T(r)oy's Marbles

about me | my convictions

I'm back by unpopular demand. Sorry for the long silence but I simply had some other matters to tend to that were, frankly, more important than posting on t(r)oymarbles. I do hope I haven't irreparably damaged the small, loyal readership I've generated thus far by my inconsistency in "blogging".

I thought I'd come back to the blogosphere with something that I developed/thought about recently.

Explanation: I'm taking an online course through Fuller Theological Seminary that's causing me to think about different issues related to philosophy of ministry and my own personal leadership development.

One of the things that came up recently involved an exercise designed to have us think more deeply and specifically about our personal convictions that drive how we do ministry and what we do in ministry. I was grateful for the exercise because it yielded something that I think I will refer back to often over many years to come.

So...(drum roll, please)...these are my "convictions".

A. “Team” is the vision.
B. Doing proceeds from being; what you do comes from who you are.
C. What’s needed is more grace.
D. Generality is the enemy of creativity.
E. Learn from the past.
F. Empower the future.

If you'd like to know more what's behind these statements, don't hesitate to ask and I'll write more. Realize, however, that if you do want to know more you will henceforth be officially regarded as a nerd.

To start a series of readings that unpack these statements, click here.

about me | book survey

I was tagged by Monaca, so guess I'll oblige.

1.One book that changed your life:

Actually, it was a combination of 3 or 4 books, all of them biographies of missionaries. It is arguable that I would not be in Spain today had I not read these stories of great men of faith that left everything to follow God. Here they are…

A. Jungle Pilot: The Gripping Story of the Life and Witness of Nate Saint, Martyred Missionary to Ecuador by Russell T. Hitt

B. Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Hudson Taylor

C. Come Up To This Mountain: The Miracle of Clarence W. Jones and HCJB by Lois Neely

D. David Livingstone by W. Garden Blaikie

2.One book that you’ve read more than once:

In The Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen

3.One book you’d want on a desert island:

Providing I had portions of the Bible memorized, all I’d need would be a photo album of my family.

4.One book that made you laugh:

Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson

Also… Pretty Good Joke Book compiled by Garrison Keillor for The Prairie Home Companion (The “Yo Mama” jokes are to die for)

5.One book that made you cry:

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Also...Pretty Good Joke Book. Literally. I Cried.

6.One book you wish had been written:

Anything by my wife

Also...Really Great Joke Book by Troy Cady (not likely for release in this millenium, so my wife tells me. Guess it'll have to wait for heaven.)

7.One book you wish had never been written:

Any book that makes light of sex outside of marriage, or that makes it seem appealing or noble. This would, of course, include the numerous erotic novels on the market. None of which have I read, by the way, in case you're wondering, he said stuttering.

8.One book you’re currently reading:

Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant

9.One book you’ve been meaning to read:

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

10.One book you’d like to write:

Several things come to mind, actually:

A. Plays.

B. Theatrical Leadership, a book that takes principles derived from acting and directing techniques and applies them to other forms of leadership across disciplines.

C. Poetry (not a realistic aspiration in the least, but it is kind of something I’d like to do in “my dream world”. I have the utmost respect for poets. They set the standard for loving words. I find that laudable and God-honoring.)

Now tag 5 people:

Okay, make it 8.

Heather,
Mary DeMuth,
Sarah Cousins,
Kelly Crull,
Amy Swacina,
Kelly Wills,
Victoria,
Matt Christensen

about me | my sevens

Okay, okay, okay...I have not posted for a while now. And I was "tagged" a long time ago by Mary DeMuth to complete a list of "sevens" about myself.

This is the post you've all been waiting for. So, circulate this round The Internets, please. Link to it from your blogs. Submit it to The New Yorker for publication. After reading it, everyone's lives will become much, much clearer (like what happens after one reads The Gospel According to St. John).

Here you go...The Sevens.

Continue reading "my sevens"

about me | the eternal questionnaire

Three names you go by:

1. Troy
2. The Reverend T. Benton Cady
3. Honey

Three screen names you have:

1. troycady
2. trycdy
3.

Three things you like about yourself:

1. My sense of humor
2. My handy-man skills
3. My family

Continue reading "the eternal questionnaire"

about me | other stuff about me

name: Troy Cady
nickname: The Reverend T. Benton Cady
wife: Heather Cady (11 months older than me!)
daughter: Meaghan (age 9)
son: Nicolas (age 6)

what lights my fire
You might like to know that for me there is no higher point in any day than when I hear my son and daughter laugh loud and strong at a joke I’ve just told. (For that matter, I also like it when my wife laughs at my jokes, since that is quite a rare occurrence!) On the subject of my wife, there are a thousand things about her that I love: her smile, her eyes, her voice, her heart and soul; these are just a few things.

You should also know that the first CDs I ever bought were a soundtrack of the musical “Cats”, and a 4-CD set of classical music by Vivaldi. My favorite musical, however, is “Les Miserables.”

Some of my favorite films include “Seabiscuit,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “What About Bob,” “Groundhog Day,” “The Madness of King George,” “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” “Waiting for Guffman,” and “Schindler’s List.”

Here are some good books I’d recommend you read: “Till We Have Faces” by C.S. Lewis, “My Name is Asher Lev” by Chaim Potok, “In The Name of Jesus” by Henri Nouwen and “If You Want to Write” by Brenda Ueland.

Here are some good plays to read or see if you have the chance: “Handy Dandy” by William Gibson, “Salt-Water Moon” by David French, and “Spring Dance” by Horton Foote.

Some of my favorite bands lately include: Howie Day, Switchfoot, Lifehouse, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, U2, Dave Matthews, 3 Doors Down, Sixpence None the Richer, and David Gray.

On the note of what lights my fire I would also like to mention…

where we live and what we do
We have been living in Spain since May 1998 (first in Barcelona and now in Madrid). In Barcelona, we were on staff with a church called The International Church of Barcelona. In Madrid, I led a team of people for Christian Associates International to establish a church called Mountainview, which we have now left to start a new church in downtown Madrid called Oasis Madrid. This is, to say the least, an exciting adventure.

Feel free to email me: troy@oasismadrid.org