This week's leadership thought came from a common theme in my conversations this week. I noticed the fight in my life and in the lives of others against the tenancy to coast through the last several weeks of the calendar year. It seems that many people get into a "Christmas Mode" and take it easy. Not that I'm against rest, it's just easy to let important stuff slide in the name of YULE. If I'm not careful, I'll let my health go, eat extra cookies, skip workouts because it's colder, and to forget a time with God or three. There is a dangerously sneaky that that can creep into all our lives that would have us believe, "I'm done for the year. I'll start everything up again in January."

Earlier this week it occurred to me that it would be much better to begin 2010 strong instead of digging myself a hole from which I'd expend massive amounts of emotional, physical, and spiritual energy attempting to pry myself out of...quite literally if I eat those stinkin' cookies! So I'm starting now.

Don't get me wrong. Breaks are great! Catch sabbath moments when appropriate, but I'm not going to tank the rest of my year just because it's Christmas time and it's fun to be cozy. There is too much at stake. My family needs me to be present for them, not a lump on the couch. My church community still needs attention. There are college kids coming home from there first semester and tons of projects cooking for 2010. My body and soul still need attention. I don't want to check out and disconnect with God just because there are dozens of Hallmark Christmas movies on our DVR. What a great time to spend extra time with Jesus by our firepit in the back yard!

Please don't take this post as a guilt trip. I just want to remind you that life is precious and to glean all you can from this holiday season. Don't forsake meeting with those you love, your church, and your God. They need you and God has a plan for you that doesn't finish in mid December. Start new healthy habits now! You can also surrender some unhealthy ones too. It only takes 21 days right? How great would it be to start the new year on the run?

This week we’d like to continue our exploration of what it looks like to be a part of what it means to serve at Shoreline. These are not pronouncements to pull ourselves up by our boot straps and work harder in our own efforts. This is a reminder to surrender to and depend on Christ’s finished work on the cross and to focus so much on the beauty of His love that we cannot help but live a transformed life. We want to interact with you more about these thoughts. You can do so at shoreline.net/lift or liftyoungadults.com. Please click over there and give us your thoughts.

Now for the leadership thought!

Our mission is to unveil God’s love. As those who serve in lift, we are actually responsible for that vision. It's not enough for us to merely get behind it. We must own it. We can’t sit back and wait for Pastor Rob to do the work. It is not enough for us to clap for him when he preaches, and admire how beautiful our mission statement looks written on our screen in weekend services. As leaders, volunteers, youth workers, or whatever we are – WE MUST OWN THE VISION for ourselves. It must bleed into every area of our lives.

So what does that look like? Please comment and tell us what you think. How do you “unveil God’s love” at work? In Your neighborhood? Campus? In your family?

Doug Fields often says, “leaders are learners.” That’s the subject of this week’s leadership thought. Mature people intentionally nourish their souls. They take time to listen to G-d’s voice in many ways, community, books, sermons, quiet times, and even play. Here’s a short list, in no particular order of my soul feeders. What are yours?

• Running with a music or sermon podcast on. It’s not a particularly ancient discipline, but it works for me. It’s great to get outside, get   exercise, and also listen to challenging thoughts.
• Did I mention Podcasts? I know I did. They are a fire hose of information ready for you from Pastors, leaders, colleges, and seminaries that will nourish your soul.
• Study Bibles – Carlos in Shoreline’s Bookstore can set you up with a nice bible to dig into. 
• Google. If you have a question about the Bible or want to find an online devotional reading, google one. You need to be careful to test what you read, because posting something on the Internet doesn’t make it true, however this is a valuable resource for devotions and teaching. Try it!
• www.followtherabbi.com  – I love this website. I get lost on there. I just love reading about Jesus.
• www.sacredspace.ie - ever done an Ignatian Examine? This is a sweet place to have a quiet time. The site tells you what to do, prepares the scripture for you and even has help buttons along the way. 
• The Hinges of History Series by Thomas Cahill – Particularly The Gifts of the Jews, and The Desire for Everlasting Hills for profound insights on our faith and the people we come from. 
• My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers is a classic devotional book that will challenge you to depend more on G-d, surrender more of your life to Jesus, and focus your heart mind and soul on His glory. Online Versions available. Google it!
  
• Shoreline’s podcasts. Have you guessed that I learn audibly yet? For me, this is a great place to feed myself because I’m usually teaching the lesson in the middle school aged service. I can still take part in “grown-up” worship and conversations in my church community.
• www.relevantmagazine.com This site is fantastic. God. Life. Pop Culture. Great devotionals and a chance to interact with other people’s journey of faith. Try it!

So that’s my not-so-official feeding spots. What stirs your soul? Comment below!

In the American Christian context a “mountaintop experience” is sought after. Most of us like to think that we could live on the mountaintop permanently.  It’s great to enjoy beautiful vistas and take in the grandeur of G-d’s beauty. Unfortunately, that’s just not how survival or leadership works. The truth is that too much time on the mountaintop can kill you. It can even kill you quickly.

It seems almost counter intuitive to be suspicious or watchful when things are going well, but the high winds of pride can sweep in quickly to render the leader ineffective. When things are going well, the team can get complacent and loose the creativity and drive that propelled them to the peaks. Things are not always as they seem. They might not be as good as they appear to be either.

So in your work and relationships, don’t be afraid of the canopy of the forest. That’s where shelter is. That’s where character is built. You can find consistency in the valleys of life even if it’s darker and you can’t see all around you like you could on the mountaintop. I’m sure this metaphor has some holes, but there is a lot of truth to it. Mountaintops are amazing, don’t shy away from them, but too much of them can kill you. Embrace the valleys as much as the peaks.