My Devotional Time
It’s a beautiful morning today in the Rockies. A hot cup of good coffee, my bible, and my journal make their way to the kitchen table while all is still quiet. Some days, I have to wait a bit to get some peace. Other days I make my way to a favorite coffee house for the solitude I desire. Regardless of where I land, this time is of utmost importance to me. It’s my devotional time. Do you have one?
For the Christian, I think it’s imperative that you set aside some time for this. A lot of money is being made by people selling devotional books, bibles, and journals. They can sell a lot of other “things” designed to aid in the process and while those things aren’t really bad they can also hinder your time in God’s Word. When I was a young Christian, I hurriedly traveled to the nearest Christian bookstore to find all these things and the results were, well let’s just say not too good.
After all these years I’ve found that a few basic tools work for me. I may vary my routine from time to time but essentially this is all I use:
My Bible. I have now moved my devotional bible reading time to my Sony Reader. The ESV Study Bible and standard text are both available for less than $25 combined! I also like that the text is larger than in my regular bible making the reading much easier on my eyes. Another plus to using the Sony Reader is that it automatically remembers where I left off the day before. When I open the book file on my reader, it automatically goes to the place where I exited the day before.
My Planner. I never really thought about this until I read Wayne Cordeiro’s outstanding book on devotional time called “The Divine Mentor”. The reality is that Satan messes with your head when you are trying to stay quiet before God and read His Word. Things pop up in your mind that have some importance like a task you need to do or some other important item. Before you know it, your mind is elsewhere. With a planner close by, you simply make a note on those items when they pop up and then continue in your devotional time. Getting those items out of your head is crucial to success in your devotions.
My Journal. You can use whatever type of journal you like. From a simple spiral bound notebook to an expensive leather one. I like the feel of a decent journal so I purchased a modestly priced one from an office store that is refillable. The key is to have something to write your thoughts in.
That’s it! Three items for devotions. You don’t need anything else. When I sit down for my devotions, I read a portion of scripture from whatever book I’ve chosen to read. I don’t follow a structured plan. I just read for a bit and then take a portion of scripture that has spoken to me and I journal about it. When I journal, I try to challenge myself to find an action that I can take to incorporate that scripture into my daily life. After I’m done journaling, I then open my planner and put the action item down so that it stares at me all day and prompts me to do something with what I’ve read.
I might add that as a pastor, I still take additional time to prepare my sermons. I don’t try to cheat God by incorporating one time for two purposes. Devotional time is and should be different than your sermon preparation time.
I hope this has helped some of you who struggle with your devotions. You don’t have to have a structured plan to feel like you’ve accomplished something. Just get our your bible and read! Have a great weekend.
Book Review: Keep Your Brain Alive
I recently finished an audio book by Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin on Brain Health past the age of 40. “Keep Your Brain Alive” is a short book, on audio it was roughly 2+ hours to listen to, and contained 83 brain exercises, dubbed “Neurobics” by the authors.
The premise of the authors is that deteriorating memory doesn’t have to be a by-product of growing older. In fact, both make the case that new connections in the brain can be made by taking part in the exercises presented in the book. The first disc of the audio book (roughly half of the text version I’m sure) covers the science behind “Neurobics” while the latter half (the second disc) gives examples of the exercises you can use or modify to help stimulate new growth in your own brain. The authors assert these connections are the key to continued brain health and begin to lessen past age 40 (or even earlier).
Among the suggestions given for brain exercise was to take a shower with your eyes closed. Using your senses of touch and feeling to manage the on/off valves, the soap, and shampoo. Another exercise was to associate scents with a particular place or event. Aromatherapy is quite popular and oils can be purchased for this exercise.
Varying the way we shop for groceries or using our opposite hand for tasks we normally use our dominate hand (or foot) for are other suggestions made by Katz and Rubin. The idea is to vary our routines. Make new associations in different ways (like the aromatherapy) and keep your brain working to manage these changes. Another assertion made by the authors is that age actually helps in neurobics because adults past the age of 40 have a larger bank of memories to draw from to make new associations.
All in all, it’s a fun and helpful guide to make you think about the part of your body that many might just take for granted. I’ve enjoyed the previous work of Doctor Daniel G. Amen in his books on brain health and this book serves as a helpful primer to those who might want to investigate this area further.
As a pastor, I see the value in protecting my brain health. This book is worth your investment to give you some fun ways to “Keep Your Brain Alive”.
Google Calendar Hack
I don’t know if this is new to anyone but it is for me so I thought I’d share it with others who might be in my own situation. I use a mix of paper and digital products to manage my days and my digital calendar of choice is Google Calendar. I don’t have a data plan on my cellphone yet and probably won’t for a few more years so what to do when I need to add an event to my digital calendar while I’m out? Google Calendar is great about sending me updates on coming appointments to my phone but what about me sending things to them? Since many folks have data plans and simply access the internet to do this, not much is said about SMS scheduling (i.e. text message).
So I began searching around online and found out YOU CAN update your calendar via SMS texts. Google has a feature called Gvent which is available on most major cellphone carriers. Simply add Gvent to your address book (48368), make sure your cellphone is in sync with Google, and then you can send events to your Calendar via Gvent and Google Calendar will send you a text back acknowledging it has scheduled the event for you. Pretty cool.
For example, I had a dinner invitation extended to me last week. I simply typed in “Dinner with Pastor X and his wife Thursday evening at 6pm” and Google Calendar figured out the date and time and sent me a note back letting me know it handled the request. Gvent also has the ability for you to check upcoming dates on your calendar using some shorthand. Texting “next” to Gvent will deliver a text message letting you know when the next appointment on your calendar is. That’s just one example. There are other commands you can use. Search Google for more shorthand applications.
So if you don’t have a data plan on your cellphone and want the flexibility of keeping your online calendar up to date, now you know how (provided you use Google Calendar). Just wanted to share with others who are in the same situation as I am. Enjoy!
Focus, Focus, Focus!
This week I’ve focused on our plans and thoughts. Each year as a new year dawns I take some time to look back at my own achievements and plans and see where I need to improve. Every year my list gets longer as God shows me more and more how to live for him. I’m not perfect and never will be, but to have a focused mindset and be successful in business, ministry, and life, you must assess yourself daily.
As I plan each day, I give God glory for giving me another day to work in His field and impact those around me for Christ. Sometimes I get to share my faith with others but many times, it’s simply living with the right mindset and trusting that God will one day open a door for me to share my own journey with an interested person. I look at my goals and choose my activities as wise as I know how trying to keep my family and work life in balance. Sometimes, this isn’t always easy but failing to plan will almost always insure that I will fail in whatever goals I wish to achieve. Throughout my days, I’m flexible and change when I have to. Sometimes a person needs me and my calendar must change. Some items, barring emergency, are non-negotiable (time with my wife/kids). Each week, I review my lists and celebrate the tasks completed. I reshedule those that didn’t and plan new ones as a new week dawns. Only God knows if I will see all seven days through so I always plan with Him in mind. This focuses my priorities and gives a third dimension to my work. Each month and year differs from the last and what remains for me is the focus I’ve given to what most important. Am I growing as a person? 1 Timothy 6:11 gives the correct focus that should guide my pursuit so I ask myself if those things are present in my life? If not, I need to add these to my goals list and find ways to add them!
What remains when we are gone is the impact you had on others. Life is but a vapor and our time here is too short to waste on negative things, thoughts, and desires. They will always creep into our minds but we must be disciplined to stay on the right path. That is why planning and preparation are so important in our daily lives. Take what time God has given you and make it count forever. You might not think your life matters in that context but it does. Why else are you here?
Have a great weekend.
Who Do People See?
How we present ourselves to others says a lot about our character. In business, this can be a win or lose situation as first impressions really do mean something. Even in our private lives, the energy we give off around others is infectious. Negative energy is easy to spot, easy to infect us if we let it, and HARD to get rid of. Positive energy on the other hand, gives those around you a boost, even if they are being negative. Everyone has “down” times. Don’t confuse those with being negative. Negative people tend to always find the wrong in something or find excuses for not being able to achieve what they want in life. There’s always someone else to blame and a viable reason for their despair. For certain there are times when things happen that are negative and can bring us down but our reaction to those things and the actions we take to come out of the “tailspin” will say a lot to others about our mettle.
The biblical book of Romans gives us some ideas of where the negativity can come from. In Romans 6:12 Paul writes for us to keep our thoughts on God and not focus on sinful things that can reign in our bodies. It’s easy for us to dismiss this thought and say it doesn’t apply to us but sin can take many forms. Are the decisions we are making now focusing more on ourselves regardless of others? Can those decisions come back to haunt us? Are we focused on achieving the right way or are we willing to break a few small rules to move ahead quicker? These types of things will bring us to a road that can lead us away from success and toward negative feelings. Once in our system, the negativity can morph into narcissism that results in others seeing us differently. Our body language changes. Our focus is not on the right things but on the wrong things. People around us may even tell us it’s okay but it’s not. When we focus on serving others and helping them to achieve their goals and dreams it’s amazing how our own plans seem to advance exponentially.
So what type of body language to people see when they visit with you? Are you giving off an air of success or failure? You and you alone control this most important facet of your life. Choose wisely!
Preparing to Win!
Are you ready for a great success today? I think many times we forego positive thoughts because somehow we feel it is a step towards being a narcissistic jerk. If we truly plan for success and focus our energies on it, we might come across the wrong way. Preparing to win simply means that we focus on the good things we can do to aid in our goal achievement. Many things are outside of our control but the things we can control are much more numerous than we sometimes think. Planning to win means adopting a mindset that you will be victorious and you will keep working hard to do what it is you’ve set out to do.
As a Christian, my mindset is that God has promised to bless my efforts as they focus on His glory and His Lordship in my life. That’s a long way from being a self-centered egomaniac. The book of Romans tells me to focus on the things of God. When I do, my mind (and thus my thinking) is renewed (Romans 12:2). When I do that, success will occur (Joshua 1:8). This doesn’t mean I’ll be filthy rich or that I will have every toy my heart desires, but it does mean I will learn to be content and that God’s work in me will sustain me. I truly believe that and have seen it at work many times in people’s lives. The spiritual element added to common sense planning and goal setting, put together a tremendous tandem that focuses your thinking, gives you energy to succeed, and to give the glory of your successes to God so that others will know where your attitude and sustenance come from.
The reality of life is that negative things will develop on their own. People disappoint us, we make a mistake that puts us at further distance from our goals, some unforseen disaster nails us (the car breaks down), or a health problem crops up. It could be many things but if we focus only on what could happen rather that what we can do to make positive things happen, we will undoubtedly be unhappy and unsatisfied with life. The biblical book of Ecclesiastes tells us to stay focused and not be lazy (Ecc. 10:19) and that the good things we do may come up void but some will not (11:6). The key is to pray through our goals, lay out our plan, give it to God, and prepare to win!
What are you doing now to prepare to win?
How I’m Using Twitter
Are you on Twitter? It’s a question I get asked from time to time. When people find out I DO have a Twitter account, the next question from the uninitiated is “What would a 40-something pastor be doing on Twitter?” Plenty. Here’s a few of the ways I’ve incorporated Twitter into my daily life…
1) Linking
I use Twitter to share links I’ve found on the ‘net with my followers. I’ve used other services like Stumble Upon but honestly, I don’t have time for too many applications and I figure those who are following me will check my Tweets anyway. I also retweet others’ posts that I think would be of interest to my followers too. There is a lot of great information on the ‘net but sometimes we have to mine it out. Twitter makes it much easier to find great content without wasting a bunch of time.
2) Updated my Facebook Status
It’s easy to link up your Twitter account with Facebook and easier still to link Twitter to your cellphone. I rarely type in updates to my Facebook page through Facebook itself. I use a Facebook application called “Selective Twitter” to filter only the tweets I want on my FB page by adding a simple hashtag, #fb, to any tweet I want to post on Facebook. That’s why I tell my Facebook friends to follow me on Twitter as well if they want to get all of what I’m updating. Most of the links I share and the retweets I post never make it on my Facebook site simply because I don’t want the clutter there. You can subscribe to my Twitter page by clicking on the link to the right of this post where you see my updates!
3) Promoting This Blog
I’ve read the posts that rip people for plugging their blogs through Twitter but face it, there’s a lot of information on the ‘net and the only way many folks will read your content is by letting them know it’s there. Hashtags make this easy by tagging a blog post through a tweet with a hashtag. I’ve had people read posts I’ve written well over a year ago because I’ve mentioned them through a hashtag that someone is filtering. For example, fans of the “Getting Things Done” productivity system by David Allen routinely post their tips on the system using the hashtag #gtd. If I tweet about a post that may aid in productivity, I will tag it as such and many more people besides my followers will see it. There’s nothing wrong with promoting your blog through Twitter.
4) Using it For Fun
I still have fun tweeting about my day. Many friends like to know where I might be during a day and sometimes, they will find me through a tweet I’ve posted. Letting folks know about every mundane thing going on in your life might not be advisable but having some fun with a few of your tweets each day is a good way to connect with others. There’s nothing wrong with good clean fun.
If you’re not careful, social media will drain you of your life. Wasting time as the norm isn’t good. Everyone needs a break now and then but I don’t let Twitter (or Facebook) run my life. If used creatively, Twitter will help you get more work done, find new ideas to consider, and build your connections. I’ve booked preaching services online using Twitter. If used well, it can benefit your ministry and/or job and help you find new friends that share your interests. That’s how I use it. What things do you do with Twitter that you can share?
Product Review: Code Alpha Messenger Bag
Recently, I purchased myself a new messenger bag to tote my stuff around with me when I’m out. I’m not much for keeping a church “office” as you don’t meet new people that way. My old bag, that I discussed on this blog, is still in use to carry a few basic items here and there and pretty much stays in my car now. But a few years of active use has caused it to fade a bit and get worn down so I needed a new primary bag. But which one? I looked at picking up a nice leather bag but the styles just didn’t suit my needs. I wanted something practical, durable, and yet not too “girlish” in appearance. Enter the U.S. Cavalry “Code Alpha” messenger bag. You can watch the video above and check it out for yourself. I purchased mine in black so it has a professional look while still being very durable. After using it for a few weeks, here’s my review..
On the positive side:
I love the space this bag has. The three molly pouches on the front are nice to hold my cables for my Sony Reader, MP3 player, and my Alphasmart NEO USB cable. Inside the main area, there is plenty of room for a pen, my pencils, and my audio voice recorder. I also have my Sony Reader stashed in one of the main pockets and my planner in another. There is also an area for my cellphone both inside and outside the bag. On the other side of the bag, I use the laptop case to store my Alphasmart NEO word processor and have some space to store an extra bible and my leather journal for my devotional time. The side straps on both sides of the bag are adjustable to give you the extra room needed. I use the zippered back area to store a file folder with my sermon outlines in it so I can work with them when I’m out. As the video states, the handle is comfortable in my hand and the bag isn’t too bulky. You could make it bulky by expanding it too much but for what I need on the go, it’s terrific. In all, it’s a great bag for the price/value you get for it. No matter what you choose, you always have pluses and minuses but I like the fact the bag is nice enough to take to a professional meeting, yet looks rough enough for a “guy” type bag. It’s the perfect blend of what I needed versus what I paid for it.
Any negatives?:
The only thing I would improve with the Code Alpha Bag is to include a longer shoulder strap for people who like to carry their bags over their “opposite” shoulder. This bag’s strap doesn’t really allow for that so I find myself carrying it by the handle more than I did with my original bag which fit nicely over my opposite shoulder to carry it long distances. The strap clips to the bag so conceivably I could go to an outdoor store and likely find a suitable fit for the strap. I haven’t looked into it yet but it would be a nice addition to the bag to give the owner the choice of a shorter or longer strap. Other than that, I find it to be the perfect bag for my needs.
If you are in the market for a new messenger bag, this one is worth a look. U.S. Cavalry wasn’t even on my radar when I began shopping online for a bag and began watching reviews from other people on bags that they had purchased. I stumbled across the Code Alpha bag while searching reviews on YouTube and found the video I posted above. There wasn’t much online information about the bag itself but I liked its features and decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. If you don’t HAVE to have a leather bag and want something in the $55-$70 dollar price range, the Code Alpha Messenger bag from U.S. Cavalry could be just what you are looking for.
Scheduled Interruptions
What do you do with unplanned interruptions? Since I’ve written about productivity these past few weeks, I wanted to discuss a concern I hear about when I talk productivity with friends. It’s innocent enough. You have a plan and you’ve jotted down commitments for the day. You’ve reviewed your to-do lists and are ready to begin a task you’ve planned for the past few days when someone interrupts you either by stopping by unexpectedly or calling you. It’s happened to me several times. When I used to keep a physical office at the church I pastor, you’d be amazed how many people stop in to talk even when the door says “meetings by appointment only”. Now that my office is “mobile”, it’s not so much of an issue but phone calls can also be as big an issue. So what do you do? Here’s a few tips..
1) Schedule some “interrupt” time in your day planner. I don’t like to keep such a rigid calendar that I can’t take time for people. The very nature of my work requires me to be somewhat flexible when a situation occurs that outside of mine or the other person’s control. When planning your day the night before, block out some time for “unplanned interruptions”. If they occur, then you will be able to “flexicute” and move other things around. If they don’t occur great! You have time to tackle some other things. The idea here is to give yourself the breathing room to handle a truly necessary situation that could interrupt your plans. Now if the interruption isn’t too important then what?
2) Politely decline the interruption. Dan Kennedy discusses this at length in his excellent time management book. Some people do not see the value of time as you do and will seek to drain some of yours. If you work in an office, some chit-chat is fine. But most of it could be discussed later or even not at all. When someone comes to ask you if “have a minute”, ask them “Will it really be just a minute?” At first, some of these folks may get angry with you but once they understand your value of time, they will be happy to set a time (if you wish to discuss it later) to go over it with you. Many times, I simply ask the person if it can wait until a certain time, schedule that time with them, and then let them know I will be there. This should make them feel as though you value their time so in the future, they will value yours. For some things, it’s best just to dismiss it (gossip for instance) and just let the person move on to someone else who doesn’t care if they waste away their day.
3) Control Phone Discussions. The “Have you got a minute” line also happens during phone calls. My rule of phone etiquette is this: I tell people up front that I need to talk with them for “no fewer than ‘x’ amount of minutes and do they have that time?” Most will say sure but some have said, “If you can keep it to that” and I respect that. I get to the point and if the conversation takes on a tone that both wish for it to continue, great. If not, I keep my call to the time I requested. People will come to respect you for this. On the flip side, when someone calls me, I let them know up front if I have a commitment and how long I have. If I’m truly pressed for time and cannot get with them at that moment, I let voice mail take the call and I make note to call that person back when I have a block of time scheduled for call backs. The key is to be in control. I enjoy visiting with old friends and church families on the phone. Many times, I make sure to schedule blocks of time just for this purpose. But for too many calls, we simply do not have a plan on what we want to talk about of how best to end the call and respect the other person’s time.
These brief tips will give you power in most any situation. You can control your calendar, get things done, and still be nice with those who request your time. For certain there will be some who will be turned off by your new habits and feel like your not making time for them. Most times a simple explanation will do but even if that doesn’t work, most of these folks will come around and respect your time commitments. I’m certain if it were a meeting with them that you were protecting, they would be much more understandable! Just give it time and adjust your schedule accordingly to deal with unplanned interruptions.
Have a great week!
Book Review: The Pomodoro Technique Illustrated
I found Staffan Nöteberg’s book on the Pomodoro technique to be quite informative, fun, and full of useful information. For those who don’t know about this productivity technique. It’s based on integrating short burst of time with interval periods of recovery. You can read my review of the “Pomodoro Technique” book by Francesco Cirillo on this blog. The book by Cirillo is an introduction and is available as a free download. Nöteberg’s book builds on the strategy outlined by Cirillo by showing everyday uses of the technique.
Following several posts on Time Management, many would ask if the Pomodoro Technique is it’s own system? I would say yes and no. You could use the technique by itself and be profitable with it but the Pomodoro technique is really an execution technique that can be integrated into ANY time management system. What Nöteberg’s book does is give you common sense, practical ideas to use it in many different settings. I especially liked his explanation of using the system in teams so that project work can get done in a more efficient manner. I also had to appreciate his variation of the technique using index cards. As one who has a love for the cards myself, I smiled when I read about how he set up his “deck” of cards to get work done.
For those who know nothing of this system, it’s name was derived by Cirillo’s use of a tomato shaped timer (Pomodoro is it’s Italian name) to help him focus his work. A “Pomodoro” in this system is a 25 minute window of focused work followed by five minutes of recovery to let your brain go free for a bit. After four pomodoros, you are given a bit longer rest to break up the “set”. It really focuses on how your brain works and processes information.
The wonderful thing about Nöteberg’s book is that it is available in a variety of formats. You can purchase it as a PDF download, an ePub file for your Sony Reader or popular eReader devices, or as a paperback book. You will find the humor and practical information to be an easy read and the ideas presented by Nöteberg to be doable and easy to integrate into your current system.
For many, the execution of a task is the hardest part of being productive. “The Pomodoro Technique Illustrated” gives you hands on, real world experience to make it work for you. You can purchase the book online and best yet, you can follow the author on Twitter and he will be glad to answer any further questions you have. I give high marks for the book and recommend it for your library. Remember though, the “Pomodoro Technique” book is different from this. You can download that book for free as a starter and then read Nöteberg’s book as a follow up for clarification. It’s worth the investment.
