5 Minute Mini-Vacation
This morning may have been one of the most productive mornings for me in months. I hammered my "to do"
list. I had one project that I thought would take me all day. It was done in an hour and a half. Awesome.
I walked out into the main office area and decided to take a 5 minute mini-vacation. It was great. I was in the Cayman’s…crystal waters, no bills, no lists, no places to go. Just a warm, humid, salty breeze. OK. Enough escapism. I’m back.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Last night, Kelly and I ditched the girls and went to Coconut Grove with my buddy Matt (who is moving to Kansas tomorrow…bummer) as well as Taylor and Brannon. It was a great night in one of my favorite places in Miami.
As we were having dinner, telling stories, and laughing at one another, we started reminiscing on something that had given me a passion for reading from my childhood, the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. You read to the end of the page and rather than turning the page, you make a choice. Based on that choice, you go to one of three possible pages. Within that single book, there are many stories.
My life and the life of our church is that book, now more than ever. The decision to move to the theater caused us to take a radically new direction. We fast forwarded to a completely new story. We just finished negotiating the terms for running two services in the theater. It is finalized. It feels great to get that hammered out.
At one point today, I thought we might have been coming back to our building to pull it off. That would have been another story with a slightly different ending. It was something that we had considered as a possibility for several months now.
Our decisions are critical because our future is bright. But, as much as I feel the burden of leadership and the urgency to make the right decisions, God has it all in control. He knows our future. He has plans for the Kingdom of God here in Homestead that are bigger than I could imagine.
We are trusting Him much more fully than we trust in our own ability to navigate the waters of decision. Still, I love the "Choose Your Own Adventures" and I love dreaming about our future and working out the details to realize the Kingdom of God prominently alive in south Miami-Dade county.
What is in a name?
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. – Proverbs 22:1
"Proper names are poetry in the raw" – W. H. Auden
Needing Help with a Name
Scott Hodge and his wife just had a boy. His name is Alexander. That’s awesome. I mean its great that they had a healthy, handsome baby boy. But, it is awesome that he has a name.
In roughly 80 days, we’ll have our 3rd and final kid. He’ll be our first little guy. He’s nameless so far. Kelly is about to kill me because I have some weird compulsion to not talk about any specific name.
Then, Kourtney thinks we should name him "Cookie Monster" or "Bob the Builder." I’m on the fence about those names…they may be a little too out of the mainstream for me. Time is running out on the name game.
On all of my personality tests, I am off the charts "judgmental." I see in black and white and make decisions quickly. But, I’ve got no decision here. A good name is important. So, what do you think? Should we name my boy, "Cookie Monster?" Or, "Bob the Builder?"
3 Free Tickets for 3 Lead Pastors
Over the past several months, I have been involved in a great coaching network led by Nelson Searcy of the Journey Church in Manhattan. I’ve grown a lot in this environment. I wanted to open the door for a few lead pastors to experience a little of what I’ve experienced. So, I have 3 free tickets to a Stewardship Seminar that is being held in Tampa on September 11th from 9 AM to noon. For lead pastors, this is a "can’t miss seminar."
After the three tickets are gone, there is a cost of $49 to attend. If you cannot afford to go, let me know and we will do whatever we have to do to get you there. Either comment here or email me if you want one of the free tickets and I’ll email you the code. Otherwise, you can register here.
Lobster Mini Season
Lobster mini-season opened this morning. We were in the water from midnight until 10 AM. We scored. I’m having grilled lobster this week. Hopefully, I can share some with Paul before he leaves to pick up his family for their move down. He joined us on the trip and is well on his way to being one of us.
The coolest thing of the trip is that somewhere around 4 am, I got a Hog Fish. You never (rarely) catch these guys on a line. You have to use a spear. I got him from above (through the spine and out the belly) in about 12 feet of water…a really crazy shot (in other words, "luck"). I also bare handed a lobster that was getting out of Phillip’s net…wish I hadn’t done that. I also wish I hadn’t shoved my arm up under fire coral…bad move.
The Jesus of Suburbia
We have a new series coming up (Aug. 19). While I’m loving Hot Sauce, I am very much looking forward to this topic. I enjoyed a couple books earlier this year, one by Mike Erre and another by Eric Sandras. This series will be based loosely on their thoughts and will challenge our desires of bigger, better, more, and seclusion. I can already tell you, this is going to be a heck of a lot of fun.
Survival of the Fattest
This isn’t right. Justice. I thirst for justice!
Sunday Wrap-up
Letting go of control is a scary process. I hear that when your daughter goes on her first date, that’s tough…not there yet. But, I let go of Sunday mornings and it seemed like a big deal to me. This morning, I was calm underneath but, I was dying on the inside because I didn’t have anyone or anything to manage. I can direct resources pretty quickly and efficiently. But, it isn’t the best use of my time and there are actually some better equipped people here to be thinking about how things are working on Sunday AM’s.
With that said, here’s how Sunday went:
- Auditorium setup was finished on Saturday night. When I came in this morning, everything was together and there was a low level of stress on the production crew.
- We changed over from Song Show Plus to Media Shout today. That didn’t go so well. We struggled with our two videos and my slides. We’re all good for next week though. Either, we’ll be back to SSP or the Media Shout bugs are going to be worked out.
- With those bugs, our flow was unique. I don’t really know how to describe it other than this morning’s service seemed like a conversation and a sarcastic one at that. I was able to get some things off my chest and share the Scriptures with our church family.
- It was great to see Chris and Denise Elrod come through the doors this morning. Chris didn’t disappoint. He was sporting a lovely man bag that pleasantly matched his entire ensemble. I have to say that I really appreciate Chris as a friend. He’s genuine…the real deal. I thank God for men like Chris in my life.
- Benny Salas and his fiancee from Freedom Culture, a church plant here in Miami were great to hang with. It looks like we have something in the works where he’s going to be hanging with us over the next few weeks. I am excited for Benny and the city of Miami. Expect great things from Freedom Culture.
- We said goodbye see you later to a friend, Isabel Dalama, our Kids Life Director. She and Brittany are moving to North Carolina and will actually be involved at a great church there.
- Finally, with the Media Shout bug, we were unable to show this video. Check it out.
Chris and Benny
Looking forward to having Chris from Compass Pointe Church in Lakeland and Benny from Freedom Culture in Miami at Life Pointe tomorrow. I also love the tradition we have where visiting pastors treat me to lunch.
What Scriptures are You Afraid of?
I spent 2 1/2 days preparing for Holy Hot Sauce this week. By far, this was the most prep time I’ve spent for a single message at Life Pointe. The reason is that some of the Scriptures relating to Spiritual Gifts are problematic for the church. I want to present these challenging Scriptures as effectively as I can.
So, here are a couple questions for you:
- What Scriptures give you a hard time?
- What is a recent "aha" moment you’ve had with Scripture where something you did not understand kind of came into focus?
Jack is the Man – Season 1 in the Can
We just finished season 1 of 24. Holy Cow…shouldn’t have started this. Still, Bauer is a stud.
“Cut to the Chase” by Stuart Levine
10 Takeaways from "Cut to the Chase." I could have left more for you. But, I’m trying to take Stuart’s advice and get to the bottom line. Here they are:
• Cut the bull. Eliminate the fluff and get to the point.
• Compartmentalize your life so that work is not cheating home and home is not cheating work. Then, be a zealot for both areas.
• Multi-tasking is overrated. The energy wasted going between tasks kills.
• Define your goals before engaging tasks. The time seemingly wasted in preparation for a task will be recouped many times over by understanding your goals before you start projects.
• Gather yourself early in the morning. Take some time away from the noise. Then explode off the blocks. You’ll get more done than if you start out with a cluttered mind.
• Be a master of your meetings. Kill time wasters or they will kill you.
• Be respectful of other people’s times, spaces, and agendas. When you need to use someone’s time, prepare them accurately for how much time you need, then stick to it. Telling someone you need 5 minutes and then taking 30 is incredibly rude and will create long term negatives for the person engaging in that behavior.
• BE in touch with your weaknesses. Don’t obsess over them. Play to your strengths. Being unbalanced is ok as long as you know how to compensate for your weaknesses.
• Experience renewal daily. Know how to experience a vacation/Sabbath/time off.
• When you hear about a problem the first time, pay attention. If you hear it twice, act because it is a problem that needs to be handled. If you hear it twice, it’s a trend.
Recent Links
Just a quick thank you to some guys with recent links to my blog. Stop by and check these guys out. There are some really good blogs in here:
Expectations Our Team Has for One Another
Earlier this week, our team sat down and shared what we expected from one another. This is team generated. One of the observations is that each of these expectations are totally dependent on the rest. If you blow one out, in many cases, you’ve blown out a lot of the others.
- #1 Love God! If you aren’t passionate about Christ, it doesn’t matter what time you show up or how excellent you are or how good your follow-through is.
- Respect yourself (your health, finances, future, etc…)
- Trust me. Understand what I’m doing to some degree and let me do it without interference.
- Establish and pay attention to clear lines of authority.
- Be direct. Beating around the bush has no place here.
- J.D.W.Y.S.Y.W.D. (Just do what you said you would do!)
- Play hard. Have fun and enjoy the relationships we have built over the years.
- Respect one another. Disrespect breaks down team.
- Always be prepared. There is no excuse for a lack of preparation. Showing up unprepared is a respect and mission issue.
- Be on time. Early is on time. On time is late.
- Take ownership. Obsess over our mission. Think about the details.
- Be excellent. God deserves our very best. Whatever it is we do, we do as unto God.
- Honor your family. When you are at work, be at work. When you are at home, be with your family.
- Work hard. There is no substitute. I’ve seen inferior talent and organizations overwhelm the competition because they got up earlier, worked harder, and outperformed better positioned organizations. One saying that we had in my past life was, "It is not a matter of the big beating the small. It is a matter of the fast beating the slow."
A Slap in the Face as You Leave
This past week, we did Disney. My wife set us up to do a time share. You get a 90 minute spiel and free tickets. First, let me tell you its not worth it unless you are wanting a timeshare. You are better off spending your money on the tickets.
During the mostly pleasant presentation, I told the sales professional that was working with us that we wait 24 hours on major purchases like cars, real estate, and other big purchases. There wouldn’t be a “yes” today. That didn’t go over well. After being told by her boss that I lacked the ability to make a decision, I told him he lacked the ability to close deals and demonstrate the art of finesse and an appreciation for potential clients.
After telling the original presenter I was appreciative for the good presentation, she said I basically slapped her in the face. I guess the presentation was only good if I purchased under pressure. I guess the only value I had for them was my money.
According to her, 1 in 4 people purchase. That means 3 in 4 say “no.” Also, based on my experience, I guess 75% of the people who receive presentations leave with a bad taste in their mouths. 3 in 4 people probably tell their friends not to do business with Westgate. I do look forward to hanging out in my parent’s timeshare this summer (Bluegreen).
I think that when relationships and business deals go in a direction we would rather not see them go, we should have enough grace to leave the door open and enough wisdom not to scorch the earth. Eventually, the negative buzz will catch up with you. Scott Hodge and Craig Groeschel have some related advice for pastors right now…good stuff that we should consider when dealing with people who say no to our ministries and leave.
Good News from our Theater
The meeting I referenced here just happened. It went very well. To go to two services, we have to get setup done more quickly. We just got the go ahead to do setup on Saturday nights after the last show. We have one other key piece to take care of to make the theater work for two services but, I think it is going to work out as well. Big win!
Sunday Wrap-up
- Today was Paul’s first Sunday on staff.
- As a result, today was my last Sunday being responsible for anything other than the message and the relational aspects of Sunday.
- "Fix You" by ColdPlay was a sweet play today…loved it.
- We opened "Hot Sauce" with the message "Clash on Cash: God on Money." I came home to an email that said: "By the way I don’t know why people
get their noses out of joint when a preacher talks about money. I know I need
to hear it, and it doesn’t offend me, in fact I’d like to see a 12
week (step) series on it. Be bold bro’." - Part of our growth and maturity as followers of Christ is becoming stake holders/investors in the mission. When we commit our finances to God, we are drawing a huge line in the sand and making a massive statement about our lives.
- After church, we hit the park by my house and I got to play "Iron Chef." I make a killer hot dog.
- Terry had his golf cart out and was cruising around like a kid. I asked if I could take it for a spin. Yep, I was flyin’.
- In about 10 minutes, Paul and I go to meet with one of the great guys from Flagship corporate. I think some really good things are going to be coming out of this.
- I’m really glad to have such an awesome church family.
Party by My House Tomorrow
After church, we’re having a party in the park next to my house. I’ll have directions at church tomorrow. I’ve got the food. You bring the sodas. I’ve got the football. You bring the frisbees, soccer balls, and dominoes.
Quit visiting this place and let this place visit you
I used to go down my blogroll and open each individual blog to see who had updated. I kicked that habit a long time go once I realized you could subscribe. Go ahead and give it a try.
A Little Late to the 24 Party
I started the first season of 24 this week…can’t stop watching the intensity!
Disney Day: Best Moment & Worst Moment
Best Moment: Holding the girls during Belle’s Story Time in Fairytale Garden.
Worst Moment: Accidentally Brushing my teeth with Desitin. The upside is that it will prevent diaper rash on my teeth.
Disney Day: Best Moment & Worst Moment
Best Moment: Holding the girls during Belle’s Story Time in Fairytale Garden.
Worst Moment: Accidentally Brushing my teeth with Desitin. The upside is that it will prevent diaper rash on my teeth.
Craig Groeschel the Prophet
You’ve got to watch this video from Buzz. Craig Groeschel was incredible. He definitely spoke with a lot of authority. Here are some of the highlights from Craig’s talk:
- Limited Resources+Increasing Passion = Exponential Innovation
- You have everything you need to reach the people God wants you to reach.
- Get less passionate about getting people into church and more passionate about getting the church into the world.
- If we are going to reach the world, we are going to have to sit in the smoking section.
- Unlike a NASCAR driver, innovative leaders turn right.
- Luther turned right and we all own Bibles.
- Wesley turned right when he preached from on top of his father’s grave.
- The Azusa Street Revival began when people turned right and pursued God.
- If you are not being called a cult every now and then, you aren’t doing much.
- Don’t worry when the pharisees are criticizing you. Worry when they are not.
- A personally challenging statement for me was when Craig said that young pastors need to get rid of their anger.
Breather
Tonight, we kick off a summer message series for emerging leaders at Life Pointe and I’m not there…kind of a weird feeling. While I’m here in Orlando, Paul and Jesse are leading this service. I can’t wait to see the video.
In the meantime, I’m enjoying my 3 girls (and the player to be named later). We hit Disney tomorrow for McKenna’s birthday. The girls are super excited and I’m kind of second guessing my decision to bring the single stroller. Oh well.
I’ll be back in the office sometime on Friday to hook up with Paul to get our bearings. I’m glad to be here, especially knowing that our team is even stronger than before and can function well without me.
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twitter feed- pastortrav: @EdwardVegaLPC dude, thanks....just clicked over.
- pastortrav: @theB3 nope. But, it isn't new. I paid half of what I was willing to pay. I paid less than a new car would depreciate in it's first day :)
- pastortrav: Done. I got Kelly's car tonight. We turn in her lease Friday. No debt on cars. Buh-bye!
- pastortrav: I finished my Canning Hunger run 4 my neighborhood. 10% of the homes we left doorhangers at participated! I met neighbors & they met a need!
- pastortrav: We're wrapping up Canning Hunger in Homestead (flagship cinemas parking lot) & Plantation Key (cafe at church) today at noon. Great stuff!!
