A Heart Like Play-Doh!

My kids and I love to play with play-doh! We have all kinds of little machines that make the play-doh into different shapes and sizes. We usually make a huge mess and, even after we clean-up, we often find little pieces of play-doh for days. Suffice it to say, it's a whole lot of fun!

The last time we played together, we ran across some play-doh that had grown hard. We couldn't even get it out of the container. There was some, however, that was salvageable. I softened it up by rubbing it for a while in my hands. Soon enough, it became pliable again and ready to be shaped. Back to the little machines!

There's a verse in the Bible that talks about play-doh...well, sort of!  It says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4 NIV). Many times, the second half of this verse is emphasized when it is quoted. We all want God to give us the desires of our heart. But in order to understand the true meaning of this verse, a close look at the first part is essential.

The word "delight" is the Hebrew word "anag' which means to become soft, delicate and dainty. It paints the picture of a potter working with a piece of clay. Like the clay, God has a way of shaping us as we surrender to Him. The more time we allow for this, the more our hearts become one with His. Soon, His desires become our desires and he fulfills His will for our lives. While this can be scary at times, we can rest in the fact that God has our very best in mind. It's up to us to trust Him.

So, the next time you run across some play-doh, think about what it means to delight yourself in the Lord. Ask God to make you like the soft stuff and be sure that he will not throw you in one of those little machines. God's hands are big enough to do the shaping all by themselves.

Leadership Lessons from Brett Favre

I'm not much of a sports fan, but I do love watching some of the greatest athletes. Back when we lived in Chicago, before we had kids, Cheryl and I would sit at night and watch the Chicago Bulls. Why? We really didn't like basketball, but we loved watching Micheal Jordan! That guy was almost superhuman!

Now that we have 3 kids, we don't have as much time to watch the "greats" anymore. Nevertheless, the boys and I carved out some time the other day to sit and watch Brett Favre work his magic. Wow! He may be older, but he still has the stuff! That man can throw a football!

Recently, Mark Batterson blogged about seven great leadership lessons taken from observing Favre. I hope you benefit from these as much as I did.

1) Slap your teammates on the butt.

No one does it better than Favre. Great leaders are great encouragers! They go around slapping people on the butt, figuratively speaking of course! Love the way he head butts his lineman too. Again, I would practice this one figuratively!

2) Call an audible.

On this one I'd say that the only quarterback who is better at it than Favre is Peyton Manning. Great leaders recognize when there are eight men in the box and they need to audible to a quick slant or screen pass. Leadership is not static. It takes all factors into consideration. It is the ability to process a ton of information in a short amount of time and make a good quick decision!

3) Throw a block downfield.

One of the things I love about Favre is that he's not afraid to throw a block for his teammates. Quarterbacks don't do that. Favre does. Great leaders are great servants. They set the example they want others to follow.

4) Laugh in the locker room.

No one has more fun than Favre. Plays the game like a kid. Anybody see his rendition of Pants on the Ground after the game? Gotta love it. I think laughter is so critical to leadership longevity, especially in ministry! There's lots of crying so you need to counterbalance it with lots of laughing!

5) Huddle Up.

Favre exudes confidence when he's in the game. You're never out of it with the old gunslinger in your huddle. I think great leaders build the confidence of those around them. Love the way Drew Brees does this in New Orleans too! Amazing pre-game chants!

6) Keep Watching Game Film

Favre has played the game for eighteen seasons, but he puts in the time watching game films. After every series you can see him coaching his young receivers and looking at pictures from the coaches booth. Leaders keep learning and keep teaching!

7) Don't be afraid of throwing interceptions.

Favre had his career-best when it came to interceptions this season, but he holds the all-time interception record. Lesson? If you want to hold the record for most touchdown passes you're probably going to throw some interceptions along the way! Great leaders aren't afraid of making mistakes. They're afraid of missing opportunities! Win or lose, they leave it all on the field.

Seven Hebrew Words For Praise - Part 2

Seven Hebrew Words For Praise - Part 1

No Regrets

Happy New Year! It's hard to believe that 2010 is finally here. And with its arrival comes a sense of anticipation for what God has in store for all of us. The beginning of the year is a natural time to look ahead to what could be. It's a time when many of us begin to dream again. We set goals for the future. We aim higher than we did in the previous year. Our minds paint an almost perfect picture of the days to come.

But so often, alongside our dreams lie our regrets. We regret eating too much. We regret the things we said to our spouse. We regret spending money on things that really didn't matter. We regret watching so much TV! We regret our out of control thought life. We regret not spending more time in prayer. I think you get the idea!

I had a revelation of sorts the other day! I have never regretted doing God's will for my life. I have never regretted obeying his Word. This is not to say that it wasn't difficult at times. In fact, I would have to say that in many situations, following God's plan for my life has been more difficult. At the same time, it has always been the most rewarding choice.

Think about it. Have you ever heard someone express regret for loving their wife or giving to the poor? Wouldn't it sound weird if someone said to you, "Boy, I wish I could have gotten myself into more debt this past year." or "I'm sure glad I cheated on my husband and caused my family so much pain." The truth is that following God's will for our lives brings satisfaction and peace.

Maybe you are wondering how to rid yourselves of regrets from the past. 2 Cor. 7:10 tells us that "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." Give your regrets to God and begin walking forward again.

I have lots of goals for 2010, but my highest aim is that I would do His will for my life no matter what the cost. And I know that as long as I do this, I will not look back with regret to what could have been.