In this short spoken presentation, a chaplain shares a personal mnemonic—“Take Time to Care”—to help listeners craft core‑value “I am” statements. He explains that the acronym CARE stands for Compassion, Attentiveness, Reconciliation, and Empowerment, offering brief definitions and illustrative anecdotes (e.g., the healing power of listening). The speaker emphasizes slowing down to notice children, teachers, and parents, and frames each value as a guiding principle for personal growth and ministry. He challenges the audience to write three of their own “I am” statements or devise a memory device that encapsulates who they want to become, encouraging them to keep these statements mentally locked for ongoing transformation.
Chapters
So what are your I am statements? Do you have a core value statement that helps you stay focused, helps you go, I am kind, or to remind yourself of who you want to be? When I became a chaplain, I wanted something that I could— I like little acronyms, little things that help me remember things. And I created this phrase, time— take time to care. 'Cause I tend to be in a hurry. Everyone says, you look like you're really important 'cause you're always walking fast. I say, no, I just lean forward and momentum takes me there. And so take time to care, slow down a little bit, slow down enough so that you notice the kids, this is for me as a chaplain, the children around you, the teachers around you, the parents around you. And CARE stands for 4 different values: compassion, attentiveness, reconciliation, and empowering others. So compassion, focus on the golden rule. Teach kids to do to others what they would like to have happen to them. Attentive, be able to just slow down enough and listen. I listened to a great interview with Oprah Winfrey with a man who was talking about the power of listening. And he said listening is so powerful that it actually heals people. Just listening. Being truly heard heals you. So if in your listening you realize, I am actually not wasting time, I am healing, I'm helping this person, it's a gift of healing to listen well. Reconciliation, making things right. Jesus came to Earth to make things right between us and God, and he gave us the mission of reconciliation, to make things right between people and him. And finally, empowerment. And I just define that as a safe place to try. Create a safe place for other people to try the things. So those are my 4, my 4 I am statements, if you would. I created a memory device out of it. But my challenge to you is to choose 3 this afternoon. Write up an I am statement about yourself or make up a memory device about yourself that says, this is who I want to be, so that you have it with you in in your mind, and it's locked away there so you can become that.
