I'm back and armed with the BIG FIVE!

Don't give up on me! I'm back and ready to role!

As I was reading about Leadership Trait Theories the other day I came across this great list of personality traits that enhance leadership. They are the Big Five personality dimensions to leadership:

1. Extraversion-refers to the degree to which a person is outgoing, sociable, talkative, and comfortable meeting and talking with new people.

2. Agreeableness-refers to the degree to which a person is able to get along with others by being good-natured, cooperative, forgiving, compassionate, understanding, and trusting.

3. Conscientiousness-refers to the degree to which a person is responsible, dependable, persistent, and achievement oriented.

4. Emotional Stability-refers to the degree to which a person is well-adjusted, calm, and secure

5. Openness to Experience-refers to the degree to which a person has a broad range of interest and is imaginative, creative, and willing to consider new ideas.


**Very few leaders are strong in all five dimensions.


Take a minute to reflect on these in your own life - What are your strongest area's? What are the areas that you need the most improvement? How can you maximize your strongest qualities? How can you work harder to overcome your weaker areas?

As I read through these I immediately could point out the area's that are my strengths and the others that I need the most help/improvement on. Some self-awareness in this area will go along way to improving your leadership skills!!!

Reflections from the Toilet Bowl...no it's not what you think.

After 7 years of youth ministry I still haven't learned what I shouldn't do. One of those things I shouldn't do is play in the Toilet Bowl (our annual flag football tournament.) Saturday was our 16th Annual TB Tournament - and I played! Ouch. Two days later I'm still sore. At least I scored a couple touchdowns. Here's are a few pics...

Awake 2008-2009

You know that feeling when you just wake up in the morning? Your eyes are open, you are moving along (sometimes running into things), you even perform a couple mindless tasks, but things aren’t fully registering yet! Sometimes it isn’t until we eat some breakfast, take a shower, or drink some coffee (or pop if you’re like me) that we feel awake.

As this school year approaches, we are going to focus on being awake as followers of Christ! We don’t want to be going through the motions of being a Christian as though we were half asleep. Instead we need to be purposeful in our pursuit of Jesus as well as our mission. Wake up! It is our time to wake up and start growing and maturing in our relationship with Him. Wake up! It is our turn to lead a generation towards the power of God. Wake up! This is our chance to live a life of worship. Wake up! It is our time to start reaching our friends with the unfailing love of Jesus. Wake up! It is our time to reach the world with the good news of salvation. Wake up! This is too important to walk through half asleep. He has called you to live awake!

The Power of Testimony

It always amazes me when I hear a testimony of how God has changed or is changing someone's life. This past Wednesday after all.access I talked with a young man who shared with me how his life has changed since he started a relationship with Jesus. How powerful!!! The words of our testimony bring to life the tremendous power of our God.

I love what Revelation 12:10-11 says:
The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah have now come, because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown out: the one who acuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death.

Wow, it doesn't get any clearer than that. We have the power over our acuser (Satan) because we come speaking the TRUTH about a God who loves, cares, and still works in lives today! I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing about God changing someone's life. The video below is from a church that illustrated short "cardboard testimonies" - every time I watch it I tear up...it is powerful!

What is your testimony?