Today is Resurrection Sunday, or Easter Sunday. It is a day where Christians throughout the world celebrate. Many may not know the story behind Easter. They may get lost in the commercialism that has been associated with the holiday and think the celebration is more about bunnies, Cadbury Eggs and a delicious meal with family.
This may be due to the movement many have had away from organized religious practice. While our country was founded by very spiritual men, it has experienced a great shift in the way America expresses the Christian roots on which it was established. Why would there be such a drastic change in culture in such a short amount of time?
Perhaps it is in the telling of the story. The Gospel story. The story of Jesus Christ.
While many denominations of Christianity base their sermons and storytelling on the Bible, many deviate from the core message of grace. That was the message that God intended each person to hear and that is why He sent His son to die on the cross. Yet, that powerful message and story is often put in the background while messages of politics and religion come to the foreground.
The Gospel story of Jesus coming down from Heaven to live as a man, die for all of our sin and rise again in order to bring salvation for all that receive Him is central to Christianity. The story in and of itself promotes the goals and ideals of Christianity. It shows unconditional love, mercy and grace. It shows reverence for a powerful and loving God that cared so much He sacrificed His own son.
As a member of First Baptist Church of South Daytona, our church family stands for everything about this story. We hold to the truth that all men have sinned and not one is righteous. We believe together that Jesus is the only way to eternal salvation. We know that He came not to condemn anyone or to judge but to offer salvation, and in the same, we are only to spread His light throughout the world so others may come to know Him.
Do some in the "organization" of the church miss the message of the story? Sure. That is where there is a difference between religion and relationship. When we take the story of Jesus' life and make it a part of our own. When we develop a daily walk in His word and understand the meaning of His story, it is natural that our culture is positively influenced. However, if we were to wake up, get dressed, go to church to visit with one another, become critics of the music and sermon and then go home, that would be less about Jesus and more about being part of a group or club.
I am thankful to be part of an amazing church that shares the love of Jesus boldly and confidently. That shares the Gospel openly. A church that understands the story and tells others about it each and everyday.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Saturday, March 12, 2016
A632.9.3.RB_TAYLORHEATHER
The first example
of a key decision that was made in which I felt very confident was that of
purchasing our new vehicle. After months
of research and reviewing and consulting with others we decided to pursue the
purchase of a used Land Rover LR3. I
never really knew anything about the Land Rover brand or the vehicle. I did know that the number of deaths reported
in that vehicle for all highway vehicle incidents was zero, zilch, none. That was worth more than anything that we
could buy. These were real live crashes
in which the drivers and passengers walked away without life threatening
injuries. The emotions that went into
the purchase were fear and concern, financial concerns and excitement about a
new vehicle.
The confidence of the
decision increased with time. Initially
we knew it was the right purchase but as time continued to pass, it was even
greater, especially now that we have to have a heavy wheelchair lift attached
to the vehicle which would not have been possible on a small minivan or
mid-sized SUV.
The second example was
the decision to follow doctor orders and cease employment. I was so scared and in shock. I was crying thinking about giving up my
career. I had been promoted three times
in the previous 9 months and was so excited about where the future was taking
our family. It wasn’t until I realized
that if I kept working our family might not have me in their future that I
agreed to focusing on health, being a mom and a student. That was plenty. I was not confident in that
decision. I was worried about our
finances. I was concerned about what
would happen to my professional marketability.
It wasn’t until I went into deep prayer and really sought out God’s will
that I started to have more confidence in this life decision.
In both of these
instances, emotions play a large role in the way that decisions are made. In both examples, it was always about what
was best for our family and what was best for our health and safety. When you prioritize what matters most, it
becomes much easier to weigh decisions and make a choice that you can reflect
on and smile.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
A632.8.3.RB_TAYLORHEATHER
The Cynefin Framework can benefit decision-making in that it provides a simplistic analysis and categorization method for framing and understanding decisions. According to Snowden and Boone (2007) the Cynefin Framework also has a fifth element classified as disorder which accounts for all elements not encompassed in the four quadrants. In my professional experience I have had the opportunity to encounter decisions made from each of the four quadrants of the Cynefin model.
Complex: This example deals with the impact of legislative funding cuts to behavioral health. Each year the legislature determines how much funding will go toward community behavioral health centers. During a year of tight budget proceedings in Florida, there was a concern for individuals loosing their employment. The biggest uncertainty was even knowing how many would remain. To adequately prepare, it took a significant amount of effort to try to understand the complex ramifications of losing one employee, two employees, which departments, how services would be impacted. Thankfully, the budget did not cause significant strain and the only employees that were no longer with the agency were those that retired or transitioned into another position at another agency.
Chaos: When I was a teacher of students with disabilities, there was a threat of an armed gunman on campus. Knowing that we would be unable to vacate the room or move the students without making a significant amount of noise, I immediately assessed the situation and requested that the assistants bring the students into the large bathrooms where we could shut and lock the doors. There were many options for response, though we had not been trained on how to respond systematically previously. The "shooter" ended up being a young man with a paintball gun that was not handling his emotions well at the time. Everyone was okay but the event allowed for future implementation of standardized response measures.
The five ways the Cynefin Model can benefit decision making are as follows:
1. Standard process- By incorporating the Cynefin model, the decision can be based on standard process. As a leader, I will be able to know based on the elements of the decision which quadrant I am operating in and then I can determine if there is a way to move from a place of chaos to a place of standardization.
2. Awareness of alternatives- By looking at the decision in close proximity to the other quadrants, it is clear what type of leadership decision is being made and what factors may be present in the situation that could be impacting the outcome. The leader could then determine if the situation was in chaos, how to best approach that situation and make sure they are not reacting in a simplistic method or using standards/best practice only to react.
3. Perspective analysis- The Cynefin framework allows the leader to analyze their frames and perspectives in categorizing the decision into the four quadrants. It would behoove the leader to have another person categorize the situation and determine if the leaders perspective aligns with key stakeholders that share the company's vision.
4. Pattern development- This quadrant model would provide the leader a method of determining what patterns are occurring and determine how best to mitigate risks or change their environment to bring future decisions from a place of chaos or complexity to a place of simplicity and standardization.
5. Data- By categorizing the situation into the four models, the leader could then log their decisions and the type of Cynefin framework the situations are falling into as they lead. This woul allow the leader quality reflection and perhaps changes in their own leadership behavior to improve business operations.
ReferencesSnowden, David J. and Boone, Mary E. (November 2007). A Leader's Framework for Decision Making. Harvard Business Review. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
Complex: This example deals with the impact of legislative funding cuts to behavioral health. Each year the legislature determines how much funding will go toward community behavioral health centers. During a year of tight budget proceedings in Florida, there was a concern for individuals loosing their employment. The biggest uncertainty was even knowing how many would remain. To adequately prepare, it took a significant amount of effort to try to understand the complex ramifications of losing one employee, two employees, which departments, how services would be impacted. Thankfully, the budget did not cause significant strain and the only employees that were no longer with the agency were those that retired or transitioned into another position at another agency.
Chaos: When I was a teacher of students with disabilities, there was a threat of an armed gunman on campus. Knowing that we would be unable to vacate the room or move the students without making a significant amount of noise, I immediately assessed the situation and requested that the assistants bring the students into the large bathrooms where we could shut and lock the doors. There were many options for response, though we had not been trained on how to respond systematically previously. The "shooter" ended up being a young man with a paintball gun that was not handling his emotions well at the time. Everyone was okay but the event allowed for future implementation of standardized response measures.
The five ways the Cynefin Model can benefit decision making are as follows:
1. Standard process- By incorporating the Cynefin model, the decision can be based on standard process. As a leader, I will be able to know based on the elements of the decision which quadrant I am operating in and then I can determine if there is a way to move from a place of chaos to a place of standardization.
2. Awareness of alternatives- By looking at the decision in close proximity to the other quadrants, it is clear what type of leadership decision is being made and what factors may be present in the situation that could be impacting the outcome. The leader could then determine if the situation was in chaos, how to best approach that situation and make sure they are not reacting in a simplistic method or using standards/best practice only to react.
3. Perspective analysis- The Cynefin framework allows the leader to analyze their frames and perspectives in categorizing the decision into the four quadrants. It would behoove the leader to have another person categorize the situation and determine if the leaders perspective aligns with key stakeholders that share the company's vision.
4. Pattern development- This quadrant model would provide the leader a method of determining what patterns are occurring and determine how best to mitigate risks or change their environment to bring future decisions from a place of chaos or complexity to a place of simplicity and standardization.
5. Data- By categorizing the situation into the four models, the leader could then log their decisions and the type of Cynefin framework the situations are falling into as they lead. This woul allow the leader quality reflection and perhaps changes in their own leadership behavior to improve business operations.
ReferencesSnowden, David J. and Boone, Mary E. (November 2007). A Leader's Framework for Decision Making. Harvard Business Review. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
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