Steve Jobs’ Insights

Greg Surratt wrote a blog on Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs.  It contains some of the best insights from the book.

1. Apple had a 3rd partner, Ron Wayne, who got cold feet after 11 days. He was paid a buyout of $2,300. Had he stayed, his share would be worth $2.6 billion.  Ouch!  That sounds like some real estate transactions I have made.  My motto is buy high, sell low.

2. Picasso had a saying – “Good artists copy, great artists steal” At Crossroads we have been shameless about stealing great ideas.  We are early adopters more than inventers.

3. In the annals of innovation, new ideas are only part of the equation. Execution is just as important.

4. The empowering force of naïveté – “Because I didn’t know it couldn’t be done, I was enabled to do it. ”

5. The goal was never to beat the competition, or to make a lot of money.  It was to do the greatest thing possible, or even a little greater.

6. Jobs recruiting Pepsi’s Scully – Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?

7. Jobs responding to a question about how he did market research for the Mac – “Did Alexander Graham Bell do any market research before he invented the telephone?”

8. The best & most innovative products don’t always win.

9. A colleague on how he dealt with Jobs abrasive personality “I used to be an angry man myself. I’m a recovering #@&. So I could recognize that in Steve.”

10. What prepared him for the success he would have in Act 3 was not his ouster from Act 1 @ Apple, but his brilliant failures in Act 2.

Proverbs 4:6 (God’s Word Translation) “Do not abandon wisdom, and it will watch over you.  Love wisdom, and it will protect you.”

Glen Schneiders

Creating the Future

Mark Batterson, in his new book on prayer, The Circle Maker, makes an interesting observation about a danger associated with aging. “Neuroimaging has shown that as we age, the center of cognitive gravity tends to shift from the imaginative right brain to the logical left brain.  And this neurological tendency presents a grave spiritual danger.  At some point, most of us stop living out of imagination and start living out of memory.  Instead of creating the future, we start repeating the past.  Instead of living by faith, we live by logic.  Instead of going after our dreams, we stop circling Jericho.”

The date of organizational death is the day we strop dreaming.  The day we stop dreaming is the day we start dying.

Batterson adds, “We lose faith in the God who gave us the big dream and settle for a small dream that we can accomplish without His help.  We go after dreams that don’t require prayer.  And the God who is able to do immeasurably more than all our right brain can imagine is supplanted by a god – lowercase g – who fits within the logical constraints of our left brain.”

It bothers me that I sometimes find myself worrying more about getting hurt than taking a risk.  Our staff played flag football recently and my goal was to survive.  I did score a bruising touchdown over a colleague – she put up quite an effort!  But some of you know what I mean – caution can sometimes suck the life out of adventure.

It is not just physical adventure.  Coasting toward retirement makes work less rewarding.  Churches can find themselves content to rest on the achievement of previous generations.

The older you get, the more faith you should have because you’ve experienced more of God’s faithfulness.

My favorite Old Testament character is Caleb. Caleb was one of two spies that believed God could overcome the powerful enemies in the land of Canaan.  Ten spies succumbed to their fears and failed to see God’s ability to overcome.  As a result Israel spent forty years wandering in a wilderness, when they could have been occupying the Promised Land.  We catch up with Caleb after those forty years.

Caleb should be retired now, right?  Listen to his words in Joshua 14:10-12 (God’s Word Translation) “So now look at me today. I’m 85 years old. I’m still as fit to go to war now as I was when Moses sent me out. Now give me this mountain region which the Lord spoke of that day. You heard that the people of Anak are still there and that they have large, fortified cities. If the Lord is with me, I can force them out, as he promised.”

My hero.  There are mountains to climb, giants to overcome – if the Lord is with me.

Glen Schneiders 

Give Hope

One child has given us hope.  He came to earth as a baby born in the humblest of circumstances.  He grew to man that modeled unconditional love, true servanthood and ultimate sacrifice. Because of that hope, our church has determined to pay it forward this Christmas – to give hope to children.  As I watch the generous response of people, I am reminded that there is something deep within all of us that desires to make a difference in the lives of those with less.

We all need hope.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

When hope is lost, so is the reason to live productively and fully.  Christmas is a reminder that God gave us hope.  The fulfillment of God’s predictions, given hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, gives us hope. The mere chance of a person randomly fulfilling those predictions is beyond mathematical probability.

On a website called Gives Me Hope.Com, I was encouraged by the following.  “Yesterday I was coming home on the subway.  I wasn’t upset, but I was sniffling because I had a cold.  A homeless woman came down and sat next to me.  She asked if I needed help.  No one has ever asked if I needed help.  Even though I didn’t need any, I thanked the woman, and I will never forget her.  Her ability to care gives me hope.”

Another person noted, “Today my school had a fire drill.  I was standing outside with one of the most popular football players, when a girl with Down Syndrome  came up to him and wanted to hold his hand because she was scared.  Happily, he held her hand in front of all his friends back to class.  His soft side gives me hope.”

Victor Hugo in Les Miserables, “The word which God has written on the brow of every man is Hope.”

Live in such a way that someone could say of your example, “He/she gives me hope.”  Remember, the source of lasting hope is Jesus.

Romans 15:12-13  (God’s Word Translation) “Again, Isaiah says, ‘There will be a root from Jesse. (Jesus)
 He will rise to rule the nations,
and he will give the nations hope.’  May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Give Hope this year.  Merry Christmas!

Glen Schneiders

Lessons from the Kiwi

Dave Gibbons in The Monkey and The Fish illustrates how essential it is to adapt to changing times.  He does so with the help of the kiwi – that moist, fuzzy fruit that is originally from New Zealand.  It used to be something that mainly New Zealanders enjoyed.  But by the mid-1980’s, the kiwi had become a worldwide hit.

It had grown to a 2.5 billion dollar industry.  That’s a pretty amazing piece of fruit.  Besides the financial piece, the kiwi was a national symbol for New Zealand.  It helped to fuel a lucrative travel and tourism industry in New Zealand.  New Zealanders even became knows as Kiwis.

New Zealand had become the kiwi capital of the planet.  It was the exclusive kiwi exporter throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s.  But in the 1990’s, kiwi growers began springing up in other nations, and began taking a portion of the kiwi market.  They posed a threat to New Zealand’s economy along with its culture and identity.

What they did next was critical to survival.  They recognized the world had changed.  They didn’t know what strategies to embrace, but they knew they wanted to continue to enjoy the kiwi benefits.  They ended up tapping into some pretty novel horticultural science and technology.  They started some new partnerships and collaborations.  They started doing things differently.

Today you can get kiwis that don’t look like a traditional kiwi or taste like a traditional kiwi.  You can get a variety of kiwi colors, not just green.  You can get different tang and sweetness.  You can get them from new places around the world, because New Zealand farmers and producers had the foresight to grant collaborative licenses to people who otherwise would have become competitors.

The results have been pretty amazing.  The new versions of kiwi have helped return New Zealand to the place of preeminent kiwi producer.

I am fascinated by stories like this of change and innovation.  In many areas of influence, you change or you lose market share.  You lose market share, and you become obsolete.  Complacency can be lethal.

“In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.” -Warren Buffett

Isaiah 43:9 (New International Version) “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”  What is the new thing you ought to be considering?  It is a new day with new opportunities.

Glen Schneiders

Rebuilders and Restorers

I have been very challenged by Dr. Scott C. Todd’s book 58: Fast Living … How the Church Will End Extreme Poverty.  As you can see from Dr. Todd’s title, it is his belief that the church has the resources and growing desire to eliminate extreme poverty in the world.

Water-borne disease is the leading cause of death for children under the age of five.  Every eight seconds a child dies from dirty water.  Yet we can celebrate because that number is far lower than in the past and dropping fast.  According to UNICEF, over 1.8 billion people who were without access to safe water in 1990 how have it.

Measles deaths worldwide fell by 78% between 2000 and 2008.  Child mortality rates have fallen since 1990 in all country-income groups – with the rate of decline generally faster in high-income and middle-income countries than in low-income countries.

Take just one example. Providing clean water to every person on earth is estimated at twenty billion dollars.  To put this in perspective, Americans spent $52.4 billion on Black Friday this year. On a single day, we spent more than two and one half times what it would cost to provide clean water for every person on earth.  This would save five thousand children every day.

American consumers spent $48.35 billion on pets, pet food, suppliers, medicine and vet care in 2010.  $20.2 billion was spent on video and computer games.  $18.8 billion on home entertainment products: DVD’s, Blue-ray discs, movie downloads, etc in 2010.  $7 billion was spent on virtual goods for use in online communities or online games.  $5.9 billion on weight loss products and programs in 2009.

Here’s the good news.  In the last thirty years, extreme poverty has been cut in half.  It has been reduced from 52% to 26%.  That’s a 26% drop with 26% to go.  Do you see why Todd believes we can end extreme poverty?

Gabe Lyons in his book The Next Christians describes the new generation of restorative Christians this way. “The Christian has a calling and responsibility to think, work, and live in terms of how the world ought to be in contrast to reacting to how it really is … They see injustice and fight it.  When confronted with evil they turn it for good.  They are motivated to bring the love of Christ into every broken system they encounter.  Instead of being cynical and hopeless, they bring optimism and expectation.”

Isaiah 58:10,12 (God’s Word Translation) “If you give some of your own food to feed those who are hungry
and to satisfy the needs of those who are humble,
then your light will rise in the dark,
and your darkness will become as bright as the noonday sun…You will be called the Rebuilder of Broken Walls
and the Restorer of Streets Where People Live.”

Glen Schneiders

Make the World a Better Place

Not long ago, the nightly news carried a story of hope.  Every night, Julio Diaz, a thirty-one-year-old social worker, ended his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early so he could eat at his favorite diner.

But one night, when Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and into the deserted station, something unexpected happened.  He was headed toward the stairs when a teenager suddenly appeared and whipped out a knife.

When the assailant demanded Julio’s money, he calmly handed over his wallet.  But as the robber turned away, Diaz called out to him.  “Hey, wait a minute.  You forgot something.  If you’re going to be robbing people the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”

The boy was dumbfounded.  He looked at Diaz with disbelief and asked, “Why are you doing this?”  Diaz told him, “If you are willing to risk your freedom for few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money.”

Diaz told the boy that he was on his way to dinner and said if the boy was hungry, he could join him.  So they went to the diner and sat in a booth together.  Several employees came by to greet Diaz, one of their regular customers, and he kindly introduced the boy to them.

Stunned by the evening’s turn of events, the robber asked Diaz how it was that he knew everyone there and how he was nice to everyone, “Even the dishwasher.”

When the tab came, Diaz told the teen he was going to have to pay the bill, since he had taken his wallet, unless he wanted to give it back, in which case, he’d be happy to pay for the whole thing, his treat.

According to Diaz, the teen “didn’t even think about it” and handed over the wallet.  Besides treating him to dinner, Diaz gave him twenty dollars to help him out.  In return, Diaz asked for the knife, and boy, who had threatened Diaz with the same knife not long before, quickly surrendered it.

Afterward, Diaz said that treating people right, regardless of how they treat you, is the simplest and most promising prescription he knows to bring people hope and to make the world a better place.

Matthew 7:12 (The Message) “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.”

Glen Schneiders

Replace Negativity

Recently our church did a six-week Strong Challenge.  Included with the teaching were Strong Cards that were intended to put the teaching into action.  We were encouraged to do five cards (activities) each week.  Here’s an example. One card was titled “Replace Negativity.”  The card’s instructions stated:  “Don’t say anything negative today.  Don’t criticize, complain or even use sarcasm.  Instead, whenever you’re tempted to say something negative or critical, use that breath to thank God for something good.”

My first reaction to card – this is stupid! Just kidding. But it didn’t take long for me to see how much negativity there is in my world.  And I consider myself a positive person. I carried the card in my shirt pocket as a reminder.  Sarcasm, for a lot of us, has become our favorite form of humor.  And the news – well I saved an hour there.  No need to watch it or read it.  So many conversations have a critical bent to them.  Have you ever been critical behind the wheel of the car?

Do you want to make this Thanksgiving special?  Determine to spend that day with family refusing to complain or criticize.  Replace negativity.  If you have a normal family, this will prove quite challenging.  Be the positive voice.  Focus on good.  Begin, by taking some time Thanksgiving morning to thank God for his goodness to you.  You don’t have to wait until Thursday!  The last part of the card suggested how to replace negativity, “use that breath to thank God for something good.”

Philippians 2:14-16 (God’s Word Translation) “Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be blameless and innocent. You will be God’s children without any faults among people who are crooked and corrupt. You will shine like stars among them in the world as you hold firmly to the word of life.”

The cards also included a tip at the bottom of each card.  Tip: it can be really challenging to kick the negativity habit, so it might help to have a visual reminder – tie a string around your finger, wear a rubber-band bracelet, turn your watch upside down, whatever. 

Philippians 4:8 (God’s Word Translation) “Finally, brothers and sisters, keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable.”

Make it a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Glen Schneiders

November 15 – A Special Day

Twenty-four years ago tomorrow, God saw fit to launch the humble beginnings of Crossroads Christian Church.  I can remember being quite nervous, wondering if anyone would show up at our first services at Shoney’s Inn on Richmond Road.  We had made over 11,000 phone calls to those living within a three-mile radius of our target area.  Over 1100 homes asked for more information about the new church.  On the first day 176 people showed up, about 125 that were not going to church the weekend before.

So this church for people at a crossroads in their faith began.  From day one we hoped to provide new direction for hurting people.  Twenty-four years later we are still committed to that vision.  We see ourselves as a hospital for hurting people more than a sanctuary for the saints.  New people have always been our first consideration.

The benefit of looking beyond ourselves is that we have never gotten selfish with our buildings or our expectations.  Those who have been around the longest are expected to be the lead servants – those willing to make the greatest sacrifices for the sake of new people.  As an example, those who might be charter members in some settings are not singled out.  We appreciate their pioneering spirit and willingness to take risk in those early days, but they don’t expect any special recognition or privileges.

People ask if I expected Crossroads to have the impact that it has had in the lives of so many.  Honestly, I did.  I believed that God was up to something big.  As long as we gave Him the credit and determined to seek his direction, I believed he was going to show up in a big way.

One reason we believed that was God was up to something big was a prayer we prayed from Ephesians 3:20, 21 (New International Version) “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!”   He has done immeasurably more than we could imagine.  He continues to do so!

Twenty-four years later we have never had a major rift or division. We have kept our focus on reaching new people, not coddling the already convinced.

Five years ago tomorrow, God saw fit to give us our first grandchild Crosbie Grace.  Crosbie means “at the crossroads.”  At the crossroads … grace – on November 15!  Little did I realize how much God had to teach me about his love and grace – through my grandchildren.  I am clearly a slow learner!  It was as if her birth helped clarify once again God’s unconditional love for me and every other person in his world.

November 15 will always be a special day.

Glen Schneiders

Dreams

Dave Harvey writes about dreams in his book, Rescuing Ambition. “For decades, I had a condition that kept me from sleeping well.  The technical term was apnea.  My wife called it ‘snoring-like-all-git-out.’

“So I went to the doctor.  ‘I’ll remove your uvula, then you won’t snore.  You’ll sleep better.’  Now, I didn’t even know I had a uvula, but I freaked when he suggested its removal.  There’s something about doctors, scalpels, and stitches in the throat area that make one more content to go without sleep.

“For some reason, though, I let them do it.  They cut out my uvula.  And now I can sleep.”

Then Harvey adds, “But here’s something I didn’t expect.  When I lost my uvula, I found my dreams.   You see, because I never slept well, I never dreamed.  I know experts would say I dreamed and just didn’t know it – but that doesn’t matter because I don’t ever remember dreaming.  Not once.  I was dreamless.   That’s a boring way to spend a night.

“I didn’t even know I’d lost my dreams until I found them – or, rather, they were returned to me.  Actually, they were rescued, airlifted from some cold, lifeless crevice where dreams hibernate until the arrival of deep sleep.  Or something like that.

“All this may sound strange, but it’s true.  My dreams were rescued by a guy with a scalpel.  Go figure.

Harvey concludes, “Lots of people live that way – you know, without dreams.  They move from one day to the next without the refreshing effect of a memorable dream.  I can relate.  My lack of dreaming was never bad enough to disrupt my life, just enough to turn my nights into slow motion and make my days hazy, like a mist fogging my mental windshield.

“But there are dreams we can lose that are much more significant than those I was losing.  Not REM kind of dreams, but the dreams that drive us when we’re awake.  The dreams that cause us to reach beyond ourselves, to see the present and to live for something more.  If you’re having trouble holding on to those types of dreams, that’s a real problem.”

Have you had any dreams lately?  Is life just a routine – with little thought to the future?  When is the last time you envisioned what could be?

“Where there is no vision the people perish.”  Proverbs 29:18 (King James Version)

Glen Schneiders

Steve Jobs

I hesitate to write anything about Steve Jobs because so much has been written. Yet few have had the impact on our culture in the last thirty years as Steve Jobs.  Technology will never be the same thanks to the innovation of Apple and “i-everything” that Jobs helped create.  I am writing this on a MacBook, will review it on my iPad, and it will be forwarded to my iPhone.  It could be recorded and downloaded to my iPod.

When I read about someone posthumously, I am most challenged by his or own words.  What do they have to say to me?  Here is one of Steve Job’s best quotes, posted in The Wall Street Journal.

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’  It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”  And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.  Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.  Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.  You’re already naked.”

How would your life be impacted by the simple questions:

• If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?
• What is truly important?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (The Message) “You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”

Glen Schneiders