What is the main thing?

I've recently been reading some leadership books to gain a better understanding of what differentiates a leader from every-day 'Joes' in the work-place and society.  This has been a great area of fascination lately as I have been surrounded by more influential leaders that I look up to, and as personal development for myself.  I'm always looking for ways that I can improve my skills and positively affect those and the world around me. 

In my recent readings, I was recommended a book called "Monday Morning Leadership" by David Cottrell.  This was a fabulous quick-read (I read it in 1.5 days, during my lunch and other breaks at
work, I could hardly put it down).  I have to say this was the best ten bucks I've ever spent!  So many nuggets of information wealth are compressed in these pages. 

Perhaps one of the most profound and influential nuggets that I can use each day is asking myself- what is the main thing?  You can apply this question not only in your professional life, but also in your personal life.

• What is the main thing you are trying to accomplish in your life?  
• What is the main thing you need to do today?
• What is the main thing your department needs to focus on?
• What is the main thing for your family?
• The main thing for your company?

 As you can see, there are a ton of ways this one simple question can impact your all aspects of your life.  I literally taped this question to my monitor at work so I would constantly be reminded of my "main thing".  It's so easy to be distracted or pulled in so many directions that you lose sight of your "main thing".

I encourage you to write down your main things for your family.  For your personal goals.  For your professional goals.  For your week.  For your year.  For your employees.  For your business.  Write it down and post it somewhere that you will see it each day.  I guarantee that doing this one action will change the way you work and live each day.

What are ways that you keep your life focused on your main thing?  Is this something you practice already today?  

1 Piece Out Of 5,000

I'm currently doing a bible study on one of my greatest weaknesses - prayer.  The study I'm doing is called "Living A Praying Life" by Jennifer Kennedy Dean.  Prayer has always been a struggle with me for many reasons.  Not having enough time, forgetting to do it when I do have down-time, feeling awkward praying out loud by myself or if someone else is in the house with me....etc.  We all make excuses at some point, but I truly think that prayer is part of a strong foundation of having a close and personal relationship with God and living a blessed and fulfilled life according to His purpose.

The most recent teaching that reconfirmed my ideas about prayer, and I found encouraging, was how prayer plays such an important role in every step of our life even when you think your prayer isn't being answered or is being ignored.  Dean's example is this- imagine that you are handed 1 piece of a 5,000 piece puzzle.  Would you be able to guess what the puzzle was a picture of based on that one small piece?  Chances are slim that you would. Think of your life in the same way.  If something isn't going how you expected it to go, it is just one small piece of God's plan for your life.  He has intricately weaved all of our live's plans together, and he knows what is best for us.  Trust Him with your life, be patient, and wait to see where God gets you.

What is an example of a time in your life where you thought God was ignoring or denying your prayers, but in time you looked back to see that He was blessing you above and beyond what you had ever imagined?

Schloss Hurlach (Hurlach Castle)

One small example in my life from way back was after high school I really wanted to go to college in Germany.  It was a YWAM discipleship school in a castle outside of Munich.  I've always had a very strong desire to live in Germany (still do!) and I thought that this was my time to do it.  Besides, I was going there to learn more about God, church, discipleship, so why wouldn't God help me get there?  I got all the necessary papers in order, loans figured out, and all of the needed references....except for one.  That one (my pastor's!) never made it to them and I didn't get in.  I was so heart broken and couldn't understand how that wasn't part of God's plan for my life and how my pastor couldn't get the papers in!  This caused some resentment and bitterness, but I did get over it.

Looking back, I'm glad that I didn't go.  Because of the path I took I ended up getting a good degree, didn't need to take out a student loan, met my husband (man of my dreams!!!) and am now in a job that I love.  Even though there have been struggles and hard times, I'm so happy and blessed to be where I'm at right now and I know that I wouldn't be here now if I would have went to the YWAM school.

There are so many other life examples I could write about, but I'll just leave you with that one.  Remember- Jesus told us to "Have faith in God" - Mark 11:22.  As Dean says in her study - "When you place your faith in an outcome, you will often be disappointed.  When you put your faith in God, you will never be disappointed."  Don't put a period where God has put a comma.  He will always have more to bless you with if you let Him.

Becoming Fully Devoted

I am starting a new bible study.  I will admit it has been a while since I have gotten into the word and I have let go of my daily time with God.  I'm ready to get back in the swing of things again and give God his rightful place in my life.  This goes along with my priorities post I did a few weeks ago.  God 1st, husband 2nd, then all things falling into place after that.  I encourage you to read that post so you can begin mapping out your priorities as well.

These are my notes from today's study.

Question: 
Why is it hard to change a specific action/habit if we aren't totally devoted to God?

My thoughts:
I think that when we aren't completely devoted to God we get lost in the day-to-day, in the "stuff" that we "have to do".  We lose sight of who God is (creator), what He has blessed us with (life, shelter, friends, job, purpose), and the very basic fact that He created us AND loves us!  He loves us so much that He sacrificed His son. He allowed His on to be tortured and betrayed by the very race that He created just so that the bondage of sin would be broken....without this happening we would never be worthy enough to go into His kingdom!

Once we recognize the reality of all this and internalize what He truly did for us, will we be motivated to make changes in our life that would please Him.

"Fear God and obey His commands, for this is the duty of every person." - Ecc. 12:13

"Your heavenly Father already knows your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." - Matt. 6:33

My Actions:
1. Focus on Him daily (spend time in the word, prayer)
2. Learn to hear His voice (by spending time with Him!)
3. Take care to follow His commandments better

How do you work on your devotion to God?  What helps you keep Him a priority?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Life Priorities Are Vital To a Happy Life

Recently I've been learning about life priorities.  Here's a good story that displays the concept I've been working on in my life:

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

How often does life's little activities, chores, obligations get in the way of your happiness, or get in the way of the relationships that should matter most.  When's the last time you went on a date with your spouse?  Or had a "girl's night" with your bestie?  Spent time in the Word or in Prayer?  I wasn't very happy with my answers to those so I spent some time to actually map out my priorities on my computer using a fun little tool - MindNode.  Here's what I started out with:

Now that the basics are mapped out I know that first comes my relationship with God.  I need to make sure that I am devoting time to Him and His Word.  Next comes my marriage- making sure that I spend quality time with Jacob, letting him know that he's important and taking care of his needs.  Once those two are in order I know that so much stress will be relieved, home life will be better and that will allow me to focus on everything else- quality time with family, friends, and will reciprocate down to my career, serving, and my Power Up group. 

I encourage you to spend some time to map out your priorities.  Get specific, write down goals, think of where you want to be in 6 months, a year, 5 years with all aspects of your life.  Once you know where you want to be it'll be easy to figure out the steps to get there!

Enjoy What You Have

From today's devotional...

Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind.   Ecclesiastes 6:9

Observation:
We are surrounded by a world that wants everything.  We are made known by what things we possess- the more we have, the happier we are...right??  NOPE!  If we have everything, in the end it still won't bring happiness or satisfaction.  God has given us all that we have.  We should give Him thanks for it and enjoy it instead of spending our time just wanting more newer and better things.  This is hard to do as it is part of our nature.  Even our environment works against us.  How many ads is an average person hit with a day? I've seen estimates from hundreds up to 3000+.  I think everyone is affected by these ads, some more than others.  I know that an Apple ad comes on and I'm just about ready to run to the nearest apple store, throw my plastic at them and come back home with a shiny new toy (just for the record, I have NOT done this, I'm just tempted to).  That's my weakness, I'm sure everyone has theirs as well.

Application:
Next time I want something newer and better, I need to think on all that I've been blessed with already. Do I really need this new thing?  Will it really make my life better and bring meaning to it?  Probably not.  Doing so is just like "chasing the wind" - it's pointless.

Working For 'The Man'

The other day I was leaving a friend's house, and as I was walking out the door I jokingly commented "gotta get home now, workin' for the man in the morning!...oh wait, I DO work for THE MAN!". We all started cracking up because, well, I do! This wonderful opportunity working for my church has already offered more than I ever thought possible from a J-O-B. It's only been 2 months and I've already discovered:

1. Fulfillment: I'm working towards something I believe in, and I'm helping others achieve purpose and a better life.
   
2. Love: This is an answer to prayer really. I wanted to understand how to love others as Jesus does. Essentially shaping my heart to be more like His. I'm learning this and seeing it in action and experiencing the overflow of love our church has for others lives. AND it's not a superficial love! These people all genuinely CARE about each other, and I in turn care about each of them! There can't be many work-places out there that are like this.

Working for "The Man" has turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made yet. I know over the months to come there will be lots of personal and spiritual growth, and my work/church family will walk with me every step of the way showering me with encouragement.

Thank you Lord for bringing this opportunity into my life!

Do you have the guts to do it?

So today I tried out my church's newest service location- at a movie theater. I have to tell you that I was a little skeptical prior to going, but WOW! What a spirit filled worship service and a great sermon! I wanted to share what I learned today, as I believe that it totally applies to my life and some of the perceptions that I have held about myself as of late.

First off, the verse that started today's message:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Mark 5:3

I've always just skimmed through this section of the bible. Been to a few sermons that covered the beattitudes, but not like this. Let me explain...

I know my calling is to be a missionary, going overseas somewhere at sometime. I had my first experience doing this in Louisiana. Staying stateside was a great first trip, as I learned lots of things that are best to learn in a similar culture and same language. Some examples- staying in close quarters with the same people day in and day out, limited niceties such as showers, spare time, good food, etc. I am planning on being in a leadership role in a mission trip to Poland next year. I will be going with some Senior High students as a chaperon. Lately I have been doubting my qualifications for going and playing such a role. I mean, what do I really know? How could I really be a good missionary if I'm not even really comfortable praying with those I hardly know?

Those doubts were squashed this morning. The verse of Matthew 5:3 helped with that. Those who are poor in spirit-those that come to the realization that you don't need to do good deeds, follow each commandment, all the laws, etc to be saved and get to heaven. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice that continuously washes our sins away. We never deserved to have such mercy. Even the first people that God created SINNED! It is part of our nature. So once we realize that we aren't in control of our salvation, that no matter what we do, God has the ultimate and final say as to whether we get to join him. Thankfully, He loves us unconditionally and as long as we believe in Jesus, the Lord, we will be able to join him.

The second message I gleaned from today's sermon was a testimony given by the youth pastor. His was a story that recently happened to him regarding a very cool miracle that took place. He made us realize that EACH of us are vessels for God to do miracles through. Miracles didn't stop once Jesus left the earth. They continue each and every day. All He needs is for you to have the faith, and the GUTS to act according to His will. If you have faith and guts, then miracle CAN and WILL happen! Amazing! So, next time you doubt yourself, pray and listen to God so he can work through you and bless those around you that need it.