You Won't Be Disappointed

I know I don't use my blog much to promote books or to give book reports. Which is strange, because I read so much. Favorites from 2007 include:

• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
• Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
• Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples
• The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
• A Leader's Legacy

I just finished a book this morning that I want to talk about. It was the best book I have ever read! It has everything - romance, intrigue, mystery and instruction. I just love movies and books that speak to my heart, yet also make me think. This book pulls off both! Some days I found myself not being able to put it down. As a matter of fact, it's so good, I've read it through over 10-15 times. And the amazing thing, it just keeps getting better and better!

By now, most of you probably know I'm referring to the Bible. For reading, I like to use the One Year Bible NIV.It's laid out with daily Old Testament, New Testament and Psalms or Proverbs readings. I love setting down with my Bible and a cup of coffee, spending time with God, allowing Him to speak to me through His Word.

And this morning, while enjoying my cup of Starbucks Christmas Blend, I finished reading through the Bible. What a thrill reading about the wall being finished around Jerusalem in the book of Nehemiah, the new heaven and new earth (the new Jerusalem) being prepared for us in the book of Revelation and an awesome song of praise in the book of Psalms.

Here are the last verses in the last chapters from the books of Nehemiah, Revelation and Psalms.

Remember me with favor, O my God. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Let me encourage you to begin a consistent Bible reading program if you don't have one. Start with reading through the Gospels or the New Testament. Reading through the entire Bible takes about 10-15 minutes a day. Most people spend more time than that reading the newspaper or watching TV. Start small, experience some success and then keep going!

Allow God to speak to you through His Word. This is a book I recommend to you without reservation. The characters are real, the plot is awesome, and the ending is unbelievable! You won't be disappointed!

Top Ten List

So, here we are, the end of the year. It hardly seems possible that 2007 is coming to a close. But for you, my faithful blog readers, the end of the year means it's time for me to announce my Top Ten 2007 blog posts!

I had more difficulty this year narrowing the list down to ten, so I developed two Top Ten lists. A bit unusual, I know. Just look at it this way, you are getting twice your moneys worth!

In reviewing the past year, I realize how many of my posts were inspired by people who acted out of courage and faith. People of character and conviction who overcame great obstacles in order to achieve heroic results. In honor of these men and women of courage, I dedicate the first list to my Top Ten Inspirational People (in no particular order).
10. Claim to Fame
9. Amazing Grace
8. Character Not Color
7. Oh Happy Day and No. 42
6. Time to Take A Stand
5. Don't Pass Him By
4. Just A Midwest Boy From Iowa
3. Living and Dying For Jesus
2. Pura Vida
1. 26.2

My next Top Ten list is a more traditional mixture of posts about a variety of subjects. Many times when I start to write a blog post, I don't know exactly what I want to say. Sometimes in the process of writing, I discover a story that needs to come out ... a deeply held belief that needs to be expressed ... or a fleeting thought that needs to be further developed. These posts often become my favorite.

Without further ado, I present to you my Top Ten Favorite blog posts for the year (in no particular order).
10. Your Are Only As Old As You Think You Are
9. Step Up To The Plate
8. Generation Me
7. What Can I Do To Make It Right For You?
6. The Joy of Life
5. It's A Small World After All
4. Willing To Risk Death Daily
3. Servant and Leader
2. Proclaim Liberty Throughout The Land
1. The Smart Thing To Do

And because it's my blog and I can do anything I want to, I'm going to give you four bonus posts.
4. Looking Backwards, Moving Forward
3. A Rich Legacy
2. Less Is More
1. For The Love of The Game

So there you have it, my top 24. What were your favorite posts from 2007? Leave a comment to let me know.

If you've read this far, you have way too much time on your hands! Begin your own blog, tell your own stories, and write about the things that stir your soul. Make 2008 a year to remember!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7

Christmas Lights

Now, it's time for some Christmas lights. Click on the picture above to see a very interesting Flickr slide show of some creative Christmas light displays! Enjoy.

The 12 Days of Christmas

It's time for some Christmas music. Sit back, relax and enjoy this version of The 12 Days of Christmas. Last year, Josh and a group of Linn-Mar guys performed a similar arrangement at the Get In The Spirit concert. These guys are good!

Winner Announced

And the winner of the Name That Book contest is ........ Tye Male! Tye was the first person to identify the quote as coming from the book of Zechariah by posting the correct answer on my blog. Retha Gordon emailed me the correct book and Chris Leonard answered correctly by posting on my Facebook page. You are all winners!

This evening, I presented Tye with his grand prize - a hand decorated, Christmas cookie. Thank you to all who played the game!

Christmas Cookie Art

We had our annual Christmas cookie decorating party this afternoon. I must say, Erin's creativity has raised the bar regarding the quality of our decorating efforts! In my humble opinion, everyone did their best work this year, turning out some remarkable pieces of art. The cookies almost look too good to eat!

You can click on the picture above to see more Christmas cookie art. Jon is holding "Work Out Brenda!" You would need to have been here to understand! Our cookie decorating provided several hours of fun and laughter. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Name That Book

I was reading in my Bible this morning and came across several familiar passages, but I'm not sure I would have remembered which book of the Bible they were from. Here they are:

Rejoice greatly O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king come to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter" - the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter.

So, how about you? Do you know what book of the Bible these two quotes are from? You can't use a concordance, online or PDA Bible or other helps. You can use one lifeline by asking a friend. No other help.

The first person who gets the correct answer gets a special gift! You're on the clock - name that book!

Honesty

Lance Greco sent me a link to a ESPN article today titled, Santangelo admits HGH use, says he'll 'face the music'. In my blog yesterday, Let the Games Begin, I mentioned that I'm waiting for just one baseball player to step forward to take personal responsibility for his HGH use.

Well, the wait is over. F.P. Santangelo, a seven year veteran who last played with the Oakland A's, was one of the players named in the Mitchell Report. Santangelo now works for Sacramento's KHTK Radio as a member of, "The Rise Guys" morning show. This morning he came on the air and admitted that he had used HGH. Here are some of the quotes from the MLB article.

In an emotional two-hour radio appearance, the seven-year major league veteran, who last played with the Oakland A's in 2001, confessed to using human growth hormone, explained how and why he did it and publicly apologized to his two kids, his ex-wife, his parents and listeners. He talked about the difficulty he had in explaining it all to his children.

Santangelo's honesty, his candor and his willingness to accept responsibility for what he had done touched some listeners and infuriated others. Opinions ranged from, "You're a liar," "You should resign," and "What should I tell my kid?" to "You don't owe anyone an apology," "I commend you for telling the truth," and "Keep your head up." Santangelo absorbed it all, telling listeners, "I made this bed and now I have to lie in it."

Friday, Santangelo described the release of the Mitchell report as a "relief," telling ESPN.com it was something he had wanted to "scream from the top of a mountain" for some time now, but fear of litigation kept him from doing so.

"This is just me," he said. "I hit things head-on. I'm honest to a fault. I never run away from anything. Once I knew this was coming out, I wasn't going to hide from it."

As difficult as it was to listen to critical phone calls, Santangelo said the hardest part was sitting down with his kids a month ago to explain to them about the decision he'd made. When a caller asked what he should tell his 10-year-old son about Santangelo's inclusion in the report, the former major leaguer instructed him to tell him the exact same thing he told F.P. Jr. "I told him, 'You make mistakes. If you make the right decision in the first place, you won't have to go through what I have. But if you do make a wrong decision, you handle it head-on, with humility and you move on.' "My kids are learning a very good life lesson right now. Their Dad screwed up but he faced the music and is dealing with it head-on."

At the end of his two-hour radio stint, Santangelo again apologized to his friends, his family and his listeners. He again took accountability for his actions and admitted he made a horrible mistake and that everyone's criticism was warranted.

Kudos to Santangelo for being a stand up guy. He's admitted his error and is taking responsibility for his decisions. Admission of guilt is always the first step toward recovery and healing. Santangelo has discovered the peace of mind that comes with honesty.

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but however confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Let The Games Begin

The Mitchell Report was released today. In case you haven't been following the HGH scandal in baseball, former Senator George Mitchell was selected in March 2006 to head an independent probe into the drug scandal in baseball.

Many of the names released today were not new. BALCO had already linked Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield. But other names like Clemens and Pettit were surprises. The new report linked more than 50 players to performance-enhancing drugs who had not been previously associated with doping.

"Every American, not just baseball fans, ought to be shocked by that disturbing truth," Mitchell said. Baseball started testing for steroids in 2002 leading to the "growth" (no pun intended) in Human Growth Hormone use. Unlike steroids, HGH is not detectable through urine testing.

Mitchell said former baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent told him the problem was possibly "the most serious challenge that baseball has faced since the 1919 Black Sox scandal" - when Chicago White Sox players conspired with gamblers to affect the outcome of the World Series championship.

"By and large, the conduct of the players' association was a disgrace and an outrage," Dick Pound, chief of the World Anti-Doping Agency told Reuters. The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, said: "It is a sad, sad day for the national pastime and all who love America. All involved should be ashamed."

Disgrace, outrage, shame, crisis of integrity - all serious challenges to the game of baseball. And how will the players and their association respond to these serious charges? Just watch. There will be blame shifting, finger pointing, excuses and explanations galore. Here are just a few we might hear:

• My agent made me do it.
• I didn't know it was illegal.
• I thougth it was clear cream.
• My mom recommended it to me.
• All my teammates were doing it.
• I've never heard of HGH.
• I used it but didn't inhale.

I'm eagerly waiting for one player, just one player, to step forward and take responsibility for his own actions. I'm waiting for just one person to say, "I used HGH and it was wrong. I made a mistake and I'm sorry. I've been a poor role model. I appeal to young people who look up to me to not make the same mistake that I made. HGH and steroids are very dangerous. I'm sincerely sorry for what I have done. I will use the rest of my career to repair the damage I have helped to cause and hope to regain your trust."

I'm waiting, but I'm not too hopeful. Baseball has ceased to be a sport and has become just another form of entertainment. The bottom line is the dollar. Decisions are made by whatever it takes to put people in the stands. Baseball has become just another game. The word "integrity" and baseball no longer belong in the same sentence. Baseball more closely resembles WWF (it's now officially called the World Wrestling Entertainment) or Roller Derby.

Here is how Wikipedia describes professional wrestling - a simulated sport and performing art which combines wrestling with theater. Baseball might want to take notice. That's not a bad definition. Professional Baseball - a simulated sport and performing art which combines baseball with theater.

Maybe there's a reason that major league baseball is referred to as The Show. Maybe baseball never was a sport. Maybe it was always about entertainment. Who really cares if their favorite actor or artist is using HGH or steroids? It's all about the latest song or movie.

So, if you're looking for some good entertainment this week, watch as baseball players run for cover, dodge accusations and parse verbs. It's all part of the script. It's good theater. Let the games begin!

Heart Cry of the Broken Hearted

New Covenant once again hosted the Children's Candle Light Memorial Service. You can read about last years service here. The service is a very sacred time as the families come forward to light a candle in remembrance of their loved ones.

A special thanks to Dennis Sharp who organizes this special service. A Gazette reporter attended this years event. You can read the Gazette article online here.

I'm thankful that we have a God who entered into our pain and suffering. He knows what it's like to loose a beloved son. He knows the heart cry of the broken hearted.

Prepare For Launch

The days of prayer, planning and anticipation are just about over! Tomorrow morning we do our first "soft launch" at our Washington High School site. We are doing soft launches on December 2, 9 and 16. Then on Sunday, January 6 we are having an "open house" for our New Covenant church family in preparation for our Grand Opening service on January 13. On Sunday, January 13 we will officially become "one church at two locations!"

This morning the Launch Team met to discuss details, go over the schedule for tomorrow morning, to pray and then pack the trailer. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the morning. Launching in the winter presents some special challenges and we had to deal with the sleet and ice this morning. Hopefully this nasty weather mix will move through tonight so we can unload and load in better conditions tomorrow.

There will be a lot of details to work out over the next three weeks. The purpose of our "soft launch" Sundays is to give us practice and experience with the equipment and set up/tear down process so that we are ready for guests on January 13. Our goal is to create space for those who are not yet here, who need to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

We are still looking for people who would like to serve at our Wash Campus. Stop by the table in the lobby on Sundays to sign up. Or you can email Lisa Harrington to let her know you would like to help.

Tomorrow is a big day! We are stepping out in faith and launching a second campus. We are trusting God for big things. Prepare for launch!

Christmas Variety Show

We traveled to the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls last evening to attend the UNI Men's Glee Club Christmas Variety Show. The performance was 2 1/2 hours of inspiration, entertainment and laughter. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

Believe, In The Sanctuary, Lux Aurumque, and Gloria were vocal favorites. And A Glee Club Christmas Carol and Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairies were show stoppers! Sharon and I especially enjoyed the show as Josh, David Hoobler and Ben Wohlers all sing in the Glee Club.

It was a great evening of entertainment. It was a great way to begin the Christmas season. Kudos to Dr. Barrett and all those who performed!

Animator vs Animation

You gotta see this! Click on the stick figure above and it will take you to the flash site of the animation. Click play, sit back and enjoy! This is raw creativity at its best!

An Attitude of Gratitude

I'm finishing up The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. Schwartz makes the point that as the number of choices keeps growing, negative consequences begin to appear, leading to overload, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. I've already commented on this in the blog article titled Less Is More.

The solution to this crisis of having too many choices? Schwartz suggest that we "practice an attitude of gratitude." Listen to what he has to say.

"Our evaluation of our choices is profoundly affected by what we compare them with, including comparisons with alternatives that exist only in our imaginations. The same experience can have both delightful and disappointing aspects. Which of these we focus on may determine whether we judge the experience to be satisfactory or not. We can vastly improve our subjective experience by consciously striving to be grateful more often for what is good about a choice or an experience, and to be disappointed less by what is bad about it."

And how do we do this in a practical way? Schwartz suggests the following discipline:

• Keep a notepad at your bedside.
• Every morning, when you wake up, or every night, when you go to bed, use the notepad to list five things that happened the day before that you're grateful for.
• Keep the discipline up. You will find that it gets easier and easier, more and more natural. You may find yourself feeling better and better about your life as it is, and less and less driven to find the "new and improved" products and activities that will enhance it.

Not a bad practice. Pretty good advice coming out of a business book! Which reminds me of the timelessness and relevance of God's Word. God knows that having a grateful and thankful heart is the key to happiness. Not much has changed through the years. This Thanksgiving, may you and your family discover the secret of an attitude of gratitude.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Imagine That

OK all you engineers, you're going to love this! The above video is from TED which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED is an invitation-only event where the world's leading thinkers and doers gather to find inspiration. They then put their presentations online for the general public to watch. Most of the video presentations are 20 minutes or shorter in length. It's good stuff!

The TED video that I have selected is by Dutch artist Theo Jansen. Jansen has been working for 16 years to create sculptures, called Strandbeests, that move on their own in lifelike ways. His newest creatures walk without assistance on the beaches of Holland, powered by wind, captured by wings that flap and pump air into old lemonade bottles that in turn power the creatures' many plastic spindly legs. The walking sculptures look alive as they move, each leg articulating in such a way that the body is steady and level. They even incorporate primitive logic gates that are used to reverse the machine’s direction if it senses dangerous water or loose sand where it might get stuck.

Enjoy the short video! I find this kind of thing inspirational. The inquisitiveness, curiosity and power of the human mind to create. Now, I know some of you more sensible types are saying, "But why!" "What's the point?" "What can these Strandbeests do?"

Maybe nothing yet. Maybe nothing ever! Innovation comes as we push the limits of possibility and what has been done before. Just because something has no obvious immediate use, doesn't mean it's not worth exploring.

And why do I say that? Because I believe that being creative is part of what it means to be made in the image of God. To imagine, to dream, to explore, to think, to create - this is part of what it means to be human. This is part of what it means to be created in the image of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Good Old Days

So you're not quite sure of what to make of the Kindle and the whole idea of digital books? I thought you might enjoy reading what Michael Hyatt, President and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers has to say. I encourage you to read his blog article titled, Why Traditional Books Will Eventually Die. It's a good read and will give you an idea of where digital book content is going.

Michael Hyatt's analysis - "The book, as we know it today, will eventually die. It won’t happen all at once. And it won’t happen immediately. But, in my opinion, it is inevitable. Why? One word: efficiency."

We may or may not like it, but the world is going digital. Think of the candle. It once was the means of lighting a room. Not any more. Candles are still around as decorative accessories, but they are no longer used as a source of light. Unless your electricity goes out, like last winter!

Books will always be around, they will just be religated to the category of collectibles or relics. Sort of like the vinyl record album. You remember those don't you! So hold on to those books of yours. One day you will tell your grandchildren about the "good old days" when you used to curl up in a chair and read a book! My oh my, the times, they are a chang'n!

Book 2.0

The world is going digital and fast. First it was video, then music, then photography, then short-form reading material. Until now, books have been one of the last bastions of analog. And now, Jeff Bezos of Amazon is taking on books, seeking to bring them into the digital world.

This week Bezos is releasing the Amazon Kindle, an electronic device that he hopes will become the turning point in a transformation toward Book 2.0. There have been previous attempts at introducing digital readers but none of them have been successful. The Kindle hopes to change that.

The Newsweek cover story this week features Bezos and the Amazon Kindle. The Kindle will be able to store up to 200 books and will connect to the web. It will be able to receive automatic downloads from major newspapers, magazines and other publications, and will offer owners more than 88,000 digital titles at launch time.

I don't know about this whole thing. I love reading, but there's something about holding and marking up an analog book. But how about being able to purchase books for $5 each, or to be able to do instantaneous content searches. You can't remember where you read that great quote? No problem? A quick search brings it up in an instant. And you would be able to move seamlessly between your favorite books, newspapers and magazines. It just may work. Maybe not this year or next year. But within the next ten years the way we receive and interact with our reading materials is about to be transformed. Mark my word.

This is a subject that I'm passionate about. During the past eleven months I've read 22 books and countless blogs and online articles. The opportunities to learn and grow are endless. We're only limited by our imagination and time. And of course, being an empty-nester now affords me more time in the evenings to read. In this day and age of information explosion, there's no excuse for not being a reader and a learner.

Yet, increasingly, people are reading less. A 2004 National Endowment for the Arts study reported that only 57 percent of adults read a book—any book—in a year. That was down from 61 percent a decade ago. The study also documented an overall decline of 10 percentage points in literary readers from 1982 to 2002. The rate of decline is increasing and, according to the survey, has nearly tripled in the last decade. And of greatest concern, the rate of decline for those aged 18 to 24, was 55 percent greater than that of the total adult population.

Jeff Bezos believes the Kindle "is the most important thing we've ever done. It's so ambitious to take something as highly evolved as the book and improve on it. And maybe even change the way people read."

The Kindle may in fact change the way we read, but will it increase the number of people who read? I doubt it. That will only happen if we turn off the TV, power-down the computer, unplug the video games and pick up a book. Or should I say, turn on your Kindle!

Lets Say Thanks

During this time of year, when you sit around the dinner table with family, don't forget to say "thank you" to our troops. Men and women are serving around the world to ensure that we can continue to enjoy freedom.

Xerox has teamed together with other sponsors to help people express our thanks in a practical way. You can go to http://www.letssaythanks.com/, select a postcard design, write a message and they will deliver it to one of our military personnel stationed overseas.

So, what are you waiting for! Go to the web site, compose a message and send a postcard. It's time to let our troops know that we appreciate their sacrifice and service. Let's say thanks!

Not In Vain

With yesterday being Veterans Day, I thought you might enjoy reading about this "human Statue of Liberty" photograph.

According to the Iowa National Guard web site, the photo was taken in July 1918 at Camp Dodge. 18,000 officers and soldiers posed for this photo which was to help promote the sale of war bonds, but was never used. The photo was taken by Arthur Mole and John Thomas, who planned and photographed other large patriotic symbols using American soldiers.

Some interesting facts about this photograph:

• The distance from the top of the torch to the man closest to the camera is 1235 feet or almost a quarter of a mile!
• There are twice the number of men in the flame of the torch as in the whole remaining design, while there are eight times as many men in the arm, torch and flame as in all the rest of the figure.
• The base to shoulder is only 150 feet while the right arm is 340 feet long.
• The widest part of arm holding torch is 12 1/2 feet.
• The right thumb is 35 feet long while the thickest part of body is only 29 feet.
• The flame on the torch is 600 feet long.
• There are 12,000 men in the flame of torch and only 2,000 men in the body, head and balance of figure combined.

What an incredible feat. And to think that after all that work, the photograph was never used!

A special "thank you" to all the service men and women who have or are proudly serving our country. Your sacrifice was not, is not, and will not be in vain!