Category Archives: Experience

Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Leadership, Life, Movies, Resources

Tuesdays Are For Development

So yesterday I laid the foundation for my whole week- I mapped out my To Do list and my Due Date list, I prepped for each of my teaching times, and I wrapped up loose ends from last week. Now that I have a base for operating out of it is time to move towards Development.

Development of Classes
I still prep for my teaching times today but I focus more on my Tuesday and Wednesday teaching times. For simplicity sake and for consistency- these teaching times are both traditional Bible study times. On Tuesdays we are studying through 2 Timothy and Wednesdays are focused on John. This allows for a bit of a pattern so that I’m not prepping for two completely different things back to back. It helps me and I believe that the students benefit from traditional Bible study. On Wednesday I’ll continue developing my Wed night class and dive deeper on Sunday AM and PM.

Development of Ministry
To develop my ministry I set aside time to read, process, evaluate and dream each week. Today I’m reading through a ministry journal to glean tips and ideas for the ministry. After that I’m making a few calls to set up some events for the coming months. I’ll wrap up the day reading and taking notes on developing community within our group. If I can get to it today I will also work on some art work for an upcoming series and I have an office administration form I need to work on. These two projects are low on the totem pole though. I have them scheduled under “if there is time” today. If I can’t get to them today I have room in my schedule to fit them in by Friday. That’s the genius of planning.

I have really benefited from implementing Covey’s 4 Quadrants into my life (more on Q2 below). Development of content, character, and vision always trumps the bells and whistles. It is tempting to just work on the icing and the design of the surface but if there is no cake underneath then you have failed as a baker.

Holistic Development
Covey defines Quadrant 2 (Important/Not Urgent) habits as those that lead to holistic development: Preparation, Prevention, Values Clarification, Planning, Relationship building, Empowerment. The fact that I spent Monday laying these foundations helps me develop these habits, my ministry and my self today. Covey would say that is putting first things first. I just say that Tuesdays Are For Development.

Awe, Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Faith in Action, Theology, Worship, Wrestling With Scripture

Expansion

“The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.

No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God… But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe… Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.” -C.H. Spurgeon (by way of J.I. Packer)

2009, Experience, Leadership, Ministry, Resources

Staying On Top Of It All

“If we center our lives on correct principles and create a balanced focus between doing and increasing our ability to do, we become empowered in creating effective useful, and peaceful lives.”– Steven Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

With a new year and a new semester upon us I have been taking a few steps to make my schedule work for me. I’m glad that today is a Friday so I could spend a little time thinking and preparing for the first full week of the new year. I have mapped out my week and look forward to seeing how everything fits together. It is my hope that this new schedule will help me be better- a better disciple, husband, minister, friend, and parent-to-be.

Last semester I was stretched a little thin. The problem wasn’t the load but the schedule. I was out three nights in a row- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday- with ministry related events. No bueno. This semester I am changing my day off to Thursday and I am only involved in ministry related events on two nights in a row- Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I know what I need to get done each week, how to do it, and when it needs to be finished.

Proactive scheduling is my attempt to be my best in every area of my life. I try and schedule my time the way I drive my car.

When I drive my car I don’t stare at the hood or just in front of my vehicle. That’s too often how we schedule our lives. We focus on the most pressing issue or we only have enough energy for the thing right in front of us. This leads to emergencies, pile-ups, accidents, and dented backends!

When I head out in my car I keep my eyes on the road ahead. I note the traffic, I stay a few moves a head of my directions (No GPS for me- I want to know ahead of time where I’m going. Turn by turn doesn’t do it for me), I observe any road closed signs, and I anticipate the gridlock or an accident. There are too many things to do or get done to be blindsided by a foreseeable incident.

Sure there are things that come up that I can’t anticipate and emergencies I could never account for. I forget things and miss things at times. I get interrupted with real emergencies and with time bandits. That’s ok.

I believe being proactive accounts for the unseen. It allows for breathing room because I am not overloaded with the tyranny of the urgent. This allows me to be fully present when an emergency occurs. It also gives me a sense of peace and clarity and energy to engage an interruption because I know that I’ve done the legwork and that I’ve been faithful to the process of preparation.

How do you schedule your time? What out of control areas of your life could benefit from a few moments of focus and proactive engagement?

2008, Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Leadership, Life, Resources

Productive Day

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I got a whole lot of stuff done today. Sure I started my day an hour earlier but who’s counting?

One of the things I’m trying to do before baby arrives is to create a good deal of margin in my life. Things get so hectic and over scheduled in our world that most of us live edge to edge. In fact if we’re honest we tend to let things bleed over to the next page.

For me I decided that I wanted to be more purposeful in my time-management. I picked up “Time Management from the Inside Out” by Julie Morgenster, scheduled out the coming week in my planner, and then set about working my plan today.

If the rest of the week goes as well as it did today than I am well on my way to managing my time margin allowing me to be more strategic with my minutes and hours.

What helps you manage time most effectively?

Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Faith in Action, General, Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving. It seems that lately the November turkey, the November family gatherings, and the whole idea of stopping to count ones blessings has been pushed to the sidelines by the December tree and the fat guy in the red suit.

Don’t just let this season of thankfulness pass you by and don’t just celebrate it on the fourth Thursday of November. Live a life marked by seasons of Thanksgiving year round.

“Sing to the LORD with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the power of human legs; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” (Psalms 147:7-11 TNIV)

I firmly believe that the song of your heart is lived out by your actions. Yes, sing out with thanksgiving. Every day. In every way.

Peace,
Felker

Conferences, Discipleship, Experience, Faith in Action, Giving Thanks, Hope, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Music, Worship

Catalyst Day 2

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Another Catalyst is in the books.

Today was great. The highlight?

Dave Ramsey’s talk on practical leadership for your organization? Maybe.

Matt Chadler’s challenge to live and teach in such a way as to leave a lasting legacy? Could be.

Certainly the highlight must have been Tim Sanders plea to bring our Christian values of love, sacrifice, and service into the workplaces of America? Missed it by that much.

None of these come close. The absolute highlight of my day was when the Daraja Children’s Choir of Africa skipped on stage (literally skipped) and broke my heart singing God of Wonders. Then three of the children took to the mic and whipped out some incredible scripture references. To say I cried would be an understatement.

God put Africa on my heart a few years ago now. My heart breaks for the people of that continent. I have had a desire to go and do something there but that desire battles with perceived reality and usually ends up in the “good intentions” pile. Today was different.

Today I heard God say to me, “You are going to Africa.” This wasn’t communicated to me in a “someday” voice but in a “Get Ready!!!” voice. How will I get there? When am I going? I don’t know but if that really was God’s voice then I can’t wait to find out the answers to the When, Where, and How.

Conference, Experience, Leadership, Ministry, Remarkable, Resources, Worship

Leavin’ On a Jet Plane

I’m off to the ATL in the morning for the Catalyst Conference. I’m looking forward to a challenging conference, hanging with good friends, and waiting hours in soul crushing lines for gasoline. Wait…

I guess I’ll settle for two out of three.

Catalyst is the highlight of my year. I cannot wait!!! I wonder what magic is in store for us all at the Gwinnett Center?

Collecting Experiences, Ethos, Experience, Guilty Pleasure, Ministry, Resources, Spilling Personal Secrets, Study, Unchained from my Desk, Youth Ministry

The Batcave, aka The Nerdery

Much like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, the Batcave serves as a place of privacy and tranquility where Batman can be himself. – Wikipedia

When I need to get away and do some focused hard-core study for a class or a lesson I pack up all my gear – my notebook, Bible(s), book(s), iPod, pens, and highlighters – and head straight for my new, secret getaway. This place serves my needs because it is away from my desk, it is always quiet, and I avoid distraction from email or phone calls. I call this place of privacy and tranquility…

The Batcave
IMG_0384

This top-secret photo was snapped during my last visit and smuggled off the premises on my iPhone.

So where is the Batcave? I’ll never tell. However, I will spill the beans on what the Batcave is.

The Batcave is an annexed room next to my local comic book shop. The room is often used by groups of people play fantasy games like D&D, Warhammer 40K, and World of Darkness. It’s official name is The Gamers Guild.

That’s right I study at The Nerdery. But as you can see from my picture, in the middle of the afternoon no one is playing anything. The room is almost always completely empty. The people at the comic shop are so cool and so kind to let me use this area to study. I am so thankful to them. Every employee there has teated me so kindly. I love my new study-home.

It is so quiet there that I feel like my productivity quadruples. I just throw on my iPod (or don’t) whip out my pen and notebook and go to town crafting lessons. Very awesome.

Sure, there is no supercomputer or trophy room filled with the spoils of past lessons or retreats and there definitely is no Batmobile waiting in the wings (I do have a black car though) but this Batcave suits me just fine.

Until next time readers. Same Bat-channel. Same nerdy writer.

Experience, Youth Ministry

Back Home

What a wonderful vacation I had this week.

On Monday, August 4, my wife and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary with a road trip through Oklahoma and Missouri. We stayed with some of our very dear friends in Springfield, MO. We had such a great time. Our friends took us to Branson to walk along the river (rumor had it that Sir Paul himself was in town and staying down there. Unfortunately, we had no Beatle meet and greet.) and they took us to a Springfield Cardinals game where we sat in the “all you can eat” section! We had a wonderful and memorable time.

On our way back home we took our time by stopping at a few roadside attractions. We first stopped in Arcadia, OK at Pops Soda Ranch. There we sampled sodas from around the world. We made our own 6-pack to take with us on the road. Sandy went with some different root beers and I stuck with more fruity sodas. I had the most delicious Lemon Cola from California. Oooh, it was good.

We spent the night in Norman, OK and had a great steak dinner and an awesome hotel room complete with a flat screen television (Fancy I know!). We were able to eat lunch with another dear friend but then it was time to head home.

About an hour from the Texas border the bottom fell out of the sky and it was difficult to even see the highway. At the time we were passing Pauls Valley, OK which just happens to be the home of The Toy and Action Figure Museum. Of course we just had to stop in and have a look around. It was such a great place to stretch our legs and to see a bunch of our old toys on display. Very fun!

We got back in last night and so I’m still a little tired. It was our last hoorah for the summer. School starts back up soon and with it comes sports, band, and other school activities. I am elbow deep in planning and preparing for the fall semester. I have been planning a few tweaks and changes for my ministry as we moving head first into year 3. As things develop I hope to blog about the progress we are making as we seek to develop on-fire disciples for Jesus Christ.

Have a great weekend everyone. Peace.

Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Ministry, My Life, Prayer

The Jar of Anger

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10 years ago I was one angry dude. I had more than just a temper. I was mean and surly at the drop of a hat. I was a bit like an emotionally volatile Tasmanian Devil and I cared little about what damage was left in my wake.

The people who bore the brunt of my anger were my parents and my friends. I punched and kicked holes in walls and I even smashed a window once. My anger issues got so bad that I would blank out sometimes. I would remember some of the things I would do or say but there are whole chunks of crazy that my friends would have to tell me about later. It was a miserable experience.

I could make excuses and say that I was bullied or picked on as a kid. I could tell you that nobody liked me and I ate worms. I could make excuses and write off my bad behavior on my teenage hormones. However by say those things I am abdicating responsibility.

The bottom line is I was selfish and immature. I wouldn’t get my way and I flew off the handle. I felt slighted and I would want the world to know about it. Plain and simple.

My anger trapped me in destructive behaviors and stunted me emotionally. I ruined opportunities for relationship growth with friends and family all because I wanted to throw hissy fits. Real mature huh?

Today it is a different story. I have better control of my emotions and I rarely, if ever, raise my voice in anger. My wife has never seen me act out in anger. My friend’s wife, who met me after my change, told me that she has a hard time believing that I was ever angry. She has said that she thinks that we are making up stories from high school. I told her that we could never make up anything that ridiculous. I am thankful that God has smashed the jar of anger that was trapping me. I get a kick out of how great and powerful God is that he has transformed me so much that people have a hard to believing that my old way of living was even real. God be praised!

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

Today, while I don’t put my fist into walls or throw chairs at $2000 projectors, I still have to be on guard. Anger tries to creep back into my life through impatience, pride, and frustration. Like Paul, I will forget what is behind me though. I will press on. May his strength be evident in my weakness. May he continue to smash jars in my life.

May he smash the jars in your life that keep you from truly living.

Peace my friends.