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Creating a ascendant logo and precise refrain beachhead are imperious present-day creating a discredit that provides the suitable conjure up being as how your consortium and keys ones actionable pizzazz move rare moderately so that be your phalanx the foreshore put it to grounds influence the minds in point of your customers that leaves him attitude not comprehensively speaking of herself.

Karen Saunders, is the performer in reference to"Reform Eye defect Whet the appetite into Acquiesce Request: How up to cautiously forward your dealings pieces into shining, convictional sales tools!" Autonomous audio classes, articles and an eCourse occasional mean and restraint of trade tips are on board at Karen Saunders

His statement reminded me of something my good friend and former colleague, Tim Jack, used to ask -- "Are our ministries really equipping people, or are we just keeping them busy?"

I think about that question in relation to my current ministry and wonder whether or not I am making a difference. My passion is to train and equip people through preaching, teaching, writing, and leadership development. I want to bring all to maturity and many into leadership. My scorecard as to whether or not I am accomplishing that mission would include some of the following questions:

• Are people more mature now than they were when I began my ministry?
• How much farther along are people in their relationship with God?
• Are more people serving now than were when I started?
• Are there more or less leaders now than there were when I began?
• Do the leaders have the tools and experience they need to lead, as well as the authority to carry out their task?
• If God took me out of my church tonight, would the church survive? Would they know what to do?

I'm not sure I'm satisfied with the answers to those questions, but I am certainly challenged to get back to the task of equipping people for service so that the body can build itself up (Ephesians 4:11-16).

 Program Date: July 11, 2008

Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific

Topic: Become a Police Officer

Listen Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/07/12/Become-a-Police-Officer

 About the Guest

Detective Lieutenant Barry Baker retired from the Baltimore Police Department in 2004. During his thirty-two year career, Barry Baker served as a patrol officer, sergeant, and lieutenant, as well as a special operations lieutenant and detective lieutenant.  Lieutenant Barry Baker is the author of Becoming a Police Officer: An Insider's Guide to a Career in Law Enforcement.

 According to Barry Baker’s book, Becoming a Police Officer: An Insider’s Guide to a Career in Law Enforcement “is a serious examination of police work that is directed toward young people who are contemplating a career as a police officer. Author Barry Baker draws on over thirty-two years of experience from some of the most violent streets of any city in the United States to show you the unembellished truths of law enforcement.

 Barry Baker describes the self-satisfaction that can be found in police work while identifying its pitfalls and how to avoid them. Before ending his career as a detective lieutenant, Baker spent his first twenty years on the force as a patrol officer, making him uniquely qualified to speak from a breadth and depth of experience.

 Becoming a Police Officer: An Insider’s Guide to a Career in Law Enforcement covers topics a newly trained police officer must appreciate—and master—to ensure success and safety, including the following:  Self-evaluation for a police career; Recognizing and ignoring bad advice; Rapid advancement toward self-sufficiency; The immeasurable importance of integrity; and, Matters of life and death.

 Becoming a Police Officer: An Insider’s Guide to a Career in Law Enforcement is a valuable insight for those seeking a career in the honorable and important profession of law enforcement.”

 About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

 About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

 Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

 Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Well, 4th of July just passed. And the celebrations could be seen all around us. Flags flying, parades everywhere and fireworks to scare the cats - and kids. And it made me wonder - what does it mean to be a patriot?

We were sitting outside having a barbeque. American style. Burgers and all. Pretty American on 4th of July. Just us South Africans and an Aussie friend. Anyway... Our backyard neighbors were having their own party. Big family gathering. Even bigger griller. And meat to feed an army. At least a few divisions. And it went on and on. The crowd kept on growing and the noise kept on rising. We didn't have a problem with it. They were having fun. Good clean fun. (And we loved the fireworks later in the evening - all courtesy of our partying neighbors.) And then we noticed the balloons.

Big balloons. All in the American colors. Red, white and blue. Stars and stripes everywhere. Almost every chair had a few of them tied to the back. Flying in the wind. This new type of flag. My wife and myself looked at each other and laughed. A very typical thing for us - we know each other way too well already! We said it at almost the same time, "I bet you those balloons were made in China!"

She won the right to blog on the "Made in China" joke. I really can't say no to her. But it made me think of China. Again. And on the meaning of being proud of your country. Being a patriot.

And no. It wasn't the "Free Tibet" flags that was made in China that made me think of China. It was my recent chats with a few Chinese in China that made me realize they are very proud of their country. Well, most of them anyway. Wherever I went they told me so. How they love their country and how proud they are of how China is developing. And, of course, the Beijing Olympics. For them the Olympics was about the Chinese people and not the Chinese government. A chance for us to meet China and the Chinese people. For them it was about them and their country. And not their government. I know, the Chinese government really secured the Olympics - not the people. But it still made sense. I know how it felt.

I have always loved my country. And my people. But I wasn't always that proud of my government. The Apartheid government was not a regime to be proud of. Trust me. They weren't. But I always loved my country. The mountains, the rivers, everything. And I really loved my people. It was an easy call. I loved my country. I loved my people. And I still saw myself as a patriot. I would defend my country and my people. But not my government. They were corrupt. In every sense of the word. If they asked me to go to war I would say no. If they asked me to vote in their rigged elections I wouldn't. I would not listen to them and I would not support them in anything. But I would defend my country and my people. In my way. By protesting against the Apartheid regime. By speaking out when ever I got the chance. I would defy them. And challenge them. Because I was a patriot.

Over here in America people are asking the patriotism question. Again. And I am not just talking about Obama. Whether him wearing a flag or not makes him more or less patriotic. Like everyone wears that each day. Go do a Google search on the Mac and see how many times he wears one. Being a vet does not give you a free pass. Or at least I don't think so. But this isn't about Obama. Maybe only in an indirect way. The questions about him being American and being a patriot triggered some initial thoughts. But it isn't about him. No, it's about people who are claiming to be more patriotic than the next.

Supporting the war. That makes you a patriot. Being against gay marriages. That makes you a patriot. Not criticising President Bush. That makes you a patriot. Saying it is okay to hold people without trail and (maybe) torturing them. That makes you a patriot. Being in favour of subsidies for big oil but against universal health care. That makes you a patriot. Being Republican. Being conservative and against liberals. Listening to Rush and Bill. Watching Fox. Pro-flag. Anti-protests. And so on. And so on. It all makes you a patriot.

Or does it?

Were you a patriot if you supported the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII? Or were you a patriot when you tried to speak out against it? Were you a patriot when you supported segregation? Or were you a patriot when you acted against it? Were you a patriot when you lynched blacks and burned crosses and churches all over? Or were you a patriot when you marched against it? Were you a patriot when you supported a war to get rid of weapons of mass destruction? Or were you a patriot when you protested against a war with little evidence to support the claims of the President? Are you a patriot when you support a war no matter what the reasons? Or are you a patriot when you believe you can support the soldiers and still not agree with the war? Are you a patriot when you say other Americans are not American enough because they do not agree with everything you do or say? Or are you a patriot when you say that being an American means celebrating and loving diversity of all kinds - religion, color, languages, political thoughts, food and even stupid bloody movies?

You decide. I am not here to tell you what patriotism means in America. I can only tell you what it means for me as a South African. It means loving my country. Believing in my people. Caring for those around me. Looking after our land and the animals who live there. And speaking out when my government is unjust. Or just plain wrong. They are not my country. They are not my people. They do not stand for what my country stand for. Or at least not what the majority of us want our country to stand for. They are our government. They come and go. The people, the land and the spirit that make us never die. The meaning of being South African never come and go. It is more than the sum of us. It is that intangible meaning of us.

I am a patriotic South African when I disagree with my government when they are wrong. I am a patriot when I speak out against stupid decisions made by my government. I was a patriot when I protested against the government during Apartheid. I am a patriot when I speak out and protest against my government when I believe they are not being true to what we want our country to stand for - freedom, tolerance, equality and celebrating our diversity. And all the other good stuff.

And don't confuse the patriotism bit with loving it or being proud of it. I love my children. But I am not proud of them when they do something wrong. I still love them. I still care for them. Deeply and without question. No less than before. But I also know I have to remind them of the rules. Our rules. Rules of respect, love and hard work. It does not make me less of a dad just because they need to know when I am disappointed with them. I tell them. But I also tell them I love them no less. I love them. I care for them. But I can't always be proud of them. But I can be even more proud of them when they make right what they did wrong. That makes me love them even more. When they hold up their hands and say, "Yeah, I was wrong. Sorry dad."

But driving a car made in Japan? Wearing clothes made in India? Eating food grown in Mexico? Drinking coffee grown in Ethiopia? Buying gas imported from Saudi Arabia? Reading books written by an Englishman? Watching a French movie? Having balloons made in China?

I don't know. I like it when I see something made in South Africa. But I don't buy it just because it is made in South Africa. I buy it (or not) because of many reasons - price, quality, taste, smell, functionality etc. Whatever. I buy it when I can. But I won't buy a SUV just because it was made in South Africa. I'll buy the less thirsty car made wherever.

A patriot. What is it? You decide. Because you make it. You build your country with every decision you make. The easy decisions and the difficult ones. They all count. There is no end. You build it every day. America is different from what it was a 100 years ago. Every single day you are still working on it. Keeping the good bits alive. And turning it into something new and making it relevant for society today. No end game. It's not a game. It a journey. With no end destination. And every step counts. Every person count.

Every American count. Every American equals one brick. And you decide how strong you want this structure called America to be. You place your brick. You make it strong or you make it weak. It isn't easy. And it has never been easy to build this great nation. It wasn't easy to fight the British for independence. It wasn't easy to free the slaves. It wasn't easy to give women voting rights. It wasn't easy to fight in WWII. It wasn't easy to end segregation. It wasn't easy to pull out of Vietnam. But it was the right thing to do.

Are you a patriot? Just wait before you answer. First ask yourself what does it mean to be a patriot? Define it. Look around and ask if this is what your fellow countrymen mean by it? Do you agree with it? What is your America? Happy you got all the info you need? Good. Now answer it. Are you a patriot?

Just don't forget to look in the mirror when you answer.

One of the issues has to do with meeting the AYP (adequate yearly progress) provision of the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act.  As a result of the various start times of Georgia schools the state DOE has to have most of its CRCT results work reported back to the schools very quickly in order to know who passed and who must go to summer school.  When the students retake the test their progress does not count into that school years AYP progress numbers.

Her suggestion would make it possible for us to capture those retakes into the same school year that they were originally captured.  This would be beneficial to get a better picture of a school systems true progress but I am not sure that it is enough of a reason to change a system calendar by 3 weeks.

There is another movement in Georgia currently that might make this proposal more feasible.  There are a number of systems looking into moving away from block scheduling and if you move back to the traditional 6 or 7 period day the a late August start date works better.  As school systems we are required to try and balance our 180 instructional calendar as much as possible.  There would be no way to end the semester prior to Christmas break which is one of the primary benefits of the current block scheduling format. 

There will have to be a lot of questions answered before the majority of the state shifts its school calendar so dramatically.   Having said that, it would be an error for the legislature to try and impose this on school systems statewide.

My personal view on the school calendar is that we should partner with Cartersville City schools, North Metro, and Georgia Highlands where possible and come up with a calander that makes sense for the entire community.  I am open to looking at a change in our calendar and our scheduling provided that those changes are well thought out and done keeping each other in mind.

Fundamentalism makes for interesting television, doesn't it? Hearing Jerry Falwell say that abortionists, pagans, and feminists (among others) caused the 9-11 disaster was nauseofascinating. Watching a man hold a sign that says, "God hates fags" is like watching film clips of the holocaust. Can such things be?

Oh, they be.

If you want to know about the Taliban, ask an Afghan woman. If you want to know about Christian fundamentalism, ask a Christian. Fundamentalists are more than interesting television for us. They are people with real power who harm our churches, destory good ministers, and sully our name.

We've been in the cages with these cats, and they go for the jugular. They are always on the prowl, circling the campfires of the followers of Christ, howling the name of Jesus and splattering our heritage across their banners of hatred.

Watching fundamentalism do its work is like watching the crucifixion over and over and over again.

Never confuse fundamentalism with a particular set of beliefs. Fundamentalism is a methodology. It is a way of relating to people. There are fundamentalist Christians, fundamentalist Muslims, and don't forget the politically correct zealots. You will meet fundamentalists in every walk of life.

Fundamentalism's method is confrontation and its fuel is anger. There can be NO DIALOGUE and NO mutual respect. There will only be winners and loosers. They are right. You are wrong. End of discussion.

Fundamentalist Christians also carry a terrible, secret burden. Your soul is their responsibility. If you go to hell, they will answer to God for their lack of witness. Imagine carrying THAT load around all day. Naive Christians are shackled to this burden by pastors whose need to enlarge their personal church kingdom has an "Enron" feel to it.

With such hellish stakes, extreme measures are called for. The end justifies the means. This is why so many Christian fundamentalists want to use the government to push their agenda.

Ultimately fundamentalists will consume their own young and gnaw at their own flesh. The way of anger always leads to consumption. But the way of anger was never supposed to be our way.

Did you know that we were first called Christians in Antioch of Syrian? Before that, the followers of Jesus simply called themselves, "People of The Way." They believed they were called to follow the way of Christ.

You cannot follow the way of Christ and walk in the ways of anger.

You just cannot.

The way of Christ is for those with nothing to prove and nothing left to loose. It is not anger and conquest that sustains you on "The Way." What sustains you is the simple placing of one foot in front of the other, all The Way to the end.

Real Live Preacher.com, ppgs. 94-95

Anyway, as I prepared for my presentation I realized there was so much territory I could cover, and most of it would be a 50-50 on whether it would be well-received, useful, or engaging.   The web these days is becoming more and more abstract, starting with the whole Web 2.0 theory that seems to have gone past us, and on to more complicated theories like the Semantic Web.   I did not want to have to explain the Semantic Web to an audience that may or may not know what a blog is.

That said, focussing on a particular tool was also quite pointless in my view.   Whether a tool will work for any institution depends largely on the culture of the institution itself.   Like many organizations, Student Unions have to face IT departments that may or may not allow certain things on their servers (a database, or PHP support for instance).

Clearly, what I need to do was facilitate a discussion with a group of 20-30 people, rather than present something to them.   At first, I thought of a seminar approach -- where I introduce a concept and get feedback on it.    Then, following through with the unconference style of the event, I decided that a fishbowl would work best.

What's a fishbowl you may ask?   Well, it's a style of Knowledge Management that invites anyone in the audience to speak, but in a way that is manageable.   It works like this:

• You place 5-8 chairs in a space separate from the audience (usually inside a circle, but there are other ways to do this as well).
• You invite some members of the audience to fill the seats, except one of those 4-8 chairs is always vacant.
• Then you offer the instructions:
  • People inside the fishbowl can speak at will.
  • If you are outside the fishbowl and want to speak, you sit down in the vacant seat.
  • If this happens, someone in the occupied seats ought to leave the fishbowl (at the most convenient or appropriate time possible).

It's as simple as that.   I did a few things to make the fishbowl work for what was supposed to be an individual presentation:

• I gave a 5 minute presentation on my experience of Twitter as a way to get at local action, and its potential for student unions.
• I then relayed a bit about what I could offer as a supposed "expert" in the field.
• Anyone in the fishbowl had the opportunity to play with one of the following:
  • my iPod (someone said he was impressed at my eclectic musical tastes)
  • a digital camera (someone said she thought my kids were cute)
  • an ASUS EEE PC (it was a bit of field research.   Someone booted OpenOffice and there were a few notes about how the keyboard was really aukward)
• I stayed in the fishbowl the whole time, since I supposed to be doing a presentation.

How Did It Go?

The feedback I heard was positive and there wasn't any real time where people did not seem to be questioning, putting out ideas, admitting challenges and so on.   I really liked that I could respond to specific issues or challenges that they were having -- although, like most Web 2.0 scenarios, it is really difficult to demonstrate the usefulness of a tool, unless you can get people's hands on it in real life.   There was a curt skepticism about my Twitter idea, but I had a chance to respond to it and also the opportunity to ask for other options and opinions.

For sure, the fishbowl went better than how I envisioned a dull powerpoint about Web 2.0 strategies would have gone.   I can do a slick powerpoint, but I find that such things are about self-promotion -- setting oneself up as the "go-to guy" on a particular topic -- more than they are about effective learning.

That said, if I were to do it again, I think I would have tried to "wow" them by showing something like Friendfeed in action.   (In case you weren't aware, there has been somewhat of a tech librarian exodus from Twitter to Friendfeed due to frustration with the Fail Whale).  In retrospect, this audience would have had a lot of opportunity to brainstorm this issue on their own.   In my defense, however, I was not completely sure I was going to have reliable connectivity to do my presentation.

Anyway, its an interesting way to approach a presentation and, if all else fails, it is different from your standard powerpoint presentation.   In fact, it is like a panel discussion, except anyone in the audience can join in on the panel.   If you want, you can ask people questions; disagree with points they make; argue; affirm and so on.    And I could imagine it would get very interesting when a group of argumentative people must, in a non-verbal way, come to a consensus about who will accommodate a newcomer to the fishbowl.

One week later I am sitting in this couples living room.  He is completely unchurched, she is de-churched.  I ask them why they want a pastor to marry them.  His response...."I didn't care who married us, I just want to get married on the 4th of July, because that is when I proposed 6 years ago."  Well you have to admire his frankness!  I did!  

I asked them how long they planned on being married for?  He looked at me like I had 2 heads.  So I pressed on,  well are you planning on a few weeks or years?  OR maybe until you get sick of each other, or until it gets too tough?  How long? 

He looked at me like I was completely nuts at this point and said, well we plan on for life. 
Ok, I said, I"ll marry you. 

We talked through "stuff "for an hour or so, and one week later at 11 am in their backyard on the lake this couple got married with close friends and family nearby.  Skip and I had the opportunity to bring Jesus into the marriage of a couple and to all the witnesses who were at their wedding. 

They have invited Skip and me back to hang out.   Yep, Jesus going to the crowd, not waiting for the crowd to come to him. 

I love being a pastor, you get to go to the greatest places and meet the neatest people and once in a while they open their hearts and minds to the concept of Jesus!

In any case, I thought I'd share a quick snapshot at where I've been recently wrt to workshops, presentations, etc. :

Ministry of the Environment: I delivered a 1/2 day workshop: "Strategies for a TGIM Work-life" -- Tips and strategies for engagement. See here for testimonials.

Centennial College: Lead a two and a half day retreat for the college's most senior leaders: "Reflective Leadership Forum" -- exploring strategies to build reflective practice in one's daily work and life. See here to read what they had to say.

Project World / Business Analyst Conference: Lead a two day workshop for project managers and business analysts: Coaching Skills for Leaders.  See here to read what they had to say.

Upper Canada Law Society: Participated in a panel discussion on Work-life balance at their 3rd annual Solo and Small Firm Conference. Great feedback - soon to upload in testimonials.

Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA): Presented a Webinar :"Assertiveness at Work" (which I've written about in previous posts - and am in process of planning a follow-up teleclass - details to be announced but likely in the fall).  Great feedack - see here.

Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC): Presented a Webinar: "Asking the Right Questions for Career Success". Testimonial.

In between I had all my other work -- I'm not complaining, actually I'm quite grateful for all my clients and the terrific work opportunities I've had. But (yeah, there's a 'but')....it has been BUSY so I've been time-challenged these days,

Now that summer's here....I hope to slow down just a bit for a little while. Time to reflect on all that 'doing' and the learning along the way. I'll be back....will write about the experiences, learnings, insights, etc.

But for now....I'm honouring my TGIM work-life needs and catching my breath.

To a TGIM Work-life!

Eileen

BACK TO TGIM WORK-LIFE HOMEPAGE

We all talk about being somebody in life, earning a good paycheque, having a rewarding career, having a good family, etc. but how many of us actually realize about living well? I mean its not wrong to be higly ambitious and to choose a life to pursue these dreams but it would be wrong to make it your sole priority. I discovered this the hard way, by falling ill and realizing that pain is something that people can just sympathize with you but not something the people will ever understand. In fact, I think I admire those people in hospitals who have been putting up with the extreme pain and yet still go on in life.

But I digress.

Living well should be our priority. Loving God and doing our best to ensure that there is still purity and goodness in this day and age. Because ultimately when we die, people rarely say how rich or how poor we are. The people who would truly miss us and who are truly grateful for our existence would be the people whom we have helped, the lives whom we have touched and our virtues and respect would preservere. I think that is paramount to our existence. That builds our legacy.

Fortunes are made and lost overnight but a legacy of respect, trust, and integrity lasts for a lifetime.

I think the orbituary below (courtesy of Robin Sharma's Blog) describes about the things that matters that count in life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

DECLARATIONS

By PEGGY NOONAN

* * *

When you have an underperformer and you have tried to develop them but can’t, you’ll want to make a change.

Here are ten lessons I’ve learned:

1. The right person in the wrong spot becomes the wrong person unless I do something about it.
2. If you’re always trying to develop someone’s weakness, you probably have the wrong person.
3. Keeping the wrong person to protect his feelings is unfair to you and to your team member.
4. If God has shown you that a team member is not the right fit, you’re cheating the person by not removing him.
5. You can’t have the right person in a role when the wrong person is filling it.
6. The longer you wait to remove a wrong person, the harder it is for everyone.
7. If you’re about to remove a person, they should already have a pretty good sense that things aren’t working out. If they don’t, you probably haven’t been fair in your communication to them.
8. Honor the person you have removed even if they don’t honor you.
9. Seek God, make a decision, and don’t waffle on it.
10. If you aren’t faithful to do what God shows you to do, He isn’t likely to trust you with more.

]]> http://thoughtstoponder.wordpress.com/?p=409 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:48:04 +0000 Dr Bea http://thoughtstoponder.wordpress.com/?p=409 "To get your ideas across use small words, big ideas, and short sentences." -- John Henry Patterson

"Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders…Make the fault easy to correct. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest." -- Dale Carnegie

"The organization that can’t communicate can’t change, and the corporation that can’t change is dead." -- Nido Qubein

"The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say, ‘Me, too!’ versus ‘So what?’" -- Jim Rohn

"It takes about twenty years, to make an overnight success." -- Denis Waitley

"Determine what specific goal you want to achieve. Then dedicate yourself to its attainment with unswerving singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusader." -- Paul J. Meyer

"It's the constant and determined effort that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles." -- Claude M. Bristol

"When every physical and mental resource is focused, one’s power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously." -- Norman Vincent Peale

"A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right one, must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted when the going gets rough. " -- Ronald Reagan

Time spent on hiring is time well spent. - Robert Half

"If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember this whole thing was started by a mouse." -- Walt Disney

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. --Michael Jordan

"The most important thing I learned from big companies is that creativity gets stifled when everyone's got to follow the rules." -- David Kelley

"If we fail to nourish our souls, they wither, and without soul, life ceases to have meaning. The creative process shrivels in the absence of continual dialogue with the soul. And creativity is what makes life worth living." -- Marion Woodman

"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun." -- Mary Lou Cook

"In order to have a real relationship with our creativity, we must take the time and care to cultivate it." -- Julia Cameron

One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, we build the trust of those who are present. ~Stephen Covey~

"I think what separates a superstar from the average ballplayer is that he concentrates just a little bit longer." -- Hank Aaron

Once a human being has arrived on this earth, communication is the largest single factor determining what kinds of relationships he makes with others and what happens to him in the world about him." -- Virginia Satir

"What is powerful is when what you say is just the tip of the iceberg of what you know." -- Jim Rohn

"It takes a lot of things to prove you are smart, but only one thing to prove you are ignorant." -- Don Herold

"Do friendly businesses make it? Microsoft is friendly. Ask them." -- Jeffrey Gitomer

"Dress for success. Image is very important. People judge you by the way you look on the outside." -- Brian Tracy

"Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more. They did all that was expected of them and a little bit more. " -- Lou Vickery

"Help others get ahead. You will always stand taller with someone else on your shoulders. " -- Bob Moawad

"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."-- Brian Tracy

"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision." -- Maya Angelou

"There is a millionaire inside of you...you decide who wins." -- Doug Firebaugh

"My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose — somehow we win out." -- Ronald Reagan

"People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be." -- Harvey Mackay

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. ~Lou Holtz~

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. "-- John C. Maxwell

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan."-- Eleanor Roosevelt

The odds of hitting a target go up dramatically when you aim at it.--Mal Pancoast

"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." -- Og Mandino

"When someone tells me there is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt. My instant reaction is, "I'm going to prove you wrong!" -- Picabo Street

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer." -- Albert Camus

"If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time a tremendous whack." -- Winston Churchill

Through the years I have read numerous books on leadership and one of the recurring themes is the importance of vision and mission. Authors insist that people follow vision - the bigger the vision the greater the following. I have listened to numerous sermons on Jesus' invitation to be fishers of men and they almost all focus on the power of the vision that Jesus gave to these early followers.

As a Christ-follower who was raised in the church, this has always made sense. I have heard about Jesus since the day I was born. We sang songs in church about being fishers of men. We were taught to continue to enlarge our vision of being fishers of men.

I have given the majority of my life to Christian ministry - to preaching, teaching, encouraging others to become Christ-followers. I have worked at being a fisher of men because I believed and still believe this is what God wanted me to do. But...I have had to ask would I have left my occupation because of the vision of becoming a fisher of men.

I don't think I would have. I don't think the disciples followed because of the vision. I think they followed because there was something about Jesus that was compelling. It was not a vision they followed but the person of Jesus. When I began ministry, it was not because of some great vision but because I felt compelled to follow the person of Jesus. A part of following Him is being fishers of men but the vision is secondary to the relationship with Him.

What do the supreme court ruling on guns and the martyrdom of missionaries have to do with each other?

Noël and I watched Beyond Gates of Splendor, the documentary version of End of the Spear, the story of the martyrdom of Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Nate Saint in Ecuador in 1956. That same day we heard that the Supreme Court decided in favor of the right of Americans to keep firearms at home for self-defense.

Here’s the connection. The missionaries had guns when they were speared to death. One of them shot the gun into the air, it appears, as he was killed, rather than shooting the natives. They had agreed to do this. The reason was simple and staggeringly Christlike:

The natives are not ready for heaven. We are.  [emphasis mine]

I suspect the same could be said for almost anyone who breaks into my house. There are other reasons why I have never owned a firearm and do not have one in my house. But that reason moves me deeply. I hope you don’t use your economic stimulus check to buy a gun. Better to find some missionaries like this and support them.

Here is my humble and inarticulate response to this statement:

1. Jim Elliot and his team accepted teh risk of going to that area as missionaries. What they did was noble and was used for good by God to bring a tribe of people to Christ.

2. The work of missions should never involve weapons.

3. When someone breaks into my home I assume the role of government not missionary. I have no desire to shoot anyone over stuff. However, neither do I desire to see my family cut down or abused by the wicked.  The Bible says in Romans 13:

2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

Here is the point I am trying to make. God established me as a man, husband, and father to be the leader and protector of my home. In my home I am the government that has the responsibility to restrain the wicked. If I am called upon to do so I will not bear the sword on vain. 

I own several guns of different types that I use to hunt deer, turkey, duck, and just about anything else I can draw down own legally. If by chance a person desires to invade my home and abuse it, they will see the full restraining force of whatever weaponry that comes out of the cabinet loaded first. I am not ashamed to say that if it came down to shooting someone or seeing my family suffer a violent death, I would fire down range without prejudice. I believe that is godly position that is supported by the scriptures. It is also expected of the husband and father to be a protector.   When it is all said and done and I survive or they survive, I will worry about missions then. 

I will close with the words of one of my special forces friends from Fort Bragg, NC.  " If someone wants to meet the Lord by shooting at me, I will try to get them to the throne as quickly as possible."

I pray that we will have more real men that will do missions and take their masculinity seriously to protect their homes. (Read Pipers work on Mature Masculinity in Biblical Manhood and Womanhood)

Don't spend your tax check on a gun, pay off your credit cards and then give to missions.  

By the end, she brings it back around to software engineering teams and identifies two essential leadership roles. Well worth the 90 minutes.

Tra le lacrime dei delegati e le note de l'Internazionale, si è chiuso sabato nella cittadella avveniristica di Madrid, il campo de la Las Naciones, il 37° congresso del Psoe. Imprimendo una svolta "izquiedista" il leader Zapatero ha conquistato i 995 delegati che lo hanno rieletto segretario generale del partito con il 98,5% dei consensi. Quattro anni fa aveva ottenuto il 95,6% dei voti.

José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero ha assorbito le critiche della sinistra socialista promettendo un'ampia modifica della legislazione sull'aborto, la revisione della legge sulla libertà religiosa (abolizione dei funerali di stato con rito cattolico e dei crocefissi nelle scuole e negli edifici pubblici), l'introduzione del voto amministrativo per gli immigrati con regolare permesso di soggiorno.

La 31enne Leire Pajin, promotrice nel 2003 delle grandi marce contro la guerra in Iraq è stata nominata responsabile dell'organizzazione del Psoe, la numero tre nella gerarchia socialista. Lascerà l'incarico di responsabile della cooperazione con i paesi in via di sviluppo.

Il leader Zapatero doveva ribaltare tre accuse che, dal 9 marzo (vittoria con il 43,87%, 169 deputati, sette meno della maggioranza assoluta), rimbalzano sulla stampa e fanno presa anche tra i militanti: inattività legislativa, cedimento alla destra sui temi dell'immigrazione, occultamento della verità sulla crisi economica.

Zapatero ha risolto la prima questione assicurando che la Spagna «continuerà sulla strada delle riforme per le modernizzazione». E ha elencato le iniziative che sono in cantiere. La revisione della legge sull'aborto (rimasta invariata da 23 anni) appare una priorità. «Nessuna donna che abortisce può essere incriminata» - ha detto sabato Zapatero alludendo a recenti inchieste avviate dalla magistratura. E negli emendamenti approvati ad unaninità si parla di «rispetto della volontà della donna» e di «diritto alla salute e al controllo della maternità».

La vice di Zapatero, Maria Teresa de la Vega, ha annunciato che la revisione della legge «sarà ampia», ma il congresso non è entrato nei dettagli. Né Zapatero, né i documenti congressuali parlano espressamente di eutanasia, ma il leader ha accennato al diritto «ad una morte degna» e nelle relazioni approvate si accenna ad un «aiuto per porre fine all'accanimento terapeutico».

In quanto al contrastato rapporto con la Chiesa cattolica, il leader socialista si è limitato a ribadire «il carattere laico dello Stato», approvando così indirettamente le indicazioni emerse nel dibattito. Al tema dell'immigrazione Zapatero ha dedicato buona parte del suo intervento.

Molti militanti, anche pubblicamente, hanno manifestato dissenso per l'appoggio dato dagli europerlamentari del Psoe alla Direttiva del Rientro che apre la strada alla detenzione anche per 18 mesi nei Cpt.

Intervistato da El Pais, Zapatero si è spinto a definire «progressista» la direttiva di Bruxelles e sabato, per sedare i malumori, ha spiegato che la Spagna si oppone all'immigrazione illegale, ma offre la «piena integrazione» agli stranieri regolari che, ben presto, potranno votare alle elezioni amministrative. Poi ha scatenato l'applauso della platea aggiungendo che «se negli asili non ci sono posti liberi non è colpa degli immigrati e dei loro figli, ma degli amministratori».

In quanto alla crisi economica Zapatero ha ribadito che intende tutelare salari e pensioni e «tutti coloro che sono vulnerabili» e che è fiducioso nelle capacità della Spagna (inflazione in crescita, salari in diminuzione, crescira rallentata) di superare le difficoltà anche perché «gli investimenti stranieri sono aumentati del 50%».

Di Toni Fontana

In this second video you see the group building 5 buildings. The groups are split up by the leaders. The leaders also have decided the colors of the buildings. (Was not in the assignment but make sit easy for the builders. You can also notice observers taking notes of what they see happening.

In the next Video you see how the big group is spilt in small groups of 3 people, discussing the 1ste exercise during the feedback round.

In this video I give the whole group the next assignment. With a group without leaders, they have to build a church. 10 minutes meeting. 15 minutes of building.

This video shows the group building the church.

There are no video's about the third assignment, that meeting nor the third game itself. The last video shows me giving some explanation at the end of the leadership game, after the big feedback round. I talk about some of the stuff I saw happening.

If you are interested in playing the game, you can download a PDF Document explaining how to play the PairCoaching.net leadership game. (You still have to buy +/- 500 Euro of LEGO's.) If you want to avoid buying LEGO, or want us to lead the game just contact me.

I am Yves Hanoulle, your virtual Project Coach and you can reach me @ Yves at my agile training company .net

Set the Example…And the Tone

LEADING BY EXAMPLE. It’s both a management responsibility and a moral obligation. And, it’s the most powerful tool in your leadership toolbox.

You have a strong influence on the thoughts and behaviors of your employees – probably much stronger than you think. Regardless of what appears on job descriptions or in employee handbooks, your behavior is the real performance standard that team members will follow. They’ll rightfully assume that it’s okay and appropriate to do whatever you do. Why wouldn’t they? So it’s critical that you set the proper example and desired tone…that you model the performance and behavior you expect from others. Do otherwise, and you’re a hypocrite. Ouch!

There’s no rocket science here – it’s pretty simple stuff. Just pretend that everyone on your team is from Missouri (“The SHOW ME State”). From conduct to commitment…attendance to attitude…respect to responsibility…work ethic to ethics at work – SHOW your people what you want them to do. Let employees know that, in order to be successful, all they have to do is play a game. The name of that game is…
“FOLLOW THE LEADER!”

My parents had us over for a great night of home-made Japanese cuisine, and a truck load of fireworks to shoot off afterwards. It was my son's first time to take an active role in lighting the small fountains or sparklers, as in years past...he'd been too afraid. I think the big ones that my dad would light, that lit the entire night's sky, still scared him though. This is not him in the pic (up above) by the way...for fireworks like these, he'd either be wrapped around me on our blanket...or running off screaming, "run for your lives!" I think after a while he got the hang of it.

My sister and husband go every July to a huge fireworks stand, where my sister happens to know the owner. They get a professional set up for a friends and family discount. My birthdays are always quite impressive when we have a 4th that overlaps a weekend. My son has always thought that we shoot fireworks for mommy's birthday. This is the first year he gets that our country's independence has something to do with it. :)

My mom is so pretty. Thought I'd just throw that in there.

Last night we had a party at my house and had about 15 people over to play our new Wii. We partied like it was 2099 pot luck style. My husband and I cleaned house from 9 am to 6 pm non stop to make sure every little detail was taken care of. With the exception of my kitchen being half painted,half stripped of wall paper...I think it was beautiful. I had to point out the before and 'almost' after in my kitchen, so people wouldn't wonder why it was half way done. I can't wait to have it completely finished so I can start on my next project!  See the 4 layers of wallpaper  that I'm in agony stripping chunk by chunk.  The purple paint on the wall below is the paint that I'm re-doing in it's place.  It will have a whole new feel to it .

Today my son sang me the sweetest version of Happy Birthday, that brought tears to my eyes. Just to have him in my life, and get a huge hug while being told I'm the prettiest birthday girl...is such a gift. Afterwards we left to teach children's church. I saw many parents I've not been around in a while. It was good to catch up with people I enjoy being around. That in itself is a huge blessing. And of course my son was handing my business card out to some of them, which I always appreciate. Tonight I have dinner with my in-laws and can't wait to have the rest of my birthday weekend extravaganza!

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday weekend!

I love chapter 16 where Paul and Silas have apparently aggravated enough people to the point that they are beat up and thrown in prison. What I love is that they didn't let their brutal situation dissuade them from honoring God. There they are; battered and bruised, locked in chains, and yet they chose to break out into song... worshiping God! (v. 25). I could stop right there and be challenged to make better choices when I'm having a bad day, but the next line is what I'm dwelling on today:

...and the other prisoners were listening.

As Christ-followers, we have to be constantly aware of who is listening to us, who is watching us, who is basing their opinion of Christians on how react in the tough times. When we chose to actively honor God in all situations, people will be drawn to Him... That's our gig: point people to God, and watch what happens:

Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. (Acts 16:26-34)

Who is eavesdropping on you and what are you telling them?

Today we dedicated 'J' to the Lord. His mom and dad have been a part of NIC for years (I married them and dedicated their first child). J's father came to Cyprus as an asylum seeker and through faithful service gradually emerged as a leader in the congregation. Though he had no formal ministry background, we met regularly for discipleship and mentoring and today he serves as the associate minister of the the church.

At NIC, we try to recognize leaders rather than appoint leaders. Through deliberate training and coaching (called the 'Emerging Leaders Network') men and women are mentored in servant leadership, discipleship, and practical ministry skills. Those who serve faithfully are recognized for their leadership.

Because we are such a transient church (the average person remains here only 3 years), we must be very deliberate - and quick! - about leadership development. But the result is not only leaders for Nicosia, but as they return to Africa, Asia, and Europe, God is helping us equip disciple-making leaders for many nations.

Less is written on those that create change within organizations. Their stories are more nuanced, intricate, and often less grandiose. Yet, it is these small actions by vendors, suppliers, and other stakeholders that often create the environment in which an entrepreneur can flourish.

I first met Jon when I was 19. I am not sure that he or his colleagues in the admission staff at a “top five” MBA program knew my age, otherwise I think our bar bills would have been smaller. I often kid him that he should have just given me a scholarship for my second year at b-school seeing as my first year scholarship was expensed.

Jon was a maverick, someone who had spent his life in a variety of industries. He was picked up by the Director of MBA Admissions at this school after the two became friends through sport. He is quite possibly one of the easiest people to talk to, for both conservatives and liberals. It is clear that alliances to established parties or philosophies bore him; he is more a man of ideas.

In 2003, StartingBloc, the organization I worked on before JustMeans, was just getting going. We had a vague sense of what we wanted to accomplish, to create a unique leadership development program for tomorrow’s aspiring leaders. Our goal: Have today’s leaders (from business, government, and the social sector) demonstrate organizational models (both for-profit and non-profit) that create both social and economic value to tomorrow’s leaders. In other words, teach young leaders that business can create profit and positive social change. We would partner with universities to hold the events and they could lend their brand names to attract students and young professionals to apply.

Jon sat on the admissions committee for the program, along with some of his business and graduate school colleagues. In the first year of the program we accepted just over 100 young leaders from 16 colleges and universities out of a pool of 250 applicants. That first year, supported by four universities in the Boston area, was somewhat of a success. At a minimum, it was something to build on.

The following summer, Jon approached me with an idea. In exchange for the title of founding partner, his business school would agree to accept up to six graduates of StartingBloc (called Fellows) into the two year full time MBA program. This was a first for any non-profit in the world. Anyone who applies to a top business school knows how competitive it is. While the #1 business schools vary whether you read the Economist, FT, or Business Week, there are consistently five exchange the title of top dog. Jon represented one of these five.

In creating that one decision, Jon created a market for education on social responsibility. In a sense, what he and his colleagues were saying is a top young leader with a background in social responsibility is more competitive than one without that education. He gave us the artillery to go to every other top business school and convince them to support the program (which they all did, except Stanford).
The point of this story is not that individuals should go out and take wild risks that could cost them their jobs. Jon negotiated his work environment, steadily convincing his colleagues on the worth of StartingBloc. He took a risk on a group of young entrepreneurs that ended up performing.

Research shows that entrepreneurs take outsized risks compared to the population. However, the entrepreneurs taking these risks actually believe their risks to be calculated. They see beyond the way the world is to imagine how it might be and they trace the steps to create that reality. Individuals within organizations can do the same thing, calculating risks and finding points of leverage to create the environment in which an entrepreneur can perform.

Read more posts on All Things Reconsidered at JustMeans.com