Hmmm…

After a 13 hour work day and level 3 of the 30 Day Shred, my blogging mind is shot.  I literally couldn’t even get that sentence out to my wife without stumbling through it.  I feel like the little kid below trying to push the eyelids open!  So, the blog will be the expendability for now!

Don’t worry.  I’ll put AT LEAST this much work into tomorrow’s post.  So come back then!

I’m not sure there is a band out there that makes better videos than OK Go.  If so, please tell me because I wanna see!  OK Go has released their newest video, and while it doesn’t top a few of the past all-star OK Go videos, it is still great.  So once again, enjoy OK Go’s End Love!

You know those people in your life that are not technically family but about as close as you can get?

The ones that would do anything…

have done any/everything…

helped, fed, prayed for, prayed with…

gave a shoulder to cry on (if you do that sort of thing)…

shared in the pain…

just really love you?

I was thinking about some of those people in our lives today.  I love them.  They really are family.  I am so thankful for them.  But what do you do for someone like that?  How can you show them how much they mean to you?  Is saying it enough?  A handwritten note that when turned over says “Hallmark”?  Watch their kids?  Buy them something big…yet smaller than a car?  I don’t know.

What about you?  You know, the ones that when you think about it the first thing that comes to mind is “I’m not sure we could ever make it up to them”.  What do you do for them?

The last couple weeks have been pretty busy at work.  I came back from our trip to Oklahoma and had to play catch up.  We had others on vacation (so of course we stopped working and went to the beach for 2 weeks…or not).  We had Memorial Day (it wasn’t Labor Day was it?) and had that week shortened.  We have a million things coming up and so there is just a lot to get done.

That’s cool, but I’m curious.  When you have hit the wall, run out of energy, not made a dent in your “to do” list, or daydreaming about your next 5 Hour Energy drink, what do you do to re-energize yourself?  Is it food?  A person?  A prayer?  A song/album?  Red Bull with wings?  A movie?

Simon Says answer the question!

Most of us struggle to fit in for a good part of our lives.  We think we need to be like someone else in order for people to like us.  Then one day you start to learn that a fake you is far worse than the real you.  You start to embrace the goofy, quirky, uniqueness that is you.  We stop trying to be like everyone else in order to blend in.  As we grow up we learn these things.  But then as we move into leadership roles our self-doubt issues come back.  Whether you are a teacher, pastor, lead singer, dad, or manager, the temptation to aspire to lead as someone else comes up.  They are successful.  They are liked.  They do things well.  Maybe I am supposed to lead just like them.

As Christians we are called to be like Jesus, no?  If I recall correctly (and I do), Jesus didn’t blend in.  He didn’t just do what everyone around Him was doing or wanted Him to do.  He was different.  He didn’t lead like King David or John the Baptist or Moses.  He led like Jesus.  We need to learn to do the same.  We need to stop trying to lead like Rick Warren or Steven Tyler or Barak Obama.  Yes, learn from them, but remember that you are not them (unless of course you are actually one of them…but that is very doubtful since you are reading my blog)!  You are you!  God didn’t make every single one of us (except your doppleganger if you believe that sort of thing) unique so that we could all be the same.  There is no logic in that!

God created us all different so why would the way we lead not follow suit?  When I first started leading worship I tried and tried and tried to be just like other worship leaders that I looked up to.  I tried to sing like them.  I tried to choose the same songs as them.  I tried to play the same guitars as them.  I even tried to act like them on stage.  Finally, I came to realize that I am not those other leaders.  I don’t have to lead the way they do.  There is a ton I can learn from them, but at the end of the day, if I am leading like them I am just copying something that God created to be unique.

Your leadership isn’t perfect.  My leadership isn’t perfect.  Learn from others.  But as long as you lead your family/staff/band/team as the you that God created you to be, you are headed in the right direction!  Don’t apologize for not being someone else.

As Genie from Aladdin put it, “Beeeeeee yourself!”

Hey, seriously though, please be safe on your holiday weekend!

Time for a little Simon Says!

Simon says…

Tell me your 3 favorite bands currently!

Go!

• Brand Confusion – Despite the word confusion in the name, you should always wear as many brands as possible so people can see that you have lots of different tastes.  Vans shoes, Quicksilver shorts, Billabong shirt and Hurley hat is a good example of showing that you like many different brands.  It would not be confusing for someone wondering if you like surfer type clothes.
• Soccer shoes go with everything.
• They say brown is the new black.  Since brown is now black, brown and black go together.  Wear them together all the time.
• If you wish you lived on the islands, tell the world.  Stickers in the shape of Hawai’i on the back of your car aren’t enough.  And because Hawai’ian shirts are good for almost any occasion, show the world how you feel with your with your “different shirt for every day” island collection!
• Can’t find the other dress sock for your one pair?  Doesn’t matter!  Most likely the drier is doing you a favor.  Dress socks are never a good option.  I mean come on.  Who wants a sock that makes you itch as bad as these do, has NO grip on the bottom and falls down despite the fact that it is made up of 70% elastic bands?  No one.
• Sequins!
• Do you love Christmas?  Of course you do!  Everyone does!  Show ignore the lame Christmas sweater parties.  Their mockery will be nothing compared to the oohs, ahhs and horn honking you will receive when jaywalking 20 yards shy of the crosswalk in your awesome jingle bell dangling Christmas sweater!
• Now days everyone is looking for a way to make a statement and tell the world what they think.  Is there a better way to show off your feelings for computers or anything that starts with Star ____?  I would wager that there is not.  Forget all the political and human rights activist apparel.  No one wants to see another Ba(red)k Obama shirt anyway.
• Do you have a favorite hat?  Wear it.  Wear it with everything.  Is it worn out?  Changing colors?  Fading?  Doesn’t matter.  Show your love for hats that never go out of style!
• If you love your mesh shorts raise your hand.  My hand is raised.  I know yours is, too.  And good thing if it is because you are already one up on the rest of the non-fashionistas.  These super comfy athletic pieces are NOT just for sporting purposes.  You can wear them with pride to most any event.  Just scoff at those who ask if you just played basketball and respond by letting them know you don’t look this good after schooling their mom on the court!

Oh right.  I know nothing about fashion.  Please disregard the previous post…or just comment and tell me your fashion tips!