Since watching the August 18th episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart I have been unable to get the following video clip out of my mind. To be honest, the way Fox News deals with the subject of national debt and America’s poor makes me sick. To me, this topic is more than a political issue up for debate.

I know Fox News watchers (aka Republicans) will defend the network by saying those clips are taken out of context. However, I don’t really know of a context where demonizing the poor is appropriate. The newscasters are also obviously distancing themselves from the underprivileged while at the same time painting them as the bad guys.

The stats Stewart gives are amazing. The bottom 50% of economic earners in our country represent only 2.5% of our nation’s wealth. That is not capitalism at its finest. That is a system problem. The widening gap between the upper and lower class is alarming and anyone who would defend such a system that allows this is not in tune with the heart of God.

When we react to this clip with political reasoning and arguments we are putting our politics before our religion. We should not interpret our religion through our politics but our politics through our religion. I believe this video addresses something that is more than a political opinion.

What are your thoughts about the clip?

I will be sharing mine next week.

I have a recurring dream that my alarm does not go off and I am late for work. this is a big fear of mine so I am loosing a lot of sleep.

If they made a movie about this year’s super bowl Ben Roethlistberger should be played by Seth Rogen. Anyone else see the resemblance?

I hate commercials that show every word the over voice says. don’t insult my intelligence. that’s like churches that tell me to sit & stand.

You are no longer special if you know someone who was on american idol.

A good point is a good point no matter who makes it.

The wise man talks because he has something to say. the fool talks because he has to say something.

Cars should have two horns. a nice horn and a mean horn.

Just ate at the new Panda Express 3 out of the last four meals. may be time to add a new line item to the Marcelli family budget.

There are only two things you need to succeed in this life: ignorance and confidence.

I love down town settings. does not matter what city.

If we were honest all the time we would not need the words “really” and “literally”

When you are looking to be upset it’s amazing how many reasons you can find.

Its no longer cool to be a radio dj and call your self ‘kid…..’

I may have reached the point in life where I would rather have more time than more money.

There is no music artist I have more respect for than Matthew West

Sad that some will consider it a success just if their party “wins” rather than our nation moving forward.

Auto flush toilets are not environment friendly. they flush and waste water every time you move.

Last year Beyonce made 218 times what the US President made. Isn’t there something wrong here?!?!

There is something deep down inside of me that just wants to always be silly.

I’m starting to think Katy Perry is not as christian as she used to be.

making homemade vegetarian quesadillas with the wife tonight. Great meal! Working together, ‘build your own’ style, and cost about $2 each

There is nothing wrong with distancing ourselves with others who are still part of our “group”

I like quality music videos that turn songs into stories

when we got home from church we found a water leak in our front yard. or should I say in our own little gulf

As many people & opinions as there are somebody’s always gonna be right. so don’t be too proud about being right, you may be right on accident

Just watched a horrible movie, “City Island” but cried because I love seeing people getting their lives worked out

I like movies where the main character goes through deep pain. makes the victory that much sweeter. that’s a story I want for my life.

My college friend, Dr. Stephen Scheer, taught me a principle I will never forget: “I don’t have time for that crap.”

Something I wish I heard more people say: “I don’t know both sides of that issue so I can’t give my opinion yet.”

So I guess America is a land of freedom as long as you are not gay or muslim. used to be women and black. same persecution different victims

The less you give your opinion the fewer people you will turn off from listening to what you have to say.

Goes to show what money can do – Katy Perry was NOT attractive when she began singing

When you think about it, not only are those words powerful, but for many of us they are true.  When it comes to relationships (business, family, love) we tend to act, react, and expect behavior based on what we have had modeled for us.

In the heat of an emotional moment we revert back to the habits we have developed, even if they are contrary to our “normal” nature or personality.  This could mean being easily hurt or offended, assuming the worst, or shutting down and giving the silent treatment.  We are characters of habit and sometimes habits build easily or unintentionally (especially bad ones).

For instance, there’s no practice for getting married.  You are single and on your own one day and the next you have to share everything.  Then a conflict arises and because you have no experience or habits as a married person to draw from you most likely will imitate what you saw your parents do.  For my wife and I we both entered our marriage assuming we would handle money, communication, tv watching, etc the same way our respective parents did.  This caused trouble when the systems we had observed began to conflict.

So in the song, Taylor sings that she was bracing to be left as a result of her marital spat because that was the habit of her single father.  The best thing we can do is be aware of these tendencies and become intentional about making our own patterns of behavior rather than continue to operate inside the ones we inherited.

At the end of the first verse the songs say:

I hate to break it to you babe,

But I’m not drowning.

There’s no one here to save.

The back drop for these lyrics is a coffee shop where the singer is having a conversation with someone who turns the conversation really negative and begins to give their opinions about everything.  In the song she goes on to excuse herself from the conversation of opinions she never asked for.  But for some reason, the part of the song that includes the lyrics above shifted my thoughts to different pastors that I have either known or known of.

Upon further thinking to understand why my mind went where it did, I actually had to realize that many (not all) of the pastors I know and see actually fit into the category of person Sara Bareilles is singing to.  They are drama kings.

In some cases, I have seen pastors over-sympathize with people in their conversation.  They think their spiritual gift is mourning.  Now I absolutely think pastors should be supportive and there for their members in tough times.  I’m talking more of the every day when pastors, perhaps because they want everyone to like them, over do the “hurt when you hurt” approach rather than being an encourager.  Rather than reminding people that God is in control or pointing out the good, they take on all the negative things of those around them and then this attitude carries over into their personal life.  There is a pastor who nine times out of ten will follow a casual greeting with “well…..” and go on to list all that’s wrong in the lives of the people he serves.

I think sometimes also a temptation for pastors is to see what they do as more important.  After all, it is supposedly a “higher calling” so certainly their problems (which again, are most times not even their own) must be the focus of the conversation.  I have also seen pastors who think this way use the pulpit as pity party.  I have witnessed several pastors who from the pulpit complained about things such as their work load, having to do things on their day off, and not wanting to go to church funded ministry conferences.

Pastors who function this way also usually think it their personal duty to personally minister to and bring deliverance to everyone they know who is having a rough time.  This is not their calling and is also impossible, so no wonder they become run down, discouraged drama kings.

Finally, I see in a lot of pastors, as well as Christians as a whole, a victim mentality.  Anything from bad luck to poor choices is twisted into phony persecution.  Then this created opposition wears on them and before long becomes the focus of their ministry.  Oh, the church isn’t growing because that’s just the world we live in.  It’s hard but I’m making it in our evil, evil world.  No wonder I want to shout “No one’s drowning!”

Many pastors have a way of snuffing the life out of some conversations by expecting everyone to be weighed down and overwhelmed.  Sometimes I just want to say, “no, I’m not depressed, or at least not until meeting you.”

Now realize I’m being tough on my own.  I plan to lead a church and hold the position of pastor in the near future.  But I think we should always be hardest on those we are a part of.  We should want them to come up higher.  So I’m glad I’m spotting this in others now.  Though I certainly want to be available and supportive of people who need a shoulder to cry on, at the same time I’m not called to bear everyone else’s burden.  I’m not called to make things seem worse than they really are.  I’m not called to be a drama king.

Today twitter, blogs, espn, radio talk shows, and every other source of media is blowing up with hate and anger in reaction to LeBron’s choice.  The Cleveland Cavs owner has basically called LeBron an egotistical jerk (not exactly a smart move in recruiting future players) and some people in Cleveland have been seen burning jerseys of the player who was their hero just weeks before.

The emotional side of me of course wants to be upset that the best player in the game walked away from my childhood team.  However, stepping back from the situation, I have to admit that what LeBron did was a very humble and smart move.  He is taking less money to play on a team with his best friends and gives him a great shot at winning a championship.  I mean, aren’t professional athletes constantly criticized of following the money and having inflated egos to where they over estimate their own abilities?  In this case, LeBron has done exactly the opposite.  Again, he is giving up money to play where he wants to play, with whom he wants to play, and on a team that will probably win it all several times in the years to come.  Unless you are a fan of one of the other teams that wanted James, how in the world can you be upset about his decision.  Yet still, he is facing a lot of heat (no pun intended) for his choice to put winning above the dollar.

This just goes to show you will NEVER be able to please everyone.  There is no move Lebron could have made that would have made everyone, or even most everyone, happy.  The same goes for you and me.  When we try to live our lives according to common opinion, we will only set ourselves up to have more critics as well as becoming more aware that we now have more critics.

In a conversation with my wife just yesterday she made the comment, “It’s not ok for me to want that” in reference with a desire she has for her future.  Her statement came as a result of pressures she feels from others.  For most of us, if we continue our lives as current we will have to hear “concerns” from others as to why we are not doing “this” or “that.”  If we step out and make some changes, whether by our choice or pressure from others, there will be those who will question us as to who do we think that we are that we would go and do that.

There will always be opposition, many times from those we least expect and possibly even those we are closest to.  Case in point, we cannot live our lives trying to appease others.  It’s a formula for exhausting ourselves and becoming walked all over.

Be who you are.  Want what you want.  Do what you feel like doing (as long as it’s legal) and don’t apologize for it!

That being said……I see principles for learning in everything.  So I thought how I would go about appealing to “King James” if I were a NBA team owner.  In wiring it out I realized some of the same principles apply in attracting friends, customers, or church visitors.

1. Get rid of hindrances

The Cleveland Cavs have already gone about doing this by firing their coach and general manager, both of whom Lebron is rumored to have disapproved of.  The Cavs are also not resigning any other players that Lebron did not get along with.  If your church or business has some potential “hang-ups” for guests such as location, rules, confusing or mixed messages, you may want to reevaluate these and see if having them is worth losing people over.

2. Consult him on major decisions

Following up on the last point, do you really think the Cleveland Cavs fired their coach and GM without the ok of LBJ?  I don’t!  Who are you trying to appeal to?  Well have you ever thought to ask their opinion on what you do and how?

One of our plans for outreach before we church plant is to approach the people in the community we intend to plant in and ask them to fill out and return a survey about their view of church and what kind of a church they would be willing to attend.

3. Make things comfortable and familiar

In the Lebron James case, the Cavs already have the advantage in this because they are the team closest his home town.  I still believe though that they should bring in his old High School coach as a team assistant.  Lebron loves his old coach and knowing he could be close to him on the professional team would certainly be appealing.

Likewise, what could you do to bring this element to your place of business or worship?  Don’t be so caught up in the idea of having everything as “new” that you alienate people by making them confused and uncomfortable as soon as they walk in your door.

4. Put our best effort forward

If we are trying to sign the best basketball player in the country, we’re not just going to hope, wish, or even pray that he signs with us.  We are going to put forth a solid effort and make him feel valued.  We would bring in the best coach we could get.  We would sign players that would compliment Lebron’s game and let him know we are serious about winning.

If people think you are after them for money or inflated numbers, they will walk.  Are you putting your time and resources into a good presentation and a solid product or are you assuming people will come and already dreaming about the next step?

5. Appeal to his dream

If you know Lebron James (as I obviously do!) you know that his dream is to become an international icon.  Ok, so that’s public knowledge.  But what would you do with that knowledge.  Again, if I were a team owner, I would be spending money out of my pocket to rent advertising space in every major country on the planet and posting a huge image of number 23.  If I care about Lebron, then I care about his dream.  And I would take initiative in helping make his dream happen.  People will always be loyal to those who are helping them accomplish their dream.

What is it people in your family or your community want?  How are you going to help them take steps toward fulfilling that?

So….that’s my foolproof plan for signing Lebron James and reaching your community.  You’re welcome NBA general managers!

Knowing how much joy basketball gives me and that going to games is a great way to unwind, I bought a mini game plan at the beginning of the season.  I have tickets to fourteen of the biggest games of the hawks season.  One of those games was last Friday.  The Hawks were playing the Dallas Mavericks at 8pm (according to my tickets).  On Friday I got off work, picked up some dinner, met Katy, and we made the hundred mile drive to the ATL.  As we approached downtown I mentioned the noticeably low traffic for a Friday night.  We were able to park without any delay.  Even more skeptical was the lack of ticket scalpers we passed on our way to the arena.  I pulled out the tickets to recheck tip off time.  We walked into Philips Arena at 7:55pm to an unusual amount of noise and an equally unusual amount of traffic.  As we rode up the escalator I caught a glimpse of a jumbo-tron only to realize the buzzer had just sounded for halftime.  The game had been moved up to 7:00pm and nobody told me!

After finding a team attendant to file my complaint to, I huffed off to find my seat and plop down in disgust.    I felt cheated.  I felt robbed.  Everyone else around me was getting the full game experience and I was getting half a show.  I found it hard to get into things or fake excitement even when the second half started.  It was only when the game ended up going into overtime that I somehow felt better about driving all that way and missing the first 24 minutes of play.

As I sat, watching the game with little emotion, my mind drifted to all the times I have sat in church, checking my watch, feeling the service had gone too long.  Every week I see people stumble into church late, showing up as though it’s more of a good deed than an act of worship.  So many times even I have publicly noted that preachers should have more respect for other’s time and make sure that the service ends promptly one hour after it begins.  At the basketball game I felt cheated when I missed out yet sometimes in church I felt confined for having to stay till the end.

Realizing this showed me some things – that I’m glad I no longer go to boring churches.  If you are one who have said such things about church or have the attitude of duty when attending, perhaps you should find a place of worship you can get excited about.  You go to church because you want to.  Because you realize it is a great place to worship, serve, or build community.  No one moaned when the basketball game went into overtime because such was going to ruin their lunch plans.  Yet that is the attitude when church runs five minutes over at many places of worship on Sunday mornings.

I have actually told others lately that when something comes up and I have to miss a week of church, I feel as though I have really missed out.  I’m disappointed.  I get the pod cast so I’m not left out.  How do you view going to church?  What would your reaction be if next Sunday you showed up and realized they were already taking up the offering (which I think is the church equivalent to an NBA halftime).

The weekly hour long show stars and is produced by Ray Romano, who I already adored, and is the ongoing story of three men in their forties as they deal with real life issues.  The writing is impressive and smart as each of the three featured characters has a very unique and clearly conveyed personality and lifestyle, allowing almost any guy who watches the show to latch on to one of them.  One man is going through a separation and fighting to stay involved in the lives of his kids while dealing with a gambling addiction.  Another man is trying to continue in the lifestyle of a swinging bachelor while going back and forth on whether he feels contentment with his life.  The third man has an incredible, supportive wife and a great family but is consistently distracted from enjoying them because of a job he hates, the rejection he feels from his father, and stressful situations emotionally and financially.

I find myself feeling their pain and longing for a meaningful life every time I watch the show.  Routinely the scenes follow the men’s individual stories and trials while intermission clips have the three at a diner table discussing life and challenging, supporting, and picking on one another.  Though my life situation is not the same as any of these men’s, I strongly sense an attachment to some of their personality struggles and am pulled in to their problems because in a very un-media like way, they have true, believable struggles that I could see one day being struggles for myself.  Perhaps it is watching these three men go through their midlife crisis that is speaking to me, causing me to evaluate myself now so I never have to have one of my own.  Perhaps I am jealous of their bond, hoping no matter how messed up my life gets in the future I will have solid friends to sit across the table from and pour myself out to.  Maybe I have been hooked by just another show with descent scripting.  Maybe I’m just bored and this show just happened to be on.

Either way, it has moved me and whether the message it is sending is the one I’m actually receiving or not, I feel like the result has been meaningful thinking about myself.  And so, I thought I would share it with you.

My former youth pastor challenged me with this post about being willing to ask for things.

Jim Akins is a church planting expert on staff at West Ridge Church.  In this post he describes a very unique and powerful thing their church did with money.

I’m a little bit ashamed to admit I follow Dumb As A Blog but they are a great source for stupid criminal stories, funny news events, and here they list the 5 stupidest holiday gifts.

A guy I knew in college, David, is now a missionary to Brazil and wrote this great post about God’s will.

Every person in every place should read absolutely everything that Perry Noble ever writes!

The Bean Creator is a blog of some great financial advice for ministry leaders.  The writer posted this entry about following up with first time givers.

I have blogged about Gray Lamb before but this post from him where he looks back over his ministry is one of the best I have ever read!!

And finally, every ministry person should be following the blog of church advisor Tony Morgan.  This post of his is a video he found mocking how many churches do series planning.