140 Character Tombstone

If you could write out what would be on your tombstone today what would it say?  Better yet what would someone else write about you?  What if you could only use a 140 characters like you would in a Twitter feed?  Twitter has changed the way that people and companies communicate.  It has changed the way people even blog requiring shorter, quicker posts that don’t lose the attention of our readers.

I think it is an interesting idea though, how do you sum up your life in 140 characters or less?  So I throw this challenge out to you today, 140 characters or less how would my life be summed up?  That’s right I am asking you to write my faux Twitter tombstone today.  What better way to improve in the weak areas than to see what people would say about you today?  Why wait till its over to make the changes?  Make the change necessary today to impact today.

Change Conflict Healthcare?

I love politics and I love to debate and argue about politics or anything for that matter.  It really doesn’t even matter if I’m right because I want to convince you and we will both be wrong.  I think I have always been that way.  Even when I was on a jury I convinced all the other jurors to change their vote and vote not guilty because there was a conflict in the prosecutors case.  Just enough so that he did not follow the law to a T.  So I love to argue and debate.  This blog post is not going to be that.  Today I am simply making an observation about what I see.

They say that any decision a leader makes it will inevitably have supporters and haters.  Perry Noble said, “If everybody likes you or your idea then you’ve spent way too much time kissing rear ends instead of being faithful to who God has called you to be and what He has called you to do!” I love that and the truth is everything rises and falls on leadership.  At the end of the day the leader has to be able to make the decision and then stand behind that decision regardless of where the support or lack of support is coming.

As of today President Obama has been in office 451 days.  For the last six months I have heard people complain about where is the change?  That was the platform that he ran on, CHANGE…Yes we can.  I have seen several changes that I think are important that people are either missing or don’t want to see.   The fact that we have an African-American in office holding the most coveted position in the world is change.  The fact that there is an African-American making decisions when 55 years ago Rosa Parks did not have a choice where she could even sit on a bus, shows that this is change.  It gives me hope that in the years to come modern day slavery such as human trafficking and sex trafficking may come to and end as well.  Sometimes change comes in the still small steps that lay the foundation for future change.

With health care changing there are some that are for it and some who are against it.  Now change has occurred and the same people who complained the last 451 days about where is the change, have it and don’t like it.  I would venture to guess these same people would have complained no matter what policy took effect.  These were the same people who probably would have argued about the Emancipation Proclamation, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The truth is there are people who are never looking for resolve but rather are looking for a fight.

In any decision…there is Change, Conflict, Growth.  The growth may mean that what you see now doesn’t work and needs to be tweaked, overhauled or dropped completely.  It may mean that this was exactly what we needed.  I love the fact that he made A decision.  How this will work out we may not know for years.  Perry Noble posted on his blog the other day ““Christians” will scream that God is “Jehovah Rafa,” (the God who heals) in our services…but then rely on our government for healing more than Him!” I believe God is bigger than Barack Obama and everyone who sits in a position of leadership in this country and that God is not surprised about the change.  What that looks like I have no idea.  But I know that nothing great has ever gotten done in this country by simply doing nothing.

The government of the United States has been around since July 4, 1776.  That is 234 years.  The church has been around for over 2,000 years.  Spend your time investing in what matters and what will last instead of wasting it in things that won’t matter.  Control what you can control and pray and leave the rest up to God.  Change-Conflict-Growth.

Thoughts?

You Don’t Even Know

Things are always changing around you whether you like it or not.  Some people are great with change and others really have a hard time letting go of the past.  The journey that each of us take has many variables to it.  Some people grow up and move away.  Some people get married and then they get divorced.  Some get an incurable disease like cancer.  Some will go to college and others will stay where they grew up.  Some will graduate and get their dream jobs while others lose their job after being stuck in it for years.  Then there are those that you love who will die.  Things never seem to stay the same.

I’ve talked with friends who love to talk about the past.  I’m okay with that, for a bit, but then there is this part of me that wonders what are they living for today?  Are they embracing the opportunities of today or tomorrow?  If I’m honest I find myself doing the same thing sometimes.  I sit and remember what it used to be like and then I am reminded that if I am constantly looking back and holding on to my past then I will not be able to embrace today or tomorrow.

It’s ok to look at your past and learn from your past.  To celebrate the past, to grieve the past but it is not ok to stay in the past.  There comes a point where each of us must let go and move on and embrace what it is that God wants us to live for now.  James 4:14 says, “You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring-what your life will be!” That is exciting.  What is so exciting about a past that you have already lived?  For me I get excited about a future that I have to live for.

Does your life look anything like you thought it would?  How are you letting go of the past and embracing today?

Change & Response

I saw a Comcast commercial last night where the gentleman starts out saying, “The world is changing and Comcast is responding.”  Sounds great, very touching, moving, relevant and yet what a horrible business model for anybody to follow.  This is not a hate blog towards Comcast, I have their service and it is fine.

Anytime an individual, a business, a church says that is is responding to change it says something about who they are and how they lead.  There are times that necessitate response but I would like to be on the other end that causes those around to have to respond.   The Gospel is powerful and requires a response from others.  Serving is powerful and requires a response from others.  Vision is powerful and requires a response from others.  Do you get where I’m going with this?  There is a time to respond and follow and there are times to initiate change and lead.

As Ed Young says, “Change, conflict, growth.”  Every situation involves this formula of change, conflict and growth.  When you are leading you will face this with almost every decision.  When you initiate change and lead you will see this formula play out in your organization.  I don’t want to respond to change, I want to be a catalyst for change.  You can’t be scared about who will say it and how others will react to it.  Leaders lead.  Leaders initiate change.  Leaders force others to respond.  How about you? Are you a changer or a responder?

Servolution

I am reading a book called Servolution by Dino Rizzo and literally the first page got my attention which is not easy to do with my whole ADD (hey look a butterfly), what was I saying? The idea of the book is starting a revolution through serving. Serving others with no expectations of receiving anything in return. Here is a snippet from the book:

“This book is about revolution. But this is a different kind of revolution-not fueled by anger, violence, and revolt but one of compassion, love and service. This revolution has a clear mission to answer the cries of the poor, the hurting, and the forgotten and is made up of revolutionaries willing to lay down their lives to reach out to people in their cities, in their nations, and throughout the world. This is a revolution aimed at initiating change, but not by overthrowing a government; this change comes by bringing healing to a hurting world and by loving people to Christ. We call it servolution: a significant change in the course of history sparked by simple acts of kindness.”

I know for a fact that I can become a lot better in this area and I wonder could you? If so, what? What can be done to reach this community and serve this community? What ideas do you have? I have heard from some and they are amazing and I am sure I will get a chance to share those later.