Why do big Christian/church planting orgs have to come in and start something new?
Why not work with churches that are already established but need help?
5/6-year-olds don’t need 7 hours a day of kindergarten.
They need time outside, free play, pencils and paper, parents who read to them, space to be creative, license to build forts and castles, curiosity driven adventures.
They need space. To be kids.
That’s pretty much it.
Parenthood has caused my perspective on homework to shift DRAMATICALLY lol
Like, y’all had 8 hours w my kid. Y’all couldn’t fit all the work in there?? I only got 3ish hours between home and bedtime. That’s OUR time. You’ll see them tomorrow 😆
You are a story still being told. Each new page carries the potential for change. If the page you're on right now is one of struggle, keep writing, keep reading. The next could be full of hope.
Less: “Everything happens for a reason.”
More: “The cruelty you endured will never make sense because it was senseless.”
You’re not obligated to find a positive twist or make it make sense. There is peace in calling it what it is.
The pastoral epistles are weird.
Imagine if a few emails you sent to a couple of mentees got leaked and then for a couple thousand years people were like “Welp, this is binding! We can only do things according to what Paul said in his private correspondences to Tim & Big Ty!”
It's not as easy as "just quit people pleasing."
That fawn response isn't a "choice." It's something our nervous system decided was important to keeping us ALIVE and/or SAFE.
It takes more than a "decision" to unravel its hold on us.
Christians have historically been good at caring for people who are poor.
Christians have historically been bad at understanding why people are poor and what systems of oppression allow them to be poor in the first place.
Both statements can be true at the same time.
If you never witnessed adults work through problems with compassion and patience it makes sense that you’re rushed, hostile, or shut down when your stressed.
Most people need to learn how to fight.
Fighting isn’t about ‘winning’ or keeping score. It’s about being vulnerable, finding solutions, and learning how to respond in mature ways when upset.
Before he was “George Clooney,” George Clooney was just a guy.
A guy nobody knew.
A guy getting repeatedly rejected.
Clooney was desperate in those early days.
He wanted directors to like him.
But audition after audition, he heard another “no.”
The rejection crushed him.
• Clooney blamed Hollywood
• He blamed directors and producers
• He blamed the “system” for his failures
And then, everything changed.
***
LESSON 1: Perspective is everything
Instead of blaming, Clooney shifted his perspective.
He recognized that not only did he want the role, but directors wanted to say YES.
Rather than hoping for that yes, Clooney began walking into auditions believing he was the man for the job.
• He listened to the directors
• He embodied the nuances of the role
• He projected a newfound confidence
With this subtle shift, Clooney’s performance transformed.
***
LESSON 2: Be the solution
Clooney recognized the problem facing directors.
Auditions were painstaking for them, too.
They didn’t want to waste time in them.
They wanted to find the perfect person for the role.
So, Clooney began approaching auditions that way.
His “customer” had a problem, and he had the solution.
We all face numerous problems in life.
More often than not, YOU are the solution.
***
LESSON 3: Be service-minded
The “old” Clooney approached auditions thinking about what he could gain.
Roles. Fame. Status. Riches. Success.
But he got that stuff only when he made his work about serving.
• Serving the role
• Serving the directors
• Serving the spirit of the work
If you want success, be of service.
***
Be the solution.
Be service-minded.
And remember, perspective is everything.
***
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The longest running study on happiness:
Harvard's 84 year old Study of Adult Development.
Here are 7 lessons from the study to help you live a happier life:
MOST ABUSED VERSE IN THE BIBLE:
"Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another," — HEB.10:25
NOT: You must attend an institutional church.
BUT INSTEAD: Grow closer to other followers of The Way; spend time together, wherever you can.
Tragically, looking at the politics of many Christians today, one would think Jesus took over the Roman Empire with his disciples and imposed his will on the world through political control rather than laying down his life out of self sacrificial love for the world.