In “Surprised by Laughter: The Comic Life of C.S. Lewis” by Terry Linvall, the sense of humor of C. S. Lewis is studied in depth and ranges from his choice in books to his love of life. I was captivated by Linvall’s knowledge of C.S. Lewis and his works. Lewis is fascinating and by looking at how much he loved life, one easily sees Christ in the world. Linvall covers so many topics. While reading about the humor of C.S. Lewis, the reader is able to think of his or her own view of life and how it relates to Christ. I highly encourage this book for any fan of C.S. Lewis. I have to warn you it isn’t an overnight read. I’ve had this book since Christmas and have diligently read each chapter. I am short a few chapters, but have a decent idea of the book. With approximately 450 pages stocked with information is a tough read. Although this looks like a literary dull study of Lewis, Linvall makes each page interesting and leaves you longing for more. Although you may be bored if looking for a great fiction story, this book is perfect for the historian who loves Lewis. I received this book from booksneeze.com. One funny story: the cover of this book just looks smart. One weekend I was having some friends over and I decided while cleaning to toss it on my coffee table in the middle of the living room. One of my friends picks up and I later teased I only sat it there to make myself look smarter. Hey, I need all the help I can get.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Post of Rage
What makes a person a leader? I thought about this today when I picked up a Chik-fil-A bag which advertised some big leadership conference featuring Tim Tebow on the side. I’ve never understood why anyone holds these leadership conferences. I doubt anyone has gone to one and had such a radically changed into a leader. Leadership isn’t an overnight character trait.
The best thing a leadership conference could do is tell if you are one or not. Or send you home feeling motivated although in a week you’ll be living the same way you do before you signed up. Leadership conferences, books, speakers, whatever are about pointless. Most of the people who go to these somehow pinpoint how they are a leader and leave patting themselves on the back when they should be leaving in shame.
I see these conferences and books on the subject everywhere, but rarely do I encounter a true leader. No one stands outs anymore. The ones who do are so attacked by the world it’s impossible to stand long. If they aren’t attacked they are overworked to the point of exhaustion.
When I think of great leaders, many men and women spring to mind from history and a few whom I currently know. Who do I follow? Christ. The ultimate leader.
As a Christian, I follow Him with my entire life. Every Christian should.
1 Peter 2:21
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
A true leader is someone like Christ who will stand as something different from the world. Each leader has at some point decided not to follow the crowd, but to perform to the best of his ability and live a life of courage.
Stand up for what you believe in. Stand up for your rights. Stand up for justice. This part goes back a little on a different post so I’m going to stop on this one before I rewrite it.
A true leader does not wait for someone else to do what he could have already accomplished. Don’t be afraid to get dirty and quit being lazy. Someone has to do the job and by sitting back and waiting for someone else, you are becoming the problem. Esther was told if she didn’t stand up for the Jews, God would send someone who would.
Esther 4:13-14 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
It doesn’t even have to be something as big as saving the Jews. If you are walking through your office and someone has made some huge mess and left it, clean it up. It’s one simple step toward being a leader. Don’t pace it off with a “it’s not my job” attitude. Clean it up.
Find someone you encounter daily who is a complete jerk to you for no reason. Be the bigger person and tell them good morning everyday or compliment them.
Now here’s a big one: when you tell someone you are going to do something, then do it. Dependability is huge. I’ve never understood someone who wasn’t true to their word. I don’t know about you, but I value my word. I’d be embarrassed if I was the person no one could depend on. If I say I’ll be there, as long as the Lord’s willing and the Creek don’t rise, I’ll be there. If you tell me you are going to do something, call me a fool, but I believe you. And I’m depending on you.
Some people may call me too trusting, but I believe in a different set of standards. I hold everyone to these standards whether they will perform or not. So congratulations. I’m trusting you until proven otherwise. Go ahead and take advantage of that; it only makes you look worse. Moving on.
A true leader finishes what he starts. I’m going to take my girls I’m mentoring as an example. When I took them on, I took on the responsibility of discipling them for life. Yes, I may not be there every step of the way. I refuse, though, to do this for a couple of months then stop and forget they exist. Their lives are way too valuable.
This holds true for so many things. A true leader realizes she’s dealing with people’s lives here. Everything you do affects someone. It might only be short term, but what you do has consequences. You aren’t the center of the universe.
One final thing before I quit gripping.
True leaders arrive on time. By not showing up on time you are basically saying you don’t care. Actually, getting there a little early is preferable. If you have to be at work at 8 a.m. every day you should be in the habit of getting there on time. Do whatever you have to get there on time. Figure out how early you should get up; then do it. It’s that simple. You want to argue with me go right ahead and do it.
Alright, I’m done. Actually I may have a little more gripping to do, but I feel just a little bit better. And I’ll save rest for later. Thank you for your time.
The best thing a leadership conference could do is tell if you are one or not. Or send you home feeling motivated although in a week you’ll be living the same way you do before you signed up. Leadership conferences, books, speakers, whatever are about pointless. Most of the people who go to these somehow pinpoint how they are a leader and leave patting themselves on the back when they should be leaving in shame.
I see these conferences and books on the subject everywhere, but rarely do I encounter a true leader. No one stands outs anymore. The ones who do are so attacked by the world it’s impossible to stand long. If they aren’t attacked they are overworked to the point of exhaustion.
When I think of great leaders, many men and women spring to mind from history and a few whom I currently know. Who do I follow? Christ. The ultimate leader.
As a Christian, I follow Him with my entire life. Every Christian should.
1 Peter 2:21
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
A true leader is someone like Christ who will stand as something different from the world. Each leader has at some point decided not to follow the crowd, but to perform to the best of his ability and live a life of courage.
Stand up for what you believe in. Stand up for your rights. Stand up for justice. This part goes back a little on a different post so I’m going to stop on this one before I rewrite it.
A true leader does not wait for someone else to do what he could have already accomplished. Don’t be afraid to get dirty and quit being lazy. Someone has to do the job and by sitting back and waiting for someone else, you are becoming the problem. Esther was told if she didn’t stand up for the Jews, God would send someone who would.
Esther 4:13-14 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
It doesn’t even have to be something as big as saving the Jews. If you are walking through your office and someone has made some huge mess and left it, clean it up. It’s one simple step toward being a leader. Don’t pace it off with a “it’s not my job” attitude. Clean it up.
Find someone you encounter daily who is a complete jerk to you for no reason. Be the bigger person and tell them good morning everyday or compliment them.
Now here’s a big one: when you tell someone you are going to do something, then do it. Dependability is huge. I’ve never understood someone who wasn’t true to their word. I don’t know about you, but I value my word. I’d be embarrassed if I was the person no one could depend on. If I say I’ll be there, as long as the Lord’s willing and the Creek don’t rise, I’ll be there. If you tell me you are going to do something, call me a fool, but I believe you. And I’m depending on you.
Some people may call me too trusting, but I believe in a different set of standards. I hold everyone to these standards whether they will perform or not. So congratulations. I’m trusting you until proven otherwise. Go ahead and take advantage of that; it only makes you look worse. Moving on.
A true leader finishes what he starts. I’m going to take my girls I’m mentoring as an example. When I took them on, I took on the responsibility of discipling them for life. Yes, I may not be there every step of the way. I refuse, though, to do this for a couple of months then stop and forget they exist. Their lives are way too valuable.
This holds true for so many things. A true leader realizes she’s dealing with people’s lives here. Everything you do affects someone. It might only be short term, but what you do has consequences. You aren’t the center of the universe.
One final thing before I quit gripping.
True leaders arrive on time. By not showing up on time you are basically saying you don’t care. Actually, getting there a little early is preferable. If you have to be at work at 8 a.m. every day you should be in the habit of getting there on time. Do whatever you have to get there on time. Figure out how early you should get up; then do it. It’s that simple. You want to argue with me go right ahead and do it.
Alright, I’m done. Actually I may have a little more gripping to do, but I feel just a little bit better. And I’ll save rest for later. Thank you for your time.
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