I am working on a great big honkin faith filled creativity project with an amazing, fabulous, strong, faith filled group of girls from Saddleback. During each one of our weekly planning meetings, the term "Leadership" has come up and we all agree, it is a term that needs a face lift.
Really, we decided, it needs to be replaced.
"Leadership" is a such a big honkin word and it means that the person who is the..um.. leader, has an important role. Big shoes to fill. Like you need a badge, or a name tag or something. Kinda like a "follow me" because I kinda, maybe know more than you kinda thing...and that is so not what a leader should be doing..kinda. Just my opinion.
I think you know what I mean..I hope.
In this day and age, many look at the..um.."government" and our um..."leaders" and get a look on their face like they had just eaten a lemon. The word "Leadership" has a little too much baggage (sometimes cute leopard print baggage, but none the less, baggage.)...it does not make you feel very positive.
So, because we are working on such an important new ministry and we don't want people to look or feel like they are eating lemons, we have come up with a new word.
A beautiful word, in my opinion..
Influencer
Isn't that tons better? No lemons..nothing tart. Just smooth and lovely..like a dab of butter melting on a hot piece of freshly baked bread.
okay, I need to focus.
Influencer...wow..such a positive, mighty, strong, yet lovely word. I think
A person who has been there, done that and is going to share. A person who is going to be brave. A person that will listen, won't judge, is just the same as you and I, shares life's choices and decisions, uses the good, the bag and the ugly of life as examples and shares the gifts and talents that God has given to influence others...all the time. A person who is going to take a step out in Faith.
Wow, it makes me feel like it is possible that I am worthy of being an "Influencer" (psst...so are you!) We all are, even if we do not realize it. The thing that we need to focus on and remember is that our behavior, our body language, our actions and our lifestyles influence others (good and bad!) ALL THE TIME...and if we would just STOP for a dang second and pay attention to it, we would realize it and make changes, if necessary.
I did...last night.
As I was working away on my project late yesterday afternoon at a table set up in the garage , I found myself SUPER fussy because it was seriously, 100 degrees in there.
I must have saidcomplained 10 times or so that I should go in the house where the a/c was blowing a winters cool breeze, but nope, because I am a "Simply Complicated" girl, I continued to stay in the garage..fussy..sweating and working...when I heard the little voice of one the kids playing out in the street...now in the garage asking "Can I color?"
STOPPED me in my dang tracks.
BRICKWALL..
"Aahhh" moment...whatever you want to call it.
I doodled out his name, spread out the markers and felt the goodness of being an Influencer.
Gone was the 100 degree heat...I felt like my heart had wings. 
Remember that you too are an Influencer and what you are doing may be influencing others, so who are you going to Influence today?
