It Gives Me Pause

I have been absent of late. There is no excuse for my absence other than a few life setbacks that have challenged my time management each day, and it took a little settling within and a few friends prodding me that it has been long enough to pause, take a breath, get my thoughts together, and get back to work. I thank them for using a velvet hammer to get the message across to me. I am humbled, to say the least.

I recently read that “Sin is not just the wrong stuff we do; it’s the good we do not do.” It can be interpreted this way,” “Every choice we make, and every action matters to someone. Every choice we do not make and every action we do not take matters just as much.” Amen? 

Our grandson is very interested in the creatures of the world. He loves anything that crawls, climbs, jumps, spends a web, flies, anyway, you get the drift; he likes bugs, lizards, spiders, snakes, and so forth. His four sisters loathe all these creatures and do not want anything to do with them: perfect situation for a big brother. He will spend hours in an animated state of observation when he encounters one of these creatures, especially turtles. When he finds one of these creatures, he just cannot look away; he is totally focused on its movement and actions. Then he finds some reference in a book or a documentary and learns all about the creature, and when I visit, I get an education on the life and activities of the latest find. Good stuff if you like creepy crawlies. Good stuff if you like to spend quality time with a grandson, just saying. 

The thing that most amazes me is his seamless delivery of information. He has studied these creatures and knows everything about them down to the smallest detail. As I listen, it gives me pause. 

This reminds me of something I read about PAUSE and studying our Bibles. The acronym for PAUSE:

P – Prepare your heart. Start your quiet time by reciting Psalm 131:1-2. Visualize everything competing for our attention into a box, then give the box to God to handle for us.

A – Ask God to speak to You. Before we dive into our Bible study, ask God to help us understand His Word and how to apply the scripture correctly to our life. We know He promised to give us His wisdom if we ask.

U – Unpack the passage. When was the passage written? Who was the intended audience? What was the main theme? What does the passage show you about God’s character? As we begin the study, we should read through the passage several times, each time answering a different question. Pay attention to any phrases and ideas that continue to stand out to us.

S – Summarize the scripture. What resonated with us as we were reading? Spend several minutes asking God to show us the truths in His Word, and then log the key takeaways from the passage. This will help us process and track the insights God offers us.

E – Exercise the application. If we want to grow stronger in our faith, it’s not enough to study God’s Word; we must live it!

As leaders in our homes, communities, and organizations, we must continue to make choices and take actions that matter to others. Our actions and reactions to daily events and life events tell the story of our life in Christ, which is important to others. We have only one choice to do what is right, do it right away, and do it the right way.

I encourage each of us to make a difference and add value to others by preparing our heart, asking God to speak to us, unpacking the message to simplify it for others to understand with our life’s walk and talk, summarizing the scripture to apply to real world events, and exercising the application of the Word for others to convey of the strength of faith, hope, joy, and unconditional love for others. As leaders, we should follow Solomon’s wisdom; give 70% of our time to areas of strength; give 25% of our time to areas to improve, and give 5% of our time to the areas of our weakness. 1 Kings 10:1-9.

Have a wonderful day, 

James Dodwell

Make A U-Turn

Have you ever been lost? I have, or I should say we have, my family and I. Many vacation trips ago, before GPS and smartphones with guidance apps, we would drive to a vacation destination without an electronic voice telling us to “Stay in the two left lanes” or telling us “In one-mile exit to the right” or in my case, “Make a U-turn, then proceed to the route.” Instead, we had a large road atlas with all 50 states with interstates, highways, and county roads shown in detail on colorful maps. We would plot out our course with a high-lite marker and set off on our adventure. “Adventure” is the word my wife uses when we or I lose our way. It puts a positive spin on “not really knowing” where we are and takes some of the pressure off the pilot. I do not recall a time we traveled on vacation without at least one “adventure” sometimes, we were lucky enough to have several “adventures.” Just saying…

I have a decent, if not a good, sense of direction. Growing up enjoying the outdoors, hunting, fishing, exploring helped me find my way around in unfamiliar territory by seeking landmarks I could follow back to my starting point. A large tree, a pile of boulders, a game trail, the position of the sun, and so on and so forth; however, lately, the “lost” I am feeling has nothing to do with travel or exploring unfamiliar territory; it comes from deep within. The effect is an unusual experience for someone like me, an extroverted personality who enjoys learning new things, exploring new territories, conversing with others, and sharing my faith. 

If I had to describe the feeling of uncertainty within, I would use the Six Sigma term “Cause and Effect.” The “Cause” is in part due to the changes we have experienced in the world around us. We have experienced dramatic, unprecedented changes over the past several months, and it has been difficult to keep up and maintain a positive mental attitude due in part to the pandemic dilemma but, more importantly, having to remain distant and away from others, friends, family, new acquaintances. The “Effect” is an alone, lost feeling within that waxes and wanes. Some days the emptiness is barely noticeable; other days, it is much stronger.

The Good News is knowing this is just a season in my life, and God has His healing hand on us as He directs our lives. He is the ultimate navigator, the true north on our moral compass. As leaders in our homes, communities, and organizations, we must understand GPS is not short for Global Positioning System; it is short for “God’s Providence = Success.” We must never forget that the greatest model for our leadership direction always comes from the life of God himself. 

As leaders, when we find ourselves lost in the world, we should understand He provides comfort and cleansing to His people through comfort and security. He makes the path straight for us, then has us speak His words through empowerment and delegation. He provides good news and guides His people like a Shepherd through His Shepherding and direction.

We must understand no one can challenge God’s strength. He is a leader with unequaled power. He has the ultimate power and authority and lights the path for us to follow. He is the transcendent leader who builds and develops us. He is the creator and developer. He is the source for every need we have as wise counselor and provider.

It is in these few words I find comfort, strength, security, and a new sense of direction by knowing He is the Light and the Way to getting back on a familiar path with the understanding leaders must not only endure change, but they must also create it. “Spoiler Alert” leaders are normal people, human beings who are susceptible to the same feelings as everyone else. We sometimes suffer from the hardening of attitudes. We sometimes lose perspective on what real problems look like and what God can do. However, what makes the difference in a leader is their ability to focus on His promise and gifts of hope, faith, joy, and unconditional love and not focus on our problems.

I want to encourage each of us, when we find ourselves lost in the world; remember, God has a plan for our life, and wants us to rely on Him as we set the example and remain useful. Together, we as leaders are gifted abilities and talents to help us know to remain useful. We must be stretched and challenged; we must draw our identity from God, and we must possess stable values. I am encouraged that we, as leaders, understand when we are stretched and challenged, remain secure in Him, and remain solid in our convictions; we will be directed from the darkness into the light where we will find strength in Him to make a difference and add value to those around us. Jeremiah 13-1:11

Have a wonderful day,

James

Do I Know You?

There is an old story about two men arriving at the Pearly gates about the same time. One of the men was excited beyond measure and the other sullen and looking a little afraid. The excited man said, “Hey, friend what is the matter, you should be happy.” The sullen man said, “I don’t know where I am and what to be happy about.” “Well,” said the excited man, “You are at the Pearly gates of heaven and we as Christians are about to be invited in.” The sullen man was thoughtful for a moment, then said, “I don’t know anything about this heaven, or what being a Christian means nor what to expect.”

The excited man said, “I have spent my life sharing the gospel and living an exemplary life helping others and doing what is right, my life’s walk and work spoke volumes about being a Christian”, “Say, you look familiar do I know you?” The sullen man replied, “Well, I should look familiar, I was your next-door neighbor for 20 years.”

There have been many times over the course of my life when I had the perfect opportunity to share my faith with someone and was as quiet as a church mouse. I am unsure why I did not say anything, other than the fact I felt unsure of what I could say and if it would be received as a positive message of hope and unconditional love or be taken as me being a pushy, self-righteous Bible thumper. Either way, I failed to share the Good News with a neighbor. The odd thing is I can remember almost every time I had the opportunity to share and did nothing. I believe these memories are God’s gift to me as “teachable moments” meant to challenge me going forward and to build a vision off their values.

As I pondered over this challenge, I was led to Mark 8:34-36, it begins “…He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me…””. He was communicating how to lead and set an example for others to follow.  Leadership is servanthood. There is no other definition that better defines a leader. We as leaders, must let our purpose prioritize our life. As in the story at the beginning the exited man had the heart and knowledge of what he should have been doing but he was not focused with a purpose of reaching others. We must live the life before we can lead others. We cannot share what we do not know for ourselves and we cannot give away what we do not possess. 

Our impact, as leaders, comes from relationships, not positions. Anyone can have a position but building a relationship takes special people with a heart for others. Leaders must replenish themselves. Our pastor said it best one afternoon while he was visiting my office. He said, “I just came from a meeting with my pastor to get my tank refilled.” Yes, even good pastor’s need a mentor to help them stay focused and recharged. Therefore, we should surround ourselves with people who can and will offer support as a Christian mentor and are willing to be honest with us. As leaders, we must call for commitment. We as, “Shepherds” must be committed to protecting our “flock”, sharing our faith, offering hope, expressing joy, and providing unconditional love for others to set the example.

As leaders, we must show security when handling tough issues because credibility comes by meeting needs and solving problems. We must choose and develop key people. People with a heart for serving others, a gift of being able to communicate clearly and concisely, and a willingness to do what is right in difficult situations. Also, as leaders, we must understand there is no success without a successor. Which brings me to my point, if we, as leaders, do not take the time to share the Good News with others and go the extra mile to develop those around us, what will our leadership look like in the future? Just saying…

I encourage each of us as leaders, to understand, “Leadership IS servanthood” at its finest. Good leaders are the difference makers in our society. We must take the opportunity to make a difference and add value to all those around us, daily. Whether it is through our talk or our walk it is our responsibility to share the Good News about faith, hope, joy, and unconditional love. Mark 8:34-36

Have a wonderful day,

James Dodwell

Yes, You Have A Choice

Let’s all sing - “It’s the most wonderful time of the year, There’ll be much mistletoeing, And hearts will be glowing; When loved ones are near; It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, the most wonderful time of the year!” Now that this classic, Andy Williams, Christmas tune is now an earwig and stuck in your head, I wanted to remind you, there are only a few days remaining until Christmas. We are looking forward to Christmas with the wonderful blessing of being with our family and friends and our grandchildren are so excited it makes us feel like children, again. So, it is also the “Hap-happiest time of the year!”

A friend and I were discussing happiness, recently when he said he wished this holiday feeling was year-round not just a short few weeks. I was a little surprised because I believe happiness and the feeling within or without is a choice that each of us make. It reminded me of a quote by John Stuart Mill, “I have learned to seek happiness by limiting my desires rather than in attempting to satisfy them.” In other words, it is our choice to simplify our lives and be happy where we are. At least, that is my take on it.

Our whole life is nothing more than a canvas of choices. What choice could you make right now to change your life in a significant and lasting way? We are different from everyone else on planet earth. There has never been anyone like us, and there never will, again. Our spirit, our thoughts and feelings, our ability to reason – all of these things exist collectively only in us. Our eyes are incomparable; they are windows to a soul that is also uniquely ours. A single strand of our hair contains DNA that can only be traced to us. Of the multitudes that have come before us and the multitudes that follow, not one of them duplicates the formula by which we are made.

We are different from everyone else! We are special! And we are chosen, loved unconditionally and offered a life of salvation, free to all who ask. The qualities, many of them rare, that make us one of a kind are no accident.

Why have we been created different and unique from everyone else? We have been made different so that we may make a difference and add value to each other. That’s right, because in some way, form or fashion, we are changing the world – you are changing the world for someone around you, right now. Every choice we make and action we take matters to someone. Every choice we do not make and every action we do not take, matters just as much. Millions of lives are being altered, caught up in a chain of events initiated by us this very day. We choose what chain of events we will initiate; whether we realize it or not.

We need to understand that we have been given everything we need to act, and the choice is ours alone. Beginning this very moment, we will choose wisely. We should never feel inadequate, again. We will not dwell in thoughts of insignificance or be content with wandering aimlessly. We are powerful. We matter. We have the choice, and we are the choice. We have been chosen to make a difference and add value to all those who surround us.

In the words of the infamous Dr. Suess, “Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky!” And we are. We have the freedom to share our faith, hope, joy and unconditional love with others, unimpeded and without fear of retaliation. Yes, I am giddy with emotions as we anticipate Christmas morning watching our grands surprised faces as they open their gifts, but it is more than that – We are giddy knowing we are free to worship a powerful God who loves us unconditionally and so much that He sent His only Son to earth to teach us how to Love one another.

I want to encourage each of us as leaders in our homes, communities and organizations that leaders assume the responsibility for the health of their relationships with those around us. This means they set the tone – we set the tone. They must initiate what they want others to do. It is my prayer that you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and come to understand you are the difference maker! Luke 2:11

Have a wonderful day,

James Dodwell

What's All This Stuff?

Our son and his family were preparing for a week's trip to the lake. They had packed the necessary items in the vehicle, and then they loaded the children into their car seats. Our grandson asked, "Dad, are we moving again?" "No, son, why do you ask?" Our grandson loudly exclaimed, "Then why is all this stuff in the car?" After our son stopped laughing, he explained to him with five children, it takes a lot of stuff to meet the needs of their family when one must plan for a week away. Too funny… children do not miss anything.

It is difficult to imagine the amount of "stuff" it takes to equip a family of five children and two adults, especially when three of the children are still in diapers and are bottle-fed. There are snacks of all kinds, fruit of all kinds, soy milk, almond milk, cereal, wipes, towels, several changes of clothes for each child, three sizes of diapers, bottles, formula, and so on and so forth. This list does not include all the favorite toys and games, life jackets, and strollers; the list is just endless, and then something important always gets left behind. Just saying…

As I ponder our grandson questioning why and our son explaining to him about the need for all the stuff they needed to equip them for a few days away, I am reminded of the story in Luke 10 when Jesus appointed a team of seventy leaders to go out on a ministry tour. Jesus had the huge job of equipping the seventy with everything they needed for the tour. It was not just stuff but also wisdom to help them succeed on their mission. 

Our son and his wife had a checklist of necessary items, and then of the things they "wanted," provided everything could fit into the vehicle. As Jesus prepared the seventy, He too had a list of items which were more instructions to empower the team before He sent them out:

First, He chose each one, hand-picked them, and appointed them to the mission. Next, He gave them meaningful tasks to prepare cities for His arrival, instructions, and examples of things and situations they might/would encounter. Next, He told them why the mission was so important. They needed to know what the plan was to stay on point and not deviate from the mission.

Then He calmed their fears with a long preparation speech. He explained as they entered a city to remain in the same house eating and drinking what was put before them. Heal the sick and tell them, "The Kingdom of God has come near to you." However, if the city does not receive them well, wipe off the very dust of that city that clings to them, and leave. Next, He cautions them about possible hardships because nothing of value comes without sacrifice. Next, He issued specific instructions about certain scenarios they might encounter and provide examples of how to work through them. He imparted His convictions about their work and the importance of their work to the mission.

As they began to return, He rejoiced with them. Each returned with joy in their hearts and filled with the Holy Spirit. He then evaluated and debriefed them on their experience. They were excited and told wonderful stories of conquering demons and evil spirits in His name; because they had been equipped and gifted empowerment from Him, they were successful. Finally, He prayed with them and affirmed their gifts and their future. He prayed, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you… rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Sometimes you need a lot of stuff to be prepared for anything that might come along. Stuff that we need is more important than the stuff we want. Jesus understood the stuff the seventy needed and provided it to them to be prepared for anything they might encounter on their mission.

Let us be encouraged today that He has provided us everything we need to be successful in sharing our faith, hope, joy, and unconditional love for others. As leaders in our homes, communities, and organizations, we must use all this "stuff" to go out among the people to make a difference and add value to others. Luke 10:1-24

James Dodwell