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Category Archive: Church Scattered

How To Make Big Family Decisions

Posted by on January 19, 2015

We will make hundreds of decisions this year and for the most part the risk is very low. However, there will be one to three big decisions that could be game changers for you and your family. Mark Merrill covers the bases:

“In 2015, your family will very likely face some big decisions. Some decisions you’ll see coming and others will need to be made without warning. These big decisions can put a lot of stress on a marriage and family. Should you stay in your current job, or chase a new one, or keep looking for that job that seems so elusive?

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How To Control Your Calendar

Posted by on January 15, 2015

Our problem is really not enough time to get everything done its how we use the time we already have. You will either learn to schedule your priorities or you will be reacting to your circumstances every day. Tim Stevens has some excellent suggestions on how to control your calendar:

“Mark Batterson wrote, “If you don’t control your calendar, your calendar will control you.” Alan Lakein said, “Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life and make the most of it.”

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Breaking Financial Bondage

Posted by on January 7, 2015

I just completed my first year where every week I posted to our budget with Quicken and did serious work on accomplishing our financial goals. Oh I have done this for years before but never with the convictional motivation I had this year and it was incredible. Mark Merrill helps you start this year in the right way:

“The holidays are over. The tree is down and the boxes and shredded wrapping paper are in the trash. But for many families this year, there will be regular reminders of those gift-giving memories – bills.”

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Old Enough To Be Dangerous

Posted by on November 10, 2014

One of my sons friends growing up when challenged on a lets say behavioral issue said I am old enough to know better but too young to care. Well, what happens when you are old enough to know better and care all at the same time. Leaders get stuck many times because they are living off the lessons learned years ago and they think that growth is no longer necessary. Jenni Carton has some personal insight to offer:

“I’m not old. Neither am I young. In this stage of life I want to be both. I want the maturity and wisdom of age and experience but I want to cling to the energy and idealism of youth.”

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Excellence Is A Choice

Posted by on November 7, 2014

There is a major difference between seeking excellence compared to wanting perfection. Perfection has no tolerance for risk that might lead to failure while excellence demands risk for the sake of improvement. Excellence has no tolerance either for average but it does not create a culture of fear and intimidation. Character driven leaders cannot settle for anything less than their best and Scott Williams has some great insights:

“Often times Excellence is viewed as this moving, high-level target that only a select group of fortuitous individuals can achieve. Excellence is simply a choice, it’s choice to: study more, practice longer, take that extra step in customer service,

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The Leaders Bucket List

Posted by on October 20, 2014

I have watched this movie probably 5 times and I want to say its because of the incredible acting. But beyond that we all cannot help but think about what things would make our list. When it really gets serious for me is when the things are not for fun anymore but for the influence to really make a difference in this life. John Maxwell has some great thoughts for leaders:

“Everyone we meet has the potential to teach us something. Of all the sources of knowledge available to us in the Digital Age, the richest repository of wisdom still resides in the hearts of the people we interact with each day. The Internet can help us track down information, but life’s deepest truths are best learned in the context of relationships, from people who have lived and breathed them.”

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7 Ways To Reduce Stress And Restore Sanity

Posted by on October 18, 2014

Too much stress and the lack of margin that produces it may be the single greatest leadership challenge of living today. We even get stressed over the fact that we are stressed. There are some practical and effective things we all can do to reduce and even effectively manage this chronic problem. As always, Michael Hyatt gives some great advice:

“The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on the trend in slow reading. The idea is that intentional time in a book can improve our minds and reduce our stress. We all have favorite things we do to deal with the stress in our lives.”

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Man In The Mirror

Posted by on October 8, 2014

I finally realized after many years of making excuses that the hardest person in my life to deal with was myself. If you can discipline yourself to keep yourself at the top of your priority list then you will solve most of the other problems in your life. I was reviewing my Life Plan today and had a good look in the mirror. This post by John Maxwell was very helpful:

“In leadership, the first person we must examine is ourselves. That’s the Mirror Principle. If our self-perception is distorted, then our attempts to influence others will be misguided or even manipulative. The first person I must know is myself; this brings self-awareness.”

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The One Thing You Need To Know To Be Happy

Posted by on September 26, 2014

The success ladder is high and when you get to the top their can be an empty feeling if it’s leaning on the wrong building. The journey from success to significance is an absolute necessary right of passage if you really want to make a difference in the world. It is very scary at times but so worth it as Michael Hyatt points out in this post:

“There aren’t many phrases in English more recognizable than “the pursuit of happiness.” But what could happen if we turned it around?

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Say No To The Good And Yes To The Best

Posted by on September 24, 2014

This represents the highest development level of leadership. In this day of high collaboration there is a build in bias toward doing more because there are more voices at the table. The only way I know as a leader to say No to good things is to already have a bigger Yes. Leaders have to have the courage to say no to the few for the benefit of the many. Brad Lomenick owns this problem and offer practical advice:

“I love this quote, but I struggle constantly with implementing it. It makes total sense, but as a persuader, my leadership style is to include and to invite more and more into the conversation and the huddle.”

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