Kirk Bowman's blog

So, I'm cutting my grass this morning.

I actually enjoy mowing my lawn. It's fairly therapeutic for me. My yard is pretty big and it takes close to 3 hours. It's fairly mindless work so I get to pray, think, sing, worship, listen to my Ipod while I'm riding on my lawn mower.

Today I'm thinking about the power God has given us to cultivate a great life.

All along the edge of one side of my yard are thorns and weeds and various "weed stuff". No telling how much of that owned my yard before I started defining what would be grass that I could mow. And create a beautiful lawn.

What used to be weeds is now lawn because of cultivation.

I think too many people are passive about designing the life they want. Some just don't realize they have the power and permission. We can all cultivate great relationships, financial increase, a great walk with God.

If you want tomatoes in your life. Plant tomatoes.
If you want friends. Plant love.

I like the idea of cultivation. It seems to have an elegance to it. Cooperating with the forces God has created rather than "forcing" a manufactured thing.

Here's to you cultivating the life you've dreamed of.

Reading a Brian Tracy article on business and creating customers for life and thought about its application to church and all of life.

He says two key elements of great business are Positioning and Differentiation.

BTW - I think truth is truth and it usually applies to all areas of life. There aren't "church truths", "business truths", "family truths". God's kingdom truths are for all areas of life. As John Maxwell says "There's no such thing as business ethics" Good ethics are good ethics - everywhere. Truth works - everywhere.

BT's two statements -
Positioning refers to the way your customers think and talk about you and your company when you are not there.

Differentiation refers to your ability to separate yourself and your product or service from that of others.

Positioning
Everyone and everything holds a position in people's perception - people feel a certain way about me, you, the church, the president.

I am on a mission to change the way people think about church. To change our "positioning" in people's minds.
Not church that is boring, judgmental, legalistic, behind the times, out of touch, bland, looking back.
I see church as exciting, colorful, life giving, uplifting, positive, helpful, creative, looking forward - great buzz and energy.

Differentiation
I still think as cool as we want to make church. And we do. Our quintessential uniqueness is love. God loves you. We love you. You are worth being loved. We love each other.

Style is definitely a part of uniqueness but we can get so hung up on "style" that we miss the real point.

The reason there are many churches in a city is this idea. Our church appeals to a certain type. So does the church down the road. I want our church to be the best "The Rock Church" we can be. We can't ever appeal to every person's style. We do our best for God and others when we embrace our uniqueness - and let other churches do the same.

Also - you are uniquely you. Celebrate that. Enhance it. Go for it.

Great weekend at church!

I have to say - our worship team rocks. I love the presence of God - especially when it's loud.

Finished up on The Plus Factor series. I've loved this series. Planting the seed of serving well in our church family. People are getting it. Even taking it home, not just in church. Very cool.

Volunteer Fair has been a total hit. What a great way to let people get in the game.

9 people responded to Christ. Love that!!!!!

Last night went to The Orange Peel again - this time to see MuteMath. They were really good.

The whole opening act thing needs some rework, though.

There were 3 (three !!!) opening acts for MuteMath. It just feels like too much. I've been to 3 different shows this past month. Which, by the way, is a lot more than normal for me. All the opening acts were a disappointment.

It seems to me the whole setup for those opening act guys is working against them. They might do fine with another positioning but the expectation level is so low. And they play too long. Give us 4 of your greatest songs. Do them exceptionally. Be Brief, Bold & Brilliant. Then leave us wanting more. Not hoping you'll stop.

Also, can't they come up with a more creative, entertaining way to transition equipment and set up between acts. I don't think that would be that hard. Make it fun. Appealing. Make it entertainment. Think it through and make it part of the act.

Well, I know there's got to be another level.

I love golf! And I love gadgets! So, small wonder I love golf gadgets. The best of both worlds.

I try to only buy the good golf gadgets. Not the stupid ones. At least most of the time.

My wife calls me "Pastor Gadget".

So anyway, my latest golf gadget is a "Sky Caddie". It's a GPS device that tells you exactly how many yards you are away from a green. It's awesome. It tells you exactly how many yards to the front, center and back of the green.

What an amazing day we live in. A GPS satellite in space can communicate with a device the size of a cell phone and tell me exactly how many yards I am from a given target.

Using my Sky Caddie the other day got me to thinking about God being completely dialed into the minute details of my life. The Bible says He knows the number of hairs on my head. That's more than I even know about myself.

Of course, if you don't have any hair on your head - He's still dialed in to you.

A yard is one step. If a satellite can tell me when I've taken one step, then God can know exactly where I am and what's going on with me - at all times. At every step.

Be encouraged - God knows and cares about exactly where you are. Every step of the way.

It has been my experience that most people do not actually want advice. They want to be told that what they have already decided is correct.

I used to try to "fix" everybody and everything. Now I have another approach - unasked for advice is unheeded advice.

If someone doesn't ask. I don't offer. Sometimes I won't even actually give advice when people ask unless I'm pretty darn sure they really want it. Too many people have gotten mad at me when I gave them the advice they asked for.

All of of us have blind spots. Areas we just cannot see clearly in. I have them. You have them.

It doesn't diminish our value to have a blind spot. It's just part of being human.

We can deny the law of gravity all day but it will always pull us down when we step off the edge of a cliff. If my blind spot has me heading for the edge - I need to know.

A great friend would be one who loves you enough to totally believe in you and your potential but would also be willing to tell you the truth. Because they love you.

People don't want your "truth" if you don't love them. Some people feel called to straighten everyone out. Forget that. Jesus said something about having a log in my eye and spotting a speck in your eye.

Don't go around dispensing advice to everyone now. But do have someone who loves you, believes in you and is willing to tell you the truth. Falling off a cliff is not fun.

But that's only my advice ......

Steve Jobs and Apple rule. They keep doing everything so cool and so well.

I love my Ipod(s). Very cool design. Simple to use. Look great. Great interaction with Itunes.

Now there's an article on Apple stores and how they rule.

Our church used to be all Macs. Then they got rid of Mr. Jobs. Apple started falling apart. We went PC. Now I'm going back. Got a new PowerBook coming this week.

Let's not even get started on the IPhone!

BTW, I am buying Apple stock like crazy over the past couple of years. How can it not go up?!!

I want our church to be like an Apple store. Cool. Simple. Creative. Connected. Great experience. Fresh atmosphere.

Saw Switchfoot at The Orange Peel last night. Amazing! They have written such incredible songs that describe longing and hope simultaneously. They are a great live band, putting a unique twist and sound on each song. Live better than the record! Imagine. We were all singing along at the top of our lungs. It was really fun!

The Orange Peel is intriguing to me. It's like a bumblebee. You know they're not supposed to be able to fly but they do. No A/C. We had to stand on wood floors (for hours!). Pretty basic, almost beat up decor - but it all works.

I'm always curious about places that work. Restaurants, churches, stores. Some click. Some don't.

Teaching about some of this at church. Putting "The Plus Factor" of serving on all arenas of life.

I so want the church to be an amazing place of life and hope for people. I think God deserves an amazing church, as well.

So we had a volunteer fair after church yesterday. Great buzz. Great feel . Lots of new people getting plugged in.

It's been fun to interview people in church and get their story of how involvement has benefited their life.

Some people seem to want to choose to be bystanders in life.

Some people just jump in and make the world a better place. I like the "jumper inners"!!!