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Archive for the ‘Prayer’ Category

5 Ideas for Giving Thanks

Posted in Appreciation, Faith and Work, Gratitude, Prayer, tagged , , , , , , , on November 19, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

This is my favorite week of the year. Maybe it’s just me, but I see and feel Jesus more in Thanksgiving than I do in the busyness and commercialization of Christmas. How about you?

Regardless of your answer, know this. This week can change your life. This week can change others lives. This week is tailor-made to make a difference.

So, here are a few suggestions for giving thanks:

  1. Send a hand written note to your boss thanking him/her in a genuine and appropriate manner.
  2. Do the same for your President/CEO or location leader. No matter what you think, they need encouragement.
  3. Texts are easy and simple. Pick five people you work with (coworkers, customers, suppliers, partners) and tell them how grateful you are.
  4. Prayer is powerful. Pick five people you work with and thank God for them.
  5. Read 365 Thank You’s before 2013 to be inspired to put into action saying thank you to the myriad of people in your work and personal life who bless you. 

Finally, I want to say thank you to each of you! Thank you for your desire to grow in your faith at work. To be the same person at work that you are in your personal life. To allow your work to be a testimony to others.  And, to many of you, thank you for your heart, time and resources that you have given to WorkMatters in 2012. You have no idea what your encouragement and support mean to us personally and corporately.

May you feel God’s blessings in your life and work this week. Philippians 1:3

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Overcoming Hurt at Work

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Boss, Encouragement, Faith and Work, Prayer, Relationships, Work, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Have you been hurt at work?  Was it a co-worker a boss or a client? Have you had a hard time getting past it? How can you set that experience aside and move on with a positive attitude?

Have you been wronged at work?

If you’ve had an experience where someone has wronged you, you understand how it can affect you. It could’ve been a conversation that you overheard, an email that was inadvertently sent to you, a co-worker who took credit for work that you performed, or being blamed for something that you weren’t even responsible for.  When that happens, trust goes out the door, and you are left with a feeling of betrayal. If left unresolved, the problem just gets bigger in our minds and bitterness sets in.  You can kiss productivity and a positive attitude goodbye.

Hanging on to that experience only hurts you. The other person may not even realize that you are hurt. Decide right now to put this behind you.  Here are some suggestions…

  • Pray for the person who hurt you   –   It’s easy to love those who love you, but as Christians we are called to love and pray for our enemies as well. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matt 5:44.  
  • Have a reconciling spirit  –   As hard as it is, if you really want to get past this, you must have a heart for reconciliation versus retribution.
  • Don’t get even  –   “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Romans 12:19
  • Talk it out  –  “If your brother sins against you, go to him. Tell him what he did wrong. Keep it between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won him back.” Matt 18:15
  • For your own sake, forgive  –   Remember, you don’t forgive someone for his or her sake – you forgive them for your sake.  “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Col 3:13

 

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Are You Grinding or Grounded at Work?

Posted in Attitude, Faith, Faith and Work, Prayer, Stress, Work, Workplace Prayer, tagged , , , , , on September 27, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Do you feel like your life is so hectic? Overwhelmed at times by all the busyness?  Grinding through your day and feeling on edge about everything? You are not alone!

Are you grinding through your workday? Too busy and always feeling stressed?

Now that summer is a distant memory, life is crazy again. It’s early to rise and late to bed around our house and the pace is non-stop.  I’ve noticed that there are some days where my work seems harder, my attitude is less than stellar and my creativity has gone AWOL for the day.

Why is it that some days I feel like I’m grinding through the day and other days I feel grounded.  Is there anything in particular about my morning routine that explains the difference? Nothing obvious comes to mind. Then I thought about yesterday – it was a good day – yes, I was busy (i.e I’m writing this blog at midnight) but I felt at peace throughout the day. The possible answer? I had a morning conversation with God.

Yesterday I had a little extra time before getting ready for work, so I decided to take a quick morning walk.  While I walk, I have the best conversations with God.  I talk, but I also listen.  When I finish my walk, I have “a peace that transcends all understanding.” Phil 4:7.  And that peace keeps me feeling GROUNDED all day instead of feeling like I’m GRINDING all day.

If you can invest some time, here are a few ideas for your morning prayer time:

  1. Your prayers don’t have to be marathons.  If you don’t have a lot of time, give yourself 10 minutes. If that isn’t possible, then pray while you’re getting ready or driving to work. “Never stop praying” 1 Thes 5:17 (NLT)
  2. Listen to the bible.  I have the YouVersion Bible app on my phone. There is an option to listen to the scriptures being read. You can listen to it while getting ready, exercising or driving.
  3. Get grounded. Paul sums it up perfectly when he said “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation… present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7

Want more suggestions? Check out our website on Workplace Prayer.

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5 Things to Consider While Locked in a Stairwell

Posted in Adversity, Jesus, Marriage, Prayer, Relationships, Time, tagged , , , , , , on September 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Being locked in a stairwell was not on my list of things to do this morning. As I sat on those cold concrete steps, God taught me a few lessons I thought worthy of sharing with you.

  1. Be thankful you stopped at Starbucks first.
  2. Be thankful you didn’t leave your phone next to your keys.
  3. Be thankful your wife has a sense of humor.

Seriously,

  1. Slow down! I am always thinking, always moving forward. What am I missing?
  2. Why am I where I am right now? Beyond the obvious stupidity answer, the stairwell has reminded me that God allows things to happen in my life to get my attention.
  3. Quiet time! Ironically, the reason I am locked in a stairwell at work is because I came here to deliver a book to a business leader I met with yesterday. Title of the book? “Quiet Time”! We need to find a quiet place (like a concrete stairwell) to talk and listen to Jesus.
  4. Who are my 2? When I got locked in the stairwell, my first phone call was to my awesome wife. But who would my second call go to? Who is the brother (ladies … sister) who I have developed a relationship with, who I have invested time with, who I can share the real me with … that I would call to save me from my stupidity?
  5. Did I mention slow down?

“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”   Matthew 6:33

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Vacation – 7 Ways to Live, Love and Learn

Posted in Balance, Faith and Work, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Parenting, Prayer, Purpose, Travel, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

This morning is day one following an incredible beach vacation with my my wife, Theresa and our two sons Dylan (18) and Tyler (13). Beach vacations are just different, aren’t they? So much more relaxing and introspective than other trips you may go on that are full of activity. I’m wired more for the later, but I realized this past week, that regardless of where you go, we must use this time purposefully. The busyness of life, the pressures of work demand this time to regenerate!

There is no secret formula for a purpose driven vacation (sounds like work already, doesn’t it!). But here are a few suggestions for you to consider:

  1. Marriage – if you are married, find ways to spend time together. A walk on the beach. A bike ride. Help with the grocery store haul.
  2. Children – regardless of age, what a special time to laugh, to play, to explore, to challenge, to talk.
  3. Read – pick two good books to read. I read two fantastic books that I highly recommend. The first, Lead…For God’s Sake, I listened to on the long drive to Florida when my family was sleeping or otherwise “plugged in”. The second, Love Works, I read early in the morning or on the beach.
  4. God – what an incredible time to get up early and pray and read the Bible. It is an especially good time to just listen. What are you hearing about your marriage, your children, your friends, your work?
  5. Body – this may be counterintuitive for some, but I love exercising on vacation. Maybe it’s a long run, or a hike, or a bike ride. It’s a time that your mind is more open and free to listen and think and smile.
  6. Ideas – I find that when I am mixing in all of the above, God seems to open my mind to fresh ideas and perspectives.
  7. Rest – doing all of these things can’t create busyness and stress. Just the opposite is true. Relax. Take a deep breath. Feel the joy of creation and the blessings of your life!
We lead active, fast paced lives. May God bless you richly with some time to rest and connect with family, friends, and the one that created us.

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Praying for Leaders Today

Posted in Leadership, Prayer, tagged , , , on May 3, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Today is National Day of Prayer. I can’t share a more fitting post today than the email I received this morning from Sam Bates, my teammate at WorkMatters. Tomorrow 125,000 leaders will assemble in 800 locations around the world to grow as leaders at the Chick-fil-A Leadercast.

WorkMatters is hosting three sites this year, two in northwest Arkansas and one at WorkMatters Marietta (GA). Over 2,200 leaders will participate in our WorkMatters Leadercasts! We are so excited and so blessed to be used by God in this powerful way to help build more purposeful leaders. And, we are grateful to be able to partner with such a humble and excellent organization as GiANT Impact, who delivers the Leadercast. Here is Sam’s message:

I wanted to let you know how grateful we have been for the prayers all of you have offered over these past couple of weeks.  It is such a comfort to know that others are lifting us up in prayer during this  busy time. 

It’s  hard to believe that all these months of work will come together tomorrow.  We have exceeded last year’s ticket sales now in Rogers, Ar and have surpassed our goal for ticket sales in your first year of hosting the Leadercast in Fayetteville, Ar.  We have more volunteers (100) than ever before serving and have had incredible Leadership teams helping us in so many ways.  It’s good to pause for just a moment in the middle of the crazy busy details of the Leadercast and reflect on all that God has allowed us to accomplish.

WorkMatters has a location in Marietta, Georgia as well that is hosting the Leadercast.  They have blown the roof off their goals as well and are now “standing room only” with well over 500 in attendance.  Praise God!!

If you would just continue to pray today for all the many details to come together for all locations, especially for our brand new location in Fayetteville and our friends in Marietta, Ga we would be grateful.  Please pray that some will experience life change and will draw closer to the Father as a result of attending tomorrow.

We are very excited about tomorrow and truly looking forward to a great day!

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Too Many Priorities?

Posted in Balance, Faith and Work, Leadership, Planning, Prayer, Purpose, Workplace Prayer on April 2, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Many times we rush into a new week after a super hectic weekend with way more on our plate than what we might have remembered being there on Friday.  Most of the time, all that work stuff that we thought we would get done early Saturday morning or maybe Sunday evening gets taken over by all the other priorities of the weekend.  Well, I guess that is often how I feel entering Monday morning.  Is it just me?

As I enter this new week, I find that I have many competing priorities and most of them feel like they need to get done immediately.  There are times when it seems that it all needs to get done, but often times I get lost in trying to make the decision of what to do first.  (Guess I need to read Steven Covey’s “First Things First” again…).   Yes, I know that I need to focus on the most important things and not necessarily just what seems most urgent.  I sometimes however,  need help knowing which is which because that often changes from week to week.

Our Lord is once again waiting and wondering why I don’t just ask Him about it.   He sees the big picture as opposed to our perspective of not even seeing the next step and will most willingly be our guide if we would just submit to his leadership.   Our plans should be His plans, therefore, we are most likely out of step with His will if we don’t seek Him in regards to our priorities.

Hopefully you will take some time today at the beginning of another super busy work week and step back to ask for His direction and for His clarity.  As the day/week progresses this constant seeking of guidance will make a huge difference in how you get it all done this week.  You will most likely look back at the end of the week and see that somehow you accomplished much more than you thought you would AND you will realize where your help came from.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.  Luke 12:31

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Your Road Warrior Co-Workers

Posted in Adversity, Balance, Decisions, Integrity, Prayer, Relationships, Travel on March 19, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

My wife works at the airport here in Northwest Arkansas (XNA).  She said yesterday was probably one of the worst days she has ever had and she has worked there for almost four years.  It was a combination of things that made it difficult, but the hardest was having to tell people who had bought their tickets sometimes months ago that there were no more seats available.   Anyway, I spent a large chunk of the afternoon waiting around for her and my daughter to fly out for a quick spring break trip.  As I waited, it was interesting to observe the people, especially the business travelers looking not at all thrilled to be flying with all these families, kids, etc.  I know that  many of you can totally relate.

As I observed many of these people trying to get out of here yesterday, it made me think about the challenges that go with jobs requiring constant business travel.  I know this may be fun or exciting for some, especially at the beginning, but most report this wears off quickly and they would love to be able to stay home.  The constant travel hassles, hotel life and being away from friends and family really take their toll over time.  Often times we find ourselves in uncomfortable situations with constant temptation to let down our guard when traveling.  I have talked to several over the years that gave in to those temptations and ended up terribly regretting what it cost them.

Most of you probably know someone who headed out on the road yesterday or this morning.  Pray for these co-workers and for the situations they may encounter this week.  It would probably be a tremendous encouragement to them if you texted or emailed them a note letting them know that they are in your prayers today.  Most likely they never got a message like that and it may be just what they need to get through another business trip this week.

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How is Constantly Feeling Overwhelmed Working for You?

Posted in Attitude, Balance, Prayer, Rest on March 12, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Overwhelmed.  I hear this word or something like it so often these days.  The feeling that there is just so much to do that we constantly feel under great pressure accompanied by anxiety and feelings of failure because we just can’t get it all done.  This seems to be especially true in the working world.  How many times have you heard people express something of that sort.  Probably more than you even realize as it seems to be said so often that you don’t really even “hear” it.

I have experienced this feeling so many times in my life and work that I think I have allowed myself to be deceived into almost thinking that if  I am NOT feeling this way, then I must not be DOING enough.  What a crock!  Jesus does not want us to live perpetually in this state which is entirely inconsistent with the teachings of the Prince of PEACE.

The only way I have found my way out of this state is giving up the illusion that I am in control of hardly anything.  Only through prayer am I able to mysteriously let go of the worry and anxiety that so often accompanies these times of feeling overwhelmed.  I don’t really understand how it works, I just KNOW that it does.

If you are feeling overwhelmed at work today, stop for a moment and give it to Jesus.  Lay it in His hands and he will gladly accept it and you will not only experience a sense of relief, but often times you will experience insight and new directions that, if you will be honest, you know could only have come from the Lord.

I love how Philippians 4:6-7 is stated in The Message.  It says, “Don’t fret or worry.  Instead of worrying, pray…….Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good will come and settle you down.  It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry as the center of your life.

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Have You Thought About Praying for Your Work?

Posted in Faith, Faith and Work, Prayer, Relationships, Work, Workplace Prayer on March 5, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Today our team started off the day/week doing something that I know most do not have the opportunity to do.  We begin each week with a staff meeting, but we kick off the staff meeting spending some time in prayer for our work.  It is a rich experience and one that we do not take for granted.  We should probably start more days off with prayer, but at least once a week we take the time to lift up our work in prayer.

When I was employed out in the marketplace more where most of you are, it certainly was not something that was routinely done.  I was fortunate enough however, to work with a couple of Christian bosses along the way that included me in some early morning, before work prayer times.   Every couple of weeks we would get to the office early, before most others arrived, we would close the door to his office or conference room and spend thirty minutes or so together praying for our work.  It was such a blessing and even though things did not always go our way, it just felt good to pray about them.  There is no doubt in my mind that God wired us in such a way that when pray, we are doing one of the things we were designed to do.  That is why it always feels like the right thing to do.

Maybe you could find a few like minded people at work and commit to starting the work week off in prayer.  If not, you can at least be more intentional about praying for your meetings, for the people God will allow to cross your path as well as other work matters.

Let me encourage those who are in positions of leadership to organize opportunities from time to time for your team to pray together.  It can be a tremendous opportunity for growth and blessings for all concerned.

Paul taught us in Ephesians 6:18 to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always praying.”

“All occasions” sounds to me like it could include those occasions when I am at work!

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