So, said MacBook is now in the shop being repaired.  Needless to say, this has crimped my style, more than just a little.  But, it has not all been without merit.  This experience has proven out several universal truths:

1. Macs rule! Ok, so my MacBook can’t swim.  But it still has the best operating system and user interface available today.  The loaner laptop I’m using is running Windows (I’m not specifying version, because it doesn’t really matter…they are all lame, IMHO), and I’m reminded just how much clunkier everything seems to be in PC-land.  I’m infinitely grateful to have a loaner to use during this period of mourning, but it makes me miss my MacBook even more.
2. Technology is addictive. I love technology.  The more the merrier.  I have infused ever increasing amounts of technology in my life, becoming increasingly more dependent year after year.  Being without my MacBook has been really tough.  I have been experiencing serious withdrawal.  The only thing that keeps me from curling up into the fetal position is being able to stare lovingly at my amazing iPhone (another great Apple product).  It calms me.
3. Water and technology don’t mix. One leaky water bottle transformed my MacBook into a gurgling mess.  Never again will a liquid of any kind find its way into my bag.

Oh well, this too shall pass.  In a few days I’ll have my MacBook back, all restored to its former glory.  And I shall revel in the joy of my technology once more.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart for a couple of reasons.  First, I did not receive any such training and like Sangl, it took me years of painful on-the-job training to learn these important lessons.  I don’t blame anyone for that.  It wasn’t a high value to prepare a young person in that way when I was growing up, and it still isn’t one today.  Second, some of my older children have suffered because I lacked the resources to teach my kids these lessons.  It was not for lack of trying.  I devised a board game to teach my kids about using enveloping as a budgeting system (I know…must have been the most fun dad on the block!).  They all listened to me and understood the concepts I was trying to cover (usually within the first 5 minutes), but NOT ONE OF THEM actually applied what they learned, or even REMEMBERED the core concepts.  We purchased the Crown resources specifically geared towards teens, but couldn’t get our kids to actually finish them.  They would start them, but wouldn’t stay engaged.  So, all that to say that I was excited to read and review Sangl’s new book.

There were several things that I really liked about this book:

• It is short and concise.  This could easily have expanded to 200+ pages with countless stories, but Sangl gets to the point and jam packs a ton into 88 pages cover to cover.  It can easily be read in one sitting.
• It starts with his personal story.  His story is compelling in its ordinariness.  His story is not an uncommon story of ridiculous excess, but instead a story of common indulgence born out of ignorance.  I think a lot of younger folks will see themselves in his journey.
• It explains complex issues using everyday language.  For instance, rather than going into a long drawn out explanation of the what and how of budgeting, he talks about “planning your money,” by spending your money on paper before it is spent for real.  Even I’ve never thought of budgeting in that way.
• It is comprehensive in its scope.  He covers all the pertinent subjects, such as giving, saving, debt, credit scores, compound interest, purchasing a home and insurance.
• It covers the impact of finances on relationships.  This is often ignored by such work, where the focus is on the financial concepts, rather than the impact upon those around us.  I thought this was a big value add.

There was only one thing that I didn’t like in the book.  Chapter One is called, “Plan for Life.”  In it, Sangl starts off with talking about the importance of understanding your own hopes and dreams and writing them down.  He encourages the reader to stop and complete that exercise BEFORE continuing to read the rest of the book.  Here’s the problem, at least from my perspective.  This would’ve ended up being another book from which my kids read only the first chapter.  Maybe my kids were uniquely clueless, but they would have no idea what to write down.  I agree with Sangl that this is an important endeavor, but I would’ve rather seen this chapter at the end of the book rather than the beginning.  Putting it at the beginning creates the mistaken impression that one cannot employ the subsequent lessons without having the life plan clearly in mind.  I think having that chapter at the beginning will unnecessarily dissuade some from reading any further.

Having said that, I highly recommend the book and plan to purchase a copy for each of my kids over 17.  (Of course, I have not yet planned said spending, so I’ll have to invest a little time with my budget.  Fortunately, the book is very reasonable at $12.99.)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author as part of his Blog Tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Verse 9 says, “”This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”  Jeff taught me that I should praise God, not only for what He does for me, but for who He is.  That is so important because it takes my eyes of of me – their natural resting place – and places them on Him.  It’s hard to communicate effectively with God if I’m not focusing on Him first.  The same is true in my relationships with other people.  I need to intentionally shift my focus from myself to the other person, and the most effective way to do that is to praise and encourage them.  Imagine our world if every interaction began with a word of encouragement or praise.  So, step 1 is to praise the other person.

Verse 10 of Jesus’ instruction continues, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Jeff taught me that it was important to align my heart and mind with what is important to God.  Again, this takes my mind and heart off whatever else is consuming them and focuses them on God.  I am affirming that what is important to God is important to me.  As I pray that prayer, I grow in my desire to see His kingdom come and His perfect will done here.  It is just as important, in my interactions with other important people in my life, that I align my mind and heart with whatever is important to them.  It’s hard to develop genuine closeness if I don’t demonstrate that what is important to them is of any interest to me.  Step 2 is to demonstrate interest in what’s important to them.

Jesus continues in verse 11, “Give us today our daily bread.”  This seems to be the easiest part for many of us in prayer, as we are rarely at a loss for what to ask God for.  But Jeff stressed the importance of asking God to provide for all of our needs, even the most simple and basic, such as daily bread.  The act of asking for something that we can’t do for ourselves is powerful because in doing so we acknowledge that we aren’t God and that He is.  Our dependence upon God is an important component of our relationship with Him.  And healthy dependence upon the important people in our lives is an important component of any healthy relationship.  Interdependence cannot grow and flourish if we are not willing or able to communicate our legitimate needs to those who love us.  The third step is to make your needs and wants known.

Finally, Jesus wraps up with verses 12 and 13, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  Jeff taught me the importance of regularly seeking forgiveness.  This is so important because our natural inclination is to pull away relationally from someone we’ve grieved.  Forgiveness draws us back to God.  And it does the same thing in our relationship with other people – forgiveness draws us close once again.  It is important that we forgive and be forgiven.  The fourth step is to forgive and seek forgiveness often.

It shouldn’t really be surprising that the same steps that Jesus said would foster great communication with God might also foster great relationships with other people. Give them a try for a week in one significant relationship and see where it leads.

1. Opportunities Come From One of Two Sources – They either come from the hand of God, in which case they are a blessing, or they come from His enemy to distract us.  There are no other sources.  Either it is something that God is bringing into your life as a blessing to you and/or others, or it is something being brought to steal attention away from that which God would really have you focus on.  There are no other sources, no neutral or in-between options.  It’s either from God or against Him.
2. God Has A Definite Opinion – I believe that God cares deeply about how you respond to this particular opportunity.  There is a thought I often hear in Christian circles that God doesn’t really care what particular opportunities we choose, as long as they honor Him.  I could not disagree more.  Scripture does not bear witness to a God that is distant or disinterested.  It doesn’t describe a God who is only engaged in our lives at key points, with just a casual awareness of us most of the time.  Instead, Scripture describes a God who comes to live in us – a God who cares deeply about everything from what we eat, what we wear, how we love, where we live, and every other little detail of our life.  He cares about whether we seize or pass up this particular opportunity.
3. The Fruit of the Tree Bears Witness to the Nature of the Tree – I believe that one of the greatest indicators of whether a particular opportunity is a blessing from God or a distraction from His enemy is the reaction within our own spirit.  If an opportunity is coming from the Tree of Life, it will bear life-giving fruit in my life, even as I am discerning it.  For me that manifests itself as a growing sense of excitement and enthusiasm about the opportunity.  God gives me glimpses of my role and how He is going to use me.  I can’t stop thinking about it.  Yes, there is usually some fear and trepidation associated with it, but that is strongly overshadowed by my growing passion to be involved.  If instead, the opportunity is coming from the twisted tree of distraction, it will bear life-draining fruit in my life, even as I am discerning it.  For me, this manifests itself as a growing sense of dread.  I can imagine some potential wins, but I’m not passionate about my personal involvement.  I find myself motivated primarily by thoughts of “I should do this” rather than “I want to do this.”  My growing discontent makes me want to run.  I believe that God, living in us, helps us to have such strong emotions – positive or negative – to help lead us down the path He wants us to take.  I believe this one of the primary ways He answers our prayers for clarity.

What opportunities are you facing right now and how are you internally responding to it?

The Most Impacting Technology for me in 2009

Mac – I finally made the switch from PC to Mac this year.  I have to say that I love it and can’t imagine myself ever wanting to switch back.  I have always been a PC guy, but I can’t look away from the pure ease and sheer fun of using my Macbook.  This has influenced me by making my use of technology more integrated with my daily life.

Toodledo – Granted, it’s a stupid name, but it’s a killer to-do manager that is full-featured, web-based and highly customizable.  This has influenced my life by helping me to stay better organized and on top of my responsibilities.

Facebook – I actually started using it in earnest this year.  At first, it seemed that all people were using it for was nonsense like Farmville (sorry).  So I didn’t participate a whole lot.  Until I started to see people using it to share their lives – in status updates, pictures, and notes.  This influenced my life by opening me up to new avenues of relational connection with people I care about.

Twitter – I started to grow relationships with thought leaders and influencers from around the globe.  I began to get a front row seat into the lives of some amazing people, and have an instant opportunity to be part of the conversation.  This influenced me by helping to expand me to expand both my mind and my potential for impact within a larger community.

Blogging – I know this is not new, but it was new for me.  I had looked at blogs before, but it was in 2009 that I started using Bloglines to stay current on my favorite bloggers. It was also this year that I launched my own blog.  This has helped me by increasing my awareness of fresh new thinking in multiple disciplines and given me an outlet to share some of my own.

What technology has most influenced you in 2009?

I wish you and yours a Happy New Year!

2010, bring it!!

The Most Impacting Spiritual Events in My Life of 2009

Short-term mission trip to Kenya – This was my first such trip, and I was blessed to be able to go with my daughter Sarah.  I expected to see poverty and human devastation, but I was unprepared to see the level of faith and raw joy.  It influenced my life by shattering my self-imposed beliefs about God’s size and power, and what it really means to put your life into His hands.

Bible study through the book of Job – As I was dealing with the loss of our grandson, and several other hardships earlier in the year, the book of Job became a haven for me to seek God and ask Him difficult questions.  This influenced my life by reminding me again that God is sovereign and good.

Counseling – As I mentioned in my last post, I went to counseling earlier this year to seek help in my grieving process.  We talked about many things in addition to my grief, and God really used it.  This influenced my life by making me aware of the ‘Little Terrorist’ inside of me that always wants to ask, “Could you have done that any better?”  It helped frame my life from God’s perspective of abundance, rather than the enemy’s perspective of scarcity.

Launching my blog – While this may not seem like a spiritual event, it has been deeply spiritual for me.  The opportunity to share my experiences, thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and even a little humor (very little, my friends point out) has been a spiritual journey for me. This influenced my life by reminding me that God has given me ample gifts to impact His Kingdom and expanded opportunities to use them.

Developing a relational network of close friends – God spurred me on earlier this year to surround myself with four specific people.  I meet with each guy individually and we sharpen one another through accountability, challenges and encouragement.  This has influenced my life by increasing my sense of Christian community and renewing my need for genuine fellowship with others who want to be like Jesus.

These are just a few of the spiritual highlights from this year.  There were so many from which to choose – great sermons, podcasts, times of worship, small group discussions, time in the Word, and great books – but these are the top five.

What are your most impacting spiritual events of 2009?

Next time I’ll write about the most impacting developments in my work at The Chapel.

The Most Impacting People in My Life in 2009

Carol Egbert – My wife continues to rock my world.  In a tumultuous year filled with many ups and downs, her unconditional love remained steadfast and sure.  She has continued to grow as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and servant.  She continues to inspire and amaze me.  She influenced my life by giving me courage and strength and building me up when the enemy sought to tear me down.

Pastor Reginah – She runs a school for the most disadvantaged in Nairobi, Kenya.  I had the privilege of meeting her in February while there on a short-term mission trip.  Her unstoppable faith, in light of her constant lack of resources, moved me deeply.  She influenced my life by challenging my beliefs that under-resourcing limits what I can accomplish.

Joanie Woodall - Her husband Joe lost his battle to cancer recently.  I watched Joanie live out her faith in God for the whole world to see.  I’ve never met anyone like her, with such an upbeat and even joyful outlook on life, regardless of her circumstances.  She influenced my life by showing me that God really is enough, even in our times of greatest turmoil and pain.

David Gates – He is the Christian counselor I saw earlier in the year when I was struggling with my grief over the loss of our grandson, Ryan.  He certainly helped me with that, but he also helped me in so many other ways that I did not anticipate, or even initially seek.  He influenced my life by helping me to see and begin to combat unhealthy life-long patterns of thinking and believing.

Mac Lake – He is the Development Pastor at Seacoast Church in South Carolina.  In a simple breakfast meeting, a short video shoot afterwards, and then working with him to get Leading Multisite going, I began to see opportunities for impact develop before my eyes.  He influenced my life by expanding my thinking and dreaming of how I might be able to serve God.

While I’ve only listed five here, the cast of characters is really far more extensive than that.  I would include all of my children.  Each one has influenced me in a different way this year.  I would include my extended family, as they have done the same.  I would also include all who I am privileged to work with.  2009 has been a fun and action-packed year at The Chapel, and doing it with people you love and respect make all the difference.

Who are the people who have been most impacting in your life this year?

In my next post, I’ll reveal the most impacting spiritual events of 2009.

I just finished The Hole in Our Gospel.  Author Richard Stearns shares his personal story of finding the answer to the question, “What does God expect of us?” along his unexpected journey to become the president of World Vision.  His story is compelling and authentic and I found myself drawn to this ordinary guy who was trying to figure out God’s will.  But this is so much more than just his personal story.  It is rich with several things that I found to be both interesting and useful:

• A challenging perspective on the fullness of the gospel.  This invites the reader into areas of scripture that may cause believers to question how God sees their salvation.
• An illuminating exploration on the causes and contributors to poverty.  This opened my eyes and helped me see some wrong beliefs and attitudes that I held.
• A disturbing account of the Christian church’s lack of response to some of the greatest problems in history.  This leads to the obvious question of whether the church will respond to the global poverty crisis now.  Fair question.
• A compelling call to personal engagement.  Stearns shares his story, but now calls the reader into their own story, their own engagement.

I have to admit that I was a bit cynical when I started to read.  I expected to get to the end and find a tear-jerking ask to support World Vision.  But I was wrong.  Stearns took me on a journey – a personal and private journey of discovery, soul-searching and long talks with God.

I can honestly say, after having finished the book, that I can’t see how anyone could read this book and not be changed.  While I have physically finished the reading part, I am far from understanding and processing the implications for my life.  That’s going to take some time.

I add my voice to those who warned me.  Don’t read this book if you really like your life the way it is.  Read it.  I dare you.

I’ve been fascinated by what I’ve read from other Christian leaders as they write about such moral failures.  There’s been a surprising amount of outrage, anger, and disgust.  I get that – it is totally unacceptable behavior for a leader.  I guess it’s just been the degree of attack on these individuals that is disturbing.  I’ve heard it said that us Christians are the only ones who shoot our wounded.  That’s a pretty sad statement.  But it hasn’t all been that way.  There have been some real expressions of grace towards the leader who fell.  I’m glad to see that grace is still at the heart of the gospel for many.

Here’s my take on it.  First, I’m grieved.  Whenever the enemy wins in his battle to kill, steal and destroy, it makes me angry.  I mourn the many, many losses that are being experienced by every spouse, every child, every parent, every congregant.  The pain ripples outward so far that our eyes can’t even see all the devastation.  So yes, I’m grieved.

But there’s another part of me that is scared.  It makes me look at my life and ask a whole bunch of questions, like:

• Am I a better person than he is?
• Do I love God more than he does?
• Am I less tempted by sin than he is?
• Am I more committed to my ministry than he is?

I don’t know the answers for certain, but my guess is that the answers in general, with the literally hundreds of Christian leaders that have fallen, is ‘no’ for every question I ask.  I am no better than any of them.  I don’t think I love God any more than they do.  I don’t think I’m tempted less by sin and I don’t think that I’m more committed to my ministry than they were to theirs.

I think the greatest danger to Christian leaders today is our illusion of immunity.  When we believe that we personally are immune to such sin, we lower our defenses and become less watchful for the work of the enemy.

The reality is that I have a big red target on me…and so do you.  Every one of us is at risk.  Gender doesn’t really matter anymore, because moral failure is an equal opportunity employer.  And the more leadership success we have, the greater the target.  The enemy wants to kill, steal and destroy.

I believe the best thing we can do is to be vigilant about protecting ourselves, our families and our ministries.  I take a number of important steps:

• I don’t keep secrets from my wife – ever.
• I have several male accountability partners and I meet with them regularly.
• I adhere to our staff’s ‘never alone’ policy – it’s more restrictive than most, but I appreciate the spirit and intent (and so does my wife!).
• I limit my counseling of women.  I will counsel a woman alone, but only once and only with the door open.  Beyond that, I refer her on to someone else.
• I don’t ever tell any woman anything about myself that I haven’t already shared with my wife.

Do you believe that you’re at risk?  What concrete steps are you taking to be vigilant?

Every one of us have experienced pain as part of life.  It might be the loss of our job, our security, or our home.  Or maybe it’s the devastating loss of a loved one.  Or maybe an illness or physical limitation.  Or maybe a sense of rejection, abandonment or loneliness.  None of us are immune.  And when these things happen to us, often there really isn’t a solution.  Nothing is going to fix it.  Like my daughter, all we can do is our best to manage the pain, hoping that it will get better with time.

The question that comes to mind is, how much of our daily energy goes into managing our pains from the past?

I think that might be worth a little journal time.