Charlie Lyons

7 Ways To Get Your Vision Back

Charlie Lyons — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:21:59 +0000

Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of what’s important, where you’re going or how you intended on getting there in the first place. Every now and then a reminder or two is required if we are to keep our vision sharp and our goals in focus.

Word of Life Canada (the Christian non-profit organization where I work) recently transitioned its highest level leadership position. For 19 years Gary Stairs led the organization well and on April 27, 2012, Scott Foreman, was officially installed as our new Executive Director.

Scott & Rachel Foreman and Gary & Barb Stairs

As the evening’s events unfolded, a beautiful picture of God’s grace was painted as times and events were recounted leading up to the selection and transition of Scott into the Executive Director role.

In almost 15 years of my association with Word of Life, I’ve had various roles and responsibilities. As much as I enjoy my ministry with Word of Life, through the myriad transitions I’ve experienced, it has been difficult at times to keep a clear and steady vision of my role in the ministry.

During the Installation Service, a couple of thoughts came to mind…

My vision for my ongoing involvement in Word of Life is blurry.
I need to refocus on my priorities and make my objectives crystal clear.

Over the next couple of days as I looked at my involvement with Word of Life through the lens of the evening’s events, I realized there are seven ways an organization can help their adherents and/or constituents overcome “vision loss.” These are also applicable in a personal manner, as I’m doing these days myself.

Retell your organization’s “early years” story. During the installation of Scott, a brief video was shown recalling the birth of Word of Life’s influence across different regions of Canada. These several minutes helped remind me of the importance of what we are doing as an organization. A “back to the basics” moment for me, if you will.
Celebrate and appreciate the past. Sometimes it’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. Publicly recognize the stepping stones that became building blocks, both good and bad. Without glorifying the details, don’t shy away from reminding people of hard times; there will always be hard times. Focus on the people and strategies that helped get things out of the tailspin.
“Thought bubble” the future. Ask yourself the question, “what will it be like if we do this very same thing 25 years from now?” Follow up with questions such as: Who will be leading the organization then? What challenges will we potentially be facing? What facilities will we have built? Most importantly: what relationships have been built and how many people influenced?
Chart the course. Imagine you want to drive somewhere that is 20 hours away and you’ve never been there before. You wouldn’t do that without at least looking at a map first, right? Why is it then, more often than not, we do that with our lives?
Help your people recall their personal roots in the organization. What was the series of events leading up to you “coming on board?” Was there a watershed moment? Do these recollections excite you? Think about it this way: most of the time nothing compares to telling the story of how you and your spouse got together but if recollection of your early days in your organization or company doesn’t even contain a fraction of excitement or thrill, you need your vision back.
Laud the unsung heroes. Administrative assistants, mail room personnel, analysts, website developers, receptionists, maintenance staff, and many others are often seen but not heard. Executives may get plenty of air-time by virtue of their role for decisions they make but it is often these unsung heroes that slug it out day after day to implement such decisions. Don’t miss an opportunity to not only recognize but magnify the contributions of those who don’t get as much of the podium as others do.
Don’t miss important milestones. Do you have someone who has been with your organization for 20, 25, or 30 years? Do something about it! Bestow appropriate gifts in recognition for the investment of time they’ve made in your organization. Had they not been building yours, they would have been building somewhere else. By the way, if you employ Millennials, the milestones must be smaller in scope; something as simple as recognizing the anniversary of their arrival on staff every year will go a long way in retaining their service and your investment.

Bottom line: Have you ever experienced “vision loss?” What did you do to get it back? What other points would you add to the list? Please leave your comments below.

Introducing Our New Little Girl, Olivia May Opal

Charlie Lyons — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:23:38 +0000

By the content of my last post (5 Lessons I’m Learning About Life From A Very Pregnant Lady) some of you may have gathered why I’ve not had any subsequent posts.

I am proud to announce that my wife Lindsey gave birth to our daughter, Olivia May Opal, on Saturday, April 21st at 10:44pm. Weighing 9 lb, 3 oz and measuring 23 inches long, Olivia was and is a very healthy little girl. Momma’s doing just fine also.

Caleb meeting Olivia for the first time

We are so blessed and we praise the Lord for the safe and healthy arrival of our precious little girl.

In order for me to best help at home, I’m going to step away from blogging for a brief time and return in about a week or so… with all kinds of new parental insights, I’m sure

5 Lessons I’m Learning About Life From A Very Pregnant Lady

Charlie Lyons — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:47:19 +0000

My wife is very pregnant. There is something odd about that phrasing, isn’t there? “Ummmm, very pregnant? Either you are or you’re not.” Should the state of being pregnant really be quantified?

: Lyons Family – February 2012

Just about any day now, my wife will give birth to our second child; the first was a boy, Caleb, and we’ve been told this one will be a girl. We are thankful to the Lord.

I said this is our second child but, it’s really our fourth. There was a child each before and after Caleb that were miscarried — another day, another post perhaps. As close as she is to me and as much as I love Lindsey, I cannot begin to imagine the emotions that surface, more than a year later and more than three years later, when memories surrounding those days come to mind and certain milestones come and go.

Now, as I have observed Lindsey throughout this pregnancy, I’m learning some key things about life. Specifically, here are 5 things I’m learning about life from my wife, a very pregnant lady:

Patience – Like I said, she’s due almost any day and she’ll mention this or that hurting here and there, or together we’ll jest about her pregnant belly, but not once have I heard her complain or bemoan her physical state. She’s been to the alternative and back; I realize I know very little about patience.
Communication – Lindsey and I have talked repeatedly in the last several weeks about how unbelievably comfortable we are in our communication with each other. We are a couple that had the undeniable blessing of knowing each other for several years before we “figured things out” between us and thus saw each other at the best and worst of times. There’s no pretense, no false fronts. This is why we can both make wisecracks about her pregnant belly and enjoy the ensuing conversation; I never have to fear she’s going to take it the wrong way. In almost 6 years of marriage, I’ve never had to worry about that — ever. I know few men that can say that.
Love – It is a goal of mine that when whomever eulogizes me at my funeral gets up to speak that, immediately after they say I was, first and foremost, a man of God, they follow that with something along the lines of “he loved Lindsey more than anything or anyone else, including himself.” My existence is living proof that love begets love; there have been days throughout this pregnancy when I’ve felt like I just couldn’t give enough love back.
Service – As can be expected, the last month of the pregnancy has been the most tiring for Lindsey. Thus, I assumed things would start to look different around the house. I assumed wrong. If anything, things are brighter, cleaner and tidier than ever before. “Nesting” or not, my wife serves her family with the zest of any Proverbs 31 protégé.
Endurance – Time has taught me that endurance isn’t about merely surviving but thriving in the face of ongoing pressure. If surviving is all there is, count Lindsey out. She has pushed through time after time. I suspect this is one I’ll be learning from her for a while; after all, she lives with me.

Not once has my wife sat me down and said, “Charlie, today I want to teach you about one of these things.” No, all of these lessons I’m learning have been silently and tirelessly exemplified. So far, I’ve had the easy job: watching her — now comes the hard part: living it out with her.

Last evening, Lindsey and I together watched a new episode of one of our favourite network television shows. A comment was made by one of the female characters to her friend about having just returned to work (after having a baby) to a heavy workload and thus an afternoon together at the spa was in order. The response was that the load would only get heavier with time away but the friend pressed further and said something like this:

“You just finished growing a human being inside of you. We should be throwing you a parade.”

Having been alongside Lindsey for the previous 8 months and 3 weeks, I wholeheartedly agree.

Excuse me while I go hand cut the ticker tape for my very pregnant wife.

Bottom line: Ladies, what one thing can you do today to set an example of sincerity and strength to those around you? Gentlemen, what one thing can you do today that supports and encourages your wife or significant other… pregnant or not?

Church Central Leadership Community [Resource]

Charlie Lyons — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:52:24 +0000

Two weeks ago I was given the privilege of being welcomed as a contributing blogger at the Church Central Leadership Community (www.churchcentral.com).

I consider it a great honour to be included in this church health and development community that includes notable authors such as:

Tom Harper (Leading from the Lions’ Den: Leadership Principles from Every Book of the Bible)
Dr. Thom Rainer (Transformational Church, Essential Church?, Simple Church)
Chuck Lawless (Discipled Warriors, Membership Matters)
and several others.

The following is an excerpt from the “About Us” page at Church Central:

We are all about building healthy churches. Over the past nine years, our expert bloggers- a group of well-known authors and researchers – have equipped leaders with biblical best practices and practical advice on church turnarounds.

Dr. Thom Rainer and Tom Harper created Church Central in 2002. After Dr. Rainer became CEO of LifeWay in 2006, Harper continued as president of Church Central, as well as president of the parent company, Networld Media Group. Networld is a successful online business-to-business publisher in the retail, digital signage, banking, technology and restaurant industries.

In 2008, Harper co-founded the non-profit Society for Church Consulting, which has trained and certified hundreds of consultants.

I invite you to visit and interact with this community of gifted writers and contributors for your own personal development and the health of your local church.

Bottom line: What online communities do you regularly interact with? What is the value you gain from these communities? You can leave your comments below.

Why Being At Peace With a Decision Isn’t Always A Good Thing

Charlie Lyons — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:50:33 +0000

There’s no doubt that some decisions are bigger than others and we’ve all had our share of big “do I or don’t I” decisions to make.

Image: Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We pray about it.

We seek wise counsel.

We labour through the thought process.

We create a pros and cons list.

We weigh our options.

Sometimes we agonize over which way to go.

Then, after all of the above, and more, we come to a decision that we say we are “at peace” with and we start to take the steps needed for follow-up — and step right off the edge of the cliff.

Consider the following two contrasting illustrations from the Bible…

Jonah was not anywhere near where God wanted him yet he was peacefully asleep in the midst of a raging storm.

Remember the story? God had clearly commanded him to go and take a message to the city of Ninevah. Instead Jonah chose to do his own thing and set off in almost the exact opposite direction of Ninevah on a ship. An incredibly gusty storm arises, he is tossed overboard, and swallowed alive by the big fish. After a rather enlightening dialogue with God in the most surreal of surroundings, the fish spits him out on the beach right where (I’d like to think) he was when God first commissioned him for Ninevah.

God says to Jonah, “Now… let’s try this again.”

Jesus couldn’t have been more squarely where God wanted him yet he was painfully agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Remember the story? Jesus knew what lay ahead of him:

An incredibly bogus criminal arrest
Desertion by his closest friends
Ongoing, inhumane beatings and torture
Wrongful imprisonment and unsubstantiated, libellous allegations
Public shame and humiliation
Death by one of history’s harshest and most cruel methods

God hears from Jesus, “It is finished.”

God intends to use hardship, trials, and suffering to accomplish his purpose however he pleases; he’s God and we are not. Don’t misunderstand me — the right decision won’t always necessarily be the hardest to accomplish. However, don’t oppose the clearly revealed oracles of God to follow a path of lesser resistance.

Have you ever over-spiritualized a decision you were making by saying you’d pray about it, all the while ignoring the Scripture’s crystal clear command to do it regardless?

“My wife and I are praying about getting a divorce.” God hates divorce.
“I’m praying about dating this unsaved guy.” Don’t be unequally yoked.
“I am asking God for wisdom about becoming a member at my church.” Don’t forsake assembling yourselves together.
“I prayed about not serving anywhere in my local church and I’m at peace with the decision not to.” I know… but this really happens.

We need to at least be aware that being at peace with a decision might just mean we need to grow up — in our faith and understanding of the plan of God for our life. The strongest metals are tempered by the hottest fires and the purest gold is refined in the hottest furnaces.

“But what about Isaiah 26:3, where it talks about having perfect peace” you might ask…

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Exactly… perfect peace — true peace, godly peace — comes to those whose minds are grounded in and built upon God, and we do this through the Word of God. We cannot know the will of God aside from the Word of God.

Grow up in your faith. Do the things that are clearly laid out. Then, some of those big “do I or don’t I” decisions – Which job do I take? Whom should I marry? Where do I go to college? — will become a lot easier to make.

Bottom line: What decision are you in the process of making right now that may be outside of Scripture’s parameters? Will you commit to bring clarity to the situation by aligning yourself with and applying God’s Word, regardless of any challenges the outcome may bring? Please leave your comments below.

Resolved in the Resurrection

Charlie Lyons — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:07:03 +0000

While a departure from my normal run of posts, the topic matter covered here is absolutely at the core of what I believe. I am indebted to Dale Flynn for this guest post; he has clearly put into words what I was struggling to arrive at in my writing. I trust this, if nothing else, at least helps you think about the most important things in your life.

Dale and his wife, Liz, are Word of Life Local Church Ministries missionaries in eastern Maryland. Dale is a Local Church Ministries curriculum editor and is the editor of the Ministering to the Minister E-Transfer national electronic Pastor’s newsletter. Questions or comments about this post may be addressed to Dale at dflynn@wol.org or in the comments section below.

One of the greatest opportunities for us to witness is now upon us, Easter, which I prefer calling Resurrection Sunday. It affords us a natural opening to share the Good News of the substitutionary death, burial, resurrection, and bodily appearance whereby Jesus was seen of many witnesses.

Graphic courtesy of: www.icr.org

Please make an effort to let your light shine. There are plenty of hurting people out there that are desperately in need of hope.

Consider this: What looked like tragedy is about to be resolved in the resurrection. Merrill Tenney points out the contradictions:

“Although virtuous… He suffered all possible indignities.
’Majestic… yet He died in disgrace.
’Powerful… yet He expired in weakness.
’He claimed to possess the Water of Life… yet he died thirsty.
’He claimed to be the Light of the world… but died in darkness.
’He said He was the Good Shepherd… but died at the fangs of wolves.
’He said He was the Truth… but was executed as an imposter.
’He claimed to be Life itself… but died quicker than the average crucifixion victim.
’The greatest example of righteousness the world had ever seen… became a helpless victim of evil.”

The garden is silent now for a couple of days. The disciples had left discouraged, defeated, and dejected. They were looking around in utter confusion — but wait a minute — talk about contradictions… something’s about to happen. Things aren’t always as they appear.

Earth’s saddest day and gladdest day… were just three days apart.
The cross and the tomb were both occupied… but only for a short time.
Easter says you can put TRUTH in a grave… but He won’t stay there.

It’s as though Jesus is saying to Satan, “Is that your best punch? Wait until tomorrow!”

As He looked over Jerusalem, He wept… but one day He will dry our tears.
In the Garden He prayed… but now He hears our prayers.
In the Garden He was sold for thirty pieces of silver… but now He redeems us with His precious blood.

Like I said earlier, the Easter/Resurrection Sunday season provides us with a golden opportunity to share the Gospel. Who will you invite to your church? If “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” let’s get someone there under the sound of the Gospel and let God do what He does best. On Resurrection Sunday, religion will bring people out… our developing a relationship with them will keep them coming.

Here’s a truth worth considering:

Jesus died over 2000 years ago.
Yet nobody has ever referred to him as the late Jesus,
Not even the heathen.
Nowhere in history.
Nowhere has He EVER been referred to in the past tense!
He is the Living God!

Trust you and your family will enjoy a blessed Resurrection Day!

Bottom line: All tragedies in our lives can be resolved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Will you give them over to him to be resolved by his resurrection power?

The Calf Path: Who Do You Follow?

Charlie Lyons — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:07:32 +0000

I must admit, I’ve not been a huge fan of poetry in my life. However, this past weekend I heard someone quote a poem that not only taught a valuable, moral lesson but it was also one of the most applicable and relevant presentation illustrations I have ever heard.

Image: chrisroll / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the young men this past weekend presenting in the Expositional Preaching category at Central Ontario Regional Teens Involved, gave a message titled, “Follow.” It was very well done and one of the best things about it was the relevance of his main illustration, a poem called, “The Calf Path.”

As I’ve previously written, my wife and I are the Ontario coordinators for several annual youth and leadership events hosted by Word of Life Fellowship Canada. Teens Involved is one such event. This is a ministry skills building event for teens in grades 7-12, who can participate in 23 different categories ranging from different types of music, messages, media, and Bible quizzing.

Anyway, I think you’ll see the resounding moral relevance that the poem bears, in spite of its author, Sam Walter Foss, having penned it more than a century ago:

The Calf-Path

by Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911)

One day, through the primeval wood,
A calf walked home, as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail, as all calves do.

Since then three hundred years have fled,
And, I infer, the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,
And thereby hangs my moral tale.

The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bellwether sheep
Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too,
As good bellwethers always do.

And from that day, o’er hill and glade,
Through those old woods a path was made,
And many men wound in and out,
And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because ’twas such a crooked path;
But still they followed — do not laugh —
The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way stalked
Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane,
That bent, and turned, and turned again.
This crooked lane became a road,
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And traveled some three miles in one.
And thus a century and a half
They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet.
The road became a village street,
And this, before men were aware,
A city’s crowded thoroughfare,
And soon the central street was this
Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Trod in the footsteps of that calf.

Each day a hundred thousand rout
Followed that zigzag calf about,
And o’er his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one calf near three centuries dead.
They follow still his crooked way,
And lose one hundred years a day,
For thus such reverence is lent
To well-established precedent.

A moral lesson this might teach
Were I ordained and called to preach;
For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf-paths of the mind,
And work away from sun to sun
To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track,
And out and in, and forth and back,
And still their devious course pursue,
To keep the path that others do.

They keep the path a sacred groove,
Along which all their lives they move;
But how the wise old wood-gods laugh,
Who saw the first primeval calf!
Ah, many things this tale might teach —
But I am not ordained to preach.

Bottom line: Who do you follow? Is their’s a path worth walking? You can leave your comments below.

7 Things Great People Do

Charlie Lyons — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:07:16 +0000

In regard to a person’s life, what is it that defines greatness? Obviously when talking definitions, we could go right to Mr. Webster and ask but true greatness in a person cannot be found in a by-the-book, letter-by-letter explanation.

What is it about a person’s life that motivates us to call them great? I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and have concluded that those who are great do all of these things:

Great People Live Well With Monotony

Greatness is linked in part to how we deal with monotony, the everyday rhythm and routine of life. Day in, day out. Hour after hour. We could go to several examples in Scripture but perhaps the most notable is that of Joseph. After being wrongfully accused of raping his boss’ wife and subsequently imprisoned, Joseph spent a few years there before God changed his situation for the better. What was Joseph doing there everyday, day in, day out, hour after hour? Of all the training grounds God uses, one of the hardest is the crucible of sustained silence.

Other examples: Moses’ time between leaving Egypt and then returning to Egypt, the weeks on end that Israel waited for the cloud to start moving again in the wilderness, Abraham waiting to become the father of a great nation, etc.

Great people wait patiently because sometimes there’s nothing else to do.

Great People Insist on More Kairos and Less Chronos

The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time in between, a moment of indeterminate time in which something special happens.

Another way of saying this is that chronos refers to quantitative time and kairos refers to qualitative time. We need to make the best use of our time (kairos) because our days (chronos) are full of labours, annoyances, and hardships. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

This is what Dr. Stephen Covey refers to in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People when he says, “The key is not to prioritize your schedule; but to schedule your priorities.”

Great people make the most of their time.

Great People Don’t Seek to be Great

Loosely linked with monotony above, this one’s more about humility. Great people are great without needing to be told they’re great. They don’t pursue fame and notoriety. They go about their duties and tasks with quiet energy and reserved enthusiasm:

They’re the ones who tidy up the mess in the coffee break room when no one else is around.
They’re the tireless moms whose all-encompassing goals in life are to raise their little ones to know and love Jesus.
They’re the first ones in the building and the last to leave on Sunday morning at church.
They’re the ones who bring a hot meal to a young couple who have just had their first child by ringing the door bell and leaving before they can be seen.

Great people seek to make others feel great.

Great People Work Hard Everyday

As a kid I remember hearing this phrase: “Don’t work hard; work smart.” The example accompanying this nugget of wisdom was, “If you ever have to deliver a piano to the tenth floor, use the elevator, not the stairs.”

Point taken. However, there’s no replacement for good, old fashioned hard work. Do a little bit more. Go above and beyond. Take the extra steps to make sure it’s done right.

Great people go the extra mile.

Great People Improve Themselves One Step at a Time

Great speakers were once bad speakers — but they improved over time.
Great professors were once students themselves (and they should be still, by the way) – but they improved over time.
Great seamstresses have scars a plenty from their pins and needles – but they improved over time.
Great writers were once me — but they improved over time.

Great people know improvement takes consistent effort.

Great People Leave a Positive, Lingering Legacy

If you’re in any type of leadership position at all (boss, parent, pastor, manager, etc.), your main goal ought to be, essentially, to work yourself out of a job. You’re not indispensable, I’m not indispensable. At some point in time, someone else is going to do what we do now. Great people know this and desire to fill the spots they’ll eventually leave with someone who can do an even better job than they did.

Second Timothy 2:2 speaks of this very thing: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Great people invest in the greatness of others.

Great People Live With the Finish Line in Mind

I know of few greater men than the Apostle Paul. Under the inspiration of the God, he wrote half of what’s known as the New Testament of the Bible. Over and over again throughout his writing, it’s evident that he was not nearly as concerned about what happened in this life as he was about what happened when he was going to leave his earthly shell and step into eternity. Some of his final thoughts are both poetic and powerful…

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Great people start at the end because they know it’s really just the beginning.

BONUS: Great people know a very great God.

Noted British minister and author Charles Spurgeon said, “If God has called you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king.” Scripture calls all of Christ’s followers “his ambassadors” and there is no higher or greater purpose in this life to surrender to and live for.