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Blog Articles motivation

When things change, find a new melody

As I get older, it’s fun to see friends and peers reinventing themselves. Pivoting has been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic and many people have done just that. I wrote this article about two musicians that found their place during the pandemic.

Jay and Amy Rouse Find a New Melody

I especially like one piece of advice Jay gave to musicians. It is something we can all benefit from.

Jay encourages [musicians] to plan, but be flexible. “It’s everybody’s motto these days. And it’s never been truer: live with open hands.”

Article: Jay and Amy Rouse Finds a New Melody

Our best-laid plans were upended in 2020. Everyone has had to find a way to live and work in an alternative way. Some of us have struggled while others have been able to make it work. Resilience and the willingness to change have made a big difference when it has felt like the world was falling apart.

Life rarely goes the way we hoped it would. There are happy surprises as well as unpleasant ones. The future is rarely as predictable as we would like to think it is. Even as there are signs of improvement in COVID vaccines and the economy, we will face some setbacks along the way.

Live with open hands. Find a new melody. Be flexible. It is great advice now and will be great advice in the near and distant future.

Categories
writing

Is there healing with COVID-19?

As I write this, it has been a year since everything went into lockdown. As a result, we began to realize a virus was going to dominate our lives for the rest of the year. We’ve heard quite a few stories of lives lost, families struggling with finances, and squabbles about how to bring a pandemic under control.

But I had the opportunity to interview a friend who went through a very nasty bout of COVID in December and January. It was published it in early March.

Through the Watches of the Night: A COVID-19 Testimony

It is both an article about the serious effects of this disease and an inspirational story about hope and a very special Christmas morning.

About the time this happened. A dear uncle and aunt of my wife had the disease. Our aunt didn’t make it. The uncle continues to deal with the devastating effects of this disease. It’s been a continual reminder to me that this virus is nothing to be trifled with.

Do miracles happen even today? Yes, they can happen even with COVID-19. Therefore, if someone you know, or you are struggling with this disease, keep fighting and keep hope alive. This scourge can be overcome.

However, I didn’t write this to downplay the severity of the pandemic. I know people are suffering. After all, my interviewee didn’t have a smooth ride through the ordeal. She was challenged like she never had been before. But she made it!

In conclusion, I had a Zoom call with her and her husband the other day. She continues to heal; she is on the mend. I pray that others that have faced the physical and financial challenges of COVID-19 will experience similar inspirational stories of miracles, hope, and recovery.

Categories
Blog Articles

Are rebirth and renewal possible?

Rebirth and Renewal Baptism in a pool Sarasota, FL

We get excited about new things. Our culture likes the latest and greatest. But are rebirth and renewal possible? Is it better to reinvent and bring something to life?

In church culture, a church plant gets attention. However, you rarely hear about a church restarting after several years. Based on an article I wrote, I’d say rebirth and renewal are just as exciting.

Rebirth and Renewal in Sarasota

A couple whom I know and have worked with have relaunched a church in Sarasota, Florida. There’s something special about restarting something that appeared to be over. Restarting can be just as exciting as beginning something new. This couple is doing something special in sunny Florida. If you live in the area, I’d encourage you to visit them.

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church cartoons technology cartoons

How to have a bad virtual church board meeting

Cartoon of a man at a laptop. he says, "Welcome to the virtual church board meeting... Ed, in your frame, we can only see your big nose."

It’s too easy to have a bad virtual meeting. We’ve all had to learn how to frame ourselves in a camera. Some have learned to adjust. Others have had some major faux pas.

A few weeks ago, a Texas lawyer had such a problem. He couldn’t figure out how to turn off a cat filter during a legal hearing. Many parents chuckled about that one. Yet many also secretly thought, “When I share a computer with my kid, I hope she doesn’t do that to me.” Perhaps the kids are getting back at us for times we’ve used technology to spy on them.

You may know how to have a bad virtual church board meeting. But what are some ways to have a good meeting?

  • Make good use of the mute button when you aren’t speaking
  • Remember you have the mute button on and turn it off before you speak!
  • Consider the lighting. If you can’t see yourself very well in the screen because the lighting is too bright, you may want to do something about it.
  • Give the speaker feedback with positive gestures such as a smile and a nod when they make a point
  • Pay attention and stay focused on the meeting
  • Turn off notifications before you share a screen

Two more tips; pay attention to how close or far away you are from the camera… and keep your nose clean!

Cartoon of a man at a laptop. he says, "Welcome to the virtual church board meeting... Ed, in your frame, we can only see your big nose."

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

Categories
Christianity motivation

Two churches from two cultures make a huge impact

Salvador Hernandez, pastor of Centro Cristiano, preaches at Shartel Church of God

I had the pleasure of interviewing two pastors that are making a big impact in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Two Cultures, Two Churches—One in Christ

What impressed me about these two churches is how they work together. Cooperation is a big skill that pays big dividends. But it seems like our world attempts to keep us all from cooperating. Therefore, you don’t have to look far to find news about someone who refuses to work with others. Stalemates and quagmires seem to be preferable to getting anything done. It can feel like the world is in a hostile takeover.

However, progress and solutions require negotiations and compromise. It’s how teams are formed and do anything effective. As a result, it requires some trade-offs. The temptation, and the shortcut, is to surround ourselves with people who look like us, think like us and act like us. There is comfort in being around like-minded individuals. But the problem with that comfort is we tend to gravitate towards group think. Diversity is essential to get anything done.

Likewise, diversity and compromise essential in marriages. I am glad I didn’t marry someone who was just like me. I have learned much from my wife over the years. And I think she’s learned a thing or two from me.

Yes, two churches from different cultures can make a big impact. We can learn a thing or two from their example.