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What Could Happen if You Decided to Plant Abundantly?

by Andy Wood on February 26, 2009

in Executing Your Plan, Five LV Laws, Life Currency, Love, LV Cycle, LV Stories, Money, Principle of Abundance, Time

thailand-7In the previous post I talked about the principle of planting abundantly.  Today I want to tell you about somebody who did it.

I married an MK.  That’s “missionary’s kid,” in case you’re uninitiated.  It was enough of a culture shock to marry a Texan, but to say “I do” to somebody who could have repeated her vows in Thai if she wanted was really special.  For 26 years I have heard the stories, met most of the major players, and lived vicariously through the memories, the loves, and the laughter of a family whose lives are invested to this day in Jesus’ mandate to take the gospel to the world.

All of that came calling the day after Christmas 2004.  To this day Robin refers to the event as if it were a proper name – an evil killer who has somehow become an unwanted part of the family.

His name:  Tsunami. [click to continue…]

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Emma, the Prophet

by Andy Wood on November 21, 2008

in Ability, Consumers, Life Currency, LV Alter-egos

Emma Thompson drops by our church from time to time.  And yesterday, she prophesied.

No, not the actress.  Emma and her twin sister Annie are the eight-year-old daughters of my friend and our communications pastor, Todd.

So get the scene.  Our entire church foyer/fellowship area is covered with Christmas decorations.  We’re getting ready for a big night of volunteers showing up to decorate the building for the holidays.  The office staff is scattered out into the various rooms that have their names on the door.  And in comes Todd, Emma and Annie bouncing behind.

Mary, our receptionist, is friendly territory for the twins.  She often visits with them while they’re waiting for their dad to finish a meeting or project.  She’s also learned that it’s good to offer them something to do to occupy them on days they don’t have homework or something.

Emma is loaded with questions.  What’s all this? What are they going to do with it?  When?  The usual 8-year-old excited kind of stuff.  Laughing and chattering away.

Mary says to Annie and her sister, “I have something y’all can do to help us.”

(Okay, get ready, here it comes…) [click to continue…]

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What Are You Waiting For?

by Andy Wood on October 22, 2008

in Executing Your Plan, Five LV Laws, Hoarders, LV Alter-egos, LV Cycle, Principle of Increase

Another saint doing battle with the powers of darkness

“Arose.”

Fascinating word.  Occurs 173 times in the New American Standard Bible.  Nearly always, something interesting, if not transforming, follows.

Jesus uber-arose, as I hope you know.  As in, from the dead.

Abraham arose, too, as in from the bed.

Jacob arose, and bugged out of town.

A new king arose in Egypt, and things got ugly for Jacob’s descendents.

Moses arose and went up the mountain.

Balaam arose and got up on his donkey.

Arose is the difference between sleeping and moving.  Between sitting and acting.

Arose changes things. [click to continue…]

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The Strange Case of Josh Poker-Stick

by Andy Wood on October 13, 2008

in Five LV Laws, Following Your Passion, Leadership, Life Currency, LV Cycle, LV Stories, Principle of Legacy, Words

(A spiritual leadership fable.)

Hi, I’m Josh.  Pleased to meet you.

Hi, Josh.  I’m Andy.  So tell me about yourself.

I’m a poker.

A what?

A poker.

You mean, like a poker player?

No.  I mean, like a poker in your fireplace.

You’re a poker?

Yep.  Poker.

Okay, I’m steppin’ out a little here, Josh.  What does a poker do?

Pokes.

(Should’ve seen that coming.)  Okaaay.  Pokes what?

I poke people.

Seriously?

Yep.

You just walk up to them and poke them with your finger?

Naw, not like that.  That’s creepy.

Ya think?

I do for people what a poker does for your fireplace. [click to continue…]

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What Does it Take to Wake You Up?

by Andy Wood on October 6, 2008

in Ability, Executing Your Plan, Five LV Laws, Leadership, Life Currency, LV Cycle, Principle of Increase

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In spite of all her lamentable weaknesses, appalling failures and indefensible shortcomings, the Church is the mightiest force for civilization and enlightened social consciousness in the world today.  The only force in the world that is contesting Satan’s total rule in human affairs is the church of the living God. -Paul Billheimer

What does it take to rouse a sleeping giant? 

Whatever it takes, I think now is the time.

One of the biggest clichés and repeated experiences in history is that of unrealized potential.  It’s one of the reasons I believe heaven will be a place in which God wipes every tear from our eyes.  When we see what was in light of what could have been – with our lives, and with our corporate potential – we will have no alternative but to weep.

For years, as a global body, the Western church has been asleep at the wheel or, worse, awakened to fight the wrong battles, the wrong enemy, or with the wrong weapons of warfare.  We’ve made an art form of “trivial pursuit,” and the world is worse off because of it.

The first Century Church didn’t keep up with its time, didn’t spend its energy keeping up with its time.  The first Century Church changed time.  It rewrote history.  It radically impacted culture.  The church was the forerunner, not the runner up. – Erwin McManus

If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, I’m referring to you.  I’m referring to me.  But the news isn’t all bad.  We serve a God who is wonderfully capable of  waking sleeping giants.  He did it on a national scale, both with His own nation and at times even with foreign, pagan countries.  And I believe He’s doing it today. [click to continue…]

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The Silent Champion

by Andy Wood on September 24, 2008

in Executing Your Plan, Five LV Laws, Leadership, Life Currency, LV Cycle, Principle of Legacy

Nobody will ever name their boy Zerubbabel.  There are still plenty of Davids and Samuels, Joshuas and Calebs left for the hallways at the hospital.  Zerubbabel?  Not a chance.

Here was a guy who is never quoted in the Bible.  He never wrote a book that bears his name.  Yet he occupied a position of great importance, hope, strategic necessity in Israel’s history – enough that he held the attention of two Old Testament prophets.

He led an emerging nation, but would doubtless never be hip enough to lead an emerging church.

If Zerubbabel lived in the last 200 years and somehow been elected president of the United States, I figure he’d be a Calvin Coolidge or Warren G. Harding – somebody we know was there, but never talk about.

If he were a tree, he’d be one of those types that was nameless – big and strong, and I guess some expert knows what type it is, but most of us would just look and say, “It’s just a tree.”

If he were a piece of chicken, he would be the thigh.  Strong, muscular, flavorful.  But at the bottom of everybody’s list of preferences.

Somehow in the wisdom and providence of God, this silent champion was chosen to head a dangerous and deliriously exciting project: [click to continue…]

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Could You Follow a Governor Like That?

by Andy Wood on September 3, 2008

in Executing Your Plan, LV Cycle

Stage 1:  Allocate your resources.
Stage 2:  Explore the possibilities.
Stage 3:  Follow your passion.

Stage 4: Execute Your Plan

“Okay, people, settle down.  This meeting will now come to order!  You guys in the back, keep a lookout for tax collectors and terrorists.

“We’ve called you out today because we have a new arrival in town.  This young man says he’s come from Persia, from the King’s palace.  Says he’s one of us, but has an important message.  Sir, you have the floor.”

“New governor, you say?  I never knew we had an old one.  No disrespect, sir, but you look a bit young to be a governor.  How much government experience do you have?”

“Okay, so let me get this straight.  You’ve never held public office.  You’ve never been a governor, mayor, or even a public defender.  You’ve never commanded an army or even seen a fight.  Your one job has been to serve up wine to the king.”

“Well, okay, I’m impressed.  It seems as if the Lord’s been opening up some pretty impressive doors.  But again, with all due respect, sir, this dump ain’t Persia.  Heck, we’re not even a city.  And I appreciate the fact that you’ve been doing some crying and praying for us.  But you’re not the first guy to try to rebuild this wall.  We’ve been trying this for 40 years.  So why don’t you scurry on off back to your cushy job?  I’m sure the king’s a bit thirsty by now.”

“Wow.  You’re serious about this, aren’t you?  I’ve never seen anybody stand up to the entrenched politicians like that.

“You really believe, don’t you?  I’ve never seen anybody with that kind of confidence in God, except ole’ Ezra, the priest.

“You’re going to actually do this, aren’t you?  I’ve never seen anybody hold a weapon in one hand, and a building block in another.

“Governor, could you hand me one of those bricks?  I’m in.” [click to continue…]

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Seven Ways to Tell Who the Leader Is

by Andy Wood on August 15, 2008

in Leadership, Life Currency

“Who is the leader?” Dad wanted to know.  His son was watching cartoons, and Erwin McManus was asking him to explain the characters and tell him what was going on.

The boy, with great delight, began to tell all about his cartoon heroes.

Erwin thought he’d ask him a simple question about who the leader was, and his son gave him an astonishing explanation.  Pointing to one of the characters, he said, “Well, that’s the leader.”

“How do you know?”

He said, “The leader always stays in the back and only gets involved when everyone else is about to die.”

There you have it:  what McManus describes as the Marvel Comics Theory of Leadership (more here).

True, leaders are often perceived that way.  But that’s not how leaders emerge, or how they last in the world where characters actually breathe.  If you’re looking to:

  • Hire/elect/promote a person to a place of leadership,
  • Strengthen your own leadership abilities,
  • Identify the extent to which you or someone else are actually leading people, or
  • “Find the parade and get in front of it,”

then consider leadership from the front.  Here, from followers’ perspectives, are seven ways to tell who the leader is.

[click to continue…]

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16001 Crosses

by Andy Wood on August 14, 2008

in Enlarging Your Capacity, LV Cycle, LV Stories

Neville Davidson

Neville Davidson

Somewhere, sometime, somebody left a simple, small, cedar cross as an anonymous gift for someone they’d never meet.

Sometime later, on a spiritual retreat, a broken, blind, and deeply depressed man received that cross, and his life was changed.  Now mine has been, too, because of how that man chose to rise from the depths of his pain.  I’d like to share his story; Neville Davidson is a LifeVestor.

If you see the glass as half-empty, Neville has gotten a raw deal.  Born in Warrenton, a small town between Liverpool and Manchester in the UK, his childhood memories are dotted with the sound of German bombs, forced relocation of himself and his siblings for their safety, and unceasing danger during World War II.  Later, at age 26, Neville was told his wife had terminal bronchial pneumonia, and would have to move to a warm, dry climate.  He considered an offer to move to Australia.  But his sister had married an American GI, and moved to Lubbock, Texas.  Neville chose family, and literally had to uproot his own household and start his life over in a place where he knew virtually no one.  A few years later, his marriage dissolved.

Neville married Jenny, his wife today, in 1971.  Just five years later, he developed a disease in one of his eyes, and lost his sight in that eye.  In 1984, he completely lost the sight in his other eye.  Neville’s world literally and figuratively became completely dark. [click to continue…]

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10 Things to Pray for the People You Love

by Andy Wood on July 31, 2008

in Five LV Laws, Principle of Legacy

PrayerI want to share with you 10 things I pray for my children, all of whom are married adults now, living elsewhere.  They are listed in order, but not necessarily order of importance or chronological order.  More on that later.

I didn’t make the list up – somebody already beat me to it.  But as soon as I found it, I decided that this was a good “handle” for interceding for anyone I love.  But I’m particularly drawn to praying this for my children, and their children as they come along. Here goes…

1.  Deep personal fulfillment.  I want them to be happy!  Not in that shallow, vain use of the word, but for them to find life satisfaction – true joy – in their lives, their relationships, and their work.

2.  The success and strength of their descendants.  To use a biblical term, I pray that my grandchildren and beyond would be “mighty on the earth” because of the things my children taught them and demonstrated to them.

[click to continue…]

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