Beth and I are sitting by the azure blue and mixed turquoise warm waters of the Caribbean, as the cool breezes blow calmly through the frowns of the coconut palms that dot the magnificent island landscape. This morning, the canopy of heaven opened to let the sun filter through the puffy clouds. The painting in the sky only God could paint as the golden hues of the sun caress the quiet waters as they lap in rhythm on against the sand of the shores once again today. “God created the universe, that is bigger than we can imagine and gives us a glimpse of how big He is.“ Creation sings His glory and majesty. What peace, What beauty, and What rest. A time of reflection and introspection. What do those words have to do with leadership? We are told leaders must always be actively engaged to win. We are told to work, work, and work and you will be successful. The best leaders are leaders who stop now and then and evaluate and refocus. The best leaders are able to stop long enough to reflect how and what could have been done better. How do I do better? Questions like, "what must I change", are quietly mulled. Rest and quiet time actually helps a leader grow and develop. Take time to talk to God and reflect on His goodness to you. Think about how God has used your past to prepare you for today. Think about the best way forward from today. Time in a precondition for rest and slow thinking. It is in these times of slow thinking that ideas and big thinking often takes place. Some of the greatest plans come in times of sleep and rest. Protect yourself from information overload. Carve out intentional moments of rest, reflection and personal development. Never leave God and His Spirit out of your thinking... this is what will give you as Christian leaders the “Added Advantage” to be unstoppable. Step back and reflect on your leadership and the leadership of those around you. Make sure your rests are for only a short and designated amount of time ...then back to work! “The reason so many have a hard time balancing their lives, they haven’t been self reflective to know what to balance.” Unknown People today in business and ministry find it unacceptable to do nothing. This do Nothing time has been associated with the idea of being lazy or irresponsible. But Beth and I can tell you, it is when we do our best thinking and planning. It is what makes “game-time” work. Doing nothing for short periods of time stimulates creativity. The longer I live, the more I realize life is a collection of experiences to build upon. The Bible points out a very important point as we reflect on the past, present, and future. The process of Sanctification in a Christians life is all about reflecting on God’s glory and becoming who God has meant us to be. We are set apart for the glory of God as “trophies in His trophy case.” Beth and I love following Jesus, and Jesus rested often in His ministry and talked with His Father before continuing. Take time to smell the flowers....Go slow before you go fast!