Mark Conner Web/Tech

My Favorite MAC Programs

MAC I have been a PC computer user most of my adult life. I started with a desktop and eventually moving to a laptop then a netbook. I have managed to find my way around a host of Microsoft Windows based software programs. They have been tremendously helpful to all sorts of tasks and aspects of work and personal life. [Click here to read about my current technology]

Of course, our young adult children and heaps of our other friends (mostly the creative types) are into MACs. What is it about PC and MAC users – they don't really like each other and you have to be in one camp OR the other, for some reason. It's a bit like FORD and Holden, AFL and Rugby League, and Collingwood and whoever (after all you can't 'like' Collingwood – you have to 'love' them or 'hate' them; nothing in between seems appropriate). There is no neutral ground.

Well, I have to confess, I am a bit of a two-timer with my computers. The family has an iMAC desktop at home and I use it from time to time … and it really is amazing. Software programs such as iPhoto, Logic (for music) and iMovie are so intuitive and simple to use. In fact, I recently created a photo montage movie for a friend's 21st birthday party and people thought I was the next Spielberg! I even had job offers 🙂

I now have an iPad and our recent new work phone deal offered me an iPhone, so I really am flirting with both sides … PCs and MACs … and enjoying it (much to the disgust of either side). There are so many cool Apps for these gadgets. A few of my favorites are Things (I changed across to Wunderlist in February 2012, which is an excellent free program that works on all platforms), Bento, and the OliveTree Bible Reader. I can also use my Logos 4 Bible program via an iPad App, which enables me to access all of my Bible software and books.

For a more technical article, see the August edition of Australian PC Authority for an article entitled "Is the Best PC a MAC?" Click here for something similar.

 

I wonder if the two will ever meet … PCs and MACs … some day in cyber heaven!?

Mark Conner Travel

Masada

Masada Another place we visited on our tour of Israel earlier this year was Masada. It is a stunning section of isolated rock plateau on the eastern edge of the Judean desert overlooking the Dead Sea.The cliffs on the steepest side are over 400 metres high. However, the top of the site is easily reached today via a cable car (although you can hike up the Snake Path, if you are keen).

According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Herod the Great built a refuge for himself here (between 37-31 BC) in the event of a revolt. After the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, a number of families from a Jewish sect fled here. It became the site of an infamous siege in AD 72 with the Roman governor surrounding the refuge for 2-3 months. During this time, the Romans built a rampart that eventually enabled a battering ram to break through the outer wall of the fortress. 

When they entered the fortress the Romans discovered, to their surprise, that its 960 inhabitants had set all the buildings but the food storerooms ablaze and committed mass suicide rather than face certain capture, defeat, slavery or execution by their enemies. The story of the siege was communicated to Josephus by two women who survived.

The fortress is now a World Heritage Site. In 2007, a museum was opened on location with a theater that tells the story of the siege. It is quite moving and is a motivation for Jewish nationalism still today. 

Slavery or death – what would you choose?

Mark Conner Travel

The Dead Sea

Dead Sea During our tour of Israel earlier this year, we visited the Dead Sea. It is an amazing body of water. It is 67 x 18 kilometres in size at it widest points, and it is over 400 metres below sea level. The reason it is called 'dead' is because there is inflow but no outflow. As a result, there is no life in this sea – no fish and no plants (except bacteria). What an interesting metaphor for our lives. We all need infloJosiah - Dead Seaw – God's life flowing into us day by day – but also need outflow – giving, serving and helping others. When we don't have this balance in our lives, we become stagnant and, as it where, 'dead' on this inside, bringing no life to others.

 

The Dead Sea is comprised of one third salt (maybe a little left over the from the judgment of Sodom nearby back in Abraham's time?).  That's a lot of salt (8.6 times more salty than the average sea). As a result, you can virtually float on the top of the water with little or no effort. What is fun, is to cover yourself with some black mud from the shore area (full of minerals), then soak in the water util it all washes off. it is quite an experience.

 

To the right is a picture of our oldest son, Josiah – with mud all over … about to go for a Dead Sea float!

Mark Conner Trivia

The English Language

English They say the English language is a difficult one to learn and is arguably the largest language by the number of words. I've only ever spoken English – with a little Australian and American accent thrown in at different times. My wife speaks fluent German, her native tongue, as well as Afrikaans, after growing up in South Africa, and a little Zulu (no she doesn't use this on me).

Many English names and phrases don't mean exactly what they first suggest. Here are a few examples I read about recently:

  • 'Baby oil' is not made out of babies and its usefulness is not restricted to babies.
  • The 'cold war' was not a war.
  • 'Political science' is not a science.
  • 'American football' only occasionally uses the foot to contact the ball.
  • A 'boxing ring' is actually square.
  • The purpose of a 'wet suit' is to keep you dry.
  • A 'bulldog' is not a bull and some people think its not much of a dog either 🙂
  • Try explaining 'friendly fire' or 'missionary position' to a person new to the English language!

No wonder we end up with situations such as Chinglish and signs lost in translation! For a few examples of what are commonly called oxymorons, click here. If you are interested in the Oxford English Dictionary, click here to read about a man who read it through word by word in one year – all 21,730 pages!

SO … let's be very patient with our immigrants as they try to learn one of the most difficult languages in the world … English.

Mark Conner Personal Development

Kairos Time

Kairos While speaking about time, it is interesting to note that in the Greek language there are two words for time: chronos, which refers to the ongoing forward movement of time, and kairos, which refers to opportunity, or a favorable time.

Jesus’ brothers wanted to push him into prominence (seeJohn 7:1-8). Jesus knew that there was a right 'time' (Greek kairos) for him and the Father’s purposes. He would not move in the wrong time. Jesus seemed to not always know this in advance but he discerned it as such in the moment when it came. He always waited for the Father to show it to him.

We too need to live in step with the Spirit knowing that there is a kairos moment for everything. Kairos time is a decisive and crucial moment. It can mean danger or opportunity. It is a time for favorable execution. It is a moment of potential advantage. There is a kairos for everything (Ecc.3:10-14). It is a critical situation when a right decision must be made. It is an appointed moment, fixed by God.

The Greeks saw kairos this way: “Know the critical situation in your life, know that it demands a decision, and what decision, train yourself to recognize as such the decisive point in your life, and to act accordingly." [TDNT]

The city of Jerusalem missed its kairos moment (Luke 19:44). [See also Eph.5:16. Col.4:5. Rom.12:11. Mt.26:18. Rom.5:6. Tit.1:3. 1 Tim.2:6; 6:15. Gal.6:9. Acts 1:7. 2 Tim.4:6]

On the day of Pentecost, Peter was able to discern what was happening and interpret it in light of prophetic scripture. He was able to look back and interpret this current moment in light of what had already been spoken by the prophet Joel. We too need to know prophecy (what God has said) and be ready for those kairos moments of fulfilment, when God brings to pass his promises.

What is God doing right now that is a fulfilment of previous declarations? Learn to interpret the times and the seasons … See what God is doing and how his grand narrative is unfolding … Open your eyes and look at what God is doing in the world. Be an interpreter of the times. Help people understand what is going on. Bring meaning to the current situation. Bring clarity out of the confusion. Give a label and explanation to what is going on so people gain understanding. Be a sign and a direction pointer, showing people the way.

May we live each day (chronos time) … tuned to what God is doing and ready to seize each moment and opportunity (kairos time) as it presents itself.

Mark Conner Personal Development

Time Traps

Time There never seems to be enough time nowadays, even though we all have the same amount of it – 24 hours or 1440 minutes each day. The classic book on time management is Alec Mackenzie's The Time Trap published many decades ago. I first read the 1990 edition and found it very helpful at the time. The Fourth Edition (2009) brings us into the world of the internet, email and mobile phones, all culminating in a 'virtual lifestyle.' Having trained over 180,000 managers and sold over 600,000 copies of the book, the author has some insights to helps us.

Today's top five time traps are:

1. Management by Crisis (still number one).

2. Inadequate Planning (formerly in third place).

3. Inability to Say No (has risen from ninth).

4. Poor Communication (a dramatic rise from former seventeenth slot). For example, email often results in message fragments, sent in haste, with little forethought and we're losing our face-to-face communication skills.

5. Poorly Run Meetings (formerly twelfth).

The next tier of time traps start to get more personal and less corporate or systemic. They include (6) a world gone virtual, (7) email mania, (8) the untamed telephone, and (9) incomplete information and the paper chase. Other traps include: (10) confused responsibility and authority, (11), poor delegation and training, (12), procrastination and leaving things unfinished, (13) socializing and dealing with drop-ins, (14) attempting too much.

There are no quick solutions. In reality, we cannot manage time – only ourselves in relation to time. However, by becoming aware of our bad habits and taking steps to replace them with more productive habits, we can begin to use our time more effectively. Bad habits include addiction to trivial distractions and trying to multi-task to save time (something that is ultimately ineffective).

Having a realistic and written plan of tasks and projects for each day and seeking to focus on accomplishing them remains the most effective time management practice, yet few people actually do it consistently. It's ultimately about self-discipline.

P.S. For some more thoughts on time management, click here.

Mark Conner Books, Leadership

Mastering Management

Mastering Management Leading and managing a church, a ministry, a business, or a non-profit organisation is quite a complex task. There is the cause or the mission that needs pursuing. There are the staff and volunteers who need encouraging and inspiring, much like a community. Then there is the corporate or business aspects that need conducting with excellence.

John Pearson has been active in management for over 25 years, serving with the Christian Management Association, the Willow Creek Association, and the Christian Camp and Conference Association. He is now president of a management consulting firm, serving both non-profit and for-profit organisations through workshops and training. John has recently released a book entitled Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Non-Profit. The twenty competencies are grouped around the concepts of Cause, Community, and Corporation. Much of his thinking has been influenced by Peter Drucker, commonly known as the 'father of modern management' and a committed Christian until his passing away at the age of 95 back in 1995.

There is a very practical book with a broad range of ideas and practices relevant to anyone in leadership or management within any type of organisation. I highly recommend it.

P.S. Check out the author's BLOG here, and book web site here.

Mark Conner Books, Church

Ancient Future Church

FW Handbook How did the early church grow from as few as 25,000 people at the end of the first century (100 AD) to as many as 20 million people two hundred years later (310 AD)? Now that's a question worth thinking deeply about. While considering this question we must note that Christianity was an illegal religion during this period (at best they were tolerated, at worst they were persecuted), they didn't have church buildings, they didn't have all of the Scriptures as we know them (the canon was still being formed), they had no professional leadership, they didn't have youth groups, worship bands, seminaries or commentaries, and they made it hard to join the church. 

In his book, The Forgotten Ways, Alan Hirsch proposes that what they did have was what he calls Apostolic Genius – the inbuilt life force and guiding mechanism of God's people – and the living components or elements that make it up (a kind of missional DNA). Hirsch sees six ingredients as follows: Jesus as Lord, disciple-making, missional-incarnational impulse, apostolic environment, organic systems, and communitas (groups with a mission beyond themselves).  

Could it be that the key to the future of the contemporary church is to get back to our ancient roots. Maybe, we need an 'ancient future' approach. We need to look back in order to move forward. After all, God always includes in the beginning of something the seeds of its ongoing effectiveness.

For those serious about seeing the church become all that God intends it to be in our generation, Alan's book is essential reading. In addition, I would highly recommend The Forgotten Ways Handbook, which is a practical guide for implementing the concepts presented in the book. This is an excellent resource for church leaders or ministry teams seeking to become more missional.

Mark Conner Sports

Spain wins the World Cup

Spain Well, it's over! Spain has defeated the Netherlands to win the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament. I must admit, I only got up early once – to watch the Socceroos play Germany. That game wasn't worth my loss of sleep and the resultant German national anthem renditions in my house by my German-born wife became annoying after a while. Thankfully, that stopped a few days ago.

Anyway, congratulations to Spain – you deserved it and hopefully this win will lift the morale of that country … and the economy. By the way, Paul the octopus is either a prophet in disguise or has a divining spirit!

Now back to the superior sports – Aussie Rules and basketball 🙂

Mark Conner Sports

Lebron James to the Miami Heat

Lbj The biggest news in professional basketball is the recent decision of Lebron James to sign with the Miami Heat, along with two of his best friends, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Lebron is without doubt one of the best basketball players currently playing the game, although he has yet to win an NBA championship. Until he does, he can't be compared with a Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers (winner of 5 championships) or to Michael Jordan, former NBA superstar and winner of 6 championships.

James' former team and city, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in mourning. He had carried them to great heights over the last seven seasons, but never brought home a championship. There are various reasons for this, but without doubt, he lacked the caliber of players around him to be a championship team. Not that has hasn't had good teammates – just that they didn't lift their game come finals time, as James usually did.

James has made a decision based on the best potential for him to win championships in the future. He has been criticized severely for his decision, especially by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, though some are coming to his defense, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson (see James' response to Gilbert here and David Stern's response to everyone). In reality, James fulfilled his obligations to the Cavs. His contract had expired. He considered lucrative offers from six teams, including Cleveland. In the end, he went with the place where he has the most potential to win (even with less money on the table). Nothing wrong with that. However, the way he communicated his decision, going on national TV and seemingly not informing the key stakeholders ahead of time, only added to the controversy.

The Miami Heat will now be a potential powerhouse in the NBA, with three all stars on their team. Of course, they need to build other key role players around them if they are to compete and they will now be the target of every other team, who will be out to beat them.

The 2010-2011 NBA season will be one of the best – can't wait!

P.S. I wonder what Gary Ablett Jr will do at the end of this AFL season? Will he stay in Geelong or head north to the Gold Coast for more money and sunnier skies?

Mark Conner Bible

The Book of Acts

ACtsOur church is currently reading through the Book of Acts. This is one of my favorite New Testament books as it tells us the story of the church, as God intended it to be. It was a church birthed by the Spirit, made up of normal everyday people and led by leaders who lived lives of dependence on Jesus for direction and guidance. It was not without challenges, both internally (in the form of sin, false doctrine and division) and externally (in the form of persecution). As we read the narrative, there are so many lessons to learn and principles to glean for being Christ's community in our time and culture. Try to re-imagine what Jesus had in mind for his church.

P.S. Click here for a few of my devotional notes from the Book of Acts.

Mark Conner Current Affairs

New Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Gillard Julia Gillard became the 27th Prime Minister of Australia on June 24th, 2010. This occurred after the resignation of Kevin Rudd. Julia had served as the Deputy Prime Minister in the Rudd Government. She is the first woman Prime Minister in Australia and the first to have never married. She is also a red head – bring on national ranga day! 🙂

Discussion has taken place concerning the ousting of Prime Minister Rudd, but let's not forget that Rudd did a similar thing to Kim Beazley and similar situations have occurred in other parties. Political leadership is not for the faint of heart.

Although brought up as a Baptist, Gillard has recently declared that she is not religious and has no belief in God. Some people believe that this will alienate her from the Christian vote, though not everyone feels this way. At least she has been honest about this matter, without trying to present something she is not, just to get more votes.

Julia has already demonstrated decisive leadership during her short time in office, immediately dealing with the mining tax issue and promising to move forward on the asylum seeker and border protection controversy as soon as possible. She has also confirmed her commitment to protecting the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, a commitment welcome by the Australian Christian Lobby who has done much work on this matter.

Only time will tell what kind of a Prime Minister Julia will become, especially in relation to her and her parties policies and values, and how they will shape her leadership. Whatever your political persuasion may be, let’s be sure to uphold Julia and our government up in prayer at this important time in our journey as a nation (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Mark Conner Current Affairs

Kevin Rudd

Rudd Kevin Rudd was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia. Under his leadership, his party won the November 2007 election against former Prime Minister John Howard. As the new leader, he made major announcements about climate change, education, a national broadband network, and health. He will be remembered for a number of things, including his reading of an apology to the Indigenous Australians for the 'stolen generations.'

Mr Rudd started well, gaining fairly broad rapport with the general population and giving some inspiring speeches. Over time, his popularity declined and he didn't deliver on a number of his promises. Was this due to an inability or lack of discipline to implement change or did he lack internal support for his change agenda? Whatever the case, it became clear that he had lost the support of key factions within his party and on June 24th, 2010 he stepped down as the leader of the Labor Party. He became the first Labor Prime Minister not to complete his first term in office.

I had the privilege of meeting Mr Rudd a number of times in Canberra and he visited our church once before he became the Prime Minister. He always came across as a genuine, likable and sincere person. Behind the scenes, the story seems a little different, as there was a lot of staff turnover under his leadership and claims of occasional anger outbursts. This is concerning, as good leadership requires both competence and character (see blog article by Rob Buckingham on 'Leaders Behaving Badly').

Whatever your opinion of Mr Rudd, being ousted from leadership as he was would be a painful  experience for anyone to have to go through. Mr Rudd deserves our sympathy, our gratitude for his overall service to our nation, and our prayers as he moves forward into his next season of life.

P.S. Click here for some reflections by Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision, on Mr Rudd leadership.

Mark Conner Quotes

Leadership Quotes

Leadership Here are some thought-provoking good leadership quotes:

"Follow me as I follow Christ." [Apostle Paul]

"Good leaders come up with answers but great leaders ask the right questions." [Jim Collins]

"Leadership must be learned and can be learned." [Peter Drucker]

"Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men – the other 999 follow women." [Groucho Marx]

"A leader is a dealer in hope." [Napoleon Bonaparte]

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing right things." [Peter Drucker]

"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it." [Theodore Roosevelt]

"Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility." [St Augustine]

"Leadership is influence." [J.Oswald Sanders]

Continue reading “Leadership Quotes” →

Mark Conner Personal Development

Your Holy Discontent

Discontent There are many things that can fuel us as we do life and ministry. Experiences such as God's salvation, God's grace and God's calling not only transform our lives but also motivate us to life purposeful lives. At other times, we also have seasons of struggle where frustration, discouragement and weariness can seem to take over, depleting our energy and enthusiasm. Let's face it, life and ministry can be tough. Even Jesus told his disciples that he was sending them out as "sheep among wolves." That doesn't sound like a picnic or a leisurely walk in the park!

How should we handle our frustration? In his book, Holy Discontent, Bill Hybels says, "Once that frustration and anger is understood as being your hold discontent – your spiritual connection to the God who is working to fix everything – it's as if an enormous wave of positive energy gets released inside you … This energy causes you to act on the dissatisfaction that's been brewing deep within your soul and compels you to say yes to joining forces with God so that the darkness and depravity around you gets pushed back."

God loves it when we love what he loves and hate what he hates. Holy discontent emerges when a person sees a problem in the world and God sees the same problem; and together they resolve to do something about it.

How can you fuel your life with a holy discontent? Start by asking these three important questions:

1. What can't you stand?

2. What are you passionate about?

3. What draws you towards ministry in the first place?

Once you discover that holy discontent, feed it and let it fuel your life. Partner with others who feel the same – together spread the fire. The world, and you, will be better of for it.