Monthly Archives: August 2010

My Bible Journey…Jeremiah 37-39

Jeremiah 37:2 – It’s a dangerous for anyone (especially a leader) to get to the place where they think that they don’t need to listen to the people around them.

Jeremiah 37:3 – There’s not much use in asking God to change His mind after He has already told you what He wants you to do. He’s not as insecure as most of us are. Don’t hesitate to do the right think because it’s scary and hard. This is easier said (and typed) then done.

Jeremiah 37:13 – There’s a good reason why Jeremiah was called “The Weeping Prophet.”

Jeremiah 37:17 – It takes guts to enthusiastically proclaim God’s message to an audience that you know won’t like and, as such, will probably fall on deaf ears. It’s our job to communicate the message clearly and live it out consistently. That’s all. God’s job is to take care of the rest. It’s a load off my mind when I really get this and live it out.

Jeremiah 38:5 – Don’t let the people around you intimidate you into actions that you know aren’t the best way to go. It will hurt in the short run but God and time will be your vindication in the long run. “When values are clear decisions are easy.” – Roy Disney

Jeremiah 38:10 – A leader can be right and a leader can be wrong but the one thing that a leader can’t be in a crisis is unsure (even when they don’t have a clue). Make good decisions based on values and lessons learned from past failures, not just the opinion of others. The crowd changes too much and isn’t always a good foundation to weigh your decisions on.

Jeremiah 38:14 – Don’t ask questions that you really don’t want the answers to. It’ll only frustrate the people around you, make you look like hypocritical, and make them question whether or not they want to follow you.

Jeremiah 38:19 – People appreciate authentic leadership; when the leader can admit when he/she doesn’t know what to do or is afraid. But it can’t stop there. Authenticity can’t be just a tool but a lifestyle that knows when to open up and when to keep a secret; when to get the opinion of others and when to make the call and run with it. Many leaders don’t do this because they know that at the end of the day the buck stops with them and they’re accountable for how things turn out. This is really scary but good leaders feel the fear and do it anyway.

Jeremiah 38:24 – Don’t be the kind of boss/leader that says one thing and then does the exact opposite whenever it suits you. A lot of employee and volunteer turnover can be attributed to this: they were promised one thing and got something or someone completely different. Make good on your promises or don’t make them at all.

Jeremiah 39:12 – God can and will use the most unusual ways of taking care of you when you think there’s no way out. He’s got a sense of humor all right!

Jeremiah 39:18 – It’s never a bad idea to trust in God. It’s not always safe, but it’s still the best way to go.

Adoption Update…August 28, 2010

As some of you may or may not know my wife and I are in the beginning stages of adopting our very first child. It’s been a long journey with a lot of bumps along the way. I’d be lying if I said it was easy and that I never had the occasional doubt of how things would turn out. Sarah just updated our family blog that we’re using to chronicle our adoption journey. Here’s a clip:

Since Jeff and I have been married, we have had many dreams. Dreams of having kiddos in our home. Dreams of owning a home. Dreams of my being able to stay at home and raise our children. Dreams of being involved in a great church where we can build roots.

For the past seven years of our marriage, we have been on a journey. We have done our best to be faithful and yet most of dreams have not come to fruition. However, I am reminded of Proverbs 16:9, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Looking back, I can see why God has answered our prayers with wait. I would be lying if I said I always understood why, but we always rested in the fact that God was in control.

Click here to read the rest of the post.

If any of you out there have been through the adoption process or know someone who has I would love to get your input and insights into this stressful and amazing adventure.

5 Resources for Kids of Families in Recovery

NOTE: None of these companies asked for a review on my blog. I would probably say that they have no idea I even exist. I’ve used them, I liked it, and then I blogged about it.

How to Be with Your A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E. – Great video series done by Craig Jutila and his team at Saddleback Church a few years ago. It’s designed to be a weekend elementary series to help kids understand the eight principles of Celebrate Recovery as found in the Beatitudes. Basically, it’s a kind of “pre-covery” program for kids. It’s got a weekend programming schedule, handouts for kids, games, small group discussion questions, and some activities to do at home during the week. It also comes with a great review time for each week’s lesson. This is a great resource if you’re looking for something to use on the weekend in conjunction with what the adults are doing or even if you just want to cover the principles yourself. Also works well as an eight week program for kids if their parents are in some type of recovery study.

Celebration Station – This is a more in-depth study for kids to do with leaders at church and for parents to do at home with kids. In many ways it is a sequel of sorts to “How to Be with Your A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E.” and can function on its own without any follow-up from your normal children’s ministry programs. Less adaptable to a weekend service, this will work great if you are looking for just a curriculum for kids whose parents are in recovery.

Divorce Care For Kids – Does exactly what it says on the tin. This curriculum and program will help kids 1) learn to understand their feelings, 2) express their emotions appropriately, 3) feel better about themselves, 4) develop coping skills, and 5) be introduced to biblical concepts that will bring comfort. This is a national recognized program that is top-notch and has a great reputation. It’s a little pricey but great to run in conjunction with any divorce care stuff your church is doing for parents.

Life Hurts, God Heals – Aimed at middle and high school students, LHGH comes as both a weekend series for students and a midweek program and small group study to help teenagers work through the scriptures and overcome the addictive behaviors in their lives. It’s been field tested in churches across the country and is pretty solid. It’s reasonably priced and comes with more than enough resources for you and your church to launch a recovery program for preteens and teenagers alike.

The Landing – A year-long curriculum for preteens and students that takes them through the Beatitudes. It is really new but has been beta tested in several churches to make sure that the principles will hold water in any church. I love that it takes care of a lot of the programming elements for you. Like LHGH, this is not aimed at children but could be adapted for preteens and would be a great resource to let your church’s youth ministry team know about.

What resources and tools have you found useful at your church to help kids whose parents are going through the recovery process?


My Bible Journey…Psalm 112 and Jeremiah 22

Psalm 112:2 – Success for your kids starts with you. Parents whose obedience to God flows from a genuine desire to obey Him will positively impact the success of their families. Children may be the leaders of tomorrow but they are the church of today. A successful ministry to children starts with a deliberate mindset of partnering with parents to help them help their kids navigate the significant milestones in their lives. These kind of ministries help the whole family enter into meaningful worship of God, grow closer together in meaningful relationships with each other, and nurture both parents and kids to cultivate a meaningful role in their Oikos. That is how world-changers are made!

Psalm 112:3 – Our good deeds that will last forever are not the buildings that we erect, the programs that we create, the messages that we teach, or the systems that we put in place. What will last are the lives that we invest our time, abilities, and resources into for their betterment and the advancement of God’s Kingdom. The impact of this kind of leadership will echo on long after we’re gone.

Psalm 112:4 – Generous people hold on to their stuff lightly, compassionate people believe the best in others, and trustworthy people earn the right to be heard.

Psalm 112:7 – True confidence is the peace of mind that comes from knowing that God will provide for us at just the right time.

Psalm 112:9 – What we give to others (time, advice, encouragement, resources, influence, etc.) is what will live on in their memories long after our time with them has ended. Be intentional about creating that legacy now.

Jeremiah 22:3 – Good leaders are known by what they say. Great leaders are known by actually doing the things that they say they will do.

Jeremiah 22:4 – Obedience to God is one of the best ways to ensure the greatest success that any leader can have: someone to take their place.

Jeremiah 22:15 – HAVING the “right things” (buildings, programs, media, staff, etc.) is not what God blesses; rather it is DOING the rights (loving God, loving others) that shows God’s movement in someone’s life. When we work to take care of others God will make sure to take care of us. Don’t break the cycle of blessing that God has in mind for you by hoarding what you have instead of giving it away in generous portions.

Jeremiah 22:16 – Helping those who can’t (and even won’t) help you is the litmus test for a life that has been invaded by the maker of the universe.

Jeremiah 22:21 – It’s easy to cry out to God when things aren’t going your way but when was the last time that you cried out to God to say, “Thank You!”, as sincerely and as passionately as when you needed Him to do something for you? That thought hit me HARD!

Jeremiah 22:30 – “There is no success without a successor.” – John Maxwell

Thoughts from the Week…August 22, 2009

- This is my first attempt at doing any real typing on the iPad. It feels a little weird but I’m getting used to it. Of course this is only my third sentence so it’s probably too soon to tell.

- My first week of blogging has been pretty cool (it only took six days to get my wife to break down and subscribe). I’m pretty excited to get started especially since it’s been a REALLY LONG TIME since I’ve had a real hobby. I think my last one was collecting all of the figures from “Rescue Rangers” in my Frosted Flakes cereal during second grade. I’m still missing Gadget.

- Spent a couple of hours today training 75+ volunteers to lead 350+ kids in small groups this fall. Our staff did an amazing job today. I am so proud of them!

- I love my job! I can’t remember the last time I’ve been happier to go to work. I was reminded this week of how good I have it. If you hate what you do change your attitude or change your job. Life is too short to hate what you do.

- Children behave the way that the adults in their lives model and enable. Be the kind of person that you want your kids to become.

- Had a blast speaking at our church’s Father/Son camping trip yesterday. The funniest thing there was what happened to Sarah. Here it is in her own Facebook status words: “So this weekend I accompanied Jeff to a father son camp out since he was speaking. I was sitting with some dads, when a kid rode by and yelled, ‘You’re a girl! You can’t be here!’ A friend’s son, yells, ‘Hey she’s a friend of ours…hit the road jack!’ We were all rolling!!! BTW, we left when Jeff was finished speaking; no way was I going to say in all guy territory for long!” Thanks for standing up for my wife Robbie!

- I love Community! If you are not watching this show you are seriously missing out. Kinda makes me wish that I had to go back to school because my degree was fake to wind up in a cool group like that (but not really). Maybe I’ll make frequent TV and movie references my thing, like Abed.

- What do you think of my blog’s tagline: “My attempt to answer the question, ‘What do you do the other six days of the week?’”?

- I am so pumped that we are moving forward in the adoption process. All our paperwork should be done and mailed out by Labor Day.

- I think this mark on our kitchen window is from God. I’m not sure what He’s trying to tell us, but I hope the bird He sent is going to be OK. I named him Bob.

- Went to a wedding yesterday that was catered by In N Out. Brilliant idea!

- I really hope to win a free trip to go to Donald Miller’s conference next month. Here’s my entry.

- In case you were wondering I am blogging on my iPad because our PC is acting up again. As soon as I get $1000 (or a second job) we’re getting a Mac and we’re not going back!