Christmas 2008 is nearing it conclusion, for me! It began as does every day for me. I literally roll out of bed and the first thing that hits the floor is my knees. I find myself in prayer, often times for several minutes. Once again, today was no different.
My kids are older now, almost 14, so there aren't quites as many presents under the tree, AND they weren't up before the sun. Opening gifts was "quick & easy" compared to many years past.
Tradition has us spending the afternoon with Karen's extended family. Over the years that experience has ranged from joyous to, well.... sometimes just a bit less than "good." I would rate today as a "better than average!"
I guess where I am going with this is.... today could have been so much more, and it wasn't. It was so full of potential, unfulfilled. My morning devotional CHALLENGED me to take advantage TODAY to share the Gospel of Jesus. TODAY!
Those that know me have heard me say before, "What would Jesus have me do, Today?" Today, on the anniversary of His birth, I was to share the gospel with someone, anyone. I didn't. Not because there was no opportunity. I was surrounded by people who know the "Our Father..." none of who KNOW THE FATHER!
How did you do? I would Really like to know. Did anyone have the opportunity to SHARE Jesus with another? More accurately I should ask, "Did anyone SHARE Jesus with another?" Tell me! I would love to hear your story.
Willow Creek has had some rather large Christmas productions in years past. For the two years prior, they have presented a rather elaborate production called "Imagine Christmas." It was very entertaining and quite spectacular. I'll say that the Christmas message was even faithfully delivered.
This year was a bit different. It was still a much larger and still a very "professional" and polished production. But this year much of the "glitz' was gone, replaced by a very simple central theme. Light. This year the gospel of the "Good News" was presented in a more comprehensive manner. Jesus was born. We know that. We celebrate that and for good reason. For a moment, go back to my post yesterday. If we simply celebrated the birth of a baby, how significant would that be? Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
He brought the Light to our dark world. And then what? He called all believers to be the "Light of the world." His birth, foretold by the bright and shinning star illuminated the world in a way that had not been seen since the creation. He is the Light and he is the souce of our Light!
Willow is currently offering the entire Christmas service (I believe that this is the first or second of 12) as streaming media, online. I don't know how long this link will last and I'll warn you that it comes in at just over 95 minutes. But, I would encourage you to check it out. I can assure you that it will NOT be your typical "Christmas Service".
http://www.willowcreek.org/christmasvideo
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Real Reason for Christmas.
On this morning of Christmas Eve 2008 I sat down for my morning devotional. All year I have been using Rick Renner's Sparking Gems from the Greek. I found this morning's lesson to be particularly insightful. I would estimate that over half of the world's population is familiar with the Christmas Story. What do they know? They know that a baby was born. This birth was different from all other human births, before and since, as it was the product of immaculate conception and it produced the Savior of the World. Born on Christmas day was God in the flesh, Fully Divine, yet fully human.
So what? Why does that matter? It matters because Jesus came to SAVE us. He was born to DIE. He didn't die just any death. He died the most horrible death that one could imagine and he did it willingly. He did it for you and He did it for me. HIS life was significant. His teaching was relevant. But, HIS death is our Salvation! We celebrate his birth, as the Lamb of God that would that would be sacrificed for our sin, so that we could spend eternity with God in heaven.
Below is Rick's lesson:
To all of you I wish a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
So what? Why does that matter? It matters because Jesus came to SAVE us. He was born to DIE. He didn't die just any death. He died the most horrible death that one could imagine and he did it willingly. He did it for you and He did it for me. HIS life was significant. His teaching was relevant. But, HIS death is our Salvation! We celebrate his birth, as the Lamb of God that would that would be sacrificed for our sin, so that we could spend eternity with God in heaven.
Below is Rick's lesson:
Do you plan on taking the time this Christmas to tell your children or friends about the purpose of Christmas? If so, what will you tell them?
Although we usually meditate on the birth of Jesus at this time of the year, His purpose in coming to earth was not to give us the sweet picture of a baby in a Bethlehem manger. That little baby was born to die for you and for me and thus pay for the forgiveness of our sins. He was born to die on the Cross that we might be reconciled to God.
People rarely think of the Cross at Christmastime because it is the time set aside to celebrate Jesus' birth. But in Philippians 2, Paul connects the two thoughts. As Paul writes about God becoming a man, he goes on to express the ultimate reason God chose to take this amazing action. Paul says in verse 8, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Philippians 2:8 says that Jesus was "found in fashion as a man." That word "fashion" is the Greek word schema. This is extremely important, for this was precisely the same word that was used in ancient times to depict a king who exchanged his kingly garments for a brief period of time for the clothing of a beggar.How wonderful that the Holy Spirit would inspire the apostle Paul to use this exact word! When Jesus came to earth, it really was a moment when God Almighty shed His glorious appearance and exchanged it for the clothing of human flesh. Although man is wonderfully made, his earthly frame is temporal dust and cannot be compared to the eternal and glorious appearance of God. However, for the sake of our redemption, God laid aside all of His radiant glory, took upon Himself human flesh, and was manifested in the very likeness of a human being.
This is the true story of a King who traded His kingly garments and took upon Himself the clothing of a servant. But the story doesn't stop there. Jesus — our King who exchanged His royal robes for the clothing of flesh —loved us so much that He "humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross!"
The word "humbled" is the Greek word tapeinao, and it means to be humble, to be lowly, and to be willing to stoop to any measure that is needed. This describes the attitude God had when He took upon Himself human flesh. Think of how much humility would be required for God to shed His glory and lower Himself to become like a member of His creation. Consider the greatness of God's love that drove Him to divest Himself of all His splendor and become like a man. This is amazing to me, particularly when I think of how often the flesh recoils at the thought of being humble or preferring someone else above itself. Yet Jesus humbled Himself "and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
The word "obedient" tells me that this was not a pleasurable experience that Jesus looked forward to in anticipation. To humble Himself to this extent required Jesus' deliberate obedience.As preexistent God, Jesus came to earth for this purpose. But as man dressed in flesh, He despised the thought of the Cross (Hebrews 12:2) and could only endure its shame because He knew of the results that would follow. For Jesus to be obedient as a man, He had to choose to obey the eternal plan of God.
The word "obedient" that is used to describe Jesus is the Greek word hupakouo, from the word hupo, which means under, and the word akouo, which means I hear. When these two words are compounded together, they picture someone who is hupo —under someone else's authority, and akouo — listening to what that superior is speaking to him. After listening and taking these instructions to heart, this person then carries out the orders of his superior.
Thus, the word hupakouo tells us that obedient people are 1) under authority, 2) listening to what their superior is saying, and 3) carrying out the orders that have been given to them. This is what the word "obedient" means in this verse, and this is what obedience means for you and me.
You see, even Jesus had to come to this place of obedience. Although He knew that He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, that didn't mean His flesh was excited about dying as the Lamb of God on the Cross. According to this verse in
Philippians 2:8, Jesus had to humble Himself and become "obedient" in order to follow God's plan. He wasn't looking forward to the experience of death on a Cross; He made a choice to humble Himself and to go to any measure in order to
accomplish the Father's plan.
So as we celebrate Christmas tonight and tomorrow days, be sure to remember the real purpose of Christmas. It isn't just a time to reflect on the baby boy who was born in Bethlehem so long ago. That baby was God manifest in the flesh. He was born to die for you and for me. Jesus was so willing to do whatever was required in order to redeem us from Satan and sin that He humbled Himself even unto death on a Cross! That is what Christmas is all about!
To all of you I wish a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I've fallen, will I get up?
We are rapidly approaching the end of 2008. For most of us, we will be happy to see it go. To be honest, it is about this time every year, that I just want it to be DONE. Its not so much that I am looking forward to the coming year, in this case, I'm not sure that 2009 is going to be any better. By most accounts it is likely to be much worse. I just get to the end of the year, throw my hands up and say, "It's Finished..."
Does that sound a little depressing? Perhaps, but the reality is, I have been blessed and I have a great deal to be thankful for. I know that. But like everyone else, I sometimes forget. Remember Job? He had it ALL! He was a righteous man before God and was blessed richly. Then what? At what appeared to be the "top of his game", he lost it all. I mean everything. I'm sure that some who read this can identify with that feeling. Its not too long ago that many if not most Americans were feeling "pretty good." I believe that the term was "irrational exuberance." The "tech bubble" burst. We survived. The air wasn't fully out of that balloon before we started inflating the "housing bubble." Won't we ever learn? POP!
I'm going to avoid the temptation to go too "deep" on this, but let's just say that the "Lord givith and the Lord taketh way." Are you feeling even a little bit despondent? Do you really think that your life is that bad? Well tell me this, how would your life be if you were born with no arms and no legs? Meet Nick Vujicic and let him teach you about the importance of "getting back up."
Nick did it. Job did it. What about you? Can you get back up?
Does that sound a little depressing? Perhaps, but the reality is, I have been blessed and I have a great deal to be thankful for. I know that. But like everyone else, I sometimes forget. Remember Job? He had it ALL! He was a righteous man before God and was blessed richly. Then what? At what appeared to be the "top of his game", he lost it all. I mean everything. I'm sure that some who read this can identify with that feeling. Its not too long ago that many if not most Americans were feeling "pretty good." I believe that the term was "irrational exuberance." The "tech bubble" burst. We survived. The air wasn't fully out of that balloon before we started inflating the "housing bubble." Won't we ever learn? POP!
I'm going to avoid the temptation to go too "deep" on this, but let's just say that the "Lord givith and the Lord taketh way." Are you feeling even a little bit despondent? Do you really think that your life is that bad? Well tell me this, how would your life be if you were born with no arms and no legs? Meet Nick Vujicic and let him teach you about the importance of "getting back up."
Nick did it. Job did it. What about you? Can you get back up?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
"...a wise man listens to advice"
I've been reading a book call Chazown by Craig Groeschel. The subtitle is "A different way to see your life." For several years now, I have been undergoing a great deal of introspection. This is one of several books I have read, hoping to find a little more clarity, a higher purpose, a God given direction for my life.
On page 85 there is a heading, "Of course I know where I'M going!" At least for me, that is a BIG part of the problem!! I have a plan. I have goals and objectives. I know what I want to do. The root of the problem is, if my plans aren't consistent with God's plans for my life, the outcome is generally not good.
This is the time of year when many people consider their plans for the coming year. For business owners like myself, we look at Business Plans, Marketing Plans, Life Plans or any number of other "plans." For the rest of you, there are career plans, education plans, savings plans, vacation plans and countless others.
My buddy, and fellow HTG Peer group member Karl Palachuk has a nice piece on Business Plan in a Month - Final Thoughts . Another HTG member and brother in Christ, Stuart Crawford has a nice ebook called Goal Setting for IT Professionals. These are kinds of things I am typically reviewing this time of year. Many of us on Arlin Sorensen's email devotional list, about 30 at last count have "planned" on reading the entire Bible in 2009. Yes, we need to make plans in our spiritual life too.
Now to the heart of the message tonight, Proverbs 12:15 tells us "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." In his book, Craig give us some practical pointers on how to be "wise" men and women.
The first and foremost is seek God's plan for you life in the Bible. The Bible is the TRUTH. It is the owner's manual for the human being, created in God's image. Craig is partial to the book of Proverbs because it is full of wisdom and very practical advice, even today, thousands of years after it was written. For me, I am "in the word" by various means each day. I find that the "truth" that I need seems to come to me. It may be a devotional. It may be a book. It comes directly from the Bible and sometimes it shows up in a song on Christian radio.
The next source for salient advice is our godly friends. These are folks that we attend church with. They may be people that we "serve" with or perhaps, simply people that we "serve." If you are in a small group or have an accountability partner, these are the folks that you should be sharing your "plans" with. Ask them if they feel like God is in your plans.
Finally, seek advice from those in a community with a history of success in the area you are seeking advice. In my case that might be my HTG Peer group. These guys are not all Christians, but they are all committed to one-another. We have a stated goal of HELPING each other. We do it willingly. We do it enthusiastically. We do is with a mutual commitment to the success of each member in the group. Ask those whom you trust as respected authorities within your community.
A wise man is a man who KNOWS his ignorance. He accepts that what he really knows is only a fraction of what he thinks he knows. A truly wise man surrenders ALL he knows to the wisdom of God. For God has a plan for each of us, one that we could never imagine. Subjecting our plan to His is just about the wisest thing that we can do.
On page 85 there is a heading, "Of course I know where I'M going!" At least for me, that is a BIG part of the problem!! I have a plan. I have goals and objectives. I know what I want to do. The root of the problem is, if my plans aren't consistent with God's plans for my life, the outcome is generally not good.
This is the time of year when many people consider their plans for the coming year. For business owners like myself, we look at Business Plans, Marketing Plans, Life Plans or any number of other "plans." For the rest of you, there are career plans, education plans, savings plans, vacation plans and countless others.
My buddy, and fellow HTG Peer group member Karl Palachuk has a nice piece on Business Plan in a Month - Final Thoughts . Another HTG member and brother in Christ, Stuart Crawford has a nice ebook called Goal Setting for IT Professionals. These are kinds of things I am typically reviewing this time of year. Many of us on Arlin Sorensen's email devotional list, about 30 at last count have "planned" on reading the entire Bible in 2009. Yes, we need to make plans in our spiritual life too.
Now to the heart of the message tonight, Proverbs 12:15 tells us "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." In his book, Craig give us some practical pointers on how to be "wise" men and women.
The first and foremost is seek God's plan for you life in the Bible. The Bible is the TRUTH. It is the owner's manual for the human being, created in God's image. Craig is partial to the book of Proverbs because it is full of wisdom and very practical advice, even today, thousands of years after it was written. For me, I am "in the word" by various means each day. I find that the "truth" that I need seems to come to me. It may be a devotional. It may be a book. It comes directly from the Bible and sometimes it shows up in a song on Christian radio.
The next source for salient advice is our godly friends. These are folks that we attend church with. They may be people that we "serve" with or perhaps, simply people that we "serve." If you are in a small group or have an accountability partner, these are the folks that you should be sharing your "plans" with. Ask them if they feel like God is in your plans.
Finally, seek advice from those in a community with a history of success in the area you are seeking advice. In my case that might be my HTG Peer group. These guys are not all Christians, but they are all committed to one-another. We have a stated goal of HELPING each other. We do it willingly. We do it enthusiastically. We do is with a mutual commitment to the success of each member in the group. Ask those whom you trust as respected authorities within your community.
A wise man is a man who KNOWS his ignorance. He accepts that what he really knows is only a fraction of what he thinks he knows. A truly wise man surrenders ALL he knows to the wisdom of God. For God has a plan for each of us, one that we could never imagine. Subjecting our plan to His is just about the wisest thing that we can do.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Are you a Dog or a Cat
DOG DIARY
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1 :00 PM - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 PM - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11 :00 PM - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
CAT DIARY
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.
In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.
The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We have both a dog and a cat in our house and I would have to say that their behavior is pretty consistent with the attitudes conveyed above.
I have often used a "Dog" metaphor to describe Christian Faith. As a dog LOVES his master and would do anything to please his master, the Christian loves God and will do anything to please him... or at least that is the way that it should be. The dog basks in the glow of his owner's attention and praise. So should we. A dog starts every day brimming with enthusiasm. There are times when I think that my dog's butt is going to fall off, she is wagging so much! Each night ends with a deep sense of gratitude as she curls up with a member of the family was we relax for the evening.
The most notable thing about dogs, something that every Christian should aspire to is their capacity to forgive. A dog loves its master SO much that it will forgive anything and everything. Have you every forgotten to feed your dog? It forgives you? Have you ever failed to let your dog out to relieve itself in a timely manner? It forgives you? Have you ever inflicted pain upon your dog (accidentally I hope...)? It forgives you? Have you ever scolded your dog, or yelled at it for no reason? It forgives you?
We know that God does ALL things for good, but certainly there are times when bad things happen, and we blame God! Seems like we could learn a thing or two from our dogs.
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1 :00 PM - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 PM - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11 :00 PM - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
CAT DIARY
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.
In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.
The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We have both a dog and a cat in our house and I would have to say that their behavior is pretty consistent with the attitudes conveyed above.
I have often used a "Dog" metaphor to describe Christian Faith. As a dog LOVES his master and would do anything to please his master, the Christian loves God and will do anything to please him... or at least that is the way that it should be. The dog basks in the glow of his owner's attention and praise. So should we. A dog starts every day brimming with enthusiasm. There are times when I think that my dog's butt is going to fall off, she is wagging so much! Each night ends with a deep sense of gratitude as she curls up with a member of the family was we relax for the evening.
The most notable thing about dogs, something that every Christian should aspire to is their capacity to forgive. A dog loves its master SO much that it will forgive anything and everything. Have you every forgotten to feed your dog? It forgives you? Have you ever failed to let your dog out to relieve itself in a timely manner? It forgives you? Have you ever inflicted pain upon your dog (accidentally I hope...)? It forgives you? Have you ever scolded your dog, or yelled at it for no reason? It forgives you?
We know that God does ALL things for good, but certainly there are times when bad things happen, and we blame God! Seems like we could learn a thing or two from our dogs.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Mom Song
I don't know about you, the the past 48 hours have been an absolute nightmare for me. I'll spare you the details. I spent an inordinate amount of time praying for patience, grace and a heaping dose of mercy!
My neighbor, Table group member and friend, Laura sent me this today. It brought a much needed smile to my face. I hope that you enjoy it too! The "mom" song.
We are expecting a foot of snow overnight, so I may have some extra time tomorrow to compose a posting with a little more "meat" to it. Or not... ;-)
My neighbor, Table group member and friend, Laura sent me this today. It brought a much needed smile to my face. I hope that you enjoy it too! The "mom" song.
We are expecting a foot of snow overnight, so I may have some extra time tomorrow to compose a posting with a little more "meat" to it. Or not... ;-)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The World is Obviously Desparate for News... ;)
Last week I was a guest on BlogTalk Radio. This week, my cousin, Jeff Muscarella is a guest on CNBC discussing Alternatives to Job Cuts. Jeff is a Partner at NPI "Real Experts, Real Savings" located in Atlanta, GA.
Coincidentally, Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. is working with NPI to update their current technology infrastructure to improve productivity and enhance mobility.
Coincidentally, Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. is working with NPI to update their current technology infrastructure to improve productivity and enhance mobility.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Do Sports drinks actually make a difference??
Even as a "Techie" I am often astonished by two things. First what people are actually able to do these days, and second, that they have the time to do it!
Do Sports drinks actually make a difference??
Monday, December 15, 2008
Gary Haugen ROCKS!
Gary Haugen is the President and CEO of International Justice Mission. He was the guest speaker this past weekend at Willow Creek Community Church. We are in the midst of a series called PREPARE and the topic for this message was "Prepare: Impact the World."
I don't know about the World, but he certainly had an impact on me. Without question, he is one of the most compelling speakers I have seen in quite some time. He was a faculty speaker this past August at the Leadership Summit, but I was unable to attend the session that he presented. What a blessing it was to catch him this time around.
Here is a link to some of his content posted on YouTube. If anyone is interested in the presentation that he made Sunday, I'll see what I can do about getting a copy and posting it there.
A segment of David's Story was shown as part of the presentation but the real power of the message came from the compassion and conviction in Gary's voice.
Gary and his team seem to "get around" so if you ever have a chance to hear him speak, don't pass it up!
I don't know about the World, but he certainly had an impact on me. Without question, he is one of the most compelling speakers I have seen in quite some time. He was a faculty speaker this past August at the Leadership Summit, but I was unable to attend the session that he presented. What a blessing it was to catch him this time around.
Here is a link to some of his content posted on YouTube. If anyone is interested in the presentation that he made Sunday, I'll see what I can do about getting a copy and posting it there.
A segment of David's Story was shown as part of the presentation but the real power of the message came from the compassion and conviction in Gary's voice.
Gary and his team seem to "get around" so if you ever have a chance to hear him speak, don't pass it up!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Stethoscope
Susan Dolan is a member of Arlin's morning devotional email list. I met her and her husband Pat this summer at the "Go Giver retreat" at Arlin's farm. She shared this with the list earlier this week. Stethoscope. What would your heart sound like???
Here is another one that Susan shared last week. I missed it first time around... Invitation.
Here is another one that Susan shared last week. I missed it first time around... Invitation.
Divorce
Often times, the topic on which I feel prompted to write comes to me in the shower. Today was no different. I had already planned on following up yesterday's radio program by commenting on a note that I taken during the conversation.
Instead, I felt a very clear prompting to talk about divorce. I'll start by saying that I am happily married... for the second time. I was divorced nearly 20 years ago. To some, what I am about to say will smack of hypocrisy. I don't believe that is the case, but it is also not the point either.
The point is divorce destroys biblical community, relationships and families. There have been countless scriptural commentaries written on the subject. Here is one of the first I found with a brief summary below.
So then, as Christians, what should we do? Now, I am not a counselor. I'm not a therapist. I'm just a guy trying my best to live the life that God has given me. In that life he has provided some guidance, in the form of the Bible. He has also placed other people on this planet to help me along the way. Part of my purpose in being here is to help others in their Christian journey.
I ask again, what shall we do? What if we simply "discouraged" divorce as our baseline position. Rather than find reasons to condone divorce or excuses for why "this" divorce is acceptable, why don't we realize that divorce is not in God's plan for ANYONE?
If that is the foundation upon which we stand, then what? If divorce is not an option, what is the solution to marital discord? Prayer? Petition? Submission? There are probably a couple of more that I could think of, but these are probably a good starting point.
Let's step back for a minute and frame the situation. Who exactly are we talking about. Am I referring to the person who is considering a divorce? Am I addressing the spouse who is facing an unwanted divorce? What about the friends and family? YES. I believe that all parties are faced with the same challenge AND the same solution to the problem. Prayer, Petition and Submission.
What then shall we do. Pray! Pray specifically for BOTH the husband and the wife, for we know that both are sinners. What ever the "reason" for the breakdown in the relationship, you can be certain that both bear some responsibility for it.
Petition God to intervene. We know that in Christ all things are possible. We know that God's plan is for perfect community and oneness. Oneness in our relationship with him. Oneness in our relationship with our spouse and oneness in our relationship with others.
Submit ourselves to the purpose of truth, hope, peace and Love. The Greatest of These Is Love. If we are the husband or wife, we need to submit ourselves to the power of Love, the love that we pledged UNCONDITIONALLY on the day that we were married. If we are a friend or family member we need to submit ourselves to the love we have for the affected couple and the the love we have for God, whose heart is broken with each broken marriage. Sometimes that means speaking the TRUTH in love. That means saying things that may be very difficult to say but must be said, if healing is to occur.
Now, I am not naive enough to think that I can "talk" anyone out of a divorce. But I am confident that God can mend any relationship. He wrote the book on Forgiveness. Isn't that really what divorce is all about, the inability to Forgive? God can, does and will show you how to forgive as well.
In closing, I want to apologize for what may be a somewhat dis-jointed monologue and certainly one that is longer than I normally post. I also want to acknowledge the underlying reason for this posting. Each morning, my knees hit the floor and I pray. I pray for a lot of things, among those, the needs of others. There are currently three couples that I am praying for. All three are in different stages of "the process" but I refuse to concede a single relationship to Satan. I believe that God CAN redeem each of those relationships. For those that don't believe it, ask my Mother. That is a posting for another time... until then blessing to All!
Instead, I felt a very clear prompting to talk about divorce. I'll start by saying that I am happily married... for the second time. I was divorced nearly 20 years ago. To some, what I am about to say will smack of hypocrisy. I don't believe that is the case, but it is also not the point either.
The point is divorce destroys biblical community, relationships and families. There have been countless scriptural commentaries written on the subject. Here is one of the first I found with a brief summary below.
Divorce in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament):
Matthew 5:31-32: Adultery the only valid grounds for divorce:Matthew 19:3-9: Adultery the only valid grounds for divorce: Jesus returns to the question of grounds for divorce and confirms his stance in Matthew 5. He says that God intended men and women to marry permanently; divorce is not in God's plan.
Mark 10:2-12: There are no valid grounds for divorce: Jesus here
implies that all marriages are permanent; divorce is not allowed for any reason.Luke 16:18: Remarriage is not permitted: Jesus here condemns remarriage of both husband and wife.
1 Corinthians 7:10-17: Remarriage is permitted, in some circumstances: Paul apparently wrote this passage in response to some Christians who were married to other Christians and were considering separating from their spouses and leading
a celibate life.
So then, as Christians, what should we do? Now, I am not a counselor. I'm not a therapist. I'm just a guy trying my best to live the life that God has given me. In that life he has provided some guidance, in the form of the Bible. He has also placed other people on this planet to help me along the way. Part of my purpose in being here is to help others in their Christian journey.
I ask again, what shall we do? What if we simply "discouraged" divorce as our baseline position. Rather than find reasons to condone divorce or excuses for why "this" divorce is acceptable, why don't we realize that divorce is not in God's plan for ANYONE?
If that is the foundation upon which we stand, then what? If divorce is not an option, what is the solution to marital discord? Prayer? Petition? Submission? There are probably a couple of more that I could think of, but these are probably a good starting point.
Let's step back for a minute and frame the situation. Who exactly are we talking about. Am I referring to the person who is considering a divorce? Am I addressing the spouse who is facing an unwanted divorce? What about the friends and family? YES. I believe that all parties are faced with the same challenge AND the same solution to the problem. Prayer, Petition and Submission.
What then shall we do. Pray! Pray specifically for BOTH the husband and the wife, for we know that both are sinners. What ever the "reason" for the breakdown in the relationship, you can be certain that both bear some responsibility for it.
Petition God to intervene. We know that in Christ all things are possible. We know that God's plan is for perfect community and oneness. Oneness in our relationship with him. Oneness in our relationship with our spouse and oneness in our relationship with others.
Submit ourselves to the purpose of truth, hope, peace and Love. The Greatest of These Is Love. If we are the husband or wife, we need to submit ourselves to the power of Love, the love that we pledged UNCONDITIONALLY on the day that we were married. If we are a friend or family member we need to submit ourselves to the love we have for the affected couple and the the love we have for God, whose heart is broken with each broken marriage. Sometimes that means speaking the TRUTH in love. That means saying things that may be very difficult to say but must be said, if healing is to occur.
Now, I am not naive enough to think that I can "talk" anyone out of a divorce. But I am confident that God can mend any relationship. He wrote the book on Forgiveness. Isn't that really what divorce is all about, the inability to Forgive? God can, does and will show you how to forgive as well.
In closing, I want to apologize for what may be a somewhat dis-jointed monologue and certainly one that is longer than I normally post. I also want to acknowledge the underlying reason for this posting. Each morning, my knees hit the floor and I pray. I pray for a lot of things, among those, the needs of others. There are currently three couples that I am praying for. All three are in different stages of "the process" but I refuse to concede a single relationship to Satan. I believe that God CAN redeem each of those relationships. For those that don't believe it, ask my Mother. That is a posting for another time... until then blessing to All!
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Bahlog: Managed Services for God?
The MarketPlace Ministry radio program was a success and a wonderful experience. You can read a bit more about it here. The Bahlog: Managed Services for God?
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Marketplace Ministry
Join Stuart Crawford, Jeff Wood, Brad Schow, Arlin Sorensen and me (all HTG members) on Friday at noon eastern on blogtalk radio. All of these guys are veterans of the "Go Giver" retreat that Arlin hosted this past Summer. Their membership in HTG ensures that they are serious about their business, but tomorrow's discussion will focus on their commitment to God and His Business. We will be talking about ministry in the workplace and how faith and business do not have to be separated and kept apart. Join us on Friday at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smb and join the conversation. The session will be recorded, so if you can't make check back and listen when you can. For that matter you can download is an listen at your convenience.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
American Depression
This week I am in Seattle for the Microsoft Mobile Communications Partner Summit 2008. Quality Systems Solutions, Inc., the company I own, is one of just over 400 Microsoft partners in the US with the Mobility Competency, so we were invited to attend the two day event. You can read my comments on the conference here.
In the morning keynote speech, Allison Watson, Corporate Vice President, World Wide Partner Group, spoke about the tough economic times we are facing and made several references to the Great Depression. I'm not much of one for reading the newspaper, but late last night I was having trouble sleeping, so I picked up the copy of USA Today that had been left in the room. On page 11A I found a FULL Page advertisement that caught my eye. The title was, "WHAT AMERICA CAN DO TO AVOID A DEPRESSION ." Apparently the ad is a reposting of the blog, http://remortgageamerica.blogspot.com/ .
Rather and repost the contents of the readily available blog, I would highly recommend you check it out. The idea is SO simple and it make so much GOOD SENSE, it is almost destine for failure. For some reason, our politicians have a real challenge with simple solutions to complex problem, that might actually work. Instead they would prefer to toss money around (your money and mine) giving it to the very same people who caused the problem in the first place.
Rather than bail out those that are "too big to fail", lets help those too small to steal (your taxes and mine). The reference to stealing implies my opinion that the money that was "lent" to these companies has a very LOW probability to being repaid and for all practical purposes it is being stolen...
In the morning keynote speech, Allison Watson, Corporate Vice President, World Wide Partner Group, spoke about the tough economic times we are facing and made several references to the Great Depression. I'm not much of one for reading the newspaper, but late last night I was having trouble sleeping, so I picked up the copy of USA Today that had been left in the room. On page 11A I found a FULL Page advertisement that caught my eye. The title was, "WHAT AMERICA CAN DO TO AVOID A DEPRESSION ." Apparently the ad is a reposting of the blog, http://remortgageamerica.blogspot.com/ .
Rather and repost the contents of the readily available blog, I would highly recommend you check it out. The idea is SO simple and it make so much GOOD SENSE, it is almost destine for failure. For some reason, our politicians have a real challenge with simple solutions to complex problem, that might actually work. Instead they would prefer to toss money around (your money and mine) giving it to the very same people who caused the problem in the first place.
Rather than bail out those that are "too big to fail", lets help those too small to steal (your taxes and mine). The reference to stealing implies my opinion that the money that was "lent" to these companies has a very LOW probability to being repaid and for all practical purposes it is being stolen...
Monday, December 8, 2008
Holiday Stress....RELIEF!
Admit it. The holiday season is upon us and you are feeling just a bit overwhelmed. I don't know too many people who don't feel at least a little bit stressed working their way through the end of the year. For me, working is the operative word, but that is the topic for another time and is not the reason for this post.
I have a Cure for treating the stress we can often feel during the Christmas season. Throw a Party! "You've got to be kidding me!!!" I can hear it now. It is almost unanimous. Holiday entertaining CAUSES stress.... That may be true, but if it is, its is because you are doing it all wrong.
Throw a party where it is not about you. Throw a party where it is not about your guests. Throw a party where it isn't about your house (which incidentally, is only worth a fraction of what it was last year) or you marvelous collection of Christmas decorations.
Throw a party for complete strangers! Throw a party for people you have never met. Better yet, throw a party for people that you will never meet. Oh, and by the way, ask your friends and neighbors to help out. That is exactly what we did last night.
I have a Cure for treating the stress we can often feel during the Christmas season. Throw a Party! "You've got to be kidding me!!!" I can hear it now. It is almost unanimous. Holiday entertaining CAUSES stress.... That may be true, but if it is, its is because you are doing it all wrong.
Throw a party where it is not about you. Throw a party where it is not about your guests. Throw a party where it isn't about your house (which incidentally, is only worth a fraction of what it was last year) or you marvelous collection of Christmas decorations.
Throw a party for complete strangers! Throw a party for people you have never met. Better yet, throw a party for people that you will never meet. Oh, and by the way, ask your friends and neighbors to help out. That is exactly what we did last night.
I have been leading a Table Group in our neighborhood for about 3 years now. There is a core group of families, totalling about 18 people that meet monthly for dinner. Dinner, that's it. Well actually, that isn't it. "IT" is COMMUNITY! We have committed to get together to be together. We simply Share Life.
We were scheduled to have our December gathering when a thought struck me. Willow Creek Community Church and World Vision have combined efforts to collect gifts for Ministry Partners in the Chicagoland area. The initiative is called, Stock the Storehouse. Why not combine the two? So we did. I printed off invitations and delivered them to every home in our neighborhood (77 in all). The rest of the group distributed invitations to friends, neighbors and associates. Over 100 families were invited to an Open House in our home.
The elf in the red shirt is me. You probably can't see it in the picture, but I was wearing an Elf hat with big Elf ears. I was in charge of greeting our guests.
Did we have 100 people show up? No. Did we have strangers show up? Yes. Are they strangers any longer. I think not... What about those people that we will never meet? Here is what we collected for them.
Everything pictured is brand new. All in all, there were 13 winter coats, 46 pairs of gloves, 20 hats, 19 toys, 13 pairs of pajamas, 14 pairs of socks and 2 sweatshirts.
I want to extend a heart-felt thanks to the whole TABLE! I couldn't have done it without you. Oh, and for those of you have left little "surprises" for Karen and I, you really shouldn't have, but, THANK YOU!!!
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
"place politically correct holiday greeting here"
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Shooting star....
As I left the house this morning 5:45, it was cold and clear. 8degF to be exact. The Eastern sky was just beginning to brighten an otherwise dark night. As I reached down to turn on the radio, a Shooting star flashed across the horizon, falling from grace, from South to North. It was a spectacular sight! I hadn't seen one like that in years.
Caught in the moment, my hand withdrew from the radio. I sat in silence. As I continued on my journey to Shaumburg, I pondered, "Shooting Star." My first thought took me back to my youth and a Bad Company song by the same name.
As I drove, I considered that a shooting star is often a metaphor for a momentary flash of brilliance, followed by complete and utter destruction. They appear from nowhere, shine brightly for a very short period of time and disappear for all eternity. Never to be seen again.
Compare that to a REAL star. They are/were created by God. They shine brightly for eons and their effects are felt long after they are gone? I have no interest in debating "Big Bang" theory or whether you agree that the were created by God. What I want to focus on is "...their effects are felt long after they are gone?" Did you know that? We see stars today that died (burned out) hundreds or thousands of years ago.
Think about your life! What do you want to be? Is 15 minutes of fame, enough for you? Do you want to rise quickly, burn brightly and fade into obscurity? OR, would it be better to live life as you were created, burning as light to others, leaving behind a legacy of life, love an faithfulness? You are called to be, "...the light of the world."
Shine brightly my friends. Don't burn out. Leave a legacy for all eternity.
Caught in the moment, my hand withdrew from the radio. I sat in silence. As I continued on my journey to Shaumburg, I pondered, "Shooting Star." My first thought took me back to my youth and a Bad Company song by the same name.
As I drove, I considered that a shooting star is often a metaphor for a momentary flash of brilliance, followed by complete and utter destruction. They appear from nowhere, shine brightly for a very short period of time and disappear for all eternity. Never to be seen again.
Compare that to a REAL star. They are/were created by God. They shine brightly for eons and their effects are felt long after they are gone? I have no interest in debating "Big Bang" theory or whether you agree that the were created by God. What I want to focus on is "...their effects are felt long after they are gone?" Did you know that? We see stars today that died (burned out) hundreds or thousands of years ago.
Think about your life! What do you want to be? Is 15 minutes of fame, enough for you? Do you want to rise quickly, burn brightly and fade into obscurity? OR, would it be better to live life as you were created, burning as light to others, leaving behind a legacy of life, love an faithfulness? You are called to be, "...the light of the world."
Shine brightly my friends. Don't burn out. Leave a legacy for all eternity.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Think about it
I am certain that when I started this, I never intended for it to become a video blog. I believe I was going to " chronicle the musings of a...______" At this point, I'll let you fill in the blank! The fact is, a my postings reach more and more people, guess what? They send me more and more "stuff." I guess that is really what it is all about, sharing. Sharing, ideas. Sharing opinions. Sharing the creative works of others. I'm not terribly creative, so it is unlikely that you will ever see any original work, done by me, on these pages.
However... I do know some VERY creative people. The bits that I have posted thus far, I hope have been impactful, or at least enjoyable. My challenge to you creative friends is this, "Give me your BEST! BRING IT ON!! Show me what you've got!!!" In return, I'll share it with the rest of my friends and we will all be grateful. ;-)
A fellow servant of the Lord, Bud Domagata, who by the way is one of those Veterans that we recently honored on this blog, sent me this one, Think about it.
My oldest son, with whom I am well pleased, sent me this, The Good Life Parable: An MBA meets a fisherman. I will warn you that in the end, it promotes a book. THAT is not my intention. I've never read the book and I currently have no plans to do so. Darran, who is preparing for his MBA (700 on his GMAT !!!) is, so if he recommends it, I'll let you know. The piece does however point out a very basic truth that we frequently miss, especially Small Business Owners, like myself.
However... I do know some VERY creative people. The bits that I have posted thus far, I hope have been impactful, or at least enjoyable. My challenge to you creative friends is this, "Give me your BEST! BRING IT ON!! Show me what you've got!!!" In return, I'll share it with the rest of my friends and we will all be grateful. ;-)
A fellow servant of the Lord, Bud Domagata, who by the way is one of those Veterans that we recently honored on this blog, sent me this one, Think about it.
My oldest son, with whom I am well pleased, sent me this, The Good Life Parable: An MBA meets a fisherman. I will warn you that in the end, it promotes a book. THAT is not my intention. I've never read the book and I currently have no plans to do so. Darran, who is preparing for his MBA (700 on his GMAT !!!) is, so if he recommends it, I'll let you know. The piece does however point out a very basic truth that we frequently miss, especially Small Business Owners, like myself.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Global Village
My dad, who occasionally reads this blog sent me this, Global Village. He said:
Son,
Something for your blog...don't pass it up!!
Love Dad
My heavenly Father tells me:
Exodus 20:12 (New International Version)
"Honor your father
and your mother, so that you may live long in the land
the LORD your God is giving you."
I think I'll do BOTH! ;-)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Snow
It happened! I knew it would. It was only a matter of time. Global warming??? I'm not so sure. You guessed it, I had to break out the snow shovel for the first time this season. December 1st and I'm out there in the dark shoveling the driveway.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I have lived most of my life in the snow belt. When I lived in California, I found myself driving to the snow. I don't think that I have ever gone an entire year without snow.
I can hear some of you now. You could go an entire LIFETIME without snow!
Perhaps. But think about this.
Sometimes we need a little reminder. A reminder of our potential... We are all sinners. But the scripture tells us that our sins can be made "white as snow". How? By being "willing and obedient." We need to be willing to let God work in our lives. And we need to be obedient to his Word. If we don't know is Word, can we possibly be obedient to it? Have you read your Bible today? Have you read it this week? How about this year?
As we kick off the Christmas season, I would challenge you to "get in the Word!" Allow God to make you and your sin, "white as snow." If you need some help, let me point you to some resources that might help you. Willow Creek Community Church has prepared a devotional calendar for the 25 days leading up to Christmas. Here is the calendar, http://prepare.willowcreek.org/calendar.aspx and details on the whole Prepare experience are here, http://prepare.willowcreek.org/ .
If you chose to participate, let me know how it goes for you.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I have lived most of my life in the snow belt. When I lived in California, I found myself driving to the snow. I don't think that I have ever gone an entire year without snow.
I can hear some of you now. You could go an entire LIFETIME without snow!
Perhaps. But think about this.
White as Snow
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool.If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the
good of the land:But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the
sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
-- Isaiah 1: 18-20 (KJV)
Sometimes we need a little reminder. A reminder of our potential... We are all sinners. But the scripture tells us that our sins can be made "white as snow". How? By being "willing and obedient." We need to be willing to let God work in our lives. And we need to be obedient to his Word. If we don't know is Word, can we possibly be obedient to it? Have you read your Bible today? Have you read it this week? How about this year?
As we kick off the Christmas season, I would challenge you to "get in the Word!" Allow God to make you and your sin, "white as snow." If you need some help, let me point you to some resources that might help you. Willow Creek Community Church has prepared a devotional calendar for the 25 days leading up to Christmas. Here is the calendar, http://prepare.willowcreek.org/calendar.aspx and details on the whole Prepare experience are here, http://prepare.willowcreek.org/ .
If you chose to participate, let me know how it goes for you.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Smile
Thanksgiving has come and gone. I hope that each and everyone of you had an incredible list of things to be Thankful for!
A friend of mine posted this link on his blog. He found it on another. The video is about 15 minutes long, but I would really encourage you to make the time to watch it.
A friend of mine posted this link on his blog. He found it on another. The video is about 15 minutes long, but I would really encourage you to make the time to watch it.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving
Thankful, I am. I have been blessed with many things and in many areas this past year and for each I am thankful. I had given some thought to preparing a list, and I probably should have, but I'm afraid that I did not. So I will mention the obvious.
My family is truly a blessing. They tolerate me when I am otherwise intolerable. They encourage me when I feel defeated and they Love me unconditionally. I can't imagine what my life would be like without any one of them.
God has blessed me financially. As I try to focus my efforts on growing my business into the organization that I want it to be, He has been faithful in meeting our needs, and more. On paper, this year will be one of the lowest income years that I have had in decades, but through it all, I have lacked nothing. God has met us where we are and has provided through his bounty. In times such as this, I would wish this blessing upon Everyone.
We have been healthy. My immediate family has been blessed with good health this past year. Aging is beginning to take its toll on Karen and I, but nothing out of the ordinary. I'm sure that our day will come, but when it does, God will be there to sustain us. For today, blessed we are!
I suppose that I could go on.... and on. But I won't. I will close in announcing that a family tradition is in transition. As a child, we always celebrated Thanksgiving at my Grandparents (on my mother's side). When she was unable to do that any longer, my mother assumed that responsibility. The baton is now being passed. My parents are both well, (a blessing in itself) but the logistics just make it practical for Karen and I to host Thanksgiving for the foreseeable future. We are already nearly a day into the full holiday weekend and we collectively have many reasons to give THANKS!
Blessings to ALL any may you be THANKFUL as well!
My family is truly a blessing. They tolerate me when I am otherwise intolerable. They encourage me when I feel defeated and they Love me unconditionally. I can't imagine what my life would be like without any one of them.
God has blessed me financially. As I try to focus my efforts on growing my business into the organization that I want it to be, He has been faithful in meeting our needs, and more. On paper, this year will be one of the lowest income years that I have had in decades, but through it all, I have lacked nothing. God has met us where we are and has provided through his bounty. In times such as this, I would wish this blessing upon Everyone.
We have been healthy. My immediate family has been blessed with good health this past year. Aging is beginning to take its toll on Karen and I, but nothing out of the ordinary. I'm sure that our day will come, but when it does, God will be there to sustain us. For today, blessed we are!
I suppose that I could go on.... and on. But I won't. I will close in announcing that a family tradition is in transition. As a child, we always celebrated Thanksgiving at my Grandparents (on my mother's side). When she was unable to do that any longer, my mother assumed that responsibility. The baton is now being passed. My parents are both well, (a blessing in itself) but the logistics just make it practical for Karen and I to host Thanksgiving for the foreseeable future. We are already nearly a day into the full holiday weekend and we collectively have many reasons to give THANKS!
Blessings to ALL any may you be THANKFUL as well!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Shame
Last night, I found myself confronting the SHAME of another. I would like to say that I consoled the person, and in fact, that was my initial reaction.
The sin was confessed in such a sudden, unexpected fashion, that I was totally surprised! Completely caught off guard, my initial reaction was... "Oh, that's OK." and "You didn't have to tell me that." Neither of which were very appropriate, especially for the circumstances.
I momentarily removed myself from the situation to gather my thoughts. I won't elaborate on the nature of the sin that was causing the shame, but will say that is was one that is common and often times minimize, especially in our culture. But SIN is SIN and this person was suffering the consequences.
Once I had a chance to think about how I should "speak the Truth in Love" I went back to my friend and asked if I could speak to them. I explained that what they had done was NOT OK. However, what they had done was a sin against God, not me. I reminded them that they would need to repent. Repentance is the only remedy that I know for shame.
I also praised them for having the courage to confess their sin to another. The Bible tells us to do that, but often times we only do so in a obligatory manner or only when confronted by another. As I said earlier, this came completely out of no where. They chose to expose sin that I would have never suspected. For that I admire my friend.
I guess that their unsolicited confession speaks to the true effect of Shame. No one would accuse my friend of being jaded, callous or hard. Shame was truly a burden for them. A burden that they were not prepared to bear. I believe that they were desperate to remove that burden and I happened to be a safe person to engage in that process.
There is one last thing that I want to touch upon in this posting. Learning from others can be such a tremendous gift. Sometimes we can avoid certain pain and sorrow, if we just take the time of observe the misfortune of others and chose to behave or react differently than them.
For the past year I have been in Rick Renner's Sparkling Gems From The Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word as my daily devotional. The prayer at the end of today's passage says "Help me live a life that is holy - one that pleases You and for which I will not be ashamed when You suddenly appear to gather the Church to Yourself." That reminds me that I too have Shame. Its points out that I need His HELP to live a life that is holy. How about you?
I found a link to today's devotional here.
The sin was confessed in such a sudden, unexpected fashion, that I was totally surprised! Completely caught off guard, my initial reaction was... "Oh, that's OK." and "You didn't have to tell me that." Neither of which were very appropriate, especially for the circumstances.
I momentarily removed myself from the situation to gather my thoughts. I won't elaborate on the nature of the sin that was causing the shame, but will say that is was one that is common and often times minimize, especially in our culture. But SIN is SIN and this person was suffering the consequences.
Once I had a chance to think about how I should "speak the Truth in Love" I went back to my friend and asked if I could speak to them. I explained that what they had done was NOT OK. However, what they had done was a sin against God, not me. I reminded them that they would need to repent. Repentance is the only remedy that I know for shame.
I also praised them for having the courage to confess their sin to another. The Bible tells us to do that, but often times we only do so in a obligatory manner or only when confronted by another. As I said earlier, this came completely out of no where. They chose to expose sin that I would have never suspected. For that I admire my friend.
I guess that their unsolicited confession speaks to the true effect of Shame. No one would accuse my friend of being jaded, callous or hard. Shame was truly a burden for them. A burden that they were not prepared to bear. I believe that they were desperate to remove that burden and I happened to be a safe person to engage in that process.
There is one last thing that I want to touch upon in this posting. Learning from others can be such a tremendous gift. Sometimes we can avoid certain pain and sorrow, if we just take the time of observe the misfortune of others and chose to behave or react differently than them.
For the past year I have been in Rick Renner's Sparkling Gems From The Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word as my daily devotional. The prayer at the end of today's passage says "Help me live a life that is holy - one that pleases You and for which I will not be ashamed when You suddenly appear to gather the Church to Yourself." That reminds me that I too have Shame. Its points out that I need His HELP to live a life that is holy. How about you?
I found a link to today's devotional here.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
...maybe even a little bit of sex
My son was appalled when he first read the header for this blog. I assured him that any discussions of sex would be appropriate and respectful. I never really had a topic in mind, but something has been bothering me for a while, so I guess now is the time...
Tyra Banks Sex Survey Have you heard about it? Did you read any of the findings?
"On average, girls lose virginity at 15; some are having sex at school" According to Laura T. Coffey, TODAYShow.com contributor:
Does that bother anyone besides me? If you haven't read any of the buzz, here are a couple of links that you should check out.
Can Tyra Banks Be Sex Education´s Spokesperson?
The Young and The Unprotected
I'd be really interested in your comments.
Tyra Banks Sex Survey Have you heard about it? Did you read any of the findings?
"On average, girls lose virginity at 15; some are having sex at school" According to Laura T. Coffey, TODAYShow.com contributor:
Parents, brace yourselves: The survey results are in, and you may not like
what they reveal about girls and sex.
More than 10,000 teenage girls and
young women took part in an anonymous survey over the summer on TyraShow.com,
the Web site of “The Tyra Banks Show.” Survey questions focused on sexuality,
sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy, as well as drinking, drugs and
violence among females. Here are some findings from the survey:
On average,
girls are losing their virginity at 15 years of age.
14 percent of teens who
are having sex say they’re doing it at school.
52 percent of survey
respondents say they do not use protection when having sex.
One in three
says she fears having a sexually transmitted disease.
24 percent of teens
with STDs say they still have unprotected sex.
One in five girls says she
wants to be a teen mom.
About 50 percent acknowledge that they’ve hit
someone.
One out of three teens has tried drugs.
Does that bother anyone besides me? If you haven't read any of the buzz, here are a couple of links that you should check out.
Can Tyra Banks Be Sex Education´s Spokesperson?
The Young and The Unprotected
I'd be really interested in your comments.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Welcome Stuart Crawford
I have added a link to Stuart Crawford's blog to this page. Please join me in welcoming Stuart.
I met Stuart in April of 2008 at the SMBTN SMB Summit , held in Dallas Tx. According to the Speaker bio on the site:
I met Stuart in April of 2008 at the SMBTN SMB Summit , held in Dallas Tx. According to the Speaker bio on the site:
Stuart Crawford is a remarkably talented, value-driven professional offering over 10 years of business experience. He is constantly evolving, accomplishing and developing his knowledge and expertise within the business world. His track record of success speaks for itself with increased performance through dynamic leadership, strategic planning, process design, technology innovation and change management. Stuart is equally adept in capitalizing on interpersonal and technology skills to create a unique blend of innovative solutions and products while pushing the creative envelope.
I had the opportunity to hear Stuart speak again at the Microsoft World Wide Partner Conference held in Houston, TX this past July. He presented on "Goal Setting for Business Success". I afraid that the link to the presentation may only work if you are a member of the Microsoft Partner community. If you would like a copy and are not a Microsoft Partner, I am pretty sure that Stuart would provide one for you.
Now that you are all duly impressed with Stuart's credentials, I'll tell you the real reason that I chose to dedicate this post to him and to add his link to this site. Let me begin by pointing you back to the title of this blog, Undone - Rick Bahl. I would contend that Stuart is equally Undone. God is not finished with him and Stuart is nowhere near finished with his Purpose in life. I for one, intend to keep and eye on this guy and I would encourage you to do the same!
How can I possibly make such a claim about a guy that I have seen speaking publicly at a couple of techie events? Well, if that was all I knew about Stuart, I couldn't. But I know more. I have had a glimpse into to the heart of Mr. Crawford. You may recall, back on September 1st I make reference to a Go-Giver retreat hosted by Arlin Sorensen. I met Stuart and his family there. We had the opportunity to spend several days in community with other Christians. I will attest to the fact that he is the "real deal" and I am proud to say that I know him.
Stuart hosts a weekly Internet Radio program on Blog Talk Radio. This Friday he will e featuring Arlin and some other friends in a discussion on Marketplace Ministry. Check it out!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Veterans Day 2008
I know that this post is a day late, but better late than never, right? I received this PowerPoint presentation that I would like to share with you. It is 3MB in size so it may take a moment or two to load, but if you have any appreciation at all for the service our Vet's have made to our country, it is work the wait.
Disclaimer: This presentation may not open for everyone. I happen to have PowerPoint installed so it worked for me. If you don't have PowerPoint of the viewer installed on your PC, it may not open.
http://www.qualitysystemssolutions.com/WeThankU.pps
Disclaimer: This presentation may not open for everyone. I happen to have PowerPoint installed so it worked for me. If you don't have PowerPoint of the viewer installed on your PC, it may not open.
http://www.qualitysystemssolutions.com/WeThankU.pps
Saturday, October 25, 2008
How far would you go?
Today must be the day for sharing Internet content. I just received this from a friend and found it compelling enough to share. The Bridge.
Why is Guitar Hero so much fun?
For those of you who have ever spent any time in the Chicago area, you are probably familiar with 93XRT, THE radio station for the over 30 crowd. Lin Brehmer has been there forever... This ditty come from his Lin's Bin. Why is Guitar Hero so much fun?
Monday, October 13, 2008
FIREPROOF
Last night was date night, first time in a long time. Karen and I went to see a movie that every couple should see, Fireproof. Before I get into the movie, let me warn you a little bit about the website. If you are using a tabbed browser, all of the menu links on the landing page open into separate tabs. I didn't notice and was getting pretty frustrated. When I went to tab back to this blog, I noticed I had a dozen tabs open... They are worth checking out, once you figure our what is going on.
The Movie is produced by the same folks who brought you Facing The Giants. Directly from the "About" page, "FIREPROOF is the third feature film from Sherwood Pictures the creators of FACING THE GIANTS and FLYWHEEL. With hope-filled, heartfelt storytelling, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church continues to touch the world from Albany, Georgia."
I don't want to be a spoiler, so I won't get into the details. If you spent anytime at all on the website, you probably saw more than you should. I will say that this is one that you probably want to see on the big screen. Oh, and ladies, bring some tissues...
To give you some idea of just how unique this movie is, here is a snippet from the F.A.Q on the website: "What’s the deal with the kiss between Caleb and Catherine in FIREPROOF?In a romantic scene in FIREPROOF, lead actor Kirk Cameron is actually kissing his wife Chelsea rather than Erin Bethea, who plays Catherine. Chelsea was flown in from Los Angeles just for that shot. The scene was filmed in silhouette and works incredibly well, with Chelsea wearing the same outfit and a wig to mirror Erin. Sherwood Pictures has upheld this standard in all their movies: actors and actresses should guard their own marriages while on screen the same way they would do in real life. That’s why you don’t see Coach Taylor (Facing the Giants) or Jay Austin (Flywheel) kissing the women playing the on-screen wives.Kirk also has long held to a principle that he would kiss no woman other than Chelsea. He was able to honor his marriage while making a movie that inspires others to do the same."
I would highly recommend that you see the movie, SOON!
The Movie is produced by the same folks who brought you Facing The Giants. Directly from the "About" page, "FIREPROOF is the third feature film from Sherwood Pictures the creators of FACING THE GIANTS and FLYWHEEL. With hope-filled, heartfelt storytelling, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church continues to touch the world from Albany, Georgia."
I don't want to be a spoiler, so I won't get into the details. If you spent anytime at all on the website, you probably saw more than you should. I will say that this is one that you probably want to see on the big screen. Oh, and ladies, bring some tissues...
To give you some idea of just how unique this movie is, here is a snippet from the F.A.Q on the website: "What’s the deal with the kiss between Caleb and Catherine in FIREPROOF?In a romantic scene in FIREPROOF, lead actor Kirk Cameron is actually kissing his wife Chelsea rather than Erin Bethea, who plays Catherine. Chelsea was flown in from Los Angeles just for that shot. The scene was filmed in silhouette and works incredibly well, with Chelsea wearing the same outfit and a wig to mirror Erin. Sherwood Pictures has upheld this standard in all their movies: actors and actresses should guard their own marriages while on screen the same way they would do in real life. That’s why you don’t see Coach Taylor (Facing the Giants) or Jay Austin (Flywheel) kissing the women playing the on-screen wives.Kirk also has long held to a principle that he would kiss no woman other than Chelsea. He was able to honor his marriage while making a movie that inspires others to do the same."
I would highly recommend that you see the movie, SOON!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
...been awhile
Boy, its amazing how life really gets in the way of LIVING! Seem like we never have the time to do what we really want to do, because we are busy doing all the things that we "have" to do. Sometimes I have to remind myself that the only thing that I HAVE to do is die! Even God doesn't require us to worship him, or even believe that he exists. HE is the one that gave us "Free Will" and with that free will comes a life full of choices.
I want to take a moment to recognize one of the choices that my son Clay has chosen to make. He has Chosen to serve on the production team for the Elevate service here at Willow Creek Community Church, were I am a participating member. He serves every third week. Serving entails about 4 hours on Saturday night and another 5 hours on Sunday morning. I know, because I get to haul him back and forth. I'm sitting in the Willow atrium as I prepare this posting.
He works on the video team but has also been asked to contribute on the creative content side of the production as well. He enjoys it all, but the creative part really suits him well. The thing that I really want to focus on is his choice to Volunteer. In an "all about me" society, I am afraid that we are seeing fewer and fewer people that are willing to commit some part of their life to serving on others on a regular and consistent basis. Fortunately most people will still participate in and single event or an ad hoc support effort or emergency response. But those who make serving others a meaningful part of their lives seem to be rare.
Its never too late to adopt a servant's heart, but if you have children, I would urge you to do two things. First MODEL the behavior. We all know too well that our kids will mimic what we do, the good and the bad. Let them see you serving others. Let them see you serving Joyfully and Frequently. Then, encourage them to serve and support them when they do. The first part of that statement is easy. There are ample opportunities for everyone to serve. Helping them find a serving opportunity will take all of about 60 seconds (OK, it may take a little longer than that). Once they have made a choice to serve, you need to support them in that choice. That my friends is going to take a commitment on your part. It is yet one more stop on your taxi route. It is another calendar object that needs to "fit" into the family calendar. Heck, it may even involve a financial commitment on your part. The greatest single thing that anyone can give is their Time, but sometimes, a bit of cash doesn't hurt either.
Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
I want to take a moment to recognize one of the choices that my son Clay has chosen to make. He has Chosen to serve on the production team for the Elevate service here at Willow Creek Community Church, were I am a participating member. He serves every third week. Serving entails about 4 hours on Saturday night and another 5 hours on Sunday morning. I know, because I get to haul him back and forth. I'm sitting in the Willow atrium as I prepare this posting.
He works on the video team but has also been asked to contribute on the creative content side of the production as well. He enjoys it all, but the creative part really suits him well. The thing that I really want to focus on is his choice to Volunteer. In an "all about me" society, I am afraid that we are seeing fewer and fewer people that are willing to commit some part of their life to serving on others on a regular and consistent basis. Fortunately most people will still participate in and single event or an ad hoc support effort or emergency response. But those who make serving others a meaningful part of their lives seem to be rare.
Its never too late to adopt a servant's heart, but if you have children, I would urge you to do two things. First MODEL the behavior. We all know too well that our kids will mimic what we do, the good and the bad. Let them see you serving others. Let them see you serving Joyfully and Frequently. Then, encourage them to serve and support them when they do. The first part of that statement is easy. There are ample opportunities for everyone to serve. Helping them find a serving opportunity will take all of about 60 seconds (OK, it may take a little longer than that). Once they have made a choice to serve, you need to support them in that choice. That my friends is going to take a commitment on your part. It is yet one more stop on your taxi route. It is another calendar object that needs to "fit" into the family calendar. Heck, it may even involve a financial commitment on your part. The greatest single thing that anyone can give is their Time, but sometimes, a bit of cash doesn't hurt either.
Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
168 Hours
I have mentioned Arlin Sorensen in one of my earlier posts. I have a great deal of respect for him as he is a terrific mentor and an outstanding model as Christian business leader. He frequently reminds us that we each have 168 hrs. per week. We need to be very deliberate about how we spend them, because once they are gone, we can't get them back.
Several weeks ago he challenged me to begin Journaling . You may recall that was the challenge that also gave birth to this blog. At any rate, I am very much a "rookie" journaler (is that a word?). Here is my method. I have a devotional journal with pages just a bit smaller than a memo pad. Each night, just before bed, I quickly recount my day, from the time my knees hit the floor in the morning (for prayer), right up to that moment. I try to document those moment throughout the day where I felt the presence of God. It might have been just a thought in my mind. Or, perhaps a conversation with a friend. I jot them down. Now, this is the key part for me, when I come to the end of the page, I STOP! There are no two page entries.
Why? You tell me... Actually, I can think of several good reasons, but I'd be more interested in why you think that a person might want to limit their journal entries.
This has been a setup for what I really wanted to say. The more I become sensitive to those "168 hours" the more deliberate I become about investing them wisely. Here is an example. I used to meet regularly with two guys from work. We meet every Wednesday evening, for dinner, just prior to our mid-week church service. It wasn't really as small group meeting, as we has no agenda and no formal curriculum. It wasn't really an "accountability" partner thing as I believe that is a one-on-one deal, but there was certainly an aspect of that in our time together. What it really was, at least to me, it was authentic community. A couple of guys getting together on a regular basis, just to see what Jesus would do when we all showed up. For some reason, over time, various things started to disrupt our meeting. Finally they just stopped.
Today, Tom, one of those guys came by my office. After the usual small talk, he came right out and said that he missed those times together. He missed the presence of God that we felt when we were gathered together as Brothers in Christ. That, my friends was an "Ah Ha!" moment. That was not only worthy of an entry in my journal, but a special posting to this blog. THAT is WHY God gives us 168 hours per week to invest in other people. I had all I could do to contain myself as I said, "It would be my pleasure to meet with you again. You name the time and the place an I will be there." I can't think of a better way to invest 1/168th of my week!
Several weeks ago he challenged me to begin Journaling . You may recall that was the challenge that also gave birth to this blog. At any rate, I am very much a "rookie" journaler (is that a word?). Here is my method. I have a devotional journal with pages just a bit smaller than a memo pad. Each night, just before bed, I quickly recount my day, from the time my knees hit the floor in the morning (for prayer), right up to that moment. I try to document those moment throughout the day where I felt the presence of God. It might have been just a thought in my mind. Or, perhaps a conversation with a friend. I jot them down. Now, this is the key part for me, when I come to the end of the page, I STOP! There are no two page entries.
Why? You tell me... Actually, I can think of several good reasons, but I'd be more interested in why you think that a person might want to limit their journal entries.
This has been a setup for what I really wanted to say. The more I become sensitive to those "168 hours" the more deliberate I become about investing them wisely. Here is an example. I used to meet regularly with two guys from work. We meet every Wednesday evening, for dinner, just prior to our mid-week church service. It wasn't really as small group meeting, as we has no agenda and no formal curriculum. It wasn't really an "accountability" partner thing as I believe that is a one-on-one deal, but there was certainly an aspect of that in our time together. What it really was, at least to me, it was authentic community. A couple of guys getting together on a regular basis, just to see what Jesus would do when we all showed up. For some reason, over time, various things started to disrupt our meeting. Finally they just stopped.
Today, Tom, one of those guys came by my office. After the usual small talk, he came right out and said that he missed those times together. He missed the presence of God that we felt when we were gathered together as Brothers in Christ. That, my friends was an "Ah Ha!" moment. That was not only worthy of an entry in my journal, but a special posting to this blog. THAT is WHY God gives us 168 hours per week to invest in other people. I had all I could do to contain myself as I said, "It would be my pleasure to meet with you again. You name the time and the place an I will be there." I can't think of a better way to invest 1/168th of my week!
BAR ROOM ECONOMICS - HOW THE TAX SYSTEM WORKS
It wasn't really my intention to make this a "Political Jokes" blog, but considering the season, it is kinda hard to resist some of these. Here is one that I really like...
Suppose that every day, ten people go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get their "fair share"?
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everyone's share, then the fifth and the sixth would each end up being paid to drink their beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each drinker's bill by roughly the same
amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:
The fifth person, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to
drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the drinkers began to
compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth. She pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!" "Yes, that's right," exclaimed the fifth. I only saved a dollar too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I did" "That's true!!" shouted the seventh. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor"
The nine drinkers surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they
might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Pollyticks
Received as an email...
I was talking to a friend of mine's little girl, and she said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, 'If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?'
She replied, 'I'd give houses to all the homeless people.'
'Wow... what a worthy goal.' I told her, 'You don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward a new house.'
She thought that over for a few seconds while her Mom glared at me, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, 'Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?'
And I said, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.' Her folks still aren't talking to me...
I was talking to a friend of mine's little girl, and she said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, 'If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?'
She replied, 'I'd give houses to all the homeless people.'
'Wow... what a worthy goal.' I told her, 'You don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward a new house.'
She thought that over for a few seconds while her Mom glared at me, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, 'Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?'
And I said, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.' Her folks still aren't talking to me...
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. version 2.0
When I set up this blog, it was my intention that it would be less technical and more about people, relationships and the "softer" side of business. It didn't take long before I felt the need to communicate topics that weren't necessarily appropriate for this venue.
Announcing the birth of Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. version 2.0 . There I will blog the trials and tribulations of a business owner trying to re-invent his business in the midst of a rather tough economy. Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1997 as a sole proprietor company. It incorporated in 1999 and hired its first employee the same year. Since that time there have been some minor ups and downs, but for the most part a WHOLE LOT of sideways. Follow along as the company attempts to do a "Total Make-Over!"
Our friends at PartnerPoint are launching a new customer facing portal and they have asked us to post a banner, so here it is...
Announcing the birth of Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. version 2.0 . There I will blog the trials and tribulations of a business owner trying to re-invent his business in the midst of a rather tough economy. Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1997 as a sole proprietor company. It incorporated in 1999 and hired its first employee the same year. Since that time there have been some minor ups and downs, but for the most part a WHOLE LOT of sideways. Follow along as the company attempts to do a "Total Make-Over!"
Our friends at PartnerPoint are launching a new customer facing portal and they have asked us to post a banner, so here it is...
A Proud Member Of |
Monday, September 1, 2008
Success... Recommended Reading
My last posting considered the value of goal setting in the pursuit of Success. Today we will step back and discuss a basic building block for attaining knowledge. That knowledge can then be a contributing factor in attaining Success.
It is often said that "Knowledge is Power." One way to obtain knowledge is to read. People read for a variety of reasons. I for one don't like to read. I read out of necessity. Having said that, nearly everything I read serves a purpose, it addresses a need. So if I am currently experiencing a need to become more successful, what should I read? I'll share with you a few books that I am reading, have just read or more importantly, re-read.
One of my fellow HTG13 members, Karl Palachuk has recently written a book called Relax Focus Succeed: A Guide To Balancing Your Personal and Professional Lives and Being More Successful in Both. I am about half-way through it. So far, I have found it to be a very interesting read. I have known Karl (through his public presence) for a number of years. I have seen him in action at a number of technical events. However, we were just formally introduced and officially became colleagues in July. It will be interesting for me, once I finish the book to see if Karl can "Walk the Walk..." That will be the true test of the value of this book. I'll keep you posted.
The book that I most recently finished is called The Go-Giver. For those of you who like me, don't really enjoy reading, this is an easy reading book that shouldn't take you too much time or effort to read. The book was oddly enough, given to me by Arlin Sorensen. Arlin and his wife Nancy graciously hosted an event on their family farm that featured teaching on this simple little book. You can read about it here. If you look closely, you might even find reference to "yours truly."
I am still amazed every time I meet someone in business (SMB) who has not read The E-Myth Revisited. If you have not read this book, buy it. Buy 5. Trust me, once you read the book, you will want to give it to friends and associates. It is THAT good. I bought the paperback originally back in 2005 and I recently purchased the audio book so that I could "learn it" all over again.
No discussion about books, knowledge and power would be complete without explicit mention of the Bible. There is simply no book that contains more TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE and POWER than the Bible. If you were only allowed to read one book the rest of your life, that is the only one that you need. Oh, BTW, there are plenty of tips for Success, contained in its pages as well.
It is often said that "Knowledge is Power." One way to obtain knowledge is to read. People read for a variety of reasons. I for one don't like to read. I read out of necessity. Having said that, nearly everything I read serves a purpose, it addresses a need. So if I am currently experiencing a need to become more successful, what should I read? I'll share with you a few books that I am reading, have just read or more importantly, re-read.
One of my fellow HTG13 members, Karl Palachuk has recently written a book called Relax Focus Succeed: A Guide To Balancing Your Personal and Professional Lives and Being More Successful in Both. I am about half-way through it. So far, I have found it to be a very interesting read. I have known Karl (through his public presence) for a number of years. I have seen him in action at a number of technical events. However, we were just formally introduced and officially became colleagues in July. It will be interesting for me, once I finish the book to see if Karl can "Walk the Walk..." That will be the true test of the value of this book. I'll keep you posted.
The book that I most recently finished is called The Go-Giver. For those of you who like me, don't really enjoy reading, this is an easy reading book that shouldn't take you too much time or effort to read. The book was oddly enough, given to me by Arlin Sorensen. Arlin and his wife Nancy graciously hosted an event on their family farm that featured teaching on this simple little book. You can read about it here. If you look closely, you might even find reference to "yours truly."
I am still amazed every time I meet someone in business (SMB) who has not read The E-Myth Revisited. If you have not read this book, buy it. Buy 5. Trust me, once you read the book, you will want to give it to friends and associates. It is THAT good. I bought the paperback originally back in 2005 and I recently purchased the audio book so that I could "learn it" all over again.
No discussion about books, knowledge and power would be complete without explicit mention of the Bible. There is simply no book that contains more TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE and POWER than the Bible. If you were only allowed to read one book the rest of your life, that is the only one that you need. Oh, BTW, there are plenty of tips for Success, contained in its pages as well.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Success...
I started Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. just of 11 years ago. As a business owner, you might say that I have more than just a passing interest in this thing called "success."
Like so many words, the word Success means different things to different people. Judging by most standards, neither QSS nor Rick Bahl would be considered a success. To be perfectly honest, I would tend to agree with those assessments. In order for me to succeed, in business or in my personal life, I need to have goals. Attainment of those goals will ultimately determine whether I am successful. Others may disagree, but technically, if I attain the goals that I set for my business and myself, then I have succeeded.
Therein lies the problem. Like so many people (and businesses), my goals are vague, poorly defined or non-existent. What I do have would be more accurately called Dreams. Dreams are a topic for a different discussion at another time. Realizing the error of my ways, I am taking steps toward ensuring SUCCESS, by anyone's measure, and the process is largely focused on setting and achieving goals.
S.M.A.R.T. Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time-bound. Those are the attributes of a useful goal. Knowing that is not enough. I still need some help. A lot of help. I "KNOW" an impressive amount of "things." Don't believe me, just ask my kids... There is an enormous difference between Knowing and Doing.
For me, Doing is going to take some work and a good deal of help. Enter Arlin Sorensen and his HTG Peer Groups. Arlin is all about Execution. He likes to quote Thomas Edison, who said, "Vision without execution is hallucination." I was invited to become a member of HTG13. We had our first quarterly meeting in July and will be meeting again the end of October in Kansas City. If you would like to know more about Arlin or the HTG Peer Groups, let me know and I'll provide additional details.
Naturally, there are more ingredients to Success, than simply having and attaining goals, but let's stop here of today and we'll pick up the topic again in the future...
Like so many words, the word Success means different things to different people. Judging by most standards, neither QSS nor Rick Bahl would be considered a success. To be perfectly honest, I would tend to agree with those assessments. In order for me to succeed, in business or in my personal life, I need to have goals. Attainment of those goals will ultimately determine whether I am successful. Others may disagree, but technically, if I attain the goals that I set for my business and myself, then I have succeeded.
Therein lies the problem. Like so many people (and businesses), my goals are vague, poorly defined or non-existent. What I do have would be more accurately called Dreams. Dreams are a topic for a different discussion at another time. Realizing the error of my ways, I am taking steps toward ensuring SUCCESS, by anyone's measure, and the process is largely focused on setting and achieving goals.
S.M.A.R.T. Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time-bound. Those are the attributes of a useful goal. Knowing that is not enough. I still need some help. A lot of help. I "KNOW" an impressive amount of "things." Don't believe me, just ask my kids... There is an enormous difference between Knowing and Doing.
For me, Doing is going to take some work and a good deal of help. Enter Arlin Sorensen and his HTG Peer Groups. Arlin is all about Execution. He likes to quote Thomas Edison, who said, "Vision without execution is hallucination." I was invited to become a member of HTG13. We had our first quarterly meeting in July and will be meeting again the end of October in Kansas City. If you would like to know more about Arlin or the HTG Peer Groups, let me know and I'll provide additional details.
Naturally, there are more ingredients to Success, than simply having and attaining goals, but let's stop here of today and we'll pick up the topic again in the future...
Friday, August 29, 2008
Introducing... Me!
Greetings,
My name is Rick Bahl. I am a 40 something business owner who is beginning to embrace Web 2.0. You will soon learn that there is some small amount of irony in that. My company, Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. is a technology company. We help small businesses realize the full potential of their investments in IT. You would think I would have done this a long time ago.
The reality is, I am doing this because of my interest in people, rather than technology. Years ago I used to live on the "bleeding edge" of tech and had to be riding the wave of whatever was new and exciting. Today, I am more interested in things that "work!" That leaves me time to focus on relationships.
I wasn't always a "people person." In fact there was a time, most of my life, to be precise, that I really didn't care for most people, most of the time. Let's just say, I had a change of heart. I'm sure we'll explore that in much more detail in the future.
I don't want to "unload" on everyone with my first post but I would like to start a dialog. Let's try this as an icebreaker. Do you donate blood? I did today. I do regularly and there is a better than 50% chance that each time I do, I will get "light-headed" and they will have to attend to me. Why do I do it? Because I can... It is a simple act that has such great potential. I like that.
My name is Rick Bahl. I am a 40 something business owner who is beginning to embrace Web 2.0. You will soon learn that there is some small amount of irony in that. My company, Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. is a technology company. We help small businesses realize the full potential of their investments in IT. You would think I would have done this a long time ago.
The reality is, I am doing this because of my interest in people, rather than technology. Years ago I used to live on the "bleeding edge" of tech and had to be riding the wave of whatever was new and exciting. Today, I am more interested in things that "work!" That leaves me time to focus on relationships.
I wasn't always a "people person." In fact there was a time, most of my life, to be precise, that I really didn't care for most people, most of the time. Let's just say, I had a change of heart. I'm sure we'll explore that in much more detail in the future.
I don't want to "unload" on everyone with my first post but I would like to start a dialog. Let's try this as an icebreaker. Do you donate blood? I did today. I do regularly and there is a better than 50% chance that each time I do, I will get "light-headed" and they will have to attend to me. Why do I do it? Because I can... It is a simple act that has such great potential. I like that.
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