Like most kids my age, I loved superheros growing up.

Like most kids my age, I loved superheros growing up. I was a dedicated follower of Batman and Superman every day after school and only missed the Superfriends and the Hall of Justice when I had ballgames on Saturday morning. And, like most of you, I spent many days thinking about what it would be to be that kind of person--amazing powers, tremendous courage, always winning out in the end. Who wouldn't want to know that kind of lifestyle?

The funny thing is, we do. At least, we do if we stick close to God. He said so in His Word:
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:7-8 NIV

The Hebrew people faced an awesome task. As their leader, Joshua was about to fill some really big shoes in taking Moses' place. God's promises to Joshua through Moses was this..."you're going to become a superhero." No fear, no failure, no discouragement.

You and I can lay claim to the same promises that God gave to Moses, Joshua and many others. If we are careful to remember God, obey His commands, stay focused on His call and reflect His character, we will find that His promise is the same. We become "superheroes." No cape or mask required.

"You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School"

"You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School" It's true. While I was in Seattle last week, someone handed me a copy of this book on basic leadership principles. It's written by a guy named Mac Anderson. It's a handy little book that got me asking the question, "What the heck does the title mean?"

Here's the answer in the author's words:
"You can't teach someone to smile, you can't teach someone to want to serve, you can't teach personality. What we can do...is hire people who have those qualities and we can then teach them about our products and teach them our culture."

I got to thinking about how that applies to my role as the shepherd of Ridgeview. Now, I don't have to "hire" the people who come into the doors of our fellowship. But I do have the challenge of helping them find their sweet spot and to gain a passion for serving the body. So one of the important questions I must ask myself frequently is, "What are the gifts of this person? Am I asking a duck to be an eagle?"

You see both are very beautiful animals. Each is unique. Each gifted by God to have special "talents" and characteristics. Try as I might, I can't make a duck be an eagle. Nor should I want to try. I desire to help you find your place to express who you are to the fullest extent. But the desire to serve is something that comes from you, not from me. I pray that you and I understand who are, what we are gifted to do and that we pursue that with all of our hearts as we serve Christ and His bride.

It's good to be home for a while.

It's good to be home for a little while. The first half of this month has been very busy with trips to North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington. I just want to say how thankful I am that God continues to use our family to speak truth and bring peace to families that have been through personal tragedy. But it's not always those who have been through a personal trial. Just last week, while Lisa and I were in Seattle, I talked with a man after I finished speaking. He shared about his family and his two kids. With tears in his eyes he said, "I've never had to go through what you and your family did. I just wanted to say what you shared this afternoon has challenged me to be a better father and husband. I want to go home and love on them a little bit better than I did before." Amen, brother. Amen.

Seattle was gorgeous. It was my first time in the western part of Washington. For my part, it was a great reminder of what an amazing God we have. The gorgeous evergreens mixed with the kaleidoscope of changing autumn colors. The huge waterfall just outside our room at the Salish Lodge there in Snoqualmie was breathtaking. But more than that, the myriad of beautiful people that God puts in our path as we walk through this life. Lisa and I made tons of new friends in Albermarle earlier this month. I had a great visit with the people of Uniontown (my visit was too brief with them but I sure enjoyed the limited time we had). Then, again, this past weekend, sharing time and worship (yes, worship) with the people of Adventist Health Systems. I love the life God has given me--every trip, every relationship, every joy and every challenge.

I'm looking forward to some "home time" with Lisa and the kids as we race rapidly towards the holidays. Can you believe it's the end of October already? By the way, thanks for the wonderful response from those of you who have read my sister's book Dancing Through Grief. I'm excited to see how God is going to use the book as part of our ministry to families who are dealing with personal tragedy.

Most of us have spent time with a toddler or two in our life time.

Most of us have spent time with a toddler or two in our life time. If you have, you've seen that human nature that wants to do everything on our own. It pops up early in life. I remember all three of my kids, when they were young, trying to tell daddy, "I can do it myself."

Part of the maturation of a human is to understand, no, you really can't do it all by yourself. Life is full of opportunities for us to rely on others and have confidence in someone's ability to stand with us.

If you are a leader, this is a valuable lesson. Although my human nature can rear its head sometime and cause me to want to do it all by myself, I will more frequently remember the valuable benefits of delegation. That's one of the reasons I love my staff so dearly. I know that I can count on them to carry their weight, to do their part and to do that to the best of their ability. Our leadership team is made up of brilliant people who are entrepreneurs, business owners, consultants and experts in their fields. God has surrounded me with some amazing men and women who "hold up my arms" and help guide this church. I am very thankful for each of them.

What about you? Who are the special people that God has put in your life to help you carry the weight of your day? Are their friends, family members, co-workers, a spouse or some other significant individual who you could trust and rely on to make that burden easier? God never expected us to do life alone. Delegation and shared burdens are two ways that life is made easier through the provision of God.

At that time I said to you,"You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone....Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you. Deuteronomy 1:9, 13 NIV

I don't usually take the time to respond to comments.

I don't usually take the time to respond to comments. I decided to make an exception for the comment that I posted to my blog from earlier this morning. I'm afraid that my new friend, Dave, and maybe some others may have gotten the wrong impression about some stuff I wrote this morning. I think Dave believes that my comments might have been critical or judgmental. Sorry that they came off that way. However, Dave and others, please re-read the blog entry carefully. I never said the man seated next to me was overweight (something Dave assumed). In fact, he was thinner than I was. He just wanted to lean over into my seat as he worked on his crossword puzzle. Not a big deal. It was just an observation.

The observations about the people at the bar were just that--observations. I even went so far as to say that I agreed with the one lady who was talking about healthcare. I did use the word "stupidest" to describe the antics of the three others I referred to but that's because it was a word that they used. They literally said, "What's the stupidest thing you've done while drunk?"

As far as praying for these people, Dave, I do. Whenever I fly, I try to remember to pray for them. That includes this President who I do not always agree with and who I believe was inappropriately awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (I'm not going to apologize for that opinion). So, I'm sorry that you misunderstood my heart when I wrote those things. I'm sorry that you took my critique of a luxury hotel in Buena Vista, Florida so personally. I didn't realize that it would offend anyone to talk about the noisy hotel I stayed in. Most of all, Dave, I'm sorry that you used a few blogs to determine my character without ever really getting to know me. This isn't about whether or not you ever ask me to speak (guess that went out the window early this morning). Rather, it's about living at peace with everyone as Scripture commands. Yes, Dave, I do know that all these people are God's children. Every single one of us are, Dave. That's why I couldn't go to sleep tonight without letting you know that I'm sorry that you misunderstood my thoughts this morning. And I'll say a prayer for you tonight as I go to bed back in Nashville. God bless you, Dave. Hope we meet some day on better terms.