Wednesday, August 29, 2012

How Saban Turned The Tide

By the Wall Street Journal:

With all due respect to the 123 other schools that play major-college football, the sport's foreseeable future boils down to one question: Can anyone stop Alabama?

The Alabama Crimson Tide, college football's defending national champion, has become the game's "it" team, an all-powerful and impervious Death Star of a program. Alabama has won two of the last three national titles. Its coach, Nick Saban, won another one while he was at Louisiana State—meaning he has won the title in three of the past seven college seasons he has coached.

The Tide is a 14-point favorite Saturday over No. 8 Michigan—repeat: a two-touchdown favorite against a top-10 team—in its season opener. The last time Alabama was an underdog was 28 games ago, against Tim Tebow and Florida in the 2009 Southeastern Conference championship game.

Result: Bama 32, Florida 13.

The stunning volume of victories and championships and NFL draft picks has Alabama redefining college-football success as we know it. How, exactly, does the Tide do it?

Recruiting is paramount. Saban sets aside time every day for assistant coaches to make phone calls, write letters and discuss the country's best blue-chippers. His system focuses on collecting reliable, exhaustive information on players—not always easy to find when NCAA rules forbid coaches from measuring players' vertical leaps or timing them in the 40-yard dash.

To make up for those restrictions, Alabama's coaching staff is as strict as any in the country about gathering information, recruiting experts say. Crimson Tide coaches consult track times and encourage prospects to add the sport in the football off-season. Coaches invite prospects to attend Alabama's summer camp, since they tend to offer scholarships to high-schoolers they have seen in person and not just on highlights.

And before Alabama recruits a player in earnest, coaches produce a comprehensive report on everything from whether he fits their preferred physical prototypes—a cornerback should be about 6 feet and 185-190 pounds—to his ankle, knee and hip movement. If a lineman's heels are raised when he is crouched in a stance, he is probably too inflexible for Alabama.

Finally, coaches talk to family, friends and others to go "seven-deep into a guy's life" to gauge his mental strength, said former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, who is now the head coach at Colorado State.

Saban also embraces technology for his multipronged pitch. He started using videoconferencing as a recruiting tool several years ago—early enough in the software's life that some players spoke to him using equipment at their local libraries. CoachSaban.net, Saban's website, plays a Crimson Tide-themed hip-hop song called "4th Quarter" from the Tuscaloosa group 63 Boyz that features the lyric, "Since we landed Saban in T-Town, it's hard to go unnoticed."

Even Saban's current players are foot soldiers in college football's recruiting war. Cooper Bateman, a top-ranked quarterback from Utah, took a tour of SEC schools in the spring before he committed to Alabama. What stood out to his family during his visit? All of Alabama's players made sure they took off their hats when meeting his mother.

The allure of Alabama, of course, isn't just Southern charm. "In no way for the players who may end up playing in the NFL do I want to limit their exposure or opportunity to do that," Saban said in response to emailed questions.

Since Saban's arrival in 2007, Alabama has produced 11 first-round NFL draft picks, by far the most in the country. Since 2003, only four colleges have churned out more first-rounders than Alabama has since 2009. Three of those programs—Miami, Ohio State and Southern California—have had NCAA rules-related scandals. The fourth school is LSU, which Saban coached from 2000 to 2004. He signed nine of the Tigers' 12 first-round draft picks.

While some programs limit access for NFL scouts, Saban rolls out the crimson carpet for them. "I've always said you could call Alabama and say, 'The only time I can come to Tuscaloosa is at 3 a.m.,' and they would let you in," said Phil Savage, an analyst for Alabama's radio network and the former general manager of the Cleveland Browns.

Saban is the rare college head coach who returned to the NCAA from the NFL of his own volition. Previously the coach at Michigan State and LSU, he worked as the Browns' defensive coordinator with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick in the 1990s, and he was the Miami Dolphins' coach in 2005 and 2006. Alabama's playing style reflects Saban's experience: The Crimson Tide's pro-style offense and defense contrast with more gimmicky college schemes. "So once they get there, it's not like a shock," McElwain said.

The son of a service station and Dairy Queen franchise owner—the coach likes banana milkshakes—Saban, 60, once aspired to own a car dealership. "I can hear the jokes right now," he wrote in "How Good Do You Want to Be?", his 2004 book. But recruiting specialists and Saban's former stars say he is less of a used-car salesman in a recruit's living room than his peers.

"He's incredibly honest in the recruiting process," said former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, the starter on the 2009 national-title team who now plays for the New York Jets. "He tells kids, 'Hey, you're going to come in and redshirt. Look, you're going to do this. You're going to do that.' He tells them exactly what he thinks. I think a lot of people respect that because so much of the recruiting process is an unknown."

Alabama is what Scott Kennedy, director of scouting for the recruiting site Scout.com, calls "a team of exceptions." As a high-school senior in 2007, for example, Mark Barron was a 6-foot-2, roughly 210-pound running back and linebacker. Not at Alabama. Baron played safety, where he became a first-team All-American and the No. 7 overall pick in April.

It all adds up to the most basic reason Alabama boasts two of the last three titles: Saban has the pick of the recruiting litter. In short, he gets freaks and makes them even scarier.

In recent years, college football's rule-makers have targeted recruiting strategies employed by Alabama. In 2008, the NCAA banned head coaches from making off-campus recruiting visits during the six-week-long spring evaluation period. The concept was to prevent coaches from "bumping into" recruits while observing them, and some dubbed it the Saban rule because of his frequent recruiting travel.

Last year, the SEC capped the number of players a program can sign at 25 per year. That curbed the practice known as "oversigning"—signing more than the annual NCAA maximum of 25 players that programs can admit, giving them a larger pool from which to build a team.

Nevertheless, Alabama keeps winning. Its momentum has turned it into college football's premier program, a title once held by Southern California under Pete Carroll, and then Florida under Urban Meyer. As long as Saban sticks around, he shows no signs of relinquishing it. He said after his two-year stint with the Dolphins that the field-leveling nature of the NFL made it difficult to gain a competitive advantage.

And with an annual compensation of $5.3 million, the highest in the sport, Saban shows no signs of leaving. "I am very happy with the position that I am in right now," he said.

A Sprint Down Memory Lane

The sun set gently in the summer sky as I emerged from my tutoring session.

I hadn't gotten my day's cardio in, and had been thinking about putting in a run tonight.

There were probably about 20 minutes of daylight left.

I faced a ten-minute ride home.

I prefer not to run in the dark.

As I set one foot in my car, a thought popped up.

I've got my running clothes in the trunk.

ISU's right across the street.

I used to run around campus all the time 20 years ago, but haven't since.

It's also brightly lit at night.

After a Superman-like parking lot change, I was off to the races with my keys and phone in hand.

The well-trimmed landscape, newly-minted buildings, and fond memories caused the minutes to fly by as I weaved in, out and around handfuls of students.

I ran past Julian Hall, where I registered for classes and once occupied at 2 a.m. chasing down a stray semicolon in a mainframe program for a computer class.

Past Moulton Hall, where the Honors Student Organization held its meetings, and where I spent the occasional evening in my early work years studying for an actuarial exam.

Past the Center for the Visual Arts, where I discovered how much I actually enjoyed art history, and where Dena spent many an hour.

Past DeGarmo Hall, adorned top to bottom by shiny glass windows... surprisingly, none of which were currently broken.

Past Stevenson Hall, home of my math major and my earliest math tutoring career, which now abuts an ornate student walkway that was partially funded by our senior class gift to the university.

Past the Bone Student Center, where I used to camp waiting for the Peoria Charter bus to drive me back home.

Past Edwards Hall, site of my first college class, and the Capen movie theater.

Past the basketball court where I first met the man who would, five years later, introduce me to my wife.

Past the place where Walker Hall, my four-year dorm, once stood. It's now a gleaming new fitness center. Good call.

My legs even carried me to places on campus that I'd never been during my undergrad years.

I tell you, those college days were some of the best years I've ever spent.

They were a launching pad of personal success that I'd never previously known.

That which I have and am today, is in no small part due to my Illinois State experience.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Faith

"Can't handle your life? Problems have you licked? Need help? Have faith, things will turn out all right." - Anonymous

Yesterday I found myself momentarily stewing over an e-mail at the office.

It had reminded me of a potential crisis a few years down the road which to me, is preventable, but to date, my solution has fallen on deaf ears of those in power.

Then a smile crossed my face, as I reacted to this wasteful thought in the way my mistakes of the past have trained me to do.

I can remember an actuarial exam that I had "surely" failed, but somehow by the grace of God I was given a passing mark. I've thought since then that it must have been part of a bigger plan for my State Farm career to advance, for the benefit of someone yet unknown.

A couple of years ago I was facing the anxieties of a workload that was seemingly too large to handle. Unexpectedly, a new employee dropped into my lap, and things were corrected.

So now as I look toward that uncertain future, I have a brain advising me of the probability of disaster, and fortunately, a faith overriding the logic, enough to believe that something outside of my vision will be delivered as God intends for a greater good.

In the end, things will be fine.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Early Morning Fuel For The Mind

"Be renewed in the spirit of your mind." - Ephesians 4:23

Yesterday was a day at work that rated a "meh" on the satisfaction scale. I think it was because I walked in the door without a clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish. And as they say, you'll never reach a goal until you set one.

I read an article yesterday that talked about the subliminal ability of money, or even the idea of money, to fuel a person to accomplish more. The overall point of the article was to point out that money can be like a drug in its influence over us... but a healthier lesson from these case studies may be that if something excites your vision of the future, it can drive you beyond your normal energy.

So it is that today going to shoot to wrap up two particular tasks - employee evaluations and next year's project plan. Let's see if it works. What about you?

Monday, August 27, 2012

Stick-Figure Love

"Whenever I detect that my thoughts are going stale, I deliberately search for some opportunity to express love by a thoughtful and kindly act, and if I do enough of this, a new vigor shows in my mental state." - Normal Vincent Peale

Lately I've gotten on a cartoon-drawing kick that I used to have back in grade school. The ones I drew back then were funnier, but just seeing these stick-like figures doing animated things brings a smile to Dena's face. Plus, we are the featured characters, and the adventures are patterned after ones in our own lives, squeezed into four panels of efficient conversation.

Little sparks of creativity give zest to marriage and each day.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

10 Tips For A Fabulous Workday

Good reading on a Sunday, by inc.com:

Want to have the best workday ever?  Day after day?  It's not as difficult as you think.

These 10 tweaks to your everyday behavior will virtually guarantee you a day that's not just enjoyable but allows you to get more done than you ever thought possible.

1. Start with 15 minutes of positive input.

It's easier to achieve and maintain a positive attitude if you have a "library" of positive thoughts in your head, so you can draw upon them if the day doesn't go exactly as you'd prefer. Start each day by reading (or listening to) an inspirational book to ensure that you have just such a resource at hand.

2. Tie your work to your life's goals.

Always remember that there's a deeper reason why you go to work and why you chose your current role. Maybe it's to support your family, to change the world in some way, to help your customers, to make a difference: Whatever the deeper motivation, remind yourself that this workday--today--is the opportunity to accomplish part of that deeper and more important goal.

3. Use your commute wisely.

Most people waste their commute time listening to the news or (worse, especially if they're driving) making calls, texting, or answering emails. In fact, your commute time is the perfect time to get yourself pumped up for the day, and there's no better way to do this than to listen to music that truly inspires you and gets you in the right mood. Don't depend on a DJ: Make your own mixes!

4. Stick a smile on your face.

It's likely, if you followed the first three steps, that you'll already be smiling. If not, stick a smile on your face anyway.

It doesn't matter if it feels fake: Research has shown that even the most forced of smiles genuinely reduces stress and makes you happier. Does this mean you should be grinning like the Joker in the Batman comics? Well, yes, if that's the best you can do. But something a bit more relaxed might be less alarming to co-workers.

5. Express a positive mood.

When most people are asked social greetings--questions such as "How are you?" or "What's up?"--they typically say something neutral ("I'm OK") or negative, like "Hangin' in there." That kind of talk programs your brain for failure.

Instead, if anyone inquires, say something positive and enthusiastic, like: "Fantastic!" or "I'm having a wonderful day!" It's true that there are some people whom this annoys--but these are people you should be avoiding anyway. (See No. 7, below.) 

6. Do what's important first.

Everybody complains about having too much to do, but few people do anything about it. As I explained in "The Surprising Secret of Time Management," 20% of your activities are going to produce 80% of your results.  So do that 20% first, before you get to the 80% of your activities that is mostly wasted time. You'll get more done, and you'll get better results.

7. Avoid negative people.

If you've been following Steps 1 through 6, you'll probably find that the most negative people in your orbit will be avoiding you, while the positive people will want to hang out with you and help you. Though it's true you can't avoid all the Debbie Downers, you can certainly find something else to do when they start grousing about stuff they won't or can't change.

8. Don't work long hours.

Long hours are simply a bad idea. For one thing, as I have pointed out before: Long hours, after a short burst of productivity, actually make you less productive. But frankly, if you've followed Steps 1 through 7, you'll be getting so much done that you won't need to work those long hours.

9. Wind down and relax.

Once you're done with the workday, fill the remainder of your hours with nonwork-related activities that bring you joy and help you relax. The analogy of "recharge your batteries" is valid. Failing to take time to relax and stop thinking about work guarantees that you'll begin the next day with a "hangover" of resentment that will leach the joy out of what can, and should be, a positive work experience. overconcentration.

10. End your day with 15 minutes of gratitude.

As I pointed out in "The True Secret of Success," exercising your "gratitude muscle" is the best way to make certain that you experience more success. Before you go to sleep, get out a tablet (paper or electric), and record everything that happened during the day about which you are (or could be) grateful.

You'll sleep better and be ready for tomorrow--which will probably be even more fabulous than today.

But What About ...

Now, I know some of this can sound like a stretch. It may take a leap of faith to give this approach a try. But before you push back too much, let me answer some of the questions I sometimes hear.

  • What if something really horrible happens during the day? You'll be much better prepared to deal with challenges than if you were already halfway to miserable--which is how most people go through their workday. 
  • What if I simply have to deal with a negative person? Tune out the negativity. Learn to shrug it off. If the negativity becomes too much of a burden, start using the extra energy you're producing to reorganize your team or (if the person is outside your company) find a different partner.
  • What if I'm too depressed to do any of this? If that's the case, you may need professional help. None of these tricks require more time and effort than making yourself miserable, however.
  • Do these tips really work? Yes.

Ren & Stimpy: Happy Happy Joy Joy

Thanks to my theater pal Jen Rusk for this reminder of my college days:

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Praise You In This Storm

I listened to the radio twice today, for about 15 minutes total. Both times the old hit "Praise You In This Storm" by Casting Crowns came on.

It reminded me of a moment that broke late last week when one of my co-workers discovered problem that could potentially have a far-ranging impact. She was understandably, and visibly, on edge.

She closed the door to my office, started to explain the many details behind it. At the end, she said "I don't know what to do..." and trailed off in a head-in-hands type of discouragement.

Cue the music...


Things are rarely as good or as bad as they seem. My breathing was steady. In this moment, nothing was more important than bringing calm into the storm.

In the next few minutes, we came up with few steps to work the problem. Action replaced worry. Faith snuffed out fear. A greater sense of peace crossed her face.

As she rose to left, she said "Thanks for not getting upset."

I said something unmemorable. So God sent me an audio reminder of reality.

Five Characteristics Of Memorable Ads

By Leslie Meredith of LiveScience.com:

If you watch live TV, ads are unavoidable and usually not very memorable. But there are always a few that break through. Why?

 There are five common characteristics that memorable ads share, according to a new Nielsen report. Ads with humor, relatable characters, a simple storyline, conversation rather than a voiceover and emotion tend to be remembered.

"The ability to create a true winning commercial is an undeniable art form, but there’s science behind it too," Joe Stagaman, Nielsen TV ad analyst said in a statement.

For instance, the latest top-remembered ad is a 30-second spot for Wendy's, the fast food chain founded by Dave Thomas and known for its square burgers. In this commercial, Thomas' daughter talks about the freshness of the chain's beef. There is no fancy filmwork — just a middle-aged woman who surely knows about the products of her namesake restaurant chain. 

Wendy now personally owns more than 30 of the franchises and became the spokesperson for the chain in 2010. 

Is it funny? Not really, aside from an opening joke about Wendy's Frosty treats, but an awful lot of moms can relate to Wendy's talk about the importance of fresh food and her fond memories of her dad. The "That's Wendy's Way" ad series featuring downhome dialogue with Wendy began running last April and now has its own website.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Anchor Accidentally Propositions Co-Worker On Live TV

Oops! The anchorman didn't know that "canoodle" means to caress or fondle... until it was much too late.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Churches And Small Groups: Reflections

Some comments from the last post, Brian Jones' article about the usefulness of small groups in churches.

Full disclosure: I used to be active in church, and am comfortable no longer belonging to a church. I still believe in God and am eternally grateful.

When my wife (fiancee at the time) and I were looking for a church home, one of the more important draws was that when we arrived at the doorstep of the church in which we eventually became members and married, we were recognized and warmly greeted by some casual acquaintances from my college days. Shortly afterward they were starting up a small group, called us personally to invite us to join, and in time we became close friends.

Those same friends invited us to join the choir with them. It was the first time I'd ever participated in a formal musical group. The learnings from that experience had a major influence on my subsequent joining of the church contemporary band for a few years, and most recently joining musical theater.

The core of our small group stayed together for ten years. I have no natural family in the area - these were the people with whom I shared philosophies, joys and concerns of life. In time, the others embraced their passion of raising children, which moved us in different directions.

There were many other factors (including several of my own personal mistakes) at play, but there could be at least a little something to the reality that I stopped attending church not long after our small group parted ways.

I've told several people through the years that to me, by nature never much of a sermon listener, Bible scholar or corporate worshiper, the small group was the heart of my church membership.

To Brians' points:

I'd agree that cookie-cutter sure-fire small group starter books may not be the best tool for everyone. Our small group did begin with one of those books. What it did was help us to break the ice by talking about our beliefs. After about a year we got away from the canned books and started coming up with our own topics.

I more strongly agree with him about leadership. It makes all the difference, there's no easy how-to for it. I think it's the greatest challenge of any small group ministry.

A greater challenge may be to introduce new members to an established group. So again I'd agree, small groups may not be much of a recruiting tool in terms of reaching out to find new prospective church members. But if personal experience teaches anything, it could be good at retaining them.

Churches And Small Groups: An Opinion

By Brian Jones.

A few years ago I brought in a nationally recognized pastor to do some consulting for our church. One of the things I remember most about my time with him was a side conversation we had about small groups.

“I haven’t really figured out the small group thing,” I confessed to him.

“Well, Brian, that’s because they don’t work. Small groups are things that trick us into believing we’re serious about making disciples. The problem is 90 percent of small groups never produce one single disciple. Ever. They help Christians make shallow friendships, for sure. They’re great at helping Christians feel a tenuous connection to their local church, and they do a bang-up job of teaching Christians how to act like other Christians in the Evangelical Christian subculture. But when it comes to creating the kind of holistic disciples Jesus envisioned, the jury’s decision came back a long time ago—small groups just aren’t working.”

“Finally,” I said, “I’ve met someone who’s got the guts to euthanize this small group sacred cow.”
I have been leading, participating in, championing, and applauding the efforts of small groups for the last 20 years of my ministry.

But now I’m done. In my opinion, they just don’t work. Let me share why.

A Flawed Starting Point

Church-initiated “small groups” begin from a flawed starting point.

For reasons that still escape me, soon after becoming a Christian at age 18, Deron Brickey, Dave Polonia, Jeff Snyder, and I started hanging out with one another.

Soon that group grew to 10 to 12 friends. We laughed together, prayed together, studied the Bible together, ate together, evangelized together, and served the poor together. Even though we had no leader, no real set meeting time, no agenda, and no plan or focus, it was through these friends that I made incredible strides toward becoming a holistic disciple of Jesus.

And it all happened by accident.

In fact, looking back on my 25 years of following Christ, here’s what I’ve noticed: Every small group I’ve ever been in that helped me grow as a disciple started by what appeared to be an accident.

I wasn’t looking for it. I wasn’t interested in joining a small group in the least. And in many respects,

I didn’t even feel a need to grow spiritually.

Most of all, I wasn’t participating in some superficial churchwide small group sign-up initiative the senior pastor dreamed up to jack up small group attendance because he heard church analysts say you should always maintain a certain ratio of worship attendees to small group participants.

It just happened, naturally and spontaneously.

Those experiences couldn’t have been planned, even if I tried. And for the most part, that’s exactly how it’s been happening in the Christian community for, say, I don’t know, the last 1,960 years. That is until we westerners, particularly Americans, started messing it up.

Well-intentioned Christians, armed with the latest insights in organizational theory, let their pragmatic and utilitarian hearts delude them into thinking they could organize, measure, and control the mystical working of the Holy Spirit in community in order to consistently reproduce disciples in other contexts.

Then these people started writing books and hosting seminars. And then church leaders like you and me bought into what they were saying because we didn’t recognize that the same faulty worldview that produced a mechanized approach to Christian community fostered a ready-made market in our hearts to consume their quick-fix solutions.

So we came home, armed with our “101 Sure-Fire Discussion Starter” books and binders full of slick recruitment techniques, and started small group ministries at our churches.

We preached powerful sermons. We cast vision. We contorted Acts 2 into saying what we needed it to say. We blathered on and on about all the “one anothers” in the Bible and about how, if we met one time a week for 1.5 hours and followed a well-conceived discussion regime, we could experience Acts 2 in all of its splendor and glory.

And what happened? You know what happened. They failed. Like big-time.

And meanwhile, while our people were constrained by their obligation to the church and their sense of loyalty to us as leaders, their hearts searched for real community and an opportunity to grow as disciples.

What would happen if we euthanized all of our small groups, taught the value of discipleship and community, and then simply let the Holy Spirit do his work?

Achilles’ Heel

When I attended my very first church growth conference in 1992, a nationally known small group “expert” stood up and said, “The way we say it at our church is, ‘If you can read, you can lead.’ If a Christian can read the questions in our study guide, he can lead a small group at our church.”

That’s easy, I thought. Too easy, in fact. And ridiculous.

“If you can read, you can lead” is a great slogan for people who organize a rugby team from your church, or your knitting circle, or the Saturday morning llama-riding group. But not for someone recognized by the community of faith as a mentor of new disciples.

The Achilles’ heel of the modern-day small group movement is simple: Small groups don’t create disciples; disciples create disciples. And modern-day small groups are led, for the most part, by people who have attended the church, had a conversion experience, led a reasonably moral life, and can read the study-guide questions, but are not disciples themselves.

American churches have lowered the bar of small group leadership to an absurd level. In fact, it’s so ridiculous most churches would be better off not even having small groups than to offer them with leaders who aren’t disciples.

The common argument against small groups is flawed. The problem with small groups isn’t that they pool the group’s collective ignorance; it’s that they pool the group’s collective disobedience. And it’s not the small group leader’s fault.

It’s the fault of the people who installed the leader and convinced him he could lead their group to a place where they themselves have not gone.

Jesus in Your Group?

Would Jesus join a small group in your church?

Think about that for a moment. Forget about your goals. Forget about your motivations for offering them. Forget about all the supposed benefits of participating in one. Do you honestly think Jesus would join, lead, or start a small group within the existing structure of your small group’s ministry at your church?

Of course not. Not a chance. Not in a million years.

Why?

Because while your people are stuck in the “hairball” of your church’s ministry (to steal Gordon MacKenzie’s great line), Jesus would be out rubbing shoulders with people in your community, helping them find their way back to God, and teaching them to obey his teachings.

Jesus would actually be doing what small groups say they want/should/need to be doing, but they can’t, because they’re too busy being a “small group” inside the confines of your small group’s ministry infrastructure.

It’s like a jogging class where the instructor, instead of taking his class jogging and commenting on technique while class members actually are jogging, stuffs everyone into a classroom and lectures to them three days a week and then gives them a final exam.

Disciples are created “out there.” Small groups, if not by their definition, definitely by their practice, all occur “in here.”

With few exceptions, modern-day small groups are great at producing:

• Christians who sit in circles and talk to one another inside a building
• people who read and comment on the Bible
• people who rant about how they long to “get out there” and do something that matters
• people who awkwardly end their time by praying for “prayer requests”
• people who go home unchallenged and unchanged.

You would think there’s a Small Groups Revised Version of the New Testament somewhere. And I quote: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore stay where you are and make Christians of the people you already know, baptizing them in the name of American consumer Christianity, and teaching them to sit in rooms with one another, read the Bible, and pray for one another. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20, SGRV).

If the Small Groups Revised Version of Matthew 28:18-20 were the stated purpose, then most
American small groups would be nailing it.

In my humble opinion, the Americanized small group is a remnant of an impotent religious institution that can’t transition effectively into a post-Christian, postmodern world.

Thank God small groups worked in some instances, and in some contexts!

But for every story of success about a small group creating an authentic disciple, my hunch is there are three times as many failures (and that just takes into account the 10 to 30 percent of church attendees who actually participate in them).

If we had time to waste, this wouldn’t be an urgent problem.

But we don’t.

You Can Do It

"Always believe that you can, and you will find that you can." - Anonymous

At various times mankind thought it silly that the world was round, that it could fly, or walk on the moon. A hundred years from now, our descendants will look back on some things we believe today and be amazed that we were so limited in our thinking.

What impossible dream do you have right now?

You may not find a way to turn yourself invisible or change motor oil into chocolate pudding, but you are more capable than you think. Chances are that you have the potential for a better day that you are currently accepting for yourself.

It starts with believing it.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Five Questions To Gauge Your Mate's Personality

The so-called Big Five personality traits known to some psychologists - extroversion, openness to new experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism - can be partially flushed out by these questions. Either about your mate, or yourself!

1. Here's $1 million. Would you quit your job? If she begins a long diatribe about how her work sucks, she might be a bit neurotic. Also take note of her usage of the word "I," which can be a red flag if it's excessive. When people are anxious, they look inward. People low in neuroticism spend more time looking outward, focusing on the environment of other people.

2. What gets you out of bed in the morning? Personal ambition and passion may be revealed through strategies, plans, and values.

3. How would you launch your dream career? Is she a procrastinator? A daydreamer? A go-getter? How she sets her goals and charts a course can reveal how she achieves in other areas of her life. Also, the nature of the dream career itself reveals something about her.

4. What was the most significant turning point you've experienced personally? Whatever defines her highs and lows, or her sense of purpose, is a barometer of her values.

5. What hurdles have you overcome in life? Is she always the victim? Does someone or something always spoil her plans? If her misfortune is always due to events beyond her control, it could be narcissism. On the other hand, blaming herself all the time could indicate a poor self-image.

A Twist Of Your Own Medicine

"Exercise is medicine, and every man needs a daily dose." - Dr. Jordan Metzl


What Are Your Five Most Precious Memories?

It's said that our most precious five memories in life are a guide to how to build our next five. Off of the top of my head, they'd be, in no particular order:

1. Draining the free throw line jumper off a press steal that capped a stunning 18-second comeback from a six point deficit in grade school. The final score was something like 26-24, so eight points in 18 seconds was amazing. No 3-pointers back then!

2. "Do you want to go out again?" Dena asked me, as we stood in her parents' driveway after our first date and said good night. I said yes, and she kissed me on the cheek. Seventeen years later, it still looks like a pretty darn good call!

3. Jen Gresens and my Walker Hall pals threw a surprise graduation party for me in my senior year. So shocked. I'd never been personally celebrated with that kind of gusto. Quite an overwhelming and humbling feeling. My college years were some of the best of my life, and little since then has come close.

4. Winning the sophomore basketball tournament last year. I've Hidden Blogged about that at great length previously. What a team.

5. Winning the alumni of the year award from Leadership McLean County. In those days working with LMC was a labor of love, and the rolling waves of appreciation that applauded the announcement was a powerful validation that I was following the right path.

If history is any guide, life will remain bright as long as I choose and treat friends well, stay around the game of basketball, and apply my passions for teaching, coaching and facilitating.

How about you?

Romeo, Romeo, Where You At Man?

"Just saw an ad for 'Improvisational Shakespeare Company.' Good idea. The problem with Shakespeare was always the writing." - Ritch Duncan

Reducing Stress By Emptying The Mind

An author once wrote about the importance of emptying the mind as an antidote for stress.

It is easily said, and makes sense. Most stress is a reaction to some dominant thought. So why not push it out?

I used to carry my work around in my head long after the office closed. Often found myself trying to solve problems while the pastor was preaching. Or into the early hours of the morning while I was supposed to be sleeping.

Over time I came up with a rule: Only think about work when at work. Mainly because when I'm away from the office, there is far less that I can actually do to resolve anything, so most of my thinking resulted in fretting, weariness, and so a spiral of diminishing productivity and increasing crabbiness, depression, etc.

It was not easy. Building habits never are. It takes faith that things can wait. Now, if I do catch myself thinking about work after hours, I say "What are you doing? This is unhealthy. What can you think about that's healthy? And while it didn't take years to master, I can say that after years of practice I'm living more happily as a result.

The good news is that the mind can be emptied by force. Shove a dream in there during the day. Or watch a bit of T.V. late at night (I find it harder to sift through my thoughts without a physical distraction when I'm so tired).

This isn't just about a job though. It is just as useful with relationships, volunteer organizations and that upcoming dentist appointment. Train yourself to live in the moment, where you are, based on things that you can actively put your hands on and do something about. It can be a fantastic cure for those of us inclined to suffer future pain.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Bald Truth

"I knew I was going bald because it was taking longer and longer to wash my face." - Harry Hill

You Will Find That You Can Cope

"Think, always think. Do not react emotionally. Use your head; think. You will find that you can cope." - Anonymous

There were not one, but two star college baseball players on the same team who, 18 months apart, experienced accidents that left them paralyzed due to broken bones in the spine.

Both have been models of unbreakable spirit.

"How is being bitter going to help me achieve my goals? There are days I want to be sad, but I can't. Have to keep moving." - J.T. Taylor

"The only difference between me and you? You're walking. I'm rolling. And I'm probably going to get there before you will! I'm still blessed with a wonderful life." - Chance Veazey

I can walk; chances are that most Hidden Bloggers can too. And we're all breathing. We have life to live today, with wonderful possibilities.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Oh, And Some Guy Too!

"Those first two people, the ones who said, 'It's a bird! It's a plane!' What were they so excited about?" - Shar Vanderworth

They're Frightenedly Delicious

By Frank Johnston:

Two great white sharks swimming in the ocean spy some surfers. The younger one licks his lips and makes a beeline for them.

"Just a minute," says his father, stopping him.

"First we swim around them with just the tip of our fins showing."

And they do.

"Now we swim around them a few times with all our fins showing."

And they do.

"Now we eat everybody."

When they are both gorged, the son asks, "Dad, why didn't we just eat them when we first saw them?"

"Because they taste better without all the poop inside."

Daily Checklist

A few meditative thoughts on little elements that would quietly add up to a really good day.

- Arrive everywhere on time.

- Give Dena at least three hugs/kisses.

- Get through the daily mail.

- Speak only respectfully of others, despite every temptation.

- Initiate more conversation about the other person than about myself.

- Speak optimistically.


Sunday, August 19, 2012

Accepting Today (And Tomorrows) With A Smile

"Each day I will accept not as another day closer to death, but as another day of life." - Terminal cancer patient

I think about some friends of mine going through tough times. One is dealing with death, one with separation, one with job stress. It would be so easy to inventory the struggles, so much less so to see a blue horizon beyond the clouds. Yet each speaks of those brighter times ahead and sets a courageous example for me.

The very fact that we have a future can fill us with so much possibility and hope.

De-Stressing

"Much of the stress in our world is a result of misunderstandings among generally well-intentioned people... Greater cooperation and harmony should be possible if we learn to understand and appreciate the ways in which others differ from ourselves." - Peter Briggs Myers


Paper Pushing For Progress

I've spent a good part of the last week mentally decompressing from the adrenaline of a couple weeks of musical performances (as the relative lack of Hidden Blog posts would suggest).

Today in a surge of energy I attacked a big pile of paperwork that had backlogged.

Now that messy pile is a neatly-arranged pile.

Gotta start somewhere.

Seinfeld Bloopers Season 9

The Best 'This is SportsCenter' Commercials

State Farm® - State of Disbelief (French Model)

Strong Connection Between Education And Life Span

If you want to know how long you will live, you might stop fretting over genetics and family history and instead look at your educational achievements. Education is certainly not the only variable associated with longer lives, but it may be the most powerful.

Recent study findings published in the journal Health Affairs present a remarkable update to the already considerable research showing education to be a powerful predictor of longer life spans.

"The lifelong relationships of education and its correlates with health and longevity are striking," the article said. "Education exerts its direct beneficial effects on health through the adoption of healthier lifestyles, better ability to cope with stress, and more effective management of chronic diseases. However, the indirect effects of education through access to more privileged social position, better-paying jobs, and higher income are also profound."

While the findings are good news for educated Americans, they also indicate that medical and lifestyle breakthroughs that have triggered the much-publicized longevity revolution are not being enjoyed by less-educated Americans whose lifespans have fallen further behind over time. This trend has implications for the debate about raising the Social Security retirement age. It also adds a compelling mortality tale to the economic costs of the nation's falling educational-achievement levels compared with other nations.

Within U.S. racial groups, educational achievement is associated with significant longevity benefits. But compared across racial groups, the longevity gap is even greater, which indicates continued race-based differences in how long Americans live. The Health Affairs article was co-authored by 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity. The research was conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society.

"We found that in 2008 U.S. adult men and women with fewer than twelve years of education had life expectancies not much better than those of all adults in the 1950s and 1960s," the article said. "When race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking."

Within racial and ethnic groups, there was a pronounced longevity benefit when comparing people with 16 or more years of school with those with less than 12 years. Among women, the differences in life expectancy at birth were 10.4 years among whites, 6.5 years among blacks, and 2.9 years for Hispanics. Among men, the gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks, and 5.5 years for Hispanics.

But the differences were more striking across all racial groups. "White U.S. men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education--14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women," the article said.

"These gaps have widened over time and have led to at least two 'Americas,' if not multiple others, in terms of life expectancy, demarcated by level of education and racial-group membership." Compared with similar 1990 measures, by 2008, the gap among men had widened by nearly a year, and among women, by more than two-and-a-half years.

"The current life expectancy at birth for U.S. blacks with fewer than twelve years of education is equivalent to the life expectancy observed in the 1960s and 1970s for all people in the United States, but blacks' longevity has been improving with time," the article said.

That hasn't been the case for whites. "White males with fewer than twelve years of education currently have a life expectancy at birth equivalent to that of all men in the United States born in 1972, while white females with similar education have the life expectancy of all women in the country born in 1964," it added. "And the longevity of these white males and females is growing worse over time."

The impact of education on lifespans is so powerful, the authors said, that improving people's health and lifestyle behaviors alone "are not likely to have a major impact on disparities in longevity." The authors called on policymakers to "implement educational enhancements at young, middle, and older ages for people of all races, to reduce the large gap in health and longevity that persists today."

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Damn Yankees: Heart

We choreographed about three trial versions of the "Heart" song. Here's one that didn't make the final cut.


Damn Yankees: Shoeless Joe

Rehearsal at Illinois Wesleyan University's Presser Hall for our mini-baseball-game shtick during "Shoeless Joe" song and dance.


Damn Yankees: The Game

Pick-up rehearsal for "The Game" scene.

Rocky: "Man her perfume sure did smell sweet, got her back to my hotel suite..."

Ballplayers: "YEAH?.... YEAH?..."


Monday, August 13, 2012

Damn Yankees: Washington Senators Team Photo

A great slugger, they haven't got... 
A great pitcher, they haven't got... 
A great ball club, they haven't got...

WHAT HAVE THEY GOT?

They've got HEART!

The American League Prairie Fire Theatre Champion Washington Senators


Front Row (L to R): Smokey (Ray Rybarczyk), Henry (Rigoberto "Rigo" Ernst), Linville (Kyle Hoffman), Nathan Morrisette, Eli Mundy, Eric Reichelt

Back Row: Vernon (Jason Coppenbarger), Bouley (Taimur Khurso), Director Jen Lumsdon, Coach Benny Van Buren (Kevin Wickart), Sohovik (Joe McDonald), Rocky (Matt Skibo), Herb Reichelt

Not pictured: "Shoeless" Joe Hardy (Chris Stanford)

Fox News Laughs As Woman Tries To Use Escalator In Wheelchair


Super Cool Bowling Awesome Trick Shots


Musical Finale

Last night the final curtain fell on our Damn Yankees production around 5:30. We had the set torn down in less than an hour.

We headed out to a lake house for an after party one last time as a cast, jammed to Rock Band, snacked and dove into the lake. Hugs and good-byes were made roundly, and it was over as simply as that.

There were no tears from me this time around like there were in Hairspray. Actually, I felt a surprising sense of freedom and happiness while driving home. Like the wife Meg without her Joe Boyd in Yankees, it was time after a good five months for Dena to have her husband home, or nine months if you count her stretch as a basketball widow dating back to last November.

I'm thankful for a new round of friendships and memories to share, and also for dozens of personal friends who came out - I'm guessing that we entertained about 600 people in all. I've learned more about dancing than I had in the rest of my combined years.

The future has returned to a clean slate, no definitive plans for a musical in sight. I've got a good book in hand, and plenty of time to get back in touch with Hidden Bloggers, with the cozy feeling of a man who's completed a great adventure.

911 Call Made By Disgruntled Drive-Thru Customer


Tuesday, August 7, 2012

German Olympic Diver Stephan Feck Flops On His Back

Sometimes, all you can say is "ouch"...

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/diving/highlights-german-diver-lands-on-back.html

Standing Up, If Not Standing Out

It was delightful to see an excellent review of Damn Yankees in our local paper today. As an ensemble dance member I found it disappointing, though not inaccurate, that a couple of us were identified as "standouts" but that I didn't make the grade.

When reviews roll in, on paper or through lips, that leave you feeling mediocre, you have a choice to quit or to improve. I'm going to improve.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Which Olympian's Body Type Do You Match?

In my case, it's either a Canadian sailor, Serbian canoer, or a judo competitor (judo player? judoist? judoer? judo wrestler? judo fighter? judo warrior?) from Azerbaijan. How about you?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19050139

Bree McMahon - One-Legged Soccer Player Overcomes Tragic Accident

I'm a little sleepy this morning and don't feel like running. Oh, wait, at least I have two legs. Yes, I will go for a run. Inspirational girl!

Scrubs - Guy Love

With thanks to Chris Stanford, the best "young Joe Hardy" around, for our impromptu performance...

The Perfect Show

It always unsettled me that in every Hairspray show I made some mistake. It might have been a mistimed verse, a dance in the wrong direction, a missing prop, a dropped line... it ate at me with each passing show right through the end. So with Damn Yankees, I've tried to reach that standard of personal perfection.

Sunday afternoon it finally happened.

Hit all my lines, even helped bail out a fellow cast member on one. Got to all the right places. Nailed every dance movement from the jazz squares, the baseball slides, and ball changes. Sang all the right notes and words. Even improvised a few new gestures that seemed to give the audience a laugh or two. Covered my scene change responsibilities quickly and noiselessly. Refrained from talking disruptively offstage.

These days I'm able to define victory peacefully, in terms of those things which I can control. For those three shining hours, I gave and delivered my best. And next weekend, God willing, the winning streak will continue.

The Raventhorne Chronicles, Episode 1

My professional voice acting debut, with all the fun and flavor of a local upstart production company.

http://pathwaysproductions.org/shows/raventhornechronicles/

Pastor Inspires Curtis Martin From Troubled Child To NFL Hall Of Famer

"I was too young to even recognize that God saving my life." - Curtis Martin

http://nfl.cpl.delvenetworks.com/player/yahoo/carousel/embed_code.html?channelId=de89a8aeb3e422bac4eb48567f10ebd0&channelListId&mediaId=38eb524c8ec7436c8375560a64dfa59f

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Dana Vollmer Overcomes Heart Condition To Break World Record

The heart of a champion is often flawed... but indomitable.

If You're Going To Do It, See The End Of It


Learning To Let Go: Gabrielle Douglas

"Life is not easy, you have to fight and refuse to quit."

We Shouldn't Stand In Our Children's Way

Yet another parent empowers her child to become a winner...