Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

Monthly Archives: March 2021


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FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday

Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

  • How to Discern God’s Will for Your Work. Russ Gehrlein writes “Even though these may seem to be the worst of times, I want to emphasize some of the basic and unchanging elements of my biblical and practical theology of work: God leads and provides for His children, we must listen to God’s voice, God is present in every aspect of our work, and God is faithful.”
  • More Significant Than What You Do? Who You Work For. Steve Graves writes “Any worker doing any kind of work in any kind of setting can be a gospel carrier when you realize that you are really working for Christ. Not for your earthly boss. Not for yourself and your family. Not for your colleagues or your customers. Not for the bonus. But instead, ultimately, for Jesus Himself.”
  • Being an Agile Leader Starts with Being Aware and Generous. Jonathan Chambers continues his series on how to be an agile leader.
  • The Calling to Excellence.   R.C. Sproul writes “What it takes to achieve excellence, more than anything else, is not talent but perseverance.”

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More links to interesting articles
  • The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
  • My Review of Leadership Gold: Lessons I’ve Learned from a Lifetime of Leadingby John Maxwell
  • Snippets from the book Work and Worship: Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy by Matthew Kaemingk and Cory B. Willson

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20 More Great Quotes from Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job, and Launch Your Future by Dee Ann Turner

I recently read Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job, and Launch Your Future by Dee Ann Turner. You can read my review here.  This is a very helpful book for anyone looking for a job and growing their career. Reading this book was like sitting down for a personal mentoring session with the author in a favorite coffee shop on how to find a calling that is fulfilling and work that will help you reach your personal and professional dreams.

Here are 20 more great quotes from the book:

  • As leaders, it is sometimes easier for us to see potential for the future in others than it is for them to see it in themselves. It is the role of the leader to help others discover their paths.
  • Understanding our calling is critical to finding a career that gives our work life meaning. Without a calling, a job is just work.
  • One of the most significant roles that leaders in our lives play is helping us find our purpose.
  • Without a compass to guide us, it is easy to lose our way. Core values are the guideposts on the journey to living out our purpose and achieving our mission.
  • Your personal brand is how you represent yourself. It is the unique combination of capabilities, experiences, and personal values that you want others to know about you.
  • Most employers look for people with strong character. They want to select talent whose character matches the organization.

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS


Skin and Wind – Charlie Peacock
****

I’ve appreciated Charlie Peacock’s music for many years, dating back to his late-night concerts at the Cornerstone Festival when it was held outside of the Chicago area, and his West Coast Diaries releases in the late 1980’s. The multi-talented (artist, producer, author) Peacock writes all of the songs on Skin and Wind, his fourteenth vocal album, and the follow-up to 2019’s Lil’ Willie. In addition, he produces the album, handles lead vocals, and plays multiple instruments (piano, Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric piano, drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitar and percussion). Backing him are son Sam Ashworth (acoustic guitar and background vocals), Ruby Amanfu (background vocals), Bridget Ashworth (background vocals), Jerry McPherson (electric and acoustic guitars and ukulele), Andy Leftwich (fiddle and mandolin) and Dan Dugmore (pedal and lap steel). The album cover is a 1986 photo of Peacock backstage at the Filmore Auditorium in San Francisco.
I thoroughly enjoyed this outstanding album, which features excellence in vocals (Peacock’s voice is still an incredible instrument), production, musicianship and poetical lyrics. Here are a few comments about each of the ten songs:

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  • More of this review
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS


Just Jones: Sometimes a Thing Is Impossible . . . Until It Is Actually Done by Andy Andrews. Thomas Nelson. 272 pages. 2020
***

Just Jones is the third book in the Noticer trilogy, following 2009’s The Noticer and 2013’s The Noticer Returns. The books are partly non-fiction (Andy Andrews and his wife Polly are included, and the majority of the book takes place in Orange Beach, Alabama, where Andrews lives), and mostly fiction, revolving around a mysterious old man name Jones. Not Mr. Jones. Just Jones.
Jones is an interesting character. He shows up and disappears without notice. He can make things happen that are beyond belief. He is a noticer. He notices things that other people overlook, most of which are in plain sight. He notices things about situations and people that produce perspective, or a broader view. Throughout the book, Jones also shares his personal philosophies on a variety of subjects.
The book begins with a confusing “Prologue”, which is later made clear. We then meet 27-year-old Keely, who is in a Florida jail cell with Jones. Keely is in jail on a charge of drunk and disorderly, along with hitting a police officer. We never find out why Jones is in jail. Jones calls Andy to pick him up from jail. They haven’t seen each other for six or seven years.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~ Providence by John Piper
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading →


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Book Review of CRUSH YOUR CAREER by Dee Ann Turner

Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job, and Launch Your Future by Dee Ann Turner. Baker Books. 208 pages. 2021
****

Dee Ann Turner worked at Chick fil-A for thirty-three years where she served as a senior leader. In this her third book following “It’s My Pleasure” and “Bet on Talent”, she provides a road map to navigate your way to finding a job, keeping a job, and growing a career. Beginning with developing your resume and maximizing your online presence, all the way through leading others and thinking about retirement, the author gives valuable advice you would expect to receive from a trusted coach or mentor. She writes that the expertise in the book was born somewhat of successes, but more so in the failures as we learn much more by our mistakes than we do by our successes.
Among the subjects that the book addresses that I found most helpful were our purpose, mission and core values, character formation, how to ace the interview, building solid relationships, growing trust, listening, giving and receiving feedback, preparing for an opportunity, resilience, mentors, responding to change, self-development, growing as an emerging leader and problem solving. Continue reading →


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Are You Experiencing Joy in Your Journey?

As we know, our lives at times can be difficult enough, and 2020 was particularly difficult. Perhaps you lost a loved one, faced a serious illness yourself, or are presently caring for a loved one. Perhaps you contracted COVID-19, or like everyone, you experienced the numerous changes, challenges and frustrations due to the pandemic (wearing a mask, work and school from home, no travel, sports, movie theaters, concerts or indoor dining, and more).
The recent holiday season was a good example of how the pandemic changed our lives in 2020. Some of us, following the advice of health experts, chose to not gather with family for our normal celebrations, while others had smaller gatherings in which we took safety precautions (masks and social distancing).
As we begin the month of March, a question I want to ask you is, despite all that is going on around you, are you able to experience joy in your journey?
One of my favorite Michael Card songs is his 1987 song “Joy in the Journey”. You can listen to it here. Continue reading →