Wednesday's Word of the Week - Completely Human

When a bookstore owner told me a woman had stomped into his shop, angry, slamming one of my books on the counter, I knew exactly what he was talking about. I wrote that Jesus may have had pimples. He may have had bony knees. But I said, “One thing’s for sure, he was, while completely divine, completely human.”

There’s something safe about a God who never had calluses. There’s something majestic about a God who never scraped his elbow. But there’s also something cold about a God who cannot relate to what you and I feel.

Rejection? He felt it. Temptation? He knew it. Loneliness? He experienced it. Death? He tasted it. And stress? He could write a best-selling book about it.

Why did he do it? One reason. So that when you hurt, you’ll go to him and let him heal you!

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15.”

From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Send Regular E-Letters

26. Send Regular E-Letters

Sending regular e-letters (email newsletters) costs you nothing other than your time, but if you want to make them effective, you need to keep them short and to the point. If an e-letter is too long, it simply won’t be read.

With that in mind, it is better to send frequent e-letters which focus on just one or two things, rather than saving it all up for a massive email once every few months. Make sure the information you are sending is new, relevant and gives the reader a ‘call to action’ – that is, after reading the e-letter what do you want them to do?

Make sure you have permission to email the recipients and give them the option to unsubscribe.

Wednesday's Word of the Week - Grace Chooses Foregiveness

Victoria Ruvolo doesn’t remember the 18-year-old boy leaning out the window holding, of all things, a frozen turkey. He threw it at her windshield. Crashing through the glass, it shattered Victoria’s face like a dinner plate on concrete.

John 13:14-15 says: “Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Do as I have done to you.”

Victoria Ruvolo did. Months later, she stood face to face with her offender in court. No longer cocky, he was trembling, tearful, and apologetic. Six months behind bars, five years’ probation. Everyone in the courtroom objected. He sobbed, and she spoke: “I forgive you. I want your life to be the best it can be.”

The reduced sentence was her idea. “God gave me a second chance at life, and I passed it on” she said!

Grace chooses to see God’s forgiveness!

From GRACE by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Write Articles for Other Peoples Websites

25. Write Articles for Other Peoples Websites

Increasingly the internet is becoming the first place people go for advice. It doesn't matter whether they want to know how to lower their cholesterol, manage their troublesome teen, or bake on a budget – chances are the internet is the first place they will search.

Writing ‘how-to’ articles about the issues that affect your potential members and clients, is a good way to be seen on the net. Once they have read your expert advice, they can click through to discover all the other ways you can help.

Wednesday's Word of the Week - Make it Personal

Christ took away your sins. He endured not just the nails of the Romans, the mockery of the crowd, and the spear of the soldier, but the anger of God!

God didn’t overlook your sins, lest he endorse them. He didn’t punish you lest he destroy you. He instead found a way to punish the sin and preserve the sinner. Jesus took your punishment, and God gave you the credit for Jesus’ perfection. As long as the cross is God’s gift to the world, it will touch you but not change you.

Precious as it is to proclaim, “Christ died for the world,” even sweeter it is to whisper, “Christ died for me!”

For my sins he died. He took my place on the cross. He felt my shame and spoke my name. Thank God for the day Jesus took your place, for the day Grace happened to you!

From GRACE by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Get Profiled in a National Magazine

24. Get Profiled in a National Magazine

The community sector is full of inspirational and outright incredible stories – many of which we take for granted because we see or work amongst them everyday. However for those who are not a part of the community sector, these stories of courage, hope and inspiration and truly magical moments.

Getting these stories into a national magazine is a great way to raise the profile of your organisation and shine the spotlight on the work that you do within your communities. You don’t necessarily have to be a journalist or PR agent to make this happen, and you don’t necessarily need to employ one either!

Coping with the Silly Season - Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Just like eating well, sleep is an essential ingredient for coping with stress.  If you have some late nights with Christmas celebrations, make sure you have some early nights to balance it out.

Merry Christmas everyone xx

Coping with the Silly Season - Y - You're NOT Perfect - Accept It

No Matter how hard you try, you will drop the ball sometime between now and Christmas.  Let go of perfectionism, and accept that it happens to the best of us.  Nobody cares if your house is not House and Garden tidy, or your 'bring a plate' ia a store bought packet of biscuits.  Work to your strengths and let the other stuff go.

Coping with the Silly Season - X - Explore Possibilities

Just because you have always done things a certain way, doesn't mean it has to be that way forever.  If this time of year really gets the better of you - think about how you can do things differently.  A few people might get their feathers ruffled in the beginning, but let that be their problem - not yours.

Coping with the Silly Season - W - Work Flexi-Hours

Sometimes it's not that I haven't go time, it's that I haven't got time right at that moment!  This is particularly true for me in the lead-up to Christmas, when everything seems to happen at once.

If you don't do it already, ask if you can work flexi-hours, even if it's just for the month of December.  This will help you juggle work and family commitments more easily, and you'll be far more productive when you are in the office.  I always achieve much more when I'm not stressing about where else I should be.

Coping with the Silly Season - V - Visual Reminders

How often do we hear 'Remember What Matters' and how often do we forget?  Make a big poster to hang on the wall of your office or kitchen, so you can continually remind yourself of what really matters in your life.  It's easy to get caught up in the stress and pressure of Christmas, and a visual reminder is a simple way to get yourself back on track.

Wednesday's Word of the Week - Gifted, Equipped and Commissioned!

Satan’s condemnation brings no repentance or resolve, just regret!

Satan has one aim: steal your peace, kill your dreams, and destroy your future.

He’s deputized people to peddle his poison. Friends dredge up your past. Preachers proclaim all guilt and no grace. And parents, oh, your parents. They own a travel agency that specializes in guilt trips. “Why can’t you grow up?” “When are you going to make me proud?”

But he will not have the last word! Jesus has acted on your behalf. Jesus Christ rises to your defense.

Hebrews 10:21 urges: “. . .let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience.”

Not just for our past mistakes but also for our future ones. Behold the fruit of grace: saved by God, raised by God, seated with God!

Gifted, equipped, and commissioned!

From GRACE by Max Lucado

Coping with the Silly Season - U - Use Technology

Whether at work or at home, there is technology available to make you r life easier.  Use it.  Order gifts online.  Avoid the supermarket and get groceries online.  Put the answerphone on.  Send out Holiday Greetings via Facebook.

Toolbox Tuesday - Register with an Online Fundraising Site

23. Register with an Online Fundraising Site

Online fundraising sites allow you to create your own promotional page about your organisation, and the specific project you are raising money for. You can add photographs and blogs to truly engage people in your cause, and people can make donations to you via the site. Creating a fundraising page is free, but the website owners take a 5% administration fee for any money raised.

The plus side of using an online fundraising site is that you reach people you may not ordinarily reach. There are two great fundraising sites in New Zealand, and both are very pro-active in promoting the organisations that use them. Check them out at www.givealittle.co.nz and www.fundraiseonline.co.nz .

Coping with the Silly Season - T - To-Do Lists

I am a big 'to-do' list maker at any time of the year, but at Christmas time they really are my saving grace.  At this itme of year I make three seperate lists:  One for things I need to do in the office, one for things I need to do at home, and one for things I need to do while I am out and about.  My out and about list is divided in to 'locations', so whenever I am in that area of town I can get everything on the list done at once.

Coping with the Silly Season - S - Schedule Uninterrupted Time

Both at home and in the office, schedule one hour each day of uninterrupted time.  Close the door, turn off the phone, and do whatever else you need to do, so you can get things done without interruption.

For me, the first hour in the office is uninterrupted time, and at home, it is scheduled differently depending on the day.

Coping with the Silly Season - R - Realistic Expectations

While we would all love the movie-version of a family Christmas with all the trimmings, for some of us it's just not going to happen.  Try not to focus on other people's expectations, and get real about how Christmas will be for you and your family.  The trick is to celebrate what you have and not wish for what you haven't - and not just in a material sense.

Coping with the Silly Season - Q - Quit Complaining

Everyone knows you're busy, tired and stressed - chances are they are busy, tired and stressed too.  Instead of focussing on the negatives, consciously look for the positive in every day.  By all means be tired, but make sure you are tired AND something else.  Tired and excited.  Tired and grateful.  Tired and enthusiastic.  What you say has a big impact on how you feel.