Achuckallen

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4forFRIDAY Christmas Edition

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FOUR QUOTES ON CHRISTMAS:

  1. “Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.”
    –GK Chesterton
  2. “Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard, or too sad when you’ve got a Christmas tree in the living room.”
    – Nora Roberts
  3. “Christmas is the day that holds all time together.”
    — Alexander Smith
  4. “God goes to those who have time to hear him—and so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.”
    —Max Lucado


THREE GREAT CHRISTMAS ALBUMS:

  1. A Drummer Boy Christmas by For King and Country
  2. The Chosen Christmas Soundtrack
  3. A Bonner Family Christmas


TWO AWESOME CHRISTMAS SPECIALS

  1. A Silent Night at the Museum of the Bible
  2. Christmas with The Chosen – A Global Event


ONE BOOK WE ALL SHOULD READ

  1. Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals by Michael Hyatt
    This will be the third year that I have read this book between Christmas and New Year. Michael Hyatt is a wonderful leader with a great thought on achiving more by doing less. Grab a copy and join me for the January 2nd Workshop Worship – YOUR VERY BEST YEAR – at Sugar Hill Church – 11:00. Streaming live on You Tube, Facebook and Vimeo @SugarHillChurch

MAY PEACE BE AROUND YOU AND WITHIN YOU THIS CHRISTMAS, Chuck

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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December 10, 2021, by AChuckAllen

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FOUR Quotes for This Week:

  1. Our goal is to keep the big things big and the small things small. It’s not that who Twitter’s CEO is isn’t important, it’s just not God-of-the-Universe important. Stay focused on eternity; it changes everything.You will never regret spending more time with your spouse and children – ever.” –Jim Denison
  2. “What is sacred is what is worthy of our reverence, what evokes awe and wonder in the human heart, and what, when contemplated, transforms us utterly.”– Phil CousineauIf
  3. “It’s about waking up in the morning and saying that I’m worthy of love, belonging, and joy. It’s about engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.” — Brené Brown
  4. “When failure is reversible, act quickly. When failure is irreversible, think carefully.” —James Clear

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THREE Really Good Reads:

  1. Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact, by Liz Wiseman
  2. The Power of Potential: A Straightforward Method for Mastering Skills from Personal to Professional by David Wray
  3. The Power of Your Brain: Harnessing the Potential of a Renewed Mind by Stan Toler

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TWO Great Apps I Use Every Single Day

  1. Tecarta Bible APP
  2. Noteability

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One Thing that I’d Start Right Now.

  1. Prepare for the new year, now. I have already started prepping for the new year by creating a list of four habits that will improve my health, my writing, my walk with God, and my time/energy management. Once you’ve created a list of not more than five new habits that could radically improve your life, set up a 3 month habit tracker. Whatever your frequency (for me that’s five-days-per-week) then determine what is a small, managable, achievable repetition. Start small (as in 1 push-up/day) and build each week by an equally small progressions, and watch how you can create a new and better you through repetition of habit. Dream big, and start small.

Peace, Chuck

4forFRIDAY – A New Format

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4 – 3 – 2 – 1

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Here are FOUR solid thoughts for this week:

  1. Let quietude wield its influence upon you. Let the fact that you are alone assert itself. Give your soul time to get released from the many outward things. Give God time to play the prelude to prayer for the benefit of your distracted soul.
  2. You will never regret spending more time with your spouse and children – ever.
  3. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.”- Robert Louis Stevenson
  4. If you don’t have anything good to say, it’s your fault.

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Here are THREE awesome Christmas albums:

  1. Tony Bennett Christmas Playlist on Spotify
  2. Christmas in Sugar Hill Playlist on Spotify
  3. Pentatonix Christmas Playlist on Spotify

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Here are TWO great books that I Enjoyed

  1. Mini Habits for Weight Loss by Stephen Guise
    Stop Dieting. Form New Habits. Change Your Lifestyle Without Suffering.
  2. Rock the Boat by Danielle Barrett
    Embrace Change, Encourage Innovation, and Be a Successful Leader

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Here is One Thing that I’d start doing right now.

  1. Start one new habit that will help your mental, emotional and spiritual health – today! Write down two things that you are grateful for – every single morning of your life. Every study on the planet supports the fact that we are healthier emotionally, mentally, and spiritually when we activate the brain with seeds and activities of gratitude. I know you think that’s preacher talk, but I’ll guarantee you that if you will take 3 minutes each day and stop. Then write down two things you are grateful for. Then save them and do it over and again for thirty-days straight, it’ll change your world!

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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I love to share good reads, learnings, listens, and reviews with friends and followers.
So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY Updates.

Cut the Cord and Enjoy YouTube TV

I’m so happy to be done with cable and DISH. Haven’t had a single problem and have been able to see every live sporting event that I cared about, including local channels.

A Super Simple Activity Monitor: Amazon Halo

It’s affordable, simple, and measures accurately. I love mine.

A Great Listen from Ryan Holiday: Ego is the Enemy

This is a book that should be on the “must read” list for every leader. I chose to listen to it while riding and walking. I think you’ll love it. Holiday, as always, really challenges me.

My Favorite Apple Watch Band (to date)

I’m a Apple Watch band a’holic. Of the 20 different bands that I’ve had over the lives of 4 different Apple Watches, this is by far my favorite for casual/rugged wear.

A Powerful Quote from Jane Goodalln

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make… Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play.”

THE POSITIVE TALK PODCAST
Integrating Faith and Psychology with Julie Homrich and Chuck Allen – A Weekly Dose of Positivity, Encouragement, and Enlightenment.
I think you’ll love this new format!

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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I love to share good reads, learnings, listens, and reviews with friends and followers.
So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY Updates.

Daily News Email with a Positive, Encouraging Vibe: The Pour Over

I’ve dropped most of my other morning news emails to better enjoy this well-laid-out and encouraging news read. I think you’ll enjoy its clarity, simplicity, and solid news.

A Podcast to Prep You for the Holidays

Attempting to meet all of the internal and external expectations of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season is near impossible. Listen in to this 15-minute podcast to help reset your holiday expectations.

Possibly My Favorite Christmas Read of All Time: Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ

Tim Keller is one of my favorite authors and this book didn’t disappoint. I learned so many things about the birth of Jesus.

A Very Simple, Affordable Organizer Solution: 25 PCS Clear Plastic Drawer Organizers Set

I’ve begun the process to update and reorganize my home office. I get most of “my work” done here as most of my work at Sugar Hill Church involves counseling sessions, meetings, and staff work. These are really helping me get my office better structure fr greater efficiency.

A Powerful Quote from Kahlil Gibran

“Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers.”

THE POSITIVE TALK PODCAST 
Integrating Faith and Psychology with Julie Homrich and Chuck Allen – A Weekly Dose of Positivity, Encouragement, and Enlightenment.
I think you’ll love this new format!

Go in Peace, Chuck

THIS ONE THING WILL RADICALLY IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

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Several years ago I was introduced to the concept of simplicity. I became aware that life, when boiled down to its lowest common denominator is not complicated, but rather simple and clear. Why then are we so anxious, stressed, and angry? Why are we touching our smartphones 2,000 times each day? Why are we sleeping less and fretting more?

Let me offer a full confession. I am a recovering productivity and busy addict. I am a type A, driven human being that has had to learn the hard way that I regularly need to build healthy boundaries and honor who I know I was created to be. There is a reason that Jesus launched His ministry three decades after arriving in Bethlehem. He then set out for a forty-day fast in the desert to be with God the Father. He never had to say, “I’ve got a junior executive that will handle that for you,” so He could scoot past someone on to the next appointment…in a hurry. In John Mark Comer’s book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” he makes so many great statements about our need to learn the ways of Jesus. By the way, this was one of the most impactful books that I have read in years!

Whether you are a follower of Jesus or you simply recognize Him as a great role model, we can all agree that the world would be a far better place if we all acted and reacted more like Jesus.

With that one thought in mind, I want to offer this one simple step to you experiencing a far greater life.

JUST SIT!

That’s right, just SIT.

I’ve been working with the acrostic, SIT for about eighteen months and it is a powerful part of the energy, passion, and peace that I am experiencing in this season of life. I pray it helps you as well.

JUST SIT
S – SPACE = Solitude and Silence
I – INVESTMENT = Intentionality and Involvement
T – TANGIBILITY = Transfer and Tackle

It’s the simplest and most powerful adjustment that I’ve made in my life.

S

We need a handful of minutes each day that includes a good SIT. We need to SIT in Solitude. Solitude includes Silence. No noise, no people, no recorded voice, or music. When I added a few minutes of solitude and silence I discovered space for me and the Divine to plan together. I discovered a space where my thoughts were as tangible as writing on a whiteboard and my priorities got clear. Here are the three key elements to discover your “space.”

  • FIND YOUR SPOT. It needs to be easily accessible to you. It needs to be comfortable. It must be where you can “hide” for more than 5 minutes.
  • Be consistent and get to that spot at the same time every single day. You might be a 5-day-a-week kind of SITTER, but I function best when I SIT 7-days-a-week. If you aren’t an earlybird, don’t fight that. Get to your spot in the evening. I prefer morning, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Get there consistently.
  • Leave your tools for solitude in your SITTING SPOT. My tools include pen, index cards, and my NLT Bible.

I

We need to SIT so we can properly Invest. That few minutes of investment each day accomplish three extraordinary things. These quiet minutes of investment create new neuropathways (with consistency) that train us to be grateful, wise, and productive. This world is filled with people that do not get the concept of daily gratitude. I am living proof that if you will write down two things that you are grateful for every single day, you will be happier, healthier, and a great deal more likable. That is a triple win, my friend! When you are wiser, you make fewer mistakes, build healthier relationships, and avoid the pitfalls of moral failure. When you are productive, you can accomplish more in less time and build healthy boundaries around you, your family, and your vocation. Once again – triple win! I’ve realized that in these minutes of silence I can actually hear from God, not just talk to my Creator.

T

Now, for all the driven folks out there, it’s time to get tangible. By tangible, I mean that you activate your silence, solitude, and investment, you now transfer those new thoughts direction and clarity into tangible action. Capture what is your most Treasured task of the day. By Treasured I am referring to that one Task which you must accomplish Today. The most critical Task today. Keep it right in front of you. That is the purpose of the index card. Add that one critical task to the two things you are grateful for. Capture your gratitude and your most critical task. Then capture one Thought that the Divine gave you to do, be, or share Today. With those Three Tangible Tasks, you are ready to Tackle the day! Thankfulness, Task, Thoughts.

It’s simple, but you don’t just SIT. You SIT with purpose.

But hear me, young Grasshopper. All of this is in addition to reading a brief piece of scripture. If you struggling with where to start reading, just start with the Gospel of John. Read for 5 minutes, SIT, then rinse and repeat.

I Guarantee You that this Will Greatly Improve Your Life!

Peace, Chuck