I've Moved

I have moved my blog over to wordpress... check me out HERE.

Taste and See

Check out my latest blog post HERE at wordpress.
I'm trialing wordpress out. Let me know what you think of the wordpress platform.

Lessons From A Duck

I was listening to a podcast by Ps Craig Groechel and heard this really great story. Thought I'd share it with you:

There was a duck that was late in leaving to join the other ducks that were migrating.
He had to fly alone and was caught up in a snow storm. He grew really tired and his wings began to freeze. The poor little duck crashed into the earth to what looked a sure, slow and agonizing death lying in the snow.
The duck heard a sound... the sound of a cow who stood over the poor bird. The next moment the cow pooped on the duck.
Great, not only was the duck freezing to death but now he was covered in dung too!
But that dung melted the snow and started to defrost the ducks wings.
With excitement the duck began to cry out... but this attracted a cat, who dug the duck out... and ate him.

3 things we learn from this story:

1) Not everyone who drops dung on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who digs you out is your friend.
3) If you're covered in dung, shut-up!

How have these 3 lessons played out in your life? I'd love to hear your story.
Leave a comment and let's get the conversation rolling.

Taking Delegation To A Whole Nutha Level!

I was surfing the other night and I found this incredible blog and web site of Soul City Church. They are a church plant that is looking to launch in early 2010 and are trusting God For $800K to launch. Jarrett & Jeanne Stevens have a big dream and big hearts to go with it.
Their web site is amazing! Check it out HERE.
To give you a taste of whats on their blog I have one of their posts below. Want to see more of their blog posts... click HERE.

Last week I (Jeanne) hit one of those common walls that leaders hit. I looked at my to-do list and realized there were far too many boxes to check than I had hours left in my day. I confess that I am an activator and achiever and so often my first response is to come up with as many possible ways to push past the gift of my human limits and throw on my superwoman cape of capacity and power through. But I know that when I do that it leaves me feeling more exhausted, lacking in inspiration, impatient, and ultimately unsatisfied.

Every day I awake to a list of tasks that are calling out to me to accomplish them. I don’t suspect that there is a day in my near future when there will be nothing on the list. Starting a church, leading a ministry, raising a family, and following a dream happens through the constant accomplishing of tasks and goals one day at a time. But it should never be done alone. I know that if I am the only one looking at the list and tackling the list I am breaking one of our Core leadership Values for the staff & volunteers of Soul City Church.

Doing less is Doing more! Always be looking for someone that you can develop into leadership by giving away appropriate authority instead of developing a follower by giving away a task.

Far too many church leaders are burning out and giving up because they only give away tasks – not authority. Maybe you have hit this wall too – maybe you’re at it right now. My hunch is that there are some amazing people right around you that are hungry to lead with you, not just accomplish a task.

So how can you DO MORE by DOING LESS this week?

Wow, this post was a challenge to me! Handing out tasks is simple... but ultimately gets you no-where. This will definitely take my leadership to a new level.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and lets get the conversation rolling.

Finishing Up In A World Of Drop Outs

I wanted to share a blog post that James Macpherson wrote. I have only included his points, for the full write up please click HERE.

1. Dropping out is irresponsible whilst finishing up is responsible



2. Dropping out shows dishonor whilst finishing up shows honor



3. Dropping out displays cowardice whilst finishing up displays courage



4. Dropping out prioritizes convenience whilst finishing up prioritizes conviction


5. Dropping out shows a carelessness with relationships whilst finishing up shows a commitment to relationships



6. Dropping out diminished a person’s character whilst finishing up builds a person’s character


7. Dropping out creates a reputation and so does finishing up!


From time to time there is a need to finish up. But there is never any excuse to drop out.



What a great post!
Leave a comment and lets get the conversation started!

Are You Looking In The Right Places?

John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Usually we get the picture of God chasing us with a pitch fork if we do not follow Him...
but what if this Scripture is pointing us to the fact that we will only find life... eternal life in Him.
We can look else where, but we won't find the life we are looking for.
Only Jesus has life... or to be correct... is life itself.

Maybe thats why this scripture is one of my favourite:

John 10:10 (KJV)
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this... please leave a comment.

Winning On The Uphills

I found this great post by Seth Godin:

Winning on the uphills

Interesting business lesson learned on a bicycle: it's very difficult to improve your performance on the downhills.

I used to dread the uphill parts of my ride. On a recumbent bike, they're particularly difficult. So I'd slog through, barely surviving, looking forward to the superspeedy downhill parts.

Unfortunately, I had a serious accident a few years ago (saving the life of a clueless pedestrian by throwing myself onto the pavement). Downhill might be fast, but it's crazy.

Lesson learned. Now, I look forward to the uphill parts, because that's where the work is, the fun is, the improvement is. On the uphills, I have a reasonable shot at a gain over last time. The downhills are already maxed out by the laws of physics and safety.

To read the rest of the post click HERE.

Please leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences with us.

And For those of you who love the crazy downhills...

Mentoring & Discipleship. Pt 3

I was on Facebook wishing a mate a happy birth day and found this quotation.
Since we're on the subject of mentoring the timing is... well Divine.

“I learned a great deal about myself while watching a documentary a few years ago about elephants in a wildlife trust in Africa. There were twenty-five elephants, all of them orphans, and they had been brought to the trust twenty years before. They were becoming teenagers– in elephant years. T

The narrator in the documentary said the elephant musth cycle beings in adolescence, and normally lasts only a few days. But among these orphans, the musth cycle was disrupted and had become unusually long. These elephants were taking out their aggression on rhinos that bathed at a local mud pool. An elephant would slowly lumber down to the pool, enter near a rhino, then spear it through the side with his tusks. The elephant would then lean his gargantuan forehead into the head of the rhino, holding the beast underwater until it drowned. The filmmakers followed these orphan elephants who were always on their own, staggering about the wildlife refuge, fueled by a pent-up aggression they couldn’t understand. They weren’t acting like elephants– they didn’t know what an elephant was supposed to do with all his energy, all his muscle.

I have never killed a rhino, or much of anything for that matter, but there have been times in my life when I didn’t know exactly how to be. I mean, there were feelings, sometimes anger, sometimes depression, sometimes raging lust, and I was never sure what any of it was about. I just felt like killing somebody, or sleeping with some girl, or decking a guy in a bar, and I didn’t know what to do with any of these feelings. Life was a confusing series of emotions rubbing against events. I wasn’t sure how to manage myself, how to talk to a woman, how to build a career, how to– well, be a man.

To me, life was something you had to stumble through alone. It wasn’t something you enjoyed or conquered, it was something that happened to you, and you didn’t have a whole lot of say about the way it turned out. You just acted out your feelings and hoped you never got caught.

Watching television that night, however, the narrator began to speak of a kind of hope for these elephants. Elephant development, apparently, begins very early. Female elephants are only capable of having children once every two years, and during those two years between babies, the young are cared for obsessively by their mothers. They are fed, sheltered, loved, and guided in their learning of basic survival.

It is only at the first musth cycle that a young male elephant leaves his mother and enters into the African wild, searching for a mentor, a guide. The green pus running down his hind leg and his smell like fresh-cut grass alerts an older, fully mature male, that this is a young elephant in need of guidance. Upon finding a mentor, the young elephant’s musth cycle ends. The older and younger begin to travel together, to find food together, to protect each other– the older one teaching the younger what elephant strength is for, and how to use it for the benefit of himself and the tribe.

Watching television that night, I wondered if humans aren’t like that, too. I began to wonder if we guys were designed to have a father, whose very presence would cause us to understand more accurately what our muscle is for, what we are supposed to do with our energy.

You have to wonder, don’t you? Some statistics state as many as 85 percent of the guys in prison grew up without a dad. This is sobering to me.

And so watching the documentary, I began to wonder if those of us without dads aren’t making mistakes in our lives we wouldn’t make if we had a father to guide us. I wondered if there isn’t a better paradigm for our existence– a way of being men, a way each of us could truly embrace if it were instilled in us by a man who spoke with altruism and authority. I wondered if people who grow up with great fathers don’t walk around with a subconscious sense they are wanted on this planet, that they belong, and the world needs them. And I wondered this: Is there practical information we are supposed to know about work, women, decisions, authority, leadership, marriage, and family that we would have learned if there were a guide around to help us navigate our journey? I wondered if some of the confusing emotions I was feeling weren’t a kind of suspended adolescence from which the presence of an older man might have delivered me.

– Excerpt from To Own A Dragon, by Donald Miller (pp 31-34)


Our God is the Father to the fatherless.
We are called to represent Him to this world.
If the Christian men could begin to adopt young people in their communities... can you begin to imagine what the future could look like?

Let me know your thoughts on the subject by leaving a comment.

Mentoring & Discipleship. Pt 2

In the book Think Orange, Reggie Joiner suggest the following 5 Spiritual Growth Catalysts:

1) Personal Ministry (ie. actually being personally involved in ministry / service)

2) Spiritual Disciplines (not a word that's too popular these days!)

3) Applying Truth (not just hearing or ingesting information, but applying the truth so life change is the result)

4) Significant Relationships

5) Pivotal Circumstances

How can we apply these 5 catalysts to mentoring / discipleship / coaching?
I'd love to hear your thoughts... please leave a comment!

Mentoring & Discipleship. Pt 1

I have been reading 2 interesting books over the past 2 weeks. The first is Multiplication by Nick Klinkenberg and the second is Think Orange by Rick Joiner.
These books have stirred my thoughts once again on the topic of discipleship / mentoring / coaching... whatever term you prefer to use.

I love the Chinese Proverb that states:
"If you're planting for a year, plant grain. If you're planting for a decade, plant trees. If you're planting for a century, plant people."

I think it is safe to say we all agree with the basic concept and need for discipleship, however, it has been a complaint for long time that discipleship is a lost art.
In the West, certainly when we think of discipleship we think of a class room or bible college situation.
But how successful has this means of discipleship been?

I will leave you with the following 3 short quotes on the subject. Please ponder it and leave your thoughts via a comment.


"Over half of all Nobel Prize winners were once apprenticed to other Nobel winners."
Ron Lee Jones.

"Truth is an important part of discipleship, but our faith simply doesn't grow because we know more, it grows when we serve more."
Reggie Joiner

"If what they have heard doesn't move from their heads to their hands, it will probably never make it to their hearts."
Reggie Joiner


Thanks for leaving your comments.
I will sit on these thoughts over the next few posts... I look forward to going on a journey with you as you comment and add to my thoughts.

My Next Read

What have been your top 3 reads this year?
Leave a comment and give us the inside info to great books.

Tim Ferriss's - Tips and Tricks To Change Your Life!!!

This will change your life... (well not really, but it will bring joy when eating hard boiled eggs!)

On Being Authentic

" Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of someone else."
Judy Garland

Free The Slaves

Here are a list of places doing great work to end slavery in our day:

The Not For Sale Campaign.

Anti-Slavery

Free The Slaves

Just Focus A national network of engaged and active young people in NZ who are interested in and passionate about global issues.

Just. The Anglican Social Justice Commission.


If you know of any other organizations that should be mentioned, please do let me know.

I look forward to seeing your responses via comments.

I saw this article and really wanted to share it with you:

How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours

One Reporter's Journey Reveals An Epidemic of Child Slavery in Haiti

By DAN HARRIS
July 8, 2008

This deeply unsettling experiment starts on a typical Monday morning on Manhattan's leafy Upper West Side, where commuters stroll by Starbucks and Central Park.

Is it really possible to purchase a child in less than 10 hours?

At 7:10 a.m., I'm off to see how long it takes to buy a child slave.

It's 45 minutes to Kennedy Airport and an hour or so wait in the terminal, then a 3½-hour flight to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

A band greets the flight.

By the time my team and I have collected our luggage, gone through immigration and customs, and are loaded into our vehicles, it's about 3:15 p.m.

As we leave the airport, two things become immediately apparent: Port-au-Prince is an amazing, vivid place, and it's also extremely poor. The U.S. State Department warns Americans against visiting here. United Nations peacekeepers patrol the roads while we drive with our own security team: two armed Haitian men in SUVs.

'I Would Like to Get a Child'

By 4:45 p.m., I'm poolside at one of the city's few upscale hotels. I'm wearing a hidden camera built into the strap of a bike messenger-style bag that's around my neck. There's another hidden camera in a leather satchel on the table, right next to the fruit plate and Evian water. My colleagues are manning cameras in hotel rooms overlooking the pool.

Our security guards are sitting discretely nearby.

That's when the man with whom I've arranged a meeting shows up.

He says he's a former member of parliament and that he has connections. In broad daylight, with hotel waiters walking by, he doesn't even flinch when I make a horrific request.

"If I would like to get a child to live with me and take care of me," I ask. "Could you do that?"

"Yes," he says. "I can."

He's speaking in Creole, the most prevalent Haitian language. The man doing the translation, who has set up the meeting, works for us (unbeknownst to the slave trafficker).

The trafficker assures me he's done this sort of transaction many times before.

"A girl or a boy?" he asks.

"A girl probably," I say.

"How old?"

"Maybe 10 or 11."

"Not a problem."

He says he can get me an 11-year-old girl, although he suggests that a 15-year-old might be better, because she'd be more "developed."

I'm thinking: I can't believe I'm having this conversation.

"And this is OK?" I ask. "I won't have any trouble from their parents or anything like that?"

"No, you won't have any problems with their parents."

"Why not?"

"When I give you the child, I will train it for you."

I'm not exactly sure what that means.

A Successful Negotiation

"I'm a little nervous." I say. "I just want to make sure that this is OK, that I'm not going to get in trouble, that this will be smooth, that you've done this before."

"I guarantee my service," says the trafficker, grinning. "I can get you your girl as early as tomorrow."

And now, the negotiation begins.

"So how much will it cost me to get a child?" I ask.

"The last one I gave was $300."

Trying to test the value of human life, I push a little.

"I have a friend who got one for $50."

"No," he says.

"What about $100?"

"$150," he offers.

I accept.

And there it is. It's about 5 p.m. Roughly 10 hours after leaving my office in New York City, I have successfully negotiated to buy another human being -- an 11-year-old girl, whose value is set at just $150.

As we conclude our meeting, I want to make sure the trafficker does not act on my request. I ask him to wait a day before doing anything. I assure him I'll call him tomorrow with my final answer. He agrees.

To read the rest of the article please click HERE:


Personally... I hope this post disturbs you... into action!

My next post will have some organizations that you can get involved with.
Please do leave a comment.

Storm Simulation

This video just goes to show what some boredom and free time can lead to... something incredible.
Watch the 1st 1 1/2 mins of this video... its flippen amazing!!!

Best Auction Pitch Ever

Isn't life all about perspective?
I love the story about 2 shoe salesmen who were sent to an African country to find new sales potential. The first salesman sent a telegram back home saying that he needed to return, no sales possible, no-one wears shoes. The second salesman sent a telegram urging the company to send over as many shoes as possible... everyone needs a pair!

I love what this individual did on his TradeMe auction post... trust me, you don't want to miss this. Click HERE to check it out.

So what did you think?
Leave a comment and let me know.

PS: How is your perspective?

3 Critical Issues Facing The Church Right Now

Click HERE to read a post I have just written on 3 Critical Issues Facing The Church Right Now.

Warning... the content may disturb you!

Leave a comment and let me know what you thought.

Do You Worship An Idol?

I found this verse while preparing for my message at church this past Sunday:

Eph 5:5
(5) Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. You can be sure that people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom that belongs to Christ and to God.

Having sex (not just sexual intercourse, but any sex act outside of marriage... including fondling!) outside of marriage is idol worship!

Infact Jesus further raises the bar:

Mat 5:27-28
(27) You know the commandment which says, "Be faithful in marriage."
(28) But I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your thoughts.

Wow! Talk about living by a higher standard.
So the challenge is... are you worshiping the idol of sex / fornication / adultery?
If so... STOP IT!
The truth is you can't worship Jesus and other idols!

A heavy post... but the Truth will set us free.

Please do leave a comment about your thoughts re: this post.

A Future Focus

This video will blow your mind... and leave you challenged!!!




What are some of your thoughts after viewing the video?
Leave a comment and lets get the conversation rolling...