This morning on my visit to Starbucks for my morning pick me up something different happened.  For starters the store has been turned into a Christmas wonderland.  A sea of red, the noisy steaming of eggnog, the baristas new t-shirts, custom gift cards and more.  As I ordered my quad venti, sugar free vanilla, non-fat, caramel machittio I was handed a card.

Pass the Cheer:  Hold the elevator door for a stranger.  Carry packages for a friend.  When you do something nice for somone this holiday season, hand them this Cheer Pass and ask them to pass it along.  Maybe you’ll help inspire a chain of cheer that last all season long.   Share Your Story.  Note your Cheer Pass number and visit www.itsredagain.com to share your story of cheer.  Check back often to see the chain of cheer you helped create.

Now…  couple this with what I read this morning from an atheist (Jim and Casper Go to Church)  “Hope changes everything?  What does that mean?  Hope changes nithing except your own feelings. Action changes everything.”  A page later… “If I did believe in God, and that I was going to be granted eternal life in heaven, I would want to do something significant here on Earth, to live as much of my life as I could following the example set by Jesus when he was there on Earth -do unto others as you would have them do unto you-I don’t know, maybe I don’t know the real story of Jesus…”

Wow!  So, I have a quote on quote “non-Christian” company doing the very thing that God calls us to do.  GOOD WORKS.  And a person who Jesus misses most, and atheist.   Maybe I will let you draw your own conclusion.

I will leave with these few, simple thoughts:

• Why is it just pray the prayer and you are “in”?
• How is more placed on the prayer than the action in a Christian’s life?
• Does one think that talking a good talk will actually change the world?
• The words ringing in my ears are,  “Why is the church not being called to action every time we are gathered?”

Pass the Cheer!

Not sitting in a church building but I just saw the act of a disciple.  It wasn’t a bible reading, a prayer, a committee meeting, a youth retreat.  I was sitting in my “office” and looking out the window and just witnessed a beautiful expression of the church, of a disciple.

I learned that a friend’s sibling just found out they have cancer.

A hug.  A simple gesture saying that, I am here.  I care.  I am sorry.  It was without words.  If there were words I couldn’t hear it as I was inside.

That is a part of a church which I desire to be a part of.  One of compassion and willingness to walk though life together.  The good things and the bad things.

What about you?   How did you see the church today?

I just came across this and thought I would share it with all of you.

All you have to do is type in your zip code and see opportunities to serve in your own community.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

“Accepting the status quo is the equivalent of accepting a death sentence.

Where there is no progress there is no growth. If there is no growth there is no life. ” – Andy Stanley “The Next Generation Leader”

I am sitting at my desk in the Al Fresco headquarters getting the paper work ready for the next day reading (well, listening) to this book about leadership. I heard this quite and it made me start to ponder…

I have always challenged the status quo. Just ask any of my previous bosses. When people ask me if I think outside of the box, I respond by saying, “what box?” I desire to see growth. I desire to see God do great things in the lives of people.

So, the next time someone asks you, “Why are you challenging the status quo?” You just need to tell them, “Because I like to see growth!”

I have reading…

And it has been a GREAT read.  It has been very affirming.  Just the fact that people can be reached for Jesus, just by being themselves.  You don’t have to stand on a street corner with a sandwich board yelling at people for you to a) be doing evangelism and b) to be effective.

The whole idea is that you can live your life intentionally and actually make in impact.

Grab the book if you can and see what happens….  maybe you too will think that God can do great things with your life.