Comments on Evotional.com: 10 Ways to Create Margin

Mark, Great word. Number five may could be like t...

2009-07-03T17:52:17.612-04:00

Mark,

Great word. Number five may could be like this next one, but one that I have to apply in my life is a weekly fast from email, facebook, twitter etc etc.

Thanks for the words.

Mark - I think that prioritization plays a HUGE ro...

2009-06-29T14:58:06.907-04:00

Mark - I think that prioritization plays a HUGE role here as well. I think that we all started out with a good bit of margin and then filled it with a lot of 'GOOD' things. But, as you know, 'GOOD' is the enemy of 'GREAT.' Once we figure out what those GREAT things are (our lions), then it's time to 'learn to pay yourself first.' I try to do at least one thing that is in line with my highest goals before going to work everyday. That should be very sacred time that is not easily brushed aside for other truly GOOD things. Thanks again Mark.

Love it!

2009-06-27T18:34:21.901-04:00

Love it!

Great list! Some stuff is harder for me than other...

2009-06-27T11:09:26.715-04:00

Great list! Some stuff is harder for me than others. I would also add to the list
- Get adequate rest/sleep (usually between 7-10 hours each night).

Probably the toughest thing on your list to implem...

2009-06-26T12:28:31.544-04:00

Probably the toughest thing on your list to implement is Delegation. People think that it is just assigning work when in fact, in entails a whole lot more. I heard Ed Young speak on this subject a couple years ago at the Leadership Forum at Southeastern University. Worth checking out. Every leader struggles with delegation.

Mark, Great list of ideal principles to implement...

2009-06-26T12:06:00.411-04:00

Mark,
Great list of ideal principles to implement (and remember to keep implementing).

Picking up on others comments we should also be motivated to implement your list because our kids are watching us. If we don't create margin how will they learn to?

Cheers,
Phil

Awesome post, Mark!

2009-06-26T11:52:53.448-04:00

Awesome post, Mark!

Mark - following your reflections with great appre...

2009-06-26T11:03:00.376-04:00

Mark - following your reflections with great appreciation. I love these suggestions. Still they make me feel guilty. As I am writing this am I am sitting on my back deck, reflecting, reading, praying, trying to put together this week's message in my own church. Thanks for these thoughts today.

Thanks for continually challenging us in these are...

2009-06-26T10:02:43.643-04:00

Thanks for continually challenging us in these areas Mark. I watched my own Dad neglect most of what you mentioned while he was in ministry. Which is one of the main reasons - as a Pastor, husband, father, friend, neighbor, & Christ-follower - I am demanding these things of myself.

2 areas where I'm really trying to make headway:
- my wife & I making time for just us
- finding fresh ways to commune with the Lord

Thanks again!

Great list. As a church planter I am trying to fi...

2009-06-26T09:35:42.842-04:00

Great list. As a church planter I am trying to figure out the margin thing, especially with little staff. I'm writing you while on vacation on the beach. Have not taken time off for a long time and realize that was not a good choice. I will try to implement the rest of your list. It feels great to relax and unplug. Jack

Mark-great post. I heard Andy Stanley preach a ser...

2009-06-26T09:33:00.999-04:00

Mark-great post. I heard Andy Stanley preach a series on living in the margins. Certainly there are days, weeks, even months when we're pushed beyond our margins, but your list gives some great guidelines.

I work in higher education and am constantly being called to do more and spend more time on campus. That lessens the margins considerably. I've found that being intentional about scheduling meetings, for instance, really helps to allow for the impromptu times that lead to deeper relationship and enlightened ideas.

Great list! My experience with ministry is wide-sp...

2009-06-26T09:21:21.277-04:00

Great list! My experience with ministry is wide-spread. My dad and stepmom are worship leaders and my stepdad is a minister. My childhood was in the midst of ministry. As an adult, I'm a youth leader, director of the drama/puppet ministry, and praise team member. All of "my" work is voluntary, but supporting our ministry staff is VERY important to me.

1. Set a time to stop working and stick to it. As the child of worship leaders and a youth leader and drama director myself, I know there aren't always set hours to work and it's certainly not a 9 to 5 calling. However, ministers and worship leaders do have families who deserve time and attention, not the occasional glance over the laptop. Schedule family time and keep it. Go to ballgames and dance recitals.

2. Ministers (in particular), make special time for your spouses. Date your wife. Pastors' wives are dedicated to your ministry too. They support you and love you like no other. Remind them of their position in your life.

I hear ya Robert. I was bi-vocational in the begin...

2009-06-26T09:19:43.700-04:00

I hear ya Robert. I was bi-vocational in the beginning too. And I feel tri-vocation now between writing, speaking, and pastoring...

I know the implementation of this list really depends on stage. And there are some seasons where you have less margin.

I don't think implementing all of them is feasible in every situation. But I think implementing one or two of them can make a huge difference.

Even if you can only create a centimeter of margin, I think it can make a big difference.

Mark

Mark, WOW...you nailed it down. The biggest chal...

2009-06-26T09:14:28.360-04:00

Mark,
WOW...you nailed it down.
The biggest challenge I've faced is feeling like it was 'selfish' to build margin and take time away from direct contact with people. I still wrestle with this at times, but I've learned from getting it right and wrong that 'no margin = no growth'. Our launch coach, Mike Woods, was all over me about this in the early days of Phos and I hear his wisdom echoing here.

I've learned that I'm an '8 hour of sleep' kind of person and that if I want to get up early in the morning then I need to shut down earlier the night before. I'm just not as super-human as I'd like....

And, I've learned that my brain will 'nag' me and wake me up out of perfectly sound sleep to 'remind' me of a 'to do' that's not 'to done' yet. I started working with 'Things' on my IPhone and studying the accompanying book called 'Getting Things Done' and that's allowed me to rest a lot better.
And on the evenings when my brain does bug me in the middle of the night I keep my Iphone plugged in beside my bed and I grab it ...enter the 'reminder' into Things and then I can rest until I choose to work on my 'to do' list.

Last item, I've just had to 'get over it' in relation to my unwillingness to create margin and just do it!

I'm drilling into John 15:5 today and it's a perfect reminder of the need to 'abide' in Jesus because without Him I can't do anything. And abiding calls for margin.

Have a great day,
Jeff Fuson

Mark, This is my first response to your blog, and ...

2009-06-26T09:10:36.929-04:00

Mark,
This is my first response to your blog, and while I appreciate your list and would love to implement half of those items I find it impossible to implement as a bi-vocational pastor. In fact, I want to write a book that would help encourage all of the "part-timers" out there, and instruct the church on how to better care for them. Because, as we all know, we part-timers are not really part-timers. We're just more affordable full0time staff. :)