Second this.

Third this.

and now this...

Am I delaying being obedient to God in any area of my leadership?

If so, what am I waiting around for?

These vision twitches must go away. I'm losing sleep. Lot's of it.

Every woman yearns to be fought for. She wants to be more than noticed - she wants to be wanted. She wants to be pursued.

Here's just one way to pursue her:

Give her a pleasant surprise: be an artist of surprises.

Create a day long experience for her for Valentine's Day full of surprises. Have her wake up to breakfast or a note on the mirror where she gets ready. Hide a bunch of hearts in her car's visor so that when she opens it, she gets showered with a surprise. Just before lunch, call her and tell her to be ready at 7:00pm to go out. At lunch, have flowers delivered to her.

These are just a few ideas. Be creative...do something crazy that you would never normally do.

Then, top the whole day off with a hand written love letter. Here is an awesome website to help you with that (thanks Douglas.)

If you are a slacker and haven't made dinner reservations yet, go to opentable right now and do it.

I don't care if you have been married for 35 years and you are just so set in your ways that you are refusing and laughing as you read this. Your wife deserves to be treated like a princess. You are NOT a real man if you can't treat her like a princess for at least this one day out of the year.

In Wild at Heart, John Eldredge says, "Most men want the maiden without any sort of cost to themselves. They want all the joys of the beauty without any of the woes of the battle."

Will you fight for her?

This guy is a genius when it comes to leadership, marketing, and awesome random thoughts on other subjects. You can check out his blog here...its easily THE BEST business blog out there today.

Just to illustrate to you how badly you need to read this book, you need to know that I read it twice. Back to back. That's how much it impacted me. The second I finished it, I flipped right back to page one and started reading again.

Here are some quick hits. This IS NOT a summary of the book. GET IT. READ IT.

• The rush from stability is a huge opportunity for you.
• Leaders don't care very much for organizational structure or an "official blessing." They use passion and ideas to lead people as opposed to using threats and bureaucracy to manage them.
• Three steps: motivate, connect, leverage.
• "Everything I did was for US, not for ME."
• A crowd is a tribe without a leader or communication. Most organizations spend their time marketing to the crowd. Smart organizations assemble the tribe.
• Defending mediocrity is exhausting.
• True leaders have figured out that the real win is turning a casual fan into a true one.
• The idea that wins is the one with the most fearless heretic behind it.
• Great leaders focus on the tribe and only the tribe.
• Change isn't made by asking permission. Change is made by asking for forgiveness later.
• The ONLY thing holding you back from becoming the kind of person who changes things is this: lack of faith.
• Leaders who set out to give are more productive than leaders who seek out to get.
• "Everyone will think it's stupid! Everyone says it's impossible!" Guess what? Everyone works in the balloon factory and everyone is wrong. (You'll have to read it to see what the balloon factory is all about.)
• Everyone believes that what they've got is probably better than the risk and fear that comes with change.
• Isn't it sad that so many of us have a job where we spend two weeks avoiding the stuff we have to do fifty weeks out of the year? WOW!
• The secret is being willing to be wrong.
• The posture of a leader is this: if you hear my idea but don't believe it, that's not your fault; it's mine.
• Change almost never fails because it is too early. It almost always fails because it is too late.
• How do you be sure to get credit for an idea? Real leaders don't care. Credit isn't the point. Change is.

Main idea in Tribes? If you think leadership is only for other people, you're wrong. We need YOU to lead us.

Get it. Read it.

I want to remind you of this awesome tool to manage, track, and trade your books. Go check it out.

But, most importantly, I asked him what the heck his internet name "TXSUNRA" is.

Today, he graced me with an explanation.

Now, every Sunday, we meet at the Hays Performing Arts Center.

It really is an incredible building and a complete GOD THING that we get to meet there.

Each year, the PAC puts on a big musical. This year's is "The Music Man."

I want everyone from The Connection Church to go see it. I'll be at the showing tonight at 7pm.

If you can't make it tonight, catch it tomorrow at 2pm or 7pm. Tickets at the door are $10. You'll be encouraging tons of students (many that go to TCC!) and supporting the place that supports us 52 weeks out of the year. Plus, its cheap entertainment and you don't have to fight Austin traffic

What God has done in Micah's life since he first showed up at The Connection Church blows me away. He came to us not so sure about God and has grown into a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. I'll never forget the first few weeks he came to church; he helped us with set-up and tear down and was sweating like crazy. He started his ministry with us behind the scenes, running sound for our band. Then occasionally, he would sing a song in our Celebration Service. He served faithfully until he was the natural choice to lead our worship team, because he understands what we're about.

Micah is a great example of what it looks like to truly serve. Every Sunday, Micah is one of the first people on the scene and one of the last to leave. You probably just see the upfront things that he does, like coordinating our worship team and leading us in worship. But most worship leaders I know would never help unload the trailer (even the kids areas stuff), set up the stage props, run cables, go get water for everyone, and then take out all of the trash in the building and never once complain. This past Sunday I was blown away and impressed once more as I found him checking all of the trash cans in the building after everyone else had left.

During the week you can find him listening to new worship music, leading a Connection Group, choosing set lists, managing our band, recording voice overs for our videos, and pretty much doing anything we need him to. I remember him recording something one night at midnight just so we'd have it the next day.

Micah has that "whatever it takes" mentality that we should all have. I'd take a small handful of men with this kind of a servant's heart and attitude than 100 Bible scholar know-it-alls anyday... because the truth is, you don't know anything until you do it and live it, each and every day.

Micah, thanks for serving, doing whatever it takes, and helping us kick the devil in the rear. You're the man. Oh, and please explain what the heck "TxSunra" means.

It's only $3.99 which gives you plenty of scrilla left over to buy some candles, some good takeout, and some bubble bath for February 14th.

Disclaimer: This post is ONLY for you married folk out there...if I see any of you men who are not married picking up all three items at the store I'll smack ya. If you are dating, you'd better only be getting the candles and food.

Then, it was posted over at Simply Missional.

Then, Flowerdust posted it and had people sponsor Compassion Kiddos.

Then it was shared all over twitter.

Then all over Facebook.

It was posted at These Words of Mine.

You get the idea.

Or do you? We can't - in good faith - see something like this, know that it is happening...and sit back and do nothing.

Think about it this way...doing something isn't just about helping these children. It's not just about releasing children from the burden of poverty -- it's about releasing us from the burden of wealth.

Again, I CHALLENGE YOU.

Go sponsor a Compassion Kiddo NOW.

Something tells me that if you have a computer to read this post, you can probably swing the $32 a month. Sponsoring a child is simple. Over 80% of your sponsorship goes directly to support that child and his/her family with basic needs - food, health care, education and also, Compassion is dedicated to sharing the gospel with these children.

Then it was this.

Now...

What would you be willing to attempt for God if you knew you could not fail?

I think the reason some people won't jump at something God is telling them to do is that it doesn't make sense.

Ouch. IT'S CALLED FAITH.

Watch this video if you are man enough. Or, choose the easy route and live in ignorance. I cried. A lot.

THIS is why we sponsor a Compassion child. We can't do a lot, but we can make a big difference in Emmanuel Sikuku's life. Emmanuel is our Compassion child and though I've never met him in person, I love him to death. You might not feel like there is much you can do either. But something tells me that you can make a difference for at least one, somehow, somewhere.

Go for it.

I read an incredible article about this by John Maxwell the other day. Below is the summary version. When you get time, go read the full version HERE.

Questions to Ask of Candidates for Your Inner Circle:

1. Do they display exemplary character in everything they do?
2. Do they bring complementary gifts to the table?
3. Do they hold a strategic position and have influence within the organization?
4. Do they add value to the organization and to the leader?
5. Do they positively impact other members of the inner circle?

Traps to Avoid when Staffing Your Inner Circle:

1. Soliciting praise instead of candor.
2. Driving away talent so that your power isn't threatened.

"Chatting with cadillaczak. That guy flipping ooozes passion. My fave trait of his..."

Clayton saying that publicly is one of THE MOST encouraging things ever for me. And it couldn't come at a better time.

Clayton, thanks buddy. You da man.

The first twitch has been almost like God is literally whispering in my ears: "Is our vision so big that we obviously can't accomplish it without God?"

Still working through that one, both personally and corporately from the viewpoint of The Connection Church.

The new twitch?

What faith risk is God calling me to take?

Yikes...

But, what you don't see is the nitty gritty moments of frustration where I almost snap.

I have literally hours upon hours of footage like this...Just thought I'd share a quick one from last week. BIKE MALFUNCTION.

Outtake AMP'd at The Connection Church from Zak White on Vimeo.

He is also a monster...guy must be like six foot five inches tall.

Wild Goose Chase was somewhat similar to Batterson's first book "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day." I loved every page of it and couldn't put it down. I have a joke with people when I recommend a Batterson book to them: as I make the recommendation, I always say "don't read this unless you are ok with quitting your job and going after a crazy dream that is destined to fail!" That is exactly what this book will move you to do.

Batterson is INCREDIBLY motivating...I believe the Holy Sirit is using him to propel many people to take action; and not just any action but reckless actions that can only be inspired by God Himself. He shares and references a ton of Scripture throughout the book.

Some quick hits from the book:

• Batterson covers six "cages" that keep many of us from roaming free with the Holy Spirit as God destined for us to.
• Cage one: Responsibility. Our God-ordained passions tend to get buried beneath the day to day responsibilities of life.
• Without even knowing it we start to practice "irresponsible responsibility."
• "I'm not convinced that your date of death is the date carved on your tombstone. Most people die long before that. We start dying when we have nothing worth living for."
• Instead of making a life, many of us are just making a living.
• Why ask God to do something for us when it is within our power to do something about it ourselves? There are some things you don't need to pray about.
• Some of us live as if God is going to say "well thought" or "well said good and faithful servant." But He isn't. There is only one commendation He will use and it is the byproduct of pursuing God-ordained passions: "Well DONE, good and faithful servant."
• Faith doesn't follow signs...signs follow faith.
• If you want to see God move, you need to make a move!
• Cage two: Routine. Routines are good, but sacred routines become empty rituals that keep us caged.
• Once a routine becomes a routine, we need to disturb it.
• Don't wait to worship God till you get to the Promised Land; you've got to worship along the way. THIS IS holy ground. Take off your sandals now.
• Cage three: Assumptions. As we age, we stop believing and start assuming.
• We have stopped living out of right-brain imagination and started living by left-brain memory. That puts 8 foot ceilings on what God can do.
• The smartest people are NOT the people who know the most. The smartest people are those who know how much they DON'T know...those who make the fewest assumptions.
• The more faith you have, the fewer assumptions you make.
• Faith doesn't ignore reality. It just adds God into the equation!
• Cage four: Guilt. Satan uses guilt to get us to focus on what we did in the past. This steals your energy to dream God-sized, Kingdom dreams.
• If you want to impact someone's life, love them when they least expect it and least deserve it.
• Cage five: Failure.
• Sometimes our plans must fail in order for God's plans to succeed.
• Cage six: Fear. We have to quit living life as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.
• The world needs more daring people with daring plans.
• We need to be more afraid of missing opportunities than of making mistakes.
• The will of God is NOT an insurance plan...it is a DARING plan.
• We have to get out of our comfortable Christian ghettos and invade some hellholes with the love of Christ.

Bottom line is this: The Bible says that faith is being sure of what we hope for. BUT, most of us are more sure of what we are afraid of than what we hope for. Get out there and have some smart courage. Count the costs, assess the risks/rewards, and practice due diligence...don't be mindless, be mindful. But then, do the RIGHT THING regardless of the circumstances.