Fun Day and Time Alone

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Happy 5th Birthday Isabela (3rd from the left, Kyra on the right joined us), "mi reina".

Prior to that, my wife and I had a great time away on a mini-retreat for our 11th year anniversary. Great time together.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

Who's to blame for the U.S. obesity epidemic?

Welcome back. You belong here.

It would be easy and warranted to say that you and I are to blame for eating pizza, burritos, fast food and soda (and ice cream). But restaraunts, fast food, McDonald's all make major $$ off of over eating Americans.

That will never change, so you and I have to change our eating habits. I did three years ago and I haven't looked back since.

You can too. Ask me how.

Who's to blame for the U.S. obesity epidemic?

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

New Blog

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I'm starting a new blog on the new beta Blogger. It's almost ready and I'd love it it I could be more honest with it, like an invisible blog but just on the world wide web. Maybe I should add passwords like my friend Tim has done on his blog.

I get tired of writing what I'm supposed to write versus what I'm really going through. That's probably why I haven't been writing much publicly, it's public!

Somethings are not meant for everyone, but yet again I have the need to have everyone know what I'm going through. Why? Therapy, narcissism, all of the above.

I do trust God, and I do seek Him daily (well, most days), and I do hear voices in my head.

Being that only 2-3 of you remain, I'll give you the password and you can do the same with your sites. Can you tell I hardly slept last night as I'm making no sense! (I was up late loading the update for Reason 3.0 on the laptop, still not working).

Today, Rachelle and I leave for our mini-marriage getaway. We're stopping by a craigslist potential to look at a dining table. We currently use a 6-foot church like folding table. It keeps me humble, I actually bought the table for my grandmother.

My back hurts today and I feel all over the place with worries, but I'm keeping strong in prayer and seeking God.

This week I've been reading Psalm 145:

3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [b]

6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.

Today, I am choosing to meditate on God's works in my life (see concussion Dec-June). God has been faithful.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

Wow, Long Time

Welcome back. You belong here.

Well, it's been forever, over a month since I've been here.

I hurt my back lifting 2 weeks ago and I'm hurting (heavy squats, lost concentration for a second and tweak!) Pain, pain. Ice bag, chiropractor, advil, all day every day. It's better, but uncomfortable and haven't done much lifting in those 2 weeks. But I'm eating according to plan and I can't WAIT to start lifting and running again, abs too.

I took some pictures of my progress until the injury, abs look good, chest, arms, legs. Need attention on shoulders and delts. Not bad, three years in. Will post some day, but not here, not now.

I haven't read many blogs either, not sure what's going on, just haven't felt inspired to write here. I write a lot, just not here.

Lots of stuff going on, spoke last Sunday night, first time in over a year, felt good, just got a book on communication once again. I am still at Bethany, yes I am, worship and in the Fall will start leading worship in the young adult service at 6pm. My job there is to develop Jeff, John and the rest of the next-gen worship leaders.

This Sat. is our 11th anniverary, I took the week off to celebrate, give Rachelle two days away alone at her parents house while I'm home with the three little ones and then over the weekend, we're at a hotel for 3 days, 2 nights alone. Can't wait. Little ones will be with her parents. 11 years is truly amazing, I look at her and I love her in a deeper way than even a year ago, after her illness, my concussion, recent job decisions, our marriage is more real than ever.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

Daily Report

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I'm losing readership according to my #'s, my guess that's due to my infrequent posting. So it goes. I may post more often some day, but for now it is what it is.

Thanks for reading if you're still here.

What am I doing these days:
1. Reading everything out there on "Liberation Theology" for my seminary paper due tomorrow (MA, Theology)
2. Re-entry from a great vacation in Bend, Oregon. I don't want to go back to work...
3. Building and mobilizing two creative teams for our Fall teaching series. One is on the HEART (evening), the other on EMBODYING THE LIFE OF CHRIST (morning)
4. Building a stronger worship band, musically and spiritually, discipleship, mentorship of young people
5. Evaluate why our Center of Music and Arts Camp didn't work this summer, we only had 6 sign ups, change in leadership may have been part of it
6. Desiring more time with our children
7. Needing a date with my wife, scheduled for next Monday night, catch a movie, talk, go out to dinner (We celebrate 11 years in August, I want to go to a marriage conference in La Jolla, CA and get away for the weekend in a nice hotel).
8. Tweaking my working out routine, goals are: cut 5% of body fat, increase 5% muscle, move to heavier weights and increase to 4 sets instead of 3
9. Eating is going well, cutting out a few grams of carbs and fats here and there, plenty of tuna, brocoli, salmon, chicken, rice and fruits, water all day long
10. Enjoying some new t-shirts (size M) and necklaces (accessories), new pants (size 33)
11. Crying, laughing, singing. Last night I was in tears while I lifted and sang "Take Off My Shoes" by Delirious from their "Mission Bell" album. Great song, I was in tears, hands in the air, cyring out to God in joy, determination, thankfulness for His mercy and grace inspite of my rotten attitude.

Cant' wait for my mom to return from New Mexico (in 10 days).
Got a nasty note from someone in the church about loud guitars and drums. Oh well. I like loud guitars and drums. I'm over it, hope they are.

Tonight:
6pm - Dinner
7pm - Lift (arms/back/abs)
8pm - Finish Paper

Oh, and I'm daily trying to figure out what great thing I'm supposed to do and how to use the PhD in Life that I have for the sake of others.

I need to spend more time alone with God, His Word and in prayer, my soul longs for it. Last night and today, I've been identifying with Christ's sufferings, realizing that even when work is hard, when I feel down, that the presence of Jesus is in it all (that's what Philippians 3 says, read it).

It's hot today! Arghhhh....

I gotta return a phone call from Jesse, director of the Long Beach Rescue Mission, who wants a Spanish band for his outreach in August. I think I'll do it.

I need to talk to Mike Silva about going to Guatemala with him in November to do a crusade and outreach to the poor. I would help with music. I feel I need to go, raise my own support ($1500.00) even if my church doesn't support Mike at this point.

There you have it.

Back to reading Gutierrez, James Cone, Sobrino and the rest of the Liberation theologians. Pretty good guys.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

Summer Thoughts

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World Cup Note: Brasil 3, Ghana 0, No contest. The Gahna team seemed overmatched, nervous, tentative, maybe in awe of the Brasilians. Not a very entertaining game.

Summer Thoughts:

THE BEST TEACHERS to help us enjoy summer are little children. They do not yet work in offices. They do not own calendars with tasks crying out to be done. I love to see the parks fill up with young life each summer. … I am joining them for a day, lest I grow old before my time. … As a child, I was quite successful at living life fully, because I had not yet learned to live by the calendar. I lived by heart.
Macrina Wiederkehr, in The Circle of Life

I live by heart, sometimes it drives me nuts because I can't keep up with it, and sometimes you have to live by the to do's and urgent needs.

But on a day like today, I'm living by heart - painted Isabela's (4) toe nails and taught her a song on the piano , played trucks with David (2), and put Canela's (7) name on her Groovy Girls suitcase. My to do says do homework, lift (chest/back, abs), vacuum and spot clean. I'll get to that shortly, right now I'm doing what's most importat.

We leave for Oregon on Thursday, I can't wait. Vacation is good.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

Fitness Update

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I've been into fitness for about three years. Prior to that I would run once in a while, eat without control (feel bad but do nothing about it) and didn't know what a dumbell really was. Last time I was into fitness was high school. I was about 40lbs overweight, high blood pressure, tired all the time, coffee was the way to get through. I wasn't sleeping very well and eating without self-control. My body type does not do well with that. I got soft, soft and softer. I look at pictures of myself from back then I look pretty unhealthy.

Through that time, my wife was my motivator, working out every day with videos, weights, aerobics, abs, everything.

Then I got serious. It started with Body for Life back in Sept. 2003. Weight training, running, abs, 6 small meals a day combining quality protein for muscle building with tuna, power bars, salmon, vegetables, chicken and tons of water.

CONSISTENCY is very important as well as flexibility. I've had to adjust my workout routine based upon injury, seasons of the year, illness, rest. For example:

My exercise process has been:
Body for Life - 12 weeks/12 weeks/12 weeks
Arnold's Body Building Plan A - 1 year
Dave Draper Fitness Program - 1 year (current)
Eating plan - Body for Life (almost 3 years)

Breaking down some more:

Here was my routine about 6 months ago:
Lift - 4x/week
Run - 4x/week
Abs - 6-7x/week
Eating - at 95% of plan

Then a lamp fell on my head.

Back in Dec. of 2005 I suffered a pretty severe head concussion. I was dizzy and suffered from headaches for almost 6 months. Then my wife was ill with a severe virus that affected her whole body, she missed work for 5 weeks with joint pain, rash, fever. She is better now.

During those months of illness I continued to work out but at a different pace.

Here was my routine during those 5-6 months of illness:
Lift - 2-3x/week
Run - 2-3x/week
Abs - 3-4x/week
Eating - at 80% of plan

Today, I feel much better from the concussion and my wife is about 90% back. Looking at my body, face, midsection, muscle tone, I have not grown in muscle density and have about 5-6lbs of extra illness/winter layer. But things are changing.

For the last 3-4 weeks I've returned to form and am eager to change things up to grow and improve.

Here's my current workout routine:
Lift - 4x/week
Run - 4x/week
Abs - 5-6x/week
Eating - at 90% of plan

I'm getting back on track. Illness will change things, but the key is not to stop, EVER! I am committed to working out and eating healthy as long as I live or as long as I can.

Some of my goals for the summer and Fall 2006:
1. Switch from Dave Draper's program to Arnold's Intermediate Plan
2. Eating plan at 90-95%
3. Increase muscle tone by 10% and lower body fat by 10% (5-6lbs)
4. Run 4-5x a week. My body type needs aerobic, fat burning exercises
5. Take pictures and post (in garage). It's been more than 12 months since I las took pictures of my progress, it's time to do this again.

How to get started? I recommed Body for Life. It's a 12 week program which combines eating and exercise...yes, there's nothing new under the sun.

The key word is: MOTIVATION. What is your motivation to get started? That's what you want to think about first. Second, write out your obstacles, third get a partner and get started.

I could give in to stress, tiredness, busyness and life. I could easily gain 40lbs. in 6 months and lose everything I've gained in the last 3 years. It's possible, but it probably won't happpen. What keeps me from doing that? MOTIVATION which basically comes down to wanting to do great things in life and needing a healthy body to do it and the love for my wife and children not wanting to leave them alone early because of illness, and the CHANGES I've experienced. That keeps me going every day.

You can do the same or more.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

Graduation O' Rama

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In our worship band we have music educators and parents and people, which means this week is graduation o'rama week, and it's great.

Graduation is a time of celebration, of shedding a few tears and years, (I did at Isabela's (4) preschool graduation last week), and of feeling proud of those we love.

I remember graduating from CSULB, very boring ceremony, long, thousands of names read over and over again, but in the end it was about having my grandmother with me, my wife and those I loved right next to me to celebrate my special day. And finishing a Computer Engineering program was a HUGE sense of accomplishment. It was tough, I almost didn't make, but God held me through it.

Then a few weeks ago, I was walking through the Talbot Seminary/BIOLA (where I attend) graduation lawn as they prepared for their event. The ancient school podium was out, the black backdrop, the white lawn chairs on the beautiful green grass, the portable stage with two side ramps for easy on and off access, the speakers, the huge school insignia in the background and I must say, I shed a tear thinking about finishing my Masters' degree some day.

In most programs I would be done by now, an MBA (Master's in Business) is about 30 units. I have completed 35 units of my Master in Theology out of 63, so I'm half way there and it's tough with a full time job, a real marriage and three real small children and a ministry to run. But it's my passion and area of expertise so I'm committed to finishing. It's good for pastors to go to Seminary don't you think? Even worship guys!

So I get graduations, they are great times of challenge, discipline, tradition, pride, a sense of progress and hope. I look forward to finishing my Masters at Talbot and graduating from that awesome seminary one day. I will do it.

Perhaps you have a dream for more education. As you sit in the sun, or wonder how many names the announcer can butcher, or wonder how much longer you have to wait, ask yourself, is there something here for me? Is there something I should start, finish, accomplish in education, a skill, a discipline? Is it getting in shape, is it being more committed to the Scriptures, is it doing more with your life? And if so, commit to doing something, the little things, finishing, starting, get going. Perhaps you can start school again in the Fall.. You're not too old, too young, too smart, too done to do school.

Leaders are learners, keep growing, keep challenging yourself, that's the best thing you can give to others, being a person who keeps growing, especially in their love for Jesus and people.

Have a great day and Happy Graduation!

Into the future,

davidT

Motivated by "This is Love:"

Welcome back. You belong here.

It's been a while since I've been here, it's nice to be back.

Lately, I've realized that the next season of my life is largely motivated by my growing desire to have people know the Love of Jesus Christ.

The more I study theology, do weekly services and spend time with people, the more I realize it's not church that changes people, nor tradition, nor politics or voting for the right person. It's understanding that no love is higher, no love is deeper, no love is wider than the Love of Jesus for you and for me.

The verse that's been the focus for my future has been 1 John 4:
10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

What great love, what great hope for my friends and family. I can't think of anything else I'd rather give my life to than to help people receive this amazing love, and to be completely satisfied with such fullness. Then our lives will not long for the things of this world, money, power, relationships, all good things, yet they cannot fill the human soul with meaning and love.

We call this the Gospel message, the Message of Jesus Christ, the grand story, the narrative of the glory of God.

My life is given to you Jesus, your message and your world. Here I am Lord, send me.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE:
10am - Isabela's (4) preschool graduation
12N - Grand Central Market with my mom who's here from Nicaragua, my wife and our children
2pm - Nap (missed the Argentina fútbol game)
4pm - Playing outside with children, sprinklers, bikes as my wife planted flowers
6pm - Run, abs
7pm - Dinner (late for us but we were having a great time outside)

COMING UP:
Lift? I could, but I don't like to lift this late especially on the night before Sunday
Change strings on guitars
Study for seminary

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

Relationship Goo and Coming Out of My Super Hero Eggshell

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I need to become more Emotionally balanced
Counseling – I’m a good candidate for long term counseling (said Laura, my counselor after 8 weeks of therapy). I agree.
The safety net was gone at 12yrs old, came to abuelita who caught me, she was my other safety net, but now that’s also gone. Now it’s just me (and Jesus and the Body) and the courage to have God lead me forward and to the vision He has given me
To lead my wife and children
I don’t want to get stuck in emotional goo

Emotional goo keeps me from doing God’s work
Relational goo is not always bad, but sometimes it paralyses me
I will not lose my heart for God, my wife, and our children in the process of becoming more focused and courageous
The cost will NOT be my heart, Jesus nor my wife or family
The cost may be relationship, separation anxiety

But that cost is no cost at all, the real cost is in NOT doing what God tells me to do
Things are eventually better when you do what’s right in God’s eyes, although relationships may change
For example – My relationship with staff, with my wife and children are all changing this year. WOW!!
I am moving from adolescent goo, "I need you, you’re my mother and father, hold me, kiss me, love me", to passion, purpose, intentionality and CORE
I will always need those things, but I'm becoming more aware of their negative effects and where they came from (see Nicaragua childhood)
MY CORE IS – The Gospel, God’s Glory, Evangelism, Worship, the Arts, the Word, my wife and children, my family in Nicaragua

I want to lead our children from this CORE not from relational goo
I want to lead with vision and purpose, not relational goo
Goo and relationship sustain vision not the other way around, Vision is 1st.
Vision comes from sitting on the porch with God late at night, talking, listening to His voice

I am coming out of the Super-hero eggshell
Inside of me, there is a Super-Hero
I am making better choices these days
This is a season of SWINGING BRIDGES for our church and my personal life
In other words, I haven't landed, we're on the bridge, it's swinging back and forth, it's uncertain, but we're in it together and it's taking us to the other side, to the landing

I am looking for the landing
I am getting ready to land
This BRIDGE may last 1-2 years
The landing will be my life for the next 10-20 years
I am learning to be more courageous and take the risk to be TRUE to God's call on my life
Yet, that process requires more FALLING APART, in other words, being true to my pain, aches, sadness, hurt
But that hurt leads me somewhere, it’s not the end
I’m discovering my heart for evangelism once again, for postmoderns in LB

My wife and I are doing 40 Days of Discovery – ends Sun June 4th, 2006, to discover God and His will for our lives
During my wife’s recent illness - I became the GLADIATOR, I had been the poet and priest but I became the hairy chest, sword in hand, come on I’ll lead us through the mud babe, machete in hand kind of guy
I became EL ZORRO!
I am great at being a priest and poet
I do that well and it's very important, like Job, and Moses and David
But they were also GLADIATORS, I am becoming both

My challenge is to not hang on to the past but to lead forward
My challenge is to lead versus hanging on to relational goo and shrink back
My opportunity is to lead with passion, love and clarity

The future is NOT clear, the future is God and His vision
I don’t know the future as a futurist as in man-centered future.
My future is prayer, faith, vision from God, from listening to His heart, from the burden in my heart, like Nehemiah, like Paul, like Solomon asking for wisdom

This is like adding a second story to my house which we did 2 years ago.
I have to strengthen the exisiting foundation and add parts of a new one
So I can build up and grow up
It's expensive, dirty, lengthy, a huge mess!
But now we have a 2-story house
It was all worth it
We use it to live life and share it with others

And my holiness has to increase
My wording while leading has to go up
My language has to go up
My schedule focus has to go up
My love has to go up
My prayer dependency has to go up
My budget
My down time

My vacation
My annual planning
My rest and fun
My exercise and eating well
My speaking out against sin, selfishness

My education and training has to increase
My simplicity has to increase
My musical skills have to increase
My relationships have to increase
My asking for help has to go up
My being honest about my weaknesses has to increase
My reading has to increase
My time with Rachelle has to increase

Jesus has to increase
Jesus
Jesus
Jesus has to increase
Jesus has to go up
Holy Spirit has to increase
Father has to increase
More of Jesus
Less of me

That makes sense now...I get it!

Some things have to GO
Wasting time may have to go
Sitting around on the computer may have to go
Emotional overload may have to go
Sin has to go
Out of control schedule has to go

For the sake of growing up and becoming more mature in Christ
For the sake of my wife
For the sake of our children, 7, 4 and 2
For the sake of my joy
For the sake of the harvest and the Kingdom of God until I die or He returns

What about you? What's your goo and egg shell? What's the super hero inside of you look like? What has to increase, what has to go?

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

What do You Cry About?

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I am often amazed how much I learn about my leaders just by going to their work place, their home, seeing their car (ouch!). Most of the time, we spend time with leaders in a controlled environment, staff meetings, rehearsal room, church. And most of the time it's an environment we control.

Last week I visited Russell's job. He is a civil engineer and works on Auto-CAD most of the day. In the arts, he does media work for us as well as arranging details for our parks and off campus events, he plays bass, plays in one of our bands and is a good friend.

Russell dreams about running sound, doing podcasts, doing his job well, being a good dad (he has four children 7 and under). He cries about...actually I'm not sure what he cries about, I need to ask him that next time.

I dream about: An urban church in Long Beach.
I cry about: Selfishness and self-centeredness. My own as well as others.

There are a few questions Leadership Wired recommends we ask when getting to know our people.

1. "What do you dream about?

A person's dreams are powerful revealers of passion. When a person starts to talk about their dreams it's as if something bubbles up from within. Their eyes brighten, their face glows, and you can feel the excitement in their words.

2. What do you cry about?

Passion can be uncovered by peering into the hurts deep inside a human soul. The experience of pain or loss can be a formidably motivating force. When listening to a story of grief, you hear a voice thick with emotion, you see watery eyes flooded with feeling, and in that moment you glimpse the intense connections between a person's deepest pain and their greatest passion."

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

What Would Jesus Direct?

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What would Jesus direct in Hollywood? Remember "The Passion of the Christ"?. And now comes "The DaVinci Code." I still don't get those Christians who are 'boycotting' the movie.

This is a great conversation for our actors to discuss.

So What Would Jesus Direct? :

"MR. FLAHERTY: Nothing's more transformational in human existence than faith. So no matter what story you are telling, you want to make sure that is a part of the story that's represented. I think that one of the more powerful films that will come out this year is the Oliver Stone movie WORLD TRADE CENTER. It's about two New York City cops, and they were stuck in a hole -- one for 12 hours, one for 24 hours -- and about the amazing things that happen in terms of when they were praying down there, their families that were praying for them, a gentleman in Connecticut who was in church who said that he felt like he was being called to the World Trade Center and eventually rescued these guys. I think too often we forget how mystical and magical our faith is, and I think we're really starting to recapture that.

Mr. WINTER: Movies get made for a lot of reasons, and this festival celebrates filmmakers who want to make movies and want to make statements and show their art, and it doesn't matter. They don't care how people react. That's great. Studios make movies because they want to make money, because it's corporate America, and because of the spreadsheets, and so it is a 'flavor of the week' kind of business and it is 'How can we get this movie to the widest possible audience?'

LAWTON: Going back to the title of this panel, which is 'What Would Jesus Direct?', what is Jesus's next big project?

Mr. BOCK: I think the question can't just be what would Jesus direct. I think it's got to be what would Jesus direct and what would Paramount distribute, because, look, film is a collaborative process. It requires a lot of money. It requires literally hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people. You guys have all watched the credits. There's this playoff between what filmmakers want to make and what a studio wants to make as well."

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

The Weight of Influence

Welcome back. You belong here.

With influence comes responsibility. You won't gain greater influence unless you're responsible on the current things. "faithful in the small things, put over greater things" is the law. As my responsibilities in the worship arts move from one worship service to three in the next 6-12 months, I am challenged to grow in my leadership.

As influence grows, I have to grow with it. I am challenged to be the man God has called me to be. The greater the vision, the greater the responsibility.

The other thing I'm challenged is in the focus of my leadership. In the worship arts I could focus artists on very accepted things in the church today:

1. Performance
2. Excellence
3. Media
4. Excitement
5. Buzz
6. Numbers
7. Church Growth
8. Relevance
9. Style

You name it, churches do it, including ours. And those things aren't bad, it's part of the worship arts machine. But at the CORE, what I am about are not those things.

At my core is an authentic life in Christ, a genuine relationship with Jesus that is current, which first changes me and then others. And at the core, core you know what I bleed for? Reaching lost people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And at the core, core, core what is there? The Glory of God.

So you can layer my CORE VALUES as follows:
CORE, CORE, CORE - the Glory of God
CORE, CORE - The Gospel of Jesus Christ
CORE - A life in Christ

This is what I hope to be, this is what will influence others. I need others to pray for me as I seek to become this man to my wife, children and the Body.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

What's Your Communication Language?

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Leadership is about communication. No matter what type of communication - home, work, fun, music, friendships, communication is something we all have to do.

So how to communicate with others in today's culture? Note: Most of these comments may be applicable primarily to the U.S. and other developed countries. Other places may be limited in their forms of communication, although the rest of the world is quickly catching up.

Before email, text messaging and cell phones our options were letters, phone calls (land lines or pay phones, remember those?), beepers, and visiting one another's homes (wow, where did that go?). And that's only going back 10 years or so.

Today, most of my leaders resort primarily to email. The problem with that is that when Andrea emails Dean, but Dean is not an email guy, he's a cell phone kind of guy, they miss each other. Sometimes Jack calls my work line, (i'm a cell phone and email guy) and it takes me days to get to my work phone and we miss each other. In the mean time Daniel texts me at 10pm about an important meeting tomorrow at the Coffee Bean at 9:30am and I email him back because I don't want to spend the extra cost on texting. But he didn't check his email in time so he wonders if I'm showing up or not.

Sometimes people use email with those they are not close to or comfortable with. Others may use text with their close friends but not with mom and dad. Sometimes the way you communicate with someone depends on the purpose of the interaction and the relationship you have with that person.

With your boss, you may write a letter or formal email, with your best friend you might text or call them on their cell phone. If you want the news to be processed first and you are afraid of a quick response, you might email. If you are not a confrontational person or the other person scares you, you might email them instead of calling.

The important thing in all this is to know your people's 'communication language'. As in 'love languages' people receive and express commmunication in a particular way.

My communication language is the cell phone, just call me. I love talking to people on the cell phone (hands free please!). Face to face is #2. I'm a relational kind of guy.

So the Main 6 Communication Languages are:
1. Email
2. Cell phone
3. Home or work phone
4. Text message
5. Face to face
6. Blogs and web based forms (myspace.com, etc.)

Some people (especially Boomers), still use letters, office memos, copying files to a CD, etc. The other day, a Boomer friend of mine gave me a CD with one word doc in it. I thought, wow, that's ancient. And again, based upon the nature of your conversation and relationship, you may have to write a letter.

My advice is, know your own particular communication language and most of all know your people's, friends, etc. communication language. Communicate with them in a way they understand. Otherwise, you may never hear back from them.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT

Wise Decision

Welcome back. You belong here.

Wisdom says I should finish my Talbot paper, do laundry and pick up our children at school. What I want to be doing is support the L.A. Immigration rallies.

I am staying home, watching it on TV. I think that's the wisest decision today.

This is a very important issue for me, I have been an immigrant in this country my whole life, became a U.S. Citizen last month, and will never forget the path that got me here. I support Bush's immigration plan.

Wherever your stance, let's seek unity and understanding, especially as followers of Jesus, we need to know the issues and seek a resolution. Don't divide, unite.

KEY POINTS OF THE BUSH IMMIGRATION PROPOSAL

• Workers in the United States illegally join a temporary labor program.

• Those now-illegal immigrants then can apply for permanent residence but get no preferential consideration.

• Employers hiring these workers must show they cannot find U.S. laborers to fill their jobs.

• These undocumented workers get guaranteed wage and employment rights.

• These workers receive a temporary three-year visa, renewable once. They are expected to return to their countries of birth once their visas expire.

• Congress is urged to increase current annual limit of 140,000 "Green Cards.".

• The Department of Homeland Security is to administer the program.

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT