Monday Funday: A Beach Boys original recording!

This just in...

If video doesn't appear, go here.

A never-before-heard recording from the Beach Boys has been discovered!
Enjoy!

Luke Skywalker on Father's Day

I hope that made you smile.

But today, my goal isn't just to make you smile. 

I want to make you think. 

About your father and Father's Day.

Hopefully, you're father doesn't look so bad in light of Luke Skywalker's father, right? 

But even if your dad was/is Darth-Vader-like, you have no business dishonoring your father (or mother).

"But," you say, "my father was/is a jerk."

This is just a gentle reminder that the Bible DOESN'T say, "Honor your father—IF he was a good guy."

The Bible says, "Honor your father." PERIOD.

It's one of the Ten Commandments.

So, this Father's Day, do something crazy and Biblical: Say all the good you know of your father—and bless him—even if doesn't deserve it.

It's the right thing to do.

Perhaps your kids will do the same for you someday.

This not-a-Hallmark-card moment was brought to you by your friend, Bill Allison, from www.cupojoewithbill.com.

Celebrate with us!

Today, June, 11th, 2013, Stacy and I celebrate 25 years of marriage. This is a somewhat whacked celebratory post—my own crazy way to thank God for my wife. I loved her the day I married her. But somehow, 25 years and 7 kids later, I love her more than I ever could have imagine back then.

How do I love thee, Stacy? Let me count the ways...
1. You're funny.
2. You're witty.
3. You're a great partner.
4. You're patient.
5. You're the best disciplemaker I know.
6. You're still fertile. (Who knew, right?)
7. You're an excellent mom.
8. You love me even when I'm crazy.
9. You gave me this book.
10. You're my best friend.
11. You love drinking coffee together.
12. I could keep on going, but there's not enough space on the Internet to hold it all.

How about another 25?

Spreading Jesus-like disciplemaking everywhere we go like an infectious disease...

When I read the Bible, I get crazy ideas. Click picture below to enlarge for viewing...

Everyday our passion is to love God, love people, and make disciplemakers. 

And to help others love God, love people, and make disciplemakers. 

And to help those people help other people love God, love people, and make disciplemakers.

True confession: We're totally ripping off this way of life from Jesus.

And I think Jesus likes it. 

In fact, I think this is the life God has always wanted his followers to have.

Why?

Think about it. 

Jesus equipped a cadre of friends to live the love-God-love-people-make-disciplemakers way of life. Now, over 2,000 years later, Jesus continues to impact and change the world today through those follow Him by imitating his way of life.

I'm putting all my chips on this love-God-love-people-make-disciplemakers way of life as the best way to maximize my short life for God's glory.

This is how you can make the most out of your short life.

While I still have LOTS to learn on this disciplemaking adventure (just ask my wife and kids), below are some pictures and stories as to what some of this Jesus-like disciplemaking way of life looks like in our family, community, and ministry these days. 

Click any image below to enlarge for viewing and reading—or click here for the two page PDF. THANK YOU for reading… and praying… and giving! We couldn't do Cadre without friends and partners like YOU!

Here's a fact: We couldn't take any of part of this Jesus-like disciplemaking adventure without people like you who love us, pray for us, and give to Cadre. We need you. You make our ministry powerful and possible. Every expression of partnership breathes life into our souls… so we can do the same for others! For more information about how you can partner with God, the Allisons, and Cadre Ministries, go here. To make a secure online tax-deductible donation, go here. Cadre Ministries is a recognized 501(c)3 ministry.

Monday Funday: That awkward parenting moment when...

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As the Ruin Falls

by C.S. Lewis

All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.

I never had a selfless thought since I was born.

I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:

I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,

I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:

I talk of love —a scholar's parrot may talk Greek—

But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.

I see the chasm. And everything you are was making

My heart into a bridge by which I might get back

From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking.

For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains

You give me are more precious than all other gains.

Now check out how Phil Keaggy put the words of Lewis' poem to music.  It's a masterpiece. Enjoy.

(If video doesn't appear, go here.)

Monday Funday: In a Previous Life...

In a previous life, in the mid-to-late 1980s, I was a youth pastor in my early 20s. And I played lead guitar in a wanna-be Jesus-freak thrash band full of Peorians called Violent Mercy. We had a blast playing for students. All ten of them. In the spirit of Monday Funday, and since I get great joy from the idea of you having fun at my expense, I hope this post below makes you smile and laugh out loud. Warning: If you favorite musical group is The Gaither's Vocal Band, you can read the lyrics below, but please do NOT listen to the audio at the end. Proceed at your own risk. You have been warned.

You Really Blow My Mind

by Bill Allison
Band: Violent Mercy, circa 1986

Digitized from the bootleg tape, Live from the Basement

God you're everywhere at the very same time
You really blow my mind
You've always existed and you can never die
You really blow my mind
You spoke the word and time began
You created the world without movin' a hand

CHORUS
You really blow my mind
I'm human you're divine
You really blow my mind
You're awesome God it's true
I'm so in love with you 

You really blow my mind

I can't comprehend eternity 
You really blow my mind
I know you're one God but you're a Trinity
You really blow my mind
Changes come and changes go
You stay the same you're immutable

CHORUS

(Guitar solo and general thrashing)

Omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent
You really blow my mind
My finite brain can't fully understand it
You really blow my mind
The more I learn it seems the more I don't know
I'm full of sin you're impeccable

CHORUS 2 X

Okay, if you've taken your heart medicine, you can listen to this little ditty here...

If you're really sick and twisted and want this for your iPod, you can download it here. Please don't tell your parents.

(For the guys in the band: Wade and Kevin, cheering you on in your musical success with InnerSiege. Tim, I miss you. Please contact me the next time you're in the Peoria area. Scott Carpenter, we will never forget you and we deeply miss you. We don't hope we'll see you in Heaven, we KNOW we'll see you in Heaven.)

Why Trying Harder Isn't the Answer

“A dull ax requires great strength; be wise and sharpen the blade.” —Ecclesiastes 10:10 

Two legendary lumberjacks decided to have a tree-cutting contest to settle once and for all which lumberjack was the best. The contest was to take place on a Saturday—starting at five in the morning and was to continue until five in the evening. The lumberjack who felled the most trees in that twelve-hour time span would be declared the winner. The news of the contest spread, and on the big day—the timbers were filled with curious spectators.

BANG! A shot rang out to start the contest, and the two lumberjacks eagerly and methodically hacked away at trees with their axes. However, after about fifty minutes, the first lumberjack noticed that the second lumberjack quit hacking away at the trees. The lone sound of the first lumberjack’s ax filled the forest. Why did the other lumberjack quit? What could possibly be the problem? A full ten minutes went by before the first lumberjack heard the sound of the second lumberjack’s ax beating on the trees again. The first lumberjack thought to himself, “Great! I felled two trees in that ten-minute period. I’ve got to be ahead.”

Furiously, the lumberjacks continued to swing, sweat, and slice. Strangely—every hour for the next eleven hours—the second lumberjack’s ax would fall silent for about ten minutes. Then, once again, the forest would be filled with the sound of two axes conquering trees. Each time this happened, the first lumberjack worked all the harder so he could continue to increase his lead.

At the end of the day, each lumberjack’s trees were counted. Amazingly, when the final tally was announced, the second lumberjack out-cut the first lumberjack nearly two to one. The first lumberjack heatedly questioned, “How can that be? I never stopped the entire twelve hours—and he stopped to rest for at least ten minutes every hour!” To which the second lumberjack smiled and said, “I did not stop to rest—though I did rest some. While you were wasting your energy swinging a dull axe, I regularly took a few minutes to sharpen my ax—and my sharp ax increased my ability to cut down more trees.”

Cool story bro, but so what?
One of the best investments of time and money you can make, whether you are a paid staffer or a volunteer in ministry, is to sharpen your ministry ax by participating in relevant, substantive, and Biblically based training experiences. When we participate in a high quality training experience—we are taking the time to sharpen our ministry axes—so that we can go back to our ministries refreshed, refocused, and ready to impact people in a more significant way.

"But I'm too busy..."

I know you feel like you're too busy to take time out to sharpen your ax. I get it. But carefully consider this question: Have you ever been so busy driving that you didn't take time to fill up with gas? Make no mistake about it. If you and the people who serve with you in ministry don't take time to sharpen your axes, trying harder isn't going to change anything except make you more tired with less results.

"But where do I start?"

If you'd like to explore what it might take for you to bring an ax sharpening training experience to your ministry, please contact us. We'll explore your needs, various training options, and other details for making training happen in your ministry. But please contact us soon as our schedules tend to be filled several months in advance.

Since you've read this far, I have a thank you gift for you. For a limited time, I'm offering Cup O'Joe with Bill readers a chance to download the complete PDF of "Sharpening Your Ministry Ax" for FREE. You'll learn how to get the most out of a training experience, what to do during training, and how to put together an action plan after the training. And yes, I want you to share this with as many others as you can. Go here to download the free PDF.

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Let me encourage you and make you think 2-3x a week with a virtual Cup O' Joe with Bill in your email inbox. Go here and submit your email. Then check your email inbox and click the Feedburner confirmation link. Note: You can unsubscribe anytime simply by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email that comes from Cup O' Joe with Bill.

Monday Funday: Best coffee cup ever

It's funny because it's true.

Related Posts...

* Great news about coffee

* Even better news about coffee

What an Education Can't Do for You

He was an extremely book smart man... an earned doctorate in his chosen field.

Of course, this often served as the golden key that opened the doors of opportunity for him.

Strangely, he could rarely stay longer than two years at any given job—with the most recent six figure job being a ten month run.

 After each job he said, "They're idiots."

It's seems that in the real world, a formal education may be able to open the door to opportunities, but once you walk through the door you still have to deliver performance, substance, and, especially, an ability to work well with people.

Carnegie Foundation studies have found that only 15% of one's success is due to technical skill while the remaining 85% is due to interpersonal relationship skills.

Here's something you probably won't learn in college: In the real world of people, emotional intelligence often trumps book smarts.

EI > IQ

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the things that really make people effective in life are the very things you can't really teach them because they're not even aware they have a need to learn—or they're unwilling to learn?

Having a great formal education is not equivalent to being a great leader—nor is it a legitimate substitute for being a great person.

It's quite possible to be an educated moron.

Related Article:
* Is College Worth It?

Monday Funday: Secrets to understanding women

(Lest you think I only have fun at the expense of women, think again.)

Get Cup O' Joe with Bill in your Email Inbox!
Let me encourage you and make you think 2-3x a week with a virtual Cup O' Joe with Bill in your email inbox. Go here and submit your email. Then check your email inbox and click the Feedburner confirmation link. Note: You can unsubscribe anytime simply by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email that comes from Cup O' Joe with Bill.

Why 1-on-1 discipleship doesn't work

I thought the title of this post might get your attention.

It certainly challenges our popular understanding of discipleship.

But just because something is popular doesn't mean it is right or unquestionable.

So, before you respond in any way to this post, please take a deep breath, say a quick prayer for an open mind and heart, and then read this very interesting article by Greg Ogden, titled, "Making Disciples Jesus' Way: A Few at a Time."