My Superpower | Blog Project Day 2
If I had a superpower, what would it be?
Well, before we just decide we have to set some parameters. Can I just pick something I would consider a superpower? Or should I go more traditional and pick a character trait belonging to one of the popular superheros. Or maybe just find a character that I identify with and go with that. I think I divide my answer in two.
Flight. If I had a super power, I would want to be able to fly. I guess super-strength would be cool, but I think lifting stuff and breaking things would get old. Not to mentions the superficial reasons I would want it and most other powers in the first place. However, the point of choosing a superpower is surely not to be logical about it.
Anyway, to take this another route, if I was to choose a superhero to be it would be Ironman. Advanced technology, cool suit, flying. Need I say more? I will anyway. It just seems more my style.
What superpower would you like?
Welcome to February | Blog Project Day 1
I’m at it again. The blog project from last February is back for round II. The rules are the same, one post a day for each day in february. You read and I’ll try to keep up.
Day 1: My Epitaph
While I’m not sure whether or not I would even want to be buried, I’ve thought about what kinds of things I would want to ‘leave behind’. So I think if I had a headstone I would want it to say something similar to what was said about David in Acts 16:36 ‘For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep’
Of course it would depend on whether or not I had actually done anything to that effect. So after I’m gone, those close can determine the impact I had, and if they rule positively I’d like to see.
He served God’s purpose in his generation…
Is it morbid to have thought of this?
They Call Me J-Rock
Nicknames are fascinating things aren’t they? They are kind of like a personal inside joke. And while its usually more intimately connected to the person than their given name, it seems odd that at some point someone said, “No, the name this person was given at birth is not quite fitting. It should be different.”
What is good about nicknames is the personal nature they tend to form in relation to the bearer. Nicknames can be born out of sports or interests, activities or hobbies. They reveal a dimension of the person that is unique and shared only with certain people.
I’ve had a nickname since high school and its taken an interesting journey since then. Initially it was something only my friends knew, and I had some friends that only knew my nickname. But over the years it spread to a broader audience. At times even my mother uses my nickname.
And I say all of this knowing that parents sometimes agonize over naming their child. A name is a big deal and a nickname is us trying to connect to our moniker in a deeper way. Revelations 2:17 leads me to believe that God has a name for us that we do not yet know. But when he hands us that white stone it will have a name that represents us completely. Until then we’re just guessing.
Do you have a nickname?
What Is Your Maybe?
I was talking with a friend the other day and he asked me if I would be attending an event. I said that I might, which in my terms meant that yes I would so long as other factors didn’t prevent it. He then told me that if he said maybe that was probably a no. That unless he started with a yes and then through other events was prohibited that it wouldn’t work out anyway.
Now I understand that the difference here is marginal but I think its worth looking into the little things that make up who we are. Your maybe is really either a yes or a no with conditions attached(yes if v. not unless). It may not mean much but it also could be a pointer to your usual disposition(positive v. negative).
What is your maybe?
A New Definition Of Greatness
Some great words from an amazing man.
“…Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness.
And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.
And you can be that servant.”
Martin Luther King Jr.-Drum Major Instinct
Soulprint :: Finding out who you really are.
All too often we allow the events of our past or the wrongs we’ve done to determine who we are. In SoulPrint, Mark Batterson takes us on a rich journey of self-discovery. Using the life of David, a man after God’s own heart, we dive into the process of answering the question ‘Who Am I’ and travel through five key areas that make up the destiny God has for each of us.
Mark has a great style of writing that is inviting while still extremely informational. Weaving together biblical truth with personal experiences makes this a book that is very easy to connect with. In SoulPrint we find that we are each God’s unique creation. Not only that, but our uniqueness can be a form of worship. In order to full take hold of our destiny we must find confidence in God’s plan for us and trust Him with our journey. Along the way, we learn that what we do is much more important than who we become. God has a way of using moments of exposure or embarrassment for us to truly find that our identity is in Christ and not this world.
In this book Mark also doesn’t shy away from addressing our sinfulness. We must confront our sinful nature by using scripture as a mirror, confessing our sins, and having people to act as ‘prophets’ and speak truth into our lives. Our destiny lies in being who God has created us to be, and SoulPrint is a great book to help us start that process.
*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review*
Welcome To The New Year | My 3
Last year I stole this idea from Daryl Hunter, who evidently stole it from Chris Brogan, maybe this year you can steal it from me. Just so you have a little background on what these 3 little words are; They aren’t resolutions or goals because resolutions are silly and goals can change. These words instead will be the mooring point for the upcoming year, a way to guide my actions and decisions, a focus if you will. Periodically through the year I revisit the 3 and review any progress. Last year my 3 words were Discipline, Drive, and Direction.
My 3 for this year are Purpose, Position, Prophecy.
Eph. 2:1 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Purpose:
Experience and Exploration. We all have a purpose. We should always be either preparing for it or fulfilling it. I’ve been thinking a lot lately on giftedness and how it relates to our purpose. Our experience is a great indicator of the direction God is leading us in the realm of purpose. And I think that there is a fair amount of exploration and faith needed to grow fully into your purpose. So I think 2011 will be a time of reflecting and experimentation.
Jer. 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you”
Position:
Where I’ve been, where I’m at, and where I’m going. Being that we have a specific purpose, God has positioned us to be able to fulfill that purpose. Looking at the last two years I can see clearly that God has placed us here for a reason. Knowing that I’m where I should be makes me look eagerly into fulfilling my purposes here. So I’m looking for ways that I can make an impact where I’m at.
Jam 5:16 “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Prayer:
Intentionality and intensity. You really can’t go wrong with something that Jesus did himself. And while I do talk to God on a regular basis, I would like to step this up considerably. I want to pray for more people, more places, and more often. I want prayer to be an automatic response. A life of prayer is a powerful one.
That’s my 3 what are yours?
A Year In Review
Or is it a year end review?
Either way 2010 was a great year and just like Sportscenter we’re gonna hit the highlights.
In 2010 I feel like we definitely hit the ground running. January was quick and powerful. The fast was going on at church, and I could feel that God had big things lined up for that year. One of my most popular blog posts happened to come from January.
To keep things moving in February, I did some experimentation on my blog and did 28 straight days of posting. It was kind of a learning exercise for me as I got acquainted with this whole personal expression thing. Aside from Valentine’s day and a birthday or two February was pretty mellow.
In March I got to visit Saddleback church for the spring Church IT Roundtable. I shouldn’t be surprised but I always come away from those with some great new knowledge. We also got to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Northwoods. I love that I get to be a part of this church.
In April I participated in the Tri-The-Illini Triathlon. It was a fun event(I had never done a snake swim before) and it was cool to jog through the campus.
May was pretty uneventful but in June, we went on a fabulous vacation with a couple of our friends to a resort in the Dominican Republic.
July and August were low key. Erin and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary and she also got to attend this years Leadership Summit.
From September through Thanksgiving there was continuous stream of happenings with instructing motorcycle safety classes, a trip to Haiti, staff retreat, fall CITRT Roundtable, Winconnections training, and helping with The Weekend.
The last few weeks of the year were wrapping up. Projects and presents.
And to add to each month, Erin and I have been helping in Northwoods newest venture in our hometown.
It seems wrong to give each of these things so little time, but this year has felt like a sprint. Coming out of the holding pattern I felt I was in during 2009 its a nice change of pace. God has done some big movement in us this year and I feel that only more is to come.
