Further Proof

Google runs what is called an N-gram. It compiles the many hundreds of thousands of books written over many years - in this case, from the 1800's on up to present day - and analyzes how many times a particular word or words were written about in all the books published within a given time period.

The graph you see up there shows a surge of books containing the words "gospel" (in red) and "grace" (in blue) in the 1800's. Then, the mention of those words experienced a pretty dramatic drop off, followed by a near flat-line in modern times.

Friends, we and our parents and their parents before them, have lived through a dearth of gospel and grace. And that completely explains the condition of the church today.

But do you see the very end of this graph? That is what Tim and I are a part of! That is what you can be a part of, should you so choose! Do you see the little "uptick" at the end? I have said it before...Tim and I have long sensed that what we are preaching and teaching and standing for is of historic proportions for the modern church. "A great door of opportunity has opened to me, but there are many adversaries", in the words of Paul the Apostle.

Many, many others join us in that prophetic analysis. There is about to be a tsunami of New Covenant gospel, and a resurgence of the grace doctrines, as the church begins to experience a massive return to "first things".

THAT is what "returning to the old paths" will look like.

And I have even proved it to you via an impartial graph.

(many thanks to Jonathan Trentham for showing us Google N-gram searches...)

Leadership 101

I'm going to ambitiously say that this post is the first in a series. How often I'll post on leadership (weekly? monthly?) depends on the time available to me, and on the timing of all the other wonderful, enticing ideas I have perculating in my mind to share with you.

But if you want to do a thing - you have to begin it. Just begin it. And so, I begin.

Leadership 101 - Take Your Concerns UP the "Ladder", Not Across the Ladder, and Not Down!

This is just good business - and it works like a charm for church business. If there is some sort of problem, don't vent, question, or otherwise seek to inform anyone who is "under you", for lack of a better way of putting it. Also, do not vent, question, or otherwise seek to inform anyone who is equal to you in the structure of accountability.

Take your concerns UP the ladder of your structure of authority. Better yet, take them to God, and let Him speak to you. Then leave them there.

Always. Always. Always up, not across, not down. To do otherwise is irresponsible at best, and could do irrepairable harm at worst. No leader is exempt from a huge snafu in this area...we each one would do well to take heed to ourselves in this area.

Those below you don't need to take up your offense. They simply don't need to be aware of what isn't their job to solve anyway. Those equal to you don't need your negativity. Your "yadda yadda" and your negative mood is usually temporary, right? (If it is continual, we have a problem of a whole other nature!) Your peers don't need the downer that comes with having to filter, absorb, or in any way feel responsible for your "concerns".

Take that stuff up the chain of command. Take it to someone who can either actually help solve the problem, offer you a perspective you were unaware of, or call you out about your attitude.

Are you actually looking to solve the problem? Are you truly open to a perspective you may not have been seeing up to this point? Or do you just want the cheap affirmation that comes with getting others to share your opinion? If you are of the latter mindset, you really shouldn't even lead a parade, much less an office, a church group, or any part of an organization.

Leaders lead. And great leaders lead in very direct, very positive, very effective ways. Leaders lead for the good of the whole, not for themselves.

The Sun Sets on Another Day in Paradise

...where The Preacher fished...and fished...



...and then we got hungry. So we went to a restaurant that was a mere walk away from where we were sitting. I had grits from heaven with my seafood.

And then the sun went down.

I think, for today, we are planning to just press "repeat". Without the golf part, though. The Preacher wasn't happy with his game. I was very happy. I was sitting in the golf cart, getting sun on my legs, taking in the gorgeous scenery...palm trees, lagoons, glimpses of ocean, birds singing like the garden of Eden. I was soaking in the early morning, listening to Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love" on Audible, via Kindle, watching my Preacher throw a golf club to the ground once in awhile. I didn't mind the club tossing, because once he walked back to the cart where I was, he always had his happy face back on. He was genuinely and touchingly thrilled to have me with him, for those hours. I think my presence was the problem, in fact. He was so content to have me with him, he didn't care so much about his game. But then, that other part of him that DID care about his game would rise up in frustration, only to be quickly pushed aside whenever I would smile at him, and talk like I knew how to play: "This one's a double dog leg, Babe. Placement is critical...I'd tee up to the left. You'll be downwind here, and the greens are narrow and fast." (Which was silly talk...but it kept him entertained.)

(Did you know that Kindle can "play" all your Audible.com books?)

We Wish You Were Here!

...grabbed a shot of this sailboat...from the boat we were on...as we were passing by.

It is almost 11pm, and we've only been back at our condo for a couple of hours. We've had such a great day - long, happy, lots of walking, shopping at a yarn shop that has been featured in magazines, lots of beautiful architecture, and lots of eating. The mixture of clouds and sun was perfect, making the temperatures hover in the low 80's, with the ever-present ocean breeze.

And I just got out of our hot tub, located in our own private sunroom, with its floors and walls lined in knotty pine, and its ceiling of glass.

Tomorrow looks like golf for my Preacher - 9 holes, since we are doing this on a budget. Then, it is rear-ends in chairs, chairs in sand, looking out over the ocean waves - sunglasses, magazines, and diet Coke for me, a fishing pole and a cooler of stinky shrimp bait for the Preacher...

for the whooooooooole afternoon.

Till the sun goes down, baby!

Where I Am, Day 3

....beach in front of me...hundreds of these beauties beside me...my idea of heaven on earth.

How To Find Me On The Internet

(Image by Emily Ley)

After a bit of research, I'm delighted to discover that, lately in the past few months, others are locating my blog by Googling this:

Sheila Atchley Grace

More than a few times, in an effort to locate my blog, others are Googling my name and one precious and powerful word - Grace.

Can I tell you? When you make grace the standard, you will ultimately live at a higher plane than the law could ever take you. You will out-do the legalistas. You end up out-performing the performers.

Every. Single. Time.

So yes, I'm blessed to say you can find me by Googling or Binging my name....and then the word "grace".

Where I Am

Today, I fell asleep exactly here...



...and God is good.