If anyone had reason to be snooty (and no one on this planet does)...  John Adams was well-accomplished, well-read, brilliant, well-traveled (for his time), yet he understood the real definition of  a public servant.  (Unlike so many that now hold similar offices, err I mean "titles".  i.e.: "Don't-call-me-ma'am-but-only-Queen-senator-because-I'm-better-than-you-pee-ons" Boxer, among others.)

Servant leadership, humble leadership is absolutely the best kind.  And how can it not be?  It was modeled to us by Jesus Himself who knelt to wash 120 very dirty toes, and died a death He could never deserve...for the sake of others.   Give, give, give.  We must be givers.  We must be real.  We must "not think ourselves more highly than we ought."  

Thomas Twining was delighted to find the Vice-President [John Adams]...in appearance to be more like "an English country gentleman who had seen little of the world, than a statesman who had seen so much of public life."

"I was always glad when I saw Mr. Adams enter the room and take his place at our table.  Indeed, to behold this distinguished man...occupying the chair of the Senate in the morning, and afterwards walking home through the streets and taking his seat among his fellow citizens as their equal, conversing amicably with men over whom he had just presided...was a singular spectacle, and a striking exemplification of the state of society in America at this period."

~From John Adams by David McCullough 

Is this the state of society in America now?  No.  We have made ourselves the subjects of celebrities and stuffy politicians...people who put their pants on the same way as the rest of us.  We have allowed an elitist society to be created and we 'ooh' and 'ahh' over them as if they were gods.  And then they behave like the gods we treat them as.

Even if our leaders and "stars" today were superior to our brilliant and humble founders, there would still be no reason to elevate them above the American citizen or any other human being on earth.   John Adams understood that "all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights..."  He understood it because he risked his life, liberty, and sacred honor for this truth.  And then, after much pomp, recognition, accomplishment, work, and yes, even vanity; he actually lived these words.  He knew he was created equal to those he "presided over."  He did his duty and then lived among the citizenry humbly and truly because he understood that "we the people" are the real power, the real world, the real governing force of this great nation.  Which so many now forget.

Wherever you are.  Whatever leadership position you hold.  Whatever influence you have.  Whatever inspiration you may be to others.  Always remember who you are.  We all are sinners.  We all are weak.  Even though we may be knowledgable or even an authority on this or that; we all are ignorant of many more things.  Keep it real, friends.  

"Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up."

I'm bound not to win.

But I'm bound to be TRUE.

I'm not bound to succeed.

But I am bound to live by the Light that I have.

I must stand with any one that stands with right.

And stand with him while he is right;

and part with him when he is wrong.

~Abraham Lincoln

This guy.

Homeschooling/keeping my kids close during these impressionable, growing, never-going-to-get-them-back years is of infinite value to me.

Nick Fury doing his English workbook.

Today, my rock star dressed as Nick Fury (of Avengers) and moved through his day.  He is a brilliant mind.  Kind-hearted.  Sassy. Funny.  A joy.  A party in a 9-year-old package.  I mean, in lieu of a bath tonight he opted for night time swimming (sans swim shorts).  I smiled as I observed bare legs swinging above the water as he executed one of his many stunts:  this particular feat a one-handed hand stand.  

I'm halfway through my training-him-up-in-the-way-he-should-go time.  And I want to laugh deep in my heart at bare legs in the darkened pool for a little bit longer.

Raising heroes is an honor.  A gift.  

I am so thankful.

Magellan...not the GPS contraption

Ferdinand Magellan's fleet was the first to circumnavigate the globe.  But Magellan himself never made it.  He died in battle in the Philippines.

He didn't complete the trip, but is still credited with the feat.

Of his 5 ships, only 1 returned to Spain.
Of his 280 men, only 31 survived.

Welcome to the 1st Day of School!

A checklist for Making Decisions

A checklist for Making Decisions

Have you figured out your focus?

Do you have a way of determining your focus, based on what really matters or what really counts?

When faced with a decision, ask yourself:

1. Is this consistent with my priorities?
2. Is this within my area of competence?
3. Can someone else do it better?
4. What do my trusted friends say?
5. Do I have the time?

When you say “yes” to an opportunity, get ready to focus.

Make to-do lists.

Set your priorities.

Avoid clutter.

Pursue excellence, but avoid perfectionism.

Question everything.

Work to prevent procrastination.

Control interruptions and distractions.

Use the calendar.

Narrow your wedge – don't try to do everything. That means you'll have to say no to some good things.

From the John Maxwell Leadership Bible.

“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.”

Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart understood great wisdom and knowledge. And I set my heart to know wisdom and knowledge. And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.For in much wisdom is much grief,And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” (Emphasis mine.)

It's true: Ignorance is bliss.

But, we must not be willfully ignorant!  Yet, it can not be healthy or good to be so obsessed with knowledge that we overwhelm ourselves with worry.  That's me: unbalanced and worrisome and anxious to know and do and make things right.  There is a place for this, but we must “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will be added to us.”

First things first.

about social justice

"Justice requires equal treatment before the law for everyone; it should never be preceded by a word that would limit the extent of its capacity to only a portion of the population. Social justice is, therefore, not real justice and, indeed, hurts true justice, because it focuses on discrimination in favor of special interest groups and segments of society instead of justice for all individuals." 

"While religious freedom is a universal right to which everyone is entitled, social justice is inherently discriminatory."

~Dr. Janice Crouse

More from her article here: http://spectator.org/articles/60184/bullies-social-justice