This week kicked off the series Family Guy and for those of you who could not make it, I wanted to recap for you what we discussed.

Families are just like organizations; and all organizations have problems with unity, retention, motivation, and success.  So the Gallop Organization commissioned a study of 10 Million people to develop the characteristics of a successful organization and after years of research they boiled it down to the top 12.

The following 12 characteristics are the core principals of the most successful businesses on earth; and its these same principals that will help us engage with our families, the team that we live with every day.

12 Keys of Engaged Team Members
1.    I know what is expected of me on the team.
2.    I have everything I need to do my job right.
3.    I have the opportunity on the team to do what I do best, every day.
4.    In the past seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing my job right.
5.    My coach or someone in team leadership seems to care about me as a person.
6.    There is someone on the team who encourages my development.
7.    On the team, my opinions seem to count.
8.    The mission/purpose of my team makes me feel my part is important.
9.    My team mates are committed to doing things well (the right things).
10. I have a best friend on the team.
11. In the past six months, one of my coaches has talked to me about my progress.
12. This past year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow.
© The Gallop Organization

These 12 key characteristics do not come about without an agreement on basic values.  It’s here that we develop the template of our family dynamics, by having basic values by which we live by.  And this is where God has already laid the foundation.

The Job of a Committed Husband and Father
Deuteronomy 6:
3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

The bible gives us instruction on life, and encourages us with 6 basic values that build our character, and gives us insight into the character of God; of whom we were created by in his very likeness.

These 6 Foundational Values are Courage, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Empathy, Self-less
C-I-R-R-E-S

Courage   Joshua1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Integrity    James 5:12
“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath ; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. “
Respect   Philippians2:3-4
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Responsibility    Galatians6:3-5
“ For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he
deceives himself.    But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.    For each one will bear his own load. “
Empathy    Ephesians4:32
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.“
Self-less   Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The task at hand is to know understand how that value plays out in our homes.

What does a value look like in action?

Take a few hours this week with your wife and review the 6 basic values and put together a list of up to 5 characteristics that explain the value in the following 4 circumstances.

1. When the family      is together as a unit; Responsibility looks like…(knowing       your role, pulling your weight, etc)
2. When individual      members of the family interact with each other; Empathy looks      like…(Being supportive, etc..)
3. When the family      interacts with others, Self-less-ness looks like…(Serving others      at the table first, etc…)
4. When no one is      looking; Integrity looks like…(Doing the right things always…)

Do you get the picture?  Putting values in to actions makes our children and ourselves see what that would do to transform the way the family functions.  Its more than just words; its actual action.  And actions bring results, words on a wall do not.

I encourage you, take that action this week, and join us next as we continue this informative and enlightening series!

See you next week.  Please forward this to the person you invited and ask them to join our email list below.

Invest, and Invite.

Pat

Men of Fuel,

Starting this week, Executive Coach and entrepreneur Walt Tomme will lead a 6 week summer series, entitled, “Family Guy” and will teach the strategic steps we can implement to better lead, engage, and relate with the most precious gifts that God has given us: our wives, children, and our families.

Leading a family starts with a solid foundation: one that has established clear values, and is mission focused.

Come join us a Walt leads us in a proactive and dynamic discussion that will challenge us to put fundamental principles of leadership at work in our homes.

This summer, all of us have a unique opportunity to put our families in the position to make a difference in a world that is filled with people desperately seeking for answers to the issues we face in life.

Invite a friend, come pick up a workbook, and challenge yourself to take the 6 week course to changing your family and reshaping and reframing the dynamics in your home.

We will meet at Hidden Creek Country club and start sharply at 7AM…yes my friends, we are starting a half-hour LATER all summer…if not longer!!!

Same Fuel place, New Fuel Time. Same great coffee, and same life changing conversations.  Hope you can join us.

See you Wednesday morning starting 7AM sharp!  Doors open earlier so come by before and grab some coffee if you desire…

Invest an Invite,

Pat

Men of Fuel,

This week marks the celebratory end of our second year at Hidden Creek Country Club. In keeping with tradition we will host our annual end of the year breakfast bonanza but this year will invoke an extended version of this feast.

We bring to you the Big Bacon Breakfast Buffet Bonanza, or for short B5.

This is not your former breakfast burrito bonanza, this is better.

Please come and hear your fellow Fuelers share what impact this year’s discussions have made on their lives and the lives of those around them.

Come listen, and learn.  Come share so others can hear how God has worked in your life–to give others hope that God can do the same in theirs.

As David invited the lame Meshibosheth to dine with the King, so we invite you to come join us and eat breakfast with God’s own royal family. But this time, you’re only lame if you don’t show up.

We’ll have a big buffet with bacon, eggs, hash browns, bagels and bacon.

We will also discuss our summer plans…

Invest and invite,

Pat

Men of Fuel,

Over the past year we have learned valuable lessons on how to live life better as men—by reviewing the biblically-based truths of how to become better husbands, better fathers, better friends…and now the question is, how do we engage our most prized responsibility and gift God has given us?

How do we take what we have learned about God’s promise of wanting something MORE for us, and applying that into our families Where do we start?

Well, we start this Wednesday morning, at Fuel  for the premier introduction of our Summer Series, “Engaging Our Families” which will be taught for three weeks in June and three more in July by executive coach, entrepreneur, and President of Paradigm Leadership Solutions, Walt Tomme.

Men, this is FREE executive-level life training that would normally cost you hundreds of dollars, yet could save you your family…for only the cost of waking up a little bit earlier on Wednesday mornings.  That’s a pretty compelling ROI.

For the past thirty years Walt has coached a broad spectrum of clients that range from political leaders to business executives, entrepreneurs, and technology and professional service professionals. His influence and impact on the business and thought leaders inside and outside the beltway is very impressive.  He’s one of the most connected people you will ever meet in the greater DC area.  Yet, he also contributes locally, after serving as a Youth Football Coach in the Chantilly Youth Association for over 14 years he became the Leadership Coach at Oakton High School for six seasons.  During that time Oakton had the highest percentage of wins in regional play in the Northern Region, won one State Championship in 2005 and narrowly lost in the State Semi-Finals in 2008.  This past year he was invited to join the football program at Centreville High School and was part of the effort that took them to the State Championship Game.  He is presently working with the Centreville Baseball Team as they make their way into post season play.  This next year Walt will be training a group of Character Coaches for the Northern Virginia Region of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  He is the husband of Deborah for 39 years this month, the Father of Erin (a missionary in Guatemala) Matt (an Account Manager for a software consulting firm and a Young Life Volunteer) and Sara (a sales professional and a former staff member and leader with Young Life).  Walt  is also the proud grandfather to Kayla, Hunter and Savannah Tomme.

Let me put this in the perspective of a one-kneed former athlete:

Life isn’t really a game, but in order to be enjoyed, its been designed to be played well, to be played smart, according to the rules of engagement.  Having a Bible, is one thing—because we need to study and learn the playbook. But we need to become men of action, to put that knowledge to use.  And while God is our head coach, he gives us an assistant coaching staff that HE works through to develop us for each season of life and to put His plan for us into action.  That’s what this is all about—personal development for us to be able to step into and better see God’s plan for our lives, and our families.

I encourage you to join us this Wednesday and to invite a friend or two to take advantage of this opportunity to experience a level of training and mentoring that’s traditionally reserved for Congressmen and their staff or board-room level executives.

See you Wednesday, and eager to get engaged…

Invest and Invite,

Pat

Men of Fuel

 

Where has the time gone?  I still find it hard to believe that we are about to enter into the last series of our second year.  With all that we have covered this year we thought it was essential that  we spend a couple of weeks looking at what we should do with all of the information we have gathered this year. 

 

We have tried to do this during the year, with the first week of each series looking at the “What” or what God has to say through the bible about the topic we are discussing.  With that established, the second part of each series has looked at the “So What”, or why is what God has to say about the topic we are discussing relevant to my life today.  With the ‘What” and “So what” covered we moved to the “Now What”, or the “Now” that I know what God says about a topic, and “Now” that I see how it is relevant to my life, then what should I do with that information NOW.

 

With only the “WHAT” we would be knowledgeable about the bible.  Add the “So what”, and at least we would know why God said what He said, and would begin to see how His Word was relevant in our lives today.  Unfortunately those two by themselves have a tendency to become selfish pursuits, of how much I know and what impact it has on me. Perhaps that is why 95% of all Church activities are geared toward “insiders”.  It isn’t until we understand the “Now What”, that we become doers of the word, and not just hearers of the Word.  Think about it, if Jesus was looking for people with only knowledge, He would have picked the Pharisees as his disciples.

 

Come on out this Wednesday as we start our final series of the year: “Now What”.  We will spend two weeks looking at putting some action behind all that we have covered this year.

 

Invest and Invite