One Year and 8,000+ Pageviews Later

It has been a full year since I started blogging. I cannot believe how quickly time has flown, things have changed, and how much I have grown.

In my first blog post I stated my reason for starting my blog:
"First, the older I get and the more people I meet the more I want to stay connected and keep people posted on my life. Second, I hope that my blog can be a blessing to those in ministry and leadership positions. I always 'check up' on different pastor's blogs and want to learn more about their heart and vision for ministry."

In just a short year the reasons for my blogging have changed. As I reanalyzed why I blog this is what I came up with:

1. I blog for me! Blogging has been like an online diary of what God has done in past events. It also helps me to remember where I've come from in life and helps me to verbalize where I want to head in the future. On occasion I enjoy going through past posts and celebrating what God has done.

2. I blog for connection! Blogging allows me to stay connected with others and helps those close to me know what is going on in my life. I have lived in three different states, have taken trips outside of the country, and have made friendship across the globe. Blogging helps me to stay connected to others.

3. I blog for gospel and ministry/life enrichment. In the past year my blog has seen over 8,000 page views. The world has become smaller due to the invention of the internet. Within the past year I have received over 100 page views from people living in Russia alone (weird I know). Blogging can have a worldwide impact. I have also seen how different people have typed in various key word searches and articles from my blog have popped up. May this blog be an encouragement and sharpening tool for life and ministry effectiveness!

Blogging has been very beneficial and meaningful to me over this past year. May God use this blog for His glory in the future and may you find this blog as beneficial to your overall growth as a person ....(and may you also get a few laughs out of it too).

Top Viewed Blog Posts this Past Year

1. Kenny Lindley Funeral
http://cosentinoquickfix.blogspot.com/2014/01/how-i-saw-god-work-through-midst-of.html
2. What Most People Might Not Have Known about Kim and I's Wedding
http://cosentinoquickfix.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-many-people-might-not-have-known.html
3. What I've Learned in Two Months of Marriage
http://cosentinoquickfix.blogspot.com/2014/01/what-ive-learned-after-two-months-of.html
4. What All Singles Should Know on Valentine's Day
http://cosentinoquickfix.blogspot.com/2014/02/what-all-singles-should-know-on.html
5. Relationships Over Time Equals Effectiveness
http://cosentinoquickfix.blogspot.com/2014/01/relationships-over-time-effectiveness.html

Make Your Life COUNT!

I want my life to COUNT!

At the end of the day every person wants to know that their life mattered and counted! I do not know a person who truly does not want to have some influence or impact on people or the world in which we live.

A little over a week ago I had the opportunity to be a groomsman in a former student's wedding. I was honored to be asked. I was deeply moved and touched by a number of different conversations and happenings that weekend.

- The opening Scripture passage in the wedding was my life verse. The groom Logan had gained strength from that verse and from my life and he wanted to include that verse in his wedding. How humbling!?!

- The bride's father was encouraged by a sermon that I preached a month and a half ago as he listened to it via internet/podcast. Here's a guy that I did not know but was touched and encouraged by a sermon of mine. Once again, I was humbled!?!

- I got to connect with people at the wedding that I met through various ministry endeavors. I connected with friends from when I interned in PA, students and leaders from Operation Barnabas, and ministry partners while in Kendallville. Ministry truly does bring people closer together!

At the end of that wedding day, I could say at the least, that my life counted in impacting Logan's life. The conversations and being honored was truly special to me.

Do not throw away your life but make it count for something! Invest into what truly matters.....people. When you invest into other people you will be sure that your life truly counted for something at the end of the day!

It is the small encouraging remarks that are important to me. Encourage, uplift, and make your life count into someone else's life today!

What many don't know about this picture is that Logan helped lead two of the men behind him to the Lord. Now, they will forever have "his back."

Change will happen.....how to LEAD through CHANGE!

Change is inevitable. We can address issues head on or let them stagnate and decay the foundation of our group, organization, church, or relationships. Leaders must be proactive in making necessary changes.

 

I believe Christians should be the biggest people group that embraces change. Why? Because God has changed us and given us a manual for seeing redemptive change in our communities.

 

While sometimes scary, because we are navigating through the unknown, change should also be exhilarating as leaders take steps of faith to do what they believe and know to be right! 



I have decided to be a change agent where necessary in helping to lead change that promotes health and growth. In my experience, many organizations and churches need to make changes to promote health.

 

If you are courageous and want to take on leadership issues that deal

with change here are eight basic steps:

(Taken from Paul Kotter's book: Leading Change)

 

It is critical to do these steps in the right order!

 

1. Establish a sense of urgency - People need to know why change is necessary!

2. Create the guiding coalition - Leaders must create a team to help tackle the problem. There is strength in numbers!

3. Develop a vision and a strategy - People need to see where things are going and heading and have easy to see and do steps to get to the eventual finish line.

4. Communicate the change vision - People need to hear the reasons for change in a compelling way that causes them to want to do something about it.

5. Empower employees for broad-based action - Everyone in the organization needs to feel like they have a part in the change and feel empowered and equipped to be a part of the change.

6. Generate short-term wins - The road to change is long and people will give up if they do not see some short term returns.

7. Consolidate gains and produce more change - People will give up too early if they think the organization has "finally arrived." Continue to create a sense of urgency and push your organization.

8. Anchor new approaches in the culture - The organization needs to stay relevant and open to changes that promote growth. This is imperative in a fast-paced technological world where plans need to be revisited due to unforeseen changes in the future. The culture of change needs to be firmly imbedded in the culture of the company.

 

"Never underestimate the magnitude of the forces that reinforce complacency and that help maintain the status quo."

 

My Ph.D. studies have been very influential in shaping leadership issues and in helping to direct change in the local church. What church, organization, or group are you a part of and what changes need to take place? Will you be a catalyst for change and growth?

 

Some Things to Keep In Mind when Working with Teenagers..........

Psalm 71:18

Even when I am old and gray,
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come!

 

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to preach concerning the importance of reaching the next generation for the Lord. In doing local surveys in the area, on average, only 10% of teenagers go to church on a Sunday morning! We as a church must do something about this! No matter how old or gray you get pray to God that you will live long enough and have enough strength to declare God's power and goodness to the next generation!

 

In working with teenagers here are some things to keep in mind:

 

1. A teenager's brain is still developing.....help them to connect the dots concerning their decision making!

 

Brain research has shown that the frontal lobe of the brain which is the area where judgments and decision making is formed is not fully developed until people reach their early 20's. Therefore, teenagers are more prone to make irrational decisions as their brain is still developing. As adults we need to help students connect the dots and help them process why they make specific decisions. This calls for patience in youth workers!

 

2. Teenagers want to be more independent and are forming their own self-identity!

 

In a nationwide research poll of teenagers it was found that 90% of the time that teenagers disobey their parents it is because they are trying to assert themselves and establish their freedom instead of being outright rebellious. As teenagers start to develop their own self-identity they will naturally and instinctively push back on the main identity that they know which is their parent's identity. This is healthy as long as parents understand and encourage their teenagers to look up to and identify with other Godly youth workers!

 

3. In working with teenagers you have the ability to help set their direction for the rest of their lives!

 

Studying adolescence is a recent phenomena. In fact, adolescence was only first mentioned in the early 1900's and was first fully studied in the 1950's. It was found that there are different stages in a human beings development and the majority of development surrounding a person's idea of meaning and purpose is formed by the end of their teenage years. Youth workers and parents have the awesome opportunity to help teenagers develop healthy images of purpose and self-identity and the things you tell a teenager can inspire and help set their direction for the rest of their life!

 

Your greatest unfulfilled need as a child becomes your greatest fear as an adult!

 

Guys most want to be recognized for what they do, and they most fear failure;

Girls most want to be valued for who they are, and they most fear rejection!

 

You can be influential in helping form a teenager's image of self worth and purpose. In doing so, you can help set them on the right direction on a path of following God for the rest of their lives!

 

4. The greatest way to influence teenagers is to live an AUTHENTIC Godly life!

 

Teenagers can spot fakes and discrepancies a mile away! What they are really looking for is people who will walk by their side in life and be authentic and real with them. Teenagers are not attracted to a person's style or dress compared with the genuineness in their walk with Jesus! Teenagers are watching and they are taking notes on your life......are you living an authentic and Godly life?

 

Will you do what it takes to reach teenagers like this student?!?