Where dreams live
When I first moved to Albany, Georgia, this was one of the first landamarks that fixated it's self in my mind. This statue of Jesus is perfectly situated in the middle of a graveyard. Now, the fact that this statue is positioned in a graveyard is not the idea behind this photo. If you notice in the background, there is a set of living quarters. People not only lay in rest here, but they also live here. To me, this was compelling...
Could you imagine waking up every morning of your life to a graveyard? Could you imagine having a dream inside of you so real, that you could feel it moving on the inside of you, YET dealing with the fact that everyday, the first image you encounter is indeed, a graveyard. I have pondered this over the years... "Is this where dreams live?" All over the country, everyday, this episode plays out. Perhaps it's a child with the dream of being President, yet every morning the first thing that he or she sees is a drunken mother, or an abusive father. Perhaps it's a 20 something with the dream of being and Astronaut, however; everyday, they wake up to an environment filled with gangs, drugs and prostitution. Is THIS where dreams live? Reflective.President Barack Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize
It's an amazing time we are living in...
President Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is a HUGE feat. I am so blessed to be living in a time where I am able to see such great accomplishments. I am excited about this for two reasons... 1. This opens the doors to new possibilities and new belief systems among America's minority youth... It IS possible...2. Dreams manifested... I am sure that this very feat of accomplishment is or has been the dream of many, and seeing this happen gives a visual "goal post" for the Dreamer to reach for. I am inspired.
Be careful about killing giants
2. David had the anointing to kill giants
3. As descendants of king David we inherit the ability to kill giants... This kingship, anointing, and ability to kill giants is unbridled power given by God, and can be yielded at will and in any direction. THIS is where it all gets tricky... Giants come in many forms. You may be living with a giant. It may be your wife, who has the confidence and the audacity to have started a company from the ground up, and is the ruler of her universe. And IF you are not careful, and if you do not have your securities on check you can, without even trying hard, unleash your sling and kill the giant within her through insecurity and jealousy. A giant could be the husband who had the unique ability to win the minds and hearts of people with ease, and as the wife of this type of giant, insecurities and a lack of understanding can be the sling that kills this type of giant. Be careful about killing giants... As human beings we have a desire to live in environments that are comfortable and nurturing. We want to be surrounded by familiar ideas, and things that are tangible and can be navigated. When something disrupts this idea, we instinctively begin to try to sculpt the environment into what we can understand. Stretching our understanding, coping with insecurities and exploring new paradigms can be challenging... Be careful about killing giants. If we try to bridle the power of a giant simply for our own comfort we may be killing the very thing we need in our lives... Give giants room to be giant. Learn from them, nurture them, and give them the latitude to be authentically what they are designed to be... Husbands, do not be intimidated by your giant. Love your giant, because the bigness of your giant is simply the God within her. Wives, be secure about your giant, if people attract easily to your giant, be assured that the love you give your giant will be returned if given with a pure heart. The ability to win the attention of others is a commodity that even the chief corporations desire. Be careful about killing giants...
Where most businesses stay when it comes to innovation
With each business leader that I talk to about innovating and being creative within their organizations, this is where I find most of them (see the above picture)...
On a tightrope. Most business leaders focus so much energy into the incremental increases found through "better mousetrap mentality" that they seldom ever reap the true reward found through authentic innovation. This is not only a disservice to the legacy of the business, BUT it is indeed a organizational creativity killer. We have to find a perfect balance between innovation and number chasing. Truly innovative companies do not spend much time considering competition instead the spend time considering "possibilities". Apple spent time wondering about the possibilities of a device that would replace not only the cell phone, but the Mp3 player and the laptop in one clean sweep and they just about did it with the iPhone... The iPhone started as a possibility. It's the possibilities that separate incredible design from good design. It's the possibilities that make tomorrow a better place. Design Idea: Design towards possibilities and not the competition. Find that perfect balance between number crunching and authentic innovation... As fast as you can.twelve: designing a social framework
Over the past year I have been closely involved in watching how Social Media/Networks are changing how we communicate and interact with each other as humans. What I find most interesting is how this emerging form of communications has been purposed in each industry and what really surprises me is how it's not being levered within the arena of ministry. If you have been following me for all of two weeks, you would quickly come to the conclusion that I am a deeply spiritual person, who happens to believe in Jesus Christ, and what He did to insure the salvation of many. I often rant about NOT being religious, and I often support the idea of "Kingdom Thinking".
Last year, after meeting with local ministry leaders, I came to the stark realization that over times past, the Church has always been the last to adopt new forms of technology, highlighted, in the arena of communications. It took the Church YEARS to adopt radio, and even more years to adopt television, AND if the trend continues it will take even more time for the Church to embrace the power of social media. I do not feel that the Church community does not desire to embrace the technology (social media), in-fact I know far too many ministry leaders who are feeling their way around it to believe this, BUT I do feel that if they are not given the right perspective of how this technology is leveraged, NOT KNOWING will be the curve that we face (the Church) on this front... Twelve - A design project purposed to define the framework of how social media is used in ministry I am curious as to what can be achieved by creatively looking at Social Media and Ministry, and how these two connect with each other. Twelve - I Am One of Twelve, will be a collaborative work of some of the most dynamic ministry leaders in the country, all coming together to "frame" the future of social media and the Church. If you are interested in collaborative work in this project please use the project info below... Project Info. Twelvehttp://tr.im/twelve
http://twitter.com/iamoneof12
iamoneof12@gmail.com I Am One of Twelve.







