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It seems like all of the PSAs, ads, commercials, etc. about driving and texting are focused at teenagers. From the sound of it, you would think 99% of teens text and drive, and all other demographics are innocent. Well, all you have to do is lift up your head from your phone to realize there’s a bigger problem at hand.

According to research from InformationWeek, adults text while driving more than teens. The study shows that nearly half of all texting adults say they have sent or read a text message on their phone while driving, compared to about one-third of teenagers.

Neither group is excusable, and this doesn’t give teenagers a reason to point the finger and pretend to be innocent.

Information from the rest of the study can be found at InformationWeek‘s website. You can find it by clicking here.

However, I don’t know if we can expect teenagers to abide by the law if their parents aren’t following it themselves.

Parents, set the example. Your teen is watching. If you don’t want your teen to text behind the wheel, set the standard by putting the phone away while you drive. Whatever it is you need to send or read can wait. It might save your life, as well as the lives of many others.

Via: Online MBA

When Toy Story 3 brought in $110 million in its opening weekend it continued Pixar’s streak of 11 straight movies debuting at No. 1. Not only is 11 straight an incredible streak, but it also amazing considering Pixar has only released 11 feature films. They are a perfect 11/11.

In an age where many movies try to push the envelope, Pixar stands out as different from other companies. There’s something different about the way they go about their business. There’s something different about their standard for excellence. When we look at what this state of the art company has done, I think there are some lessons we can learn from Pixar:

1. Do Everything With Excellence
Allegedly the first script for the first Toy Story movie was so horrendous that production was shut down and a script had to be rewritten. Not many companies would start from scratch, but Pixar did. The idea for Toy Story 2 was to have it go straight to video and be a short 60 minute film. However, the product that was produced was so impressive that it was expanded and sent to theaters. Whether you observe the dialogue, the script, the humor, or the visuals, everything at Pixar seems to be done with the utmost excellence. Whether it’s making animated hair blow in the wind, or find the perfect voice for a character, excellence seems to be a top priority of the company.

2. Quality Over Quantity
The idea for Wall-E was first conceived in 1994. However, the idea wasn’t rushed into action. In fact, the movie did not hit theaters until 2008. That’s a long time to sit on an idea; however, a great work of art was created. Also, consider this: Pixar has released 11 full length feature films since 1995, all of which have hit No. 1. Since 1998, DreamWorks Animation has released 20 full-length films. While we all remember Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Monster’s Inc, and Cars, how many people actually remember much about Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Flushed Away, Bee Movie, or Shark Tale? In an industry that is more about “What have you done for me lately?” rather than “How great can we make this?” Pixar stands above the rest.

3. You Don’t Have to Be Crude to Be Noticed
Have you noticed the innocence in Pixar films? There’s no bad language, no sex, no graphic violence. You would expect movies that are squeaky clean to only be for adults. However, adults may actually enjoy Pixar films more than the youngsters. The messages and teachings in the movie are pure. There’s no need to sell out to sex or crude humor to sell because a product that is done with excellence sells itself. Too many of today’s movies are so weak on content that they have to try to appeal to today’s world by infusing sex and bad language all throughout their movies. Not Pixar.

4. Go Beyond What Is Expected
Movies have been around for awhile. It’s very difficult to “wow” people or catch them off-guard. However, Pixar has found a way to do this by going above and beyond. When people leave the theater after seeing a Pixar movie, most people leave impressed. If you look at critic sites like Rotten Tomatoes, you’ll find that every Pixar movie has been given an overall positive (“fresh”) rating, with some of them holding the highest ratings of any films in history.

5. Think Outside the Box
When you break it down, Pixar isn’t your typical movie-making company. There aren’t “real” people in the movies; it’s all digital animation. And most of the time, people aren’t even the main characters. Think about the leading roles in Pixar’s films: toys, cars, bugs, robots, monsters, rats, fish, and superheroes. Not your typical heroines! Not your typical movie-going experience. However, Pixar has encouraged everyone to think outside the box and dream bigger than what may seem the norm.

The following objective is posted on Pixar’s website:

Pixar’s objective is to combine proprietary technology and world-class creative talent to develop computer-animated feature films with memorable characters and heartwarming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages.

I think they’ve done a pretty good job of that, and taught us all a few lessons along the way.

For the last couple of years, I have been part of Mocha Club, an organization that exists to fund relief and development projects in Africa. They work in five main project areas: Clean Water, Education, Child Mothers + Women At Risk, Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children, and HIV/AIDS + Healthcare.

The premise is very simple: Every month Mocha Club receives $7 from your bank account–the price of 2 mochas. That money is then used to make a huge difference in Africa.

How much can $7.00 do? $7 can feed person for a month. $7 can educate 2 children for a school term. $7 can save 1 person’s life from malaria. $7 can provide clean water to 7 Africans for a year.

My team, Won’t Stay Silent, has been supporting a Clean Water initiative. There are 300 million people in Africa who do not have access to clean drinking water. Mocha Club’s clean water solutions are freeing individuals from this devastating situation by providing water that is safe and free of disease. Through our giving, we are helping building wells in the Sudan for refugees of the Darfur genocide, who are often forced to live in wilderness areas where they have to drink muddy water, if they are able to find any water at all…

Due to the lack of clean water, diseases run rampant. Each new well is designed to serve 500 people, but our experience on the ground in these remote, insecure areas, is that they end up serving more than 1,000 people.

Once again, the premise is very simple: You only have to give $7.00 a month. In fact, once you sign up, there’s nothing else you have to do. The money is withdrawn from your bank account each month, and I can almost guarantee that you will never miss that money or even notice it’s gone.

$7.00 doesn’t sound like much, but as you read above, it makes a huge difference. Plus, when people working together, incredible things happen. Our group, Won’t Stay Silent, was started in September 2008. Since that time, our group has combined to donate over $1000.00.

If you’re interested in finding out more information, click on the following link, one of the Mocha Club pictures, or send me an email at david.jones@randallhouse.com. Click here to access Mocha Club

At best, I’m a casual soccer fan. I played soccer for in 4th grade and ended my career with an amazing stat line of 0 goals. And no, I wasn’t the goalie.

I can name about 5 players on the US team. I can pronounce about half of the last names of guys on the US team. I know who Henry (France), Messi (Argentina), Rooney (England), Kaka (Brazil), and Ronaldo (Portugal) are, and I know that the vuvuzela is annoying! However, that’s about the extent of my soccer knowledge. I can’t tell you a thing about the MLS and I still know David Beckham as the husband of one of the Spice Girls (okay…maybe that’s an exaggeration).

However, when the World Cup comes around, I really get into it. It doesn’t matter who’s playing, I love sitting down and watching the games. In a way, it’s similar to the Olympics for me. While I care nothing about men’s figure skating, mix in the Olympics and Evan Lysacek and I’m hooked.

Am I a “once every 4 years” bandwagon fan? Yeah probably. But I still enjoy it.

What about you? Do you care about the World Cup?

(Btw, in case you missed the USA vs England game, you can watch a recap above…with Legos!)

Several years ago when I had my first opportunities to speak/preach, my dad gave my some wise advice: “Don’t speak to the giraffes.”

Ummm…what?

Yes. Don’t speak the giraffes.

Sounds kind of crazy, right? Well, not exactly. The idea actually came from one of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons:

“A farmer one day, after he had listened to a simple sermon, which was the very opposite of what he generally heard, exclaimed, “O Lord, we bless thee that the food was put into a low crib to-day, so that thy sheep could reach it!” Some brethren put the food up so high that the poor sheep cannot possibly feed upon it. I have thought as I have listened to our eloquent friends, that they imagined that our Lord had said, “Feed my [giraffes].” None but giraffes could reach the food when placed in so lofty a rack. Christ says, “Feed my sheep,” place the food among them, put it close to them.”

When it comes to preaching and teaching, one of the most important elements is knowing your audience. So often we either preach and teach above or below our audience. In my own case, I had just come back from a year of biblical training at college. My dad’s warning was a good one. It reminded me not to let what I had learned turn into arrogance. While I wanted to sound profound, I had to make sure I was seeking to lead God’s sheep and not try to impress people with big words to which I barely knew the definition. Let’s face it: the only reason I knew those words or concepts was because I had to memorize them for a Systematic Theology test the week before.

This concept is an ongoing struggle for myself and many others, and will always be a struggle as long as we are teaching and preaching God’s Word. We are called to lead God’s sheep; not try to tickle the ears of people who are much smarter than we are by reciting what we read in our Study Bible a few days earlier.

Understanding God’s Word shouldn’t be like trying to understand quantum physics or ace Jeopardy.

Teachers and preachers, let’s lead the flock that is hungry for the Word.

(Special thanks to blogofdan.co.uk for the Spurgeon quote)

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.”
- President John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961, Inaugural Address

When I read the words from John F. Kennedy’s famous speech, I cannot help but think that today’s church can learn a great lesson from the principle.

There are some in the church today that believe the church is all about them. They jump church to church looking for a church that will suit their needs, provide them with luxury service, and will serve them. In essence, they expect the church to treat them like a fancy restaurant would. They come in and expect to have everything laid out before them. From there, they can decide what they want based on what meets their needs/appetite. However, unlike a restaurant, don’t expect them to pay much money or leave a tip for using that “service.” They think the church is all about them. They only get involved in what sounds appetizing and never lift a finger to serve anyone else.

However, there are others who seem to “get” the principle. They realize the church isn’t about them. They realize the church doesn’t exist to fit their needs and the church’s purpose isn’t to serve them like the restaurant down the street might do. They are interested in serving the church, serving others, and serving Christ. They don’t look to see what the church can do for them; they look to see what they can do for the church to serve the body of Christ for the glory of God. They’re willing to do the dirty work and the things that never get noticed. They’re willing to sacrifice their time, energy, and money to better serve the church.

Which category do you fit into? Are you looking for the church to meet your needs and desires? Is your church attendance and drive in ministry based on recognition and what seems “fun” at the time? Or are you seeking how you can better serve the church? Do you constantly ask, “How can I be a better servant?” and “How can I serve my church, my God, and my community?”

How important is church attendance? Should Christians be there every time the doors are open? Should believers make it a habit to attend Sunday School? Is Wednesday night attendance important for believers? Have we put too much of an emphasis on being at the church facility?

Give me some feedback…