by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 25, 2009 | Bible Journey, Christianity, Religion, Vision
The Preacher & The Atheist
Trevor (not his actual name) says that he is “currently” an atheist. However, he says “he is open to the possibility that he may learn something that will change his mind.” Trevor and I currently work out together and he calls me the only “Christian” he likes. “Why,” I ask? His reply: “You walk the walk, you’re down to earth, you’re funny, a cool person, and your goal is not to convert me, but to be friends with me. That’s what I like about you.” For the record, Atheism is the view that God does not exist and it is not a new development. Psalm 14:1, written by David in around 1000 B.C., mentions atheism: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” Recent statistics show an increasing number of people becoming atheists, with up to 10% of people worldwide declaring themselves to be adherents of atheism. Trevor is an associate professor at the University of Chicago (whose workload includes classes on comparative religion, anthropology, and philosophy), a husband, and the father of three children. He is also a poet and an author. Trevor’s father is a retired professor who is also an atheist. His mother is a classically trained violinist and a lifelong seeker of truth. Last week I asked Trevor to attend one of our worship services and he did (I’ll post what he said about attending Mars Hill – EYE OPENING). In turn, he asked that I attend a lecture with him at the University (I’ll share my experience – EYE OPENING). Of course, I agreed. Before we agreed to attend each other’s events, we made an agreement:
We will do this only if we remain open minded with each other. We both agreed.
Here’s what’s on my mind:
“What would you say to Trevor since he’s “open” to the possibility that he may learn something to change his mind?”
by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 24, 2009 | Empowerment, Leadership, Success
Recently I read an article in Outreach magazine and the feature was an interview with Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic in Los Angeles, CA. He said something so profound that literally stopped me in my tracks. He said, “I think a lot of pastors have a dream that matches the life of the pastor who is living the dream they want.” Wow, that statement made me think!
I believe there is a temptation to copy others both professionally and in ministry. (more…)
by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 20, 2009 | Decisions, Other Stuff, Web/Tech, Weblogs
I’m back…
First, I want to thank my web/blog designers Chris and Erin for designing an incredible site. Thank you Chris for masterfully handling the coding and hacking. Also, thanks Erin for the design work – especially the color selection. My web designers, Chris and Erin of Arcane Palette Creative Design, spent the last two weeks porting my blog from TypePad (my previous blogging platform) to WordPress. This has been a big project-much bigger than I expected. Oh, I only wished I had started with WordPress when I began blogging two years ago. You’ll notice several changes:
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Feb 9, 2009 | Christian, Current Affairs, Family, Leadership, Money and Finance, Politics, President Obama
AM I THE ONLY ONE COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW?
According to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the chief proponent of the big bank bailout, flooding the banks with taxpayers’ money was supposed to get them to start lending freely again. And that, in turn, was supposed to stabilize the markets and prevent the downturn from being worse than it otherwise would be.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Feb 4, 2009 | Book Reviews, Communication, Empowerment, Leadership, Success, Vision
With 2009 destined to be a tough year for a lot of people, I thought now would be the perfect time to review Marcus Buckingham's book , The Truth About You which aims to empower you to enjoy higher satisfaction and performance in life and work.
If you are someone who still is not sure what to do with your life, then this is probably a great book for you to pick up. It includes a DVD, the book and a notepad, all of which make for a very interactive experience. If you are already in tune with your strengths and how you want to spend your life, and you are one of the 2 out of 10 people Marcus mentions that get to play to their strengths at work, then there are still some solid nuggets in the book for you as well.
The book discusses how successful people can build their dream jobs. The philosophy of the book revolves around 3 myths that hold you back from building your own dream job.
"Your strengths aren't what you're good at, and your weaknesses aren't what you're bad at."
“When it comes to the job, the 'what' always trumps the 'why' or the 'who'."
“You'll never turn your weaknesses into strengths.”
It also explains the differences in your strengths versus your weaknesses in a way that you probably have not thought about. Ensuing chapters provide 5 pieces of advice (a chapter for each) to stay on your strength path and succeed in both work and life.
In short, if you're really yearning to discover more about your strengths or weaknesses, give this book a try. Pick the book up and read it. Then give it away to a young person preparing for a new career path. And then treat yourself to a new copy.
To read the first 12 pages click “read” on the widget below:
Disclaimer: I was given this book by the publisher, Thomas Nelson, as part of a program for book reviewers, but given no direction to follow nor compensation for this review.
