On the job, you are often expected to keep your emotions under control. Act, don’t react. Don’t let others push your buttons. Don’t let a bias dictate your decision. Be deductive and logical. While all of this good advice has its place, there are also ‘red flag moments’ where listening to your emotion, that ‘check in your gut’, can keep you or a fellow officer safe.
   
In his article Red Flag Decision Making, Paul Naeger wrote, “If our brains come across something and categorizes it as a ‘red flag’ we will be notified through thoughts and feelings...This ‘red flag’ alerts us to pay attention.” On the job, paying attention to a ‘red flag’ could literally save your life.
   
In his book, Better Decisions Fewer Regrets, author Andy Stanley points out in everyday life we get these ‘red flags’ and they form a tension...a tension which deserves our attention. He suggests, “If something bothers you, let it bother you. Embrace it. Pay attention to the tension. What begins as an uneasy feeling is often supported later with reason. Information. Insight. But if you don’t pause, you won’t see it.” (Chapter 4)
   
This is one of the questions we should ask ourselves when making a decision, when trying to make a good decision that will make life less hard: Is there a tension that deserves my attention? If yes, don’t ignore it. Figure it out. Work it out or go another way...there’s a reason you got a ‘red flag’.
   
My prayer for you this week is for STRONG ‘red flags’ on the job that will warn you and keep you safe. May God’s supernatural protection watch over you. And in your everyday life, may you pay attention to the tension, make wise decisions and make life easier for yourself. 
   
Your service is appreciated,
 Pastor Rob

Thoughts and examples taken from Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets: 
5 Questions to Help You Determine Your Next Move by Andy Stanley 
I am giving away a copy of this book. If you would like to be entered in the drawing, go to the comment section here, leave your name and email and simply say, "I want to be in the book drawing".

Make Life Less Hard Series
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Part 5

I conducted a Celebration of Life service for a church member and friend of mine this past week. As I prepared for the service, I talked to family members and asked for stories that I could weave into my remarks because that is what the day was about...telling my friend’s story.
   
Have you ever thought about your life being a story; a story you are writing one decision at a time? Looking at questions to ask in order to make life less hard, a  good question to ask is, “What story do I want to tell?” At YOUR funeral people are going to tell stories about your life. Hopefully, they will tell the “good” stories, but from what kind of stories are you giving them to choose?
   
Maybe looking at life as a story can help us make wiser decisions when we’re tempted to react quickly because of a strong emotion such as anger. “Chapter 33: My daughter and I were never close after that. I blew up, she got mad and we never got past it”. Or maybe give us a much-needed pause in a financial decision, “Chapter 42: I saw that boat and knew I HAD to have it right then. It took me YEARS to get out of debt.” Or maybe it would help when we have to make hard, every day decisions after facing a tragedy. “Chapter 50: Being without a job for 10 months was terrible and terribly difficult, but I budgeted wisely, kept knocking on doors and eventually ended up with a job more satisfying than the one I had before.” What decision wouldn’t benefit from a long-term perspective? “Is this going to be a chapter of my life’s story that I will want to tell my grand kids?” 
   
As I pray for you this week, I’m praying you have GOOD stories to tell (and to be told about you) because of the GOOD decisions you make, and may your life be less hard because of it!

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

Thoughts and examples taken from Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets: 
5 Questions to Help You Determine Your Next Move by Andy Stanley 
I am giving away a copy of this book. If you would like to be entered in the drawing, go to the comment section here, leave your name and email and simply say, "I want to be in the book drawing".

Make Life Less Hard Series
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Part 5

One can never be a leader worth following if one can’t lead themselves well. For me, one of the biggest challenges in trying to lead myself is my gullibility. I believe almost anything...anything that I tell myself! 
   
Why is it so easy to lie to ourselves?  What do we get for lying to ourselves? Bad decisions. And what do enough bad decisions, stacked on top of one another lead to? A hard life!
   
There is a connection between good questions and good decisions. Often times we know the intelligent thing to do, but knowing the right thing to do is no guarantee we will do it. Sometimes asking a question gives us pause enough to figure out if we want to DO right or just KNOW the right thing to do. 
   
Clay Christensen, a professor at Harvard Business School, said, “Questions are places in your mind where answers fit. If you haven’t asked the question, the answer has nowhere to go. It hits your mind and bounces right off. You have to ask the question-you have to want to know-in order to open up the space for the answer to fit.”
   
To steer away from a hard life of bad decisions, a good question to ask is, “Am I being honest with myself...really?” How do I know if I’m being honest with myself? Here’s a hint: I rarely have to sell myself on a good idea, on the right thing to do, on the healthy thing to do, on the responsible thing to do. Rationalization ought to be a warning sign. If I am rationalizing a purchase, a relationship or a habit, it is a great time to ask, “Why am I doing this?” and then when I answer that question, follow up with, “Am I being honest with myself...really”?
   
On the job, you ask questions every day to make good decisions.  What is the best way to handle this situation? For what do I need to watch out? How can I figure out if they are telling me the truth? My prayer for you on the job this week is that your questions lead to decisions which keep you safe. On the personal front, may you ask questions that make your life easier: “Am I being honest with myself...really?”
   
Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

Thoughts and examples taken from Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets: 
5 Questions to Help You Determine Your Next Move by Andy Stanley 
I am giving away a copy of this book. If you would like to be entered in the drawing, go to the comment section here, leave your name and email and simply say, "I want to be in the book drawing".

Make Life Less Hard Series
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Part 5

I don’t want to be a day late and a dollar short, but I know that yesterday was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. I was not able to attend briefings yesterday, but I am here today (and every Monday) because I believe at least once a week you should hear somebody say, “Thank you for serving our City. What you do is important, you are appreciated...and you are awesome!”

I imagine you would expect a “less-than-thoughtful” response from those who ride in your back seat, but I would like to leave you with a thought today for any time you are frustrated or wonder, “Why do I keep doing this?” when you are faced with the anti-cop narrative in the media, social media, etc. When I hear/read that garbage, I think about when I am researching a purchase on Amazon and comparing items. I always read the reviews, and I usually pick the item that has an average 4 to 4.5 star review. There are times I read a couple negative reviews in a row and start to move on. But then I look again and notice 3,000+ reviews with an average 4.5 stars. I keep reading, and sure enough there are a LOT of people with solid examples of why the product is excellent. And I am reminded, no matter how good something is (a product, customer service, etc) there will ALWAYS be people who are unhappy. And something that I have learned about many unhappy people who complain: they are unhappy as a person which makes them unhappy about most everything. And unhappy people often shout the loudest. It doesn’t make them the majority (they rarely are), but they make themselves heard. I’ve since learned not to overlook PAGES of positive reviews because of one or two loud, unhappy people.

All of this to say, if you hear from some loud, unhappy people this week, please remember they are NOT the majority. You ARE appreciated for what you do, you are needed, citizens in your City are thankful for you and MANY of us are praying for you.
 
We will not scream and shout, but neither will we be silent. Thank you for serving our City. You are appreciated, Pastor Rob

 I love the Christmas Story (the real story, not the movie) and the hope that it brings. That’s what we’ll look at in this last part of our series: Christmas Is Good News When I Feel Hopeless.
   
Hope is a powerful word...if one uses it correctly. There is hope that expresses a desired outcome like, “I hope I do well on this test”, but this kind of hope also expresses uncertainty. “I may or may not do well...but I HOPE I do.” There is a different kind of hope leading up to the Christmas story. It was the hope that the nation of Israel held onto regarding the coming of the promised savior of the world (their Messiah). They didn’t just hope He would one day come...they had the expectation that He would and they held on to that hope for GENERATIONS. What makes the difference and how can one have this kind of hope? 
   
This second kind of hope is anchored in something or someone. It is the belief in that anchor that gives certainty to hope. For the nation of Israel, their hope was anchored in their God who promised a coming Messiah. They trusted God and His character, so their hope carried the expectation that God would make good on His word.
   
The Christmas Story (the birth of Jesus) was the fulfillment of that promise. The promise was not only that the Messiah would come, but also that God would make a way for ALL of mankind to know and be restored in relationship to Himself through the Savior born that first Christmas morning. 
   
When life feels hopeless or like a series of “I hope’s” based on uncertainty, I pray that the Christmas Story will remind you that God always fulfills His promises, He is the SOURCE of hope, and He has promised never to turn us away when we turn to Him.
   
I am praying for you and your loved ones this Christmas season. May you know the Hope of Christmas, Pastor Rob

Christmas Is Good News Series
Part 1,  Part 2,  Part 3

This month we’re looking at the Good News from the Christmas story, and this week specifically at how Christmas Is Good News When It Feels Like The World is Falling Apart.
  
If you were the God of the universe and your son was going to be born into the world, how would you send him? Would you send him as a totally helpless baby? Would you choose a teenage virgin to be the earthly mother of your son in a culture when being pregnant before marriage could get the young mother killed? Would you allow the earthly mother of your son to travel 70 miles by donkey just weeks before giving birth? Have your son born in a barn? Allow your son to be born in a time and location where his earthly father would have to take him and flee for their lives because of an insanely insecure king willing to kill all the little boys in a certain town 2 years old and younger in an effort to kill your son?  (You can read in Matthew 1 and Luke 1-2 where ALL of these things were true of Jesus’ birth).
  
God did not stop the chaos of this life when his Son was born. As a matter of fact, if you read the story of Jesus’ birth (His whole life, really), it’s pretty clear that Jesus was familiar with the struggles we face. Jesus humbled Himself, laid aside His privilege as God and became a human to face the struggles and temptations we face so that He could become the Savior of the world.
  
God sent His Son to rescue those living in chaos. Christmas is Good News, even when it feels like the world is falling apart, because it is a reminder that you are not alone nor forgotten in your struggles. God sent his Son in the midst of the chaos to make a way for you to know Him.
 
Whether on the job or life in general, if there is anything I can pray with you about this week, please let me know.
  
Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

Christmas Is Good News Series
Part 1,  Part 2,  Part 3

The second half of the Bible (the New Testament) begins with the story of Christmas...the birth of the Christ child promised to be the Savior of the world. The first 17 verses of the first chapter of the New Testament (book of Matthew) consists of a genealogy of 45 names. If the lead to the story is “World’s Savior is Born”, why start with a boring list of names?

The simple answer to the question is, this genealogy was an ancient “proof” that Jesus was indeed the long-awaited and prophesied Savior. But as we start a short 3-week series  “Christmas is Good News”, I would like to share why Christmas is Good News When I Feel Imperfect.
   
One would expect when reading the lineage of the Savior of the World that it would be filled with heroes, patriarchs and kings. And indeed, Jesus' lineage is filled with these. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were Israel’s patriarchs, King Solomon was royalty as was King David...the hero who slew a giant. But did the Savior of the world only come for the important, impressive and influential? What about the imperfect people? Would the God of heaven send His Son for someone like me?
   
The lineage of Jesus shouts a resounding YES! Did you know Jesus’ lineage also includes murderers? King David committed adultery and had his girlfriend’s husband killed! King Joash murdered a prophet. King Ahaz participated in human sacrifice. 
   

It is also interesting that 5 women are listed in the genealogy of Jesus (women were not listed in genealogies in ancient times). These women were not perfect either, but they all played a key role in Israel’s history leading to the birth of the Savior. Their stories include not only saving the nation of Israel from extinction, but also seduction, adultery and prostitution.
   
All of these imperfect people are listed in the lineage of the Savior of the World...for the whole world to see. It’s almost like God was saying, “I sent my Son even for the imperfect.”
   
May Christmas be GOOD NEWS to you this year even when you feel imperfect. 
   
Be safe & know you are appreciated, 
Pastor Rob

Christmas Is Good News Series
Part 1,  Part 2,  Part 3

Today is the last in a series of one-word-encouragements I’m sharing to encourage you as you remember why you continue in this noble profession despite the daily criticisms, stresses and sacrifices. You don’t do what you do for the approval or recognition of others, but it has to be hard doing the right thing when some of the most vocal people are unreasonably critical.
 
When you feel unappreciated, remember you are GOOD at what you do: because of your calling (it’s how you were created), because of your character (it’s who you are), because of your commitment (it’s what you said you would do), because of your cause (it’s what puts action to your beliefs), and last of all, because of the consequences (it’s what would happen if you didn’t do your job).  As we move into the Christmas season, we hear the story about a Christ-child who left heaven to come to earth as a baby, to live, die and rise again to offer redemption to mankind. The way he was treated shows that we are not “basically good”. We are fallen, in need of redemption.
   
On the job, you see a lot of people in need of redemption, and unfortunately, many seem to have little or no interest in changing their ways.  I can only imagine it must be frustrating at times dealing with the same people repeatedly. Or going back to the same neighborhood time after time. Or to feel like you’ve reduced a particular crime hot spot you’ve been focusing on, only to see it move to a different part of town (or the fact that if it does move to a different location, that is counted as a “win”). 
     
Fighting evil is a never-ending battle, but you fighting one more time makes a difference to that neighbor whose house was NOT broken into because your increased neighborhood presence encouraged the bad guys to move elsewhere. It makes a difference in the life of a single mom who is trying to keep her son away from drugs and gang life when you arrest (one more time) the ones who are trying to influence her son. There are consequences if you give up because if feels like you are not making an impact or because you’ve “done this 100 times”. Every time you arrest a bad guy, it makes a difference in the life of their next would-be victim. 
   
I leave you with a thought from the Apostle Paul. He said this in a different context than yours, but it still seems appropriate: “Do not let yourselves get tired of doing good.” As bad as it gets sometimes or in some areas, thank you for not giving up...the consequences would be too great. 
   
Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

Encouragement When You Feel Unappreciated Series
Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing one-word-encouragements in the hopes of encouraging you as you remember why you continue in this noble profession despite the daily criticisms, stresses and sacrifices. As an outsider, I can offer sincere thanks and appreciation, but only you know why you chose this profession and why YOU keep doing what you do.  When you feel unappreciated, remember you are GOOD at what you do:  because of your calling (it’s how you were created), because of your character (it’s who you are), because of your commitment (it’s what you said you would do) and because of your cause (it’s what puts action to your beliefs).

To serve and protect Arlington is a worthy cause. There are those who advocate this cause (publicly recommend or support it) and there is you who advance or defend this cause with action. A lot of people will rally around a cause, but isn’t in interesting that, the greater the cost, the smaller the group that is truly committed? And rarely do outsiders take the time to understand the sacrifices made by the committed few. It is always eye-opening to read the story of people like Fortune 500 CEOs, elite athletes or specially trained military units and others to see the price these small groups of people are willing to pay because of their belief in their cause. It’s not a weekend activity for them...it what drives them, compels them. The cause is worthy of their all.

You are the committed few who give your all for the cause of serving and protecting Arlington. You have critics “those-who-have-no-experience-doing-what-you-do-but-still-have-all-the-answers” and those that “no-matter-what-you-do-it-will-be-wrong”. Seldom do these stop to see the “wins” you make possible for Arlington nor the sacrifices you make, yet they can be very vocal.

On the days when the voices of your critics are especially loud, remember your cause represented by the thin blue line. YOU separate the good from the bad and are the bulwark between order and anarchy in society. And that line is a link that is a memorial, connection or memory between officers who advanced or defended the cause with their lives, and you who are serving today. And when you see citizens wearing the emblem, let it be a reminder of the support your community has for you...even when we don’t understand all you do for us or the toll it takes on you.    

Be encouraged by your cause...it is just and you have chosen a noble profession. 

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

Encouragement When You Feel Unappreciated Series
Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5