Any of you loyal readers – either of the two of you – going to be in town for Catalyst Thursday and Friday? Hit me up…I’d love to meet you, and put a face on your blogs!
Month: October 2005 (page 4 of 5)
It’s not very clear, but that, ladies and gentlemen, is a screen shot of my Inbox just moments ago! Please notice it is E-M-P-T-Y, empty! I think that’s a good thing, isn’t it?
I get a little email newsletter from Oscar Bruce. Some days, it’s good, some days, it’s OK, and some days, Oscar knocks one out of the park.
This was last Friday’s edition…
I DARE YOU
The world at large steals your youthful enthusiasm and unbridled confidence , piece by piece, bit by bit. Friends and relatives throw sand in your dream machine. They’ve conformed to the pressures to become ordinary, and insisted you do the same. They compromised by downsizing their dreams and restricting their field of vision.
I DARE YOU to free your mind from these cultural constraints. To RESIST the pressure to become ordinary. To IGNORE those who give you their version of why you cannot rise above mediocrity.
I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU to free yourself from the shackles of your past conditioning. To break the chains that bind you to false beliefs about what you can do with your life.
I DARE YOU to aim at something worthy of the best that is in you. I maintain that you are a better, more capable person than you have experienced so far, or that others have led you to believe you are.
TODAYS PREVAILING IDEOLOGY IS NOT SELF IMPROVEMENT. It is self preservation. People no longer dream of surmounting difficulties to gain all they desire. Most people live in complete servitude to the “survival mentality”. They hope merely for “coping”.
I AM PROMISING YOU that living aggressively changes the whole complexion of life. Not until you dare to attack will you master your fears completely. Suddenly you step into a new world of adventure. Horizons are pushed back on all sides. Opportunities open up that were previously unseen. The sleeping giant within you is stirred and awakened. On that priceless day you will discover that have a new power. The power to rise above the lives of those around you.
CHALLENGES ARE THE STUFF OF LIFE. Going after what you want, pursuing what is important to you. Everybody loves to be a winner, a star, a hero. Nobody want to be a loser, a failure. Americans love to be number one.
IT IS THE BASIC NATURE OF MAN TO ACHIEVE. To explore the full potential of the human spirit. Deep down in every heart is the desire to be somebody, to get somewhere, to be respected. Every individual yearns to make something of his or her life.
NO PERSON CAN BE HAPPY unless they are expressing their inherent potential, fully and completely. A life that satisfies is impossible without a sense of achievement and fulfillment.
THE BRAIN NEEDS OBJECTIVES. Most of us begin our journey with no end in mind. Then one day we find ourselves somewhere we don’t want to be and don’t have a clue how we got there. Nothing diminishes a life more than nowhere to go. A mind with idle time and nowhere to go becomes filled with contradiction and doubt. Nothing enriches a life like being a part of something big.
THINK WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO YOU to possess the calm assurance that you are one of the few people in the world who know exactly where they are going and how they are going to get there – and that attainment is only a matter of time. That you have something to believe in , a mission that gives purpose to your life. Your days filled with meaningful tasks.
I DARE YOU to think bigger, to act bigger and to become bigger and I promise you a richer life, a more exciting life. The rewards for daring in this world teaming with opportunity were never so rich or so plentiful. Science, business, education are all looking for rare individuals who dare to face life creatively and aggressively. Who dare to attach, rather than to defend or compromise.
IS WHAT YOU HAVE NOW, WORTH WHAT YOU MIGHT BE MISSING?
I DARE you to stop putting conditions on the word commitment and dedication. I dare you to stop putting limitations on your dreams
UPDATE: A shot from later in the day…no scooper, no bag or box…hmmm…
I tried to get a picture just now, but I wasn’t quick enough on the draw with my camera.
Anyway, yesterday morning, I was sitting here in my office at home, working away. Out the window, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a gigantic St. Bernard walking a woman down our street.
Now, I’ve never seen this dog or this woman in our neighborhood before, so I’m assuming either (a) they’re new neighbors, or (b) they’re guests of someone in our neighborhood, or (c) the woman lives in our neighborhood and is taking care of the dog for someone else.
Just now, I saw them again. And now I’m leaning toward option (c) above. Why? Because yesterday, the woman was carrying the typical doggie-poop scooper and a small plastic grocery bag. Today, she had the scooper…and a large cardboard box!
I’m pretty sure there’s a sermon in there somewhere…
Just heard the news that Nipsey Russell has died. A funny, funny man, best known for his appearances on Car 54, Where Are You? and The Match Game and later in the movie The Wiz. But did you know he was born in Atlanta, and got his start as a singing and rhyming carhop at The Varsity?
The last of my shipment from Jazz Heritage came today. I’m listening to the inimitable sounds of Dave Brubeck. Had it on cassette (remember those?) for many years and it finally bit the dust.
This recording is, for me, the epitome of “cool.” I know you’ve heard some of the tracks, even if you don’t know it. Blue Rondo a la Turk, Three to Get Ready, and the title track, Take Five have been heard in commercials and other instances where the aim is to project a cool, sophisticated kind of vibe.
BTW, the Brubeck stuff reminds me a whole lot of Vince Guaraldi’s music in the Charlie Brown TV specials, including A Charlie Brown Christmas, which, come to think of it, will be next up in the ol’ CD player!
UPDATED UPDATE…VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!
I just noticed that the Conference is going to be held at The Arena at Gwinnett , NOT North Point Church, as I said earlier! Whew! Glad I saw that!
UPDATE, Monday, 10.03.05…I just made my reservation -for FREE! – for the Catalyst Conference. It is true…if you’re a Georgia pastor, they’re waiting for you to call. I called 888.473.3979, and I think I pressed Option #3. I didn’t speak to “Mack,” but a very nice woman named Melissa Kruse helped me out and fixed me up. I’m waiting for aI just got my confirmation e-mail, and I’ll pick up my FREE tickets at the “will call” place at the conference on Thursday morning! Cool, huh?
My buddy, Tony McCollum, gave me a heads-up today about the upcoming Catalyst Conference at North Point Church here in Atlanta. Seems the “rumor” TMc was talking about was that the Catalyst folks are offering a free registration to Georgia pastors. I called – 888.473.3979 – and inquired about this tremendous opportunity. Sure enough, the guy I talked to said it was true, and he gave the name of the other guy who’s handling those free registrations. It was almost quittin’ time, so I left my information on the guy’s voice mail, and I’m expecting a call back from him first thing Monday.
Now, I don’t know how long this deal is going to last – I assume up until the time of the conference. But if you’re a pastor in Georgia, it may be worth your while to give MackMelissa Kruse a call at 888.473.3979, and ask to be signed up.
I went to the very first Catalyst back in 2000, and it was without a doubt, one of the best and most productive conferences I’ve ever been to. I learned a lot, but it was the atmosphere – breathing the same air as some of the best (cough cough) younger leaders around.
So again, if you’re a pastor in Georgia, and you can free up next Thursday and Friday, October 6-7, it might worth your investment in your ministry to call MackMelissa Kruse at 888.473.3979. You can’t beat the conference – or the price!
The other day, I posted about having – and subsequently eating – tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera at the Phabulous Phox theater in Atlanta.
This morning, I’ve got the Phantom on my mind again, but I’m pheeding the phetish with something different.
Right now, blasting – and I mean blasting! – phrom my speakers, is the Santa Clara Vanguard’s 1988 phield show, pheaturing, natch, the Phantom of the Opera. Coming up next…Santa Clara’s 1989 phield show, also pheaturing excerpts phrom Phantom, and one of the most emotional drum corps moments ever – the phantastic phinale pheaturing the photogenic Christine and the phleeing Phantom.
My message today was “Building a Better Marriage” in a series called “Upside Down Living.” I used Jesus’s words about “leaving and cleaving” from Mark 10. To illustrate the point, I gave everyone in attendance a green paper heart, a blue paper heart, and a glue stick.
At the beginning of the message, I asked them to paste the paper hearts together. The finished product looked something like this:
I talked about leaving your past and being joined together as one flesh with your spouse in intimate unity. Then, at the conclusion of the message, I asked everyone to separate the blue heart from the green heart. The results were something like this:
We noticed right away that there was no longer a blue heart and a green heart. Instead, the hearts had really become part of each other, and you separated them only with great ripping and damage.
Cheesy? Probably. Did our folks get the point? I think so…
A little different mood tonight. Josh Groban both unwinds and inspires me. What do I mean by that?
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up… to more than I can be.
Nuf said?