GREAT BOOK!

I picked up Dick Hardy's recent book 27 TOUGH QUESTIONS PASTORS ASK.

What a great book!! I really mean that!

I had the privilege of working with Dick in Des Moines Iowa at a great church! He is a great friend and a gifted person.

This book is filled with fantastic info. What I love about the book is that it doesn't offer 'how-to's' from a lead pastor viewpoint. It offers lead pastor insight but refreshingly from a different view-point. Dick was one of the best executive pastor's around which influences how he writes and I love it!

Great book. Great insight. Great answers. I'll have more on this in the next few days!

Getting ready to head to Wichita, KS next week to meet with a pastor and music staff in a consulting format. We'll have a ton of fun!!

Keep it real!

Mark

HOW TO BUILD A CAR IN THREE HOURS!

Totally amazing! My daughter and me (with the help of my wife) built a car that propels itself! We did it in about three hours! OK, so the thing can't carry people or anything at all, but it still runs...for about 20 feet!

We built a mousetrap car!! I'm sure many of you have had to build one of these, but this is the first mousetrap car effort for this family. Not sure how our oldest daughter missed this drill, but she didn't have to do one in her 8th grade year.

Now here is the reason this is significant: I'm really not good at this stuff and my wife is. She is like her dad: can do just about anything by thinking about it and drawing it out....sometimes only in her head. She is very talented and makes me look like, well, a real loser!!!

So, given that my wife had quite a few things to get done yesterday, it fell upon me to assist the youngest with her project. As the child received the news that mom was busy, I could hear her mutter to her mother "Oh, brother!"

Fortunately, mom and daughter had started the project and it was underway with enough prior planning so that I could come waltzing in and claim the victory! We finished the car. It works! And now I'm ready for MIT!

Kudos to mom and daughter for a job well done!!!!

TAKE A STEP BACK

In our hyper competitive society, when faced with an insurmountable challenge, we typically put the pedal to the metal and push on ahead. It doesn't matter if it is athletics or sales or the corporate board room arena, the challenge always come from somebody that we have to give more, push harder, give a better effort!

But what happens when we are already at peak capacity and giving more is not an option?

Engines red line. Muscles fatigue. Brains go numb.

Seth Godin talks about instead of trying harder, try different.

How true it is.

Take a different angle. Relax. Let the game come to you. Work on a different muscle group.

Tony Horton talks about 'muscle confusion'. By changing things up we get more out of our muscles than if we get stuck in one routine.

Sometimes when we think we need to try harder and are already at max capacity, take a step back and try different!

WHEN AVAILABILITY AND ABILITY COLLIDE

I was thinking the other day how some people have the ability to do something, but are unavailable to do it. Then there are those who are available, but don't have the ability.

Ability + Availability = Great Success.

He played football at a small university. Not very fast. Not very big. Had some ability.

Turned down by one NFL team, but was available to drive, yes drive nearly 2000 miles and try out for another.

He made the team!

During his career, Steve Largent, out-performed people with great abilities, and he turned a very humble start in the NFL into a Hall of Fame career.

How?

Ability + Availability = Great Success.

There are people all around us that have the ability to make a difference and they do not. Why? They think they are unavailable.

Others end up making a huge impact because they recognize their abilities and make themselves available! Those kind of people are HUGELY successful!!!

If you have the ability, then become available and watch the great things happen!!

A Reversal Of Thought

I was reading the story of how Jesus healed the woman who had a bleeding disorder. It is found in Mark 5. She had struggled with this problem for 12 years. She had been to every doctor and she had spent everything she had tyring to find a cure for her illness. She was desperate!

Then it happened. She had a reversal of thought!

She had heard of this Jesus who had the power to do miraculous things for people. She had heard how he had touched them and they were healed. She thought: "If only I COULD TOUCH HIM!"

She wasn't arrogant. She wasn't proud. She was at the end of her rope.

She believed in the power of Jesus. She knew He could heal her illness. Her humility was profound and her faith huge. "If only I could touch Him."

She didn't need to be the center of attention, she knew Jesus was.
She didn't need to have Him see her, she just needed to see Him.
She didn't need to tell Him all about her problem, she just needed a corner of his cloak dragging behind Him in the dust.

She fought through the crowd and touched a portion of Jesus' garment and instantly she was healed!

Instead of asking Jesus to touch you, why don't you ask Him what it takes for you to touch Him!

This Sunday is Valentine's Day! I can't

remember the last time it landed on a Sunday!

We are going to be talking about what it means

to LOVE STRONG!

Too often we view love as an emotion or something connected with flowers, chocolates, or jewelry.

Jesus said is was deeper than that.

Jesus said to love your enemy. Love those who treat you poorly. Love those who actually inflict bodily harm upon you.

Jesus implied that we are to LOVE STRONG!

All Around Us

I just finished a great article by ESPN columnist Rick Reilley. I love to read his stuff. He is a gifted writer. (as I listen to Cartagrapher by E.S. POSTHUMUS...now that is some fine stuff right there! Two brothers who write crazy stuff!!)

His article was titled: The Misbehavior of Athletes.

He gave examples of pro athletes who have undermined the public trust and cheated their sport or spouse. Examples: Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Tiger Woods, Gilbert Arenas.

For every misguided athlete he listed its counterpoint: Ken Griffey Jr., Jack Nicklaus, etc.

He chose to focus upon the glass half full picture when it comes to athletes whom we have a tendency to place upon pedestals.

One reality from his great article is this: for all the bad that seems to happen in our day, there is just as much good happening all around us.

The sun is still coming up in the East. There is sufficient oxygen to breathe. There is someone who loves us completely and there are people that want to be our friends.

There IS good all around us!