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Reviews

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

May 19, 2023 by AChuckAllen

Week twenty of 2023 is almost in the books. Wowzer, it’s been crazy this week. I read this the other day and trust that you will be encouraged by it.
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability —
and that it may take a very long time. And so I think it is with you; your ideas mature gradually — let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.
“
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin


This Week’s 4forFRIDAY


A Cannot Miss Recipe for Summer: Slow-Cooker Corn on the Cob


A Short but AWESOME Article – Sabbath Moment


A Fast-Paced Thriller Show on Paramount+ with Kiefer Sutherland: RABBIT HOLE


A Powerful Article from INC. Magazine:
How Effective Leaders Have Courageous Conversations; Be a good communicator, even with conflict.


A Quote from Thomas Merton:

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly
themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image.”


Go in Peace, Chuck

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Filed Under: Do Good, Life and Happiness, Reviews Tagged With: 4ForFriday, Leadership, Personal Development, Reviews

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

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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

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

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

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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

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

4forFRIDAY with Chuck Allen

February 24, 2023 by AChuckAllen

Week eight of 2023 is almost in the books, and it has been a wonderfully busy week.
Here are your 4forFRIDAY reviews for February 24, 2023.

Four Lessons That I Learned This Week.


  1. There will always be people that care more about orthodoxy than people. Uggghhh.
  2. The only way to not be criticized is to NOT do or say anything that matters.
  3. Grace wins every single way and every single day.
  4. Trust the book of Proverbs when it says, “don’t argue with a fool.”

This Week’s 4forFRIDAY

Season 3 of THE CHOSEN is So Good! Don’t miss Episode 5


A Salty, True Story Podcast About The Dixie Mafia. This is Not for the Faint of Heart


A Great Article About “Things to Be Grateful For, Every Day”


A Great Article We Should All Read:
“10 Reasons Why God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life”


A Quote from N.T. Wright:

“You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship.”


Go in Peace, Chuck

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

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