Archive for February, 2012

Where’s the D’s On Your Report Card?

Posted: February 28, 2012 in Leadership, Life, Lord
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Does your report card have the 4 D’s? I know that D’s weren’t very acceptable while we were in school, but they are imperative later in life. Take a look at your “Leadership Report Card” and check your grades. Do you need to add a few D’s?

1. DIVINE DIRECTION
– GODLY GUIDANCE
– THE LINE UPON WHICH ANYTHING TRAVELS TOWARD A PREDETERMINED POINT
We aren’t going anywhere without Divine Direction. Jesus said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.” (John 14:6) Who or what are you following? I’ve asked others as well as myself this question many times. What if you could see the end of the road you’re traveling? Where would it end up? Are the decisions you’re making setting you up for a “bridge out” scenario? The most important “D” you can have is Divine Direction.

2. DEVOTION
– PROFOUND DEDICATION, CONSECRATION
– EARNEST ATTACHMENT TO A CAUSE OR PERSON
 Now that you’ve sought out Divine Direction for your life, you must be devoted to the plan. What good would it be for someone to give you directions and you continue going the wrong way? Knowing you need to follow the Lord isn’t the answer. Following Him is! You must be devoted!

3. DISCIPLINE
– TRAINING OR REGIMEN TO IMPROVE A SKILL OR TALENT
– SET OF RULES OR GUIDELINES
 Next, we need to check our personal discipline. Anyone that’s ever succeeded in anything had to have personal discipline. It doesn’t matter what your profession or calling is, you must be a disciplined person. As children, without any personal discipline, our parents were responsibile for that. Unfortunately though, many adults have not made it past childhood yet.

4. DETERMINATION
– QUALITY OF BEING RESOLUTE,
– FIRMNESS OF PURPOSE
– FIXED PURPOSE OR INTENTION
– FIXED DIRECTION
 Lastly, there’s determination. What’s going to keep you going when all you feel is failure? What tells you to take one more step when you’re out of energy? You MUST be determined to finish! If you have a goal, a dream, or a desired future in mind, you MUST not give up too soon.

So check out your report card. See any “D’s” on there? Let me know what you think in the comments section.

What’s Your Excuse?!

Posted: February 28, 2012 in Life
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DO I HAVE TO?

Posted: February 27, 2012 in Leadership
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Did your parents ever tell you to do something and your response was, “do I HAVE to”? Well, some things never change. I find myself still asking this question. The only thing that has changed is who or what is prompting the question.
Why did we ask this question as a child? Usually because there was something more enjoyable that we would rather be doing. How about now? I understand we aren’t going to be able to get out of every unpleasant task that crosses our desks, but there are many things that are just time stealers!
Many things just aren’t going to line up with my goals or values. Maybe it’s time to give ourselves permission to ask, “do I HAVE to”? Here’s three questions that I’m personally trying to implement daily.

1. DOES IT HAVE TO BE DONE?
Start here. Is it even something that must be done? Is it part of my priority list. Is it crucial to the vision that this particular task get accomplished? I must determine if it’s just a time waster, or if it will contribute to my specific goals or the goals of the organization. If the answer is NO, then stop here. It most likely does not need to be draining me of my limited energy & time! If the answer is YES, move on to question number two.

2. DOES IT HAVE TO BE DONE BY ME?
Now that we have answered the first question it’s on to the next criteria. Does it have to be done BY ME? We know the item needs to be done, but is it something I can delegate? There are some tasks that I am specifically called or comissioned to take care of, but then there are many things that need to be handed off. Not pawned off, but handed off. Entrusted to someone to make sure that it’s done right. Most likely, there’s someone who can do a better job than me anyway. Don’t be afraid to trust someone else to help carry the load! That’s what a good team is all about. If the answer to question number two is NO, delegate. If the answer is YES, it’s time for our final question.

3. DOES IT HAVE TO BE DONE BY ME RIGHT NOW?
I know that it must be done and that it must be done by me, but does it have to be done by me right now? This isn’t an excuse for procrastination, but let’s face it there’s only so many hours in a day. Now it becomes a matter of my calendar, priorities, and to-do list. I’m one of those people that struggle to stay focused. It’s a constant battle for me to stay put and get finished with my current project. I see something that needs doing and I just jump around. That’s where my lists & calendars come in. Does it have to be done by me right now? If the answer is YES, get to it! If NO, schedule it, but don’t procrastinate it!

1. DOES IT HAVE TO BE DONE?
2. DOES IT HAVE TO BE DONE BY ME?
3. DOES IT HAVE TO BE DONE BY ME RIGHT NOW?

What do you struggle with? Have these questioned helped you in any way? What are some further ideas you may have? Leave me a comment.

7 Things That Help Me Focus

Posted: February 14, 2012 in Leadership, Life
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This is a guest post by Pastor Ron Edmondson. You can read more about him at www.ronedmondson.com.

I’m fairly productive as a person, but the truth is, I get distracted easily and have a hard time staying focussed at times. There are a few things that help me focus. I’ve listed a few here.

Here are 7 things that help me focus:

Rest – It could be a 10 minute walk or a nap, but taking a break from what I’m doing helps me better focus when I return to the work.

Deadlines – I work better under pressure. I sometimes set my own deadlines. If I put a task on my calendar or if I schedule the steps to completion, I’m usually disciplined enough to meet the deadline.

Passion – If I’m passionate about a project…I mean really passionate…I’ll invest the energy and stayed focussed to complete the task.

Encouragement – It may seem petty, but sometimes one well-worded email can break a period of distraction and push me to focus on the task.

Success – Following a big “win” I’m motivated to work for another. Honestly, it’s usually a short-lived window of opportunity, but if I strike “while the iron is hot” I can “seize the day”.

Exercise – I’m less disciplined, less motivated, and less content when I’m out of my exercise routine. Exercise gives me the stamina to do the things I need to do.

Systems – If there is a system in place, I’m more likely to stay focussed to completion.

Do you have a problem with focus? What helps you stay focussed?

Could any of these help you?

Visit www.ronedmondson.com

3 Non-negotiable Facts About Love

Posted: February 14, 2012 in Life, Lord, love
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“What’s love got to do with it?” Tina Turner pressed that question upon a generation by her music. The song made the suggestion to leave true love out of the process because it could be too risky. If you extend yourself too far you could get hurt. Maybe.
Now, let me make an attempt to answer that question. What’s love got to do with it? EVERYTHING! Let me give you three non-negotiable facts about love.

#1 REAL LOVE IS GODLY!
Let me put it another way:

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (KJV) 1 John 4:8

Did you see that? “God is love!” It’s not just the fact that He loves us that’s important but that love is His very nature! He can’t not love you!

#2 REAL LOVE IS AN ACTION VERB
Love isn’t a noun. It’s not a thing to be lost, found, or stumbled upon. It’s a verb. An action verb! Love is a choice we make. It doesn’t always carry with it the same emotions but must still be executed.

“Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.” (KJV) 1 John 3:16

“And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” (KJV) 2 John 1:6

#3 REAL LOVE DEFEATS FEAR
You can’t intimidate someone into love. I’ve seen people try this through dominance, intimidation, and position. But those things can never nurture real love. God proved his love by serving those that hated Him and ultimately dying for them. He washed feet, served bread, dried tears, touched lepers, and bled for love. He literally loved us to death!
You need not fear today if you know this Jesus personally! His perfect love will prevail!

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (KJV) 1 John 4:18

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4 Questions To Ask Right Now!

Posted: February 9, 2012 in Life, Lord
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4 Questions To Ask Right Now!

Have you ever met a person who knew EVERYTHING? (Please, don’t call their name out loud) Truth is, we know they don’t know everything, and they know they don’t know everything. So why the elaborate game of charades? Because many people are unwilling to simply ask that they might learn something.
How much of what you know today can be attributed to asking questions? As a man, I have to say that this doesn’t come easy for me, but I also understand the importance of asking the right questions.
As most of us already know, a great deal of success and failure has to do with asking the right questions. It’s true in life and spiritual life as well. Let me share four questions that may help you get your spiritual life on track today.

1) What is one thing I can do to enjoy the Lord more?
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
(KJV) Revelation 4:11
2) What spiritual discipline can I improve today?
“But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
(KJV) 1 Corinthians 9:27
3) What spiritual gift can I use more frequently?
“As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
(KJV) 1 Peter 4:10
4) What sacrifice can I make today to better position myself for God’s purpose & glory?
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
(KJV) Romans 12:1-2

I won’t spend a great deal of time explaining each one. Rather, I encourage you to pray over each one asking the Lord for His guidance. I learned some things about myself just reading through them and I imagine you will to. Let me know what you think in the comments section of the blog.