Wednesday's Word of the Week - Worth Saving

No one believed in people more than Jesus did. He saw something in Peter worth developing, in the adulterous woman worth forgiving, and in John worth harnessing.

He saw something in the thief on the cross, and what he saw was worth saving. And in the life of a wild-eyed, bloodthirsty extremist, He saw the apostle of grace. He believed in Saul.

Don’t give up on your Saul. When others write him off, give him another chance. Stay strong. Call him brother. Call her sister. It’s too soon to throw in the towel. Talk to your Saul about Jesus, and pray.

God is at work behind the scenes. And remember this: God never sends you where he hasn’t already been. By the time you reach your Saul, who knows what you’ll find.

God used Saul, who became Paul, to touch the world.

Has God given you a Saul?

From Cast of Characters by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Events Websites

17. Use Events Websites

There are literally hundreds of websites which will promote your event free of charge – all you have to do is submit the details. Depending on the site, you can list anything from fundraisers through to conferences, weekly programmes or one off community events. Listing your events can take time, but it is worth it. Perhaps you can find a volunteer to take regular responsibility for this task?

Useful Events Websites
The following websites offer opportunities for community groups to promote themselves and their events. Most of the sites can help you out in more than one way – so browse through the list and see what each site can offer you.

www.exult.co.nz
www.community.net.nz
www.webhealth.co.nz
www.newzealandnz.co.nz
www.maori.org.nz
www.yourevents.co.nz
www.communityconnect.co.nz
www.nzlive.co.nz
www.eventfinder.co.nz
www.sportevent.co.nz
www.te.co.nz/community/events
www.motorsportevent.co.nz
www.fourcorners.co.nz
www.viewchristchurch.co.nz
www.bethere.co.nz (Canterbury Region)
www.wellingtonnz.com/events
www.wotzon.com
www.feelinggreat.co.nz (Wellington Region)
www.gisbornenz.com/events (Gisborne / East Coast Region)
www.hamiltonevents.co.nz
www.eastlandnz.com/events
www.ashburtondistrictevents.co.nz
www.viewdunedin.co.nz

Most local councils also offer Event Calendars and links through to local community groups. To
find your local council website visit www.localcouncils.govt.nz

Motivation Monday - Priorities

I always say to God 'If you going to tell me something, tell me more than once - so I get the message'.  Even though I've heard it many times before, and read and/or demonstrated it to my pioneer girls before, the below bit of wisdom has come at me a few ways the last week or so.  In our GB newsrap mag, then a colleague emails it to me.  What made me really think about it was a colleague who passed away too soon, taken just before he retired, before he went on an advanture in a caravan that he and his wife had always wanted to do.

God.  Thanks.  I got it.  Loud and clear.  Priorities.  Going to get it sorted!


"When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend."

Anonymous

Wednesdays Word of the Week - To Know the Heart of the Pilot

Three passengers share a row of seats in an airplane. As the plane is taxiing for takeoff, their conversation turns to the topic of the airplane pilot.

Stunningly, passenger 'A' doesn't believe one exists. 'No one flies the plane. We are guided by a computer system in the terminal. This plane is an occupied drone. Why should I believe otherwise? The cockpit door is closed. Who can know? There is no pilot.'

Passenger 'B' disagrees. 'Oh, there is a pilot. Someone sits at the controls of the plane. But, once we take off, he takes a nap. He gets the plane in the air and then goes to sleep.'

The third passenger is shocked by what she hears. 'You don't know what you are talking about. First, there is a pilot. Second, the pilot is alert, competent and kind. I know; he is my husband. He is seasoned and sensitive and has every intention of a successful flight. We are in good hands.'

Three passengers. Three opinions. A plane with no pilot. A plane with a disengaged pilot. A plane with a seasoned and concerned pilot. Fast forward a few minutes. Turbulence shakes the plane like popcorn in a paper bag. Will the three passengers experience the flight in the same way? Of the three travelers, which is most prone to stay calm?

Nothing is more important than the right view of God. Nothing. I've seen the wealthy and highly educated crumple like cowards at the face of death. I've seen the simple and humble take their final breath with a smile and a song. The difference? They knew the Pilot.

You need to know the heart of the pilot. That is why the story of Jesus is in the Bible. He is the only picture of God ever taken. To know Jesus, is to know God. To know God is to know: this flight gets bumpy, but the Pilot? He knows how to get us home.

Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Become the Expert

16. Become the Expert

The media are always looking for ‘experts’ to comment on different stories, and if you’re working in the non-profit sector you are an expert on something! Think about what your organisation does and the area you feel comfortable commenting on, and then let your local media know. Whenever they have a story on your topic, you could be called to comment. It’s a great way to get publicity without having to come up with the press release.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - part 7

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Here are some examples of activities:

Physical:                  Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting
Social/Emotional:     Making social and meaningful connections with others
Mental:                    Learning, reading, writing, and teaching
Spiritual:                 Spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, or service

As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life. Sharpen the Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. Without this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?

Feeling good doesn't just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It's all up to you. You can renew yourself through relaxation. Or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing everything. You can pamper yourself mentally and spiritually. Or you can go through life oblivious to your well-being. You can experience vibrant energy. Or you can procrastinate and miss out on the benefits of good health and exercise. You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. Just remember that every day provides a new opportunity for renewal--a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall. All it takes is the desire, knowledge, and skill.

by Stephen Covey

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - part 6

Habit 6: Synergize

To put it simply, synergy means "two heads are better than one." Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn't just happen on its own. It's a process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually. Synergy lets us discover jointly things we are much less likely to discover by ourselves. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One plus one equals three, or six, or sixty--you name it.

When people begin to interact together genuinely, and they're open to each other's influence, they begin to gain new insight. The capability of inventing new approaches is increased exponentially because of differences.

Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along? Many people mistake uniformity for unity; sameness for oneness. One word--boring! Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life.

by Stephen Covey

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - part 5

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Communication is the most important skill in life. You spend years learning how to read and write, and years learning how to speak. But what about listening? What training have you had that enables you to listen so you really, deeply understand another human being? Probably none, right?

If you're like most people, you probably seek first to be understood; you want to get your point across. And in doing so, you may ignore the other person completely, pretend that you're listening, selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning entirely. So why does this happen? Because most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. You listen to yourself as you prepare in your mind what you are going to say, the questions you are going to ask, etc. You filter everything you hear through your life experiences, your frame of reference. You check what you hear against your autobiography and see how it measures up. And consequently, you decide prematurely what the other person means before he/she finishes communicating. Do any of the following sound familiar?

"Oh, I know just how you feel. I felt the same way." "I had that same thing happen to me." "Let me tell you what I did in a similar situation."

Because you so often listen autobiographically, you tend to respond in one of four ways:

Evaluating:     You judge and then either agree or disagree.
Probing:          You ask questions from your own frame of reference.
Advising:         You give counsel, advice, and solutions to problems.
Interpreting:   You analyze others' motives and behaviors based on your own experiences.

You might be saying, "Hey, now wait a minute. I'm just trying to relate to the person by drawing on my own experiences. Is that so bad?" In some situations, autobiographical responses may be appropriate, such as when another person specifically asks for help from your point of view or when there is already a very high level of trust in the relationship.

by Stephen Covey

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - part 4

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

 

Think Win-Win isn't about being nice, nor is it a quick-fix technique. It is a character-based code for human interaction and collaboration.

 

Most of us learn to base our self-worth on comparisons and competition. We think about succeeding in terms of someone else failing--that is, if I win, you lose; or if you win, I lose. Life becomes a zero-sum game. There is only so much pie to go around, and if you get a big piece, there is less for me; it's not fair, and I'm going to make sure you don't get anymore. We all play the game, but how much fun is it really?

 

Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. We both get to eat the pie, and it tastes pretty darn good!

A person or organization that approaches conflicts with a win-win attitude possesses three vital character traits:

1. Integrity: sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments
2. Maturity: expressing your ideas and feelings with courage and consideration for the ideas and feelings of others
3. Abundance Mentality: believing there is plenty for everyone

Many people think in terms of either/or: either you're nice or you're tough. Win-win requires that you be both. It is a balancing act between courage and consideration. To go for win-win, you not only have to be empathic, but you also have to be confident. You not only have to be considerate and sensitive, you also have to be brave. To do that--to achieve that balance between courage and consideration--is the essence of real maturity and is fundamental to win-win.

by Stephen Covey

 

Wednesdays Word of the Week - Always Praying

Early Christians were urged by the apostle Paul to 'pray without ceasing.' In Romans 12:12, Paul said: 'always be prayerful'. And in Ephesians 6:18, to 'pray at all times and on every occasion.'

Unceasing prayer may sound complicated, but it needn't be!

As you stand in line to register your car, think, 'Thank you, Lord, for being here.' In the grocery store as you shop. As you load the dishwasher, worship your Maker.

Brother Lawrence was a well-known saint who called himself the 'lord of pots and pans.' He wrote: 'The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.'

Though a rookie in the League of Unceasing Prayer, I sure enjoy the result! I think you will too.

From 'Come Thirsty' by Max Lucado