This morning I started reading Jim Collins' 2009 book "How the Mighty Fall...and Why Some Companies Never Give In." This is one of the leadership books that I'm reading during this year in the U.S.
It's about 5 stages of decline of organizations. They are:
1. Hubris born of success
2. Undisciplined pursuit of more
3. Denial of risk & peril
4. Grasping for salvation
5. Capitulation to irrelevance & death
I'm particularly interested in learning about principles that might apply to chu7rches & organizations. I've seen some formerly strong groups like these really go into a tailspin.
Collins proposes that in the early stages, decline is harder to detect, yet easier to turn around. In the later stages, it's easier (and sometimes blatantly) to detect, yet harder to turn around.
I'm a big fan of the University of Michigan Wolverine football. For most of my lifetime, at least from 1969-2007, the Wolverines fielded excellent teams under 3 different coaches: Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller & Lloyd Carr. During the last several years under Carr, it appears that recruiting suffered.
But during the last 3 seasons, under "outsider" coach Rich Rodriguez, the program has greatly suffered. It appears that he is about to be released by new Athletic Director David Brandt. However, the whole situation has been poorly handled this past month and no one seems to know for sure who the new coach will be.
It's strange to see a former icon of football success struggle so much recently. Perhaps some of these 5 stages of decline apply to Michigan football as well.
mercredi 5 janvier 2011
samedi 1 janvier 2011
Happy New Dreams
In my Facebook status, I wrote that I was too tired to stay up until midnight and wished everyone a Happy New Year.
One of our friends from France responded, "Happy new dreams."
I actually like that. 2011 is a year of new dreams for me & my family.
2010 was a year of transition from nearly 7 months in France to 5 months in the U.S.
2011 looks to be a year of transition back from 7 months in the U.S. to our planned return to Paris this coming summer.
Without dreams, we get stale & cranky. Sometimes the difficulty of life can make it hard to think about dreaming, as we're just trying to survive.
But dreams of a better future drive us to change & move in new directions. It's often a lot of little steps, but in a different direction.
Some dreams take a long time to see accomplished. But no great thing has happened without at least one person dreaming about it.
I think it was Erwin McManus who wrote about G0d desiring to have people who would dream His dreams. May we have G0d-sized dreams for our families, neighborhoods, schools, work places, chur*ches, cities & nations in 2011.
One of our friends from France responded, "Happy new dreams."
I actually like that. 2011 is a year of new dreams for me & my family.
2010 was a year of transition from nearly 7 months in France to 5 months in the U.S.
2011 looks to be a year of transition back from 7 months in the U.S. to our planned return to Paris this coming summer.
Without dreams, we get stale & cranky. Sometimes the difficulty of life can make it hard to think about dreaming, as we're just trying to survive.
But dreams of a better future drive us to change & move in new directions. It's often a lot of little steps, but in a different direction.
Some dreams take a long time to see accomplished. But no great thing has happened without at least one person dreaming about it.
I think it was Erwin McManus who wrote about G0d desiring to have people who would dream His dreams. May we have G0d-sized dreams for our families, neighborhoods, schools, work places, chur*ches, cities & nations in 2011.
mardi 28 décembre 2010
A Baby Changes Everything
It's been a busy last week. As a family, we celebrated Ch!istmas with my side of the family on Tuesday afternoon & evening Dec. 21. This was after my wife celebrated Xmas with her MOPS group in the morning, then I had lunch with P@stor Jeff. Wednesday night Dec. 22 we went to a Filipino group Xmas party. Thursday Dec. 23 we attended a Xmas program @ E@stern Hills that some of our friends were in. Friday morning my in-laws arrived & we attended a Xmas Eve service @ New Life. Saturday Dec. 25 my wife's sister & son arrived, as did my father for Xmas @ our temporary townhouse in Aurora. Sunday Dec. 26 our family & my inlaws went to the Denver Art Museum. They returned home to South Dakota yesterday Dec. 27.
It's been hard to have time to process all these events related to Xmas.
The Xmas Eve service was helpful to me. It's different for us to be in the U.S. this Xmas, as the last time was in 2004. It's been nice to hear many of the carols I grew up with.
One new song for me on Xmas Eve was one titled "A B@by Ch@nges Everything." The most well know versions of this are by Faith Hill. Click here to watch her sing it. Another good video that ties together Xm@s & E@ster can be viewed by clicking here.
It reminded me of how the coming of G0d the S0n to earth in flesh as a baby rocked the world of teenage Mary, the shepherds, and even us today.
Some the0l0gians propose that it is perhaps harder to believe in the Inc@rnation, particularly G0d coming as a baby miraculously conceived by the H0ly Sp!irit and born of a Virg!n than it is to believe in the Resurrect!on. This miraculously born baby did change everything...and continues to do so today.
It's been hard to have time to process all these events related to Xmas.
The Xmas Eve service was helpful to me. It's different for us to be in the U.S. this Xmas, as the last time was in 2004. It's been nice to hear many of the carols I grew up with.
One new song for me on Xmas Eve was one titled "A B@by Ch@nges Everything." The most well know versions of this are by Faith Hill. Click here to watch her sing it. Another good video that ties together Xm@s & E@ster can be viewed by clicking here.
It reminded me of how the coming of G0d the S0n to earth in flesh as a baby rocked the world of teenage Mary, the shepherds, and even us today.
Some the0l0gians propose that it is perhaps harder to believe in the Inc@rnation, particularly G0d coming as a baby miraculously conceived by the H0ly Sp!irit and born of a Virg!n than it is to believe in the Resurrect!on. This miraculously born baby did change everything...and continues to do so today.
A Baby Changes Everything
Music by Tim0thy Nich0ls, Cr@ig Wisem@n, and C@therine H@rdwicke
Teenage girl much too young
Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything
Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
The man she loves she's never touched
How will she keep his trust
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
And she cries
Ooh she cries
Oh ohhh...
She has to leave, go far away
Heaven knows she can't stay
A baby changes everything
She can feel it's coming soon
There's no place there's no room
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
And she cries
And she cries
Oh she cries
Shepherds all gather 'round
Up above the star shines down
A baby changes everything
Choir of angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
Everything, everything, everything
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
My whole life has turned around
I was lost, but now I'm found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything
samedi 25 décembre 2010
The F@ther's Provision
Today we celebrate Christm@s, when G0d the S0n became human and was born as a baby in Bethlehem. The Inc@rnati0n is a miraculous event, as well as a point of contention to many. How could God become human? It takes faith to believe that.
We needed the Chri$t to come to this earth to provide the opportunity to again be in right standing with the F@ther. What we celebrate on Christmas was the first step in this. Jesus' sinless life, death as a sacrifice or at0nement for sin, and resurrect!on 3 days later. He provided what we needed.
Since moving back for a year to the U.S. in late July, we've seen the Father provide in many ways for us in big & small ways.
He's provided the rental townhouse where we've been since August 23. We'll be hosting my wife's side of the family here for today's celebration.
He's provided fellowship & spiritual support through 2 different ch*rches. One of them provided the turkey, mashed potatoes, & stuffing that we'll share for lunch today. The other one is becoming a real home for all 5 of us. We weren't sure we would find this type of place when we came back stateside.
Two days ago my wife & I were talking about what would be helpful to have for preparing today. One of those things was a hand mixer. We have a nice one in France, but didn't bring it here with us, as the electrical current is different. We've had to borrow mixers several times for crepe nights we've done.
About 30 minutes after this discussion, we heard a knock on the door. I opened it and saw our upstairs neighbor Brenda. She had a mixer in her hand. They bought a new mixer and were going to get rid of their old one (which we've borrowed several times already). So she gave us the mixer.
It's easy to worry about material things, especially as we're trying to raise additional funds for our work in Paris in a morose economy stateside. This gift was a good reminder that the Father will provide for all we need, both in the little things (like mixers), as well as the much more important things.
We needed the Chri$t to come to this earth to provide the opportunity to again be in right standing with the F@ther. What we celebrate on Christmas was the first step in this. Jesus' sinless life, death as a sacrifice or at0nement for sin, and resurrect!on 3 days later. He provided what we needed.
Since moving back for a year to the U.S. in late July, we've seen the Father provide in many ways for us in big & small ways.
He's provided the rental townhouse where we've been since August 23. We'll be hosting my wife's side of the family here for today's celebration.
He's provided fellowship & spiritual support through 2 different ch*rches. One of them provided the turkey, mashed potatoes, & stuffing that we'll share for lunch today. The other one is becoming a real home for all 5 of us. We weren't sure we would find this type of place when we came back stateside.
Two days ago my wife & I were talking about what would be helpful to have for preparing today. One of those things was a hand mixer. We have a nice one in France, but didn't bring it here with us, as the electrical current is different. We've had to borrow mixers several times for crepe nights we've done.
About 30 minutes after this discussion, we heard a knock on the door. I opened it and saw our upstairs neighbor Brenda. She had a mixer in her hand. They bought a new mixer and were going to get rid of their old one (which we've borrowed several times already). So she gave us the mixer.
It's easy to worry about material things, especially as we're trying to raise additional funds for our work in Paris in a morose economy stateside. This gift was a good reminder that the Father will provide for all we need, both in the little things (like mixers), as well as the much more important things.
mercredi 24 novembre 2010
Cold
It's early Wednesday morning & I'm about to go to bed after doing some writing.
It's really cold outside my in-laws' home in western South Dakota. I'm not used to it being this cold. Brrr! We've been fortunate to have had some warm & sunny weather in Colorado the last 3 months.
Hopefully there aren't any homeless people out there who don't have shelter tonight.
It's really cold outside my in-laws' home in western South Dakota. I'm not used to it being this cold. Brrr! We've been fortunate to have had some warm & sunny weather in Colorado the last 3 months.
Hopefully there aren't any homeless people out there who don't have shelter tonight.
lundi 1 novembre 2010
All Saints Day
Today is All Saints Day (Nov. 1), a public holiday in many countries with Roman Catholic heritage. My friends in France are certainly enjoying a day off work or school today. In the U.S., it's a normal work day. This year, it's also a day of election in the mid-term elections for many important state offices around the country.
2 years ago, my wife delivered our stillborn daughter Jessica. After 9 months of waiting for our 4th child, our worlds were rocked when we could hear no beating heart of our daughter. We received the awful news that she had somehow died during the previous 72 hours.
God has brought much comfort to our hearts during the past 2 years.
That being said, it's still hard to not have her among us. When I see my 3 kids together, I wonder what it would have been like to have Jessica among us.
However, I trust that God knows what is best. I believe that Jessica is in good hands now. I often picture her with my mother, who graduated to heaven 3 years ago from tomorrow. Both are fully well and not suffering any pain or struggle.
The hope of bodily resurrection and of seeing loved ones fully well is an encouragement. As some of my older friends are graduating to heaven, I miss them. But were I not confident that this time on earth is only temporary, I would be heartbroken and in despair whenever someone died.
But someday all the saints (those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ) will be gathered together again. This will be for all eternity.
This hope is also motivation to live in such a way that others are attracted to the Lord. I heard a great message yesterday about the outward looking church. Service provides the platform to share of this hope.
So, Jessica & Mom, I'm thinking of you today. Look forward to seeing you again sometime.
2 years ago, my wife delivered our stillborn daughter Jessica. After 9 months of waiting for our 4th child, our worlds were rocked when we could hear no beating heart of our daughter. We received the awful news that she had somehow died during the previous 72 hours.
God has brought much comfort to our hearts during the past 2 years.
That being said, it's still hard to not have her among us. When I see my 3 kids together, I wonder what it would have been like to have Jessica among us.
However, I trust that God knows what is best. I believe that Jessica is in good hands now. I often picture her with my mother, who graduated to heaven 3 years ago from tomorrow. Both are fully well and not suffering any pain or struggle.
The hope of bodily resurrection and of seeing loved ones fully well is an encouragement. As some of my older friends are graduating to heaven, I miss them. But were I not confident that this time on earth is only temporary, I would be heartbroken and in despair whenever someone died.
But someday all the saints (those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ) will be gathered together again. This will be for all eternity.
This hope is also motivation to live in such a way that others are attracted to the Lord. I heard a great message yesterday about the outward looking church. Service provides the platform to share of this hope.
So, Jessica & Mom, I'm thinking of you today. Look forward to seeing you again sometime.
vendredi 1 octobre 2010
Our initial experiences with home schooling
This is the first year we've ever done home schooling.
Our son is in 3rd grade (CE2 in France), our elder daughter in 2nd grade (CE1), and our younger daughter kind of in a no man's land stateside in that she's too young for Kindergarten, yet has already done 2 years of French school, as she started at 2 1/2.
People home school for different reasons.
We have appreciated (at least most of the time) the opportunities that our children have gotten to learn in the 2 schools that they have attended. Our older 2 children attended 3 years at a French PreK/Kindergarten ("Jardin d'Enfants," translated literally as "garden of children"), then at the local elementary school. Our younger daughter has done 2 years at this same school.
We've gotten to know the director, teachers, and staff at the Jardin d'Enfants, as well as many of our kids' classmates & families. Many of our closest neighborhood friends have come through here. It's a small school with only one section of each of the 3 levels. There are usually about 20 in each class, compared to 30 in the local kindergarten just down the street from us. It has been a good place for each of our kids to begin their formal French education.
While it's been harder to do this at the elementary school, these relationships have been gradually developing. The school was a little out of control 2 years ago. Fortunately, it changed directors for this past year. The new director helped bring more discipline and calm, so it's a night and day difference.
As we have tried to missionally connect in our neighborhood, we have intentionally put our kids in French schools. The schools are good academically and not generally violent, so that's been helpful. Sometimes our kids have had challenges and we've tried to help them work through them. It's hard working academically in a language that is not their first one. However, they have worked hard and made loads of progress. Our kids are definitely bilingual and bicultural.
We only plan on being in the U.S. for a year and probably living in 3 different locations (Colorado, New Jersey, Michigan). As we don't want our kids to lose a year of school when we return to Paris for the 2011-2012 academic year, we have registered them in program for home schooling in France. It comes through the CNED, which is part of the National Ministry of Education in France.
The French school year began in early September. Because we signed up late, we only received the official materials this past weekend. However, we brought some of our own materials from France with us and began our own interim curriculum & program in early September. This improvised program has been helpful, as our kids have already been working on math & French.
Like many homeschooling families, we're doing a hybrid system. On Fridays, our older 2 kids attend a school called OPTIONS. Colorado has a lot of home schooling families and is quite progressive in the different possibilities of collaborating with others doing it. The city we're living in has one site, a church, that hosts the OPTIONS program. Our kids have classes in Language Arts, Science, Physical Education, Art, and Music/Theatre. All the children in it are home schooled the other days. OPTIONS is part of the public school system, so it's free. Each class has 12 kids in it, so it's small compared to what our kids are used to.
We noticed one difference between French & American cultures on the first day of school. Right at the beginning, in the large group assembly, everyone stood up, put their hands over their hearts, and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Our kids were looking around and trying to figure out what was going on. My wife & I realized that they probably had never heard this before, or at least not for 3 years. In France, their is no such equivalent.
In working with my kids on math, I've noticed that their French classes didn't cover all that was supposed to get covered. This may have been due to some strike days. Or to having larger classes so that the teacher had to go slower in general. So I'm having to help them work on basics, such as addition and subtraction flash cards.
However, the academic challenges are compensated for the diversity of cultures that our kids have encountered in their classrooms & schools in Paris. They are comfortable around a wide variety of people of different skin colors, religious backgrounds, and ethnicities. Plus they are bilingual. If we can help them keep up to speed academically, they'll have a huge advantage in their future.
We've started reading "Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds" by David Pollock & Ruth Van Reken. It cites a talk by Dr. Ted Ward in 1984 in which he predicted that TCKs (children who spend a significant period of their developmental years in a culture outside of their parents' passport culture) were "the prototype citizens of the future. In other words, a childhood lived in, among, and between various cultural worlds would one day be the norm rather than the exception." (xiii)
As parents, my wife & I have the challenge & privilege of helping educate & train our children. This year is a challenging one, as we're forced to learn on the fly how home schooling works, as well as how to use the CNED program for French home schoolers (and for 2 different grades). We're helping our kids with their French program 4 days a week, plus with the Friday OPTIONS program in English.
We've spent the past 5 years helping our kids in the French school program in Paris. My wife has been the primary overseer of this. I admire & commend her for her faithfulness in this, as neither of us grew up in the French system.
Now it's time to get everyone up and ready for OPTIONS school.
Our son is in 3rd grade (CE2 in France), our elder daughter in 2nd grade (CE1), and our younger daughter kind of in a no man's land stateside in that she's too young for Kindergarten, yet has already done 2 years of French school, as she started at 2 1/2.
People home school for different reasons.
We have appreciated (at least most of the time) the opportunities that our children have gotten to learn in the 2 schools that they have attended. Our older 2 children attended 3 years at a French PreK/Kindergarten ("Jardin d'Enfants," translated literally as "garden of children"), then at the local elementary school. Our younger daughter has done 2 years at this same school.
We've gotten to know the director, teachers, and staff at the Jardin d'Enfants, as well as many of our kids' classmates & families. Many of our closest neighborhood friends have come through here. It's a small school with only one section of each of the 3 levels. There are usually about 20 in each class, compared to 30 in the local kindergarten just down the street from us. It has been a good place for each of our kids to begin their formal French education.
While it's been harder to do this at the elementary school, these relationships have been gradually developing. The school was a little out of control 2 years ago. Fortunately, it changed directors for this past year. The new director helped bring more discipline and calm, so it's a night and day difference.
As we have tried to missionally connect in our neighborhood, we have intentionally put our kids in French schools. The schools are good academically and not generally violent, so that's been helpful. Sometimes our kids have had challenges and we've tried to help them work through them. It's hard working academically in a language that is not their first one. However, they have worked hard and made loads of progress. Our kids are definitely bilingual and bicultural.
We only plan on being in the U.S. for a year and probably living in 3 different locations (Colorado, New Jersey, Michigan). As we don't want our kids to lose a year of school when we return to Paris for the 2011-2012 academic year, we have registered them in program for home schooling in France. It comes through the CNED, which is part of the National Ministry of Education in France.
The French school year began in early September. Because we signed up late, we only received the official materials this past weekend. However, we brought some of our own materials from France with us and began our own interim curriculum & program in early September. This improvised program has been helpful, as our kids have already been working on math & French.
Like many homeschooling families, we're doing a hybrid system. On Fridays, our older 2 kids attend a school called OPTIONS. Colorado has a lot of home schooling families and is quite progressive in the different possibilities of collaborating with others doing it. The city we're living in has one site, a church, that hosts the OPTIONS program. Our kids have classes in Language Arts, Science, Physical Education, Art, and Music/Theatre. All the children in it are home schooled the other days. OPTIONS is part of the public school system, so it's free. Each class has 12 kids in it, so it's small compared to what our kids are used to.
We noticed one difference between French & American cultures on the first day of school. Right at the beginning, in the large group assembly, everyone stood up, put their hands over their hearts, and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Our kids were looking around and trying to figure out what was going on. My wife & I realized that they probably had never heard this before, or at least not for 3 years. In France, their is no such equivalent.
In working with my kids on math, I've noticed that their French classes didn't cover all that was supposed to get covered. This may have been due to some strike days. Or to having larger classes so that the teacher had to go slower in general. So I'm having to help them work on basics, such as addition and subtraction flash cards.
However, the academic challenges are compensated for the diversity of cultures that our kids have encountered in their classrooms & schools in Paris. They are comfortable around a wide variety of people of different skin colors, religious backgrounds, and ethnicities. Plus they are bilingual. If we can help them keep up to speed academically, they'll have a huge advantage in their future.
We've started reading "Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds" by David Pollock & Ruth Van Reken. It cites a talk by Dr. Ted Ward in 1984 in which he predicted that TCKs (children who spend a significant period of their developmental years in a culture outside of their parents' passport culture) were "the prototype citizens of the future. In other words, a childhood lived in, among, and between various cultural worlds would one day be the norm rather than the exception." (xiii)
As parents, my wife & I have the challenge & privilege of helping educate & train our children. This year is a challenging one, as we're forced to learn on the fly how home schooling works, as well as how to use the CNED program for French home schoolers (and for 2 different grades). We're helping our kids with their French program 4 days a week, plus with the Friday OPTIONS program in English.
We've spent the past 5 years helping our kids in the French school program in Paris. My wife has been the primary overseer of this. I admire & commend her for her faithfulness in this, as neither of us grew up in the French system.
Now it's time to get everyone up and ready for OPTIONS school.
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