Have you ever felt stuck? Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t get going, or get the things done that you knew you needed to do? Have you ever felt as if you were getting things done at 5mph while everything around you was moving at 60mph? Me too. I have been in this position more times than I can remember and have been there much of this week. So how do you get out of stuck? Here are some of my methods:

-Get Started – there is an old saying “A job begun, is a job half done”. I am not sure I would go so far as to say that if you get started on whatever you need to do that it is suddenly half done. However, I agree that the hardest part of most projects is just getting started. It is a guarantee that you will stay stuck if you don’t get started.

-Set a deadline – set a series of deadlines if it is a larger project. It is so much easier to stay stuck if there is no urgency to complete the project. For me, I often have to put my deadlines on my calendar or some other visible document. The deadline carries more meaning when it is can be seen.
-Have someone else ask about the project – get someone else to ask you about the project. Knowing that someone is going to be asking will often get you moving beyond stuck.

-Do something different – get away from the project for a while. I don’t mean avoid it, I mean do something completely different for a little while. It could be other work, or it could be something fun or meaningless. This can help shift your mind, and emotions, out of the stuck mode. Then when you return to the project you may have some fresh thinking, or at the very least you are renewed to start moving out of stuck.

-Do something physical – this one assumes that you are stuck mentally or emotionally. Take a walk, ride a bike, exercise (not my first choice), mow the lawn (my last choice) or something else that gets your blood flowing and your mind focused on something other than your project.

-Tell someone you are stuck – I realize that this might be obvious, but I also know that many times others are unaware that you are stuck. Telling someone can bring some support, some accountability and maybe a fresh thought that helps you move beyond being stuck.

-Make sure that whatever you are stuck on needs to be done by you – sometimes we are stuck because we are not doing the right stuff. Either it is not your area and you have accepted it anyway, or you are covering for someone else who didn’t get it done or you have overstepped and are trying to control someone else. So stop and make sure you should be doing whatever it is that has you stuck. Caution, don’t just use this as an excuse to not do something that you just don’t want to do.

There are very few conditions in which being stuck is fun, so let’s work to get out of stuck. Don’t be too proud to admit you are stuck. The biggest thing is to do whatever works for you to get unstuck. I have discovered that it is not always the same things that get me unstuck. What works one time may not be what helps me move through it the next time. So don’t get stuck on how to get unstuck. Be willing to try different things to move beyond stuck.

Here’s hoping you are not stuck, but if you are stuck then here’s hoping you can start moving out of it today.

Dennis

I have a problem for you to solve: There are 5 frogs sitting on a log in pond. (Don’t get hung up on why, they are frogs who knows) One of the frogs decides to jump off the log into the pond. How many frogs are left sitting on the log?

Did you give an answer? What was your answer? I have posed this problem a few times as a coach and as a pastor. I love this problem/question. It really goes to the heart of a very serious issue that many of us struggle with in our lives. The answer is 5. There are still 5 frogs sitting on the log.

Some of you are saying something like, “What? How can there still be 5 on the log if one jumped in the pond?” You are correct, if one jumped into the pond there would not be 5 on the log. Now, re-read the problem and question I posed. The key here is “One of the frogs decides to jump off the log into the pond.” Do you get it? Here it is: deciding is not the same as doing. The frog decided to jump, I didn’t say the frog jumped.

I love this problem/question because it is a simple picture of a large struggle we often face. In fact I think it shows a flaw in the thinking and planning of many of us. Too often we think the problem is solved once we make a decision. Though deciding is important, the decision in and of itself does not change the situation. We must decide, then we must do something about what we have decided.

There are many times when I have decided to lose some weight. Great decision, but a month later I still weigh the same because I did nothing different to lose any weight. Or maybe the decision is to get in better physical condition, and then a month later I am still sitting in my recliner tipping up a bag of chips to get the last crumbs. (Those last crumbs are the best, aren’t they?) Or I make a decision to read through the Bible this year, now it’s July and I am stuck in Genesis chapter 12 because I didn’t change my schedule and read a few minutes extra each day. Or I make a decision to spend more time with my family and weeks later I am still working extra hours and watching TV when I get home. Or …. Are you starting to get the picture?

Decisions are often difficult, but making the decision is not the end of the process. If I don’t act on the decision, begin to do something to bring about what I have decided, then my decision really meant nothing. Too many organizations, and individuals, are defined by this cycle of but not changing.

What decision(s) have you made recently that is still “sitting on the log”? What is the first thing you need to do get off the log with that decision?

Here’s hoping you take the first step, or first jump, toward fulfilling that decision today. I need to go, there are a couple of decisions that are still sitting on the log for me. Time to jump. Let’s make some splashes today as we move beyond just deciding.

Dennis

Not every Pastor has the same routines on a Sunday morning, so I guess the title of this blog should have been “A Peek Into This Pastor’s Sunday Morning …”. But no matter who the pastor is there are some things that are similar for every pastor. I have refined my routines over the years and this is what it looks like today.

My alarm goes off between 4:30 and 4:45 on Sunday mornings. Many Sundays I wake up before my alarm goes off and I just get up then. At this point I begin the getting ready for the day process. Usually this includes making a cup of coffee with our Keurig. I feel obligated to give a huge nod of approval to Keurig coffee makers. Before we had a Keurig I didn’t have a cup of coffee until I got to church and would make a pot. Now I can make a cup and really start to get going early.

I arrive at church anywhere from 5:00 to 5:20. I love this time on Sundays. I am the only one in the building for quite a while. Normally one of the first things I do is make a pot of coffee. What comes next can any one of a few things. I might walk around the building, making sure everything is okay and praying for the people and ministries that will be in those areas. I will check my email and social media at some point. I will do a devotion and have one of several prayer times.

After a while I settle in my office and go over my sermon for that morning. I will usually eat a bagel or English muffin during this time period. I often make a few changes, or add something to the sermon at this time. Then I go into the Sanctuary/Worship Center and run through the sermon. When I run through I actually preach it out loud. I look around the room and picture those who will likely be seated in a certain area. (Many of you sit in the same place every Sunday, so it is easy to envision you during this time. If you think your pastor is preaching directly at you try changing where you sit, it may take your pastor a couple of weeks to find you.) It is not unusual for me to stop and write something on my outline during this run through. Parts of the sermon sound different when you say it out loud.

Why do I do a “dress rehearsal” early Sunday morning? Because it really cements the message in my mind and helps me to not be tied too tightly into looking at my notes. Also, as I mentioned earlier, some things just sound different when you say them out loud than they sounded in my mind when I pounded them out on my keyboard. This also helps me to know the timing of the sermon. I learn how long it should take and any areas that I can easily get bogged down in and need to move through quicker. I pray for the sermon, the service and the congregation during this time.

It is usually a little after 7:30 by now. I may take another walk around the building or settle back into my office. I will often send an email, facebook message or text to a pastor friend at this point to encourage them or let them know that I am praying for them as they preach that day. I will often read a little in a book that is on my current reading list. If I am teaching a Sunday School class at the time, I will go over my lesson for that morning again and make sure my room is ready for the day.

Soon people begin to come in the building, making breakfast, getting their Sunday School room ready or to do a final run through of the music and sound for the worship service. At this point I may begin to drift around the building again checking in on people and seeing if I can help them with anything. I pray for them as I see them or hear them. If everything is going smoothly I go back to my office to pray, make sure my notes are in order and really start to get my game face on, so to speak.

If I am teaching a Sunday School class I get there and greet my students. If I am not currently teaching a class I move around the building seeing how Sunday School is going and listening in on a few classes. I pray for the teachers during this time.

Then it is time to gather everything I need, make sure my mic is in place and working properly. (At my current church a retired pastor comes in my office at this point and prays over me. This is a powerful moment for me.) Then I go out and begin talking with people who are already in their places. I like to move around and speak with several people, it is good time to greet them and to get a feel for the atmosphere of the day. There is usually some point of checking in with the worship leader or sound person. Then we worship.

This is a picture of typical Sunday morning for me. What does yours look like? Any questions on what I do or why I do what I do? I will leave the rest of a typical Sunday for another post someday. Here’s hoping your Sundays are awesome.

Dennis

We recently finished a Vacation Bible School in our church. It has been a few years since a church where I was pastor did a somewhat traditional VBS. I was reminded of some of the reasons why I hadn’t done one for a few years and I was overwhelmingly struck by the positive aspects of VBS. I believe each church has to evaluate the practicality and benefits of a VBS in their own community. With that being said here are a few lessons I learned during our recent VBS.

-Enthusiasm is attractive – One of the great things about kids is that if you are enthusiastic they will get into whatever you are sharing. I believe adults need to be reminded that enthusiasm is attractive. Enthusiasm can draw people into church and it can attract people to Christ. Too often we sin by taking the greatest truth and boring people with the good news of the gospel. VBS is anything but boring, at least if it goes well.

-Smiles make your day – Kids smile a lot. I like seeing smiles. When you smile at someone they will usually smile back. When you smile you feel better and if you can make someone else smile you help them feel better as well. What if you committed to smiling at everyone you make eye contact with tomorrow? Now don’t avoid eye contact so you don’t have to smile. Commit to smiling as you make eye contact with people for a day and watch what happens.

-It takes many hands for it to work – A lady in my church said to me the day before our VBS began that one of her favorite things about VBS is that so many people in the church work together to make it happen. I will confess I had not been viewing VBS in this way. As the week went on I recognized how true her statement was and it revolutionized my thinking. It takes people doing all kinds of things and it takes people who are willing to do whatever is needed on that day.

-The greatest outcome may be the fellowship of the adults who served – This was true fellowship. Not eating a meal together, but serving together and there was much sharing that took place as they served. We had some people matched up with people that they really did not know until they served together. This produced some great results.

-Focusing on kids is a life changer – Whenever you focus on kids you will see lives changed. Your life will be different and so will the life of the kids. I have only been the pastor of this church for 5 months. As a result I didn’t know the children all that well. Serving in our VBS helped me get to know the kids and I really fell in love with them. I was changed by the kids and by serving in VBS. I saw some of the kids really respond. Before that week the kids knew I was the pastor, but now they know me and some of them even like me.

-Repeating something out loud inscribes it on your mind – We did a lot of “repeat after me” during VBS. We did this with the theme for each night and with memory verses. The kids knew their stuff and so did I. I am still figuring out how to do more of this in my teaching and preaching. I wonder if I can get their parents, and grandparents to yell some answers out during the sermon.

-Giving should be fun – The kids got so excited to bring in their offerings. They were especially excited to give to sponsor a child from another country. Yes, some of the money was handouts from their parents and some was from the workers. But, many kids brought in money from their own banks from home. The joy on their faces when they gave and when they celebrated how much was given was great to see. I wish we adults would give with that kind of joy.

We had parents and some other relatives come on Sunday morning and for our picnic celebration after worship. I am praying that we will see some of them return in the weeks to come. We had children who accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. Bottom line, our Vacation Bible School was definitely worth the time, effort and money. Also, the lessons learned were definitely worth it. Now to stretch these lessons into all of our ministries.

Do you do VBS? If so, how did it go? If not, why did you choose not to do one?

Dennis

I had my first colonoscopy a couple of days ago. It was an experience that I would prefer not to repeat very often. Fortunately the doctor gave me a good report and I am very grateful for that report. I am always looking for real life experiences to use in sermon illustrations. Much of what takes place surrounding a colonoscopy is probably not appropriate for sermon illustrations, at least not if I desire to remain in my pastorate. However, there are some lessons that can be learned from the experience that I believe are transferable to my ministry.

-Preparation is a big deal. Preparation for a colonoscopy is a full day experience, sometimes longer. The event took 20 to 30 minutes but the preparation for it was 24+ hours. I need to remember this more often in my ministry. The preparation is as, if not more, important than the event itself. In fact the outcome of the event is determined by the preparation.

-It takes a team. I encountered at least 14 different people in my short event at the hospital. The focus is on the doctor, but before the doctor did his/her thing I had engaged with 13 other people. I hope the doctor realizes how valuable the whole team is to his/her success. I was reminded of how many people are involved with a Sunday morning worship service as I went through this process. I must do better at thanking my team, and do better in praying for them and do better in making sure they realize how valuable they are to the whole process.

-A personal touch makes a difference. I had my own nurse from arriving in the procedure area until I was dismissed to leave. It was reassuring to have that same voice caring for me when I came out of the procedure as I had before I went into the procedure. I must remember that a personal touch makes a difference at church. Whether it is a greeter, a teacher, an usher, a worship leader, the pastor or the person who is seated nearby, a personal touch will be remembered.

-Encouragement is a big deal. I didn’t have anyone chanting my name as I went in for the procedure (that would have cool though). I did encounter many who assured me that they knew what they were doing and that I was in very good hands with all who were caring for me. I was encouraged by them saying that I would do fine and that I would do well as I went home. Encouragement is a powerful thing for everyone. We all have different needs when it comes to what type of encouragement speaks the best to us. But all of us do better with encouragement than without. We need to be great encouragers in the church and as we encounter people anywhere.

-Being treated with competence brings you back. Not that I am looking to go back and repeat this procedure just because I was treated well. However, I was encouraged by how they did their jobs so that when I need another medical procedure these are people I will choose. That is a transferable principle for the church and me as the pastor. I want us to do so well at what we do that people will have confidence to come back again.

Here’s hoping I will do better at these things in my ministry. What do you think of these lessons? Can you see how they apply to your ministry? What are you doing to see that they are being done where you serve?

Dennis

I try to do a “Monday Morning Musings …” post on Monday mornings, thus the title of the posts. This week I didn’t quite make it considering that it is now Tuesday evening. My excuse, I had a colonoscopy on Monday morning. I don’t know if you consider that a good excuse or not. My guess is that if you have ever had one, you consider it a good excuse. If you have never had one then you may not understand why I didn’t get it done. Just wait, your time is coming.

Since it is now Tuesday evening, I am going to broaden my musings a bit. As for Sunday, we had a tremendous day at our church. Our VBS (Vacation Bible School) was last week. It went well and finished even better. We three or four times our normal Sunday children’s attendance come to our VBS. We saw several children pray to accept Christ as their personal Savior! (That is the biggest highlight of the week.) We had over 40% of our Sunday morning average Worship attendance help in our VBS. (Re-read that last sentence. Not 40% of our adults, 40% of our average Sunday morning worship attendance! This is going to be a great moment in the history of our church.) Our workers were awesome! There were some newer people who served and there was some great fellowship, real solid fellowship, taking place as people served together. I really feel in love with the children as I got to know them in a much better way than I had before. The kids brought in more than enough money to sponsor a child’s education in another country for 1 year.

Then on Sunday, the kids rocked the house during our worship service. They showed us how to worship with enthusiasm. They shared the lessons they learned for the Word and they were very attentive during the whole service. I shared a brief message and some adults and more children prayed to receive Christ as their Savior!!! We had a great attendance, only 5 fewer than we had on Easter Sunday morning. Then we had a picnic to celebrate a great week of VBS and not only did we have a great number who attended they hung around and talked with each other a long time. I love seeing that kind of fellowship. Then our workers stayed and cleaned up the place. I am so humbled by all the hard work so many people did this week. I am blessed to be their pastor.

The report from the Doctor to my wife is that everything looked good from my test. (I don’t know what the Doctor said because I wasn’t real aware at that point.) I must confess I am not a fan of the day before preparation for a colonoscopy. Here’s hoping I don’t have to go through that again for quite a while.

Some lessons I learned from my medical experience and working in our VBS … on second thought, let’s make that tomorrow’s post.

Here’s hoping you survived your Monday morning and are having a great start to your week. What did you learn this weekend?

Dennis