My 5 Canadian American Non-stereotypical Differences (Cont.)

4. Bathroom signs regularly have the guys and/or girls legs split apart vs. together.
…

5. Canada’s paid maternity leave can be up to 52 weeks vs. USA’s can be as low as 0 weeks (don't quote me but that's what I'm told). 

Other NOTEABLES:

6. You separate the blue (non-perishables) and green bag (organic perishables) for the weekly trash vs. having all that go into one bag in the US usually…
 

7. The Canadian Corn Pops are more like the US's Cocoa Puffs without Cocoa.

8. Tim Horton’s in Canada functions much like Starbuck’s being a USA third space between work/home in the US and is a local default that's located everywhere, much like McDonald's in the US (although all three choices are present here).


Read first part of "My 5 Canadian American Nonstereotypical Differences" Here

Top 10 Reasons I Love Living Near a University

1. A guy flies by on a long board my first step out of the door in the morning.
2.  People randomly trying to coerce me into a game of ping pong throughout the day.
3.  I daily bump into people I enjoy without it being in the daily agenda.
4.  People ask me questions about the most random subjects as though I'm a genius in all areas of life.
5. Late night food runs.
6. You walk around more.
7. There’s always voices & laughter echoing around campus throughout the night.
8. Talking to brilliant people who make you feel more intelligent simply by listening to them and being able to say you know them.
9. Chocolate milk & cereal available for all meals of the day…
10. There’s always someone around who can play the guitar.

Offical Release: The Hard Twenty Somethings: Not Alone In The Unknown

It’s Official!  My first book, "The Hard Twenty Somethings: Not Alone In The Unknown,"
is live and available through Tate Publishing and Amazon! (hard copy, ebook, audio book, the works!) 
Tate: http://goo.gl/GsTIFg (you might receive it a little quicker)
Amazon: http://goo.gl/PsL0gn
There’s even a 15 sec book trailer below!

"The Hard Twenty Somethings" discusses what we can do as young adults when the unexpected hard times hit and you're feeling alone in your situation.  The transitions in our twenties before we settle down more permanently are difficult and emotional.  They're hard.  Let's talk about it.

I have so appreciated all of your support, feedback, and Amazon reviews so far.  I really believe that the vision for young adults to read this book and turn and run harder towards God is already beginning to come true.  Thanks for sharing this journey with me.
O. Brent Dongell

I Didn’t Choose To Lead. It Chose Me. And Therefore I Choose To Lead.

I always had a certain amount of influence growing up, but I never fought for it or necessarily desired it.  Circumstances just made it happen. 

At the same time, as I read and took the Bible very seriously to heart, it talked of living in a way that you “Do not withhold good from those to who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”[1] And “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”[2] And “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”[3] And “Telling the Good News does not give me any reason for bragging. Telling the Good News is my duty—something I must do. And how terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the Good News. ¹⁷ If I preach because it is my own choice, I have a reward. But if I preach and it is not my choice to do so, I am only doing the duty that was given to me.”[4] 

…I couldn’t help but help people. 

I have been given too much.  There is too much I can give, I must give, rather than stay still or self-centered.  It’s not right.  This is how I became a leader. 

Up until this point, I have been a leader by default, not by choice.  I made a choice to make a difference, not an active choice to lead people.  Leading was the product (and a product I’ve hesitantly feared for different reasons).  I chose to not be still and make a difference for God and somehow this has translated into me coming alongside of friends and people who have the same heart.

Only in the last couple of years have I been coming to acknowledge, accept, and own this leadership personally.  I don’t want to go through life being “a leader by default”.  I don’t want to be an apologetic or begrudging leader of false humility.  I want to own who God has created me to be…  A Servant leaders’ leader.

This whole blog came from my reflection as I just finished reading the excerpt below on the choice of leadership in Seth Godin’s book called Tribes: 

Every tribe is different.  Every leader is different.  The very nature of leadership is that you’re not doing what’s been done before.  If you were, you’d be following, not leading.

All I can hope for is that you’ll make a choice. Every leader I’ve ever met has made the choice, and they’ve been glad they did… 

Once your choose to lead, you’ll be under huge pressure to reconsider your choice; to compromise, to dumb it down, or to give up.  Of course you will.  That’s the world’s job: to get you to be quiet and follow.  The status quo is the status quo for a reason. 

But once you choose to lead, you’ll also discover that it’s not so difficult.  That the options available to you seem really clear, and that yes, in fact, you get from here to there.

Go.”[5]

So really, the title of this blog should read,

I Didn’t Choose To Lead.  God Chose Me.  And Therefore I Choose To Lead.

           

Thank you God for the life, opportunities, strength, and calling that you have given to me to make a difference for You and all that is good.

---

[1] Prov 3:27

[2] Matt 28:19

[3] Eph 4:29

[4] 1 Cor 9:17 NCV

[5] p. 146-147