Guy Richards / Ordinary Life with a Brand Strategist

Jesus Christ... a curse word?

To some, His name is merely a word of exasperation.
To others, His name means good man.

But to me, His name means
friend,
brother,
trainer,
teacher,
shoulder to cry on,
protector,
love of my life,
the one who has never lost a battle,
I would never want as an opponent,
my King,
my Lord,
my Savior.

His smile is what I strive for.
His heart is what I want.
His delight is what I desire.

Who is with me?

$30,000... in 18 hours / Eternal Impact

Jon Acuff, a funny but average guy (except he has a blog following of 70,000 – 95,000 per month) has decided to not drum up money to be able to quit his day job at autotrader.com, but leverage his network to build two kindergarten buildings in Vietnam.

The $60,000 project started out as a goal to raise $30,000 by December, to build one kindergarten, but to his surprise the goal was accomplished in 18 hours. So Jon figured he would stretch his network for two.

There are few things that make me more excited than to watch a person use their gifts to make eternal impact.

Here is a link to why Jon’s building two:
http://stuffchristianslike.net/2009/11/lets-build-a-2nd-kindergarten/  

Here is the donation page:
http://www.firstgiving.com/SCL

Here is an article from the Atlanta paper:
http://www.ajc.com/news/blogger-raises-30k-in-193483.html

What I put on David's Rock!

Do you ever wonder what I put on David’s rock to give it such accuracy, such power, such heart that it’s still talked about today?

A simple thing as a rock, to take out the world’s top warrior. Yes, I did it! I used this week boy with a sling and a small smooth stone to magnify who I AM. My untamed power, and I long to do it again.

But I need a humble and contrite heart, a heart that will run back into Starbucks to return a nickel because the cashier gave them too much. A heart that does the speed limit because they love Me. This is the heart I will use to change the course of history.

As My eyes run to and fro, I look, I look fervently with passionate expectation for that heart that I will talk about for all of eternity.

Are you the heart?

Are you the one?

The one that will go against all odds, trust Me in the face of opposition, jump off the cliff when there is no bridge? Come, come… come. Let me use you to rewrite history.

Proverbs 16:3

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

(NIV)

Words That Change Your Life Course

My good friend Chris who has been a great influence in my life sent this verse over the other day. It is powerful.

Imagine if we spoke only positive things that agreed with what God wants for our life and cut out the rest. It will be hard, but I can’t get the picture out of my mind walking into heaven excited because I poured out my life to God as the only opportunity ever given to me to effect peoples eternal destination.

Designers, teachers or street sweepers... lets push together to be used where we are to affect the world for Christ. 

So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say:

(Guess we should be careful of what we are saying)

26 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 27 "How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: 29 In this desert your bodies will fall-every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.....
Numbers 14:28-30 (NIV)

Put a face on those who need Christ

Can you put a face of the person you want to see come to Christ. On the last post I asked you to write the names of the people you wanted to see come to Christ.

Did you do you reach out to them yet?

Without action there is no progression.

Another reality check. The next day after I wrote the “friend overdosed post” my mom called and told me another kid who I occasionally talked to overdosed.

Please move forward with you commitments to see those around you come to know Christ.

Friend overdosed

On Sunday walking into Church I saw a man who said hi and gave the expression like he knew me. I said, hi nodded back and started walking by. About 8 steps later it hit me. This was my friend Andy’s brother. I turned around said “ your Andy’s brother.” He said yes. I was so excited because Andy was a guy I use to hang out with 10-12 years ago. It was a whole group of us. We all liked racing cars. I had a 74 Challenger. The one in the picture. This was before I got saved.

Well, I started asking a lot of questions. How long have you been going to Church? Where is Andy? Then I asked how Mark was. Mark was one of the closest guy’s to me. To set the picture for you. I was the youngest of the group. Mark was about 10 years older then me, about 6ft 5, a black belt in something and always looked out for me. I was the little guy that would cause all the trouble and they would be the ones who backed me. Well this time in my life (about 11th grade) I was doing a lot of drugs, harder drugs. Well, Mark hated this at first then he slowly gave in and we would find our selves on binges hiding from the rest of the group.

So anyway back to the Question, How is mark doing? Andy’s brother said…“You didn’t hear, Mark died about 2 years ago.”  My heart dropped. How!? “He overdosed.”
I felt so bad. One thing I didn’t tell you was why I probably didn’t know. During my twelve grade year I was fighting to get away from this all. I lost my license, sold the Challenger and separated myself from these guys.

I don’t know what the point of me telling you this is other then opening your eyes to what’s out there. This is a rough world and if we get caught up to in our Christian circles we lose touch to the people Satan is killing around us. I say Satan because I was in Marks shoes, I know what that stuff does to you.

For more of a wake up call yesterday I was picking up a plate my wife, daughter and I painted at a pottery place for Valentines day. When I was getting in my car, a girl came running up to my window. She said, “do you know Lauren.” I looked up and two girls were staring at me inside a salon. No, I said. She said it again and said “you tried saving her.” I knew something was up. So then she ran and got Lauren and I knew who she was. She was my girl who use to cut my hair. I would tell her how God changed my life, explain how He could change hers and even took her to a Bible study. Well she accepted Jesus as her savior and was excited to tell me. She has been attending Green Tree Church in EHT, NJ.

Then I asked how is your brother?  I could see it in here face, something was wrong. She told me that he died a year ago. He overdosed on Morphine and Xanax.

Ok, in the last 3 days this has happen. So I make a call to the Church. Comfort people, do the best you can through this day and every day to recognize those people around you who are hurting. You could be the one that has helped someone like me come to know Christ before it was to late.

Write down a name on my comments of who you know is hurting and will make an effort to reach out to.

Jim Elliot & the Killer

From Colorado Springs,

Wow, I just got done watching “End of the spear" at Curtis Risky’s house. It is a documentary about the five missionaries who got killed by the Auca Indians, then later the family members of the murdered men when into the tribe and ended up leading them to Christ.

But the most powerful thing is how God allowed this to take place. Last night I flew into Colorado to work with CBA. When I got off the plane Curtis and his family took me to dinner. As we talked I was telling them how I adapted this quote from Jim Elliot (one of the men who was killed) to shape my life. “I would rather live a full life then a long life.” Well Barb, Curtis’s wife got super excited and enfolded a story of how her family wrote back and forth with Jim’s wife. And how the family members of some of the murdered men and Mincaye one of the murder's of these men who later got saved stayed at her parents house.

This got me super excited and later tonight Curtis was showing me around his house and on his dresser was a picture of Mincaye and a necklace Mincaye gave him made of a pigs tooth and beads. It’s sitting next to me I write this.

It’s crazy to think that this man who took part in killing Jim Elliot and his four friends now has such close impact on my life. This proves true Rom 8:28.

Think about this other quote Jim Elliot wrote “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”

This makes me want to reach beyond my grasp for Christ in my own life, how about you?

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

I just became a column writer for CBA’s magazine Retailers + Resources. They asked me to write it on branding. This is super exciting for me.

For those who don’t know, I started writing a book to help Churches be more relevant in reaching this new generation by using branding techniques. But instead of focusing on sales strategies like businesses do, it will focus on Outreach and Discipleship. This book will be written around our proprietary Ministry Brand Alignment process. You can download the free e-guide from our site.

Anyway, thank you guys who have supported this vision with me. This is just the next millstone in seeing more people come to Christ.

David & Goliath

I have so much to talk about, but time is moving so fast. I got back from Indy late Friday night from the CBA conference. The conference went great. I met a lot of people who have hearts for the Lord. I’ll be telling you more about that this week. But the pressing matter it last nights game. The Patriots and the Giants.

Last night in the fourth quarter I was a little nervous. Then I told my self this has to happen for God to make it a miracle. The patriots just scored and there was about 4 minutes on the clock, a typical David and Goliath story.  I love how God uses the weak things of this world to humble the proud. So after a short return and a couple of completions the giants are faced with a 3rd &11 and the score is 10 / 14. To me this is much more then a game, to tell you the truth I really don’t follow football or care for it that much. What I do care about is watching God do things that defy all odds. This was an example of that. And excuse me that I don’t know this guys name, but number 85 caught this ball with his helmet and one hand. This catch wasn’t pretty, I guess it must of looked like a 16 year old boy walking on to a field with s slingshot. Then Plaxico Burress Finished off with a catch in the end zone, he then kneeled down. After this when he was interviewed he started crying and thanked God.

They don’t show the “kneel” or the “interview” on nfl.com but they did show that funny helmet catch. Either way I want you to remember that you don’t have to attended an ivy league school, have parents who are millionaires or a movie star look. God will use you if you allow Him!