Been doing this book study with a few New York friends of mine who moved to FL “just in time for the hurricanes”. The book “The Problem of Life with God” by Tommy Nelson is such a good reminder of so many things we as humans just forget every single day. Like what you ask? Well, like “a day will come in God’s sovereign plan when you will receive a phone call telling you that your parents are dead. Your time will be to weep. BUT it won’t last forever because there will be a time when you will get a big promotion or finally move into your dream home, and then you will laugh. Solomon says life is going to be like this and there is ABSOLUTELY nothing you can do about it” In our every day life, we have to remember what Solomon was trying to tell all who would eventually read Ecclesiastes, “Don’t let what you can’t control destroy what you can enjoy.” With that said, I find out this past weekend, in the best marriage conference I’ve ever been to that I have “control tendencies” check out my print out….

The facilitator Mark Gungor (he was HI-LA-RIOUS) said that control/fun people are the best leaders because they want to get things done right but have fun while they do it. This is called the Flag Page and in the middle (A) that says Inspirational, that means bottomline I want to inspire people and be inspired. (B) Sincere at heart - means I am real and don’t like fakes around me, kinda can smell ‘em a mile away and go yuk!, (C) Tons of confidence…well, hey I gotta believe in myself don’t I, (D) Thoughtful meaning I don’t stab you in the heart when I have to tell you something that may hurt amongst other things and finally (E) Organized is hey…I like things in order and function better when I am organized and those around me don’t mess with my system. You can have your own crazy system whatever works for YOU but don’t touch my desk, or files, or notes.
Me and my husband were really similar in the way we relate to the outside world but his score was 208 in the FUN section and 126 in the Peace section. Meaning, he is one PARTY HARDY kind of guy but wants peace in the “can’t we all just along” kind of philosophy. Ah, we are perfect for each other.

So in a nutshell, since I got those control issues (not a control freak just a mini version of one LOL) I need to remember Solomon’s words. Do I get an AMEN?

I have submitted my concept paper again for approval. This is round 2. Hopefully it will be approved. I find that there aren’t many Latino voices out there…at least who are writing about the Latino leadership crisis. So far, my working title is Leading with Spirit: The Leadership Challenge of Latino Progressive Pentecostals for Urban Social Transformation in South Florida. Yikes! They may tell me to cut it short, so I may call it–Leading with Spirit: Toward the Development of a Latino Leadership Model for Urban Social Transformation. If you know of any really cool leadership models that are working and can be replicable in the Latino community, please let me know. I’ll keep you posted.

As I start to DIG AND DIG for material for what I could do my dissertation on, I am finding some good stuff. Here a study on United Methodist women in ministry.

I have been working alongside my husband for many years. It all started in singles ministry then youth ministry and then other general work in the church. Check out what this article has to say about clergy couples here. My husband and I wrote this many years ago while in youth ministry. What do you think about clergy couples?

I had a conversation with a friend recently about pornography. I won’t go into the details of it but the main issue is that so many people in the church don’t deal with this. Ok, they don’t deal with it with men so FORGET about mentioning that this is a woman problem too. Christianity Today has written about it (here). Online pornography is commonly portrayed as anti-Christian and anti-women - but why, then, are so many women viewing it? In fact, why are so many Christian women viewing it? Since when has porn become a product of choice for Christian women who are using the internet?

Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer reports:

[I]n recent years, the accessibility, affordability and anonymity of the Internet have made pornography undeniably attractive to millions of women. While some women simply find it exciting, others have battled addictions and other problems. … Nearly one in three visitors to adult Web sites is a woman, according to Nielsen Net Ratings. … The editors of Today’s Christian Woman, an evangelical magazine, had heard anecdotes of churchgoing women getting hooked on pornography, so they conducted a survey asking readers of their online newsletter if they had intentionally visited porn sites. Thirty-four percent said they had.

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There are a whole bunch of sites to help with this but what I wish for is pastors and leaders to talk about it from the pulpit not like a dirty little secret and further, that once someone tells us about their struggle that we don’t judge. We live in a very very sexual society. I have to work hard to keep my mind in the right place why would I think differently for my pastor, my minister friends, etc. Geesh. The struggle is real and we as leaders in the church need to talk about ALL the struggles not just the ones that are socially acceptable.

The North American church as american businesses tend to hire or put into leadership people for their strengths and then beat them up for what they’re not good at. At least that is what Reggie McNeal says in his book “The Present Future-Six Tough Questions for the Church”. “We call staff members for what they bring to the table, then give them poor evaluations for what they told us to begin with that they weren’t good at and didn’t enjoy doing. We recruit volunteers for their strengths and then focus on what they don’t get done to our satisfaction.” He goes on to say “The perfectionism of the North American church rears its ugly head here. It not only militates against grace, it also makes it hard for pastors, staff, volunteer servants, and leaders even to admit to weaknesses, thereby making it harder to celebrate their unique strengths and contributions.” This book has been pretty good. He questions lots of the standing philosophy of ministry in the North American church and challenges leaders to be “in school” all the time. Not necessarily formally but always learning. Don’t you just hate it when people think they know everything already.

This movie looks like it is going to be a good one. While I was at the movies and watching the previews this one came on. Two quotes from the movie made me say I gotta see it. For more on the movie read this (make sure to click on “continue with Polar Express Preview”). Here are the quotes,

“One thing about trains, it doesn’t matter where they are going. It’s deciding to get on” and “Sometimes the most real things in life are the things you cannot see.”

This past Saturday, I went to the movies with my boys. The movie we saw was Shark Tale. To understand the politics behind it read this. The movie was cute. I could have waited for the DVD but it was cute. Made me laugh and yes, my mind always finds correlations between fact and fiction. There were a few of those characters I’ve bumped into in my real life. An Oscar who is looking to make it big not feeling like he is much of anything-you find these in both the church and the workplace. The fancy good looking fish (person) who only wants you for your money (or your status, etc). The person who loves you just the way you are. The good natured Lenny who just wants to be what he is and not fit in to a role carved out for him. No longer wanting to wear a mask he rather disappear. Alot like the post-congregational exodus of believers who leave to KEEP the faith because they are in danger of losing it if they stay. Oh, it was a very cute movie. A nice message and most probably you won’t get the church message I did out of it LOL. Go see it!

By the way, my husband and I decided not to become the pastors of a new english church within an AG spanish church. When we discussed it we felt it would be contrary to what we wanted to do because the English church would still be part of the Spanish church (one church) and we didn’t agree with lots of the organizational policies. It would have been a role but not fully expressive of what we believe God wants “us” to do for the people of South Florida. So we continue to try to find a place.