Raise the bar through the day

In my strategy to keep the main thing the main thing in life, I am constantly on the watch for new ways to express time honored goals. My school board hat gives me a flow of material that helps me raise the bar not only in school things but in my pastor role and life generally. If I am to be an effective communicator and leader today, I need to understand what is possible to expect from people. In order to do that efficiently, I need to clarify needs and establish improvement goals and targets. There needs to be benchmarks in my life to tell me my level of achievement. The best way I have found to do that is to create conditions that are conducive to that improvement by studying, praying, listening and serving. I find that I really need to be a better learner and the rest will take care of itself.
There needs to be an awareness and urgency to improve. Without that I become satisfied with status quo. Current state may be good but it’s not great. Excellence recognizes that there is always room for improvement and new levels.

“Start early and begin raising the bar throughout the day.”
-Bruce Jenner

Teaching Teachers

I am finding out in life that there are things to learn every day. Since learning is such a key thing in our God given design, It must be true that teaching proficiency is also key. Since I serve on the Board of education in my community, I read some material from Richard Elmore , Harvard professor, about structure in school leadership. One of his points is that the purpose of leadership is the improvement of instructional practice and performance , regardless of role. We need to surround ourselves with leaders that are willing to teach those that teach. We need “Large scale improvement” as a goal in every area of our lives. If we move this into the realm of our spiritual life, we see that Jesus spent time with His disciples, teaching them how to be teachers because He knew that they would be called upon to pass the message on after He was gone. The Gospel message of good news was placed into their care. If we do not get it to the next generation successfully, man is doomed. I’m thankful that the tools to accomplish that have been placed in our hands. Now we just need to be sure we utilize the right tool for the right job.

Makes sense to me.

Heaven Invading Earth

I am an avid reader. At least I thought so until I talked with someone this week who is a voracious reader. Someone who is so hungry to devour books that they don’t put it down until every page has been read. This kind of person would rather read than sleep. They would read while others watch TV. As just an avid reader, I still put the book down from time to time to sleep, eat or perhaps even watch TV. I usually am reading at least 2 books to allow me to use one as a thought generator and one as a serious cover to cover experience. Right now, I am reading a book by Bill Johnson entitled, “When Heaven invades Earth”, a practical guide to a life of miracles. I have been listening to his podcasts for awhile and find that he stretches my faith in the area of believing for bigger things from God. Here is a line I read this morning:

“It is abnormal for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible. It has been written into our spiritual DNA to hunger for the impossibilities around us to bow at the name of Jesus.”

He says the normal Christian life should view problems as miracle opportunities. I was planning to read this book as a devotional where I read just a few pages a day over a several month period. However, It has become a cover to cover experience and I find that I am unable to put it down after just a page or two. It stirs me to trust God at a higher level.

Another book that has captured me this year is “The externally focused Church” by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson. I am using this as true devotional material finding gems to ponder and letting them digest before going on to the next. My gem from this morning is on page 174:

“Sometimes in ministry we assume we need to get everything just so before we can start-that people need to get the whole picture and have complete understanding before they can move forward. But the truth is, all they really need is enough understanding to get started. Part of being externally focused is to build the road as we travel it. We don’t need the entire road before we begin the journey, only enough to take the next step.”

One more thought this morning- I spend some time each day reading the Bible. The Word of God is the authority that helps we keep perspective while reading other material. It gives me a benchmark to judge the other stuff by. If time is limited, I need to choose Bible first, then other books.

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” ( Romans 10:17 )

A Place at the Table

As we get ready for Thanksgiving nest week, we, as a nation, are figuring out place settings, centerpieces and menu items. People are coming to the table expecting to eat and there must be a place for them there. The concept of getting everyone a place at the table was mentioned in one of the sessions yesterday during the convention I attended. Finding unity points in the midst of “exploding diversity” is a challenge that not only the school boards are facing, but our nation as a whole is facing. Practicing freedom with responsibility without morally compromising requires intensity and safe harbors. We must have places and times to formulate policy and then we must do what we say we are doing. There are windows of opportunity for us to purchase the fire truck before the fire instead of after. This all requires that you and I are actively engaged. It is very risky to leave it alone and hope for the best. To quote Mark Batterson , “Playing it safe is risky”.
Join me at the virtual table, there is a place just for you. Our descendents will thank us for figuring some of this out.

School

This morning I am writing my blog entry from Des Moines, Iowa where I am attending the Iowa State School Board convention. The school board hat I wear is a solemn responsibility as I realize that education is such a key to success and fulfillment in life. The formation of our understanding of life comes in a large part as a result of teachers. Whether that learning takes place in a formal setting of school or in the informal experiences of life, they are none the less learning experiences. Our nation gives the opportunity for formal education of all children, in fact it is mandated. It is a common point of connection for young life. Being in a position to affect that is humbling. I look forward to the sessions today and will try to pick up several new and improved understandings.