That would be my caption for the photo below. But I’m in stage 3 of deep v-neck syndrome, would probably score high on the metrosexual worship leader scorecard, and would be lying if I said I didn’t jump on this sale like Jack jumping on a way to get off the island.

Is that too painful, now that Lost is over and we’ve had a full fall without the smoke monster haunting our Thursday nights? Fair enough, but it’s never too soon for a v-neck caption.

So let’s have em’.

How would you caption this photo?

The Bible is full of examples of God giving someone a new name, their true name. After a season of struggle or redemption, God bestows a new identity on someone. Saul becomes Paul. Abram becomes Abraham. Jacob becomes Israel.

My favorite example is a little less obvious though. The name change is not so direct, but it is powerful. And I uncovered it while working on what might someday be a book about the prodigal son.

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Last July we held the first Quitter Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Here’s what a few attendees said:

I’ll look back on the weekend of the Quitter Conference as the time when I finally worked out a concrete plan for some ideas that I’ve had in my head for years. Lee B. Marion, AR

Lots of conferences like to get you all emotionally excited about going out there to “live your dream” but don’t do much to equip you. If you really drill in to what they provide in the Quitter workbook, and start executing on it, there’s no stopping you. Nathan S. Pendleton, IN

The ideas and tools presented gave me a roadmap for how to turn the dream in my heart into a reality. Julie B. Louisville, KY

And that was only a one day experience! For the next Quitter Conference we doubled it to two days. It’s going to be Friday and Saturday, February 10 & 11 in Nashville, TN!

Here are 5 reasons you should sign up today:

1. The first 10 tickets are FREE!
Here’s how we priced the tickets:

First 10 people who sign up pay $0.00
Next 10 are $39.00 per ticket.
Next 10 are $59.00 per ticket
Next 10 are $79.00 per ticket
The rest of the tickets will be $99.00 each.

We doubled the conference days and didn’t raise the price because we want people to be able to afford it!

2. You’re ready to really chase your dream.
The conference isn’t just the “Quitter book live.” The majority of the content is actually brand new, with tips and tools to help you realize your dream. From mastering social media to knowing when it’s time to jump, you’ll walk away with a ton of ideas and actions.

3. You want to figure out what your dream really is.
You get a 44 page Quitter Workbook that helps you hone in on what you’re actually designed to do. It’s only available at the event and walks you through the 6 steps of chasing your dream.

4. You want to plug into a community of other dreamers who can encourage, inspire and challenge you.
At the last Quitter Conference we had more than 180 people from 30 different states. Doctors, lawyers, TV producers, stay at home moms, college students, the crowd was all ages and all stages of life. The only thing they had in common was HOPE & HUSTLE. And it was an amazing room to be a part of and interact with.

5. You’ve said someday “I’ll do ________,” for years.
Someday isn’t coming. Don’t float through 2012 without taking huge steps toward making your dream job a reality.

We’re keeping the conference small so that we can have lots of interaction this year. Tickets are going to sell out. So don’t miss your chance to come.

Sign up for the Quitter Conference today!

Chips & Queso

Cadbury Crème Eggs

Salt & Vinegar Pringles

Banana Pudding

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

Big League Chew (Original)

What’s that collection of unrelated items? I’m glad you asked. That’s my “manna list.” You don’t have one? I’ll pray for you. Every Christian should have a manna list. It’s a list of all the foods you’ve ever called manna, the highest culinary compliment a Christian can give a food item.

Inspired of course by the heavenly treat God rained down on the Israelites, a manna list is nothing to joke about. I didn’t casually create that, unlike some people who bandy about the word “manna” to describe any meal that’s even remotely delicious.

That list is hand crafted. For instance, notice I didn’t say “chips & salsa.” I said “queso,” the melted nectar originally enjoyed in the garden of Eden. (I refuse to believe Adam and Eve didn’t have access to queso. I’m almost positive there was a warm river of it that ran through Eden right next to the Euphrates.)

My only problem is that, right now, my manna list only has six items on it. Clearly, as a Christian, I can only really abide by seven-itemed lists.

What’s one thing you’d add to the “manna list?”

What’s your manna list look like?

Sometimes I like to think I’m pretty modern. Or maybe postmodern, which ever is the hip one right now.

I wear v-necks. I have an iPhone. I use Twitter like it’s my JOB. Occasionally, I’ll even listen to a band who plays old-timey music in a new-timey way, with rolled up jeans and banjos and sneaky accordions, which actually makes it cutting edge music.

But, sometimes, I’m shocked at how old-fashioned I really am at heart.

I was reminded of this recently when a pastor I saw “jump started” a prayer. Not familiar with the phrase? That’s good, because I think I just invented it.

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A few days ago, I wrote a post about being still.

That is the call I keep hearing from God over and over again these days. Be still. Slow down. Stop focusing on things that don’t matter. Stop running around so hard and so fast.

Be still.

And then I saw this video by Blaine Hogan. Blaine is a brilliant artist, actor and author. He recently wrote a new book called Untitled. Check it out if you want to have your idea of creativity thrown for a pretty perfect loop.

A few months ago, at the Global Leadership Summit, Blaine wrote a video about what it means for us to really “be here.” I thought it was amazing.

Take a look at the video and then, if you’re so inclined, answer this question in the comments:

Is it ever hard for you to “be here?”

(It’s guest post Friday! Here’s one from Shelle Lenssen- a wife, mom, and full-time laboratory geek.  She writes a family blog, Lenssen Acres Almana, covering humor, parenting, faith, DIY, home improvement, gardening, hunting, etc.  If you want to write a guest post for SCL, here’s how!) 

The 5 Kinds of Church Nursery Volunteers. – By Shelle Lenssen

As a parent of a loud and energetic two-year old daughter, I am so grateful to have a clean, safe, well-staffed place to take her on Sunday mornings while my husband and I enjoy the church service. (Okay, so I dunno who I’m kidding; we’d appreciate a not-too-scary looking cell supervised by anyone other than the flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz, as long as it meant an hour and a half of toddler-free time.) Since she’s been attending church nursery faithfully her whole life, we’ve gotten to know our friendly nursery volunteers pretty well, and they seem to fall in these five groups:

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I don’t ever say that out loud. I never actually vocalize “I’m smarter than Solomon!” But here is what often runs through my mind when I am faced with a decision:

“I’ve got this. I don’t need to get wise counsel about this. I don’t need to fast or pray or wait a month to really mull over my options. I’ve been patient for long enough. I shouldn’t talk to people who have made similar decisions in the past and get their opinion. I don’t need to consult the Bible to check out what Scripture has to say about this particular crossroads. I’ve got this.”

And then I make a bad decision.

And then I act shocked.

“What? How did that go so poorly? I’m smart. Why did I end up making such a bad decision? That is unbelievable!”

But is it really? Can I honestly acted surprised when I make bad decisions in isolation? What I’m really saying there is:

“Yes, yes I know that the man we often herald as the wisest man who ever lived blew it. Yes, yes I know that the man God himself audibly bestowed with wisdom and knowledge wrecked his life. But I’m different. I’m not going to make those kinds of mistakes. My plan in life is to be just slightly smarter than Solomon.”

Maybe you’re the exception though. Maybe you are smarter than Solomon. And when you saw the title of this post, you knew exactly where I was going. And instead of reading it, you spent time using words like “Qi” in sentences, even though most of us have to cheat at Words with Friends to even know words like that exist.

But if you’re like me and you’re not smarter than Solomon, let’s promise we’ll stop making so many decisions in isolation. As cliché as this word has become, and as much as it makes me think of Crock Pots, let’s be in community. With people who love us enough to challenge the decisions we’re making.

Unless you’re smarter than that. But, again, you probably stopped reading a long time ago and missed that I was about to drop “horjemr” into a sentence like I knew what that word meant.

This summer I got empty.

I wasn’t tired.

I wasn’t drained.

I didn’t melt down or burn out.

I got empty.

And it was awesome.

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The best pen in the world is the Uniball micro vision. That’s not a statement of opinion; that’s a fact. And suggestions contrary to that statement will not be entertained. If you disagree, I’m sorry. You’ve been using an inferior pen for most of your life and are confused.

I use the Uniball micro vision for everything, including my sermon notes at church. Cause it’s the best and I take the best notes. But recently I noticed something disturbing happening.

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