Coping with the Silly Season - D - Delegate

As a Mum, there are parts of Christmas I really like to organise myself.  Equally however, there are things that I truly loathe to do.  (Cleaning the deck-chairs is one!).  Whether at work, or at home, make sure you delegate the tasks that drain you of energy, and focus on the ones you enjoy.  What seems like a chore for you may well be a 'to-do list favourite' for someone else.  If you keep doing everything yourself, others will never get a chance to do the jobs they enjoy.

from Tonic magazine by EXULT

Coping with the Silly Season - C - Christmas Cards

A hand-written Christmas card is a simple way to acknowledge the support you have received from donors and volunteers throughout the year, but it can be a really time-consuming task if you have a long list of supporters.

Instead of trying to do them all on your own, give each of your team a list of supporters and ask them to choose 10 (or more) people whom they would like to thank-you to.  Most often staff will choose to thank people they have had some contact with, so not only does it help to share the load, it makes the acknowledgement more genuine as well.

from Tonic magazine by EXULT

Coping with the Silly Season - B - Bake Ahead

Christmas seems to be filled with functions where you need to 'bring a plate', but there's always so much going on, finding time to bake is almost impossible.  Now is a great time to do some bulk baking and pop it in the freezer.  That way you'll always have something on hand for those Christmas parties or unexpected guests.

from Tonic magazine by EXULT

Coping with the Silly Season - A - Ask for the Deadline

At this time of the year every deadline seems to be 'by Christmas', but chances are some deadlines are more flexible than this if you ask.  Work out which tasks have a firm deadline and worry about those things first.  If you complete the extra jobs before your holiday break, great - but don't put yourself under extra pressure for jobs that can wait.

from Tonic magazine by EXULT

Wednesday's Word of the Week - Jesus Honours You

You are valuable just because you exist! Remember that the next time some trickster tries to hang a bargain basement price tag on your self-worth.

Just think about the way Jesus honors you—and smile! I do. I smile because I know I don’t deserve a love like that. None of us do.

When you get right down to it, any contribution any of us makes is pretty puny. All of us, even the purest of us, deserve heaven about as much as that crook on the cross did.

It makes me smile to think there’s a grinning thief walking the golden streets of heaven who knows more about grace than a thousand theologians.

No one else would have given the thief on the cross a prayer. But in the end that is all he had. And in the end, that is all it took!

No wonder they call Jesus the Saviour. 

From Cast of Characters by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Friends with a Columnist

20. Become Friends with a Columnist

If you look in your local newspaper you’ll see that there are weekly columns which focus on various aspects of your community. While all local papers are slightly different, chances are you will find one on the arts, sport and education, and the authors are likely to be ordinary people who are involved in these sectors.

Make friends with the columnist who discusses issues relating to your organisation. Feed them information about what your organisation is doing, and what events you may have coming up. They are always hungry for issues to discuss, so you will be doing them a favour by keeping them in the loop.

Wednesday's Word of the Week - We Are Valuable

Value is now measured by two criteria: appearance and performance. Where does that leave the ugly or uneducated? Where hope does that offer the unborn child? The aged? The handicapped? Not much at all. We become nameless numbers on mislaid lists.

This is man’s value system. But it is not God’s. His plan is much brighter. In God’s book man is heading somewhere. He has an amazing destiny.

We’re being prepared to walk down the church aisle and become the bride of Jesus. We’re going to live with him. Share the throne with him. We count. We’re valuable.

Jesus’ love does not depend on what we do for him. If there was anything that Jesus wanted everyone to understand it was this: A person is worth something simply because he is a person. That’s why Jesus treated people the way he did.

You have value simply because you are!

You are His.

From Cast of Characters by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Enter Awards

19. Enter Awards

Entering awards is a great way to put the spotlight on your organisation and the people within it. Whether it’s business awards, volunteer awards, community spirit awards or something else, simply by entering you are saying to the community ‘we believe we are good at what we do, and we are prepared to stand up to scrutiny’.

The awards themselves always bring a degree of publicity, so make sure you piggy-back on that publicity and tell your own story about why you are entering. Whether you win or not, your willingness to be scrutinised brings valuable credibility.

To find awards offered in your region check with your local council and Chamber of Commerce.

Wednesday's Word of the Week - Make a Choice

Maybe your past isn’t much to brag about. Maybe you’ve seen raw evil—and now you have to make a choice. Do you rise above the past and make a difference? Or do you remain controlled by the past and make excuses?

Healthy bodies. Sharp minds. But retired dreams. Back and forth they rock in the chair of regret. Lean closely and you’ll hear them.

If only I’d been born somewhere else. . .

If only I’d been treated fairly. . .

If only I’d had more opportunities. . .if only. . .

Put down the scrapbook of your life and pick up the Bible. Read Jesus’ words in John 3:6: “Human life comes from human parents but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.”

God has not left you adrift on a sea of heredity. You have a choice in the path you take.

Choose well!

From Cast of Characters by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Name Badges

18. Wear Branded Name Badges

I know it sounds incredibly simplistic, but the simple act of wearing a branded name badge can spark conversation about your organisation. You never know who you might meet and how they may be able to help. A branded name badge is the easiest introduction you can give.