http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uwY3sjqYX0&NR=1
This is an actual commercial for a local network.
Criticism is something that I just haven’t gotten used to yet. “Constructive” or not it is hard to swallow most of the time. I am a Worship Leader, so I’m on stage every week. This has brought about unforeseen repercussions. I had this inflated, picturesque idea of what it would be like to be a Worship Leader. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and would not trade it for anything. But the reality that I’m not perfect and neither is any one else around me has this tendency to crush the ideal view of “how it should be.”
Every time you hit the stage all eyes are on you… I have also learned that all opinions are on you as well. These opinions are on the style of music that “should” be played, the songs that “should” have been played, etc… When you put your heart into what you are doing, it is difficult to receive criticism. Reality Check: Criticism is coming… like it or not.
Here are a few of the lessons I’m struggling through now:
1. Listening to the right voices.
2. Listening (period) – when a negative criticism comes my way I have the tendency to tune out.
3. Analyze the criticism – 1. Consider the source 2. Consider the circumstance 3. Is there any truth in it I can use to improve myself?
4. This is the hard one — I have to get over myself. I am not perfect. I can always learn from others, even if they give the criticism in a wrong or negative way.
How do you deal with criticism? I would like to hear from you…
“There are three things that are extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.” - Benjamin Franklin
“If one person calls you a horse’s rear, ignore it. If two people call you a horse’s rear, look in the mirror. If three people call you a horse’s rear, buy a saddle.”
For more insight on this Read Chapter 4 of Leadership Gold by John Maxwell.
Have you ever had one of those times when you just tried to do something nice for someone and it just didn’t turn out… “nice?”
Saturday morning Em went to go visit her Grandfather. While she was gone I planned on doing the laundry for her and mow the lawn. (this is the part where we all go “1.. 2.. 3.. AWWWW.”) So I get one load done washing and throw it into the dryer, then I go out side to mow the yard. At this point I’m feeling pretty good about myself. This feeling of self-accomplishment is short lived. She arrives home to find 2 loads of wet laundry and a broken dryer.
The day that I had planned for her, which was a day of rest and relaxation was as busted as the dryer. She then has to take the two wet loads of laundry, plus the other two loads to her mom and dad’s house to finish. The next 7 hours she spends doing laundry, while I dive deep into the internet and the dryer trying to figure out how to fix it. Again, I am very satisfied with myself when I find a forum for repairmen that has a troubleshooting list for my specific dryer. I then proceed to take the entire dryer apart. You must understand that I am not exaggerating. every part came out, all cables unplugged.
So you have to picture this. I have the entire washing machine in pieces on the kitchen floor… about that time Em returns home, after her 7 hour tour, to find now her kitchen is taken over by dirty dryer parts. Somewhere in the middle of my frustration that I couldn’t get anything right, it hits me. I hurry to put the dryer back together and run outside with a flash light. The Breaker on the outside of the house had tripped. There was NOTHING wrong with the dryer.
Lessons to Learn:
1. Try the easy stuff first.
2. Stay away from the laundry. – We either have to end up buying new clothes or (in this cases) we almost went to go buy a new dryer.
3. Never think to highly of yourself.
4. Never stick a screwdriver in to a socket to test if you have power – I got lucky this time.
5. Flowers are a much safer surprise than anything else I have found.
So I just finished reading John Maxwell’s “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” again. I read it about 8 years ago and I have to say that time has given me new insight. I have been so challenged by the book that I have also started reading “Leadership Gold” and “25 Ways to Win with People” by John Maxwell. What I have had to realize is that no matter were I am in my journey, I can alway improve… I can always grow.
There is an example for us to follow. I believe that Jesus was great at building relationships (i.e. – the disciples) and he was also an amazing leader. If I want to follow him, follow his example, then in turn I must strive to be better with people and be a better leader.
“Leadership is relational as much as it is positional. An individual who takes a relational approach will never be lonely.” - John Maxwell
At this year’s leadership summit Bill Hybels issued a challenge to all the leaders in attendance to read just 30 minutes a day. Read some for personnel growth or spiritual development. This is outside of you daily quiet time. This is time set aside to learn, to grow, and to lead the hardest person to lead… yourself.
These are some great songs that are out now for corporate worship.
1. At the Cross – by Hillsong
2. Glory to God Forever – by Steve Fee
3. Revelation Song – by Jennie Lee Riddle – Preformed by Kari Jobe
4. Rememberance (Communion song) by Matt Redman
5. How He Love – by John Mark McMillan - Preformed by The Glorious Unseen.
Also if you are looking for some great music to put in your car, check out NeedtoBreathe’s new album “The Outsiders”
So since I got married, exercise has been… well, non-existent. So I let a friend of mine, Josh Robinson, talk me into playing tennis with him. We probably got a little too excited about it because by the end of the conversation we had decided to join a tennis league. In high school I played on the tennis team, so I thought it couldn’t be that hard to get back into it. I was wrong.
I stand 6 foot 6 and Josh in 6 foot 1 and we are both athletic. My expectation was to walk out on the court and … well, win. The expectation of victory grew further when we were paired against a man in his forties with a gimp leg and a 12 year old boy that tripped over himself 3 times just walking to the court. Let’s just say that tennis is not “like riding a bike.” We got beat so badly that the 12 year old left saying “I got a real match to play.” About that time I was wishing tennis was a full contact sport.
Humility is sometimes an embarrassing lesson to learn.
