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Believing in Cheating

October 4, 2011 in Leading yourself with 1 Comment

I had an interesting experience last week.

Basically for you to understand it you need to know a few things.  It starts a few weeks ago when I was asked to sit on the leadership team for North Point Ministries.

To me, that was a very humbling, flattering, and exciting opportunity.

And so, for the last few weeks, on Tuesday mornings, I have prayed myself up and walked into a room full of very talented people to intimidate the FOOL out of me!

So…last week was supposed to be my fourth time in that meeting…BUT…the challenges of raising a young family had other plans!

For those of you who have multiple little ones…you know how this goes!

EARLY in the morning someone throws up…and then the chain reaction begins…until the sun rises on one exhausted momma.  (It’s not that I can’t help…it’s the fact that no one wants Daddy when they’re sick!)

But that wasn’t it.  As the morning came…so came the requirements of a new day.

And…as I looked at my wife…I could tell.  This was just one of those days that comes along every once in a while.  A day when my family needed me.

And I was faced with this decision.

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How You REALLY Know How You’re Doing As A Leader

September 13, 2011 in Leading yourself, Management and Leadership, Serving and Leadership with 3 Comments

Have you ever been on a boat cruising a smooth lake. It’s awesome! One of my favorite things to do for sure.

I love sitting and looking out the back of the boat. You can see our trail weaving through the calm water. Waves emanating from each side of the boat…further and further out from their original position. There is no mistaking where we have been as we cruise through the calm water. You can see every turn, and, if you know what you’re looking at, you can also tell how fast or slow the boat was going at different points. You can tell a lot about the trip of the boat simply from it’s wake.

The same is true of us.

We can tell a ton about our journey as a leader by our wake.

Before you read on…stop and think about it.

Who is in your wake?

What would people say about you who are in your wake?

This is a concept that I was introduced to in the book Integrityby Henry Cloud.  In it, Cloud says there are two sides of the wake.

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Announcing My Fall Coaching Group

August 2, 2011 in Leading yourself with 0 Comments

When we were trying to name this blog, and pick a Twitter name for that matter, we ran into the common problems.

My first though was “Ministry Machine” but wise people talked me out of that.  It was too specific, too long of a name for twitter, and just kind of dumb to be honest.

A friend of mine asked me this question.

“What is your favorite title ever?”

About that time we had an intern who had been a swimmer for me years before.  While everyone else called me “Shef”…she still called me “Coach.”

The staff thought it was funny and cute.  I loved it.

It took me back to summer mornings on the pool deck watching the kids work hard and get better.  It took me back to swim meets where our work was put to the test.  It took me back to putting my arm around a kid who had a bad day and celebrating with others who had just done what they never thought they could do.

Her “nickname” for me made me realize the answer to my friends question.

I loved the idea of being the “Coach.”

And the name for the blog was available.  So, that’s what we did.

Since then I have been under some pressure to start a Coaching Group.

I started this summer with 6 guys and I’ve got to tell you…I love it.  I look forward to our Fridays together and catching up with our 1-on-1 phone calls.

I will be starting our next Coaching Group this Fall.

If you’re interested in joining this CoachShef Coaching Group, please click HERE

Thanks so much for all your support and encouragement.

I’ll be back Thursday with some more content.

Pressing Pause

July 28, 2011 in Leading yourself with 1 Comment

We were having a great discussion last week in my Coaching Group.

We were talking about Henry Cloud’s book, Integrity.  In it, Cloud describes the Observing Ego as “our ability to monitor our own thoughts, behaviours attitudes, feelings, abilities, choices, values, desires, talents and the like.“  He goes on to tell us that the mature among us are those who can self-observe and self-correct…ourselves.

Makes total sense when you think about it…doesn’t it?  In fact, I think there is some Biblical evidence to this whole idea.

Romans 7:15 is a very interesting verse.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (NIV)

If you look at it carefully you understand Paul has multiple personalities  here.  There is the Paul that wants to do the right thing.  There is the Paul that does the wrong thing.  And then there is the Paul who is watching the whole thing go down…from the inside.

I know it sounds a bit crazy.  But, Isn’t that how we all are? 

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Getting Back in Shape

June 28, 2011 in Leading yourself with 2 Comments

A few months ago I posted some goals for myself to achieve before I was 40.  You can read those HERE.

Here’s my news.  I got two done!

I finished Seminary in January…which was huge!

Also, I ran a Triathlon last weekend.  No kidding…the Big Boy got off the couch!

The truth is I’ve been in sort of a slump for a few years.  And though I give myself a hard time (calling myself big boy and implying that I was lazy and sat on the couch all the time), the truth is that I had a full time job, was a student in seminary, and was raising three small kids with my wife.  I wasn’t lazy…I was understandably tired.  The results though were pretty much the same.  This one time collegiate swimmer had gotten so out of shape that it was hard to get things rollin again.

I’m guessing there are a few of you out there who can relate.  I figured I would share what worked for me to get back in some sort of shape and to the point that I am in some sort of fitness routine  I hope it’s helpful.

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