double dawg dare

It's amazing how entertaining a sprinkler can be. If you haven't played in one in a while, I double dawg dare you to run through one this week, just for the fun of it. You'll laugh and it will bring a smile to your face. These are 2 shots of Nathan and our neighbor, Abby, taking full advantage of ours this morning. So, here's the challenge: find a sprinkler, even if it's not your own, and just run through it. Don't fight the smile that ensues in the process. Then, come back here and post a comment about your newfound liberation for the rest of us to read.

looks very interesting...

just watch the trailer

am i the only one...

...who has ever noticed that on any Mickey Mouse show, Goofy can talk but Pluto can't?!? What sense does that make to a kid - one dog can talk, the other can only bark. Talk about species inequality. Where's Jesse Jackson when you need him?

hindsight 20/20

Okay, I'll try to keep this post short, but don't get upset if it isn't. This one could help a lot of us.

Most of you know that I am a follower of Jesus Christ and have given my life to loving Him and loving people. Because of that, I try to seek His will in most of my major decisions in life, both personal and professional. However, due to a recent situation where I had to part ways with a client, I have been reminded of this simple principle I first heard back in 2005: Everything that looks like a God thing and feels like a God thing isn't necessarily a God thing!

Eight months ago, I had just left my part-time job as a youth pastor to go full-time into my business. Simply put, I needed business to sustain the transition, when, lo and behold, a certain opportunity arose that seemed to be a direct answer to prayer. Not only was it new business, but it had the potential to be very lucrative. Everything in me seemed to say go for it. Now, eight months later, I wish I had taken those first few steps much differently. Maybe I was impatient. Maybe I was greedy. Regardless, I have learned a hard lesson that I might could have avoided had I listened to my wife and gone a little slower.

Let me briefly share with you some points that I picked up from Andy Stanley at the Catalyst Leadership Conference in 2005 (if only I had read and re-read those notes!):

- When opportunities line up with our prayers and passions, it is difficult to exercise restraint. Opportunities must be weighed against something other than the uniqueness of the circumstances surrounding them. It is very difficult to make sound decisions in emotionally-charged circumstances. We are not that great at evaluating circumstances, so open doors are not always an invitation.

- The most direct route to what you want is rarely the best route

The Application:
- Weigh every opportunity (even the obvious) against the law, principles and wisdom of God
- Decide every day that you will not sacrifice integrity for progress
- Give the right people and all-access pass to EVERY major leadership decision

- Being the leader does not exempt you from the need for wise counsel. It necessitates it!

We are only one decision away from sacrificing our integrity...
...which leads to a loss of credibility
...which undermines our influence

The wisest man in the world wrote more about the need for wise counsel than anyone else! Regardless of whatever your position on the job or in life, we all need to realize our need for wisdom. I can't change the past. I can only learn from it. May we all learn a whole lot more quickly and with as little pain/sorrow/regret as possible.

a good laugh at church

Okay, I know for some people that is an oxymoron - laughing and church. Luckily, I am part of a fantastic church that knows how to have a good laugh in life. Today was no different. Unbeknownst to the pastoral staff, I conspired with the music director to create this video (thanks to BMac for the idea). Needless to say, they were caught off guard in today's service, but everyone absolutely loved it.

Don't send a lame eCard.
Try JibJab Sendables!

mma

...Mixed Martial Arts for those of you who do not know. A long-time friend of mine, Brad Larson is launching a website, SubmissionFighter.tv dedicated to the sport. The site has a lot to be developed still, but I had the great privilege of developing the logo for him.

crutchfield

A big THANK YOU to all of you who sent emails and left comments on the blog. I was totally surprised by the amount of feedback I received, so that was very encouraging. As no surprise to many of you, the overwhelming majority voted for #2 on the list. The ironic thing is that is precisely the one she has been leaning toward since day one, so when I told her the results, it gave her so much more confidence in her selection. So, we met yesterday and looked at a few modifications of that version and nailed down the official color scheme. With just a few tweaks left, we will unveil the final draft of the official Crutchfield Photography logo next week. Thanks again!