This is a test post to see how it works now. But I did find this photo fun to take. How do you charge for congestion? Or does it mean, there is congestion ahead, please charge ahead. Maybe the society that generated the famous, “Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead.” does something similar in congested areas!
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Abby in the park
Yesterday, Grammy and I took Abby to the park. It was fun to hear her squeal with delight at all the fun things to do. Everything was interesting!
Smoking in Europe is all about the ashtrays
I’ve learned that the difference in Europe, or Budapest at least, in smoking areas and non-smoking areas of public places is the placement of ashtrays. Earlier today, I was sitting in the Budapest airport waiting to board. I grabbed a quick sandwich for lunch. I sat at a non-smoking table, since my table didn’t have an ashtray. The table next to me was a smoking table, since they had an ashtray.
This can be very conveniently self-reconfigured easily. I noticed that one person sat at a non-smoking table (no ashtray), but needed to smoke. So he reached over to the smoking table next to him and took the ashtray, hence “reconfiguring” the arrangement.
Now, I’ve walked through the Frankfurt airport and noticed the “smoking” area is a table in the main hallway with several ashtrays. It was very crowded as people stood and puffed. There was a measure of anynomity, though, since there was quite a cloud of smoke obscuring the smokers.
By the way, this is my first time through the Frankfurt airport in maybe 25 years. It is a l-o-n-g way from my arrival gate A64 to my departure gate A22! It asctually feels like another terminal, but it’s still called “A”.
I’m going from Budapest to Amsterdam for a meeting tomorrow (Monday) helping develop internet evangelism and discipleship for Western Europe.
Well, they are boarding. At least, even in Europe, the flights are non-smoking!
I’m an introvert
I am an introvert. There, I’ve said it. I’m an introvert in an organization whose purpose is to help everyone know someone who truly follows Jesus. Sometimes it feels like being an introvert in an extrovert organization!
Yesterday was a great day. After 2 weeks of people, people, people as the host or director of several conferences, Kay and I had a day by ourselves. It felt good! Several asked Kay and I to join with them in exploring Budapest, cruising the Danube, exploring castles. All sounded good, but they were with people.
What did we do? Kay and I sat in 3 different coffee shops. We talked. We wrote postcards. We read. We just sat. And it was good.
Kay and I are in Budapest helping host 8 conferences over a 3 week period for leaders from every area of the world. I am directing several of the conferences.
I can remember sitting in Bolton Hall as a newly enrolled freshman in Texas A&M’s College of Engineering. The course was Engineering 101. The discussion was all the roles an engineer can have in an organization — all the way from pure researchers in white lab coats with slide rules (the calculators of that day) to sales people who vaguely remember studying engineering in their distant past. I can clearly remember thinking, “The white lab coat guys seem to have it made. They don’t have to deal with people. Ohm’s Law works, all the time. Kirchoff’s Laws aren’t flaky and disappointing to me. I really don’t like people. The lab is the choice for me!”
I was an introvert, and didn’t know it at the time.
On the way to my ideal lab research job, I met the Holy Spirit. I was a believer, so He already indwelled me. But He didn’t direct my life. During my junior year, a student involved with Campus Crusade shared how I could allow the Holy Spirit to give meaning and purpose to my life every day. A light bulb clicked on, and the light began to reveal truths I had never fully understood about the source of power and purpose in life.
And I began to like people.
It’s an amazing thing. I never really disliked people, I just had rather be alone. I never expected to enjoy being around people. But as I grew as a Christian, I found myself becoming more and more concerned about people, about their hopes and dreams, about their fears and concerns.
It is not possible to walk closely with Jesus and not be deeply concerned about people.
And I am still an introvert.
I’ve learned that the difference between introverts and extroverts is where I get my energy. Being around a lot of people consumes energy for an introvert. Being around a lot of people generates energy for an extrovert. Times of aloneness and solitude generates energy for me, as an introvert.
Being in fulltime ministry does not mean changing from introvert to extrovert. It means learning to draw energy from God. So where does the energy come from to host 8 conferences in 20 days? Paul says, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” (Colossians 4:13). "’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Any good electrical engineer knows that power is the measure of energy over time. It’s probably not what the Greek means by “power”, but 2 Corinthians 12:9 is very meaningful to me by realizing that Christ’s power is Christ’s energy released over time as I help host and lead 8 conferences over 21 days.
So yesterday was a great day. I think I could use several more days, but God gave me one, and He gave me His Holy Spirit who gives me the strength to do all things. Christ’s energy is available to me.
He is sufficient.
Operations Leadership Connection Group
Here we are. Almost 90 people in Budapest at the Operations Leadership Connection. We’re hosting leaders from Europe, Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the U.S., and Canada. Together, we are planning how to Help build thousands of spiritual movements in locations all around the world. This OLC conference was a the first time top leaders from our global ministry met to learn how to better come alongside others in leadership to build capacity to develop and sustain movements everywhere, and how to develop an operational strategic plan help build local movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus. Our desire is to make sure this is not just a slogan, but a reality, under the leadership and strength of the Holy Spirit.
It’s been a great time!