Welcome...

For those of you visiting my "web log" for the first time, welcome! I have already started to chronicle some of the changes and activities going on in my life. You can check back frequently to find out what my family and I have been up to. There are fun times ahead this summer and challenges ahead this fall, along with an exciting winter forthcoming. So, the rest of this year should prove how fast time can fly...

Book Review: Confession Of A Reformission Rev.

On a recent flight I completed the majority of Mark Driscoll's book Confessions Of A Reformission Rev. Driscoll is the pastor of Mars Hill Chruch Seattle (marshillchurch.org) and wrote the book to chronicle his journey of planting and growing the church. Once I got into the book it was easy to get through and Driscoll packs a lot of information into every paragraph.

Likes: Driscoll thoroughly describes the biblical research that went into his decision making as a church leader. The Notes section provides numerous resources to conduct your own research on nearly all matters discussed in the book. Furthermore, Driscoll presents multiple alternatives for addressing issues within the church, such as the size of an elder board or the ecclesiology of leadership in general. Driscoll's willingness to learn from pastors across the country and across denominations is commendable. Above all, I like Driscoll's call for men to rise up and fulfill their godly purpose. Our culture has effectively reduced what it means to be a man (see popular tv shows such as Rosanne, The Simpsons, According to Jim, The King of Queens, you get the point), but Driscoll challenges the men of his church and readers of his book to take the responsibilities we were given by God to care for ourselves and our families. Since there are more things I liked about the book, I suggest reading the book on your own.

Dislikes: First, I like the fact that Jesus is the senior pastor of Mars Hill Church Seattle. However, that makes me dislike the fact that Driscoll would on occasion refer to Mars Hill as my church. Other than that, because Dricoll is real and honest thoughout this work, I don't have any other significant dislikes.

Conclusion: This is an excellent book for all Christians and those seeking Christ. If the book is read with the understanding that it is basically a memoir it effectively challenges the reader to examine their faith, their ministry, and their church. I say that it is a memoir because it chronicles the growth of Mars Hill Church from just a few to a few thousand attenders. Driscoll includes with the memoir his doctrine, beliefs, and struggles. His willingness to be frank about himself and his failures makes the book real and applicable.

Jackson

Today I put in my two weeks notice at work. The response I received, in my opinion, can be described as disappointment. I am taking this reaction as a very high compliment. I have greatly enjoyed my time at JNL and have made many friends and connections that I will keep in contact with for years to come. It has been an outstanding opportunity to develop as a professional and as a person. The responsibilities I was expected to meet were challenging and worthwhile. Although it is difficult to leave such a great company, I remain confident in the necessity of following my passion. Furthermore, my education at Yale will only add to my versatility as a businessman. If it is God's plan that I should return to the corporate world, I will only be a stronger leader after my experiences at Yale and in my future ventures.

Community

During the past ten months, I have come to realize the importance of community. Considering "community" is a Christian buzzword, it may have a different meaning to you than it does to me. So, I will first define community from my perspective and then I will share why I believe it is important.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines community as "the people who live in a particular place or region and usually are linked by some common interests." I think this is an excellent definition, however, I would add "and gather in fellowship." Therefore, the Doug Searles Vocabulary Bank defines community as "the people who share location and/or interests and gather in fellowship."

The importance of community, to me, can be summarized in a few words - support, accountability and purpose - the combination of which results in a sense of belonging. Amid the constant change that defines our lives, support is essential. This type of support can vary from giving advice and listening to celebrating accomplishments and mourning defeats. Realizing that a group of people will be sharing in my successes and failures creates an automatic sense of accountability. Not that I have been living my life to please someone else, but knowing that my decisions have effect others makes me more apt to carefully consider my decisions. Receiving the support and accountability of a "community" is a part of what has helped me understand my purpose. My purpose is to succeed, not as success is typically defined, but rather as Emerson* wrote, "To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Having a sense of and participation in community is essential in carry out my purpose for life because of the support and accountability that are created. The ability to at least attempt to carry out my purpose in life has given me a greater sense of belonging than any accomplishment. I belong here, now because I am working to achieve my purpose. This has given me a sense of peace about moving to a different part of the country because I realize that it will not affect my sense of belonging, as long as I have a community in place supporting me, holding me accountable, and help me fulfill my purpose.

While living in the Lansing area, my wife and I were extremely fortunate to have a great "community." I am endebted to the people of this community for helping forge who I am today, the man that I am supposed to be. It is my earnest hope that a "community" is awaiting our arrival in New Haven.

My final comment is that I intentionally never mentioned a number of people that are required for a community. I don't think a minimum number is necessary, because I believe any number of people greater than yourself alone can form a community.

I have a couple of requests. First, so that I can refine my definition of community, let me know what "community" means to you. Also, if there are some words that summarize why community is important to you, tell me what they are.

*Whether or not Emerson is the true writer of the quoted poem is another topic entirely

My First Assignment

I received my first assignment from Yale on the Class of 2008 website. There are two parts to it. First, I need to read three biographies and second, I need to set up an interview with a respected professional in my field of interest. I am really excited about these assignments because of the people I will be reading about and interviewing.

The required biographies are Made in America by Sam Walton, Roger Lowenstein's biography of Warren Buffett, Buffett, and Gandhi’s autobiography An Autobiography; The Story of My Experiments with Truth. The three people I am required to read about are a mix that confirms my choice to attend Yale. While I know all business students will study the celebrated corporate business moguls Sam Walton and Warren Buffett, not all students will be asked to reflect on the thoughts of Gandhi. I think this assignment reflects the goals Yale has while training business leaders, to not only make us great businesspeople, but to make us contributors to society.

For the interview portion of the assignment, I am hoping to interview Richard Stearns, the President of World Vision. I have been in contact with several World Vision associates in the Human Resources department and hope that those connections will help me get onto Mr. Stearns busy schedule. He received his MBA from Wharton (Penn) and worked corporately before taking over the Presidency at World Vision. Hopefully, I will write in a couple of weeks that the interview has been granted. Check out the link to World Vision on the side bar.

Blog

Well, the time has come. With our impending move, I have finally decided that it will be useful to have a blog. While I don't think there will be many readers, I do think that having an "online journal" for the next two years will be a useful way of documenting my life while back in school. And for those of you who do end up reading my blog, I hope it is interesting, funny, informative, or at least worth your time.