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National Prayer Breakfast

February 2, 2012 in Culture with 2 Comments

Robin and I have the honor of spending a few days in Washington DC to attend the National Prayer Breakfast. It has been a fascinating time of meeting leaders from all over the world. It is truly remarkable to hear the stories of what God is doing around the globe as people pray! And, at the same time, it is a reminder of the special movement of God we are experiencing in our city!

This morning was the actual “Big Event” where 3,500 people gathered for breakfast, reading of scripture and prayer. It was pretty stellar to see members of both political parties gather in the name of Christ! It is even more stellar to hear how God is changing their individual lives! Many times we take it upon ourselves to judge each other rather than pray.

It was the first time I have been in the same room as a sitting President. (I think he leaned over & told Michelle it was the first time he had been in a room with me.) While I have differing ideas on several issues, I do believe our President has a heart to truly follow God! I know it is a lot easier to criticize and make accusations, but our call is to pray for our leaders.

After the breakfast we had the opportunity to sit with a gentleman who served the UN for many years and is now working with businesses to help establish stable economies around the world. Business is one of the greatest ways to carry forward the message of Christ in any country!!!

So, wrapping up, it has been a whirlwind trip, but it has been a great blessing to be reminded that we are “One nation, under God!”

Uno Spoono

January 19, 2012 in Culture, Life with 1 Comment

When I was 15 I went to Mexico for the first time. Sitting in a nice restaurant in Tampico, I ordered ice cream to share with my table. The problem was that the waiter only brought one spoon. Being a master of the Spanish language, I have always lived by the theory that if you add an “o” to any word, then that it makes it Spanish. So, with that in mind, I said, “Uno Spoono” and they brought me more ice cream, not another spoon! While it made total sense to me, I obviously lost something in the translation!

This week I was thinking about how many people say, “The best is yet to come.” While I totally, 100% agree with that statement, I wonder if sometimes we might lose something in the translation. Most of the time when we make that statement, we make it with a singular point-of-view in mind – my life is going to get better. Again, I do believe our lives can get better, but I also believe that God speaks with a multigenerational approach.

What if doing the right thing didn’t improve our lives, but laid a path of blessings for future generations? Would we still do it? Would we sacrifice our own personal comfort and pleasure for a multigenerational blessing?

The best is yet to come! Don’t miss what God is doing by having a singular point of view!

Culture Happens

April 29, 2010 in Culture with 0 Comments

One of the issues in my life that the Lord has really been speaking to me about is culture. Most of us have always looked at culture as something around us, when in reality culture is where we are, it is every we go. You have a culture at home, a culture at work, at culture at church, a culture in your community, a culture in your state, a culture in your nation, etc…. You get the picture. Culture happens!

The problem is that most of us are not intentional about the culture that we are creating in all those places. Now, some of you will be tempted to whine here and say that you have no influence – that is bull! Remember to put on your big boy pants, realize that you have influence everywhere you go, and be intentional about the culture your creating.

If you don’t like work, change the culture. If you don’t like school, change the culture. If you don’t like being at home, change the culture.

Here is a quick list of elements that I want to be intentional about depositing into the cultures where God has placed me:

Culture of…
Commitment
Excellence
Generosity
Connection
Abundance
Creativity
Theology
Stories
Honor
Grace
Worship
Gratefulness
Integrity
Faith
Trust
Blessing
Growth
Maturity
Possibilities
Personal growth
Flexibility
Expectancy
Encouragement
Authenticity
Servants

That’s a quick list to get me started. What is happening in the cultures that God has placed you?