This one comes from my friend Bob Goff.

“I think a father’s job is to get down on both knees, lean over his children’s lives and whisper, ‘Where do you want to go?’” @LoveDoes

This is one of my favorite quotes from Bob’s book Love Does.  I’ve used it in a couple different sermons and have thought about it a lot from both sides.  The first is the human side.  This is an amazing way to define success in being a father.  Without a good definition, we slide into boring stories like being the provider.  Not nearly as interesting or meaningful as leaning over their lives.

The other side is our relationship with God, our heavenly Father.  Kyle Lake did an amazing job in his book Understanding God’s Will: How to Hack the Equation Without Formulas of deconstructing the road map idea of God’s will.  I am a firm believer that God’s will is more like that of a father for his child where he wants us to make wise decisions, work passionately for what is right and good, and love people selflessly on the way.  When I think about God leaning over my life and whispering, “Where do you want to go?,” I am reminded that He is good, creative, and incredibly generous.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Ender’s Game

Don’t just tell us what you’re against. What are you for? Show us what you’re about. Live a better story. Invite us. Compel us. Inspire us.

This comes from a guy named Eugene Cho. I’ve been mulling this over. There are so many things that I am against. In fact, I would say that I am more vocal and passionate about things that I am against than things that I am for. Really avoiding the negatives and only focusing on the positives is difficult. So, here goes:

I am for Jesus. He has rescued me out of the nasty little life that I had put together. I am for people. When people turn the corner in their lives and there is this freeway that opens up, I get lit up. I am for the hopeless. They have been lied to and robbed. Hope is free. Truth is real. And life isn’t over. That’s the kind of thing that lifts us out of our nasty little lives.

New album streaming now. http://damage.jimmyeatworld.com/ 

This tweet comes from one of my favorite drummers/thinkers, Zach Lind.  He drums for Jimmy Eat World and blogs at Finding Rhythm. So much of the sound track of my life is found on Clarity, and Bleed American and Chase This Light.  I love being able to listen to new stuff before it comes out.  Thanks Zach for being so generous with your life.

The church that does not CELEBRATE the next generation will ultimately participate in helping to silence them!

Perry Noble shared this on twitter.  I’ve always loved quotes like “The youth aren’t the future of the church, they are the current church.”  For sure we need to validate and encourage the next generation to step up and receive the faith from their elders, but this was an eye opener.  The danger really is that they will be silenced.  Celebrating people adds to their courage to speak the things out loud that God is doing inside.  Without it, the whole church is lacking.

Thanks Perry for all that you do!

Leave it up to Scott Belsky and his team.  They’ve done it again.  I’m 30 pages into this little monster and convinced it will completely change the way I work.  Again.

My favorite tweet this week comes from one of my heroes, @AndyStanley.

“Hey Leaders: Your most significant vision casting will take place at home while putting your kids to bed.”

One of our favorite song lyrics (Rhonda and I) has been “My life is at home” by the Promise Ring. My kids are 2 and 4 right now and there are times where I don’t comprehend the significance of my time with them. Work is good, and God gave us abilities, strengths and passions to do good work.

Lots of people can pastor or direct organizations or preach or counsel or make sweet posters. But Bell and Jace have one pop… me. If I don’t cast vision for them, I’m afraid to find out who will.

Most important job, hands down. Thanks Andy.