Take Nothing For The Journey - @ relevantmagazine.com

Articles that make you go hmmmmmmm...
- posted by Rick @ 14:09

 
RE: URGENT CALL FOR 03-03-03 TO BE A "WORLDWIDE DAY OF PRAYER"

I think I've written on this before. I'm not as much "anti-war" and I am "anti-war-mongering"... It seems that we aren't looking for alternatives anymore. I think the call for Christians to pray is a good one, because I don't know how else the church should "get involved" other than seeking God's face on behalf of our leaders and our "enemies".
- posted by Rick @ 13:37

 
CNN.com - 80-year-old called up to fight Iraq - Feb. 27, 2003

... "administrative error"? I'd like to see what the bloke can offer to the war effort, wouldn't you?
- posted by Rick @ 12:58

 
CNN.com - 'Mister Rogers' dies at age 74 - Feb. 27, 2003

This is one man who crosses lines culturally and generationally in this country. Not an easy thing to do. He will be missed, mainly because there's very little "competition" out there to take his place. Perhaps Levar Burton on Reading Rainbow, or someone else who can talk to kids instead of down to them (that's always been my biggest complaint about Barney).

My kids watch PBS in the afternoons when they get home - Liberty's Kids, DragonTales and Cyber Chase. Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood comes on before they get home, so they've never watched it much, except perhaps at school. While I was never a big fan of the show, I watched enough of it growing up to learn a few thinks about slowing down, taking your time, changing your shoes, getting comfortable with others. Things like that need to be taught to my kids, too, and I hope I can pass along a legacy like that in some way.

I'll be your neighbor any day, sir.
- posted by Rick @ 10:18

 
Caught a snippet of the hookline of this track on the DAREDEVIL CD. God's good, and poingnant, isn't He? I'm longing for a deeper feeling, all while I'm stuck here on the ground... like waiting for rain.

Caught In The Rain lyrics: Artist Revis (DAREDEVIL Soundtrack)

...
Feeling small
Without an escape
I almost let you down
Well, I was caught in the rain
Wasting my time on the ground
...

What we do
It doesn't matter now
When I was caught in the rain
You made me feel

You made me feel
Made me feel
I was caught in the rain
Wasting my time on the ground

Wasting my time on the ground
I was caught in the rain
Caught in the rain

Rain down, Lord...
- posted by Rick @ 12:50

 
One of the chapters at the end of WITH NEW EYES asks a very piercing question of me: do I feel? Am I capable of feeling deeply? Margaret recounts a conversation with a friend - a coffee break becomes heart surgery. Her friend wishes that her heart were made of leather, but both know that they haven't hurt as much as others have, that they haven't grown through the pain as well as others have. "To feel is to grow, and to grow is to live."

Am I growing? My gut reaction is yes, no, maybe. I must be growing - things are changing, right? But am I changing, or am I settling into a malaise that I had been fighting to avoid? I'll be honest - I don't like what I see in the mirror most mornings. Don't like what I'm becoming, what I'm "settling for." Don't like my passionless existence, my lack of focus and drive and pursuit.

But I do feel deeply, don't I? While I pshaw at empty and droopy sentimentality, I tear up at the sight of a child and her mother, at the image of a gentleman pausing to smell a flower, at the thought of holding my daughter tonight as she goes to sleep and years from now as she overcomes her fear, at the thought of playing gold with my son and watching him out drive me on the fairway.

I get caught up in the sentiment myself, but I lack the impetus to press towards the ideal I know is simply there. Somewhere along the way, even while still walking and still navigating and still hitting the path... I need to regain the umph that makes it worthwhile. Oh, Lord, anoint me in Your presence... fill me with Your Spirit. I will to willfully pursue You, O God my Father. Jesus, walk with me... hold my hand, and let me be compelled to run with You, towards You. In Jesus' name... amen.

I want to feel deeply. I want to pursue passionately. I stop just existing, and I compel myself to truly live.
- posted by Rick @ 14:30

 
I'm finishing up a book by Margaret Becker - WITH NEW EYES. Good read - and I'm a sucker for poetic prose. Mostly, it's her journaling experiences from her life, and her unique spin on things is beautiful. In essence, I feel like I've been given a gift by being allowed to view her art though her life and her life through her art, if that makes sense. I recommend it to anyone trying to find himself, anyone looking for her own way through this thing.

Catching up on my resolution reading - one more quickie by tomorrow, then "officially" into "this week's" book. Man, I'm reading more now than I have in a long time. No complaints.
- posted by Rick @ 12:41

 
Here's my blogs4God take on last night's Grammy awards. And here's my devotional for Sunday on Reality TV.
- posted by Rick @ 18:47

 
Carol and Jim's Wedding Links... I think. Looks like I've got a "good design idea"... or I'm under that heading for "here's what not to do with our wedding site"... But my blog's not about getting married. Though I hope I help some folks stay married.
- posted by Rick @ 18:43

 
Fear of Supporting the War On Iraq - at RELEVANT magazine
- posted by Rick @ 13:20

 
Building a team for the new CWO blog:

Vicki's first entry

Dawn's first entry
- posted by Rick @ 10:11

 
One of the weirdest links to me I've seen: Google Search on "Laci Peterson predictions".

"Weird" in the sense that it found the keywords across two posts. "Weird" in the sense that I really hope they find Laci, but that my "predictions" are still being withheld concerning the Oscars (that's what the second post was about). "Weird" - in that the reality of Laci's disappearance is juxtaposed with the fake reality of Hollywood. The storytelling of real loss set against the storytelling of imagination, and from there the lines continue to blur, don't they?

"Weird".
- posted by Rick @ 18:42

 
I used to post a journal to diaryland, but it's gone. Thought I might re-post some of my stuff here, though...

"I can do all things through Christ as He gives me strength. With God, nothing is impossible. Apart from Me, you can do nothing." - Phil 4:13, Luke 1:37, John 15:5

I dipped into a valley of despair yesterday, overwhelmed by the busyness. Too much going on, and nothing of any value getting done. At work, at home, at church, with God. "Am I doing anything that's worth it, Lord? Am I doing a job worth doing? Am I leading in a way that's bearing fruit? Am I helping and serving in a meaningful way anywhere?"

God answered. It's impossible for Him to do nothing, but apart from Him, nothing is something I can accomplish on my own. I've been here before, falling out of the "abiding relationship" to grab onto the "performance-based relationship", or maybe even the "passive I'm-just-blessed relationship". But I haven't been abiding in Him, looking to Him for my sustenance on the vine, seeking to bear the fruit of his life on my branch, hungry for Christ alone.

I fell asleep last night thinking of a quietness, a peacefulness, a deep rest in my spirit - even as the Holy Spirit was waking up my mind to the possibilities of a life truly lived for Him, by Him and through Him. I slept well last night - thanks for asking.

originally published @ diaryland, 03/06/2002
- posted by Rick @ 07:15

 
Yahoo! News - 'Joe Millionaire' Chooses Zora on Finale

Now there's nothing to watch but American Idol... help us.

We get caught up in celebrity, and the only thing I can figure is that it's a vicarious fantasy that we each believe should be living out instead of the Flavor-Of-The-Week star. "Reality TV" is anything but, and yet millions of people are drawn to the fiction to see what's going to happen next. Why can't we be as caught up in our own reality, in our own families, in our own lives. The networks are just giving us what we want - or they've given us something we didn't know we wanted, and now we like it so they dish out more and more... when what we really want is reality, deep and true and meaningful.

If everything's a fantasy, if reality is only lived in soundbites and TV show editing, then what are we even here for? It's no coincidence that the spiritual hunger in our society appears to be growing. And it's no surprise that TV is filling the void better than christians.
- posted by Rick @ 06:48

 
Listened to JOB 38 - good stuff. I've got to get this CD:
John Mark McMillan
- posted by Rick @ 14:58

 
Good article: :: RELEVANT magazine :: The Facade Of Morality.

Excerpt: "Some things are morally wrong to do, but at the same time, they aren’t completely wrong because they are acceptable in today’s culture. Re-read that statement and think about it for a second. Done? Okay, now try this one on for size. As a Christian, I follow the teachings of the Bible because I believe the Bible is true. [FREEZE FRAME] Now step back for a moment, and consider what is true about these two statements. They both illustrate the selfish, human desire to carry out what feels best to the individual. Yep. They are the same, even though the second statement mentions the Bible two times, sounds really spiritual and is rooted in general Christian tradition..."
- posted by Rick @ 09:39

 
Isn't salvation wonderful... to witness in the lives of others?

[meandean's story @ blogs4God this morning]
[journal entry @ javabeans]

Life gets so full, so hectic, so stress-filled - this isn't what Jesus promised, is it (John 10:10)? The enemy comes to steal and destroy - and looking at the church in our part of the world, he's having an easy time of it. But "life to the full" is what Jesus came to bring... and what we long for, deep inside of who we are.

Seeing it this morning, remembering my own story, sensing that the freshness and newness is there even now (Lamentations 3:22-24)... My heart is full of praise for Him, and I desperately needed to feel that again - to know that He is my Lord, that He is worthy to be praised, and that the cost is small (Phil. 3:8) compared to knowing Him.

We all need to be reminded... peace.
- posted by Rick @ 12:53

 
Just got back from seeing Jungle Book 2 with my two kids. They enjoyed it - for me, it wasn't too painful. Not as good as some other kids' flicks we've been to recently, and definitely not near the top of the Disney list. But we had a good time - daddy likes spending time with the kids.

Vicki and I were going to go out to see Daredevil this evening, but that's been put on hold. As the movie went along with the children, T said that his stomach was hurting. When we got home, it looks like he's running at least a 101+ fever, and he says he's feeling cold - not normal for the boy who comes home and tosses his shoes and socks off before doing anything else. But that's ok - we'll stay home, or we'll get grandma to come over and take care of him. Meanwhile, I don't mind being home - daddy likes spending time with his family.

I've been evaluating relationships. It's hard to do this objectively, difficult to remove myself, my hurts, my sarcasm from the fray. Whether it's on an email list, or in blog comments, or on message boards... or in "real life" among family members, in the workplace, at church... why can't we just get along? Why is it so hard to truly want the other person's best in every circumstance? Why can't I be vulnerable to trust you with my well-being so that I can work tirelessly for your well-being? Isn't that true reconciliation - selfless and abandoned and real towards others?

Meanwhile, I'm going to crash on the couch with my daughter - Baloo and Mowgli wore her out. I'll sit on the couch, read my book, and check on T-boy in a bit. Vicki's just vegging out, too. Daddy like spending time at home.
- posted by Rick @ 16:50

 

you are larry. the silly. the childlike. it's impossible not to like you. but grow up, would ya?
Take the test, by Emily.
- posted by Rick @ 10:09

 
After posting the link to the Relevant article on "Church Signs" - a friend sent a list of "God One-Liners." Some of them were better than others, but I've highlighted a few below and my beef with the whole idea:

5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period.
** unfairly puts down commas, a part of speech that I happen to use quite frequently 8^)

6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period.
** seriously, this undermines so much of our faith, doesn't it? the feeling/teaching that I'm not supposed to question things - harmful "doctrine" here

7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift.
** you'd never know this one by looking at the faces of the folks going in and out

10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us.
** again, you'd never know this by watching the people coming in and out

12. When God ordains, He sustains.
** for the unchurched, this is meaningless

14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
** better in front of a boat dealership, you think?

15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.
** this is one where you can see it's truth by the people going in and out... I've got to get off that kick, huh?

20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.
** I think I know what this means

21. He who angers you controls you.
** the only one with a fairly decent "message," because its not churchy

22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.
** good puns are good, but this isn't a good pun 8^)

23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler.
** this one either

24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.
** for the unchurched, this has a whole different meaning, complete with tackle boxes & filet knives

25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
** this one's true, but meaningless to the unchurched - and not very meaningful to the churched if they're not paying attention

26. Read the Bible -- It will scare the hell out of you.
** cliche', often untrue, given the rampant sin/junk going through the "christian" church - again, you wouldn't know it by looking

Sorry for being a party pooper. I noticed every church sign between my home and work this morning, and every one of them had something like this list. I'm all for a good sign, but it's almost like Chicken Soup for the Driving Soul - is it really having a meaningful impact, a life-transforming hit on our lives? Too often, we think we're better off for having heard a good message or "gotten the joke" of a good sign, without dwelling on the fact that we haven't been changed at all.

I had a talk with Pastor once about preaching on Immaturity. The problem is that when everyone hears the message, they'll say "Amen, Pastor - ouch - we're immature - help us, Lord" - and somehow we'll being to feel more mature for having heard and agreed. But the seed is quickly stolen by the birds (Matthew 13), and we're deceived again into thinking we've gotten something. In reality, we missed it again.
- posted by Rick @ 10:47

 
Happy Valentine's Day.

And thanks Hallmark, for establishing a day that makes us all feel the love (Saint Valentine?) - even if we have to stand in line and shopping centers overheated for the winter with too many warm bodies. Actually, my trip to WalMart wasn't too bad yesterday afternoon. A lady in line ahead of me with a buggy full of superstore stuff asked if I wanted to go ahead of her. She let the next lady do that, too, but cut it at two - that's the minimum, I suppose, for random-acts-of-kindness in these parts.

I love my wife. And I love my kids - but I loved her first, longer. Amen? HVD.
- posted by Rick @ 09:33

 
Amen. Preach it.

:: RELEVANT magazine :: Church Signs.
- posted by Rick @ 13:39

 
I hope they find Laci. I hope this goes away because she's been found. I hate it when tragedy ruins people.

CNN.com - Doubts about husband confound Peterson family - Feb. 12, 2003
- posted by Rick @ 22:28

 
Motivation - where is my motivation these days? The weeks are so long, work is so hectic, and there are so many things to get done so that the next things can queue up for their turn in my to-do list. I don't feel like complaining and whining "I'm tired" all the time, though most of the time, I am. I also don't feel like faking it and putting on a smile everywhere I go - seems dishonest in a sense to have to manufacture a good attitude.

I know that the key is somewhere inside - the yearning for God, the inner desires to love and to be loved, etc. And I'm grateful that there's more than just what's inside of me, given that God also draws us to Himself. Probably the burden of grace is to give us the power and the desire, and our own burden is to followthrough and do the thing... Why do we fall on our part, when God is so rich on His side of things?

I'm just rambling now, but I think there's more to what Paul was talking about with "what I want to do, I don't do - and what I don't want to do, I end up doing." Isn't there also something in us that makes us not want to anything, good or bad. It's not so much that I'm doing the wrong thing or the right thing - I'm just finding myself doing nothing, and that's disheartening, isn't it?

Back to work. Perhaps a paycheck is valid motivation, or just doing a good job as unto the Lord.
- posted by Rick @ 15:15

 

How Strong Is Our Faith?
Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt

You know very well how things are. Murderous weapons are ready. The powers of darkness have risen and want to drive things to the point where the earth becomes a pool of blood. Must there be war and rumors of war forever? If we cannot pray for the time to come when God's almighty arm will hold back warring armies, then it is a mockery to believe that God makes all things new.

* from Bruderhof Communities - daily quote
- posted by Rick @ 09:05

 
Well, the nominations are out, and once again, I need to rent some DVDs or head to the theater in order to check out a few of these films. I want to see The Hours, but I'm not too big on seeing Gangs ("Leonardo! Leonardo!") or The Pianist. Adaptation looks like it might be good, but I thought that about Memento last year and found myself fast-forwarding to the end. Chicago might make a good date-night flick on DVD, but I'm not into musicals that aren't animated (though I did like the band).

CNN.com - 'Chicago' tops with 13 Oscar nods - Feb. 11, 2003

Anyway, I'm not going to make any predictions yet, except to say the LOTR: The Two Towers won't win. It's a good film, but doesnt' stand on its own enough apart from the first one to tell a good story, you know? I'll hold any other expectations or predictions until the week before, and probably make a game of seeing alot of these films with my wife.

Can anyone babysit?
- posted by Rick @ 12:44

 
This winter's been kinda rough - lots of little colds and stuff lingering through the family and for friends' families, travel time away on business, too much to do in too little time, busy busy busy and always feeling more tired than we should. I'm not totally complaining. The weather has been pretty decent, though I would like to see one more snow day. But all in all, I'm looking forward to spring - maybe a change of scenery will liven things up a bit.

All that to say: I actually feel pretty good right now. Good night last night with the kids, nice evening with Vicki, got lunches packed and such so that they weren't hassling us this morning in getting ready, etc. And I slept fairly well, even after staying up 'til midnight getting some extra work done. The children were fabulous this morning, everyone got to school on time, and I was early enough to get some coffee and a donut this morning before my own thirty minute commute.

And this song is in my head, and I played it a few times back-to-back-to-back (instead of the radio and the yack-yack-yack)...

Sara Groves - cd: all right here - song: every minute

I am long on staying
I am slow to leave
Especially when it comes to you my friend
You have taught me slow down
And to prop up my feet
It's the fine art of being who I am

And I can't figure out
Why you want me around
I'm not the smartest person I have ever met
But somehow that doesn't matter
No it never really mattered to you at all

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome
At the risk of self-discovery
I'll take every moment
And every minute that you'll give me
And I can think of time when families all lived together
Four generations in one house
And the table was full of good food
And friends and neighbors
That's not how we like it now

Cause if you sit at home you're a loser
Couldn't you find anything better to do
Well no I couldn't think of one thing
I would rather waste my time on than sitting here with you

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome
At the risk of self-discovery
I'll take every moment
And every minute that you'll give me

And I wish all the people I love the most
Could gather in one place
And know each other and love each other well
And I wish we could all go camping
And lay beneath the stars
And have nothing to do and stories to tell
We'd sit around the campfire
And we'd make each other laugh remembering when
You're the first one I'm inviting
Always know that you're my friend

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome
At the risk of self-discovery
I'll take every moment
And every minute that you'll give me
Every moment and every minute that you'll give me
Every moment and every minute that you'll give me
Every minute
- by sara groves

"... at the risk of self-discovery... I'll spend time with you." I find this morning that if I mean that as I say it to my wife, to my kids, and to my Lord... it feels pretty good.
- posted by Rick @ 11:30

 
Between blogs4God and a coincidental mishap at blogger.com, I'm just a little ol' victim of circumstance...
- posted by Rick @ 08:50

 
Wow.

I posted my first cache to blogs4God today, and boom - my stats go through the roof. Looking at bstats right now, and I've gotten 492 page views today, and 1000+ so far for the month.

Dang, I'll have to start having something to say.

Thanks for playing.
- posted by Rick @ 19:44

 
Things Rick needs to do this week in order to be an all-around-swell-and-not-too-lazy guy:

1) Gotta update the CWO website. I'm not usually at all up-to-date over there, and I need to be doing a better job. Right now, it's out of date on the front page, and I've got updates to some of the inner workings, too. Don't let Dean see it, ok?

2) Finish reading THIRTY DAYS by Sunday, keeping my string of "finishing a book per week" active. It's good, but not a quick read, because as I find Paul Mariani struggling with issues of his faith in following the steps of St. Ignatius, I'm forced to meditate long and hard on my own issues, too.

3) Order new material from Cleansing Streams for session #3 - words. I'm still waiting on the session #2 workbooks, though... aarrgghh.

4) Family Reading Time - Vicki and I are going to be working hard to make this a positive and enjoyable time for us and the kids, each night as possible, instead of wasting away in front of the TV/PC/GameCube/GBA. When the weather gets warmer, this can also be switched for Family Walking Night, Family Basketball Night, or Family Let's-Go-Bug-The-Grandparents Night.

5) Do good work at work this week. Make sure - double sure - that my customers have everything they need, and that it works as best as it can. Not that we've been flagging on the issue, but it looks better if we can get on top of things instead of seeming to always be in reaction mode, you know? Same thing probably goes for me at church, getting on top of things instead of reacting to change.

Whew.


- posted by Rick @ 12:18

 
Friends Don't Let Friends Use Camera Phones By Paul Boutin...

There are so many ways for this to be wrong...
- posted by Rick @ 12:05

 
Well, I'm reproducing in the blogosphere...

We've kicked off two more blogs this past week. Javabeans is hopefully going to evolve into a place to share a "community journal" of what God's doing at CWO. Meanwhile, I got Pastor Danny & Carlos, Jr., hooked on blogs as a means to journal what's going on and to pump up the kids for their upcoming summer camp. QuestCamp will be a place where each church's leaders can post what's on their hearts as the June conference gets closer, and where the kids can interact somewhat in the comments section, getting to know each other before getting to know each other.

Tomorrow, I'll have my first cache at Blogs4God. Found some good ones, some new journals that I'm going to keep up with if I can.

Meanwhile, it's just been a long week, and a long weekend, hasn't it? Tonight was Cleansing Streams Session #2 - CONSECRATION. It's a good video with Pastor Tim Smith describing what happens when all of the crud of life is allowed to accumulate - materialism, relationships, and self - between us and God. The junk blocks the flow from God, and we wonder why there's no power or victory in our lives. Ouch. Now it's just time to get some sleep, to get ready for tomorrow and another long week.

Consecrating the bejeebers out of it all... - g'night.
- posted by Rick @ 22:32

 
just jump in...



This has been our "logo shot" since the beginning of CWO. I like the depths of the blues, and I think the ripples and the bounce are cool. Our vision of being "a healing place for a hurting world" is captured a little in this pic, I think. Anyway, at javabeans, I'm trying to see if our church could participate in a team blog, where we write what's on our hearts, journal our church history, etc.

Not sure if it'll fly yet, but we'll see.
- posted by Rick @ 06:46

 
Told you I'd catch up 8^). I'm "early" even...

This week, I've been reading HOOT by Carl Hiaasen - and yes, I'm a geek: I downloaded it for $3.99 from Amazon.com. Anyway, Hiaasen's not normally a "young fiction" writer, but I liked his first attempt, which I found out about when shopping the kids' aisles at Barnes & Noble with my son, Trace. He's not quite ready for it - too long, no pictures, a couple of words we'd rather him not "get" yet - but I think he'll enjoy it later on.

It's the story of Roy, a middle schooler who's the "new kid" again, this time in Coconut Grove, FL. While the school bully is whalloping him one morning (first pages were a grabber - made me wish I was that age again, reading books like this and SUPERFUDGE), he spots a boy running through the neighborhood barefooted. The adventure includes cottonmouths with painted sparkles on their tails, a construction site for a pancake house, environmentally protected burrowing owls, and the school bully - dumb as a rock and too ignorant to know it.

Good story, and the ending didn't wrap up too quick either, which is usually the case in some of these "kid adventure" novels. I'd recommend it to any of you old foiges out there who need to just lighten up a little, dangling your feet into the water off the rotting hull of a crab boat in the everglades.

Why'd I finish "early" this week? Got some thick books to finish that'll take way more time, so I'll start on the next one tomorrow.
- posted by Rick @ 13:07

 
Just a shameless plug for something else to which I'm going to devote a little time. I'm going to be posting a Monday cache of blogs to Blogs4God, starting next week 02/10. Occasionally, you find a blog being posted by a fairly gifted writer who's able to let you into his/her thoughts on life, the universe and everything. That's cool, and I'll be looking for journal blogs like that and posting them in a cache each Monday. Feel free to visit over there anytime, and if you come across a blog - or start one of your own - let me know and I'll see if it gets posted to blogs4God.
- posted by Rick @ 20:48

 
I'm slacking off on the book resolution - to finish one book per week in 2003, but maybe I can read one of my sons's Spongebob books this week to catch up on the weekend. This week, I've been reading through Rick Joyner's LEADERSHIP: THE POWER OF A CREATIVE LIFE. Say what you will about Joyner and his prophetic voice, but this book leans more towards the John Maxwell side of things, sharing his own experiences from aviation and business, and from his study of war and great leaders through out world and church history.

It's not always an easy read. I think he tries to convey too much information at once without plotting out a true course for it all. It seems to chase alot of rabbit trails, with examples and anecdotes popping out at what seems like the wrong time. And the editting needs some work in spots - word choice and grammar stuff. But that's being picky on my part. All in all, it's a challenge to re-assess my own call to leadership and how it's playing out in the real world right now.

I'll include a few quotes that have stuck out to me:

"The single most important step that most of us can take to start becoming a visionary, and then turning our visions into successes, is to start thinking the very best about everything and everyone.... There will always be some people and situations that fail or disappoint us, but it is a well-established fact that people perform much better with positive motivation than negative threats." - p. 81

"True nobility is infectious, and it will spread to those who come into contact with it. We are living in a time when there is a meltdown of morality and integrity, which makes it an even greater time for the truly noble to arise." - p. 20

"The whole world will try to fashion you into what it wants you to be, but true leaders resist this bondage and determine to make their world what they want it to be. You were created for a purpose, and you will find it by discovering the deepest desire of your heart." - p. 23 - and this goes right along with a cover article in FAST COMPANY a few months ago (not just a "Christian" thing, huh?)

"Faith is the primary factor that separates those who will accomplish their goals from those who do not. This is not just faith in God, but also faith in general. Everyone has faith; everyone believes *something*.... The faith we have will determine the course of our lives." - p. 42

There's also a very interesting chapter on the Knights of the Order of St. John (an affiliation that Joyner's taken some heat for in the past) showing that courage and tenacity, along with good leadership/strategy, will prevail over the toughest onslaughts. All in all, I recommend the book for folks interested in being challenged as leaders to just rise up and lead.

Thanks for playing - next book? any suggestions? 8^).
- posted by Rick @ 20:23

 
Lots to think about as I mentally and emotionally "leave" the Columbia tragedy, moving on to life and work and family and everything. I told my wife that I was glad that we had GW in the White House and not AlGore, that the former VP always seemed too stiff and scripted to have been believable during times of tragedy like this and 9/11/01. She nailed me on it - we don't know how AlGore would've responded, and to diss him over it is unfair. Trial and fire can bring out the best in a man, and you don't really know anything about a person until he goes through some stuff.
- posted by Rick @ 07:11

 
Best quote: "I'm glad I live and work in a country where, when we have a bad day, we go fix it." - Chief Flight Director Milt Heflin, NASA

Another: "The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to earth, yet we can pray that all are safely home." - President George W. Bush
- posted by Rick @ 16:36

 
Another blog-like journal chronicling the day's events aboard Columbia and on the ground.
- posted by Rick @ 13:32

 
Wow - weather satellite image of the debris cloud.


- posted by Rick @ 13:30

 
What happened?

We've been out this morning, away from TVs since about 9am. But when we got home and I sat down to some email and web/news-surfing, we found out that the Space Shuttle Columbia appears to have exploded as it was coming in for a landing at Cape Canaveral. Not much info yet, but I'm sure all of the news channels are covering it with everything they've got. I'll tune in later, but for now here's a link to the most poignant piece I've found on the 'net. It's a long (start from the bottom) reading/journaling of the individual days/tests of the entire Columbia mission. There is an entry at 9:06am today that says "Ten minutes to wheels down." The next message posted at 9:20am says that NASA has lost contact. FYI, the top few entries have a "Jan 10" date typo.

I was going to send a "journal cache kvetch" to blogs4God.com, but I'll wait 'til later. That doesn't seem so important right now.

Pray and mourn.
- posted by Rick @ 12:48

 
Intriguing.

I'm seeing alot of articles and websites based around house churches and the possiblity of "doing church" in what appears to be a fairly organic and holistic way. I mean, some of the sites talk about it as a movement and a reformation, but sometimes it sounds more like "try our way over the old-fogey-non-working way" - rubs me wrong. The stuff I'm intrigued by, however, are filled with blogs on what's going on, how relationships are being built, how churches are multiplying. You don't need to resort to marketing techniques if what you've got going on is real and meaningful - people will tell people their stories, and the authenticity seems to be built in, right?

Just browsing...
- posted by Rick @ 07:16