National Anthem Day, Not a Big Deal?

In honor of National Anthem Day, March 3rd, I invite you to travel back with me to a day long ago; it must have been in 1980.

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, perfect for SEC football, Larry parked our borrowed car, and we gazed about. For a moment in time, we found ourselves back on campus at Mississippi State University. Already serving Christ as missionaries in a clandestine assignment behind the Iron Curtain, this pause seemed surreal.

With the birth of our third child just around the corner, my pregnant body slowly climbed the concrete ramp into the stadium as we moved toward our seats. The generosity of the MSU athletic department made this opportunity possible; every detail held significance.

Once in place, we sighed and savored the moment. In front of us towered the chapel where we first met. Only a short distance beyond stood the monument where we shared our first kiss. And just over the ridge behind us rested the bed of daylilies where, on his knees pulling weeds, Larry first experienced a vision of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union being set aflame with the Gospel. Indeed, this unique piece of academic geography would forever hold a beloved place in our hearts.

Still dazzled by the surroundings of our rich personal history, Larry and I rose on command with the other thousands when we heard the announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for our national anthem.” My husband removed his cap, and we respectfully placed our hands over our hearts. Then, our eyes turned to gaze upon Old Glory as she waved in the gentle autumn breeze. Solemnly, we listened with appreciation as, line by line, the selected celebrity brought incredible talent to the strains of our nation’s national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

Say, can you see

By the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed

At the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars

Through the perilous fight

O'er the ramparts we watched,

Were so gallantly, yeah, streaming?

And the rockets' red glare

The bombs bursting in air

Gave proof through the night

That our flag was still there

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave —

But as the last words,

O'er the land of the free

reverberated in the air with crystal-clear magnificence, something totally unexpected occurred. A moment transpired that marked us forever. Looking over at Larry and reaching for his hand, I realized that he and I stood alone in a world all by ourselves.

With tears pouring down our cheeks, we wept. Way beyond the musical grandeur, we wept over the significance of our freedom.

The land of the free . . . and the home … of . . . the . . . brave.

As never before in our naïve American lives, my beloved and I sang (and felt) our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, differently. It took an assignment behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland to grip us with the priceless value of our heritage as free citizens of the United States of America. Yet, on a football Saturday afternoon lost in a crowd of fanatical fans, a lesson in patriotism changed our lives in a riveting way we will never forget and from which I hope we never recover.

Oh, yes; for these two, our national anthem is a very big deal.

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

What do you think about when you join a crowd and sing our national anthem?

When is the last time you genuinely thanked God for your freedom?

How can you bring meaning to the upcoming holiday, National Anthem Day?

12 Great Questions Leaders Ask Other Leaders

Guest Post -by Bob Tiede

Click HERE to listen to 12 Great Questions Leaders Ask Other Leaders, Chapter 26 from the book Now That’s a Great Question.

When you connect with other leaders, what do you ask them?

Have you ever had the opportunity to spend time with another leader that you would love to learn from, and felt tongue-tied? These opportunities can happen spontaneously, like during a refreshment break at a conference, or finding yourself seated next to a leader on an airplane.

Or maybe you are scheduled for a one-on-one breakfast/lunch/coffee time. Perhaps you have had the opportunity to hear a great leader speak who then opened it up to Q & A and you didn’t know what to ask. (Did you know that every speaker I know is always very grateful for the person who instantly raises their hand to ask the first question?)

Here are my “Baker’s Dozen”:

You might want to start by asking, “May I ask you a question?” (I have never had anyone say, “No.”) You might also preface your question with, “I’m curious”, then ask one of the questions below:

1. What are your favorite questions to ask those you lead?

2. How did you get your start?

3. What is your “Secret Sauce”? i.e. what are the 3–5 leadership principles that you have discovered and executed that have contributed to your success?

4. What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment?

5. Who opened doors for you?

6. What role does God play in your life & leadership?

7. What has been your greatest failure? And what did you learn from it?

8. Can you please talk to me about execution? What do you do to ensure that your strategic plans actually become reality?

9. What do you do to keep your family Priority #1?

10. What do you do to take care of your staff?

11. What are the keys to developing the next generation of leaders in your world?

12. How do you continually deepen your personal relationships with your clients/customers/staff/peers/ leaders?

13. What questions are you asking yourself lately?

If their answer to any question leaves you wanting to know more, go ahead and ask:

“Can you please tell me more about that?”

And, of course, you will want to thank them for their answers and time.

Head’s Up! Don’t be surprised if, after they answer your question, they return the favor by asking you the very same question(s).

If you are asking your questions in a meeting or over a meal, be mindful of the clock. But also be aware that many times they will enjoy the interaction so much, they will extend the time.

Benefits:

• You will gain valuable insights.

• The leader you are interacting with will appreciate how your thoughtful questions actually provided an opportunity for them to explore more deeply their own thoughts.

• You will almost always come away with a new friend or will have deepened your relationship with an old friend.

• You will no longer feel tongue-tied!

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

Which question do you find most intriguing from Bob’s list above?

When do you imagine yourself using this question in the near future?

What question would you suggest Bob add to this group of questions he listed?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Tiede has been on the staff of Cru for 48 years. He currently serves on the U.S. Leadership Development Team and is passionate about seeing leaders grow and multiply their effectiveness. Bob's blog, LeadingWithQuestions.com is followed by leaders in over 190 countries. Bob and his wife, Sherry, live in Plano, TX, and are blessed with 4 incredible children and 6 remarkable grandchildren. You can reach Bob at bob.tiede@cru.org. 

Listen Up! What Do You Hear?

Driving down the curvy road with the river to my left and the embankment to my right, I should have paid better attention to my driving. But my mind went elsewhere. As the audio Bible played, the Holy Spirit accentuated the word Listen.

Upon further consideration, it becomes obvious that I listen to:

the radio

the news

the sports announcer

my Google speaker

my pastor, my friends, my audiobooks, my mother

messages left on my iPhone

the rain, the thunder, the sirens

the teakettle

the approach of Amazon

music, podcasts

Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen.

But, the question surfaces: Do I LISTEN to Jesus?

Here is what the Bible says in Luke 10: 38-39.

“As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman maned Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” (Emphasis mine) She sat at His feet and listened. She listened to That Beautiful Voice.

Considering this familiar word, two observations emerge:

1. Listening involves hearing.

A particular scenario comes to mind. I walked out of an intense situation feeling differently from the other participants in the discussion; by their assessment, the experience was marvelous. Sitting alone in my car, I asked myself, “If it was so good, why do I still feel so crummy?”

Then it hit me: I felt listened to, but I did not feel heard.

Ponder the correlation between the two. Listening takes in information. Hearing, on the other hand, takes in information and then takes action. Takes in information . . . Takes action. Again, we turn to Scripture for clarity.

“Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!” (Luke 9:35 Amp, emphasis mine).

2. Listening involves the heart.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words” (Matthew 11:15 Amp). In reality, we listen with our ears, but we hear with our hearts. So, rather than being like the teenager riding on the subway in the city (or sitting on the couch in our home) let us take the air pods out of our ears and listen—really listen—to Jesus; listen to His Word, listen to His Spirit, listen to His people. Listen to the disenfranchised, the marginalized; listen to the forgotten, the hopeless, the helpless, the homeless. Listen to hear—not everyone, but someone; not everywhere, but somewhere. Listen with hearts engaged to learn, to respond, to repent, to grow, to change, to engage, to stop, to contribute, to care, to pray. Listen to become more like Him and less like ourselves.

What are you listening to today? What are you hearing?

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

Do you recall a recent conversation where you felt listened to but not heard?

On the other hand, do you recall a recent conversation where you felt both listened to and heard?

What made the difference?

Where do you find yourself listening to Jesus but not genuinely hearing? How do you want to respond differently?

Prayer: Oh Lord, give us ears that listen and hearts that hear!

What thoughts do you have to share in the discussion?