Monthly Archives: October 2016

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Work Week Devotion 10.23.2016

Mark 10:23-25

Mark 10:43-45 (NLT): But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

The world tells us to climb the ladder of success and step on as many people as we need on the way up. Our status is determined by how many people are “under” us; who is at our beck and call. As Christians, we are supposed to become more like Jesus as we live in this world. He was above everyone yet He had a servant’s attitude. We should expect no less from ourselves.

Who is your manager, boss or leader? Serve them.
Who do you manage, direct or lead? Serve them.
Serve them like Jesus would – whether or not you think they deserve to be served!

Father God, thank you for showing us the perfect example of servant leadership in Jesus. Please forgive us when pride, insecurity or a hardened heart prevent us from serving others. Help us to serve others the way Jesus would. Amen.

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Work Week Devotion 10.16.2016

Psalms 112: 4-5

Psalms 112:4-5 (NLT): Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.

There are many ways to conduct business. Shrewdly, self-serving, humbly, generously, under-handed, transparent… Sadly, as many people believe “all is fair in love and war” they also believe it’s ok to do whatever you need in order to succeed because “it’s just good business.” Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Even when it would be easier or more beneficial in the short term to do something else.

Business owners – you honor God when you are generous, compassionate and fair.
Employees – you honor God when you are positive, productive and a team player.
We ALL honor God when we live a life of integrity at work and at home. It is promised that good will come from it!

Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise that good things will come to those who follow You. Forgive us when we think good things only look a certain way. We know Your plans are greater than ours. Show us how to honor You and live a life of integrity no matter where we are. Amen.

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Work Week Devotion 10.09.2016

Luke 12:15

Luke 12:15 (NLT): [Jesus said] “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Life is measured by how much you love and how you are loved by others. Life is measured by how you serve God and live for Him. Life is measured by how much you give, even when others never see it. Life is not measured by how much you own. Not even close. If life WERE measured by how much you own, those with the most stuff would be the happiest people on earth and we see time and again that they are NOT.

What does it look like to guard against greed? Maybe for you it means giving that extra dollar to the waitress or putting it in the donation bucket. Maybe it looks more like buying school supplies for a needy kid rather than going out to dinner. Maybe you’ll give your staff a bonus rather than pocketing all of last month’s profits. To guard against greed means you intentionally give it away when it would be easier and more comfortable to keep it. It’s an intentional choice that boldly says “I will be defined by what I give, not by what I own.”

Generous Father, thank you for giving us such a rich life to enjoy. Please help us recognize opportunities to “give it away” so we can practice guarding against every kind of greed. Show us how to be generous to others as You are so generous to us. Amen.

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Life Planning Date

Just do it!

I love the word “intentional” and I long to live every day of my life in an intentional manner. Unfortunately I am far, far from that. One discipline that gets me closer to living intentionally is having a life planning date with my husband. I am a firm believer in this and have had several people ask me about it so here is a slightly more instructional blog than what I usually write.  I hope it helps you to live a more productive, intentional, peaceful life!

My husband and I usually do our life planning date at the beginning of the quarter (January, April, July, October) but will occasionally do it more often. We plan on discussing the coming three months. You don’t have to wait until the beginning of the quarter and you don’t have to plan out three months ahead if that seems overwhelming to you. You can start small but I encourage you to start SOON.

  • You must leave your house!!! On Mondays I work through lunch and am done seeing patients around 2:30 so we like to have our life planning date during this time. Set aside two hours and pick a restaurant that has big tables where you can relax. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to have a life planning date at your home. Even if you send your kids away you will be too distracted and/or will not take the exercise seriously. Make this an event and something to look forward to. Maybe even go shopping or out to a movie afterwards (but not before!)
  • It’s important to have the right tools for the job. I recommend a legal pad, writing utensils and of course your calendar or planner (paper and/or electronic) Even if you are a very digital person I recommend having the legal pad and pen so you can scribble notes while you talk. You might have some great brainstorming moments!
  • Discuss what you want to accomplish. This is going to be different for everyone but here are some suggested topics to plan: kids activities, church activities, work projects, work trips, vacations, home projects big and small, financial goals, personal goals, holiday plans…
  • The goal is for you both to be on the same page and know what activities are coming up and who needs to be where and when. Hopefully you’ll both come away with a prioritized to-do list and an accurate calendar.

If you’ve never done something like this before it might seem weird or awkward at first. Your spouse (or you!) might think it’s a silly idea. I’m not sure what my husband thought about it at first but now I think he looks forward to it as much as I do. A note to my single friends: this can work for you too! I took myself out to dinner a few weeks ago because I needed to be very focused on making some lists and planning some important things coming up. Getting yourself out of your familiar environment and intentionally concentrating on tasks at hand can be very productive!

I hope this exercise helps you as much as it has me. There’s something very empowering about setting aside time to talk about goals, come up with a plan and walk away feeling prepared as a unified team. I would LOVE to hear about your experience with life planning dates! Share in the comments below!

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Work Week Devotion 10.02.2016

Philippians 4:7

Philippians 4:7 (NLT): Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

To have peace! To be still! It’s what we crave in the midst of our busyness. If I only had more time…If the kids were more calm or didn’t have so many activities…If my spouse were available to help more…If my job would slow down…If I could just get this one project done…We live in a world of constant motion and stimulation.

Peace isn’t the absence of activity, it is the presence of Christ in our heart and mind regardless of the whirlwind around us. We can’t make the world slow down and be peaceful for us but we can find peace in the midst of our busy world. We can access that peace no matter where we are or what we’re doing – meeting in the boardroom, teaching in the classroom, doctoring in the exam room or vacuuming in the living room.

Father God, thank you for being our peace in the midst of our whatever. Help us to remember that we can access that peace at any time and any place. Let us be an example of Your peace in a world that so desperately needs it. Amen.