Would you work for free?

Like many companies in our world today, British Airways is struggling in through the economy issues we face today.  One of the things I’ve always admired about British Airways is their innovative thinking.  Clearly the leaders are looking at the situation their in and asking the tough questions.  So, one of the questions was, how can we share the load?  They asked their employees if they would work for free for a period of time and 1000 have already said yes.

If your company was struggling, would you work for free for one month….or tell them to forget it?

Read Story…

From Mike Foster’s tweet yesterday

It’s easy to find a reason not to join a community group. Here are some of mine:

Posted from the Buckhead Church Blog.  This is the experience of Amber Blossom.  I’d love to add to the story but I really can’t.  This is truly the experience of multiplying your group and starting a new one.  Amber summed it up very well.  Enjoy…

It’s easy to find a reason not to join a community group.  Here are some of mine:

·      I have enough friends.

·      I hate the idea of mingling with strangers.

·      We’ll find our own community naturally.

·      I don’t want to have a commitment every week.

·      I just had a baby…ok, two years ago but time flies!

·      I’d rather do something more fun.

·      I’m lazy.

·      I’m tired.

·      I’m scared.

Sound familiar?  And these were my thoughts even after a great group experience. I still hesitated to jump into another group.  We had such great connections with our first group, how would a new group ever compare?  I started thinking of all we’d been through with our last group.  In the 18 months we were together, we had seen each other through four babies, one wedding, mission trips, family illness, home buying, home renovation, quitting jobs, starting new ones, and countless other every day experiences.  How do you even begin to match the natural chemistry of a group that has been through so much?  Was that group just a fluke?  Does “doing life together” really work consistently?

Well, after a few months off, my husband and I decided to find out.  We connected with our new group at GroupLink.  I love the video promos for GroupLink that compare it to a middle school dance—awkward but worth it.  We found that to be a perfect description of our experience.

We met as a group of strangers.  There was no telling how this was going to pan out.  We started meeting, getting to know each other, hearing each other’s stories.  We are each very different, from different backgrounds and paths that led us to where we are.  But within a few weeks, it was apparent that we all had a common thread.  We connected around a living room in an authentic effort to support, encourage and love each other and grow in our relationships with the Lord.  Being in each other’s lives multiplies our ability to see God at work in the big and small stuff of all our lives.

I don’t want to stop with that thought, though.  I know how easy it can be to write my story off.  Lucky me, lucky us, it just happened to work out.  But let me be real with you.  It’s not always perfect or easy. I don’t always want to go to group.  Sometimes I’m tired, lazy or didn’t read the book we’re talking about. We are not all best friends calling each other every other minute, taking vacations together and agreeing on everything. I do think we have a unique chemistry, but this isn’t a fairy tale.  We are real people with opinions and circumstances that complicate life and build walls up. But we all want to be in this group.  There’s no doubt about it.  And commitment says so much!  It says, “I care.  I’m here.  I don’t always know why or what to say or do, but I’m here because I know this is a good thing.”

In our experience, being in community is always worth it.  We never expect it and we often doubt it, but that makes it all the better when God shows up on Monday nights in a living room.

Do you have a unique group experience?  Or maybe you haven’t yet joined a group?  What makes you hesitate?  Tell us about it!

Amber Blossom

Who are you doing community with?

Happy National Man Day

Today is National Man Day! Happy National Man Day? What did we do to deserve this day? Should we take the day off? I doubt it?

(The following is from the blog Digital City)
The idea was started by two Indiana men, Aaron and Joel Longanecker. According to their Facebook event page, there are more than 73,000 planning on celebrating the day. The day is supposed to be a day to “stand up as a man” and “watch Rocky movies all day” and “scratch yourself” and shoot animals. In fact there is a lot of recommended violence. Sure, those are some stereotypes, but bloodsport doesn’t necessarily equal manhood. In fact, it sounds like activities for a National Boy Day.

Surprising though, not one mention of farting in public.

Some of the tenets of the day and messaging on which we agree:
- Be a good father
- Be responsible for your actions
- Eat an 18 oz. steak
- Get your wife some flowers

If you want to help the Longaneckers out by making National Man Day a holiday, sign their national Man Day petition. So far, there are only 44 signatures of the 5,000 goal.

In the meantime, Happy National Man Day.

What are you doing to celebrate National Man Day?

Drew Lichty at the Renton Skate Park

Drew Lichty

I am on facebook…and I love this video…

Thanks Natalie

Continuing to learn leadership from John Maxwell

So it’s Friday night and I’m doing my husbandly duties….shopping with my wife.  Suddenly, my iphone starts shaking with some twitter messages.  Many of my friends who know that I spent some time in Atlanta working for John Maxwell were busting shooting me some messages telling me that John had been arrested at an airport in Florida.  As I researched the details to see first if it was true then get the story…I both had compassion for John in the situation, had a little laugh with the circumstances, & learned a valuable leadership lesson.  Leaders take responsibility for their actions and leaders get hurt from doing stupid things.  I can only imagine the unique gifts that his friends will be presenting him with at all his future speaking engagements.

Click HERE to read the story from John’s Blog.

John is a great leader.

Celebrating a birthday 3 months late

Drew’s birthday is on December 24th. We really do our best to try and separate it from Christmas. We plan events that are birthday specific. We use birthday wrapping paper. We have specific events with family on Christmas eve that is supposed to be birthday only (not always successful). I even do my annual (Dad take Drew to) birthday for his birthday. I do the birthday thing with both my kids on their birthday. Nothing stops this. I’ve done it every year of their life.
So, why did I find myself feeding 9 15 year old boys tonight (March 6th) at the skatepark in celebration of Drew’s birthday?
Quick answer….there was a bunch of snow around Drew’s birthday that hindered a “friend” party. Now, I don’t think that is one of the earmarks that were just shoved in the first round of legislation under our new Preslebrity. Nor was it an executive order. My kids believe they have a right to have a “friend” birthday party every year.
The other reason might be that Drew has been restricted for 3 weeks due to grades and this was his last ditch effort to squeeze out of restriction for one night.
Either way….I got to play the cool dad. Driving the boys to the skate park. Listening to noise coming out of the radio that I couldn’t recognize much less enjoy (I sound like my dad), & buying them all pizza, soda, & Slurpee’s. It was a great fun night. I love it. I’ve got a great kid. He’s smart (just needs to do schoolwork to his potential), talented, great skater, loyal friend, fun to be with, & my guy.
Happy Birthday Drew

Drew Lichty

Rick Warren is praying at the inauguration!

Wow, it shocks me the amount of uproar in the liberal community specifically the gay & lesbian community over Rick Warren praying at the inauguration.  One of the greatest political things to happen for the GL community is the election of Obama to be president.  Reality is, this is a very good political move by President-elect Obama.  This is his way of stretching across the proverbial aisle and embrace the other half of the country (that didn’t vote for him).  How would the GL community feel if Obama put someone like Warren on his cabinet?  Yea….think about that.  You’d think they’d be happy that all Pastor Warren is doing is the invocation at the inauguration?  Remember, Obama is (by his own admission) a Christian.  He & Pastor Warren are basically on the same page here.  Why wouldn’t he have Pastor Warren say a prayer of blessing at this historic event.  Obama is certainly not going to have Rev. Wright?  Yea?

As a person who cast my vote for McCain, I’m more and more impressed with President-elect Obama.  I still disagree with most of his policies…but I will pray for him and support him as my president.  Also, Obama & his team has done a fantastic job embracing technology during this transition and truly reach out to the people to communicate the process.  I feel almost as close to the process by subscribing to their blog as if I were there in person.  In a world where people struggle to trust our leadership….I appreciate the level of communication by the President-elect to me personally.

Question.  Is Rick Warren the new Billy Graham?  How would Joel Osteen feel to hear that?…move on…

So….to the Obama supporters who are upset about Pastor Warren praying…chill out….it could be worse.

….to the conservatives who think that Warren should get up at the inauguration and try to prove a political point….you don’t have a clue.  The simple fact that he’s invited to the party is enough.  The love of Jesus will be communicated simply by the mere presence of Pastor Warren.

Father – Please bless President elect Obama, his family, & his team who are working very hard to turn our country around.  Keep them safe and bring our great country closer to you.

What do you think about Pastor Warren praying at the Inauguration?

Why i love my iPhone

I love my new iPhone…let me count the ways?  Truly, after months of waiting for my Verizon contract to end because I’m too cheap to pay the early cancellation fee, I finally bit the bullet and got an iPhone…not only for me….but Brenda got one as well.

I love the way all my email/contacts/& calendar automatically updates on the iPhone without having to sync.  That’s awesome.

Why do you love your phone?