tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81670444467263965092024-03-12T18:22:45.635-07:00Always Creative, Nothing Newwe try, but the Creator has created it before. thoughts of Josh Burcham.Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.comBlogger338125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-4155937575511367332009-01-15T15:19:00.004-07:002009-01-15T15:30:21.305-07:00THE BLOG IS MOVING!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.joshburcham.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHhGDTDMkgtAp1SjnR1cRsYm8dSISnbJc26iOSHYGcvvmlOCMk9iond-olsRzLd30yF8x39spzpvtuRpz14dXwiK7xqgpPQ1Baf7mdMk53iBE4UFExtDYNCUJbaEfD-bhRc3OaP8LyeJn/s400/Welcome.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291650485514900002" border="0" /></a>With months of <span id="query" class="query">sporadic</span> posting Always Creative, Nothing New has decided to pack up and move to Wordpress at <a href="http://www.joshburcham.com/">JoshBurcham.com</a>. We're excited for this new journey and have some great posts lined up for your enjoyment, encouragement and challenge. New and improved layout, commenting and posting sections (Ministry, Leadership, Family and Personal) we're expecting to be blown away with Josh's new blog at <a href="http://www.joshburcham.com/">JoshBurcham.com</a> (we can't promote it enough :)).<br /><br />If you are an RSS guy or gal. You'll need to head over to <a href="http://www.joshburcham.com/">JoshBurcham.com</a> to re-subscribe. Check out Always Creative, Nothing New at <a href="http://www.joshburcham.com">JoshBurcham.com</a>.<br /><br />Okay, one last time, promise, <a href="http://www.joshburcham.com/">JoshBurcham.com</a>.<br /><br />Lied, go to <a href="http://www.joshburcham.com">JoshBurcham.com</a>.Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-23767931764224009782008-12-27T08:24:00.009-07:002008-12-27T08:37:34.972-07:00Christmas MorningI'm sitting in the airport waiting for my flight home and looking back on this week. It was fun to hang with the whole family (or "the original four") as we've called ourselves in the past. I think my dad said it at some point this weekend: we're blessed, some families don't like each other. We love spending time together. Here are a couple of videos from Christmas morning:<span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><object height="281" width="500"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2637644&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2637644&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="281" width="500"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/2637644">Christmas Morning (Part 1)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user953729">Joshua Burcham</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><object height="281" width="500"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2637680&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2637680&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="281" width="500"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/2637680">Christmas Morning (Part 2)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user953729">Joshua Burcham</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Learned a lot about my siblings yesterday when we played to truths and a lie. I thought more highly of my older siblings before that game.</span>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-5386455752474961642008-12-23T09:05:00.003-07:002008-12-23T09:19:09.280-07:00Religous People<p style="text-align: center;"><span id="Mark.3.4"><strong> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" id="Mark.3.5"><strong></strong>He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Mark 3:4-5</span></span><span id="Mark.3.6"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span id="Mark.3.6"><strong></strong>Its the same today as it was 2000 years ago. When Jesus starts to move, to change hearts, to restore lives and change the world. The religious people step in and plot against it.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span id="Mark.3.6">Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might </span><span id="Mark.3.6">kill Jesus. <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Mark 3:6</span></span></p><p><span id="Mark.3.6">Because it's different, because it's new, because it's hard to understand, because it's biblical and not of this world. People step in and try to quote scripture to destroy it. My Prayer is constantly that I do what He asks me to even in the times I don't understand and I'm called crazy. Someone once told me that God gave me a brain for a reason, He did, but scripture tells me that on my best day with my best thoughts they are are still as far as the heavens are from the earths on God's worst day with His worst thoughts.</span></p><p>I'll leave you with this. Stop being religious. Stop getting in the way of God moving. If you haven't heard from God, don't do it. And if you're seeking God and He seems to not be answering. There is a heart problem and it's on your side. I would start there.</p><p>Don't be the one Jesus says this about, "<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" id="Mark.3.5">He looked around at them in </span><span id="Mark.3.5"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.</span>" Don't be the one that Jesus the Son of God is angry at.<br /></span></p>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-10415155280592755592008-12-14T21:28:00.001-07:002008-12-14T21:34:35.211-07:00My Christmas Present to Myself<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCr4D9ks2XjouKJUmPIJh1kn9AoAI22CLl0LxWZqmbe1fqbkPNLMG_vK-b4wjBgniqmYSCG6uYxGbJciAd6doadtGMg3re8qCDTNszfFoiWYJjEWTKiuatN5wI0O-3uFQxMgfzY87EaNqr/s1600-h/500XL5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCr4D9ks2XjouKJUmPIJh1kn9AoAI22CLl0LxWZqmbe1fqbkPNLMG_vK-b4wjBgniqmYSCG6uYxGbJciAd6doadtGMg3re8qCDTNszfFoiWYJjEWTKiuatN5wI0O-3uFQxMgfzY87EaNqr/s400/500XL5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279870423970109234" border="0" /></a>I'm stoked. They should be here tomorrow!Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-8425553620192397002008-12-13T18:34:00.001-07:002008-12-13T18:36:33.579-07:00Office's One-Liners<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCCYQFOuuxLYMfgOD4ifF_lvSM8Uzgy7joBIkEgOSyW7ApxwhQDzq326QIzwmzrWqlIVXBNWKTJh2pnNWC2n9dvKJSTdJZxpqURv8rg2Pj7jqC4ONp5lpCx72crznmzodUJobTn9nsMwN/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCCYQFOuuxLYMfgOD4ifF_lvSM8Uzgy7joBIkEgOSyW7ApxwhQDzq326QIzwmzrWqlIVXBNWKTJh2pnNWC2n9dvKJSTdJZxpqURv8rg2Pj7jqC4ONp5lpCx72crznmzodUJobTn9nsMwN/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279453412176003522" border="0" /></a>"...they don't give out black belts for things that are stupid!" - DwightJosh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-80289407348928642222008-12-11T09:15:00.002-07:002008-12-11T09:26:05.631-07:00RE: @perrynoble<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="entry-content"> <span style="font-size:78%;">Dear (Enter Your Name), I will be running the universe today & do not desire your help!</span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><span class="entry-content" style="font-size:78%;">- GOD<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="entry-content" style="font-size:78%;">Thanks for the reminder, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/perrynoble">@perrynoble</a>.</span><br /><span class="entry-content"></span></div></div>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-69482680621010716902008-12-03T11:46:00.003-07:002008-12-03T11:52:02.952-07:00Bye Bye Site Meter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNTJli6gTs5HXRDcv4-Tin5r9C06FP2i0Moq2Ep5o8BXV5ZYdACIHluRVQS3XsFnfk3kKMsAySR6VFeJQJe2yERqBl5d1qZahYDhHeK9RvDgc7sMjXkeC5PAOxKVWBEtrdAkNx8wGP0S5/s1600-h/Picture+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNTJli6gTs5HXRDcv4-Tin5r9C06FP2i0Moq2Ep5o8BXV5ZYdACIHluRVQS3XsFnfk3kKMsAySR6VFeJQJe2yERqBl5d1qZahYDhHeK9RvDgc7sMjXkeC5PAOxKVWBEtrdAkNx8wGP0S5/s400/Picture+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275638519383114530" border="0" /></a>I've been a stat whore. I've checked them on a daily basis and today I stop. It's been a pride thing for me and it's going to be a pride thing no more. What do you need to cut out of your life today to humble yourself to so God can use you?Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-66509276865246050202008-11-24T15:16:00.004-07:002008-12-03T11:45:54.812-07:00My Strength Themes (2 of 5)After taking my Strengths Finder, these were the strengths themes that described me. See <a href="http://alwayscreativenothingnew.blogspot.com/2008/11/strengths.html">this past post</a> to learn about the workings of <a href="http://sf2.strengthsfinder.com/">Strengths Finder</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My Strength Themes:</span><br />1. Responsibility<br />2. Adaptability<br />3. Connectedness<br />4. Strategic<br />5. Belief<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Today's Theme, Adaptability:</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Shared Theme Description</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />People who are especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >What makes you stand out?</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Chances are good that you now and then set aside time to appreciate the loveliness and splendor of your surroundings. Driven by your talents, you are quite comfortable letting the day's events and people's demands determine what really deserves your attention. Instinctively, you picture yourself handling situations and issues that could arise in the coming months, years, or decades. You mentally rehearse what you plan to do in various worst-case and best-case scenarios. Your forethought prepares you to deal with whatever happens. You are a flexible person. You are not easily flustered by unexpected events, problems, or opportunities. By nature, you are the group member who moves through the day handling unexpected situations as they arise. Some are important. Others are not so important. You probably have earned a reputation for changing plans to deal with surprises. Because of your strengths, you generally find it is easier to know a person when the individual understands how to take life easy. Unraveling the mystery of what makes someone unique cannot be rushed, in your estimation. This explains why you intentionally avoid people who are constantly harried, hurried, stressed, or tense.</span>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-6688795631839630012008-11-23T11:33:00.003-07:002008-11-23T12:01:13.459-07:00Busting Barriers with Mind Shift Changes<span style="font-weight: bold;">BUSTING BARRIERS WITH MIND SHIFT CHANGES</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">notes from <a href="http://daveferguson.typepad.com/daveferguson/2008/11/craig-groeschel-busting-barries-with-mind-shift-changes.html">Dave Ferguson</a> on <a href="http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/">Craig Groeschel</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />Think differently about your church culture.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Don’t say, “Our people won’t ___________” (insert problem). Instead you should say, “We have not led our people to ____________” (insert problem). </span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Think differently about the mission.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Are you about the mission or are you about guarding people’s feelings? </span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Think differently about people leaving the church.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> The normal mindset is “we can’t let anyone leave.”</span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Think differently about limitations.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Most of the time we say, “we can’t because we don’t have _______.” Great leaders see opportunities where others see limitations.</span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >3 ASSIGNMENTS FOR MAKING A MIND SHIFT CHANGE</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><ol><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Find someone one or two steps ahead of you and learn how they think.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Identify one wrong mindset and ask God to renew your mind with truth.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> Identify one painful decision you’ve been avoiding and commit to making the right decision immediately.</span></li></ol>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-48877968470458857952008-11-19T20:46:00.000-07:002008-11-19T20:47:32.426-07:00Take a Minute and Watch<div style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vbIGbZ6gq_Y&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vbIGbZ6gq_Y&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-74857156964969494202008-11-17T14:58:00.005-07:002008-11-17T15:23:33.125-07:00My Strength Themes (1 of 5)After taking my Strengths Finder, these were the strengths themes that described me. They really know what they are doing over at Strengths Finder 2.0 to nail me so well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My Strength Themes:</span><br />1. Responsibility<br />2. Adaptability<br />3. Connectedness<br />4. Strategic<br />5. Belief<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Today's Theme, <span style="font-style: italic;">Responsibility</span>:</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Shared Theme Description</span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >What makes you stand out?</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Driven by your talents, you volunteer for additional duties. You really enjoy being given authority over projects, individuals, or groups. You expect to be held accountable for the results you produce as well as your words and deeds. Instinctively, you yearn to be given additional duties. You expect to be held accountable for your productivity, profit, behavior, comments, and actions. Chances are good that you probably are the team member who wants to be held accountable for the results you produce and the obligations you assume. You can readily admit when you are wrong. You usually accept without complaining the consequences of your words and deeds. By nature, you are naturally compelled to admit the truth. If someone asked you or told you to intentionally mislead someone, you would reply, "I cannot and I will not do that!" It’s very likely that you try to finish the tasks you agreed to do. Perhaps you even overcome some unexpected problems. Occasionally you work longer hours when it is necessary. Maybe you do whatever you can to avoid breaking the promises you made to people.</span>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-9007438733468496812008-11-17T14:17:00.006-07:002008-11-17T14:57:39.379-07:00Strengths?Too often we spend to much of our time trying to develop our weakness and not our strengths. What happens if we start focusing and improving those things that God has naturally talented us with. Those that God has gifted us with. <a href="http://sf2.strengthsfinder.com/">Strengths Finder 2.0</a> is a business tool to help you find your strengths and improve on them. (Re-Post from <a href="http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/10/29/are-you-playing-to-your-strengths/">Brad Ruggles</a>)<br /><br /><strong>The Path of Most Resistance</strong><br />As kids, when we came home with a report card that was all A’s and B’s with one D which did we spend the most time on? Right, we tried to fix that D so that we could be a good, “well-rounded” student. <p>Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that we just ignore our areas of weakness or tell our children that it’s ok to fail classes they’re not good at. The problem arises when we spend so much time working on fixing our shortcomings that we neglect to invest time into improving our strengths.</p><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zp8IOEeRFPONdMmXroUIVHgiZc_Og7A6J7mNDNHSwd6tYl7rdXi6dU0KkrcVjGjFupJFPyAuk-VaXW8uY9Y1bYkkRV3LyTUPL3TGPWe6LSyAKG9rJMkVcmDKFtTkY6qNFK2hoZK24p-E/s1600-h/strengthfinder-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 93px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zp8IOEeRFPONdMmXroUIVHgiZc_Og7A6J7mNDNHSwd6tYl7rdXi6dU0KkrcVjGjFupJFPyAuk-VaXW8uY9Y1bYkkRV3LyTUPL3TGPWe6LSyAKG9rJMkVcmDKFtTkY6qNFK2hoZK24p-E/s200/strengthfinder-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269746109201125074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Overcoming deficits is an essential part of the fabric of our culture. Our books, movies and folklore are filled with stories of the underdog who beats one-in-a-million odds. And this leads us to celebrate those who triumph over their lack of natural ability even more than we recognize those who capitalize on their innate talents.<br /><br />Tom Rath, Strengths Finder 2.0</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Climb Every Mountain</strong><br />Have you ever been told by a well-meaning parent or teacher, You can be anything you want to be as long as you try hard enough! This flawed maxim of personal development may sound good but is usually a recipe for frustration and discouragement. No matter how hard I try or how much I practice I’ll probably never be much of a singer because I just wasn’t blessed with a singing voice. I can set my mind to becoming the best CPA but let me tell you, you definitely wouldn’t want me preparing your tax return (I suck at numbers). Here’s a simple formula from <a href="http://sf2.strengthsfinder.com/content/26014/Discover-2.0.aspx" target="_blank">Strengths Finder 2.0</a> to illustrate:</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk40TABQUvGVouwffNBH6mLkNFrOfMZBleZu_EgYbS1K3STPeQFs3PXmpvH8CYQhqm27hk90sq_tsWTxSXHhuG0CcaY_IcBh9nBx24-Wn-6V45kpCXz1zaEdiVsl-3rjmc6pPxM1LB0VZ/s1600-h/talent-investment-strength.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk40TABQUvGVouwffNBH6mLkNFrOfMZBleZu_EgYbS1K3STPeQFs3PXmpvH8CYQhqm27hk90sq_tsWTxSXHhuG0CcaY_IcBh9nBx24-Wn-6V45kpCXz1zaEdiVsl-3rjmc6pPxM1LB0VZ/s320/talent-investment-strength.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269747478806273330" border="0" /></a><p>So in my case, let’s say on a scale of 1 to 5 that I am a 2 when it comes to my singing ability (I’m sure if you heard me you may choose a negative number but that’s beside the point). Even if I score a perfect 5 for investment (the time spent practicing and building my knowledge and skills) the most I’ll I can ever hope to attain in this area is a 10 (5 x 2).</p> <p>The inverse is also true. When I place the maximum investment into the areas in which I have the most natural talent and ability, the results are far greater.</p> <p><strong>Be A Better Version of Who You Already Are</strong><br />The idea that we can create perfectly well-rounded individuals in our schools and universities is a myth. There is no such thing as a perfectly balanced individual. We’re all going to have areas where we excel and areas where we fall short.</p> <p>The truth of the matter is this: <em>you <strong>cannot</strong> be anything you want to be - but you <strong>can</strong> be a lot more of who you already are.</em></p> <p>So let’s turn this into a practical discussion.</p> <p><strong>What Are Your Strengths?<br /></strong>List your <strong>top 3 strengths</strong>. There’s a time and place for modesty but this isn’t it. I want you to list your <em>natural talents and abilities, </em>the things that make you come alive.</p>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-73421511858721878862008-11-17T12:17:00.002-07:002008-11-17T12:23:09.846-07:00Broken Glass<a href="http://evotional.com">Mark Batterson</a> brings up a very true and interesting point in his <a href="http://evotional.com/2008/11/broken-windows.html">Broken Glass</a> post. A point we in the church should listen to and learn from:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:78%;">I've blogged about <span style="font-weight: bold;">trojan horses </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">purple cows</span>. Here's what I mean by <span style="font-weight: bold;">broken windows</span>.<br /><br />In the March 1982 issue of <i style="">Atlantic Monthly</i>, James Wilson and George Kelling wrote a piece titled <i style="">Broken Windows</i>.<span style=""> </span>They argued that <span style="font-weight: bold;">something as insignificant and innocuous as a broken window sends a subliminal message</span>.<span style=""> </span>If the window is left unrepaired it communicates that crime is ok. <span style=""> </span>So Wilson and Kelling argued that <span style="font-weight: bold;">the way to fight serious crime is by cracking down on small infractions</span>.<br /><br />That is precisely what happened in <st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:city st="on">New York City</st1:city></st1:place> when Rudolph Giuliani was elected mayor in 1994.<span style=""> </span>He cracked down on squeegee pests; arrested fare jumpers; and cleaned up the graffiti on subway cars.<span style=""> </span>Critics said it was a waste of time and a waste of money.<span style=""> </span>Statistics would suggest otherwise.<span style=""> </span>The murder rate was more than cut in half.<br /><br />In his book, <i style="">Broken Windows Broken Business, </i>Michael Levine applies the broken window theory to business.<i style=""><br /><br />A broken window can be <span style="font-weight: bold;">a sloppy counter</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">a poorly located sale item</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">a randomly organized menu</span>, or <span style="font-weight: bold;">an employee with a bad attitude</span>.<span style=""> </span>It can be physical, like <span style="font-weight: bold;">a faded paint job</span>, or symbolic, like <span style="font-weight: bold;">a policy that requires customers to pay for customer service</span>.<span style=""> </span>When the waiter at <span style="font-weight: bold;">a Chinese restaurant</span> is named <span style="font-weight: bold;">Billy Bob</span>, that’s a broken window.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></i><br /><br />Can I share two of my <span style="font-weight: bold;">pastoral pet peeves</span>? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Unevenly folded bulletins</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">misspelled words on worship slides</span>! I know those things aren't apocalyptic! But <span style="font-weight: bold;">everything says something about everything</span>. Or to put it another way, <span style="font-weight: bold;">little things are big things</span>. We need to <span style="font-weight: bold;">strive for excellence </span>in everything we do. One of the things that brings me the greatest joy is when we <span style="font-weight: bold;">do something really small really well</span>. I think it honors God. </span> </blockquote>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-17556425624423896982008-11-16T22:23:00.001-07:002008-11-16T22:25:00.523-07:00Gabriel "Picachu" Iglesias<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x8StWdzy-H0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x8StWdzy-H0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object></div>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-48449207695792580512008-11-14T15:34:00.006-07:002008-11-14T15:52:14.434-07:00Two Great AppsThese are just that good. Both written in <a href="http://www.adobe.com/">Adobe AIR</a>. <a href="http://tcaaworship.blogspot.com/">Phil</a> recommended one and found the other. I'm running them both on desktops and like the flow and design. Pretty stoked about <a href="http://www.actionmethod.com/">Action Methods</a> being online from <a href="http://www.behance.com/">Behance</a>. I've used <a href="http://www.behance.com/">Behance</a> products for a good amount of time now and now that they have moved online, I can't wait to get my hands dirty:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.actionmethod.com/"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0FW56TJYKUYJ5y1OtWCDbr6JZn2kSTZHl6jKZ03UKK0P-UzZR60sDKUoDFlewWydGovWspZSDyx-8xPe0HkjGRqbMDNFl5hxjNcX5-jExyibf4lcAIRcHLJZv2y5_QiSMxAXozKgb6Is/s400/Action+Method.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268647319967246242" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 112px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgneSfbsKiUeGCsFC46iu8nvSduCp3KIjm6WbG3R-KXb3Vt50ZLMPex2qx8v1JeM2Ru4Pg_F7Uj6yT056YRvrVIdw2aH792SzoZbkAeULlP2vBakGxZoXwwhE_TMBrpFNOKkGQkWlZGsa/s400/TweetDeck.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268647854461117682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a href="http://www.actionmethod.com/">Action Method Online</a> <a href="http://www.tweetdeck.com/"> TweetDeck</a></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Action Method Online (AMO):</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />There are too many ideas in the world, and not enough action. Without organization and productivity, brilliant ideas never happen. Action Method Online is a radically different approach to productivity, designed to simplify project management and life. All of life can be divided into "projects" - the categories we use in our minds to separate and make sense of what we need to accomplish (e.g. "the party I'm planning," "client X," "event Y," "finances"). The Action Method helps you manage your projects starting with the most basic elements - always with an emphasis on action.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" ><br />TweetDeck:</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />TweetDeck enables users to split their main feed (All Tweets) into topic or group specific columns allowing a broader overview of tweets. To do this All Tweets are saved to a local database. The far left column will always contain All Tweets. The GROUP, SEARCH and REPLIES buttons then allow the user to make up additional columns populated from the database. Once created these additional columns will automatically update allowing the user to keep track of a twitter threads far easier.</span><br /></div></div>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-42640447135125583302008-11-14T15:27:00.003-07:002008-11-14T15:32:59.981-07:00My Heart Broke When I Read This...<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/14/nebraska.safe.haven/index.html"></a><blockquote><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/14/nebraska.safe.haven/index.html">"Please don't bring your teenager to Nebraska,"</a> Gov. Dave Heineman told CNN. "Think of what you are saying. You are saying you no longer support them. You no longer love them."</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:78%;">Due to their “save haven law” which allows parents to drop off children at hospitals if they can’t care for them, without being charged with abandonment. the law extends to 17 years-old. but as lawmakers are working to lower the age to 3 days old (that’s quite a change, but apparently reflects the original intent of the law, which was to provide for infants whose parents don’t think they can care for them), a small number of parents are actually flying their teenagers into Nebraska to drop them off before the law gets changed.<br /><br />I'm praying for those kids! I don't know what else to say or do.</span>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-23137739042837213652008-11-12T20:48:00.001-07:002008-11-12T20:52:25.149-07:00Hello Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_NC83gUKwKR3E6xXpNzWYDgWBM3KjaN4GOedZRyaMN0DSLGBd4GAuKLAz3SueEYGrpA8qvUM_4xSbQHNm5o7a6qmPr4ox4vaCVcncLKqClrmt7Fqm3G-VxXGs3jngFhJ3iDZ9yzBItZ9/s1600-h/Hello+Love.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_NC83gUKwKR3E6xXpNzWYDgWBM3KjaN4GOedZRyaMN0DSLGBd4GAuKLAz3SueEYGrpA8qvUM_4xSbQHNm5o7a6qmPr4ox4vaCVcncLKqClrmt7Fqm3G-VxXGs3jngFhJ3iDZ9yzBItZ9/s400/Hello+Love.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267984897682332226" border="0" /></a>This album is rocking my world! Thank you God for blessing Chris Tomlin with these songs! Buy this album. It rocks!Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-83872994825942634272008-11-12T20:33:00.003-07:002008-11-12T20:39:51.569-07:00What is Next....I have no idea. And tonight I realized that I would rather have it this way. It is forcing me to rely on my Creator and trust Him. I have a burning inside my soul to see lives changed and to allow God to use me in that process. I want people to meet JESUS! The real Jesus. Not one they've created in their heads or the world has created. I want them to meet JESUS! In all His power, in all His love, in all His forgiveness and I want to see their lives transformed. I want to see His church transformed!<br /><br />What is next? I have no idea and I'm okay with that! My God is a big God with an AMAZING BIG PLAN!Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-79011882406020272242008-11-10T14:28:00.005-07:002008-11-10T15:11:43.444-07:00This Post is For Me, Not You.<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Warning:</span> the following has a very good chance to make no sense to you. I just needed a open place to share my heart. Bare with me.</span><br /><br />I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past couple of weeks. With a lot of things I held onto in my life being removed this week, it's given me plenty of time to process and evaluated. About a month ago I decided to not plant Ridgepoint. I decision that wasn't easy for me to make, but the right decision. Ridgepoint is going to go into my book as a failure (which isn't a bad things). We can't grow as followers and leaders if we aren't willing to fail. Mark Batterson suggests that the cure of failure is not successes, but small amounts of failure. We have to fail to get us to the place God wants us to be. The place where His power is truly shown. I took a risk, as we all should. A risk that I believe God could of blessed, but I got in the way. In hindsight, I'm glad I made the decision when I did, because it would a been too much for me to handle if I was still planting and had a week like I did last. I don't know how I would of reacted. I would of been two pre-view services in and dealing with life. It would of been hard.<br /><br />Why do I think Ridgepoint failed? I couldn't carry the weight of the church on my shoulders and as a church planter you carry that weight. My heart was for the existing church. Northwest Valley has plenty of churches. I got too focused on the church and not on Whom who called me to plant one.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. I've learned a lot this year. My heart has changed toward non-believers, the church and my God. I wouldn't change this last year for the world. As hard as it was at times, I love the outcome of it. A new me. I don't look at life the same way. I still have a long ways to go, but I'm on the right path now. I've learned how to be crazy in love with God and with others. I still miss ministry and ask God daily to give me a place to service in my passion, but I trust His plan and hold onto that hope.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Someone asked me this week if I made the right decision to leave Arrowhead. My answer was this to them: Yes! I wouldn't be the man I am today if I stayed. Nothing against Arrowhead, I'm back there now, but God had to get me uncomfortable to take me on this journey. I was happy and comfortable at Arrowhead and God never moves when you're comfortable. He moves when you've decided to get uncomfortable and do whatever He is calling you to do. I got uncomfortable, took a risk and God blessed that. I would make the same decision again.<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:78%;">My prayer: God, give me an opportunity to be reminded every day that You are God and You are Holy. That Your thoughts are greater then my thoughts and Your ways greater then my ways. You are the God of this universe and I stand in awe today. Push me to become the man you've called me to be. Bring people around me to love on me and challenge me in my love toward you and the people you bled for. Remind me that You are always there and Your plan is always perfect. Even in the times I don't understand and beg to know why. Father, give me a place to use my talents and knowledge. Father, guide my path and give me opportunities to be dicisplined toward your purpose. God remind me that I am yours. Thank you father. Thank you God. Amen.<br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Side note: pray for two guys God has laid on my heart. Pray that God would keep opening doors and giving me boldness to plant and water seeds. Thank you God for speaking!</span><br /><input value="" name="title" type="hidden">Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-33584392080786549802008-11-10T14:16:00.004-07:002008-11-10T15:15:53.123-07:00What Are Your Core Values?What guides your church? All churches have core values, they just might not be written down on paper. Core Values guide the church in pursuing your vision and mission. They help you make decisions and next steps. They help you say 'no' and 'yes' to new ideas and ministries. Below were Ridgepoint's Core Values (elements that made up the heartbeat of Ridgepoint):<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Our communities' needs are more important than our own.<br /><br />It takes risk and faith to do what we are called to do.<br /><br />We must do life together.<br /><br />Being a Christ-follower is about being not doing.<br /><br />We can't be healthy as a church, if you're not healthy in your home.<br /><br />Money is never our focus, but giving gauges the heart.<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />It breaks my heart that these values never saw the light of day in the lives of people, but God's plan is perfect and sovereign. My heart is that more churches embody these values into the fabric of who they are. They're not Ridgepoint specific. We planned out our first years teaching based off of these values (elements) to take our people to the place God wanted us to be.</span>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-23329532373486200042008-11-09T13:53:00.002-07:002008-11-09T14:00:04.436-07:00Laughing this Season<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFnK1YuD_94DHqqDXTgTzYkq13biJA3fSiiwElBJfVlKAqb1eTE7Fcx5TBdWTsqYsTvQOazrqmoWYSkXRHGwV-nAn6cpaBlb83ia2oZW7R9unD2VfVfHpt4Vqr_CJSy4RZjuwN-fDZxr6/s1600-h/The-Office.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFnK1YuD_94DHqqDXTgTzYkq13biJA3fSiiwElBJfVlKAqb1eTE7Fcx5TBdWTsqYsTvQOazrqmoWYSkXRHGwV-nAn6cpaBlb83ia2oZW7R9unD2VfVfHpt4Vqr_CJSy4RZjuwN-fDZxr6/s400/The-Office.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266765439452336210" border="0" /></a>The Office is rocking this season! Laughing every episode.<br /><br />Classic Quote:<br />"You think I'm retarded"Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-84594809542844475682008-11-07T10:05:00.002-07:002008-11-07T10:07:50.234-07:00What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church? A Parable.Didn't completely agree with the whole video, but it was cute and funny. Thought I would share it.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D7_dZTrjw9I&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D7_dZTrjw9I&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></div>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-60395060745035158172008-11-06T19:57:00.002-07:002008-11-06T20:02:00.670-07:00Where Have You Been All My Life?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgIwbzdZj0f7ANt4gB-Ufoq8b-xYkjP8iJgeG5_g7yeb8vmvVvFZsDOBmYryGxhJMG7UAKmsAJvpd9WxcQLgxgLH4Vek52M2DlexemDWbu80LWrhYajA5_XZYqvaFxJiXWH6xjZw_op0j/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgIwbzdZj0f7ANt4gB-Ufoq8b-xYkjP8iJgeG5_g7yeb8vmvVvFZsDOBmYryGxhJMG7UAKmsAJvpd9WxcQLgxgLH4Vek52M2DlexemDWbu80LWrhYajA5_XZYqvaFxJiXWH6xjZw_op0j/s400/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265745195166660530" border="0" /></a>NHL GameCenter will change my life. All games at my finger tips. Now I just have to find $20 a month. That will take some work.Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-53317827166161127512008-11-06T11:27:00.002-07:002008-11-06T11:33:41.436-07:00Team Model LeadershipOne of the things that Ridgepoint Church taught me was the importance of a team. In our structure we had a senior pastor team (call it what you want) of five: lead pastor, creative pastor, strategics pastor, family pastor and executive pastor. I model that I was never able to see in action. I still believe it is a healthy way to lead a church and would love to see the model play out in my life. <a href="http://swerve.lifechurch.tv">Craig</a> posted a great <a href="http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2008/11/06/right-hand-team/">post</a> on this very subject over at <a href="http://swerve.lifechurch.tv">Swerve</a>:<br /><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Many leaders have a right-hand-man (or woman). To maximize your leadership effectiveness, I would suggest a right-hand-team.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">For years, many churches that grew large enough had a senior pastor and his right-hand-man, the executive pastor. In my opinion, this is a dated and limited model of church leadership.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">I suggest breaking the traditional “second spot” into two to four roles. I can’t tell you what those roles will be for you, but I’ll offer some broad suggestions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">Serving alongside the leader, you’ll probably want two to four team members that cover these roles:</span></p> <ul><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>An administrative player.</strong> You’ll want to ensure someone is capable of building systems, structures, and accountability.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>A relational player.</strong> Hopefully you’ll have someone who is very good with people. This person could be an expert in recruiting, team building, pastoring, relational problem solving, or some combination of the above.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>An innovative player.</strong> In the best environment, you’ll have someone who is an idea-person. This team member is often young (but not necessarily). You’ll want to make sure this innovative mind isn’t rebellious and is a team player. When you find a person like this, she’ll be a great asset to your team.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>A stabilizing player.</strong> Most good teams have a person who can rise above the details and see the big picture. This person may not be the most visible, but is often one of the most important. He is someone who can bring objectivity and stability in the middle of challenges.</span></li></ul> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Jump into the discussion!</em></span></p></blockquote>Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167044446726396509.post-51686396291981722972008-10-30T11:54:00.007-07:002008-10-30T12:06:16.960-07:00It's Not Spiritual WarfareIt's not spiritual warfare if you brought the problems upon yourself. Too many Christians complain of being in the mist of spiritual warfare when all the things being thrown at them are the outcome of their past actions. Lets not give satan too much credit and examine our actions. Jesus didn't promise us, "you won't feel pain and you won't have to live with the consequences to your bad decisions." Lets man up believers and make our past right. Sorry for the rant, but I read 5 blog posts and talked with three people that last two days and that's all I've heard.Josh Burchamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251462668824213387noreply@blogger.com0