Happy Valentine’s Day! To get you in that lovin’ mood, I hope you’ll love a free PDF of the introduction of my marriage humor book, I Love You Unconditionally…On One Condition! Can love be funny? You bet! But more importantly, creating the right conditions in your marriage is essential for a long and satisfying marriage. Read on…
Yesterday I had a wonderful conversation with my buddy Roy Cochran, a dear friend of mine who leads a ministry for worship leaders and artists called the Worship Mentor Network. We had just come from a Grove planning meeting with Monty Kelso and Sherri Alden (also dear friends!) at Hidden House Coffee for an upcoming Grove Worship Leader Getaway.
As we stood in the gardens on Los Rios Street just talking and watching the sun go down, the warm light danced through the sycamore and eucalyptus trees. It was one of those reflective moments framed by the gift of friends and the breathtaking beauty of the waning day. After a hug and a goodbye, I got in my car to get home before dark to take my seventh-grade son, Aidan, out with some friends for Halloween trick-n-treating. I called home to check in and what I heard next broke my heart…horrors of horrors on Halloween! Read on…
Perfectionism is the ultimate creativity killer. Its roots, to name a few, are fear, insecurity, control, and shame that walks a thread-bare tightrope between the chasms of avoiding pain and fear of rejection. Perfectionism stalls projects. It divides people and creative teams. It increases tentativeness, uncertainty, and doubt. I said it’s a creativity killer, didn’t I?
Perfectionism stands in stark contrast to artistic excellence, integrity and wholeness. Not only has it stifled kid’s creativity, creative freedom in many careers and the joy that comes with creating, it also creates heartache in many companies, friendships, marriages, and raising children. At it’s worst, perfectionism is not only the ultimate creativity killer. It is also the ultimate relationship killer. Read on…
Ever since I was young boy, I’ve had many, many coaches and mentors. Little league coaches. Volleyball coaches. My dad as a coach and mentor. Teachers, counselors and professors. Writing coaches. Ministry mentors. Coaches and mentors who’ve become personal friends. And personal friends who’ve coached and mentored me in many aspects of my life. If there is one word that summarizes the role of these important people in my life, it is this: Cultivate.
Last Saturday, I went to my niece’s wedding. It was an event our family has eagerly been waiting for all summer long. Kelly Dale, the bride, was gorgeous and Nick Giuni, the groom (a San Clemente City Lifeguard) looked smashing! The next Monday, though, I attended a funeral. A wedding and a funeral in three days…that’s a whole lot of emotion! Each gathering was filled with beautiful moments, but for different reasons. Allow me to explain…
Asking your creative team a few key questions may just be what they need to inspire greater personal fulfillment and more meaningful work. If you want to build leadership, inspire your team to greatness, and create healthy working relationships, you need to ask great questions.
In my conversations with artists and creatives, if there is one familiar theme I hear, it is this: “I am so focused on my work, I don’t have time to pursue creative projects I really want to pursue.” Ironic, isn’t it? Creative people not having time to be creative. Whether you work for a church, non-profit organization or company, I have 3 key questions you can ask your creative team that will make a practical difference in their personal and professional development. Use these questions for a one-on-one or team-building conversation. Here they are…
Before my favorite aunt Geegee ever got involved in someone else’s problem, she’d try to ask herself two simple questions, “Is this my pig? And is this my pig farm?” And if she found someone trying to pass on a big ol’ porker of a problem that they should be carrying themselves, Geegee would quip, “It ain’t my pig and it ain’t my pig farm!”
Aunt Geegee’s homespun wisdom is brilliant. (And she never even lived on a farm!) When it comes to other people’s problems, are you stuck knee-deep in pig slurry? Do you have no peace because you’re carrying someone else’s pig? Are you worried, anxious or fearful for what the other person might think of you when you don’t lovingly receive their even-toed ungulate? Do you find yourself wasting hours of your precious time standing next to someone’s trough feeding THEIR PIG? Do your spouse, children or friends ever comment how much time you spend over yonder on other people’s pig farm? Over the years, I’ve made plenty of mistakes carrying other people’s pigs that they best be carrying for themselves. I’ve been drawn into battles, fights and taken sides in conflicts I had no business getting involved in. Just like those little piggly-wiggly’s, problems can smell real bad. Here’s a few signs that someone else is trying to get you to carry a pig they should be carrying on their own…
Here’s a fun video to share with all the warrior dad’s in your life this Father’s Day. We produced this little piece to remind father’s to get in there and yuck it up with their kids. In my twenty-one years of parenting, I have lost many a pillow fight! But one of the greatest privileges and joys in my life has been being a dad. I love raising my four kids with Krista, but as you know, parenting is not for cowards! On many a day, life is a battle and men truly need the heart of a warrior to take a stand for what’s right. This includes the humbling task of modeling what is true, good and right…even though we don’t always get it right. (Take it from this dad who knows…) If you’re a father, enjoy this coming Father’s Day in honor of you. Fight the battles worth fighting for. Stand for what is good. Lead and guide your children in a way that will make them want to be a loving, strong father just like you. And don’t forget, you don’t have to go it all alone. Look to God the Father to lead and guide you first. “The Lord is a warrior.” Exodus 15:3
Can Joseph O’Connor, a 15 year old teenager from San Clemente, California catch Joseph Kony? Watch the new Invisible Children Kony 2012 video and you just might find yourself voting for Joseph O and the millions of other teenagers just like him. But really, can a 15 year old really catch Joseph Kony? I say, “Why not?” David slew Goliath, who I’m sure was much taller than Joseph Kony. Just two days ago, Joseph watched the Invisible Children video and now he’s on a freaking manhunt. This powerful video inspired, outraged and moved him so much that he’s taking on the Uganda warlord by galvanizing a small army behind him. I love it. The video instantly went viral and in three days, at last count, it’s already at 40 million hits on Youtube. If you haven’t seen it, it is well worth the next 30 minutes of your life. Watch the video and read what Joseph O is up to…
I don’t know about you, but as a dad, there are days when I feel absolutely overwhelmed by all the decisions I have to make. Do you ever feel like you’ve been nailed by a two-hundred pound spitball trying to juggle your roles as a dad, a husband, and a work-guy? I mean, you’re the man. Your wife and your kids are looking to you for leadership, direction, wisdom, and a compass for how to navigate this life. Your decisions, good and bad, have everything to do with who you are and who they become. So what does all this have to do with your #1 Dad Decision? Absolutely everything. Read on…
