2016: The Year in Review

The Year in Review

There is so much that could be said for any year, let alone this one, but I will lead off by saying, “WOW that sure went FAST!!”  My family had a great year together.  We have seen growth in our faith and there is nothing more important than that.

Together we have seen and done many things from watching our church kids play baseball to leaving thank you notes on the cars of veterans.  We work at life together and I am thankful for the hearts full of love, concern, and compassion found in Angie and Olivia.  I learn from them daily.

By watching Olivia in her element with the school choir I have gained a greater love for music and the arts, and the role they can play in our society.  Especially memorable was the two days we spent in Little Rock for the State Honor Choir.  These two days Olivia and approximately 50 other youngsters were under the direction of Raynard Brown.  Mr. Brown was a fantastic role model and teacher for these kids, not only on the music front, but in the beauty, diversity, and necessary unity of life.  The stories he told and the passion he had for life and doing things the right way likely will not be forgotten by anyone privileged enough to be there.

I have been awed and amazed by the work the youth of our church puts in throughout the year, and most certainly when they prepare for and execute their annual mission trip, under the direction of our incredible youth minister, David Lawrence.  Our world is a better place because of this group and others like it that give freely of themselves to advance the cause of Christ.  Us older dogs can learn some mighty good new tricks from them.

While Olivia and the youth were away Angie and I got the opportunity to spend a day reacquainting ourselves with the beauty of God’s creation with a driving tour of North Central Arkansas.  This was followed up a few weeks later by a trip back to that area, with Olivia, that included a tour of the amazing Blanchard Springs Cavern.  This opened up a new realm of amazement, for me, of the intricacy and detail of God’s creation.

Over the course of 2016 I have read (includes listening to audiobooks) 51 books plus the entire Bible.  As someone who did not enjoy reading as a kid it is amazing now to see these kinds of numbers of books and the amount of useful information available to us if we just go out and become a sponge soaking it up.  

Top 7 Reads/Listens

From 2016

1. “George Washington’s Secret Six

By Brian Kilmeade

2) “Getting Things Done”

By David Allen

3) “The Last Lecture”

By Randy Pausch

4) “Creativity Inc.”

By Ed Catmull

5) “A More Perfect Union”

By Dr. Ben Carson

6) “The Automatic Millionaire”

By David Bach

7) “The Field of Fight”

By Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn

Our family has been blessed in these ways and so many more during 2016.  God’s blessing has been evident and for that we are thankful.  May 2017 draw us nearer to Him and one another, and may you and your family be blessed immensely and your faith grow like kudzu in a southern forest.

What are your best memories from the previous year?  By sharing them and opening up to what can be, with God, in 2017 you will Do Well!

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a BLESSED New Year!

Midweek Motivation 12/21/16

Monday Morsel #37

Here is a little jewel of wisdom from the late great Paul Harvey.  For those of you too young to remember, Mr. Harvey was the "MostTrusted Man in America" for many years doing his short daily messages on radio.

Now for the rest of the story. . .

"If pro is the opposite of con, then what is the opposite of progress?"
Paul Harvey

Too bad we don't have this paragon of simple wisdom any longer.

Twas a Week Before Christmas

Twas a Week Before Christmas

Exactly one week from today it will be Christmas Day.  What does that mean for you this week?  If you are not finished with the shopping then you are not alone one study indicates that only 43% of people are completely finished with their shopping heading into the final week.

The bigger question is what percentage of your shopping have you completed?  The lower that number the higher your stress is likely to be coming down the stretch.  I know from experience that there are a multitude of reasons that we wind up in the haphazard, harried, holiday blitz mode.  First of all time slips away, second we are easily distracted, and finally we are trying to stretch every last dollar out of our payroll checks.

Why do we do it all?  This is a wonderful question and I am not sure that I have the right answer(s).  The most simple answer I can give is that it is what we have always done.  No this isn't an elegant or theological answer, but it is the best one I have to offer.  Looking at this from the same perspective we look at our business interests I would then have to ask, is that the best way to do this?  The answer here can be even more complex for most folks, but I am going counter-intuitive here and will say no that this is not the best way to do this. 

So, if this isn't the best way to do this, then how could we do it better?  My first thought would be to scale it back.  Yes the Wise Men in the Christmas story brought fine gifts, but they did not bring a truckload (they didn't even have trucks then).  Second don't get hung up on the calendar, those same wise men took a long time to reach Bethlehem and were not there immediately upon Jesus birth as is so often portrayed.  Finally concentrate on gratitude.  We have all been blessed immensely, and wanting to share from our bounty is a great thing, I would never encourage a selfish heart.  However, trying to outdo, outbuy, or one-up our friends and relatives with what we give is not a winning tradition.  Give from the heart and if there are those who are ungrateful then that is a problem of their heart not yours.  I would further suggest, and this may not be popular, but if you have those who have a history of ingratitude in receiving your gifts then you may consider crossing them off your list in the future.

What suggestions do you have for simplifying the season, or re-engineering how we celebrate?  I would love to hear from you with ideas of your own.  Together we can make this life better, and can all Do Well!

Midweek Motivation 12/14/16

Midweek Motivation

12/14/16

There is a different sort of beauty bound up in the holiday season.

Look for it,

and you can find it in

the decorations,

the music,

and the children.

Monday Morsel #36

Monday Morsel #36

As Christmas approaches we have a lot on our plates.  To truly enjoy the season it would be helpful for each of us to schedule down time, and to not get so overwhelmed with the activities of the season that we become overly stressed.  What does your schedule look like this week?

Technical DIfficulties

Technical Difficulties

This morning I am experiencing several 

technical difficulties and 

will look to resolve them later 

in the day.

Please look for my regular 

Monday Morsel post

later today, 

and return to my weekly 

musings next Sunday.

Apologies,

Terry

Midweek Motivation 12/7/16

"Mechanization best serves mediocrity."
Frank Lloyd Wright

While mechanization has led to many advances in our society, it has also driven us to lose a lot of our humanity.  The startling growth we have seen in technology has diluted many of our relationships.  Even in this forum with a potentially broad reach many of the connections are tenuous at best.  Can we rise above mediocrity, to excellence, and regain some of that lost humanity?  I'm game, how about you?

Monday Morsel #35

Discipline is the soul of an army.  It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.
George Washington

Discipline cuts across every aspect of our lives, and when we learn to harness its power things begin to change for the better.  How is your discipline these days?

Joy to the World?

Joy to the World?

There are few things in our world today that can simultaneously bring out both the best and the worst in people, the annual excursion through the holiday season is one of those things.  We can witness the madness of “Black Friday” (which pretty much isn’t even on Friday any longer) to communities coming together to provide for those who are less fortunate.  Throughout this period emotions run high and free time seems to evaporate into thin air, leaving us dazed, confused, and exhausted.

If Christmas is supposed to be a Christian holiday (which is debatable), then we should remember that the primary sign of our faith is our love for one another as seen in the following passage:

“A new commandment I give to you,

That you love one another:

Just as I have loved you,

You also are to love one another.

By this all people will know

That you are my disciples,

If you have love for one another.”

John 13:34-35

English Standard Version

It is not then the gifts that we provide that should be a priority but the way we conduct our lives daily.  Yes, enjoy and participate in the madness that is the Christmas season, but no don’t give up your identity in search of the biggest, fastest, newest vegetable slicer that not only slices, dices, or cubes, but also self-seasons at the touch of a finger.  The greatest gift we can provide is respect for those we come into contact with, and a legitimate love and concern for their soul.

Here are a few suggestions for keeping your sanity and your faith through this hectic time of year:

1. Make sure your faith is a priority in your life.  This should always be true, but when we get busy it is easy to get on a bad slide.
2. Prepare ahead of time.  At this point that may just mean keeping a list of items yet to be done/purchased and a timeline of when things need to be complete.  On a grander scale as this season ends start thinking about next year.  After Christmas sales are a great way to get the ball rolling, if you can store items without forgetting about them.
3. Plan times of rest and relaxation.  For some it may be a block of time to take a long, hot bath while for others it could be settling in to watch one of the many excellent Christmas movies, or a quiet time to read.  
4. Don’t get over-scheduled.  There is tremendous power in being able to say no, and it will help lower your anxiety as your calendar begins to clear and conform to your priorities.

I am certain there are other positive strategies available to us, but the key is to find what works for you, and remember that the other people you encounter on the roads, in the stores, or at work/school are probably just as stressed as you are.  If we will each show a bit of courtesy and respect then the holidays will flow so much better and truly be a season of Joy to the World.  It is my hope that this writing will stimulate you to think of how you can lower your own stress and contribute to lowering someone else’s along the way.  If you do, then you will Do Well!

Midweek Motivation

You can see and you can listen, but you have to have moments in which you feel.
Mike Krzyzewski