it got colder.
When I was young and even early into my adult life I would have difficulty with anger. I never understood why I would get upset so easily. And it took a while to get through it.
After participating in a ‘Men’s Fraternity’ group a few years ago I started to understand why I was angry when I was younger. One of the causes identified is that an absent father, either physically or emotionally, can be the reason for anger in men, both young and old. This translated means that the dad isn’t there to teach the son how to do things or to teach him about life or to just spend time together.
I would have blamed my dad when I heard that if I hadn’t already realized some time earlier that my dad didn’t have a dad that was involved in his life. So he didn’t have a good relationship or a good example that he could learn from.
My grandfather worked all day then came home to get cleaned up and eat and then went out to the backroom of a local restaurant to play poker all night according to my mom.
What helped me through the anger more than anything was my relationship with God. God transforms your life when you accept Him and let Him lead you. And the way this is made evident in your life is through the fruit of the Spirit. Some of the fruit is kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Read about the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.
Watching a movie tonight triggered some thoughts about my dad. The movie was ‘A Warrior’s Heart’.
Watching the movie tonight brought back memories and emotions. I saw a dad who was involved in his son’s life - at least involved in helping his son with his Lacrosse career in high school. His dad would teach him how to be a better player.
My dad and I weren’t real close as I grew up but we did talk occasionally. We talked mostly about sports and some current events after he got home from work at night, if I was home. As I got older I was out most nights.
We didn’t do much together. We didn’t hunt or fish or golf or do chores or walk together or anything like that. Mostly my dad came home from work ate dinner, read the newspaper, listened to the radio, drank a few bottles of beer and then went to bed.
It was pretty much the same on weekends.
During the summer months I would occasionally take him to work so I could use the car during the day so we talked during those times but it was only a 10 or 15 minute trip so we didn’t have a lot of time together.
We did do a few things together. Occasionally I could talk my dad into playing catch with me with a baseball and I did get him to help me deliver papers on my Sunday newspaper route when it got colder.
When I was young and even early into my adult life I would have difficulty with anger. I never understood why I would get upset so easily. And it took a while to get through it.
After participating in a ‘Men’s Fraternity’ group a few years ago I started to understand why I was angry when I was younger. One of the causes identified is that an absent father, either physically or emotionally, can be the reason for anger in men, both young and old. This translated means that the dad isn’t there to teach the son how to do things or to teach him about life or to just spend time together.
I would have blamed my dad when I heard that if I hadn’t already realized some time earlier that my dad didn’t have a dad that was involved in his life. So he didn’t have a good relationship or a good example that he could learn from.
My grandfather worked all day then came home to get cleaned up and eat and then went out to the backroom of a local restaurant to play poker all night according to my mom.
What helped me through the anger more than anything was my relationship with God. God transforms your life when you accept Him and let Him lead you. And the way this is made evident in your life is through the fruit of the Spirit. Some of the fruit is kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Read about the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
A good example
I saw a guy today that I haven’t seen in a number of months. We have known each other for several years but don’t see each other very often.
I always feel good after talking with him for even a few minutes because he always asks how I am doing, how my projects are going and how my wife is doing. He always encourages me.
After I left I took some time to think about why I enjoy seeing him and I wrote down the following: He is strong in character, committed to his cause, consistent in his beliefs, willing to serve others and positive in attitude. He is sincere and I never feel that he is using me or taking advantage of me.
What I finally realized is that he is the kind of guy I would follow into war because his words and actions are in agreement. He is a good example. He is a man of character and someone I trust even though I don’t agree with all his ideas.
It was good to see him. It was a good reminder.
I always feel good after talking with him for even a few minutes because he always asks how I am doing, how my projects are going and how my wife is doing. He always encourages me.
After I left I took some time to think about why I enjoy seeing him and I wrote down the following: He is strong in character, committed to his cause, consistent in his beliefs, willing to serve others and positive in attitude. He is sincere and I never feel that he is using me or taking advantage of me.
What I finally realized is that he is the kind of guy I would follow into war because his words and actions are in agreement. He is a good example. He is a man of character and someone I trust even though I don’t agree with all his ideas.
It was good to see him. It was a good reminder.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Stop the Insanity
I think it is time for the NFL and NCAA to take control of the assaults that are occurring on quarterbacks in their respective leagues. Quarterbacks that in many cases are standing defenseless after releasing a pass, that don’t practice for contact and that don’t work out in the weight room to bulk up.
Behavior can be controlled by rules and regulations with the exception of those who refuse to abide by the rules for whatever reason. Are the inhabitants of our prisons rule followers?
People will do whatever they can get away with and many times in sports players are encouraged for making the big hit by the fans and media. So it is up to the leagues to take the lead to protect layers.
In fact I am all in favor of putting the defense on defense by giving the offense opportunities to attack the defense by giving them the opportunity to hit, hold and block anywhere on the field at any time.
But the penalty that can have the greatest impact is one that makes the defensive player, or the player who delivers the injury causing blow, sit out for the same period of time as the injured player. A series, a game, a season or a career. But it must be a player of equal impact for both teams. Not a substitute or second team player who takes out an All-Pro player. Then the Team should be penalized if they have more than one of these types of players during some period to be defined by the league.
The way to make this more effective is to increase penalties geometrically for the first, second and third offense. Only three episodes in a career and then the player is banned from the league.
Harsh? Sure. But this idea or something like it can change things. Football hasn’t always been about taking out other players. Most tackling used to be about wrapping your arms around a player and pulling them down. No leading with the helmet or shoulder. But it can remain fun and enjoyable eliminating intentional hits to seriously injure other players.
Behavior can be controlled by rules and regulations with the exception of those who refuse to abide by the rules for whatever reason. Are the inhabitants of our prisons rule followers?
People will do whatever they can get away with and many times in sports players are encouraged for making the big hit by the fans and media. So it is up to the leagues to take the lead to protect layers.
In fact I am all in favor of putting the defense on defense by giving the offense opportunities to attack the defense by giving them the opportunity to hit, hold and block anywhere on the field at any time.
But the penalty that can have the greatest impact is one that makes the defensive player, or the player who delivers the injury causing blow, sit out for the same period of time as the injured player. A series, a game, a season or a career. But it must be a player of equal impact for both teams. Not a substitute or second team player who takes out an All-Pro player. Then the Team should be penalized if they have more than one of these types of players during some period to be defined by the league.
The way to make this more effective is to increase penalties geometrically for the first, second and third offense. Only three episodes in a career and then the player is banned from the league.
Harsh? Sure. But this idea or something like it can change things. Football hasn’t always been about taking out other players. Most tackling used to be about wrapping your arms around a player and pulling them down. No leading with the helmet or shoulder. But it can remain fun and enjoyable eliminating intentional hits to seriously injure other players.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Do wishes have a cost?
Forbes Thought Of The Day
“ Wishes cost nothing unless you want them to come true. ”
— Frank Tyger
“ Wishes cost nothing unless you want them to come true. ”
— Frank Tyger
Monday, November 14, 2011
Don't ask don't tell
Did Penn State have its own version of don't ask don't tell in place since the mid 90's? If so, it doesn't appear that it was formal or sanctioned by the university but nonetheless there is the impression that many more people in the community and at the Universaity knew what was going on with Jerry Sandusky and the kids he was molesting than have let on.
According to published reports authorities were notified numerous times through the years of Sandusky's alleged abuses but nothing was done until just recently as a result of a Grand Jury investigation.
Penn State officials, including coach Joe Paterno, have indicated that they fulfilled their legal responsibilities by reporting things through the appropriate channels but for some reason warning lights didn't go off when Sandusky frequently turned up at football games and other events accompanied by children. There were also claims that he would take kids out of their schools for periods of time.
Is it too much to expect that football coaches, university officials, teachers, townspeople and others pay as much attention to details like these as they do to the details in a game or to what is happening with their employees, or other students or their neighbors?
What many members of the public think is that these folks noticed some things but may have chosen to ignore them either due to formal directives or informal pressures to keep quiet. Perhaps the football program or the University or the Head Coach or all of them were deemed to be more important than the boy's well being.
According to published reports authorities were notified numerous times through the years of Sandusky's alleged abuses but nothing was done until just recently as a result of a Grand Jury investigation.
Penn State officials, including coach Joe Paterno, have indicated that they fulfilled their legal responsibilities by reporting things through the appropriate channels but for some reason warning lights didn't go off when Sandusky frequently turned up at football games and other events accompanied by children. There were also claims that he would take kids out of their schools for periods of time.
Is it too much to expect that football coaches, university officials, teachers, townspeople and others pay as much attention to details like these as they do to the details in a game or to what is happening with their employees, or other students or their neighbors?
What many members of the public think is that these folks noticed some things but may have chosen to ignore them either due to formal directives or informal pressures to keep quiet. Perhaps the football program or the University or the Head Coach or all of them were deemed to be more important than the boy's well being.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Identify the cause not just the reason
During the election for Montgomery County Commissioners this week the Republicans lost control for the first time in about 100 years. There were some comments on the story on KYW and after reading them I thought I would offer an opinion.
'Bruce Castor, Republican candidate and incumbent commissioner, may be right in his assessment of why the Republicans lost the Montgomery County Commissioners race. According to Castor the Democrats won because they had more money and more votes. That is more the reason than the cause.
But I think it comes down to the lack of a compelling reason to vote for the Republicans or even a compelling reason to vote. Republicans many times seem to come up short on motivating the voters.
Certainly it can’t be because the other side doesn’t provide the material to work with. I think the GOP has to figure out how and when to use that material rather than expecting that people will automatically vote for Republicans just because they talk about lowering taxes or creating jobs. It has to become a more personal message directed at the voters.'
'Bruce Castor, Republican candidate and incumbent commissioner, may be right in his assessment of why the Republicans lost the Montgomery County Commissioners race. According to Castor the Democrats won because they had more money and more votes. That is more the reason than the cause.
But I think it comes down to the lack of a compelling reason to vote for the Republicans or even a compelling reason to vote. Republicans many times seem to come up short on motivating the voters.
Certainly it can’t be because the other side doesn’t provide the material to work with. I think the GOP has to figure out how and when to use that material rather than expecting that people will automatically vote for Republicans just because they talk about lowering taxes or creating jobs. It has to become a more personal message directed at the voters.'
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Some Wsidom
Interesting things I heard this week.
‘Be strong on vision but flexible on details’
- heard on the Charlie Rose show and attributed to Jeff
Bezos of Amazon.com
‘The best things in life aren’t things’
‘- on a sign attached to a church marquee
Three points from Steve Jobs’ Commencement address at
Stanford in 2005
- You
can only connect the dots of your life by looking backwards. Cannot connect the
dots looking forward. Have to trust that the dots will connect in the future.
Have to trust in something. Believing gives you confidence.
- Love
what you do – you will only be satisfied if you find great work. You’ll know it
when you find it.
- Live
each day as if it were your last. Each day ask yourself would I do what I am
going to do today if it were the last day of my life?
Other points from the Jobs commencement address
- Death
is very likely the single best invention of life. Death is life’s change agent.
It clears out the old to make way for the new. Your time is limited so don’t
waste it living someone else’s life.
- Don’t
be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other people’s thinking
- Don’t
let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. Have
the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what
you truly want to become.
- Stay
Hungry – Stay Foolish’
The final message from the
publication ‘The Whole Earth Catalog’
Jobs has always wished that for
himself and he wished it for the Stanford grads.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
To Humor or not to Humor
How important is your behavior with different types of
people? Another way to state this is, does it matter if you can relate to many
types of people?
I was part of a discussion recently where a question like
this was asked of us. There were numerous suggestions including be yourself,
God made you the way you are, it depends on your audience, the Apostle Paul was
all things to all people and some others.
I think it depends on your objectives. What are you trying
to accomplish? If it involves people then you will have to learn how to
influence them to get the outcomes you desire. To influence people you need to relate to them through your
words, your actions, your appearance and your behavior.
There is choice to be made here. Do you remain the way you
are or do you try to become better at relating?
In most cases you will need to act differently with kids
than with adults. Although with your adult friends you may act more like a kid
than you do with the kids. The relationship you have developed with your friends
over time will determine how you act with them.
For a presentation to potential investors or to people you
want to join your team to accomplish some important objectives or to hire you you
should act differently if you want results. Not like a teenager or immature
adult. People won’t trust you and take you seriously. They won’t trust you with
their money or their time if they are busy.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t use humor if it is one of
your traits or gifts from God. Don’t overuse humor all the time. Humor is
very effective in communication if used properly and at the right time. If you
aren’t sure how to use it search the internet, get some books, find an
effective speaker or trainer who uses humor well and watch and learn or find
someone skillful in using humor to mentor you.
Choose whom you listen to and whom you get your advice from
carefully. That means use your discernment or learn how to develop that
discernment because your life or career may be in the balance.
As part of the process you will also have to learn how to
read people for feedback to know when you are effective in your communication.
To be effective with people you need to influence them
To influence them you need to relate to them
To relate to them you need to make them feel comfortable
with you.
When they are comfortable with you they will listen to you,
support you and help you achieve the goals you have.
You could say relationships make the world go ‘round.
Monday, September 26, 2011
A Manhood Definition
I have been in a number of meetings where the question came up many times about a definition of manhood. Many of the meetings were where men were asking questions because they had young boys and they wanted to know how to raise them and other meetings were with authors or speakers who were imparting their knowledge and wisdom about this topic and its importance.
While reading through a book I recently purchased I came on a good manhood definition. The book provides some explanation as to how the authors arrived at this definition that is helpful in understanding how a boy advances through puberty to manhood in ways other than physical.
The physical part is the easier part. Muscles develop, bones grow, voices change automatically. It's the intangibles like maturity, responsibility, accountability, learning etc. that can be more difficult to acquire especially if there is no one teaching the boy / young man.
A man, regardless of age, who has learned these things and can model manhood is the best teacher for boys. Even though we all haven't had a good model in our lives we can still learn how to be good at it. It takes effort and commitment and a desire to become better.
A Definition of Manhood
A man is an adult male
who accepts his masculinity
speaks and acts with maturity
embraces responsibility
functions independently
can lead a family faithfully
and recognizes his accountability
as an image bearer of God
from 'The Resolution for Men' by Stephen & Alex Kendrick with Randy Alcorn
Most everything in life is a process. Some processes occur as a normal part of life and are automatic. Some require us to participate and to make decisions and take steps along the way. For manhood it's about the choices we make along the way.
While reading through a book I recently purchased I came on a good manhood definition. The book provides some explanation as to how the authors arrived at this definition that is helpful in understanding how a boy advances through puberty to manhood in ways other than physical.
The physical part is the easier part. Muscles develop, bones grow, voices change automatically. It's the intangibles like maturity, responsibility, accountability, learning etc. that can be more difficult to acquire especially if there is no one teaching the boy / young man.
A man, regardless of age, who has learned these things and can model manhood is the best teacher for boys. Even though we all haven't had a good model in our lives we can still learn how to be good at it. It takes effort and commitment and a desire to become better.
A Definition of Manhood
A man is an adult male
who accepts his masculinity
speaks and acts with maturity
embraces responsibility
functions independently
can lead a family faithfully
and recognizes his accountability
as an image bearer of God
from 'The Resolution for Men' by Stephen & Alex Kendrick with Randy Alcorn
Most everything in life is a process. Some processes occur as a normal part of life and are automatic. Some require us to participate and to make decisions and take steps along the way. For manhood it's about the choices we make along the way.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Exciting Times
Mark Turgeon, the new basketball coach at the University of Maryland, said some interesting things at his introductory press conference today.
When asked his style he said it is winning.
He commented that he would be whatever his players needed for them to succeed – Father, Uncle, Mentor – whatever they needed.
He said his family comes first and his players are second.
I think if I was a Terrapin Basketball player I would be encouraged and excited.
I think if I was a Maryland basketball fan I would have a lot of hope due to another statement he made. As part of an answer to a question he said: ‘If you have tickets, keep ‘em. If you don’t have tickets, get ‘em.’
Turgeon played for Larry Brown at Kansas and coached with Roy Williams. He also coached in some other college programs, most recently at Texas A & M and for awhile with the Sixers.
Could be a fun time ahead for the Maryland Terrapins.
When asked his style he said it is winning.
He commented that he would be whatever his players needed for them to succeed – Father, Uncle, Mentor – whatever they needed.
He said his family comes first and his players are second.
I think if I was a Terrapin Basketball player I would be encouraged and excited.
I think if I was a Maryland basketball fan I would have a lot of hope due to another statement he made. As part of an answer to a question he said: ‘If you have tickets, keep ‘em. If you don’t have tickets, get ‘em.’
Turgeon played for Larry Brown at Kansas and coached with Roy Williams. He also coached in some other college programs, most recently at Texas A & M and for awhile with the Sixers.
Could be a fun time ahead for the Maryland Terrapins.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Who really needs to be rescued?
What is it with guys now days? Every few weeks or months an article or several show up in newspapers or magazines or on web sites and talks about how difficult it is to be a man in our modern society. I saw some book reviews recently that have prompted me to write this.
I have been to many men’s seminars that talk about the reasons why this happens to men and why it isn’t fair to men. Hopefully this gives you guys a hint that whining doesn’t solve things.
The old way of living with women is way over. You may remember that lifestyle where the woman was supposed to jump and get the man whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. Kinda like your parents may have lived depending on your age. To see what it was like go watch some episodes of ‘All in the Family’.
The women were forced or encouraged to stay home and take care of the kids or if they did work in most cases it wasn’t in a very high paying job. Men weren’t challenged and had no reason to change.
Since the 60’s that has been changing as women have demanded and received equal treatment in most cases. So what has really happened?
Women have gone on to complete high school and college in greater numbers than men so they now realize that they can do many of the things that men can do and sometimes more. This has also caused a problem for women in finding quality men to marry.
I think the big problem with men is their egos. Women have made choices and taken actions to equip themselves to succeed in life whether the men are doing the same or not. Actually I overheard a few women saying how they couldn’t wait to marry the guy they know who still lives with his parents and who gets the highest score on a certain video game. Yea right!
Guys you should stop reading the books that guys are writing, to make a lot of money, by telling you that life is unfair for men and start making decisions and taking actions to improve your self, to accomplish more.
Who is stopping you from running a marathon, climbing a mountain, rafting on the Colorado, skydiving, scuba diving, writing a book, driving a truck on the ice road, having a team in the Iditarod, surfing, driving a race car and whatever else it else it is that you aren’t doing. Is it a woman? Come on!
Oh and by the way you should know that your beauty doesn’t need to be rescued as John Eldredge in his various books including ‘Wild at Heart’ tries to convince you. Your woman is now qualified to do whatever you can do and maybe even more.
If you are really wild at heart then no man or woman is going to hold you back or limit you. The only one who can do that is you.
I have been to many men’s seminars that talk about the reasons why this happens to men and why it isn’t fair to men. Hopefully this gives you guys a hint that whining doesn’t solve things.
The old way of living with women is way over. You may remember that lifestyle where the woman was supposed to jump and get the man whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. Kinda like your parents may have lived depending on your age. To see what it was like go watch some episodes of ‘All in the Family’.
The women were forced or encouraged to stay home and take care of the kids or if they did work in most cases it wasn’t in a very high paying job. Men weren’t challenged and had no reason to change.
Since the 60’s that has been changing as women have demanded and received equal treatment in most cases. So what has really happened?
Women have gone on to complete high school and college in greater numbers than men so they now realize that they can do many of the things that men can do and sometimes more. This has also caused a problem for women in finding quality men to marry.
I think the big problem with men is their egos. Women have made choices and taken actions to equip themselves to succeed in life whether the men are doing the same or not. Actually I overheard a few women saying how they couldn’t wait to marry the guy they know who still lives with his parents and who gets the highest score on a certain video game. Yea right!
Guys you should stop reading the books that guys are writing, to make a lot of money, by telling you that life is unfair for men and start making decisions and taking actions to improve your self, to accomplish more.
Who is stopping you from running a marathon, climbing a mountain, rafting on the Colorado, skydiving, scuba diving, writing a book, driving a truck on the ice road, having a team in the Iditarod, surfing, driving a race car and whatever else it else it is that you aren’t doing. Is it a woman? Come on!
Oh and by the way you should know that your beauty doesn’t need to be rescued as John Eldredge in his various books including ‘Wild at Heart’ tries to convince you. Your woman is now qualified to do whatever you can do and maybe even more.
If you are really wild at heart then no man or woman is going to hold you back or limit you. The only one who can do that is you.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Reasons to risk
From the discussion of ‘Do you have what it takes’ by John Maxwell at the Maximum Impact Club. This section deals with Risk.
‘I think it is unfortunate that to some degree the word ‘entrepreneur’ has taken on the connotation of a gambler. Many times action is not the most risky path. The most risky path is inaction.
Experience has shown me that taking risks has specific advantages.
One – you learn things faster than the people who don’t take risks.
Two – you have a broader range of experiences
Three – you bump into more obstacles sooner than the people who play it safe.
Four – you learn to get around those obstacles.
So it’s not that you’re smarter than other guys; you just get a better education – quicker.
Risks
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing you true self
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing and is nothing
They may avoid suffering and sorrow but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves, they have forfeited freedom
‘I think it is unfortunate that to some degree the word ‘entrepreneur’ has taken on the connotation of a gambler. Many times action is not the most risky path. The most risky path is inaction.
Experience has shown me that taking risks has specific advantages.
One – you learn things faster than the people who don’t take risks.
Two – you have a broader range of experiences
Three – you bump into more obstacles sooner than the people who play it safe.
Four – you learn to get around those obstacles.
So it’s not that you’re smarter than other guys; you just get a better education – quicker.
Risks
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing you true self
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing and is nothing
They may avoid suffering and sorrow but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves, they have forfeited freedom
Who do you or will you serve?
Following is God’s direction to Joshua after Moses had died and that was recorded in Joshua 1:5-9. Joshua became a great warrior for God.
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua eventually led the Israelites across the Jordan and into Canaan and took the city of Jericho. The conquest of Canaan had little to do with Joshua’s military savvy or the Israelite’s bravery. It had everything to do with a promise God made to an old man (Abraham) with no kids. God delivers on His promises.
- Joshua listened to what God told him above and trusted God. Why don’t we listen to God? Oh, it’s because we’re too smart you say. At least smarter than Joshua.
- It is more important now than ever to have faith in God and to live for Him.
- Why don’t we believe God? Well it’s a nice story but it’s just a story you say. And besides how can I believe in a God if he doesn’t really ever make himself visible or do the things he has done in the Bible or lets bad things happen to good people.
- One of the most important things we, my wife and I, have decided is stated in Joshua 24:15: ‘But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.’
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua eventually led the Israelites across the Jordan and into Canaan and took the city of Jericho. The conquest of Canaan had little to do with Joshua’s military savvy or the Israelite’s bravery. It had everything to do with a promise God made to an old man (Abraham) with no kids. God delivers on His promises.
- Joshua listened to what God told him above and trusted God. Why don’t we listen to God? Oh, it’s because we’re too smart you say. At least smarter than Joshua.
- It is more important now than ever to have faith in God and to live for Him.
- Why don’t we believe God? Well it’s a nice story but it’s just a story you say. And besides how can I believe in a God if he doesn’t really ever make himself visible or do the things he has done in the Bible or lets bad things happen to good people.
- One of the most important things we, my wife and I, have decided is stated in Joshua 24:15: ‘But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.’
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Don't sacrifice the gift
A quote attributed to the Head Basketball Coach of Virginia Commonwealth University Shaka Smart is below. After researching it on the Internet I found it was credited to Steve Prefontaine a distance runner I believe.
One thing that is not questionable is the way VCU plays basketball. The VCU kids are aggressive, talented and in the opponents' face constantly. Love the aggressiveness.
VCU is leaving it all on the court every game. There is no doubt that they are giving it their absolute best.
'To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift'
One thing that is not questionable is the way VCU plays basketball. The VCU kids are aggressive, talented and in the opponents' face constantly. Love the aggressiveness.
VCU is leaving it all on the court every game. There is no doubt that they are giving it their absolute best.
'To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift'
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Charlie Sheen isn't the only one who needs a do over.
Ever do something that you regret and wish that you had the opportunity to do it over? Well most likely your faux pauxs are more private and are not broadcast all over the world.
Talk about someone who needs a do over. Read on.
‘CEO of Burger King slammed after calling British women ugly, saying U.K. food is 'terrible'’
BY PHILIP CAULFIELD DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
The CEO of Burger King is getting grilled for telling a group of students that British women are ugly and that food in the U.K. is "terrible."
Bernardo Hees, who was named the head of worldwide fast food chain in September, was speaking to a group of students in Chicago late last week when he unfondly recalled his days as a young scholar working on an MBA at the University of Warwick in England.
"The food is terrible and the women are not very attractive," Hees said, according to the University of Chicago's student paper, the Chicago Maroon. "Here in Chicago, the food is good and you are known for your good-looking women."
Hees was trying to make a point that his MBA experience was a breeze because he wasn't worried about wining and dining, but officials and chefs in the U.K. have pounced on his remarks.
Talk about someone who needs a do over. Read on.
‘CEO of Burger King slammed after calling British women ugly, saying U.K. food is 'terrible'’
BY PHILIP CAULFIELD DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
The CEO of Burger King is getting grilled for telling a group of students that British women are ugly and that food in the U.K. is "terrible."
Bernardo Hees, who was named the head of worldwide fast food chain in September, was speaking to a group of students in Chicago late last week when he unfondly recalled his days as a young scholar working on an MBA at the University of Warwick in England.
"The food is terrible and the women are not very attractive," Hees said, according to the University of Chicago's student paper, the Chicago Maroon. "Here in Chicago, the food is good and you are known for your good-looking women."
Hees was trying to make a point that his MBA experience was a breeze because he wasn't worried about wining and dining, but officials and chefs in the U.K. have pounced on his remarks.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Principles
"It's far easier to fight for principles than to live up to them..."
Adlai Stevenson (1900 - 1965)
Adlai Stevenson (1900 - 1965)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
A Different Weekend
This was a different kind of weekend for my wife and I. My wife isn’t available due to work obligations so I had to find some other things to do myself.
Something I already know and that was reinforced today and that I tell people is that my wife is truly my best friend. Usually on the weekend we do some things together and we spend time talking together. But we always know where the other is and we can interrupt each other during the day to talk or whatever.
We are both busy and don’t always get a lot of time together during the week. Between evening and weekend meetings, separate outings with friends and other activities or obligations we don’t always get a lot of time together.
We decided some time ago that rather than worry about the time we don’t get to be together we would try to take advantage of the time we do have together and maximize that time. We respect each other’s needs and desires and work together to make our lives work together.
Not everyone wants to do that but whatever your situation you have to do what works for you.
Today I got to catch up on some reading, do some shopping that I rarely ever do, do some cleanup at the house, spend time visiting with a friend and his family, hit some golf balls at a local range and there were about 20 other people with the same idea, caught several NCAA games simultaneously at a local restaurant, dinner out, did some writing and yet to do some walking/running, preparation for a meeting tomorrow, a little more reading and some more NCAA basketball.
Looking forward to the next time I see my wife. It’s always more fun doing stuff with her.
Something I already know and that was reinforced today and that I tell people is that my wife is truly my best friend. Usually on the weekend we do some things together and we spend time talking together. But we always know where the other is and we can interrupt each other during the day to talk or whatever.
We are both busy and don’t always get a lot of time together during the week. Between evening and weekend meetings, separate outings with friends and other activities or obligations we don’t always get a lot of time together.
We decided some time ago that rather than worry about the time we don’t get to be together we would try to take advantage of the time we do have together and maximize that time. We respect each other’s needs and desires and work together to make our lives work together.
Not everyone wants to do that but whatever your situation you have to do what works for you.
Today I got to catch up on some reading, do some shopping that I rarely ever do, do some cleanup at the house, spend time visiting with a friend and his family, hit some golf balls at a local range and there were about 20 other people with the same idea, caught several NCAA games simultaneously at a local restaurant, dinner out, did some writing and yet to do some walking/running, preparation for a meeting tomorrow, a little more reading and some more NCAA basketball.
Looking forward to the next time I see my wife. It’s always more fun doing stuff with her.
Something about serving and pride
Who is the most difficult person you have to deal with? You may have named one or more people without having to think very much. But you should read on and see if you agree with John Ortberg.
In his book ‘The Life You’ve Always Wanted’ Ortberg has a chapter titled “Appropriate Smallness’ that deals with pride. He offers examples of pride including vanity, stubbornness and exclusion.
But he offers a way to deal with pride. It is through servanthood and this is part of the chapter subhead. 'The primary reason Jesus calls us to servanthood is not just because other people need our service. It is because of what happens to us when we serve.'
One form of servanthood he identifies is 'The ministry of 'Bearing.' This spoke to me about the way I think about some people. An excerpt is below.
‘We are called to bear each other’s burdens…But at times it may feel as if an entire relationship is burdensome. I may need to ‘bear with’ people until I learn to love them.
…The leader of the group gave some thoughtful advice. She said we should set aside any tendency we might have to evaluate the people and their comments and simply let God speak through them.
I realized that I tend to approach things the other way. As a reflex I had started sizing up the group from our first meeting. Here is a troubled, whining, recovery junkie type, I thought as one person spoke. And here is a traditional, hyper-rational, old school character who will not discover or reveal his heart. And here is a wise, high functioning person I can really learn from. On I went, putting people on a kid of maturity continuum, ready to listen to and try to connect with those who seemed advanced and to endure those who seemed to lag behind.
The leader’s directive - to let go of evaluations and allow God to speak – was, unknown to her, a gentle indictment of my whole way of listening. I realized that my evaluations, while perhaps not totally off base, had more to do with me than with the people I was evaluating. More important, they kept me from listening to what God might want to say to me through people. They kept me from seeing the truth that all of us are somewhere on a journey to God, and the gap between least and most advanced is infinitely smaller than the gap between the most advanced and God himself.
The ministry of bearing with one another is more than simply tolerating difficult people. It is also learning to hear God speak through them. It is learning to be ‘for’ them. It is learning that the difficult person I have most to deal with is me.
This means that…I am called to free people... – repeatedly if necessary – from the little prisons to which I consign them….It may be the most difficult kind of person of all – one in whom I see the same struggles that rage inside me.’
In his book ‘The Life You’ve Always Wanted’ Ortberg has a chapter titled “Appropriate Smallness’ that deals with pride. He offers examples of pride including vanity, stubbornness and exclusion.
But he offers a way to deal with pride. It is through servanthood and this is part of the chapter subhead. 'The primary reason Jesus calls us to servanthood is not just because other people need our service. It is because of what happens to us when we serve.'
One form of servanthood he identifies is 'The ministry of 'Bearing.' This spoke to me about the way I think about some people. An excerpt is below.
‘We are called to bear each other’s burdens…But at times it may feel as if an entire relationship is burdensome. I may need to ‘bear with’ people until I learn to love them.
…The leader of the group gave some thoughtful advice. She said we should set aside any tendency we might have to evaluate the people and their comments and simply let God speak through them.
I realized that I tend to approach things the other way. As a reflex I had started sizing up the group from our first meeting. Here is a troubled, whining, recovery junkie type, I thought as one person spoke. And here is a traditional, hyper-rational, old school character who will not discover or reveal his heart. And here is a wise, high functioning person I can really learn from. On I went, putting people on a kid of maturity continuum, ready to listen to and try to connect with those who seemed advanced and to endure those who seemed to lag behind.
The leader’s directive - to let go of evaluations and allow God to speak – was, unknown to her, a gentle indictment of my whole way of listening. I realized that my evaluations, while perhaps not totally off base, had more to do with me than with the people I was evaluating. More important, they kept me from listening to what God might want to say to me through people. They kept me from seeing the truth that all of us are somewhere on a journey to God, and the gap between least and most advanced is infinitely smaller than the gap between the most advanced and God himself.
The ministry of bearing with one another is more than simply tolerating difficult people. It is also learning to hear God speak through them. It is learning to be ‘for’ them. It is learning that the difficult person I have most to deal with is me.
This means that…I am called to free people... – repeatedly if necessary – from the little prisons to which I consign them….It may be the most difficult kind of person of all – one in whom I see the same struggles that rage inside me.’
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Iron Sharpens Iron sample
Rod Cooper is a Professor of Discipleship and Leadership Development at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Following are some comments he made at a workshop titled ‘How to Help Your Marriage Hold Up and Not Fold Up’ during the Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Seminar held in Hershey, PA, on Saturday, March 5, 2011.
oOne thing that couples don’t count on when they get married is change. It you aren’t prepared for it you’ll want to go back to the good old days.
oMarriages go through stages or seasons - each depends on the other. How you prepare so it is a transition and not a crisis? Recognize the signs. Have a strategy. If you are serious (about your marriage) you will make the changes.
oMarriage is your last best chance to grow up!
oIf you want your wife to respect you, you have to put some deposits in the emotional bank account.
oTo be the leader of your family don’t run from conflict. Don’t treat your wife like a child. Don’t resort to childish behavior yourself.
oHow you fight is one of the most telling ways to diagnose the condition of your marriage.
oRuth Graham, the wife of well-known Evangelist Billy Graham, was once asked what would you change about Billy if you could? Ruth’s response was eye-opening. My job is to love Billy. It’s God’s job to change Billy.
oAn explanation of the word love in the Bible scripture calling husbands to love their wives means to look out for your wife’s interests before you look out for your own.
oCommitment to improve your marriage is more than about you. It’s about enhancing your relationship.
oBest question to ask if you want a better marriage is ‘God what do you want me to learn?’
Next Iron Sharpens Iron Men's Seminar is in the Philadelphia area (King of Prussia, PA) on Saturday, April 9, 2011. See umof.org for more details.
Following are some comments he made at a workshop titled ‘How to Help Your Marriage Hold Up and Not Fold Up’ during the Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Seminar held in Hershey, PA, on Saturday, March 5, 2011.
oOne thing that couples don’t count on when they get married is change. It you aren’t prepared for it you’ll want to go back to the good old days.
oMarriages go through stages or seasons - each depends on the other. How you prepare so it is a transition and not a crisis? Recognize the signs. Have a strategy. If you are serious (about your marriage) you will make the changes.
oMarriage is your last best chance to grow up!
oIf you want your wife to respect you, you have to put some deposits in the emotional bank account.
oTo be the leader of your family don’t run from conflict. Don’t treat your wife like a child. Don’t resort to childish behavior yourself.
oHow you fight is one of the most telling ways to diagnose the condition of your marriage.
oRuth Graham, the wife of well-known Evangelist Billy Graham, was once asked what would you change about Billy if you could? Ruth’s response was eye-opening. My job is to love Billy. It’s God’s job to change Billy.
oAn explanation of the word love in the Bible scripture calling husbands to love their wives means to look out for your wife’s interests before you look out for your own.
oCommitment to improve your marriage is more than about you. It’s about enhancing your relationship.
oBest question to ask if you want a better marriage is ‘God what do you want me to learn?’
Next Iron Sharpens Iron Men's Seminar is in the Philadelphia area (King of Prussia, PA) on Saturday, April 9, 2011. See umof.org for more details.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
A big Prayer
I saw this at ‘Kingdom Business’. It was linked on the Regent University Regent Center for Entrepreneurship site. The link to the RU site is below.
It is a prayer that encourages us to realize that we have a God who is capable of great things and we should remember and apply that. It is a good reminder for all of us that many times we don’t ask God for enough. Be bold is the message.
Bearing the Arms of Moses; Ten Ways to Pray for Mobilizers and Cross-cultural Workers
By Shane Bennett (see on original site at Missions Catalyst)
It's a fascinating picture, isn't it? As long as Moses holds his staff aloft toward the throne of God, Joshua and his army prevail against the bad guys. But Moses, though a galactic superman, got tired. Exodus 17 tells us his buds Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they began to hold up his arms! I know you've heard this story since you were a kid, but think about it for a second: They used their arms to hold up his arms. I suppose Moses got tired of holding the staff, but how long until Aaron and Hur got tired of holding his arms, holding the stick? Couldn't have been long. Yet they persevered through sun, fatigue, and smelliness ... and it worked. Come evening, Joshua prevailed on the battlefield below.
Now maybe it's a stretch to equate missionaries and mobilizers with Moses. If it doesn't totally feel like you're cheating on your hermeneutics prof, try this on: We have the opportunity, through prayer, to be Aaron and Hur for our friends who are holding up the staff of God for the advance of his kingdom among the least evangelized peoples on the planet.
When I think of you who read this column, I realize that (unless you were assigned to read this as a "bad example" of persuasive writing) you probably have some stake in the completion of the Great Commission. You've made sacrifices in an effort to see the good grace of Jesus go to where it hadn't before. So I asked myself, how I would pray for you? How would I hold up your arms so that the dreams of your heart might find success?
Here it is. Here's what I pray for you. Maybe these things would be good to pray for every last one of us, but I think they have particular relevance for those who have laid it on the line for the "sheep of another pen."
1. Freedom from Fear
Perhaps more frequently than any other command, the Bible tells us not to fear. At the same time many of us live in cultures both saturated with and fueled by fear. I know I fear failure. I fear discomfort. I fear the loss of my health, security, and status. But this is not normal life for a follower of Jesus. John tells us that "perfect love drives out fear."
E. Stanley Jones, a world-class missionary who lived most of his life in India, encourages, "Then discipline yourself against all anxiety and fear. Fear is the enemy - not the thing of which we are afraid, for most of our fears are never realized. They never come. Those that do come can be used in the purposes for which we live."
May God add his grace to our discipline, resulting in lives free from fear.
2. Growing Hope
If you've been a Great Commission groupie for a while, perhaps you've wondered from time to time why the job's not done yet. Maybe (on dark days) you struggle to believe it ever will be. God's promises are huge. His commandments are extensive, and the effort exerted to obey them has been epic. But there's so much still undone. So much pain. So much despair.
As you add days to days and years to years, may you look increasingly like your father Abraham who "against all hope, in hope believed and so became the father of many nations."
My God fill us with hope. May he rekindle within us the conviction that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."
3. Big Faith
As that hope grows, I pray big faith for you. Faith that allows you to pray audacious prayers. Faith that compels you to ask for the nations. Faith not content with one Muslim here and one there following Jesus, but that asks God for hundreds of millions from the sons of Ishmael to find life in Christ. Faith that asks God for what you not only can't accomplish on your own, but can barely imagine.
4. Battle Skills
May you have eyes to see what's really coming at you. May you have wisdom to discern between the focused attacks of your enemy and the normal challenges of a world that produces thorns and thistles. May you have the kind heart of the truest Mennonite with the fighting skills of a Navy Seal (or their spiritual equivalent). Let these skills be deployed under God not only for the protection of your family, but also for the release of many captives from their prisons and the rolling back of the work of our enemy.
5. A True Band of Brothers and Sisters
As you exercise your faith and hone your spiritual warfare skills, may God gather around you a team like Moses had in Aaron, Hur, and Joshua. May he give you, as he sees fit, a husband or wife, colleagues, pals, counselors, and mentors - people who will speak the truth to you even at great risk, love you even through great failure, and accept you even though they know you deeply. May he bring you a band of people for whom you would gladly die.
6. Authority
I pray for you to grow in authority. May God fill you with such spiritual authenticity, such power, such tangible presence of Jesus that though you never raise your voice, the room is quieted. May men and women of power care what you say, even do what you ask, because the scent of Jesus is strong on you. May no pain you experience be wasted, but rather captured for the maturing of your character, readying you to prevail in the next challenge ahead.
7. Wisdom
As your authority grows so will the trickiness of your problems. Get wisdom and keep on getting it. May God push that wisdom into the depths of your heart and all the way out to the edges of your consciousness. May you understand how to humbly love people, both submit to and lead people, inspire hope and great sacrifice in people. May you have sufficient wisdom to hear and follow the voice of your shepherd and thereby give your youth, your energies, and your very life in the place of your greatest usefulness.
8. Perseverance
May you walk all the way to the end of your road. Though it seems the road will never end and for long stretches you walk alone, don't stop walking. May the resilience and perseverance we imagine, or know, to have been in our ancestors also be found in you. I ask God for your strength, determination, and commitment. Keep walking.
9. Rest
Stop walking from time to time. Obey the fourth commandment. Rejoice that you are a creature and not the Creator. Accept his gift of rest with open arms. As you pause, I pray God will restore your soul, that he will speak to the core of your being, and that he will give you strength to get up and walk again.
10. Joy
Finally, I pray for joy for you; for a radical love for God and a daily, intimate connection with him. May Jesus be your shepherd and friend. May the Holy Spirit empower you and counsel you. May abundant life be yours. Right now. And forever. May you breathe in God and radiate out the peace, power, and purpose of a God intent on defeating every evil and winning the whole world.
Amen.
http://kingdomentrepreneur.blogspot.com/2010/10/bearing-arms-of-moses-ten-ways-to-pray.html
It is a prayer that encourages us to realize that we have a God who is capable of great things and we should remember and apply that. It is a good reminder for all of us that many times we don’t ask God for enough. Be bold is the message.
Bearing the Arms of Moses; Ten Ways to Pray for Mobilizers and Cross-cultural Workers
By Shane Bennett (see on original site at Missions Catalyst)
It's a fascinating picture, isn't it? As long as Moses holds his staff aloft toward the throne of God, Joshua and his army prevail against the bad guys. But Moses, though a galactic superman, got tired. Exodus 17 tells us his buds Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they began to hold up his arms! I know you've heard this story since you were a kid, but think about it for a second: They used their arms to hold up his arms. I suppose Moses got tired of holding the staff, but how long until Aaron and Hur got tired of holding his arms, holding the stick? Couldn't have been long. Yet they persevered through sun, fatigue, and smelliness ... and it worked. Come evening, Joshua prevailed on the battlefield below.
Now maybe it's a stretch to equate missionaries and mobilizers with Moses. If it doesn't totally feel like you're cheating on your hermeneutics prof, try this on: We have the opportunity, through prayer, to be Aaron and Hur for our friends who are holding up the staff of God for the advance of his kingdom among the least evangelized peoples on the planet.
When I think of you who read this column, I realize that (unless you were assigned to read this as a "bad example" of persuasive writing) you probably have some stake in the completion of the Great Commission. You've made sacrifices in an effort to see the good grace of Jesus go to where it hadn't before. So I asked myself, how I would pray for you? How would I hold up your arms so that the dreams of your heart might find success?
Here it is. Here's what I pray for you. Maybe these things would be good to pray for every last one of us, but I think they have particular relevance for those who have laid it on the line for the "sheep of another pen."
1. Freedom from Fear
Perhaps more frequently than any other command, the Bible tells us not to fear. At the same time many of us live in cultures both saturated with and fueled by fear. I know I fear failure. I fear discomfort. I fear the loss of my health, security, and status. But this is not normal life for a follower of Jesus. John tells us that "perfect love drives out fear."
E. Stanley Jones, a world-class missionary who lived most of his life in India, encourages, "Then discipline yourself against all anxiety and fear. Fear is the enemy - not the thing of which we are afraid, for most of our fears are never realized. They never come. Those that do come can be used in the purposes for which we live."
May God add his grace to our discipline, resulting in lives free from fear.
2. Growing Hope
If you've been a Great Commission groupie for a while, perhaps you've wondered from time to time why the job's not done yet. Maybe (on dark days) you struggle to believe it ever will be. God's promises are huge. His commandments are extensive, and the effort exerted to obey them has been epic. But there's so much still undone. So much pain. So much despair.
As you add days to days and years to years, may you look increasingly like your father Abraham who "against all hope, in hope believed and so became the father of many nations."
My God fill us with hope. May he rekindle within us the conviction that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."
3. Big Faith
As that hope grows, I pray big faith for you. Faith that allows you to pray audacious prayers. Faith that compels you to ask for the nations. Faith not content with one Muslim here and one there following Jesus, but that asks God for hundreds of millions from the sons of Ishmael to find life in Christ. Faith that asks God for what you not only can't accomplish on your own, but can barely imagine.
4. Battle Skills
May you have eyes to see what's really coming at you. May you have wisdom to discern between the focused attacks of your enemy and the normal challenges of a world that produces thorns and thistles. May you have the kind heart of the truest Mennonite with the fighting skills of a Navy Seal (or their spiritual equivalent). Let these skills be deployed under God not only for the protection of your family, but also for the release of many captives from their prisons and the rolling back of the work of our enemy.
5. A True Band of Brothers and Sisters
As you exercise your faith and hone your spiritual warfare skills, may God gather around you a team like Moses had in Aaron, Hur, and Joshua. May he give you, as he sees fit, a husband or wife, colleagues, pals, counselors, and mentors - people who will speak the truth to you even at great risk, love you even through great failure, and accept you even though they know you deeply. May he bring you a band of people for whom you would gladly die.
6. Authority
I pray for you to grow in authority. May God fill you with such spiritual authenticity, such power, such tangible presence of Jesus that though you never raise your voice, the room is quieted. May men and women of power care what you say, even do what you ask, because the scent of Jesus is strong on you. May no pain you experience be wasted, but rather captured for the maturing of your character, readying you to prevail in the next challenge ahead.
7. Wisdom
As your authority grows so will the trickiness of your problems. Get wisdom and keep on getting it. May God push that wisdom into the depths of your heart and all the way out to the edges of your consciousness. May you understand how to humbly love people, both submit to and lead people, inspire hope and great sacrifice in people. May you have sufficient wisdom to hear and follow the voice of your shepherd and thereby give your youth, your energies, and your very life in the place of your greatest usefulness.
8. Perseverance
May you walk all the way to the end of your road. Though it seems the road will never end and for long stretches you walk alone, don't stop walking. May the resilience and perseverance we imagine, or know, to have been in our ancestors also be found in you. I ask God for your strength, determination, and commitment. Keep walking.
9. Rest
Stop walking from time to time. Obey the fourth commandment. Rejoice that you are a creature and not the Creator. Accept his gift of rest with open arms. As you pause, I pray God will restore your soul, that he will speak to the core of your being, and that he will give you strength to get up and walk again.
10. Joy
Finally, I pray for joy for you; for a radical love for God and a daily, intimate connection with him. May Jesus be your shepherd and friend. May the Holy Spirit empower you and counsel you. May abundant life be yours. Right now. And forever. May you breathe in God and radiate out the peace, power, and purpose of a God intent on defeating every evil and winning the whole world.
Amen.
http://kingdomentrepreneur.blogspot.com/2010/10/bearing-arms-of-moses-ten-ways-to-pray.html
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Who will be the next coach?
Thanks to my son for this great piece from Rivals.com on the search for Penn State’s next Football Coach.
Interesting items that stand out:
- Penn State Coaches looking for jobs – they identify unrest on the staff as well
- Candidates that will revitalize Penn State’s recruiting. Who would you want to play for, a coach who has developed a contender for the National Championship or a coach who seems content to be a middle of the pack Big Ten team
- Candidates with reputations for developing quarterbacks. It seems like quarterbacks don’t improve when they get to PSU. Also notice all the great Penna High School quarterbacks that have gone to play at other schools
- Coaches with great recruiting experience – Someone is needed who can get the best talent to come to sometimes happy, Happy Valley
I think the most interesting criteria is that there will be a ‘minimal connection to Joe Paterno’. So a connection with Paterno now is guilt by association where a while ago it was a badge of honor. Reminds me of the song ‘you gotta know when to hold them, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away…’. There’s a leadership / management principle in there somewhere.
I have pointed out some of these things in a previous post
Check out the remainder of the article and the Bio’s of each possible candidate at this site.
http://bwi.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1180543
Penn State's Next Coach: The Update
BWI Staff
Three months have passed since we went public with the definitive list of candidates (read now if you haven't already) from which Joe Paterno's replacement will be chosen. Three months later, we still believe the name of the next Penn State football coach is on the list.
Did we mention it's a new list?
Well, not really: The criteria are the same, and 10 of the 15 candidates from our initial list remain. We trimmed five from the first batch either because they got new jobs (although, as you'll see, that wasn't necessarily a deal-breaker...) or because events of the past three months made it unrealistic to keep them on the list. We replaced them with five coaches who (mostly) fit our criteria, and who became contenders either through circumstances or their own on-field success.
We'll get to the candidates in a second; first, let's review our previous post. We can start with the timeline. As we wrote in October: "We're convinced that Penn State will hire its first new head football coach in almost half a century no later than February 2012." We should know better than to try predicting when Joe Paterno will finally step down, but given his contract status, the uncertain prospects for his 2011 team, hints of unrest on his staff and the still underachieving state of recruiting, we'll stick with our prediction that this will be Joe's final year.
Now, onto our criteria - and what the events of the past three months have taught us about just how right we were.
Qualifications - We told you the next Penn State head coach would be a current head coach, and we still think that'll be the case. The high-profile hires this offseason have gone to a mix of head coaches (Brady Hoke at Michigan, Al Golden at Temple, Randy Edsall at Maryland, and, ultimately, Todd Graham at Pitt) and top assistants (Will Muschamp at Florida, David Shaw at Stanford), and while a dynamic coordinator with a record of success at a major program could make the cut (yes, we did add one such candidate to our list), we remain convinced the university will want someone with CEO experience.
Age - We continue to believe the most likely candidates for this job are 55 or under.
Broad Recruiting Reach - The demographic reality hasn't changed in the past three months, so a coach with recruiting connections in places like Florida, Texas or California will have an advantage in this race.
Minimal Connection to Joe Paterno - This might've been the most controversial of our criteria, and if anything, events of the past month or so confirm it's also the most correct. The fact that as many of half of Paterno's assistants have reportedly looked for other jobs since the end of the regular season tells us what we already knew: Barring Paterno's unexpected and sudden resignation to due health issues, his replacement will not come from his current staff. Period.
Interesting items that stand out:
- Penn State Coaches looking for jobs – they identify unrest on the staff as well
- Candidates that will revitalize Penn State’s recruiting. Who would you want to play for, a coach who has developed a contender for the National Championship or a coach who seems content to be a middle of the pack Big Ten team
- Candidates with reputations for developing quarterbacks. It seems like quarterbacks don’t improve when they get to PSU. Also notice all the great Penna High School quarterbacks that have gone to play at other schools
- Coaches with great recruiting experience – Someone is needed who can get the best talent to come to sometimes happy, Happy Valley
I think the most interesting criteria is that there will be a ‘minimal connection to Joe Paterno’. So a connection with Paterno now is guilt by association where a while ago it was a badge of honor. Reminds me of the song ‘you gotta know when to hold them, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away…’. There’s a leadership / management principle in there somewhere.
I have pointed out some of these things in a previous post
Check out the remainder of the article and the Bio’s of each possible candidate at this site.
http://bwi.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1180543
Penn State's Next Coach: The Update
BWI Staff
Three months have passed since we went public with the definitive list of candidates (read now if you haven't already) from which Joe Paterno's replacement will be chosen. Three months later, we still believe the name of the next Penn State football coach is on the list.
Did we mention it's a new list?
Well, not really: The criteria are the same, and 10 of the 15 candidates from our initial list remain. We trimmed five from the first batch either because they got new jobs (although, as you'll see, that wasn't necessarily a deal-breaker...) or because events of the past three months made it unrealistic to keep them on the list. We replaced them with five coaches who (mostly) fit our criteria, and who became contenders either through circumstances or their own on-field success.
We'll get to the candidates in a second; first, let's review our previous post. We can start with the timeline. As we wrote in October: "We're convinced that Penn State will hire its first new head football coach in almost half a century no later than February 2012." We should know better than to try predicting when Joe Paterno will finally step down, but given his contract status, the uncertain prospects for his 2011 team, hints of unrest on his staff and the still underachieving state of recruiting, we'll stick with our prediction that this will be Joe's final year.
Now, onto our criteria - and what the events of the past three months have taught us about just how right we were.
Qualifications - We told you the next Penn State head coach would be a current head coach, and we still think that'll be the case. The high-profile hires this offseason have gone to a mix of head coaches (Brady Hoke at Michigan, Al Golden at Temple, Randy Edsall at Maryland, and, ultimately, Todd Graham at Pitt) and top assistants (Will Muschamp at Florida, David Shaw at Stanford), and while a dynamic coordinator with a record of success at a major program could make the cut (yes, we did add one such candidate to our list), we remain convinced the university will want someone with CEO experience.
Age - We continue to believe the most likely candidates for this job are 55 or under.
Broad Recruiting Reach - The demographic reality hasn't changed in the past three months, so a coach with recruiting connections in places like Florida, Texas or California will have an advantage in this race.
Minimal Connection to Joe Paterno - This might've been the most controversial of our criteria, and if anything, events of the past month or so confirm it's also the most correct. The fact that as many of half of Paterno's assistants have reportedly looked for other jobs since the end of the regular season tells us what we already knew: Barring Paterno's unexpected and sudden resignation to due health issues, his replacement will not come from his current staff. Period.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Titans win it!
Watching the movie ‘Remember the Titans’. One of my all-time favorites
Set in early 70’s. Races come together involuntarily to form an integrated football team. From the desire of players of both races to be separate to a championship team that didn’t recognize color but only performance and team work.
It happened because of relationships that developed between the players that were based on trust. Even though the community, the parents and fans didn’t understand how blacks and whites could get along or agree with the integration the players pushed forward to win the championship.
Underlying the movie was a mixture of music from that period by black and white artists.
An important part of the story was the head coach, Herman Boone. He was given the position over a successful white coach, Coach Yoast. This in itself could have created big problems but Boone wouldn’t let it. He treated everyone the same way
The quote that captures the essence of the film was delivered by Coach Yoast, the defensive coordinator, at half time of the championship game with the Titans down 7-3. ‘You have taught this city to trust the soul of the man rather than the look of the man.’
Unity is powerful. One phrase I remember from history that will ensure defeat was ‘divide and conquer’. Unity made the difference.
Set in early 70’s. Races come together involuntarily to form an integrated football team. From the desire of players of both races to be separate to a championship team that didn’t recognize color but only performance and team work.
It happened because of relationships that developed between the players that were based on trust. Even though the community, the parents and fans didn’t understand how blacks and whites could get along or agree with the integration the players pushed forward to win the championship.
Underlying the movie was a mixture of music from that period by black and white artists.
An important part of the story was the head coach, Herman Boone. He was given the position over a successful white coach, Coach Yoast. This in itself could have created big problems but Boone wouldn’t let it. He treated everyone the same way
The quote that captures the essence of the film was delivered by Coach Yoast, the defensive coordinator, at half time of the championship game with the Titans down 7-3. ‘You have taught this city to trust the soul of the man rather than the look of the man.’
Unity is powerful. One phrase I remember from history that will ensure defeat was ‘divide and conquer’. Unity made the difference.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Surprising Messenger
Randall Wallace spoke at the most recent National Prayer Breakfast.
Randall Wallace planned on becoming a minister or a songwriter, not a filmmaker. After leaving the seminary to write music, he worked as a novelist and television scribe before penning the award-winning script to Braveheart (1995) and Pearl Harbor and embarking on a directing career.
He also wrote, directed and produced the critically acclaimed ‘We Were Soldiers’ and the ‘Man in the Iron Mask’. Most recently he directed ‘Secretariat’.
His talk starts at 36:25 just after the President.
http://www.breitbart.tv/braveheart-screenwriter-randall-wallace-at-national-prayer-breakfast/
Randall Wallace planned on becoming a minister or a songwriter, not a filmmaker. After leaving the seminary to write music, he worked as a novelist and television scribe before penning the award-winning script to Braveheart (1995) and Pearl Harbor and embarking on a directing career.
He also wrote, directed and produced the critically acclaimed ‘We Were Soldiers’ and the ‘Man in the Iron Mask’. Most recently he directed ‘Secretariat’.
His talk starts at 36:25 just after the President.
http://www.breitbart.tv/braveheart-screenwriter-randall-wallace-at-national-prayer-breakfast/
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Don't we all want another chance?
I came across this piece at ESPN and it points out the importance of second chances and forgiveness. I think some will read this and not agree with giving Casey Therriault another chance. But some of you will understand the point.
What is interesting is who gave him the second chance.
I feel sorry for those of you who can’t forgive because your life won’t be as great or as enjoyable as it could be. You will always be uncomfortable especially when you are in the presence of the person you can’t forgive. And trust me that will occur.
When you don’t or won’t, which is more like it, forgive you are enslaved to the unforgiveness. You become a different person and show others a side of you that they won’t like. They will also think that someday you may hold them in the same type of contempt.
I am convinced that the only reason I can forgive is because of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When you realize that God forgives us for all the crap we have done in our lives we can begin to see the importance of forgiving others.
Read the entire piece to get the whole picture. I have only excerpted a short portion of it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=6021619
"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice."
-- Martin Luther King Jr., Aug. 28, 1963
JACKSON, Miss. -- Scenes from an oasis:
A fence separated the old black woman from the football field, but it didn't stop her. She wanted to meet the young white quarterback. She asked the coach to bring him over. If you don't have a place to go for Thanksgiving, the old woman told the quarterback through the fence, we will feed you.
In the stands in Memphis, Tenn., weeks earlier, a black stranger struck up a conversation with the white quarterback's father. He was easy to pick out, after all, a pale face in a section full of dark faces. By the end of the game, the quarterback's father had been invited to stay at the stranger's house for the next home game.
Everyone wanted to reach out to the white quarterback. He had come hundreds of miles from his native Michigan to this strange place -- to Jackson State University, a historically black college -- because he had nowhere else to go, with a past he was trying to escape. He didn't know what to expect. He sure didn't expect all this. All the support and attention and generosity directed his way was startling.
Just a few months before, no college wanted anything to do with him. Now, this novelty act of a quarterback was suddenly a minor celebrity.
In a state that was crippled by racial intolerance, the Jackson State fans didn't care that he was different from them. They didn't care about the trouble in his past and the chilling word that was attached to him. Or maybe it was because of the differences, and because of the trouble, that they reached out.
Maybe this was the latter stages of a dream come to fruition.
What is interesting is who gave him the second chance.
I feel sorry for those of you who can’t forgive because your life won’t be as great or as enjoyable as it could be. You will always be uncomfortable especially when you are in the presence of the person you can’t forgive. And trust me that will occur.
When you don’t or won’t, which is more like it, forgive you are enslaved to the unforgiveness. You become a different person and show others a side of you that they won’t like. They will also think that someday you may hold them in the same type of contempt.
I am convinced that the only reason I can forgive is because of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When you realize that God forgives us for all the crap we have done in our lives we can begin to see the importance of forgiving others.
Read the entire piece to get the whole picture. I have only excerpted a short portion of it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=6021619
"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice."
-- Martin Luther King Jr., Aug. 28, 1963
JACKSON, Miss. -- Scenes from an oasis:
A fence separated the old black woman from the football field, but it didn't stop her. She wanted to meet the young white quarterback. She asked the coach to bring him over. If you don't have a place to go for Thanksgiving, the old woman told the quarterback through the fence, we will feed you.
In the stands in Memphis, Tenn., weeks earlier, a black stranger struck up a conversation with the white quarterback's father. He was easy to pick out, after all, a pale face in a section full of dark faces. By the end of the game, the quarterback's father had been invited to stay at the stranger's house for the next home game.
Everyone wanted to reach out to the white quarterback. He had come hundreds of miles from his native Michigan to this strange place -- to Jackson State University, a historically black college -- because he had nowhere else to go, with a past he was trying to escape. He didn't know what to expect. He sure didn't expect all this. All the support and attention and generosity directed his way was startling.
Just a few months before, no college wanted anything to do with him. Now, this novelty act of a quarterback was suddenly a minor celebrity.
In a state that was crippled by racial intolerance, the Jackson State fans didn't care that he was different from them. They didn't care about the trouble in his past and the chilling word that was attached to him. Or maybe it was because of the differences, and because of the trouble, that they reached out.
Maybe this was the latter stages of a dream come to fruition.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Look around
‘Yep, life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile you could miss it!’ -Ferris Bueller
Monday, January 17, 2011
Who are we trying to please?
Have you ever had someone try to teach you something and that teacher, who doesn't have to be a trained teacher, got frustrated with you because you weren't getting whatever it was they were trying to teach you?
While reading a few chapters from Romans this week, I noticed some scriptures that got me to wondering if God gets that frustrated teacher sensation with us. Surely if God was a human he would be frustrated with us because we just don't get the things he has laid out for us in His book, or we don't take the time to understand or we're too stubborn to even read what he writes.
But fortunately for us God is patient and He repeats things over and over for us. He wants us to get it!
And God not only has to fight for the non-believers, sometimes He has to fight for the believers who have been influenced by those who insist that they are the only ones who know what God means. I ran into a friend last week who told me that many of us suffer from this affliction, from a Messianic Complex.
These selected lines from the book of Romans, Chapters 14 and 15, are things that I believe God wants us to be more aware of and to put into practice so we don't try to control what people believe.
o Accept those whose faith is weak without quarreling over disputable matters.
o Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?
o You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat your brother or sister with contempt?
o Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
o Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
o We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. We should all please our neighbors for their good to build them up.
While reading a few chapters from Romans this week, I noticed some scriptures that got me to wondering if God gets that frustrated teacher sensation with us. Surely if God was a human he would be frustrated with us because we just don't get the things he has laid out for us in His book, or we don't take the time to understand or we're too stubborn to even read what he writes.
But fortunately for us God is patient and He repeats things over and over for us. He wants us to get it!
And God not only has to fight for the non-believers, sometimes He has to fight for the believers who have been influenced by those who insist that they are the only ones who know what God means. I ran into a friend last week who told me that many of us suffer from this affliction, from a Messianic Complex.
These selected lines from the book of Romans, Chapters 14 and 15, are things that I believe God wants us to be more aware of and to put into practice so we don't try to control what people believe.
o Accept those whose faith is weak without quarreling over disputable matters.
o Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?
o You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat your brother or sister with contempt?
o Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
o Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
o We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. We should all please our neighbors for their good to build them up.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
They don't quite get it
The excerpt below appeared in the book titled ‘The 33 Strategies of War’ by Robert Greene. It appeared in the chapter on 'The Turning Strategy' in the Interpretation section and the example used to demonstrate it was about Julius Caesar.
Caesar was very strategic in everything that he did. He was also unpredictable and an example is used showing how he did not extract retribution from enemy troops when they surrendered and all the laws of war would indicate that he could. Then these troops joined Caesar’s forces to fight against their former leader. How often has this happened?
Here is the practical advice the author suggests we use that is derived from the examples presented in the chapter.
“Life is full of hostility – some of it overt, some clever and underhanded. Conflict is inevitable: you will never have total peace. Instead of imagining you can avoid these clashes of will, accept them and know that the way you deal with them will decide your success in life. What good is it to win little battles, to succeed in pushing people around here and there, if in the long run you create silent enemies who will sabotage you later? At all cost you must gain control of the impulse to fight your opponents directly. Instead occupy their flank. Disarm them and make them your ally: you can decide later whether to keep them on your side or to extract revenge. Taking the fight out of people through strategic acts of kindness, generosity, and charm will clear your path, helping you to save energy for the fights you cannot avoid. Find their flank – the support people crave, the kindness they will respond to, the favor to disarm them. In the political world we live in, the flank is the path to power.’
The suggestions in themselves are not bad but are not the best suggestions for us. The author's purpose is to help you have success but success won't solve your problems. His advice about creating enemies is right on, and getting control of your desire to fight your opponents is definitely helpful but not for the reasons he is identifying. How you treat others impacts your relationships with them. His purpose is to encourage you to manipulate others for your benefit.
We should find their flank as he indicates near the end of the piece not for the reasons stated but because we should want to live with and love others as we are taught through God's Word. Life is a whole lot easier and more fulfilling that way. Plus we are being obedient.
Caesar was very strategic in everything that he did. He was also unpredictable and an example is used showing how he did not extract retribution from enemy troops when they surrendered and all the laws of war would indicate that he could. Then these troops joined Caesar’s forces to fight against their former leader. How often has this happened?
Here is the practical advice the author suggests we use that is derived from the examples presented in the chapter.
“Life is full of hostility – some of it overt, some clever and underhanded. Conflict is inevitable: you will never have total peace. Instead of imagining you can avoid these clashes of will, accept them and know that the way you deal with them will decide your success in life. What good is it to win little battles, to succeed in pushing people around here and there, if in the long run you create silent enemies who will sabotage you later? At all cost you must gain control of the impulse to fight your opponents directly. Instead occupy their flank. Disarm them and make them your ally: you can decide later whether to keep them on your side or to extract revenge. Taking the fight out of people through strategic acts of kindness, generosity, and charm will clear your path, helping you to save energy for the fights you cannot avoid. Find their flank – the support people crave, the kindness they will respond to, the favor to disarm them. In the political world we live in, the flank is the path to power.’
The suggestions in themselves are not bad but are not the best suggestions for us. The author's purpose is to help you have success but success won't solve your problems. His advice about creating enemies is right on, and getting control of your desire to fight your opponents is definitely helpful but not for the reasons he is identifying. How you treat others impacts your relationships with them. His purpose is to encourage you to manipulate others for your benefit.
We should find their flank as he indicates near the end of the piece not for the reasons stated but because we should want to live with and love others as we are taught through God's Word. Life is a whole lot easier and more fulfilling that way. Plus we are being obedient.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Occidental or Oriental
Parenting. Isn’t this an interesting experience? Now there is a new entry into the how-to parent advice book arena. The book referenced below is very different from what most Western parents are encouraged to be. And may be something that may arouse your ire.
An excerpt from the book ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’ by Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School, appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week and it is still one of the most popular articles at the WSJ web site. The title of the article is ‘Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior’.
My own view is that the modern day Western parent is afraid that their child(ren) won’t like them if they are strict and insist on certain behaviors or actions.
Read this excerpt and then see the full article at WSJ.com
Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment.
By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.
I've thought long and hard about how Chinese parents can get away with what they do. I think there are several big differences between the Chinese and Western parental mind-sets.
I've noticed that Western parents are extremely anxious about their children's self-esteem.
Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children's own desires and preferences.
What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up.
But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something—whether it's math, piano, pitching or ballet—he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.
An excerpt from the book ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’ by Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School, appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week and it is still one of the most popular articles at the WSJ web site. The title of the article is ‘Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior’.
My own view is that the modern day Western parent is afraid that their child(ren) won’t like them if they are strict and insist on certain behaviors or actions.
Read this excerpt and then see the full article at WSJ.com
Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment.
By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.
I've thought long and hard about how Chinese parents can get away with what they do. I think there are several big differences between the Chinese and Western parental mind-sets.
I've noticed that Western parents are extremely anxious about their children's self-esteem.
Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children's own desires and preferences.
What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up.
But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something—whether it's math, piano, pitching or ballet—he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Finding the right guys
In anticipation of the Auburn – Oregon BCS football game tonight I got thinking that if I was a major college football coach I would want the Auburn Football Coach who found, recruited and signed Cam Newton, the Heisman Trophy winning Auburn quarterback, on my staff.
Recruiting the best players is essential to winning Championships as Auburn has done in the SEC. Now they are competing to win the National Championship against Oregon.
I will be glad with whichever team wins tonight as I think they are both worthy of the title of Champions of College Football.
Recruiting the best players is essential to winning Championships as Auburn has done in the SEC. Now they are competing to win the National Championship against Oregon.
I will be glad with whichever team wins tonight as I think they are both worthy of the title of Champions of College Football.
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