Today is Valentine’s Day. Happy Valentines Day to you all. I thought I’d share what’s on my heart lately. I’ve been on a prayer journey of seeking God daily and falling more in love with Him. As I go deeper and deeper on this journey, I’ve also fallen more in love with my awesome wife.

We’ve been married for 15 years and she is the mother of my three amazing kids: Grace, Tommy and Katie. Here we are on Christmas Eve of this past Christmas.

On this Valentine’s Day I officially announce that I’m more in love with my Savior, Christ than ever before and I’m more in love with my Valentine, my wife Chrissy. I’m also grateful to God for our beautiful family and the joy of raising three precious kids.

Chrissy and I have been through tough times, difficult times, stressful times, deaths, sickness, financial pains, brokenness, good and bad, up and down, lean and well, we’ve never been rich. We’ve been through a lot and we’re still together and in love. That’s my story. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Almost Isn’t Good Enough shares Wayne Elseyʼs story from a teenage boy on the verge of committing suicide to the founder of one of the fastest growing charities in the world. Along the way, Almost Isnʼt Good Enough takes a look into what has made Soles4Souls grow to where it is today.

Almost Isnʼt Good Enough will speak purpose into your life, much like the purpose Wayne discovered when he founded Soles4Souls. 100% of the proceeds will go directly towards furthering Soles4Souls mission.  For every book sold, 10 pairs of shoes will be given to people in need!

Wayneʼs hope is that this book will provide 200,000 shoes to kids around the world in 2011! Soles4Souls is asking you to join in using the book to change the world.

Buy Two, Give One, Tell Five

• When you BUY TWO, 20 pairs of shoes will be distributed to people in need wherever you designate.

• When you GIVE ONE, a message of hope and purpose will be given to someone you care about.

• When you TELL FIVE, you will help Soles4Souls hit our goal of giving away 200,000 pairs of shoes to people in need all over the world.

TELL FIVE by sharing this post on your Facebook or Twitter. Use the hashtag #200kShoes. Sign up and share email updates from the book. When you do, youʼll be providing shoes to an entire village.

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of Almost Isn’t Good Enough:

I chose to leave my corporate career and make Soles4Souls my life’s work. Just because I made that decision doesn’t mean that is the only option you have available. Maybe you’re in your twenties, thirties, fifties, or whatever age and wondering what you can do. You might be discouraged that you can’t leave your job and start a nonprofit organization to solve a looming social problem. Maybe your feet are backed into a corner with your career and family obligations and think there is no way you can get a do-over in life.

If you’re in your twenties, let me encourage you to learn as much as you can about yourself. Surround yourself with people who are better than you at just about anything. Listen, watch, observe, and practice. Change jobs more frequently if you need. Not everyone wakes up one day and recognizes what he or she will do with the rest of their life. With the pace at which technology is changing the world, chances are whatever you are doing today won’t exist by the end of your career. Even better are the chances of you stumbling into a career that didn’t exist when you graduated from college. Use this time to discover who you are, your unique talents,and how you can leverage those skills to help others and yourself.

If you’re in your thirties, keep a balance between work and family. Don’t be consumed with building your career that you leave your family behind. Your family will be there when your job fails you and when the company you have been so loyal to decides they no longer need your services. There is no amount of money that will buy you security you can find in the loving arms of the ones you love and who love you.

If you’re in your fifties or older, it’s not too late. You may be entering a transitional period in your life that is very similar to those who are in their twenties. Perhaps you are on the brink of retirement. Your identity is wrapped up in your work, your airline rewards account, and your membership to the corporate gym. Retirement does not mark the end of your life but an opportunity to invest in other areas.

To purchase your copy of the book click HERE.

Here’s a sneak peek into Almost Isn’t Good Enough:

“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” – Joel 2:12 (NIV)

This past Sunday at my church, the message was on worship and people were encouraged to text in questions at the end of the sermon for discussion. Here’s my question I texted in:

If worship is a lifestyle and the Bible encourages us to fast and pray, then why don’t we hear more about fasting in the American Church?

The answer I got didn’t satisfy. It was a “safe” answer and basically said that fasting was only something personal and not something that the church should talk about or do together. This disturbed me as I know some of the greatest churches in the country take fasting very seriously and have times of corporate prayer and fasting.

As a matter of fact, the last 2 churches listed as Outreach magazine’s “Fastest-growing Church in the US” (Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL and New Life in Conway, AR) both have annual times of fasting and prayer as a congregation.

I worked for a season with ARC (Association of Related Churches) and know how important prayer is to the foundation of a church planter. Prayer and fasting are drilled into the ARC church planters in their basic training and ARC (by no coincidence) has some of the fastest-growing churches in the country – including the two I listed above.

Throughout Scripture fasting plays a critical role in many God ordained events:

- Moses fasted for intimate fellowship with God (Exodus 34:28)
- David fasted for his sick child (2 Samuel 12:16)
- Ezra called a fast for humility and to ask for God’s provisions (Ezra 8:21-23)
- Daniel fasted to discern God’s will & seek God’s counsel (Daniel 10:2-3)
- Jesus fasted before beginning his public ministry (Matthew 4:2)
- Church leaders in Antioch fasted for God’s divine help (Acts 13:3)
- Paul fasted as servant of God for those he served (2 Corinthians 6:5)

If you’re interested in fasting, here are some resources I use HERE.

I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world. —Bill Bright

So, if you invited your church to text in questions and I texted in my question you see above, how would you respond? Should the church as a whole fast and pray? Does your church participate in any kid of annual fast? Do you personally fast? Is this as one worship pastor friend of mine called a “lost art” in the Church?

I came across this great management and leadership post and it resonated with me because I’ve experienced each of the four roadblocks personally in my ministry career. Nothing is worse than meaningless tasks and meetings that keep you from getting done the things that you need to get done and also hamper creativity and innovation. The following is a great post from Dan Rockwell:

“Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done.” Peter Drucker

Four ways managers roadblock productivity:

1. Talking – Managers that roadblock work talk too much. Your people want you to leave them alone.
2. Meetings – Too many meetings that include too many people that share too much detail. Here’s some motivation to abbreviate or cancel meetings. They are expensive. A one hour meeting with 8 people in attendance costs their combined salaries plus lost productivity. Remember, you don’t get anything done in a meeting. Things get done after meetings.
3. Reporting – Requesting too many reports that include too much irrelevant detail that takes up too much space in file cabinets. One reason you ask for all the detail is to cover your butt. It’s a business culture issue. People expect you to know the details of all the projects you manage. Sadly, if you know all the details of all the projects you manage, you aren’t managing to your highest potential. I realize this is an organizational-culture issue.
4. Projects rather than people – It’s instinctive to focus on projects and deliverables. However, it’s more effective and efficient to give clear direction, encouragement, and motivation to your people than it is to get directly involved in long-term projects.

Enhancing productivity may not be about doing more and working harder. It may be about doing less.

*****

How do managers make it difficult to get work done? Please leave a comment of something you’ve experienced that decreased your productivity and effectiveness as a leader.

Last night during the amazing Super Bowl commercials, Apple introduced the world to The Daily. I’ve already stated that I think this changes the game. It’s no secret that I’ve never been a fan of traditional newspapers. What say you?

Yesterday was the beginning of Chinese New Year. Many of you may have already broken your New Year’s resolutions. Why not start over with the Chinese New Year holiday and give your resolutions another shot?

I decided to finally do something about my health and started eating right, including living gluten-free. As of today, I’ve been gluten-free for almost 4 weeks. I have a good mental resolve and commitment to make this my lifestyle and don’t plan on turning back.

On the negative, I haven’t started back exercising like I hoped to do in January. So, I’ll start exercising this weekend and get on a regular routine next week. That’s me being Chinese and giving my resolutions another shot.

What can you start doing now that you’re not already doing?

My children are a joy and blessing and it’s an honor to raise them. They are all bright and excellent students. My daughter, Grace, is the oldest – she’s 10 and in 4th grade. Last week she took 3rd place in the school Spelling Bee and gets to go on to the regional spelling bee to represent her school.

Two nights ago, we were at her school for the “Math and Science Night” and were proud and surprised to see Grace get awarded First Place in the school Science Fair for her project (my other two kids are too young to enter the Science Fair). Grace grew crystals in warm, cold and room temperatures. She found that crystals grow best in warm temperatures.

I had a great opportunity and teachable moment with Grace as she was working on her science project. We did the display together and I encouraged her along the way. There were two things that Grace and I didn’t see eye to eye on and I believe actually were a big part of her winning. One, was Grace didn’t want to include the Application of what she discovered (seen below).

I told Grace that in communication, speaking and preaching terms, the application was the “So what?” It’s one thing to share information. It’s another thing to reach a conclusion. It’s another level to actually learn from your experience or study and form a practical application that can help others. I told her to include the application (as you see above) and I believe that stood out from the many other projects we saw that ended with the Conclusion.

The second thing that Grace and I disagreed on is she didn’t want to actually bring the crystals to school and display them with her project. She wanted to leave them at home, throw them away and just show pictures of them on her display. As you can see in the first picture (at the top), I made her bring the actual crystals she grew to school and display them with her project.

Lesson one was the “So what?” and the importance of application in communication. Lesson two is to celebrate the win and share stories. People want to actually see what they’re giving to. Don’t just ask for money to pay bills. Show pictures, videos and testimonies of lives changed. Let them see what they’re a part of and accomplishing as a local Body of Christ.

If Grace had left her crystals at home and not included the Application piece of her project, I don’t think she would have won First Place.

Pastors and teachers, I encourage and exhort you to not just exegete Scripture and share information, but actually show people how to live out what they learned from Scripture. Communication Directors, Tech Pastors and Video Editors/Producers, I encourage you to tell stories that move people and show them what they’re a part of.

What are some lessons you discovered with the help of your child?

The following story was shared in my small group last night. I thought it was worth sharing: Paderewski was one of Poland’s world renowned pianists and composers during the early 1900′s. Here is a story about one of his concerts.

A mom wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked “No Admittance.”

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy was sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized they couldn’t recall what else the great master played. Only the classic “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” remained burned in their brain and on their hearts.

From my friend, Jay Thompson: That’s the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren’t exactly graceful, flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life’s work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You might just hear the voice of the Master whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

My prayer for you who serve in ministry is that you will take this story to heart and reflect on Philippians 4:13 (“I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength.”). And as it says all throughout the Old Testament, “Be strong and take courage.”

As you know, I (Greg) consult with and secret shop for churches across the country. My friend, Will Mancini does the same thing with his company. Recently he wrote a great blog post on why he thinks this service for churches is vital and I loved it. I thought I’d share it with you here today:

Every month for the last decade, the Auxano team has conducted ministry observations during weekend services. They call it the Guest Perspective Evaluation. Here is why they keep this strategic component in Auxano’s toolbox. Okay, each reality by itself may not be mind blowing, but when you put them all together, the case is staggering and couldn’t be more compelling.

#1  You will have more guests in one year than you think. Our “information gathering” in churches doesn’t even capture the majority of guests. Auxano research shows that five to eight percent of your worshipping community will self-identify as guests. Therefore the number of guests in one year is:

[(Ave. weekly worship attendance) x (.05) x (52)]

#2 Many of your guests are going through situations that make them more responsive to God. These are the folks that are most likely to be moving, changing jobs, getting divorced, having kids, etc.

#3  Your guests are assessing very quickly whether or not they are coming back. This happens much faster than we think. For example, read The 11-Minute Difference.

#4  Your guests represent step one of accomplishing the Great Commission- these are the people coming to you! How much does your church spend on foreign missions? Compare that to how much we invest into the fish that swim to the boat before we cast a net.

#5  A guest who is attending may represent years of prayer, service, and invitation by a church member. My mom and I attended church without my father for 12 years. The first time my Dad came to church with us, imagine how I felt about the church and the hospitality of the people. All I could think was “Don’t screw up!”

#6  Studies show that guests will talk about their initial experiences 8-15 times with other people. Serve guests well and multiply your message.

#7  A welcoming ministry is a great “shallow end of the pool” to get people involved in service for the first time.Yes, you have plenty of intimidating places to serve like worship, small groups, and children’s ministry. So why not leverage an easy place to start?

#8  Building a great ministry to guests nourishes a culture of hospitality because of the concrete reminders to the entire congregation that guests matter.

#9 Investment in a welcoming ministry is an investment into every other ministry your church offers. I ask churches to dream about what ministry they might start. I then tell them to get it done by first having great guest services. Do you want an amazing prison ministry? Maybe the next Chuck Colson is visiting next week.

#10 We are commanded in Scripture to be hospitable. The Greek word philoxenia literally means to “love strangers” and is used in Romans 12:13 and Hebrews 13:2.

***The following was a guest post from Will Mancini. You can visit Will at www.willmancini.com/

Personally, I’ve been on a journey over the past 10 years that has led me to fall more in the election or Calvinist camp than in the free-will camp. I still err on the side of it being a mystery and something that we can’t totally figure out – which I’ll talk more about in future blogs, but if I had a gun to my head, I’d go with the Holy Spirit drawing people to Himself and opening their eyes.

I know lately there’s a lot of buzz about the “New Calvinists” and people blogging and talking about the whole subject. For some, it’s turned into a fad or a cool thing to associate with. I thought this blog post by John Piper last week was a great word. His exhortation to say what we believe, not just that we’re a Calvinist is a great word and encouragement to all who fall in this camp. Read his words below:

We are Christians. Radical, full-blooded, Bible-saturated, Christ-exalting, God-centered, mission-advancing, soul-winning, church-loving, holiness-pursing, sovereignty-savoring, grace-besotted, broken-hearted, happy followers of the omnipotent, crucified Christ. At least that’s our imperfect commitment.

In other words, we are Calvinists. But that label is not nearly as useful as telling people what you actually believe! So forget the label, if it helps, and tell them clearly, without evasion or ambiguity, what you believe about salvation.

If they say, “Are you a Calvinist?” say, “You decide. Here is what I believe . . .”

I believe I am so spiritually corrupt and prideful and rebellious that I would never have come to faith in Jesus without God’s merciful, sovereign victory over the last vestiges of my rebellion. (1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 3:1–4; Romans 8:7).

I believe that God chose me to be his child before the foundation of the world, on the basis of nothing in me, foreknown or otherwise. (Ephesians 1:4–6; Acts 13:48;Romans 8:29–30; 11:5–7)

I believe Christ died as a substitute for sinners to provide a bona fide offer of salvation to all people, and that he had an invincible design in his death to obtain his chosen bride, namely, the assembly of all believers, whose names were eternally written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. (John 3:16; John 10:15; Ephesians 5:25;Revelation 13:8)

When I was dead in my trespasses, and blind to the beauty of Christ, God made me alive, opened the eyes of my heart, granted me to believe, and united me to Jesus, with all the benefits of forgiveness and justification and eternal life. (Ephesians 2:4–5; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Philippians 2:29; Ephesians 2:8–9; Acts 16:14; Ephesians 1:7;Philippians 3:9)

I am eternally secure not mainly because of anything I did in the past, but decisively because God is faithful to complete the work he began—to sustain my faith, and to keep me from apostasy, and to hold me back from sin that leads to death. (1 Corinthians 1:8–9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1:25;John 10:28–29; 1 John 5:16)

Call it what you will, this is my life. I believe it because I see it in the Bible. And because I have experienced it. Everlasting praise to the greatness of the glory of the grace of God!

*** So, that’s how Piper put it and I quite enjoyed his words. Where do you fall? Free-will? Election? Mystery? In the middle? How do you see this part of our faith?