Multiple levels of relationships

So here is the question. How does a person seperate friendship from business? Let me expand on that. There are times in the course of a business that a leader or manager may have to confront and potentially even release an employee who may be a friend, whether the friendship was in place before or happened during the work relationship. Another aspect of this may be friendships that are formed crossline shall we say - or with peers in other departments but then leadership eliminates a position sending a "friend" away in the process.

When this happens, how does a person in a mgmt. role work through their feelings of hurt over seeing a friend hurt and possibly even moving on and still support the organization and leadership, even if, and maybe especially if they don't agree with the decision that was made?

No answers today - only questions. Answers or thoughts are welcome.

Be blessed,
Eric

Leadership is for the dogs (somedays)

Last winter/spring I used this forum to vent about not having and wondering why I can't find anyone who is as passionate and loyal to the cause and purpose we are working for as I am. The response I got from a Pastor friend who saw it... that's why you're the leader. End of story.

Well, I'm tired of being the leader. I don't want to be the leader right now. Someone else should be sitting in the office at 9:23 pm waiting for our speaker to arrive. But I'm here, on my day off, working my 8 hours and likely more. Why? Because nobody else saw the need or was willing to step up and fill it if they did see it.

And lest you think I'm complaining about 8 hours of work - only when I'm supposed to have the day off. Generally 8 hours is a short day - at least during summer, which is now almost over.

My mantra has been for my department that the work must get done. Frankly, I'm tired of the work not getting done. Or is it just not getting done to my level of expectation? And if that is the case it then raises the question for me as to whether or not my expectations are realistic? But should they be? Or do they need to be? My desire is to be faithful to God and to bless His children. I'm not sure that happens by lowering expectations.

I feel like I'm mostly rambling on this one and probably not making much sense but I think my last rant tonight is that I feel like my pouring out my life for the cause, for the work has neglible results. Does it really make a difference? Does anyone care that I have done this? Does anyone know? If I bring it up will they write it off to me being a workaholic and not to put that expectation on them. Or will someone say thanks - you went above and beyond and for that we are grateful. We see it and we appreciate it.

And lastly - does it matter if anyone sees it or not? Does it matter if it is appreciated? I think probably not. I should do it for the joy of serving and because it's right, not because I'll get kudos for it.

So work for the cause, tirelessly and until the work is done because it is our joy to serve God's children. It is our joy because to serve God's children is to serve God and to point people toward Him everyday. So I will be here as long as it takes tonight and tomorrow night and the next because it is my joy to serve.

Blessings,
Eric

Balance

Summer is here. And in my line of work that means the hours go up. Now, the excitement level, the ministry opportunities, and the intangible rewards also increase. However, going into this time of year also means that once again (I do this periodically) I wonder about balance. Do I work the 80 hour weeks and know I'm doing ministry? Hopefully being a part of people's lives being changed and transformed by God's love and grace. That is kind of what I've always done. It may well be why not only am I still single at 37 but I've never even been in a dating relationship. It's kind of hard to have a social life when you work like I have worked. So it begs the question of balance. What is the balance between living and working? Especially when working is not just a paycheck to live but ministry that touches peoples lives regularly.

I'm also guessing that balance promotes a healthier person and perspective, that it would allow me to not only have a social life but it would help me learn to "live" not just do good work, and it would help prevent burnout thus extending my opportunities to do ministry.

But I'm not so good at balance. And as it usually does when I'm thinking of balance the lyrics from an old Steven Curtis Chapman song keep running through my mind. The song is "My Turn Now" and it basically says that Jesus came to give his life away and now it's my turn. So does that mean I just give my everything to the ministry, allow myself to burn out, then after leaving, recover and move on? Knowing that this process may end up with not recovering at some point? Or is there a way to "give my life away" and still have balance?

These are the thoughts running through my head as I head into another summer and I see the hours increasing.

Eric

Passion

I'm really starting to think it will be an impossible task to find someone who is as passionate about the work we do as I am. And because I can't find a person who is that passionate, who is willing to lay it all on the line, who will do whatever is asked and more, who will not only do what is asked but seek to anticipate the need before it is asked and take the initiative to get started, because I can't find a person like this I think I will continue to be disappointed in the work or lack of that I see getting done.

Looking for passion,
Eric

Oops!

Last post - wrong blog. LOL

Talent/No Talent Night 2

Hi all you MCA registrants. And those who are coming but didn't register yet. We have not provided any way for your to register your acts for the upcoming MCA talent / no talent night. Because of that we are going on faith that you are practicing your acts faithfully and are coming fully prepared to share them with us. But in case you still need some incentive let me offer the following ideas to get your brain working on ideas.

Some things you may want to consider doing...

• answer your cell phone using only your feet
• crash derby with chair racks (you must provide your own racks - you may not use ours)
• open a freshly shook soda can without any spillage
• build and break through a wall (5 minute max length)
• build a tower chair height from uncooked spaghetti (max length 5 minutes)
• sit on a recently built tower of spaghetti and see if it holds you
• perform a skit
• juggle
• juggle pieces of the wall (see idea 4)
• juggle pieces of uncooked spaghetti (see idea 6)
• stand on your head and frown

and if you need some incentive to have acts ready - the back up plan is a concert by Fred. I realize this doesn't mean much to most of you so let me just encourage you to ask Luz staff if you should be concerned about this.

We are looking forward to a great event!

Blessings,

Jericho

Hero

It's true. I haven't posted since Christmas. Have I been busy? Yes. But mostly I haven't made this a priority. And since this is a bit of a journal I'm okay with that. So the topic for today - self evaluation. It may be that I've watched too many movies recently. Or maybe they were the wrong kind of movies. Or maybe the reality is they were the right kind of movies. Maybe the question I'm asking is a good one.

I realize self evaluation is a good thing and I realize I could go a lot of ways with this. But rather than write all the things I don't like about myself or all the things I do I'm going to simply stick with one basic question or concept. I'll try to set it up for you.

All of my life I longed for something but I didn't really know what it was. I grew up like most kids wanting to be something big and grandiose. I wanted to be famous. For me - I wanted to go to the olympics. I just didn't know what sport. There was a drive in me to seek it but the reality is it wasn't enough. I don't know if I would have been good enough, even when I did find my sport, but to have any chance of being good enough I would have had to sacrifice more than I was willing to do.

I had a plan when I was in high school. It would have come to fruition this year. I planned to go to Law School, enter politics, and in 2008, run for president. After all, this is the first year I was old enough to do so.

But God has a funny way of turning our dreams around when we allow him access to our lives. God took my dreams and turned them and led me on a different path but one that still had the same basic draw or hope. I didn't really care about being president or an olympic athlete. It took reading some books by John Eldredge for me to realize that what I really long for is to be a hero. This doesn't mean I need to be famous. It doesn't mean I want the "hero worship" we might attribute to a crazed fan or a Jr. High girl when she sees her favorite rock star on stage.

I want my life to have stood for something. I want to have made a difference. I want to be a hero to a person or a few people. It doesn't have to be a lot. I value the respect and honor in "that glance, hug, handshake, or kiss". I'm not talking about any of those. I'm talking about the special ones that you may only know if you've experienced them.

So, I've watched some movies recently where the main characters were heros. They made a difference in people's lives. And as I watched the credits role and cried I asked myself why I was crying. And the answer was simple. It was a question. Have a really made a difference? Has my life counted or have I wasted 36 years?

And I know this is another way of my being lonely. I know I haven't wasted my life. I know I've made a difference but the how and where aren't always easy to know. But I think the reason I ask this question periodically is because I don't have anyone looking into my eyes in a way that tells me I'm their hero.

So, where do I go from here? I don't know. I go to work. I go home. I do my job. I live my life. And I wonder - does it count? What difference am I making? Will anyone ever look at me and see a hero?