LeadershipConneXtions

A Full Tank of Gas for $2.16 !!!

I just had to brag on this.

I went to get gas today at GIANT store and use my bonus points for deduction of price per gallon.

The gas was priced at $1.55/gallon and I had $1.40/gallon deduction. So my cost per gallon was 15 cents per gallon for a whopping bill of $2.16 !!!

I was lovin it !!!

Brian

Journey Concert at Hershey Park

I had my "end of summer" night out with my friend Gordon Carpenter. We went to see the Journey Concert at Hershey Park.

It was a night of Classic Rock from the 1970's and 80's.

Cheap Trick opened the evening (on time, 7:00 p.m.) and played for about 50 minutes. Then Heart came out and were awesome. Ann Wilson's voice is amazing. The band was great. Hit after hit. They played for about an hour.

Then Journey... one of my favorite bands from the 70's. With Neil Schon as a virtuoso guitarist and their lead singer - Arnel Pineda the young, energetic Steve Perry replacement.  Check out the Journey Home Page . 

This band has gotten better as they have gotten older. They played all their greatest hits and about three songs off their new CD - Revelation (which is a two CD set and a DVD that is very good). They finished with The Wheel in the Sky and Be Good to Yourself, two of my favorite Journey songs. They played for about 90 minutes.

The volume levels got very high. We were on the floor and about 30 rows back from the stage and dead center. Great place for a concert.

And since we are old guys, we left at the end of the set and before they could do an encore. We beat the traffic and I was home and asleep by midnight!

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Ten Mile Goal Reached One Month Early!

This week my goal was to run 9.25 miles. As I was running, I realized that I will miss about two weeks for running due to my upcoming trip. And that would put me back in my long distance running . . . so what the heck . . . let's just keep on running and get in TEN MILES.

Uggghhh.  Psychologically, that last half mile was painful. I probably looked a little like the guy to the right. But when it was done... that felt real good!

I have never run ten miles in my life. I use to train pretty hard on the bicycle and it was nothing to do a 100 - 110 mile ride.  But the best I ever did running was right about eight miles. So this was very satisfying.

I have some reasons for why I am doing this . . . better health being one of them, but there is another reason which I'll be sharing later in September.

For those who don't know me, the picture below is not me, but it is how "me" felt.

:-)

Brian Rice

Personal best in running (in many, many years).

Today I ran 8.25 miles. I ran for 90 minutes. It has been at least 20 years since I did an eight mile run.

I'm not running at a fast pace. I am just running for distance and endurance. I am slowly picking up the pace, but I'm in no hurry to go too fast. If I run too fast, it seems I am more prone to injury.

I've been exercising a fair amount this summer. I actually began to get into a decent rhythm and routine sometime in May.

I run three to four times a week. And I do a weight workout twice a week.

My goal was to be able to do a 10 mile run by the end of summer. I'm not sure if I'll get to that point or not, due to some overseas travel lined up in August.

Once a week (either Friday or Saturday) I do a longer run and every week I add five minutes of time to the run which means about another 1/2 mile gets added each week. So, I'll be close.

Glucosamine Chrondroitin does wonders for joint pain. My knees don't hurt at all since I've been taking the stuff and my shoulder feels a lot better as well.

I'm doing all this because I got so convicted about being overweight and out of shape and I started hearing about too many guys in their 50's having heart attacks!

Brian Rice

p.s.  Even though I still do not love running, today I at least "liked" it

Happy July 4th to Our USA Friends

Happy July 4th to all of our U.S.A. friends.

May you have good times with family and friends on this U.S. holiday.

We are hoping to see some fireworks tonight, but after a very dry spell, we may be getting rain for a few days.

Brian Rice

Nieces and Nephew

Just wanted to post a picture of my nieces and nephew (Hannah, Zach, and Lauren). Unfortunately, we don't see them enough since they live down south. They'll be up to visit over Memorial Day. Looking forward to seeing the whole family.

Brian Rice

A Good Word

When I was in Holland a few days back, I stayed with my friends Miriam and Bob Phillips. Miriam gave me this Scripture to think about. It was a timely word.

I pray that God would give you an uncluttered and focused heart, so that you can obey what God commands and carry through with building what God has given you to build. 1 Chronicles 23:19, The Message

This passage meant a great deal and I have been pondering my need for an uncluttered and focused heart.

Brian Rice

Sitting in Panera . . .

I am sitting in Panera Bread this morning, waiting for a friend who will be here in 30 minutes.

I feel good. Yesterday was a really good day.

• I had a nice conversation with a leader who is working through the Focused Life material (and doing a very creative, strategic job of it).
• I had a very stimulating skype converstation with two friends overseas who are developing leaders.
• I had a chance to do some reading in two different, thought-generating books that sent my mind running in lots of different directions.
• I listened to some really good music as Matt was sorting through my music collection looking for "gems" for his iPod.
• I spent time working on the Leadership Summit which is coming up the end of this month (and which I am really excited about).
• I spent time prepping for the Leading Edge training program which picks up again next Monday. The material is on the counter-cultural way of leadership the Bible presents. No matter how many times I teach this stuff - it challenges me every time.

And there was more. Today I'll work for a few hours, go running and then have a fun evening with Becky while Matt is at a friends.

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Brian Rice

Chinese Fortune Cookie on Leadership !!!

I really like Chinese Food and every now and then I'll go to one of my favorite places for a lunch buffet. I did that the other day.

I met an old friend there who used to do work in Indonesia.

AND . . . for only the 2nd time in my life, I actually had a "fortune" in the cookie that made me stop and say - YES! 

The fortune said:

Today you should be the leader. Things will go your way.

I liked that one. Wouldn't that be great. If you know things are going to go your way - then lead, since the outcome will be favorable!

But, think of the opposite. Today things will not go your way, problems will be messy, outcomes will be in doubt. So today - you really need to be a leader.

Bottom line.

Every day, whether things look like they will go your way or not - BE THE LEADER God wants you to be.

Brian Rice

Making Some New Friends With Leadership Developers

My friend Merv Charles orchestrated a time for me to meet a number of leaders who are working to develop leaders (locally and globally). They all live next door, in Lancaster County.

It was great to meet them, hear their hearts, learn a bit about their stories and get a sense of what they are doing, especially globally.

Merv had us reflect on 2 Timothy 2:1-15 to get started. We had a time of prayer. Then we talked about some influences as well as some thoughts on the work we are involved in.

Brian Rice

We Are . . . Penn State (Thank-you, You're Welcome)

Hey, this isn't a leadership post, just a quick family update.

Matt and I had a great time at the Penn State game against Buffalo this past Saturday. Not only did Matt get a chance to see his first Penn State game, but Tedd, Linda, Zach, and Hannah were up visiting Lauren who is a freshman at Penn State. So we tailgated before and after the game.

Becky couldn't go, she was teaching a sociology course for HACC on Saturday mornings.

It was colder than we anticipated. Matt had painted his arms blue, but the wind was blowing so much that he washed it off and put on his sweatshirt. His cousin Zach had painted his upper body white with blue stripes. He didn't last too long either in the cold wind. But we had a lot of fun.

Brian Rice

Learning Spanish!!!

What do you call a person who speaks two languages?  (Answer - bi-lingual)

What do you call a person who speaks three languages?  (Answer - tri-lingual)

What do you call a person who speaks one language?  (Answer at the bottom of this post.)

In the past I have learned Spanish (to some degree) but then put it aside before I gain some sense of being comfortable with the language. I have decided that I am going to learn  Spanish and keep at it.

In part, this is because I have many opportunities to do leadership development in Latin America and it seems like those opportunities will continue and even grow in the season ahead. I am cramming a bit for Cuba, Paraguay and Chile.

I spend 30-40 minutes in the car driving and I have a real good set of CD's for learning Spanish. I turn off the radio, stop listening to music and the talk show hosts and now listen to the Spanish language tapes!

I have a book that I am working through to get a better handle on the grammar.

And I have a leadership workbook that is lessons I prepared in English that have been translated into Spanish, so I am working through that.

Pray for me . . . por favor.

Muchas gracias.

Brian Rice

What do you call a person who speaks one language?  (Answer - a North American)

September 10th is a Great Day

It is a great day for two reasons.

Becky and I celebrate 24 years of marriage! Wow, 24 years. Over the weekend we went out to a British Pub style restaurant in Lancaster that has great food.

I love Becky and really appreciate who she is as a wife, a mother, a friend, a professional and a partner in life and ministry. I wonder what the new year will have in store for us?

One of the things that Becky is involved in is the Leading Edge Ministry of Living Word Community Church.

And that leads to the second reason today is a great day . . .

. . . and that is because a new year of the Leading Edge Ministry kicks off tonight. We have about 70 leaders and 14 facilitators who will get together every Monday evening and work through a learning process that is designed to help them accurately assess themselves, discern where God is at work, find more clarity about who they are and what they are meant to do, and be equipped with the skills and perspectives to do that.

Every year starts off with a new group. The next seven months are (in one sense) carefully mapped out and yet (in another sense) completely unknown. What will the Monday nights be like? What "feel" will this particular group have? What stories will be told? What changes will take place? What new things will emerge out of our times together?

Brian Rice

Talking With CBMC Leaders

Yesterday I had the opportunity and privilege to speak at the local chapter of a CBMC Int. (Christian Businessmen) meeting. An old friend, Chuck Blouse, invited me to talk at a luncheon. There were about 30 men there, and we had a good time talking about A New Kind of Leader. We walked through Psalm 78:70-72 and talked about:

• the Leader as Servant
• the Leader as Shepherd
• the Leader as Steward

Every time I process this theme with leaders, I come away with the same perspective - leaders are hungry to hear about a new kind of leadership as it is developed and demonstrated by the Scriptures and epitomized by Christ.

Plus I had the chance to meet some new leaders as well as connect with a few friends.

Brian Rice

Vacation at the Beach

Becky, Matt and I had a great week at the beach with Becky's sister and family. Great weather, great food - Grotto's Pizza, Thrasher's French Fries, Jakes's Seafood (although not as good as last year), great company.

Here are two pictures of Matt, Becky and me.

Brian Rice

 

Personal News From the Rice's

Well, Matt is finished 7th grade. He had a great year. It is amazing how he is growing. He just had his physical for playing soccer and they listed him at 69.5 inches! I think that is a little suspect, since he had his shoes on . . . but he is getting real close to looking at dad "eyeball to eyeball."

Becky and Matt (along with the grandparents) were down in North Carolina to attend the first high school graduation of one of the grandchildren - Lauren. They had a great time. Here is a picture of Matt and his cousin.

And congratulations to Lauren who is heading north to attend Penn State for her freshman year in college.

Brian Rice

The Gardening "Bug"

We had a great weekend with fabulous weather. Becky and I are both gardeners. We have been in our house for four years now and we are nearing the end of our landscaping plans.

With the warm weather, perennials are shooting up, trees are budding and blossoming, we are going through a lot of bird seed as we have lots of attractive birds visiting the feeders (especially the finches).

Becky was pruning shrubs, re-arranging her herb garden, and doing general spring cleanup.

I have a number of minor garden projects to do in May. There is one more big "bed" to put in. Most of the hard work is done on that bed, but we have all the planting to do.

And then sometime by June I have the last project that will take some time and that is putting in a pond.

When things start to bloom, we'll put some pictures on the site.

Brian Rice

High Intentionality About 2007

Since the beginning of January, I have been reflecting about my priorities and plans for 2007. I don't exactly view this as a "New Year's Resolutions List," although some might see it as such.

I have identified EIGHT areas of life where I need to put energy and focus in 2007. For each of those areas, I am journaling my thoughts about what I would like to see happen. These reflections are both global and concrete. I am praying about these things and envisioning what will be necessary for those things to actually materialize in 2007.

I do something like this every January and then try to orient the new year around that planning. Some years I do a better job of this and some years it is pretty minimal on my part.

This 50th Year of Life seems to be a pretty important one that requires a great deal of reflection and then purposeful, focused action that arises out of reflection. Pray for me that I might do this well.

Brian Rice

It Was a Good Christmas

Hi Everyone:

I hope you all had a good Christmas.  We had a very nice holiday with family and friends. (Matt is playing the drums. He is doing that a lot these days - picture to the left. And Becky and Matt are in the picture to the right).

LWCC had five Christmas Eve services (two of them on Saturday night and three on Sunday evening) as well as our regular two Sunday morning services. Great attendance, great times of celebration and great weather (i.e. warm and in the 50's).

If you want to hear the sermon I preached on Sunday morning you can click HERE to go the the LWCC website. Scroll down to the bottom right and you'll see the link for sermons.  It is the message, GRACE, yes, Yes, YES.  The only thing I'd mention is that the sermons I do are very visual with lots of graphics and props and clips, so you miss a lot with only the audio. This message was very geared around key visual images.

I am doing a lot of final preparation in the next two weeks for my India trip in January, as well as working on a number of administrative details for the February Leadership Summit. More on that in a later blog.

Blessings,

Brian Rice

Merry Christmas From the Rices

To all of our friends, have a blessed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family and friends.

To our friends around the world in different cultures may you have a special Christmas Season.

Brian and Becky

I'm Grateful

The American Holiday of Thanksgiving (celebrated this coming Thursday, November 23rd) is one of my favorite holidays.

For one reason, we invite both sides of the family to get together. Neither Becky nor I have large extended families, so we can get everyone together under one roof pretty easily. People reconnect, and we have a sense that our families are in touch with one another.

Becky and her sister and her mother and my mother all contribute to putting forth a feast.

Another reason is that the season is a good reminder for me to practice something that does not come easily. GRATITUDE.

By nature, I am a complainer and a critic. I am more likely to see the glass as half empty than half full. I am more likely to be irritated about the problem than excited about the challenge the problem represents. I could go on, but you get the drift.

Many years ago, I realized that this would be a major hindrance to effective and Christ-honoring leadership on my part. So I work hard at "guarding my heart" when it comes to this stuff. I am probably better at making sure it doesn't erupt publicly than I am being vigilant about keeping it from taking root in the heart.

Here is my short list of why I'm grateful:

• I am grateful for my family, especially Becky and Matt.
• I am grateful for my health.
• I am grateful for my friends.
• I am grateful for the ministry to which Christ has called me.
• I am grateful for the lessons Jesus has taught me over the years.
• I am grateful for my church context which provides the platform for me to engage in my passion of developing leaders.
• I am grateful for God allowing us to start Leadership ConneXtions as a platform to resource the least resourced leaders.
• I am grateful for the GRACE, the LOVE, the PRESENCE and the HOPE of Christ.

Paraphrasing the words of the revivalist hymn:  May we all count our blessings one by one and be grateful.

-BR

Mentoring and Golfing

My 12 year old son, Matt, has been learning to golf this summer. A good friend of mine, Josh Berlin, was available to teach Matt the great game of golf. These pictures are Matt and Josh out on the course this past week.

Josh is a mentor at heart. He loves to empower and develop people. He does that through his ministry at Salem Square (inner city of York, PA). Josh is involved with the Leading Edge ministry of LWCC, working as a mentor on our LE team. And he took the same approach with Matt.

When I was out with Josh and Matt for this outing I watched a mentor in action. Josh was patient, encouraging and empowering. He gave Matt enough guidance on the course, but then gave him enough space to make decisions on how to play the course.

And me - I was just along to take pictures. Oh yes, I had the chance to drive a golf cart for the first time! Fortunately, no one was taking pictures of that!

-BR