First off, let me apologize for completely disappearing for the last week or so. It was never my intention to be away so long. But man, Catalyst came with a big ‘ol bang and stole every ounce of my energy. Okay, that’s enough of that…

Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia, for the Catalyst Conference. It was a complete whirlwind that stirred a lot of things, good and bad, inside of me. Candidly, I am still recovering and processing (if you’ve been around here before you know it takes me a long while to process). But I wanted to be sure to share My 10 Favorite Things About Catalyst 2010.

1. Digging deep with my Catalyst/3DM Coaching Group (Brian Wurzell, Bianca Juarez, coach extraordinaire Jo Saxton, Hillary DeMeo, and the “MIA” Kyle Zimmerman.) LOVE these people. So thankful that they are boldly speaking into this season of my life.

2. Learning from Francis Chan. The man truly is fired up about emulating the life of Jesus. Some might call him “radical” but it is clear he is just faithfully working to live out the word of God. He has me wondering if Jesus is truly more than my Savior, if He is my role model?

3. Joyfully belting out John Mark McMillan’s “How He Loves” with 13,000 of my closest friends. One of the best worship experiences of my life!

4. Learning from T.D. Jakes that we need to get on out of the “cor-ner.” That “people who play it safe are not leaders.” That “if you always do what you have always done, you will only be who you have always been.” That “you need to make yourself uncomfortable.”

5. Hearing John Ortberg. That man is one gifted communicator. His book, The Me I Want to Be, has profoundly affected the way I think. I am still processing a couple of things he said on grace.

“Transformation requires at least as much grace as salvation.”

“Grace is God doing anything in me that I can not do myself.”

6. Boohooing as I watched Jimmy (who broke my heart last year) meet his Compassion child.

7. Having Andy Stanley reframe the story of Jacob and Esau. I know this…I don’t want to trade my future, my calling, my legacy, for a “bowl of stew.”

8. Watching Michael Hyatt teach a roomful of eager participants about the importance of “Platform.” Such an engaging presentation…made me so proud to call him “boss.”

9. Debriefing at night with my Catalyst roomies Trish, Bianca, and Annie. And laughing so hard that I cry trying to figure out the techno-style-video-chat with Sarah and Keely.

10. Witnessing a human cannonball. I lie. Actually, I hated the human cannonball. All I could think about was how that poor man was going to die a gruesome death in front of 13,000 strangers. Thankfully he made it. This time.

Were you at Catalyst? What were your highlights? If not, what were you up to last week?

As you can imagine, I need some time (like a year) to process everything I experienced, but here are some quick highlights:

• Hanging out with friends, new and old at Brad Ruggles’ Bloggers Meetup. The event was a wonderful testament to how powerful social media in building community.
• Hearing some strong and passionate Christian voices like Matt Chandler, Reggie Joiner, Andy Stanley, Dave Ramsey, Louie Giglio, and Priscilla Shirer. Each left their “mark” on me.
• Worshiping with 13,000 believers. One of the most moving moments of the entire conference was when Todd Fields led us in his beautiful rendition of It is Well.
• Spending time with my boss, Michael Hyatt, and his daughter, Megan, and the entire Cross Point Church staff. I am so blessed to have all these people in my life and I am thankful for every moment that they invest in me.
• Watching a grown man in a leotard dive (or more accurately perform a belly flop) from 35 foot high platform into a baby pool. Don’t take my word for it, you can watch it here.

And some quick pictures:

More details about Catalyst ’09 aka #cat09 to come. I promise.

If you attended, what were some of your highlights?

Catalyst One Day

Here are just a couple of reasons why:

1. I learned so much from Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel. They both are excellent communicators. (Be on the lookout for Andy’s new book, The Principle of The Path, from Thomas Nelson, March 31.)

The focus of the day was Momentum – something we all need to manufacture in these tough economic times. Here are just a few of the nuggets I walked away with:

• Momentum is NEVER triggered by tweaking something old. It is triggered by introducing something new.
• To reach more by doing less, you must focus on what no one else is doing — how can you reach the people that no one else is reaching? You must refuse to keep doing things based on false assumptions.
• Innovation is born out of limitation. Remember, if you have what you want, you might not see what you need.
• It is important to be more committed to your mission/vision than your tactics. “Don’t fall in love with a tactic and defend it forever. Instead decide once and for all if you are in market or not.” Seth Godin, The Dip
• Do the unthinkable. “If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would he or she do? Why shouldn’t we walk out the door, come back in, and do it ourselves?” Andy Grove, Only the Paranoid Survive

2. I had a wonderful time interacting with new friends. I love meeting new people, but I often get stuck in my comfort zone and don’t put myself out there. I made the trip with Jenni Catron, the Executive Director of Cross Point, and her little sister, Jessica. Our trip together was the perfect way to get to know them both on a deeper level.

Have you made any real investments in yourself lately?