Day #4 of Transparency Week – Wednesday
This morning, I needed to take Carrie’s car to get the tires rotated so I figured it was a good time to spend reviewing yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) day of “Transparency Week.” Whenever we need work on the car that I cannot do or that I do not have time to work on, we take our car to Gerald’s Tires. Gerald’s Tires is owned by members of the church and many members of the church work there. Gerald’s Tires provides a great working environment as well as a great place to wait on your car. Plus, with a sign flashing messages like this, why not go there?
So here I sit, mobile again: phone is on, instant messenger is on, computer is on and I am connected. (Gerald’s has wireless internet access, so the mobile-office-car-repair-center fits well in the schedule.)
Wednesday’s Thoughts
Why is it that my three year old son is the last one to go to bed, but the first one up? By up, I do not mean early, I mean e…a…r…l…y!! For some reason, his head pops off the pillow at 5:00am and his first words every morning are, “Mommy!!” When I ask him why he is up so early he tells me that “sleep is done.” I am blessed that Carrie gets up with him and allows me to sleep a little longer before I have to rumble out of bed to go roll the girls out of bed.
From the start of the morning until the middle of the morning, coffee and writing became a large portion of my day. I have to admit that I would love to be a writer, but I do not have the ability. I get writer’s block more often than I need and trying to overcome writer’s block is like trying to start a morning without a cup of coffee; it can be done, it just takes a while. About once a week, I get my brain moving and I am able to knock out five to seven articles along with approximately five ideas for future articles. The ideas are the easiest part because those occur everyday, but during the “good writing” days, I spend time beginning the articles and brainstorming for future “good writing” days.
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am a huge fan of using technology to better workload and to make working more efficient. For instance, some of the articles I wrote yesterday (Wednesday), are scheduled to post later in the week. For those of you who are not familiar with Wordpress software, you are able to schedule your posts to be published days, weeks or months in advance. Since I am a Windows user, I prefer to use Windows Live Writer instead of the Wordpress software. Windows Live Writer is a simple program allowing you to post to your blog in very easy steps and adding photos and videos are as simple as a few clicks. Windows Live Writer also allows you to select the time and date of your post before publishing it. Be sure to add your category and tags to your post using the options at the bottom of the screen. For more on Windows live Writer, go here! Windows Live Writer and Wordpress make my web-publishing much easier.
(By the way,I am now back from Gerald’s Tires…see how quick they work! – It’s a great day at Gerald’s!)
After finishing several articles, it was time for some email correspondence. Over 100 emails per day find their way through the ever-growing internet and trickle down to my computer. Emails regarding anything from church communication, Preacher’s Pen communication, Gallagher Institute communication, to personal matters fill my inbox at various times during the day. Wednesday’s email brought a flood of positive communication aspects and idea generation.
Idea generation brings thousands of thoughts and more ideas. I am currently planning some lessons for next years sermon series, so the ideas are rampant and scary. I believe the beginning of the year will bring a study in 1 and 2nd Timothy in the sermon series with a study of “Fruit of the Spirit” in the afternoon Bible class. Several years ago I began planning lessons based upon a four to five week series, but sometimes I extend those series a bit longer depending on the topic. The current series, “Five Views from the Cross,” is getting a nice amount of feedback. Hopefully and prayerfully, those lessons are making an impact on the way each of us views the sacrifice of Jesus.
Around 11:00 am, it was time to pick up the girls. Their school released early and the girls were coming home to finish our homework before we headed off to Mount Pleasant for some Christmas shopping. After the girls got home, we feasted on various food (candy, chips, more candy, sweet tea and more) and decided to call it “lunch.”
The afternoon brought a variety of things floating around the desk and through my mind. Over the past week I have not made it to my normal schedule of usually what I plan during the day. Typically I try to do four things each day: (1) Write, (2) Read, (3) Encourage and (4) Apply. I have adapted my list from listening to John Maxwell. Dr. Maxwell is “America’s Leadership Expert” and I figure his experience is worth noting.
My Daily Four:
- Write – As I mentioned before I try to write each day. It does not matter if it is a rough draft or a final copy, I try to write. Many times my final drafts all come at once. I mentioned that I experience writer’s block too much, but that never stops me from brainstorming various articles, sermons, projects and charts. Writing helps me to release thoughts onto a computer screen to get an overall look at them later.
- Read – I try to read something each day; magazines, books, blogs, newsletters and anything else to make me “create a better day today for a better life tomorrow.” I wrote an article back in October called “Reading – My Personal Confession.” Take a moment and give it a quick read to see my views on reading. Also, take a moment and check out my 11 Books (Outside of the Bible) I Recommend.
- Encourage – Every day I seek to encourage someone, outside of my family, and it does not matter who. Every day, throughout the day, I encourage my family and I seek to expand that encouragement to others. Take time and write someone in your congregation a small note and do not sign the card. As humans, we want to be thanked, but encourage someone without them knowing. Send an email to someone and thank them for being a friend or for the work they do. Encouraging someone only takes a second but the benefits are unending.
- Apply – The hardest part of the day comes in the application. The days can become so busy that the application of what was learned during the day can be put off until the next day, but to really make the best use of your knowledge, apply it today. It you have to create an opportunity to apply it, create that opportunity!
The afternoon continued to bring more idea generation and brainstorming for the upcoming sermons and Bible Classes as well as my lessons for this coming Sunday. I am guest speaking at another congregation, so I am making a compilation lesson.
We headed to Mount Pleasant a little early for some Christmas shopping. While I cannot give you too much information, because my family does actually read this and the gifts are for some of them. I can show you some pictures:
While Carrie and the girls and the boy were Christmas shopping, I got some “church related” items done in Mount Pleasant. After getting the church mail from the Post Office box, I found a letter and this picture in the mail – Does anyone know him?
After shopping and errands, the family sat down for a fantastic Chinese take-out dinner of Teriyaki Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Steamed Chicken with mixed vegetables, we began our Bible study with our Small Group in Mount Pleasant. Our Bible topic is one that I am going to save for a post later, I promise.
When Bible study and our fellowship time came to a close, we packed up in the car a headed home. As we arrived home, more email and phone calls awaited before closing my eyes as the Spurs and Mavericks battled to put a little ball in a basket. ( I really do not watch basketball, but David Robinson is my favorite player of all time.)
Final Thoughts on Wednesday:
I felt like I gained knowledge and accomplished a nice amount of writing on Wednesday. Usually Tuesdays is my writing day, but over the past month the schedule is changing to a Writing Wednesday. The fruit of Wednesday’s efforts will not be seen at once, rather it will be seen over the next week and even into the next year and hopefully into the everlasting life.
Whatever you do, please remember, a preacher’s work does not begin at 8:00 am and end at 4:00 pm, if it did not much would be accomplished. Also, a preacher’s life is a light of life to the world, not a light on a desk in an office.
Just my thoughts,
Chris
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did you say you saw that picture posted at the post office??
wow, you kids are big and cute!
This is a very good post. I love those “day-in-the-life” type of posts. I just find daily life to be interesting. Is that boy in the picture the same one that was born since you’ve been blogging? Wow! That seems like yesterday that you were writing about his arrival.
Wade,
Thanks for stopping by the Preacher’s Pen. I appreciate your encouraging comments.
Yes, that little boy in the picture is Caleb. He is 3 years old now and ALL BOY!
Thanks again for the encouraging words over the past 4 years!
Thanks again,
Chris
Brian,
Tha picture was broadcasted over the news for Twittering in Spanish!