Category Archives: Success

Do You Practice “Spiritual Cramming”?

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Do You Practice Spiritual Cramming?

Do You Practice “Spiritual Cramming”?

“And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you–and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.” Mark 4:24 (AMP)

“spiritual cramming”  /’spir-i-choo-uh l kram-ing/ VERB 1. The act of attempting to pray and/or to study hastily or learn biblical information in a short period of time and at the last minute due to an impending test, trial, struggle, problem, or hard time. Cramming is often discouraged because the hurried coverage of material tends to result in poor long-term retention of material.

It seems like most Christians know that we should read our Bible.  Most also probably realize that it should be done on a regular, daily basis.  The problem is, most don’t do it.  Maybe it’s because we think it’s hard to understand.  Sometimes it’s because we think it’s boring or that we don’t have time.  Maybe we think getting “Bible” on Sundays or in church is enough.  Any additional study we pursue is frequently just “spiritual cramming”.

I had the same problem.  Being raised in church my entire life, I heard the children’s church teachers, youth ministers, and pastors consistently say “read your Bible”.  I just never did—except for when I was in church on Sundays or Wednesdays.  Regular, daily Bible reading was not a habit of mine until about 15ish years ago (with the exception of a short stint in college).

Until then I was just a spiritual baby even though I was a grown adult with children of my own and even though I had a decent amount of knowledge from the Bible.  I was spiritually immature and had an underdeveloped understanding of spiritual life.  I expected everyone else to “feed” me, and any independent study often consisted of spiritual cramming.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready” 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (NLT)

It’s like college students…

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How to Create a Vision Board

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Learn the steps to create a Vision Board

How to Create a Vision Board

Now that you’ve learned to set SMART Goals and how to take some action steps to achieve those goals, it’s a good idea to create a vision board.  A vision board is simply a visualization tool to keep you focused on your life goals and dreams.  It’s a vision for your life in the form of a collection or collage of pictures of your goals and dreams to be displayed somewhere where you will see it often.

Proverbs 29:18 says that “where there is no vision, the people perish”.  We have to have that vision in front of us to make it happen.

What do you have in mind?

You have to see something before you can have something.  For example, you can’t go to a builder and ask him to build your dream home without having something in mind.  It’s been said that you become what you behold.  The Bible describes one example of this in 2 Corinthians 3:18–that we will reflect like a mirror what we are looking at—just as when we look to God, He transforms us into His likeness.

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord–who is the Spirit–makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT) 

You have to see something before you can have something. #visionboard

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Vision manifested

There is an amazing, transformational force in what we set our heart (spirit), mind (soul), and eyes (body) on.  Many modern theorists and success coaches refer to this transformation as the “Law of Attraction”.  The Law of Attraction basically states that you will attract into your life whatever you think about–that your mental perspective will attract external circumstances.  This is not a new concept. The Bible encouraged focusing on the positive long before the Law of Attraction theories.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Proverbs 4:23 (GNT)

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7a (NKJV)

Our minds see in images or pictures

Writing your goals out is an important step in order to achieve them.  A vision board just takes it to the next level.  Our minds see things in images or pictures as opposed to words.  If I were to say the word “bear”, you would probably picture a visual image of a bear in your mind instead of the word “B-E-A-R” spelled out.  The idea behind a vision board is to surround yourself with pictures of your visions and dreams so they will eventually become a reality for you.  When they are in a place where you can visualize and see them often, they will constantly be in the front of your mind.  You will have a visual reminder of your intentions, and your dreams, goals, and vision can become a reality!

Visualization brought into reality

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How to Achieve Your Goals

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Learn some specific steps to take to help you achieve your goals

How to Achieve Your Goals

Now that we’ve discussed the importance of writing goals and how to set SMART goals, I’d like to give you some practical tips and steps to achieve your goals.  It’s very easy just to write goals and set them aside, but we won’t be as likely to follow through and achieve our goals unless we take some additional steps.  Adding some action steps and some accountability will significantly boost the probability of reaching our goals, dreams, and vision for our life.  Most people leave these steps out and that is often why people don’t see their goals to completion.

Action steps…mini-goals to get to the bigger goal

To take the next step to achieve our goals, after we have written our SMART goals (made them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant, & Time-Sensitive), we should establish some specific actions steps (or short-term goals) for each of them.  By working toward completing these “mini-goals” we will reach that bigger goal and achieve our goals in the long term.  Making and taking smaller action steps is a way to baby step or snowball into a larger accomplishment by taking off bite-sized pieces.

God works in steps and stages

Even God does things in steps and stages.  He knows that we can be overwhelmed easily, and He directs us in steps and stages to success…little by little.

“The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.” Deuteronomy 7:22 (NIV)

“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23 (NLT) 

God knows that we can be overwhelmed easily, and He directs us in steps and stages.

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Identify obstacles or barriers

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How to Write SMART Goals

Learn how to write SMART Goals

How to Write SMART Goals

We recently talked about the importance of writing your goals down because people who write their goals down are much more likely to achieve them.  We learned that writing goals down will help you to be Happy, Healthy and Prosperous!  We also discovered that the Bible has several references about the importance of having goals and vision and writing them down.  Today I’d like to share HOW to write goals or better yet, how to write SMART goals.

Make them with a positive tone

First, when writing SMART goals, it’s important to keep in mind that you need to write out your goals in the form of a positive statement.  In other words, write what you want, NOT what you don’t want.  For example, if you have a goal to pay all of your bills on time, use positive wording instead of negative wording:

Negative: I don’t want to be late on any of my bills next month.

Positive: I want to pay all of my bills on time next month.

Do you see the difference?  It’s the exact same goal, just said in a different way.  Your mind tends to lean or focus toward what you think or say.  In this case, “Late on my bills” will stand out instead of “pay bills on time”.

It’s kind of like advice parents are given when correcting children.  I remember hearing or reading somewhere not to tell a child “Don’t spill your milk” because the brain then unconsciously focuses on “spill your milk”.  Guess what, quite often…they spill their milk!  On the contrary, if you were to say “Be careful with your milk—be sure it stays in your cup”, they are focused on the positive instead of the negative.  It’s almost like a magnet pulling an object toward itself.  We are like magnets that will pull what we focus on toward us.  

We are like magnets that pull what we focus on toward us. Focus on positive, not negative!

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This honestly is just a good life skill anyway!  Focus on the positive, not the negative.  It’s also scriptural:

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Make SMART Goals

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Reasons for Writing Goals Down

Why should we be writing goals down? Well, there are numerous reasons and benefits to writing goals down, and I’m going to share some of them with you (along with a few resources and studies to back them up so you’ll know I’m not just blowing smoke!).

Reasons for Writing Goals Down

At the start of each year, many people start thinking about some goals that they would like to accomplish. It might be specific resolutions or things related to a yearly word or theme. However, those goals often get forgotten or written off a few months into the new year. So what’s the point?  Why should we be writing goals down?  Well, there are numerous reasons and benefits to writing goals down, and I’m going to share some of them with you (along with a few resources and studies to back them up so you’ll know I’m not just making it up).

A to-do list for life

First, it’s important to set and write goals out because they become our “to-do” list for life.  I don’t know about you, but I’m a “to-do” list fanatic (read more about the importance of to-do lists here.)  Thus, I thrive on to-do lists (post-it notes, phone reminders, calendar notes, etc.).  I LOVE crossing stuff off of lists. Goals are no different.  The feeling of achieving a goal and crossing it off of a list is amazing!

Goals are our “to-do” list for life!

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Accountability and focus

It’s also important that we are writing goals down because they give us something concrete to look at, and they serve as a form of accountability.  There’s something about writing something down that makes you feel like “ok, now I HAVE to do it”.  Writing goals down brings them into sharper focus.  Having to write our goals out forces us to clarify them and focus on what it is that we really want.

A road map and grocery list analogy

Writing goals down is kind of like taking a road map on a trip or making a grocery list before going to the store.  It helps us to have a focused plan.  We can determine how to get there and have a clear direction.  It can also save us some stress and help us to be more efficient (saving time and money).

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m directionally challenged.  Therefore I NEED a map (well, now it’s GPS guidance) to get me places…because if I don’t have a map I may end up in Montana instead of Florida if I’m driving to Disneyworld.  And the grocery store?  Don’t even get me started!  I actually have an app on my phone that keeps my grocery list, and it’s even ordered by aisle and has prices I’ve entered for each item so I can stay on budget.  I might be a little compulsive, but at least it’s an app now—I used to do an Excel spreadsheet for my grocery list.  Don’t judge me. 🙂

Without my list, I’m all over the store, thus wasting time.  I buy things I don’t need, thus wasting money, or I forget things I do need, thus wasting time AND money by having to make a second trip back to the store.  So, much like my grocery list, if I don’t write down my goals I could be wasting precious time, money, and energy going off in all sorts of wrong directions.

Research backs the effectiveness of goal-writing

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A Yearly Theme or Word Instead of Resolutions

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A Yearly Theme Instead of Resolutions title image

A Yearly Theme or Word Instead of Resolutions

It’s that time of year when many people set New Year’s Resolutions. Getting a fresh start and taking inventory or assessment (like we discussed here) are not bad ideas. It’s good to take time to rejoice over victories and lessons learned while still seeking out areas needing growth and improvement. A time for personal inventory and new commitments can be important in your accountability to the Lord. We can see many examples throughout scripture where people set apart time for personal reflection.

However, as I’ve mentioned in previous years, I usually like to come up with a yearly theme or word instead of writing resolutions. I have found this to be a lot more powerful, effective, and productive both personally and especially spiritually. I originally got this idea from a Bible devotional that I read on my YouVersion Bible app, called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. It was a quick, simple 4-day reading plan. This has changed how I usually approach the new year now, and my focus on a yearly theme tends to last all year as opposed to a fleeting, failing, or temporary resolution.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.” Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

A time for personal inventory and new commitments can be important in your accountability to the Lord.

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Take Some of the Following Practical Steps to Pick a Yearly Theme or Word and Then Focus on it Over the Year:

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The Senses of Christmas

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The Senses of Christmas

The Senses of Christmas

The past several years, I’ve really tried to slow my pace during the Christmas holiday season and really try to savor and enjoy it. One of the things that I’ve reintroduced into my holiday break is to read books, particularly holiday-themed ones. A few Christmases ago, I read a wonderful book, The Christmas Box, which gave me an idea for a blog post about engaging our five senses at Christmastime and elsewhere. I made note of it in my notes app on my phone, and just recently I was reminded of it. Therefore, today I’d like to share some insights on the senses of Christmas.

An inspiration…

In The Christmas Box (which is a bit of a tearjerker by the way), there’s a scene where one of the characters is asking an elderly widow about which of the five senses she thought was most affected by Christmas. Her response was,

“I love everything about this season,” she continued. “But I think what I love the most about Christmas are its sounds. The bells of street-corner Santa Clauses, the familiar Christmas records on the phonograph, the sweet, untuned voices of Christmas carolers. And the bustling downtown noises. The crisp crinkle of wrapping paper and department store sacks and the cheerful Christmas greetings of strangers. And then there are the Christmas stories. The wisdom of Dickens and all Christmas story-tellers.” She seemed to pause for emphasis. “I love the sounds of this season. Even the sounds of this old house take on a different character at Christmas. These Victorian ladies seem to have a spirit all their own.”[1]

This description got my mind reeling about my own experiences at Christmas based on my five senses. I tried to answer the same question about which of the five senses I thought was most affected by Christmas. Honestly, I couldn’t narrow it down to just one. They are ALL affected!

Sounds of Christmas

Sound senses of Christmas–Jingle bells

When I think of the sounds of Christmas several things come to mind, much like those stated in the book excerpt. My favorite sound, obviously, would be that of Christmas music and carols. I seriously get giddy like a child when it’s time to break out the Christmas music! More annoyingly, I think of those repetitive holiday commercials. Then there is the collection of Hallmark Christmas ornaments that my kids play over and over by repetitively pushing the buttons on each and every one…every…single…day (I secretly enjoy this though, ssshh).

I also love the sounds of jingle bells, Salvation Army bell ringers at the stores, and Christmas stories (including THE Christmas Story). There’s also the chatty banter at family get-togethers. Finally, I can’t forget the hustle and bustle of shoppers (which can now often be avoided with online shopping!).

Sights of Christmas

Senses of Christmas--the lights

Sight senses of Christmas–the lights

The sights of Christmas are some of my favorite senses to engage. I love, love, love the lights! We love to go out as a family gazing at the neighborhood lights in surrounding communities. A Christmas tree can be seen in nearly every room of our house—it’s a rule.

Decorations abound in our home too. This completely irritates Eric because he dreads the day when it’s time to trek up into the attic to drag out the countless boxes of décor. There’s just something about twinkling greenery wrapping around railings, banisters, mirrors, windows, and doorframes that gives the home such a festive, warm, fuzzy feeling!

And we can’t forget about the Christmas movies! You know my addiction to Hallmark Christmas movies!

Smells of Christmas

The smells…

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My Addiction to Hallmark Christmas Movies

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My addiction to Hallmark Christmas movies...

My Addiction to Hallmark Christmas Movies

When I asked Eric what I should write about, he said “your addiction to Hallmark Christmas movies”. Did you sense some sarcasm in that? Me too. Actually, it’s not a bad idea though. I’ve got to be honest. I really am addicted to Hallmark Christmas movies! Sadly, he’s not lying. I admit it. I’m a full-blown Hallmark junkie.

I’m a huge fan of the Hallmark channel and their original movies, albeit cheesy and predictable as they sometimes are. Maybe it’s the predictability that I like? I always know they will tug at my heartstrings. Even if they have some sad parts, I can also always count on a happy ending. Real-life doesn’t always have happy endings, so the certainty of watching one can be enticing.

Maybe the movies are an escape too? That might be where the “addiction” comes in. Addictions are often an escape from something else, aren’t they? Hallmark Christmas movies can offer an escape from an often stress-ridden and drama-filled holiday season. In the movies, we can see the picture-perfect holiday season, traditions, memories, and romance.

Where conviction and moderation come in

Many years ago I discovered that I was developing unrealistic expectations and discontentment in my marriage due to my obsession with romantic movies and books. I felt a strong conviction that I needed to overcome this struggle (that I previously didn’t even know I had). To overcome this, I had to start watching my intake of “romance”. When I started noticing discontentment, I knew I needed to limit how much I was reading and watching. I had to start practicing moderation (or sometimes even eliminate them completely for a while).

If I’m not careful, I can do the same thing with these Hallmark Christmas movies. It can be easy to develop unrealistic expectations of what a Christmas holiday should look like. Real-life might start to pale in comparison to fictional films if I fixate on them constantly. I might start to think, “Man, my Christmas stinks compared to the picturesque traditions and moments they have.” Without caution, I might forget that…THEY AREN’T REAL!!!

My conviction may not be yours

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