Let’s face it. The next week or so “at work” will consist of listlessly making yourself busy, repeatedly checking UPS deliveries, and otherwise pretending to not be distracted by the impending gift giving holiday known as Christmas.
So maybe you should be more productive? How about scaring the crap out of co-workers instead?
On January 11th, I’m joining a team of youth workers on a 1-week trip to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
The Creative Class is a socioeconomic class that economist and social scientist Richard Florida, a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, identifies as a key driving force for economic development of post-industrial cities in the United States.
via Wikipedia
“I wish I were as creative as you.” I hear that regularly from people who don’t think they can be creative. And they would never consider themselves “a creative.”
When I watched this video my mind recalled many bad decisions I’ve made on teams. Too often, I’ve relied on the decisions of a group and skipped the all-important process of discernment. Then, before I knew it, my teams were working hard on something that’s not a good idea.
When that happens, it’s a waste and you know it… but you’ve suspended those emotions in an endless cycle of trying to turn a bad idea into a good one.
Pastors often confuse leadership with discipleship. Our infatuation with leaders has stunted the development of disciples in our churches.
That’s one robust mash-up.
You can download the MP3 here.
It’s got a good beat, might make a toe tap or two.
We’ve got a little sale going at The Youth Cartel store, having fun with this fiscal cliff silliness in the news. If you’ve seen stuff that we’re doing and wanted to check it out, this is a great time to do that while saving a little money. Discounts start when you buy $20 in stuff. And the discounts get better with the more you spend. Pretty simple and fun.
I started the Cartel store a little over a year ago and it’s steadily grown. At first we had spurts of orders, like when a new product released or something like that. We’d have 20 in one day and then none for several days. Now we get 5-15 orders per day during the week and 1-2 on weekends. It’s not a lot but it is a part of every day. With our publishing line growing in 2013 I expect we’ll see that double again.
Literally, when you place an order, the McLane family takes it from there. (It doesn’t go to some third-party company to get packed up by people in a warehouse. We’re a family business.)
I print the order, one of the kids goes to the hallway closet, finds the books, and packs the order. They bring it back, I weigh it, and print out the postage label. Each day I either schedule a USPS pick-up or I drive the days orders over to the post office. Sometimes I make a morning and afternoon run to the post office.
On top of that, we keep the books on the store, manage the inventory, purchase shipping supplies, and we’ve develop relationships with our various suppliers.
My goal is always that the kids will eventually fully run the store. It’s well within their capabilities to pack and ship orders. (And at $.50 per box it’s a nice steady stream of income.)
This week, I added to Megan’s duties as she’s now in charge of keeping inventory, updating a Google Docs spreadsheet, and alerting me of things which are low so I can re-order them. She gets it. Supply & demand. She pointed out that we need this sale to work well because we have too much of some books.
Next, they will learn how to weigh packages and print shipping labels. And after that I will teach them how to re-order shipping stuff themselves.
Here’s the thing: They do a great job. I consistently get good feedback on our orders. And people love getting the little toys/treats Megan and Paul stuff in the boxes. And they really like contributing to the family business. It’s fun for them.
It cracks me up a little when people quip about child labor laws and all that stuff. (We’re totally legal, by the way.) To me? It’s the other kids that are missing out. We’re having a blast with it and I love seeing the business grow with their capabilities. Heck, I’m looking forward to one of them coming up with our next great idea!
Sometimes Jesus’ words shock me because they are so offensive to my own culture. Jesus has a lot to say to us today. His words still indict and call us to a new, counter-cultural way of living.
These statements are a powerful reminder that Jesus, fully God and fully man, could have easily conquered the world. (He had the power.) Instead, the Good News is primarily an insurrection of the heart. He knows that capturing a mans body without first capturing his heart is a fruitless effort. Until we fully surrender our lives to Him we will not be changed and we will not see the change we long for. (Romans 12:1)
I spotted a story about teenage dating on the main page of USA Today this weekend. A recent study showed a connection between violence in teen dating and the long-term impact on these individuals adult relationships.
Here’s the highlights:
When researchers analyzed data from the same young adults five years later, they found notable differences:
- Girls victimized by a teen boyfriend reported more heavy drinking, smoking, depression and thoughts of suicide.
- Boys who had been victimized reported increased anti-social behaviors, such as delinquency, marijuana use and thoughts of suicide.
- Those of both sexes who were in aggressive relationships as teens were two to three times more likely to be in violent relationships as young adults.
Last week, I quoted another study about a link found between “hooking up” and depression. (Here’s a conversation that was started as a result) With the data from this study, it seems as though a case could be made against unmonitored casual dating among teenagers. (By unmonitored I simply mean that sometimes parents tune out and are relatively uninvolved as a third-party in the dating life of their teenager.) The simple reality is that if they are sexually active with someone casually or if they find themselves in a controlling and/or abusive dating relationship, the cost is quite high both now and in the future. In other words, parents need to be all up in the dating lives of their teenage kids even though its uncomfortable.
This study brings up some teaching points for your next parents meeting.
Idea: Partner with a local counselor and create a community-wide parent meeting exploring some of the latest research of teenage sexuality. You know, Good News to parents in your neighborhood.
Mariah Carey and Jimmy Fallon do a duet? Yes please! I’m loving the classroom instruments meme that Jimmy Fallon is creating.
And I want to be Jimmy Fallon when I grow up.
ht to Leana