The Need To Replace

How often is it, that when you lose/damage/break something of value, you first panic and then simply go and replace that which is no more.
Good thing Jesus isn't like that with us. I mean, of course he didn't break us, but we ARE damaged goods. We are broken, after all. But by his grace he didn't just leave us that way. Nor will he ever. He loves us too much to do that. In fact, he promises that he will fix, find and make us whole again. He is the reason we exist.
Why is it then, when we break out lose some thing we freak out and sing trust him. If he is the glue that holds our lives together, when things fall apart, instead of running to other things, we should run to him.
I am writing this out of my own need for him to change me. To challenge me. Shelf me and mild me. I broke my phone some how and instead of going to Jesus in prayer, I freaked out. I obviously need to work on that in my life.
Thanks Jesus fit reminding me of this lesson.

Want More...

I want more. What can I say? But some times we want to hold on to our sin. Not because we enjoy it but because we don't want to hurt those around us or closest to us.
But, if you want more, you must trust God with your sin. Trust him with the results. He died for them. He knows full well what they cost. Let go of it.

Leadership - When Leaders Are Stuck in a room together

If you take leaders who have led their organisations, even if only relatively well, or extremely well, merge together to make almost some mega-organisation, someone, if not multiple 'someone's' will lose their jobs
Some out right, others demoted, others transfer to a board of governors. The CEO will determine basic practices, adopt strategies set goals, make calls in terms of personnel, etc. The board is there to  determine that the CEO is actually making the best calls for the organisation.
Problems arise when a board is not established and point leadership is not determined. You run into a problem that is known as a power vacuum.
The people involved will try to bring, I believe sincerely, the best they can to the table, trying to rally everyone to their cause. But, every other leader is trying to do that. So sides start to develop. Tension rises and ultimately things just collapse.

Things have to change. A great book called 'Good to Great' asks the question who do you want to have on your bus? You only have a certain amount of seats on a bus, so you can't just have anyone.
Do they have the type of character you're looking for? Chemistry?  Competence? Character matters. That's who you are. Your track record comes in here. Your life as observed by others - do you have integrity? Double standards or what? Are you going to stop at the stop sign in the middle of no where, even if you can see 12 miles in any direction? Chemistry is how do you get along? Do you genuinely like them and/or respect them? Are they someone you can spend time with and not feel drained?
Competence: Do they do what is expected? Can they be trained? Can they focus? 

Competence and character are two non-negotiables for any ones bus  - but chemistry determines the bus you're on.

Why fight and try to fight for power on one bus when you could just get on another? Or make another?
Will it be awkward? Yes. Can it be better than what it currently is? Yes. Is there a chance things can go poorly? Yup. But, what really matters at that point is character.

You can get along perfectly well with a murderer. But the character isn't there. Just because you get along with some one doesn't mean they should be on your bus. They need integrity and, for lack of a better way of saying it, 'quality of heart'.
And in the same way that a kid that is 4'11 and wants to be a defenseman in the NFL is delusional, you need to have people on the bus who do and can do what needs to be done.

I mean we can talk about saboteurs and how if they are talking behind the back of one person, who's to say they aren't doing the same thing about you? Or double standards where it is OK for them to do one thing, but lose their minds if someone does the same kind of thing as them?

At some point, if you notice toxicity on your bus, you need to just get off. Get off, stop the bus and fix the problem or find a new bus if it's unfixable.
Just because others are unwilling to see the problems or acknowledge them, doesn't mean you have to die with them.

Sometimes, getting off the bus, whether you're the driver or a passenger, is the best leadership decision you can make. Maybe you are supposed to be the mechanic - but just acknowledge if the mechanic needs to ride on the bus all the time, you're probably riding in a lemon and need a new bus instead of your current broken one.

Just my current thought on one dynamic of leadership.