I was driving back to the office yesterday after a meeting with a supporter of our school. We had chatted about what it was like when he was a student, where he had gone with his career and how we felt we could connect in the coming months. On the ride back, I dictated notes into my iPhone (a great app called Note2Self) and thought out follow up steps.

Mike, don't forget to send a note to ...

Mike, be sure to call...

Mike, add to your list the following...

For me, the 20 minute ride back to the office was a productive use of time. I suppose that I could have listened to talk radio (which I also enjoy) but on this particular day, it was all about work. By the time I arrived back at the office, I was ready to roll into the next part of the day.

Why do I mention all of these seemingly ordinary parts of my schedule? Because it confirmed for me that each of us is called to GIVE OUR ALL to God. Whether you're at home with your kids or you're the placekicker for the New York Giants, giving your all is remarkably satisfying.

The thing of course is that "all" is quite demanding. Sometimes it asks that we surrender 20 minutes of our day in order to dictate notes into a gadget. At other times, it asks that we work a bit longer in the day.

What I've realized, and this is key, is that it's not about giving your all or not giving at all. That's a false dichotomy. Rather, it's often about giving all or giving some. And some just doesn't seem to maximize the gifts that God has entrusted to us. Here are some examples:

In Marriage: imagine telling your spouse, "I'll love you 70%".

In Friendship: imagine committing to be honest with your friends "most of the time".

In Family: imagine supporting your kids with their homework "but only every other day".

These examples show that giving some just doesn't cut it. Giving all is hard work and often feels too difficult. Giving all can be inconvenient. Finally, giving all can be costly. I guess that's why we are called to give all. As Mother Theresa once said, "Love until it hurts", so each of us is called to step out and step up. At home. At work. "All" can take place wherever you are. You just have to work at it, commit it to God and look for ways to give more.

With this said, which area of your life can you recalibrate so that "all" shows up more often than its cousin, otherwise known as "some"?

*Photo by Scarlatti