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Top 10 Blog Posts of 2011
It’s hard to believe we are in the final days of 2011. As we look back on the last 365 days, several different lists have either come out or will be coming out within the next few days. What were the best movies of the year? What were the best songs of the year?
Here are my top 10 read blog posts for 2011:
10) Strength
8) The Church of Facebook – Community or Connection?
7) What Have I Gotten Myself Into – The Peachtree Edition
6) Big Brother – A Dissection of (Not So) Good Community
3) “Every Single Man’s Battle” Has The Best of Intentions
May 2012 bring you blessings beyond your wildest imagination.
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Christmas with the Coueys
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just two days away. I finished my Christmas shopping two days ago and just finished wrapping the gifts a few minutes ago. It’s so easy to focus on the present when it’s really the past that makes Christmas so significant. At a young age we learn that Christmas through the eyes of a child is something to truly experience.
Growing up, one of our family Christmas traditions was to wake up early on Christmas morning and crawl in bed with my parents. My dad would read the Christmas story straight from the Bible while my two younger brothers and I listened. At our young ages, we could in no way truly fathom how Mary and Joseph could travel by donkey to Bethlehem. We really couldn’t understand why Jesus was born in a stable and not in a hospital like each of the three of us.
As my brothers and I grew older and moved out on our own, the family traditions of our childhood were replaced with our own personal traditions. It has been exciting to see how my nieces and nephews have discovered the true meaning of Christmas. This year my youngest nephew is at the age where he is actually starting to understand who Santa Claus is and how presents will be under the Christmas tree. I am excited to one day have children of my own and to be able to start our own family Christmas traditions. It’s with genuine childlike faith (Mark 10:14-15) that we can truly experience the true meaning of Christmas.
What are some Christmas traditions that you and your family participate in every year?
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It’s Update Time…
Jingle Jog - Posing with Santa & Mrs Claus
Since Christmas is only 5 days away, I thought I’d give an update on the health goals I’ve set recently.
1) December 1, I started drinking nothing but water. My goal is to go an entire year only drinking water. It was a challenge the first few days but it has become much easier. The best part is I’ve already lost about five pounds so far. On my second day, I went to Chick-fil-A to use a coupon I had received in the mail for a free combo meal. The lady at the register asked me what I wanted to drink and I told her water. She tried several times to explain that I could choose any soft drink, tea, or lemonade I wanted and I told her several times that I understood, but I still wanted water to drink. I think she finally gave up and said “Okay, if that’s what you really want.”
2) I did the Jingle Jog 5K on Saturday, December 10. It turned out to be more of a fun run instead of an actual competitive race. My goal was not a specific time, but to just complete the race. I think my final time was around 48 minutes. It was very cold but it was a lot of fun.
3) I’ve been reading the book “Body for Life” by Bill Phillips and Michael D’Orso with two other guys in my small group at church. One of the other guys in our group (the one who suggested the book to us) asked me last night how I was doing with it. Unfortunately, the answer was “not so good.” For some reason I have developed this mental block about it – I don’t know if it’s because of the holidays or if it’s something else. I haven’t given up completely but I’m just really struggling with it right now for some reason. I hope that it’s just because of the holidays and that it will eventually get better.
Do you have any advice to help me out with achieving better results while I’m attempting to read “Body for Life?”
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Remembering Paul Fife
Paul Lee Fife (1961 - 2011)
When you look back at the life you’ve lived so far, do certain people come to your mind? Do you remember the people who had a meaningful impact on your life? On Thursday, December 1, 2011 the world lost such a Godly, amazing man who was a great encouragement to me over the years. Paul Fife volunteered with the youth group when I was growing up at First Baptist Church Smyrna.
One thing I will miss greatly about Paul is his sense of humor. He helped make the awkward teen years more bearable. I remember one year we had a talent show and they asked Paul to be a part of it. They asked him what he was going to do and he told them to put him down as “miscellaneous.” When it was his turn, he got up on stage and recited (off the top of his head) a poem about a mysterious woman named “Ms. Allaneous” – all of this he created right there on the spot. We were all laughing to the point of tears.
Another example of Paul’s sense of humor involved a guy I knew named Chris. Chris was new to the church and being the new guy, everyone wanted to introduce him to the people at the church. Chris was “introduced” to Paul at least 10-20 times by various church members and each time Paul played it off like they had never met. They would say “Paul, have you met Chris?” and his response would always be “No, I’m sorry…Chris was it? So nice to meet you!” Those of us that knew they had met were biting our lips trying not to laugh and make the person introducing them (for the umpteenth time) feel uncomfortable.
What I loved so much about Paul was that he was funny, but he knew when to be serious. He would ask you the tough questions you needed to hear. I remember hanging out with him and a few other youth, just sitting in the church parking lot on the hood of his car talking about life. Paul was so easy to talk to and made you feel loved. You knew you had his undivided attention. You also knew where he stood on his beliefs – he loved Jesus and he wanted you to love Jesus as much as he did, but not in an in your face, beat you over the head with a Bible kind of way. He genuinely loved people and making a difference in their lives.
Paul, you will be missed but I know you have all the angels laughing right now.
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Jingle Jog – Playlist Time
What is your Christmas running motivation?
The Atlanta weather has been so dreary lately, so I decided to be a little more proactive on my goals that I recently set. On Saturday, December 10, I will be running the Jingle Jog and to help motivate myself, I created a Christmas playlist for the race. I am the type of person who is encouraged by music. You must have the right kind of music for whatever it is you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to run a race, you don’t listen to Celine Dion, Kenny G., or Michael Bolton unless you want to fall asleep at the starting line.
Here is what will be motivating me to cross the Jingle Jog finish line:
- “Mad Russian’s Christmas (Instrumental)” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
- “We Three Kings” by Pentatonix
- “Christmas In Hollis” by Run-DMC
- “The Nutcracker Suite (Baz Kuts Breaks Mix)” by Berlin Symphony Orchestra
- “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Viva Voce
- “Toy Jackpot” by Blackalicious
- “Electronic Santa” by Blazer Force
- “The First Noel” by Scott Blackwell
- “Wonderful Christmas Time” by Family Force 5
- “O Holy Night” by Code Of Ethics
- “Winter Wonderland” by Joy Electric
- “Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Mulato Beat Remix)” by Louis Armstrong
- “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” by Viva Voce
- “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day” by All Star United
- “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid
- “Jingle Bells” by The Brian Setzer Orchestra
- “The Little Drummer Boy” by Candi Pearson Shelton
- “O Come Emmanuel” by Chasing Furies
- “(It Must Have Been Ol’) Santa Claus” by Harry Connick, Jr.
- “I Pray On Christmas” by Harry Connick, Jr.
- “Happy Christmas” by John Lennon & Yoko Ono
- “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” by Weezer
- “Christmas At Ground Zero” by Weird Al Yankovic
What motivates you to get out and run during the holidays?
Photo Credit: By Alba Palacios
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A Change Will Do Me Good…
My life is "under construction"
With all that has been going on in my life over the past few months, I have decided to make some changes. I have specifically decided to do three things and they all have the common theme of dealing with my health. It’s going to be a challenge but I’m ready for a change.
1) Beginning December 1, 2011 I will only be drinking water. On December 1, 2010 I decided to stop drinking sodas and as a result sweet tea became my vice. This decision was also based on my last visit to the dentist when I was informed that I would need a good bit of dental work done as a result of my “8-9 Diet Dr Peppers a day” habit. Since I have accomplished my goal of not drinking sodas for almost a year now, I wanted to take it to the next level and decided to just try drinking water starting this December 1. Most people ask me why I don’t wait until January 1 and make it a New Year’s Resolution. I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions because by January 15 (or in some cases sooner) they have already been broken. If I start this on a day that is not January 1 then there is no “New Year’s Resolution” pressure and I am more prone to stick to my goal.
2) Saturday, December 10 I will be participating in Jingle Jog. I have not participated in a race since The Peachtree Road Race on July 4 of this year. The Peachtree was a 10K, so I thought I would give myself a little bit of a break and do a 5K this time around. What is so cool is one of the guys in my new small group has been looking for a 5K to run, so he and I are planning to do the race together.
3) I have been wanting to find a way to improve my over all health – encompassing eating right and exercising (two things at which I am horrible at maintaining). At the encouragement of another one of the guys in my new small group, I have decided to go through a book that he recommend that changed his life. The week after Thanksgiving (for obvious reasons – don’t want to set myself up for immediate failure with all of that tasty food) I will be starting the book Body for Life by Bill Phillips and Michael D’Orso. The guy in my small group who is running the Jingle Jog has decided to do it as well so we are going to hold one another accountable in this endeavor. Don’t worry, I won’t be forcing you to look at any before or after pictures of me (the thought of that kind of creeps me out any way). I weigh more now than I have ever weighed (my waist size is also the biggest its ever been as well) and that was one of the major determining factors for me to make these changes.
Do you have any words of wisdom or encouragement that could help me through these changes?
Photo Credit: By Kevin Dooley
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Life Lessons From The Black Crows
Birds of the air don't worry, so why do we?
Today I was looking out the window and saw four black crows (not to be confused with the rock band that made the song “Hard To Handle” popular in 1990). As I observed the birds, I noticed they were very free-spirited and just went about their business. They didn’t worry about living conditions, food, or really anything else for that matter. I immediately thought of what scripture tells us about worrying.
Matthew 6:25-34
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Why is it that we are so quick to worry and not immediately turn things over to God? Is it a pride thing? Is it human nature? Whatever it is, how do we change this vicious cycle?
What do you do to overcome worry?
Photo Credit: By Isa Sorensen
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It’s (Not) All About The Benjamins!
Time is one of many things a leader can invest.
I am leader in one of the environments at my church called Fusion. This cycle we are talking about the subject of investment. When people hear the term “invest” they immediately think of money. It’s not always about money. You can invest your time, talents, and so many other things.
My friend Susanne does something really cool for her Facebook status. She will find a word that has impacted her and provide the definition. It would go a little something like this (Susanne – this one goes out to you! (c: ).
“Invest: to use, give, or devote (time, talent, etc.), as for a purpose or to achieve something…I like that word.”
She always follows it with “I like that word.” When I read that definition this morning it made me think…how can we as leaders invest in the lives of those we lead?
- Be a great listener – People want to be heard. Don’t try to solve their problems, just provide a listening ear.
- Celebrate with them – Birthdays and new jobs are just the beginning. In one of my previous small groups we always celebrated everyone’s birthday and it turned out that one of the guys had never ever had a birthday party thrown for him.
- Mourn with them – Losing a family member is difficult and it’s even harder when you feel alone. It’s easier to go through the loss of a job with others supporting and encouraging you. A guy in one of my previous small groups lost his daughter to a childhood illness. The majority of our group traveled from Atlanta to Tampa just to be with him in his time of need.
- Spend time with them – Be intentional about doing things with them. Go out to dinner. Grab coffee. Find out what they enjoy doing and do it together.
- Remember the details – When you have conversations with people, remember things they tell you. You never realize how much it means to people when you ask them how their interview went or if they finished their big project at work. It makes them feel important.
How do you invest in those you lead?
Photo Credit: By mpclemens
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You Make Beautiful Things
"Beautiful Things" by Gungor is amazing!
Music is one of my passions. Hearing moving lyrics together with amazing instrumentation is just something that moves me. Last week at church we had re:Group (an annual small group leader training) and at the end of the night, the worship band played this song I had never heard. The lyrics felt like they were speaking directly to me – like they were written by me to a loving Heavenly Father who is providing for me and taking care of me. The song is “Beautiful Things” by the group Gungor. Here are just a few of the lyrics:
All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
This song just reminds me that regardless of the circumstances that are going on around me, God can use them to make something beautiful. Even with all that is going on in my life right now, it is comforting to know that I have not been forgotten and that everything is not happening in vain.
Enjoy “Beautiful Things” by Gungor below.
Photo Credit: By Amazon.com
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Remembering 9/11 – 10 Years Later
The front page headline from September 11, 2001.
September 11, 2001 – A day that changed our world forever. I remember vividly the happenings of that tragic day. It was my first day working at Old Navy at Parkway Pointe. We were setting things up to open the store and when our manager came in, she was almost in tears. She told us what had happened and we all went back into the break room and turned on the television to see the disastrous events that has just happened to our country. There was absolute silence through out the entire store.
We opened the store as usual, but only two customers came in and the topic of conversation immediately turned to what had happened at the Trade Center and the Pentagon. Corporate office called our manager and told us that we could shut down the store early so that everyone could go home to be with their families and to make sure any family members near the tragedy were okay. I later found out that a friend of mine from high school was in the area of the tragedy, but she and her husband were both okay. Many people weren’t so lucky and lost their lives due to this insane display of terrorism.
Today, we look back exactly ten years to the day of when it all happened. Our country is united and has more compassion for others. It is sad that something of this magnitude had to happen in order to draw our country closer together. I personally want to thank every man and woman who serves our country so that we can live a life of freedom without fear. I still think about the families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy and it makes my heart hurt. I don’t know what it’s like because I didn’t experience it first hand, but know that you and your families are still in my thoughts and prayers even now ten years after your loss.
Photo Credit: By Eric Shoemaker
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Scott Couey 