Routine or Rut-ine?

Have you ever noticed that within the word routine is hidden the letters you also need to spell rut?

Routines are good for us.  They bring order to our life along with a degree of certainty and knowing what to expect.  All of these are positive, but do we get so wrapped up in the routine that it becomes stale or mundane?  If you are anything like me that can become the case.  Before we know it we are doing nothing but going through the motions for no other reason but to mark them from our list.

It is at this point that the routine has become a RUT.  What do we know about ruts?  If we think of some of the country roads, they will become rutted by the traffic and if a spark of change ( road crew) doesn't do something about it the rut only gets deeper.  As a rut deepens it becomes harder to get out of and if it gets too deep we become stuck.  If we are stuck then we are not getting any results from our efforts.

Personally I believe I have fallen into some ruts in my life.  How about you?  Is it time to make some changes in our routines?  For me it is, and if you recognize a rut forming in your routine then I strongly suggest shaking up the routine.  It doesn't have to be drastic, but it cannot remain the same.

In Matthew 6:31-34 Jesus reminds us not to worry about everything "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." (NKJV)  If we will start with this thoughr at the top of our priority list then He will guide us through the rest. 

Go out this week with Christ first and then let Him take control of the routines of our life, that we May DO WELL.

The Challenge of Challenges

Challenges befall us at frequent intervals.  How do we respond?  If we are honest with ourselves we often fail.

Whether the challenges are physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual we have decisions to make, often in the heat of the moment.  What we do in those moments goes a long way to setting the course for our lives.  Two of the best ways to be prepared are to be an observer of others and to set in place some absolutes where we will not compromise when challenged.

To do these things will set us up for far more successes when challenged than failures.  By being an observer of others we see how others respond to their own challenges and this gives valuable information for facing our own challenges.  Setting up some absolutes is a form of resolve that truly defines who we are and what we are about.

If we are parents this idea of having absolutes is critical in modeling for our children.  Kids need to understand boundaries, and to know there are things that we, and they, cannot do. 

The week ahead will likely pose challenges for each of us, how we respond may be a defining moment.  How will we be defined?  Go out this week, face your challenges, and Do Well.

Day of Encouragement

Today was spent with several of my Christian friends overseeing approximately 25 of the youth from our congragation at a youth rally in Conway, AR.  There is something about these events that you can't understand until you have been to one. 

These events bring together groups of young people seeking Christ, and their adult chaperones to a place where they are safe and unified.  This unity is a key component of these events, as many, especially from smaller churches or towns, often feel like they are on an island as Christian youngsters.  The encouragement that can be garnered by this can help them grow in faith, as we all should.

The messages, classes, and singing that occur top off the events with a positive vibe and call to action.  I, for one, am thankful these events exist and even more so that there are teens out there who "give up" there weekends to attend and grow. 

Our keynote speaker this weekend is a self-proclaimed ex-heathen originally from the Nova Scotia province in Canada.  His journey to Christ, and ultimately to the ministry provided rich material from which to draw and provoke thought in both young and older alike.  His story could very well be the story of someone in our communities who is touched by a simple act that may seem insignificant to us at the time it is performed.

There are so many potential applications to this message; accountability, unity, teamwork, persistence, patience, viewpoint, perspective and the list goes on and on.  These lessons are also transferable to academics, business, fitness, and family.  It is amazing how God puts this all together for us.

Today I challenge you to look at these lessons and see how you might apply them to situations in your life.  If you will seek to incorporate them I suspect you will Do Well!

Checkpoint

We have put to rest the first week of the new year.  Many have set out on resolutions or goals for the year, now are they willing to check-in to assess how they are doing?  This at the heart of why many will not live up to the ambitious targets they have set.

If you truly seek change in your life, then it is imperative to check-in periodically.  When we fail to keep tabs on our progress  we often wind up in an out of control spiral away from the target, and that is when we give up.  You are better than that! 

In matters of faith, are you praying regularly?  In a letter to the church at Thessalonica Paul exhorted them to "pray without ceasing".  We are further guided to "study and show thyself approved. . ."  Have you been in the word?  Finally in the faith category, are you attending worship?  Being with others who are seeking God, encouraging one another and bearing one another's burdens is a wonderful blessing.

On the finance front what have you changed toward a different result?  Are you still living the bad habits of your past?  Adopt the "B" word, a budget, and work at it daily.  Work on yourself to hone your skills and increase your knowledge to make yourself more valuable in your workplace or the marketplace at large.  In the words of Dave Ramsey, use "baby steps".  We did not get to where we are overnight, nor will we get to our desired outcome that quickly either.

Finally on fitness, again it is a journey to a desired end.  Much like learning to ride a bike we will have crashes and some of them will hurt.  We MUST however, pick the bike back up and go again.  With practice we get better, and with a coach or a cheerleader, any accountability partner it is easier to get going again.  Do you have a champion, to turn to for encouragement, just as those learning to ride that bike typically have that parent running alongside until they get the confidence to go it more on their own?

The bottom line this week is don't let the early distractions or obstacles deter you from your goals.  Assess and limit the mess!  Together we can all DO WELL!

Commitment to Improve

Early in my adult life I worked as a retail store manager for Hastings Entertainment stores.  I recall that when we would have to write someone up for policy violations we used a form called "Commitment to Improve" (CTI).  Though the form name was meant portray a positive tone, it was never taken as such by those who were being written up.

As we begin the adventure that is a new year I want to challenge each of you to join me in making a commitment to Improve in some area or areas of your life. 

I have written a considerable bit about goal-setting in the past couple of months and want to make one more appeal to you in this regard.  Though plans often go astray they do provide us with a road map and a definition of success.  If we, as Christians, let others or the world at large define success we will be hopelessly spinning our wheels and likely have wedges inserted between us and God, that become far more difficult to remove over time.

Define your success, move forward toward it, and Do Well in 2016.