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Respect, Like it or Not

I’m a pretty strong willed and opinionated person.
I don’t mind listening to others’ opinions, as long as they know that it’s wrong. :-)
However, I do try my best to respect other people.
I try to live by the Golden Rule of treating others the way I would want them treating me.
I try even harder to respect people in a position of authority or seniority.
I was always taught that there are some people that you never bad mouth or disrespect.
Some people hold offices, positions, or callings that deserve a level of high respect.
Not saying we always agree with them or take their side, but we should respect certain people regardless of differing views.
As I look around, I find very few people with the same attitude as I was taught.
In fact, I see quite the opposite.
It seems like the higher the position, the more people love disrespecting them.
As I watched the State of the Union Address Wednesday night and read comments from Twitter and Facebook, I was amazed that so many people could disrespect the most powerful man in the world.
Disagree with, sure, but blatant disrespect?
It’s not just the office of presidency, it’s a much larger landscape.
Adults don’t respect the president.
Adults disrespect their leaders.
Adults don’t respect their pastor.
Adults disrespect the law.
Children don’t respect their teachers.
Children disrespect their parents.
I’m not sure where the respect factor has gone.
It’s not being taught in homes today.
It’s not being modeled in homes today.
So, let’s try to reverse that a little today…
Who’s the one person you have the MOST respect for?
Go!

29
Jan 2010
POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson
POSTED IN

Blog, Life

DISCUSSION 1 Comment
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Your Worst Cup Of Coffee

I took some of my youth to a conference last weekend.
We ended up having a great time hanging out together, listening to some great bands, and hearing the Word of God spoken in a powerful way.
We stayed in some nice suites at the hotel complete with a bay window in each room.
We were living pretty large until the first morning when I went to the free breakfast they claimed they had.
I grabbed a muffin, a cup of coffee, and headed back to the room.
After eating my muffin, I was still pretty confident that the hotel was going to be a great experience.
Until…
I took my first sip of the coffee.
In two words, it tasted like… lake water.
In five words, it tasted like… 3 week old toilet water.
Some of the worst coffee I’ve ever drank in my life.
So, as it turns out the breakfast at the hotel was free, but the coffee was not because you had to go down the road to the Starbucks to get a good one.
So, my question…
Where did you get the worst cup of coffee you’ve ever tasted?
Go!
28
Jan 2010
POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson
POSTED IN

Blog, Random Stuff

DISCUSSION No Comments
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I @sk: Leadership Characteristics

A few days ago, I threw this question out on Twitter:

“What characteristics do most good leaders have in common?”
I got a lot of leadership nuggets from some good leaders.
So, I chose a few to share here.
They said it better than I ever could have…
@pamfidler The ability to listen to others and most importantly to
listen to and be obedient to the direction of God

@natewesterfield humility and compassion

@jeffholton they’re humble

@glyndiavera Visionary minded to advance the kingdom of God & glorify
him is one that comes to mind.

@savedsister7 infectious passion

@righteousgogetta Leaders have a plan. They have a desire to obtain and
keep authority w/o abusing

@bjhewitt be a good servant to begin with, be good followers

themselves, good listener, enthusiastic, energetic, love what you do

@wayneliew Able to get subordinates together and move them forward
towards the common goal as a team.

A wide range of responses, but the common element seems to be vision for the organization and love for others.
Now, it’s your turn…
What common characteristics do most good leaders have in common?
Go!
27
Jan 2010
POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson
POSTED IN

Blog, Leadership

DISCUSSION No Comments
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Stop Being A Victim

With Jesus, we are no longer victims, we are victors!

Life is full of situations.
Some of them we control.
Sometimes, we make bad decisions.
Sometimes, we put ourselves in bad situations.
Sometimes, we willfully become a victim.
Some of them are out of our control.
Sometimes, bad things happen to us.
Sometimes, we are forced into situations that we didn’t want to be in.
Sometimes, we fall victim to someone else’s wrong doing.
We are all victims of something.
With Christ, we are called to become victors.
Christ allows us to rise above being a victim and become a victor.
Christ followers should never live in bondage from a past circumstance.
Christ followers should live in the freedom that He brings.
Christ followers are victors.
Christ followers are more than conquerors.
No matter what has happened to you.
No matter what you’ve done.
Don’t live in the bondage of a victim.
Live in the victory of a Savior!
26
Jan 2010
POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson
POSTED IN

Blog, Encouragement

DISCUSSION No Comments
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Red Sea Moments


Life hurts.

It often seems like life is a series of unfortunate events.
When you think you’ve found the conclusion to one problem, two more pop up.
When you think you’ve survived one storm, another is on the horizon.
When you feel you’re growing, something tries to tear you down.
When you think you’re doing right, something goes wrong.
When you follow the rules, someone that isn’t reaps the benefits.
Life hurts.
It has since Adam and Eve in the Garden.
The Old Testament is filled with “Life hurts” kind of stories.
But also…
Life comforts.
Sometimes, life does have it’s highs.
Sometimes, we feel like we’re exactly where we were meant to be.
Sometimes, we find the good in difficult circumstances.
Sometimes, God does the unimaginable in what seems like the inescapable.
Sometimes, God parts the seas and allows us to walk through on dry land.
Sometimes, God drowns the enemy that has pursued us.
We all have those “Red Sea” moments in our life.
It’s these moments that we must remember when we’re facing a “Life hurts” moment.
You’ve always made it through.
Life hurts.
But, God has been faithful in the past.
He’s never let you slip away.
Remember the Red Sea moments.

25
Jan 2010
POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson
POSTED IN

Blog, Encouragement

DISCUSSION 2 Comments