Monthly Archives: September 2015

Your Career

Using Your Faith in Your Work

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I recognized opportunities to use my faith in very practical ways to navigate situations I recently faced in my professional life. To put our faith into action, we need to be mindful not to adopt the culture, words, and behaviors that may surround us at work.

I was planning for a meeting where there had been a series of prior dialogues between colleagues who had some tense exchanges. I was hopeful that it could change – here’s what I did:

  • I was careful not to say what everyone else was saying or endorse it by reacting to it with the same energy
  • I thought about the motivations behind their actions, maybe they had the same goals and intentions but were approaching it from different perspectives based on their experiences
  • I considered the stress and pressure of their positions and the weight of their responsibilities
  • I recognized the power of prayer to influence the outcome of this specific situation, but also the power of prayer to change the individuals and the course of events moving forward

I was preparing for an important presentation. I had presented the material at a high level several times before with confidence, but this time the presentation had more detail about some significant changes. The day before the presentation, anxiety kicked in big time, here’s how I moved past it:

  • I acknowledged where the anxiety was coming from – fear of failure, unrealistic standards and expectations of myself, and concerns about the opinions of others (I was 3 months into a new role)
  • I stopped what I was thinking and saying – I’m so stressed, Maybe I’m not ready to do this, I’ll be glad when it’s done
  • I spoke to the fear and anxiety with words of faith – God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind; God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him
  • I reminded myself about the success I experienced in similar situations and with even bigger challenges – and I spoke words of affirmation – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; In all these things, I am more than a conqueror
  • I re-focused my attention on completing my preparations – it shifted the power back into my hands

We can’t let the demands of our work and the attitudes of other people edge out our faith, our faith can change things in a way that nothing else can.

©Bloom in Every Garden 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What I Learned Today

For a Moment, We Were Unified by Our Humanity

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Over the last few days, there has been a ton of commentary on whether Pope Francis should address Congress – varying opinions from a political and religious point of view. It was the first time that a Pontiff or any other religious leader has been given the opportunity to address our nation’s leaders.

Congress is a contentious place at this moment in history with our elected officials at odds over many things but for a few moments . . . underneath all of the hard edges, posturing, and agendas, beyond who’s on the left or the right, there was humanity in the faces of our leaders. . . and it gave me hope for our nation.

©Bloom in Every Garden 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What I Learned Today

The Universal Experiences of Life & The Difference Maker

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Life reminded me that there are experiences that are not unique to our race, class, or socio-economic level. In these situations, we stand in the same shoes, with the same education, living in the same neighborhood, and riding the same bus . . . it’s when we experience the pain of losing someone we love, a sudden illness or accident, an unexpected job loss, a challenge we didn’t expect our kids would face, or suddenly caring for our aging parents.

But there’s a difference maker. . .

It’s what we believe and say about the outcome even if we can’t see it; it’s how we face and move past our fears; it’s when we find a way to walk in love when we’ve experienced an injustice; it’s finding an encouraging word for someone else when you’re in the middle of your own storm; it’s getting a good night’s sleep even when your path is not clear, it’s the peace of mind you find to take every step when you need to make a difficult decision.

It’s our faith.  It is knowing God is still in control, all things work together for our good, and we can stand on the promises in His word no matter what the circumstances. It is the rock we stand on when everything around us is uncertain and unpredictable – it keeps us steady as things twist and turn. It gives us the strength to put one foot in front of the other and move forward.

When we see people around us who are searching for a way to navigate through life, share words of hope and encouragement. Our faith will speak for itself. We have the difference maker.

©Bloom in Every Garden 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.