Mistakes leaders make (8/10)

I’m working my way through a book, The Top 10 Mistakes Leaders Make, by Hans Finzel, and I’m really enjoying the challenge. So for the next ten Saturdays I want to work through these ten mistakes, knowing that they apply to CEOs, ministry leaders, parents, teachers, coaches, pastors and just about anyone in any kind of leadership role. I promise to keep my summaries short(ish), and I would love to interact with your thoughts as we go along. These mistakes are listed in order of how they occur in the book, not necessarily how I would arrange them. Overboard Leadership requires an honest self-evaluation of each of these shortcomings (sins?) of leaders. Looking for missed posts, click here: Mistake #1, Mistake #2, Mistake #3, Mistake #4, Mistake #5, Mistake #6, Mistake #7).

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Mistake #8: Missing the clues of corporate culture

Hans defines corporate culture as “the way insiders behave based on the values and group traditions they hold.” In other words, the changes (some subtle, some not-so-much) you and your spouse, or you and your roommate, made in order to live in the same house without wanting to beat each other senseless...is learning to live within a corporate culture.

As you look around at your life, you are probably part of several cultures, many without you even being aware! Sports team parent? Definitely a soccer mom culture! Married? Definitely bringing two family cultures together into one (and creating a third culture in your own family!). Are you employed? Then you know there is a culture at your office! Do you attend church? Then you definitely know about organizational culture! Every town, every state, every region has a culture and we learn to live and work and build relationships based on what those cultures value.

Finzel points out that culture is at the heart of success for a business (and I would say for a relationship, family or ministry!) and that top performing companies have “strong cultures [that] support the mission, goals, and strategy of the organization.” For believers, our culture should promote excellence in every aspect of our lives, living out 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:17. Those verses remind us to do everything to the glory of God, even mundane every-day-tasks like eating, drinking and speaking should be done with our very best effort!

When it comes to leading people, a good leader seeks to learn the culture of his environment, and then operates and strengthens the organization from within that culture. When cultural shifts need to be made, a good leader has done her homework to understand the existing culture, and makes careful, calculated moves before instituting changes.

The culture of your family or ministry or business, can be discovered by exploring the non-negotiable beliefs that drive it. Everyone has preferences that come and go, sometimes connected to a particular person, sometimes a particular trend or the latest book, but those preferences won’t help your organization sink or swim. The values under those preferences, the do-or-die beliefs that drive the organization, those are the items that define your culture.

Some churches value, not changing. Whether it’s expressed or not, the leaders of this particular type of church are always suspicious of change, and typically like the “old way” of doing things. Some businesses value quality over quantity, and others mass-produce parts and value production numbers over anything else. Some families value a tight-knit unit with very little outside influence, others open the house doors wide for anyone or anything to enter! Some dads value their work over their families. Some moms put their children first, even above their spouse. All of these beliefs represent the underlying culture of a particular group of people.

A good leader seeks to understand that decisions her organization is making, come from these underlying core beliefs. Finzel (quoting Joules and Posner) writes, “Leaders who understand their own value, and can articulate them well to their organization, have proven to show superior performance in their roles.” Here are six benefits to leaders who learn to embrace an organization’s culture:

1. Strong feelings of personal effectiveness
2. Promotes high levels of company loyalty
3. Facilitates consensus about key organizational goals
4. Encourages ethical behavior
5. Reduces levels of job stress
6. Promotes strong norms about caring and working hard

(From the book: The Leadership Challenge)

When leaders don’t learn their organization’s culture, they create conformers (just do what you must to survive), complainers (completes work without enjoying it, and impacts other employees with negativity), Innovators (let’s change things!), ritualists (going through the motions), retreatists (running away from every situation) and rebels (angry non-conformists).

Good leaders spend time learning the culture, embracing the culture that promotes the vision and goals of the organization and carefully changing the parts of culture that need adjustment. If you’re leading an organization and running into constant conflict, check out chapter eight of Hans’ book for some great tips about understanding the culture.

Go ahead and take the plunge, your leadership will be better on the water!

Mistakes leaders make (9/10)

Where will you be in five weeks?

A few weeks ago I was lamenting one of my weekly runs to a friend who has been a running adviser for me. He’s run a full marathon in the past and has been a big help in getting me trained for the half-marathon Traci and I are running in October. As we talked, I whined, “Yesterday’s run was really hard. I still got it done, but for as short as it was, it just seems like it shouldn’t be that tough.” He smiled a sagely little smile and said, “You’ll be glad you did that run in five weeks.”

Five weeks? I’ll be glad in five weeks!? Obviously this friend of mine doesn’t understand my need for instant gratification! Of course, there is nothing in running that is about instant gratification, and he continued to inform me that studies have shown, that when you’re working out consistently, the workout you do today will have a significant impact on your workouts in five weeks.

That’s so contrary to how most of us workout, usually thinking that a big lift today will make tomorrow’s lift easier, or a big run today should make tomorrow’s run that much better. But those who study the science of the body have found that a day’s workout, when combined with a steady and consistent workout routine, shows its greatest benefit five weeks after the fact. So the run I was whining about was going to be my best friend a few weeks later.

Well that stinks.

Once again, running proves to be a valuable metaphor for life. So much of what you and I are doing today doesn’t have its maximum value for our lives tomorrow or even the next day, but rather, as we keep a consistent life of growing and changing and being challenged by God and His Word we reap the benefit weeks later. And maybe that’s why so many people give up after putting in a couple of good days of effort. Have you ever been there?

Have you ever tried a new diet for a couple of days, only to face the discouragement that the scale didn’t change much after a week? So what did you do? If you’re like most dieters, you gave up and drowned your dieting sorrows in a giant plate of nachos or an extra large bowl of ice cream. Why? Because waiting five weeks for results is hard.

Experts say it takes somewhere between 21-35 days (3-5 weeks) to make a new practice stick. After that, it takes another two to three months for that new practice to become an automatic habit. That means from day one of a change you are trying to make in your life, it can take close to six months before that change has become somewhat automatic in your life.

Soooooo, when you make that great choice today, you are paving the way for that choice to stick, and then eventually become a habit. But not tomorrow. Not next week. Not even next month. The great choice you make today will help solidify your change five weeks from today, if you keep working it until then.

Maybe that’s why, so often in the Bible, we are instructed to keep working at growth and change. Like the writer of Hebrews who says, “Therefore let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage each other, and all the more, as we see the Day approaching...” Did you catch that? We need to keep encouraging other more and more as we establish a habit and culture of building into each other’s lives.

The theme passage for me for 2014 has the same idea in it: “...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Running with perseverance doesn’t just mean to run for a long time, but rather, to keep running day in and day out, knowing that the long term gain happens down the road.

In fact, later in that same passage in Hebrews 12 the author says, “No one thinks discipline [hard work, challenges or punishment etc...] is pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained up by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

So where do you want to be in five weeks? Where do you want to be in five months? Those changes you desire for the future begin today. Those goals you want to cross off your list? those dreams you want to tackle? your work begins today. Hold the course even when the work isn’t fun or easy because you know that what you’re doing today -- that very unglamorous daily obedience! -- is making a difference for the future.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Dating Traci

I first met Traci when I was in 8th grade, and we started “dating” when I was in 9th (she was in 10th...you know, that older woman thing!). We dated for just a little over eight years before we got married. In fact, our 8th wedding anniversary was a big event for us because we had officially been married for as long as we had dated.  

When I look back at our dating years, there is a funny growing and maturing process that took place (any of you guys about to make some wise crack about me and maturity can go ahead and make that now). What we thought “love” was in 9th grade, was vastly different than what we knew about love while we were both in college. Of course, getting married, working through challenges, having kids etc... expands your love in even more amazing ways!

Good relationships are interesting that way; they don’t stay the same year after year, but instead, grow and change with the people involved in them. People who “fall in love” with a person and then “fall out of love” with them because of how much that person changed, sometimes miss the point of what it takes to have an amazing relationship -- learning to grow together through change.

Traci has kept a big bag of love letters that I wrote to her through our high school and college years. Some of these are just a tad bit embarrassing and reveal an incredible amount of sappiness (and not the good kind, either), and others reveal why I shouldn’t ever dabble in the genres of creative writing and poetry. When I read some of the notes I gave her while we passed each other in the halls at school, I see an immature young boy trying to impress his girlfriend by committing a love to her, that he doesn’t possibly understand. I had no idea what the phrases “I’ll love you forever” and “nothing will ever come between us” really meant; I was just trying to express what I understood and felt about love at the time.

In college our letters took on a new depth, especially as we dated long distance while attending different schools throughout our college years. We had a few little breakups during that season of life, and both of us had opportunities to engage other relationships around us, but really our resolve to stay together didn’t change much. What did change, however, was the way both of us were growing up. We were being shaped by our experiences, by struggles with friends and family, by new information, by jobs, by the experiences of others and through what each of us were learning in our personal relationship with God.

As Traci was maturing and changing, our relationship was changing; as I finally started growing up emotionally and maturing in my outlook in life, our relationship changed. And that’s really how great relationships become great -- they become stronger through change. Instead of trying to hold on to what love looked like in high school (gag) Traci and I have embraced the changes that have occurred in us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and have committed to a deeper, loving relationship than we had before the changes.

And that’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned from when Traci and I started dating some 25 years ago! Commitment to a relationship (marriage, friendship, work, children etc...) isn’t a commitment to stay the same forever, or a promise to never complain, always be positive or never have any grumpy days. Commitment in a relationship is a promise to keep growing, to keep helping others grow and to work hard to hold the course through the changes that will come.

Change, is what is supposed to be happening in all of us as we walk through this life. In Ephesians 4:15, Paul writes, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ...” Growing up is a good thing! But growing up also means change. Growing up means letting go of childish ways and thinking, and embracing new thoughts and a new understanding about life. As we draw closer to God we shed our old concepts of commitment, love and relationship, and embrace people around us the way God embraces us. I know Traci loves me more today, not because I’m amazingly more lovable, but because she has grown in her walk with God and understands love better today than she did 25 years ago when we went on our first date.

Are you changing or are you working hard to try and keep everything the same? I know people who live their lives trying to avoid change, trying to control everything so that life remains relatively the same for them. I, for one (and Traci for two!), am glad that I have grown up from my high school dating years. I’m thankful that I have a better understanding of love and commitment, and that my devotion to God, Traci and family is marked by a new maturity and a deeper wisdom that can only come through change. I don’t want to be the same guy tomorrow that I was today, and while I don’t always like the circumstances or events that cause change, I like the end-product as I grow up into Him -- the One who gives me life.

Go ahead and take the plunge, change is always better on the water!

Where it all began

A lot of people ask me about how Overboard Ministries started. I have a great 3-minute speech that summarize about two years worth of events to explain how this little venture began. Today I want to share with you the first-ever, Overboard blog post. It’s a little lengthy, but you might find a gem or two throughout the read to help you as you embrace the Overboard Life.  

July 18, 2011:

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Why Matthew 14? The power of convergence.

How did Overboard Ministries begin? I’ll never forget the night this ministry launched. It was as if God Himself spoke. The midnight sky was shimmering in darkness-piercing starlight. The moon was not yet on the horizon and the universe was unfurled above me. The air was hot and still and only the occasional coyote howl or cricket chirp could be heard. I had been praying and fasting for three days, asking God to show me His will for a future ministry. As I looked heavenward, it was almost like the night sky parted, the stars formed letters and words and God revealed Overboard Ministries to me. It was amazing. And of course, this story is a bunch of poo-poo.

I know God can reveal His will however He chooses. For me and Overboard, it was a long, two-year period through which God mapped out a course using some new relationships and some out-of-the-box thinking that helped this ministry take shape. I’m confident God’s work is just beginning but how Overboard started has  everything to do with where God takes it next. This story is a little long, but the process by which God brought all the pieces together are interesting (at least to me) and if you can endure the story, I think there’s a good take-home at the conclusion. If nothing else, there are some helpful links within the story that will expand your resource toolbox!

Back in the winter of 2009, I was starting to feel that God was opening up new doors of ministry and influence beyond what Traci and I had been enjoying since moving to Salem in 2001. This wasn’t necessarily a discontent with what we had, but certainly was a discontent with the scope of influence we had -- and a yearning for something bigger (not better, but bigger). I think I agree with Bill Hybels who was one of the first people I heard say that in order to change to something different, we must first start to dislike something about our current condition so we can fully embrace the greatness of the vision that lies before us. Whether you’re talking about moving yourself, or a business or a church -- there must be a certain disdain for your present condition in order to encourage and promote growth for a new one.

My wife Traci was the first to start to sense that God was moving us in a new direction but soon others were confirming His work. It was in August of 2009 that my dear friend and mentor Richard Muntz went home to be with the Lord. That man poured his life into me and I was blessed to know him and to be influenced by him through our weekly meetings. Our weekly meetings stirred in me something bigger for my life and his departure left me longing for more and was the beginning of God’s Work. Later, in the winter of 2009 and spring of 2010 God connected me with a life-coach by the name of Kevin Flierl who would grow that longing even further. More on that in a moment.

About a year before the time Kevin and I met, our youth group hosted a large outreach event with one of the world’s top up-close illusionists, Danny Ray (founder of Upright Illusions which later changed its name to Captivators). Danny and I really connected during his one-night event in October of 2008 and when he returned in October of 2009 (two months after Richard has passed away) he shared his heart for starting an on-line daily devotional for people to “connect with God”. Tenthdotministries has a great story, and Danny longed for that devotional site to grow into a community of believers world wide, each sharing in the Word, and in their personal experiences together. I was moved by his passion.

At that time, I had been doing a little bit of writing for a denominational youth worker’s magazine and had been activelyish* (if this blog is about nothing else, it will be about the creation of new words that the English language desperately needs!) looking for ways to expand my audience. My first blog died when I abandoned it for a year (odd!) but when I heard what Danny was doing, I knew this was chance to expand my opportunity to write to a broader audience. So I offered Danny my extensive writing services.

He said “no thanks.”

15 years of youth ministry has taught me some very valuable lessons and one of them is this: God isn’t always looking for the most talented writers, orators, guitar players or administrators -- He is however, actively pursuing men and women with a heart for Him who are willing to face rejection to pursue the path He has laid before them. I often wonder how many things haven’t been accomplished for the Kingdom simply because someone said “no” and someone else thought that meant “no”. I’m often too ignorant, too arrogant or too confident in my faith to know those boundaries and so I rejected Danny’s answer and sent him a devotional for his site anyway. Two weeks later he asked me to write another one and two weeks after that I was officially welcomed as Tenthdot Ministries second author, because Danny saw -- not my amazing writing talent -- my heart for the Lord.

And now Kevin Flierl reenters our saga. Kevin and I met while sharing the pulpit for a small gathering of youth workers in 2009. This group of 35-40 adults were meeting as their youth organization was finishing it’s work on the West Coast and pulling the plug on the system they had come to know and love. Pete Steele, a 20 year veteran of youth ministry, had invited Kevin and I to come and share with these people, that we might encourage them to press on even in the shadow of great discouragement. We met that night and God forged a great friendship.

As Kevin and I enjoyed the Tillamook Cheese Pepper Bacon Burger from Burgerville every other week at our meetings, God was using him to expand my view of what was possible if I kept pursuing God’s will. Kevin was teaching, challenging, pushing and prodding me towards something Traci and Richard had already seen; something to which I had been reticent to accept. Tenthdot Ministries had opened some new doors of friendship and ministry, my summer speaking schedule was filling up and God was burdening my heart for something more. Finally the summer of 2010 came around and by then everything was in motion and God was already launching Overboard Ministries. I just didn’t know I was leading that charge for Him!

From July 1 through December 21 God gave me seven different speaking engagements, including five different weeks of camp during the summer and a two-week span of teaching in South Africa with friend and fellow youth minister, Josh Ausfahl. It was during this season of external church ministry to groups that my eyes were opened to accepting how God gifted me and how He could use me for a broader influence on the Kingdom. It was scary and humbling; exhilarating and fulfilling; joyful and even alarming. But it was a great summer.

Towards the end of it, my family and I took some vacation with my eldest brother in Southern, CA. We had received free passes to Disneyland for having made and donated blankets to children undergoing cancer treatment. While we rested and played we made a three day excursion to stay with my friend and fellow devotional writer, Danny Ray. Besides being an amazing illusionist, Danny is an entrepreneur and visionary. He doesn’t just think outside the box, he lives outside the box. For three days we enjoyed rich fellowship between our families and truly a life-long friendship was forged between Traci and I, and Danny and his wife Kimberly and our families. It was an awesome experience.

Danny pressed me hard and helped me unpack God’s work in my life. He built off what Kevin Flierl had been doing, which was largely influenced by the work and wisdom of my wife and Richard Muntz. When we left Danny’s house two things were certain: One, my first book Project Joseph had to be completed. The project had stalled for four months and it was time to finish delivering the message God had given me. Two, it was time to launch a ministry umbrella under which Project Joseph and other ministry ventures could be situated.

Three more weeks passed as Danny, Kimberly, Traci and I exchanged e-mails, texts and phone calls each with new ideas for a ministry name and brand.  While a name remained somewhat illusive, I kept coming back to a message that had become my favorite Friday night camp message and challenge. It was entitled, “Get out of the Boat” and came from Matthew 14. It’s the passage where Jesus walks on the water and Peter asks to join Him for a stroll on the Sea of Galilee. My Friday night message focuses not on Peter but rather, on the 11 other disciples who never left the boat. My heartbeat as a speaker, pastor, father and husband has emerged in my desire to help others live their God-designed calling as His children on the waters where He is doing Kingdom work, not in the comfort of the familiar surroundings of the boat.

As that identity became clear, Overboard Ministries was formed -- we just hadn’t named it yet (not unlike our third child who they wouldn’t let us leave the hospital with because Traci and I couldn’t agree upon what the initials ‘CJ’ stood for) (happily they represent Celina Jordan and they allowed us to leave). Out of the Boat, On the Water, Strolling the Lake, Out on the Water, Water Walking, Walk on Water, Jimmy Crack Corn and I don’t Care, Faith Walkers, Life on the Water, Lighten the Boat, reKindled, Refined and countless other names were bantered about, belittled and eventually eliminated. Soon it boiled down to Unleashed and Overboard and both had their pros and cons. Ironically, both Danny and I were underwhelmed by Overboard Ministries but the longer it lingered -- like a good Philly Cheese Steak -- the better it settled. Truthfully, it came down to google searches (if you’ve actually read all the way to this part of the story, e-mail me a note and I’ll send the first 5 readers to do so a little thank you gift) which revealed there was a plethora of of ministries using some form of Unleashed, but very few talking about jumping out of a boat. Weird.

January 1, 2011 it was official when Overboard Ministries LLC was officially birthed and allowed to leave the hospital -- name and all.

In telling this story that was far more interesting in the first paragraph, I am however reminded that we serve an enormous God capable of innumerable methods and means to connect others. It’s amazing to me how He connected me and Traci with a world-class Christian illusionist and his wife from Southern California, brought a life-coach from Tigard, Oregon, a wise old pastor, mentor and librarian from all over, and any number of other people and conversations to create Overboard Ministries. Before inviting him to perform at our church, I “met” Danny at a youth conference in 2006 where he performed on a stage in front of 3,500 of youth workers -- never imagined we would forge such a strong ministry partnership and friendship. I shared the pulpit with Kevin and we exchanged business cards -- never imagined God would use him to be a pain in my toushy so that I might get out of my boat and out on the water with Jesus. The connections, chance-meetings, geographic barriers and “coincidences” are too coincidental to be coincidences. Someone was in charge of making certain each of our lives intersected at precisely the right moment in time. I’m so indebted to these men and maybe they too, have been influenced for good because of our relationships. I don’t believe in coincidence but I do believe in God’s Divine Convergences.

I wonder how often we miss God’s Divine Convergences that He has arranged for us? How many times is it just “too hard” or the first “no” we’ve heard makes us assume the door is closed when in fact, it just needs a little more pushing for the rusty old hinges to break free? (Hinges that have been made rusty by more than one other pilgrim passing by and turning away rejected or ignoring it all together.) I know I’ve missed some appointments and after I’ve seen what God has done and is doing with Overboard, I want to be sure I don’t miss any more!

Psalm 139:16 says, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” -- God’s appointment book for me is already laid out. His Divine Convergences are already on the calendar. The question isn’t whether or not they will happen, it’s whether or not I’ll participate with Him when they do. What about you? What life-coach or Christian Illusionist or wise Christian saint is God sending to you in order to move you where He wants you to be for your next convergence?

Take the plunge, life is better on the water!

* Ack-tiv-lee-ish: To be actively passively-active in some form of activity. Not committed, but not idle, kind of like a lot of Baptists in relationship to their church membership.

Push the bar higher

When records started being kept for athletic events, one of the first to draw lots of attention was the high jump. The high jump probably originated as a piece of military training but soon became a sport in athletic competition. In the mid 1800′s, using a regular type of hurdle actin, the world-record was set at 5 feet, 7 inches. However, in 1895, a slight variation to the old technique was added and the record moved from 5′ 7″ to 6′, 5″ and people were amazed.  

Then in the early 1900′s, the technique called the “Western Roll” was introduced, a maneuver in which the jumper would leap, head first, while twisting his body and landing on his belly. The bar was raised another two inches as the record bumped up to 6′, 7″. Then in 1957, another change was made, this one called the “Straddle Method”. With the new technique, came a new world record and the bar was raised to 7′

It remained at seven feet for about a decade when Dick Fosbury introduced yet another method. Aptly named, the “Fosbury Flop” remains the technique most jumpers use today and the new world record, set in 1993, remains at 8′, 1/2″. Every time the bar needed to be raised, a new technique was required.

http://youtu.be/9SlVLyNixqU

Too often in this life, I think I’m guilty of settling for what I’m good at. I get comfortable with my style and technique, so I rest in that confidence. Nothing wrong with being good at something and nothing wrong with being confident (not arrogant!). But if I don’t try to reach for something beyond what I’ve already mastered, I’ll never grow! If I settle for where I am at, I can expect nothing more than what I’ve already attained.

Like the high jump, I want to raise the bar and that demands that I apply myself differently to the problem. To push the limits, I am going to have to implement new ways to reach my goals.

I think the Apostle Paul was constantly pushing the bar higher. He said, “I press on toward the prize” and “I beat my body [into discipline]” and he was willing to change his techniques to achieve those goals. He would “become all things to all men” in order to clearly present the Gospel. He would keep a healthy and strict Jewish diet if that’s what it took to reach a Jew, and he would philosophize with the great thinkers of Greece if that’s what it took to reach the Gentiles. Every obstacle he faced was another opportunity, with God’s help, to overcome with a new technique or method.

As God continues to challenge me to raise the bar at Lake Ann Camp, or with Overboard Ministries, He is also challenging me to rethink how I do, what I do. The message never changes, but it the method must always fit the context.

What barriers do you  need to push through in your life? How might you take a new approach? Who could you enroll to help you see things from a different angle, to approach things from a new perspective? What is preventing you from taking a new approach?

Go after a new record and push the bar higher. It’s going to force you to grow and force you to approach things differently, but it’s worth it. Don’t compromise who you are or the message God has given you to deliver, but don’t settle for less because you’re comfortable. Reach for new heights!

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

1 year ago today...

By Joe Castaneda

On March 20th, 2013, our family began a new chapter in the journey of our lives. Five days earlier we had packed up our home in Oregon, loaded all of our earthly belongings into 40 square feet of trailer space and headed out toward Michigan. On March 20th we arrived at our snowy new home and began a new work at Lake Ann Camp.

If you didn’t catch my wife’s blog on the anniversary of our move, I encourage you to check out. Looking back over the past year, I wanted to share you five lessons I’ve learned while on this crazy journey God has us on.

1. Attitude is always a choice: There are no perfect circumstances this side of heaven. Every job will have moments that make you wish for other work. Every relationship has days where you wonder why it’s worth fight for. Every day has high and lows. So while you can’t necessarily control the factors that make things good or bad, you can control how you respond to those factors. Moving was exciting, and hard. Five days on the road was full of fun and exhaustion. Changing jobs was mentally engaging and stimulating as well as emotionally draining. Every moment of life leaves you with a choice: joy or victimhood, forward or backward movement, personal growth or blaming others. And these choices are yours to make, because attitude is always a choice.
2. Obedience and joy are linked: Leaving Salem was one of the hardest decisions we have ever made. We left the only church and home our kids had ever known and we left a congregation that we loved (and knew that they loved us, too!). Yet, without a doubt, we knew that this move was orchestrated by God, and obedience to Him is a key link to joy. In Psalm 38:4 David says, “My guilt has overwhelmed me, like a burden to heavy to bear” -- disobedience results in self-inflicted suffering. On the other hand, following God’s direction in your life, choosing to do what’s right, leads to joy. That doesn’t mean that the choice will be easy, but God’s ways are always best.
3. Snow and sand both have problems: Not everyone knows this, but during the time we were looking at Michigan, Traci and I had been investigating a ministry on one of the small islands of Hawaii. We had actually been investigating that ministry for several years and it appeared that God may have been opening a door that direction. I love Hawaii. I love the heat much more than I love the cold and I’m a big fan of sandy beaches over snowy lakes. It would be easy to look over my shoulder at Hawaii and wonder what would have happened had we moved west instead of east. But a ministry in Hawaii has great challenges, too. And while it may not be the same as trudging through 200” of snow in the winter, the challenges are equally daunting! Salem was an awesome ministry for our family to have been a part of, and I knew that in leaving, I wasn't going to a better ministry, I was just going to a different one, full of its own problems and opportunities. Big moves might have bigger opportunities only because there are bigger problems to overcome.
4. Enjoy the people around you: When we left Salem, Traci and I realized just how blessed we had been with so many great friendships and relationships all around us. We tried not to take our friends for granted (although I’m sure we did at times), but as we settled into our new home, we began to miss those friendships even more. That longing for new connections has challenged us to enjoy the people that are around us, now. We could keep looking back and focusing on friendships in the past, but God has given us a whole batch of new friends and relationships. If we sat around talking about how great the past was, we would never move into the future that God has for us. We spent a lot of nights with weepy children as they shared the hurt of lost friendships (and our parent’s heart ached with them!) and then we encouraged them -- while preaching to ourselves -- to embrace the new community of people surrounding them.
5. Say thank you, often: In a blog I wrote right before our departure, I talked about the importance of saying thank you. Those two little words are so powerful, and I don’t want to be in the middle of a departure having to remember all the people I need to thank because I didn’t take the time to thank them in the moment. We have a child who rarely uses those two words. This child is prone to high demands, critical words when their expectations aren’t met, and rarely offers thanks unless there is something to be gained. We’re working hard to cultivate thanksgiving in their heart, and every time I experience frustration with them…I’m reminded of my own lack of thankfulness at times. Say thank you often. Thank your spouse, your children, your parents, the waitress at the restaurant, the attendant at the hotel and even the police officer that gives you a ticket (read this blog here!)

This last year has been amazing, and we anticipate the next year to be even better. Thanks for sharing in the journey with us and remember….

Life is always better on the water (even if it’s frozen water for 6 months!)…so go ahead and take the plunge!

Did you read my Super Bowl prediction?

Did you catch my Super Bowl prediction this year? If you missed that blog post, check out my thoughts on Sunday’s big game. Overall, I think I nailed it pretty well and there’s a couple of powerful lessons from this prediction. Seriously, this is worth a read even for you non-sports fans! Keep in mind, the actual game score was 43-8. Here is my original post in [black] with actual events recorded in [red] to show how accurate I was!

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“As many of you know, I’m not a fan of either the Broncos or the Seahawks. I hold a certain amount of contempt for both these teams, and for significantly different reasons. However, since they are playing in the 2014 Super Bowl, I will try to set aside my prejudices and make a prediction for the game.

“First off, out of the gate, let me tell you that I think the Hawks will win, and they will win big. Sports is all about momentum and mojo, and right now, the Seahawks have it. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they won by over 30 points [Seattle won by 35!], despite playing against the #1 quarterback (maybe of all time!), because this great Hawk defense (though not the best ever, regardless of what every Hawk fan will try to you!) is very opportunistic. I will predict 3 to 4 turnovers in this game [4 turnovers by the Broncos], at least two of those by Manning himself [Peyton threw two pics!].

“Secondly, I’m confident the Broncos will repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot (or is it feet?). I expect at least two costly offensive mistakes resulting in Seattle points [Both the opening game safety and pic 6 were costly offensive mistakes giving Seattle 9 points!].

“Thirdly, Seattle isn’t as strong as their record suggests. A casual look at the regular season shows they easily (yes, easily!) could have been 3-5 after 8 games (instead of 7-1). As such, they can’t win this game if it’s an offensive shoot out. However, since I do believe it’s going to be a blowout, they are going to have to score some points from all sides of the game. Here’s my take: expect at least one defensives touchdown (pic six?)[nailed it!], one special team’s score [the second half started with a kick-off return for a touch down!] and one other non-traditional scoring play (a returned fumble or maybe a safety). [wrong on the fumble, spot-on about the safety!] I expect those plays to come early in the game [safety was first play of the game, pic six was also in the first half!], as Seattle will try to apply pressure out of the gate, making it possible for them to score more traditionally late in the game [two of Seattle's three “traditional” scores came in the 3rd and 4th quarters] when they are grinding out the clock.

“Fourthly, Russell Wilson is a very good QB. He is not great, even if they win a Super Bowl. Doug Williams won a Super Bowl and no one is calling him great. But as a very good QB, he will do what it takes to make key conversions, extend drives and most importantly, he won’t turn the ball over [No turnovers]. I wouldn’t be surprised if he threw one (maybe two) TDs [Wilson threw for two] but mainly he won’t make any big time mistakes.

“Finally, Peyton Manning is surrounded by a bunch of players he still doesn’t know that well, and who aren’t very battle-tested. This Seattle team was one play away from the Super Bowl last year and they have the big-game experience that will make the difference. Watch as several people you’ve never heard of [If you’re not a Seattle fan…can you name the game’s MVP? Probably not, because he’s not named “Sherman” or “Wilson”] step up and make the difference in this game. That Hawks are healthy, Denver is banged up, and the “unknowns” will be the difference makers on Sunday.”

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I’m not going to lie to you…that’s impressive.

And since I’m not going to lie to you, I should let you know that I actually wrote this prediction on Monday, the day after the game. I didn’t technically watch the game, (I read most of the details after the fact), so I still think it should count as a prediction, don’t you?

It’s pretty easy to make accurate predictions after-the-fact. (Millions of dollars gambled on the Broncos show how difficult pre-result predictions can go!) Whether you’re talking about sports or marriage or work, this truth holds firm: predictions are easy when you already know the outcome.

I also think it’s pretty easy to make reliable and accurate predictions when you see patterns in place. For example, if you see me belittling my wife in public, leaving for long business trips and you regularly run into me while I’m on dates…with other women, you’ll know that my marriage will be incredibly weak and unvalued (by me) and most likely not going to last much longer. My life patterns would make a marriage prediction fairly simple and most-likely accurate.

What predictions could I make about your life patterns? Take a moment to answer these questions and start making some predictions:

1. Do you finish what you start? For most people, starting is easy, but finishing is hard.
2. Is it your pattern to intentionally invest in your marriage? If you’re single, are you honoring yourself in singleness and guarding your purity?
3. Are you under the mentorship of others? The most successful Christians I know live under someone else’s mentorship, allowing themselves to be coached and guided by others who have more life-experience and wisdom.
4. How well do you keep to your health goals? Do you set health goals and then struggle to keep them, constantly reverting to unhealthy habits?
5. How well do you manage the money and resources God has given you? How would you rate your ability to be financially free right now?
6. Do you live in victimhood, blaming others for your place in life? (“My wife spends all our money” or “I sometimes lose my cool but it’s because my boss is such a jerk” or “It’s not my fault I was speeding, officer…” or “I feel lousy today but it’s because the weather is so cold” or “Don’t blame me for my reaction, if you hadn’t…” or “The reason I was late was because traffic…” or “I sometimes act like this because my mom was never there for me”…)
7. How well do you schedule your time? Think about these questions:
   • Do you often find yourself saying, “If I had more hours in a day…”
   • Do you deliberately ignore unfinished tasks because they take too much time?
   • How many minutes/hours a day do you spend reading about the lives of others (Facebook, social media etc…) Seriously, take a few minutes to think about how much time you spend in this area of your life?
   • Have you ever said, “If I had more free time, I would…”?
8. Based on how you spend your free time, what would people say is the most important part of your life?
9. Do you intentionally take on hard tasks? When’s the last time you challenged yourself to step waaaaay out of your comfort zone or to tackle a project that was beyond your ability at the time?
10. Are you biggest life decisions made in response to fear or rooted deeply in faith?

Socrates is famously credited for saying, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Joe-crates* is famously(?) credited for saying, “an unexamined life has a very predictable, and disappointing, outcome.” But when we take the time to examine our life, it’s habits and patterns, we give ourselves the opportunity to predict an outcome that is in line with who God made us to be, doing what God made us to do. I think that’s why the Apostle Paul wrote, “…I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:27).

Paul was talking about more than just the discipline he brought to his physical body, he was talking about a thorough examination of his life and direction. He didn’t want to be preaching one thing, while living another, and lose out on the rich blessing of following God closely. He disciplined himself (literally in the Greek it reads, “I punch myself with blows!”) so that his life remained in line  with who God made him to be so that He was doing what God made him to do -- truly a life examined!

Where is your life headed? What does your current path reveal about your future path? What patterns are present now that will most-likely reveal the outcome of your life? Let me give you three closing thoughts about how to determine your current course of action:

1. Answer the 10 questions above, and then ask two or three people close to you (those who will give honest and loving answers) to answer them also.
2. If you already know of a pattern that is negatively affecting the outcome of your life, find a new system to put in place to help create change. Attend a seminar like Traci and I did, read a book that addresses how to make changes, ask 3 or 4 of your closest friends to join you on a journey of change or find some other way to introduce change in your life. Whatever you have been doing isn’t working, so introduce a new mechanism to solidify the change you seek!
3. Based on what’s happening in your life now, including who is a part of your life (or who is not a part of your life!), what predictions can you make about your life? Taking time to map the present direction may do wonders in helping you understand the areas that need change.

You cannot live the Overboard Life without examining where your current habits and patterns are leading you, today. Most of us have dreams and goals -- the ideal life we want for ourselves or family -- but few of us take the time to see if what we’re doing today will lead us down that path. It’s worth the effort to examine your life, to be willing to make changes and corrections, so that you can fully  embrace the journey God has for you. I’m running my race, and I want to make sure I hold the course, so that the predictions I’ve made about my future will be reality, bringing glory to God and building His Kingdom, His way.

Go ahead and take the plunge, an examined life is always better on the water!

*Joe-crates: a Word of Eng/Greek origins rooted in desperation. "Joe" from the english, "Joe," and "Crates" from the Greek word which probably means, "Of great philosophical thinking." thus Joe-Crates would be "Joe of great philosophical thinking." A few less-informed readers have pointed out that the word could also be pronounced like "Joke-rates", as in "your Joke-rates poorly." However, those nincompoops are openly ignored.

Choices…choices…choices...

Ultimately, every change you want tot make in your life, no matter how “big” or “small,” boils down to every individual choice you make. My wife loves this saying: “How you do anything, is how you do every thing.” In other words, the way you approach the little things in life is how you will approach the big things in life. And this is never more true than when it comes to how we create change.

In 2014 I’m eager to shed a few pounds and get back in shape. My new job is pretty stationary and I’ve reclaimed some bad habits around eating too much, working out too little, and generally not taking very good care of myself. The result has been some weight gain, a loss of energy and even my sleep has been affected. For all the great events and changes of 2013, my overall health has taken a hit.

I’d love to drop 15-20 pounds tomorrow, but barring a horrific accident involving my rear-end falling off, I’m not losing that weight in a day. That shouldn’t be too surprising, since it took a lot longer than a day to put the weight on. The weight came on little by little, choice by choice. My overall health experienced decline over the last 12 months because of hundreds choices that I’ve made along the way. Choices to sit instead of get up and exercise. Choices to go back for seconds…then thirds. While none of those choices were individually responsible for a turn in my health, all of them collectively contributed to the problem.

In the same way, all of the choices I make in 2014 can contribute to changes that will improve my health. In one sense, each individual choice won’t make the difference; I won’t lose 20 pounds, reclaim my energy and sleep better with one good choice. However, in another very real sense, each individual choice will make all the difference -- If I put a bunch of good individual choices together, the results I’m after can be a reality.

So I need to start seeing every choice as a crucial cog in the mechanism to reach my goals. I can sit here and wish all day for good health to come back to me, but if I don’t make the little choices to bring about some change, all my wishes and good intentions will result in 2014 looking a lot like 2013.

What about you and your goals? What little choices do you need to start making to see your dreams and goals for 2014 take shape? If you know what changes you want to see in your life, what daily decisions do you need to make to see them become a reality? Take some time to review your goals and dreams and then next to each one think through the choices you will want to make in order to see those dreams take shape. Next to those choices, list the actions that those choices will require.

Here’s an example based on my health goals for 2014:

1. Return to the habit of taking great supplements twice a day: Take first pack in the morning with breakfast; put second pack in my pocket so I have them with me at dinner.
2. Work out 4 x week: Write out on calendar each Sunday night, the 4 days I intend to workout; use 1-hour lunch time to sneak in a 30-minute work out at least 2 x week.
3. Eat a low glycemic meal at least 1 x day: Work with Traci to create the menu each week; look on the calendar each week and plan ahead for travel, work meals out and other opportunities to create wins (pack good snacks in to work and in the car so I can try to eliminate those moments where I’m starving and tempted to stop and eat anything that’s nearby and fast!)

Now it’s your turn. Lay out your goals (ie. “Improve my health”). List some choices for each goal (ie. “Return to the habit of taking great supplements twice a day”). Then write down the action steps you need to take to make those choices, and ultimately your goals, a reality.

The Overboard Life is based on the reality that by the grace of God, you and I have the capacity to make big changes in our lives. Left to ourselves, we’re in trouble, limited to our own strength, ideas and knowledge of the future. But in God’s hands we have His limitless resources and can find ourselves secure in Him, knowing He knows the future. That freedom makes it possible for us to be changed into who He wants us to be, so we can do what He wants us to do. Change is possible because God makes it possible! Goals and dreams can become reality, because God has given us the freedom (in Him) to make them a reality!

So what are you after in 2014? Ready to start working on becoming the parent God wants you to be? Ready, with God’s help, to make your marriage work? Ready to start obeying God’s Word to “honor your father and mother” in 2014? Do you have health goals? Business goals?

Go ahead and take the plunge -- life is always better on the water!

This is part 3 of a 4-part blog about the New Year. My wife and I are tag-teaming to create these special blogs, so be sure to read part 4, tomorrow, at www.tracicast.wordpress.com. If you missed parts 1 and/or 2, just click here to read them: Part 1 // Part 2

Three thoughts for the weekend

The fall is beautiful here in northern Michigan. As the last leaves fall off the trees, I’m mindful of three powerful truths about the seasons. Maybe this will encourage you as you enjoy your weekend:

1. Seasons come and go: What season are you in right now? The changing of the leaves always gives me encouragement that life is constantly in change. The winters of life come and go, and they will give way to spring and summer. Maybe you’re in a tough season right now -- remember that seasons change! Maybe you’re enjoying a rich spring -- remember that season change! God created this change to remind us of this: God never changes. I can always trust Him to be the same today, tomorrow and forever. Life has its ups and downs, but God doesn’t, and in His unchanging character my faith can firmly rest.
2. Death gives way to life: Trees and plants die this time of year, but the end result of their death is new life in the spring. The withering flowers and falling leaves of November, create the environment for new life in April. None of us like to experience loss (except maybe when it comes to weight!), but death today is new life tomorrow. God has a way of producing new life in the soil of pain, suffering and loss. Even in death, a great new life is given to those whose faith has been established in Jesus.
3. Every season has it’s beauty: I’m a big fan of the warmer seasons. Summer is great with it’s bright blue skies, green grass, noisy forests and stunning sunsets. While it might be my favorite season, the others are not lacking in character -- no matter how much I might argue against it! Fall has been incredible here in northern Michigan. I have never seen the vivid colors displayed in such striking contrast as I have this year. And as fall gives way to winter, the snow-blanketed land has it’s own beauty and brightness that cannot be seen in any other season. Likewise, the seasons of life each have their own beauty. The “good” ones and the “bad” ones still have the fingerprint of God on them. It’s not that beauty is missing, it’s that we may just have to work a little harder to see it.

I hope you’re enjoying the seasons of the Overboard Life. Wherever you are, whatever season you are in, I trust that the these three truths will encourage you to stay on the water where Jesus is building His Kingdom.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

An open letter to Bethany Baptist Church

An open letter to my church.  

Dear Bethany Family:

As we drove out of Salem on Saturday, I was hit by another rush of emotion. I keep wondering how many of these wandering rushes I can be hit by. But as we left my parent’s house while friends and family stood by, waving through tears, I was hit by another. It’s the painfully good reality that God has blessed us beyond measure over the past twelve years.

On Sunday the 10th, Traci and I were completely overwhelmed by the gracious testimonies, fond memories and kind testimonies offered by so many of you. Some were spoken, some were written and some were expressed with neck-adjusting hugs without a single word being uttered. Truly we know that God is leading us to Michigan, or we would never leave such an amazing group of people.

THANK YOU Bethany for loving on our kids. Without question, the most painful part of our departure has been watching our children have to process it. AJ is in middle school, and having to watch him say goodbye to his new youth group friends, and his long-standing Bethany friends has been excruciating. At school he has been connected to the same group of pals since Kindergarten. Likewise BJ & CJ have only known Bethany (and Salem) for the full-length of their lives. Their closest friends, young and old, are at our church. And of course, the way this church has rallied to support Tati and her family has been an example of God’s grace administered in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10). Many tears have been shed by all of them, and it’s in large part because of how much you have loved them.

THANK YOU Bethany for giving me the opportunity to grow as a pastor, and to be imperfect in my shepherding, parenting and husbanding. Some pastors are held to a standard that makes transparency impossible -- any flaw is fatal to his employment and calling. While Bethany strives to hold its pastors to biblically expressed standards, there is a freedom in that for us to be growing Christians, too. I’m so grateful for a church that has high expectations for its leaders, but still knows how to give grace. I’ve been the blessed recipient of that grace, more than my fair share.

THANK YOU Pastor Tim for being more than my boss. Few youth pastors get to work with a senior pastor for 12 years, but I’ve had that privilege because of you. You gently chided me when I needed it, encouraged me when I was struggling, went to bat for me when I was cornered and gave me advice when I asked. You gave me opportunities to learn and grow, and you provided coaching and instruction when things didn’t turn out as we planned. You have been a friend, brother, theologian, teacher, mentor and pastor to me (and my family), and it has been my privilege and honor to serve along side you for the past 12 years. You have set the bar very high for my future employer(s).

THANK YOU to so many of you who prayed for us, sent us cards, gave us gifts, brought us meals, visited us at home or in the hospital, came to our kids’ games, helped us clean, paint or process paperwork. THANK YOU for listening (enduring?) to my sermons, laughing at my stories (especially you, Terri Kersey. When no one else would laugh, I could count on you!), and oohing and ahhing at pictures of my kids. THANK YOU for coming to class when my wife and I taught, letting us come along side when you walked through hard times and for allowing us to share in your lives. THANK YOU for serving with us, sharing in the ministry side-by-side and for being willing to think “outside the box” as a church. In so many ways, you have lived out Hebrews 13 for us.

THANK YOU for helping us create so many wonderful friendships and memories. This church will always have a special place in our hearts, and we will always cherish the years we spent serving at Bethany. I know that whatever future ministry God will provide for our family, it will be shaped by the years we spent in Salem. Not because the past has been perfect, but because together we’ve been in process towards becoming who God wants each of us to be.

Finally, THANK YOU for following and supporting our journey. Whether it’s been youth ministry, family mission trips, fund raising, book writing, counseling or moving -- you have been there for our family. We’ve been overwhelmed to the extent at which so many of you have stepped into our lives and encouraged us on our Overboard adventures. We wouldn’t be here today, without your support.

I feel confident our family isn’t done with the tears. I know there will be more than one Tuesday when I will want to be back in Salem with my students, or a Sunday where we will desire to be in the fellowship of our Bethany family. But we thank God for the opportunity before us, and for the opportunity before you. May God give you the grace to extend to Bethany’s next pastors the love, patience and friendship you extended to us. And we look forward to seeing how God will continue to use all of you to connect the community to Christ for the next 12 years, and beyond.

In His Service,

Pj

Big Changes

For the last few minutes, I’ve been listening to some great songs by Jadon Lavik, Fernando Ortega and Aaron Shust (I love Pandora). It’s been a reflective, rainy afternoon, and Lavik, Ortega and Shust have been good companions. If you haven’t heard yet, my family is embarking on yet another great adventure. Starting April 1st, we will no longer be serving the Lord at Bethany Baptist here in Salem, and we will start serving Him through the ministry of Lake Ann Camp in Traverse City, Michigan. Bethany has been our home for the past twelve years, and the only church our children have known. This has been, without a doubt, the most difficult decision our family has ever made.

We love our church, and nothing has happened that is driving us away. We weren’t looking to leave and we certainly weren’t looking east. But when you strive to live the Overboard Life, God has a way of leading you into places you never imagined! I’ve written about following the Lord where ever He leads, and now God is giving us the opportunity to put that written belief into practice.

As we begin the process of packing up twelve years of life here in Salem, there are a lot of reflective moments like today. We have been so blessed by great friendships, incredible students in our ministry and ministry that was as much to us as it was from us. Together our family has shed a lot of tears in the process of making this decision, and many more are going to come.

But through it all we know that there is no better place to be, than on the path God has for us. As broken as we are about leaving Salem, we are equally thrilled about the opportunity that exists for us at Lake Ann Camp. God has tailor-made an opportunity for us to embrace in our new roll and we move east with excitement.

Thank you, all of you, for your amazing love and support. The journey that God gives us can’t be taken alone, and we certainly wouldn’t be on this one without the incredible love and support others have shown us. Walking on water in pursuit of Christ’s Kingdom is a team effort; a team we are proud to be a part of.

The journey has been remarkable, and we can’t wait to see how God unfolds the next part of our trip. Thanks for staying connected, and please -- keep us in the loop about your journey. Nothing encourages the Overboard Life like hearing stories of other travelers who have walked the same paths, or are currently walking in the same faith.

We are grabbing the sides and jumping overboard -- not because it’s easy, but -- because we know life is always better on the water!

How will you start 2013?

How will you start 2013? There’s something about the New Year that makes us all reflect on our lives. Putting up that new calendar or tearing off that first page of the desktop Dilbert comic calendar you got for Christmas (my personal favorite) gets us thinking about new things. A new start to life.

Statistically, though, fewer than 10% of us will actually follow thru with any of our commitments. 9 out of 10 of us will not make it through the first 14 days of January with our new year desires for change. Yowzuh!

I want to challenge you to make 2013 different. I want to urge you to make significant change in your life. Maybe it’s your health, your finances, your business, your family, your marriage, your walk with God or your house cleaning -- whatever goal you set, I want to urge you, and help you, to achieve them in 2013.

Last year I embarked on a life-changing online program for goal setting. It’s called the 100-day Challenge. It was awesome. I paid $140+ to do the program and it was easily worth double. Each day I watched a 5-7 minute video. I took notes. I set goals. And I made massive progress in my life because of the program by Gary Ryan Blair.

Two years prior to that, my wife did the program. Her life was radically altered by the 100-day program and, because she’s one of my inspirations, I followed in her footsteps a year later.

Will you consider joining Traci and me for a 100-day challenge? Imagine starting the first 100 days of 2013 with focus, direction, motivation and daily challenge. And the cool part is, at the start of 2013, Traci and I want to offer some support and encouragement to our friends who take on this challenge.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll give you more info, but for now, I want to plant the seed. Our goal is to attract 100 of our friends and family to join us on a life-changing journey by starting the first 100 days of 2013 with enthusiasm, teamwork and support. 100 of our friends and family hitting the ground running in 2013 with the 100-day Challenge.

Will you join us? What areas of your life would you like to see change in? Leave some comments below and let us know what you will be working on in 2013. Then start thinking about whether or not you will be one of the 100+ people who join us for a group effort to see those goals reached!

Stay tuned for more details and a special link to save a few bucks off the regular price. In the mean time, click HERE to get a glimpse of what the 100-day Challenge will look like.

Are you ready to take the plunge in 2013? Life is better on the water…join us!