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Twitter Spam

May 10, 2011 / / 2 Comments

Image from BusinessGrow.com

I was followed by a gardening site right after I tweeted about my own garden recently.

Lame?

Maybe not.

The reason I am quick to say that it may not be spam is because they simply followed me.  Didn’t send me a direct message promoting their site, or pushing me to their Facebook account.  They just subtly let me know that they’re out there.  No in-my-face marketing.  And you know what, when I need help, I’ll likely refer back to their site.

Drive-by spammer?

I saw this acted out in real life while driving through my neighborhood.

I saw a professional landscaper stop and help a couple that was trying to get their tiller started.  Apparently they were having a tough time, and this guy knew what he was doing.  He was being generous.  Not to get business.  Not so he could drop off his business card, and subtly drop hints that he was the best landscaper in town.  But just because he had a bit of expertise and a few minutes to help this older couple figure their tiller out.

Social media is the same way.  You’ve got an expertise.  Maybe you’re a landscaper.  Maybe you’re a mom.  Maybe you’re a theologian or a comedian or a runner.  You’ve got some expertise in something.

That’s your angle.

Use that as your platform.  Give away your knowledge, stories, insights, failures, and successes.  Because somebody else wants to know what you know.  Your words will be priceless to them.

And in their time of need, you know where they’ll turn first?

Google.

And when they turn to Google, they’ll find you. You’ll be that guy that drove by at exactly the right time.

So tweet, blog, facebook, and share with the world your expertise.

We need you.

When you begin to see social media (and life as a whole) as a way to be generous with your gifts, passions, and expertise, we all benefit.  You included.

 

 

Quit trying to be funny

May 9, 2011 / / 6 Comments

Want a snapshot into my thought process?  Here you go.

image by Beaty Bass

Me: I could write a blog off of this thought:

If you’re not funny, don’t try to be.

Because I read something the other day where someone was trying to be funny, and they weren’t.  It was painful.

My brain: But you write things that you think are funny.  And they’re not.  So they’re painful.

Me: Ouch.

My brain: Don’t judge people on a funniness scale.

Me: I don’t mean to jud…

My brain: And who made you the funny judge, anyway?

Me: …

My brain: And isn’t “funny” subjective?  What’s funny to you may not be funny to everyone.

Me: Well, ok.  But some things just aren’t funny. Case-in-point: well, um…I can’t think of one right now.  But you know what I mean.

My brain: You mean that there are some things that just aren’t universally funny.  Right?

Me: Yeah.

My brain: There you go again.  Judging “funny” purely by what you find “funny.”

Me: But why would someone write something intending to be funny, when they’re not?

My brain: Hey, you don’t have to read their stuff…

Me: I guess not, but…

My brain: No, you don’t.  Just quit reading.

Me: I guess you’re right.  Nobody is forcing me to read.  That would be weird if they did.

My brain: Don’t you write from your own experiences?

Me: Yes.

My brain: And aren’t your experiences sometimes funny to you?

Me: Yes.

My brain: Boom!  Then you just contradicted yourself.  You’re funny to you, but not to everyone.  Isn’t this what you’re frustrated with other writers about?

Me: I suppose…

My brain: And are you forcing anyone to read your stuff?

Me: I sure hope not.

My brain: What kind of an answer is that?  It’s either a “yes” or a “no.”

Me: I guess that realizing there are countless voices out there, and that those non-funny funny guys can have their voice, too, is good.

My brain: Finally.  You get it.  It doesn’t matter.  They’re funny to someone.

Me: Be who you are, and let others be who they are. Hey, I think I’ll Twitter that.  Wait, no.  I’m having an important internal dialogue right now.  Stick with it.

My brain: What just happened right there?

Me: Sorry.  …But can’t I be a little critical?  Bust on people a little when they’re not funny?

My brain: Nope.  Again…you’re not that funny to most people.

Me: Ok, ok…I get it.  I’m not funny either.  Will you lighten up already?

My brain: You need to lighten up.  Give people the freedom to express themselves however they want.

Me: Fair enough.

See what I have to deal with?  Here’s my own takeaway from my own thought process:

I’ll let you be you.

In fact, let me take that one step further.

Please, please…you be you.

We need you.  Your brand of humor.  Your style of relating.  Your way of leading.  Your ideas, passions, giftings, and set of failures.  Your training, your taste, and your family dynamics.
Don’t be me.  I won’t be you.

And, I promise…I won’t judge you for being you.

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. (Romans 12:4-6)

 

 

The commitment

May 6, 2011 / / 3 Comments

I have a small group that I am a part of that meets every week.  And I’m going to have to miss it soon.

I’m going out of town, and there’s no way I can make it back in time.  And that really bothers me.  Even though it’s only the 3rd time I’ve missed the group in 2 years.

Because I made a commitment to the group.

When I joined, I committed to being there every week.  The people in my group aren’t imposing any guilt on me for missing.  They’re not upset.  The group will carry on without me, no problem.  Somebody else will lead the discussion that night.  Somebody else will take up the prayer requests.  Somebody else will make sure the group keeps moving forward.  The group isn’t dependent on me.

But I’m bummed I can’t be there.

I’m missing out on

  • a dynamic discussion
  • a broken-hearted request
  • a cry for help
  • an opportunity to praise God for His goodness
  • a belly laugh
  • a good meal
  • catching up on life
  • sharing my own difficulties
  • sharing my own triumphs
  • doing life with friends
  • praying for a friend
  • being prayed over

You may not like my small group (I wrote about it HERE).  But I do.  These guys challenge, encourage, and equip me to do what God’s calling me to do.  Their influence in my life is beyond measuring.

To get the most out of your small group, you’ve got to make a significant commitment. Otherwise, a small group is just a Bible study.  A group of acquaintances.  An I-have-to-go-to-that-again? meeting.  A burden.  A time-waster.  Something that takes you away from what you really want to do.  A place of forced community.

Make the commitment to the folks in your small group.  They’ll be glad you did.

And so will you.

Have you ever made the level of commitment necessary to really invest in a small group?

Have you ever seen someone not make that commitment, and burn out quickly?

 

When life falls apart

May 6, 2011 / / 2 Comments

We know what it feels like, but what does it look like when life falls apart?

Here’s a beautifully well-done short video trying to capture the raw feeling and emotion that happens when our life comes unravelled.

 

In An Instant from Tungsten on Vimeo.

 
Does that seem to come close to capturing it?

 

Social media monologue

May 2, 2011 / / 7 Comments

I had coffee the other day with a guy.  He shared his thoughts, his ideas, his insights, his stories, and his history over the course of an hour.  As we ended our meeting, he said

Sorry I talked so much…next time, I want to hear from you!

So two weeks later, we had coffee again.  And you know what he said as we finished the meeting?

Sorry I talked so much…next time, I want to hear from you!

Meetings that are driven by monologue are not so much fun.

Meetings that are driven by listening and dialog are much more productive.

The social media monologue

And when we look at social media as bite-sized, micro meetings, the same principle holds true.

When social media is used as a monologue, it’s seen by others as a waste of time.  Boring.  Self-serving.

But when social media is seen as a dialog, it can be engaging, meaningful, productive, and generous (I wrote about social media and generosity HERE).

I’m not aiming to simply broadcast my thoughts and ideas out so that others can hear.  I’m ready to dialog about this stuff.  I’m ready to open up a dynamic conversation within different communities around the globe.

There are some people who want you to hear their message, but don’t care about hearing yours.  Those are the conversations I don’t care to have.

Those who are using social media most effectively are starting conversations and building relationships.

Have you built authentic relationships with others online?

Have you seen dynamic, robust communities share ideas collaboratively online?

 

 

Concrete, alignment series

May 2, 2011 / / 0 Comments

We at Grace Community Church launched a series called Concrete yesterday.  We’re doing it as an alignment with our small groups, launching new groups whose goal is to engage people in authentic community for the 5 weeks of this series.

We’ve produced a DVD and small group study guide for our groups to track along with our Sunday sermons.

We do these alignments during series where you would feel comfortable inviting your friends and neighbors. And we construct our small group discussion guide so that if you have people you’ve invited who are far from God come into your home to do this study with you, they’re able to track along with the discussion, add in their own personal experience, and take a step of faith…whatever that looks like for them.

Who are small groups for?

Our small groups aren’t just for the mature.  But they’re also not just for those new to faith.

They’re for everyone. Because we feel that everyone needs the opportunity to discuss the Scriptures, process life, and build relationships…in an environment that’s safe to explore faith.

For this alignment study, we’ve chosen topics that are accessible and challenging to people wherever they are in their spiritual journey.  We’ll be exploring foundational issues, challenging people to take a step towards God in their prayer life, commitment to the local church, giving, reading their Bible, and sharing their faith.

If you care to join us, we’d love to have you!  Click HERE for access to the podcast and small group study guide from week 1.

The rest of the study guide (link to weeks 1-5) can be found online HERE.

Click HERE for a pdf version of our study guide from week 1.

If you’re joining us, please leave a comment and let us know!

 

Leadership challenges

April 30, 2011 / / 4 Comments

Leadership is challenging.  Whether you’re a leader in your community, your job, or your church, you’ve run into the difficulties that each and every leader faces.  Maybe your challenges are unique…but my guess is that they’re not.

I posted this on Twitter and Facebook recently, to see what other challenges leaders face:

I got some great (and some goofy) comments, so I thought I’d share them with you.

The most difficult part of leadership has to be…

I would add the following

  • change
  • recruiting volunteers
  • keeping the mission and vision front and center
  • creating momentum
  • managing AND leading
  • admitting when you’re wrong

What did I miss?

Do you enjoy leading, or is it more of a burden to you?

 

 

Do something

April 28, 2011 / / 6 Comments

Doing something is much more important than doing nothing. *

My son tries new things all of the time.  He tries climbing something new.  Saying something new.  Eating something new.  Playing something new.

But what I’m challenged on is that he’s not afraid to try something new.  Even if that means failing.

Something happens when you start getting older.  You start aiming for “safe.”  Working to not rock the boat, keep the status quo, and not try anything new.

Don’t lull yourself to sleep.  We need you. We need your new idea.  Your insights.  Your excitement.  Your creativity.  Your passion.  Your failures.

Bring them all to the table.  And don’t hold back.

I talked with a good friend the other day.  He’s just become an elder at his church.  Here’s what he said,
I just don’t want to be the new guy that comes in with all kinds of ideas and shakes things up right off the bat.
And while I, at one level get it, I challenged him:
Be that guy!
They’ve brought him on as a young elder (yes, I see the play on words there…hang with me) because they believe in him, and he believes in his local church.  They trust him.  And these elders need to be challenged!  Be the guy that doesn’t take, “We’ve always done it like that…” as an adequate answer.
 

Faith does.  It doesn’t sit back on the sidelines and wait for someone else.  It takes risks.  Moves forward.  Follows its King.  (see Hebrews 11)

 

If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. – James 2:16-17

Doing something is more important than doing nothing.
What do you need to do today?

* I know that wisdom sometimes says, “Wait.”  But that period doesn’t have to last very long.  It lasted 40 years with God’s people in the wilderness, yes, but remember…that was a form of discipline/sanctification, not a way of “wisely” choosing to wait.

 

 

The wandering, praying mind

April 27, 2011 / / 10 Comments


Have you ever been praying, and start to think of your to-do list for the day?

Suddenly, things pop into your mind out of nowhere that take you off to another place, and your mind is adrift at sea.

I’ve been told that those things are a distraction.  That I just need to concentrate harder and seek God more, and that when my mind wanders, I need to have more discipline to stop thinking about ______, or ______.  I’ve been told that my wandering mind is a sign of weakness.

But I’m not sure that what I’ve been told is right. I’m not convinced that a wandering mind is a weak, undisciplined mind. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not so much a sign of weakness, but a sign of

  • what I’m valuing at the moment. This is both a heart-check (what’s really important to me?) and a “Wow, I’ve really been thinking about that a lot…maybe I should pray about it.”  Our mouths speak (or, in this instance, “our minds think”) what our hearts are full of. (Luke 6:45)
  • God helping me remember things that I need to do. Is it not God that is the creator of the mind?  Does He not know all things, including what we need to be in the business of doing?  Does He not hold all things together? (Colossians 1:17)  We are commanded to ask God for wisdom…don’t be shocked when He gives it. (James 1:5)
  • God reminding me people and situations I need to pray for. Ever have someone or something, seemingly random, pop into your head when you’re praying?  I do. And I’m not so sure that’s a bad thing.

I know that prayer is not all about me and my situation and my relationships and my life. I realize that connecting with God through prayer is essential for simply building my relationship with my Creator.

But I’m going to be easier on myself when my mind starts to wander.  I’m taking every thought captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Do you think that God speaks in this way?

Does your mind wander when you pray?

 

Harnessing courage

April 26, 2011 / / 13 Comments

My son is a running, jumping ball of courage right now.

  • He rides his 4-wheeler down our front steps.
  • He jumped down 3 stairs the other day…measuring at least his height.  He hit the floor, tumbled a little, and kept on running and laughing.
  • Yesterday, he rode down our driveway (a fairly steep hill) as fast as he could on his little plastic truck…which was definitely not intended to be ridden as fast or as hard as he was riding it.
  • He’s not afraid (usually) of talking with a complete stranger.
  • He jumped off of his bed.  It’s taller than he is.

He just has this courageous spirit in him.  And I fight my hardest to not discipline that out of him.

Because seeing my son do courageous things thrills my heart, and I know it’s a expression of his God-given spirit of adventure.  And it would be easy for me to discipline that out of him in the name of safety and order.  I could demand that he not run amuck, that he play it safe, that he walk (err…jump) a more careful path.

But I am convinced that that’s not best for him in the long run.  That’s simply what’s good for me and my sanity in the short-run.

I want to encourage my son to continue to take risks.  Stand up to challenges.  Do things nobody else is doing.  Blaze his own path.  Follow his dream.  And live out the calling God’s placed on his life.  I want to teach my son to live dangerously. It’s much easier to rein that courage in, and point it towards Christ, than to re-program a man to live dangerously. I want to encourage him to be courageous now, and reward those small feats.

David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. – 1 Chronicles 28:20

Have you ever been encouraged to live dangerously?

Disagree with the idea that boys (and men) living dangerously is a good thing?  Feel free to push back!  Click HERE to jump in the comments!

 
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