Let There Be Light

I've been reflecting on this most wonderful time of the year very much recently.
The songs... The lights and decorations... The TV Specials... The weather... (I'm in Atlanta so that only means so much.)

I've also thought about the competing narratives we hear and see so often during this season of the year: The story of a young lady, soon to be married, who is visited by and angel and given life-changing news and the competing story of the latest pair of shoes or the hottest toy that will release in limited quantity and are must-haves this year. The story of a hurried journey taken by a pregnant woman and her betrothed, riding on a donkey, to a far place and the narrative of the latest model vehicle decorated with a giant bow sitting in the well-manicured driveway of an immaculate house on a quiet street in a beautiful neighborhood. The story of the birth of a child who would change the world and the story of lists and "toys" and ribbon and wrapping paper and trees and food and...

And, well, you get the point, I'm sure.

You and I both know very well that Christmas is more. Christmas, for me, is so much more than the latter of these competing narratives. And the scope of what Christmas means goes beyond the wonderful celebration we look ahead to with earnest anticipation. I hope over the next few days to share some conclusions I've come to as a result of my reflecting on these things.

Today, I want to share this thought: We were in darkness. He brought LIGHT.

The Bible says that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless empty, and dark. Not the most exciting place to be. There was no beauty there. No brilliant lights, nothing glorious; nothing even hinting at it. Just a shapeless, dark void.

But God was there. 

This is significant. There before him lay something that was completely undesirable. 
But, God knew what he was doing.

God entered into the massless, shapeless terrible darkness. And in the middle of this horrific, gross darkness He spoke. His very word caused the cosmos to tremble and shake and respond to his command: "Let there be light." And there was light.

This is Christmas.

He shows us in the first two verses of the entire book what everything hinges on.

There was darkness. He brought light.

The story is replete throughout scripture. God enters into dark places to connect to his people. Then brings light into the darkest and most hopeless situations to reveal Himself and His glory to his people. 

This is Christmas. This is why I celebrate. Because of the assurance that Light is come and darkness is no more. and because of the hope that Light will come, and darkness will forever be no more. 

---

“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and it’s lamp is the Lamb... Amen. Come Lord Jesus!”

What kind of extremists will we be?

If you have never done so, take a half hour today and read "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

Feel the sinceretiy, authenticity and conviction of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

And, my hope and prayer for you, as a result of reading and being inspired, is that you will take bold action in your sphere of influence and beyond to pursue racial reconciliation and all the beauty and glory which accompanies it.

Your Best Year Ever! 5 Tips for making this a great year.

It's that time of year again! Out with the Old and in with the New! This is the time of year when we make - "resolutions." (Cue the dramatic music.) These resolutions can include anything and everything in a general effort to be a better you. We say we'll lose weight, get a better job, get married, you name it! And you're not alone! According to a study done by the University of Scranton, nearly half of all Americans include making a New Year's Resolution as a part of this annual celebration. The more telling statistic, however, is that less than ten percent of those who make resolutions are successful in achieving them.

Have you ever felt like you've got no traction? As if you have gotten to another "end" and you have nothing to show for it? That is probably how the other half feels - the 55% of people who rarely or never make New Year’s Resolutions. The pain and disappointment of not realizing a goal or falling short of one can be absolutely devastating! 

I don't generally catch “resolutionitus,” but I do see the beginning of a new year (and the beginning of a new month and week and day, for that matter) as an opportunity to start fresh and get something done that hasn’t been done yet. And despite the potentially devastating fall-out, starting is worth it. 

So here are some tips for making this year (or this day) your best ever:

1.     Set Goals
You may not be one to make New Year's Resolutions, but goal setting is a key to a happier, more successful you. You can't get where you want to go if you don't 1) decide your destination and 2) take actionable steps in the right direction. 

2.     Write It Down
Take a moment and write down your desires, aspirations and goals. Be specific. Then write some actions steps you could take to get started. Don't spend hours and hours trying to make this perfect, just get it out there. While it isn't magical, this one step will help tremendously as you strive to attain your goals.

3.     Schedule It
Schedule time to work on your goals. Michael Hyatt has said often, "What gets scheduled gets done." Get a calendar and set an appointment for that goal. Or set a reminder in your phone for a certain day and time. You may not be the "schedules and appointments" type, but don't overlook this! You will increase the likelihood of completing the task in front of you and moving closer to your goals if you schedule time to work on them.

4.     Share It
No, don't post it to Facebook and Twitter. While some of us are totally comfortable doing that, you probably want to be more selective in where you share your goals and who you share them with. Identify people who can add value to your life and encourage you toward your goals and share with them. Part of the benefit of this is that those who have your best interests in mind can help you course correct before you miss your goals. And, you won’t have to live down harsh criticism if you miss your goals.

5.     Be Persistent
Whatever you do, don’t stop pressing forward. Keep going. Don’t give up!
Yes, you will have rough days and sometimes they will turn into rough weeks, but don’t allow those hindrances to derail your future. Take a breath and then take another step. Be persistent.

You are more likely to Start, Follow-through, and finish your goals if you adopt these five tips in your normal routine.

Question: Did you use any of these tips to set goals for the New Year?

Action v. Progression

There is a 

COLOSSAL

difference between action and progression.

Merry-go-rounds move. Roller coasters move. Carousels move. 

But movement, or action, is not the same as progression. Many things that move, like carousels simply go in circles but never take you any place. Others, like roller coasters, take you up and down and are full of excitement! But, in the end, they stop at the same place they began.

Neither gets you anywhere. 

The GOAL should be to connect to and associate yourself with those organizations, people and/or groups that are Progressing.  Those that are pressing forward, gaining ground and advancing intentionally.

It takes Action to Progress. You can't move forward without moving. What we need to avoid is mistaking our motion for momentum. 

TAKE ACTION

• Identify a Dream or a Goal that you want to accomplish. 
  (What do you want to do? Be? Where would you like to go?)
• Clarify that Dream or Goal. 
  (Be specific. Be More Specific.)
  
• Identify/Create Action Steps
  (What are the Steps that will help you Reach Your Goal?)

Make sure that when you move, you are getting closer to an ultimate goal. Anything less is just taking you in circles.

What are you doing to day that will get you where you want to be tomorrow?

A Vision of Excellence

Do you have vision?

More pointedly, do you have a personal vision of excellence for your life? 

When you do what you do, do you have a high standard set for yourself? A standard that challenges you and stretches you and forces you to evaluate your performance and get better? That's what I mean when I say "a personal vision of excellence."

Take a moment and think about that. Most of us have gotten past that stage in our lives (if you went through that stage at all) when we felt C+ work was good enough. We recognize that A and B work is necessary for success. But do we do our best for the best reasons? Doing great work is good. We get accolades and attention. People see it and are impressed. But that seems pretty shallow to me. Why not do your best work when no one sees it? Why not excel behind the curtains, out of the spotlight, because you value what you do and why you do it? You see, the thing about a personal vision is its "personal." Sure people may see you work and be impressed, but you don't work to impress them. Your vision is set higher.

I came across this quote a few years back and it still inspires me. I hope you're inspired as well. 

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.

He hardly knows which is which. 

He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. "

- James Michener