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4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

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4forFRIDAY November 27, 2020

I love to share good reads, learnings, listens, and reviews with friends and followers. So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY BLOG. Each week, the 4forFRIDAY offers recommended Reads, Listens, Learnings, and Reviews, only for your enjoyment. Thanks Again!

A Christmas Event with a Twist: BLUE CHRISTMAS

Christmas can be difficult for so many people. Just the thought of not having a loved one with you through the holidays or trying to work your way out of grief and anxiety is challenging. That’s what “Blue Christmas” is a perfect, comfortable evening for you to join me at Sugar Hill Church in our Chapel at 7:00 pm. Music, Communion, Prayer, and Encouragement. November 29, 2020.

A Really Fun and Great Restaurant: Blue Top

I mentioned this restaurant a couple of years ago, but here is a reminder about Blue Top in Chamblee’s revived little downtown. The food truck turned indoor/outdoor restaurant with fire pits, and the kid-friendly area is so good. I went with the comfort food sloppy-joe with queso and house-made chips. I think you’ll love its casual feel and comfort food.

A Furiously Paced Novel from Brad Thor: Use of Force

Another Scott Harvath series novel from Thor that I enjoyed for mindless, fun reading. As a storm rages across the Mediterranean Sea, a terrifying distress call is made to the Italian Coast Guard. Days later, a body washes ashore. Identified as a high-value terrorism suspect (who had disappeared three years prior), his name sends panic through the Central Intelligence Agency. Where was he headed? What was he planning? And could he be connected to the “spectacular attack” they have feared all summer? In a race against time, the CIA taps an unorthodox source to get answers: Navy SEAL turned covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath. Hired on a black contract, Harvath will provide the deniability the United States needs, while he breaks every rule along the way.

Awesome BBQ and Even Better Brunswick Stew: DAS Barbecue

The pork (Boston Butt) is fantastic, but I fell in love with the old school ground Brunswick stew. I felt like I had been transported back to the old Gil’s BBQ in Holly Hill, Fl as a kid! Man, that stuff was so good!

A Fun Family Card Game we Love: Hand and Foot

We play this game a lot at home but had eight players at Thanksgiving, and it is so fun. If you’re like me and know nothing about card games, this is for you!

A Quote from T.S. Eliot

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

My Spiritual Journals, Power Routines are now available at the Sugar Hill Church Store and Amazon. Instigating the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling, and Guided Prayer is a powerful way to CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR LIFE! Pick up your copies of POWER ROUTINES at Sugar Hill Church or Amazon.

The Weekday Podcast is a 5 minutes/day, 5 days/week Cup of Encouragement, straight from the Scriptures. New episodes are available Monday – Friday on the Sugar Hill Church APP or at WeekdayPodcast.com

Go in Peace, AChuck

Thanksgiving Meditation – Day Three

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WeekdayMeditation.com with Chuck Allen

Welcome to Day Three of the Thanksgiving, Weekday Meditations. There should be something deeply spiritual about Thanks | Giving. Will you take 7 minutes and ponder what you are grateful for with me?

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”
― Seneca

“It is no surprise that Jesus begins all his parables this way; with a seed, lilies, a camel, wheat, a pearl, a candle. He obviously wanted us to look closely at this world, not some other one. It is here and now, all around us in the most ordinary things, that we find the Kingdom (which he reminded us, “is here”), and that we are in the divine presence.”
–Terry Hershey

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build
to overcome evil and welcome good.”
― Maya Angelou

Happy Thanksgiving Eve,
AChuck

A Thanksgiving Meditation

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Day One of a Thanksgiving Meditation with Chuck Allen

Each day this Thanksgiving week, I’ll be providing a brief video or audio meditation. Each meditation is about five-minutes and will hopefully encourage you through this first holiday week of 2020. In a year filled with strife, fatigue, anxiety, and fear, I thought a bit of encouragement might be an encouragement.

I’ve provided two options for the same meditation—one in short video form and audio-only. Have a blessed day and choose peace as we celebrate this uniquely American holiday.

AUDIO ONLY FILE

Good Morning God!
You are ushering in another day,
untouched and freshly new.
So here I am to ask you, God,
if You’ll renew me too.

Forgive the many errors that I made yesterday
and let me try again dear God
to walk closer in Your way.

But Lord, I am well aware,
I can’t make it on my own.
So take my hand and hold it tight,
for I cannot walk alone.

Go in Peace,
AChuck

Happy Yucatan Christmas

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Happy Ichmul Christmas – You’ll know what this is as you read further!

I was sitting on a wall, just a quarter of a mile from what seemed like the end of the world, in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula, just last month. Me, my buddy, Mauricio, and a handful of young men and kids looking at the small covered court that Mission House had built for them. Next to it was a literal thatch-roofed hut that served as their church, where several of the guys in the group had met Christ.

I asked a simple question. Is Santa Clause a thing here? They laughed like I was the only guy that didn’t speak Spanish…which was true. Their answer was, NO! Santa is a thing everywhere, but not here in the Yucatan. It’s simply another day. There’s no gifts, money, stores, or provisions that would come close to “Christmas in the States.” That’s not a bad thing, I thought to myself, but what if somehow, each year, for the next ten years, we could provide Christmas for every kid in Ichmul? What if we could have food (rice, beans, and corn) for the families? I know. I get it. AChuck, you can’t feed everybody, and you can’t provide Christmas for every kid. Okay, but where I know that I can feed three hundred plus families and provide 325+ kids with Christmas for less than $15,000? You’re doggone right, I’m gonna try!

So here’s the deal:
If you can’t or don’t want to help, no sweat!

CLICK HERE IF YOU CAN HELP BRING CHRISTMAS TO ICHMUL

Every penny of these funds will go straight to food and Christmas for families and kids in the Yucatan. I’ll even send you a video from my next visit there so you can see the impact you’ve had.

I thought I was closer to my goal yesterday, but I’m still about $5,000 short. Will you jump on board with a little help?

Now, the rest of the story. I left that gathering and went to see a man that had once been a big man. A man among boys kind of guy. He has built a good business that builds ironworks not far from Ichmul. He was diagnosed last year with a debilitating disease. He told my friend Eli that he was going to see a witch doctor for help. This poor guy has a wife and three kids. We stopped at his home, and his wife brought some oatmeal/cream of wheat kind of soup out to us in a plastic bowl (see picture above).

I immediately started thinking about the upcoming battle with Montezuma. I had to eat it, so, like everyone else, I sipped. Not a single flavor – nothing. Then she came around and put some homemade hot sauce in it. I took the next sip and got 100% hot sauce. That must have been a funny sight to see this gringo struggling to find breath. I was looking for oxygen in a big way! She then thought it might help if she poked her finger into the soupy creation and stir it for me. I think that my mom warned me about this at some point in my history. But hey, when in Rome!

After that short trip through Kaopectate Valley, we went to this man’s shop and prayed with him. I’m talking Jesus take the wheel kind of praying and God got in the thick of it in that ironworks shop in the middle of nowhere. This dude is crying, I’m crying, Mauricio’s crying and we all got the full meal deal of God’s goodness. I told him to take a bottle of oil (think Wesson) and hang it in his shop to remind him that oil is a picture – a reminder – of God’s Spirit that is a gift to him from Jesus. AND HE DID IT! Here’s a picture.

The bottom line is this. I know most of you cannot go to a place like Ichmul right now, but those folks need to be loved on and supported and given a chance to do life as fellow Followers of Christ. They can be living in the freedom only Christ gives them. And those kids, well, I want those kids to know, for years to come, that Christmas is a lot more than presents…but when you’re a kid, presents matter!

I’ll keep you up to speed over the coming weeks. But will you help me meet this need? If we get more gifts than the total of $15,000, we will provide another round of food for these families in January. Please consider a gift of whatever you can give today. I leave for the Yucatan on December 5 and we need to purchase as much as possible in Cancun and not pay taxes on the shipping from the States.

GIVE HERE FOR CHRISTMAS IN YUCATAN

Tomorrow, I’ll share my thoughts on where our country needs to make a few significant changes to move forward in something called unity. See you then.

—AChuck

Who is the President, and Now What?

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by Chuck Allen

Who is the President, and Now What? By ACHUCKAllen

It’s the craziest season I’ve ever seen. Presidential election foolishness. Pandemic politicization and zero civility in this great land of ours. Here are a few thoughts on where we go from here:

Holy cow! Amid a worldwide pandemic that has affected every human on the planet, we here in America chose to focus our airtime and smack talk on whether or not you wear a mask in your car. I cannot bring myself to believe the left or right conspiracy theories. I refuse to bite on the idea that the President can still win, regardless of my vote. I am, however, confident that the president has the right to recount and investigate. If they can prove beyond a reasonable doubt, in court, that the election was stolen, then you’ve got that opportunity. The same was said four years ago. If you cannot prove that, then move on and let’s fight and scream as we change sides over the next four years.

The real question is, how will people of faith respond, regardless of their vote? My encouragement? Pray for our leaders. Get involved and serve your community, or stop your griping, mostly if you didn’t vote. If you aren’t in the arena, I beg you to hush. Speak the truth when in a place to make a difference. Speak with grace and with graciousness. Stop the hate speech, and get busy serving and making a difference. We must stop this barb throwing and hate-mongering or we will never move beyond the stagnation built over meaningless, petty political bickering.

Let us stand up these next few years as adults and let the childish rhetoric remain seated. Honestly, I voted for Trump. I didn’t vote for the President because of his personality. I voted for unborn babies. I voted for recovering our economy. I voted for economic and educational advancement for my black and brown neighbors. I voted for judge appointments like the three Justices appointed over the past four years. I voted for a bullish stock market, less corporate regulation, law enforcement, and several other policies. I didn’t vote for Twitter tantrums, foul-mouthed rants, bullying, gross depictions of brown people seeking asylum in America, or the constant banter across aisles.

But if you didn’t agree with me or my vote, that is more than okay! You, as a fellow American citizen, HAVE THAT RIGHT!! Your vote doesn’t define you. It is your opinion. For any of us to place any other human in a cubbyhole of hate resulting from their vote is horrible.

Where do we go from here?
If you are a Democrat, pray for the president, serve your community, make a difference.
If you are a Republican, pray for the president, serve your community, make a difference.
If you are an American, pray that we have better candidates that will run for the land’s highest office. Don’t surrender your mind to the pundits that preach their biased and baseless rancor. Pray and stand for democracy, free markets, safe vaccines, the restored order in our streets, and the women and men that fight for our freedoms.

As for me, I am determined to hunker down and get even more involved in making where I live and lead a far better place than it is today. Are you with me?

Peace, Chuck

4forFRIDAY with AChuck

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09.04.2020

I love to share good reads, learnings, listens, and reviews with friends and followers. So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY BLOG. Each week, the 4forFRIDAY offers recommended Reads, Listens, Learnings, and Reviews, simply for your enjoyment. Thanks Again!

I Love this New Tool on my iPad Pro: NotePlan

One app for my calendar, tasks, journal, and notes. Fully customizable and extraordinarily useful! NotePlan 2 is an app for macOS and iOS that enables you to manage your calendar, notes, and todos all in one place. It brings together many of the elements I love about Bullet Journaling and Markdown formatting. It also combines systems that I have historically managed using separate apps for each—notes, tasks, and calendar. This unique approach to those systems is what made this app so appealing to me.

A Great Scripture Memory Tool from DWELL

This is a simple reminder of A Great Scripture Memory Tool Ancient Meets the 21st Century with the memorization strategies and resources from DWELL! I like the key fob, temporary tattoos, and the 3×4 cards that get the Scriptures in front of you all day long, wherever you go.

A Great New Assessment: The Four Tendencies from Gretchin Rubin

It might sound like a dry question, but understanding how you respond to expectations is extremely helpful in everyday life. This free assessment is super helpful and fun! Upholders respond readily to outer and inner expectations (I’m an Upholder, 100%) Questioners question all expectations; they’ll meet an expectation if they think it makes sense—essentially, they make all expectations into inner expectations
Obligers meet outer expectations, but struggle to meet expectations they impose on themselves Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike

A Really Good Read from Scott Sauls: Gathering for Worship in a COVID-19 Age

A fresh look at the separation of church and state in regard to Covid-19: I understand firsthand why church people dislike gathering restrictions. Like casinos and restaurants, schools and concert venues, sports stadiums, and protest rallies, a congregation’s ability to thrive depends on people meeting together in crowds. The practice of faith is as much public as it is personal. This is why the Bible is adamant that congregations not forsake the habit of worshiping together (Hebrews 10:24-25).

My Spiritual Journals, Power Routines are now available at the Sugar Hill Church Store and Amazon. Instigating the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling and Guided Prayer is a powerful way to CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR LIFE! Pick up your copies of POWER ROUTINES at Sugar Hill Church or Amazon.

A Quote from Terry Hershey

“Before we mount our steads to slay the dragons of discontent, let us rest. Did you know that the first thing God called holy was not a place? It was time. The time to rest. In rest, in quiet, in Sabbath, we may be able to see prayer as living the moment with open hands and an open heart. Open and awake to the wealth of life’s quirky offerings. In that space my heart can expand, to receive those parts of my life, all those parts… the messy, the uncertain, the doubts, the insecurity, the shadows. Just as Jesus made space for the disenfranchised. So too, there is room in my life and heart for the fragile things.”

The Weekday Podcast is a 5 minutes/day, 5 days/week Cup of Encouragement, straight from the Scriptures.New episodes are available Monday – Friday on the Sugar Hill Church APP or at WeekdayPodcast.com 

I’ve also launched a new Podcast with two friends, Corron Boston and Mau Mennesses. It takes a shot at discussing God in Race Relations. You can find it here: Race Forward: God and Race Relations

Go in Peace, AChuck

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