Scott Cheatham’s Weblog

The debate over the U.S. healthcare system seems to grow by the day.  One has to wonder with an online document numbering in the thousands of pages that “breaks down” the proposed government system if anyone will understand what really is being said?

Leave it to Dan Roam, author of “The Back of the Napkin”, to simply explain things. (That was the crux of his book right?)  I wanted to point you to one of the best explanation’s I’ve read regarding this crisis and why we don’t need tons of paperwork to fix things…Here’s a quote:

There are probably about a hundred people in this country who really understand how health care works. I’m guessing that right now half of them are trying to change the system and half of them are trying to keep it the same. Let’s see if we can’t get more of us to understand the basics so we can decide for ourselves which is the better direction.

Read Dan’s four part series on this starting with part one by clicking here!

I’ve been asked by many friends about my use of the Moleskine (or Piccadilly knockoff) notebooks.  There are many uses for this versatile little pocket notebook but more and more popular is the PDA “hack” for pocket moleskines.  Rather than reinvent the wheel, I thought I’d share this post for a moleskine hack.  It comes from the “Art of Manliness” blog and author Stephen Young:

Of all the tools in your arsenal, without a doubt the most important is your pocket notebook. Notebooks are the obvious precursor to PDA’s and computers, and still have the upper hand on these gadgets in that they are quickly accessible, absolutely customizable and completely unique. No other technology will allow you to easily compile lists, sketches, calendars, notes, plans, links – exactly the way you want them.

You can read the rest of his post with instructions on how to set up your notebook by clicking here.

Again, you do not need a moleskine to make this work.  Any pocket notebook will do.  Piccadilly makes a nice copy of the moleskine for about half the price and it can be purchased at most Borders bookstores.  As fall approaches, now is the time to look at getting better organized.  This little hack may just be what you are looking for!

The Bible - It's Electric!

I recently challenged myself to increase my intake of scripture. No, I’m not eating the pages of my bible, just making time to take in more of God’s Word.  As a pastor, there are so many schools of thought on how we should use the bible.  There’s our devotional time, our study time, and our reading time.  Study time can consist primarily of sermon preparation but also can include bible studies you lead.  So some pastors try to get by with reading a few chapters a day and preparing their sermons.

While sermon prep time can be rewarding, actually reading the bible has its own benefits.  Devotional time usually includes a few chapters and that’s it.  I enjoy my quiet times in the morning with my coffee and my journal but I wanted more, much more.  I recently purchased the Bible translation I use on MP3 discs and transferred them to my MP3 player that I use when I walk or travel in the car.  I primarily listen to music and audio books on the player but I decided to include bible time as well.  In fact, I set aside time in my mid-day to listen to an entire book if I can and take notes if I’m able.  This week, I’ve listened to First John 3 times already.  I’ve made some notes for potential sermons, but I’ve also begun to grasp some overall concepts that perhaps I’ve missed in the past.  I also have my bible on my Sony Reader eBook device so I can read several chapers if I’m found to have some time I wasn’t counting on (late appointment, waiting in line, etc..).

The point is, I’m spending more time listening to what God is telling me. The audio bible has benefits I never thought it would.  While I still read devotionally and spend time in sermon prep, I now have increased my intake of God’s Word by 30-to-50 chapters a week simply by listening to it as well.  My prayers are more fulfilling, my spiritual walk has improved, and I believe it’s helped my sermons I present each week.

I understand how hard it can be for someone who’s never read the bible to start picking it up and reading it daily but really, it’s the only way to spiritual growth.  Habits can be made and priorities changed if our desire is in the right places.  When I was working 50-60+ hours a week in radio, I still found time to read each day because it was THAT important to me.  Think about it.  How much time do we waste watching meaningless television shows and yet, we cannot find the time to read 30 chapters of scripture each week?  This would take less than a half hour each day and yet, I’m always amazed at the people I talk to who feel powerless in their Christian walk but do not read the bible daily.  They cannot see the connection between growing in Christ and reading His Word.

So how much is too much for you?  Is it worth the investment for meaningful life change?  I think so and I hope you do too.

I’ve had some great feedback on my post regarding Twitter and its many applications.  Since becoming a Twitter user, I’ve found it to be a great way to connect, share great ideas, link to others, and much more.

John Richardson at the “Success Begins Today” blog has now put up a great post with even more helpful uses of this micro blogging service:

What sets Twitter apart from its competition is its timeliness. Thousands of people are sending tweets at any given time about everything imaginable. It’s this live data that can be incredibly useful.

Read the rest of his post here.

John’s blog always has helpful details on it.  I hadn’t considered some of the ideas he shared here.  That’s what makes the blogosphere go ’round!

Have a great day.

If you are looking for a fresh idea on discipleship, Neil Cole’s book “Search and Rescue” might be just what you are looking for.  Cole’s book highlights his primary method of Christian discipleship called “Life Transformation Groups” or LTG’s for short.  These groups of 2 to 3 people meet weekly for 3 simple practices.  These include: reading scripture, confession of sin, and praying for the lost.  Groups meet to ask each other accountability questions of their choosing and to discuss the reading for that week (30+ chapters of bible reading per week!)  They then close with prayer for the lost friends and family that are on each person’s prayer card.  That’s a simplistic view of the LTG but it’s the heart of the group.  When a group grows to 4 or more (sometimes even 3 people), they are encouraged to branch off another group and continue the process.  Cole advises that due to the nature of the group’s goals, small is better.

There’s a lot of material in this book.  Nearly 2/3 of the content is Cole breaking down the biblical book of Second Timothy as a means of training and discipleship.  The remainder of the book is a breakdown on the LTG and how it can be implemented in various churches.  Throughout the text, Cole shares stories of his days as a California lifeguard as illustrations of the principles he shares in each chapter.  A large appendix concludes the book with various helps to give you ideas on starting your own LTG’s in your circle of friends.

I liked Cole’s challenge to get more people reading larger amounts of scripture.  So much of what is passed off as “reading the bible” these days is nothing more than a chapter or two and the hope that something there sticks.  Cole promotes the idea of getting the “big picture” message of various biblical books as a means of transforming individuals.  For certain, a more detailed study can and should be done of the various passages we read.  Cole asserts that this will happen naturally as larger amounts of scripture are read, questions will arise that will bring this discipline about.

All in all, I enjoyed this book.  For the ideas in it to work requires dedicated, praying people who will invest in the lives of others.  My biggest concern is, will we make that time?  It seems more and more, we see superficial connections being made in large services and a lip service small group that glosses over the message of scripture.  This is what passes for serious discipleship in many churches these days.  Making that personal connection and commitment is what can make all the difference in the life of a new believer.  This is what Cole ultimately argues for and in that, I think he is successful.

Some may disagree with his ideas but the think I enjoyed about this book is that it made you think.  That’s always a good thing.

Thumbs up for this work.

Josh Kaufman at “The Personal MBA” has a great post on learning how to manage your energy.  Time management and being productive in whatever calling you have requires learning to work with your body instead of against it.

Kaufman’s thoughts go hand in hand with a blog series I wrote last year about being “Fully Engaged”.  There’s some good stuff in his application ideas.

Share your thoughts on this if you use any of these ideas!

Today, I’m sending you to the site of Robert J. Morgan and a delicious salad idea he shared a few days ago..

It was easy, healthy, tasty, and refreshing; and it’s going in my recipe file.  Since tomatoes and peaches are in season, you might want to try it.  It’s as simple as this:

Read the rest of the simple recipe by visiting his site.

The Swiss Water Process Logo

As most of my blog readers know, I love coffee.  I drink it hot, iced, mixed in various coffee drinks, you name it!  The problem is my caffeine addiction is insatiable.  If you’ve ever been on a coffee buzz for several days and then quit for a day or two, you know the fun of the terrible headache you get when your body doesn’t have it’s caffeine.

A few days ago, I experienced this “withdrawal” headache again and it was intense.  I decided then and there that I was going to do my best to cut out the majority of my caffeine as part of a plan this fall to eat healthier, lose weight, and increase my energy.  For the past few months, I’ve been trying out decaf coffees and drink them mostly at night.  I try to have my morning coffee before 8am and limit myself to a cold coffee now and then.  These were the caffeinated drinks I allowed myself but it was still causing me headaches.  Enter the “Swiss Water” decaf coffee blends.  The Swiss Water process is a patented process that retains much of coffee’s great flavors while removing 99.9% of the caffeine.  It doesn’t use any chemicals (which is one reason I avoided decaf altogether) but only flavor charged water to strip the beans of the caffeine and not their taste.

After a few weeks of trying out decaf coffees using this process, I’m sold on the flavor and am going to try to switch completely to decaf this month.  There are a number of shops that use coffees that have been decaffeinated with this process but you have to look for them.  Another thing I found out is that if the bag says “water processed”, it doesn’t mean the patented process I refer to and there is a difference because “water process” could use chemicals and then “water process” them to rinse them.  It’s like the packaging you read on foods that say “fat free” but are usually 30-50% fat!  If you would like to try these coffees with me, you need to either look for the logo at right on the bag or visit the Swiss Water Process web site to locate stores in your area that carry swiss water decaf coffee or order them online.

Some of my favorites that I’ve enjoyed in the decaf line of Swiss Water processed coffees are the organic Babushka blend made by Daz-Bog and the Daybreak Blend made by Caribou Coffee. I still make the majority of my coffee in my Toddy Cold Brewer and decaf comes out equally as well using this method along with my other favorite brewing method, the French Press.

I’ll still have the occassional cup of caffeinated coffee I’m sure but I think for the long run, and my overall health, I’m going to stick with my guns when it comes to enjoying my java.  I’m hoping my heart will thank me in the years ahead!

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s early and time for my morning coffee!

Is the micro-blogging service “Twitter” growing past it’s “geek” factor chic?  I think so.  Recently, I’ve been reviewing several items discussing the service.  I’ve downloaded ebooks for church leaders on Twitter, there’s a great free business ebook about learning how to use Twitter more effectively, and then there are the countless posts on blogs, forums, and Twitter itself on how best to make Twitter work for you.

Generally when I share my love of Twitter with others, I either get a smile (you’re a geek!) or a shaking head (I don’t get it!).  This excludes the friends I have who actually DO Twitter and understand its usefulness.  So how can a 42 (soon to be 43) year old pastor and parent utilize Twitter?  The following are just a few of my ideas that I hope you can use..

1. You can use it to promote your web sites and/or blogs.

Many that follow me know that I use Twitter to let them know when I have a new blog post up or to promote older posts that haven’t been read in a while.  The benefits to this are numerous.  You gain new friends, your writing (if you do that sort of thing) gets noticed on a larger scale, and you share in an exchange of ideas.  So many times I write blog posts seeking interaction and Twitter has allowed that to happen.  People who live close by and across the World in the United Kingdom and Spain will drop me a line to share thoughts and ideas.  In addtion to “tweeting” about daily happenings and the unusual, regularly promoting yourself through Twitter may seem a bit over the top to some but I can tell you from my own experience that my blog site’s readership has increased by nearly double since I began this practice.  #2 will take this a step further….

2. Use hashtags to research topics you like.

The new rage in Twitter is to use hashtags (#) to mark a post for easy retrieval.  Twitter’s own search site allows you to enter a favorite hashtag and it will pull up all posts containing that tag.  In the productivity world, David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” system is quite popular.  ”Tweeters” that wanted to discuss GTD set up the hashtag #gtd and then add it to their tweets.  There’s even a Twitter Church, #twurch, and one for using the popular “Facebook” site #fb (A service called selective Twitter uses this hashtag.  More on that in #3).  When you tag your Tweets with one of these ‘tags’, you might be surprised who reads it.  David Allen himself reads the hashtags on his system and many times will answer questions for you.

3. Twitter updates your Facebook page.

Not every tweet needs to be on your facebook page.  It used to be “all or nothing” when it came to integrating Twitter with your Facebook account.  When the idea of merging the two social media networks first surfaced, I jumped on it and soon, every tweet I posted was available for my Facebook friends to read.  Then, as I began reading the sites of my other friends, I realized it was overkill.  It’s annoying for your friends to have to sift through every stinkin’ tweet on your facebook page.  Enter “Selective Twitter” as a Facebook add on.  With selective Twitter, you can tweet to your heart’s content and when a certain tweet seems appropriate for your facebook page, you hashtag it with #fb and “Selective Twitter” will take only those posts with the hashtag and use them to update your facebook status.  It provides more control over your networks and make using Twitter even better! And last but not least…

4. Twitter makes a great informational tool for your church/business

I’ll use my church for this illustration.  We have a Twitter account for my church and I use it exclusively to disseminate information about our church to the congregation.  Even members who refuse to use Twitter can “follow” the church through Twitter by sending a simple text message. Then, anytime I post anything about the church, it will send a text message to that person’s phone (and anyone else who does have Twitter and adds us as a friend and then elects to receive notices from us) and pass along the information.  Best of all, that person can opt in or out of the service at any time.  For me as a leader, it means one less list for me to manage.  It also provides a place where I can send one message (whether I have internet or not) and have everyone in my church up to date with little effort.  I can send last minute reminders, cancel services in the case of inclement weather, and pass along kudos for jobs well done.  All of this from my cellphone and all with the free Twitter service.

How do you use Twitter (assuming you do).  These are just a few short ideas that I wanted to share but I know of many other ways people are leveraging Twitter for their benefit.  Share your ideas here if you have time and let’s discuss them!