Servant and Leader

I found an interesting article by Jim Bolt at FastCompany.com. Bolt's firm, Executive Development Associates, Inc., asked heads of executive/leadership development to identify leaders who had a reputation for being great at developing leadership talent. They interviewed 20 "role model" leaders from 16 companies.

The study reveals how top executives spot and develop leadership talent. But the part of the study that I found the most interesting is what causes rising stars to suddenly derail and crash.
The study asked the role-model leaders what derailment factors they look for in both High Potential Executives and Emerging Leaders. These were the most frequent responses:

• Ego - 53%
• Developed too quickly - 36%
• Self serving - 30%
• Repeated failure - 29%
• "One trick pony" - 23%

Two of the interviewee comments were especially interesting. Remember now, these comments were made by some of the top "role model" leaders who are adept at developing effective leaders.

"If they have strong results, but they sacrifice team members or the bigger picture, or are too self-serving, they would no longer be considered high potential."

"They might have expectations of the rate that they are going to move up. They think that they should be moving up very quickly and when they don't, they lose patience. They can become disillusioned."

Maybe Jesus knew something about leadership development after all. And maybe the business community is learning that an effective leader needs to know how to deal with their ego. And maybe the Scriptures have something to say about effective leadership. And maybe the words servant and leader belong in the same sentence after all.

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45

Graduates

It's been a great graduation weekend! We had Josh and Jon's Graduation Open House yesterday from noon to 3:00. Sharon's sister, Ruth came early to help with the Open House. Steve and Jerri Dee and their nine children traveled from Wausaw to help us celebrate. Ryan and Natalie traveled from Oklahoma, and my dad, one of my sisters and her family and, two aunts and uncles all joined us for the Open House. A special thanks to all our friends and family who helped us celebrate yesterday!

And then, this afternoon we went to the U. S. Cellular Center for Linn-Mar's Commencement Ceremony. Neil and Carol (Sharon's sister and her husband) from Rockford, and Sharon's brother, Dave, joined us today for the graduation. We cheered on Josh and Jon as they walked across the platform to receive their diplomas. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the day.

Congratulations Josh and Jon for your many high school accomplishments. We are proud of you. But your best days are yet ahead! We are looking forward to how God will use your lives in the years to come.

It's Time

Josh wrapped up his vocal season at Linn-Mar with the Spring Vocal Concert last Monday. It was an awesome evening that included a family pot-luck, senior recognition and concert. David Hoobler received the outstanding senior musician award. Way to go David!

The 9th and 10th Grade Choirs, Concert Choir, Chorale, Men and Women's Choirs all performed along with several other ensembles. It was a great evening of music. A special thank you to Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Schmidt for a great year. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

Our lives have been filled with a series of "lasts" during the month of May. We can now at the "last vocal concert" to our list! It's a little sad to think that next year we won't be going to marching band contests, winter or spring vocal concerts or track meets in the spring.

But there is a time and season for everything. And this is a season of lasts, and transitions, and new beginnings. Graduation is only a day away. It's time.

Good Eggs!

We celebrated the last day of high school for Josh and Jon with breakfast at Perkins this morning. It hardly seems possible that they graduate this Sunday.

We had a great conversation about what they are looking forward to at UNI, summer plans and the upcoming track banquet. And of course, they ordered and enjoyed the "tremendous twelve" breakfast combo. You can see a slide show by clicking on the picture above.

Josh and Jon, you're good eggs! Scrambled of course, but good eggs!

Beautiful

This evening was Senior Solo Night at Linn-Mar. Jon returned from the State Track Meet just in time to change and grab his guitar.

Andrew Holcombe, Melanie Marzen, David Hoobler and Jon performed Shawn McDonald's, Beautiful. They did an awesome job! We are so proud of you!

You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the Senior Solos. Thanks Seniors for a great performance!

Here are the lyrics to Beautiful:

As I look into the stars
Pondering how far away they are
How You hold them in Your hands
And still You know this man
You know my inner most being, oh
Even better than I know, than I know myself
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I, what am I
As I look off into the distance
Watching the sun roll on by
Beautiful colors all around me, oh
Painted all over the sky
The same hands that created all of this
They created you and I
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I
That You might die, that I might live
What am I, what am I, what am I, what am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclestiastes 3:11

Proclaim Liberty Throughout The Land

The U.S. Postal Service raised the cost of mailing a first class letter today from 39 cents to 41 cents. And it also introduced the Forever stamp which went on sale today.

The U.S. Postal Service picked the Liberty Bell as the design for its first Forever stamp, a stamp that will pay the postal rate to mail a letter no matter when it was purchased, no matter when it is used. "Who said nothing lasts forever?" Postmaster General John E. Potter said in a statement.

Now I appreciate the U.S. Postal Service trying to make my life simpler. But do they really believe that the Forever stamp will last forever? Take the Liberty Bell for instance. It cracked the first time it was wrung in 1752. The Liberty Bell as an icon on the Forever stamp doesn't exactly engender my confidence.

Who says nothing lasts forever? Let's try God's Word.

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17

Even the Liberty Bell is a symbol of brokenness. The world and all that is in it will one day be reduced to ashes. That's why our trust and hope needs to be in the unchanging character of God and His Word.

The real message of the Liberty Bell can't be reduced to an icon that is printed on a stamp. The real message is inscribed in large letters on the Liberty Bell for all to clearly see. Look closely and you will read these words:

PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND UNTO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF LEV. XXV X

The source of the inscription is Leviticus 25:10, which reads "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan."

Let this message ring loud and clear. Proclaim liberty throughout the land!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Living and Dying for Jesus

Several years ago we got to know David and Ulrike Byle. They are living in Istanbul, Turkey. Among other things, David volunteers with the Bible Correspondence Course, that seeks to bring the Scriptures to the Turkish people. This is the group that teams with TACO (Turkey Africa-Asia Creative Outreach) and does correspondence Bible studies.

Emergency Landing from New Covenant is going to Kyrgyzstan this summer on a short-term missions trip sponsored through TACO. You can learn more about this outreach ministry and how to support them by reading here.

In his latest email update, David writes about Necati Aydin, Ugur Yuksel, and Tilmann Geske - the three missionaries who were martyred in eastern Turkey for their faith in Christ. Necati and Ugur were Turkish Muslims who had converted to become followers of Jesus Christ.

You can read more about the details of the slaying here.

On the morning of 18 April, two of the murderers came to the office of Zirve Publishing House in Malatya. Among other things, they discussed the Christian faith with Necati Aydin, as they had done frequently over the previous months. On this particular morning, in addition to Tilmann Geske, the bookkeeper, Emin M., was also in the office. Everything seemed to be completely normal. In the course of the morning, M. left the office, not suspecting that he would never see Aydin and Geske alive again.

Shortly thereafter the three other assassins arrived and tied up the first two victims, while they threatened them with pistols. As soon as the victims were tied up, the murderers began stabbing them with knives all over their bodies. A short time later Ugur Yuksel came into the office; he was immediately grabbed by the murderers and tied up.

When the police arrived a few minutes later, the victims were still alive. The police demanded that the criminals open the door, at which they slit the throats of the victims. When the police forced the door and stormed the office, they found Aydin and Geske already dead. Yuksel was still alive and was rushed to a local hospital. In spite of emergency surgery and 51 units of blood, he died of his numerous and massive knife wounds.

The autopsy reports lead to the following picture: The bodies were covered with about 156 knife wounds in the pelvis area, lower body, anus, abdomen, and back. Their fingertips had been sliced repeatedly; and they had massive slashes on their necks which severed the windpipe and oesophagus.

The distinctively ritual manner of the murder, particularly the slicing of fingertips, is convincing observers of the consciously religious motivation of the assassins. The perpetrators seem to have been following the instructions of Sure 8:12, from the Koran. There it says (in the Rudi Paret German translation of the Koran), "I will strike terror into the hearts of unbelievers. Flay their necks (with a sword) and strike every finger." The last half of the sentence is translated in even more striking terms in some versions. In the Rassoul and Zaidan translation it says, "chop off every finger;" the Azhar and Ahmadeyya translation says, "chop off every finger tip."

David Byle, who himself has been jailed numerous times writes:

"We’ve seen this play out many times now: after persecution, the natural human response would be to become fearful and more cautious, but what often happens is that the persecution—far from making believers more timid—actually causes many of them to become MORE BOLD, to take MORE RISKS for the gospel—just like it happened with Paul’s imprisonment mentioned in Phil. 1:14."

"You can't imagine the sense of honor and pride there is in helping to bury a true martyr of Jesus Christ. In Turkey it is customary for all able-bodied men to help shovel the dirt on the casket immediately after the graveside service. This was an honor that I shall never forget..."

You can read an email from Susanne Geske, the widow of Tilmann Geske here. You can watch a YouTube news report of the incident here. And this YouTube video call Thou Shalt Not Share Christ is very good.

Turkey is a country of 66 million people with only 2500 known evangelical Christians. Please pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who daily suffer persecution, rejection and possible death.

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony: they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11

See You At The State Meet

We had a beautiful evening last Friday for the District Track Meet in Cedar Falls. Linn-Mar finished third out of eight teams, making it their highest District finish in school history. Congrats to the entire Lion team for a great performance!

Linn-Mar had eight individuals or relay teams qualify for the State Track Meet in DesMoines this week. Josh and Jon both ran in the 4x400 relay and set personal records. Shawn West and Wes Shetterly also ran legs on the relay team. Way to go guys! The 4x400 team qualified with a time of 3:27.69.

The following individuals or teams also qualified:

• 4x800 Relay - Shawn West, Matt Kearney, John Rigby and Zach Braff
• 110 Meter Hurdles - Jake Klopfenstein
• Shuttle Hurdle Relay - Grant Mahoney, Erik Frana, Cam Perry, Jake Klopfenstein (fastest qualifying time in the state)
• 400 Meter Hurdles - Jake Klopfenstein
• Distance Medley Relay - Clayton Chavez, Grant Benton, Shawn West, Wes Shetterly
• 800 Meter Run - Zach Braff (fastest qualifying time in the state)
• Long Jump - Cam Perry

It's been a great track season, in spite of the weather in April. Congratulations to the Linn-Mar track team, coaches and parents. See you at the State Meet.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

Lion Class of '07

You are all invited to Josh and Jon's Graduation Party. Come and help us celebrate this important life transition.

It's hard to believe that graduation is right around the corner. Where did all the time go? It's seems like just yesterday that Josh and Jon were beginning their Junior years and I authored this post titled Seasons of Life.

Josh and Jon are ready to graduate and Sharon and I are running hard to also get ready! We are teaming up with the Hoobler's to have a Graduation Party for Josh, Jon and David. We are also including Lukas Niedert making it a four person party! Some of you may remember that Lukas lived with our family several times over the past several years.

Here are all the details. Hope you can stop by to help us celebrate!

Saturday, May 26

Noon - 3:00 PM

New Covenant Bible Church

1800 46th Street NE

Happy Mother's Day

A happy Mother's Day to all the moms who read my blog. And a special Mother's Day to Sharon. She is one fabulous mother to our four great boys. Sometimes she thought she was raising five boys! So thank you Sharon for your unconditional love for the Lord and for our family. Our lives are enriched because of you!

Here is a tribute to mothers on this special day.

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct .... somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring .... somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good"....somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices .... somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.... somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.

Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first .... somebody doesn't have two children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books.... somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery....somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten or on a plane headed for military "boot camp."

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back ...somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married....somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home. ..somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.... somebody isn't a mother.

Linn-Mar Prom

Today was a beautiful day for Prom. Jon took Mallory Engle and went with a great group of friends from Linn-Mar. We're so proud of Jon and the young man he is becoming.

You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of some of the Prom festivities.

Linn-Mar Prom

Today was a beautiful day for Prom. Josh took Allyson Male and went with a great group of friends that included Tim Kearney, Morgan Galle, Garret Purdy, and Lindsey Paulson. We're so proud of Josh and the young man he is becoming.

You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of some of the Prom festivities.

A Prescription For Health

According to HealthDay News, childhood obesity in the US is on the rise, being referred to as an epidemic. Recent research reports a 200 percent increase in the number of children hospitalized for type 2 diabetes.

The dramatic increase in pediatric type 2 diabetes occurred nationwide between 1997 and 2003, according to the study by researchers at New York University School of Medicine. They found that rates of hospitalization for children with type 1 diabetes increased 15 percent between 1997 and 2003, while rates of hospitalizations for type 2 diabetes increased 200 percent.

"The rapid rise in childhood obesity is now common knowledge," said Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University School of Medicine's Prevention Research Center, who was not involved in the study. "Increasingly, so is the concurrent rise in type 2 diabetes in children - a generation ago, this condition did not exist. What is now called type 2 diabetes was called adult onset diabetes until quite recently." "Epidemic childhood obesity has transformed a chronic disease of mid-life into a pediatric scourge," Katz added.

Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult onset diabetes because it was rarely seen in children, is typically diagnosed in patients who are overweight. Left untreated, it can lead to such complications as heart disease, blindness, nerve damage and kidney damage.

Let me see if I understand this correctly. Type 2 diabetes is typically diagnosed in people who are overweight. We know that children who spend more time playing video games are heavier, and are more likely to be classified as overweight or obese. Furthermore, playing video games in the bedroom is an added risk factor for overweight and obesity. And we know that bedroom TVs are linked with childhood obesity.

Now, I'm not a statistician or a researcher, but I wonder if there's more than a casual relationship between the increase in time children spend watching TV and playing video games, being overweight and type 2 diabetes? This news is frightening!

I was recently talking to a person at church who has been diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. He has recently lost over 40 pounds, feels better than he has in years, looks great, and has recently ditched his insulin pump! Exercise and a healthy diet - now that's a prescription for health!

The Smart Thing To Do

I was shocked when I read this article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette today, Study: 1 out of 5 kids under 2 has TV. The study was designed in consultation with media experts who were convened by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the University of Texas Children's Digital Media Center. The results of the study were published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. You can read the entire article titled Digital Childhood: Electronic Media and Technology Use Among Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers.

So what was so shocking you ask? Try this on for size.

• One-fifth of infants and toddlers under age 2 have a TV in the bedrooms.
• 43% of 3 to 4 year-olds have TVs in the bedrooms.
• The most common reason that parents named for having a television in their child's bedroom was that it frees up other televisions in the house so that other family members can watch their own shows (cited by 54% of parents whose children have television in the bedroom). Other commonly cited reasons were that it keeps the child occupied so that the parent can do things around the house (38%), it helps the child fall asleep (30%).

Call me "old school" if you like, but TVs in bedrooms for infants and toddlers is over the top. And researchers agree. Previous studies have found that bedroom TVs are linked with childhood obesity, inactivity and low scores on reading and math tests. Research also suggests that extensive viewing before age 3 may cause attention problems later on.

A 2004 study from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that watching videos as a toddler may lead to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in later life. The lead researcher was Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, director of the Child Health Institute at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.

In the study of more than 2,000 children, Christakis found that for every hour watched at age one and age three, the children had almost a ten percent higher chance of developing attention problems that could be diagnosed as ADHD by age 7. A toddler watching three hours of infant television daily had nearly a 30 percent higher chance of having attention problems in school.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that pediatricians advise parents to avoid television-viewing entirely for children who are younger than 2 years and to limit the viewing time of older children to no more than 2 hours a day. The AAP recommendation states that pediatricians should "discourage television-viewing for children younger than 2 years and encourage more interactive activities that will promote proper brain development, such as talking, playing, singing, and reading together." These guidelines also specify that television has no place in children's bedrooms.

So what's your pleasure? Do you want to lower your child's chances of attention problems, raise their IQ, and help them develop healthy habits of social interaction. Then turn off the TV, pick up a book, play a board game or talk as a family about your day. It's the smart thing to do!

Pray for Greensburg

You have probably heard about the tornado that hit Greensburg, Kansas late Friday night. It's estimated that the tornado was 3/4 to one mile wide and generated winds up to 165 mph. National Weather Service meteorologist Larry Ruthi said the path of damage was 1.4 miles wide, estimating it would be classified a "upper F-4 or an F-5" tornado, the strongest possible. 95% of the small farming town of 1800 people is flattened.

You can click on the picture above to see video footage of the area. As you watch the video, pray for all the families effected by this storm.

Feed The Pig

Over the course of the past few months I have heard several creative radio spots for Feed the Pig. Feed the Pig is a collaborative initiative sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, state CPA societies and the Ad Council. The campaign's icon, Benjamin Bankes, targets 25-34 year olds and encourages them to establish the savings habit by taking small, easy steps to take control of their finances.

Check out the Feed the Pig web site. And check out the Lunch Savings Calculator.

Here's the discouraging financial reality for the average 25-34 year old.

• Their average credit card debt is $4,088.
• Their average student loan debt is $20,000.
• They spend 24 percent of their income just on debt payments.
• They now have the second highest rate of personal bankruptcy in the nation.

The companion web site, 360 Degrees of Financial Freedom has some great resources.

I applaud these organizations for trying to encourage young adults to establish a savings habit. However, the pull of culture is hard to overcome. I'm afraid the pig will be ignored. Since 2005 Americans have spent more than we have earned. And this trend doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. It's time to use some restraint. It's time to feed the pig!

Senior Recognition Night

Linn-Mar hosted the Lion Relays tonight at Armstrong Field. It was a beautiful evening for a track meet, especially after the cold and rain we had earlier in the season. Mid-way through the meet they paused to introduce and honor all the seniors on the team. It was a great joy and honor to be introduced as the parents of Josh and Jon Pagel. You guys are the best! You can click on the picture above to see some pictures of the Senior Recognition.

A special thank you to Roger Braff who took the photos. I plan to return the favor to Roger and Diane next year when Zach is a senior.

The Linn-Mar team ran well tonight and won the meet. You can click here to see a slide show of some of the action.

It's hard to believe that Josh and Jon's high school career is coming to a close. They were three years old when we moved to Iowa! And now, fifteen years later we recognized their many accomplishments and future plans. This evening was Senior Recognition Night.