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Catalyst 2009: Andy Stanley “Making a Mark”

October 20, 2009 in Dave's Musings with 7 Comments

It’s impossible to adequately portray the experience known as Catalyst so I won’t even try. I would, however, like to pass along a few leadership tidbits from various conference speakers. I won’t recap each discussion; that has been done excellently here (look at the “Latest Articles” section”). Instead, I just want to pass on a few 3×5 card-sized bits of usable information. My hope is that they will challenge you and help you move forward as a leader as they continue to do the same for me.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll post similar “3×5 card” summaries of the messages that impacted me the most. Here is the first one.

Leadership Lessons from Catalyst 2009: Andy Stanley and “Making a Mark”

  • Most people worry about who’s on their side.
  • The question, however, should not be “who’s on my side” but “who’s side am I on?”
  • God has invited us to play a part in his story
  • Will I submit to play whatever part God has for me?
  • Will I seek to make my own mark or have God make his mark through me?
  • What will you do? Whatever you decide, you must choose who you will serve (ref: Joshua in the Bible).
  • Action Item: Wake up each day and ask myself, “Who’s side am I on?” and remember that God takes full responsibility for a life fully devoted to him.

Next up in the Leadership Lessons from Catalyst 2009 series: Malcolm Gladwell with “The Mistakes Leaders Make”

Mr Mom: Part 1

October 19, 2009 in Dave's Musings with 3 Comments

“Dad, I’m hungry,” Lauren told me emphatically Friday evening.

“OK, I’ll make some oatmeal.”

So I’m a dad…and a mom. Sort of. By now, you all know that Lana is 24 weeks pregnant and was put on bed rest last week. With that, I’ve been thrust into the role of Mr Mom. It really isn’t that different from every other day. I just have a few additional things to stuff away inside my brain and manage. No big deal, right? You just need a system to keep track of…

“Excuse me, Dave. Do you want me to give Carmen her Vest treatment down here or upstairs?” Salem, the night nurse, asked me.

“Oh, upstairs would probably be better,” I replied. “I’ll help you carry up the equipment.”

A few minutes later.

“What’s that smell?” Lana asked from her perch on the living room sofa.

“CRAP!!! The oatmeal!” I shouted as I jumped up and raced into the kitchen.

***

Lesson # 1: When multi-tasking, it’s important to remember that whatever was cooking on the stove is still cooking on the stove. Blackened Chicken is good. Blackened Oatmeal? Not so good.

***

Thank you LaToya for the delicious dinner tonight! Chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, rolls, salad- yummy! (MUCH better than that oatmeal!)

Quick Update

October 14, 2009 in Dave's Musings with 26 Comments

I just got off the phone with Lana. I don’t want anyone to get too hysterical but we’d definitely appreciate your prayer.

As Lana mentioned previously, the doctors have been a bit concerned about her lifting Carmen during her pregnancy. She went in for another ultrasound this afternoon and they want to do some additional tests because it looks as though things are less than ideal. That’s about all the detail I have for you right now.

Again, please don’t get too excited! Everything may be just fine. And even if it’s not just fine, we know that God is more than able to get us through whatever the future may hold.

But please do pray. Thanks!

Something Fun from Catalyst 2009

October 14, 2009 in Dave's Musings with 4 Comments

As Lana mentioned in the previous post, I’m planning to pass along a few leadership lessons from the 2009 Catalyst Conference. Before I get to anything serious, though, I thought I’d start with something fun. So here is the first tidbit, which does come with a lesson: when you surround yourself with creative people, it’s only a matter of time before something like this happens.

For those of you who might not know, “Andy” is Andy Stanley, lead pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA. Each year, he is one of the main speakers at the conference. The video above was an “introduction” by his good friends Lanny Donoho and Reggie Joiner before Andy’s closing message.

PS. The other guys in the video are not Lanny or Reggie. They are Tripp and Tyler, two guys who entertained us at various times throughout the conference.

A Friend Named Joe

October 12, 2009 in Community, Dave's Musings with 20 Comments

I know a man named Joe. Joe is my friend.

A friend, you see, is someone who is there for you when times are troubling.
A friend is there for your family when the days are full of stress.
A friend is someone who prays for you.
A friend listens to you pour out your concerns even though he has concerns of his own.
A friend is encouraging.
A friend corrects you when you are wrong about important things but doesn’t correct you when you are wrong about unimportant things.
A friend understands how you feel because he shares your pain.
A friend knows when to speak and when to be silent.
A friend is compassionate and empathetic.
A friend wants nothing but the best for you.

I know a man named Joe.
I’ve never met Joe but he is my friend.
I wish I was a friend to others the way Joe is a friend to me.

Joe has some concerns right now. Will you please join me and pray for Joe today? If you don’t pray or believe in prayer, that’s OK. But will you at least consider leaving a comment right now to raise the spirits of my friend Joe, a man who is going through some challenging times at the moment?

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