• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Achuckallen

Instigating Better

  • Home
  • Blog
    • AChuck’s Top 10
  • Weekday Podcast
  • About Chuck
  • Resources
    • Devotional Resources
  • Sugar Hill Church
  • Contact Chuck

Book Reviews

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

May 5, 2023 by AChuckAllen

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

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Print

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 4ForFriday, Book Reviews, Leadership, Peace, Personal Development

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

April 21, 2023 by AChuckAllen

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

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Print

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Book Reviews, Personal Development, Productivity, Reviews

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

April 14, 2023 by AChuckAllen

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

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Print

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Book Reviews, Emotional Health, Leadership, Peace, Personal Development, Reviews, Spiritual Growth

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

March 31, 2023 by AChuckAllen

Week thirteen of 2023 is almost in the books,
and it has been a hectic, overextended, awesome week.
I trust that yours has been great and that

YOUR WEEKEND AHEAD WILL BE AWESOME!
May the Lord Bless You this Weekend with Peace.
May He comfort you with His Presence and His Power.


Here are your 4forFRIDAY Reviews for March 31, 2023.


Four Lessons That I Learned This Week.


  1. The ability to stop and assess your reality is a gift from God. Use it.
  2. When people criticize you, use it to strengthen your resolve to get better or move past it, depending on its efficacy.
  3. Change is an essential part of life. Embrace the uncertainty of change, and you’ll discover a more peace-filled journey.
  4. If you bank your life on humans, you will remain in a constant state of frustration. If you bank your life on the power of Christ, you’ll remain in a position of strength.

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY


A YouTube Video that Was Very Helpful:
The 10 BEST Knots in Life [For VISUAL Learners]


A NetFlix Show We Enjoyed:
The Night Agent


A Super Helpful Article from HubSpot:
C-Suite Secrets: Productivity Tips From Executive Assistants


A Really Solid Book:
The Adversity Advantage: Turning Everyday Struggles into Everyday Greatness


A Quote from Aaron Lauritsen:

“The struggles we endure today will be the ‘good old days’
we laugh about tomorrow.”


Go in Peace, Chuck

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Print

Filed Under: Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: 4ForFriday, Book Reviews, Productivity

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

March 10, 2023 by AChuckAllen

Week ten of 2023 is almost in the books, and it has been one of the most frustrating weeks of my pastoral career. I’ll bet that yours has been a bit hectic as well. May the Lord Bless You this Weekend with Rest. May He comfort you with His Peace and His Power.
Here are your 4forFRIDAY reviews for March 10, 2023.

Four Lessons That I Learned This Week.


  1. No matter how badly you wish to help someone, they must first wish to change.
  2. Passion will never outperform compassion.
  3. The peace that Jesus offers overwhelms the chaos of this world – every day.
  4. Mexican Food can make any day better.

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY

This is a Great Book: Broken to Better; 13 Ways Not to Fail at Life and Leadership


I Love this Restaurant: Taqueria Del Sol


An Audible Book that was Really Entertaining: Tom Clancy’s Shadow of the Dragon


An Interesting Article: Haiti’s Untold History of Missions


A Quote from Brené Brown:

“It turns out that trust is in fact earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds or highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.”


Go in Peace, Chuck

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Print

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Book Reviews, Leadership, Personal Development, Reviews

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

March 3, 2023 by AChuckAllen

Week nine of 2023 is almost in the books, and it has been a hectic week. I’ll bet that yours has been a bit hectic as well. May the Lord Bless You this Weekend with Rest.
Here are your 4forFRIDAY reviews for March 3, 2023.

Four Lessons That I Learned This Week.


  1. Taking up an offense is a radical waste of energy.
  2. Choosing not to forgive might cost you more than the original offense ever could.
  3. People that are hurting will inevitably hurt you. Help them anyway.
  4. Peace really is the greatest commodity on the planet. Seek it with all of your heart.

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY

I Loved this Podcast from Brené Brown: The Mentor Method and Why Values Matter


A Fascinating Book: Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric that Matters,


A Gadget that I Love: Ultra-High-Speed USB C Wall Outlet Charger


A Fun Travel Article: The 20 Greatest Beach Towns in America


A Quote from Rumi:

“Yesterday, I was clever and wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”


Go in Peace, Chuck

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Print

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 4ForFriday, Book Reviews, Leadership, Mental Health, Productivity, Reviews

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 7
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Search this Site

FOLLOW MY BLOG

Want to get my blog posts in your inbox? Want to subscribe to my weekly 4forFriday email? Click here to sign-up.

Social

  • View achuckallen’s profile on Facebook
  • View AChuckAllen’s profile on Twitter
  • View AChuckAllen’s profile on Instagram
  • View chuckallen1’s profile on LinkedIn

Categories

  • ,America
  • 21 Good Vibes
  • 4ForFriday
  • 4theLOVE
  • 9/11
  • AChuck's Top 10
  • Advent
  • Advent Devotional
  • America
  • Christmas Meditation
  • COVID-19
  • DAILY PRODUCTIVITY PLAN
  • Discipleship
  • Do Good
  • Emotional Health
  • Family
  • Friendship
  • Fun
  • God and Country
  • grace
  • humor
  • International
  • laughter
  • Leadership
  • Life and Happiness
  • Marriage
  • Mental Health
  • Missions
  • Parenting
  • peace
  • Pigskin Picks
  • Politics
  • Power Routines
  • prayer
  • Reviews
  • Saturday Share
  • Scripture
  • Sermon Replay
  • SLU
  • Southern Border
  • Sunday Morning
  • The CLIMB
  • therapy
  • Uncategorized
  • Weekday Meditation

Topics

4ForFriday 9/11 America America. Equality American crises anxiety App Reviews BATTLING COVID-19 Better Together Book Reviews border Busy calendar Christmas ChuckAllen church Civility CORONAVIRUS courage Covid-19 Currency Decenvcy Easter Economy education Emotional Health faith forgiveness Friends Frustrated fun Goals God God Reads Good Books Good Friday Good Listens good reads Gratitude Happiness Hectic Helpothers Holy Week Hope humor Israel jesus Kindness laugh laughter Lead Leadership LIFE WITH CORONAVIRUS love Marriage masks Meditation Men Men's Discipleship Mental Health Mindfulness missionhouse Missions Music Music Review Name Calling New Currency New Normal New Year open schools overwhelmed Palm Sunday pandemic Passion Peace Personal Development politics Post Covid Post Pandemic Power Prayer Productivity psychology PURPOSEFUL Race Relations Reading Reading List rebuild the Bahamas Recommended Articles Recommended Reading Relationships religion Restaurant Reviews Reviews sacrifice Servanthood Southern Border Spiritual Growth Spiritual Health Spiriyual Growth Strength sugarhillbeyond sugarhillmissions tasks taxes Theology therapy Time Management Transformed USA vaccination Values Voice of reason work smart worry Worship yucatanmissions

Chuck Allen © 2023 · Site designed and built by Karen Brown · Log in

 

Loading Comments...