Love Without Agenda » Spirituality

Love threw Cheerios on the ground

Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:46:11 +0000

Those little moments of Love without Agenda added up over time
weave together a pattern a Love for others to see: a Legacy.

My Aunt, Sister Carol Ann reminded me of the legacy my dad has given us, when she told me how she saw great love when he threw Cheerios on the ground.

My Dad is a man of little words and lots of actions of love. His large tudor style home hosts all of our family gatherings, beautiful inside and out, built on a former nursery lot. Well kept, he does all of his home care himself, working as an expression of love for all who enter.

One holiday as the family gathered around the kitchen table for appetizers, drink and pre dinner chat, my Dad, serving everyone and awaiting my “late as usual” arrival with Jacob-then 1yrs old, took Cheerios and scattered them on the just cleaned floor right in front of the guests. (yes, he cleaned the floor, gramma cooks)

“Pat, why are you tossing Cheerios on the floor?”

“Oh, Jacob likes to dust buster vacuum them up with me and so when there is no dirt on the Read more...

Becoming a Heretic (Thanks to Seth Godin)

Brad Siefert — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:44:08 +0000

If anyone out there still hasn’t at least skimmed Seth Godin’s landmark book “Tribes” please run out and do so immediately. Seth Godin has become one of the leading people in the world at seeing how the present is shaping the future—and in his book Tribes, he talks about how small, medium or even gigantic Tribes, are shaping the future. Apple fanboys are a tribe, tv.WineLibrary.com is a tribe, TED is a tribe, the Church is a tribe, shoot even Al Qaeda is a tribe. Tribes happen because “people” (read leaders) see something that can be better, something that is incomplete or something that your passionate about and those leaders (plus a small cadre of friends and like-minded cohorts) laud, sweat, work for, beg, borrow, and or steal to make that change or progress happen.

One prerequisite for being a leader of a tribe seems to be being a heretic on at least one level or another. Now I know that the overwhelming majority of people that just read the word heretic, their minds just ran to their favorite Church leader they like to bash or someone who’s theology Read more...

LWA @ North Park University

Brad Siefert — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:34:34 +0000

LWA cofounder Jimmy Spencer Jr., was a featured speaker at Christian university North Park University in Chicago, IL. Spencer passionately shares his personal & theological thoughts behind his founding Love Without Agenda including:

Spencer’s heart for people and their pattern, Spencer’s take on the meaning of life, & Spencer’s observations and perspective about Jesus may shock you.

Hear founder of Love Without Agenda talk about his life & ideas towards building a better world for people.

A Letter from Jesus about Christmas

Jimmy Spencer Jr. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:50:14 +0000

I’m a practicing Christian…although Love Without Agenda isn’s faith based– I do recognize the powerful foundation faith can provide for loving others—this is a note my friend Andrew Wood posted and I really like it’s sentiment…and since I’m a Christian & it so captures LWA’s spirit — I think its appropriate for me to share this here– Love you all….Spencer

A ‘Letter’ from Jesus about Christmas

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put Read more...

LWA & Faith (Neue Magazine repost)

Jimmy Spencer Jr. — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:24:13 +0000

I wrote this as a featured article for a christian leadership magazine called Neue Magazine (NeueMagazine.com)that asked me to explain my personal view on Love Without Agenda and my faith… hope you enjoy

“I don’t want to talk about church.”

Thats what she said. Didn’t blink. Didn’t smile.

She just picked up some food and said “thank you”–and went on her way.

My co-founder had met her at work. They both picked up morning shifts to have health insurance. Kim was a really nice lady. Friendly, chatty, always willing to make pleasant small talk about work or what here kids were up to.

Thats why her statement caught me off guard. It was like a religious preemptive strike. A warning shot across my proverbial bow….the message was simple.

“Your a nice guy, and I appreciate the help— but don’t try to get me to join anything”

I got the message loud and clear. In fact, the more I get involved with my neighborhood’s life, the more I Read more...

“Playing Church” article from Neue Magazine

Jimmy Spencer Jr. — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:11:17 +0000

I was very happy to see the folks over at Neue Magazine (www.neuemagazine.com) reposted an article I did for them last year about “Playing Church.” It’s an article about my journey of faith, and me realizing that building a church wasn’t he only way for me to discover my purpose. I hope you all like it. Check the article out on Neue’s very cool book viewer on their site and post what you think.

Church Leadership Questions

Jimmy Spencer Jr. — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:51:21 +0000

My Church Leadership Questions:

1. What is the one thing I need to know about leadership?

Leaders are people who can actually take the words of Jesus and apply it to real life situations. This guides their process of a million different things like conflict resolution, making financial decisions, and how to craft vision. The better a person accomplishes patterning their life after Jesus to guide them in everyday matters…the better leader they will become.

2. What do I need to watch for?

ego. the world will tell you that “your great”…you may be great, but remember who’s playbook your reading out of. Dont buy into your own hype machine—if you do you will diminish as a leader

3. If there is one verse or quote you would tell every leader to hold to their heart what would it be?

The Shema—Duet 6:4 and Mark 12: 29-31

4. What has been the hardest thing in your leadership journey?

Learning to undo most of the “muscle Read more...

steeped

Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:43:08 +0000

steeped. to be immersed in something so that it is re-created.
green tea leaves steeped in water=my morning tea.

as a child i was steeped in school system during the school year, language and math

for the summer it was dreams i was steeped in as i played outside from dawn to dusk

as a new wife it was making him better and being the woman i should be

as a mom it was my boys, steeped in discovering they are and how to help them be all they are to be

in the suburbs it is: our home.

when i had less it was surviving, when i had more it was thriving.

in spiritual life it is sacrifice and service.

i suppose this is life, in part: to create a place within this big bad world for people to be steeped in the breathing in and out of love. one where people act out as they seem to be made to be. where they focus on what to give, not to get. where they love without an agenda. where help is given to one in need. one where emotions are as physical, both in need, both feel pain, both heal and give life.

there are so many causes Read more...

Did I help you pack for Sunday?

Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:43:52 +0000

first i packed a hospital bag; ready for that day i would touch you.
then i packed your diaper bag; ready for anything a day would bring.
even placed in there things to help you grow; toys and books that sing.
then i packed your lunch bag with preschool treats and little notes to get you through the change.
later i packed your backpack, making sure you’d be okay while away for an entire day. quarters for emergencies that need a cookie or some milk.
then we packed your sports gear, so that you wont get hurt. everything as the coach said, not less, not more.
we packed for vacations: some five star hotels, some tents in the woods.
i showed you to pack for the “unforseen” happenings, useful items like duct tape and safety pins, hold things together in a pinch. jumper cables in the car and emergency phone numbers in your cell.

we learned to pack our insides, too. our emotions and character needed to grow ready too.
we learned to pack for a big big life, where we have a part to give to. we learned that its far more Read more...

canned peas living

Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:48:06 +0000

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...