We went to a special place for lunch today. You see, when we get a new restaurant in town, it’s a big deal. It’s a really big deal if it’s a U.S. restaurant. It’s even better if they have a great playground.
Well, today was the opening of the largest Carl’s Jr in the world (probably). It’s about five minutes from our house, and it’s enormous. We had lunch there with some friends, and it was good stuff. I think they are a little expensive for a fast food place, but you don’t leave with that icky McDonald’s feeling in your stomach.
Oh, and today, the service was phenomenal. We had about 3 people waiting our table. I sat down with my empty fast food cup and they asked me if they could get me a drink. I was like, “That’s okay, I can get it.” But they assured me that they would do it. We didn’t lift a finger the rest of the time there. Oh, and the Oreo shakes are great too.
I hate grading papers and exams and everything else. It’s the worst part of my job. My students have done pretty well on everything. This is one of the first quarters that I have been teaching in the seminary that everything was turned in on time. I am amazed. This helped me finish the grading up today. The only thing I have to do now is post the grades, and I will be finished for the quarter. Yippy! Now…to think about next quarter’s classes.
Read this. Billy Graham’s grandson, Will Graham, preached at a crusade in North Carolina last week. The more interesting thing is that I went to college with him (we were in a class together at Liberty, but I’m sure he doesn’t know me…ha). I remember the other guy who was quoted in the article, too. It’s cool to be part of a new generation.
Yesterday, I was at the seminary, and I called Janell like I usually do after chapel. There was no answer. I tried to call our friends’ house, too, but there was no answer. I figured Janell had just gone out with Tina. So I stayed at the seminary to finish up some work. I decided to try to call again, but I got no answer this time, either. So I was getting a little worried. I decided to go home.
When I got home, I heard Nathan yelling, “Daaaaadaaa.” They were on the side porch where the washer and dryer are. Apparently, Nathan had locked them out. So Janell was there with Nathan locked in a little porch for more than an hour. I guess I learned that if they don’t answer the phone I should come straight home.
We were at Sam’s Club the other day, and we saw that the movie Coach Carter was on sale for about six bucks, so we picked it up. This movie has a lot to do with leadership, mentoring, and discipleship. Here are some of my thoughts on this movie:
- Leadership is about molding people into who they need to be and giving them a chance to succeed.
- We should see beyond what people are now and challenge them to become what they need to become.
- A good mentor loves the people he is working with. Coach Carter was upset that the community did not want to see his players succeed off the court as much as he did.
- A good mentor is determined to do whatever it takes for his students to succeed. He is willing to pay the price.
- A good leader takes responsibility for the actions of his team. If one fails, they all fail, even the coach.
- Effecting change in the lives of others will have opposition. Even the principal of the school didn’t understand.
- A good leader has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve. His definition of success may be different than that of those around him.
- A good mentor is there for his students.
There are many other lessons that can be learned from this movie. It is a great movie about a great leader. I liked it so much I showed it to my class on discipleship when we were talking about mentors. We must look for people with these qualities to impact the lives of the students in our ministries, and we must become these types of people in order to effect change in the lives of students in our communities.
