Performance Appraisal

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"If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.  Each one should test their own actions.  Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load."  (NIV)  Galatians 6:3-5

 

 

It is that time of year for us HR Professionals.  We all face it some time in the year - when we get to read performance appraisals.  Although each organization may have different processes, at one point or another, we have the "pleasure" of reading performance appraisals for our organization.  It is a neat position to be in and although it can be very time consuming and stressful, we do get an insight to people.

 

As I read the many reviews (and yes, I've only STARTED this process), I couldn't help but have some things come to mind.  Our process has a self-evaluation part where the associate actually rates themselves in the same areas that the manager will rate them.  Usually the results fall into two buckets:  one when the associate believes they are "larger than life", the other when they believe "I am never good enough". 

 

I couldn't help but think of my own performance as a Christian.  If Jesus were to give me an evaluation today, how would I rate my performance?  Do I think I'm doing okay?  How's my prayer life?  Do I love others enough?  What about sharing the good word of salvation with others?  Are my Bible Studies effective and insightful?  Yes, the list here goes on and on. 

 

The real question, though, isn't how I would evaluate myself, but more importantly, how Jesus would rate me.  It certainly helped me to put a few things into perspective, especially as I read our focus verses for this blog.  If we think we are something that we are not, we deceive ourselves.  Well, I'm sure I have the "fruits of the spirit" down pat. We should test our actions.  Do I believe I have the fruits of the spirit down pat?  As I review them, I certainly see where I can improve - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control?  Sure, I must have gentleness down pat - but then I think of a time where my words were not so gentle.  Self control - major fail on that one.  Yes, I have many areas where I can improve - and I'm sure Jesus sees that every day.

 

The good and blessed news is that Jesus forgives my shortcomings and provides opportunities for me to refine my skills - not just with the fruits of the spirit but in EVERY aspect of Christian living.  What a wonderful manager he is!!  He provides gentle encouragement in His Word and gives me all the love I need to succeed.  I am truly blessed.

 

So as we give ourselves a self-evaluation, may we look at our Christian life through Jesus' eyes, and may we continue to get better with each and every day.  One day, He will provide that evaluation for us, and I know He will say to all of you - welcome home!!  What a glorious day that will be.

 

Time for me to get back to performance appraisal reading!!  May you have a wonderful week in our Lord, filled with self-evaluation and the warmth of Jesus' love.  Blessings~~



Help Me

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"Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me."  (NIV)  Psalm 71:12

 

There are many days when certain thoughts fill my soul, when a glimpse at words or people bring it back to me and my devotion to Jesus.  Yes, times when the world around me looks bad or sad, and at those times I find myself praying for those around me and God's love to flow through them.  Other times find me relishing in good and pleasing situations, and again, my thoughts go back to Jesus for praise and thanksgiving.  All of it involves prayer.

 

So a few weeks ago, I began reading Max Lucado's "Before Amen".  I don't want to take away any of the thunder and highly suggest you read this book to help supplement your prayer life.  Yet, one item I want to share with you is part of praying is certainly praying for me, help that I need in order to guide me.  When I pray, I have a tendency to pray for those around me, my husband, my children, my mom, brother, nephews, etc.  God does answer prayer.  This week in particular, I prayed very hard for a difficult situation to end in a positive way.  God was there, listening and delivering as He always does.  Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow.

 

I  am sure if I took a "peek" into your prayer lives, I would find much of the same.  Many times, as we fold our hands in prayer, our thoughts take us to those around us - those that need help, those that are bitter and need love, those that are struggling in health and need healing, etc.  It is good and right to pray for those in need.  So I beg the question, "Are those around us the only ones in need of help?" 

 

The suggestion Max provides to us in his book is to pray, "Help Me".  So I started.  I prayed for things that I needed.  Help with situations of focus and productivity in my life; help with my physical struggles; help with release from worry; help to sleep better . . . you get the picture.  My prayer was for the help I needed with the things around me, the things that effected me.  It was at Bible Study last Monday, as we sat down to discuss how Jesus is the Reason for so many things in our lives that I realized that although the "Help Me" prayer was wonderful and helped in many aspects of my life, that digging a bit deeper into ME for help was probably where God wanted me to focus my prayer.

 

How much deeper?  The HELP I truly needed was for restoration of my soul from my sins.  Yes, ask for forgiveness for the things that I do and don't do in God's name, THEN ask for HELP to guide me on a better path.  Help Where?  Let me share . . .

• I can lose my patience at times, when things (and people) don't go as fast as I would like them to and my words can be hurtful.  I need HELP for more patience.
• I am tempted to food that I know is not good for me - or my desire for a healthy lifestyle.  I need HELP to focus on better choices for my body.
• My thoughts can take me to places and things that are negative and judgemental.  I need HELP to gain a positive viewpoint on situations and people.

The list above can be very long.  What has made an impact on me is that the help that I need is far past the daily list of things that I struggle with.  The help that I need is soul-searching help to be a better Christian woman - a better wife, mother, daughter, coworker, friend, etc.  I need God's help in many different ways.  I am happy to say that with God's help, ALL things are possible.  I find hope as I pray, hope that what I struggle with, the sins that I have, are forgiven through Jesus Christ and I can live a new life in Him.

 

Please pray with me, "Heavenly Father, may you help me in ALL that I need - not just the struggles I have internally and externally, but more so, help with the sinful life I can lead and help with restoration in you.  You are the great "I AM" - I know your help is close to me, ready to be shared when I ask.  May I continue to ask in Your Name."  Amen

 

Memories to Movement

"I have set the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."  (NIV)  Psalm 16:8

The New Year means many things to people.  For some it is a time to set those New Year's Resolutions.  For others, it's a fresh start and new beginnings.  For other people, it can be dismal and dreary.  Not just because winter is settling in and, for us in New England, that means cold and snow.  It can be difficult to let go of the past and to move forward.  This was extremely evident in our household a few weeks ago, when we decided to clean out a room in the basement.

The room was stacked with boxes and stuff.  One can imagine with four children and two adults, we can accumulate much stuff.  Our oldest daughter, Sarah, moved out a couple of years ago into an apartment outside of Boston.  With not much storage space, she has kept a few boxes at our house until the day when she moves into something a little larger.  So, it was the day to go through the boxes and start deciding what she actually NEEDED and what she could part with.

Sarah enjoys holding on to stuff - memories.  For her, each item came with a memory, a part of her past.  It could have been a certain ticket stub, a paper she wrote for 8th grade, etc - all of them brought back memories.  For me and our project of cleaning & organizing, it was stuff.  For Sarah, she was parting with memories.  I mean really, a ticket stub - but for Sarah it was much more.

Watching Sarah's reaction (as well as my own), made me think of memories and movement.  When do we hold onto memories so tight that we don't want to move forward with anything new?  I have done this as well throughout my life.  Whether it was a special memento or a special moment, those memories had me holding on to the past.  Sometimes those memories are good ones, sometimes they are not so good.  Either way, memories can prevent us at times from making strides forward, either in relationships, work, or life.  Enjoying the old way we do things, enjoying the way things "were" can stop us from setting new sights to our future.

As this new year begins, it is time for me to step out of the memory box and into the movement arena.  This can be scary at times - okay, it can be scary ALL the time.  Yet, we have someone who is always there to guide us and help us into the movement arena.  As our verse for today points out, the Dear Lord is on our side - always a step ahead of us.  While we are stepping into "new" situations and "new" adventures, our Dear Lord is there with us.  We need to remember to open up to Him, share our hesitations and our hopes.  God's path is a good one - if our adventures and situations are in line with God's view of our lives, we are in THE BEST hands.  It is time for me to experience all that God has for me, and to step forward in the faith that He will be with me, therefore I will not be shaken.  I have many new ventures this year ahead of me and I know God will be there every step of the way!

I encourage all of us to see what our Lord has before us, to move forward.  Memories are good, as long as they don't inhibit us from seeing all the good that is in store for us if we move.  As for Sarah, she really cleaned out many of the boxes that day.  It came with tears from all of us as my zeal for "cleaning" met with her memories.  Sarah, I thank you for meeting me 1/2 way (or maybe even giving more than 1/2).  I know Sarah's future is bright, along with each of my children and the movement they have in front of them.  I also know that all who read this have a bright future as well, as we move into new situations.  How am I so sure?  Because we have God at our right hand.  Who better to take the journey with us? 

I pray that all have a wonderful year ahead, full of hope, joy, peace and love.  May we move forward in faith, praise, and thanksgiving. 



Looking Back into the New Year



 

I pray that everyone who reads this had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. I would love to hear from all of you as to your favorite Christmas moment.  Although there are so many to choose from, I think my favorite has to be singing "Silent Night, Holy Night" while just the candles are lit during our Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve.  There is something about that moment that I refer back to throughout the year.  Please feel free to leave your special moments in the comments section below.

As I thought about what to write today, the verses from above rang true to me, and I hope they will with you as well.  The New Year typically is full of New Year's resolutions.  Yes, those promises we make to ourselves, and sometimes to others, of all the things that we will do differently in 2015.  I have to share, there are many things that I would like to do differently in 2015.  Yet, today, I hope that we can look back as we enter the New Year.

Let's reflect on the first verse listed above, "The Lord bless you and keep you."  Please ponder with me over the 2014 year and think of all the blessings our Lord has bestowed upon you.  Many will say - nothing good has happened this year.  Yet, I challenge you.  Whether it be body, mind, or soul, I am sure there has been at least ONE blessing our Lord has given to you.  Yes, we may wake up with a few more aches and pains than in previous years, but we are still waking up each day - to make a difference in this world.  Yes, I know that there are many moments where my mind made the wrong choices during 2014, but there were other times where I made the right choices - Godly choices.  I also know that during the past year, my soul was guided more by MY doings than God's path for me.  Yet, there were times when I followed God's path - and the blessings were overflowing!!  I know the Lord blessed you this past year - please take the time to reflect on those blessings and give praise and glory to the One who provided for us.

Second verse, "The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you."  Have you seen God's face this past year?  I have!!  I have seen His face in those that have been gracious enough to forgive my sins for doing wrong.  I have seen His face in those that I have prayed with.  I have seen His face in my husband, my children, and my mom.  I have seen it in smiles and tears.  His face has shone upon me and has graced my life on more than one occasion.  Yes, let's reflect again on the times when you have seen God's face in your life.  I am sure there has been at least one time when his face has shined upon you as well.

"The Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace."  Countenance = support!  Did the Lord support you this past year and provide you peace?  Was there one time when you felt washed over by the Holy Spirit and found that special peace?  Not just the "quiet" peace (yes, that is a special time as well), but the type of peace where even though life around you might be busy, you were able to breath, smile, and be in the moment of God's peace.  God's peace is available for the taking each and every day - it is US that need to stop and take the time to FEEL that peace.  Has God supported you in 2014?  Has He been there for you, helped you, lifted you up?  Those are wonderful moments where we know we are His children - when we know that God came to this earth, in a manger, and died on the cross, so that we might feel his support and peace.

My friends at Proverbs 31 taught me something that I love to use when I read a special verse.  Insert MY name into the verse and personalize it for ME - for that is how God intended the Bible to be read.  So the verses would read:
    The Lord bless me, Susan, and keep me.
    The Lord make his face shine upon me and be gracious unto me, his child Susan.
    The Lord lift his countenance upon me and GIVE ME PEACE.

This past year has been filled with God's blessings, no matter how difficult the year may have been.  So please, before the ball drops on New Year's Eve, take a few moments to look back and see the blessings God so richly provided to us in 2014 before taking the leap into 2015.  I pray the following for us:
   May our Lord provide for all our needs, body, mind and soul.  May He give us the peace that passes all understanding.  May we come closer to him and his word.  Let us give God the time he so wonderfully deserves and, in turn, may we give time to each other.  Here's to a 2015 that brings us closer to God, closer to family and friends, closer to strangers, closer to peace.  Amen

 

Love Chain

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  (NIV)  John 3:16

It is hard to believe that this is the last Sunday of Advent and that Christmas Eve is just a few short days away.  How have your preparations been coming along?  Today was "wrapping" day and I'm happy to say that we are all done!!  Yet, the gifts have been abundant this Advent well before the day of Jesus' birth.

It has been a difficult four weeks.  As I mentioned earlier, the chaos of Christmas was in full gear.  Yet, also in full gear were the wonderful "love blessings" I received throughout the chaos.  There were words of encouragement, to me and from me.  I don't know about you, but many times, when I try to share encouragement, I believe "I" am the one that is more blessed.  Whether it be words written down or spoken, all of them have had great meaning.  Then there were the moments of peace and praise at church during this Advent - times when the Holy Spirit truly touched my heart and I could feel Jesus' love.  

God shared His son with us - the people he loved so much.  He knew, from before creation, that we were going to need a savior.  Someone who would save us from ourselves.  Someone who would care for us.  Someone who would love us dearly.  Someone who would die for us.  The love chain of Jesus is so incredible to view.  Please take a journey with me . . . .

God loved us so much he sent the angel Gabriel to speak with Mary.  Mary loved God so much she took on the role of Jesus' mother - unconditionally.  She never said, "Let me think about it," like Jonah did.  She loved her Lord and would do anything for Him, that's real love.  Joseph loved Mary and his Lord so much that when he had an opportunity to walk away, he didn't.  Despite ridicule, Joseph stayed with Mary, and became Jesus' earthly father.  Moving forward, Jesus' disciples stayed with him during his ministry - and saw blessings beyond comprehension.  Jesus loved Mary Magdalene so much that he stopped the behavior she was enduring and showed compassion and love to her.  In return, Mary followed him through his ministry as well.  I know, there are so many more examples of the love chain that I could write a novel.  Yet, there is one more link that has to be shared.

The greatest example of love comes from our Jesus - our savior.  His love is so great for all mankind that he was born in the most humble manner, a lowly manger.  That first Christmas had Jesus not joining this earthly world in the comfort of a palace but in the discomfort of a stable.  Yet, his love was so great that he came - for you and for me.  His love is so great for all mankind that he died the most humiliating death, so that we might live with him in paradise.  Such love, to us, is incomprehensible.  Yet, he did so with you and me and billions of others on his mind - so that we could experience the freedom from sin, and the warmth of his love.

His love is so great for all mankind that he will come again, this time in glory.  What a glorious day that will be.  His love is with us each and every day.  We have been blessed with the Holy Spirit, who takes residence in our hearts, and continues to help us understand God's love.  We see this love in the faces of family, friends and even strangers.  We feel this love in each touch.  We hear this love from the lips of those around us.  We read of this love in God's word.  His love is all around us - blessing us, reaching us, showing us that the chain of love cannot be broken.  Experience God's love - give the gift of love to those around you.

This Advent we shared the gifts of the Advent Candles:  Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.  I pray that this Christmas you experience all four of God's gifts in abundance.  I pray that the humbleness of our Lord is shared by you each day.  I pray that your faith in God brings you the hope, peace, joy and love that only Jesus can bring.  May you all have a very Merry Christmas.

Joy within Sorrow

"Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy."  (NIV)  Psalm 126:5

The third Sunday of Advent - JOY!  Joy is one of those awesome words - it helps us to understand what could possibly be greater than "happiness".  Great JOY comes in so many different shapes and sizes, so many different situations.  It's hard to believe that joy can rise up from sorrow - but then again, that is the beauty of life, of God!

A few days ago marked 25 years since my grandmother had passed.  I remember the day my mom called.  I remember the days following that call.  Most of all, I remember the wake, the funeral, the family, the friends.  The people kept coming, streaming from every doorway.  I knew she was well liked, but THIS many people? It certainly brought perspective to how many lives my grandmother touched.  Amongst all the people, tears were not being shed.  There were squeals of laughter and not many tears.  This was a wake, really?  Yes, really.  Out of a time of sorrow, our Dear Lord brought great joy.  

There have been many times in my life where the sorrow I was feeling led to a moment of joy - helping me to understand that I am not always in control. When I need our Lord, He is always there for me, to bring me down a greater path.  This thought led me to all the joyful moments I have had in my life was well.  Just pure JOY that The Lord bestowed upon me or my family.  One of those moments happened this week.

After much waiting and anticipation, our son received the letter every senior awaits - the one from the college of their choice sharing that they have been accepted.  As Christian read over the letter, a sense of pure joy (and relief) exuded from him.  Such tears of joy were incredible to see.  He had worked very hard for this one moment, the moment where he could breathe and say, "I got in!"

This helped me to think about the joy we have with our savior.  Let's reflect upon Mary's utter joy when Jesus was born and the wise men visited - such JOY.  What about when Mary came upon the open tomb and met the resurrected Jesus down the lane - incredible JOY.  Most importantly to us, we have a JOY to look forward to that nobody can take away from us, the joy that we will feel when we enter the heavenly kingdom.  

I have been fortunate to have much JOY in my life.  The type of JOY that surpasses general happiness.  Blessings from God are truly to be treasured.  Reflect on the moments of JOY in your life.  Have you, too, experienced joy from sorrow?  I think that the best joy of all is the type we have when we take stock of all of our sins, too many to bear, and the JOY that fills our hearts when we know our Savior was born of this earth only to die and take all of my sins with him.  NOW THAT'S JOY!!  Advent Blessings to All!!

Peace Amongst Chaos

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The Lord be with all of you."  (NIV)  2 Thessalonians 3:16

It is the Second Sunday in Advent and the second candle lit today is for peace.  I don't know about you, but from the time the turkey goes into the oven on Thanksgiving until the last present is open on Christmas Day, my life can seem a bit chaotic.  Yours?  Are you feeling the chaos of the Christmas Season?

Each year I make a commitment to myself, and in turn, my family, to take these four weeks and create a more peaceful environment.  Usually, right about now - week two, the panic starts to set in.  Work is extremely busy - I can't seem to get ahead of the game.  Deadlines are looming, issues are surfacing, and a pressure I put on myself to ensure everything gets done creates a sense of chaos.  Why aren't there enough hours in the day?  Why is everyone asking for something?  Why can't we figure out a way to spread all of this throughout the year versus right now in the last month?  Why, why, why?

Then there are the household commitments - events for the kids, entertaining, events for the adults, shopping for gifts, writing the cards, etc., etc., etc.  It seems that just as I get in the car to come home from a long day at work, I begin to remember all that needs to be done at home.  Believe me, I have scaled back from years gone by, but the pile still seems to grow and grow.

What is your Advent season like?  Is it full of chaos and commitment or is it focused on Christ's birth?  If you are one to feel the chaos of Christmas, I have hope for you.

Take this moment, this one moment, and say with me, "Jesus - you TRULY are the reason we celebrate with such excitement.  The events and the chores of the season are done with the knowledge that your birthday is one the world celebrates.  Be with me, create in me a sense of peace amongst the chaos.  Only YOU can do that Jesus, and I know you are with me right now to help me get there."

I prayed a prayer similar to the above about 4 days ago.  It seemed like I wasn't going to get "it all" done.  I left it in God's more-than-capable hands.  Over me washed a sense of peace.  We all define peace in different ways.  Maybe you believe peace needs to be "peace and quiet" - nobody talking at you, nobody asking anything of you.  Many people see peace that way - those "Calgon take me away" moments where you are alone and at peace.  Yes, those moments are peaceful, quiet and precious.  

I see peace a little differently - and that is what I experienced a few days ago.  Peace doesn't have to mean quiet - I believe peace is defined as "calmness from God".  When I need peace in my life, it doesn't mean that the busyness of life needs to stop - it means that I know God is with me, guiding me, through the chaos.  At the end of the day the chores and the commitments were done out of love for my Lord, my family, and my friends.  The feeling of me wanting to scream is replaced by the Holy Spirit washing peace over me, like a blanket of comfort.  It is an incredible feeling and one that, I have to share, I have had the pleasure of experiencing over the years.

During times of darkness, times of busyness, times of joy and times of thanksgiving, I need to feel the peace of God.  He has never disappointed me.  When I reach out to him in times of prayer - asking for great peace - He has delivered this sense of comfort, as if He was giving me a huge hug.  For those of you who know me directly, hugging is a BIG part of my world.  It is the best feeling, and to have that feeling from God gives me the strength to move forward.

It is the Advent season - a time for us to do all we do out of faithfulness to our Lord.  It is a time for us to enjoy each other, to sing those carols loudly, to bake with zeal, etc.  It is also a time to stop - maybe right in the middle of the mall - and say a prayer to God for a sense of peace amongst the chaos.  I promise you He will respond in kind, with a big hug!!  Oh by the way, if you get an opportunity for a "Calgon" moment - certainly take it.  Those moments are cherished as well!!  Blessings to all.