Tag: planning

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Stealthy Vacation Bible School

It comes out of nowhere. Most children’s directors and pastors get just a moment to rest before it hits like a lightning bolt. Yes, I’m talking about the shock of a stealthy vacation Bible school!

Stealthy Vacation Bible School Cartoon. A boy says, "Hey Mrs. Petersen! VBS is almost here!"

The plight of children’s pastors everywhere is when to begin planning for Vacation Bible school. Christmas takes precedence in December. Easter dominates late winter. Then before you know it, summer is here and there aren’t enough popsicle sticks empty toilet paper rolls, or school glue to satisfy all the VBS planning needs!

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motivation

Worry is Wasted Creativity

Cartoon of a man in a fetal position. He says to another, "I'm okay. This is just how I get creative."

No one really knows the future. We can make assumptions based on past experience and current data, but it’s still a guessing game. And if all the predictions are based on fear, worry is wasted creativity.

Anxiety can limit our creativity. Whether our surroundings make us anxious, or we put too much pressure on ourselves to be creative, fear and anxiety can stymie us. It wastes our imagination when we think about all the bad things that have happened, are happening now, and could happen.

The energy we put into fretting only serves to encourage those circumstances. I have found the old adage, what we think about, we bring about, to be way too prophetic.

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creativity

What a Vehicle Breakdown Taught Me About Creativity

Cartoon of two guys stuck in a van. One says, Maybe if we just give it a good car wash?

I didn’t want the experience. Nobody looks forward to problems. But learning from them is so valuable. Among other things, that is what a vehicle breakdown taught me about creativity.

My family moved from Indiana to Arizona. For the first half of the trip, everything seemed to go according to plan. But as we were about to enter the Texas Panhandle, one of our two vans just lost it. Of all things, the power steering pulley broke.

We stayed two days in Shamrock, Texas while we waited for repairs. and we thought everything was fine. Then the same van overheated from Amarillo to Tucumcari, New Mexico. Once again, we found a garage to repair the ailing van. Alas, we limped through Albuquerque until the van gave up the ghost in Grants, New Mexico. It all sounds so simple now. But it was quite an ordeal. And guess what? I know next to nothing about cars!

Besides a great story for Spear family lore, this episode taught me a few things about creativity.

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The Best-Laid Plans Never Go as Planned

Cartoon of two people waist deep in water. A woman says, "I've learned there is a fine line between potty training and preschooler vandalism."
Published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine"

If the last two years have taught us anything, we have learned that the best-laid plans never go as planned. There are circumstances and surprises that come out of nowhere. In fact, we may be tempted to utter along with Curly, “I’m a victim of circumstance!“

Children and the Best-laid Plans

I thought I had life all figured out until I had children. Planning was easy when my wife and I started our lives together. For the most part, we were on the same page and had similar goals. But when we had kids, I discovered they didn’t always share the same goals like when was the proper bedtime, how to behave at restaurants, and when was the optimal time to begin potty training.

Cartoon of two people waist deep in water. A woman says, "I've learned there is a fine line between potty training and preschooler vandalism."
Published in Kidzmatter Magazine
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wisdom

Prudence and Wisdom

Prudence and Wisdom

The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.

Proverbs 14:8

Prudence has come to mean something totally different in our culture. A prude is considered a killjoy that never has any fun. If you have a balloon, the prude will pop it. If there is any excitement, our culture believes a prudent person will quash it.

We idolize the startup that will “move fast and break things.” The minimal viable product is considered the best way to get something to market without it getting bogged down in experimentation, consideration, and tweaking. And sometimes that is a great way to move.

But there are other times when prudence is needed. Moving fast without planning can hurt. The story of Theranos and the ensuing trial shows what can happen when one moves too fast without a real plan or product that actually works.

The True Definition of Prudence

Prudence is less about being a killjoy and more about using planning, good judgment, and careful consideration in any venture. We need to have a plan before forging ahead. Moving fast doesn’t work if we are going in the wrong direction.

Prudence is taking caution and considering the outcomes. It is seeking and implementing advice where warranted. Just as there is such a thing as being too cautious, it is also possible to be too impulsive and spontaneous.

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 22:3

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Let’s use a little prudence in business and life.