http://www.livethevision.org Articles and resources on leadership and personal development. daily 1 2007-04-03T14:46:51Z http://www.livethevision.org/articles/life-balance/a-living-sacrifice It would be easy to see the concept of a ‘living sacrifice’ as an oxymoron. However, the imagery of a living sacrifice can become a revolutionary metaphor for a life of service. To experience the abundant life that Jesus offered by becoming a ‘living sacrifice’ (Rom 12:1) one must follow His example and pursue a counter-cultural lifestyle in at least three ways: orienting our lives around what is important, learning to choose the best over the good, and incorporating rhythms of personal renewal. No publisher dridgway Life Balance 2006-10-30T12:26:56Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/personal-development/riding-without-training-wheels Learning to ride a bike is one of the early steps towards independence that many of us experienced as a child. The bicycle provided us with the means of going further and faster. I have good memories of exploring our neighbourhood and the nearby countryside on my bike, accompanied by my friends. However, learning to ride a bike is a tricky business, which usually involves the painful experience of falling off. That process is greatly improved by using training wheels - a pair of small supporting wheels that are fixed to the either side of the rear wheels of the bike. They help you to gain a degree confidence and control on the bike, while the training wheels keep you vertical. No publisher jjesudason Change Personal Development 2007-04-19T20:43:32Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/change/from-dream-to-reality The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall – every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.’” (Numbers 14:26-30) No publisher jjesudason Coaching Vision Change 2007-04-18T13:19:52Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/vision/how-do-you-want-to-be-remembered The images carved into the side of Mount Rushmore in America are a tribute to several people that shaped their nation: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Those who visit the mountain are powerfully reminded of the values and contributions that each of these men made to their nation. No publisher jjesudason Vision 2006-10-30T12:23:57Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/life-balance/from-efficiency-to-abundance “So much to do and so little time to do it!” That’s a thought that has raced through many of our minds as we rush out of one meeting in order to arrive late at our next appointment. Our lives are a hive of activity, interspersed with a holiday or two near a beach somewhere. Yet in the midst of all the hurry of life, we sense an emptiness within. As though we have got caught up in a lot of busy-work, rather than accomplishing things that we feel passionately about. Shakespeare’s line from Macbeth could have been written about our generation: “Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. No publisher jjesudason Life Balance 2006-10-30T12:27:46Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/coaching/questions-questions-questions A priest and a rabbi were eating lunch one day. “Why do you rabbis always teach with questions?”, the priest asked. The rabbi replied, “what’s wrong with questions?” No publisher sarmitage Coaching 2007-04-14T15:33:05Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/vision/out-of-the-old-into-the-new I used to love boxes as a kid. A box could be whatever you wanted. If it was big enough it could be spaceship or a castle. If I could fit inside then it was a race car or a boat. If it fit on my head it was a helmet. To me, a box wasn’t simply cardboard or plastic, but a new adventure waiting to happen. No publisher sarmitage Vision 2006-10-30T12:22:16Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/vision/rediscovering-your-vision Life is seldom straightforward. Many have started out on a journey to discover and fulfil a vision, but somehow become disoriented by life’s twists and turns. Many have got to the stage where they look back along the journey that they’ve travelled and feel that they’ve missed out on God’s plan for them. If you’ve ever reached that stage in your life, then you’re in good company. No publisher jjesudason Vision 2006-10-30T12:23:03Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/vision/clear-vision-three-allies-and-samsons-mistake I feel sorry for Samson, one of the judges mentioned in the Old Testament. He was a great man, a hero. But when we think about him, or if we were to ask someone about him, what immediately comes to mind when we hear his name? His story is of a few individual events, some positive, a few sad ones. No long term goal achieved, no followers left, no new land gained. No publisher lhlavacka Vision 2006-10-30T12:23:30Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/vision/discovering-our-passion Jack was a skilled factory worker, and he had been for years. Although the job helped pay the bills, he found that it was a drudgery to go to work. After lasting out over two decades at the company, he was made redundant in a spate of cut-backs at the factory. He needed to find a new job, but he didn’t want to return to the kind of life he was living before. As he thought about the kind of role he’d really like, he realised that he wanted to work with the mentally handicapped. So he started to do some volunteer work to see how he would cope in that sort of environment. Though the work was challenging, he loved it. A couple of months later he applied for a job working with some mentally handicapped children in a day care centre. Jack had landed his dream job! He is energised and passionate about his job, and he is loved and appreciated by the people he works with. Jack is a new man. No publisher jjesudason Life Balance Vision 2006-10-30T12:28:36Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/personal-development/leaders-are-learners Our experiences with formal education greatly influence our approach to learning. Here learning is often defined as acquiring more information about a certain subject in order to produce the right answers to questions and problems. Most of us have been students at some stage of our lives and know the pressure of assignment deadlines and studying for exams. We have memories of intense study before an exam and late nights completing assignments just before they are due. These techniques are often sufficient to get us through academic studies, but are totally inadequate to meet the challenges of daily living. No publisher dridgway Personal Development 2006-10-30T12:29:17Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/personal-development/getting-there Isn’t it great when God speaks to us? Isn’t it fantastic when the God who made the Universe makes a promise to us? We get inspired, we cry tears of joy, we’re moved, we’re so grateful to God. We go home, we go to bed, we wake up and God’s message to us warms our hearts. Maybe that inspiration lasts a few days, maybe a week, maybe even two weeks, but slowly the inspiration wears away and disappears. All we’re let with is a distant memory. No publisher jjesudason Personal Development 2006-10-30T12:29:35Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/servant-leadership/the-heart-of-leadership Imagine that you are in charge of an internship programme in an organisation, and that you want to teach your new recruits about servanthood. In particular, you want to teach them that servanthood is at the heart of leadership. How do you do it? You could do a Bible study on the subject, but you decide that you want your ‘interns’ to experience servanthood, not just hear about it. No publisher jjesudason servant Leadership 2007-04-18T13:38:47Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/small-groups/leading-small-groups Leading a small group discussion is an art, not a science. The sciences depend on predictable results: 1 + 2 = 3, and will continue to do so evening if the dinner burns, the rain falls, or if the boss gives you a raise. Whereas, if you ask a person a “how was your day”, you could get completely different results on two different days. This article aims to look at some principles that will help in leading discussions. No publisher jjesudason Small Groups 2006-10-30T12:30:43Z Page http://www.livethevision.org/articles/small-groups/the-small-group-learning-experience Often we think of learning as a very personal or private activity. One person locks themself into a room with some resources in order to research and understand a particular topic or issue. While this can be a very effective way of deepening our grasp of a particular subject, it’s not an effective method of leading us to life-changing learning. If we are to be faithful servants of Jesus, then we need to be more interested in deepening our transformation than acquiring more information. No publisher jjesudason Small Groups 2006-10-30T12:31:05Z Page