CHUCK IT Again; with ACHUCKAllen
Yesterday’s BLOG post and Sunday’s sermon was the start of a book project. The response has been pretty awesome, so I’ll give you a couple more CHUCK IT’s for today. Please start making plans to join us for EASTER AT SUGAR HILL CHURCH, starting with Palm Sunday this week at 9:30 and 11:00. All of the Holy Week details and Worship Gatherings can be found HERE
Two More CHUCK IT’s for TUESDAY:
- I’ll Start Next Week! CHUCK THAT WEAK JUNK! It doesn’t matter if it’s losing weight, getting fit, reading your Bible, writing a book, climbing a mountain, or running a marathon. I’ve never seen, or personally experienced a better time to start than NOW. I spent years as a professional procrastinator. I was a high-functioning “waiter-for-the-perfect-time kinda guy”. As a result, I always worked hard, always got more than my fair share done, but lived in a state of urgency rather than significance. I am plenty aware that we all have urgent matters to deal with, but if we only act on the urgent, we will never truly approach significance. I know folks that feel like the Divine should not only prompt their heart to do something significant, but He should also prepare their task list, feed them, clothe them, serve as their GPS and travel planner. Folks, listen! The promptings of the Divine should propel us to action on things that are significant to HIM and US. Most of us know a few things that we would like to do. Most of us know a few things, or a thing that they know would be significant. If your heart and head are desiring to do or be something significant – START RIGHT NOW! Make a plan, learn a skill, pray for wisdom, share your desire, listen to wise counsel AND GET AFTER IT! The days of procrastination and excuses need to BE CHUCKED!
- Stop Playing the Blame Game and Stop the Excuses – CHUCK EM! I recall being at high school football camp in 1976. It was at least 100 degrees and the sun was beating down on a bunch of guys killing each other, in full pads. A young guy, with plenty of talent, missed an assignment and our quarterback (affectionately known as Monk) got killed. When Coach Johnson walked over to “address” the missed assignment, the young sophomore offered a pretty pathetic excuse. Then it happened. Coach went nuclear! He grabbed this kid’s facemask and screamed, “You will not make an excuse on my football field! Excuses are for Losers! Are you a loser, son?” It was one of those “oh boys, we are gonna run today” moments. Coach then literally ran this kid off the field. At what passed for dinner that night, the player apologized to the team and coaches for offering an excuse. Don’t look for a way out – own it and work it out.
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On another day, much later in life, I recall watching CNN, as they were interviewing General Norman Schwarzkopf, following his overwhelming victory against Iraq’s alleged “Elite Troops.” When asked about a problem encountered in the theater of battle, the brilliant General replied, “We don’t fix blame in my tent, we fix problems.” Phrase and learning captured! Leave the excuses to the folks in the stands, winners don’t create excuses, they create fixes! Let the judges fix blame, and fix your attention on fixing problems!
I know how to fail. I’m good at it. The more public the failure, the more I desire to blame something or somebody. 99% of the time, I need to focus on owning the challenge and fixing the problem. Every second that I spend blaming or excusing is a second that might have fixed the problem. Own it!
PROCRASTINATION – CHUCK IT!
BLAME – CHUCK IT!
EXCUSES – CHUCK EM!
–AChuck
