Seth Godin on Bullying

Some food for thought here

So, We Gonna Do That?

We launched a new ministry initiative this month at Hillcrest.  It's a ministry that takes time and you welcoming in children into your home, so it's a little harder and messier than a one time giving or serving opportunity.

After we shared some information on the ministry, one of our children turns to my wife and says, "So, we gonna do that?".

Ah, umm, not sure, we'll see . . .

My children are far from perfect, but I love their faith.  Childlike.

And, we'll see  . . .

The Paralysis of Focus

This past week, Hillcresters

• made a meal for the teachers and staff at Cleveland Elementary
• donated items and money for shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child through our children's ministries
• made 10 fleece blankets for under-resourced high school students in the Sioux Falls area
• purchased and donated items from the wish lists at Children's Inn and Children's Home Society

Some might say that while those projects are good, it could look like we're spread to thin.  Some might say it is better to focus on a couple of projects and really do well instead of doing many and risking a mediocre effort.

Often times, I agree with those sentiments.  Any organization can spread itself too thin by doing too many things at an average level instead of doing a couple things at an excellent level.

The problem, though, is when we use the focus sentiment as an excuse.  

Better to jump in and do too much as opposed to saying you want to focus on something and yet never do it.

The Point of a Presentation

Remember this next time you are presenting anything

Keep Pursuing

Each Friday morning I get together with several guys- right now, we're talking about this .

Our first chapter from this book talks about for guys, dating is like playing a game and getting married is like the game is over.  When we dated our spouses, we wooed.  We were thoughtful.  We pursued.  And then we got married, and saw life like these shirts.

The problem is that many of us guys stop pursuing or pursue less.  We no longer leave notes, send flowers, or do the things that we did when we were dating because we've accomplished the point- marriage.

And yet as we learned a couple weeks ago, the reality is that we need to keep pursuing.  After marriage, dating our spouse, pursuing our spouse, is just as important as it was before the marriage.

Do You Have Hope?

I was reading in 1 Peter the other day and came across the familiar section in chapter 3 where Peter encourages his audience to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that they have.

The key to this verse, though, is that you have to have hope.

Without hope, you're not living in a way where people will feel compelled to ask you anything.  Your life won't look too much different then yours.

This isn't about living a plastic Christianity.  Of course we'll have struggles, temptations, failures, doubts, and worries.  This doesn't mean we gloss over those things so that we look like we have hope.

No, we wrestle with them, share them, work on them, all because of the hope we have in Jesus.

Do you have hope?

Trafficking and Cupcakes

One interesting story of how to show God's love to an 'industry' few want to talk about.