Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category


can I see your ETHOS?

Saturday, April 18th, 2009
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My 3rd son was our first to join a mental sport, not football but robotics. While I was happy for he and his friends to have all the gifts that being part of a sport brings to ones character, I met -more- at my first standing in their midst.

I was instantly overcome by the feeling, vibe or ETHOS in the room. I had never felt or seen anything like it in a competition based group setting. As a disclaimer I will say that I directed youth groups and camps for years and am no stranger to the world of kids, teams and to the “how to compete” discussion.

Instantly while standing in the room of robotics students, I was aware of JOY. calm joy. not zany and chaotic kids vying for attention. CREATIVITY. not wacky emo stuff where kids strive to be different and yet are just like the other dressed in black purple haired kids they hang with. The kids dressed with creative self expression. non-emotionally expressive engineer types did the macarena. they named their own teams: exploding bacon, thunder chickens , chipenguineers, cheesy poofs and the like. INTELLIGENT Read more...



what is your C.Q. ?

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
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I LOVE I.Q. tests. I love the information on emotional intelligences E.Q..I think about integrity quotient I.Q. I love to study people, groups, interdependence, interaction, culture, birth orders, temperaments, learning styles and the like.

As i have progressed from being a staff ministry leader in an organized church setting, to its structurally opposite: organic community, I have discovered that there is indeed a “COMMUNITY QUOTIENT”.

A community quotient is a measure of ability to live in community.

It is a powerful life skill.

Taken from the simple observation of folks who have learned to live in community along with me I can look back and assess Community Quotient Characters:

1. Humility-understanding oneself as an vital part of a whole. Humility ultimately leads to all of the proceeding C.Q’s. Humility naturally kills competition and consumption mindsets, replacing them with collaboration and giving. A community mindset is the antithesis of a consumption mindset-the 2 cannot coexist. It is the soil in which another can Read more...



canned peas living

Monday, February 23rd, 2009
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I was at my parent’s home for a recent holiday. My parent’s parents were immigrants and so my parents earned all they have the good old hard workin’ way. They LOVE to tell stories of the past as much as i love for my children to hear them.

People who work hard for their things often value them more than their actual market value; creating what we fondly call ‘pack rats’. Grandpa and Grandma’s basement will be the worlds greatest estate sale some day complete with old post cards, cubs beer cans, kirby vacuum parts, cigar boxes, wooden toys that were too good to play with, tools and old magazines that look like newspapers.

Seated around the fireplace, my kids and I were reading some of these old newspaper/magazines. WOW. so funny. The women wore aprons, pantyhose, pumps and pearls at home while cleaning; cigarettes were cool for men, women were about the home and ‘it’s man’, and all the ads were about items that made the woman’s job easier-hence “to make the mans castle shine!. EASY. More convenient. Read more...



when the least become the greatest

Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
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The world is changing soo fast. Dramatic change in every system. If you don’t see it, you feel it. Its exciting. Its scary.

My current thought about our “flattening” world is stuck in this concept i was first taught about as a young good catholic girl wearing tights and ponytails: there is a place or time or kingdom where “the least becomes the greatest, and the last the first”.

“The least” have strengths only incurred by their trials. They understand their need to survive as a unit. They grow inner strengths to overcome by mere human will. They are not enslaved to things or safety. They learn feel hurt and pain. They are know how to survive. As victims alive they can build unbeatable systems. Unbeatable to any other than their own grandchildren, that is. Ungratefulness is weakness.

The greatest become dependent upon certain props to survive. Most current greats are generations into their safe and encumbered lives. They often lack ability to face pain and hurt, so easy to buy joy. They become far too independent and Read more...



why nobody?

Thursday, December 18th, 2008
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Back in 2005 LWA had a speaking tour named the NOBODY tour, prior to our Stop Consuming Campaign, which some of you have heard of. Not many more than nobody were part of the Nobody Tour, but you gotta start somewhere. I still love the name nobody…..

i love the name nobody for in my mind it attempts to take back a truer definition of success than our culture defines as success.

I want to have eyes that laser in at the great in the somebody God created in everybodybut that the world puts in a garbage can and labels as nobody. I hear so many people feel like “nobodies” :

nobody =

is a child who does have one adult that they are crazy important to
is the feeling of one with great spirit -left unheard
is the uncredited woman behind a great man
is the man of greatness left disrespected
is any of great heart and noble means
is one who has great invention yet unvalued
one of great words-yet unread
those who move mountains with prayer
one of great intelligence-without a pedigree
a beautiful Read more...



live WHY-do HOW

Sunday, September 7th, 2008
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true or false:

1. all questions are valid ( whether innocent or cutting and sarcastic)
2. there are sometimes “front questions” (or question pt 1 of 6)
3. which cover up “the real question”(often non intentionally)
4. they have a personal feeling behind them (true, think about it)
5. they provoke thought (some people dont like that)
6. they can be good answers. (i learned that from jesus)
7. they can highlight or mask (intentionally)
8. the feelings and reason= attitude behind the question, shapes the question
9. a question can reveal true feelings and reasons (question behind the question)
10. the question is therefore far more powerful than their innocent face

all true.
—————–
a question is very powerful. it is a window into a brain. it is a hand that can move a thought.

a question is very important. especially when shaping a vision.
—————–
have you ever thought.”why doesnt he Read more...



Happy Labor Day

Sunday, September 7th, 2008

Its Labor Day. The day nobody works…thats so odd. Shouldn’t we call it National Picnic Day, or Non-Labor day? Any-whoo… It gave me a chance to check out where Labor Day came from and why we actually ‘celebrate’ [ I use that term loosely] the day.

At the turn of the century the Central Labor Union, based out of New York City, decided to create a day to celebrate the social and labor accomplishments of American citizens. This took place around the turn of the century, about the same time Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day Lewis squared off for control of NYC.

So now you know the thrilling history of another American holiday that gives us all a legitimate excuse to stay up late, and sleep in late. It actually got me thinking about our work ethic, here in the states, and how generation X & Y views all it life in general.

We have become a nation of reapers. You know, like reaping and sowing. A nation designed not around work ethic and grindin’ in out, but a nation of consumers. It is so pervasive in our society that we nay not even realize Read more...



consumerism breeds apathy

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
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i am a people watcher. not the outside, but the insides, which reveal themselves. i am an observer and a listener.

i have gleaned little cues from behaviors, im sure you have too…
observed amongst a bunch of us who are growing and good people
..ways we are….things we do and say…. behaviors i see that made me ponder…..why?…what’s happening? to my generation. we exhibit:

low expectation of self
high expectation of others
low self esteem
high desire of control and position
burdened leaders
un-powered members
indifferent to the grossest of global need
desiring to be taught more than to learn
most people too busy to help
rich but no expendable income
loving with an agenda
more critical than grateful
sense of entitlement
independent mindset greater than whole group mindset
need of external joy
boredom within excess
being hungry and obese
addicts who who have graduated from the best help programs
lack of self Read more...



the freezing point of a leader

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
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my son is studying chemistry in college, he wrote me yesterday to tell me that he has 3 labs.
yes, the lab. hands on independent discovery. theory tested. reality defined. problems solved.
most of us like the lab part of class.
cool equipment. dangerous work, bunson burners, safety goggles, chemicals that explode and burn and do cool stuff.
important work
discovering life
and death
and how it all works in between

in my own lab of life i have noticed :

that leaders have a freezing point.

anyone of of us, when leading

just like water, alcohol or oxygen
there are freezing points in our lives:
places
where one moment we were one way
and the next…
……………we are are very different
our old alive, moving, working as made to be
becomes frozen………….

oh, we swear we will never freeze

and then in frozen state
its too late
only the unfrozen
can rescue us

it looks like this in my living Read more...



covering our crap

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

the shema house, where the LWA guys live and i work at, is quiet this week.

perfect opportunity for me to throw away some garbage that weve collected, mostly old sofas and random stuff people give us as hand me downs, which is thoughtful, and the reason that it is hard to get rid of old crap. inevitably someone will give reason as to why we should hold onto this or that just a little more.

i understand. but i also see the need for occasional executive decision. i did the same when my kids were little. we together decided to give away some of our one hundred stuffed animals to other kids who may have none. as we went thru the animals in order to share our over abundance of bunnies, cute puppies, beanie babies and pokemon, the children loved each one and found reason to keep each one, and “gave” what amounts to “not giving” a couple of animals from their cedar chest home. the animals were not played with, or even remembered until it was time to give them away. my lesson in learning to give was failing. and i gave up. i let the kids give what Read more...