Noodles Through a Goose

I just found out that neither Google nor Yahoo! has a single hit on the phrase "noodles through a goose". Unbelievable! I have used that phrase for years.

"That beer went through me faster than noodles through a goose."

The phrase comes from the practice of Chinese goose farmers. When they want to take their geese to market, they feed a noodle to the first goose, with a string attached. The noodle passes through the goose non-stop. Then they feed the noodle the the next goose...and the next....and the next. After it passes through the final goose, they tie the string to a stick. Then they can lead all of the geese down the road to town without the geese running away.

I think I will add this to the Urban Dictionary.

Neat Manuals

A really good Risk Communication Manual can be found here.

An excellent manual on Crisis Defusion can be found here.

Likewise, a really good manual on Aggression Management Communication can be found here. This manual is written for parole officers and prison guards, but also applies to situations where one party is in authority and the other party is resentful of authority.

The basic steps are:

Set clear goals.

1. Limits and conditions
2. Cooperation
3. Clear Channel of Communication
   

Depersonalize Conflict

1. "It's nothing personal"
2. Depersonalize your authority
3. Depersonalize constraints
4. Depersonalize conflict
   

Personalize Cooperation

1. An internal attitude
2. A message
3. Does not compromise limits and controls
   

Offer Choices

1. Offer choices. The more aggressive they are, the more choices they need
2. Force conscious and deliberate choices
3. Effect of Choices
   - soften coercion and controls
   - implies respect
   - communicates confidence
   - diverts automatic reactions
   - places responsibiliy
4. Presenting Choices:
   -Communicate: “It’s up to you.”
   -Take the threat out of consequences.
   -Convey your readiness to deal with any choice.

Conduct a Thinking Report-An objective report of what goes on in a person’s mind during a specific situation and period of time.

1. Effects of a Thinking Report
   -“objectify” emotional experiences.
   -defuse emotional conflict.
   -present a neutral focus of attention for officer and client.
   -display targets for change: cognitive interventions.
2. Thinking Report Steps
   -A brief description of the situation.
   -A detailed report of thoughts.
   -A brief report of feelings.
   -(the extra step) Identification of any significant patterns
   displayed in the thinking report.
   

Healthy Churches Require Healthy Leaders

The following are my notes from a speech by Dr. James Farmer, given to the Linn County Association of Evangelicals on April 10th, 2008.

Healthy churches require spiritually healthy leaders.

Text: Exodus 17:1-6 God's instructions to Moses concerning his response to the bellyaching Israelites

1. Walk Ahead of the People.
Moses did this reluctantly. It was outside of his comfort zone.
Moses did this with humility. There was no arrogance or Pride.
Pastors must lead by example.

2. Take Some Elders With You. Build Disciples.
Develop, Empower, and release others.
This process is relational. It must be systemic and intentional.
Building superstars is not the goal.
Paul Johanson: Look for the call of God in young people and walk with them.
Build Disciples, Not Decisions
Dr. Paul Leavenworth: focused on a group fo 12-15 young people; impacted a wider group of
30-40 people

3. Take the Staff I Gave You to Strike the Nile
We all have spiritual gifts (God-given, not natural)
There are 3 lists of Grace Gifts in Scripture
This is a calling; a divine appointment
Be authentically genuinely you; You are dead, it is Christ in you.

4. Go! I will Stand Before You.
Step Out in faith.

Star survey reaches 70 sextillion

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Ever wanted to wish upon a star? Well, you have 70,000 million million million to choose from.

That's the total number of stars in the known universe, according to a study by Australian astronomers.

It's also about 10 times as many stars as grains of sand on all the world's beaches and deserts.

The figure -- 7 followed by 22 zeros or, more accurately, 70 sextillion -- was calculated by a team of stargazers based at the Australian National University.

• ten times more than the number of grains of sand on Earth
• eleven times the number of cups of water in all the Earth's oceans
• ten thousand times the number of wheat kernels that have ever been produced on Earth
• one hundred million times more than the number of ants in all the world
• one hundred million times the dollar value of all the market-priced assets in the world
• ten billion times the number of cells in a human being
• one hundred billion times the number of letters in the 14 million books in the Library of Congress

See articles at:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/07/22/stars.survey/
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/star_count_030722.html
http://info.anu.edu.au/ovc/Media/Media_Releases/_2003/_030717StarCount.asp