Taking Notes

Have you ever found yourself looking at a note and being thankful that your wrote it?

I find this happens to me all the time. In fact, my desktop on my computer currently has 3 "sticky notes" which have valuable things I need to work on, accomplish or remember to do.

My list includes(not in order of importance:
1) Contacting the hotel manager again (we had a flood when we stayed there last and they are extending us a complimentary stay)
2) Who is coming to our Youth Event tomorrow
3) Host homes for our Jr. and Sr. High small groups
4) A reminder to get in contact with someone from the local school district.

The thing about these notes, is to most people they would be useless but to me they are a life saver. Forget one of these things and I could set myself back in some of the things I am working on.

Today I went into cleaning mode; this happens every once in a while when my desk gets so cluttered I can't even think; and found a notebook from Bible College. I started to flip through it and discovered it was my notes from my first New Testament class. This was exciting! I started reading some of the notes I took and found myself surprised with how much I had forgotten. "There is good stuff in here" I was thinking to myself. 

As I started looking I realized that some of these notes were going to be useful for teaching this year. I can take so much of this stuff and help accelerate my students growth in Christ by giving them solid and interesting information.

Taking notes are great and so is keeping them: For some notes; my grocery list from yesterday; it will never be needed again so we throw it out. But other things are invaluable, my Bible school notes for example.

If you want to be an effective person; whether it is being creative, teaching well, or just to keep yourself organized; I suggest you start taking notes.

For all of us taking notes is going to look differently. I use a mixture of both a paper notebook as well as some apps on my phone.

My apps are: Notes, Reminders and Evernote. They all have different functions and instead of me telling you all about it, just Google them.

Notes can help us jog our memories, be inspired, and be efficient and effective. Who doesn't want to be those things.

What do you use to take notes with/keep on track?

-Kyle

5 Ways to fail as a Christian Leader

There are a lot of things we do as Christian leaders that make positive contributions, but perhaps there are some things we do that are failures.

1. Be Two Different people

Be a really fun, energetic loving person with everyone at Church and in a work context. Make sure you are welcoming and loving, caring and kind. But when it comes to not being "at work" take a break, make sure you dodge the areas where your students and families are... and make sure if you have to shop at that grocery store, you skip the isles when one of your families are there even if you need to pick up milk.

2. Fight for Glory

Tell everyone about how awesome you are doing in your walk with God. Maybe stretch the truth just a little bit so that you look awesome. If you are awesome, surely everyone you talk to will be as well. Don't share failures, that would be weak and honest of you.

3. Finish off with Prayer

What do you do when you wrap up a meeting, hang out time or service. Well, we pray. But we wouldn't want to have a meaningful prayer in the midst of something, and we definitely can't stop what we are doing to pray. Because how much less efficient and effective would that be?

4. Let them come to you

You are a busy person, you are helping several if not hundreds of people in their walk with Christ. People need to schedule and make appointments. It would be ridiculous for you to see needs in others and meet with them by your own motivation.

5. Take care of yourself

Seriously it is hard work to take care of all these people that need us. We better all make sure we are putting in 80hrs/week, eating some fast food to save us time and not exercising or sleeping. And most importantly we better cut down on that family time, it might be distracting.

-Kyle