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4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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Week 21 of 2023 is almost in the books. I’ve spent most of the week in Uvalde, Eagle Pass, and Del Rio, Texas. I am amazed at the resiliency of these Texas Border Towns. I read this the other day and trust that it will encourage you.
Quantity Leads to Quality
If we sit around and wait for quality, it won’t come. Quality must be pursued.

With your notes and research. With your YouTube videos. With your notebook or your journal. With your photography… Whatever it is that you are creating, you have to start with “not yet amazing”.

But if you continue to show up every day and keep creating, then the more you create, the more valuable your overall body of work is. Not to mention that, as you create things (writing, photography, etc.) your ongoing practice is the single greatest way to up-level your skills (which, of course, ultimately leads you toward a higher quality of work).” —Shawn Blanc

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY

A Podcast Worth Listening to: ETERNAL PURPOSE

A Fun Novel from Clive Cussler: FAST ICE

An Interesting Article from Visualized Capitalism: Mapped: How Much Should You Tip In Each Country?

A powerful tool for Daily Devotionals from CrossWalk” Your First 15

A Quote from Brené Brown
“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” “It’s worse to spend your life on the outside looking in, wondering what if than it is to try and dare greatly and risk the chance of failure. Dare greatly; get in the arena and try.”

Go in Peace, Chuck

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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Week eighteen of 2023 is almost in the books, and it has been a crazy week. I trust that yours has been awesome and that YOUR WEEKEND AHEAD WILL BE AWESOME! I read these words earlier this week, and I trust they are an encouragement to you.
What do very happy people have in common? The Wall Street Journal followed up with the 12% of respondents in a WSJ-NORC survey who called themselves “very happy”  and asked them what they were all about. Here are the traits they share.

  • Companionship: 67% of the happiest people said marriage was very important to them, compared to 43% of respondents.
  • Religion: Two-thirds of very happy people characterized themselves as moderately or very religious. The overall share: less than half.
  • Closer to death: People 60 and over accounted for 44% of the happiest group but represented 30% of total survey respondents.
  • Gym rats: Fitness was a common interest among very happy people.

What doesn’t seem to matter to become very happy? Political party affiliation or avoiding following politics. —Neal Freyman

Four Lessons That I Learned This Week.

1. Nothing can improve your Day More than Margin. Whether it is financial, relational, or time management, margin is your friend. Fight for it!

2. Stop Trying to Impress People. If you are still playing the comparison game, you are losing.

3. Think About Your Circles of Influence Through this Quote: “Those who follow Jesus should attract the same people Jesus attracted and frustrate the same people Jesus frustrated.” —Shane Claiborne

4. Never Stop Learning. This isn’t just a strong way to stay sharp but a way to grow to become more like Jesus. Win-Win!

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY

A Movie We Loved: “GHOSTED” (on Apple TV)

A Book that I Loved: Drop the Stones

Another Movie We Loved: The Covenant (movie theatre)

My Favorite Bakery/Deli: Henri’s (now open in Peachtree Corners)

A Quote from Hugh L. Hollowell:

“Every time we use religion to draw a line that keeps people out, Jesus is with the people on the other side of that line.”

Go in Peace, Chuck

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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Week sixteen of 2023 is almost in the books, and it has been a great week here in Uvalde, Texas. I trust that yours has been tremendous and that YOUR WEEKEND AHEAD WILL BE AWESOME! I’d like to share a prayer from Peanut’s Carlie Brown – Be yourself. “No one can say you’re doing it wrong.”

Four Lessons That I Learned This Week.

1. Never live with your assumptions. It’s like believing everything you think. It’s rarely true, accurate, or timely.

2. If you want peace in your life, give yourself away. Every study on the planet proves that when you serve others, in any way, but with the right motive, you are the one that is blessed.

3. Bible reading is for far more than greater knowledge. The proof of this is how I flounder when not having time, or taking time to read scripture, daily.

4. When counseling people or trying to help, you might not be appreciated or liked. But speaking truth in love is how to place your head on the pillow with the certainty that you did what God asked of you…and that is more than enough.

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY

10 Things You Shouldn’t Miss at Buc-ees’s from Atlanta Magazine

Taco Bell’s innovation team could probably solve all the world’s woes if we asked them to:

Make a list of Earth’s most pressing challenges and the precise consistency of the cheese on a fast-food burrito probably doesn’t rank too high.

But if this detailed New Yorker profile on Taco Bell’s Innovation Kitchen teaches us anything, it’s to never underestimate the 12 chef scientists and 60 food-innovation developers behind the chain’s menu magic.

They take their work seriously — you have to if your output is a primary growth engine for a ~8.2k-location, $14.65B-in-annual-sales restaurant serving 42m people every week — and they regularly solve complex problems.

Why we’d elect them as our (Crunchwrap) Supreme Leaders

Whether you love or hate the food, the stream of additions to Taco Bell’s menu makes it one of food’s most compelling spaces. At its root is a legendary creative culture they’ve nurtured — one well worth learning from.

Some key components:

• Iteration: Taco Bell annually releases ~10 new products; to do so, their innovation team generates thousands of ideas and tests ~70 of them.

• Patience: The idea for the Crunchwrap Supreme was tweaked in the lab for 13 years until it made the cut.

• Practical constraints: A creative process without limitations is often too blue-sky; the scale of Taco Bell’s business requires careful consideration of the cost, quantity, and preparation of each component, as well as speed — can it be prepared in ~1 minute?

• Attention to detail: Scientific precision is lent to ingredients’ material properties — from bounce to juiciness, springback to spreadability. And every ratio is carefully considered, like how the balance of fats and acids impacts mouthfeel and brain chemistry.

• Breaking convention: The team pushes past technical limits — famously trying a paint-spray gun to try applying the correct amount of Doritos powder to their taco shells.

• Consumer focus: Every successful creative product is evocative for its audience, even an oddball limited-edition Grilled Stuft Nacho. Per The New Yorker, “nostalgia” and “emotion” are frequently raised in their Innovation Kitchen.

A Very Interest Series from Apple TV- The Last Thing He Told Me

Why You Should Be Seeking Fun, Not “Happiness”

A Quote from Pete Scazerro:

“Ignoring our emotions is turning our back on reality. Listening to our emotions ushers us into reality. And reality is where we meet God. . . . Emotions are the language of the soul. They are the cry that gives the heart a voice. . .”

Go in Peace, Chuck

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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Week fifteen of 2023 is almost in the books, and it has been a great week, including a full day of fly-fishing. I trust that yours has been tremendous and that YOUR WEEKEND AHEAD WILL BE AWESOME! I’d like to share a prayer from Anne Lamott – “Here are the two best prayers I know: ‘Help me, help me, help me’ and ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Four Lessons That I Learned This Week.

1. Remember that Everyone is Going Through Something. This is an absolute truth. Everyone I meet is going through something. Our goal is to recognize and empathize.

2. Embrace Imperfection. You are imperfect as much or more than that person you see imperfection in. The goal isn’t perfect. It’s practice. Consistent instigation of better.

3. You are Loved. Remember that God loves you, and you cannot do anything to make Him not love you!

4. Enlisting Help is a Sign of Strength, Not Weakness. Far too often, we do not seek help in an effort to “soldier on.” Trusting that you need help and asking for it is a superior strength, not a point of weakness.

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY

A Band that I Am LOVING! Trombone Shorty.

A Book that IS SOOOOOOO GOOD! A Curious Faith: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, and We Wish Someone Would Ask Us by Lore Ferguson Wilbert.

A Really Good Article from Alan Stein, Jr.: THE 3 MANTRAS OF HIGH PERFORMING LEADERS

A Powerful Slideshow from Crosswalk: 10 Churches You Might Want to Avoid

A Quote from Lore Ferguson Wilbert:

“I need a God who doesn’t just give me what I want when I want it but who shows up in the middle spaces – who reminds me of his nearness, goodness, faithfulness, and presence. And if I don’t sense those aspects of God today. I need to keep asking for it and not just some temporary relief of my most pressing desires today.”

Go in Peace, Chuck

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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Week fourteen of 2023 is almost in the books, and it has been a super-busy, exciting week. Jenny and I now have an eighth grandchild. Julie and Mark welcomed our newest grandson, Hank, into this world on Wednesday. It’s Good Friday. The day that Hope rose from the grave. I trust that yours has been great and that YOUR WEEKEND AHEAD WILL BE AWESOME! I’d like to share a prayer from Sloane Coffin – “May the Lord Bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May God give you Grace not to sell yourselves short, Grace to risk something big for something good, Grace to remember that the world is now too dangerous for anything but truth, and too small for anything but love.”

Four Lessons That I Learned This Week.

1. Never stop learning. The world is constantly changing and evolving, and we need to change and evolve with it. Whether learning a new skill or simply keeping up with current affairs, staying curious and open-minded will keep you young at heart.

2. Accept change. Life is unpredictable, and things will happen that we can’t control. We need to learn to roll with the punches and go with the flow. This doesn’t mean we should stop trying to make our dreams a reality, but rather that we should be flexible in our plans and open to new opportunities. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

3. Be kind to others. We all have our own battles to fight, and showing compassion toward others can make a big difference in their lives – and ours too. A little act of kindness can go a long way! It will also chase away your anxiety.

4. Appreciate what we have. Too often, we focus on what we don’t have or what we wish was different instead of being grateful for the good things in our lives. Learning to appreciate what we have – even when it’s not perfect – can help us lead happier, more fulfilling lives. When you are grateful for what you have, what you have is always enough.

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY

A Movie from PureFlix that We Should All Watch
The Two Thieves, Directed by Dallas Jenkins

A Gripping DocuDrama from Apple TV:
5 Days at Memorial

A Really Good Business Book:
The Lovable Leader: Build Great Teams with Trust, Respect, and Kindness

A Really Solid Devotional Book:
Faith That Matters: 365 Devotions from Classic Christian Leader

A Quote from Anne Lamott:
“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”

Go in Peace, Chuck

The Thief and Your Theology

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How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology? No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, and no church clothes.

He couldn’t even bend his knees to pray. He didn’t say the sinner’s prayer and among other things, he was a thief. Jesus didn’t take away his pain, heal his body, or correct the scoffers.

He was a thief who walked into heaven at the same hour as Jesus simply by believing. He had nothing more to offer than believing that Jesus was who he said he was.

No spin from a brilliant hipster mega preacher. No ego or arrogance. No shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No social media posts, stories, reels, or tweets. No haze machine, donuts, or coffee at the entrance. Just an unclothed dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray.

For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

I read those words earlier this week, and they shook me. I mean, they really shook me to my core.

In our effort to grow numbers, hype, and platforms, American Christians have substituted the simplicity of Jesus being crucified, buried, and risen to give us life with a shallow, entertainment-driven version of THE GOSPEL.

I am part of the problem! When I make the church the center of me, the reason we exist, or the number of people that attend the standard of greatness, I am the problem! The only reason the church exists is Jesus the Lord. Period, hard stop.

The only good that I offer the world is because of Jesus. The message the church offers, remembering that I am the church and you are the church, is Jesus, born to a virgin mother, living sinlessly, radically transforming the world. He disrupted the norms of the day, challenged the thinking of the wise, welcomed the poor and the humble, and showed disdain for only one group – the most religious people of the day. OUCH!

For all of the arguments around theology, fundamentalists, charismatics, reformed, and denominations, the one test of authentic theology is found in this dude on a criminal’s cross next to Jesus, who simply believed. No room for church membership, tithing, worship songs, praise music, or comfy chairs. He didn’t even have a projector with cool-looking slides, for goodness sake. He simply believed.

Luke 23:39-43 (NLT)
One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself-and us, too, while you’re at it!” [40] But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? [41] We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” [42] Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” [43] And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

If this challenges your theology, welcome to the humbled group of Jesus Followers I belong to. A group too easily swayed by the shiny preacher in sneakers, the hip worship leader in a cool hat, or the church with the really cool building that feels like a resort when you arrive.

Please don’t get me wrong. I agree with the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, where he states,
“When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. [23] I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.”

But when the style becomes the theology, or the orthodoxy becomes the god, we need the reminder of the theology discovered on the cross with Jesus stating the beautiful words, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

As we prepare for Holy Week, millions of us will flock to the beach for Spring Break. May we remember that the same love shared with that thief is available today. Let our theology be that of the interaction with Jesus and the thief-dude. Believe and receive the love of the one that you cannot make not love you.

Go in Peace, Chuck