The Difference Between Plans and Preparation

As a leader (you are one, if you know anyone- because you influence them, and leadership is influence, you can suck at it or you can practice it) you are obligated to see things from a different perspective than your fellow man.
Recently graduating from college and having my first shot at working full time (usually more than full time) I have received tons of advice, books, and various paraphernalia all trying to get me to advance in life, most of all this, is goal-oriented. I have found however that goals, when that's all you have, turn men into monsters. We focus on getting stuff done, and not the journey and adventure the goal creates. This is not to say we are not to have goals- in fact I have them, however I have taken the next necessary step to "lay out my pack" for the next day's hike.
In boy scouts, they teach you about the ten essentials- ten items that are needed to sustain human life outside of cities. So whenever we'd hike, whether it be a day hike or a 50 miler, we would have those things (of course in larger quantities for the 50 miler). Which brings me to my point- how big are your goals? Are they God-given? Then why have you not taken the necessary steps to prepare for them? Setting aside daily prayer time for them? Securing non-wavering devotion everyday by getting on your knees and in the Word to expect revelation and strength from God? I look at my goals and they are far off, but I know at least one is up in 3 years, am I any closer to becoming the man necessary to meet it? This particular one requires such passion and zeal for God, as well as a complete revamping of my character before Him- and I rely on Him to do that, but I also know that it would be much less difficult a surgery if I let it take place over time and not wait until the last minute. In real life, late night homework assignments suck just as much as in school life- but the importance of these assignments are one-hundred fold what they were in academia. When you grow, do it evenly in the five purposes, it takes longer, but you will have a wider, safer expanse to praise God throughout.

Rick Warren With a Baseball Bat

Is standing on the corner of Purpose Drive and Portola Parkway saying, "Quit hiding behind your blogs and come see some of Jesus' love!"

Well he doesn't really have a baseball bat, but I'm sick of (I won't name them) theologians, bungholes, and people who spend way too much time with their bibles and not Jesus on the internet bagging on Rick Warren and Saddleback Church for "watering down" the Gospel. Just because we don't launch our God-given cruise missles against each other (other Christian Churches)'s theology instead of following the charge of loving those around us doesn't make us people worthy of getting goobers handing out tracts on the worship center stairs.
The smug retorts of a certain pastor with a blogwalking around the campus saying they went up to every gang of teenagers who looked like they "needed the Gospel" just to find they have bibles in their hands but didn't quite know their stuff- come and get ME, don't pick off the weak ones in your pharisetical (I made it up- mixture of 'pharisee' and 'parenthetical') eyes just to prove that "there's no fruit" at this "feel-good-gospel" church.
Come talk to me, come email my parents, come talk to my friends who all in many different ways have been brought to a point of maturity while attending this church, even my own brother who I tried with your awesome-pharisee tactics for three years to get him to go to church, then finally by God working through his peers at Saddleback Church now has brought him to a point where I would weigh his heart against any of you playa haters and he's 16. Wanna know why? Because at Saddleback Jesus invaded that heart- and that's all you need to know.

mrworfengage@gmail.com
-come and get me, quit lobbing grenades like a wuss and have a true knife fight of love.

Tearing It Up From the Pulpit

In preparation for the 40 Days of Love campaign, I am sitting down with my small group tonight and asking them to do some homework alongside me. Before we take this love to the streets I want to move from a place of strength, and unfortunately these weak and frail bodies are all we got. So in an effort to secure the fence before we move forward, I'm starting a preliminary campaign using my Boy Scout Badges as the guiding factors (Personal Management and Personal Fitness mostly). We often have this ultimate goal and plan for our lives, but when asked what it is we often give the "right" answer, "To bless God and love Him." To me this is so ambiguous, and it allows for our vision to become clouded. God wouldn't just plop us on this earth without a distinct plan that He would explain to us. This is not to say I went into my backyard one day and the bush was on fire and it told me the blueprint for my life, this IS to say, I have been given certain things I'm privy towards (for me: Filmmaking, scriptwriting, lesson plans) I'm not GREAT at these because I don't practice them, I let lesser priorities rule over me so much more often. Those lesser priorities can be controlled when we organize and properly manage our lives- once this is conquered, we will find it easier to step out in faith and thus increase in our love of God and others.
For me, I need to get control over my spending on food, a set allotment for fast food, and for groceries and I cannot exceed those amounts. Also setting realistic goals for finishing books, finishing editing projects, and also stopping this stupid idea that if I wait and think about a script or a movie longer it will be better. This is war, I need to start shooting back, and not worrying I'll be out of bullets later on- God will provide (haven't you played video games? Just destroy the boxes and you'll find some).

Basically: gain control of your life and then when the campaigns come, we will be focused and dedicated to the mission, and not our own pursuits.