Love and Leadership

So my Christmas Day reading consisted of two highly disparate pieces of literature...

"Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders, and

"Snog: A Puppy's Guide to Love" by Rachael Hale.

Yeah, I know...weird.

But stranger still is the fact that, in my very limited reading in each book, a common theme emerged.

From "Spiritual Leadership"...

"The true leader is concerned primarily with the welfare of others, not with his own comfort or prestige. He shows sympathy for the problems of others, but his sympathy fortifies and stimulates; it does not soften and make weak. A spiritual leader will always direct the confidence of others to the Lord. He sees in each emergency a new opportunity for helpfulness..."

"D.E. Hoste spoke about the secrets of Hudson Taylor, whom Hoste had followed in leadership of the China Inland Mission: 'Another secret of his influence among us lay in his great sympathy and thoughtful consideration for the welfare and comfort of those about him...He manifested great tenderness and patience toward the failures and shortcomings of his brethren, and was thus able in many cases to help them reach a higher plane of devotion'."

And, succinctly, from "Snog":

"Love does not dominate...
Love cultivates."

Every day gives us opportunities to lead and to love. Perhaps they are simply two sides of the same coin.

My prayer is that each of us will lead well and love much in the new year.

MERRY Christmas

It's Christmas Day 2007.
How on earth did this year go by SO fast?
My mind still hasn't wrapped itself around the fact that the Christmas festivities are already a thing of the past, not to mention that 2007 is pretty much a done deal.

Yesterday morning, as Jim and I had our family Christmas with the kids, I realized how good it is to have days of celebration. I love the significance of Christmas being the celebration of Christ's coming, of course, but, beyond that, it's good just to CELEBRATE - to set aside routine, to set aside the press of everyday, and to just make MERRY with one another. I thought about the festivals and celebrations that God insisted upon for the Old Testament Israelites. These were important times of sacrifice, remembrance and focus, but often they involved gatherings, feasting and much rejoicing, too. Maybe now I understand a little better why this was important on so many levels.

We've had a good Christmas - a really MERRY Christmas. Our day together as a family was fun and pleasant, then the gatherings with Jim's and my families were good times to reconnect, enjoy holiday traditions and laugh and make new memories together. I know that in some families, gatherings AREN'T met with eager anticipation, so we consider ourselves VERY fortunate to be able to look forward to these times.

Cami and I were talking the other day about how much will be changing in our family in the next decade. It's a very exciting era ahead for the Clay family as our kids discover themselves more, go into and out of high school and maybe college, enter the workforce, explore their faith, etc.

A lot of life is going to happen in the next 365 days (or one-tenth of that decade I just mentioned), and before we know it, Christmas 2008 will be upon us. What's ahead excites me - and I know that's the Lord working in me. I'm excited to enjoy my family and tackle the challenges, to make merry whenever the opportunity arises and to rejoice in the salvation of the One we celebrate at Christmas-time.

To you and yours, from me and mine:
Here's to a very MERRY Christmas and coming year.