The Window and the Mirror

One of my deficiencies (among many, I'm sorry to say) is leadership. As a leader in the church, this is potentially problematic. So, in order to work alongside the Holy Spirit in order to 'be all I can be', I am reading up on leadership principles. One book I am reading is "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. Surprisingly, I am really enjoying it and finding it quite helpful (I'm pretty pessimistic about leadership books...probably why I need to grow in that area). One helpful trends Collins describes of great leaders he has researched is what he calls "The Window and the Mirror." Great leaders tend to "look out the window to apportion credit to factors outside themselves when things go well...At the same time, they look in the mirror to apportion responsibility, never blaming bad luck when things go poorly." In comparison, the not-as-great leaders look in the mirror and credit themselves when things go well, and out the window for something or someone outside themselves to blame for poor results.
That's good stuff.

Bill Mahr on "The View"

I found a blog called "Confident Christianity" that I think I like. The blogger is Mary Jo Sharp, who seems like a thoughtful, winsome, speaker of truth. I found this post particularly helpful regarding a semi-recent interview with Bill Mahr on the talk show "The View" - http://confidentchristianity.blogspot.com/2008/10/bill-mahers-interview-with-view.html

In Loving Memory of Molly Hovis

My church, Charis, is in the process of becoming part of a larger network of churches and church planters called Acts 29. One of the church planters in the network, Brad Hovis, recently preached the funeral of his 3 month old daughter, Molly, who passed away during surgery (she had severe problems with her digestive system. I thought I'd share the link here. Please pray for the Hovis family as you think of them.

http://www.acts29network.org/acts-29-blog/in-loving-memory-of-molly-hovis/

Newsweek, the Bible, and Gay Marriage

Here is Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, blogging about Newsweek's cover story - "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage." The heat is certainly on Christians to play nice and make friends rather than love people well and speak truthfully. Mohler sets a really good example for us on how to speak graciously, truthfully, and helpfully. http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2881”.url