5 Christmas Tips for Dad

Christmas time is here again.  Time for dad to get frustrated with house decorating, stress out over how much money is spent on gifts, and have his family overcome with a crazy, chaotic calendar.  But what if it doesn't have to be that way?  We have a unique opportunity at Christmas to create great family memories and lead our families in growing closer to Jesus.  And let's face it:  Our kids grow up way to fast.  So here are some tips for dads to make the most of the holiday season for their families.

1. Check your Cheer - Dad's, don't let the stress and spending of the holidays rob you of your Christmas cheer.  Be joyful.  Be hopeful.  You're family takes their cues from you.
2. Model Generosity - The holidays are a great time to teach your family about giving and generosity. Who are you planning to adopt, bless, and serve this holiday season?
3. Dive In To Decorations - We need to help our wives with decorating the house.  We need to make it a family affair.  We need to take time to drive around and look at Christmas lights with the family.  Embrace the sights and sounds of Christmas and be sure your family is having the complete holiday experience.
4. Make It About Jesus - It's easy for the message of Christmas to get lost in the hype.  Dads need to be leading their families to remember that Christmas is all about Jesus.  Dads need to be leading their families spiritually.  How are you doing with this dad? (For a great Christmas Bible reading plan click here.)
5. Plan A Christmas Calendar - I started planning a Christmas calendar last year and it made the holiday so much better for our family.  Here are 4 things you can do to be successful with this dads: 

• Make sure you're planning family time where memories will be made.
• Create time to build family traditions.
• Check out local events that can make the holidays fun for your family.
• Be wise about what you say yes to and what you say no to.

Dads, let's be intentional in making the most of Christmas for our families this year.  Let's lead well.  Let's model the Christmas spirit for our children & not miss out on a great opportunity to build memories that can last a lifetime!

Irreplaceable Team Members

All of us are on a team at some stage in life.  As kids, we're in teams for things such as sports and band.  As adults it comes in the form of the teams of people we work with in our jobs, the places we serve in the community, and can even appear in working with others on community projects or leadership teams.  Over the years I have worked with tons of teams of various forms, functions, and sizes.  Here's some things I've noticed about team members who excel and make themselves irreplaceable.

1. They are SOLUTION people rather than PROBLEM people.  Anyone can identify the problem.  Anyone can point out what is wrong.  When a problem arises, great team members approach their leaders, not just with the problem, but with a list of possible solutions.
2. They are TEAM focused instead of POSITION focused.  Without fail, if a team of people form for any purpose, there will be people who begin to seek out position and power.  Great team members realize that the good of the TEAM is always more important than any individual credit or credentials.
3. They see other people as a RESOURCE and not COMPETITION.  For many individuals, there is a natural human tendency that exists to see other people as competition on a team.  Great leaders and team members understand that people are their most valuable resource, so the INVEST time building relationships with others
4. They understand VISION and how to FOLLOW well.  Everyone has an opinion about how to do something, how to approach something, or about what they feel is best for a situation.  Great team members understand authority and they follow well, knowing that there are times where the leaders see things they don't see.
5. They never EXPECT others to do what they WON'T.  It amazes me how many people think leadership is gained through POSITION or title.  The truth is, great team members lead by doing the difficult things themselves and modeling for others the expected behavior/standard/action.  They are the first ones to show up.  They work the hardest.  They lead by example.

We all find ourselves on a team from time to time - at work, in school, in the community, at church.  If you want to make yourself irreplaceable but duplicatable follow these five simple suggestions.  Your team or organization will be better because of it.  And after all, isn't that the purpose of a team?

Dig In

Over the past three weeks I've had several people at Timber Ridge ask me about Bible reading plans.  It seems there are a lot of people taking the step to spend time with God in His Word on a daily basis.  And that is a life-changing step to take!

I wanted to share some online resources and reading plans for those of you who might be interested in getting into God's Word each day.  Below you'll find a few resources that can help you as you spend time with God each day.

• 30 Days With Jesus - What better topic to study than the life of Jesus?  This reading plan takes you on an overview of the life and work of Jesus in just one month.
• 30 Days For New Christians - If the Bible and church are a new thing for you, this reading plan is a great option to give you a general, very brief overview of some major topics in the Bible.
• First Steps Reading Plan - This reading plan is designed for people who are new to faith in Jesus.  It's a year long reading plan that covers the Bible basics with a light amount of reading each day.
• The Bible in 90 or New Thru 30 - If you're looking for a more intense, deeper reading plan check out one of these plans.  The Bible in 90 takes you through the entire Bible in just 90 days.  New Thru 30 is a journey through the entire New Testament in just a month.
• YouVersion.com - YouVersion is a great tool to read the Bible online from your computer, phone, or other mobile device.  YouVersion also offers several reading plans to choose from as well.

The key to getting the most out of God's Word is to simply make the commitment to read it and then DO IT.  So pick the plan that's best for where you are right now in life and jump in.  You'll be amazed at how spending time in God's Word each day will change your life!

Are YOU Ready For Some FOOTBALL?

This Sunday (November 6th) we're hosting our first ever Timber Ridge TAILGATE!  The tailgate party will begin immediately following our 10:30am worship service.  I'm pumped up for this & here's 3 reasons why you should be too!

1. Free Food & Fun - We're gonna' be grilling tons of hamburgers and hot dogs and they'll be plenty of food for everyone!  Plus we'll have a blast hanging out together & watching the Cowboy's game.
2. Can you say BIG screen? - We'll be projecting the game on the big screen at The Conference Center so you'll have a great view of the game!
3. Friends, Friends, Friends! - Our church is less than 2 months old...so that means that literally EVERYONE is new!  The tailgate party is a great opportunity to meet new people, connect with others, and make some great friends!

I hope you and your family will make plans to join us Sunday for the 1st ever Timber Ridge TAILGATE!  It's sure to be a blast!