Brain Dump – August 6, 2013

Once my schedule shifts into summer mode, I try to capture a variety of random ideas and thoughts into a weekly brain dump.

• This is the first part of our two week break at the end of the summer for youthcrossing. It gives our leaders a chance to breathe, rest, go on last-minute vacations, get their own kids back to school, and get ready to reboot for a new ministry year. I love that we take intentional breaks like this. It’s easy to let the holidays set the frequency of breaks, but if your holidays are anything like mine, there’s little to no rest with traveling, family, planning, and special events.
• Our small group is going through James Bryan Smith’s book, The Good and Beautiful God. This has been a terrific read. I haven’t read any of his other work before now, but this book has given us significant talking points as a group.
• It’s a struggle for me to see some of the same baseball writers who lauded the athletic prowess of PED users, like McGwire, Bonds, and A-Rod, now calling for their suspensions. Baseball was dead in the water after the 1994 strike. Attendance was tanking, interest was fading, and baseball was in need of a pick-me-up. PED users were major factors in baseball’s renaissance, but they have now become the outcast. Are PED users guilty of cheating? Yes. Did the baseball media help create this monster? Absolutely.
• The Dave Ramsey Show launched their new 24/7 app this morning. I watched the opening minutes of the first segment before a meeting this afternoon. The picture quality is crisp, the audio is clear, and the user interface keeps the viewer in mind. Very impressive, Dave and team.
• Sometimes how we listen says more about us than that we’re simply listening. If it’s something you need to remember, write it down. If it’s unclear, ask for clarity. If it’s about a blind spot in your life, ask for help to become more aware. Listening is the forgotten half of communication, but it’s the more valuable one. That’s been my world lately: learning how to listen better, a priceless life skill to have.
• I can’t wait for the Global Leadership Summit to start on Thursday morning. I missed the chance to experience it last year, but it’s well-worth the investment as a leader. It’s not too late- sign-ups are still online for satellite locations.