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Fred Moffat - My Newest Mentor

This past week I was reintroduced to an area pastor & spiritual leader named Dr. Fred Moffat.  Fred is young @ heart with a vibrant spirit and mind who has seen many, many seasons of life and ministry to others & his family.  Incredibly, Fred was encouraged by a good friend to come visit with me...I sat in awe listening to his wisdom, humility, transparency and his growing concern for the poor.  Immediately, Fred became a hero and mentor of mine.

Walking to the front of his church service this morning he apologized for his scratchy throat and in an unassuming way began to share his heart.  Stating "God has lots to say about the poor," he continuously gave examples and poured through scriptures regarding the Have's & Have Not's. Fred said, "God is on the side of the poor."  

He spoke of the love for this downtown church which feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and provides an environment to see the gospel of Jesus spread.  After all of his years in ministry, he holds this smaller gathering of believers up as the closest he has seen to the New Testament church...I agree. 

Towards the end of the service which included open time for praises and concerns, sharing of stories, and worship, it was if he singled me out the crowd and said, "Must only the poor feed the poor?" 

After seeing the mercy & courage shown in the movie The Blind Side this weekend & taking in the authenticity of this church, I am changed & encouraged to lean harder into the journey we are on to be a part of loving God, people, and this community much deeper.

 The righteous care about justice for the poor,
       but the wicked have no such concern.

Proverbs 29:7

Must See...

Rachel and some of our best friends went last night to see The Blind Side.  Outstanding and extremely inspiring movie.  Go check it out.

Pursuing a Dream

Have been enjoying a recent read, Mayflower...the story of the "real people with whom the story of our country begins." 

Just in time for Thanksgiving, it's fascinating stuff about courage, risk taking, community, freedom, and pursuit of a dream.  I'm finding the book to share realistic & cold hard truths about what it takes to initiate & maintain a new journey.

Do you think the Pilgrims knew the impact they would have on the world when they boarded a leaky ship for a two month voyage? Pretty amazing stuff that deserves at minimum a hard pause & perahps an exploration or purcashe of this book. 

Honoring a Hero on Veteran's Day

"Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the besieged battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, without which they would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers -- some of whom would not have survived had he not acted. All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements."*

*Quote & text above is taken from Captain Freeman's Medal of Honor via Wikipedia seen fully here.

Site to See...

All things Catalyst Conference - Rob Bell

Rob Bell always makes me think.  First started following him by watching his short-films under the NOOMA heading.  Even though I don't agree with all of his viewpoints, I learn lots from him.  Here are a few quotes I jotted down - hope to have them accurate: 

• The crowd thins when you talk about controversial issues. 
• When we are forced to choose between the cross and the flag, we should choose the cross.
• Jesus' work was grounded in the things He saw His Father do. (John 5)
• When you die, God will not say, "Why weren't you more like Moses?"  He will say, "Why weren't you more like yourself?"

Here's a short preview video Bell & his group NOOMA produced - Enjoy: 

All things Catalyst - Chuck Swindoll

 
This year's Catalyst Lifetime Achievement Award went to Chuck Swindoll, a tremendous pastor/leader who brings solid application based on biblical teachings.  He's got a ton of wisdom and shared 10 realistic outcomes in leadership (again, I hope my notes do Mr. Swindoll justice here)...

1. It's lonely to lead.  (The tougher the decision, the more more lonely it gets.)
2. It's dangerous to succeed.
3. It's hardest at home.
4. It's essential to be real & stay real.
5. It's painful to obey.
6. Brokenness & failure are necessary.
7. Attitude is more important than actions.
8. Integrity eclipses your image. (The best things you do are not upfront.)
9. God's way is better than your way. (Our own capability is our biggest problem)
10. Christ likeness begins and ends with humility.

What a challenge!  But man, I was really glad to learn & experience such real practical guidance.

All things Catalyst Conference - Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey spoke on the theory of momentum at Catalyst 09.  Some of his thoughts below:

• When you have momentum, you look better than you are.
• Momentum is created - it's not random.
• Focused intensity over time, multiplied by God = Unstoppable momentum.
• Focus is lost for two reasons: 1) Fear 2) Greed
• Pour intensity into things that matter.
• "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Cor 9:24
• "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" Eccl 9:10

This is good stuff - I really want to do better here.  I usually have so much going, I don't focus with intensity.  Any ideas or helpful tips are welcomed!

All things Catalyst Conference - Malcolm Gladwell

Hadn't heard Malcolm Gladwell speak before, but was glad I did at Catalyst...He is a talented thinker.  He spoke about a large downfall in recent times for many leaders - Overconfidence.  Here are a few quotes (again, sorry for the paraphrase & hope it does Mr. Gladwell justice) I thought were insightful:

• MisCalibration happens when the so called "experts" get overconfident due to a large amount of knowledge.  (This was very interesting to me...Sometimes, you can have too much information - Faith goes a long way!)
• Incompetence only irritates, but overconfidence is plain scary.
• In times of crisis, we think we need daring & bold decision making - but what we really need is humility.
• Overconfident people but themselves off from the opinions of others.

I'll be reading more of Gladwell here and I'm gonna get this book soon too.

All things Catalyst Conference - Best Moment 2009

The video below is a little lengthy - I know.  But, if you have time or perhaps you should make time to watch one of the best moments I've experienced at Catalyst.  Also, check out this site dedicated to promoting initiatives to help the 143 million orphans across the world. 

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.