Going .... One on One

We Remember

~ And we should thank all those who have served in our military in the past, those who serve today, and especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our great country!
It doesn’t feel like enough to just say thank you – but I, for one, offer it with heartfelt gratitude.

May 26, 2012, 5:00 AM Number of the Week: Half of U.S Lives in Household Getting Benefits

49.1%: Percent of the population that lives in a household where at least one member received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2011.

Cutting government spending is no easy task, and it’s made more complicated by recent Census Bureau data showing that nearly half of the people in the U.S. live in ea household that receives at least one government benefit, and many likely received more than one. Read entire article here - http://zite.to/LxPLIC

Bear Bryant and Billy Varner

 

Great article by ESPN on the legandy coach Bear Bryant and Billy Varner (who knew him best).  

Bear Bryant surrounded himself with people he could trust, and he trusted nobody more than Billy Varner, a tough, barrel-chested African-American. Billy was always just around, in the office, on the road, on the sidelines. Over the years, various accounts have given him different titles, but essentially, he was a fixer. He took care of business, and he kept everything to himself, even after Bryant died.  Read on here .... 

It's Just a Game!

MT. OLIVE, Alabama --  A 55-year-old Mt. Olive man apparently upset over calls made by the umpire at a children's softball game was arrested Tuesday night after authorities say he bloodied the official's nose.

Deputies were called to the Mt. Olive ball park just before 8 p.m. on a report of an assault. The victim, whose name hasn't been released, told deputies Keeton was upset with his calls, and had been complaining and yelling about them.

The umpire told Keeton, who was there to watch his granddaughter, to be quiet or he would be ejected from the park. When the game ended and the umpire tried to leave the park, he said Keeton confronted him and then punched the official in the nose, cutting it across the bridge. An off-duty Birmingham police officer detained Keeton until deputies arrived.

Keeton was booked into the county jail with bond set at $2,000. He was released early today after posting bond.

The Class C charge of assault of a sports official is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

It's just a game ... teach your children to repsect authority with your words and actions!! "For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted..." Romans 13:1-2 NLT

What’s the Big &%#*! Deal about Profanity?

You might be like a lot of people who say, “Profanity, violence, and sex in the movies don’t really bother me. If it doesn’t bother me, it must not be that big of a deal.” But if you’re a Christian, though, wouldn’t you agree that there has to be a boundary somewhere?  If your interested in reading more check out Soul Detox.    

mike's HUMOR

Today mike's HUMOR celebrates 8 years online ... hopefully the humor and encouragement has helped brighten your day of these last 8 years!!

 

Here are 10 ways to be a good follower:

Ron Edmondson provides insight on how to be a good follower ...... (read enitre article here) 

1. Help me lead better –Help your leader do his or her job better. Good followers find ways to make the leader better.

2. Do what you commit to do –If you aren’t going to complete it, or if you find out along the way you may not, let me know in plenty of time to offer help or find someone who can.

3. Don’t commit if you won’t put your heart into it –Good followers give their best effort towards completing the work assigned to them.   

4. Pray for me – I rely on the prayers of others, especially from those I am attempting to lead.

5. Complete my shortcomings – The reason we are a team is because you have skills I don’t have. To be a good follower means you willingly come along side me to make the team better, bringing insights, talents and resources I can’t produce without you.

6. Respect me – There will be days when I’m not respectable, but I do hold the responsibility to lead, so encourage me when you can..

7. Love the vision – Genuinely love the vision of the team. You’ll work hardest in those areas for which you have passion.

8. Be prepared – When bringing an issue to me for a decision, do your homework and have as much information as possible.

9. Stay healthy –You can’t be as effective on the team if you are unhealthy physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.

10. Leave when it’s time – I realize this is a hard word, but when you can no longer support the vision or my leadership, instead of causing disruption on the team, leave gracefully. 

 

RIck Warren Interview Aired on Easter Sunday

Choose Joy says Kay Warren

Interview with Rick and Kay Warren on Easter Sunday 2012 - Kay talks of her book "Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn't Enough" 

 

5 Reasons Small Churches Don’t Grow Larger

1. Unresolved Conflict- Conflicted churches don’t grow. It’s never “fun” to deal with conflict, but in a smaller church there seems to be so much more at stake. The loss of a family or a whole family system in a medium sized church is unpleasant. In a small church, though, that same loss may mean half or more of the worshipping participants walking out. And so, rather than dealing with conflict effectively, the leaders and the congregation, as a whole will choose to ignore the conflict. Of course, this can kill the church just as dead … it just takes longer.

2. Lack of Hospitality- First-time visitors decide whether or not they’ll return to your congregation within the first 10 minutes of their visit – and some experts suggest the decision is made within the first three minutes.

3. Inward Focused- Although it’s true of non-growing churches of every size, it’s especially hard to miss when a small church is more concerned with answering the question “What about us?” rather than “How can we be the tangible touch of Jesus for our neighbors?” When maintaining status quo outweighs faithful effectiveness, church growth is impossible.

4. Leaders Don’t Support the Growth- The leadership isn't really onboard with the growth. Sure, they nodded at what seemed the appropriate moments, but when SUBCONSCIOUSLY realized they could be outvoted at an upcoming board meeting, that there really were new people who might actually become a committee chair, or worse the board chair, tensions naturally surface. Note, I’ve yet to work with a church where a church leader intentionally started a fight in order to sabotage growth … but it just happens … almost every time. Unless the church leadership is really on board, sustained growth isn’t going to happen.

5. The Church has Become the Walking Dead- If history has shown us anything, it’s that nothing we build lasts forever. The reality is, churches have a life cycle. Churches are birthed, they live, and they die.

(read the whole post HERE)