Leah Rade

Why Self-Deprecation Drives Me Crazy

Not too many things drive me crazy.  However, when people belittle or undervalue themselves (self-deprecation) in the name of humility...aaack!

I've been reading a lot of Frederick Buechner lately and here is how he defines humility:
    "Humility is often confused with the polite self-deprecation of saying you're not much of a bridge player when you know perfectly well you are.  Conscious or otherwise, this kind of humility is a form of gamesmanship.
    If you aren't much of a bridge player, you're apt to be rather proud of yourself for admitting it so humbly.  This kind of humility is a form of low comedy.

    True humility doesn't consist of thinking ill of yourself but of not thinking of yourself much differently from the way you'd be apt to think of anybody else.  It is the capacity for being no more and no less pleased when you play your own hand well than when your opponents do."

Wishful Thinking, A Seeker's ABC, Frederick Buechner

Thoughts?

Attractive Vs. Attracting

Pastor Dave hit a major-league home run today with his message.  Just hearing the statistics regarding pornography sales surpassing all Major-league sports sales combined is staggering!  But what rang a bell in my head is that as women we have a huge responsibility to curb temptation.  Dave explained that women should be attractive...not attracting and there is a big difference.  I call it "boob-a-licous" and if I notice your cleavage...my husband and all other men are noticing too.

So women, I'm asking you to think about it!  Are you dressing attractively, you know polished and put together?  Or, are you dressed attractingly?  There's a big difference.

If you missed today's message, log on to our NHC website on Tuesday or after and watch the message.

5000

If you added the numbers in the post below and answered 5000 like I did the very first time I did this exercise several years ago...wrong!

Several years ago while attending a Durham Business Person's dinner, the speaker led this activity by using an overhead projector uncovering each line of numbers, line by line (something I couldn't do on the blog post).  Upon uncovering the final number, a couple of people shouted out 5000, with the remaining 200 people shouting in agreement.  The speaker led us through the activity one more time, uncovering each line and asking us to add line by line.  Collectively, we arrived at the same wrong sum.

The correct answer is 4100.  A couple of people commenting below even answered 4000 and 4090.  Why did so many people arrive at 5000?  The answer has to do with our confidence in adding.  Most people add it right to 4090, and then screw up completely carrying the 1. 

Remember, the more invested you are in one set of rules, the harder it is to see an alternative, the harder it is to change your way of thinking.  Many of the people who arrived at the correct answer commented that they added the "big" numbers separately from the "little" numbers, then added them together...an alternate way to add than the more conventional way of adding straight down the rows of numbers.

My experience with the Durham group of business people years ago is a good example of the power of a group practicing Crowdsourcing (a really cool book), erring together as a majority.

This same type of investment in a set of rules prevented Sony Corp. from being the first company to produce a portable CD player.  While Sony Corp. had pioneered the technology for the portable CD player, they shelved the technology.  In 1979 Phillips Company contacted Sony to talk about establishing a world standard for audio CDs because Sony was known for their extensive research in this area.  Sony's response was "That's a stupid idea because we've already checked it out."  Sony had shelved the idea because their model was based on the size of the 12" LP, which would not be very portable and would be very expensive, therefore causing Sony to abandon the research.

Along comes Phillips Company, who thought "outside the box." Instead of abandoning the project, they abandoned their thinking that the CD needed to be the same 12" size as the LP.  Instead they created a portable laser disk lass than 1/2 of the size, leaving the Sony Executives lamenting, as the Phillips Company is credited for bringing to market the first portable CD player.

Sony, known for its wonderful innovation and engineering, had been stopped in their tracks by their investment in an old set of rules.  They were unable to look beyond the 12" LP to see their future.

The moral of the story for me is not to get too invested in a set of rules.  Change is constant and the more open we are to alternatives, the more innovative we'll be.

Tomorrow, I'll post on how this thinking applies to church and who might be the best person to ask about how we should be "doing church".

Why is Change So Hard? A Little Experiment

Humor me here as I explore why change is so hard for people, even when people agree with change.  One possibility is that when people are more invested in certain projects or rules, it's harder to see or accept alternatives.

So here is where I'd like you to humor me and participate in this little exercise by leaving your answer in the comment section. 

In your head, as quickly as possible and without writing them down, add the following numbers and write the sum in the comment section.  It is important that you do not over think or over analyze, but quickly add the numbers once and put your answer in the comment section. 

Thanks for participating in this little experiment.

1000
   40
1000
   30
1000
   20
1000
   10

Got a Question For You

While attending UNLEASH yesterday, Perry Noble, the Sr. Pastor of NewSpring Church, speaking to over 3000 church leaders from many denominations, responded to this he 03/09/09 CNN story:

(CNN) -- America is a less Christian nation than it was 20 years ago, and Christianity is not losing out to other religions, but primarily to a rejection of religion altogether, a survey published Monday found.

Survey finds percentage of Americans identifying themselves as Christian has fallen over two decades.  Seventy-five percent of Americans call themselves Christian, according to the American Religious Identification Survey from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1990, the figure was 86 percent.

Perry said,  "Churches need to get out of the business of competing with one another and start completing one another."  Really struck a cord with me.  Thoughts?

Pondering Creativity

"Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything."  George Lois

Creativity Killers:
"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

— Charles H. Duell, Director of US Patent Office 1899

"Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote."

— Grover Cleveland, 1905

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"

— Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros Pictures, 1927

"There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom."

— Robert Miliham, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923

"Heavier than air flying machines are impossible."

— Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895

"Ruth made a big mistake when he gave up pitching."

— Tris Speaker, 1921

"The horse is here today, but the automobile is only a novelty - a fad."

— President of Michigan Savings Bank advising against investing in the Ford Motor Company

"Video won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night."

— Daryl F. Zanuck, 20th Century Fox, commenting on television in 1946

"What use could the company make of an electric toy?"

— Western Union, when it turned down rights to the telephone in 1878

A Super Cool Story

I recently read this quote and have been mulling it over:

There are five gospels of Jesus Christ - Matthew, Mark Luke, John, and you, the Christian.  Many people will never read the first four.  Gipsy Smith, American Evangelist

There is a couple that we were in community group with when we first came to NHC.  We were "actively" in community group with them for about 2-1/2 years.  I use the term "actively" very loosely, as people who have been in groups know, once you've "done life together", you're always bonded and consider every former member part of your community.

We visited with this couple in the hospital, as the man was  getting ready for major open heart surgery.  His wife shared that she just didn't know how she would make it through 6 hours of surgery.  I'll tell you how she made it through...by showing Jesus to a young girl who was completely distraught because her boyfriend was undergoing surgery for a ruptured appendix.  While my friend was sitting in the waiting room, she noticed a young, 22 year-old girl crying uncontrollably.  She had a choice to make.  Stay focused on her own fear or reach out to this girl. Instead of focusing on her own situation, she reached out to the young girl and began a conversation with her, which led to my friend praying with the young girl and her boyfriend's parents. 

Remarkably, she shared with me, that a peace overcame her and the remaining hours of surgery went by for her, without any worry.   It's counterintuitive, but God is, well, sometimes upside-down from our human ways.  When my friend stepped out of her own focus and served someone else, God comforted my friend, beyond her comprehension, as she comforted others.  Thank you, friend, for showing Jesus to that young girl, her boyfriend and family.  

Cooler still - This experience has opened her heart to serve on the hospital visitation team, which is a new team at NHC. She called me this morning and volunteered.

Super cooler still - Both the young man with the ruptured appendix and my friend are mending well.

Dream Erasers

We all have negative people in our lives, you know the ones who bring doubt to what you're trying to accomplish by their criticisms.  However, you have the power to ignore criticism when you're seeking God and His will.  Don't allow your critics to dim or erase your dreams.

So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6

Worth Some Thought

The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer. 

F. B. Meyer

Thinking About a Couple of Words

I was thinking last night about a couple of words: Motivate and Activate.  I looked up their definitions - motivate: to stir to action or feeling; provoke, encourage.  Activate: to put into motion.  I always liked the word "motivate" and have always tried to motivate whomever God places in my care.  Whether it be my staff, family or ministry leaders, I've tried to encourage or stir into action. 

I've been thinking about the word "activate" all day today and I really think "activate" better defines what we're supposed to do as leaders.

Thoughts?