Check out the video of this exceptional Christmas lights display choreographed to the music of Amazing Grace.

Perhaps the best part is that we can enjoy the beautiful lights and music without having to spend hundreds of hours or thousands of dollars to set it up.’

It can be a struggle to navigate through busyness of the season and maintain an attitude of peace, joy and anticipation. To help with that, I’m referring back to a post I wrote last year

12 Tips to Reduce Stress and Live Intentionally During the Christmas Season

I’m excited to announce that I’m one of 60+ contributors to a new book that’s being released today – Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communications! The book covers all facets of church communications and in my opinion is a must-read for pastors, church communicators, and church web developers. Tim Schraeder did an awesome job leading this project, getting a diverse group of top-notch contributors, and editing the book.

Outspoken is available on Amazon in paperback right now and will be available for Kindle later today.  You can also download part of the book here.

We are giving away 3 copies over on my company’s blog, Christian Web Trends. So, if this is a topic that interests you click on over there and find out how you can get a free copy!

As parents we all want our children to obey us, be respectful, stop whining, and stay out of trouble. But below the surface, there are three different motivations for parenting decisions. These motives lead to three different levels of parenting.

1) Parent-Centered Parenting

The goal of parent-centered parenting is the comfort and convenience of the parent. Parent-centered parents want their children to behave and stay out of trouble, so their children’s behavior doesn’t get in the way of their own interests and reputation.

2) Child-Centered Parenting

The goal of child-centered parenting is the comfort and success of the child. Child-centered parents want their child to do well in school, sports, the arts and stay out of trouble so the child will have a good life.

Child-centered parenting may look like parent-centered parenting at times because child-centered parents also want their children to stay out of trouble, but their motivation is different. Their primary motive is what’s in their children’s best interest rather than self-interest. When their interests conflict with what’s in their children’s best interest, child-centered parents will often sacrifice their own comfort and convenience for the success of their children

3) Others-Centered Parenting

The goal of others-centered parenting is to develop children into a people who makes the world a better place. Others-centered parents develop values in their children like honesty, service, and perseverance.

Others-centered parenting may look like parent-centered parenting at times because others-centered parents also wants their child to stay out of trouble, but again the motive is different – it’s for the impact their behavior has on others rather than its impact on the parent or child.

Others-centered parenting may also look like child-centered parenting at times because others-centered parents want their children to be successful, but once again the motive is different.  They want their children to be successful in ways that benefit those around them. Others-centered parents are not only willing to sacrifice their own comfort and convenience but also their children’s comfort and convenience for the sake of others.

What kind of parent do you want to be?

While it’s not always easy in the short term, I contend that long term others-centered parenting will not only make the world a better place, but make for a richer, happier life for us and our children.

What motives are driving your parenting these days? What kind of parent do you want to be? Can you give an example where you’ve made sacrificed your own interests and the interests of your children for others?

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I wrote about Empire Avenue in a Christian Web Trends blog post today. They require you include that a code like the one above to connect a blog to your account there. So, I’m experimenting with that here.

You can Check out Empire Avenue here.

Have you tried Empire Avenue? If so, what do you think?

In an effort to help Live Intentionally readers reach their dreams and inspire others, I’ve invited you to share your dreams. Every Friday I’ll feature another reader & their dream. Today’s post is by Laura Droege…

I dream of being the good Samaritan.

I’ve been the Pharisee. Six weeks after my second daughter’s birth, I was at Walmart, pushing my cart down the soft drink aisle. A stocker asked how old my baby was. I told him.

“My wife and I had a two-week-old.” Avoiding my eyes, he added softly, “She died a month ago.”

In my sleep-deprived, stressed-out mode, I didn’t comprehend what his words meant: his child would have been my daughter’s age. I looked blankly at him. Then I continued shopping. I have a million excuses, several good reasons, but I still walked by a man in need of comfort. I was a Pharisee.

I’ve been the wounded man by the roadside. Late in my first pregnancy, just days before my diagnosis with bipolar disorder, I sat on a church pew, limp and exhausted. I was desperate for relief from the civil war in my head. I could no longer speak. Every ounce of concentration focused on containing the coup d’etat of my brain chemicals.

Four people walked by my pew. “Hey, how are you?” they asked.

My husband answered, “Not good” or “Well, we’re here.”

Not one of them asked what was wrong or offered to pray for us. I have often felt lonely but never as alone as I did that dark night, feeling my soul bleed and watching the world cross the road without so much as an offer of a bandage. I was the neighbor.

Yet I dream of being the Samaritan, someone who sees another person in need, whose heart burns with compassion, and who cannot ignore the oozing, pus-filled wounds of another’s heart. I never want to be the one who knew and did nothing.

But I can’t personally know everyone in the world. That’s one reason I dream of publishing my novel: I won’t meet each of my readers but I can influence them through my words.

There’s a reason Jesus told stories. We put ourselves in a story and often learn more about ourselves than we would through an essay or sermon. That’s why I write fiction, so my readers can see where they fit: are they the desperate girl on the brink of suicide? The friend who loves her? The former friends convinced of their own superiority and righteousness?

My dream is for the readers to find themselves in my stories and be changed by what these fictional selves mirror back to them—the righteous jolted from their pride, the desperate given hope that someone does care, the blind eyes opened to see their neighbor in need. And ultimately, I want all to be pointed to a grace-filled God whose dreams for our lives are far bigger than the ones we create for ourselves.

As I pursue this dream, would you be willing to help me? Here’s some practical ways: I blog once a week at lauradroege.wordpress.com, and you can follow it by email, RSS feed or Google reader. I welcome (encourage!) all comments. (It helps to know that someone is actually reading!)

I’m active on Facebook (you can “friend me” at Laura Bradshaw Droege, or “like” me at Laura Droege); you’ll receive notification when I post new blogs. I also welcome new Twitter followers http://twitter.com/#!/lauradroege) and I’ll follow you back!

If you’re involved in media of any type–magazines, newspapers, radio, television, or personally know someone who is–you can support me by publicizing my book when it is released. Articles or interviews are great for book sales, and publishers love to know when a writer can market her novel. Let me know so I can include this in my book proposal marketing information. That’s a big thing.

If you have contacts within publishing, I’d love to know about them. Contact me at laura_droege@bellsouth.net or through my blog. That’s a big thing, too.

The biggest thing is prayer: prayer for my future agent, editor, publisher, and for me. It’s an uphill battle to publish a book about suicide and mental illness, and to have a novel with overtly Christian themes published outside the Christian market, and I need wisdom in knowing where to submit queries and proposals.

I know my dream is possible with God’s help and yours. Thank you, reader, for listening.

I experimented with my first servebration earlier this year when I passed 5k followers earlier this year and had a blast helping people, so want to do it again today…

Yesterday, I surpassed 10,000 Twitter followers. Woohoo! A huge, heart-felt “Thank you” to all of you! I have really enjoyed the encouragement, discussion, learning, and fun I’ve experienced engaging with you on Twitter.

I don’t think the number of the number of Twitter followers is really all that important. But 10,000 is a nice, round, shiny milestone. And I’m always looking for a reason to celebrate.

I could giveaway an iPod, an iPad, or some other gadget, ask you to comment & retweet, blah, blah, blah. But that’s been done a thousand times. Bor-ing.

I’d like to celebrate this milestone by doing something completely unconventional. Something in line with true spirit Twitter.

Twitter is all about building relationships, right? It’s about adding value to those who follow you. It’s about giving and serving others.

So, I’m going to celebrate this milestone by giving away myself.

Throughout the entire day I want to serve you by giving you my time, my energy, my knowledge, and anything else you can think of. So…

• How can I serve you today?
• What question can I answer for you?
• What favor can I do for you?
• What can I give to you?
• What can I do to make this day better or brighter for you?

Post a comment and let me know. I will try my best to respond to every request posted. If you think it’s too big an ask, try me and find out.

If the request is too personal to post publicly, you can DM me.

I would love for you to retweet this post and help get the word out, but you don’t have to. This is my gift to you and it wouldn’t be a gift if I required something from you in return.

I would love nothing more than to celebrate 10,000 Twitter followers by doing 50 acts of kindness today for people like you.

Last week I posted a series of tweets from @ShaunKing whose contacts in Haiti were bucking conventional wisdom and saying:

“What is missing in Haiti -passionate, hard-working, unskilled, loving, non-experts. They are in SHORT SUPPLY.”

Here’s a great story NBC Nightly News aired about a man who went to Haiti and as passionate, hard-working, unskilled, loving, non-expert made a difference.

I don’t know about you, but for me many New Year’s Eve parties have included this sequence of events…

• Count down while watching the ball drop in Time Square… 3… 2… 1…
• Start hugging and clanking glasses with the friends and family around me.
• Sing “Should old acquaintance be forgot, blah blah blah blah,,blah blah. Should old acquaintance be forgot, blah blah blah old lang syne.”
• Wonder aloud… Does anyone know anything beyond the first 2 lines of the song?  What does old lang syne mean?  And why would someone want to forget old acquaintances anyway?

Sound familiar?

Well, this year you can be the most interesting person at the New Years party by having the answers to those questions.  (See, living intentionally can even help you party better!)

Facts about Auld Lang Syne

“Auld Lang Syne” is a Scottish poem believed to be written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song.

The song’s Scots title may be translated into English literally as “old long since”, or more idiomatically, “long long ago” or “days gone by”.  The phrase is used in the retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language and is the equivalent to “Once upon a time”

Auld Lang Syne – English Translation

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Auld Lang Syne is a song about raising a glass to old friends and old times.

Memorize this and tonight people will think you’re… (begin Spanish accent) the most interesting man (or woman) in the world.  (Roll the Dos Equis commercial)

For more info see the wikipedia article on Auld Lang Syne, which is where I got all the above info.

An even better idea…

Knowing the lyrics and origins of Auld Lang Syne may get you 5-10 minutes of fun and attention at a New Year’s Eve party, but if you really want to be a truly engaging party guest or host, let me offer five better suggestions.

1. Be an initiator.  Don’t wait for others to come up to you.  Go over to people and start conversations.
2. Smile and make eye contact.
3. Within the first 30 seconds of every conversation say something complimentary or encouraging to the other person.
4. Ask the other person about himself or herself.
5. Listen.  Really listen.  Think about what the other person is saying rather than about what you’re going to say next.  Ask clarifying questions.  Imagine what you would feel like if you were in their situation.

[image by rj3]

Thanks to my bro, Mark, for giving me the heads up…  Lots of places are giving away free food and drinks to anyone who votes on this election day.  So, do your civic duty and then get jacked up on all the free coffee, donuts, chicken, and more.

Free food and drinks for voters!

(An updated version of this post was posted in 2010)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

For most people St. Patrick’s Day if celebrated at all is simply the next holiday to decorate for after Valentine’s Day, or an excuse to break out the green clothing and drink some green beer.  All in good fun I suppose.

I’ve had a few green beers myself over the years.  Since I went to college at Valparaiso (Indiana), I had the opportunity to go to a couple St. Patrick’s Day parades in Chicago where they dye the Chicago River green. 

But do you know who the real Saint Patrick was?

If not, here’s your chance to learn something new today.  Take a few minutes to read about him.  He was a pretty interesting guy and an important person in Irish history.  And at the very least give you a good conversation starter when you’re admiring co-workers’ St. Patrick’s Day buttons.

• Saint Patrick - history.com
• Saint Patrick – wikipedia.com
• Saint Patrick – JoyfulHeart.com