My Birthday Wish:

Today is my birthday. Actually, it is a special birthday because today marks a huge milestone in my life: I am now 55 and can take advantage of many of the senior discounts that are offered. To those of you who know me personally, saving money is a big part of my life. Some say I am frugal. Most know I'm just cheap.

As I was meditating early this morning on this passing of yet another year of my life, and the many friends and acquaintances who have wished me a Happy Birthday, I made a resolution: Today I am seeking to make it a special day for everyone else: Those I come into contact with during the normal course of my day.

I am not saying this to bring attention to myself, to elevate myself above others, or to sound holier-than-thou. Rather, I am going to live my life today as (hopefully) I seek to live it on any other day: Encouraging, influencing, and pouring into others.

I am grateful for the celebration of my Birthday, and to those who celebrate it with me. I can only hope that it is actually my life that is being celebrated, and not just one day.

My Birthday Wish: That others may experience life the way it was meant to be lived, and that they may fulfil their destiny!

Question: What would your birthday wish? Share your thoughts below in comments.

 

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Success!

Do you want to be successful? Do you dream of finishing your life having "arrived"? Are there goals that you have set for yourself that you feel if attained, would give you the label success?

Popular culture has created a picture of success that is somewhat distorted, rather than based on our created purpose and called pursuit. We want our 15 minutes of fame, our lottery-ticket-instant-riches, and our American Idol record deal.

Boys dream of making the buzzer-beating shot to win the championship, or sinking the birdie putt on the last hole. (Well, maybe grown men who didn't make it as basketball players fantasize about the 18th green.)

If girls still dream of their knight in shining armor, his horse needs to be tricked-out, he must have a fat 401k, and his castle better have plenty of rooms.

If most of us believe that wealth, power, and prestige are the pathway to success, allow me to offer an alternative path:

• Grounded - We need to have anchors that are not based on the stock market, our win-loss record, or our looks and abilities. There must be something bigger than we are that we trust in, believe in, and look to for security. Relying on the wind of prevailing opinion or popular culture to dictate our success will ultimately end in failure. A sailboat without an anchor will be blown in multiple directions during a storm.
• Growing - We cannot achieve a level of success and become complacent, satisfied with where we are. We must always be learning, expanding, growing. This applies both professionally and personally. Age is not a factor either. Once we cease growing, we begin dying. Looking forward multiplies success. Looking down at where we are encourages stagnation.
• Giving - Those who have are responsible to share: ideas, lessons, resources, and time are valuable commodities that when invested into the lives of others encourage a culture of success. Hoarding not only promotes isolation, but also robs others of their chance to grow. A tree will never become more than a tree unless it bears fruit, that in turn is transformed into multiple trees.

True success isn't measured in what one has acquired or has achieved, but rather in one's character, cultivation, and contribution.

Question: What other thoughts do you have on true success? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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Creative Expression: Multiplied

This Friday evening, our ministry is hosting an event called Fire by Night. (Please know that I am not using this Blog post to unashamedly promote the event. But, if reading this motivates you to join us, I'm OK with that!)

Fire by Night is designed to be an evening for the wider community of Christians to come together for expressive worship and passionate prayer. Simply put, we will worship and cry out to our Lord.

Events like these play a greater role in the life of creatives (and I believe that all of us are creative, because we were made in the image of The Creator, and therefore we have that quality in our DNA) because there is an atmosphere that fosters creativity beyond what we might normally experience.

Here are three specific goals and benefits that we anticipate during this evening:

• Diverse Community - Bringing together other people from various faith communities will always create a fresh environment to express ourselves in. The same reason my wife and I love to try new ethnic foods is why it is good to be exposed to other fellow-worshippers. It stretches us, enriches us, and exposes us to something new we might like.
• Expansive Expression - An environment where time and style are not constraints allows for creative expression that goes beyond our comfort zone. As Blog and column writers faced with deadlines and content restriction seem to flourish at writing novels, so does an atmosphere where creative expression is encouraged.
• Multiplied Effect - More worshippers means abundant declaration. Combined passion means greater affirmation. One trumpet is loud, two trumpets twice as loud, but a brass band will shake a building.

When one adds the intangibles that are benefits of an event like this, the level of creativity (and in this case the level of worship) grows exponentially!

Question: When have you been involved in a wider creative expression, and what were the results you experienced? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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Fall Colors

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One thing I am going to miss by living in Florida is the beautiful fall colors in the more northern regions of our country. Yes, around here I may come across a random tree that has a hint of gold in its leaves, but all in all, the spectacular beauty of the changing of colors in fall foliage will be missed.

As I was reflecting on this, I began to think about the change that takes place during this time, and how this change can provide lessons and encouragement for all of us. Here are some of my thoughts about change that came from this exercise:

• Change is inevitable - Just as autumn and the changing of colors comes every year, change in our lives, organizations, and ministries will happen also.
• Change is required - Our earth needs the fall change to prepare for winter, then spring and summer. The "other hemisphere" (depending on where you live) needs the tilting of the earth to change so they can experience those same transitions.
• Change is sometimes hidden - Even though my geography will limit my seeing the change that fall colors announce, I know that change is happening.

 Here are some conclusions that I drew from these thoughts:

• Value change - As you are required to (or choose to) make changes in your life, your organization or ministry, appreciate it. Look forward to the potential outcome. Embrace change, rather than dread or resist it.
• Prepare for change - Leverage your resources, energies, and focus as you see change coming. If you know you must change, don't wait for the last minute to get ready for it.
• Enjoy change - It's going to happen. One might as well live within it with optimism, rather than with fear. Find ways to appreciate change, to mobilize it, to leverage it for more than the expected outcome.

I may miss the visual evidence of this fall season, but I know the change is happening. I'm all in.

Question: How do you value, prepare for, and enjoy change in your life? Share your thoughts below in comments.