Cindy Hall

Over the years I've tested and used a variety of tools and methods to be organized, whether it's in my personal or work life. There are two reasons that I have continued to work at improving on my methods of organization - because I want to make the most of my time and be my best, and because I want to prevent others (family or coworkers) from being frustrated with me. 😂 Here are some key methods I've learned through trial and error that might be of help to you 1. Write it down - but NOT on a sticky note! Ok, so I do have sticky notes and there are times I use them for quick note, but they do not play a part in tracking project or to-do lists. Instead of sticky notes, try out a notebook and keep trying out different sizes or formats until you find the one that fits you. Each day start a new page in that notebook (depending on your workload, you might used a page a week) and write down everything you need to accomplish that day or week. Here are four tips that work for me: 

When March 2020 hit, many of us were sent into a whirlwind trying to figure out how to set up our work space, work around family schedules, figure out video calling in place of in-person meetings, and so much more. Giving up the commute was nice, and if you live in a high traffic area then you gained more hours in your day! But, as we gained those hours, we also struggled knowing how to walk away from our home office, which meant our work days actually grew longer. If you lead a team in your role, you might struggle to maintain the same level of productive teamwork.  Check out these four keys to being more productive, not only for personal benefit, but for your team.  1. Flexibility is key, but routine is too . It's best to set a routine whether you are living alone or sharing your home and your new work space with family. Routine helps us be productive and helps those around us know what to expect throughout the day. When you don't have routine then they won't either and

Years ago I participated in a group Bible study about Jonah called Life Interrupted, Navigating the Unexpected, by Priscilla Shirer. I was learning about how Jonah was asked by God to do something that was not only going to be hard, but was something Jonah saw as downright ridiculous. He just knew he would be set up for failure in an impossible task and besides that, he just wasn't interested in doing it. But, God had a plan and Jonah was to be part of it. Since it's one of the most well known Bible stories, you probably know how this went. Jonah spent some time in the belly of a really big fish and in the end, he decided it is best after all to follow God's plan. As a result, a whole city was impacted. What Jonah saw as an interruption, was actually in invitation from God to be part of something beyond really big. As always, God timed the study perfectly for me and it came just ahead of walking into the most challenging season of my life. Funny how God does that, isn&#

Praying comes easy for some and for others it's a challenge no matter where we might be in our faith walk. It's hard to know what to pray when you are in pain, scared, grieving, or desperately needing God to change the circumstance. We want to ask for God's will, yet we have our own heart's desire and sometimes the two align, sometimes they don't. We want the pain to go away and most of us just want answers. As I've walked through some really challenging times over the last decade, I discovered a way to pray that helped me see God at work in the midst of the pain and to find peace that truly is beyond all understanding. Everything wasn't fixed and things didn't turn out as I wanted, but my faith was strengthened through it all. So, I want to share what I discovered to be helpful in my own life in hopes that it might offer ideas to someone who is seeking something new and fresh in your prayer life, no matter how easy or challenging this season of li

Feelings are funny things to process. Thoughts can be all consuming. Attitudes can be so contagious. And then comes along a crisis and suddenly our feelings, thoughts, and attitudes are all over the place. 😧 In time of crisis, especially in one where we are so isolated from each other, it seems that we can often become the expert on what's wrong, what needs to change, who's to blame, and so on. What if my opinion can change someone else's thought or actions? What if I am right and I can make a difference? And let's face it, someone needs to take the blame for all this, even if it is a virus, right? 😩 All this might seem true, especially in a day where it's acceptable and encouraged to be proactive and have a voice, even at a young age. But, what if rather than focus on changing everyone else's mind or having to share our opinions, we focus on words that unify, encourage, support, or lift up the other person? In the midst of this Covid-19 crisis, what i

Spring of 2020 will forever be remembered for social distancing. The time we all did our best to keep not only ourselves, but also our neighbors, friends, family, and even complete strangers safe from the highly contagious Covid-19 virus. I imagine most everyone questioned the hype at first - how can it be any worse than the flu? We've moved beyond that question now to the time of wondering how we will survive the next two plus month in isolation. No hanging out with friends. No School. No birthday parties or weddings or even funerals. No gathering for church in big or even small groups. No meeting up with a friend for lunch or going to the gym. We can't even grasp what's ahead when the virus hits someone close to us. It's beyond what we could have ever imagined for our very social, active, extroverted culture. We've moved to a completely online community now - more isolated and yet more connected in some ways now.  So, how can we make the best of th

We all know change can be hard and it's harder for some than for others. There are all sorts of articles and blogs and videos out there about why change is hard - google "why is change hard" and you will see! Knowing it's hard is not the problem for leaders in the church, but navigating changes in a way that will make it easier or allow the change to happen at all is what we need to tackle. Let's talk about 5 ways to navigate change as a ministry leaders.  We are not talking about tweaks or minor changes here such as changing the order of a service, traffic flow in the parking lot, or check-in process for kids. We are talking about changes that impact everyone in a real way such as changing the name of the church or eliminating an entire style of worship. 1. Take a look at yourself first and determine if you have the respect and relationship foundations that will allow you to move the group, team, or church toward the needed change. Do you need to take t