Category: Christian Leadership

The Joy Model

The most important habit is solitude, quiet time. People who enter their day by taking 45 minutes or an hour for themselves - meditation, prayer, inspirational reading, taking a walk - before they go for it in the real world do best. - Ken Blanchard

Advent is a season of anticipation, and the Advent wreath is the traditional centerpiece of the Christmas season. It symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western Church. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day (December 2nd this year). On the First Sunday of Advent, we celebrate Hope—the inspiring and uplifting hope that Christ among us represents; and for it, I highlighted Roy Johnston’s The Hope Quotient.  

On the Second Sunday of Advent, we celebrate Peace and the promise of peace on Earth (check out my post on “Happy are the Peacemakers” or my more recent post on “Live in Peace & Balance”).

On the Third Sunday of Advent, we celebrate Joy—the joy that God brings into our lives.  This past September, I picked up a copy of The Joy Model for $1 from Mardel.  What a deal!  Jeff Spadafora wrote what he calls a step-by-step guide to peace, purpose, and balance.  It was a great investment, and I hope this quick summary provides you some encouragement and assistance in finding Joy.

Ken Blanchard (author of Are You Helping People Win at Work, Lead Like Jesus, and Lead Your Family Like Jesus) explained in the Preface to Spadafora’s book, “Once I ‘suited up for the Lord,’ I focused all my effort on Doing, as Jeff defines it in the book.  I co-founded the Lead Like Jesus ministry.  I became active in our church…  With the coaching I’ve received from Jeff, I’ve been able to spend more time on the Being aspect of myself—allowing myself to really spend time getting to know the Lord, not just running around trying to practice everything I’ve studied from Scripture.  The balanced combination of Doing and Being is key in the Joy Model…  If you’ve been overemphasizing either Doing or Being in your life, and want to find balance and real joy and peace, I highly recommend The Joy Model.”

Click here to learn more about Spadafora’s The Joy Model

The Hope Quotient

Hope is passion for what is possible. - Soren Kierkegaard

As we enter the Advent season of 2018, we start with the theme of Hope.  Two years ago, I read The Hope Quotient by Ray Johnston.  While I generally read books on kindle now, I purchased a hard copy from Mardel and didn’t get around to archiving my notes until Hurricane Harvey hit Houston last September.  Following Harvey, Johnston’s words brought much-needed encouragement.

Earlier today, we learned that my sister-in-law passed away.  I’m thankful that we have Hope for her future, since she was a follower of Jesus Christ.  She battled a myriad of health problems for many years.  We’re thankful she is at peace and rest now, but will miss her laugh and her eyes lighting up when her niece and nephews were around.  Thanks be to God for His omniscience and His timing.

In his book, Johnston says, “Unlike IQ and EQ, which are largely inherited, your degree of hope, your Hope Quotient (or HQ), can be developed to any level.”

Click here to learn more