So here it is!

Today is a day of discovery!

Seek out.

Be intrigued.

Find answers.

Hover over things.

Ponder.

Enlighten yourself and others.

Discover!

I experience separation in various ways:

• from my wife and family when I travel
• from those I work with when I stay home or travel away from them
• from our Creator when I focus on the things of this earth and forget or ignore the time I need to spend in His Word or at His church

As I think about all the traveling I do and the separation that occurs between my wife and I, the separation of today is very different than the separation 30 years ago.  Back then, I traveled the world and wouldn’t talk with her for weeks at a time.  It was too hard.  We didn’t have cell phones or email at home, and we certainly didn’t have the web and pretty much global access.  Today, I travel the world and the minute I land we’re on the phone together.  We could be on video together as well if so desired.  And soon, we’ll be able to be connected throughout the flight as well, thus making separation a purely physical presence thing.  Physical separation is still tough; nothing compares to being home, being active in the lives of each member of our family, and sharing together in meals, games, church, and quiet time.  Technology can’t yet replicate that, though I’m sure someone is trying.

As I think about my work place today, I’m on the road and away from my office at least 2 weeks a month right now.  That creates great strain on the communications channels and the relationships at the work place, because nothing beats face to face meetings, and all the communications in the world can’t overcome the need of most individuals to shake hands, hug each other, look each other in the eye, share a cup of coffee and work through any and all issues that may exist in the work place.  Technology is allowing much more effective interaction when separation occurs, but technology can’t yet replace the intimacy that is needed to handle cultural issues, complex relationships issues, and the bonding that only seems to come with physical presence.

As I think about my relationship with our Creator, we have this promise found in Romans 8:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus the Lord.

Is there anything more powerful or more of a commitment than that?  God doesn’t separate Himself from us.  We separate ourselves from God though…through our priorities…through our sin…through our indifference.  It’s clear that God is with us, and His love embraces us at all times.  In this case, it’s not a technology issue; it’s a choice issue. 

When I’m separate from my family or my team at work, I have a yearning to connect, to be in contact, to share together and to be part of the forward momentum of life.  Various things require that separation, but technology has provided solutions to allow me to connect in meaningful but not yet perfect ways.  It’s certainly easier to see the growth in the family and to sense the growth in the team at work.  Once again, not perfect, but much better than before.

When I’m separate from God, in time I recognize that I caused that separation and the yearning to be connected returns.  When the yearning returns, I connect, get in contact, share with Him, and commit to the forward momentum in life that takes me closer to Him.  It’s not a technology issue, though technology allows me new and creative ways to stay focused on Him and carry His Word with me.  Instead, as I mentioned before, it’s a priority issue…a choice…a habit of seeking His path and His plan in all that I do, and in turn, responding in obedience when that path and plan are revealed.

At this point in my life, I yearn for less separation in all three of the areas above.  The first two require a priority on physical presence, if physical presence is the ultimate answer to the separation I feel.  The third requires me to bow my head, open His Word, and release myself to Him more often.  Anywhere I am.  Everywhere I am.

All three are about priorities and choices.

Two of these may or may not be within my control (though they really are).

The third is totally within my control.

How are you doing on your separation today, and what are you doing, choosing, or prioritizing to minimize that separation?

But the story doesn’t end there. 

In fact, the rest of the story is where many of us are just like Jonah.

After repenting, Jonah obeyed God and went through Nineveh preaching God’s mandate of redemption.  God had revealed to Jonah that if Nineveh did not repent, they would be destroyed in 40 days.

Hearing God’s message from Jonah, Nineveh repented, so God did not destroy them.

Which really irritated Jonah.

Nineveh was an enemy of Israel, and Jonah wanted to see them perish.

But God is a loving God, and since the people of Nineveh humbled themselves before God and repented, they were spared.

Jonah then pouted.

He questioned God, wondering why such evil people would be spared.

He wanted to see them punished.

God then taught Jonah a lesson through a vine that provided shade (which Jonah welcomed) and then a worm that ate the vine (which Jonah mourned).

Jonah mourned the vine, but had no sense of compassion for the people of Nineveh.

I’ve been guilty of the very same thing, despising those who need to see and directly feel God’s love and hoping that they be punished, not even considering them to be God’s children and equally as deserving of God’s grace and full redemption (or equally undeserving, which is really the case).

Imagine if all God’s children spent all of their time spreading God’s love and His desire of salvation through repentance, even to those who they felt deserved punishment rather than redemption. 

Imagine if all those who heard in turn responded and repented, and both those we love and those we struggle with all join together in eternal celebration in the end.

God showed Jonah through is actions that His mercy and His offer of salvation even extends to those who are our enemies if they repent and ask for God’s forgiveness.

Jonah obviously was frustrated with that.

I bet that each of us at times may be that way too.

So let’s quickly recap:

• Jonah was told by God to go to Nineveh and tell them they would perish if they did not repent
• Jonah ran
• Jonah was swallowed by a whale
• Jonah repent, and the whale upchucked him on a beach
• Jonah delivered God’s message to Nineveh
• Nineveh repented
• God spared Nineveh
• Jonah pouted
• God used the vine to teach Jonah a lesson

Are you like Jonah too at times?

Faith manifests itself in eternal optimism, with an individual fully believing in the true potential of something yet to come.

Doubt manifests itself in unusual pessimism, with an individual typically expecting the worst rather than the best and preparing themselves for things not happening or not being achieved.

To succeed you need both, because the doubters sharpen those with faith, and those with faith are on an eternal quest to convert those with doubt.

Both are right at various times.

Those with faith smile when the results end up as predicted.

Those with doubt say “I told you so” when things don’t happen that those with faith feel so powerfully they will.

A history of not achieving against projected results will drive the numbers of doubters much higher in an organization than those with faith…though there will always be a remnant of those eternally optimistic.

Delivering against aggressive expectations time and time again will greatly increase the numbers of believers in an organization, potentially even at times creating more believers than doubters.

Since faith, belief and trust are all intimately tied together, it’s critically important that every organization create an imbalance on their team in the favor of believers over doubters.

Those with faith are typically quiet, fully expecting great things to happen, but patiently and quietly waiting for those expected results.

Those with doubts are typically much more subtle, starting with the whispers at the water fountains and then crescendoing to a chorus of “you got to be kidding me’s” that drown out any voices of optimism when the results repetitively over time fall way short of the aggressive expectations.

Leadership is all about creating and growing believers.

Not cult-like believers that follow you over that cliff into a perilous death below.

Instead, well founded, historically proven, trust-based believers that join together with you on that incredible quest.

What’s the right ratio of those with faith and those with doubt?

I don’t know.

But when those with grave doubts far outweigh those with great faith, the organization is at risk.

When those with well-justified faith outnumber those with perennial doubts, phenomenal things indeed occur.

It’s fixed.

It’s limited.

It’s passing.

It’s precious.

So how much of your time is spent on things that aren’t something you’re passionate about?

If, indeed, time is fixed, limited, passing, and precious, how can you maximize the amount of time that you spend on those things that amp your passion and thus maximize fulfillment in the time that you do have?

Some suggestions:

(1) Commit to quality time every day on all phases of your life – personal, spiritual, professional

(2) Filter constantly, weeding out those things that take lots of time but add little value so you can focus on those things that bring lots of value

(3) Approach everything with a sense of urgency, because there really isn’t enough time

(4) Cherish small successes and celebrate the big ones, and use the celebrations to build momentum for bigger and better things

(5) Surround yourself with those who build you up and move you forward

(6) Give more than you receive, and give without expectation of any return

(7) Embrace each moment, and look for those special things that will pry that moment out of your memory many years from now when your number of days are waning

(8) Pray and praise constantly, in full acknowledgement of the blessings you have received and the grace that you have been given

Most of these you completely control. 

Very little is required from others.

Though it certainly helps to be surrounded by supportive, nurturing, encouraging people.

Good luck!

The clock is ticking!

Today, our Pastor talked about faith and let us know that faith, belief, and trust all come from the same root word in Greek.  He also let us know that all three require action, something that many people forget as they sit back “in faith” and wait for a miracle to happen.

It’s no different in business and life, the trust I mentioned in my last post is an active trust that comes from knowing each other, in a way, testing each other, and over time, then trusting each other. 

In our Americanized use of the words, faith is hoping things will happen when there’s limited basis for trust, and trust is believing – no, actually knowing - it will happen based on experience and “trial by fire”.

So once again, it’s all about trust.

How many people do you completely, totally, intimately, and unquestionably trust?

Because it does.

So what would you do differently knowing that?

I’d stop and think before speaking.

I’d plan what I was saying so the impact would be positive and not negative.

I’d focus intently on the other individual to hear and hopefully understand what she was saying.

And yet I don’t.

Sad really.

I know it does, and yet I don’t.

Most of us are probably that way.

Even more sad.

Because it does.

And yet we don’t.

We affect scores of others daily who hear, see, or directly feel the impact of our words and actions.

And yet we (certainly I) don’t pause for that precious short moment to assess that impact before we (definitely I) spew.

And others are hurt.

So.

Stop.

Think.

Frame.

Speak and/or do.

Most of the time it will then be appropriately impacting then.

And pray that I will learn to stop-think-frame-speak/do.

I desperately need the prayers.

Thank you.

That night, I went out on the web and found the email address for the lead singer, and I asked him that question.  I certainly didn’t expect a quick answer, and I sort of expected a canned response, quite possibly from their publicist instead of the actual lead singer.

To my surprise, when I woke up the next morning, I had a reply in my email from the lead singer.  My daughter was amazed – stunned may be a better description – that such a famous person would reply personally to my email.

Neither one of us should have been surprised, because this famous person was really no different than either of us.  He certainly had great talent, but he was still a father, a brother, a son, a friend, a church member, a team member, and in his particular case, the lead singer of a very popular band.  With the exception of that last part, he truly was no different than me.

Over the course of my life, I’ve had the great privilege and enormous blessing to be physically close to world leaders, billionaires, multi-billion dollar company founders, politicians, 4-star generals, Hollywood stars, and popular athletes.  Each of these individuals, when off of the dais, out of the formal function, or momentarily removed from the role that by protocol required the pomp and circumstance, behaved no differently than any of us.  Some were incredibly humble and loved the simplicity and informality of those out-of-the limelight moments.  Others still had some ego, but loved a good joke, greatly enjoyed the time outside the public view, and shared openly and joyfully as if each individual present were part of one big family.  Only a small few of these “very important people” were guilty of carrying the nobility of their office or stature into the more private settings.

Fortunately, the bulk of those that through their very presence create a tremendous sense of awe in those surrounding them, are just like the rest of us in most ways.  In fact, they’re no different in most ways.  They’ve had more breaks; they’ve leveraged their talents to higher positions; they may have even been just a tad bit luckier than the rest of us.  But in reality, they’re no different in many of the things that matter the most.

Each of us at various times will be perceived by others as being in a lofty position.  When we are, let’s take the lead from those VIP’s who are truly in lofty positions and still act no different than you and me.  Let’s do the unexpected and hang out at the front desk, go vacuum the floor in HR, do a coffee run, or play on the company softball team.

After all, we’re no different than anyone else.

All sinners.

All needy.

All seeking.

All dependent.

On Him.

God made us even though He knew we’d be this way.

No different.

Yet different.

And wonderfully blessed!

Thinking of the reason behind this very special day – the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago – and the ultimate gift that He was from a caring and loving Creator.

Thinking of the family, and sharing the gifts, the food, the games, the talking time together instead of focusing on other things that typically don’t mean nearly as much or deserve that kind of time.

Thinking of those who may not be nearly as fortunate as the rest of us; those that are homeless, without jobs, struggling to make ends meet, desperately seeking that next break that allows them to overcome the burdens they currently carry.

Thinking of the coming year and the excitement and challenges it will bring and preparing mentally, physically, and spiritually to be ready for any and all challenges and opportunities that come.

Thinking of the things we need to do differently to better ourselves and to be the kinds of people we want to be in all the different phases of our lives.

Thinking of those who helped us so much in this last year and remembered the gifts that were given and the lessons that were learned from those who did help.

We think of so many other things too, and with each memory, we grow; with each memory, we learn; with each memory, we adapt.

But more important than the thinking is the doing that needs to follow.

Each thought should lead to action.

Each action should be a change.

Each change should be a quest for something better, something different, something giving in its own right, and something that benefits others because of the thinking we did that led to the learning that occurred that then led to doing something meaningful.

Think then do.

And on this Christmas day, thank God for the gift of His Son, and thank others by turning the giving they did for you into actions that serve others.

Merry Christmas!

I’m doing that now…sitting by the fireplace in the hotel…trying to warm up…thinking back through the incredible events of this past week…wondering if the deeply moving experiences in all three areas of focus (business, faith, and life) could be replicated much more often than it is…and knowing that the special nature of this week, this team, this family, this opportunity, this incredible mission make replication a real challenge but a desperately hoped for event.

Holidays do this for me.

They slow me down.  They remind me of what’s important.  They allow me to show emotions and create connections that the busyness of the normal work environment may not allow.

I’m thinking I need more holidays.

I’m thinking every day ought to be a holiday.

I’m thinking the love, joy, peace, excitement, motivation, and contentment that I feel as I look forward to Christmas and share with others during this very special season should be something I replicate as often as I can throughout the year.

Thank you God for Christmas.

Thank you God for your Son.

Thank you God for those you have chosen to journey together at this particular time and this particular place.

Thank you God for your ultimate gift and the motivation you have given us to in return give to others.

Merry Christmas!