Anticipation

When we live according to God's principles with a heart of humility backing it up, we can anticipate God-sized opportunity and provision. Jessica and I, along with the whole Clarity church plant team, are getting dangerously close to the big cross country move to LA. We have many possibilities, with zero certainties... other than the absolute assurance of God's Word.

We often long for a life of risk, adventure, and total trust... but don't want the difficult realities we face when actually taking steps forward. There will be worry that has to be taken captive and turned to trust, there will be fear that has to be taken captive and turned to expectation, and there will be anger that has to be taken captive and turned to compassion.

Jessica, Novi, and I are heading to LA this Saturday to meet with various community leaders that we will be working with. We are also presenting CLARITY to all the SoCal AG pastors... crazy opportunity. Lastly, we are connecting with possible students and networks for the new "Nathan Kollar School of Music."

Pray.

Thank you.

Opportunity Creators

Seth Godin posted this blog about qualities/skills that make us most desirable for employment and or opportunity.

You will never be out of work if you can demonstrably offer one of the following:

• Sales
• Additive effort
• Initiation

Sales speaks for itself. If you can sell enough to cover what you cost and then some, there will always be someone waiting to hire you.

Additive effort is distinguished from bureaucracy or feel-good showing up. Additive effort generates productivity far greater than the overhead you add to the organization. If your skills make the assembly line go twice as fast, or the sales force becomes more effective, or the travel office cuts its costs, then you've produced genuine value. That surly receptionist at the doctor's office--she's just filling a chair.

The third skill is the most difficult to value, but is ultimately the most valuable. If you're the person who can initiate useful action, if you're the one who makes something productive or transformative happen, then smart organizations will treasure you.

Top Ten

From Mark Batterson's Evotional Blog. Worth sharing...

I absolutely loved Chuck Swindoll. Pure wisdom! He shared ten life and leadership lessons.

1. It's lonely to lead
2. It's dangerous to succeed
3. It's hardest at home
4. It's essential to be real
5. It's painful to obey
6. Brokenness and failure are necessary
7. My attitude is more important than my actions
8. Integrity eclipses image
9. God's way is always better than my way
10. Christlikeness begins and ends with humility

Miracles

Wow. Jessica and I keep getting amazed by the things God is doing. I'm not hyper-super-overly-spiritual... meaning I don't just automatically sum everything up as "God did it," but it's hard to argue with some of these recent events.

One month ago I got a call from the National AG Children's Ministry Director, Jason Noble. They needed a worship team for their regional conference in Baltimore because the team they had cancelled last minute. They offered to cover everything, a great honorarium, and we were able to make it happen.

Well, the event happened this past week. Each band member I brought was also a part of the Clarity church plant team. After our last worship session, Jason, out of nowhere, challenged the attendees to give an offering to send five of our team members to the National Children's Ministry 5 day Conference in March of 2010 in St. Louis. As a result, they gave enough for flights, hotels, and registrations for five of our team members and several thousand extra that will go towards the launch of Clarity kids!!

I think God is getting our attention... and he wants to use us to reach some kids!