Yesterday, I went on a run with my wife, we did two miles.  At the end of it, I felt like I had ran twenty miles!  I was breathing hard, my legs felt horrible, and I had a new realization.  I realized that with the grand opening of the church I had gotten off track with working out.  It didn’t take long.  I said to my wife, “Man, I used to be able to run 5 to 7 miles easily.”  When I said that statement I thought, “I dont like the term “used to”.” Most times that phrase is used is when something great occured, but we no longer do it.

I used to be a great athlete.

I used to manage my money well. 

I used to enjoy my job. 

I used to eat healthy.

“I used to” statements glorify the past, as if the past has control over our future.  Does the past exist, yes, but it does not have to control our future…Think about your “used to” statements and see if you can Improve in that area….Many times that is exactly where God wants to move in your life.

A lot of people are fearful of the economic status right now, and I got a great email from a great friend today, I wanted to share it with you…

By now, we’ve all heard and seen the news. No deal was made today regarding the bailout of Wall Street, we also saw that the stock market dropped by 777 points, or almost 9%. All the commentators, pundits and “wise men” are talking about the impending doom, crisis, crash, it’s enough to make you wonder what’s in store for you, and how this all matters. Since, the news teams are already focusing on the negative, here are two items focusing on the positive.

1. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re not dead. This is a very good thing.
2. The stock market is on sale. Sure, your portfolio today took a nose dive, but you weren’t planning on selling it today either right? If anything you won’t be selling it for a few more years, if you’re my age, probably not for another 25-30 years. So, this is a great time for you to fatten up your portfolio. If you already had a 401k plan, or an auto buy plan, think of how much more your automatic investments will be able to buy now. The same $100, now buys you more stocks.

If you don’t have a portfolio, now may be a good time to start one. Even keeping the depression and the crash of 1987 in mind, the stock market has averaged a 12% return.

Decompress in three, two, one…

• Backing up the truck to the trailer and bam!!!! Just like that, dented my tailgate. OUCH! Oh well…
• Couldn’t get the lights working on the trailer so drove about three miles pressing the brake just enough to get the brake lights on because for some reason, the brake lights worked but not the regular lights. Hmmm. After that I turned on the hazard lights.
• Lots of help during set up! We were done way early. Good job!
• My boy Mike stepped up today big. He’s really growing into an amazing leader. I think he could run the lights all on his own. 
• Everything today was really smooth. From start to finish, we were just clicking.
• Mike McCarthy is ridiculous. He can sing anything, and I love the way he’s developed over the last few months. He had the crowd going today!
• The band opened up with a song by a band called Downhere. They are one of my favorite bands and the song sounded fantastic. 
• Wade on the soundboard gets it! He’s getting better and better.
• Vluther sighting! Vid makes me laugh.
• Big Ted had a birthday this week.
• Cowboys lost, they just rained on my happy Imagine Sunday parade.
• The folks in kids are great! They do a great job week after week. Can we get some bubbles or what?
• So I’m down front and there’s a point where the band starts playing really soft and Mike’s really got the crowd going and you can hear everyone singing and…..YEAH! It was awesome. Kelli said it best, “I have goosebumps.”
• Megan and Brandy get the wheels in my head turning when it comes to working with college students. We’re going to take over UTSA pretty soon.
• Fun stuff coming in the next two weeks. The series has been fun to plan.
• Catalyst Conference next week. Atlanta here we come!
• Kevin was great today. He’d get me laughing and then punch me in the gut when I didn’t see it coming.
• Outside of grand opening weekend, highest attendance we’ve had yet. Not surprising to me. We’ve tripled in size in ten months.
• I climbed a sixteen foot truss today and it was crazy scary!
• Tall lights two weeks in a row and now I want to try something else. I think we need more extension cords.
• I have the best two jobs in the world.
• *lw**d sighting. I believe in you buddy!
• Hazer makes me mad. Can’t get that thing to work right.
• Working with Imagine challenges me constantly. I need to raise it up a level or two.
• October’s coming! MLB playoffs here we come.
• Texas #5 this week in the USA Today Poll. 
• Ahh, that empty feeling in my head sure feels nice. Now I can sleep. Or at least lay down in my bed and toss and turn while my mind races. Thanks for a great Sunday. 

Hey!   It was a great day! I woke up and saw that our article was on the front page of the life section in the San Antonio Express News…If you haven’t had a chance to look at the articele, go here.  

If you haven’t signed up on twitter, go here.  And follow us.

When I was a plebe at the Naval Academy we had to memorize the below paragraph, it has became one of my favorite life quotes–check it out:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” –Theodore Roosevelt

The other day I was in staff meeting and one of my staff members (makes it sound like there was a lot of us, lol, it was Ralph and I, Ralf Solis couldn’t make it this week) and I were talking.  We talk about a ton of issues: how the service went, new ideas inside the church and outside, how twitter relates to what we do, and a vast variety of subjects.  I would say, once about every two months, Ralph and I get in a heated debate.  If someone would walk into our conversation they would think, “I am not sure if these guys are on the same side.”  

What do I love about it?  Because we are passionate about what we do!  Listen to how you speak about subjects.  Do you get more excited and passionate about certain subjects over others?  If you aren’t disturbed, provoked, angry, stirred up, excited, about anything, then you may be in the wrong position.  The position may be in life,  maybe a job, or in a dating relationship.  

I am thankful for my team–they are talented, have great character, and most of all are passionate about what they do!!!

Some, not all, Christians have guns.  But when the gun is shot, the bullet is thrown as, ‘I can’t believe she would wear that’ or ‘What is that guys problem’ or ‘They will never amount to anything.’  These negatives bullets that are thrown out all the time are the worst.  Christians are stereotyped for being judgmental, and you can decide whether that is true or not, but I know the next time you may feel the trigger on your tongue, choose words of encouragement.

• Imagine rocks! There are so many people willing to get their hands dirty to get this thing done. Thanks to all of them.
• It was a pretty morning when I left the house. Lots of stars out and the temperature was sooooo good. It was like 70ish when I left the house and I loved it.
• Did some different stuff with lights today. Gave the theater a different look. That was fun.
• Philip Reeves sighting at set up! Phil is super cool and I’m glad he showed up! We needed help. 
• No Viking laugh after we loaded up the trailer, a little disappointed.
• Lots of new people today! Loved it.
• My buddy Jonathan was there today. Glad he and his wife had a chance to come to service. Miss that guy.
• Good message today from Kev. I love when he preaches from the heart like that.
• Poor Asher. AJ had a tough couple of days. He’s my buddy and I’m gonna keep praying for him till he’s 100%.
• My little truck is tough! Pulls that trailer every week.
• The fellas are meeting. 7AM Tuesday at the Jims on Blanco and 410 for some Bible and breakfast. See ya there. Yeah I know it’s early but it’s only one day a week! Get your butt out of bed.
• Man that tall truss was a tall truss. Did anybody notice?
• Band rocks my face off every week!
• Is my 90 lb wifey starting to look pregnant or is it just me?
• Movie day in imaginekids. Movie day for big church is coming soon!
• Spouse Store this coming Sunday. You don’t want to miss it. We’re gonna hit some fun relationship stuff.
• Kev wears cool shirts.
• Lots of people out and we still had a full house.
• My new favorite phrase to hear post-service, “Can you help me get set up on Twitter?”
• I want to weigh the trailer.
• Met with my buddy Mike Fernandez this week and he was the inspiration that led to the new light set up. More new things to come.
• Cowboys v. Packers tonight!!! Yeah!
• Brother-in-law (who is also an associate pastor and gets how much work it is) called after to service to check on me. Conversation: “Hey brother, how you feeling?” “What’s up Rich, TIRED!” I’m hurting on Sunday afternoons.
• Family coming to chill with us this week! Yeah!
• They get here in an hour, time to clean the whole house. I love the pressure. 

Recently, I was given the the opportunity to travel for work to San Francisco for CTIA, a large wireless conference. As a self-professed techie (we die a little inside when you call us nerds and geeks), I was beyond thrilled. Like most of you, I love all things Google and have frequently read and seen videos about the wonder that is their campus, which is a short hop from San Francisco in (warmer) Mountain View. I decided that I must go. As a business consultant, I understood the tremendous value of the Relational Web.  In doing so, I started asking around for who might be able to get us into Google, a difficult place to visit, indeed.  After Imagine’s spectacular grand opening, I talked to Vid Luther, a good friend and a core person in my Imagine Relational Web, about the desire to go. He smirked and said he sent out an email. The next day, his friend Eric had responded with an exciting invitation to tour Google!

This tour would have ABSOLUTELY not been possible without my connection to Imagine and Vid. The Relational Web is a living and breathing organism to be cherished, nourished and expanded. Life, as most things, is better done with others. Take a minute to review your web. How much are you feeding it? Growing it? Lean on your people and have them lean on you. Ask for favors and return them. You’ll be stepping out in faith as God commands and he’ll be there to build the bridges underfoot.

Thank you Vid and the rest of my Imagine web for being in my life, it makes it a better place for all of us.

-Nan Palmero

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanpalmero/

Many have fallen into the trap of “overcommitment and under deliver.”  When we say “yes” to anything we have made an agreement to accomplish that task.  Behind the “yes” is a bigger thing though called “trust.”  When we say “yes” and mean “no” or say “yes” and don’t “get it done” we break the trust.  If you continue to break “trust” you will begin to have failed relationships in work and home life.  

Try this, under commit and over deliver.  Promise nothing or give yourself ample time to finish what you said you are going to do….then when you come in with the promise “above and beyond” or “faster” then expected you will create a high sense of trust….

(i was liking those “quotation marks”)

“And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong. Matthew 5:33-37