Well I'm about to go on holidays for a month - yipeeee! So I might not get to the blog much. Have a fantastic Christmas and lets not forget the one that is really all about.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Monday, December 06, 2004
coincidence?
Incredibly within 10 seconds of writing the last post I opened a peace of mail advertising a speaker on the subject of "Overcoming Violence". It is being presented by a group I would not normally attend but in this case I think I will. It wouldn't hurt to have my mind stretched!
self defence
I'm somewhat confused. My confusion is in regard to whether or not a Christian should ever be involved in violence.
When Jesus was physically attacked he never defended himself. People like Martin Luther King would argue that passive resistance is in the end the other way of truly gaining a victory.
But what about when we might be attacked on the street? It is just a random act of violence and we are not defending a principle in the way that Jesus was or in the way that Martin Luther King was.
I must acknowledge that my tendency is to physically defend myself, is this wrong?
Jesus says to love your enemies, does this involve letting them transgress or is there a line in the sand we must defend?
The more I think about this the more I am confused. But being confused is not always a bad thing since it means there is an openess to new insight.
"Lord God, I ask you to give me insight into your truth so that my life might be increasingly reflective of who you are as revealed in Jesus."
When Jesus was physically attacked he never defended himself. People like Martin Luther King would argue that passive resistance is in the end the other way of truly gaining a victory.
But what about when we might be attacked on the street? It is just a random act of violence and we are not defending a principle in the way that Jesus was or in the way that Martin Luther King was.
I must acknowledge that my tendency is to physically defend myself, is this wrong?
Jesus says to love your enemies, does this involve letting them transgress or is there a line in the sand we must defend?
The more I think about this the more I am confused. But being confused is not always a bad thing since it means there is an openess to new insight.
"Lord God, I ask you to give me insight into your truth so that my life might be increasingly reflective of who you are as revealed in Jesus."
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
customer complaints
From http://www.50secrets.com/
When I first ventured into the working world I landed a job that required a great deal of customer service.
There were some valuable lessons I learned on the job that I now use at home.
Those who work in customer service are taught that when customers have complaints, that we should first listen to them. We are often tempted to try to solve their "problem" before we even hear them finish telling us why they are upset. If we listen to their whole story, sometimes that in itself satisfies them. They just needed to let off a little steam.
The second step in good customer service is to acknowledge the problem and to be genuinely sorry that everything did not go as they expected.
A simple, yet sincere apology satisfies many situations.
Only after we have fully heard the complaint and have acknowledged their suffering can we truly offer them some sort of compensation. In many cases if you ask a customer how they would like the situation remedied, they will offer a solution that is both very fair and will have them very satisfied.
The next time your mate comes to you with a complaint, don't butt in, but fully listen to them. Understand and express sympathy for their hurt feelings. Ask them what you can do for them to make them feel better. If you want your beloved to keep coming back, treat them like they are your number one customer.
Something to think about...
When I first ventured into the working world I landed a job that required a great deal of customer service.
There were some valuable lessons I learned on the job that I now use at home.
Those who work in customer service are taught that when customers have complaints, that we should first listen to them. We are often tempted to try to solve their "problem" before we even hear them finish telling us why they are upset. If we listen to their whole story, sometimes that in itself satisfies them. They just needed to let off a little steam.
The second step in good customer service is to acknowledge the problem and to be genuinely sorry that everything did not go as they expected.
A simple, yet sincere apology satisfies many situations.
Only after we have fully heard the complaint and have acknowledged their suffering can we truly offer them some sort of compensation. In many cases if you ask a customer how they would like the situation remedied, they will offer a solution that is both very fair and will have them very satisfied.
The next time your mate comes to you with a complaint, don't butt in, but fully listen to them. Understand and express sympathy for their hurt feelings. Ask them what you can do for them to make them feel better. If you want your beloved to keep coming back, treat them like they are your number one customer.
Something to think about...
customer complaints
From http://www.50secrets.com/
When I first ventured into the working world I landed a job that required a great deal of customer service.
There were some valuable lessons I learned on the job that I now use at home.
Those who work in customer service are taught that when customers have complaints, that we should first listen to them. We are often tempted to try to solve their "problem" before we even hear them finish telling us why they are upset. If we listen to their whole story, sometimes that in itself satisfies them. They just needed to let off a little steam.
The second step in good customer service is to acknowledge the problem and to be genuinely sorry that everything did not go as they expected.
A simple, yet sincere apology satisfies many situations.
Only after we have fully heard the complaint and have acknowledged their suffering can we truly offer them some sort of compensation. In many cases if you ask a customer how they would like the situation remedied, they will offer a solution that is both very fair and will have them very satisfied.
The next time your mate comes to you with a complaint, don't butt in, but fully listen to them. Understand and express sympathy for their hurt feelings. Ask them what you can do for them to make them feel better. If you want your beloved to keep coming back, treat them like they are your number one customer.
Something to think about...
When I first ventured into the working world I landed a job that required a great deal of customer service.
There were some valuable lessons I learned on the job that I now use at home.
Those who work in customer service are taught that when customers have complaints, that we should first listen to them. We are often tempted to try to solve their "problem" before we even hear them finish telling us why they are upset. If we listen to their whole story, sometimes that in itself satisfies them. They just needed to let off a little steam.
The second step in good customer service is to acknowledge the problem and to be genuinely sorry that everything did not go as they expected.
A simple, yet sincere apology satisfies many situations.
Only after we have fully heard the complaint and have acknowledged their suffering can we truly offer them some sort of compensation. In many cases if you ask a customer how they would like the situation remedied, they will offer a solution that is both very fair and will have them very satisfied.
The next time your mate comes to you with a complaint, don't butt in, but fully listen to them. Understand and express sympathy for their hurt feelings. Ask them what you can do for them to make them feel better. If you want your beloved to keep coming back, treat them like they are your number one customer.
Something to think about...
customer complaints
From http://www.50secrets.com/
When I first ventured into the working world I landed a job that required a great deal of customer service.
There were some valuable lessons I learned on the job that I now use at home.
Those who work in customer service are taught that when customers have complaints, that we should first listen to them. We are often tempted to try to solve their "problem" before we even hear them finish telling us why they are upset. If we listen to their whole story, sometimes that in itself satisfies them. They just needed to let off a little steam.
The second step in good customer service is to acknowledge the problem and to be genuinely sorry that everything did not go as they expected.
A simple, yet sincere apology satisfies many situations.
Only after we have fully heard the complaint and have acknowledged their suffering can we truly offer them some sort of compensation. In many cases if you ask a customer how they would like the situation remedied, they will offer a solution that is both very fair and will have them very satisfied.
The next time your mate comes to you with a complaint, don't butt in, but fully listen to them. Understand and express sympathy for their hurt feelings. Ask them what you can do for them to make them feel better. If you want your beloved to keep coming back, treat them like they are your number one customer.
Something to think about...
When I first ventured into the working world I landed a job that required a great deal of customer service.
There were some valuable lessons I learned on the job that I now use at home.
Those who work in customer service are taught that when customers have complaints, that we should first listen to them. We are often tempted to try to solve their "problem" before we even hear them finish telling us why they are upset. If we listen to their whole story, sometimes that in itself satisfies them. They just needed to let off a little steam.
The second step in good customer service is to acknowledge the problem and to be genuinely sorry that everything did not go as they expected.
A simple, yet sincere apology satisfies many situations.
Only after we have fully heard the complaint and have acknowledged their suffering can we truly offer them some sort of compensation. In many cases if you ask a customer how they would like the situation remedied, they will offer a solution that is both very fair and will have them very satisfied.
The next time your mate comes to you with a complaint, don't butt in, but fully listen to them. Understand and express sympathy for their hurt feelings. Ask them what you can do for them to make them feel better. If you want your beloved to keep coming back, treat them like they are your number one customer.
Something to think about...
Friday, November 26, 2004
the cost of confronting evil
Someone once said that all it takes for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.
Yesterday I confronted someone I saw stealing bananas from a local small grocery store. The result was that I was punched and then kicked repeatedly by two young men, and other than the person who stopped their car, everyone else did nothing.
Most of my wifes friends who've heard the story wonder why I did what I did, their solution is to turn a blind eye. For me this is not an option. As a follower of Jesus I feel I must stand against evil whenever it shows itself.
The reality is that I live in one of the worst suburbs in Sydney, Redfern, and its getting worse because people are afraid of confronting evil.
But things will not change unless followers of Jesus chose to live in the worst places and confront evil whenever they see it.
Yesterday I confronted someone I saw stealing bananas from a local small grocery store. The result was that I was punched and then kicked repeatedly by two young men, and other than the person who stopped their car, everyone else did nothing.
Most of my wifes friends who've heard the story wonder why I did what I did, their solution is to turn a blind eye. For me this is not an option. As a follower of Jesus I feel I must stand against evil whenever it shows itself.
The reality is that I live in one of the worst suburbs in Sydney, Redfern, and its getting worse because people are afraid of confronting evil.
But things will not change unless followers of Jesus chose to live in the worst places and confront evil whenever they see it.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
christmas fun
For a bit of sick Christmas fun go to http://ww10.e-tractions.com/snowglobe/globe.htm and shack the snowglobe.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
justice
Over the last year I've discovered the peace that comes from knowing that in the end justice resides in the hand of God. I really don't know how people who don't believe in God and in justice beyond this life cope when they don't get justice from the temporal authorities.
Just over a year ago my eldest brother was hit and killed by a driver who did not stop. Indeed he took active steps to hide. Eventually the man was caught and went through the justice system claiming innocence until the first day of his trial where he finally pleaded guilty.
And what was his punishment? 180 hours community service and a $10,000 fine.
Is this justice for a man who in all probability was drunk at the wheel? Is this justice for failing to stop and for all he knew render life saving help.
Instead a following car hit my brother and now a family has to live with having hit someone through absolutely no fault of their own.
In the end justice is administered by God and it is in his hands my peace resides and so I can truly pray.
"Lord I pray that you would reveal yourself to this man and bring him to a knowledge of you that enables him to truly acknowledge his sin and then find the peace that only you can give."
Just over a year ago my eldest brother was hit and killed by a driver who did not stop. Indeed he took active steps to hide. Eventually the man was caught and went through the justice system claiming innocence until the first day of his trial where he finally pleaded guilty.
And what was his punishment? 180 hours community service and a $10,000 fine.
Is this justice for a man who in all probability was drunk at the wheel? Is this justice for failing to stop and for all he knew render life saving help.
Instead a following car hit my brother and now a family has to live with having hit someone through absolutely no fault of their own.
In the end justice is administered by God and it is in his hands my peace resides and so I can truly pray.
"Lord I pray that you would reveal yourself to this man and bring him to a knowledge of you that enables him to truly acknowledge his sin and then find the peace that only you can give."
sexual purity
"Holiness is not some nebulous thing. It's a series of right choices. You needn't wait for some holy cloud to form around you. You'll be holy when you choose not to sin. As a Christian you're already free from the power of sexual immorality; you are not yet free from the habit of sexual immorality, until you choose to be - until you say, 'That's enough! I'm choosing to live purely!"
Page 92, "Every Man's Battle" by Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker.
Page 92, "Every Man's Battle" by Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
leadership
Are you interested in leading an organisation forward?
"Good to Great" by J Collins is one of the best books I've read in a long time on what it takes to make a great organisation. The lessons are challenging yet seem to be in tune with some of the other research I've seen.
The salient lesson seems to be that high profile leaders are not the ones to model ourselves on. The best results, instead of just pr, are often by people who few people have heard about because they don't have the sexiness that our culture seems to desire of our icons.
Purchase the book and be ready to have your paradigm shifted.
"Good to Great" by J Collins is one of the best books I've read in a long time on what it takes to make a great organisation. The lessons are challenging yet seem to be in tune with some of the other research I've seen.
The salient lesson seems to be that high profile leaders are not the ones to model ourselves on. The best results, instead of just pr, are often by people who few people have heard about because they don't have the sexiness that our culture seems to desire of our icons.
Purchase the book and be ready to have your paradigm shifted.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
donald trump
from INJOY's The Pastor's Coach: Volume 5, Issue 20
Donald Trump is the archetypal businessman and dealmaker, and best-selling author of The Art of the Deal. In terms of the speaker line up for the day, Trump was batting clean up, and boy did he clean up! What a character! Now I know why his TV series The Apprentice is so hugely popular. He is just flat out likeable. Whether or not you ascribe to his life principles, "The Donald" is a force to be reckoned with. One of the great insights that Mr. Trump offered us was that in order to be successful you must absolutely love what you do. That is so true. Each of us has only one life and it is short at that. Take some time to reflect on what you do. Do you sense God's call and affirmation? Are you doing exactly what you were meant to do? Are you having fun? (fun doesn't mean it's easy) Are you productive? Do you love what you do? If not, is it time for a change?
Donald Trump is the archetypal businessman and dealmaker, and best-selling author of The Art of the Deal. In terms of the speaker line up for the day, Trump was batting clean up, and boy did he clean up! What a character! Now I know why his TV series The Apprentice is so hugely popular. He is just flat out likeable. Whether or not you ascribe to his life principles, "The Donald" is a force to be reckoned with. One of the great insights that Mr. Trump offered us was that in order to be successful you must absolutely love what you do. That is so true. Each of us has only one life and it is short at that. Take some time to reflect on what you do. Do you sense God's call and affirmation? Are you doing exactly what you were meant to do? Are you having fun? (fun doesn't mean it's easy) Are you productive? Do you love what you do? If not, is it time for a change?
marriage
"If culture moves further and further away from valuing marriage, women will experience, by far, the worst of it, having kids without fathers. Marriage changes men substantially on how they behave and think about women and children. Cohabitation does not change that. Young men earn more and achieve more and are more willing to sacrifice when they marry." --Scott Stanley, codirector of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at Denver University - The Independent (Feb 12-18, 2004)
"If your own marriage has grown stale, look in the mirror and ask God how he can use it to transform the person looking back at you. If you’ve let bitterness seize your heart, stop praying for your spouse to change and ask God to change you. Most marriages can survive temporarily 'falling out of love.' But you’re headed for disaster if you ever let yourself fall out of repentance." - Gary Thomas, Sacred Marriage (Zondervan, 2000)
"If your own marriage has grown stale, look in the mirror and ask God how he can use it to transform the person looking back at you. If you’ve let bitterness seize your heart, stop praying for your spouse to change and ask God to change you. Most marriages can survive temporarily 'falling out of love.' But you’re headed for disaster if you ever let yourself fall out of repentance." - Gary Thomas, Sacred Marriage (Zondervan, 2000)
Monday, November 08, 2004
FIRST-PERSON: I still love homosexuals
"Unsure how I, a former homosexual, received an invitation to speak two consecutive weeks to a gay/lesbian organization at a major university, I readily accepted. I arrived well ahead of time to mingle with the students, shake hands and get to know them ...
Check out the rest of the article at http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/default.asp?id=179&artid=5022&expand=1
Check out the rest of the article at http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/default.asp?id=179&artid=5022&expand=1
believing in v believing
Have you ever stopped to consider the difference between 'believing in God' and 'believing God'. The little word 'in' makes a tremendous difference.
Do you 'believe in God?' or 'believe God?'
Many a person who is opposed to God believe IN God, but they do not BELIEVE GOD!
Obviously to 'believe God' you have to 'believe in God'. But to 'believe in God' does not necessarily mean you 'believe God.'
Being a follower of Jesus is to believe God when he reveals Jesus is his Son. It means to believe God that their is no way to God except through Jesus. It is to believe that God who raised Jesus from the dead, can also raise us up from spiritual death to spiritual life.
Where are you today? Are you a believer IN God or do you BELIEVE GOD?
Do you 'believe in God?' or 'believe God?'
Many a person who is opposed to God believe IN God, but they do not BELIEVE GOD!
Obviously to 'believe God' you have to 'believe in God'. But to 'believe in God' does not necessarily mean you 'believe God.'
Being a follower of Jesus is to believe God when he reveals Jesus is his Son. It means to believe God that their is no way to God except through Jesus. It is to believe that God who raised Jesus from the dead, can also raise us up from spiritual death to spiritual life.
Where are you today? Are you a believer IN God or do you BELIEVE GOD?
Faith is believing God
Romans 1:5 says ... "Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith."
As I was reading this verse late last night the relationship between faith and obedience really struck home. It is travelling the road of obedience, but the door way to the road is the doorway of faith. And what is faith? Faith is believing God. So the verse could be written "... to the obedience that comes from believing God."
Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." That is what we believe is critical to what we do. Action follows our true beliefs.
So often the battle is not what we do, but what we truly believe.
If I want to change that bad habit I have to change what I really believe. Bad habits are the natural result of believing that the bad habit will bring a benefit. Good habits are the result of believing that the good action is truly the better thing to do.
So next time you do something you are not happy about, consider what belief stands behind that action, and then ask God to 'transform your thinking'.
As I was reading this verse late last night the relationship between faith and obedience really struck home. It is travelling the road of obedience, but the door way to the road is the doorway of faith. And what is faith? Faith is believing God. So the verse could be written "... to the obedience that comes from believing God."
Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." That is what we believe is critical to what we do. Action follows our true beliefs.
So often the battle is not what we do, but what we truly believe.
If I want to change that bad habit I have to change what I really believe. Bad habits are the natural result of believing that the bad habit will bring a benefit. Good habits are the result of believing that the good action is truly the better thing to do.
So next time you do something you are not happy about, consider what belief stands behind that action, and then ask God to 'transform your thinking'.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
hitting
"The unforgivable crime is soft hitting. Do not hit at all if it can be avoided; but never hit softly."- Theodore Roosevelt
romance
Amongst all the garbage on the net there is some good stuff. In particular I recommend the FREE newsletter that is available from http://www.theromantic.com/. The subject is relationships and he gives lots of good and sound ideas and advice.
goofballs
The boys at www.xxxchurch.com are dedicated to discussing issues that are often not well discussed in church. These guys have made it to the New York Times and even had been written up in an article in Playboy.
Check out their promo that can be found at http://www.thegoofballs.com/# and click on the option under "Experience the Message".
What they are saying is a challenge to live for God in the dark places of this world.
Check out their promo that can be found at http://www.thegoofballs.com/# and click on the option under "Experience the Message".
What they are saying is a challenge to live for God in the dark places of this world.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
bible reading plan
Looking for a bible reading plan? I did a google search under "Bible Reading Plan" and came up with lots of options.
My favourite one is found at at http://www.navpress.com/Magazines/DJ/BibleReadingPlans.asp?mscsid=DRK9S6UQNX8S9KJNC8LPUA4WCS0MFNH5
There are all sorts on plans on the net. You can do in Chronological order, by Topic, in the order of the Bible, etc. Have a look and find one that suits you.
There is a three year reading plan found at http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/biblereading-3yr.html
There is a reading plan for beginners at http://www.learnthebible.org/bible_reading_intro.htm which covers about 40% of the bible in 170 days.
This one found at http://www.biblehistory.webcentral.com.au/visitor/JonFitz.htm is good in that it gives an option to do basic readings and also additional readings.
My favourite one is found at at http://www.navpress.com/Magazines/DJ/BibleReadingPlans.asp?mscsid=DRK9S6UQNX8S9KJNC8LPUA4WCS0MFNH5
There are all sorts on plans on the net. You can do in Chronological order, by Topic, in the order of the Bible, etc. Have a look and find one that suits you.
There is a three year reading plan found at http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/biblereading-3yr.html
There is a reading plan for beginners at http://www.learnthebible.org/bible_reading_intro.htm which covers about 40% of the bible in 170 days.
This one found at http://www.biblehistory.webcentral.com.au/visitor/JonFitz.htm is good in that it gives an option to do basic readings and also additional readings.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)