I was going to post this yesterday after reading this story in the New York Times but I didn’t have any pictures. Fortunately, Charity took care of that for me. The Times story is about people who want to eat fresh local meat and produce but don’t want to work for it. I fall squarely in that category.
Again, fortunately for me, Charity and the kids took on the project of starting a garden this year. The initial pictures of it are in this post. You can look at the most recent pictures in my Flickr stream and see how it’s grown. We’ve had fresh squash and zucchini bread already from the garden and everything else looks like it’s going to be a great year. Charity wants to expand the garden to about 4x its size next year. I’m all for it.
Sustainability that tastes good. I’m all in favor of that.
(Note: this blog entry is taken directly from the Maxwell Leadership Bible {which I cannot recommend strongly enough} and was interspersed with my reading for today. I hope it enriches you as it did me)
God calls every leader to be a servant, but not every servant is to be a leader. So, how do we take the step to leadership?
In Hebrew, the word we translate as “leader” (nagiyd) comes from a root that conveys the idea of servanthood and being an example to others. The word is variously translated in Scripture as captain, ruler, prince, governor, and noble.
Leader vs. King
The Hebrew term for “leader” stands in shrp contrast to the word for “king”. The fairly neutral Hebrew term for “king” (melech) allowed for the possibility of independence, for being a maverick. Samuel warned against this very thing when the Israelites asked for a king. A melech might be a renegade, but a nagiyd was under authority, subject to a higher power and fulfilling the wishes of that higher power. Saul was melech, while Samuel was a nagiyd.
To be a captain, ruler, prince, governor or noble of the people of God, a person must first come squarely under the authority of God. We can go no further without first understanding this element. Yet a second element is just as important. The Hebrew term nagiyd also means to stand boldly to announce, to manifest- the natural outgrouth of receiving commands from God. The leader is to boldly stand and communicate God’s commands with conviction.
God’s leader is first to be a servant of the Lord, then an example, then a proclaimer and communicatior to the people. And no one did this better than Samuel.
Gridskipper, my favorite travel blog, has a quick story (with map) on the best black and white cookies in New York City. This is doubly helpful to me because a) I love black and white cookies and b) Charity and I are going to New York this weekend.
Excellent story today in the New York Times regarding Berea College in Kentucky. The focus of the story is the debate on whether or not school endowments have grown too large and what percentage they pay out. True story- Berea was one of the schools I looked at when I was in high school (waaaaay back in 1986). My other schools were Ohio State, Kenyon, Anderson University, MedCentral College of Nursing, Boston University, and George Washington University. My final three were OSU, Anderson, and MedCentral and I, like an idiot, chose Ohio State (as a Political Science major) which delayed my entering into nursing (which I love) by about five years.
Big step for me as a parent, I am taking Becky on her first college visit this week, to Kent State. It is exciting and frightening all at the same time.
In the comments (if you would), where did you apply and wind up going to college or, if you didn’t go, why not. I love learning more about my readers.
How’s that for a post title? But seriously, everyone (barring divine intervention) is going to die. I have been working on a case this week that reminds me that it can be, without proper planning, very expensive and stressful to your family if you’re not prepared when the time comes.
Specifically, I have a client who is in a long-term acute care hospital in Cleveland. The daily rate (excluding medications) is $1200/day. Brutal. I have a major medical policy so in theory my liability for such a stay would be somewhat limited however; without a backstop, one illness can ruin a family. Many items (physical and occupational therapy come to mind) are not covered on many employer sponsored plans or, if they are, the coverage is spotty. This study by Harvard’s Law and Medical Schools confirms my worst fears. Even with insurance, there are limited protections.
So what to do? If I had a good idea I would run for president but I don’t but I would offer one piece of advice- For the love of God, don’t count on the government to pick up the tab. It’s not their forte.
Enough of the soapbox, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Although it seems like an eternity, just 10 months ago we were in deep turmoil within our organization regarding advertising on television (which I must say, to me, in hindsight seems foolish). I was talking to a friend yesterday and we agreed that, for the leaders who left, it was not about television it was about power. You don’t form an entire organizational structure in one month. Get real.
However, lest I get on my soapbox, I thought I’d show you what one of our presbyters here in Ohio has done with this new found outreach. I think it’s pretty cool.
As you know, I was speaking in Delaware this weekend. Had it not been my very dear friend asking for my help, I would have been at Start-Up Weekend Columbus. Since I wasn’t there, here is my brother Rocky shouting out to the good folks at nbc4.
Here’s a conference I may just have to attend, especially since it’s happening right up the road in Loudenville, Ohio. Check out the website and see what you think.
As you know, I am into the unusual and bizarre food (for example, the $41 burger or this montrosity). We hand lunch with our friends David and Michelle Kuhtenia today and learned of a gem from West Texas known as chicken fried bacon. Apparently, this is served with a side of creamed gravy. Yummy!
So, dear Texans, if you have had this delightful artery clogger please comment and let me know a) how does it taste and b) were there any complications from your cath and stent placement.
I await your response. Side note- I’m only drinking a cup of Tim Horton’s coffee tonight. This picture has made me queasy.
1 Corinthians 1:20-21
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
KJV
I am just back home after preaching this morning and evening for my friend Mike Wilson in Delaware. We love the church and they are like family to us. It is always an honor to be there.
I was reminded of the above verses after preaching two sermons today. Candidly, to judge for myself, they were not my best effort. And yet for both services I had folks come up to me and tell me of specific issues in their lives that the Lord ministered to them via my preaching. It struck me that, in God’s inifinite wisdom, he can use less than perfect oratory to address the needs of his people. I am convinced that He often ministers in spite of our preaching rather than because of it. In my mind, surely there is a more effective way to communicate the Word to the church. And yet, in thousands of churches across the country (and the world), millions of preachers and teachers break the Bread of Life and feed the hungry. To some, it is foolishness. To the hungry, it is life.
