Have you ever made a New Year's resolution that you didn't keep? I will confess that I've made numerous ones over the years, which is why I no longer make them. Instead, I make New Year's "declarations." What's the difference? I'm glad you asked . . .
A resolution is something you determine to do. A declaration, on the other hand, is something that you declare or announce. It is something that you have already set in your mind to do, and you are simply proclaiming it as fact that you will do. Do you see the difference? Some may say it's just a case of semantics, but not really. It is also a mindset and an attitude. To resolve or determine to do something carries much less weight than that which you have declared or announced.
As you begin 2009, fix your mind on what you need to do differently this year, and do not simply resolve to do but declare that you will do it!
Feel free to post your 2009 New Year Declarations on this blog.
Blessings,
Lynn
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Panic or Pray?
Over the past two weeks, drivers in the greater Nashville area have been victims of a fuel frenzy ignited by the ills of Ike. But, were we really the victims, or were we the perpetrators? The delay of gasoline arriving here in the wake of the hurricane touched off a panic that urged many motorists to spend up to two hours waiting in long lines to purchase a few gallons of precious petrol. Experts say that this buying binge was what actually accounted for the gas shortage. There would have been enough fuel to go around had we not peaked the pumps. 
Whatever the cause, whoever created this crisis, there is a lesson that can be learned here.
In the face of a problem, panic usually proves to worsen the circumstances. If we stop to survey the situation, often times clarity comes to our minds and we discover solid solutions. At other times, however, the dilemma may be too daunting for us to deal with on our own. Then it's time to draw from the resource that never runs dry—God. God may fill your "gas tank," so to speak, or He may choose to have you wait it out a few days. No matter which method He chooses, one thing is certain—He won't leave you empty. He won't ignore or abandon you.
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7,
NIV).
"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I
lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3,
NIV).
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in
prayer" (Matthew 21:22, NIV).
When a problem presents itself, why panic when you can pray.
Lynn Jacobs
Smyrna, Tennessee
http://www.blogger.com/www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
http://www.blogger.com/www.dlynnjacobs.com
Syndicated column "Practical Spirituality:
Christian spirituality from a practical perspective"
Copyright © 2008, by Lynn Jacobs. All rights reserved.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Losing Our Religion in Traffic
What is it about traffic that turns even the most mild-mannered person into a maniacal monster? Is it the driver who moves too slowly? Or is it the one who drives too fast? Perhaps it's the constantly weaving lane-changer, the tailgater, or the one who doesn't use a turn signal and cuts in front of you unannounced.
Any one of these encounters can incite an average person to exhibit road rage, or at the very least elicit an extended honk of the horn. But God does not call us to be average.
God calls us to be patient with all people:
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11, NIV).
He asks us to be peacekeepers:
"Make every effort to live in peace with all [people] . . ." (Hebrews 12:14, NIV)
He does not want us to be easily offended:
"[Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV).
He insists that we do not retaliate:
"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else" (1 Thessslonians 5:15, NIV).
I encourage you the next time a driver commits one of the above "sins" in your presence to ignore it, keep driving, and it'll all be over in about three seconds.
Any one of these encounters can incite an average person to exhibit road rage, or at the very least elicit an extended honk of the horn. But God does not call us to be average.
God calls us to be patient with all people:
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11, NIV).
He asks us to be peacekeepers:
"Make every effort to live in peace with all [people] . . ." (Hebrews 12:14, NIV)
He does not want us to be easily offended:
"[Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV).
He insists that we do not retaliate:
"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else" (1 Thessslonians 5:15, NIV).
I encourage you the next time a driver commits one of the above "sins" in your presence to ignore it, keep driving, and it'll all be over in about three seconds.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Living It Out on the Street
I glide through the revolving door of the glass tower and step out into the sunshine and lunch-hour crowd. Glancing from left to right, I ponder my choices: burgers and fries, Chinese take-out, or should I venture down to Second Avenue to the real restaurants. Nashville at noon resembles a giant anthill; the small insects are busily scurrying about in search of food. Today, I am one of those ants as I run toward the intersection so that I don't miss the "walk" sign.A man in a wheelchair holds out a flyer and mumbles something that I don't hear in my hurried dash across the street. I hold my hand up, shaking my head, as I reply, "No, thanks." I make it safely to the curb and continue my jaunt down the street. I glance over my shoulder and spy the man sitting at the intersection, head down, fumbling through his leaflets. I should have stopped to at least find out what he was handing out. I have an entire hour for lunch; what's the big hurry? I turn around and make my way back to him.
"Sir," I begin. "I want to apologize for not being more polite to you. I was in a hurry, but now I don't remember why. What do you have for me?" He hands me a flyer with some Scripture verses and sign language symbols, and he holds out a note which explains that he is a member of a deaf ministry. I smile at him as he gives me the flyer, and I hand him a five dollar bill. He smiles back, carefully places the money in his donation box, and then shakes my hand. I wave goodbye to him and continue down the street, no longer hungry. I just walk . . . and think.
The Bible teaches us to love others, and give to those in need. What seems to be easy to practice while in church on a Sunday morning becomes a challenge when out among everyday passersby. I feel a nudge in my spirit as I realize that I had just failed to live out my Christianity when presented with a real-life opportunity to do so. I ask God to forgive me and to open my eyes so that I don't miss any other occasions where I can live it out on the street. ~
"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another" (1 John 3:11, NIV).
" He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses" (Proverbs 28:27, NIV).
Lynn Jacobs
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.colm/
www.blogtalkradio.com/lynn-jacobs
Copyright © 2008, by Lynn Jacobs. All rights reserved.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Time Management in 5 Simple Steps
Simply stated, time management is to work upon handling your time with a degree of skill. Skills are not innate but can be learned. By following the five simple steps below, you can learn to skillfully handle your time both efficiently and effectively.
STEP 1: Inventory your time. Before you can begin to learn how to manage your time wisely, you must first determine where you are spending it. Taking an inventory of your time can do just that.
There are certain things that all of us must do daily, weekly, or even monthly. Make a list of basic activities on which you spend your time, such as, sleeping, eating, working, leisure activities, family, finances, household, etc. Keep a time diary for a month, noting approximately how much time you spend on each of these activities per day, per week, or per month.
STEP 2: Identify time wasters. Often times, we are unaware of just how much time is lost during our day because of time wasters. By taking an inventory of your time, you will be able to identify those things that are less important than others but seem to constantly take priority.
In addition to the activity categories suggested in Step 1, you may want to include an extra category called *time wasters.* Make a note in your time diary of those things that take up a good chunk of your time but are not really necessary, such as surfing the Internet for hours, too much television, or excessive socializing at work.
STEP 3: Keep a TO DO list. In order to be able to determine priority of certain tasks, and to avoid becoming a constant victim of time wasters, a TO DO list can be extremely helpful.
I like to categorize mine, instead of simply writing down a list of things to do and numbering them randomly. Category A is for vital things, such as paying the bills on payday. Category B is for important activities but those may not have a particular date associated with them, such as grocery shopping. Finally, I have Category C for low-priority items that I would like to get to eventually, such as cleaning out the garage.
Regardless of how you decide to structure your TO DO list, keeping the list and making sure it stays up-to-date can assist you greatly in managing your time efficiently.
STEP 4: Budget your time. Budgeting your time goes hand-in-hand with the TO DO list and the time inventory, and it helps you establish priorities.
Develop a budget of your time similar to how you would budget your finances by creating a chart based on the same activity categories you used for your time inventory. Determine how many hours you should be spending on each activity by reviewing the actual hours spent per task that you recorded in your time diary. Based on your actual hours, decide what is reasonable, and note that on your time budget.
STEP 5: Plan your calendar. To pull it all together, the final step is to plan your calendar. Keep it realistic by not overloading yourself with too many activities and events in one day, or even one week. This can be accomplished by comparing your TO DO list with your time budget. Recognizing that there will be the occasional time waster that will find its way into your day, be sure to keep an hour or two open for those and for unexpected interruptions.
These 5 steps are not a cure-all to an overloaded calendar or numerous time wasters, but they can get you headed in the right direction to solving your time management ills.
Contact me to receive your Time Management Toolkit.
Lynn
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
STEP 1: Inventory your time. Before you can begin to learn how to manage your time wisely, you must first determine where you are spending it. Taking an inventory of your time can do just that.
There are certain things that all of us must do daily, weekly, or even monthly. Make a list of basic activities on which you spend your time, such as, sleeping, eating, working, leisure activities, family, finances, household, etc. Keep a time diary for a month, noting approximately how much time you spend on each of these activities per day, per week, or per month.
STEP 2: Identify time wasters. Often times, we are unaware of just how much time is lost during our day because of time wasters. By taking an inventory of your time, you will be able to identify those things that are less important than others but seem to constantly take priority.
In addition to the activity categories suggested in Step 1, you may want to include an extra category called *time wasters.* Make a note in your time diary of those things that take up a good chunk of your time but are not really necessary, such as surfing the Internet for hours, too much television, or excessive socializing at work.
STEP 3: Keep a TO DO list. In order to be able to determine priority of certain tasks, and to avoid becoming a constant victim of time wasters, a TO DO list can be extremely helpful.
I like to categorize mine, instead of simply writing down a list of things to do and numbering them randomly. Category A is for vital things, such as paying the bills on payday. Category B is for important activities but those may not have a particular date associated with them, such as grocery shopping. Finally, I have Category C for low-priority items that I would like to get to eventually, such as cleaning out the garage.
Regardless of how you decide to structure your TO DO list, keeping the list and making sure it stays up-to-date can assist you greatly in managing your time efficiently.
STEP 4: Budget your time. Budgeting your time goes hand-in-hand with the TO DO list and the time inventory, and it helps you establish priorities.
Develop a budget of your time similar to how you would budget your finances by creating a chart based on the same activity categories you used for your time inventory. Determine how many hours you should be spending on each activity by reviewing the actual hours spent per task that you recorded in your time diary. Based on your actual hours, decide what is reasonable, and note that on your time budget.
STEP 5: Plan your calendar. To pull it all together, the final step is to plan your calendar. Keep it realistic by not overloading yourself with too many activities and events in one day, or even one week. This can be accomplished by comparing your TO DO list with your time budget. Recognizing that there will be the occasional time waster that will find its way into your day, be sure to keep an hour or two open for those and for unexpected interruptions.
These 5 steps are not a cure-all to an overloaded calendar or numerous time wasters, but they can get you headed in the right direction to solving your time management ills.
Contact me to receive your Time Management Toolkit.
Lynn
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Value of Meditation
- Does your hectic schedule seem to start at dawn and end at midnight?
- Do you ever feel like you are going around in circles and not accomplishing anything?
- Have other people gotten on your last nerve lately?
- Do you simply need to take a “time out”?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the questions above, perhaps it’s time to sit down and quietly still your mind and heart for a few minutes. The more time, the better, but if all you have is five minutes, then meditation can still be beneficial to you.
So, just what is meditation? Merriam-Webster offers these definitions: “to engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus one’s thoughts on someone or something; to reflect on or ponder over something.”
For meditation to be relaxing and beneficial, you can pick just about anything to meditate, reflect, or focus on . . . a beautiful sunset, a heartwarming poem . . . or just sit quietly and listen to soft music.
My favorite type of meditation is Christian meditation. Sometimes I reflect on and contemplate verses of Scripture that are meaningful to me. At other times, I focus my thoughts on God and all that He has done for me. This not only relaxes me, but it increases my faith when I remember all of the great (and small) things He has done for me. And often I ponder life questions and then sit quietly and let the Spirit whisper answers to my soul.
The Psalms encourage meditation on God and His Word:
“I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77:12, NIV)
“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” (Psalm 119:15, NIV)
“Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.” (Psalm 119:27, NIV)
“May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.” (Psalm 104:34, NIV)
So, whatever or whomever you choose to meditate on today, I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect, ponder, contemplate, focus . . . whatever you feel like doing that helps you slow down and take in the moment.
Lynn
_________________
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
Telephone: (615) 429-2078
Skype: lynnjacobs.usa
- Do you ever feel like you are going around in circles and not accomplishing anything?
- Have other people gotten on your last nerve lately?
- Do you simply need to take a “time out”?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the questions above, perhaps it’s time to sit down and quietly still your mind and heart for a few minutes. The more time, the better, but if all you have is five minutes, then meditation can still be beneficial to you.
So, just what is meditation? Merriam-Webster offers these definitions: “to engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus one’s thoughts on someone or something; to reflect on or ponder over something.”
For meditation to be relaxing and beneficial, you can pick just about anything to meditate, reflect, or focus on . . . a beautiful sunset, a heartwarming poem . . . or just sit quietly and listen to soft music.
My favorite type of meditation is Christian meditation. Sometimes I reflect on and contemplate verses of Scripture that are meaningful to me. At other times, I focus my thoughts on God and all that He has done for me. This not only relaxes me, but it increases my faith when I remember all of the great (and small) things He has done for me. And often I ponder life questions and then sit quietly and let the Spirit whisper answers to my soul.
The Psalms encourage meditation on God and His Word:
“I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77:12, NIV)
“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” (Psalm 119:15, NIV)
“Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.” (Psalm 119:27, NIV)
“May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.” (Psalm 104:34, NIV)
So, whatever or whomever you choose to meditate on today, I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect, ponder, contemplate, focus . . . whatever you feel like doing that helps you slow down and take in the moment.
Lynn
_________________
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
Telephone: (615) 429-2078
Skype: lynnjacobs.usa
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Guided Journaling to Improve Self-Esteem
Could your self-esteem use a little boost? Have you tried guided journaling? Guided journaling provides a question or a lead-in sentence to help direct your thoughts as you journal each day.
Below are three days of guided journaling, excerpted from my Authentic Self-Esteem Journal. Try these out and see how they work for you. Please contact me if you would like to continue this journaling process using the Authentic Self-Esteem Journal. Order information is given below.
_______________
DAY 1
“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.”
- Psalm 139.14, NASB
What are some of your unique, God-given attributes? Write down at least five and then describe some ways in which you can use those special characteristics to bless someone today.
DAY 2
“Other people’s opinion of you does not
have to become your reality.”
- Les Brown
Write down how you would like to be perceived by others, then describe ways in which you can set that into motion. You can create your own reality. Don’t let someone else do it for you.
DAY 3
“Anyone who has never made a mistake
has never tried anything new.”
- Albert Einstein
Describe a mistake you made recently, and then reflect on it to see how you can learn something from it. Discovering new things is usually worth the risk of making a mistake.
______________
The Authentic Self-Esteem Journal is a beautifully bound soft-cover 31-day inspirational journal that offers a daily inspirational quote or Scripture verse and a question or comment to guide your journaling. To order your journal for only $12.12 per copy, please send me an email with your name, address, and the number of journals you wish to order. A PayPal invoice will then be sent to you. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. You will receive confirmation by email once the journal(s) has been shipped to you. ~
Lynn
_________________
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
Contact me if you would like to subscribe to my FREE monthly eNewsletter, and receive my free 7-day eCourse, “Authentic Self-Esteem: It Can Be Yours,” absolutely FREE.
Below are three days of guided journaling, excerpted from my Authentic Self-Esteem Journal. Try these out and see how they work for you. Please contact me if you would like to continue this journaling process using the Authentic Self-Esteem Journal. Order information is given below.
_______________
DAY 1
“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.”
- Psalm 139.14, NASB
What are some of your unique, God-given attributes? Write down at least five and then describe some ways in which you can use those special characteristics to bless someone today.
DAY 2
“Other people’s opinion of you does not
have to become your reality.”
- Les Brown
Write down how you would like to be perceived by others, then describe ways in which you can set that into motion. You can create your own reality. Don’t let someone else do it for you.
DAY 3
“Anyone who has never made a mistake
has never tried anything new.”
- Albert Einstein
Describe a mistake you made recently, and then reflect on it to see how you can learn something from it. Discovering new things is usually worth the risk of making a mistake.
______________
The Authentic Self-Esteem Journal is a beautifully bound soft-cover 31-day inspirational journal that offers a daily inspirational quote or Scripture verse and a question or comment to guide your journaling. To order your journal for only $12.12 per copy, please send me an email with your name, address, and the number of journals you wish to order. A PayPal invoice will then be sent to you. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. You will receive confirmation by email once the journal(s) has been shipped to you. ~
Lynn
_________________
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
Contact me if you would like to subscribe to my FREE monthly eNewsletter, and receive my free 7-day eCourse, “Authentic Self-Esteem: It Can Be Yours,” absolutely FREE.
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