Noble Thoughts On Leadership

Written by Ivy | 22 June 2010

Twitter is such an amazing place to hang out. I've met the best people through the site and stumbled upon some of God's greatest motivators and teachers.

One of my newest favorite tweet followers is Perry Noble. He is the senior pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina. His blog has some of the best advice for those in leadership positions in a church.

Here is some advice from today's post on leadership:

- Never trust/follow a leader who isn’t willing to ask for help!  The person who tries to seem like they have it all together is usually trying to hide the fact that they are falling apart.

- Never trust/follow a leader who cannot celebrate the success of others.

- You can preach, teach and scream all you want about how God has “called you” – but don’t forget that the first thing He’s called you to is INTEGRITY!  (See I Timothy 3:1-2)

- If there ever comes a time where we feel like we’ve got nothing else to learn…it’s over!

- Leadership doesn’t mean we play it safe…it means we are the first to face our fears and embrace the unknown so that the path is cleared out for those who follow.

- Nope…it’s NOT easy, God never promised that it would be!  BUT…He did promise to be with us, sustain us and do in and through us what we could never accomplish on our own!

- Radical faith is a much greater motivator than irrational fear.

While You Were Sleeping

Written by Ivy | 09 May 2010

This post was written in 2007, when Speedy was cutting his first tooth. I thought it would be a nice post for all the mothers out there. Happy Mother's Day!

His soft snore almost harmonizes with the sound of battle coming from my husband’s PS3. I barely notice the usually overpowering sword dance sound track of most of the games he plays.

As I rock my son, I slowly take the teething ring out of his hands hoping not to wake him. The poor little guy is getting ready to cut his first tooth, and for the life of me I can’t understand why God made this so painful. It’s not like he’s going to remember it.

I’ve been told that I’m not supposed to hold my son all night long, but that advice disappears from my mind almost as soon as it’s spoken. What’s the harm in holding onto the moments I know will all too soon melt away?

I run my fingertips softly across his cheek, and he smiles. He knows I’m here, and that is the most comforting thought I’ve ever had. It’s a thought that soothes me when I’m hurting… knowing that God is looking down on me, stroking my check and holding me tightly until the pain goes away. It’s also a thought I’ve fought with in those times of need.

Often I’m not sure he’s watching. I speak, but feel no one is listening. I have been away for far too long, so long that I’m afraid to ask to come home. It’s a feeling I hope my son never has.

But while I gaze at him, I can’t help but feel our Father’s love. Look at this gift, this precious gift. This isn’t the type of gift that comes from someone who doesn’t love you. This is a personal gift. A very well thought out gift that was meant just for me. He even has my nose and my smile.

Suddenly every emotion, thought, and doubt I've ever had about God instantly disappears. He really does love me.

As I sit cradling my son in my arms, the water from the teething ring drips down my hand. It’s cold, but comforting. This makes my son feel better, so I’ll hold onto until I get frostbite if I have to. I would go get ice from the Alaskan sea if it was the only thing that would make him feel better.

I realize now, as a parent, the true definition of unconditional love. There is nothing this little guy could do to make me not love him.

I used to doubt God’s love. I used to say there had to be a limit. I used to ask, just how many times can I sin before God says he’s had enough? I used to think I had passed that invisible line and that my grace had run out.

But now I know first-hand there is no limit, no invisible line. This thought is all I need to finally make that call home.

And God, thanks for waiting by the phone. It’s almost as if you knew I was going to call.

Special Report: A Sliver of Hope

Written by Ivy | 09 April 2010

I come to this WTF Friday with a heavy heart. I know I said WTF Friday would return this week after a break for the Easter weekend, but I just can't bring that silly, sarcastic side of myself out today.

You see, a few hours from where I sit, more than a two dozen families are in pain right now.

Earlier this week, an explosion deep underground killed 25 miners, sent two to the hospital, and left another four trapped deep underground where rescuers have been struggling to reach them. Seven of the 25 men killed in the blast were brought out on the first day, identified and handed over to their families. A few of the funerals for those men are planned for today. Officials say 18 bodies have been found in the mine as rescuers attempt to reach the four who are unaccounted for, most of those bodies have yet to be identified. The focus is finding the four missing men who may still be alive.

More than a dozen families sit at this moment wondering if their loved one is one of the four unaccounted for. Rescuers wait anxiously for a chance to re-enter the mine after being pulled out twice for dangerously explosive gas levels and once, this morning, for the discovery of heavy smoke. Each time the teams are sent in, they get closer to the remaining rescue chamber where the four unaccounted for men may be. The hours of possible life for those men are dwindling.

Reports from officials say there is a "sliver of hope" that the men survived the horrific explosion. To a family, a "sliver of hope" is enough to get through each moment that passes. A "sliver of hope" holds your head up and your eyes open as the hours turn into days. When you don't know if your loved one is dead or alive for four days, a "sliver of hope" holds the weight of the world.

I covered the SAGO mine disaster a few year ago, before leaving the world of journalism to raise my son. I was fortunate to be assigned to cover the lone survivor, Randal McCloy. Doctors said he had little hope of surviving after 41 hours trapped underground. In fact, one doctor told me he needed a miracle to recover. That sliver of hope was enough to keep his wife by his side, his family praying for a miracle, and a community focused on the one glimmering chance to have some sort of happy ending to the situation.

Randal McCloy walked out of that hospital months later with his wife by his side.

There something special the world needs to know about West Virginians. We never give up. We fight for our lives when there is only a "sliver of hope" of surviving. We hold on to our faith when there is only a slight chance of seeing our loved ones alive again. We pray and pray and pray when we hear another West Virginian, another human being, is in danger.

Just drive through any part of the state right now. You'll see signs that read "Pray for our Miners." You'll hear conversations between fellow West Virginians almost always ending in "we need to pray." You'll see porch light after porch light on in support for the families and as a sign of hope that we still believe in miracles. Check out the facebook page created to rally prayers and support for the miners and their families. You'll see message after message of hope. Each bad report that comes, each time the rescuers are turned around, the faith only grows. We all know there is a chance one or all of those four missing men made to a rescue chamber. We all know that if they were alive after the explosion, they fought to get to safety.

You see, we're West Virginians and a "sliver of hope" is all we need.

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Photo created by LKP, a fan of the Facebook page. Thanks LKP for showing your support with this graphic! Get ahold of me so I can link to you.

What Happens After You Become A Christian?

Written by Ivy | 08 April 2010

From the first day I became a worship leader, one huge weakness has become evident. I don't know the Bible that well. I know I have a lot of faith. I know I love the Lord and love praising His name. I don't, however, know much beyond the gospels.

So I decided to start a reading plan to learn more of God's Word. I turned to my favorite online Bible site and iPhone app, Youversion, for some guidance. There are 31 plans to choose from, each offering a very different experience with the Bible. So I decided to start with the One-2-One reading plan, which aims to help guide you to a life of discipleship.

There is a great story told on the first day of the reading plan about a minister who reached out to high school students. The moral of the story was that the minister would mentor the kids after they made the Lord their Savior. This hit home for me, because too often I hear stories about churches focused so tightly on coming to Christ that the follow-up is kind of overlooked. What do you do after you turn your life over to Christ? How do you live as a Christian?

Well, this reading plan lays out a good beginning, and backs up with scripture.

1. Stop trusting in yourself and your own good works, and start trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. -- Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)

2. Turn away from everything the Bible calls sin.

But the foundation that God has laid is solid. On it is written, “The Lord knows who his people are. So everyone who worships the Lord must turn away from evil.” -- 2 Timothy 2:19 (CEV)

3. Attend a small group for personal discipleship and weekly worship services.

Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer. -- Hebrews 10:25 (CEV)

4. Read and obey your Bible every day.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. -- Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

5. Tell others about your new relationship with Christ.

Jesus said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town. -- Mark 5:19–20 (MSG)