On October 29, 2007 I heard Rick Warren speak about the P.E.A.C.E. plan. If you are not familiar with concept, click on this link to watch the video. Rick states that the church is the world’s largest organization with over 2.8 billion members, the only organization large enough and growing fast enough to combat the effects spiritual emptiness, poverty, disease, illiteracy, and corrupt leadership.
However the church can’t do it alone. Rick believes it will take a partnership of the Church, business and government to make a dent on the problem. Rick feels called to release the pent-up, latent energy in the church–to turn spectators into participators. To make a lasting difference in the world.
The P.E.A.C.E. acronym stands for Promoting reconciliation, Equipping servant-leaders, Assisting the poor, Caring for the sick, and Educating the next generation. Rick believes it’s the same plan Jesus used, so it’s time tested. I believe it’s a good framework and the kind of vision that will spark the imagination of Christian leaders worldwide. It’s the kind of idea that can get people out of their comfortable pew and look outward to see how they might make a real difference in the lives of others outside of their comfort zone.
I’m working with another organization, Halftime, founded by Bob Buford. Like Rick Warren, Bob is called to awaken the latent energy in Christianity, especially those that have had a measure of success in corporate America. If Rick represents a catalyst in the Church, Bob represents the catalyst in the business community. I have personally seen many people experience a Halftime and are actively pursuing Life 2.0 with a renewed and passionate vision to change the world in some way. Lloyd Reeb, the director of Halftime says, “One of my jobs is to rescue people from the golf course.” There’s a truth to that statement.
The PEACE plan is a logical next step from his popular book, Purpose Driven Life. First, you need to realize you have a unique purpose. Once you figure out your unique purpose, you need to go do it. If your purpose involves solving one of the BIG problems in the world, it would be nice to not have to go it alone. If your church is doing PEACE, you can surround yourself with some expertise and experience, multiplying your efforts. If this happens on a global scale, we might make a dent in the world's problems.
I believe the major purpose of PEACE is to equip the church to become the efficient distribution network for the world's philanthropy. If even a fraction of the 2+ billion Christians got involved in this effort, it would be the largest distribution network in the world.
Habits are hard to change. Yet, as we watch this video, we realize how fast things are changing.
The burning question is this: How do you take advantage of the technology and culture changes that will dramatically impact your life over the next 20 years?
Even bigger question? Will you sit on the sidelines while this change happens, or will you get in the game and be involved in the most exciting times the world has ever known?
Shift happens. What are you going to do about it?
I just read the Reveal Study by
- Page 53 - "..they still want the church to help keep them on track..A tool like a personal spiritual growth plan might address some of those needs. But they also seem to want a personal growth or spiritual mentor."
- Page 54 - "..the responsibility for their spiritual growth belongs to them."
- Page 59 - "We hope to be able to understand, in depth and in detail, the impact of things like Internet-based products and services on people's spiritual lives, as well as different approaches to prayer, journaling, solitude and other personal spiritual practices."
- Page 66 - "..one of our new initiatives is to create a tool everyone can use to assess the current state of their relationship with Christ ('spiritual fitness"), and then to recommend a customized growth or "workout" plan that provides direction for their next step spiritually. We believe it is essential for us to help everyone answer the question, "What's next for me?" THIS TOOL IS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT.
- Page 73 - "..we discovered that we had NO ministry that trained people in personal spiritual disciplines. It's a huge miss we are in the process of addressing."
- Page 103 - "More than half of those surveyed said that they used the Internet at some point in the last year to advance their spiritual growth."
After reading Reveal, I came away with a sense that you were working on an Web 2.0 type tool that would:
- Acknowledge, educate, and encourage the concept that the individual is responsible for their own spiritual growth and the church is merely a coach.
- Use social networking to connect people with similar interests (virtual small groups) and provide a platform for mentoring/coaching
- Provides a blog-like tool that allows someone to Journal--allowing for privacy controls (i.e. myself only, mentor, friends, church, public, etc.)
- Facilitates self-assessment along the 4-stages of their growth
- Provides assessment and suggestion for the next step in their personal journey. This needs to cover faith, fitness, family, finance and friends with specific and measurable goals (short term and long term) and assigned accountability partners who can read their goals and keep them accountable.
- Facilitates ongoing learning via podcasts, vcasts, and webcasts.
- Facilitates virtual mentoring via Video conferencing. Supplements face-to-face interaction.
- For those in stage 4, the tool needs to help them in their specific calling by surrounding them with encouragement, networks, and knowledge.
I wanted to give these verses to you. I think the
depict your life and ministry:
2 Corinthians 9:9 - 15 In the
Amplified, of course ;)
As it is written, He (the benevolent person)
scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and
kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! (Ps. 112:9)
And
(God) Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and
multiply your (resources for) sowing and increase the fruits of your
righteousness (which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and
charity). (Isa. 55:10; Hos. 10:12.)
Thus you will be enriched in all
things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and (your generosity as it
is) administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.
For the
service that the ministering of this fund renders does not only fully supply
what is lacking to the saints (God's people), but it also overflows in many
(cries of) thanksgiving to God.
Because at (your) standing of the test
of this ministry, they will glorify God for your loyalty and obedience to the
Gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous-hearted
liberality to them and to all (the other needy ones).
And they yearn for
you while they pray for you, because of the surpassing measure of God's grace
(His favor and mercy and spiritual blessing which is shown forth) in
you.....(think of those praying for you/us at Vikasithia, in India and in
Africa?!)
Now thanks be to God for His Gift, (precous) beyond telling
(His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift)!
That's
it!!!
I love you Honeymoppers and I am proud of you!
Keep
racking up those rewards in heaven!
me
KEY POINTS IN THE BOOK:
- Are you serious about looking for such a purpose? How many people do you know who just can't wait to get to work on Monday because they're so fired up about what they're doing? Nobody? When you meet people that are that passionate about their calling, it's contagious. Find your calling.
- There is no call without a Caller.
- Reality reminds us that all the will in the world will not make us what we want to become.
- Calling in the Bible is a central and dynamic theme that becomes a metaphor for the life of faith itself.
- Calling gave to everyday work a dignity and spiritual significance under God that dethroned the primacy of leisure and contemplation.
- Calling gave to humble people and ordinary task an investment of equality that shattered hierarchies and was vital impulse toward democracy.
- Calling gave to such practical things as work, thrift, and long-term planning a reinforcement that made them powerfully influential in the rise of modern capitalism.
- Calling gave to the endeavor to make Christ Lord of every part of life a fresh force that transformed not only churches but also the worldviews and cultures of the Reformation countries.
- Calling gave to the idea of "talents" a new meaning, so that they were no longer seen purely as spiritual gifts and graces but as natural and a matter of giftedness in the modern sense of the term.
A sense of calling should precede a choice of job and career. Instead of, "You are what you do," calling says: "Do what you are."
No follower of Christ is without a calling, for we all have an original calling even if we do not all have a later, special calling. And, of course, some people have both. Those in modern societies who are middle class or higher can probably find such a fulfilling match between calling and work. But for many others today, and probably for most people in most societies, there is no happy match between work and calling. In many cases a clear sense of calling comes only through a time of searching, including trial and error.
Life is lived forward, but understood backwards.
The Puritans lived as if they had swallowed gyroscopes; we modern Christians live as if we had swallowed Gallup polls. The imitation of Christ that is integral to following Him means that, when he calls us, he enables us to do what he calls us to do. Answering the call by its very nature is a stepping forward to responsibility. Responsibility is obedience by another name. What we do then, when no one sees but God, is the test of our responsibility.
Para-church. The business of "the little church" is to put itself out of business by feeding its wisdom and concern back into "the large church" and so contribute to the reformation of the one body that is central to God's purpose for all time.
The reverse side of calling is the temptation of conceit. People who are called are especially vulnerable to pride because of the very nobility of calling.
When Jesus calls, he calls us one by one. Comparisons are idle, speculations about others a waste of time, and envy as silly as it is evil. We are each called individually, accountable to God alone, to please him alone, and eventually to be approved by him alone. If ever we are tempted to look around, compare notes, and use the progress of others to judge the success of our own calling, we will hear what Peter heard, "What is that to you? Follow me."
Capitalism, having defeated all challenges, such a socialism, now faces its greatest challenge--itself, because it devours the very virtues it needs to thrive. Calling, which played a key role in the rise of modern capitalism, is one of the few truths capable of guiding and restraining it now.
The problem is that money can assume an inordinate place in our lives until it becomes a personal, spiritual, god-like force that rules us--Mammon. When John D Rockefeller was asked how much money it takes a man to become happy, he replied, "Just a little bit more." As such, Mammon is a genuine rival to God. First, calling means that, for followers of Christ, there is a decisive, immediate, and moment-by-moment authority above money and the market. The choice between Masters has been made. Second, we make the choice to do in life because we are called to it rather than because we get paid for it. Ironically, we eventually cannot afford what we most desire--deep relationships. For if "time is money" and people take time, then the "opportunity costs" of relationships (the gain that we would earn by doing something else) will be prohibitive and intimate friendships will be few. "Spending" time with friends is costly; we could "invest" in better elsewhere.
Probably the worst of all combination of a midlife crisis that pivots on failure. For few things are more ignominious than failing at something that was not worth doing in the first place. At that point many people jump to the opposite extreme where another frustration looms. They go wrong in thinking that "success" failed to satisfy because it was secular whereas "significance" will be fulfilling because it is religious. That is actually the "Catholic distortion" again. Careers that express calling are as fulfilling as careers that contradict calling are frustrating.
The modern world has scrambled things so badly that today we worship our work, we work at our play, and we play at our worship. The problem with Western Christians is not that they aren't where they should be but that they aren't what they should be where they are.
Grand Christian movements will rise and fall. Grand campaigns will be mounted and grand coalitions assembled. But all together such coordinated efforts will never match the influence of untold numbers of followers of Christ living out their callings faithfully across the vastness and complexity of modern society.
Once we have been called, we literally "have no choice." As we make our contributions along the line of our gifts and callings, and others do the same, there is both a fruitfulness and a rest in the outcome. Calling is a reminder for followers of Christ that nothing in life should be taken for granted; everything in life must be received with gratitude. Calling is an essential part of the timing that characterizes a successful life. Unlike anyone before or since, Jesus' awareness of his calling from God burst the bounds of human thinking.
THE BIG IDEA
God calls men and women who will be committed to their life tasks with no reservations, no retreats, no regrets. They are therefore free to turn from their own affairs and to center their lives on the priorities of their questing. In pursuit of this quest, no pettiness is so petty that it disturbs their meaning. No task so immense that it daunts the courage of their calling. They engage in the world on the world's terms, yet they are never diverted from their quest because they always have an eye to interests and ideals that are invisible to the eyes of others. Such people are always found "in the gap." They are the ones prepared "for such a time as this." People after God's own heart, they are ready to read the signs of the times and serve his purpose in their generation.
FINISHING WELL
Calling is central to the challenge and privilege of finishing well in life. It is important to finishing well because it helps us with three of the greatest challenges of our last years of life:
- It keeps us journeying purposefully to the very end of our lives.
- It prevents us from confusing the termination of our occupations with the termination of our vocation. We may at times be unemployed, but no one ever becomes uncalled.
- It encourages us to leave the entire outcome of our lives to God. If you know you are in God's calling, its up to Him. If you bear the entire brunt of your significance, the results are up to you. Perhaps you are frustrated by the gaps between your vision and your accomplishments. Make no judgments and draw no conclusions until God ultimately judges your work.
At any rate, here's a video of our recent trip to Waikiki. We were pretty amazed at how beautiful it was.
Start Late, Finish Rich by David Bach
Give yourself a break already
We've all made financial mistakes or procrastinated on our financial goals. "I could have" or "I should have" is pretty common theme amongst those of us in our mid-40's. David starts off the book by saying, "The past will continue to be your future if you drag it along with you!" He advises to forget all of your mistakes and decide today to move on.
Important points:
- It's not about the money--it's about living the life you were meant to live.
- Money buys you freedom.
- It's never to late to start.
There are chapters dealing with getting out of consumer debt, especially credit card debt. I'm past that, so I sort of skimmed those chapters.
SAVE MORE
- Decide to pay yourself first
- Open a retirement account (i.e. 401k)
- Start funding it with 12 1/2% of your gross income.
- Make it automatic
David is all about automatic. Automatic savings, automatic paying of a tithe (see below), automatic paying your mortgage down early, etc. ACTION: I opened a 401k at work at maxed it out for 2007. Bach believes in diversifying equally among stocks, bonds and real estate. The equity in your home counts towards your 1/3 real estate portion of your portfolio.
BUY A HOME
Bach is big on buying a home vs. renting. He also believes in paying off your mortgage early by using your mortgage company's bi-weekly payment program. It will make minimal impact on your cash flow, but decrease the number of years and total interest significantly. ACTION: I am accelerating payments AUTOMATICALLY on my mortgage to get it paid off 6.5 years earlier and save over $100k.
GET A RAISE
Bach says the fastest way to increase revenue is to ask for a raise or, if your self-employed, raise your prices. "I've seen people go from being on the verge of getting fired to doubling their income in six months by getting their act together. All it takes is turning around the impression people have of you."
- The reason people are stuck in life is that they don't know what they want.
- You have to decide what you want, put in in writing, and then move toward it.
- Direction if crucial. You will never get anywhere in life without it.
THE SEVEN MAGIC QUESTIONS
- What is the most important thing I do for my boss?
- What does my boss think I'm uniquely qualified to do?
- What would my boss be afraid to tell me about my job or how I do it?
- What would my boss say I could do to add more value to my job?
- What could I do to be my boss's "dream team" employee?
- Knowing what he or she has learned about me in all the time I've worked here, would my boss hire me today?
- What would my boss say it would take for me to get a raise in the next six months?
- The bottom 20% have no clue
- The middle 60% want a clue
- The top 20% have a clue. The top of the top are called "clue creators" They go beyond simply having a clue to owning a clue.
What is the 20% you do that produces 80% of the results? Maximize that thing and minimize everything else.
ACTION: Learn how to develop an entirely new income stream without having to leave your job. DONE. This is what I'm doing with the Concierge position and the MFO.
START YOUR OWN BUSINESS
- Start a franchise. See Entrepreneur Magazine
- Sell stuff on Ebay
- Start a MLM business
INVEST IN REAL ESTATE
These chapters go beyond owning your own. Overall, real estate appreciates on average about 6% a year. But, since your leveraging your money (i.e. only putting down 20%), you get 5x that return cash-on-cash. So that 6% could be closer to 25-30%. Here's a summary of the real estate chapters:
- Strategy #1: Weekend investor. Buy your first home. Live in it for a few years. Then, rent it out. Borrow against the first house and buy a second house. Live in that for a few year. Rent it out. Buy house #3. And so on. START LOOKING NOW with the goal of buying your 2nd home within 12 months.
- Strategy #2 Buy homes with tax abatements.
- HUD Homes for sale
- FDIC Low to moderate income housing
- US Department of the Treasury
- IRS Auctions
- US Department of Veterans Affairs
- Buy Foreclosures
- www.foreclosure.com
IT'S NEVER TO LATE TO GIVE MORE
Having a purpose bigger than money is critical to long-term happiness, joy, and personal fulfillment. Having nice stuff is great, but living a life of meaning is even better. Your life was meant to be lived with a purpose higher than simply accumulating wealth--and that purpose is to give more.
Tithing--You can give by donating your time, energy, expertise and money. Those who give lead more abundant lives. If you automatically tithe, you essentially have decided to pay yourself second.
Over the years, I've seen firsthand that the "have mores" give more. I've also seen that the fastest way to feel rich is to give more--and that those who give more become rich faster.
The myth of retirement.
If you put off what you want to do with your life for decades, with the idea that you'll enjoy your life after you retire, you will ultimately miss your life. The happiest retirees are people who have lived full and meaningful lives.
THE LIVE RICH QUESTIONS:
What makes you happy? Be honest. Think about all areas of your life.
- What makes you happy at work?
- What makes you happy at home?
- What makes you happy with friends and family?
- What makes you happy when you are by yourself?
- What to you love to do?
- What would you do with your life today if you were not afraid of failure?
- What is not working in your life?
- What are you currently doing that prevents you from experiencing joy?
- What is working in your life?
- Who right now in your life is subtracting value from your life?
- Can you fix any of these relationships or should you let them go?
This is your mission in life: to find what you are meant to be doing while you are here. It is the hardest thing there is to do, and it is the most important thing to do. If you are doing today doesn't create joy in your life, then you may not have found what you are meant to be doing. If you have not found what you are meant to be doing, it can be tough to live rich.
The Janitor convey's six principles that he learned from his wife.
- Recharge vs. discharge
- View family as a blessing, not a responsibility
- Pray, don't pout
- Pass it around
- Don't spend; invest
- Leave a legacy
Mapping the New World of American Philanthropy:
Causes and Consequences of the Transfer of Wealth
By Susan U Raymond, PhD and Mary Beth Martin, Esq.
This is a book of short essays written by 12 or so authors, who explore the causes and consequences of the $41 trillion dollars of wealth that will be transferred between now and 2050. Lots of facts and figures with analysis.
·
- There are 7.5 to 9 million dollar households in the U.S., half are headed by retirees.
- ·Those over 65 have 4x the medical expenses as those under 65.
- Pg. 30-31. Those who give from earned wealth tend to give proportionately more for every increment of increased wealth than those who inherit wealth. In this sense, the Internet is a powerful tool for high-engagement philanthropy among those new, technologically-savvy donors. .e-philanthropy becomes a common part of the transfer of wealth.
· Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel o f Wealth ignited American philanthropy as we know it today. That for wealthy Americans, philanthropy was not a discretionary choice but rather a fundamental moral responsibility. Philanthropy was the only appropriate use of surplus funds.
· Research at Boston College says of the $41 trillion transferred, $6 trillion would be transferred to nonprofits.
· Technology has also dramatically reduced the expense and labor associated with creating and administering a philanthropy vehicle.
· Check out www.foundationsource.com for resources.
· Venture philanthropists demand more accountability and results, but are willing to fund nonprofit startups.
· There is now a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy program. As of this writing, there are fewer than 200 individuals who have that designation.
· Page 55. What happens in the world of religion matters on the street corners of America. and what happens on the street corners of matters to the world. Of the 25 wealthiest young philanthropists, half specified their interest in global issues or organizations.
· The nonprofit sector now represents nearly 10 percent of the US economy and philanthropy moves something on the order of one-third of a trillion dollars of economic wherewithal to nonprofits.
· Venture philanthropy provides a case in point, where the philanthropist’s role is denominated less in case than in expertise and hands-on management.
· Page 68. The highest growth of new family foundations in the 1990’s occurred in the West.
· The Chronicle of Philanthropy has noted that Donor Advised Funds are the fastest growing form of philanthropy, outpacing both CRT’s and private foundations.
· The wealth transfer of trillions; the “giving while living” trend; the for-profit/nonprofit continuum, with all o fits permutations; and the baby boomer residual dream of changing the world for the better will continue to evolve new species of organizations.
· Page 124. Foundation trustees and directors must exercise their fiduciary responsibility to ensure that grants are made to financially stable organizations that will make a philanthropic impact. Measuring the impact is often the real challenge.
· Page 137. The younger generation of MySpace, Flickr, and FaceBook will quickly take advantage of a network to connect with others. But an older generation of philanthropists has yet to fully rely on twenty-first –century technology to handle all communications.
· Page 161. These new philanthropists are getting involved in the public sector for the same reason they got involved in the private sector: They want to change the world. And they run their philanthropic endeavors the same hands-on way they run their business, creating models to raise money and awareness and finding ways to measure returns and increase efficiency.
· ..idolatrous philanthropy (making things over in your own image).
· How different history would have been if decision makers had asked, “Who is not at the table as we assess this situation and make this decision?”
· www.GlobalGiving.com is an independent online marketplace that provides a level playing field for both funders and those with project ideas. The marketplaces have provided a way to understand real issues facing communities, at the grassroots level. It also surfaces many good ideas about what local people consider appropriate solutions and technologies. Global giving is now experimenting with ways to open access to even more projects, via a system whereby GlobalGiving community is able to nominate and vet projects. Almost a fourth of the projects are coming from the open access channel.
o Such an ecosystem is only just now beginning to emerge in the international aid space. But such a market-based system will also be a threat to larger, more established organizations, since it will expose them to greater transparency and competition.
· Page 241. ..the best way to ensure that philanthropy conforms to your desires is to give the money away while you are alive. These new leaders are personally involved, not only in making their wealth, but in giving it away.
· Page 252. The rate of growth in the number of nonprofits is outpacing that of commercial organizations.
· Page 260. What is striking about the data is that the closer Americans get in age to being those who will transfer wealth, the less they trust the nonprofits who seek to receive that wealth. More than half of all contributions were given to local religious organizations, where there are strong personal community ties and involvement.
· Page 262. Billions are wasted on ineffective philanthropy.
· One of the key ways to surmount this challenge is to build emotional connections among audiences through stories. Stories serve to create relationships. People want to read about people.
· Page 274. Every nonprofit should reformulate its programs and priorities to devote 10% of its effort to understanding, projecting, and planning for the consequences of change in its environment.
How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free
By Ernie Zelinski
"To fear retirement is to fear life." This is one of the strongest themes of the book, which focuses equally on who you want to be as well as what you want to do in retirement and life.
- It is a great opportunity to pursue your goals and dreams while you are still young, energetic, and healthy enough to enjoy them. In addition, retirement may be your last shot at being the person you would like to be. (p. 23)
- Some people opt for semi-retirement because they like the field that they're in and the people they work with. Writing & consulting were listed as options that fit this profile well.
- Work part time as a transition strategy, mainly for enjoyment.
- It takes courage to retire early, especially if you don't have to. (p. 35)
The Main Point: This is NOT an investment book. If you're looking for financial advice, read something else. If you're looking for advice on what you need to really enjoy the years AFTER you need to work for a living, then this is a book for you.
Retirement may be your last shot at being the person you would like to be. (pg. 23)
LEISURE
- The degree to which you can handle leisure will determine the overall quality of your retirement.
- "Leisure consists in all those virtuous activities by which a man grows morally, intellectually, and spiritually. It is that which makes a life worth living."
- The endless pursuit of status, power, wealth, and fame by achievement-oriented individuals begins and ends in unhappiness.
Affirmation for the Connoisseur of Life
"I am now a Connoisseur of Life. I am too prosperous to work long and hard hours. I have earned my prosperity and deserve the right to enjoy a creative and satisfying lifestyle. I am too spiritually evolved to have an identity based on my work, possessions, and net worth. Instead, my identity is based on more profound things, including my creativity, my generosity, my spontaneity, my sense of humor, my peace of mind, my passion for new experiences, my happiness, and my spirituality."
- The more people are satisfied with the purpose and meaning in their lives, the easier they feel retirement is. As is to be expected, personal and emotional life are greatly enhanced when there is purpose and meaning to one's existence.
Ernie's Worldview
Many people have rejected the idea of retirement for the sake of idle pleasure. Ernie would actually agree with that. This book parallels Halftime and Success to Significance by highlighting the importance of pursuing your calling in the last 30 years of your life. For example, Ernie writes:
-
"A major purpose can take the form of a personal mission, a true calling, or a passionate pursuit." pg. 50
-
"Being involved in activities with a major purpose will not only keep you mentally and physically active, it will also provide you with emotional and spiritual fulfillment." pg. 57
- Ernie quotes from Richard Leider's book, ..Heeding your Life's Calling. He says people can find their calling by answering the following questions:
- What gift do I naturally give to others?
- What gift do I most enjoy giving to others?
- What gift have I most given to others?
FRIENDSHIP
I found one of the most profound parts of the book on page 144-145. Ernie writes:
"The University of Michigan researchers found that solid social support was the dominant factor in determining whether retirees were happy and satisfied four years after leaving the workforce. The people who were most pleased with their retirement years had sixteen friends or good acquaintences that they could rely on compared with fewer than ten that were typical of the unsatisfied retirees. Unfortunately, many retirees, men more so than women, don't have many solid friendships to fall back on once they quit working. All things considered, happiness is one of the chepest things in the world when we secure a good part of it through friendship. Indeed, even ten minutes in the company of a good friend will make any extremely difficult and depressing day worth living. To retire happy, wild and free, virtually every one of us needs friends with whom we can interact personally, philosophically, and spiritually."
