Make a Difference This Week

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Good morning – it is a cold wet morning here in southwest Michigan.

Last night, I had a great experience. We had something that needed to be fixed at our house that was beyond my very limited handyman capabilities, so we asked a young man to come over and fix the problem.  It was a great time of talking with this young man as I fetched things or held things for him as he made the repair. When he was finished, I asked him about paying him and he said he wanted to trade out his work.  What he wanted in exchange was some of my time once a month to be able to ask me questions and to just talk.  I was humbled and then felt very old!

I was also impressed by this young man’s wisdom.  He realized that he could not walk through this life on his own and was seeking several men to input into his life. For years, I have done the same and have recommended the same to others.

The question I have for you, is WHO are YOU investing into right now?  What young man or woman are you influencing?  Are you seeking and building relationships with younger people to help build this next generation of leaders?

While we continually need people investing into our lives, we also need to be very intentional about investing into others as well.

Be intentional this week and make a difference in a young person’s life.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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What Do You Believe?

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Good morning! The question for you this morning is what do you believe?  What do you stand for?

Do you know what it is that is truly important to you?  Have you decided on the areas in which you will not compromise?  Do you know what you stand for?  Can you articulate your personal core values?

An organization I greatly respect is the US Army.  Many of their core values I have adopted (especially as I was a part of the Army for many years!).  Read the following values and see what they spark within you.

Loyalty -Bearing true faith and allegiance is a matter of believing in and devoting yourself to something or someone.

Duty – Fulfill your obligations.

Respect – Treat people as they should be treated.

Selfless Service -Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates before your own.

Honor – Live up to Army values.

Integrity – Do what is right, legally and morally.

Personal Courage – Face fear, danger or adversity.

A good list to contemplate.  Click here to read the full definition or explanation of the Army’s core values as I only listed a summary sentence for each above.

So, what are the things that you hold to be core to your life?  What are the things on which you will stand and not waver?

Click here to see Life Action’s core values (we call them the Cutting Edge Commitments). You will need to scroll down the page some.

Hope you have a great week. BG

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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More Leadership Lessons from Pastor Bobby Moore

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Pastor Bobby Moore was a man who greatly impacted others by the way he lived his life.  He was a living testimony.  He was also a highly effective leader.  A while back I shared a few of his leadership lessons – click here to read those.  Here now are a few more for you:

Being a shepherd is more important than being an administrator.

The attitude, spirit, and lifestyle I long to see in others must first be in me.

My most important ministry is in my heart and my home.

Be teachable . . . be a learner. Have a teachable spirit. Don’t be a know-it-all, and don’t let pride cause you to fall.

Some wise guidance from a man who lived them out daily.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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What Would It Look Like?

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I hope you had a great time of Thanksgiving yesterday.  We had the pleasure of some guests as well yesterday.

Now begins that mad dash towards the end of the year.  There will be Christmas parties, company coming over, shopping, special Christmas programs at church and so on.  Not to mention that you still have your work to do – just less time to do it this month.  That could add up to stress.

Maybe it is time to make a decision.  What if you decided to truly make this a time of celebrating the birth of Christ?  What if you decided to simply remove just one or two activities from your calendar and to spend that time in a relaxed setting with your family?  What if instead of rushing around, you took time to meditate on what the birth of Christ means to you, your family and this world?

What would it look like if you decided to not get caught up in all the madness, but decided to take these next days to still your heart and prepare to truly celebrate Christmas?

Blessings on your weekend, BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Fear or Thankfulness - It's Your Choice

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Greetings on this day before Thanksgiving!  Looks like it is going to be a sunny and crisp day here in southwest Michigan.

Right now there seems to be a lot of fear going around.  The media feeds it as fear seems to sell news (or what passes for news).  Tough economic times especially seem to generate fear.  People seem to think this is the toughest time we have ever faced (each generation seems to think that!).  As one pastor friend of mine put it, people seem ready to get their toilet paper, water, peanut butter, put on their white robes and head for the hills!

There is another choice – there is the choice of thankfulness.  There is the choice of joy at what God has done in our lives and what He is going to do.  There is the choice of courage.  Christ has promised that even the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church.  There is the choice of trusting in God and forging ahead with great energy and faith.

It seems that the concept of American exceptionalism is not very popular – in fact the opposite view seems to be in vogue. However, even a cursory view of history shows that this country is qualitatively different from others in history.  That exceptionalism has been earned by people of great faith, who have worked hard, have not given up in the face of adversity, and who do not cower in fear.

Fear and thankfulness don’t live together.  So, cultivate a spirit of thankfulness and banish fear from your life. I hope that as you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, you stop and reflect on what the Lord has done for you and for this country.

Gratefully serving Him and thankful that I am a citizen of the                            United States of America, BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Healthy Rhythms in Life

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Good morning. Do you ever get frustrated when you know there are important relationships that you should be caring for, but just don’t seem to have the time?  You mean to, but it just doesn’t fit in? The problem with this is summed up in a saying I heard a while back, “We judge others by their actions, but we judge ourselves by our intentions.” So while you are thinking that you have the intention of caring for the relationship, the other person is only seeing your actions.

The key is to establish regular rhythms in your life of caring for key relationships.  It is hard at first and you will sacrifice some things, but the payoff is outstanding.  We have set down some things that work for us and are key to keeping our relationships strong.

First, Angela, my wife, and I have a breakfast date every Saturday morning in a neat little cafe in South Bend.  We spend time just talking about the previous week and talking about the future or whatever.  The key is it is OUR time. I give up Saturday morning for projects, recreation and etc., but it is well worth that small sacrifice.

Both of our daughters are still at home, so we almost always have a family date each week.  We all enjoy reading and coffee so we go to the local Barnes & Noble book store, read books, drink coffee, talk and laugh.  It is surprising how important that is to our girls. It also costs to do this, but we see this as a small investment into the strengthening of          our family.

These are just two examples of intentional actions that have become life rhythms that undergird our family relationships.  So, look at how you may strengthen your key relationships through establishing regular rhythms in the flow of your life. The change won’t be easy at first but, you will be blessed by the results.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Thriving – An Attitude

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Good morning this Thanksgiving Week!

How to actually thrive and flourish in our lives is important.  So many times we are just making it through the day.  There are things we can do to begin to flourish in our lives as we have discussed in earlier blog posts.  One key thing is our attitude.

Most people I have encountered that are doing well in regards to thriving in their lives all seem to have a deep sense of gratitude about them.  They lead a life of gratefulness.  They just look at things a little differently.  While I may grumble about having to have my car fixed, they are profoundly grateful they have a car and realize that things break!  While I may complain about my utility bills they are grateful for a warm home while so many are so cold. While I may complain about the challenges in my life, they greet them with anticipation as they see in the challenges an invitation from God to draw near to Him.

How we approach life is a choice.  Too thrive that choice needs to be a spirit of gratefulness.  A spirit of thanksgiving in all things.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18

Blessings on you during this special week. BG  Read more at bgallen.com

 

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