It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
Greetings to you!
Each week I send out a short leadership blog that's called "Tuesday at 2:00pm". The purpose of this is simply to provide a brief thought on leadership that you can read and think about in just a few minutes. I send it out every week at 2:00pm (PST) and encourage you to make an appointment with yourself to pause and think about the thing I'm writing about.
Russ...
LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
"Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal." Johnny, Home Alone 2
What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:
We've been on a journey this year, learning, listening and digging in and now as we come into December let's just PAUSE a little and catch our breath. As the year winds down, it doesn't mean we just stop all that we're doing, but let's change up the pace.
To read past quotes & thoughts.... CLICK HERE.
I'm going to simply share some Christmas Time Quotes this month, and encourage you to reflect, recharge, restore, reconnect, and then restart to the best of your ability!
The Home Alone Movies have always been a Christmas staple, and when I saw this quote, I laughed out loud. The quote was made famous from Home Alone 2, but as I read about it, it's actually from a made-up gangster movie that Kevin used to prank his enemies. The line has been quoted and used over and over in our home and probably in some of yours.
Last week I talked about ways to RECHARGE. Today I want to talk about ways to RESTORE.
When I talk about RECHARGING, I'm talking about "filling you up" or "refueling". I shared some ideas around The Replenishment Cycle and ways to qualify and quantify activities that actually help us to regain strength after being depleted.
The act of RESTORING is the idea of bringing something back to it's original state, or bringing something back to health.
Really different words when you break them out.
For me, RECHARGING is identifying things that give me energy. This week, that involved a 1-year old birthday party for my grand daughter Reese. It involved a 90th birthday party with my extended family for my aunt. It involved a visit from some good friends. Those things all gave me life and energized me.
As I've been thinking about RESTORATIVE actions these past weeks, I've focused on some simple habits and practices that I've ignored for too long:
2 Weeks ago, I began a stretching routine in the morning... again. Talk about the need to restore, but at 61 years of age, I need to take care of my body and one way is to just work on mobility and my muscles. It's amazing how this simple practice, 10 minutes each morning, has been loosening up my body and I believe "restoring" muscle & flexibility. I have a ways to go.
3 Weeks ago I returned to a simple PAUSE moment in the morning... reflection, lectio, scripture and gratitude. If "restoring" means to get back to health, this is huge!
This week I'm doing a 3-day detox for my body, just pausing to reset, cleanse and bring some health back into my life.
I don't know what needs to be RESTORED in your life, but maybe this week is an opportunity and a reminder to identify some things that need to be mended.
Restore is about repairing, renewing and addressing things that have been diminished, damaged or lost.
What restoration needs to take place in your life today?
DEEPER STILL:
DECEMBER REMINDER: REFLECT, RECHARGE, RESTORE
To "return to fullness or rightness".
I'm going to be a little cryptic here, but I want to share a personal story of the power of restoration.
I have an extended family member that I've had a "broken relationship" with for years. Nothing horrible, just distant and unengaged. About 2 years ago, something happened that caused our relationship to change, and drew us together. Over the past year, I've seen this relationship flourish, to a point that I want to find ways to intentionally engage, connect and be connected to this person. I was just talking about it recently and I was surprised how significant this restoration process has been and how much it means to me.
The idea of "healing" and "bringing something back to health" has been played out in my life, and I realize that for years I was just lazy, judgemental and busy. What a waste that was, and what joy I've found in this relationship that continues to become more and more important to me.
This is what restoration can look and feel like, and it's really good.
Maybe there's a relationship in your life that needs some restoration, or at least some attention. Here are some thoughts for you that I share from my personal experience...
Restoration often means not simply bringing it back to what it was, but building something that is much better and much healthier!
Restoration can begin when we identify what is broken, own it, and then begin to take the steps on our own, with ourselves first.
Restoration requires that we listen completely to the other person.
Restoration takes time, it requires work, but it's worth it.
Restoration leads to JOY.
Luke 2:4 - 5 "About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant." (MSG)
Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:
I picked up The PAUSE APP this month simply to take some moments of PAUSE through this season.
I had no idea there were 6 Home Alone Movies... Did you?
I'm enjoying a new piano playlist on Apple with Alexandre Pachabezian. He does classic covers on acoustic piano... really nice!
Gina shared this "musical experience" with . and I really enjoyed it. Check out ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran on Netflix!
A few weeks ago we attended an event with Likewise Worship in San Clemente. What an incredible time of music, Christmas and purpose! Check out Likewise and see how they serve Worship Leaders across the county. Also check out Agape, a venue that is magical! Leader Mundial Orange County will be there in October of 2026!