This is a bit of a confession mixed with a personal challenge. I love learning and talking about the idea of living a minimalistic life where less is more. There comes a tipping point for some of us when it comes to the “stuff” we surround ourselves with and for me, I have found that I’m at my best when clutter is at a minimum.

Confession – I have times when I have surrounded myself with that ugly “clutter”.

Realization – I’m at my best when the clutter is gone and my mind is not distracted by all the half-finished projects and someday-maybe items laying around.

So what’s the fix? How do we get out from the clutter of our lives and create a life story we love waking up to every day?

First of all, there’s something incredibly powerful about the word NOW. “Later” is the lure that keeps us living a life we’re just not quite happy with. NOW is about this exact moment. What do we do with this moment? Do we think about what we have to do or do we do it? Do we fret about what’s not done or do we take that single step that can start momentum in the right direction.

Instead of waiting for things to either come to a place of urgency or waiting for a 10-hour block of time to magically appear in your schedule – START with that first step. What’s the next small and simple thing you can do? Do it. Do it now. Don’t have a 3 hour block of time in your schedule today to tackle that big project? How about 15 minutes? You must have 15 minutes you can free up to do 1 or 2 tasks related that big project.

Making things happen is not about the daily sprint…it’s about the marathon. Daily sprints are short and furious and typically lead to burn out or the need for lots of recuperation time. Plan life as a marathon and break things up in management (and trackable) sections and rejoice as you reach the milestones.

I’m going to take a little break from the personal stuff and offer up some completely non-personal, “it’s-all-business” thoughts. One of the common things I’m asked about is what tools I use in my daily workflow.

For today’s entry…let’s talk about Yammer.

First off…ever heard of this little website called Twitter? No? Well…trust me, I think it’s going to be big. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and call it’s potential HUGE. Well, Yammer takes a different twist on the basic functionality that Twitter offers and brings the corporate environment oh so much more.

So, what’s this Yammer thingy?

Yammer is a free online tool that allows you to create an internal corporate communication system. It works with some of the basic functionality of Twitter except for some very important differences.  Here are two of the biggest differences.

1. It doesn’t have a 140-character limit like Twitter.
2. It’s closed to single organizations by being tied to a single domain name.

All communications flow in a single feed but you can divide things out with the use of groups. So…you can view a master feed list or create/access a particular sub-group tied to your department, team or topic.

We’ve implemented Yammer at my day job at Portland Christian Center and it’s been slowly getting more ingrained in our communication flow. The hardest thing is getting people to break the long-time addiction to email. But the problem with email is that you quickly get buried in a never-ending sea of comments on top of emails on top of comments on top of emails which tend to lead to frustration in finding that one thing you remember someone asking or saying. You know it’s buried in a CC: or and RE: or a BCC: somewhere…but where?! Folder? Inbox? Sent? Deleted? Junk? Ahh!!!

Yammer, on the other hand, allows for a constant flow of information in a way that you can either add to the team-wide flow of communication and/or focus your message at certain individuals by using the now-familiar naming convention of the @name_here method. There’s also the option to Direct Message or “DM” if you need to take the conversation “off-line” and outside the team-wide message flow.

For my team, I’ve often used it to send out concept previews of designs we’re working on for feedback. Others on my team can either “Like” the post or comment on the post. Comments can be set to track under actual conversations for easy reference and dialogue.

Where my day job has been slow in implementation, a company I consult for has really taken to the system and it’s become the de-facto mode of communication. I can hop on at any time and track things and see where any trouble-spots are at…and interject as needed. From watching that evolve, the big advantage of this system is that everyone can “be in the loop” very easily by merely keeping an eye on the flow of information being posted. Win.

While the service is free, they do offer a Premium service that costs $5/user/month. The premium option gives you the ability to brand your Yammer feeds with some other additional resources. I’ve been just fine with the free versions myself and haven’t seen the need to recommend the premium versions.

I know there are other similar communication tools out there but this is the one that I’ve been using a lot. If you’ve used Yammer or any other similar communication system, what are your thoughts?

LINK: Yammer.com

I was browsing some recent photo collections from my recent travels to Ethiopia and seeing some images that were posted to my church’s online photo collection brought back some memories.

This was a unique stop on our way back to the capital city of Addis Ababa after we had spent a few days in the remote region of Oromia.  The story is one that would be easy to hear. Most would note the significance and maybe give an “oh my” in response to the account…and then quickly move on with their lives giving it little thought or consideration beyond a “oh, that was a nice story”.

The events leading up to the above photo are a mix of both wonder and tragedy.

The Background

My church (Portland Christian Center) has been actively involved with the beloved country and people of Ethiopia.  We have embarked on a mission as a church to bring the Gospel to the remote areas of Ethiopia by providing the resources for local Ethiopians to fulfill the call given in Matthew 28:19 to “go and make disciples”. Our role as a church is to partner with the people of Ethiopia…enabling them to do the work of spreading the Gospel.  In just a few months, the results have been nothing less than overwhelming (for updates on the progress there…click here).

The Story

I began to write out the account as best as I could recall it but then remembered that my pastor had posted the account on this blog so, to ensure that the facts are straight, I’ve decided to link to his article which can be found here.  [ click here ]

Reconciliation

One of the testimonies that has come out of this story is that of the immediate sense of reconciliation between the pastor’s wife and the killer’s wife – two women who both lost husbands with the act of one man.  I was struck by the accounts given as the two women, instead of holding bitterness towards one other, have formed a close friendship that is taking this tragedy and turning it for good.

How often would we see that kind of immediate response?  Often we find excuses for our behaviors and justify our anger or bitterness with the phrase “I have a right to be ____”.  In this case, what I witnessed was not a “I have a right to be angry” but rather an immediate “I have an obligation to love”.

The challenge to me was to be keenly aware of my reactions to offenses I may feel directly towards me.  Ever notice how quickly we jump to anger and claim justification.  Wouldn’t we be better served to turn our justifications into obligations — not simply because we’re “obligated” but because, ultimately, where hurt and anger only tear us down – reconciliation and grace have the ability to mend and build.

The Image

What you see in the image above is part of a mid-day service that was going on as we stopped by to say hello and pass some encouraging words to the pastor’s widow.  It was a scene with both somber remembrances and joyous celebrations while two woman sat not far from each other.  Two widows.  One church.  One family.  To see more from this stop, check out the Flickr photostream [ click here ].

Today I will be gathering with many familiar faces that I grew up with as a young child and teenager here in my home town of Lyle, Washington. Many of the faces I will see have journeyed far through life since I was here to share this small town life with them on a regular basis.

We will be celebrating two people who have had a profound effect upon this community since 1980. They moved from the big city of Seattle to this small rural town of 500 to follow a call. A call to serve. A call to touch a community with the love of Christ.

I’ve watched these two people engage a community through love and service. If there was a need. If there was a drifter in need of a helping hand. Whatever the need…I’ve stood there and watched their hands extend with no expectations of getting anything in return. They have loved because Christ said to love. They have served because Christ said…serve.

These two have modeled what a Godly marriage should look like. They still make a point of having a date night once a week. They still hold hands in public and, in the privacy of their home, you may catch a sight of them snuggled together on the couch.

Yet what makes their brand of love so profound is that their first loves are not each other. Without any pomp or fanfare, I’ve happened upon them, alone, on their knees before God, weeping for the lost…the broken…the hurting. I’ve felt their hearts crying out for their two sons – that God would keep, protect and guide them. Unselfish in life…unselfish in prayer.

I write this today as one of those sons. Today I will be celebrating the life and the love of my parents who will celebrate 40 years of marriage. I’m looking forward to hearing the stories. I’m going to make sure to steal some moments today and find a quiet corner to silently observe and soak in something I hope to one day be honored for.

Faithfulness & Love.

Writing. Art or practice. Work or pleasure. There’s something profound about approaching it as something that doesn’t come easily. There’s something romantic about having to fight for it. There’s something beautiful about wrestling with words to create something worth sharing and ultimately…worth reading.

This blog has been a loose collection of thoughts over the past years that has really led to little more than the ability to tell people, “I have a blog”. Big deal. Who cares. In fact, who doesn’t have a blog of some sort. Of course, 99% of blogs are created then largely ignored 99.999% of our lives.

I’ve made statements before to the effect “ok, now I’m really going to get serious”. Serious lasts all of an afternoon or, if I’m really motivated, a week, tops.

I’m not a writer. At least not until I make it a discipline to…you guessed it – write.

So this is a written post from a non-writer. Let’s see if this goes somewhere. Time will tell the true story. Discipline will fill the pages. Lack of discipline will leave the pages as they currently are – blank.

UPDATE (5.14.2011): She’s now FULLY FUNDED and moving forward. Thanks to all those who chipped in. For more info on her and her music…go to www.SarahBillings.com.

There’s something incredibly rewarding in helping others achieve their dreams. Do me a favor by doing her a favor and chipping in to her fund-raising efforts. Even a small amount of $10 goes a long ways (and gets you her CD when it’s finished).

Sarah is an incredible talent that I believe is really “going places”. You won’t regret it.

Just go to www.SarahBillings.com and click to become a backer.

Ethiopia: Day 1

[ Due to either the lack-of or poor internet - this is getting posted later than I would have liked. ]

Here I sit riding high above the clouds…as we making our way eastward across the great lands of the good ol’ U.S. of A.  With a long flight ahead, I thought I would go ahead and start this travel blog even though I won’t be able to post this online for a few hours.

In truth, I was banking on wifi connectivity on this international flight (I know, I’m spoiled).  My great plans to tackle some projects with the team back home have been foiled.  Next upload locale – Amsterdam.

In the meantime, here’s a picture of my first meal.  Gotta love airline food…or not.

A bit of a “small-world” moment has struck us on this plane via Pastor Ray.  It turns out that he was sitting next to a pastor from Solid Rock Church heading to Uganda and in the midst of a conversation regarding our church planting efforts…one of the stewardesses overhead what they were talking about and indicated that she attends Rolling Hills church (all Portland-area churches).

Me?  I’m camped out by the window with an empty seat next to me which means that I’m enjoying plenty of leg (and elbow) room.  Win.

I will soon be trying to force myself to attempt some deep sleep.  It’s a good time to get the internal clock flipped and the lack of sleep the evening prior to my departure should make this pretty easy.

After some sleep, I’ll make my first valiant attempt at writing something profound.  In the meantime…Happy Monday/Tuesday!

This morning found me spending a good amount of time in a travel clinic getting my shots for an upcoming trip overseas. While waiting for the nurse to puncture my flesh (no typhoid or meningitis for me, thank you very much), I dove into a book that’s been on my digital bookshelf for awhile now entitled “Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ” by Dallas Willard.

While reading, these two paragraphs leaped out of the page at me and I thought I would share it here…

“It is love itself–not loving behavior, or even the wish or intent to love–that has the power to ‘always protect, always trust, always hope, put up with anything, and never quit’ (1 Corinthians 13:7-8, PAR). Merely trying to act lovingly will lead to despair and to the defeat of love. It will make us angry and hopeless.

But taking love itself–God’s kind of love–into the depths of our being through spiritual formation will, by contrast, enable us to act lovingly to an extent that will be surprising even to ourselves, at first. And this love will then become a constant source of joy and refreshment to ourselves and others. Indeed it will be, according to the promise, ‘a well of water springing up to eternal life’ (John 4:14)–not an additional burden to carry through life, as ‘acting lovingly’ surely would be.”

If you find yourself discouraged when people don’t respond to you the way you hope they would, stop and consider your motivation behind your “loving”-ness. If you are merely “acting lovingly”, then there will be plenty of instances through life when you may not get the response you were hoping for. This may cause you to then take on personal offense, thereby robbing yourself of the joy that should come through the proper state of “being loving”.

Be love as Christ was love. Love for the joy that it brings and not for the accolades, rewards or recognition.

“…love…is not self-seeking…” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)

Check out the book at Amazon…
“Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ” (Dallas Willard)

I have a challenge that I wrote on a little post-it note that’s been stuck to my laptop for the past few days. In a recent conversation regarding an upcoming trip I’m taking to Ethiopia, we discussed the scope of my active role on the team while I’m there.  On top of speaking for one of the training sessions and a chance to preach at an Ethiopian church on a Sunday morning – my biggest role while I’m there is finding ways and methods to collect, process and tell the story.

Story-telling is no light task.  One of the hardest things I’ve discovered from past missions-oriented trips comes as I returned home.  Friends and family want to know what you experienced.  Too often, all I seem to be able to muster up are phrases like “it was amazing” or “you should go experience it yourself”.  The words that come to mind pale in comparison to the experience.  The people, the sounds, the unique smells, the scenes that replay in your mind.  So many instant memories come to mind that I find myself at a loss for words in the midst of an avalanche of words and what results are words like the one in the title of of this blog…”amazing”.

“It was amazing!’

“Oh yea, what made it amazing?”

“Well…um…”

It’s a natural question.  The answer doesn’t always come as naturally.

So, the challenge this time around is to seek out ways to present “amazing” in a tangible way.  Part of amazing is mysterious.  I want to capture that.  Amazing has a sense of grandiose.  I want to capture that too.  Amazing is used for the exceptional…for the impossible.  I want to capture it all.

Tall task?  Absolutely.  So much so that I’ve been thinking and scheming and will likely continue to do so between now and the moment we set foot on the African soil.

I’ll be doing a quite a bit of photo and video while I’m there and I know some of you have had similar opportunities.  What insight(s) might you have on capturing “amazing”?

Remember the rest of that line? How about where it comes from?

If you guessed… “To thine own self be true“, well, you would be right. Give yourself a good ol’ pat on the back. If you also guessed it was a line from the 3rd season of Dukes of Hazzard. “BUZZZZ!” Wrong.

If you guessed from the Shakespearean play “Hamlet” – you are one of the smart ones. Kudos.

This phrase hit me today in light of something that’s been mulling around my head these past days. In a world where conformity is more the norm than not, this is a line that summarizes a good life principle that we all need to be constantly reminded of.

I live in Portland, Oregon – a city so known for its “weirdness” that we have a popular bumper sticker that declares “Keep Portland Weird” and now we’ve been bestowed the honor of having a show called Portlandia dedicated to making fun of the absurdities of my beloved city. The curious part in this is that the “weird” they talk about is so normal here that it screams of conformity even though I’m sure the local hipster would demand otherwise. (and all the hipsters within earshot of him/her as well)

There’s a spiritual dimension to this discussion of conformity that we often lose by focusing exclusively on the external. I’ve often joked that I’m the rebel among my friends because I didn’t get my ears pierced or a tattoo – although don’t hold me to the tattoo part of this forever. When we think “conformity”, we all tend to go to the more elemental of human comparisons – the visual. How you look, dress, walk, etc.

But I would contend that there’s something more important that focuses on the opposite of the word conformity – “uniqueness”. As someone who holds a belief and faith in the reality of an eternal God who created all things, including myself, I can’t help but marvel at the law of uniqueness in creation (nature).

How often have you thought about how UNIQUE you are? When’s the last time you took a moment to imagine yourself, not as you see yourself, but as your Creator sees you. I’m reading a book called “Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny” by Mark Batterson in which he describes an interesting concept. His point is that we see our lives as a stream of events that go from beginning to end. Counter this with God’s perspective where He’s able to see our lives from the end to the beginning.

What is your unique calling or purpose for this life? As Mark discusses in his book, is God preparing you to face your Goliath like he prepared King David in the fields as a lowly shepherd boy? If you knew your divine purpose, how would it change your perspective of the challenges you face today? Would you be able to see your current challenges as merely a training ground for the coming opportunities to fulfill those life purposes?

The challenge to myself is to not lose the awe in my own God-designed uniqueness. I should never have to apologize for being who I am…as long as I am being who I was created to be. Neither should you. If you do find yourself apologizing about yourself to yourself or others – consider that maybe you aren’t being true to yourself…and that’s the problem.

To thine own (divinely-destined) self…be true.