tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98997292024-03-14T02:33:24.216-04:00openingsalvoHow do you live out Jesus in the real world? Come and see! Read, comment, subscribe. Believe. Follow. Jesus.
Love God. Love people. The rest is wallpaper. (If you would like to receive posts by email, please submit your email in the space below.)Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.comBlogger907125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-29640275013612192952022-10-03T06:58:00.001-04:002022-10-03T07:58:58.689-04:00New book - STORM the FORTS - is in pre-pub sale!<p>Now, after many trials and tribulations, ebbs and flows, storms and stresses, STORM the FORTS: A 30 Day Primer on Spiritual Warfare in in pre-publication!</p><p>Dr. Stephen Court and I have co-authored this volume, which has been a labor of love over sixteen years! Big ups to Stephen (www.armybarmy.com) for shepherding this project, and to Pastor Dave Rajoon (www.graceministries.org) for editing and formatting!</p><p>Here’s what Commissioner Jim Knaggs says about the book:</p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 87%; background-color: #141414; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-size: 12.760000228881836px;">Every day we live we see the victory of light over darkness, morning over evening, and day over night. The next 30 days of your life will be awakened like the dawning of a new day as you consider the creative and constructive challenges of “Storm The Forts.” Get ready for the battle with this armament in hand. God will speak to you and give you orders you can follow. Yes!</span></h1><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">t<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmI5AHLc77bmDU9yrozXI1Otui2Yj9vNZRfQeLDArVXdkDJfecySy8MrWfDs4clgvq8LuxQgSjz0nY9x7XcIPfb-bm9VAFxsQNXipuP1zguVV89L9OM-o2UBu2NhUyhxr8f-fm28J-JqkzuB_0gJDxTgZiyXXNd7ZZOgLr_qeQyp8nUkETQQ/s2700/9497103D-3232-4E29-B6AA-3431742C579D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmI5AHLc77bmDU9yrozXI1Otui2Yj9vNZRfQeLDArVXdkDJfecySy8MrWfDs4clgvq8LuxQgSjz0nY9x7XcIPfb-bm9VAFxsQNXipuP1zguVV89L9OM-o2UBu2NhUyhxr8f-fm28J-JqkzuB_0gJDxTgZiyXXNd7ZZOgLr_qeQyp8nUkETQQ/w266-h400/9497103D-3232-4E29-B6AA-3431742C579D.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><br /> battle with this armament in hand. God will speak to you and give you orders you can follow. Ye</span></h1><div>You can get copies by connecting with Stephen@armybarmy.com</div><div>We are promoting case lots of 25 books at $5.00 USD each.</div><div>Great for Christmas gifts for soldiers, Advisory Boards, staff….check it out!</div><div><br /></div><div>#everybodyoughttofollowjesus</div><div><br /></div>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-29934681321705723802022-01-25T07:29:00.002-05:002022-10-03T06:59:48.252-04:00Book Picks: Smart Growth, by Whitney Johnson<p><span style="text-align: center;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN-6hEJyqAk36kT2fboV0epkoaHtcYjsVaJFRty870RAmYazDpBSQtuasdZcziD-98MjPlFeqZzk8AQx1uQMdS4bSUb0EzF0IaAoiR6dWGogBoClNP_9H2GBHBQqJJeOrBai2kZwTupR4Z8MA33uFWzxH1oIoO4IfAJpsxbYIHLlJ3aNtFJA=s1448" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN-6hEJyqAk36kT2fboV0epkoaHtcYjsVaJFRty870RAmYazDpBSQtuasdZcziD-98MjPlFeqZzk8AQx1uQMdS4bSUb0EzF0IaAoiR6dWGogBoClNP_9H2GBHBQqJJeOrBai2kZwTupR4Z8MA33uFWzxH1oIoO4IfAJpsxbYIHLlJ3aNtFJA=s320" width="239" /></a></span></div><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 700;"><div><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Learn. Leap. Repeat.</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: -0.4rem 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px;">Growth is the goal. Helping people develop their potential—enabling them to articulate and become the self they want to be, are capable of being, and that best serves them and others in the short and long term—is what we as individuals and leaders strive toward.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: -0.4rem 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px;">But how do we grow? It turns out it happens in a predictable way, which means we can understand where we are in our growth and chart a way forward. In this compact, complete guide, Whitney Johnson dives more deeply than ever into the S curve of growth and learning so that you can envision how growth happens and direct yourself and others in your organization to create a culture that fosters it.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: -0.4rem 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px;">The growth and learning journey comes in three phases: the Launch Point, the Sweet Spot, and the High End, and within each phase, individuals play roles that keep us moving up the curve toward our goals. Compelling examples of successful people will show you when and why growth is slow, how to keep going, what to do when growth and learning are almost too fast to keep up with, and how to leap from one growth journey to another.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: -0.4rem 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px;">As individuals grow, so do organizations and societies. Growth is learning put into action, ideally action that betters the world as we better ourselves and our small niches, both personal and professional, within it. Growth occurs when learning is internalized, when we try something new and invest the effort to move it from being something we <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">do</i> to something we <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">are</i>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: -0.4rem 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-81166686674550737822022-01-23T18:03:00.004-05:002022-01-23T18:03:50.218-05:00Repost: Choose, by Stephen Garnaas-Holmes<p>NB: Isaiah 61/Isaiah 58 and the fulfillment in Luke 4 were the texts for preaching this morning. The up and down of it all was that the Nazarenes in the synagogue diminished Jesus, they marginalized him, they infantilized him. Jesus is easier to handle in the crechè; you can ignore the cries of baby Yeshua. But grown-up Jesus’ prophetic cries for justice and righteousness, these are harder to refuse. Choose.</p><header class="entry-header alignwide" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-bottom: 3px solid var(--global--color-border); box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px auto calc(3 * var(--global--spacing-vertical)); max-width: calc(-200px + 100vw); padding-bottom: calc(2 * var(--global--spacing-vertical));"><h1 class="entry-title" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: var(--entry-header--color); font-family: var(--heading--font-family); font-size: 3.05rem; font-weight: 200; letter-spacing: var(--heading--letter-spacing-h2); line-height: var(--heading--line-height-h1); margin: 0px; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Choose</h1></header><div class="entry-content" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: var(--global--spacing-vertical) auto; max-width: none;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: var(--wp--typography--line-height, var(--global--line-height-body)); margin: 0px auto var(--global--spacing-vertical); max-width: calc(-200px + 100vw); padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: var(--wp--typography--line-height, var(--global--line-height-body)); margin: 0px auto var(--global--spacing-vertical); max-width: calc(-200px + 100vw); padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);">He stood up to read.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /></span> <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);"> He found the place where it was written:<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /></span> <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);"> “The Spirit of God is upon me…<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /></span> <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);"> to let the oppressed go free,<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /></span> <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);"> and to proclaim the year of God’s favor.”<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /></span> <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);"> And he rolled up the scroll,<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /></span> <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);"> gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /> —Luke 4.16-19<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />Watch how Jesus does scripture:<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />the passage in Isaiah actually says,<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />“to proclaim the year of God’s favor,<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />and the day of vengeance of our God.”<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />But Jesus stops with favor,<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />leaves out vengeance, and sits down.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />Call it cherry-picking.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />Scripture is replete with images<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />of God as vengeful and God as forgiving.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />But vengeance is not forgiveness.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />God isn’t sort of this and sometimes that.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />You have to choose. You don’t get both.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />Jesus chooses.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />(He quotes Hosea: “I desire mercy, not sacrifices.”)<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />No matter what your sacred books say<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />you have to choose:<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />the way of vengeance, power and domination,<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />or the way of courage, love and nonviolence.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />Though he has reason not to,<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />Jesus chooses the side of love.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />And when he asks you, and you falter, don’t worry.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />He’ll still choose the way of love.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /></p><p class="has-text-align-center" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: var(--wp--typography--line-height, var(--global--line-height-body)); margin: var(--global--spacing-vertical) auto 0px; max-width: calc(-200px + 100vw); padding: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;">__________________<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" />Steve Garnaas-Holmes<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);">Unfolding Light</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);" /><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure);"></span><a href="http://www.unfoldinglight.net/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: var(--wp--style--color--link, var(--global--color-primary)); cursor: pointer; max-width: var(--global--spacing-measure); text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-underline-offset: 3px;">www.unfoldinglight.net</a></p></div>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-2441099451300367552022-01-20T17:47:00.001-05:002022-01-20T17:47:26.355-05:00How Jesus became white — and why it’s time to cancel that<a href="https://religionnews.com/2020/06/24/how-jesus-became-white-and-why-its-time-to-cancel-that/">How Jesus became white — and why it’s time to cancel that</a>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-57956655865793128852022-01-20T17:45:00.001-05:002022-01-20T17:45:55.644-05:00U.S. churchgoers still sit in segregated pews, and most are OK with that<a href="https://religionnews.com/2015/01/16/u-s-churchgoers-still-sit-segregated-pews-ok/">U.S. churchgoers still sit in segregated pews, and most are OK with that</a>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-55693955615700505342021-05-26T18:22:00.002-04:002021-05-31T10:48:53.917-04:00Just what am I thinking about these days?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUp8emQS7F2aXa3wWVgAuhGRXUUFJv_uqo4EDoJlNAAAZmiUAj1ymi5El8-Hx-GnWhehVj8I9VJkD7puGABLzyo_ZZuRIYWHPT5r2S44ViGQCvi6eY1EeZ9WGEJTilzGtMbcr/s761/Screenshot_20210501-091946_Gmail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="761" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUp8emQS7F2aXa3wWVgAuhGRXUUFJv_uqo4EDoJlNAAAZmiUAj1ymi5El8-Hx-GnWhehVj8I9VJkD7puGABLzyo_ZZuRIYWHPT5r2S44ViGQCvi6eY1EeZ9WGEJTilzGtMbcr/s320/Screenshot_20210501-091946_Gmail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It's been an interesting week, or a bunch of weeks, and into a year, hasn't it? </p><p>COVID-19, COVID-1619 (aka, systemic racism) political division, social unrest has flooded the streets of America's cities, towns and hamlets.</p><p>Just over a year since the murder of George Floyd (there really is not any softer term for it), it's still open season on black people. DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) has become the bandwagon buzzword of the day. Companies all over the world large or small, are creating departments of diversity. More webinars, ZOOM meetings, YouTube trainings, seminars, certificate programs abound all over the internet. Even the terms used suggest that one people group is "better off;" inclusion into what, diversity from what?? What is the norm used to define these terms? </p><p>For many people, of whatever hue, all this holus-bolus is too much. There are those who say, "Let's drop the whole racism thing, and just love each other." To them I ask, "How's that done for us so far." Love looks like something, and with all the disparities in First Nations communities, and communities of color, love might merely has exhibited itself as a liberal sentiment.</p><p>For others who say, "We gave you Obama, what more do you want," I reply thusly: If after 260 years, we have a Black president, and if his presidency was a gift, it has given far too late. Isn't it proper to present gifts to your host at the beginning of the party, as you walk in the door??? This party called America started 400-plus years ago, so a gift in 2008 was given far too late!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieS0_dCIqpFS6-HqNbC37sTGF6ElQY7T9WR9hzlV4xBGrVibQwMr_AdUXeLcsobdYtvkMgGjEFtZ1MYW61_VrHPK2LqfRR2SgvfCn1EuSGkUEWD13IGz2KssiHrHRoBEUzoR09/s1080/vergenetwork_20200712_085502_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieS0_dCIqpFS6-HqNbC37sTGF6ElQY7T9WR9hzlV4xBGrVibQwMr_AdUXeLcsobdYtvkMgGjEFtZ1MYW61_VrHPK2LqfRR2SgvfCn1EuSGkUEWD13IGz2KssiHrHRoBEUzoR09/s320/vergenetwork_20200712_085502_0.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>And as for the church, a recent survey conducted by Barna Research revealed that 29% of Christians who attend multiethnic churches have encountered racism. A similar percentage of believers feel that they jettison a portion of their ethnic heritage while attending a multiethnic church. Strangely, the beauty of diversity in unity is nearly deified in nature, yet in the human sphere, unity continues to mean uniformity. </p><p>So where do we go from here? The one thing we cannot do is rush to "fix" everything about us, without a thorough examination of how we got here, and to deconstruct the forces behind exclusion, supremacy and dominion. That is work. Critical work.</p><p>I do not mean to say that this work is about dragging one people group through the mud, slinging complicity upon them, as a woman caught in adultery. The work requires all people to look soberly at their social experience, and take responsibility for where we are as a nation, and move toward conciliation. </p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-29345342203568184502021-03-24T11:25:00.004-04:002021-05-31T10:32:10.840-04:00Trauma Healing | American Bible Society<a href="https://ministry.americanbible.org/mission-trauma-healing">Trauma Healing | American Bible Society</a><div>With the prolonged and persistent traumatic stress responses that we are ALL experiencing, resources like this are essential to connect the cure of souls to its supernatural source.</div><div><br /></div><div>American Bible Society, in partnership with Trauma Healing Institute, offers training in facilitating Trauma Healing, a Bible-centered process that employs the best resources from psychological first aid.</div><div>Imagine people who complete this training as "field medics;" they are not doctors or surgeons, but can bind up your wounds enough to get you on the chopper to the field hospital at the rear of the battle.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's the kind of training you want, especially if you work or serve in high-stress situations, or do urban ministry. Or rural ministry. Or suburban ministry. Trauma has especially hit us all in the age of coronavirus, this training in Trauma Healing is an important resource for you to have in your ministry toolkit.</div>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-72377271267854307802021-03-14T19:44:00.001-04:002021-03-14T19:44:25.508-04:00Dealing with persistent traumatic stress disorder <p>Listen.</p><p>The compound effects of COVID-19, racial brutality and unrest (this time) and the year-long constant shakedown/breakdown/shutdown /letdown has bludgeoned our souls. Multiple griefs and losses of dreams and loved ones have left us with a bleak and narrow view of the future. Yet we still ask Robert Frost’s question: “What to make of a diminished thing?”</p><p>The kinds of distress that we are facing is shaping our new normal, but only Americans are crying the blues in a eulogy to American exceptionalism: wahh, wahh, wahh...</p><p>Mask wearing? Welcome to Hong Kong.</p><p>Insurrection at the Capitol? Welcome to Venezuela.</p><p>Killing of innocent Black people? Welcome to.....ohh, that’s always been America. (Amerikka)</p><p>More than any other time in the Zeitgeist, it’s time to nurture yourselves and the people you love. </p><p>Create community to counter the isolation.</p><p>Craft new abilities to make new income sources.</p><p>Make your art. Tell your heart. Ship that package. Write that story.</p><p>Times of shaking are pregnant with opportunities for advancement. Why should it be someone else who advances? Bezos and Gates made money during the pandemic. Why not you?</p><p>Look up post traumatic growth. Find one good article, and make one action step toward growth. Do it tonight.</p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-42339473225515921672021-02-11T07:12:00.001-05:002021-02-11T07:40:39.322-05:00Some musings on traumaSince the onset of the dual pandemics in their current metastatic states, I have been studying to understand trauma and the paths to healing.<div><br /></div><div>Etymology online defines trauma this way:</div><div><div class="d9FyLd" style="background-color: #303134; color: #bdc1c6; font-family: Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; max-height: 999999px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><b style="max-height: 999999px;">trauma</b> (n.)</div><p style="text-align: left;"><span class="hgKElc" face="Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #303134; color: #bdc1c6; font-size: 18px; max-height: 999999px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px;">1690s, "physical wound," medical Latin, from <b style="max-height: 999999px;">Greek trauma</b> "a wound, a hurt; a defeat," from PIE *trau-, extended form of root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn," with derivatives referring to twisting, piercing, etc. Sense of "psychic wound, unpleasant experience which causes abnormal stress" is from 1894.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">I find it most interesting that wound and hurt relate to defeat....most often wound refers to a physical state, while defeat is a psychological state</p><p style="text-align: left;">Simply, we are our woundedness. Around the time of nascent American psychology, we see that trauma takes a clear emotional connotation.</p><p style="text-align: left;">However trauma has had this connection to psychic states since the 5th century. Augustine writes of this in his Confessions:</p><table align="CENTER" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 601px;"><tbody><tr><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td>"T<span>O</span> C<span>ARTHAGE</span> I came, where there sang all around me in my ears a cauldron of unholy loves. I loved not yet, yet I loved to love, and out of a deep-seated want, I hated myself for wanting not. I sought what I might love, in love with loving, and safety I hated, and a way without snares. For within me was a famine of that inward food, Thyself, my God; yet, through that famine I was not hungered; but was without all longing for incorruptible sustenance, not because filled therewith, but the more empty, the more I loathed it. For this cause my soul was sickly and full of sores, it miserably cast itself forth, desiring to be scraped by the touch of objects of sense. Yet if these had not a soul, they would not be objects of love. To love then, and to be beloved, was sweet to me; but more, when I obtained to enjoy the person I loved. I defiled, therefore, the spring of friendship with the filth of concupiscense, and I beclouded its brightness with the hell of lustfulness; and thus foul and unseemly, I would fain, through exceeding vanity, be fine and courtly. I fell headlong then into the love wherein I longed to be ensnared. My God, my Mercy, with how much gall didst Thou out of Thy great goodness besprinkle for me that sweetness? For I was both beloved, and secretly arrived at the bond of enjoying; and was with joy fettered with sorrow-bringing bonds, that I might be scourged with the iron burning rods of jealousy, and suspicion, and fears, and angers, and quarrels."<br /><br />The dual pandemics of this age: COVID-19 and COVID-1619 bring about a persistent traumatic stress disorder that can lead to a psychic numbness, a profound futility of thinking, bringing a learned helplessness on a grand scale. Nothing seems to be within our control, connections and relationships are broken, unity seems impossible with all the identity politics....<br />What is one to do?<br /><br />This is the perfect time to love without limits....without conditions, without agreeing to my theology or my politics....do small things with great love.<br />Slowly, methodically, gently your own wounds will begin to heal; fresh oil, wine and binding bandages will emerge in the guise of community.<br /><br />As the waters cover the sea, the earth will be filled with knowledge of the glory of God as keep our eyes on the Lion of Judah. He is King of Kings and over a Kingdom that will never be shaken.</td></tr></tbody></table></div>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-59610050074455841662021-01-31T18:27:00.004-05:002021-01-31T18:27:31.022-05:00Repost: The Post-Modern Church Leader’s Survival Checklist - Carey Nieuwhof<header class="fl-post-header" role="banner" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(28, 34, 55); color: #1c2237; font-family: brandon-grotesque, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; margin-bottom: 25px;"><h1 class="fl-post-title" itemprop="headline" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 40px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">THE POST-MODERN CHURCH LEADER’S SURVIVAL CHECKLIST</h1><div class="fl-post-meta fl-post-meta-top" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="fl-post-author" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By <a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/author/carey/" style="box-sizing: border-box; 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box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 5px 20px 20px 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="1000" /></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Question: What does it take to survive in today’s church leadership environment as culture moves away from Christianity and into a more pluralistic, post-modern environment?</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Answer: More than it used to, and likely more than you think.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The good news is that you easily discover not only what it takes to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">survive</em> in today’s leadership culture, you can discover what it takes to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">thrive. </em></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">After two decades in church leadership (with a few more to come…I hope!), here are ten things that leaders who are thriving these days almost always have in common and almost always have in abundance.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">And, conversely, leaders who are missing most of these generally don’t survive in our changing culture.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The good news is you can thrive—not just survive—in today’s church culture if you pursue the right things.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=The%20good%20news%20is%20you%20CAN%20thrive%E2%80%94not%20just%20survive%E2%80%94as%20a%20leader%20in%20today%27s%20culture.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">The good news is you CAN thrive—not just survive—as a leader in today's culture. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=The%20good%20news%20is%20you%20CAN%20thrive%E2%80%94not%20just%20survive%E2%80%94as%20a%20leader%20in%20today%27s%20culture.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Here are 10 things that I would put on the post-modern church leader’s survival checklist.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">As you’ll see, few of them directly tie into the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">cultural</em> shift happening before us as Western culture shifts away from Christianity. You can <a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/2015/02/10-predictions-about-the-future-church-and-shifting-attendance-patterns/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">read more about that here</a> or in even greater detail in my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lasting-Impact-Carey-Nieuwhof/dp/1941259464/http://www.amazon.com/Lasting-Impact-Carey-Nieuwhof/dp/1941259464/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lasting Impact</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Instead, the checklist I offer here is tied to the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">personal</em>strength and resilience a leader brings to their calling.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Why is the checklist so personally oriented?</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">When a movement becomes counter-cultural (as is increasingly the case with Christianity), it takes greater leadership skill and resolve to make an impact than it otherwise would.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">In some ways, it’s like leading into a head-wind rather than having the tailwind your predecessors may have enjoyed.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">As a result, seeing results might take longer. Leadership is probably going to be harder. It’s certainly going to be more complex.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">But it definitely will be worth it, and the potential for impact is huge.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">With that in mind, here are 10 things church leaders need to thrive in our post-modern, post-Christian context:</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=These%20days%20every%20church%20leader%20is%20transitioning%20their%20church%20because%20change%20is%20so%20rapid.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">These days every church leader is transitioning their church because change is so rapid. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=These%20days%20every%20church%20leader%20is%20transitioning%20their%20church%20because%20change%20is%20so%20rapid.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">1. A FEW GREAT FRIENDS WITH WHOM YOU CAN BE 100% HONEST</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Ministry is hard. Isolation makes it much harder.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">When you’re transitioning a church (and these days, we’re ALL transitioning churches because change is so rapid), it’s important you have a trustworthy few with whom you can be 100% honest.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">You can’t publicly or even privately complain about the situation you’re facing with the people you’re leading. It’s bad leadership.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">You do need a few people who understand your situation and who can empathize, pray with you and correct you (you’re not always right and your attitude needs adjusting from time to time).</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">In this respect, I usually find I connect best with peers who hold a similar position and responsibility in another city. They get what I’m struggling with, and I can play the same role for them.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Ministry%20is%20hard.%20Isolation%20makes%20it%20much%20harder.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Ministry is hard. Isolation makes it much harder. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Ministry%20is%20hard.%20Isolation%20makes%20it%20much%20harder.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">2. LEADERS WHO ARE ONE OR TWO STEPS AHEAD</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Having a few friends with whom you can be 100% honest is different than finding a few leaders who are one or two steps ahead of you.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The first group functions as friends and colleagues, the second as mentors.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">You don’t have to piggyback your leadership on someone famous. Too many leaders hold out for that opportunity to be mentored by Andy Stanley or Craig Groeschel, and then decide they can’t settle for anything less.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Guess what? That will probably never happen. (It was also one of the reasons I started <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/carey-nieuwhof-leadership/id912753163?mt=2" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">my leadership podcast</a>, so you could be mentored by leaders like Andy Stanley, Lysa Terkuerst, and Craig Groeschel, even virtually. Best of all, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/carey-nieuwhof-leadership/id912753163?mt=2" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">it’s free</a>).</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">But nothing is stopping you from finding a pastor or church leader who is just one or two steps ahead of you. Maybe you’re trying to break the 200 attendance barrier and he’s got a church of 300. Ask to go for lunch and come with great questions and an open notebook.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Maybe you’re looking to handle more volunteers than you’ve ever handled? Find the ministry leader who’s handling twice the number you are and ask her for lunch. You’ll learn a ton.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Mentors are closer than you think and more accessible than you think.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Mentors%20are%20closer%20than%20you%20think%20and%20more%20accessible%20than%20you%20think.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Mentors are closer than you think and more accessible than you think. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Mentors%20are%20closer%20than%20you%20think%20and%20more%20accessible%20than%20you%20think.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">3. PEOPLE WHO GIVE YOU ENERGY</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">This group isn’t necessarily people with whom you can be 100% honest. They’re not even mentors. It’s different.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">This group is about people you personally find <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">energizing</em>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">I frequently ask ministry leaders, “When was the last time you went out for dinner with a couple who left you feeling completely energized and replenished?”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The blank looks and the looks of shock and disappointment on leaders’ faces tells the story.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">We don’t do this nearly enough.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Ministry is giving. And because ministry is giving, it can be draining.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Your leadership is like a bank account. You can only give so much without becoming overdrawn. Be overdrawn long enough and you go bankrupt.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Go find some friends who <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">energize </em>you. Then hang out!</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Your%20leadership%20is%20like%20a%20bank%20account.%20Be%20overdrawn%20long%20enough%20and%20you%20go%20bankrupt.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Your leadership is like a bank account. Be overdrawn long enough and you go bankrupt. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Your%20leadership%20is%20like%20a%20bank%20account.%20Be%20overdrawn%20long%20enough%20and%20you%20go%20bankrupt.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">4. A BULLET-PROOF DEVOTIONAL ROUTINE</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">You got into ministry because you love Jesus. But far too many leaders fall out of love with Christ while in ministry.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Why is that?</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Too often we let doing the work of Christ destroy the work of Christ within us.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The best way I know how to keep your passion for Christ fresh and alive is to develop a bullet-proof devotional routine.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">By bullet-proof I mean it needs to work at home and when you’re on the road, when you’re busy and when you’re on vacation, when you’re at your most stressed and when you’re at your most relaxed.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">I <a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/2012/12/how-to-kickstart-your-devotional-life/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">outline mine here</a>.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">5. EXCEPTIONAL CLARITY AROUND HOW AND WHEN TO SAY NO</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The enemy of great leadership is not lack of opportunity; it’s the overabundance of opportunity.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=The%20enemy%20of%20great%20leadership%20is%20not%20lack%20of%20opportunity%3B%20it%27s%20the%20overabundance%20of%20opportunity.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">The enemy of great leadership is not lack of opportunity; it's the overabundance of opportunity. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=The%20enemy%20of%20great%20leadership%20is%20not%20lack%20of%20opportunity%3B%20it%27s%20the%20overabundance%20of%20opportunity.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The more successful you become, the more opportunity you will have. At first, your temptation is to say yes to everything. After all, you’ve waited your whole life for a crack at some things.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">But saying yes to something good means you’ve likely said no to something potentially great.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Doing a few things extremely well always trumps doing many things adequately.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">If you’re struggling with <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">how </em>to say no (and most of us are), <a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/2012/10/a-six-step-strategy-on-how-to-say-no-nicely/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here are some guidelines I use</a>.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Saying%20yes%20to%20something%20good%20means%20you%27ve%20likely%20said%20no%20to%20something%20potentially%20great.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Saying yes to something good means you've likely said no to something potentially great. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Saying%20yes%20to%20something%20good%20means%20you%27ve%20likely%20said%20no%20to%20something%20potentially%20great.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">6. REGULARLY SCHEDULED WORK-ON-IT TIME</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The problem with most of our jobs is that they are largely reactive unless you decide they won’t be.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">You can spend an entire day answering emails, responding to messages and attending meetings you didn’t call only to hit 6:00 p.m. and realize you didn’t move the mission forward one iota.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Long terms, this will kill your ministry.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Realize that in a post-Christian culture, momentum doesn’t come naturally.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The most effective leaders always budget significant blocks of time to work <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">on </em>their ministry, not just in it.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Here are<a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/2015/09/7-things-there-will-never-be-enough-time-for/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> 7 work-on-it things</a> you should start budgeting more time for starting this week if you want to be effective.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=In%20a%20post-Christian%20culture%2C%20momentum%20doesn%27t%20come%20naturally.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">In a post-Christian culture, momentum doesn't come naturally. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=In%20a%20post-Christian%20culture%2C%20momentum%20doesn%27t%20come%20naturally.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">7. A DIVERSIFIED LEARNING MENU</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The challenge for many of us in church leadership is that we listen to the same voices over and over again.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">You become a fan of a certain preacher, a certain theologian and you read and listen to only them.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">I find I often learn the most from people who are least like me.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Sometimes the answers to your problem lie outside your discipline, not within it.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Sometimes%20the%20answers%20to%20your%20problem%20lie%20outside%20your%20discipline%2C%20not%20within%20it.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Sometimes the answers to your problem lie outside your discipline, not within it. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=Sometimes%20the%20answers%20to%20your%20problem%20lie%20outside%20your%20discipline%2C%20not%20within%20it.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">8. A GREAT MARRIAGE OR HEALTHY PERSONAL LIFE</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">It’s hard to lead well at work <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</em> at home. Usually one suffers at the expense of the other.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">You either use your best energy at work and have none left for home.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Or you use all your energy on your personal life and have little left for work.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">As a result, married leaders who excel at work often end up with a less than ideal family life, and single people who pour their heart into their ministry end up with a much reduced personal life. (I wrote about <a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/2015/05/20-honest-insights-on-how-to-make-it-to-25-years-in-marriage/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">what I’ve learned in my marriage here</a>.)</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Neither is a great scenario.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">If you pour the level of intentionality into your life that you pour into your leadership, you will have a better life.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=The%20quality%20of%20your%20life%20directly%20impacts%20the%20quality%20of%20your%20leadership.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">The quality of your life directly impacts the quality of your leadership. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=The%20quality%20of%20your%20life%20directly%20impacts%20the%20quality%20of%20your%20leadership.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">9. A HOBBY THAT TAKES YOUR MIND OFF THINGS</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">One of the challenges of leadership in ministry is that it requires both your mind and your heart. And the great leaders always throw their heart and mind fully into it.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Which means it can be hard to turn things off when it’s time to go home. Keep that up, and the result is burnout, something both <a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/2014/09/episode2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Perry Noble and I experienced</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">I talk to too many leaders who just can’t seem to turn it off.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Which is why having a hobby or something else that takes your mind off of work is one of the best things you can do.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">What works? Anything that will take your mind off of your day job. That can be cycling, cooking, wood working, hiking, art, or watching a movie. Anything that gives your mind a break.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">10. ENOUGH FINANCIAL MARGIN</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">If there’s one thing the future will require, it’s more sacrifice.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">This seems a bit tough in an era in which many church staff are underpaid and many are bi-vocational.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">But developing financial margin is critical. Having no margin severely limits how you can respond to the opportunities in front of you.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">I think more of this will be required in the future than in the past as church budgets struggle and as governments inevitably take away tax savings from churches and church staff.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The bottom line is this: the more margin you have, the more opportunities you can seize.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">The less margin you have (as a person or as a church), the more those opportunities will pass you by.</p><span class="bctt-click-to-tweet" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em; padding: 15px 15px 15px 30px; position: relative;"><span class="bctt-ctt-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=The%20more%20margin%20you%20have%2C%20the%20more%20opportunities%20you%20can%20seize.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 44.099998474121094px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">The more margin you have, the more opportunities you can seize. </a></span><a class="bctt-ctt-btn" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareynieuwhof.com%2Fthe-modern-church-leaders-survival-checklist%2F&text=The%20more%20margin%20you%20have%2C%20the%20more%20opportunities%20you%20can%20seize.%20&via=cnieuwhof&related=cnieuwhof" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: url("https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/img/birdy.png"); background-position: right top 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; display: block; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 0.7em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 24px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none !important; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">CLICK TO TWEET</a></span><div aria-describedby="nf-form-errors-40" aria-labelledby="nf-form-title-40" aria-live="polite" class="nf-form-cont" id="nf-form-40-cont" role="form" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="nf-form-title" id="nf-form-title-40" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span><div class="nf-form-wrap ninja-forms-form-wrap" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="nf-response-msg" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="nf-debug-msg" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="nf-before-form" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><nf-section style="box-sizing: border-box;"></nf-section></div><div class="nf-form-layout" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><form style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="nf-before-form-content" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><nf-section style="box-sizing: border-box;"></nf-section></div><div class="nf-form-content " style="box-sizing: border-box;"><nf-rows-wrap style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="nf-row" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><nf-cells style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="nf-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 479.5px;"><nf-fields style="box-sizing: border-box;"><nf-field style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="nf-field-container html-container label-above " id="nf-field-550-container" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="nf-before-field" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><nf-section style="box-sizing: border-box;"></nf-section></div><div class="nf-field" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field-wrap html-wrap" data-field-id="550" id="nf-field-550-wrap" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="nf-field-label" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><label class="" for="nf-field-550" id="nf-label-field-550" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;">BOOST YOUR TEAM'S PRODUCTIVITY AND HIT YOUR GOALS </label></div><div class="nf-field-element" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; text-transform: capitalize;">HOW TO BOOST YOUR TEAM'S PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE</h3><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">Have you ever thought the only way to get better results is to micromanage your team, do the important work yourself or even start over again and get a whole new team?</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;">In this <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/develop-better-value-statements-3" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">free </a></span><a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/develop-better-value-statements-3" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">two-part video teaching series</a>, you'll learn: </p><ol style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;">A system of accountability to help your team actually achieve the goals you set</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;">How to deepen employee engagement by creating a productive team culture</li></ol><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></p><ol style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"></ol><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px;"><a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/develop-better-value-statements-3" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2374d1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="https://careynieuwhof.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Free-Teaching-Series.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 670px;" /></a></p></div></div></div></div></nf-field></nf-fields></div></nf-cells></div></nf-rows-wrap></div></div></form></div></div></div></div>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-58921321354315077022021-01-27T12:51:00.001-05:002021-01-31T18:28:17.634-05:00What Does Restoration Look Like?<p><span style="color: #383838; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the weekends when I am not outside enjoying creation, I like to watch public television.</span></span></p><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBDmzxaVtrywpu2wJ5HB6rhLbLyAYYaaRPyjtejeKToF6zNKqFHxAZQOA34sdmfZsHH0cBe3kUXO710a5pH53US9fVy-zxa_CXhWhU3lkKt5k8Al8vqVMBYlS4tj1PbUeOpHZ/s1080/cartoon-glowing-yellow-light-bulb-vector-18016094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="979" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBDmzxaVtrywpu2wJ5HB6rhLbLyAYYaaRPyjtejeKToF6zNKqFHxAZQOA34sdmfZsHH0cBe3kUXO710a5pH53US9fVy-zxa_CXhWhU3lkKt5k8Al8vqVMBYlS4tj1PbUeOpHZ/w290-h322/cartoon-glowing-yellow-light-bulb-vector-18016094.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of my favorite shows to watch is "This Old House."</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You know the plot: the crew takes on restoring a home that is in need of repair, each of the specialists describe the process in detail, and most often, the house is equipped with state-of the-art energy modifications, so that while the house keeps its classic style and distinctive features, but its infrastructure is new from the inside out.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The prophet Isaiah and his students in the prophetic school have crafted a vision over 12 generations of salvation history, that begins with indictment over the lack of focus on God, and describes the slippery slope of disobedience, resulting in captivity of the once-holy nation. God has always used the nations as agents of judgement to waken us into revival. And in seventh century BC Israel, it is no different. Yet beginning in chapter 49, the divine tide begins to turn. The prophets are seeing into the future, they are seeing a new age of righteousness and praise springing up upon the nations. The prophets are seeing a Holy One who is to come, prophesied in a whisper from Chapter 11, one from the tribe of Jesse, a righteous Branch, grown from the gnarled stump of ISR, one who bring in this new age of holiness, righteousness and praise.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The hallmark of this age will be the appearance of the Suffering Servant, One who sacrifices Himself to bring salvation not only to the chosen ones, but to all who believe.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You see this idea of salvation for all is a theme set in motion from the days of Noah, bringing two of every kind of animal in to the ark is a prophetic act symbolic of salvation for all of creation. We see this again in Abraham, through whom God decrees all the nations of the world will be blessed. We see this notion again at the Exodus, where God allows Moses to bring out a mixed multitude, those not of Israel, but wanting freedom. And again in the sixty first chapter of Isaiah, this Anointed One, one endowed with divine power arrives on the scene to restore and redeem, to seek and to save those waiting patiently in affliction, providing comfort and counsel, liberty and emancipation.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The faith community is transformed by the Anointed One to be inclusive, to take on this mixed multitude and through his divine action, becomes one nation under God.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let's take a closer look at the Suffering Servant and what His restoration looks like.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">First, it is clear that the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon him, for He is anointed. Anointing in the Bible is described as a ceremonial blessing, as in the anointing of priests in Leviticus 8. Yet is also described an a divine enablement as in 1 John 2:20-27</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"but you have an anointing from the Holy One.....as for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you...' Jesus is called the Christ, not because it is His last name, but it is about His anointing, Jesus is the anointed One, and he has had this anointing from birth (Luke 1:35). Jesus was given the Spirit without measure (John 1:35; 3:34).</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This divine enablement allows Jesus to proclaim some new truths and some new realities to those who have been patiently waiting in affliction.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 <span data-mce-style="font-weight: bold;" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.57143em;">(speaking out ) </span>to being good news to the poor. This good news is the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, we are longer destined to die in our sins, and live an eternity without God, in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Gospel, Christ dying in our place, brings new life to those who believe.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 <span data-mce-style="font-weight: bold;" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.57143em;"> (binding up)</span> to heal the broken-hearted. Hope deferred makes a heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). The anointing brings healing to broken hearts, hearts that have been longing for change, but to no avail. The appearance of the Messiah ushers in a time of healing. Knowing and living the truth of our new nature in Christ brings healing to the hearts, Yes! There is a balm in Gilead, and it is the Anointed One and His Anointing.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">3 <span data-mce-style="font-weight: bold;" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.57143em;">(setting free</span>) Liberty to the captives, freedom to the prisoners. After living in captivity for centuries, people can begin to act like captives. Just like ISR after leaving Egypt, the process was much longer, and much more complex to get Egypt-style thinking out of them. The physical exodus was not enough, we need a spiritual exodus. John 8:31-36 - if we hold on to his teaching, then we will be Jesus' disciples, then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. We must allow God's truth to break us out of soul neglect, hearts and minds hardened by sin's deceitfulness. </span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">4 <strong style="line-height: 1.57143em;">(lifting up) </strong></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a description of the year of the Lord's favor, prophetically fulfilling the Year of Jubilee. Every fiftieth year, the Jubilee Year was a year of restoration: lands returned to owners, all living on what the land produces on its own, debts cancelled, financial slaves set free. Restoration at its finest, the Sabbatical Year.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, this practice was at its best, sporadically followed. It is believed that the years of captivity of ISR and Judah are proportional to number of Sabbatical or Jubilee years not observed. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the appearance of the Suffering Servant, Jubilee is now a permanent observance. So when in Luke 4 Jesus is given the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth, and concluded the reading by saying, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing," and sitting down, Jesus is declaring a permanent Jubilee, and He is the One ushering in this new age.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then Jesus goes on to remind the Nazareth congregation that God's restoration was not just for them. Using the examples of Gentiles (widow in Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:7f., and Naaman the Syrian, 2 Kings 5:1f.), Jesus declared that restoration is for all who mourn, that none will be excluded from God's favor, that whosoever will believe and trust upon Jesus can be included.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All who come to Jesus can be bestowed with beauty instead of the ashes of mourning</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All who come to Jesus can be anointed with the oil of joy, the very anointing of Jesus himself.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All who come to Jesus can receive of double portion of favor, double for all your trouble.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All who come to Jesus are part of the great rebuilding project called the Kingdom of God.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All who come to Jesus are part of the great work of restoration, for all who come to Jesus are called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All of us who are following hard after Jesus can help to restore "This Old House" to "This New House."</span></div>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-48289858876715083892021-01-22T18:38:00.003-05:002021-01-22T18:38:27.818-05:00musings of the moment<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjMsIXIOTLXGxXKvnlNc7Nlp7vOPe81fiq56Ialu3X8sMMMikkjsyaZ1bWOgNoIh2_vcazPUZyzW5WR5v7mKQCId1DwWMu5qAdZQHzABuHyUYdU_bexXkMNU6IAWEFhDPBVpg/s3024/20201109_125216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2264" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjMsIXIOTLXGxXKvnlNc7Nlp7vOPe81fiq56Ialu3X8sMMMikkjsyaZ1bWOgNoIh2_vcazPUZyzW5WR5v7mKQCId1DwWMu5qAdZQHzABuHyUYdU_bexXkMNU6IAWEFhDPBVpg/s320/20201109_125216.jpg" width="320" /><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;">.</span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am disrupted.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have reason for my feelings of disruption: Let me count the ways:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>1 - COVID-19:</b> Coming up on the one-year anniversary of the bat flu, rugged American individualism is metastasizing this virus into 2 new virulent strains. Do like my mother said, and stay well: Wash your, hands, don't touch your face, and go outside! (She would add "and don't come home until the street lights come on)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>2 - COVID-1619:</b> The latest iteration of insanity has resulted in an attempted coup on the legislative branch of our Government. The world is watching, and is reminded of what they already know: that slavery is America's original sin, and that our exceptionalism is a fallacy built on White supremacy. There...I said it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>3 - Transition:</b> Moving to a new region, getting to know new people, not really wanting to move from the old people, trying to find a decent slice of pizza, or a bagel, missing Trader Joe's like woo, driving 15 miles to find an Italian deli, and paying $12US for a BEC (that's Bacon, Egg and Cheese, for the rest of yous!) I'm too freakin' old for this!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>4 - Unrest:</b> All the social upheaval, political distress, mob rule, looting, killing, shouting, hating - has got me on edge. "Don't push me/Cause I'm close to the edge / I'm trying / Not to lose my head"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>But</b>...just as I was preparing to move, I discovered the work of Whitney Johnson, who has morphed the classic S-curve to effectively graph the process of "Thriving in Disruption." I used the process on myself, and I used it in the final evaluation of our staff, so that they had a lingo to transition well to new leaders.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Johnson says, "In times of disruption, the best thing to do is to disrupt yourself." Never waste a good crisis, this is the time to awaken your "quarandream," make your side hustle your main hustle. Remember that slow motion is better than no motion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you are reading this, you have got the best chance of life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The instruments are easy to use, and can be an essential tool for you and your staff to bring a self-care dynamic to your workplace. Happy disrupting!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disrupt-Yourself-New-Introduction-Relentless-dp-1633698785/dp/1633698785/ref=dp_ob_title_bk">So check out Whitney Johnson right here</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://disruptiondiagnostic.com/" target="_blank">Take the Disruption Diagnostic here:</a></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSIB0p0r8XgvSaaDcFcmiZxictmQhyphenhyphenberzGYppQz71HrrwKjouEZnTe9qLyKqKPQ1t-bTqkIdG3Mg23nx4JHZrV5p_2HzdKIQMQ1NB_8F7yIrrXuF-Hs31J1a7X2reBugWjIn/s1080/20190501_092343_optimized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSIB0p0r8XgvSaaDcFcmiZxictmQhyphenhyphenberzGYppQz71HrrwKjouEZnTe9qLyKqKPQ1t-bTqkIdG3Mg23nx4JHZrV5p_2HzdKIQMQ1NB_8F7yIrrXuF-Hs31J1a7X2reBugWjIn/w520-h400/20190501_092343_optimized.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-50538295115197259392021-01-15T08:42:00.001-05:002021-01-15T08:43:38.596-05:00As A Man Thinketh<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqIqBbuG-LgGedlpZDcZqJgODHr3oavB8VQPnpkkFdtLZC2BTbWQkApIPRuC1hU7-E9UHIpN2RZe6Un-UjXrTsR0wkylhijtmTKtlC3a2AxxJJystrTRCR_8Fq_9bMbE_l-WT/s3024/20201109_125216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2264" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqIqBbuG-LgGedlpZDcZqJgODHr3oavB8VQPnpkkFdtLZC2BTbWQkApIPRuC1hU7-E9UHIpN2RZe6Un-UjXrTsR0wkylhijtmTKtlC3a2AxxJJystrTRCR_8Fq_9bMbE_l-WT/s320/20201109_125216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><p><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p>As a Man Thinketh</span><p></p><div>Text: Proverbs 23:7</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I have been doing some thinking about my thinking lately (that's called meta-cognition), and I have come to realize how critical having clear thinking helps us in our relationships. Even more than that, unclear (aka stinkin) thinking keeps us trapped in our former wounds, created in our families of origin, and keeps us away from the destiny that God has granted us in Christ.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>For years, psychoneurologists have been telling us to think of brain functions in terms of left and right, with the left hemisphere taking on the functions of logic, linear thinking, and the right hemisphere responsible for artistic, creative, beautiful non-linear, free-flowing intuitive, thoughtful, and subjective thinking.</div><div><div>Now, scientists are considering the virtue of viewing the brain in terms of upper-lower, with the upper brain, the cortex responsible for higher-order cognition: altruism, compassion, and lower brain (or lizard brain)
</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">The lizard brain is more primitive, and is where fear, rage, and doubt come from.</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">Or as <a href="http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/" shape="rect">Steven Pressfield</a> describes it, the resistance. The resistance is the voice in the back of our head telling us to back off, be careful, go slow, compromise. The resistance is writer's block and putting jitters and every project that ever shipped late because people couldn't stay on the same page long enough to get something out the door.</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">The resistance grows in strength as we get closer to shipping, as we get closer to an insight, as we get closer to the truth of what we really want. That's because the lizard hates change and achievement and risk.</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">The lizard is a physical part of your brain, the pre-historic lump near the brain stem that is responsible for fear and rage and reproductive drive. Why did the chicken cross the road? Because her lizard brain told her to.</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><img data-hash="5fc1dee64f9f78d74bc6525a71f47d1a" data-url="content://com.evernote.evernoteproviderprivate/user/20495926/notes/fddac06c-87da-4bb2-9580-ba490c0d6c2f/resources/5fc1dee64f9f78d74bc6525a71f47d1a" hash="5fc1dee64f9f78d74bc6525a71f47d1a" src="content://com.evernote.evernoteproviderprivate/user/20495926/notes/fddac06c-87da-4bb2-9580-ba490c0d6c2f/resources/5fc1dee64f9f78d74bc6525a71f47d1a" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4); box-shadow: none; color: #3a3a3a; display: block; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 46px auto; max-width: 98%; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="600" /><br /></div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">Technically, the lizard brain is called the amygdala. It's where we rehearse emotional experiences before they are uploaded into long-term storage. <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Your brain’s amygdala is responsible for</span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><a href="http://www.livescience.com/43153-declarative-memory.html" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); border: 0px; color: #24bab3; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">declarative memory</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, or facts that can be recalled. The more emotionally</span><a href="http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2011/10/positive-negative.aspx" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); border: 0px; color: #24bab3; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> charged</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">an event, the more the amygdala is activated. That’s why we remember more about negative events than we do about neutral or even positive ones.</span></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.5em 0px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px;">Your brain is hard wired to react more so to negative events than positive ones. Here are just some of the </span><a href="http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/Assets/71516.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #24bab3; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ways:</a></div><ul style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.5em 0px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="-webkit-touch-callout: none; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 36px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px;">Negative events or failures cause us to self-evaluate and search for meaning.</span></li><li style="-webkit-touch-callout: none; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 1.25em 0px 1.25em 36px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px;">We remember an individual’s negative traits much more than their positive ones.</span></li><li style="-webkit-touch-callout: none; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 1.25em 0px 1.25em 36px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px;">Your brain devotes more time and attention to negative stimulus</span></li><li style="-webkit-touch-callout: none; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 1.25em 0px 1.25em 36px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px;">People remember the negative word choices we use to describe ourselves, much more so than any</span><a href="http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/how-your-negativity-bias-hurts-you.html" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #24bab3; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">positive attributes</a><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px;"> we list.</span></li><li style="-webkit-touch-callout: none; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 1.25em 0px 1.25em 36px; outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rooney, "Rooney Web"; line-height: 24px;">Acceptance by our peers does not affect self-esteem but rejection sure does.</span></li></ul></div><div>Thinking of Lazarus: Jesus wept with compassion when he saw Lazarus' tomb, but did not get stuck in his emotions over Lazarus' passing, but called him out with the power of God. When Lazarus was raised, he needed to be <span style="font-weight: bold;">unbound, </span>so Jesus said, "Loose him and let him go!"</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>Our thoughts can bind us to realities that are already dealt with by the finished work of Christ OR need to be loosed via a sanctification experience with the Holy Spirit.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>Ideally we are called to sober judgement, and to live in balance (Romans 12:3)</div><ul><li>Right thinking</li><li>Right believing</li><li>Right feeling</li><li>Right doing</li></ul><div>As you see from the list above, thinking leads to behavior. The Teacher, Solomon, reminds us of this:</div><div>Here are a few examples from Proverbs:</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>"Do not eat the bread of a miser,</div><div>Nor desire his delicacies;</div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">For as thinks in his heart, so is he.</span></div><div>'Eat and drink,' he says to you,</div><div>But his heart is not with you.</div><div>The morsel you have eaten, you will</div><div>vomit up,</div><div>And waste your pleasant words."</div><div>(Proverbs 23:6-8, emphasis on 7)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>In this case, the heart intention of the miser is warped, and does not match what he is saying to the Teacher, writing in the role of guest. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Warped truth</span> is called <span style="font-weight: bold;">wickedness</span> in the Bible. Wickedness is distorted thinking.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>Here is another nugget from Proverbs:</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>"Through wisdom a house is built,</div><div>And by understanding it is established;</div><div>By knowledge the rooms are filled</div><div>With all precious and pleasant riches."</div><div>(Proverbs 24:3-4)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>Wisdom may be the walls and roof of the house, and knowledge the furniture and art, but understanding is the foundation of our life. From this passage, we can see that knowledge is wisdom that becomes a foundation for life through understanding. You cannot apply wisdom (applied wisdom is knowledge), if you do not understand it. The Ethiopian official was reading Isaiah, a passage about the coming of Jesus, when Philip appeared beside the official's chariot. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" The official replies, "How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?" You see, the official was seeking understanding from Philip.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>Wisdom is knowledge that passes through the womb of understanding. "In all your getting, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Right believing</span></div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>Basically, this is about doctrine. Orthodox believing is required to be balance. Creation, Sin, Fall, Redemption. </div><div>These are the basics to believe properly. </div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Right feeling</span></div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>If we were honest, emotions run the ship. "I don't feel like it" is a very popular phrase. Actions do not come from feelings; they are modified by feelings.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>Remember the illustration about waking up for work, and it's 16 degrees outside. In the center of your being, there is your heart/will. Soul (intellect, emotions, feelings) modify your heart, and your actions.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>The alarm goes off, and the weatherman says it's 16 degrees. </div><div>Your <span style="font-weight: bold;">body</span> is nice and warm under the covers, even your little toe wants to go deeper in after getting a chill.</div><div>Your <span style="font-weight: bold;">feelings </span>say, "I am nice and toasty under here."</div><div>Your <span style="font-weight: bold;">thoughts </span>say, "I sure wish I didn't have to get up. Maybe five more minutes. I am not even appreciated at this job."</div><div>Your <span style="font-weight: bold;">social context </span>says, "My girlfriend is skipping work anyway."</div><div>Your final action......you call off work.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>For the Spirit-controlled temperament in the same situation, all the conditions are the same, EXCEPT for the thinking. The distorted thinking is replaced with the Word of God; in this case: "If a man does not work, he does not eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10)</div><div>Final action....covers come off, getting ready for work.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Right thinking </span>(Adapted from Burns, David B., <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Feeling Good.</span> (For more resources, see)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>How we think either helps us or hurts us in relationships. In order to get to understand where your thinking is at, you may need to take a look at these common distortions that warp our thinking. Remembering that thinking is behavior, understanding how we think now can help us to change it. So here are some common thought distortions.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">1 - All or Nothing Thinking:</span></div><div>Living out of fear of making mistakes, "Mistakes make me a loser." Perfectionism tendencies.</div><div>(Remedy: All of us have places where we grow and change, mistakes are how people learn.)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">2 - Overgeneraliztion:</span></div><div>One event or thing that happens is thought of as occurring over and over. A never-ending pattern. "It always happens to me." ("Whenever I sit at the dinner table, my knee always finds a table leg.") Pain of rejection comes from overgeneralization, because the over and over occurring indicates proof that the universe can't stand you.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">3 - Mental Filter:</span></div><div>You pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively, so that your vision of all reality becomes darkened, like a drop of ink that discolors a whole beaker of water. (This donut is defective, it has a hole in it.)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">4 - Disqualifying the Positive:</span></div><div>The persistent tendency transform neutral or positive experiences into negative ones. Positive experiences just don't count. (You get a compliment about your dress, and you reply, "Oh this old rag?)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">5 - Jumping to Conclusions:</span></div><div>You make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts to support your conclusion. </div><div>Two types:</div><div>a - mind reading: Imagined reactions: partial data, filled in with self-invented junk. Sets itself up as a self-fulfilling prophecy.</div><div>b- the fortune teller error: You anticipate that things will turn out badly, and you feel convinced that your prediction is an already established fact. ("This house is going to make me sick" The lady of house gets sick)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">6 - Magnification and Minimization:</span></div><div>a - blowing things out of proportion, everything is a catastrophe. You exaggerate the importance of things.</div><div>b - You inappropriately shrink things until they disappear, making them unimportant.</div><div>(Example of the speck in your brother's eye, while a log is in your own: The speck loomed large, while the log was deemed unimportant.)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">7 - Emotional Reasoning:</span></div><div>You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things are. (I feel it, therefore it must be true.)</div><div>Feelings are the only descriptor of your state of being (I am mad at you, therefore you hate me.).</div><div>[Projective Identification]</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">8 - "Should" statements:</span></div><div>You try to motivate yourself with "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts" as if you had to be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do anything. "Musts" and "oughts" are also offenders. The emotional consequences are self-loathing, guilt and shame. Guilt says "I did wrong." Shame says, "I am wrong." Creates bitterness and self-righteousness. When you direct "should" statements toward others, you feel anger, frustration and resentment. ("Good" Christians LOVE this one!)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">9 - Labeling and Mislabeling</span></div><div>This is an extreme form of Overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error in behavioral terms, you attach a label on yourself ("I'm such a loser.") One point of behavior describes your entire character. When someone else's behavior rubs you the wrong way, you attach a negative label (He's an idiot - road rage.) Mislabeling is in play when you describe an event with language that is highly colorful and emotionally loaded.</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">10 - Personalization</span></div><div>You see yourself as the cause of some negative external event which you did not involve you, but you think you are personally responsible. (Simple illustration: person drops a book, you say "I'm sorry.") Assuming responsibility <span style="font-weight: bold;">for </span>a negative event when there is no basis for doing so. Influence is confused for control. (This happens often to people with a high degree of mercy and empathy for others; we are responsible to people, not for them.)</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div>When you can identify your favorite (pet) cognitive distortion(s), you can make a specific confession to God, cast your burdens, and get over it. However you also need to repent (metanoia - change your mind), and practice the positive behavior, which can be found in Romans 12:1-3</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-style: italic;">12 </span><span style="font-style: italic;">I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. </span><span style="font-style: italic;">2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.</span></div><h3><span style="font-style: italic;">Serve God with Spiritual Gifts</span></h3><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-style: italic;">3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.</span></div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> </div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">First</span>, present your bodies as a living sacrifice. Paul is using the word that describes the OT burnt offering, one that is completely consumed by fire. Bringing our entire lives to Jesus, who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and fire to completely cleanse us.</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second,</span> do not conform to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of mind. The word transformed here is the same word used to describe the Transfiguration of Jesus. (e.g., Luke 9:28-36). "Transfigured" means to be endowed with glory; Jesus, Moses and Elijah shone with a great light. "Renewing of mind" is a continual makeover of mind by the Word of God. Simply put, your life gets brighter as you daily replace distorted thinking with the ways that God thinks of you in the Word.</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Third,</span> view yourself with sober judgement. God gives us the power to do through the Word. This exhortation applies to <span style="font-weight: bold;">"every one"</span> because each person is given spiritual gifts to use in the work of God; thus, it is necessary that each person examines himself <span style="font-weight: bold;">"with sober judgment"</span> in order to determine the gifts and the level of service God desires for his life. Also, this exhortation applies to <span style="font-weight: bold;">"every one"</span> because we all tend to have an incorrect view of ourselves; thus, it is necessary that each person examines himself <span style="font-weight: bold;">"with sober judgment"</span> in order to get a correct view of himself. Either we view ourselves too modestly, so that do not live up to our potential; or we view ourselves too proudly, so that we see ourselves as having gifts that we do not have. You don't want to keep the grave clothes, do you?</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-style: italic;">You see how having distorted thinking can keep you from living the full potential of God's destiny for your life?</span></div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">Living below the level of faith God has given you could lead you to file Chapter 7 on life, leaving you spiritually bereft, existing barely on the dashed dreams of a hope deferred. Jesus paid for this gift of faith you have, cash in on it. Change your thinking, change your life.</div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> </div><div style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">Key Quote:</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">"If you are distressed by anything external,</div><div style="text-align: center;">the pain is not due to the thing itself,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but the estimate of it,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and this you have the power of revoking</div><div style="text-align: center;">at any time."</div><div style="text-align: center;">--Marcus Aurelius</div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div><br clear="none" /></div><div></div>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-57329602615357646462021-01-02T17:04:00.003-05:002021-01-02T17:04:41.632-05:00Read this now....<p> <a href="https://doorcity.blogspot.com/2009/10/why-i-stopped-serving-poor-by-claudio.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1bVZLgrb_bGfvTD9ssd0V8PG6he7IvooUBTOUUnuvjD_-zeYqyVQ1EXHA">https://doorcity.blogspot.com/2009/10/why-i-stopped-serving-poor-by-claudio.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1bVZLgrb_bGfvTD9ssd0V8PG6he7IvooUBTOUUnuvjD_-zeYqyVQ1EXHA</a></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-51474234484061240802020-12-29T17:58:00.001-05:002020-12-29T17:58:53.783-05:00To everything there is a season.<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Teacher drops some Wisdom on us: life is made up of seasons. Time, season (aion); there are seasons of life. Life begins in Spring, with all of nature in full bloom. The young lives are bursting with promise, bounding across years like a gazelle leaping through the savannah. Summer weighs heavy like a South Florida July, with a chance of showers in the afternoon. Frivolities a-flourish, where even the sudden storm is an opportunity to relish the joy found in a warm rain. Autumn approaches: spouses and kids and jobs fill the life, as you watch the children grow into adults and parents and friends. Each sunset in the Autumn of life are especially cherished....each brings its own magnificent palette. Winter is the longest of all seasons....life seems quiet under blankets of snow, but there is activity.....although different....methodical and mindful....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a liminal season, a place in time where the veil hangs thinly between today and tomorrow. Senses are heightened, for the very air is pregnant with possibility. Knowing that this will be a difficult year does not impede the sense of newness and numinousness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Greeks lend us some words that help us through transitions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Epiphany - the moment insight breaks in to a higher plane.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Krisis - the destabilizing process that breaks off old ways of thinking</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Kairos - the appointed time for divine intervention </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Pleroma - the fullness of time, taut as the surface water at the edge of a full glass.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Which word fits you in the age of coronavirus? Which season is yours? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Whether you are in spring, summer, autumn or winter of life, you will find an affinity with one or more of these Greek word-phases. It’s better to embrace where you are, than to kick against the goads.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Enjoy the journey.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5rfDa6WyvULU-86fvLQ_uAK5oTqv1gx6Z0Ua2bOejkxjB24d-tUC1KwXEmag0TQNCnrQjO5ZJZwdzrUfsoeYrQVyl7iybJ3HuC9mz31Yk4n8uui4WUZImhWlxIBXHoKBRKRL/s1082/2219034A-E123-4B7F-A002-2DF2B0F2C5BA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1039" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5rfDa6WyvULU-86fvLQ_uAK5oTqv1gx6Z0Ua2bOejkxjB24d-tUC1KwXEmag0TQNCnrQjO5ZJZwdzrUfsoeYrQVyl7iybJ3HuC9mz31Yk4n8uui4WUZImhWlxIBXHoKBRKRL/s320/2219034A-E123-4B7F-A002-2DF2B0F2C5BA.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-12328783384974558212020-12-18T08:06:00.003-05:002020-12-18T08:06:50.309-05:00Insights from the present<p><span style="font-family: arial;">12/18/2020. Since February we have been coping with the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and COVID-1619, the first a novel coronavirus, the second....well, not at all novel. I have called racism America’s original sin, our default social organizing principle to classify and calcify people.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I have been sharing carols while ringing a bell, changing the phrases to be more inclusive. No to “Eskimo,” yes to “Inuit.” You wouldn’t be surprised that no one notices the lyric change....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There have been numerous sightings of texting while walking in the mall. I’m surprised there have not been more head-on pedestrian predicaments. The cognitive neuroscientists ought to study the peripheral vision humans are acquiring while textwalking. (Is that even a word? Well, it is now!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I have seen some interesting hoodies at the mall, here are some of the slogans:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Black Lives Matter</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">All Money Spends</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I (heart) Haters</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">If You Can Read This, You Are Not Social Distancing</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The identity lines are clearly drawn out here. Folks dress to pronounce their politics. No one says anything.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">No one says anything.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the midst of the hustle and bustle of shopping, there is a profound silence. Not “the sound of sheer silence” Elijah encountered at the mouth of the cave, but another kind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">An absence of depth. A focus on the temporal. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Once in a while, once in a great while, while the shoppers pass me, I can dip a conversational ladle into the soup pot of getting and going and doing to listen to the cry of a soul now and then.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Enter Pam.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Pam walked by my giant red kettle as I shared my usual (sometimes too peppy) greeting. She felt badly that she did not have any cash and I said it was okay. But looking at the unmasked part of her face, I could see such a deep compassion, such a big heart in a tiny lithe frame... I said to her that I could see God in her, and that she loved God and people so much. We stood together, captured in that profound moment as her eyes aglow looked back at me.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The next day Pam brought five dollars and her husband Cal. He said, “She told me what you said to her.” He smiled, having experienced Pam’s holy witness on the daily. Another silence with the three of us, like a Trinity, giving and receiving divine love like fountains emptying into each other. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My soul was watered.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-52250773444798681962020-10-15T22:48:00.001-04:002020-10-15T22:48:47.953-04:00Healing Racial Trauma<p>Lately, I have been doing much reading, studying and some writing on this idea: that slavery is America’s original sin, and must be dealt with in kind. Brutality and oppression leaves trauma, and has been carried from body to body since the Roman Empire. The Doctrine of Discovery put a religious spin and a spiritual veneer on things. An ancient Proverb from Native occupation: “When the missionaries came, they had the Bible and we had the land. They asked us to pray. When we opened our eyes, we had the Bible, and they had the land.”</p><p>We have to open our eyes. Speak truth. Bring conciliation. (One cannot re-concile if conciliation has never happened.)</p><p>But even a true conciliatory move cannot help black, brown, white, or any other bodies heal from this multigenerational trauma. It takes a settled body to gain a settled mind.</p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-88877556933826349802020-10-12T12:13:00.001-04:002020-10-15T22:39:15.066-04:00Indigenous People's Day<p>Today is the day formally known as Columbus Day. When I was young and learning about 1492 and Christopher Columbus sailing over the ocean blue, I didn't know about the doctrine of discovery, or dominionism, or the difference between Christianity and Christendom. </p><p>But even then, I did think "how does one discover something when people are already there?" It’s only when the ones doing the discovering discount the people who were already there.</p><p>In fourth grade, we read Custer's Last Stand and Sister Margaret Mary encouraged us to root for the Indians, not at all realizing we were killing white people in our minds....it felt good, like watching Django....moments of divine justice but so short-lived. </p><p>Brutality is brutality.</p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-11772481447024141692020-10-03T08:23:00.001-04:002020-10-03T08:23:34.448-04:00A Prayer for Shalom<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyPBbq-IZ5G3YELzW_SXHySsoS3WZgbk6ubIz5_Tu2FeZP6zL96_Qu9JpFJ7f2rwqbD5OVkudJo0I0ttuK2C9KO0jeBTYO1L35d2M1KOsj7cowN_-DyiMYmt2iuDyKmVl_g0a/s2048/68E140F4-09FD-4ACD-A3F8-CBE2216ADD96.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyPBbq-IZ5G3YELzW_SXHySsoS3WZgbk6ubIz5_Tu2FeZP6zL96_Qu9JpFJ7f2rwqbD5OVkudJo0I0ttuK2C9KO0jeBTYO1L35d2M1KOsj7cowN_-DyiMYmt2iuDyKmVl_g0a/s320/68E140F4-09FD-4ACD-A3F8-CBE2216ADD96.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />May you be whole in body, soul and spirit as a result of being in harmony with God's will and purpose for your life. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May His peace be your covering, your heart know His fullness and by His mighty power may you know victory over any enemy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May He bring to pass the deepest desires of your heart. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May you know the healing power of His presence, and the restoration of every broken relationship. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Through His sufficiency, may every need that you face be met by His limitless resources. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May His covenant promises be fulfilled in your life and your family. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May He bring you the greatest measure of contentment that your heart can possibly know</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">--Roy Lessin</span></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-17888453431511489142020-09-30T00:51:00.004-04:002020-09-30T00:51:30.626-04:00Racism<p><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Mincvx9CSxq6ITOCg-U1jtbsUpc_sJB9UY-jy7ogp6gV1oYYhq-qB-RoQC7KdDbgCDNSsmqZqM1uVvD-zswXYESsVOzecvbDg2g0QWYwQfUCeO-VaJuT1fSHJhP-MkSYsB8J/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Mincvx9CSxq6ITOCg-U1jtbsUpc_sJB9UY-jy7ogp6gV1oYYhq-qB-RoQC7KdDbgCDNSsmqZqM1uVvD-zswXYESsVOzecvbDg2g0QWYwQfUCeO-VaJuT1fSHJhP-MkSYsB8J/w640-h640/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-78541806128935826332020-09-30T00:40:00.002-04:002020-09-30T12:24:52.481-04:00Today's blog from a food distribution<p>Last time I was thinking about headwinds and tailwinds in the lives of people. Some people can take advantage of the tailwinds in life: advantages or privileges that carry people forward. Other people face headwinds: opposition at every turn, mountains to climb every day all day.....</p><p>Earlier this week I met hundreds of people who were in need of food. Food. In the middle of an agricultural region, I live in a food desert. This is disturbing to me, and it points out the inequities and tensions that we live among.</p><p>Poverty is multifaceted and complex but at its heart is caused by an inequitable distribution of resources. And the solution in part is about creating conditions for people to flourish.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRJ838LybWIIveBd8uieNRPPE5cbPTUboSay8kyH8JWOCWx8-nk7uHKnHfdQ_a6mGL3m6l4-QJmnBPgaYVnRqOg18PsmvJB7uSBybINlzmtpkjkkP71nPkUycI7XvSNraXle1/s1395/2F936513-87E8-46FE-91F9-792C94B8D2F6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1395" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRJ838LybWIIveBd8uieNRPPE5cbPTUboSay8kyH8JWOCWx8-nk7uHKnHfdQ_a6mGL3m6l4-QJmnBPgaYVnRqOg18PsmvJB7uSBybINlzmtpkjkkP71nPkUycI7XvSNraXle1/s320/2F936513-87E8-46FE-91F9-792C94B8D2F6.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-63624527278382677032020-09-22T11:01:00.001-04:002020-09-22T11:01:08.103-04:00getting from point A to point B in life.<p>some people operate under a tailwind - systemic advantages that make life easier</p><p>others operate in a headwind - obstacles to thwart success.</p><p>Which areas of life do you operate in a tailwind? Headwind? Think about it.</p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-92065826819760987742020-09-16T17:43:00.000-04:002020-09-16T17:43:44.507-04:00Mission Matters Digest: Newest Edition<p> <a href="https://paper.li/f-1474385332">https://paper.li/f-1474385332</a></p><p><br /></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-9606751000778585882020-09-16T17:30:00.006-04:002020-09-16T17:30:59.406-04:00Five Steps for Leading Change #wcagls #glnsummit<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmTQ-QrZ-EvdIgcqRTjQMUKx0yiU-fUBzumtNmxph8ocVocwaPqxqyQEIMxOaJiFpYiYv27eDAqtXQAXLYcQPxvvttwKbqZvd0jMTnwRYkrAiz84IyXT_moGL2X5KxSVcF0OY/s1080/glnsummit_20200826_200135_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmTQ-QrZ-EvdIgcqRTjQMUKx0yiU-fUBzumtNmxph8ocVocwaPqxqyQEIMxOaJiFpYiYv27eDAqtXQAXLYcQPxvvttwKbqZvd0jMTnwRYkrAiz84IyXT_moGL2X5KxSVcF0OY/s320/glnsummit_20200826_200135_5.jpg" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjGUnvaQSl03pK4WXSPTyWrDXs_IaO7POu3hQDBv3yXFlfvZLJHXZWlkbWhiqqo29kbxrftxuElTySF-gZoDlvDucxbSS0-gqgDROvOAAXFGKiQkTqUF5eV7cYWF-sEw9iFSu/s1080/glnsummit_20200826_200135_1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjGUnvaQSl03pK4WXSPTyWrDXs_IaO7POu3hQDBv3yXFlfvZLJHXZWlkbWhiqqo29kbxrftxuElTySF-gZoDlvDucxbSS0-gqgDROvOAAXFGKiQkTqUF5eV7cYWF-sEw9iFSu/s320/glnsummit_20200826_200135_1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MTsZuak6HPXrLEez_1js1YzuOQ1LeGSUaItl6Le2VI-C_pBBmkhCxR3s0HJdMID3rbVA0ve45ONJOouY0jMel5J0ULgB7h6NswVNLInfTSzTWEnPAdUUJ8Z7FiUHSGXFc3nz/s1080/glnsummit_20200826_200135_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MTsZuak6HPXrLEez_1js1YzuOQ1LeGSUaItl6Le2VI-C_pBBmkhCxR3s0HJdMID3rbVA0ve45ONJOouY0jMel5J0ULgB7h6NswVNLInfTSzTWEnPAdUUJ8Z7FiUHSGXFc3nz/s1080/glnsummit_20200826_200135_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMpxrLAO_hoHuIZVVC5Bmz_jVfRkrp7wNRrricR6ZELA5Cp2_VqA_XgJWTzK8IhkMptfKmvTUndfElhaPMM6PEthMuge6Y_emYyAYDo7zFvfpQ_I_jGtEMLVU91ap49LNlad8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMpxrLAO_hoHuIZVVC5Bmz_jVfRkrp7wNRrricR6ZELA5Cp2_VqA_XgJWTzK8IhkMptfKmvTUndfElhaPMM6PEthMuge6Y_emYyAYDo7zFvfpQ_I_jGtEMLVU91ap49LNlad8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjNVDCH7XKvEEUvIw4rpo6BDgCo0S_jnSPjA6HN80jTYgahWPr94Gk7nmnG95z14QDn4wA8aUtfLBs85bliM9A8FhPy3iYa59P12VAMinZ5QqS4ht5xBCKpPY9A5pA15uh-c4/s1080/IMG_20200826_200245_166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjNVDCH7XKvEEUvIw4rpo6BDgCo0S_jnSPjA6HN80jTYgahWPr94Gk7nmnG95z14QDn4wA8aUtfLBs85bliM9A8FhPy3iYa59P12VAMinZ5QqS4ht5xBCKpPY9A5pA15uh-c4/s320/IMG_20200826_200245_166.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9899729.post-17307328146818689042020-09-09T08:20:00.003-04:002020-09-10T21:38:23.633-04:00As children return to school....<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To socially distanced classrooms....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To wearing masks....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To studying behind plexiglass safety shields...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To learning in a “hybrid” environment...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEM5YW7UUsKum7hDWxHeUrjrYljEmSZujqpLEWCcAzHGYXckhTDHAuuijj5tM700HsY10HmsCezFMxaAtiIs4vB3iV1HONQb9m-Vv87qOCARALijqL-cFWrSEeVDI8Lvgfkojh/s1077/20200825_213815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1077" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEM5YW7UUsKum7hDWxHeUrjrYljEmSZujqpLEWCcAzHGYXckhTDHAuuijj5tM700HsY10HmsCezFMxaAtiIs4vB3iV1HONQb9m-Vv87qOCARALijqL-cFWrSEeVDI8Lvgfkojh/s320/20200825_213815.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To eating lunch at their desks...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To a strange way to have recess....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To an elimination of touch...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To a totally new world...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqPuTdyiMgI4ehn3aetliuOsqnAmxuhI_IF9z2qUISFjzvv4ufzvDw6zhrPABj4Pea4wOOV7NEDce6_F_E3-xaPkmrR2oltTI7mPnLyyecgDPgvXsSg7bNefSGm6swjgkaHlT/s660/B66AB6E0-024D-49DB-9975-52A7768FA86E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="660" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqPuTdyiMgI4ehn3aetliuOsqnAmxuhI_IF9z2qUISFjzvv4ufzvDw6zhrPABj4Pea4wOOV7NEDce6_F_E3-xaPkmrR2oltTI7mPnLyyecgDPgvXsSg7bNefSGm6swjgkaHlT/s320/B66AB6E0-024D-49DB-9975-52A7768FA86E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVuK2UE1qHoi1qWsQivHF8ysz0aEUS7mKuR9iNYbpjQybAXsA5Wpj7BQ86MAPbbqDH7ZbpJhyphenhyphenK9e_TziKCWTMD0_0P5IaMF_0Nat0jua_tRTe4_6hLM8tDDfFiHpMCn9RTiIS/s800/90202C88-34FB-47ED-A44C-ACEBAE70E16E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVuK2UE1qHoi1qWsQivHF8ysz0aEUS7mKuR9iNYbpjQybAXsA5Wpj7BQ86MAPbbqDH7ZbpJhyphenhyphenK9e_TziKCWTMD0_0P5IaMF_0Nat0jua_tRTe4_6hLM8tDDfFiHpMCn9RTiIS/s320/90202C88-34FB-47ED-A44C-ACEBAE70E16E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOdSsUCkVvtYgd1tqat8syHxygeIzPtNHKIcOJmYKVuaQ_Tzm4dQ2dBy1POGJDBNDvgvHHJD9HK-KC6EKlGj3-ZswerbX1Wd88vmHueNvw8JRKeWd_o-QigfvEBoacEMlgJu1/s1500/74D942D7-FAB9-48E9-818C-89457E24100D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOdSsUCkVvtYgd1tqat8syHxygeIzPtNHKIcOJmYKVuaQ_Tzm4dQ2dBy1POGJDBNDvgvHHJD9HK-KC6EKlGj3-ZswerbX1Wd88vmHueNvw8JRKeWd_o-QigfvEBoacEMlgJu1/s320/74D942D7-FAB9-48E9-818C-89457E24100D.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I pray for teachers to remain healthy, creative and safe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I pray for students to step up to the challenges and thrive in adversity.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I pray for supportive and innovative administrators.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I pray for the resilience and faith of parents to grow.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I pray for teachers and students to stay alive.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Soulpadrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01674478519667133609noreply@blogger.com0