Month: September 2024

Motivational Monday

On September 16, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

The 5 “L’s” of Life Series

Hey friends! Today is the last day of our series and I have to say, I have really enjoyed writing it. To have started off with, “How in the world am I going to write about this?” to “Oh, I kinda enjoyed this series!” is a huge win for me. 😂 That thought actually made me giggle a little when I wrote it…which is a PERFECT segway into today’s last topic. Laughter. So, let’s talk about it.

Listen, I LOVE to laugh. I laugh at the wrong times and right times! 😣 Fun fact about me (like you don’t know enough)! I laughed the whole way through my wedding ceremony. Yep. True story. When I think of my best friend Samantha, I can literally hear her laughter. Her laugh makes me laugh! Laughing makes me feel good. It brings me closer to the person I am laughing with. But have you ever thought about laughter from a christian aspect? I’ll be honest, I have never thought about it so let’s take a go at it!

So from a health perspective, what does laughter do for us? Well, it has been proven that laughter lowers blood pressure and stress hormones. There have been times I am annoyed with my husband and he will cut the tension with a “funny”. And 9/10 times, my mood is much better. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Laughter wasn’t a by-product from emotions. God knew exactly what we needed with laughter.

Laughter is a response to God’s love and grace. I think about the movie, Steel Magnolias. At the end of the movie when M’lynn is having a meltdown over Shelby’s death (and rightfully so), Clairee throws Ousier in the mix by offering M’lynn a “once in lifetime opportunity to knock Ouiser out!” Life presents us with good times and bad. There is a “time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4

Can you imagine a life without laughter? More than likely, we only know pain, grief, and just melancholy. Right? What if we only ONLY experienced joy? Listen, pain and suffering are a part of God’s plan in your life. Those things draw you closer to Him. Laughter is a part of ups and downs of life. David says in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” David not only shared his sadness with the Lord but his joy. Laughter is part of relationship building. With people and God!

But do you know what I see when people laugh? Faith. Let me explain. Has there ever been a time in your life when something is eating at you? Or you have extreme sadness? Or you have a loved one in the hospital? And all you can do is pray. You’re worried. And then one day, it’s like you let go and suddenly a little chuckle comes out of you. It’s hard to laugh when you feel unsafe. By allowing laughter to return, you are trusting Him to help you through this time. Laughter helps us know that God is good and that He has a plan for us. By laughing, we also share His love, grace, and joy with others. So, let us laugh more often, and let our laughter reflect our soul. 

So this week, I want to challenge you to a game. This is a made up “Jennifer” game (ask Jon! This is a real game I play). When you go shopping this week, I want you to make your cashier laugh. I’ll give you a hint as to how to open them up to laughter…say something positive about them first. Ask them questions about THEM. Then, have a conversation as they are ringing you up. Get them to laugh. I want you to take note of their face from beginning to end. Look at how you impacted their stress level for what…3-5 minutes? It’s amazing. God did that.

Love you all and see you Sunday,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On September 9, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

The 5 “L’s” of Life Series

Hey friends! We are continuing our 5 “L’s” of life series and today is listening. Like the other “L’s”, you can go in a million directions with this one. I talk alot about listening to God. But today, I want to talk about becoming a good listener. So, let’s talk about it.

When I went into HR, I wasn’t a very good listener. I heard what you were saying but I didn’t allow it to actually sink in. I would love to tell you that between the 2 degrees I received and the gazillion dollars in student loan debt, SOMEONE taught the importance of listening! If I was taught, I wasn’t listening. (Come on…that was funny) It wasn’t until I was in my career for a minute when I was with an employee who was irate and I was just overwhelmed. I had nothing to say to them that would calm them down. So…I had no choice but to sit there and listen. And they calmed down. When the conversation ended, I hugged them and promised to do what I could (which wasn’t much). She looked at me and said, “I just appreciate you letting me get this off my chest. I appreciate you listening to me.” And that’s the moment I learned to listen.

So what does listening do for people?

First, it affirms them. A the most basic form, when we listen to someone we are acknowledging their existence. Which in today’s world, says alot. In Mark 10, Jesus was surrounded by a crowd when he heard a blind beggar call out to him. Jesus stopped. Jesus called out to Batimaeus and listened to him. He asked Jesus to heal him and Jesus did. Of course, by restoring his sight, it affirmed him but what if Jesus never stopped to listen?

Second, we strengthen each other just by listening. James Dopson once said, “For some strange reason, human beings . . . tolerate stress and pressure much more easily if at least one other person knows they are enduring it.” Is that not accurate? Look at Bartimaeus. This interaction he had with Jesus strengthened him not only by restoring his sight but through the acknowledgement of Jesus when others didn’t think he was worth listening to.

Third, listening allows others to work through their thoughts. I am sure you have been talking to someone about an issue you were having. They might have asked a few questions now and then but by the time the conversation was over, YOU came up with a resolution. Did you know there’s a bible verse about that? Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” How clever that was written in the Bible when you thought YOU were the mastermind behind working out your issue. 🙂

How can we improve with listening?

I’m about to say something profound. I need you all to write this down. Ready? You have to hush and let the person talk. <drops mic and walks away> I’m kidding about the profound part but I’m serious about hushing! When God listens to you, he listens to you. He doesn’t interrupt you. He lets you get it all out. Which circles us back to the beginning!

When you are listening, you don’t have to fix their problems. You just affirm love and compassion. Affirm. Affirm His love to them. By affirming His love, it gives them security. Security that God does love them and He is there for them. And to be honest, He is so much better at “fixing” their problems than you are.

So this week, I want to encourage you to listen to others. When they ask you a question, understand there is a statement behind the question. If they ask you, “Do you ever feel like God ignores you?” That’s how THEY FEEL. And you being the great friend you are, wants to fix their feelings. Work on NOT fixing it. Give them the affirmation they are looking for. If it was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.

Love you all,

Jennifer

September Newsletter

By Jennifer Robbins

On September 6, 2024

In News and Announcements, Newsletters

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On September 2, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Motivational Monday- the 5 “L’s” of Life Series

Hey friends! When I started this series, I would love to tell you that I planned to talk about labor on Labor Day but I am not that organized. It just worked out that way. Speaking of work…what does God say about work? How hard do we need to labor? So, let’s talk it!

For those who don’t know, I am 44 years old. I have worked since I was 16 years old and I have quite a bit of my work life left in me. I think about the day I can retire but I am not sure what I will do when that time comes. If I turn out like my mother, I’ll be busier retired than working! She never really stopped working. Her focus just shifted to working for the Lord.

The Bible makes it clear that work matters to God. And it doesn’t matter how much you make or what your occupation is. God cares about your work (He really does!). There are some points the Bible makes about working/laboring. It provides us with a practical foundation for Christians asking about what the Bible says about how we should approach our work.

First, work is part of God’s big picture. Let’s start with Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Work was planned by God from the beginning until the very end. He created it. So working is a gift from God. You don’t have to love working but you should acknowledge that He gifted you the ability to work.

Second, God provides us with unique skills, gifts and talents and calls us to certain roles and activities. I know one of my skills is people. I can make people feel at ease and therefore, they open up to me (like in the middle of Walmart. True story). For my mental state, I never wanted to be a counselor but I knew I SHOULD work with people. I think like everyone, I worry if I am fulfilling God’s calling with my life but all I can do is pray and stay open to His guidance. In my professional life, when people open up to me, I try to approach all subjects with love and understanding. So far, it hasn’t failed me yet!

Third, a foundation of work is quality, character and ethics. We are responsible for our quality of work we produce, our faithfulness to God in the way we pursue work and our own character while working. Early in my career, I was asked to do something that was unethical. I really needed my job and we couldn’t afford for me to be terminated (which was the stated outcome if I didn’t comply with what was presented). I had to make a quick decision and I didn’t have time to talk it over with Jon. Not only did I refuse but I dared them to fire me. Now, I probably shouldn’t have dared them 😬 (anger slid in and took over a minute) but I don’t regret the decision. I knew my time with them was limited because of the decision I made but it was the right decision. I left my job a few months later. My ethics are based on right and wrong. Biblical ethics in my professional life. For the record, I talk about my ethics in job interviews so this is never an issue again.

Fourth, we are called to rest. Can I tell you how MUCH I appreciate the Lord stating we need to rest? I am someone who never stops. I can never get it all done whether it’s at home, at church or work. There are things that stay unfinished and I feel guilty for resting. But there are days (like today), I need to recharge and rest. I have to remind myself that it’s ok to do this because God! When God created us, He didn’t have to design us to sleep but He did. Have you ever thought about that? He could have designed us to be the Energizer Bunny and keep going and going and going…

I appreciate Labor Day because it’s a celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. Labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made in America’s strength, prosperity and well being. But laboring isn’t about our country. It doesn’t matter how young or old. Never stop laboring for God.

Love you all and see you next week!

Jennifer