September 2009 Archives

This is an excellent article from Fuller Youth Institute that gives great insight into "Guy Land," the world that your boys grow up in. It also offers some suggestions for how to walk with them through "Guy Land". Having worked closely with boys in middle school and high school for the past 10 years, I find this article to be right on target. This is the adolescent boy world. If this is news to you, then I encourage you to read the entire article, and perhaps even take a closer look into your son's day-to-day life. Who is he spending time with? What are they doing? What do they really talk about? And who is leading them into the rest of their life? Are they leading themselves? Or is there an loving, caring adult walking beside them through these crucial years of transformation? Enjoy the article and please feel free to comment with any questions or concerns...

Click this link for read more:  http://fulleryouthinstitute.org/2009/08/just-guys/

 NEEDTOBREATHE

February 5-7, 2010

Having grown up in church, the sounds of gospel are intrinsically woven into the Rineharts’ musical DNA. As NEEDTOBREATHE reached inward, inspirational sounds began to inform their work, notably on“Washed By The Water,” which recasts an old time spiritual as rousing modern rock, and the selfdescribed“worship song,” “Signature of Divine (Yahweh).” Anthemic yet down-to-earth, the track seamlessly knits touches of gospel and R&B into the band’s cinemascope sound.

“We’re interested in building a career in music,” Rinehart says, “and playing live lets you develop the fan base that allows you to do that. I tell people all the time, ‘Oh, to be Wilco.’ That to me is a great career model. Bands that have a close, ongoing relationship with their fans are able to do more because it allows them to change and grow and make better and better music.”

Your NEEDTOBREATHE concert package will include:

Last week I wrote a post listing the top 10 reasons why people stay with an organization (read entire post here). In that post I referenced a book I recently read entitled, Love 'em or Lose 'em. In this book, the authors offer 26 engagement strategies for managers to use in helping retain good employees.

Of the 26 strategies, 25 were proactive and basically a list of do this, or do that. However, one chapter focused on what not to do. The chapter was titled, "Jerk - Don't Be One". Immediately below the chapter title was this, "WARNING - If this book landed on your desk with a bookmark here, pay attention!".  If you're like me, you probably chuckled when you read that.

Unfortunately the reality is that it's not really funny for a lot of people. The reason being, they work for a boss that acts like a jerk and it makes their work life miserable. Over the years I've had the unfortunate experience of working for a couple of jerks (none so far at LifeWay!) and it was not fun. In one case, it was bad enough that I was ready to quit. When I complained to my general manager he told me that I could learn as much from the bad managers as I could from the good ones. (Not sure that's what I really wanted to hear, but looking back I think there's a little truth in there somewhere.) Fortunately, before things got really bad, I got a promotion and was transferred to another hotel.

As it almost was for me, working for a jerk boss is one of the top causes for a person to leave a job. Even employees who are well paid, receive recognition and a chance to learn and grow will leave if the boss is a big enough jerk. This begs the question, "Are you a jerk boss?". Some bosses are proud of the fact they're a jerk, but I think most of them (maybe even us sometimes) don't really realize the impact their behavior is having on their employees.

So, what are some of the behaviors of a jerk boss? Here's a "Jerk Behavior Survey" that can offer a little insite. The survey poses the question, "Which of these behaviors would make you leave your job?" and lists 42 jerk behaviors to choose from. Once you check the five that would most likely cause you to leave, you get the results of what everyone else said.

Here are the five (4 of 5 were in top 8) jerk behaviors I said would cause me to leave a job:

1. Belittles people in front of others
2. Lies
3. Humiliates and embarrasses others
4. Betrays trust or confidences
5. Swears

What about you? Have you ever left a job because the boss was a jerk? If so, what was the behavior that sent you out the door? If not, what jerk behavior would cause you to leave a job you were otherwise satisfied with? 

Devotional Passage: Mark 10:13-16 
Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, He shall not enter therein. Mark 10:15

Children come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. Watching a room of children at play can be quite entertaining at times. One child may sit in the corner by himself, play quietly and seem contented. Another child may desire to have a toy that another is playing with and take it from her. Sometimes a minor scrap may occur, or the child who has lost a toy might simply cry or look sad at the loss.

While children are different in many ways, they all have one thing in common. They are completely dependent on adults for their daily care.

As adults, we are unique, too. But as Christians, we have one thing in common. If we want to live a productive and acceptable life for our Lord, we must maintain an attitude of dependence on Him daily.

The children who came to Jesus portrayed trust, humility, and obedience. Those same qualities are essential for Jesus’ disciples today.

Help me Father, to realize that in this world I can do nothing without your presence and guidance each day if I am to be an obedient follower.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Recently I was talking with some meeting planners about how confusing "hotel lingo" can be. I agree, the terms we all use in our work may not be recognizable in others.

Here are a few definitions you should know.

Request For Proposal (RFP):  An RFP is not a contract.  RFPs are considered an invitation for an offer to be made and potentially a contract issued.

Banquet Event Order (BEO): BEOs are the internal document generated to communicate to the hotel staff what the requirements of your meeting are.  BEOs will list your meeting set up, food and beverage, audiovisual and any other specifics about your meeting.

Cutoff Date:  The cutoff date is the date the hotel releases your room block back to the general inventory.

Indemnification:  To indemnify means to guarantee against any loss or damage that another might suffer.  These clauses in contracts are used to protect both parties against the negligent acts.

Force Majeure:  Irresistible Force - the purpose of a force majeure clause is to protect both parties in the event that a part of the contract cannot be performed due to unavoidable causes which are outside of either parties control.

Attrition:  Hotels set a value to your contract.  An amout of money they expect your business to generate.  "Attrition" occurs when a meeting is held but fails to reach expectations, either in number of rooms or the food and beverage revenue to the hotel.

Devotional Passage: Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Those who have lived in regions of the United States where tornados are prevalent know the power of these storms. They cause major destruction by uprooting trees, destroying homes, and throwing cars hundreds of feet. The tornadoes can slam into the ground with such force that nothing but large holes remain.

God’s Word is more powerful than even these great winds. It can reach deep into the joints and marrow of our lives, convicting us of sin or assuring us of God’s unconditional love for us. When we have soul-wrenching need, God’s Word is there to immerse our lives with the assurance of His grace.

Furthermore, God’s Word exposes our thoughts and intentions. Nothing is hidden from God’s searching eye. 

Take time to read God’s Word, and allow it to pierce your life and see what great things God will do for you.

Father, help me to spend more time in Your Word and allow it to penetrate my life so I may live in accordance with Your will and be a blessing to others.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Over the course of my work career, I've been involved in more performance reviews (giving and receiving) than I can remember. Most were positive, others not so positive, but in my most recent performance review my boss asked me a question I had never heard before.

Near the end of our meeting, Jerry asked, "What would it take for you to leave LifeWay?". For just a moment, I was speechless. In 30+ years I've never had a boss ask me that question. I'm sure I've had one or two who probably wanted to ask what it would take to GET me to leave, but never what would it take for me to leave. Fortunately, I truly do love what I do. Once I recovered my voice, I said that short of the audible voice of God, I couldn't think of anything that would get me to leave to LifeWay.

As we discussed this question further, Jerry shared that he had recently read the book, Love 'em or Lose 'em. In this book,  the authors challenged employers to ask this type of question before a good employee leaves, instead of waiting and asking why they left in an exit interview. When you stop to think about it, this makes a lot of sense. Why not engage your good performers and find out what might cause them to leave before they really leave?

In their book, authors Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans shared the results from over 17,000 folks who answered the question, "why have you stayed with your organization?". Based on that research, here are the Top 10 Reasons why people stay with an organization:

1. Exciting work and challenge
2. Career growth, learning and development
3. Working with great people
4. Fair pay
5. Supportive management/good boss
6. Being recognized, valued and respected
7. Benefits
8. Meaningful work and making a difference
9. Pride in the organization, its mission and its products
10. Great work environment and culture

I would love to hear what you think about this. How do these reasons line up with how you feel about your job or organization? As a boss, which of these areas can you positively impact?

I want to share with you what I believe to be the single greatest challenge ever given to mankind, by the greatest person who has ever lived.  

No matter how:  Wealthy, Famous, Brilliant or Powerful anyone may become or think they are, no one will ever give themselves to a greater cause, to a more important cause, to an eternal cause greater than the this life-changing, even world-changing call from God.  The Great Commission. 

No matter how many:  Honors, Awards or Achievements are placed in people’s hands, nothing can begin to compare with this great command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to help take His message of love and forgiveness to every creature, in every community, in every part of the world and make disciples of every nation.

Pause for a few moments and just think about our world.  Think about what’s going on right now.
  People are filled with frustration
  People are filled with fear
  People are filled with despair

Mankind hasn’t figured out the answers to our problems of:
  Stress
  The economy
  War
  Nuclear Proliferation
  Pollution
  Crime
  Violence
  Sexual rebellion and exploitation
  Alcoholism
  Drug addiction
  Abortion
  Pornography
  Wide spread political and social decay
  Moral decline

For such a time as this, God has given the church her marching orders.  The Greatest Commandment, from the Greatest Person, to the Greatest Institution ever, The Church.  So, here we are as Followers of Christ, as Disciples.  What are we going to do about the Great Commission.   The Great Commission is not going to change in the years ahead.  We will still have our marching orders.  We will still have an opportunity, through relationships, to seek to disciple and equip people to accept the love and grace of God the Father through Jesus Christ and to share the love of God and forgiveness of God with peoples and nations everywhere.

Devotional Passage: Psalm 34:11-16
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psalm 34:14

The battle between the two neighbors had been raging for years, and the only thing they had in common was their animosity for each other. One Sunday morning, however, everything changed. The church was in revival and one person responded to God’s call to repentance and made his way to the altar, stating publicly, “There is a person here today with whom I have been at extreme odds. I’ve come to make it right.” There was much weeping and rejoicing in my husband’s little church that Sunday as the two enemies forgave each other and embraced. Charles was only 8 years old at the time, and the lesson he learned then still impacts his life today. 

The devotional passage points out that when we love and fear the Lord, we will choose to turn from sin, and do that which is good, pursuing peace every step of the way.

Do you have such love for God that you seek peace and choose to do good? To do so will bring the Father’s blessing.

Father, help me consistently choose to depart from evil and do that which is good in Your sight.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines