BridgeBuilders

Real Men Act Noble

2011-11-12T09:39:00.004-05:00

It was the 1500's and Edward Bounds wrote "God is not looking for better methods, he is looking for better men."

You just have to look at where men are today to see, what a "real" man looks like.

When you look at what just happened at Penn State is another indicator of poor choices by men in light of what should have happened.

Robert Lewis has said that "real men are noble {adj. having excellent or moral character, relating to higher moral principles} , but you don't hear that anymore do you?" so true. The Apostle Paul said in one of his letters to the church 2 Timothy 3 that man/woman would get worse....not better when it comes to self. This you can see in many areas where society's moral decline continues.

You can look at the case in Happy Valley and for this generation it will always be remembered for a lack of leadership. A tragedy that affects many. That was covered up by many. In a place that the name will not have true meaning for many, many years.

Mostly men that should have stepped up to the protection of children. The opposite thinking of protecting a school, a coach's record, their job, not thinking but what if this gets out? Self...self...self..

Today, it is hard for a man to see what nobility looks like. He will not see it on network television or commercials. Men are portrayed as dumb, slow, and more. Shows from the past such as the Waltons etc are seen as out of touch. Backward thinking. I abhor to think about this even 10 years from now.

One of my favorite historical people from the bible is Josiah. He took over as King at an early age as a child. Taking over from a time when several evil kings had ruled. When he learned of the truth and how it had been hidden he was full of rage (the good kind) and despair that he didn't know these things.

His next step was to make things right.

As a man today,
Where do you draw the line?

Do you lead with integrity?

Do you try to make things right whereever you go?

Do you like that word noble?

Do your children understand what that looks like?

How do you show them? Paul called men that do this in their jobs- "Good named workers" ---Chip Ingram has said that a manager would say- "What is it you have? I want 10 people that work just like you!"

Where do you draw the line on ethical conduct? Do you know where that is? where did you learn it?

I was recently at a conference where a futurist spoke. He gave us many great ideas to ponder about business and change in the world. But, he clearly said that truth is going to be in this Organic Age whatever you want it to be. People say that want truth but you can rarely find it today, just look at the media. We have more stories being written today than ever but all told thru a personal filter. We all have it.

Where do you seek truth? How do you go about it?

Today take a moment and put together a plan of how you will be more noble.

Start with your family first in how can you honor your wife? She should beam with life that you honor her and lead your family in a positive uplifting way.

How can you show your kids what a "real" man is so that your son or daughter see that?

Who are other men you could include in your inner circle that will keep you accountable? Guide you on tough issues? Be there with you in mountain top moments and during the valleys? Begin to seek them.

Seek men that are NOT yes men in your life. Seek men that will tell you the truth and guard you from making decisions that will hurt you, your family or your company (career). Men that will tell you NO, you are wrong, what are you thinking? .....iron sharpens iron...

Jesus of Nazareth called that discipleship. Look at His model and the work He did in a short amount of time that changed the world. Heck, he defines time. {A.D} His principles are all opposite of the world. Self before others. Spend some time learning about them. They are lifechanging.

Look around your town for groups like CBMC that meet. Gosh, I love those guys. They helped me years ago when I was struggling. Lifeway Stores sells "The Quest for Authentic Manhood" DVD series. I have a friend that is starting a group to go thru it right now with guys from his neighborhood! He wants to be around guys looking to be Noble!

Have a teenage son? Get "Raising a Modern Day Knight," by Robert Lewis to create a ceremony for him.

Daughters? Get "What a Daughter Needs from her Dad," by Michael Farris. I have lead several groups of men thru a discussion just around this book and seen light bulb moments, stories of change for the better and just greater understanding of how to lead your family.

How about ethics? John Maxwell wrote a book several years ago that is called, "There is No Such Thing as Business Ethics." Because there isn't. Quick read, but powerful.

Michael Hyatt has been traveling this year just speaking on a having a life plan! Here is a link to that to consider:

http://michaelhyatt.com/life-plan

Remember what E. M. Bounds said? Not better methods, better men.....Put your gameplan together to become a Noble Man. Each day take a step forward, but without a plan......you will wander.

and take time to pray for all around Happy Valley.

Present Decisions Determine Future Situations

2011-08-15T19:32:00.003-04:00

Do they ever. When you are approached at work about new tasks, projects or oh, yes the dreaded C word : Change. How do you respond?

Several years ago I was asked by my leader to take on a new role of increased responsibility, travel and in pulling several operations into improving performance in risk management and injuries across several manufacturing plants.

It involved bringing people together and meeting targets set by the president of the company.

Let me say that it was contrary first to my behavioral style and my leader was very good about taking me with him on trips and showing me what to expect and how to “do travel.” He was supportive and also demanding to meet goals. His role to the transition was just excellent. He set up the change very well. That is key.

Our team came together over several months. Did I mention this was during a merger? Sorry, forgot about that too. It kinda was something you couldn’t not notice in our culture.

We nailed down key policies, action plans and then put them into play. We were the first department in the newly merged company to be “together” on all policies, training and action plans. We all worked well together too. Because we started off by building relationships and what we all brought to the table. What great talent! Years of service and experience! The time went by quickly.

And then at a Chicago sports bar and eating something like a burger, after this was all done, my leader asked me if I would like to be considered for our owner’s employee of the year award. I said that would be neat. He then changed the conversation and I didn’t think another thing about it for several months.

Until the letter came.

I was standing with a consultant that worked with me and the letter was from our owner from Switzerland.

“OPEN IT!,” he shouted. “OPEN IT NOW!”

I opened and slowly read aloud that I was being recognized for performance as an Employee of the Year and would I join our owner in Switzerland during the week of August….?

“I WANT TO GO WITH YOU!” my consultant buddy yelled.

Wow.

That would be a trip of a lifetime wrapped around another week with my wife in Ireland. It also marked several more trips to have special dinners with the owner when he came to the states.

Present Decisions Determine Future Situations….as John Maxwell says in one his many excellent books.

My approach to the change, to dig in and get involved and make a difference paid off in a way that I will never forget. More about that in a future post.

Today. What change are you a part of in your work? John Maxwell has said to that “Change can equal growth or grief.”

Have you accepted the assignment with an open mind and not one of a “Ain’t It Awful” mentality?

Being given more work during this time in our business world is the new way to do work. It makes all of us multi taskers and more serious learners of our business.

Not every assignment is going to lead to a week in Europe. I know that really well. My illustration is that I went into that to be a “good-named worker” so that others could see light in this world instead of darkness. Colossians 3:23

It also had much impact on how I lead all teams today and work with others.

Can you look at how you are interacting with people today to think about how you can improve that experience for those people? Of course you can. You are creating a better story when you evaluate and then refine/improve your communication style thru building relationships.

Vitamin A (Application) What are two ways you could start this week improving (Even if they are really good) relationships at work and at home?

What project are you working on right now or about to work on that you can make a WOW project? like Tom Peters has discussed in the past. WOWem…. Think about how to show value for the work you do.

For more to go deeper…read Linchpin by Seth Godin…. Excellent for this type of mindset.

That trip by the way was this month in 1996. My how time flies. I am looking at the plaque I received that night on August 24^th in Zurich over dinner with my beaming wife and a crowd from our owner’s 18 others companies watching. Wow……Blessed.

*Present Decisions Determine Future Situations- John Maxwell

Helping Hands

2011-07-10T19:32:00.003-04:00

I received this note from Pat Harrington this week whom has started a ministry to help others looking for jobs. She asked me to be on a panel last year where 60 people from all types of careers came together seeking ideas on ways to obtain employment.

She has done a wonderful job. I wanted to just share this with you thru the blog. Pat, pray for you everyday and this ministry in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Earlier this week I sent you an email asking you to join me on a “Field Trip” to Roswell UMC (http://hopejobministry.org/meetings.html) to learn about their jobs ministry. About the same time as I was planning this trip and notifying you, God was working in the background. I have been so blessed by one of the ladies I have been working with that I had to share her testimony with you.

What HOPE stands for is so much more than JOBS – it’s really about SOULS. The story below is only one of the tangible signs we can see of the harvest of this work. I pray that you will read the story below and be as moved as I am. The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. If this isn’t your “calling,” would you consider passing the message on to someone else who may be just waiting to serve those who are broken-hearted by job loss?

_____

Clarrisa is one of the ladies I’ve been working with since April. She has 4 felony convictions for aggravated (armed) robbery. Her life sounds like a story that you would only see on television and I can hardly believe the horrors she has lived through. Through our time together, I have grown to love her. She has a very good heart and has such great potential to do whatever she would like to do in life. Up until now, she just hasn’t had the chance.

Clarrisa volunteered for my organization since we met in April and I have seen God work true miracles in her life. It has been wonderful getting to know her and to be able to watch her transformation. Even more wonderful, is watching her amazement as God has proved Himself faithful to her over and over again in the most miraculous ways. The miracles and blessings bestowed on her were not lost on her. She knew that what was happening in her life were truly gifts from God. As she grew closer to Him, He continued to lead, encourage and reward her.

She interviewed for a position at The Chattanoogan Hotel this week and was hired for a position immediately. Despite her criminal background, she has been given a chance that she thought would never be open to her. She called me and expressed such joy, appreciation and amazement. Her bus pass was expiring at midnight that evening and she didn’t have appropriate, comfortable shoes in which to do her new housekeeping job. She went to the Bethlehem Center to finish up some volunteer work she was doing there. They asked her if she needed transportation (she did) and also asked if she needed clothing or anything to start her new job (she did). They handed her a check for $100 and she was able to get exactly what she needed. She starts her new job on Friday.

I wanted to share the letter she wrote back to me with you. God is truly amazing and I know that the work I’m doing is Kingdom work. I am trusting in His faithfulness to bring what I need to continue this ministry and thank Him daily for people like you. I pray constantly for other who will come alongside me to continue this important work.

==============================================================

I began volunteer work with Mrs. Pat Harrington back in April. I remember when I was recommended to go work with her I was told that I was the lucky one. Well that was surely an under statement. I was in fact the most blessed one. Working with Mrs. Pat through the HOPE Job Support was a wonderful experience. I gained some special friends and also educated my brain a lot more. I learned how to make a more productive resume, how to use basic computer skills such as Excel, PowerPoint, Typing, etc. I grew closer to God which was the most important thing. The love and support that Mrs. Harrington had for me was amazing. She made me feel like I was her own. She did everything in her power to make sure that I had everything I needed to be prepared for not only a job but also for life struggles and battles. She also taught me how to get through an interview without crashing. With her help I succeeded in that interview and landed me a job at The Chattanoogan Hotel. I never thought I would ever get a job there due to my criminal background and history. But with the help of God and the support of HOPE I made it. HOPE has blessed me in so many different ways. I will always be here for Mrs. Harrington to help here and the HOPE program in any way that I can. She shed a lot of light on me and for that I thank you Pat and love you dearly. I will recommend you to every person that I feel deserve to be in your presence. God done a wonderful thing when he created you and then blessed you with HOPE Job Support Ministry so that you could bless others. Thank You so very much.

Clarrisa

Here is Pat's contact info:

Pat Harrington

HOPE Job Support Ministry

423.774.1991

pat@hopejobministry.org

www.hopejobministry.org

The National's Last Day

2011-05-30T22:31:00.002-04:00

June 13, 1991 The National Sports Daily published it's last issue. Boy, it was supposed to be something. It was something. Frank Deford and many of the best sportwriters in the business, I mean quality columnists. But, a distribution problem made it hard to get. I had just moved to Chattanooga and I would throw down a $1 for each issue { a day late due to delivery} and was just in heaven reading this tabloid style paper.

And then it died.

It was supposed to have deep pockets and it did to get all that talent but it all came to an end. To me, there hasn't been anything like it since then but I believe with things like the tablets we are getting very close.

Recently, The Sporting News started a daily e-edition called The Sporting News Daily and I got it for awhile, but since I already get three dailies in print it was hard to get to.

Recently getting an I-pad I saw that they had this available and only for $3 a month. I got the app and let me tell you the pictures are excellent, the look great and you get all the major scores and stories of the night/ day before.

There are Sporting News columnists and AOL Fanhouse that cover the basics and even last week they broke two good stories. But, it's not The National. It is the only thing I have seen that runs close to it. USA TODAY has always been a favorite and as a subscriber for many, many years love it very much.

But, just sports in a daily.

Sporting News is on to something. I hope that they can continue this e-edition, add some quality columnists and bring back some memories and set new ground in sports journalism.

Here are details about the National Sports Daily in case you missed the whole thing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_(sports_newspaper)

This tells us all something. Good things must come to an end. Make sure you are taking time today to enjoy those around you. I admit I struggle with this too, but we must take time to focus on friends and family. We must also enjoy each day we have. As Edwin Louis Cole said, We only get one time thru this life.

So, what are you doing today to create a better story?

Tornadoes Bring Stories> Life Change

2011-05-07T08:00:00.003-04:00

The recent devastation in the deep South from the tornado outbreak has created stories.

The story began several days before. Weather evangelists shared that there was a huge potential for serious weather that would come across the South. I remember seeing a prediction of about two hours of severe weather coming across my area and that day shared this with my night shift leaders in Operations since this would have us shelter our associates for a long period of time.

But with Twitter and what was being seen it was even more serious. That was several days before.

The Day before the warnings were louder.

Then the morning came and the serious storms were supposed to hit North Georgia around 7pm that night. I got to work early that morning and warned associates by e-mail of the serverity and reminded them of being ready to Shelter in Place if things changed.

Things changed.

Weather around 8am changed, watching Twitter, storms were stirring. Talking with Security and my Captain was concerned. She said she would stay in touch. The Weather Radio goes off about 8:25am from Peachtree City for a Tornado Warning for Chickamauga where my wife teaches and where our kids are. I call her and tell her, she hung up and got moving at the school.

Things changed quickly.

Around 8:45am My Captain called me and said we have a tornado warning and I am sounding the alarm to Shelter....I replied, "Headed that way!" { This is where training takes in and leaders in Operations and our Emergency Readiness Team in the Office come into play}

We got everyone sheltered and as went in the area I asked our Customer Service Manager to pull up the radar. We looked ok. Looked south. But Chattanooga? I could actually see the hook on the radar that was up there. Prayed for everyone in a hallway and kept moving thru the building to make sure everyone was safe in place. Walked in our biggest shelter area, people calm, trying to connect to family, following our drill protocol.

This was unexpected even the Weather Evangelists missed it. It told me that what they said was true but I had a feeling it was going to be worse than what we thought.

The Tornado in our county was toward Rome, Ga and did some significant damage. Others had hit in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The one headed for Chickamauga had done lots of damage in Dade County.

Things kept changing.

The day and ride home included hearing that the worse was to come on the radio. Schools had been released earlier {one of the best moves of the day}

My wife was home when I got there and had the kids sheltered in place at home.

We watched television for updates on NewsChannelNine with David Glenn and watch James Spann on U-stream. James was big as we watched the tornado hit Tuscaloosa, Phil Campbell, Hackleburg, Pratt City, Cullman, Birmingham (watched it over the internet go thru the city) and then head up I-59 over Lake Weiss and right towards Rome, Georgia.

By the way, there are four more cells that come thru our area. One on the south end of Catoosa and east side of Walker looked bad on the Weather Channel radar, a friend calls from the area. He has lost power, I said bad weather is on you, but it going north of you and it looks bad. All the cells that came thru our area were just severe storms no tornadoes. We were blessed.

That one was the one that laid down on one side of I-75 in Ringgold, Georgia and took out a whole exit, damage to the town, schools, and in effect shut Ringgold down for a week.

My friend in Ringgold called me back, he was attempting to get medication and he said that Ringgold on the I-75 exit is gone! Everything got hit, I reminded him to get home ASAP as there were some other cells coming from Huntsville and would be there in awhile. I would see what he was talking about the next morning as I went to work.

Listening to the Sheriff's office over the internet in Catoosa County proved to be unsettling, officers were finding bodies outside of Ringgold on roads such as Friendhip Road which heads up to Tennessee. 5 was the count at midnight.....if you followed this you know back towards Alabama this was nothing.

Back at our plant, I had been in touch with Security during this whole time because there was a tornado headed towards Rome ---remember the one that came into Tuscaloosa? Well, it is now going to go between Rome and Cartersville. I tell Security it probably won't changed and head north but you will be getting a tornado warning soon so get ready.

We sheltered our associates then and then one more time that night.

There are so many stories that started that day....Wednesday, April 27th. I am thankful that our Weather Evangelists sounded the alarm like they did earlier. I am still amazed at how many people didn't pay attention to this. I think that has changed for this area of the South. I think this generation like the ones did with the storms of the 70s that you must respect the weather and prepare for the worst.

May God Bless you and your family. Our prayers are with those rebuilding homes, businesses and cities....May God comfort you during this time and give you strength.

Here is a link to the devastation by our local paper the Chattanooga Times Free Press:

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/may/07/updated-overall-look-chattanooga-area-storm-covera/?breakingnews

What is your story?

Robert Lewis gives some wisdom on discipleship

2011-03-20T22:08:00.003-04:00

Robert Lewis was the guest by Skype this past Thursday night of the Men's Ministry Network based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. MMN is working to address the need for intentional discipleship with men in their churches. This night the dinner meeting was held at the BX and 80 men attended.

Robert Lewis developed Men's Fraternity curriculum in the 90's at the request of the men of his church in Little Rock, Arkansas that had attended Promise Keeper events but wanted to learn more about being authentic men.

So Lewis, crafted three years of content and then also had it picked up for placement in Lifeway Stores too.

He was asked tonight to talk about discipleship.

Robert asked the question to begin, How are people transformed into authentic followers of Jesus Christ?

He said that are four ways 1) first by truth by moving from head knowledge to the heart 2) Close relationships drive it 3) Spending time with people 4) training that requires commitment and application for transformation

Is there real intentional men or women's discipling in your church he asked?

He said pastors should think of as few as seven areas where they want people to be transformed and select the right tools (the best out there) and then choose lay people who have those gifts in those areas and then train them how to use it to train others. (Equipping)

The key to men's ministry today in America is pastoral affirmation and Robert said a lot of pastors just don't get it. They don't see that so go the men so go the church. He said it is a big problem with pastors today.

His Q/A session was super and he was asked about how to just start discipling other men. He said think of areas that you love and you are really good at. Find a resource that amplifies it and then some guys around you and challenge them and disciple them. Could be money, marriage, evangelism he said this is what he calls "Slice of Life" discipleship. Everyone can disciple someone in something he said.

I shared early in the evening about using Men's Fraternity at work where we meet over lunch and watch Robert on DVD teaching. We just finished Quest of Authentic Manhood and have started Winning at Work and Home with 16 guys over a brown bag lunch group at work. (really more Chickfila than brown bags- somebody always makes a run) We have done this for two years now. Good group of men. This is probably my 3rd time thru "Winning" but it just gets better each time I go thru it. DVD's and workbooks are available at Lifeway Stores and online.

Chattanooga area Young Life helped serve dinner at this event. We hope several men signed up to disciple some of these college guys who love the Lord. Great group!

Bernie Ritterbush, of Men's Ministry Network gave a update on the intentional Discipleship mini-conferences that MMN will be offering in Chattanooga in the future called (re)think Discipleship. The next dinner is scheduled for May 19th and will debut certain discipleship classes for Pauls, Timothies and more.

Check out www.mensministry.org for more information as it gets closer and to purchase tickets to the event on May 19th and bring a friend with you. Many thanks to J-103 Radio in Chattanooga for helping promote the event.

I brought my son with me and he was fired up to begin some lunch meetings at school around the bible with some other guys. Meal was excellent and cooked by the group at the BX on campus at Brainerd Baptist.

As always we seek your help in praying for this ministry as we move from desire to engagement to intentional disciple making with men around the Chattanooga area. Love God, Love People.

Hebrews 13:8

Action Points:

So who or whom are you mentoring? Who is mentoring you? Not good to be alone. When you are alone you can be picked off by Satan. He is intent on destroying marriages. Think about whom you could ask to be in your inner circle and be more intentional of doing life with in areas where you need to grow. Pray about that.

If you aren't mentoring someone, consider it. Pray about it.

We weren't created to be doing life alone. God Bless you.

Behind The Microphone

2011-02-20T23:10:00.003-05:00

This week I was reaching back and once again sharing stories of times gone by with a good friend over a nice meal.

The time was almost 25 years ago as I was behind the mic of a radio station doing SportSTalk in the mid-80s before it became what it is today. No internet, No Twitter, just AP wire and several newspaper subscriptions.

It was a fun hobby. I would do live cut-ins in the morning and then tape 60 second drops for the AM/FM station I worked at (10 total) and then come back that night and do a live show.

I look back on that today and wonder how I had time to do that! Especially football games each Friday night, and I was called into service one basketball season to finish the season games for a friend.

Let me say that out of broadcasting live events such as baseball, football and basketball, that basketball is the hardest to paint a picture well for a listener.

As I was reflecting this I was reminding myself how important it is for us to be where and in what God has gifted us for. When you are in a career, job, vocation or career where He has clearly gifted you, you can feel it and also it comes across in how you plan the work and actually going about accomplishing it.

Present decisions will determine future situations as John Maxwell says and the decisions you are making today about your growth or lack of it will show up in a year or in several years. If you aren't growing it can also be a detriment to your career or even for promotions.

Are you in a job where your giftedness is showing? what if you aren't? why is that? what can you do outside of your job to be in that giftedness? where do you want to be? in a different field? How will you get there? What has to change within you to get there?

Sometimes we can be our biggest roadblock. Sometimes it just isn't time yet.

With radio, in high school I wasn't voted on the high school radio show. It was tough. But after college I got a chance doing Sportsradio and it was a blast. My general manager said I had a gift...you get it in radio, Hank many don't. You have that special spark he said.....

I didn't just get into Human Resources either, I had to work in other areas that got me ready to do it.

My point today is to say that sometimes we go thru the forest to arrive at our destination. If you haven't gotten into your calling yet look at why and ask God to continue to lead you to that destination. He will open doors at the right time and introduce you to people along the way that if you are pursuing Him....the problem is He isn't on our time table.

Don't get discouraged by walls and roadblocks. They are there for a reason. Figure out why and ask Him to continue to show you the path you need to walk. Trust Him. He is worthy of that trust. He is the most inclusive friend I know.

Talk to friends about what you are going thru, form an inner circle of those wiser than you to give you counsel, seek wisdom from others that have been there done that, people are willing to tell you how they did what they did. Be curious, read books about the subject, be willing to learn new things.....but don't ever stop.....finish the race as Paul said.

May God Bless you today and your family. Pursue Holiness, Pursue Christ, Pursue the God-man that defines our timeline. (AD) Jesus

168 Hours/Social Media/Book Club

2010-12-29T10:54:00.009-05:00

While driving to work this summer I heard Laura Vanderkam be interviewed on Fox and Friends on XM Radio about a new book she was writing called 168 Hours.

At this same time I had a goal in 2010 of starting a Brown Bag Book Club at work during lunch for people that like to read books ( High Theoreticals for you Values folks) and this sounded right to begin it since everyone struggles with managing their time. Well, at least that is one thing I am always coming across my whole organization and outside it too.

So I thought the easy way to contact Laura was see if she was on Twitter. Once I found her on Twitter, I asked her the question that I wanted to make this book club very neat to our associates...."Laura, got your book off of Amazon." When she replied to tell her what I thought, I asked her. "Laura, would you be willing to discuss your book over the phone when we finish it?"

She replied that she would love to and we set timelines.

I first sent out a promo about the "Brown Bag BookClub," nothing new here. Several companies do this already but it was a first for us. We had good response. 23 associates in our office signed up. Being in training and men's ministry I know that number would decrease as it normally does to commit to anything.

Buy the book details here: http://www.my168hours.com/buy-the-book.html

We started with 21 associates and I showed a training video on Time Management that I had in my library to begin the discussion process and so everyone could take this books home. It worked well and I asked each person to set 1 (one) goal they wanted to accomplish to improve by reading this book. Amazon was how we obtained them.

I then mapped out the chapters and scheduled a meeting place for the main places in the book to give every one time to read and then have discussion questions as we began to get everyone talking about what they have read and how it is impacting their lives. Leading small groups in church has always helped here. In fact, many leading training organizations are using small group lingo now and talking about building "community" in the work place. We met Five times total over 2 months.

Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers has been a great source of growth for me in planning thru his Weekly Review and Quarterly Plans. The next two sessions, I gave these out a the end of lunch to help those also needing more application. They really liked the additions to apply even more to what they were reading and trying to get traction on their "One" goal they had set at the beginning of the club.

Here is a link to several of his great productivity posts:

http://michaelhyatt.com/getting-things-done-an-update.html

As you know when you teach something you can't but help have it teach you something. I found Laura's book full of practical time/life choices and great data, sometimes too much data, but she was showing you ----look we all have 168 Hours----get real!

For me, that was organization of my desk and things that come across it. I put her ideas into practice and have seen several months of solid work now. To the point that several associates point out how clean my desk stays!

Others as we went thru the book had major AHA moments about how much time they were wasting, how they could be better organized too and even in how they went about their jobs!?

That was one of the best....

The group shrunk to 15 toward the end {this is irony of not having time to get better at time management and shows you alot of commitment} but these folks stayed with the content and were amazed at the people that Laura interviewed and met along the way. We work in a manufacturing environment and we shared with Laura in our teleconference in our last meeting that some stories we just couldn't relate to about hiring certain people for certain tasks.

She understood and pointed out how she had to cover all areas to appeal to a vast audience and our group understood.

I think the best thing we enjoyed were meeting the people that Laura interviewed and how they managed their lives, how they dealt with issues and how Laura presented suggestions to us and was very frank in her own life at her struggles with all the things that have to get done each day.

I recommend this to any training leaders as a good book to study. It written more for females than males. At least the 3 guys that read it all felt that way but as with anything, you get what you put into it. I can personally say that I profited from reading and applying key points from the book into my life and at the end of 2010 and am better for it.

Laura told us she is working on a book on money management for publication in 2012 and I look forward to that and reading her columns in publications like The Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY.

Here is a link to her website:

http://www.my168hours.com/

Last but not least I want to thank Laura for being "social" on Twitter. Many writers don't acknowledge you even when you tell them you have purchased their writing and one author whom I had a study on his book two years ago (with 20 men) didn't have time to even teleconference with him to ask him questions and follow up over six weeks. Laura was very open, easy to schedule and very nice to take the time with our group and solidified a great learning experience for us all and I am grateful to her. Thank you Laura!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-07T18:52:00.002-05:00

The past few weeks I have listed Update the Blog in my Moleskin on my weekend to do list and I have wondered what to write about. So much.....to be Thankful for I said this week. Well, here we go....

This time of season is when we all reflect and think about what the year has looked like. For example at work, we usually have an Environmental Audit that we work all year to maintain our system and I look back at all the training we have done for the year with our associates and I am like wow....tremendous.

Year End Review time, not a favorite for many, but it is if you have a been working all year at Creating a Better Story than your last year. If you have taken your performance to another level. If you have actions and achievements to show growth.

Next is in your family. Can you see growth in them in their understanding of where God is in their lives? Do they understand the wonderful grace of Christ? Everything else is the world comes distant second. If they have a focus on Christ it is as the bible says in Proverbs the first step to wisdom. Everything else then has it's place in their lives. School, activities, friends, enemies. etc.

And for you? Can others see Christ in you? as Jesus said in Mark 12:28-30, Love God, Love People. then it all flows from there. Making sure that you don't drift from the true message of Christ (Hebrews 2:1) because it is easy to drift. Paul lost Demas to the world. This morning in our Bible Study a brother shared about a man and his wife in the ministry and how they had strayed from the ministry, now the family is separated and the man is asking for prayer for God to repair the damage. He can but it will take time.

Are you Creating a Better Story in everything you touch that passes your desk? This year I have to tell you it has been a blessing to think that way and to think how can this get better? It has created more work but neat stuff. From projects at work around performance to starting a Book Club and actually having the author meet with our group by phone to discuss what they had learned. I set a full morning in December to prayer and then planning in my areas of responsibility and then sketch the highpoints of the next year in those responsible areas and then with family and church. It is a very good time, then revisit it in January to start dates to get things done.

I look back at the things God has brought into my life this year and am just in awe. Having accepted Jesus into my heart at Promise Keepers in 1995 has changed my life, what I consider important. God has opened doors and given me opportunities I can never thank Him enough for. I am wanting to make 2011 a better year no matter what the circumstances as it is another year that I can listen to Him and follow Him.

So here are some questions for you and I to ponder:

How do you spend more time in the word? when is the best time to study scripture? Memorize verses? Pray? How is your quiet time? Who holds you accountable? How are do you know if your pursuit of holiness is changing you? Can you tell in how you respond to people? Do you see that it is more about others and not you? That is about dying to self? What a challenge! What a great challenge! But He is worthy of helping you to do those things. He is more than able.

Back to Thanksgiving, friends started this at a church I attended years ago where we would all take a few pieces of Indian Corn and then talk about what we are thankful for from that year.

I encourage you to do to this with your family. Take time to share with each other. Take a friend to lunch and talk about it with them to encourage them. Remember as Truitt Cathy of ChickFila says," When do people need encouragement?, if they are breathing they need it!"

What are you thankful for this year? Where are you struggling in the list of things above? Let Him know what you are thankful for, then make the list and set your goals. Divide them in to steps that you can do one at a time. How do you plan to tell a Better Story of your life, a Better Story about Christ in your work? in your family? Pray and set goals for 2011 now. Be intentional. Be serious about your growth and dependency on God. He is wanting to guide you more and more if you let Him. He loves to do that. He knows this world is tough, he knows that it is fallen. He also has a better plan than you and I could ever dream of, but He can't do anything unless you let Him lead and ask Him to do that.

Reading File: Speaking of listening, have picked up Bill Hybels new book, "The Power of a Whisper," and looking forward to that. Hope to finish before Thanksgiving.

This newest issue of Fortune Magazine was excellent. So was Fast Company.

Reading thru the book of John for bible study class. "In the beginning was the word of and the Word was with God and the word was God." Thankful for my bible teacher Ed Fleming and his love of teaching the word of God.

May God Bless you. It is my hope and prayer that this blog encourages you to seek more about Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:8

Sitting in Traffic

2010-08-07T20:14:00.005-04:00

I was on my way into work on a Saturday to shuffle some papers and get my desk clean, do a weekly review to get things planned and in order and one exit from work ran smack dab into a traffic jam on I-75.

At first the thoughts were this is great, going in to get ahead and can't do that! Then I realized I needed to pray for what was ahead. It could be anything. Lord, be with the police and fire at the scene. Please Lord be with anyone injured ahead to comfort.

About that time a BIG wrecker goes by and I knew a semi had to be involved. Then another BIG wrecker goes by. Another prayer for the driver of that truck.

Nearly 30 minutes later, I would wheel the VW Beetle by the scene where a trailer was across two lanes of the interstate, no driver seen long gone with ambulance. FOUR BIG wreckers working to get it off the road and towed.

Looked like he jackknifed. Pray he is ok. Pray that who was around him is ok as well.

It was when I got into the office and sat down I started to think about lives and the similarities of traffic jams.

When we are in a serious waiting game like a traffic jam, we are more alert as we go thru it. We are usually just looking out for ourselves in this situation.

We also see others that try everyway possible to get around even if it means going places they shouldn't. Some people are very ugly when they get in tight situations. They do things behind the wheel they would never do to your face or behind your back?

Traffic jams frustrate us. They stop the normal flow of life. People in big cities are always talked about by people in smaller cities as to not knowing how people do that each day going to and fro. We like the normal flow in our lives. A traffic jam stops life.

We usually don't think of others in a traffic jam. We think of ourselves and how it is delaying our time....It is hard to think of others when the focus is on self.

Seldom do we take advantage of this time to pray for those in the situation, I did this as I was prompted by the BIG wrecker, I don't know if I would have if I hadn't seen it whoosh by.

Seldom do we take the time in the jam just to ask God to speak to us while we are waiting.

This is what hit me that when we hit the "traffic jams" of life that come at us far from the road in places like our jobs, our families, our schools, our churches that we don't see this as maybe should.

John Maxwell has pointed out in one his books, "Failing Forward," {one of the few books I know of on failure} that when we fall down in life we don't spend much time down there on the ground. We jump right back up like nothing has happened, dust ourselves off, hope no one saw us and go right on with business as usual.

Donald Miller's book, "A Million Miles in A Thousand Years," is a great book about creating a better story. My favorite book of last year and ties into life's traffic jams as you have to have conflict to create a better story.

Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing even talks about pushing through when you have a problem. Please see his post from July 27th here:

http://michaelhyatt.com/2010/07/the-most-important-part-of-your-story.html

Our desires on this earth are always going to be toward Self and Pride. Our desire is to continually pursue Christ by not following rules but understanding that it was DONE on the Cross at Calvary. That doesn't mean we have a "grace card" we play. It means that we must constantly work on our natural self to focus on others. Doesn't matter about your personality either to focus on others.

This week think first what can you do to focus on others in your family, especially your spouse.

Then your job and then as you go thru the traffic jams of life to create a better story in your own life.

If you are in a traffic jam right now in life, don't lose hope. Help is near. Ask God to help.

King David is recorded in history as having some serious yelling matches at the Lord. He was upset, he was more than mad and he knew the Lord was listening and he knew he had a relationship with him where he could share anything with Him. He had no where else to turn.

Serious traffic jam.

Ask God to show you the way and He will. Ask Him to send people to show that to you and He always does. He is the best story ever. Always will be. Tell others.

He defines our timeline.

Hebrews 13:8

Selah.

Mid Point of 2010- How Are You Doing?

2010-08-01T11:40:00.002-04:00

Here we go another year is coming quickly to a close. It is important for us to see where we are heading right now so we can make sure we are Creating a Better Story with our lives in several areas.

First is in our walk with Christ. How is the Pursuit of Holiness going? Have you found a church home to belong to? How is your quiet time? What scripture are you studying after the service and digging in more? Have you said I don't do church or religion.

I have a good friend that has been out of church since he was seven. In an effort to keep his marriage in order and become a better man, he is back in church. It took about five visits before he found a church he likes and feels like a fit. He wants to change his life to be more about what God wants and not him.

The real difference begins for you and me when we take what we are learning and apply that in our lives. Holiness is not just a word it is a form of worship. God is wanting to have more than a casual friendship with you and I. He is wanting a total transformation from what the world is showing to what He is about.

This leads to area two where this pursuit of Christ should lead to a changed life in relationships with family, your spouse and others. As Men we need to realize that we are to lead in a loving manner for our wives so they will have no problem following. It is an honor to lead my wife and to show her that I love her.

My children need to see how I love my wife so they will see how this relationship is to look and when they get ready to marry they will know when something looks honoring or not to Christ.

Next my career or job is done unto the Lord. Our job is to join Him where He is working and our jobs are that place He has us in to do ministry. If you look as your job as a "job" you aren't thinking how our Lord wants you to. The apostle Paul taught us in Colossians 3:23 that we are to do our work as doing it for the Lord. Do you look as work like this? It means taking more time to pray, to take politics out of it, to take YOU out of it. If you believe He is in control then you should work that way. Do more than expected, Show love to those that don't expect it, Create a Better Story in your life by changing your outlook toward your work. Your career.

When you really think about what God has gifted you in and where He has you in your work as a mission field, you will look at people differently.

Next who are you discipling and who is discipling you? You can always be helping someone else in their growth in faith because it grows you. Most Christians today are "Playing Church," by alot of church talk without real action. Don't get into that rut. With Christ, you have the most inclusive good news story that was ever created. Act like you believe that!

Who is Discipling you? We all need someone, I have several, people in our lives that will speak truth in love as we do life and bounce things off of them. If we just walk thru life alone we will Always play it safe and aren't challenged. People that challenge us in our faith walk first, then our marriages, our families and our jobs. All of them tie together. Belief that they don't is a mistake. You do need people around you to tell you NO from time to time.

Take time today to first pray. Ask God...where do you want me to grow the rest of the year in my faith? Churches will be offering their fall classes soon, then how should I grown as a man in leading my wife and family.

What can I do to be challenged in growing this way? Pray for God to give you a name of someone to disciple you. Pray for God to give you a name of someone to Disciple and get busy at it.

Lord, we don't have any money in our budget to grow thru training what should I do to learn? Pick up a book on something you want to learn more about.

This summer at work, we are offering a Summer Book Club- Bring Your Own Lunch , expense to the company = the books. 22 associates signed up to read a book about time management and we will work in small groups discussing how we put things into place in our jobs and lives. Neat thing is the author has agreed to be on a teleconference at the end of our discussion to answer questions! When we finish I really believe everyone in there will have helped each other in their goal of reading this book and putting it into action.

Then next week sit down and chart by month what you are doing to do to be on your way to closing out 2010 in a intentional manner. Writing it down helps put it into action. Then place it in places so you will see it to remind you or in Outlook calendar etc.

Good luck, we will compare notes this January. May God Bless you in your walk with him.

Where is the Light shining on you?

2010-06-19T15:47:00.006-04:00

I would like to give credit to Franklin Lindsey for this great shot of this pier and you can purchase his photo at his link here:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/moms2blame/art/169123-12-spotlight-on-a-pier

As Father's Day is here again. I am reminded how blessed I am with four wonderful children. I don't think of it as a day about Dad as a day to relish in being a dad.

At the same time I know I need to be an example to them each day as what a dad is supposed to look like. What a man after God is supposed to be doing. After all the Christ life is not about me at all. It is all about others.

As you hit this mid point of the year, how are you doing in your relationship with God? How is that going? spending time in the word anymore? small groups study? taking the Sunday sermon and looking at the teaching further? taking the Sunday sermon and leading family devotional times?

I am looking right now how I can make sure I am carving out more time for quiet time and study of the word. I can't apply the word of God unless I am learning it and letting it soak into my heart. Can people see you are a disciple of God? see the light shining down on you? see that Holy Spirit in you is real and is guiding you? or are they seeing darkness?

Next how are you doing with your wife? Made time to honor her? Help around the house? make her feel special? does she see the light in you?

Think of ways to make this relationship more God centered in the last six months of the year.

Next your kids......how are they growing in Christ? That is one of the most important things we can do is to teach our kids to love the word of God and to continue to learn it and apply it to their lives. How are you helping show them things they need to know about being a young man or a young lady? Very key.

Next is your career. It is honoring to the Lord? Do you take your work before him and ask him for wisdom to guide you? Is He a partner is all that you do? He should be. He should get the credit too. for all things come by Him. Col. 3:23 is a good verse to remind us of that. ALL in the Greek means, ALL. ALL in Hebrew means ALL. Think of about this, do people know you are different at work for a reason and that you are a disciple of Christ?

Allow Him to be in control, let Him lead. He is able!

May God bless you today as a dad. May you cherish your children. Can you imagine how much God Cherishes you? If you don't have a personal relationship with Christ, just tell him you want to begin that today. You know that you have been living for yourself and that is going to change and ask Him to take over. He will. Then get into a bible teaching church and the word of God. That is a big first start towards Jesus Christ. Hebrew 13:8

So is that light shining down on you today? It should be.

What Does Child Care Have To Do With Men?

2010-04-25T10:54:00.009-04:00

I was sitting eating lunch at one of my favorite Zaxby's reading my latest copy of the Atlanta Business Chronicle when an article by Maria Saporta caught my eye. 4/2-8/10 issue, pg 8A.

The economy has taken its toll on the youngest among us. A new survey conducted by Quality Care for Children, an Atlanta-based organization dedicated to nurturing and educating infants and young children, has documented a sharp decline in the number of child-care centers, a net loss of about 600, in the state during 2009.

But the results are even more dire when it comes to quality child-care centers.

In 2008, Georgia had 304 centers that had been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In 2009, that number had dropped to only 221 nationally accredited child-care centers.

To put that in context, there are an estimated 470,000 children in Georgia under the age of 6 who spend as much as 10 hours a day in the care of someone other than their parents. But only 26,843 of those children (5.7 percent) are in centers that have received national accreditation.

Read more: Georgia’s child care is growing more fragile - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

First, I was thinking, hmm..economy has hit hard, my wife reminded me later of the programs now across the state tied into schools that many think of as free but they aren't...someone is paying....after school programs now exist and before school programs and I wonder why Ms. Saporta left that out. Many have opted in these "free" programs...still that is not the issue.

Next, the accredited centers is interesting but Maria doesn't go into detail of what is required in this article. It was the next line that got me to stop eating my Buffalo Blue Zalad.

To put that in context, there are an estimated 470,000 children in Georgia under the age of 6 who spend as much as 10 hours a day in the care of someone other than their parents.

I quickly remembered Robert Lewis's teaching in Men's Fraternity (Lifeway- Quest for Authentic Manhood) of how America changed from being an agricultural nation and the father worked the fields and the children learned but were always around dad. Then dad got a job in the factory and he was gone and then of course today we are in the two income family where the children are left and then picked up later in the day.

I would like for you to think about the lack of male role models in the lives of the young boy's represented in that 470,000 number as they go thru child care and into school. Then think about the lack of men in elementary school settings. Even in the church, think about the number of men that aren't involved in young men's lives until they reach 3rd of 4th grade if they are lucky in the church.

I am amazed at how many dads in church think, "I have my own children and I am not working the nursery anytime!" and in our church you don't have to change diapers! and this is the family of God.....but, I digress.

Here is some things that hit me as I enjoyed the Texas Toast at Zaxbys, men are missing from this equation. Men don't realize it, and the issue of fatherlessness across America is making it the new norm.

I mentioned this to a co-worker this past week and she quickly agreed. She remarked that "My son was blessed to have a man teach him in 2nd grade and it made a huge difference in his grades and his focus."

You see God Created man and woman to share the load. Man was created first for a reason and when man is neglecting his role as leader things get out of order of how God created him.

E.M. Bounds said in the 1500's that "God is not looking for better methods, He is looking for better men."

The shape of these young men in Georgia is probably only being shaped if they are involved in sports at an early age and that can be a great thing if you get a coach motivated to teach the game or a coach motivated only to win and living out his past to show he can beat other kids at a game.

The church needs to be praying about how to help make a difference in this.

You and I need to think about how we can Create A Better Story around this for these young men. We need to pray for wisdom to make a difference in our neck of the woods.

Donald Miller made me think alot about this last year on his national speaking tour to start men to mentor younger men and make a difference.

Donald's dad was an absent dad when he grew up and only met him much later in life. (Detailed in A Thousand Miles in A Million Years) and now his newest book " Father Fiction.

http://www.strandbooks.com/app/www/p/profile/?isbn=1439169160

This is not an easy answer. I welcome your thoughts. We need to Create A Better Story for our young men today to be noble, authentic men who lead well. They learn this best from other men and if they aren't learning this, we will continue to lose the sight of true masculinity and think it comes only from playing sports.

I can remember graduating from college and getting involved in a youth soccer league as it started in the early 80's in my hometown in Alabama. No one except our league leader knew about soccer..he was from Charlotte and he showed us and taught us the game.

I had three teams over those years. One year it was 1st and 2nd graders. So much fun. Cloud of dust and a score! and then two years of 3rd and 4th graders. My younger brothers helped me with the teams and I even coached one team with 9 players instead of 11. All those young men are now grown and have families.

At that time, I didn't know and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My heart is more attune today to these type issues because I see the toll it is taking on men in America.

Years later I worked with two different high school bands on staff as a hobby. It was an honor with a friend's band to take vacation and teach band camp with the kids. I learned so much about them, some had decided already about college others haven't and that is fine...but it was nice to encourage both these young men and women to reach past the "status quo" of life and as John Maxwell says, "It is lonely on the extra mile."

Sports is an exciting thing, but competitive band is a bit better in one way. You see in sports many times you beat one team and are recognized as the winner. In band with one of my friend's bands we beat 26 other bands one Saturday in a competition. There is not many feelings like that. The kids were so pumped. You see the year before they had a different director and had finished last. We intentionally took them back to this contest to get over that hurdle and show them that they could win by working hard as a team across many judging panels....The memory of them pulling into that last block in front of me and kicking that last lick in always stays with me. Then the horns came down and they were yelling, "One more time Mr. Humphrey, one more time" They were screaming, beaming and I turned around and from there on the 50 looked up and they had the whole crowd standing......I knew we had impacted their lives and created a memory they would never forget and if they didn't win, they had won the crowd over.

But today, men are shirking from leading in many ways and it is creating what many call a "leadership vaccuum."

They are not honoring the covenant of marriage. They father children and walk away and not even pay child support. Think about is over 50% of marriages are ending in divorce. Many divorces have slowed down due to this economy simply due to the fact that neither had money to split. The kids are an afterthought. Self is more important.

Marriage is a covenant before God. God says that He hates divorce. You can see why because He knows all the pain that will trail it and sometimes for generations.

As a man we need to figure out how we can touch younger men's lives 1) work the nursery at church 2) become prayer warriors with ones as they get into 5th and 6th grade 3) serve in FBLA and Jr Achievement programs with schools 4) Coach teams in sports if you have that gift 5) consider a career change to teach in elementary and middle schools 5) work on programs on character etc with schools for programs with guest speakers etc. 6) work high school bands as I did or with FCA.

We have much as men to share with younger men about the right things about being a man, a good sport and a encourager.

Would you join me in this prayer focus that we as men start to work with younger men?

Easter 2010- The Tomb is Empty!

2010-04-03T08:29:00.005-04:00

This is a special time of year and each year I get more excited each year Easter approaches. There is no story like this one. Jesus did what no other man has done because he wasn't man. He came to fulfill the Scripture and I am thankful for that. He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!!

Updated Thoughts and Ramblings: Just got Tyler Stanton's new book, "Everyday Absurdities" which is a thoughts he has been putting on the web for years at www.tylerstanton.com Some pretty funny stuff. Just ordered "A Failure of Nerve, Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix" looks like a tremendous jewel. Here is more about it:

http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadershop/9781596270428.html

Family and Life Updates...........

The kids continue to grow and are doing well with their transition from home school to Oakwood.

My wife loves her job and that is neat to see. I mean she loves it and is really doing some neat things as the high school opens this fall. She is working hard and taking good care of herself..

My son is a good young man and is Student Body President, the twins have just finished competing for drama competitions after a fall stint on the first volleyball team and doing great and little Sarah Beth is doing super in pre-K.

Fletcher and I started going driving last weekend to get him started learning to drive.

He is getting up at 5am in the morning to help with Oakwood's Easter in the Park event.

Our kids get the benefit of Woodland Park's Student Ministry and Oakwood's each week. wow...

My job continues to be a blessing. There is so much to do it can be overwhelming but that is what I love about it. I can go from an issue on the floor, an injury at 3am, to interviewing a sales candidate, to talking with our VP of Sales about territory strategy. Usually an ISO 14001 issue, Security issue to working on a training event to counseling an associate. The big item came four weeks ago.......

My church has been looking for a Senior Pastor for three years. After the last candidate told the elders no (for a super good reason) they asked me to lead a Pastor Search Team. Wow....what was really all God was that He had been shutting out ideas about men's ministry since November. I mean when I would work on event planning etc it was like He was saying no.....I don't want you working on that, then the ideas stopped, the passion I had was quenched and in talking with my mentors they had told me to simply pray and wait.

You know how hard that can be.

So I had stepped aside from leading our Men's Ministry- BridgeBuilders and handed leadership to another solid brother in Christ and stepped back. Still on the team but not leading.

That is when I got the call from one of my pastors. "The elders would like for you to lead the Pastor Search Team," "They feel with your background and giftedness in Human Resources, you would be a good fit for this."

I responded right away that I wanted to "Rebuild the Wall," ( We have been studying Nehemiah on Sundays) and I would be glad to lead this.

Wow..it was like so clear then. What an honor. Since that point I have had no worries about this process as I have been spending more time with Him than ever and He keeps reassuring me. I have enlisted many prayer warriors and I can feel their prayers...I know that God has the man who will be our next Sr. Pastor and we will find him.

The elders and pastors selected about 20 plus people from the body to be on this team with me. We met and talked about the process and asked each to pray and consider how much time this would take and if they were interested to come back the next week and we would begin.

That next week we had 17 people that felt God telling them to join this process. I lead a meeting thru Prayer, Sketching what we want the Pastor to look like ( just so they could realize that he can't be all those things, but be the man we need with the giftedness that fits this body) and then looked at the 12 qualities the elders said he should have. We also talked about giftedness of each team member and I thought it was superb that many had the gift of teaching. It would come in handy as we move forward. My gifts are administration and discernment.

I ask the Lord daily for a little bit of Solomon's Wisdom and the planning gift of Nehemiah in this process. My first issue was what to do with 17 people! So after prayer and thought, I decided three areas that would be key and let them sign up for which they would like.

Our Three Teams:

1) Process Development- this team comes up with things along the way to aid like a packet of information about the church, handles names from the body, and resumes.

2) Prayer and Communication-this team is to communicate with the body and to plan out the prayers for them to join us in. They are setting up a website to chart this journey too. Their first communication will be the 18th.

3) Research- this team has contacted seminaries and associations and the list of candidates the elders had and have been hard at work. They have my e-mail slammed with resumes.

This next Thursday the 8th we will regroup and compare where we are at since the 1st meeting.

I have called all 60 deacons of the church together for a short meeting on the 11th at the church to bring them up to speed in the communication process, ask them to take their place "on the wall" as Nehemiah did with many family leaders did. To stand with me, to begin to develop "Joshuas" in their areas and to be getting ready for growth of the church. This was the message the Lord spoke to me this past week.......He must be the focus not us!

Now, I am not nieve. Even Nehemiah faced opposition. I see it daily in work. I am ready. "Let me be clear" as someone likes to say alot....God has also taken me thru much in my life to prepare me for this moment. I will not let Him down.....as soon as the church link is up I will share it here so you can follow and prayer with us.

Lord, give me wisdom today and help me to do the things you need me to do to 1) lead my family so you will be proud 2) to cherish my wife and kids 3) to be a good named worker 4) to be able to lead this team that will make You proud 4) to fulfill my calling as an ambassador for Christ. 5) to make much of you in the "Kairos" moment I am here on Earth.

Today how are you doing about being closer to God? The way to do this in 1) be in a bible believing church 2) read and study the word of God 3) be discipled by someone else 4) disciple someone else and keep applying the word to your life......Remember it is not about you. It is about Him. More of Him and less of you....and especially at Easter, He died for you and me to have eternal life. Now, that is what is so wonderful about Jesus, my Abba father. Hebrews 13:8 the media, tv stars etc can despise Him but they will come and go, He stays the same for you and me.....Always...

The Noticer Bringing Perspective

2010-03-07T18:19:00.003-05:00

I signed up to BookSneeze to review books and here is my first of Andy Andrews book, The Noticer.

I read this whole book on the flight from Atlanta to Philly for business. It is a quick read and has it's moments. I think the added value of this is that it can be done with small groups with questions at the end and how they apply to your life.

The character/narrator at the beginning describes a pretty tough life and from what I can tell this is a story about the author's life. {Andy Andrews} Pretty tough. Centered on the Mobile Gulf Coast. Then he meets a man named Jones. Just Jones. The spiritual tie ins come starting in the first chapter when Jones asks the narrator of this story to step into the light. Reminds me of the movie "Simon Birch," where dark and light play such a huge role.

The key phrase for Jones is that he says "We need to start noticing a few things. We need to check your heart. We need to gather a little perspective."

This to me is so key, in that when I meet with a man with a problem in his life, I am always wanting to see where his heart is. Where he sees God. I liked this tie in and it comes up thru out the book as Jones meets different people and gives them perspective right when they need it. Their option is whether they accept the wisdom or not.

In this book all the people accept Jones wisdom and it changes their life from the actions they take. That is why it is in Christian Fiction. As even Christians don't do that.

That is one thing that confused me was Jones real for Andrews or just made up. I didn't ponder it too long but it is the premise for his life turnaround.

The key item in Chapter One for the narrator is that Jones ask him to ponder this question. "What is it about me that other people would change if they could?"

Once again this is a great question if you have some men mentoring you that will HONESTLY tell you these things to help you improve. Most people don't do this.

Next Jones helps a married couple about to divorce. I thought this was a weak spot to use Gary Chapman's Love Languages tied into this chapter. Thought Jones would have given both of them the book instead of looking like he was pulling that out of a hat....

He then deals with a man that is a worrier and this connects to workaholics....In Chapter 5 we find out that some people call him "Garcia." He speaks to some high school kids in this chapter about life, marriage and wisdom. "One way to define wisdom is the ability to see, into the future, the consequences of your choices in the present." Are as simple as John Maxwell puts it, "Your present decisions determine your future situations."

The wisdom he gives these young people about relationships was really good. I liked that and about marriage.

Another chapter deals with a landscaping/real estate guy that doesn't honor his word and of course that heart issue affects how he treats the workers that work for him. (like dirt). and needless to say his relationship with his wife was not good either and he was living on the edge of losing it all....Jones has some good wisdom and the chapter goes along enough for you to see the character trying to change his business and life.

Later on the author, goes with Jones and meets a young man under the pier the same way the book started.

Then Jones disappears and all that is left of his briefcase. This chapter lags and reminded me of a Murder She Wrote episode. There is no way that all those people would wait as long as they did to open Jone's briefcase and see what what was in it.

I won't spoil anymore of this book.

As I said it was an easy read and I think the Reader's Guide was a good idea to add for discussion of the deeper points of the book.

I reccommend this book to anyone who is struggling in life thru job loss, relationships and in prioritizing life and work.....then I would follow up with the bible verses on those areas and stories of some of those characters and how God intervened in their lives.

Putting Life into Perspective is what God calls us each to do.

One of the questions towards the end is Do you have a "Jones" in your life? are you a "Jones" to anyone else?

Discipleship and mentoring is something I do and also have three men I count on to keep an eye on me. Their wisdom and time with them means more to me than they will ever know. In Proverbs 27:17 men are encouraged to be as iron sharpening iron. Some times there are sparks and the can get "wee weeded up" as I President said. But, they still care for one another.

Andrews writes," Rebuild with a grateful heart. You may have lost a house, but you did not lose your home. Remember you are still breathing...(pg 95). I thought this was really close to what Truitt Cathy said many years ago about "When do people need encouragement? If they are breathing... " People always need someone to smile, to say good job...to just say hello!

I met with a dear brother who works discipling major league baseball players and he gave me a complement and I quickly said its nothing ....he calmly said...no brother...take the complement you have done well....

Men are so use to performance that we even have a hard time taking complements.

Get a copy of this book and then get some extras to give to others. Mine is gone already into some one's hands. Can't wait to discuss.

The way Andrews rights about Orange Beach too makes me want to go down there on vacation to the Sea N Suds......Thanks Andy for writing this. God Bless!

Looking back at the Week

2010-02-07T15:58:00.002-05:00

This was a busy week. Most are if you working hard and involved in things around you. We had about 3 inches of snow last weekend and it was quite an event. The stories about how people where I work got home that day were funny. We aren't used to that type of weather here in Ga. We were blessed that no one was killed in the Tennessee Valley over that whole weekend.

This past week we went through hourly reviews of all of associates in operations. It is good to see managers/supervisors who thru the training we have given and also the questions asked on these reviews have rated people very solidly based on eight key areas of performance. It wasn't always that way. We have worked on performance coaching for three years. Conflict doesn't come naturally to us, as leaders we have to address it. Sometimes you have to ask the hard questions to actually help a leader see he is stuck or biased. Good HR people balance that divide. I am very much for the business but also very much for the associate. I had another issue this week after doing this for 25 years that always brings home the point that there are two sides to every story....and there are.....

Rick (Burgess) on Rick and Bubba on XM Radio and many syndicated stations was talking about the old days of radio during a segment with James Spann. That brought back memories to when I would cue up records on the 45 table and get it ready to play. They don't get to do that today with CD's.....If you don't remember 45 rpm records then you don't know what you missed either.

We were blessed to have Herb Reese visit us in Chattanooga on the 23rd. His visit thru New Commandment Ministries www.newcommandment.org There are 13 churches that will be taking his team approach to men's ministry to the Tennessee Valley! We also added one more team to our four groups.

Re upped with XM Radio for the 7th season. Get alot of enjoyment out of it. Have two SkY Fi units that are really old now...(7 and 6 yrs) but work great and enjoy the options of having something to always listen to. Got the Family Plan this year and saved a $1 per month. My son keeps one boom box in his room. He likes the Comedy Channel. I do miss HEAR Music that used to be XM. With the changes with the Sirius merge there have been a few misses but understandable. In the winter like now I listen to Alt Nation/80's/The Message/Nashville! and more. But listen to Dan Patrick, Rick and Bubba then Mad Dog at work each day.

Special week this week as Sarah Beth began to read to me at night. That was big. She is doing well with it too. Very, very special to hear her reading those words. Incredible. Praise the Lord for it.

Last thing from this week that ties it all together was Saturday meeting before we go out and do ministry to widows and single moms by working on their homes. Charles Fricks of our BridgeBuilders leadership team spoke on God using Ordinary Men to do Extraordinary Things. It was a good message and we got to pray over our elders and pastor that is now responsible for our ministry.

So, when you think about that. What do you see in your life that God is doing right now? Ordinary people are always involved in doing extraordinary things in His name. Are you involved in those things at work? By how you do your work? By how you don't gossip? By how you support your leaders? By how you honor your wife? By how you serve in church instead of just sitting in the pew?

The Day After

2010-01-24T12:35:00.003-05:00

Well, Herb Reese was here and we had about 60 men attend our Saturday morning event with him at the Park. Several churches were represented there and that was the biggest answer to prayer of the event to have like minded men to attend. Treated Herb to lunch at Steak and Shake, {they don't have S&S in Colorado and he loves the 5 way Chili!} and updated him on the teams we had ministering to widows and single moms and how we were doing. He has a wonderful ministry and other posts below if your church and your men are not doing this ministry, check out what Jesus said about it. This is a mandated ministry and it is wonderful to help others. Bernie and Men's Ministry Network had about 30 men attend their dinner. All men that intend to implement these teams. They get it.

Favorite moments of the week: Darius Rucker on Dan Patrick. Rucker used to be with Hootie and The Blowfish and still does gigs with them. He was a great guest and they sang and played Prince's song for the Vikings... terrible. Learned a new word : Fandomship.

XM/Sirius's Mad Dog Russo's infatuation with books on a sports show is funny. He has read John Adams and watched the HBO series and plays the theme to the show and yells "Join or Die!" He loves callers...

Attended the Catoosa GOP meeting last week {my first} and heard Joan Edwards speak about the churches role in politics and its social responsibilities. Great speech. Also got to meet a candidate for Attorney General....

XM 158...Rick on RickandBubba.com saying to the other guys, "Here is your cup of shut up juice take it and sip it!" haven't heard that before....funny.

Scott Brown riding his truck into the win in Mass. Many more of these coming to the Democrats that Obama has lead into believing they have political capital. They have spent it and now they will start to be replaced.

Allistar Begg's excellent series on What is the Church? www.truthforlife.org to listen. If you are a leader in the church you need to listen to the two sessions on Shepherding.

Twittering back and forth with Greta Van Susterin of Fox News, Wes Rucker of the Free Press, and John Fricke of Fox Sports Radio. @jaxstatefan is me.

BridgeBuilders:

We start back February 6th with Reveille! @ Country Place Restaurant with Charles Fricks leading on "Great Resumes from the Bible," @ 7am with our four teams and 8 new men that have signed onto our teams to minister to the widow, single mom and fatherless. It was great to have Bernie Ritterbush

Man in the Mirror is having several events coming to the Atlanta area in February:

- Friday evening, Feb. 12th, David Delk, Finding a New Best Friend in Your Spouse, Dunwoody Baptist Church
- Saturday morning, Feb, 13th, David Delk, Men's Breakfast, Peachtree City Christian Church
- Saturday evening, Feb. 13th, David Delk, The Marriage Prayer event, Mt. Pisgah UMC

My wife's birthday is this next week. So thankful to have her as my wife. I thank God for her and the four wonderful kids we have. God is good.......He didn't promise us an easy life, I am looking forward to heaven! Have you spent time telling your kids and your wife that you love them? Have you shown them? How about the people you work with ---do they see the light of Christ in you that should make you different? The Holy Spirit should do that!

and last but not least ---praying for you Gary!

God Bless,

Hank

New Commandment and Herb Reese in Chattanooga!

2010-01-17T17:34:00.000-05:00

BridgeBuilders is proud to welcome Herb Reese of New Commandment Ministries of Colorado to Woodland Park for a special event on Saturday morning, January 23rd, 2010 from 8:30am until 11:00am centered around the biblical calling to men to care for widows, fatherless, immigrants or distressed persons within the family of the church.

“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10a

“Do not take advantage of a widow or orphan. If you do, they will cry out to me and I will certainly hear their cry. “ “He (God) defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.” Deuteronomy 10:18

Here is what Herb Reese will be discussing and reviewing:

*The difference between kind gestures and Christ's love.
*The three unique qualities of Christ's love.
*The role of good works in the Christian life.
*God's heart for those in distress.

*An alternate model for smaller churches.
*How to organize teams.
*Recommended policies.
*Suggestions for service projects.
*Frequently Asked Questions.*And more!

There are three ways to register you and your group for this free event.

First, contact Woodland Park by calling 423.899.9186 x102 and registering

or e-mail at men@woodlandpark.org

Last but not least you can register for this free event straight on the web @ this link:http://newcommandment.eventbrite.com/

Making Good Choices by Fred Smith

2009-12-29T13:37:00.002-05:00

I couldn't believe how good these thoughts from Fred Smith fit into today. Especially with the confusing diatribe from Florida coach Urban Meyer. I encourage you to subscribe to his weekly thoughts that his family keeps alive. Contact info is below his postings.

I am always interested in going back to basic truths. Theories come and go ---- one is popular until replaced by the latest and greatest. I remember the detergents used by Mary Alice --- they were always “new and improved.” Fundamental truths never have to be bigger and better --- they are real from the git-go, as they say in Tennessee.

One of the basics I enjoy studying is the question: “Where is your ego based?” I find with many men, their ego is satisfied more by their business than by their family. This motivation drives them to spend way more time at work than at home. Somehow they feel they have stronger possibilities and authority in the office.

I asked a friend why he didn’t retire. He said, “At the office I have seventeen buttons on my desk. I can push any of them and something happens. Fred, at home I don’t even have one!” This is a pretty honest statement of ego. I am not advocating this kind of ego control --- but it exists and we need to look at the facts.

Ego drives production. For me, it took a long time to understand the relationship between production and family relations. When I was about 60, it occurred to me I tried to run the family like I ran the business. I actually thought in terms of org charts and line responsibilities. I failed to understand one critical fact: in the family, relation IS the production.

This was hard for me. I made a conscious decision to shift my view of family, but man alive, it wasn’t easy. I was right there if Mary Alice or one of the children wanted to talk about a personal development program. I would get right with it. If they wanted to watch TV, that was too relational for me. Then, I realized : relation is the production.

I’m doing my best, but I will tell you – when you make a major change in your life, it’s very difficult. All of your reflexes, your habits, your thought patterns, and your experiences are altered. It is almost like a Christian conversion ---- you have to become a new person. But, the shift is worth it. I may feel more productive in the office, but I know this is a long term investment of great value. And, you don’t give up accomplishment for relation because they’re not opposed to each other. You simply understand what is primary and what is secondary.

The pay day for me is a drawing I keep on my wall, given to me by my granddaughter. It says, “My grandfather is interested in many things, but best of all, he loves me.”

This week seriously consider: 1) Where is my heart --- at home or at the office? 2) How do I honestly define production? 3) What does my priority list look like?

Words of Wisdom: “In the family, relation IS the production.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.” (2 Chronicles 16:43 NET Bible)

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By Faith

2009-12-06T21:57:00.004-05:00

This morning in our Bible Study class we got back into Hebrews 11 and I circled all the By Faith's in my NASB. It also helped to have a missionary in our class speaking today about his travels around the world and him giving us stories of people oppressed and in danger of losing their lives for following Jesus Christ.

By Faith.....so how is your faith? Is worry and this world winning out on your thought life? How are your actions affecting the world around you? are their any actions?

Are you involved in making positive change in the time you have here?

If you have faith you are called by the Holy Spirit within you to a greater story. A group of good friends of mine meet on Friday mornings and they are studying EPIC by John Eldridge right now. I was amazed at how this ties into Donald Miller's "Thousand Miles in a Million Years," book.

By Faith is written to give us remembrance of the great men/women (Rahab) of the faith in Hebrews 11 that they conquered kingdoms, adminstered justice, and gained what was promised. The verse continues with some of the unpleasant things that happened to them too.

Today I see more people affected by this economy than ever in my life. People without jobs, places they have never been before. While I can comfort them and reassure them as I have been there before, it still doesn't get them one of Maslow's basic needs which is security.

I think alot of it has to do with our world view today. What do you need to live off of? I will ask men unemployed what is essential for your family to pay the big bills coming up? We believe I think that we need more. We are taught from a young age to have, appearances, staying up with the Joneses. To have a house like everyone else, even if we can't afford it. Cars that we can't pay for etc....

These men in Hebrews didn't have all that clutter drowning out the Holy Spirit. They had little in most instances or even gave it up. ( See Paul, Peter etc) Because they had a life changing experience that focused them on Christ and not the World. Off of them onto others, to a better story. The best and biggest story of our world, the changing of a man or woman's heart by coming to faith in Jesus Christ. He is watching us right now looking at us and wondering what we will do BY FAITH and leave an impact and not an impression on this world.

So here are three thoughts I am working on over the holidays. 1) De-Cluttering to allow more focus time on God 2) Spend intentional time with older men to disciple me more --time moves too fast. 3) Spend time in prayer to ask the Lord to show me where He is working that I can join Him in making a better story of His story and His name in 2010.....

Love to hear yours. May God bless you and walk with you along the way to show you more of Him in these last days....He is wanting too oh, he is wanting to show you and me more of Him and His creation and we miss it.....let's focus on Him more and less of us....

Travel Thoughts

2009-10-31T09:52:00.003-04:00

This last weekend a friend of one of our girl's invited her to their Trunk or Treat event at a church in Lookout Valley. (named this as it is in the valley at the bottom of Lookout Mtn. Ga/Tn) as I drove her there I noticed the color of the trees and relished it. Beautiful reds, yellows and browns mixed in....wanted to soak it all in as I would be flying out Monday and knew they would be gone soon.

Arriving @ Philly airport on Monday morning with a business friend and on the way to our company's south Jersey headquarters there they were again! Their leaves were popping at the same time. Beautiful.

Setting up this past week's product camp takes about two months of plodding and planning to get ready. From restaurant menus for dinners to making sure the presentations are loaded on flash drives to travel arrangements there are details and more details.

It is always good that first morning to see it all begin and then shocking as it all comes to and end so soon two days later.

I am thankful to God for his holy spirit that guides me to remind me of things, to help me think ahead, to "pop" an idea in my mind that came from nowwhere but will make a real difference in something yet not even happening yet.

It was so good to see our CEO after a terrible year smile and say the worst is over. His leadership has been tremendous. He has one year left till he has to retire (company policy) and our owner is such a special man. Grown up in our business and loves it so. His love and passion for his company have made it special. His love for the Phillies was evident this week.

I love it when John Maxwell says that no one has ever accomplished anything of importance without someone's help. For this training event I depend on caterers, transportation, hotels (love Hampton Inn's Jeanne Wood in Swedesboro, NJ- she is awesome!) company facilities people on set up, tear down, presenters to help educate, and much more.

The things I have learned doing five of these now will help me in putting together any event. Especially those at the church.

But, the best part of the week was reading Don Miller's new book, "A Thousand Miles in A Million Years." Simply wonderful. I urge you to get a copy today.

I am working on a better story now in my life due to Don's book. So should you.

New Commandment's Herb Reese is coming to Chattanooga!

2009-10-18T21:44:00.003-04:00

The Symbol of Freedom

2009-09-09T11:24:00.007-04:00

There is a marvelous freedom we have as a Christian, and the symbol for that freedom is the Cross.

Many people, including some of the smartest to ever live, have failed to see this freedom. And those that will not look, seem to say the same thing over and over again, and the symbol for their philosophy is a circle. This circle has no way out, they are stuck. One of the wisest men of the bible, Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes illustrates this circular philosophy when he said, “there is nothing new under the sun, everything is vanity of vanities.” From within this circle there is no way for this truth of freedom to get in or get out.

I heard someone say, “things are no longer black and white, but have become gray. We no longer live in a world where there is just one right answer, but many right answers”. Our search for truth and freedom, when searched from within ourselves or from the wisdom of men, seems to always lead to a relevant truth, or this circular motion of no absolutes. Everything becomes gray and blurred.

This colorless life, this life that is gray and blurred, looks like this: We get up, we go to work, we go home, we eat, we go to bed, and then we do the same thing the next day, then the next, and so on, with no hope or meaning. We go from one activity to the next looking for and end to this drudgery, only to find we need another activity, and then another. This kind of life is like a treadmill that sucks the very life out of us. It’s easy for anyone, including the Christian, to find themselves on this treadmill.

I know, I’ve found myself on this treadmill many times. What’s the answer? I have to refocus, I have to renew my mind, I have to look at the Cross again a little closer, then a little closer. I find no end of what can be discovered there!

The cross is not a gray circular motion, it’s not a treadmill. At the heart of the cross we find a freedom not found anywhere else. This freedom is moving forward, upward and outward with no ends. A freedom of imagination and creativity, a freedom of discovery, a freedom of a continuous change in who we are and who we are becoming. A continuous discovery of truth, an absolute truth, that is not grayed or blurred. The truth always becomes clearer as we read and reread God’s word, and as the Holy Spirit brings color back into our life.

The way of the cross is not a dead end of repetitious actions, but it opens up into a wonderland of possibilities. Our life becomes a journey, a great adventure! The God of the universe is taking us somewhere, He has a plan! And His plan will go on forever. In Galatians 5:1, Paul said, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”. Christ broke this circle, this circle of dead ends, by being broken for us on the Cross.

The truth of this freedom can only be found in Christ. Look again with me and see…..

Hank, the back pain is better today, thanks for praying brother! God bless..

Grace by any other name

2009-09-07T12:17:00.004-04:00

Treatise on Grace by Jonathan Edwards (excerpt)

'Tis common for us to speak of various graces of the Spirit of God as though they were so many different principles of holiness, and to call them by distinct names as such, —repentance, humility, resignation, thankfulness, etc. But we err if we imagine that these in their first source and root in the heart are properly distinct principles. They all come from the same fountain, and are, indeed, the various exertions and conditions of the same thing, only different denominations according to the various occasions, objects, and manners, attendants and circumstances of its exercise. There is some one holy principle in the heart that is the essence and sum of all grace, the root and source of all holy acts of every kind, and the fountain of every good stream, into which all Christian virtues may ultimately be resolved, and in which all duty and [all] holiness is fulfilled.

Grace this weekend was the fact that God saw fit to let my father in law have a small stroke. One that he is going to be fine from, happened why he was at home. Best time of day and with all of us nearby to assist. Have been thinking about how much he means to our family and the impact he has had on me and our children. We are all better for knowing him. I am thankful that he knows Jesus and that he loves Him.

So how is that looking for you as a man? How are you impacting those around you? Can they say that being around you has made them a better person? Do you have any relationships that go deep and not just surface relationships?

I have been praying for different brothers I know without jobs, in a life change and Gary put it real well this past week. (He co-blogs on here with me) He has been suffering from back pain and he said that it is awful hard to focus off of self when you are in pain. So true.

Think about God. Think about your situation, Talk to Him about it. Give the pain to Him, You only have one shot at this fallen world. You and I need to run the race well as Paul encouraged us too. I look at those Christians in the New Testament and even during the tough economic times we go thru now, it is nothing compared to them.

May we enjoy this time, push thru to the next side and take many with us!

The picture above is our new mascot @ Oakwood Christian Academy. He made his debut at the first home game two weeks ago. GO EAGLES! It is good to see the twins enjoying friends and athletics. Fletcher starts keeping the scoreboard this week and Sarah Beth was a whiz working the concession stand last week with her mom. Being six she can almost make you buy anything!

Me? I was just glad to be able to get away from work and make the games. Two this week.

Happy Labor Day ! May God Bless you and encourage you today to get into His Word, see how much He has loved you and I and what we can do while here to make a difference!

Selah.

Wisdom's Source

2009-08-27T12:47:00.004-04:00

Proverbs 8

Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. I love those who love me,and those who seek me diligently find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields,or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.

“And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates,waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Paul wrote almost 1000 years later these words to the Colossian church in the Lycus valley, located in modern day Turkey, that wisdom is found in Christ.

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

This reminder from Paul, and this wisdom in Proverbs, and the Word that became flesh in John’s gospel, has always been and will always be, Christ. Christ was God in the flesh and is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, and every knee will bow and confess that He is Lord to His glory. Amen.

Being A Man Today- Revisited

2009-08-15T21:29:00.002-04:00

The above photo is from Stand In the Gap with Promise Keepers. I am about three screens back. Wonder what kind of turn out will be in Washington on 9/12? Different type of crowd, different motivations, but needed to show concern for direction of our nation.

This week Man in the Mirror asked a question about men today in the churches across America and I thought I would share.

Look at the article and see what you can relate to:

When you look at the men in your church, do you see men leading powerful lives?

We all know there is a "men problem." In Matthew 22:29, Jesus, told some confused religious leaders, "The problem is that you do not know the Scriptures and you do not know the power of God." In other words, knowledge leads to power. The journey to biblical manhood has a reference point -- a true north -- the word of God. That's where the power is. So, what does the word of God say about biblical manhood?

The journey to biblical manhood can be summarized in many ways. One of the best summaries is Romans 12:2:

So do not conform any longer to the beliefs and customs of this world, but be transformed by renewing your mind. Then you will be able to understand what God's perfect will is for your life (paraphrase).

Transformation includes a cluster of concepts like discipleship, following Christ, maturity, becoming complete, obedience, spiritual growth, and similar concepts.

Biblical manhood is an amalgamation of "transformed" relationships, roles, characteristics, qualities, priorities, purposes, and tasks. All the books in the world still cannot capture the full mystery of what it means to be a man, but here is a snapshot of the kind of men we are trying to produce:

He loves God, loves others, builds the kingdom, and tends the culture (the four universal purposes for all men).
In his role as a husband and father, he is the family prophet, priest, and king.
He must be born again, then equipped with the knowledge of God and his ownspiritual gifts (among other things), then sent to live for Christ through love andservice.
Along the way, he learns how to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh, experiencing the fruit of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
He becomes part of the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace, andjoy in the Holy Spirit.
He receives grace that leads to humility and contentment.
His growth and transformation qualifies him to be a spiritual leader anddisciple maker.
The outcomes of his life match the outcomes that the church needs -- a faithfulwitness, steward, worshiper, worker, husband, father, citizen, teacher, andleader.
He is like the man Paul describes in Romans 15:14, "full of goodness, complete in knowledge, and able to instruct one another."

This is a picture (panegyric) of a spiritually powerful man. It is the kind of man we want to produce. I'm sure you can think of other desirable outcomes.

So what's the point? In your church do you have the vision, determination, and sustainable strategy to produce these kinds of men? To have men in your church living defeated lives is to betray them. Why would God give any church more men if they are not faithfully discipling the men they are already have? So let's get organized. We can do this.

Yours for changed lives,

Patrick Morley, PhD

Great is Thy Faithfulness

2009-08-09T23:19:00.003-04:00

Christian Classic Etheral Library had this note in my monthly news from them and thought I would share this. Neat.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas O. Chisholm

"There is no circumstantial background for Great Is Thy Faithfulness," writes its author, Thomas O. Chisholm. He goes on to say that it was simply the result of his "morning by morning realization of God's personal faithfulness." Chisholm wrote the text in Vineland, New Jersey, in 1923, and sent it to his friend William M. Runyan, who composed the tune. Set to FAITHFULNESS, the text was published in Runyan's Songs of Salvation and Service (1923). "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" is a vibrant testimony to the faithfulness of God, a testimony Chisholm reaffirmed in 1941:

I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that he has given me many wonderful displays of his providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.

Do you see this in your life? Are you going thru something tough right now? Don't give up, don't let up but get more time in the Word, more time letting God know how you feel and most importantly let know close relationships suffer.

Cover it all in the Love of Christ......great is His faithfulness

David Murrow -via Skype in Chattanooga!

2009-07-20T18:37:00.005-04:00

Arlen Byrd's notes from the last Chattanooga Area Alliance for Men’s Ministry dinner. Many thanks to Arlen for these really good minutes. MacClellan Foundation on sponsoring a great night and the 100 plus men that attended. Bernie and the hard work setting it all up. Next Meeting September 17th. Make plans to join us!

009-07 CAAMM meeting notes

Discuss

How is the Spiritual thermostat setting you see in your church? Discuss at your tables while you eat.
Comfort (always be nice), Confrontation (sins to avoid), Ceremony, Conformity, Control, Challenge
We may see these themes in the speaker’s presentation tonight.

In our group:

Sometimes we are friendly with ourselves and we don’t reach out beyond our circle
The comfort zone that people have – that permeates all that people do – if we’re not comfortable with a tradition or a teaching, we avoid it – or if we are too comfortable, we hide in it
With comfort we are not challenged
If I am being challenged and called to use my talents and gifts, it helps me to find my place and develop that sense of worth and belonging
If you ask for volunteers, no one will except those that always do – you have to know people and ask them individually based on their strengths and abilities

Dave’s presentation

Introduction by Doug:

The idea of coming together is to be encouraged, share vision, and fellowship together
About a year ago I read this book, Why Men Hate Going to Church
“When it comes to spiritual matters, societies always follow the lead of men. Today’s men are focused on the secular, so today’s culture is focused on that as well. Unless Christianity engages men, Christianity will continue to wane.” . . .
The answer is through the local church, to engage men and help them to embrace their true purpose and calling
[bio read by Doug] – get this from him

Dave begins:

Are you a denominational group? (No)
Normally whenever I speak to groups of men I am there in person, of course, and I bring a powerpoint of lots of humorous things – men falling asleep in church, being forced to hold hands, etc – these things turn men off
I’m going to talk about the gender gap
61% female and 39% male (adults) – little boys haven’t had the chance to quit yet
Youth – juniors and seniors – 70% girls – almost all the young missionaries that go overseas are female – YWAM (Youth with a mission) – usually the only thing that brings men back is marrying a woman who drags them to church
I wrote my book to call attention to this problem – practically every church in the world has more women than men. Overseas the problem is even worse – China, the Philippines, Africa. Then I get letters from women who read my second book and they say there are basically no Christian men to marry in their entire country.
There is a joke the women tell about Christian men – Christian men are like parking spaces – the good ones are already taken or they are handicapped
So I launched church for men so men could find resources for what is working in men’s ministry
I’m not a big men’s ministry fan – our solution is always to start a program. I’m not advocating that. The men aren’t very interested, you do a lot of work, and then in 2 years it falls apart.
Instead, what I advocate is to take all your existing services and to look at it through the eyes of a young man – is there anything that would engage them
This is not just marketing – when you look at Jesus Christ, he called 12 men to his side
I still believe the key is to engage the younger men at a gut level and your church will grow
The mega churches, they all started with a group of younger men – they were engaged – what happens when you engage them, the women come too – nothing more attractive to a godly woman than a godly man
The bottom line – when I advise churches, your men’s ministry is your church service, your youth group, your regular programming that you are already doing. Unless it has a masculine feel the men will become disengaged.
One thing I like to show is a picture of my wife riding around in a tank at Promise Keepers in New Zealand. She was so excited about that, all happy to be in this tank. Women love guy things. I have another picture of a thing I show with me holding a purse. What do you feel like when your wife asks you that? Men are horrified by that.
So, if we create an environment where the top priority is love, acceptance, warm and fuzzy, the women will love it, but the men will say get me out of here.
If you create a masculine environment, everyone will like it – men, women, children
If you want to see the presentation in full, you can order my presentation on DVD on my website
I’ll see before I get to Q & A, I think it was mentioned that I am currently working for Sarah Palin – she will no longer be governor in 9 days – it has it’s perks

Bernie:

We’ll collect the cards
I’m reminded of the all inclusive men’s ministry ideas of Pat Morley. You are tying right into this, no man left behind.

Question – what are some man things for church?
Answer – the music is an easy way to begin – you know hymnals, those things you can get on eBay, they have a lot of good stuff in them. Onward Christian Soldiers, and others. Now we have mostly Jesus love songs. Back in the day it was more balanced. So what I’m really talking about is the lyrics more than the style. Another thing, men are visual, so they believe what they see. Flowers, needlepoint banners, quilts, this and that. Guys hang out where there is competition in the air, dark, etc. It just doesn’t have that warm, nursing home kind of feel. The way we talk – Christians tend to talk in an insider language. I tell Pastors when they pray, anybody really, we like to go in a strange language. We say “Let’s pray … Father God … Father, God”. If we read the Psalms, it’s like “crush my enemies under my feet.” I just encourage people to talk to God like they would a real person. We don’t have to do this smarmy kind of thing. We often make it so those who don’t feel like they really have the verbal experience can’t pray in Church. We want to make it real so they feel adequate to pray themselves.
Bernie – so how can we provide that, a place where they can see what this is like, and what risks must I be willing to take as a pastor or leader to see the guys talk to God like a real person?
Dave – if you are the Pastor, start small with a few guys. Teach the men in that group. We’re going to pull up an empty chair for God. We’re going to talk to God as a real person without our eyes closed. All this religion stuff stratisfies the church. You want the guys to know that they can talk to God and engage with him. Humble yourself, reject your power to be religious, and choose not to use this skill to be better than your guys. When we see Pastors relating to guys on a regular level and with God, the guys really respond to that.
Bernie – any other ways to break out of that?
Dave – I have a book coming out soon called The Map. I see a pattern in scripture, a series of three great journey’s in life. I’m working on a discipleship journey to complement it. If you’ve been in a Bible study group, guys sit around the circle, read in the Bible, eat chips, fill in blanks or even Bibles. With Jesus I see a teacher who lead the men through experiences. So with what we are providing, 20-25 experiences. We haven’t tried this yet, we don’t have the lessons written yet, but hopefully we’ll be helping to take men through this Map process. Personally, I’m just sick to death of our sit in a circle, read from Bibles and eat chips kind of approach. I want to get out in the community and make a change.
Bernie – what are those three journey’s?
Dave – sure, in Matthew’s gospel, scholars don’t think this is blow by blow chronology. So why did he choose the chronology he did? The theme you see is submission, giving up his power, in the wilderness, then the sermon on the mount – if you stopped there, you’d see a very wimpy Jesus. If you look at all the lives of the great men, you see this period of submission though. Moses, Joseph, David, etc. After you turn the corner and come off the mountain in chapter 8, you see a completely different thing. Rebuking, casting out demons. From submission to strength. From Matthew 26-28, he kind of goes wimpy on us again. They arrest him, allow him to be beaten, he doesn’t stand in his own defense. So this journey is sacrifice. If you look at all the great men you see this in some form. Those who didn’t, their lives ended very badly. We’re using these three journey’s to disciple our men and then challenge them to disciple other men.
Bernie – thank you. I can also see that process in the way Jesus discipled his men.

Question – how do you motivate a man?
Answer – it depends on what you are motivating him to do. If you are trying to get him into teaching a Sunday school, you may not have success. But you need to understand who he is, his strengths and potential and help him to get involved with that. Get him into a small group where he can develop friendships and be engaged personally. If you think about it, the way we disciple our men, if they aren’t good readers, then they can’t become disciples, they are unacceptable. That tears my heart out. I can’t see Jesus doing that.

Question – how would you compare/contrast the kind of men Jesus chose with the kind of men we see today? His men had probably been prepared.
Answer – everyone wants an Acts 2 church. But first there was a Luke 10 church (72 disciples), a Luke 8 church (12 disciples and women with Jesus), Luke 6 (12 disciples). Next week in Dallas I’m going to present that, an idea about church planting. You start with 12 men and you disciple them intently for a year, and then after that year those 12 get into pairs and disciple more. Once you have 84 men, the church is full. You don’t allow any more men to come in. If Jesus could only handle 84 men, what makes us think we can handle 15,000. So many men have no one to disciple them, they just go through the motions, but they are lost. What I am proposing is a church where every man is being personally discipled by someone else. Do you think that church is going to be able to do great things?
I have a website for this, not up yet, but it will be – once the book comes out in March. www.threejourneys.com. I don’t know if it will work or not, but I am praying about it.

Question – has Jesus been feminized? How can we present him as a King and Warrior.
Answer – if you think about it, when do unchurched men come to church the most. Easter, Christmas and mother’s day. Beat up victim, a baby, or loving his mother. We have a lot of work to man Jesus back up to what he really is. One of the ways people have changed this is by drawing pictures of Jesus toughed up. We just need balance, just let the text speak for itself. We need balance. Don’t soft pedal Jesus between Matthew 8 and 25. We need to preach that as well as the softer Jesus, the full picture. It’s like building a house: the foundation is the submission, the mid level is the strength, the roof is the sacrifice. You mostly see the middle part, but they are all important.

Question – how has working for governor Palin this last month affected your faith?
Answer – I feel blessed to be here at this point of time, being in the national eye, working for a kind of celebrity, but the big things going on are what is going on in the spiritual world. What is really going to matter is what is done for Christ. The last few weeks have been a roller coaster and I haven’t gotten much sleep, but it has helped me to realize that what really matters is not the New York Times, but the spiritual battle and realm.
Bernie – thank you, let’s give him a round of applause.

Discussion lead by Hank

Like I said, he talks about the spiritual thermostat settings in the book. What do you see in your church?
Answer: a lot of what we see is just trying to make folks comfortable, we’re glad they are here, we don’t want to run them off. That mixed in with the ceremony. I don’t think we take into consideration hardly at all what it looks like to them.
Answer: we have a tendency to put us at a lower point – how well we speak, talk, we discourage them. What he touched on there about going out and getting other men connected outside of the church, what we really need to do is look at the heart of people and not just try to pack the church.
Answer: we have a tendency of talking down on Christians that are not like us, O you drug addict, how bad you are. It’s how you approach or confront that individual, sometimes we have a way of running of members or people that would join your church. Church is a spiritual hospital for a lot of people, we need to remember that.
Answer: one of my pet peeves is sitting in a service where whoever is speaking waxes eloquent about the deficits or sins of another competitive minister, church or denomination. It not only makes me feel anxious, but I wonder if there are men or even women who are in the church who are not long time church people who may not be familiar with what they are talking about and it doesn’t help the kingdom of God.
Answer: the church I’m a part of is the challenging church. It’s everything that goes on in our church – Pastor and men’s ministry – not to keep it in the church, but to take it outside. How do we reach the men who have nothing to do with the church. We need to find out where they are at, what they are doing, learn who they are, and if we know where they are at we have a place to start. A lot of the men in our church have the same heart – we are challenged on a daily basis, not to look down on someone, but to find out where a person’s heart is, because it isn’t the outward performance or appearance that matters, it is the heart. Then we can go and disciple them.
Hank – divorce rate is at 55%, there are so many men who want to know Christ. The last thermostat Dave takes us to is the challenge. Men need things to be challenged for. For this particular moment in time, just like the times of Peter and Paul, you and I, this is our time for Christ. I don’t know about you, I want to be excited and live my time here for Christ, always advancing and never declining. We are here at the particular time and our time is now. We need to look at the church and see how we can adjust the thermostat to see how we can become mighty men of God.

Opportunities:

No Man Left Behind books
Fish magazine
October 9-10 – discipleship training session at Brainerd Baptist Church – outstanding speakers – brainerdbaptist.org
Flag Football, recreational ministry of Chamberlin Memorial Baptist – sign up by July the 31st, teams formed August 1, the first game is September 12
Iron Sharpens Iron – we had been looking at a biblical model of how we can assist the widows, orphans, shut-ins and single moms. Over the past few months we have been working as a team with Herb – New Commandment Ministry. He will be coming January 23rd (Saturday) that morning. We’re piloting 4 teams right now, we have identified people within our body to begin with. We understand that men like to do and to be men of action, and we understand we are to take care of people. It’s an exciting time and a great opportunity to live as men, fulfilling our design.
You must RSVP, register in advance. Register on www.mensministry.org. We’ll put that link up ASAP and you can start registering now. Our guest that night will be live, Hal Haden, he’s with Christian Leadership Concepts, he is faithfully plugging away discipling men and challenging and helping them to do the same. The question I have for you is who will you invite? Bring someone else. Jesus sent them out 2 by 2, why do we go out 1 by 1. If you are already here, make a contact with another church down the street. Let’s see what God wants to do to change the Chattanooga area.

New direction

What’s in a word or a name – Chattanooga Area Coalition of Men’s Ministries – there are many others like that. There was a typo in an article, but perhaps it is helpful. The Chattanooga Area Coalition for Men’s Ministry. But maybe that is good. Are we here FOR men’s ministry or to just be OF men’s ministry. When you tell most folks, when you are for men’s ministry, most women are excited, they say God bless you, we are for that. Let’s stand up and be FOR men’s ministry. Ministries is a noun. But ministry is a verb. We are for action, that’s what it says. We are for changing the lives of men. But as I thought about that, what about one more change. Chattanooga Area Alliance for Men’s Ministry. A coalition is specifically temporary. An alliance is a close association for a common objective. Let’s get to know some other men outside of our own church who have a common heart for men’s ministry. So who are we? The Chattanooga Area Alliance for Men’s Ministry.
[purpose]
[vision]
We want your feedback on this. This is just a draft.
We are trained to present the gospel, so we know how to give the message, but our own life is not transformed, so the messenger does not give the clear message.
Relationship – developing authentic relationships, not just resources. If people are just given resources and not brought into a relational process we will not see transformation.
What if we saw ourselves as that kind of an alliance [ . . . ]
We’re on that journey, but can we help each other on it?
We’d like your feedback. If you don’t like it, tell me. If God’s in it, he’ll change it. This is what we sense God saying to us. If you like it, I’d like to hear from you to.
With that, any questions?
Comment: we have got to reach out beyond just Chattanooga

Wrap up with Bernie

Tell me what elements you see on the back of the sheet that we were focusing on tonight.
Answer: The man code
Where is the message we tell them about where they fit, what this is about. Stepping back and looking at how we come across in our services, in our youth groups. Are young men made to feel a vital part of that, that all inclusive ministry to men, how well that ties back in. I’m not pitching the No Man Left Behind book as the end all model, but I think it really is on target. It’s as well written in my 28 year’s of men’s ministry as anything I’ve seen on this topic. I did want to put 4 things on this diagram that I want to see added to or enhanced, unpacked and made more specific.
1. Knowing where most men are, where they are starting from. If you try to jump ahead and meet them where they are not at, you will miss them. They will feel like they don’t fit in here, like they are in the downward spiral, the issue of what it is to be an authentic man is the starting point, what God’s blueprint is. You can try to motivate and tug at him and he will maybe give you a little bit for a little while, but it won’t get there without starting there.
2. A core process for getting guys there – like what we were talking about this relating to Matthew
3. Two others too
We’re kicking around ideas about how to take things further. So if you’d like to come together for a few weeks to enhance this and take it deeper, we have a pilot group, and we’d like to have you join us, just give us your contact information. We’re praying about that – not pushing it, just hatching it.
I hope you are picking up the theme, those who have been here on other occasions – disciple men, build deeply into a few so they can multiply. That is how Jesus did it, and that is how we will build the Church and change the world we are in.

Vacation Bible School is complete for 2009

2009-07-11T14:52:00.002-04:00

Well, a number of leaders said, do they have any shirts that say "I Survived VBS?"

Woodland Park's children ministry put on a great week of singing, drama, games and teaching about God's word this week.

Fletcher and I helped with the 2nd grade boys and girls. Ms. Karen and Ms. Esther. (I called her Queen Esther) did a great job and I taught one night.

Talking with our children's pastor last night and he said that 13 kids had professed faith in Christ during the week and that is awesome.

Brynna and Corley helped this week to and Sarah Beth just got thru giving me her own VBS show to the songs she learned this week.

This is nothing against VBS, because it is alot of work and is well done. The number of volunteers were tremendous. My comment involves how feminized certain things such as crafts are a boy/girl type thinking. It is noticeable the absence of men helping with this too.

VBS is really a feminine type program unless you have some men involved and thinking about how to bring that up for boys.

I do believe more men need to be involved in things like Sunday Schools and VBS so young men can see men serving in those areas and lock that in that it is cool, because it is!

I say that from having worked with 5th grade boys for two years in Sunday School and the impact it can have on a simple things like how to pray.........

It was exciting seeing so many kids excited about Jesus Christ. I wish the adults would be as excited on Sundays and thruout the week.........

It was a fun week. Am excited this next week about the Chattanooga Area Men's Ministry Meeting. Last day to sign up is Wednesday @ www.mensministry.org

Joel Rosenberg has a webinar scheduled for 9/11 that you will want to be part of:

http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/

John Maxwell also "tweeted" this week that his new book for 2010 will be on improving communication. His mom is ill as well, if you would pray for her
Former GE CEO Jack Welch is in the hospital with a severe infection. Hope he improves.....this economy is bad enough to make anyone sick
Am on Twitter as JaxStateFan and it was fun this week to "tweet" from VBS.

We also added HD to our Directv account this week. Will blog about that next....

God Bless.

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-02T22:19:00.002-04:00

I hope this July Fourth finds you doing well. I hope that you will have time to set aside some time and think about the heritage of country this weekend amongst the usual celebration of fireworks and food.

This is a weird time in my life. I don't know about you, but I have never felt more powerless in what is going on in my government ever in my life. Before me the debt is more than any other time in our history, the house just passed cap and trade, Carol Browning over the EPA admitted on Fox and Friends this week she had read sections of the 1200 page bill. People legislating major changes that will never have to carry it out.

My question this week among friends is who is righting these bills? and Congress surely will not pass this bill and place such another burden on business and Americans? Surely.

We had a major melt down in several areas of responsibility with financial institutions, government and no one has accepted responsibility and stepped forward. Most all are still in power calling the shots.

The media has become more infatuated with Obama, a man that has never lead anything. Speaks well on his feet with his telepromter and hand picks questions at press conferernces now from blog sites.....

I am thankful God is in control. I am praying and asking what I should do to make a difference in this during these days. You know, when you read the bible there have always been times like these. Obama is not as bad as most of the kings in the Old Testament. We have so much in America to be proud of, so much freedom but we do need to be involved in what is happening and not just by watching Bill O' Reilly and talking about it with friends. You and I as men need to be involved in leading change and being involved in what we care about. Would you pray about that today? Many people believe they can't make a difference and that is not true at all. It all starts with one person.....you and I. May you and your family be blessed!

God Bless America!

Am now tweeting as JaxStateFan now on Twitter........just going to try it out.

2009 Drum and Bugle Corps Season is Back

2009-06-20T21:17:00.005-04:00

Drum Corps Season is back! My 31st year of following the marching activity! Youth 15-21 years of age have been practicing since the fall and now the competitive season has started. Average corps size is over a hundred balanced with brass, drum line, pit and guard.

Cadets open their 75th anniversary season in Annapolis, MD tonight with a win over Carolina Crown. I am still not sure about that win. Crown's hornline is fantastic and Cadets left open the ending for a classic "Z" pull if I have ever seen it. I believe this will be like last year with Crown surpassing Holy Name Cadets. Carolina Crown is representing Fort Mill, South Carolina well. It is the best sounding horn line I have heard and that is alot of hornlines.

Blue Devils beat Santa Clara Vanguard last night in Clovis, CA but SCV's show was really good. They had the nicest moment at the end on Simple Gifts by Copland. Crowd was on their feet. Too many corps are playing Copland this year though......

Drum Corps International's Fan Network is a neat thing to be able to watch video of shows all across America as they happen now. A long way since I started following the activity in 1978.

Phantom Regiment is below warming up before their debut show. Let's see if they can defend their title this year in Indianapolis @ Lucas Field.....Please pray for the more than 60 drum and bugle corps as they travel this summer and practice doing what they love for crowds all over the country. There are a number of my friends I went to college with kids now that are marching.

http://v2.thefannetwork.org/?network_id=1&ensemble_id=5936&vod_id=8c79d7ee-400e-40ab-94df-0fb2e3b86ad6&mode=viral

Sunday update:

Great Father's Day Weekend. Only thing missing is Fletcher and he is at camp in Gatlinburg with our Student Ministry. Louie Giglio, David Crowder Band and Steven Fee leading worship.

The girl's have been so sweet with their gifts today and we celebrated @ Outback with Patrice. Brynna made me a beautiful stand up card, (she is so creative!) Corley wrote me a beautiful poem, (she has that Humphrey touch with words in print) and Sarah gave me some things she loves which is so sweet.

I took them down to the Creative Discovery Museum on Saturday to see the new Curious George exhibit. Great time. They have someone working the theatre area with the kids till 3pm and he was great. Sarah Beth was in two plays and did well for on the spot acting. It was funny all the parents were having fun watching the kids on stage. Sarah had Brynna paint her face into a cat.

CDM is a great asset to the city and downtown was bustling. We ended the trip @ Ben and Jerry's so that Sarah Beth could have some sorbet. (she has alot of allergies) even saw the Southern Belle go by on the river. Hot Day though. Cold Stone Creamery was so full, we went then to Ben and Jerrry's and hit them before another crowd came in. They were selling some ice cream....

New Ministry

We had a meeting to begin a new BridgeBuilder ministry Saturday morning with some men from Woodland Park that will be focusing on widows, elderly and single moms. Great beginning meeting to pilot four teams. To God Be the glory after much prayer and discussion it has started. We will meet next month and begin to minister on projects. Many thanks to Herb Reese's New Commandment Men's Ministry from his visit back last year @ Iron Sharpens Iron to present this idea and Charles Fricks bringing it the ministry council for review. We will work in our pilot groups this summer and fall and then have Herb Reese in Chattanooga on Saturday, January 23rd to open it to all men of Woodland Park and churches in the Chattanooga area.

Men's Fraternity

Great time being had at work with 14 men going thru Men's Fraternity "Quest for Authenthic Manhood" material. We meet at lunch {bring your own lunch}every two weeks ( time for makeups) and it is going well. Robert Burton and I had asked the Lord to allow us to have some type of meeting at work and He has blessed this. Guys, love the content and teaching from Robert Lewis and two men have mentioned starting this @ their churches with their men this fall. One friend has said that he wants to bring several churches together. Amen. Amen......Thank you Father.

May you have a great week and the Lord bless you. May you take the gifts he has given you and put them to use allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you. The harvest is plentiful and the workers will always be few.......Love God and Love People.

Hank

Advancing The Battle

2009-05-23T19:29:00.008-04:00

Chattanooga Area Men's Ministry leaders and pastors attended dinner and a Skype session with Pat Morley of Man in the Mirror on Tuesday night at Tyner Methodist Church.
The MacClellan Foundation and Men's Ministry Network along with some good grub from Gollywhoppers Sandwich Shop made for an excellent evening of community and learning.
Doug Daughtery and Bernie Ritterbush hosted the evening and the spotlight was Pat Morley as he joined the group thru Skype from his home in Orlando.
Doug introduced Pat and stated that only 10% of churches across America have active men's ministries. (I think MIM has stated that only 7% have a men's ministry pastoral position in America)
Pat opened with some humor with this group by saying that today was a good hair day for him and at his age, each hair has a purpose.
He started with a story about four couples and how each of the four men in this group had issues around pornography, another woman etc and when all this shook up, did we know what the difference was? He said two marriages made it because the men had relationships in groups with men that stayed by their side.
Pat stated today that evangelism without discipleship is cruel. We have men today that don't understand Matthew 22-29..of knowing scripture and the power of the Lord.

Pat then asked what is discipleship and he used the definition he has for several years that a disciple is called, equipped and sent.
Called to to live in Christ, equipped to live like Christ and Sent to live for Christ (Serving)

Pat then quoted from his new book No Man Left Behind:
Why do many men's ministries succeed or fail ?
1) The Sr. Pastor has to have a heart and a have a vision to disciple men. This is where I love this part from NMLB. Pat says you see, you must have an all inclusive mindset. The men's ministry in your church is every man in the church. Later Pat explained this by using an example of an usher that catches this vision. As a leader in his area he should understand that he has one of the most important jobs on Sunday mornings. They can come in early before the service for about five minutes and share a brief scripture and then remember that each man ushering is helping people feel welcomed with the reason we want to help them become disciples of Christ.

2) the second thing must be determination.. It must be said by leaders that men's ministry will be important here
3) You must have a sustainable strategy. Think of how to utilize small or growth groups, have the right next step planned for each man, and tie it together.

Questions from the audience were very good, such as how do you encourage pastors to have a men's ministry? Pat had a good answer here that you must built your case thru leading and showing your calling in that area. You must ask your pastor-How can I help you? serve you? to come along side him and begin to build this.
NMLB points out that you really need a team of men to work on this so it is not all on one man's shoulders. Pat pointed out here that if the man in charge gets a promotion and leaves town, there goes the men's ministry! With a team this can be less of issue.
*Pat talked about the fact that leaders need to resemble shepherds and not teachers today. Men aren't looking for another boss, they are looking for someone to come along side them. A Shepherd does this by asking questions and communicating that they care.

Pat says the war is ongoing against this world giving a story around pornography's pull as he attended a Christian conference where they asked the men to turn in how many of them battled this and the answer was 60% of those attending the conference!
It is a real problem today. So available and so easy once a man is isolated away from friends and family. Isn't it. I always remember David Lawson's teaching on this from the Precept Men's Conference a couple of years ago where he said just flee from it! Kill it! Don't give it a chance!

-Local Ministry Resource------------Sue Moore locally has been called locally to start a ministry around this for women but is also wanting to begin men's groups in this area. Her website is www.forgivenmuch.net

It was a great evening, good to see friends there. The next meeting for CACMM will be on Thursday, July 16th @ Tyner and the guest will be David Murrow, author of the book, Why Men Hate Going to Church. This promises to be a great subject and even gives guys time to get the book and read it before David arrives. Please invite brothers that you know would be interested in this and you can contact the Men's Ministry Network @ bernie@mensministry.org

Pat's group Man in the Mirror is @ www.maninthemirror.org
Book's referenced in the meeting were Pastoring Men and No Man Left Behind

I urge men to get MIM's daily devotion guide, Equipping the Man in the Mirror, great daily devotional that I enjoy. Here is a link for that with more information:

http://www.maninthemirror.org/equippingthemaninthemirror/

Noteworthy and upcoming:

*Tom Kitsmiller mentioned at the dinner Tuesday that Brainerd Baptist Church is going to have a Discipleship Conference this fall which will feature Bill Hull. The dates are October 9th and 10th. Mark that down.

*Lee Atchley talked about CBMC and its monthly outreach luncheon. There are a number of small groups all around Chattanooga that meet. On the left under Cool Sites you will see a link you can click on for Chattanooga CBMC

*Woodland Park will be offering the Perspectives course on Sunday Nights this fall. Lots of excitement about this and also all the different teachers that will be in Chattanooga to teach at this. More information at this link for those interested in learning more about world Christian movement by attending this, especially college students for credit:

http://www.woodlandpark.org/featured/perspectives.asp

Notes from the last meeting with Bill Hull can be found below on March 22nd's blog . Note too in a follow up from that March 22nd blog that this week Ann Mulchay of Zerox has announced she is retiring. Wonder what she will do next? Run for office? If you like leadership make sure you read that Corner Office interview with her from the Superb comments she made back in March of this year.

May you have a blessed week this week.

The Future of Media and the Impact

2009-05-02T09:20:00.004-04:00

Several days ago I was walking back from a meeting and this thought hit me and I jotted it down: Could the media's attack on marriage ( i.e. television shows) and how it is to look ....a plan by those in Hollywood to promote homosexual marriage by demeaning the current man/wife relationship?

Let me explain more. First, tell me one show on right now where the dad, husband or father figure is seen in a positive light? Now, you can probably come up with many when you think of the other side of the coin. You may say, Hank- these are comedies, they are fun. You see that is what Hollywood wants you to see. An example would be Will and Grace's show about how normal and funny homosexuals are.

There are men and women that deeply love each other all across America. Many Americans can identify with that. But, not in a sexual way. I believe the love angle is being misconstrued. There are brothers and sisters in Christ I love very much but my relationship is not of a sexual nature. God set up the hierarchy and authority angle in Genesis and it has made sense for many years. Man, has struggled with this since He is sinful. Homosexuality was addressed by Paul because it was in the culture then, Jesus didn't say anything about it because He taught off marriage between a man and woman and was talking to Jewish people who knew homosexuality was a sin and had been thru some interesting things with the McAbees to get back in alignment.

Let's look at another area in Hollywood where writers who really have no moral compass in their own lives probably much less children are to take things another step further- after all that is what you want as Americans isn't it? Reality tv?
TV Land was once a staple of programming that you could watch with your family. Not anymore. We have had the Bachelor and the Bachelorette now they are going to bring an older woman on to find a younger man and they are calling the show, The Cougar. We are about four shows away from total reality debauchery and yes, I know we are already there on some channels such as MTV and have been since Real World started and HBO is really a soft porn channel. (and they are proud of their programming)

It is hard to see any show like Cosby, Little House on the Prarie, etc. that did really well rating wise and are not showing up on the screen. Part of this probably has to do with a lot of writer's in Hollywood that are "boys' in men's clothing that haven't really grown up yet to become men. They also see it as funny to demean everyone and everything. Comedies are getting grosser more degrading, very rarily are they smarter.

Man's greed is evident too. Money is in front of any since of decency and that is sad.

There is not a single show on any station that promotes a healthy marriage between a man and woman. Not a show where the man is seen as noble, normal and that my friends I believe is part of a plan to really make it even harder for a man to see what a real man looks like. Especially impossible for younger men unless they see it around them and that can be hard as most men today are passive and not really sure what a man looks like and should act like.

You see if I can't see what that looks like I can't actually do that.

That is why this generation of men have a opportunity before them that is chance to push against what the media is pushing.

1) The first step is to make sure you aren't watching trash. Trash in/Trash out. Program the televisions in your house to block inappropraie content for you and your family.
2) Police the amount of time your kids are on media and make sure it is mixed with reading and writing. So they can actually put thoughts into words. Love what John Maxwell did with his son by rewarding him financially with $20 when he finished reading classic books and books that would help him with life.
3) Keep bringing the bible to life. Make sure your kids can see Christ in you. Make sure they see you apologize when you are wrong and that they see you love your wife and them. Remember they are not seeing this on television. On tv you are charactericatured as a kind of jokster, no too smart. Spend time with the family at the dinner table, we have family meetings usually weekly and they can be different-like last night Sarah debuted a new dance for us that was beautiful. Devotions are good to tie into life and current event assigenments are good where they have to research a current issue and talk about it.
4) Read and apply the bible in your life. Dwell on the word, ask the Lord to reveal to you more of Him. Looking for books around a subject matter? Click on this link and scroll down to the bottom for a good list to start off on

http://www.woodlandpark.org/ministries/men/resources.asp

5) Read good books that will help you in areas you want to learn. 85% of Americans don't read a book a year. You can get good books at your local library or you can get a Kindle. It doesn't matter as long you are using it to be profitable for teaching for your life.

Paul, the apostle didn't always talk about biblical things. We know he was a tent maker and probably had some good discussions on the best way to make the tents, looked at different styles and had to find materials to make them so we know he was looking for ways to improve himself. Needless to say, Jesus had to have spent some serious time on woodworking with his dad to learn the trade. (That had to be very interesting- I mean think about it-----his dad is showing him how to do this and He really already knew) but Jesus probably had some pretty good wood working going on by the time He was 33.

6) Write letters to your leaders in politics and to Hollywood leaders about what you want to see on television. Let them know how you feel. They should appreciate some feedback from their declining ratings.

7) Pray for our nation. Pray for the Lord to forgive us for forsaking Him. Pray for wisdom.

8) Last but not least disciple other men that will in turn turn around and disciple other men. One step at a time. Proverbs 27:17 lived out. Make sure you are leaving a legacy on your life that will "ripple" thru others for years to come.

***New Radio Station flips the switch in Chattanooga and begins to compete in Newstalk. 95.3 The Pulse. Brewere Broadcasting is behind this venture. First day was extremely shaky. Afternoon drive time, they may have a nitch in offering local news, weather and traffic from 4pm on. We will see, but Friday was not impressive. New Sports Station starts in June taking Alive 105's spot and will be ESPN programming. Not sure what that means for 1370 AM.

http://chattanoogapulse.com/radio/

I saw this story in the print edition of the Wall Street Journal and was floored. I had not heard anything about this, have you?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124104549891270585.html

The future of GM, Ford and Chrysler are right there in that article!

Don't Ask Don't Tell changed and the media didn't even tell you:

http://www.propublica.org/article/comments/whitehouse.gov-backs-down-on-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-501

Viva La Revolution!

2009-04-18T12:52:00.002-04:00

Sorry to not have posted for awhile traveled recently and been catching up ever since with friends and family.

This week was something else. It is interesting how many things tied in together this week.

First you had the build of the tea parties across the country. Would people come out to those? I mean people are talking a good game but will they actually do something? (Almost sounds like the modern day church)

Next you had the new Janet Reno-Napolitano that Dennis Miller described as with a Frank Luntz hairstyle......garner some new verbage about right wing extremist. Boy, she spent too much time on the McVeigh case didn't she?

Then the Tea Parties came. I took in the Chattanooga one with a friend and it was well done. Good balanced tone, family focused and lots of kids. Clearly upset people about the nation's future. Their children's future and the debt being put on them by politicians on both sides of the fence in Washington. I have mentioned this before in my blogs that we have no real statesmen left. It is either one way or not at all. Such a bad way to lead and you know as well as I that if those in Congress will only get to act like children so long until it reaches out and touches you.

Here is the link for the local group that met. They will be scheduling something again soon.

http://chattanoogateaparty.com/

The media coverage was about what you thought. Wait. I sat there Thursday night and thought about how far the NBC brand has been tarnished by leaders that simply want to be second behind FOX News. They have done their programming just like Fox except the opposite way thinking that they could have as many viewers. It has placed them past CNN (that is a whole implosion itself) but in the course of that they have lost their brand image. MSNBC has struggled since it started and today they are not really reporting news anymore just a progressive stance on everything.
Keith Olberman who would like to take over the whole network and will be naming Bill O' Reilly worst person in the world 10 years from now and still be behind him in the ratings has lasted a pretty long time I think simply because MSNBC doesn't have another plan and heck, they have CNN's number now. Money is even more powerful for many men than truth forget the brand that we have worked on for all these years. Forget the wonderful work of Tim Russert. He's gone and that rock that kept them tied all together is gone. His attack of Bubba from the Rick and Bubba Show about having someone in B'ham's tea party saying something about Obama was sad. You could clearly tell the guy yelled something like Go Getem Bubba or as he said he said..Go tellem Bubba! But, Keith didn't check the facts, he simply went with it and showed that he is not a journalist and we shouldn't be surprised. I have know Olberman since his KTLA days and even talked with him as he was a brother in the fight to save the big satellite dishes when they went to pay content but that went down in flames. He hasn't changed much, just has a bigger podium. He is very smart but really never has impressed me as he has worked media and you know it ain't that hard.

CNN has its places of this like with Anderson Cooper and I can't figure out why he just doesn't come out and tell everyone he is a homosexual. His Tea Party reference this week was just a shade of his lifestyle and why he has not ever become what CNN had hoped. Maddow has done this with success at MSNBC and so has Ellen. The American people will accept the happy side of the homosexual ( also Will and Grace) but they don't understand the fallen side until it comes out (see Ellen's dog issue and Rosie O' Donnell) Please understand this goes with those that commit adultery as well. That is a whole nutter post.

Then throw in Susan Boyles performance of "I Dreamed a Dream," from Les Miz. That has more of tie into this week than we would think. Here is a story about her if you have been out of touch:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/18/arts/television/18boyle.html

Anyway, this week there estimates of 300,000-500,000 people that went into the streets, many for the first time because what has happened in Washington is finally starting to reach out and touch people in a way they haven't seen. Plague upon both houses was the saying. These people were told in our group to get involved! in local government, county government and it goes without saying that these people work for us. It reminds me of a scene from It's a Bugs Life when they realized there are more of the ants that the grasshoppers. It was over then.
Well. this week, many people were asked to engage. We will see if they will in the next few months. the first test will be the next elections. The Free Choice Act right now offers you insight into what is happening. You would think that this would be pushed thru quickly but there are several smart Democrat politicians that don't have union prescence and know if they voted for this, then they will no longer be in power. There are not enough votes now and most definitely in the smarter stay here until I die Senate. So, the next election will be where this will come back up again. Sorry unions.....common sense is stronger than greed for power.
So back to this week. Well, it is now up to those at those Tea Parties to be more than grassroots and Susan Boyles and Les Miz. A great production. So as we bid farewell today, I leave you with a clip from Les Miz and you will see the connection I am talking about. It is a day whether you can step up and get involved or sit back and watch.
I believe the church had to be persecuted to get out of Jersulaem and today the modern church needs to get out of the pulpits and get involved in their government, their country and don't just say well that is wrong or sad and such and such.. Get out. Get involved, make a phone call to others and stand for freedom in this country. (Now, I am not acquainting violence as I know Nappy has said that right wing extremist are prone to do) I am talking about lets let people know how we feel and that we are paying for their jobs..... Enjoy the clip!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odrZ6NtPR2M&feature=related

Bill Hull speaks to leaders in Chattanooga

2009-03-22T16:10:00.008-04:00

This past Thursday night a group of men's ministry leaders from all around Chattanooga gathered. (CACMM (Chattanooga Area Coaliton of Men's Ministry)

It was a great time to recconnect with brothers that I value greatly and appreciate their desire for men to "live up" and be passionate in their faith. I am thankful for Bernie Ritterbush of Men's Ministry Network and Doug Daugherty with the MacClellan Foundation for sponsoring this get together.

At my table was one man that I hadn't seen since an advance @ Rock Eagle about three years ago. It was good to see him and catch up.

The special treat of the night was a internet hookup with author Bill Hull. Dr. Hull has written some great books on discipleship and his latest work is Called Choose The Life. The illustration today is from the book. http://www.choosethelife.com/

I would like to share some "nuggets" he shared with us.

First, will them that call themselves Christians, call themselves Disciples?

Ask yourself, what are we creating? What kind of influence are we having?

You can become a Christian without becoming a disciple.

Discipleship is optional. Churches are more concerned with doctrinal issues today.

You can't hide a genuine faith. It permeates your whole life.

Bill talked about how busy everyone is today. AMEN. Staying in touch with all kinds of technology but knowing each other less. (Same theme as Session I of Quest for Authenic Manhood) He quoted John Wesley who traveled many miles on horseback.

"I am always busy, but never in a hurry," said Wesley.

Discipleship is life touching life. Dallas Willard says that it is good overcoming evil.

He points out that that the church and the world's cultures are getting so close that one will swallow the other.

This one comment was big. I mean this applies to all of us.

"Unless you have the basis for truth from a relationship then that relationship can't move ahead."

I see that alot not just in the church but in ALL relationships. It holds so many leaders back too.

He spoke one moment from a question from the audience about small groups and hit the major points again. 1) the problem with many small groups is that there is no accountability 2) They are not managed well 3) Is anyone in the small groups being stretched? challenged? {They should be} 4) Group leaders need to be trained to address these areas.

Men's leaders in the Chattanooga area are invited to attend the next meeting on , Thursday, May 21st at Tyner United Methodist Church. Pat Morley , with Man in the Mirror will be the special guest by internet from Florida to speak and answer questions from the group. Dinner is served. Registrations are accepted at

cacmm1@gmail.com

This article caught my eye from the NY Times Saturday issue's "On Religion," column

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/us/21religion.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=on%20religion&st=cse

Also, I would say that this article with Ann Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox is one of the best interviews of a leader I have read in a newspaper. Usually this kind of detail is in a book. Some of her answers are so dead on.....if you are a leader you need to read this interview all the way thru especially what she learned going into page 2 while working in Human Resources. Dead on!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/business/22corner.html?scp=3&sq=xerox&st=cse

Hope your brackets are holding up. Mine are still in really good shape...believe it or not. (Well, Marquette hurt today.)

God Bless.

Hank

Clinton's "ReSET" Button Fiasco

2009-03-07T12:53:00.006-05:00

Imagine if you will, you work for Hillary Clinton on staff. Your job is to find the Russian word for "ReSET." Thats it.

You have the assignment, find the word on some website and quickly get a label maker to place the word on too since you have to find a push knob as she wants to use this as she has a VERY IMPORTANT meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister and she wants it to be the photo shot before they go in for meetings to discuss improving relations with the communists.

So you find the button and place the word. You find a nice box and place it in it.

Now, this is kinda of important because Secretary of State Clinton is representing President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden with this gift to "RESET" relations.

So here is raw video of the event......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYSmOS0A4kg

Now, that went well didn't it. No, it didn't. Wrong word...the word on the button meant "overcharge" or "overload."

So, this is something you explain after you turn in your resignation tomorrow for making the Secretary of State looks so bad,.......

Let's see how much play this gets as if it was Bush, Palin, Quayle, etc....it would be on every news cast. I watched some of the liberal shows this week and they are all talking about Rush and everything but the fact that the entire business world realizes that they do have a leader that has no idea of what business really runs ons and is scared to death.

A leader that campaigned against earmarks and is letting them pass thru under his watch.

The media is doing with Obama just like they did with Bush. They aren't reporting the news in any balanced form. Just as they kicked themselves for not asking more questions during the move into Iraq, they are sitting on the sidelines right now as this money is being spent that any ordinary Joe can tell you is not good. The Republican party is no where to be seen and should be calling press conferences but you know what....they may be scared about re-election.

Back to Clinton, this was a sad moment because I firmly believe that she took this role to step in the next election as savior herself because she knew what he was like and what he was going to do and if you follow politics you would know that she isn't as far left in her governing.

But, I feel for that staffer this weekend....what a mistake. I mean I have two friends that speak fluent Russian I could have called for them.

She also made some gaffes in speeches this week in Europe that staffers said was caused by her being so tired.......

The one thing I liked that Obama said when he campaigned and firmly believe that many voted for him on was "Change" in how politics would change when he became president. No more partisian politics... a new day... Well, from the beginning he has zinged the GOP when he didn't get his way and after campaigning across the country is really out of touch.

Many remember that Nero fiddled while Rome burned so it could be rebuilt in his image.

Rahm Emanuel and his cronies aren't that smart to do mighty things while there is a crisis like this. There is only so much that people will take from inept leadership.

The USA business leadership is not all based @ Wall Street and they are very concerned about the future of their businesses with such a socialist slant.

Here is the prediction: Democrats will lose seats in two years to candidates that vow to take back power from the out of touch leaders in Washington. Many years ago God had to persecute the Christians to get them out of Jerusaleum. Well, as comfortable as Americans had become this has taken a little long for them to rally around what they know America was based on....

No pundit, Olberman, Maddow, Hannity, Funnyman John Stewart don't actually do real work.

There are alot of Americans that do and they will soon start to figure out how to retake what is rightfully theirs. It is going to be interesting to watch as this is a great nation under God and if we lose that focus we will be turning our back on Jehovah and that is a losing proposition.

All should watch the mini-series "John Adams" and remember thru that visual what was done to give us the freedom to live here today.

Pray for all our leaders that they will be given wisdom to not want selfish ambition, but will want what is best for America.

Rick and Bubba start on XM Radio

2009-03-01T11:39:00.014-05:00

Well, discovered today that Rick and Bubba's morning show is coming to XM Radio on March 9th. America's Talk channel 158 and they will be on tape delay starting @ 10am EST and air all three hours. Congratulations to them and for me it is super since I can listen at the office, always grab the last taped hour on WURV The River 103.7 here in Chattanooga and miss the rest....Neat for the guys too.

Bucky Beaver goes satellite! I hoep the Lord will use both of these men's lives of faith in Jesus Christ over satellite radio as it has over the last 15 years.

Having gone to one class with Rick in college @ Jax State, he is not the same man I knew back then and thankfully neither am I! Praise the Lord!

Sad to see the passing of two radio legends. First Paul Harvey passed away this weekend and so did Johnny "Red" Kerr. Kerr was the voice of the Chicago Bulls during the pinnacle seasons when Jordan was there and when I was traveling in and out of Chicago.

Both men loved what they did and communicated across the medium well.

The Rest of the Story for Paul Harvey really started growing in his last few years but I always loved growing up and hearing him say, " Page 2" as he moved to the next item and of course........."Good........................day."

Good day to you Paul. What a wonderful memory you leave us as well.

Something Strange:

Randy Moller is the announcer for the Florida Panthers NHL Hockey Network. Dan Lebatard Radio's show put together this clip of his goal calls.

WHY? Well, he quotes current sayings from our culture such as from tv shows, music lyrics etc..when people score...pretty doggone funny...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3b_7S-sGBo

Sam Donaldson retires....will really miss him...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/15/AR2009021501862_pf.html

Happy Valentine's Day 2009!

2009-02-13T22:03:00.003-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iKIllCs5LE

Enjoy this.....and the weekend.

Turning 100

2009-01-31T08:10:00.007-05:00

What a week, this one was, it was something else, it was rewarding, frustrating, intense and profitable. I look back at prayer and events that happened and see Christ thru all of it. Even starting a bible study group with some men at work that I am praying how God will use this. Let me encourage you that in this tough times that the same Lord Jesus Christ sits on the throne and He is waiting to hear from you and to be with you every step of the way if you will ask Him. Always wanting to lead us thru the good times and the troubling times and speaking of a life well lived,

When I get up on Sunday mornings I click on WMBW 88.9 and listen to Billy Graham's message. This weekend @ the Cove in a private ceremony George Beverly Shea turns 100. What a life lived! What an amazing story and man living for Christ. I have a link below for more info about this special birthday celebration

http://www.billygraham.org/News_Article.asp?ArticleID=459

The Top 200 jobs today and info about them:

http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/JobsRated_Top200Jobs

Marriages suffer during this downturn, as I have heard lawyers say divorces are down but couples are waiting holding onto what they have......here is good article from Family Culture Watch:

http://www.familylifeculturewatch.com/

Some of the best sports news of the week was that Don Sutton was able to get out of his contract with MASN (Washington Nationals baseball) and to come back to Atlanta! Story here:

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/01/27/braves_sutton.html

BRIDGEBUILDER GIFT: here is a link to print 2009's Braves schedule:

http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/atl/schedule/printable_schedule.jsp

First Gottfried @ Alabama left, then Felton was let go @ UGA and of course you start worrying about Paul Hewitt @ Tech especially after three OT losses. Bradley of the AJC says he is safe:

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/bradley/entries/2009/01/30/like_it_or_not_hewitt_is_safe.html

Say it ain't so Furman, Bisher says Braves may need more than 31 pitchers, did you hear this week that ALL the Tampa Bay Rays spring games are sold out in Port Charlotte? Wow.....here is Bisher's column

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/bisher/entries/2009/01/30/31_pitchers_may_not_be_enough.html

Obama names Josh Dubois to faith based post:

http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3805&Itemid=53

Josh Dubois article during campaign:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121883753433545501.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

While Jacksonville State returns to open @ Georgia Tech this fall, it was announced this week that we will open @ Florida in 2012....for more on Jax State sports see the Go Jax State forum on the right on links
http://www.jsugamecocksports.com/news/2009/1/26/FB_0126093224.aspx

Great article on Kurt Warner's future and his relationship with Christ:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/cards/2009-01-29-warner-future_N.htm

May God Bless you and your family this week. May you seek and pursue Him a new way each day.......

It Was The Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

2009-01-17T20:37:00.003-05:00

I thought of this from A Tale of Two Cities this week. These are challenging times. Man's greed is consuming more and more people from poor leadership and unethical business practices and desire for things to keep up with the Jones.....while it is very tough it is still a wonderful time to be alive and it is a matter of perspective. Take time today to encourage someone you know has lost a job. I have been there and it is so appreciated and the right thing to do.
Most jobs aren't in the paper, but through networking.
This past week in a leadership class I teach went listed the challenges we face today in the world. After the list was made of job losses, lower wages, doing more with less-I pulled out my list from five years ago and read it to the class and the list was almost the same. The point was to let them know that there have always been times like these, yes this downturn is deeper and there will be another in 10 years. What will be interesting is by that time all the baby boomers will be totally out of the economy and we will have a severe labor shortage.
Chattanooga's addition of VW is a blessing for the area and right now estimates are around 1500 jobs making cars, 26 vendors locating plants in and around the area bringing 2500-5000 jobs and then 2500-5000 jobs to help with that from schools to everything else. TVA will be needing I hear about 2500 people in about five years.....and much more. This area will have alot of growth after this downturn.
What you don't hear alot about is how do we prevent another? and keep your eye on inflation. It is ok now but we will need to watch and gauge it.
By all means limit your time watching the regular media discuss this. Especially local telepromoter readers...they have no clue to business and will depress the heck out of you.

Here is a great article this week from USA TODAY that has a business teacher pointing out some things all leaders need to remember:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/01/ask-the-dumb-qu.html

Now to A Tale of Two broadcasters. I am thrilled to see this week that Vin Scully, voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers was named best Sportscaster of All Time this week. He is a gift to the game and one of the great things about having XM Radio is listening to him in the summer. You feel like you have known him your whole life. I thought it was really neat that when Major League Baseball Network launched they had Don Larsen's perfect game on from 1956 and Vin Scully and Mel Allen called the game....wow....wow...."how about that?" as Mel would say. Here is the story:
http://sportsblogs.latimes.com/sports_baseball_dodgers/2009/01/vin-scully-name.html

Then to Charles Barkley who had to take a leave of action for being drunk and soliciting in Old Scottsdale, AZ. Here is the opening with Ernie and Kenny this week:

Ernie Johnson: "As you can see from the shot, we are missing a member of this panel that you normally see, and that being Charles Barkley. ... You all have heard what went on, and Charles has got some personal issues, and legal issues he's got to take care of. He's on a leave of absence from TNT at this time. And, I mean, we love Charles. He's our buddy. Everybody on this crew does. And there are times you'd like to rear back and give him a kick in the butt, which is one of those times right now. But also we support him every step of the way."

Kenny Smith: "I agree with you Ernie, I think the one thing -- I don't know if the biblical term is correct, but there is a chaotic moment, or a chaos moment, where you either you believe or you don't believe because something happened in your life. I think Charles is at one of those moments where -- how is he going to be remembered? How is he going to be remembered, as someone on the ancillary things, or the substance of who he really is? And from what we know -- a great guy, great heart. Giving, caring, understanding. But when you go through these cycles, you can be remembered for something else. And he's bigger than that, he's bigger than this, and it's the time now for him to get to this moment and grow, and move on, and be something better. And we look forward to seeing that."

Ernie Johnson: "At some point, we will have Charles back here. Until then, we just wish him the best."

Charles Barkley has been talking, partying, betting and living life full out. The problem is that he has no one to show him or hold him accountable. So he is out of control. This incident will show you if he is teachable. I personally think every man is. Charles needs to decide if this will be the incident that takes away alot of his income or will it be something even worse? He is has always been in the batters box and due for this and it is no surprise. He was a great NBA player but he doesn't know everything. None of us do.......it is a journey....Pray that Ernie and Kenny's Christian influence can help him.

Next blog on the UAW. Great article this week so come back and we will discuss.

*Live each day full out. Understand that in the Christian life challenges are normal. How do you react to them? How do you help others think thru questions? Are you encouraging others?
Until the next blog, may you seek the Lord in a fresh new way and just be silent and listen to Him and let Him know if you are upset, confused, worried and distraught. He already knows that and is just waiting for you to ask Him to help. Remember His ways or not our ways. But his love and grace is everlasting. .............

"sleeping from sorrow"

2009-01-06T16:38:00.000-05:00

This morning as I drove to work I was listening to the gospel of Luke on my audio bible and I heard this verse, “When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow”, and the word “sorrow” struck me for the first time. In the garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested, He went off alone to pray and when He returned He found the disciples sleeping. Jesus used the words “sleeping from sorrow”. That’s not something you hear every day, is it? So, why were they sleeping from sorrow? And who were they sorrowful for?

The first question is rather obvious, they were sorrowful because the Lord had just told them he was going away and that He would suffer and die a terrible death. He also told them that they would all scatter like a covey of quail when he was arrested….. which they did.

The second question is a little more difficult. Who were they sorrowful for? Was it Jesus or themselves?

I think the key lies in the word sleeping. Jesus told them they needed to be in prayer and not sleeping. In prayer not just for Him, but for their very life, because they were fixing to enter into a conflict they never bargained for. But asleep they were nonetheless. You see, for the disciples things were not turning out the way they wanted. When they signed on to this band of brothers, they thought God’s Kingdom had come and the hard part was already over. But now all of a sudden things had changed for the worse. They felt helplessly tired.

Jesus’ hour was at hand……was there never a time more important than now to be in prayer? The scriptures say they could not even watch one hour as Jesus prayed. To sleep at such a time seems to say they were sorrowful for themselves. If that sounds too hard, it’s really not. I can understand this, because I can relate to such a sleep.

I too, like the disciples, find myself sleeping from sorrow when things get really bad. When I’m really tired and all of a sudden my health or job is threatened, sleep can become like a fix to me like a fix is to a junky. At this point as I write this some of Paul’s words echo in my mind, “O wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” When we truly see ourselves for what we really are, depraved to our very core, our eyes are open to the need for a savior.

The answer will always be the same and will never change, Jesus will always be there for us. He will give us the power to live above our circumstance, and show us that there is always a way of escape for those that trust in Him…….that is the promise of God. - Gary

Don't fly at Christmas and Some Year End Thoughts

2008-12-27T13:31:00.007-05:00

This is one of the best quotes I have read in the last few weeks about air travel, I have really felt for those folks. Yesterday in Atlanta they had a problem with air traffic and could only land one plane at a time......this is from today's NY Times and this is about the O' Hare issues from weather.

“I tell myself every year: ‘Don’t fly during Christmas week, don’t fly on Christmas week,’ and every year my sister turns on the guilt trip and I fall for it,” said David Kilpatrick of Eugene, Ore., who struggled this week to get to Baltimore from the snowy Pacific Northwest only to find himself stranded at O’Hare on Friday on a returning layover with his wife and 3-year-old son. “Next year, she’s coming to us, God as my witness. Never, never, never, never, never again. Never.”

I don't blame him.

Quote from Frank Rich column (NY Times) on the choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at Obama's swearing in ceremony (12/27/08):

"You can’t blame V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and an early Obama booster, for feeling as if he’d been slapped in the face. “I’m all for Rick Warren being at the table,” he told The Times, but “we’re talking about putting someone up front and center at what will be the most-watched inauguration in history, and asking his blessing on the nation. And the God that he’s praying to is not the God that I know.”

Old V. just doesn't get the bible does he? Take it a step further and he really doesn't understand the bible or history. He is living what he wants to believe not what the words says.

I mean he must have picked up another version. I have even heard Bill O'Reilly say that Jesus didn't have anything to say about homosexuality. I think he did as he spoke about marriage between a man and a woman all the time to Jews who knew that homosexuality was a sin just like adultery.....just like when Paul talked about sin issues with the Corinth church amidst a pagan culture things haven't changed. Prop 8' s defeat shocked people. Genesis and what had God brought about a helpmate for man is quite clear. It has resounding impact today on our culture and it is the ultimate story of God's protection and deliverance of authority. (He is the head) and we have trouble with that. He set it up in a beautiful way. Profound.

This summer at Promise Keepers Larry Jackson nailed those things that were provided in the Old Testament that we will deal with as men and Satan tempted Jesus with them too.

1) Lust of the flesh 2) Lust of the eyes and 3) Pride of Life

Look around right now and see how that is affecting all of us. Recession-lust of the eyes to have more, pride of life-all about self......pornography-lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes....adultery-lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes...marriage failures-pride of life---me--me---me....not you.

Rick Warren was a solid choice and I have heard evangelicals upset but these are the same people who have been jealous of him for years since Purpose Driven Life came out. (Woe to someone who would write a book about this an actually affect people's lives today in a tough to break thru culture)

Church people would argue with a wall if it would talk back. Focus here is not on the right things.

I'm not saying I am smarter than V. Gene Robinson on this. I am just saying that I have looked at the word from the beginning, see God in my life and have no problem with whomever a modern day king chooses for one prayer when there are millions of prayers going up everyday. Trillions for a lost and dying world that needs the grace of a loving God.

What are you praying for today? Are you listening? Are you patient in waiting on God?

I love what Richard Swenson (Margin) had to say about our patience today. In the old days if we missed a stagecoach we would have to wait a week to catch another one.......can you imagine that today?

Be Still.....reflect on scripture....let God speak....get out of the way...remember what Solomon said about there being nothing new under the sun....there isn't....

May 2009 be a year where amongst all the turmoil of this world you ask God to lead you, guide you in His way- not yours....if you have issues you are dealing with- look at the right hand side of this site and click on Are You Troubled and Need Help? and they are several excellent links to help you and I.

It is Well With My Soul

2008-12-23T12:14:00.002-05:00

This time of year is cold and we are chased indoors. Time to remember what the summer will hold. Here is a clip of the Cadets of Bergen County playing It is Well With My Soul
somewhere on tour post show during the summer of 2007.

A reminder that summer is coming soon and so is another drum and bugle corps season across the country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCeruXgOES0&feature=related

Merry Christmas!

Hank

I Pity The Future

2008-11-30T11:32:00.009-05:00

There is a great scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off where he is pretending to be Abe Fromon, sausage king of Chicago and has a run in with the concerige where he utters the line, "I pity the future."
Well, right now in certain areas I do. You probably have heard alot about the generations stuff today. For example, there are five generations in the church today, four in the workplace.

Today I am going to show you the difference between mine and this younger one.
A good friend and I were having breakfast one morning and one of the conversations that the table of six young people at the table across from us were having was about missing work that day and how several were going to skip work.

This is something I would never have considered. My parents would have made sure of it but I have always wanted to work. There are things that come from it. I couldn't imagine slacking from work in my day and just the sheer thought of explainin that to my manager.

Skip ahead to shopping at the Riverchase Galleria on the day before Thanksgiving and watching Build A Bear implode due to lack of employees. They were two to three short and it took my wife and girls 90 minutes to make their way thru their annual tradition of getting a new BABear.
Fast forward to Cracker Barrel two days later after some intense Black Friday shopping and we are seated amongst five tables that haven't been cleaned at 8pm at night. The reason I lean on the younger generation here is that that I haven't seen older people ever cleaning tables at CB just the young ones. This one was hurting. Good food, good service....
Here is my theory. You have probably heard of the "helicopter parents" that watch over their kids in college. Every move has been orchestrated for years. Well, my theory is that you also have alot of kids that are just doing as they please. They watch things they shouldn't be watching at their age, play video games that they have no business playing, and why should it be any different for them to blow off a job? Its a pretty day, and they go from fast food to fast food job never learning any real work ethic and not really caring.

This is going to be a tough wake up call for them when they have to decide on a career. Mom and Dad today aren't going to say much as long as they are pulling some change down at a entry level job but when they start to get into college it could be interesting. I don't think they see the problem this creates for their manager or supervisor. Nor do they care, but when you are continually late or not at work you start to put yourself in a position to be liberated.

In the Letter to the Ephesians that Paul wrote to the Christians there (6:4) he asked the "fathers to not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Fathers are called to teach their children the word of God so they will know what to stand on in this world. There are a couple of areas that Dads need to watch against with their children.

1st is overprotection. There are things we are protecting our kids from and there are things thru relationships that they will have to learn. But, they being taught the word of God it will help them make that decision as well as their heart condition.

Next is discouraging them. Doing this continually is going to affect their self-esteem as well as their confidence. You are their dad, not their best friend. You need to encourage them as God gifts them. Cruel words, actions or neglect are not things you need to do as a dad.

Thirdly is micromanaging them. We learned this as soon as the twins arrived that we needed to schedule but all be in agreement. For example, if we did everything and pushed them into everything we wouldn't have a family we would have a transportation service. Don't be pulled into the "Wants" side of the world. Carefully plan and don't forget time for bible study. Help them learn how to study on their own. See how God has gifted them but don't mistake your parenting versus what the Jones are doing. Ask God and seek Him if you have questions.

Harvard and Yale were established to teach men to be in the ministry. Times change don't they?
In fact, Harvard was started because the thinking was Yale was becoming to liberal. Dartmouth was established to teach missionaries. Little different today at colleges who are no more supermarkets of knowledge than what they once were. I know in my field, I could care less where you went to school, what value do you bring?

John Meador said several years ago at a night service at the Park that your children need to hear these three things:
1) I love you
2) I am proud of you
3) You do this well

I worry about many youngsters that I see in retail work environments as they don't have even enough gumption to understand what customer service is or care. After we get thru this recession we will run smack dab into a shortage of workers as the boomers retire and it will get really tough from a talent standpoint to staff some of these jobs. 2011 to 2012 will show this.

Parents today need to be thinking about these things in my opinion. The world is not going to do anything but challenge you to think like it. God thinks about things differently.
As a man, dad or husband you are here on this earth for a short time. This is your training ground. Heaven is your destination. Show your children what Paul said. Instruct them around scripture, if you don't know it get into it. Where do you start? As David Lawson says ,"just pick it up and start reading." Ask God to speak to you thru what you are reading. If you are a dad I would start in Ephesians....
You will not be able to understand the Christ Life fully until you know what the word of God says about it. I know this by experience.

Oh and about the coming event in Washington in January, this person gets it right. The last big 1 million plus event in Washington was PK. It was historical and so will this event in January:

http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/belief-blog/2008/Nov/24/set-record-straight-crowd-counts-mall/

May God Bless you today and grant you the desire to know Him more by learning more about His word..

During Green Week-Weather Channel axes "green programming

2008-11-22T08:05:00.003-05:00

Amazing timing at a NBC property during Green Week to dump all Green programming. Weather Channel let go 50 staffers and Media Bistro has some of the information that NewsBlues unearthed this week.

Very interesting move. See link below:

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/weather_channel_cuts_environmental_unit_101492.asp

Ramblings:

Vince Carter's shot last night in OT was carried live on NBA TV and was the play of the year so far. Nets and Raptors had battled back and forth all night and into OT when with just 2 seconds left the throw in and just watch as Vince lingers for a second on the rim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwDp-iq7LI0

How Athesists are reaching out -Human Light

{from the Wall Street Journal 11/18/08)

Late next month, atheists, humanists, freethinkers, secularists -- in short, nonbelievers of every description -- will gather in dozens of cities to mark the holiday they call HumanLight.
Whether by singing from a Humanist Hymnal, decorating a winter wreath or lighting candles dedicated to personal heroes, they'll celebrate what has been an exhilarating ride for the faithless -- a surge in recognition that has many convinced they're on the brink of making a mark on mainstream America.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which represents atheists and agnostics, kicked off an ad campaign with this billboard in Madison, Wis.

During the past three years, membership has grown in local and national associations of nonbelievers. Books attacking faith as a delusion shot up best-seller lists. For the first time, the faithless even raised enough funds to hire a congressional lobbyist.
Building on that momentum, nonbelievers have begun a very public campaign to win broad acceptance. On billboards and bus ads, radio commercials and the Internet, atheists are coming forward to declare, quite simply: We're here. And we're just like you.
"We've had an undercurrent of emotional and academic support, but we've been waiting to make a movement happen," said Joe Zamecki, an Austin landscaper who recently organized Texas' first statewide convention of nonbelievers. "It's a very new age."

Not really Joe, same stuff outlined historically across the bible. Some believe, some don't. Not new at all. One thing is the same. Hebrews 13:8

Not so fast, religious leaders respond. They point out that the vast majority of Americans believe in God. A poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life earlier this year found 71% of American adults are absolutely certain God -- or some sort of universal spirit -- exists, and a further 17% said they were fairly certain. Only 5% said flatly that they don't believe.
Atheists "are talking to a very small slice of the population," said Mathew Staver, a leading Christian conservative and law-school dean. "In some ways, they're really just talking to themselves."
Nonbelievers point to a different set of statistics and societal trends. Americans are shifting away from formal allegiances with specific faiths. In 1990, about 90% of the U.S. adult population identified with a religious group, according to the widely cited American Religious Identification Survey. When the most recent survey was conducted in 2001, that dropped to 81%. Relatively few go so far as to call themselves atheists, but young Americans, especially, are drifting from organized religion, other surveys have found.
Unlike in Europe, where secularism has a strong hold, many atheists in the U.S. have felt like a shunned minority. Politicians often reflexively end speeches with "God bless America." Schoolchildren pledge their allegiance every day to "one nation, under God." City parks display the Ten Commandments. When atheists talk openly in public, "we often see people shaking their heads and moving away, like there's a plague zone around us," said Iggy Dybal, a real-estate broker in Kansas City, Kan.
Secularist groups say their membership began to surge in 2005, when Congress sought to prevent Terri Schiavo's husband from removing her feeding tube. Many new members said they hoped nonbelievers could serve as a counterweight to religious influence in political affairs.
Rather than renew old battles, such as the symbolic fight to remove "In God We Trust" from currency, members are mobilizing to repair what they view as breaches of the wall between church and state -- such as federal funding for faith-based charities and teaching of intelligent design in science class. They believe many others sympathize with their views -- but are too timid to commit.
The new ad campaigns and other public-relations efforts are designed to raise comfort levels about atheism by making the point that nonbelievers are "just as ethical and moral as anyone else," said Lori Lipman Brown, who lobbies Congress on behalf of the Secular Coalition for America.
As Doug Krueger, a philosophy professor in northwest Arkansas, put it: "Step one is for people to know we're not crazy, we're just regular people [who have] perfectly satisfactory lives without believing in God."

This type of evangelism is interesting as the total lack of understanding of what a changed life in Jesus Christ is to look like versus having a religion. Your life, your outlook, your focus is not on the things of this earth.

So the American Humanist Association is spending $42,000 to plaster buses in Washington, D.C., with ads asking: "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake." FreeThoughtAction and its local affiliates have put up billboards all over the country asking: "Don't believe in God? You are not alone." Eight billboards are going up this month in Denver.
At the same time, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., has hit at least nine states in the past year with billboards that look like they're made of stained glass but say "Beware of Dogma," "Imagine No Religion," or -- coming soon -- "Reason's Greetings." The group also advertises on the liberal radio network Air America. One spot features Ron Reagan, son of the former president, who signs off: "Ron Reagan, lifelong atheist. Not afraid of burning in hell."
Local groups of atheists are also making a point of getting out in public to show that they're part of every community.

The Pennsylvania Nonbelievers rehabbed a women's shelter this fall. Kansas City FreeThinkers hold monthly walks in a dog park and weekly coffee-house meet-ups, advertised online. Secularists in Sacramento, Calif., stage a family-friendly Freethought Day each fall, complete with roving magicians.
Organizers of such efforts generally say they aren't trying to evangelize. Instead, they say their goal is to make the public more comfortable with the concept of atheism and give fellow nonbelievers a sense of community.
In seeking the spotlight, the movement risks a backlash. Some Christians find the billboards deeply offensive, especially at this time of year. In recent weeks, press releases from the religious right have accused atheists of "mocking" and "insulting" Christmas. In rural Chambersburg, Pa., one Christian group responded to an "Imagine No Religion" billboard with a giant sign of their own, asking: "Why Do Atheists Hate America?"
Even some who share common goals with nonbelievers are uneasy with the provocative nature of the ad campaign.
"Atheists can act very much like Christian fundamentalists from time to time," said James Webb, president of the Community of Reason in Kansas City, which includes both believers and skeptics. "It's important not to be in-your-face with people."
Some nonbelievers respond that this is a critical time to reach out, as a new administration prepares to take office in the White House.
For instance, some atheists are dismayed by some of President-elect Barack Obama's proposals, such as his pledge to funnel more tax dollars to faith-based groups running soup kitchens, tutoring programs and the like.

He likes them because he realizes that they are results based and even saw some of it as a community organizer. It works.

Others are more hopeful.
They note that in a big speech on faith last summer, Mr. Obama called for "Christian and Jew, Hindu and Muslim, believer and nonbeliever alike" to work together. It isn't often that politicians specifically mention nonbelievers, they say.

Paul did on several stops in the Acts of the Apostles

Secularists also are encouraged by Mr. Obama's eclectic upbringing. He has written that his mother disdained organized religion but exposed him to a variety of faith traditions and holy books as an anthropological study. Though he now talks often of his Christian faith and envisions a role for faith in the public square, Mr. Obama has sought to use inclusive language and signal respect for different traditions.
Obama transition spokeswoman Amy Brundage, in a statement, said, "People of all backgrounds and beliefs will have a voice in the Obama-Biden Administration."
Still, leading activists say nonbelievers tend to be just as wary of organized atheism as they are of organized religion -- making it tough to pull together a cohesive movement.
"A pastor can say to his flock, 'All rise,' and everyone rises. But try that in an atheist meeting," said Marvin Straus, co-founder of an atheist group in Boulder, Colo. "A third of the people will rise. A third will tell you to go to hell. And a third will start arguing....That's why it's hard to say where we're going as a movement."

HA! A third tells you to go to hell. They believe in something then don't they! That is funny and sad at the same time. You have to believe in something. The most inclusive and wonderful relationship is to know that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. If you like business news I urge you to make the online WSJ a Christmas gift. All the stuff in the print is right there online for much less than print.

As Thanksgiving approaches it is a good time to think about what you are thankful for whether you believe of not, this message from David Jeremiah I heard on the way into work on Friday on SiriusXM 170 and it is a great message to think about for your year:

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Turning_Point/archives.asp?bcd=2008-11-20

Last but not least, lots of talking about the Big Three automakers this week, here is a look back at what was done back with Chrysler, interesting read:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/echoes-of-1979-in-the-detroit-bailout-debate/

Dropping The Puck on Hockey and Performance Reviews

2008-10-25T08:49:00.006-04:00

Well, they are back and really not much seems to change with the Thrashers when I watch them. (Last night's 5-3 loss to the Red Wings) it was on the road and it is a tough place to play. Links to the right will link you to the Thrashers and the Preds. I hope both make the playoffs.

Time to get the Thrashers jersey out and wear it!

Below is an interesting article about something I am always involved in performance reviews....ah...yes.....and I have added my comments inside the thingamabobs....

OCTOBER 20, 2008 , Wall Street Journal
Human Resources
Get Rid of the Performance Review!
It destroys morale, kills teamwork and hurts the bottom line. And that's just for starters.
By SAMUEL A. CULBERT

You can call me "dense," you can call me "iconoclastic," but I see nothing constructive about an annual pay and performance review. It's a mainstream practice that has baffled me for years.
To my way of thinking, a one-side-accountable, boss-administered review is little more than a dysfunctional pretense. It's a negative to corporate performance, an obstacle to straight-talk relationships, and a prime cause of low morale at work. Even the mere knowledge that such an event will take place damages daily communications and teamwork.

The alleged primary purpose of performance reviews is to enlighten subordinates about what they should be doing better or differently. But I see the primary purpose quite differently. I see it as intimidation aimed at preserving the boss's authority and power advantage. Such intimidation is unnecessary, though: The boss has the power with or without the performance review.
And yes, I have an alternative in mind that will get people and corporations a great deal more of what they actually need.
To make my case, I offer seven reasons why I find performance reviews ill-advised and bogus.

TWO PEOPLE, TWO MIND-SETS
Let's start with an obvious reason: The mind-sets held by the two participants in a performance review work at cross-purposes. The boss wants to discuss where performance needs to be improved, while the subordinate is focused on such small issues as compensation, job progression and career advancement. The boss is thinking about missed opportunities, skill limitations and relationships that could use enhancing, while the subordinate wants to put a best foot forward believing he or she is negotiating pay. All of this puts the participants at odds, talking past each other. At best, the discussion accomplishes nothing. More likely, it creates tensions that carry over to their everyday relationships.
Then there are second-order problems. A subordinate who objects to a characterization of faults runs the risk of adding another to the boss's list: "defensiveness and resistance to critique." And the boss who gets her mind turned around by a subordinate's convincing argument runs the risk of having a bigger boss think she failed to hold the line on what had been decided and budgeted. Good luck to her when she next gets evaluated. {He is right here}

PERFORMANCE DOESN'T DETERMINE PAY
Another bogus element is the idea that pay is a function of performance, and that the words being spoken in a performance review will affect pay. But usually they don't. I believe pay is primarily determined by market forces, with most jobs placed in a pay range prior to an employee's hiring. {He is wrong here}
Raises are then determined by the boss, and the boss's boss, largely as a result of the marketplace or the budget. The performance review is simply the place where the boss comes up with a story to justify the predetermined pay. If the raise is lower than the subordinate expects, the boss has to say, "We can work to get it higher in the future, and here are the things you need to do to get to that level." Or the boss can say, "I think you walk on water, but I got push-back from H.R. and next year we'll try again."

In other words, too many lines spoken in a performance review are a cover story for the truth and have little to do with performance. Even when it's a positive review, the words spoken are likely to be aimed more at winning the subordinate's gratitude than at providing a candidly accurate description. {You need to be thinking of what value you have brought to the organization and is it is seen and not seen -He is missing this point. Activity versus Results is key to those leaders that understand this system}

OBJECTIVITY IS SUBJECTIVE
Most performance reviews are staged as "objective" commentary, as if any two supervisors would reach the same conclusions about the merits and faults of the subordinate. But consider the well-observed fact that when people switch bosses, they often receive sharply different evaluations from the new bosses to whom they now report.
To me, this is just further proof that claiming an evaluation can be "objective" is preposterous, as if any assessment is independent of that evaluator's motives in the moment. Missing are answers to questions like, "As seen by whom?" and "Spun for what?" Implying that an evaluation is objective disregards what everyone knows: Where you stand determines what you see.
The absurdity is even more obvious when bosses -- as they so often do -- base their reviews on anonymous feedback received from others.

{Employees always need to think about all relationships and when they start to close doors with solid leaders it is going to be a negative. The leaders that have people problems are already known and their comments are not usually valid.}

This illogic is highlighted in the contemporary performance-reviewing fad called "360-degree feedback." Hate mail, I suppose, is similarly "objective." People are told, "I can't tell you who said this," as if the alleged truth-teller has no ax to grind and the allegation is unrelated to a specific motive or a disagreement in a relationship. Come on! Isn't "anonymous" just a slicker way for people to push what's in their political interests to establish, without having their biases and motives questioned?

{360 degree feedback was squelched even at GE because as Jack Welch said people were figuring ways around it -I 'll give you a good review if you will give me a good review.}
What will it take for people to really understand that any critique is as much an expression of the evaluator's self-interests as it is a subordinate's attributes or imperfections? To my way of thinking, the closest one can get to "objective" feedback is making an evaluator's personal preferences, emotional biases, personal agendas and situational motives for giving feedback sufficiently explicit, so that recipients can determine what to take to heart for themselves.
{Passitivity is common but good leaders know that associates have strengths and weaknesses and understand the middle where it all falls. Most don't like pointing out poor performance as they are thinking I know what I have and if I let them go, I may not get that slot back.....}

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
Employees all come with their own characteristics, strong suits and imperfections that they orchestrate in every attempt to perform their best. Because no two people come similarly equipped, they draw upon the unique pluses and minuses they were endowed with at birth along with compensatory assets they subsequently developed.

Failing Grade
The Promise: Performance reviews are supposed to provide an objective evaluation that helps determine pay and lets employees know where they can do better. {Performance during the year all year long is determining your future, never forget that}
The Problems: That's not most people's experience with performance reviews. Inevitably reviews are political and subjective, and create schisms in boss-employee relationships. The link between pay and performance is tenuous at best. And the notion of objectivity is absurd; people who switch jobs often get much different evaluations from their new bosses.

{Duh, they should. Different job, different role. Learning Curve is what I refer to it as. Employee made the decision to move to.Remember the other leader hired the person, this one did not. The one that hires too will not want to let someone go normally because that is a sign that they made a mistake in hiring someone }

The Solution: Performance previews instead of reviews. In contrast to one-side-accountable reviews, performance previews are reciprocally accountable discussions about how boss and employee are going to work together even more effectively than they did in the past. Previews weld fates together. The boss's skin is now in the game.

And yet in a performance review, employees are supposed to be measured along some predetermined checklist. In almost every instance what's being "measured" has less to do with what an individual was focusing on in attempting to perform competently and more to do with a checklist expert's assumptions about what competent people do. This is why pleasing the boss so often becomes more important than doing a good job. Create a positive impression and the boss will score you high on any dimension presented.

{Biblically, we are called to please the Lord in any job we do. Most all men will be extremely pleased if you do your job well. As Chip Ingram has said, your boss should say....I want 10 just like you!}

Worse, bosses apply the same rating scale to people with different functions. They don't redo the checklist for every different activity. As a result, bosses reduce their global sentiments to a set of metrics that captures the unique qualities of neither the person nor the job.

{They are not trained on how to do this most of the time, don't want to have conflict, or draw attention to themselves and aren't thinking about the customer.....they think of self.}

Maybe, for instance, there's a guy who doesn't voice his viewpoint when he disagrees with something said. Does that mean he should be graded down for being a conflict-avoider -- as if the boss's in-your-face way of communicating is superior? He may be seen as doing a bad job based solely on an incompatibility of styles that may have little to do with actual performance.

{He needs to understand that conflict is normal in a job and get with real life and not be in a shell. If the boss doesn't want to hear good ideas he may need to move to another job. No one is handcuffing him. It is a job.....not prison.}

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IS IMPEDED
The drive for improvement goes on in big and little ways at work. You would think that the person in the best position to help somebody improve would be his or her boss.
Yet, thanks to the performance review, the boss is often the last person an employee would turn to.
Why is that?

{Fear of authority and admitting weakness to a leader....not knowing them....}

The No. 1 reason for that reluctance is that employees want to turn to somebody who understands their distinctive talents and way of thinking, or knows them sufficiently well to appreciate the reasons behind the unique ways they are driven to operate. By contrast, people resist help from those who they believe can't get them in proper focus, especially when they have tried on many occasions to tell them.

{How many people have a close friend that will tell them no...that they are wrong and that they need to quit whining OR how many have friends that agree, tell others and don't do anything but create negativity around the workplace?}

What's more, people don't want to pay a high price for acknowledging their need for improvement -- which is exactly what they would do if they arm the boss with the kind of personal information he or she would need to help them develop. It could all come back to haunt them in the performance review. No wonder the developmental discussions the boss wants to inject at the time of a performance review so often get categorized by subordinates as gun-to-the-head intimidation requiring false acquiescence, lip-service agreement and insincere, appearance-correcting actions.

DISRUPTION TO TEAMWORK
Managers can talk until they are blue in the face about the importance of positive team play at every level of the organization, but the team play that's most critical to ensuring that an organization runs effectively is the one-on-one relationship between a boss and each of his or her subordinates.
The performance review undermines that relationship.
That's because the performance review is so one-sided, giving the boss all the power. The boss in the performance review thinks of himself or herself as the evaluator, and doesn't engage in teamwork with the subordinate. It isn't, "How are we going to work together as a team?" It's, "How are you performing for me?" It's not our joint performance that's at issue. It's the employee's performance that's a problem.

{He is really clueless here, we do pre-evals of your performance which always should be positive about yourself. Leaders should be pointing out how you are rippling across the organization}

All of which leads to inauthentic behavior, daily deception and a ubiquitous need for subordinates to spin all facts and viewpoints in directions they believe the boss will find pleasing. It defeats any chance that the boss will hear what subordinates actually think.
Here's a simple example: In a performance review, the boss cites a subordinate's missing a high-profile meeting as cause for a reduced rating. What if the reason was something personal -- perhaps a son picked up by the police -- that the employee doesn't want to reveal? Why not reveal it? Because one-way accountability inevitably creates distrust. Does the boss self-reflect and ask, "What did I do, or should I be doing, to build up the trust?" No, the boss faults the guy for secretiveness. It's a vicious cycle.

{Never have seen this in my area. That is a poor leader}

IMMORALITY OF JUSTIFYING CORPORATE IMPROVEMENT
I believe it's immoral to maintain the facade that annual pay and performance reviews lead to corporate improvement, when it's clear they lead to more bogus activities than valid ones. Instead of energizing individuals, they are dispiriting and create cynicism. Instead of stimulating corporate effectiveness, they lead to just-in-case and cover-your-behind activities that reduce the amount of time that could be put to productive use. Instead of promoting directness, honesty and candor, they stimulate inauthentic conversations in which people cast self-interested pursuits as essential company activities.
The net result is a resource violation, and I think citations should be issued. If it's a publicly held company, shareholder value gets decreased. If it's a governmental organization, time is lost that could be spent in pursuit of the public good. And what participants learn in the process has more to do with how to survive than with meaningful self-development.
I've often thought that every organization should be considered partially a public entity since they exist, in part, to provide meaningful activities for the people who work in them. Skills and mind-sets acquired at work go home with people to affect family, community, culture and even the world. The more positive an atmosphere we can create at work, the more positive an impact it has at home. In short, what goes around comes around.

{I would say if you have leaders who can't talk about vision, the next year where you are headed and what you need to be working on yes....we don't operate that way.}

SO, WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE?
The alternative to one-side-accountable, boss-administered/subordinate-received performance reviews is two-side, reciprocally accountable, performance previews.
Let me explain.
The boss's assignment is to guide, coach, tutor, provide oversight and generally do whatever is required to assist a subordinate to perform successfully. That's why I claim that the boss-direct report team should be held jointly accountable for the quality of work the subordinate performs. I'm sick and tired of hearing about subordinates who fail and get fired, while bosses, whose job it was to ensure subordinate effectiveness, get promoted and receive raises in pay.
Holding performance previews eliminates the need for the boss to spout self-serving interpretations about what already has taken place and can't be fixed. Previews are problem-solving, not problem-creating, discussions about how we, as teammates, are going to work together even more effectively and efficiently than we've done in the past. They feature descriptive conversations about how each person is inclined to operate, using past events for illustrative purposes, and how we worked well or did not work well individually and together.
The preview structure keeps the focus on the future and what "I" need from you as "teammate and partner" in getting accomplished what we both want to see happen. It doesn't happen only annually; it takes place each time either the boss or the subordinate has the feeling that they aren't working well together.
Realistic assessment of someone's positive qualities requires replacing scores on standardized checklists with inquiry. As a result, step No. 1 in giving effective feedback almost always involves "active questioning" inquiry. Inquiry contrasts with most performance reviews, which begin with how the evaluator sees the individual and what that boss has already decided most needs enhancing. Both participants need an answer to the most significant issue at hand: "Given who I am and what I'm learning about this other individual, what's the best way for us to complement one another in getting work accomplished with excellence?" If in the process the other person decides to change and develop, so much the better.
Bosses should be asking all the questions that occur to them in inquiring about how a subordinate thinks he or she can best perform the job. Then, after they have exhausted their questions, they should ask the subordinate for what else they need to know. At a minimum, they should be asking "How will you be going about it?" and "Specifically, what help do you need from me?" Why not get it all when, at the end of the day, the boss still has the authority to play ultimate decider?
Some of you may also ask if the performance review goes away, how do we prepare the groundwork if we want to fire somebody? For the better, I'd argue: Take away the performance review, and people will find more direct ways of accomplishing that task.
Substituting performance previews for performance reviews promotes straight-talk relationships for people who are up to it. It welds fates together because the discussion will be about what the boss-subordinate team accomplishes together, which I believe is the valid unit to hold accountable. It's the boss's responsibility to find a way to work well with an imperfect individual, not to convince the individual there are critical flaws that need immediate correcting, which is all but guaranteed to lead to unproductive game playing and politically inspired back-stabbing.
There are many bosses who would like to change that game, but they feel handcuffed by the rules already in play. I'd like to believe that if given the chance, they would embrace a system that allows them just as much authority -- but in a way that promotes trust, not intimidation.
Keep in mind, of course, that improvement is each individual's own responsibility. You can only make yourself better. The best you can do for others is to develop a trusting relationship where they can ask for feedback and help when they see the need and feel sufficiently valued to take it. Getting rid of the performance review is a necessary, and affirming, step in that direction.—Dr. Culbert is a consultant, author and professor of management at the UCLA Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles. He can be reached at reports@wsj.com.

{Last point happens in a healthy relationship culture. Not really that big a help to this. Kinda weak....regular conversations on what is happening, where things are going and coaching on improvement is basic leadership. This guy hasn't according to the list above been in the trenches and done this. Therefore be careful with the material. It would have been better to have point-counter point. Your pay, your performance, your staying power in an organization is up to you each day. If you look at your job as you doing this for the Lord you will look at it differently. Do it full out. Don't look at work like men look at it as drudgery, look at it as your calling. Make a difference where He has placed you. Small steps, consistent moving forward. Do people see something different in you? Do you complain like everyone else? Do you talk about your leader in a negative way? Be careful.......are you will start to be like everyone else and right now while the whole world is in a state of worry, you need to be rock solid, offering encouragement, saying positive things. Because you know this world is always going to be in sin and one day you will not be here to let people know that. You were placed here right now to make a difference as a believer. Make that difference.....now.}

Pray for those in Oklahoma

2008-10-13T05:32:00.002-04:00

Oklahoma Is Sued Over Required Ultrasounds for Abortions

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An advocacy group is suing over an Oklahoma law that prohibits a woman from having an abortion unless she first has an ultrasound and the doctor describes to her what the fetus looks like.
In the lawsuit filed Thursday in Oklahoma County District Court, the Center for Reproductive Rights says that the requirement intrudes on privacy, endangers health and assaults dignity.
The law, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, would make Oklahoma the fourth state to require that ultrasounds be performed before a woman can have an abortion and that the ultrasounds be made available to the patient for viewing, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a health research organization based in Washington. The other states are Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Backers of the lawsuit say Oklahoma is the only state to require that the ultrasound screen be turned toward the woman during the procedure and that the doctor describe what is on the screen, including various dimensions of the fetus.
Elizabeth Nash, public policy associate with the Guttmacher Institute, said the Oklahoma law appeared unique in that its intent was that the woman seeking an abortion view the ultrasound images.
Lawmakers overrode Gov. Brad Henry’s veto to pass the anti-abortion legislation in April. Mr. Henry, a Democrat, said he vetoed the bill because it did not exempt victims of rape or incest from the ultrasound requirement.
State Senator Todd Lamb, a Republican, said supporters of the law hoped that it would curtail abortions in the state.
“I introduced the bill because I wanted to encourage life in society,” Mr. Lamb said. “In Oklahoma, society is on the side of life.”
Mr. Lamb said he believed the lawsuit would stand a constitutional test. He disagreed with arguments that it forces a woman to view the ultrasound. The law says women may avert their eyes during the ultrasound.
“This bill provides more information to a mother,” he said.
The lawsuit against the state was filed on behalf of Nova Health Systems, doing business as Reproductive Services in Tulsa.
One provision of the law prohibits women from collecting damages based on claims that a baby born with defects would have been better off aborted. Abortion rights activists have said they fear that the provision could allow doctors to withhold information about abnormalities in the fetus that could lead to complications after birth.
“Anti-choice activists will stop at nothing to prevent a woman from getting an abortion, but trying to manipulate a woman’s decisions about her own life and health goes beyond the pale,” said Stephanie Toti, staff lawyer in the U.S. Legal Program of the Center for Reproductive Rights and lead lawyer on the case.
“Governments should stop playing doctor and leave medical determinations to physicians and health decisions to individuals,” Ms. Toti said.

"bound with this chain"

2008-10-02T08:57:00.000-04:00

“It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” Things have not changed much since Paul wrote these words, a loveless world can still cause people to hate and to kill.

Paul after his third missionary journey went home, back to Israel the land he loved, only to be arrested. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill him because He was preaching the good news of Jesus. The Romans took him into custody to keep this from happening and after being arrested by the Roman soldiers, Paul appealed to Caesar, because he was legally a Roman citizen and wanted to be treated fairly. Paul is then sent to Rome and when he finally arrives, he makes this statement, “It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain”.

In this statement, Paul uses the word “hope” and “chain” as if they go together. Paul loved Israel, he loved his Jewish brethren so much he was willing to go back to Israel knowing that it might cost him his life. And it does cost him, Rome later executes him.

There is nothing more polarizing than the Cross. The Cross brings everyone to a crossroad, a personal choice has to be made, which way will I go? The paradox about this is that one road leads to life and safety but it’s covered with blood, and the other road leads to, well……. a hammer and nails. I know this is a very unsettling way to describe this, but there it is and there is no way around it. The child that was born in a manger in Bethlehem, the child we love to celebrate at Christmas so precious and sweet, is the same child that was nailed to a cross. He was guilty of loving us too much, too much to leave us as we are….......

He knowingly gave His life, because He knew it was the only way to change a heart of hate into a heart of love. We cannot, we must not, under estimate the power of love.

Sharing the gospel story may cost us, people may dislike us and even hate us, but it’s the greatest gift we can ever give………. May we all be “bound with this chain”. - Gary

Man's Greed gets the best of all of us

2008-09-27T18:10:00.003-04:00

This started out as something you didn't like to hear, people who took out loans they can't pay and then we moved into financial businesses like the once famous HomeBanc here in Atlanta that was the pinnacle of how to treat employees and was in one of the best places to work in America but a change in leadership and greed lead to all losing their jobs in about five years with the beginning of the downturn.

Then this had to start moving into another area but do notice how it was like the Wizard of Oz {PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!} that the media even didn't think of what the next step could be... Ron Paul looks like a genius now..............and because the leaders were hoping the pace of the economy would pick up but instead it got heavier and then they all started to recreate the scene in "It's a Wonderful Life," and I believe that most of the last four weeks was carefully orchestrated to be released in order to avoid margin call on all of this. It was too much coming out one at a time.

Now, don't you find it interesting that when we have the weakest leadership in Washington on both sides of the coin that this happens. This a chance for true leaders to stand up and be known. Everyone was eager to just sign onto the $700b bailout but some said. Hold on here, let's make this better.

Oh, there are so many men and women in Washington today that are more worried about re-election than they are our country. Like some Kings in the bible right?

There are so many in the media that are progressives that don't work in a real world, they cover the real world and never actually have to make decisions in it so they are always telling us what SHOULD have happened. Not in the fray but covering it is so much easier. Reading a teleprompter makes them someone we should trust. I think not.

We neeed real reform, we need to look at different tax structures, we need to repeal Sarbanes Oxley-it failed and we need to turn to the Lord and ask for forgiveness as a nation.

My only hope from all this is that deep with men's souls to get involved now in changing the structure in Washington and turn to God for wisdom.

Some can but just like other great cultures we have gotten too smart, too materialistic, for God. After all how can you believe all that? It's just a myth...just stories.....

For like the Roman empire we have reached our peak and now morally and ethically we are headed in a downword slope.

May the Lord have mercy on the United States of America.

GameChanger

2008-08-31T21:02:00.006-04:00

As Barrack Hussein Obama concluded his speech at the Democratic Convention, the next day John McCain flat out checkmated Obama with the announcement of Sarah Palin as his VP nominee.
Out of nowhere into the lime light. Pro-life, evangelical, tough, NRA member, hockey mom and you know you sit there and go wow.

Now if you are saying but what about her experience? Wait. Wait. This election isn't about experience. Mr. Obama is less experienced than Clinton was when he ran.....You see John McCain's people saw the historical nature of this campaign as experience always loses to change.
{see Bob Dole for example. Still a great American statesman} so if people want change you have to give them change.
You will hear many inside the beltway be nice and say kinda things but doubting her cred. These people are the ones with a lower popularity rating than the president and they still don't get it! Isn't that amazing?

This election is about change. That is what is wanted by the American people. Think about everytime you have someone ask you what Obama has done of any national setting, they can't because they simply don't care. We want change.
Well, McCain shot across the bow of change and now it will be an interesting push to the end.
The male vote is pretty much sealed, the female vote is not and the borderline states are full of value voter moms.....See realclearpolitics to the right to see how close it is by state. Latest poll show one to three points.......no bump this time......
I will throw this right now and let's see where it goes later. The fact that Obama didn't get more of a bump from the week has got to be driving the Dems crazy. This was orchestrated and it all fell apart. I just don't want to hear all the flack when Obama loses that we weren't ready racially to accept a black president. The best part will be election night on MSNBC for Keith Olberman for he will get to cover McCain every night after he wins. It may be enough for him to change jobs again.
Speaking of coverage this past week, the glue that held MSNBC together- Tim Russert was sorely missed. The comments from Matthews (my detractors can go to hell!) and Olberman asking Scarborough to get a shovel....was lacking any level of professionalism. When Obama loses in November this will be a night to DVR the program.

But, for now this is what politics is supposed to be about issue driven and today we need change. We just don't need change that makes us a socialist country.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day and God Bless those folks on the coast.

These are my favorite commercials right now, especially the vacuum one:
http://www.silenceyourrooster.com/watch_the_clips.aspx

Drum Corps Associate's Championship Results from this weekend. Bucs win again. Minnesota Brass made a move from prelims. CorpsVets from Atlanta almost caught the Renegades from California this year.

1st - 97.913 - Reading Buccaneers
2nd - 96.513 - Minnesota Brass
3rd - 95.063 - Empire Statesmen
4th - 94.913 - Hurricanes
5th - 93.625 - Caballeros
6th - 93.425 - Bushwackers
7th - 90.013 - Brigadiers
8th - 89.675 - Renegades
9th - 86.763 - CorpsVets
10th - 83.738 - Rochester Crusaders

Teach-Ability

2008-08-25T11:04:00.002-04:00

In the early church in the book of Acts the apostles are arrested many times for preaching Jesus. In one story they are arrested and then freed by an Angel only to be brought back before the Sanhedrin to answer questions again about their preaching. An interesting thing happens in that story. When Peter and the other apostles answer their questions, the scriptures say the men in the Sanhedrin become angry and want to kill them. Then one member of the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel, stands up and tells everyone if what the Apostles are preaching is from God then they will lose if they fight against these men. Let me quote that reply: Acts 5:39 “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

Another story in the book of Acts takes place among those who are believers in Christ. It takes place after Paul’s conversion to Christianity. Paul goes to Jerusalem after his Damascus road experience and he tries to join with the disciples but they are all afraid of him because of his past history of persecuting the church. A man named Barnabas comes along side Paul and helps him meet with the disciples. Paul may never have been accepted in the Jerusalem church if it had not been for Barnabas.

As I thought about these two stories I began to see something they both had in common. We have a group of leaders in Jerusalem who do not believe in Jesus and within the group we have men that are willing to kill anyone that disagrees with them, and then Gamaliel was open to the possibility that they were wrong. In the other story we have a group of leaders in the church that would not have anything to do with Paul, but Barnabas was open to the fact that Paul could have really changed and he knew he needed his help. Gamaliel and Barnabas are open or teachable and the other’s are not. What makes them so different? I wish I could easily answer that….. then I could go on a speaking tour and get paid big bucks! But it’s just not that easy.

To simply say we need to be open minded and not so dogmatic about everything will not work. According to scripture…..some people are just not teachable or open minded about certain things, especially the preaching of Jesus. One of the saddest commentaries I know happened in the last part of the book of Acts when Paul is trying to teach the Jewish people in Rome about Christ. Some were convinced by what Paul said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement:

“The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Go to this people and say, You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them’ ”.

Teach-ability according to this scripture seems to have a lot to do with having a tender heart. Refusing to hear or see what God is trying to teach us leads us to a calloused heart, a heart incapable of being healed. Sad. Sad because people can react so violently when someone challenges what they believe. People are killed all the time for the good of mankind. This is true of non-Christians and Christians alike. I personally feel anger rise up in me when someone strongly disagrees with me. In many cases if I keep my cool I discover that I’m the one in error. But there are other advantages in keeping your cool, it gives you the opportunity to help them if they are in error. God calls us to love, and that’s something we cannot force on people. Violence will never change someone’s heart, only the love of God can do that.

God help us to be open, to be teachable, and to graciously love those that disagree. Grace and unity - Gary

Gang of 10-What Planet are they on?

2008-08-16T18:48:00.006-04:00

Well, The Apple Dumpling Gang actually made more sense than the Gang of 10.

Republican Energy Fumble

August 8, 2008; Page A13 , Wall Street Journal

Politics has its puzzling moments. John McCain and most of the GOP experienced one late last week. That was when five of their own set about dismantling the best issue Republicans have in the upcoming election.
It's taken time, but Sen. McCain and his party have finally found -- in energy -- an issue that's working for them. Riding voter discontent over high gas prices, the GOP has made antidrilling Democrats this summer's headlines.
Their enthusiasm has given conservative candidates a boost in tough races. And Mr. McCain has pressured Barack Obama into an energy debate, where the Democrat has struggled to explain shifting and confused policy proposals.
Still, it was probably too much to assume every Republican would work out that their side was winning this issue. And so, last Friday, in stumbled Sens. Lindsey Graham, John Thune, Saxby Chambliss, Bob Corker and Johnny Isakson -- alongside five Senate Democrats. This "Gang of 10" announced a "sweeping" and "bipartisan" energy plan to break Washington's energy "stalemate." What they did was throw every vulnerable Democrat, and Mr. Obama, a life preserver.

That's because the plan is a Democratic giveaway. New production on offshore federal lands is left to state legislatures, and then in only four coastal states. The regulatory hurdles are huge. And the bill bars drilling within 50 miles of the coast -- putting off limits some of the most productive areas. Alaska's oil-rich Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is still a no-go.

The highlight is instead $84 billion in tax credits, subsidies and federal handouts for alternative fuels and renewables. The Gang of 10 intends to pay for all this in part by raising taxes on . . . oil companies! The Sierra Club couldn't have penned it better. And so the Republican Five has potentially given antidrilling Democrats the political cover they need to neutralize energy through November.

Sen. Obama was thrilled. He quickly praised the Gang's bipartisan spirit, and warmed up to a possible compromise. Of course, he means removing even the token drilling provisions now in the bill. But he's only too happy for the focus to remain on the Gang's efforts, and in particular on the five Republicans providing his party its fig leaf.

Equally gleeful was Louisiana's Mary Landrieu, the Senate's most vulnerable Democrat. She had been sweating the energy debate, especially after her vote against more oil-shale production -- a position her Republican opponent, John Kennedy, had used against her to great effect. Yet there she was, chummily standing with the Gang of 10 and boasting that she is working with "five Republicans" to "lower prices at the pump by increasing offshore drilling here at home."
Mr. McCain, who had been commanding the energy debate, was left to explain why he, of all people, wasn't more enthusiastic about a "bipartisan" effort on energy, especially one that includes "drilling." His camp was forced to take refuge in taxes, explaining that their boss couldn't sign up for a bill that included more. If this is what Mr. McCain's good friend Lindsey Graham considers "helping," somebody might want to ask him to stop.

And pity poor Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been working overtime to stanch GOP losses this fall and head off a filibuster-proof Democratic Senate. His dogged efforts to highlight Democratic opposition to drilling has kept energy in the news and laid the groundwork for GOP candidates to use the issue to their advantage.
In the Colorado Senate race, Democrats had christened former GOP Rep. Bob Schaffer "Big Oil Bob" -- hoping to smear his oil industry career. "Big Oil Bob" has instead embraced his pro-drilling positions and is pummeling opponent Mark Udall for his antidrilling stance. In recent weeks, Mr. Schaffer has erased Mr. Udall's lead. Polls show Republican Sens. Norm Coleman (Minnesota) and John Sununu (New Hampshire) both climbing in the polls on the back of strong energy arguments. As two of the GOP's most vulnerable senators, both might well have run for cover with the Gang of 10. Instead they're fighting on the merits.
The "bipartisan" Republican senators have undercut these efforts, and boosted Ms. Landrieu. They've even put a smile on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's face. He'd been struggling to tamp down the energy debate through November, where he hopes to increase his majority and permanently shelve drilling. He's now counting on the Gang to fruitlessly continue "negotiations" straight through the Senate's short September session and solve his problem for him.
Not one of the five Republicans in the Gang is facing a tough election this year. That's the sort of security that leads to bad decisions. And theirs is the sort of thinking that could leave Republicans in a permanent minority.

The Florida OutPouring's sad ending.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=8956c0dc-e55a-4b43-83f8-a564eb48de50

I am wondering who was discipling him? If he had accountability of any serious nature after the issues he had years ago? and how easily he was not challenged in Florida for his past before he arrived. So sad.

This is a good article for leaders- Are you Transactional or Transformational?

http://samrainer.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/transactional-or-transformational-church-leadership/

May God Bless you richly this week.

"Fuzzy Lines"

2008-08-13T11:28:00.002-04:00

Joe Mulroney at Woodpark last Sunday challenged me with Col.3:23 about how I should look at my work. He is right that we should look at our work as something we do for the Lord, but….let me talk a little about this work thing and me.

Work has some gray area’s for me. In the IT business it can be slow at times and too fast at others. It’s the slow times that create issues. Creating work in IT at the slow times cost money, and many times there is a freeze on spending………so you are forced to wait? In the slow times I can take care of the needs of the bank and do personal work at the same time, but I’m uncomfortable at times with this. Those in authority over me give me freedom and my reviews have always been excellent. But there are unseen boundary’s that are not clear. Going home in the evening does not mean I’m off from work, it just means I’m in a different place (fuzzy line one). I have to think about my work all the time no matter where I’m at (fuzzy line two). So balancing work, home, and ministry is always a challenge because all three are going on at the same time.

Black and white for some, not so for me…. at least not yet. Being in harmony for me at work means being very aware of the Holy Spirit’s lead. Easy to make mistakes in this kind of arena, but also a great place for personal growth and reward. I can see how God leads us to such a place to teach us many things, and it’s also a great place to influence many people.

I believe lack of confidence plays into my confusion with work, and it’s one of my primary weaknesses. I am continuously battling this confidence issue, and I know God would love for me to move past this ………but I’m so hard headed. My past has very deep roots that keep pulling me back to “I can’t” thinking. “ We can do all things in Christ Jesus” is such a great truth. One thing I see in that verse that gives me comfort is that there is no dead-line, or time involved in this statement. It’s a statement of fact with no mention of how long it would take to “do all things”. I believe God is happy with our baby steps in “doing all things” as long as we step in the right direction. When Jesus said, “His burden was light” He meant it. Kingdom Living shouldn’t be a burden, and God gives us the time to learn this new kind of Living.

Wise friends plays a big part in learning good judgment, and good judgment builds confidence. Confidence will lead to clearer lines (black and white), and less gray…..I’m confident of that. But as Hank reminded me, “there should be a balance between confidence and humility”. Thanks for being a wise friend Hank!

Grace and unity - Biggar

At Promise Keepers

2008-08-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

Fletcher and I are headed to Atlanta today for Promise Keepers with 30 guys from our church.

The event sold out Monday so we will be there with 10,000 men worshipping the Lord.

Will give you a report on Sunday night.

Pray for all the men attending. Pray for all of us to be better husbands, fathers, leaders, good-named workers.

A Small Glimpse of the Future

2008-07-27T20:06:00.002-04:00

We saw a small glimpse of the future this past week in Berlin when presidential candidate Barrack Hussein Obama went to Europe to prove that he could speak in public well.
He hasn't really done anything yet.
But, notice that the crowd of 200,000 came to here a man that not of office but a curiousity.

In the last days there will come a man in that will be like Obama in his speaking ability. He will be the anti-Christ. When he will come we don't know but it just showed me how people haven't changed since the Old Testament and that Solomon was right. (See Ecc. in your bible)

It just goes to show you that if people will come out for someone from the West, how easily they will be lead by someone promising them peace and things that their heart desires during trying times.

There are literally hundreds of people in the U.S. that are part of Toastmasters that can speak better than Obama on any given day and on their feet too by the way. The media wants change in this country. The people want change too. Leadership in Washington is weak. Leadership is weak in many places.
In this time we have to figure out how to get men of integrity out of business and into politics.
Men who don't need attention, they just want to get things done for change. Men who have values but can sit down and have good conservations about our country's future and lead others in that thinking. You really have to come to the end of yourself sometimes before change can happen.
If mind you, If the Obama goes before the world and can only stay 8 points in front of a candidate like McCain the Dems have to be worried. They ditched the Clintons to win. They threw it all for this run and if they don't win, the problem is that the Republicans in the Senate are so weak it won't help.
The VP candidates will be an interesting pick won't they? Wouldn't you like to have been a fly on the wall with the Clintons when Obama was speaking in Berlin. I sit here and laugh thinking about how they were saying nice things....probably.

Looks like Promise Keepers in Atlanta will be sold out again this year. Fletcher and I head that way Friday.

May you have a blessed week and remember that in all this craziness that there is a God that is there and He loves you. Hebrews 13:8

We Need To Start All Over in Washington

2008-07-19T19:34:00.004-04:00

This picture is of the Charles B. Rangel for Public Policy- this article for John Fund sitting in for a vacationing Peggy Noonan is very sobering click on the link and read it and then we can talk.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121642241569366643.html?mod=todays_columnists

Kinda of grabs you doesn't it? Takes you back to modern Rome doesn't it? Politicians have become more consumed with gaining attention to themselves than ever before and true leaders aren't anywhere to be seen. We have a leadership crisis at every level of government to the local level. People are going to have to get involved soon or we will really be in trouble.

It is not a secret that today more people that attend church are biblical illiterate. This is spreading more and more to pastors, I give you two examples from the recent California movement to same sex marriages and it's profound effect on the United Methodist Church:

"I'm tired of being part of a church that lacks integrity," said the Rev. Janet Gollery McKeithen of Santa Monica's Church in Ocean Park, who plans to conduct weddings for two gay couples in August and September. "I love my church, and I don't want to leave it. But I can't be part of a church that is willing to portray a God that is so hateful. I would rather be forced out."

Janet, bless your heart but Jesus Christ is the most inclusive thing in this world. He asks all of us to repent from our sinful ways. Homosexuality is one of those ways that the word has spoken of. It was man and woman from the beginning. Jesus taught about marriage between a man and woman. (He didn't have to teach the Jews at that time about homosexuality-the McAbees had things pretty straight during that time)

And:
The Rev. Sharon Rhodes-Wickett of Claremont United Methodist Church joined a retired deacon from her congregation to co-officiate at the July 5 wedding of two longtime members, Howard Yeager and Bill Charlton. The wedding was held off site -- at a Claremont complex for retired clergy and missionaries -- to avoid violating the rule against such ceremonies in churches. Rhodes-Wickett, who led the Lord's Prayer and gave a homily, said she hoped to avoid discipline by stopping short of actually pronouncing the couple married. That action was performed by the retired deacon, who also signed the marriage license. Rhodes-Wickett said she did not want Yeager and Charlton to leave her church to exchange vows. "This is my flock," she said, adding that the men have been together 40 years, 22 of them as members of her Claremont congregation. "It's a matter of integrity and a matter of what it is to be a pastoral ministry."

No, Sharon I am afraid you have the gospel according to Sharon there in front of you. The apostle Paul would like to have a word with you in his letters. So sad that there are people following teaching here. But alas, in these last days Paul said there would be years like this.

Forgive us Father for our sinful ways as a nation. Please have mercy on this once great nation founded on your principles and law. Lord, rise up leaders to take on the mantle of your word, your love, your message of forgiveness to the nations.

Review of Saturday:

We went to Hobby Lobby today and they already have their Christmas and Thanksgiving merchandise out. Some good looking stuff. It was weird.

We then went to Barnes and Noble. They are moving to a larger location in November and it will be a ginormus size store next to a Red Robin. Everybody was busy.

Ended at Publix. Got a black and white. nothing quite like a good black and white with a nice glass of milk. The check out lady knows our kids and remarked how they are growing. You can tell we shop alot there.

DCI San Antonio is tonight. Watched Troopers before we left in prelims. Carolina Crown performs last tonight at the AlamoDome. Web streaming starts in mere minutes here is a post performance shot of them playing "Before the Throne of God Above," after a win over Cadets this past week.

I believe Blue Devils will win tonight. I am looking at who has added stuff to shows this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuDSHr7QoIg&NR=1

Dr. Michael DeBakey Died this past week. He had a profound affect on my dad's life and my father's in laws life and if genetics is any indication, mine too. Here is the story:

http://www.kansascity.com/811/story/702281.html

More later on VW coming to Nooga.

The Question is Moot

2008-07-12T18:14:00.002-04:00

Back Several years ago, Jesse Jackson hosted SNL and somewhere in the show he hosted a gameshow called, "The Question is Moot." This was a catch phrase around campus at college the whole next week and still is just laying there for me today.

This week Jesse Jackson the modern misery merchant was caught by an intern screening tapes late at night saying something about Barrack Hussein Obama that was just plain wrong.

His own son came back at him, almost made me laugh by telling his own dad to "Keep Hope Alive," this was Jesse's saying back in the day.

Here is a link to the story if you have been under a rock:

http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/jackson.obama.comments.2.767252.html

What is sad is Jesse's press conference as he was trying to circumvent the media of Fox News breaking the story on O' Reilly. (that ploy was for MSNBC and CNN-to cover the ratings spread for the evening) anyway, it is a man that has issues. Here is man about to be crowned king in a stadium in Denver and it isn't him. YOU can only imagine the Clinton's feelings.

This is what should be asked of him. He should be asked to give up his "reverend" title. Look, Barrack's comments on Fathers in America, (black and white) are dead on. It hit Jesse hard because he had a child out with a woman other than his wife a few years ago. It hits hard.

The other thing is the media should be asking for him to give up his title, these comments this week were worthy of it. Someone asked me this week, what if James Dobson had said those words? yes, what if?

The question is moot though. They won't ask for this. He will still go around and create news off of people's misery, it's all he knows about his gospel.

His apology was weak, full of pride and words that he likes to use but none reflected his heart.

Jesse Jackson had his Sister Souljah moment and is fading out of American politics because of his own jealousy of another man. Cain and Abel to today.

AS a man today, how do you handle anger? How do you handle things when they don't go your way or someone else gets the promotion? Is it about title and things?

Jesus Christ is at the center of why you have a job or career. He should be the focus on your steps, your direction and not man. When man gets in the way he will fill him self with jealousy, anger, bitterness, want, and it is all self wanting and lusting.

That is not what we need today.

Also we are sad of the loss of Tony Snow. God, Family and his Career. Good Man. Will be missed. Classy and not self promoting. Peace be with his family.

Would you take time today to pray for those families around you? It is a good thing but in these tough economic times the financial strain is going to lead to a lot of divorces in America, which will affect them and their children. You won't hear the media talk about this. We need to pray.

Santa Clara Vanguard's new unis

2008-07-07T18:50:00.003-04:00

From Stanford, California at DCI West on Saturday night.

Click on image to see up close the subtle changes for this year. Blue Devils won West, now everyone heads to Denver this weekend.

Santa Clara's show is called "Three." It is divided into three parts, Mind, Body and Spirit.

Spirit has not been added yet, drill was given this week and should be ready by Drums Along the Rockies on 7/12.

Good Brain Food from Fred Smith

2008-07-05T16:59:00.004-04:00

This week I really enjoyed these memories shared from Fred Smith and it is over 10 years old!You can get ideas from his teachings on leadership at Breakfast with Fred.com. His family keeps his website going with weekly e-mail gems like this each week.

Fred would often “scattershot” while dictating or sitting at his vintage Selectric typewriter. In 1989 he listed ten thought starters and gave thumbnail sketches. These are good brain food.

1. Hurt opens the heart – Often the best and maybe the only time a person will open up to help is when the hurt is too great to bear alone.

2. Gratitude cures depression – There is no stronger medicine for depression than genuine gratitude. If we find ourselves saying, “Yes, but,” we are not fully grateful. The truly grateful say, “Yes! Yes!” The Bible says, “In all things be grateful.” When it says, all – it means all.

3. Sit loose to things – Oswald Chambers is not against having things, nor enjoying them. But he is against getting so stuck to them that if they go, they take you with them. So long as you own them and not vice versa, everything is in right perspective. Develop the “sit loose to things” reflex.

4. Beware the spirit of fear – There is a great difference in being perpetually afraid, and having specific fears. It is alright to have particular fears, but not the spirit of fear. Our general disposition is not to be one of constant fear. “I have not given you the spirit of fear, but of love and of a sound mind.” Is your first reaction to every situation fear? It doesn’t have to be. You have a Promise to shield you.

5. The power of bonding – Experts tell us the greatest benefit of gang membership for kids is bonding – the sense of family and someone to stand with them in trouble. The church should be our bonding fellowship. We should share sufferings and provide acceptance for good. We should all be bonded as fellow members of the body of Christ --- that is the true bond.

6. The power of light – We dread the dark, but it has no power. It can’t put out the smallest candle, or even a flicker of light. There is no darkness so deep that a tiny light cannot penetrate it. Christ is the eternal lamplighter and He will re-light your lamp, no matter how small or how unused it has become. Darkness never owns the light; light always overcomes the dark.

7. Enjoy the challenge of change – Every situation is either a challenge or a threat. To the confident it is a challenge; to the fearful it is a threat. The situation is the same, but the reaction is different. Would you like to change from threat to challenge? View every new potentially threatening experience as an experiment. Be objective like a reporter and become interested in watching yourself go through the experience. Gain understanding as you step outside yourself.

8. New Age is old stuff – It is like the late night advertisement for wallets made out of “genuine synthetic leather.” Its promises have no guarantor. The Bible promises are the promissory notes given and guaranteed by God. New Age gives claims to a promised land they do not own…they are spiritual squatters.

9. The beauty of balance – All things in moderation – fanatical about nothing – everything getting its due – and everything in its season. A time for everything, even winning and losing.

10. We are promised ultimate victory – There is no sudden success. Ours is ultimate joy even while going through hardship and struggle. We look forward in hope , but we do not hope in hope. Our hope is in the promises of God and in the life of Christ.

Things to consider this week: 1) Which of the ten stretched me most? 2) How can I apply one of them this week to help others? 3) When do I do my best thinking?

Where is your "flesh" vulnerable? We all have these issues. We are all human. Watch this teaching from Todd Wagner at Dallas Theological Seminary's spring conference on being real:

http://www.dts.edu/media/play/?MediaItemID=bd3318d7-3b3f-4500-b0ec-91ec380410bd

May the Lord Bless you and Keep you!

The Moderator Chair is Empty

2008-06-14T15:40:00.001-04:00

I was just going to shut down my laptop and pack it up for the ride home from work and checked drudgereport to see what had happened in the world and saw that Tim Russert had died and put on the XM to Fox News to listen to coverage.

It took me a few minutes to process this. He is the common man of Washington that made it big. He comes across non-partisian. He was like me and you and he was gone. It reminded me of when John Holman the space reporter from CNN died suddenly in a car accident.
http://www.cnn.com/US/9809/12/holliman.obit.02/
Even though Robert Hager retired in 2004, I miss him more than any other reporter when crisis, weather or transportation issues happened. I grew up watching him. He was simply the best there was when things were tough. Times like the Iowa floods would have been his fortay.
I miss this type of reporter for the ones today that have an agenda.
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=74072

Tim Russert was touted last night for his work ethic, his love of family and his faith. Wonderful to have enjoyed him so many times thru the years. NBC will leave his chair vacant on Sunday.
Whom takes up the chair has shoes that can't be filled. Just can't. He was once in a lifetime just like you and I are. Created for a relationship with the one true God.

Some bullet points from things I have picked up. The Friday Chattanooga paper had an article talking about Riverbend's featured act the Bachman Cummings Band. They had issues as The Guess Who and broked up due to Bachman's devout Mormonism. But.....
He has since left the Mormon temple the article states. "We found some things that couldn't be reconciled." "Religion is a bunch of rules, a fear factor."
I thought that said alot about the Mormon church . That is not the case of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray for Randy Bachman to have someone share that with him.

A recent study by the Jenkins Group, a custom book publishing firm showed these interesting facts:
*One-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of THEIR LIVES
*42 percent of college graduates never read another book AFTER COLLEGE
*80 percent of US families did not buy or read a book last year
*70 percent of US adults have not been in a book store in the past FIVE YEARS
*57 percent of new books are not read to completion

Does that tell you something? It does me.

Two weeks ago we were training new internal auditors in our ISO 14000 system and before the morning started I had just looked at this article below because it talked about Pepsi's new stance on talent and sustainability. I shared with the group from this article.
A new talking point was in this article that trust me you are going to be hearing more in the business world. Thank goodness it isn't like the 2005 HR speak phrase of the year "Onboarding" -the new rave phrase among HR people for orientation. (I just don't get it still and I am in HR) but the word in this article centers off of environmental sustainability which is now pretty common place (we in flooring have been knowing this for about five years) the word is "human sustainability." Read the article to see what Indra Nooyi, the CEO of Pepsico is starting among business. It will ripple. Business loves new words like this.
http://www.astd.org/NR/rdonlyres/F467615A-B5B4-4383-A78F-D67DF9AA867F/17013/76080632.pdf

Right before I got on a plane Monday I was reading about Steven Colbert in the Chattanooga Free Press and love this quote as he was talking about his Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report and himself...."I am not a passive verb," he says," This is first person, present tense, at all times, I am a verb. As Buckminster Fuller said,"I seem to be a verb." The show is present tense, present active. We're not passive, we don't observe. We set the news agenda. We create the news. We throw the pebble of the show into reality and we report on our own ripples."

I really think he and I could get along. But, he is really quick witted.....and Buckminster Fuller did at least believe there was a God who put all of this together. But, he pulled that name in didn't he?

I do hope that the Celtics can finish off the choking Lakers tomorrow and we can move onto pre-season NFL football! Dan Patrick has Dan Shaughnessy on Friday after the 24 point come back and he admitted that he had written his column for Friday about the Lakers big win and had to do a re-write for Friday publication. Here is a link to the Boston Globe Blog from LA. Rondo is ok and Perkins still 50/50. The Lakers say they have put the last game behind them. Yeah.
Alabama has put six straight losses to Auburn behind them too. Lakers are still favored by six-seven and haven't covered a line in the last two games? Bettors can't be happy. I stepped back in the NBA season gingerly after a 15 year absence. 15 years ago I was pulling for Magic and the Lakers...today Pierce and the Celtics....
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/

August 3rd is coming up fast. Colts and Redskins for one quarter of action followed by three quarters of senseless banter. To start the NFL season back. No Brett Favre...Ouch...

While Tim Russert's death is so sad, Charlie Jones passed away too on Thursday in CA. He was on his way to dinner at Torrey Pines with friends and had a heart attack. His voice was like melted butter. He was one that I grew up with too. He always had the AFC late games with Merlin Olsen. I was just thinking of him the other day as they showed highlights on NFL Network and wondered what he was doing....He was such a joy to listen do a game. Such a joy! I must make an effort to listen to Vin Scully today before he is gone from the Dodger games. There are so few men left that truly understand how to do games and care to do them well. Most are just saying things about the moment and not painting a picture for you of what is happening and coming up. If you are watching the NBA finals you know what I am talking about. The year I got married the Celtics and the Lakers were duking it out and the announcers then were better than the three doing the game now. (Off the soap box)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGBDZNoq4J0JP8H9G6EpCg3otkQQD919J8L01

The next time someone starts talking about the possibility of building a commuter rail between Atlanta and Chattanooga and they say it can't be done, show them this article and tell them it is time we start working on this mode of transportation. I wish a presidential candidate would start the dialogue.

http://www.usbusiness-review.com/content/view/906/31/

Last but not least the NY Times writing about what Bush called the Pope. HA!
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/wait-what-did-he-just-call-the-pope/

This shocked me.
No thanks Billy Graham—that’s the message John McCain had for the renowned evangelist, who had requested to meet with the presidential candidate. A letter to Graham from the McCain campaign read: “I must pass along our regrets and do not foresee an opportunity to add this event to the calendar. I know you will understand that with the tremendous demands on his time and the large volume of similar requests, events such as this are extremely difficult to schedule even though each one is important.” The exchange comes only weeks after McCain severed ties with pastors John Hagee and Rod Parsley over controversy that erupted when the media highlighted controversial segments of the preachers’ past sermons. [newsmax.com, 6/8/08]

Happy Father's Day! 1 Timothy 3:4

Father's Day/Wedding Anniversary

2008-06-08T10:57:00.000-04:00

This next weekend will mark Father's Day once again. I am extremely blessed to be a dad of our wonderful children. It is a day since Fletcher came into this world 14 years ago that I really am just thankful. Don't want anything (although the XM radio gift five years ago/it was a father's day-birthday gift combo) still is one I love because I have enjoyed having XM both at home and at work. Being a radio/music/info consumer it has been super. That is a whole different blog about how that technology works.

I just enjoy seeing these children grow and look forward to what God has in store for them in their lives. I have more than enough for this life. I just want my children to know the one true God and to have a continuing relationship with Him. For He is worthy. He is not just a story, either you believe who He said He is or you don't. Your faith will show it, through your actions. OR inaction.

Being their dad is wonderful and they are a blessing to me. The way they study, and are learning the word of God, how they interact with others makes me proud.
But men today are not real clear on what this looks like. With 72 million children under the age of 15 without dads in this country today you can see why. They see divorce as a norm. Most 20-30 year olds come from broken homes and have the technology downpat just need to know what it means to chart the course. Name one tv show today that is a role model show? Guys today have the God of Materialism down. How do you get a view of this manhood?

How do they get this? Well, one of the best ways is to make time to start I share here is what I have done. First is to learn about it from men that have been there. Pray for someone to disciple you that is older and been there done that. AND- Large and. Listen to wisdom, have someone whom can tell you NO, bad idea- and challenge you. Don't have someone that tells you how wonderful you are all the time. Beteachable in all things. Show humility at all times. It is not a sign of weakness but strength.

Next, in the word of God look for applications to your life and your family. Precept Austin's link to the right can take you to some wonderful sermons around the family. This will allow yourself to see ways to honor your wife and stay in touch with your children.
Learn more about yourself. Seriously. Your behavior profile can tell you alot about yourself. This helps me more than anything in dealing with my children but also all people.
Have a plan thru prayer. Men's Fraternity is a wonderful baseline curriculum for men to see in "Winning at Work and at Home," what your role is thru different years with your children. The reason I say have a plan is that the time moves very quickly.
Congratulations to all the dads out there. Even if you have a prodigal or are struggling, continue to pray. Continue to trust God. Life is a training ground for heaven. As my bible study teacher said last week-Are you closer to God yourself than yesterday? Last month?
This pursuit of holiness in very important mine and your growth as men.
Do you see where God is using circumstances to bring you closer to him?
Do not be alone men either. You can easily be picked off in isolation.

21 years of marriage to my wife. We celebrated this yesterday with dinner at Bonefish Grill. Wonderful meal and service. So much to be thankful for. We both looked at how different we are today than on that day in 1987. I thank the Lord for his patience with me.
We went by World Market and then LifeWay and they ran us out at 9pm. Patrice has purchased a new glider for her and her mom to sit in on our front porch. The installation begins tomorrow as the final push to renovate our front bathroom. (We love American Express Rewards Points)

We came home and Brynna had made a banner for us. Corley made a newspaper of the "Humphrey Family News" complete with a salute to us, movie polls and upcoming stories. That was pretty funny. She didn't realize I used to do this, let her read some old handwritten papers I did in junior high and she laughed. That is too funny.

Our Dads and Daughters class started this Wednesday with a good start with more men than we thought had signed up! We have men that have one daughter all the way to four. They all want to raise Godly women. It will be an exciting eight weeks for us to learn about being better fathers....Our summer breakfast series starts this Tuesday. Don Gordon will be leading a series around "Walking With God," Please continue to pray Don's wife's family in the passing of her mother.

Must travel on Monday, hopefull we will see a post by Gary. If the Braves lose today, I may been in for some heckling in Philly. I got a text after last night's game from a friend from work up north....that just read....."get the broom out." I look forward to the cheesesteaks. The Braves just need to finish a game. (Like the Lakers do!)

Two things I have down from work this week- One is a quote-"To teach is to learn twice," -Joseph Joubert

and from Pat Leconcini's e-blast this week on Leadership. That leaders need to get out of their office since leadership is social by nature since it always relationship driven. Staying in your office leads to privacy instead of openiness and colloboration. Now, Pat is an extrovert so he admits later that this plays a role in his thinking and it does. But, his points are true about the relationship angle. My job is always about relationships and if stay in my office all the time I will not be able to help in things that happen the course of just walking thru our plants or offices. So for yourself how does that apply? Don't send an e-mail to someone next to you. Talk to them. Don't let an e-mail thread go beyond about two-go talk. Leaders listen, Leaders open doors, bring about change and then go back for more.

May God Bless you today....May you understand the overwhelming grace He gives you and me. May we take His light and shine it around us and make the world a little brighter place. May you be salt to this world to bring a flavor to it that is different and inviting.

Saturday Meanderings

2008-05-31T10:59:00.000-04:00

We are headed to Atlanta and then to Elijay today to celebrate Fletcher's 14th birthday and have some family time.

I am reading "The Letters and Lessons of Theodore Roosevelt for His Sons," and found this quote this week to share on this day.

"Love of peace is common among weak, short-sighted, timid, and lazy persons: and on the other hand courage is found among many men of evil temper and bad character.
Neither quality shall by itself avail.
Justice among the nations of mankind, and the uplifting of humanity, can be brought about only by those strong and daring men who with wisdom love peace, but who also love righteousness more than peace."
Teddy Roosevelt

This quote struck me this week as most politicians today just don't get it. They are trying to get elected again and not thinking of the future.
They talk about bringing people together but are really dividing people. They are afraid to make law in some areas, offend their voters and not stand for anything. Statesmen are gone. They play to cameras and media.
They seem to let their faith not even be important-suddenly here in 2008 endorsements from controversial people matter. It hasn't in the past.
What am I saying? Well, to me it just guides me back to the fact that I am glad that God is in control, and understand more the wisdom of Paul talking about how men would be in the latter days.... Men, we are there.

Where do you stand? Who is guiding you or what? More tomorrow and some links....
hh

Chapman Family Need Your Prayers

2008-05-23T14:40:00.000-04:00

I will let you read the article and just wanted to offer prayers for them during this time.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080523/TUNEIN/805230396

Weekend Reflections

2008-05-17T12:17:00.000-04:00

I have saved some links and info to post today, there is something for everyone so scroll down and take in the things that may interest you:

Greg Moffatt sent me his monthly column this week and thought I would share this one with you. He teaches at a christian college in Atlanta, has his own practice and is published in the Peachtree City Citizen. He and I got to know each other due to his excellent presentations on Violence in the Workplace. He is an expert on educating and what is happening in our culture in regards to this. Hope you enjoy his article on parenting.

10 Commandments for ParentsGregory K. Moffatt, Ph.D.
May 2008
A reader suggested that I consider writing a column on “10 Commandments for Parents.” It sounded like a great idea, so here it is.
1. Be consistent. Set boundaries for your children and be dependable. Life has enough surprises. Your children need to know what to expect from you.
2. Remember children are small. Even teens can feel dwarfed by your size, your age, and your power. If you are not careful, you can easily hurt a child’s small bones with your powerful hands. Your size magnifies your anger in a child’s eyes and it makes your voice sound louder than it really is. You can hurt their developing egos with your powerful voice and attitude. Also, remember they are still growing. They are learning to recognize and control their emotions, to control their bodies, and how to relate to others. This takes many years to perfect.
3. Be patient. Children don’t know as much as you do. What seems obvious to you is not obvious to a child. We experience this as adults, too. For example, the computer specialist at my office recently sent out a memo describing the new procedure for logging on to the network from various places on and off campus. I’m sure it seemed very clear to him, but to me he may have well been speaking French. I felt like an idiot asking for clarification. Children experience this every day. As children develop cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally, it will take them less time to understand concepts and less time to perform tasks. Until then be patient.
4. Be respectful. Never say anything to a child that you wouldn’t say to an adult. I understand we might speak slower, use different words, or speak in a different tone when talking to children. But our attitude of respect should be the same regardless of the person to whom we are talking. I often use “ma’am” and “sir” when speaking to children because it models respectful behavior. I try to avoid sarcasm, a condescending tone, and belittling remarks.
5. Let your children make mistakes. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. Water can get on the floor while your child is learning to wash dishes and he doesn’t have to always color inside the lines. Let your children learn by making mistakes. Good parenting doesn’t mean having children who never make mistakes. Instead, it is knowing when to intervene and prevent a mistake, when to rescue a child from a mistake, and when the child will learn best from making a mistake and suffering the consequences.
6. Be available. Even though it is a cliché, they are only children once. When you’ve heard, “Mommy come play with me” for the tenth time of the afternoon, remember there will soon be a time when they won’t ask anymore. Let the laundry and the dishes wait. Read a story, go for a walk, or snuggle in the bed.
7. Be your child’s teacher and mentor. No teacher, football coach, dance instructor, or youth minister can have a greater impact on your child than you. Take advantage of car rides, trips to soccer practice, and evenings watching TV together to talk about life, the news, books, and most importantly, character.
8. Be a good listener. Listen to your children’s fears, cares, and worries. Share their happiness and their sorrows. Don’t try to fix everything. Just listen. Sometimes being a good listener is the best prescription for healing. There is great comfort in being understood.
9. Find ways to say “yes.” Children hear the word “no” from their earliest days. Do your best to say “yes.” A friend told me many years ago that he looked for reasons to say “yes” to his sons rather than reasons to say “no.” That was great advice.
10. Help your child find his or her talents and develop them. As children grow, they need something external to help them define themselves. Activities can help us feel worthy and competent. Whether it is playing piano, soccer, or baseball, or perhaps it is dance, karate, or scouting. Whatever the activity, help your child find something that works and at which he or she can excel.

If every parent lived by these Ten Commandments, my practice might go out of business. What a joy that would be!

{Some good reflections for all men in that article} Identify one area you are not dealing well in and begin to work on it, learn more about it, pray about it and talk with your wife about how to be a better dad in those areas. After you practice it for awhile you will be better at it.

This article on water woes is interesting. Not just in our area. We have some issues developing in a lot of places:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/water-woes-from-florida-to-spain-to-orbit/index.html?hp

This is an interesting article from The Christian Post about the last church standing in Cyprus:
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080428/32154_The_Last_Church_Standing_in_North_Cyprus.htm

This blog's note made me realize I had better start taking in some Dodger games on XM this summer before Vin Scully does retire. He simply is wonderful to listen to and understands how to paint a game on radio:
http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/05/dodgers-annoucner-vin-scully-hints-at.html

I have always loved newspapers. If you have ever seen, "Broadcast News," I was just like Holly Hunter as she would go into work she was buying about six papers a day. There has always been a connection for me and having worked in journalism for several years as a stringer of games, and columnist I am always fascinated with layout/design. We even have a Daily Scoreboard at work we use to communicate with our workforce that the design is around a short page paper for Huddle Group Leaders to work off and communicate things at work around Safety/Service/Quality/Productivity/ and Waste. So, here is an interesting story about how much time people are on the newspaper sites.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003794092

JD Greer has an excellent column about the Southern Baptist Conventions note we placed on here about a week ago, very well thought out:
http://jdgreear.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/southern-baptis.html

I received Ron Hutchcraft's guide on Caspian, you can get it for free at his site. It is very well done.
http://www.hutchcraft.com/A-Christian-s-Guide-to-The-Chronicles-of-Narnia-Prince-Caspian

The extent of fatherlessness complete with statistics:
http://www.fathers.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336

Sports
Too bad about the Jazz last night, I thought they would take it to seven, but they played so poorly in the first half that it compounded the comeback, they even had two shots to tie and missed both though.
Ryan Periouloux from LSU is headed to my alma mater, Jacksonville State, for the fall to play QB. What this means? Second chance for Ryan, and possible OVC championship for the Gamecocks. My manager told her son that Ga. Tech was opening with Ryan at QB against Tech and he said, "They'll shred us!" Talent level is a little different though.
Also I took some grief from my friends in Philly about the two losses. Hope the Braves can sweep the A's this weekend.
Celtics and Cavs game seven. I just don't think the Celtics have realized that they need to play offense and defense all game long. The good thing I saw for the Celtics is that with this game they will make money this year after all the trade money spent.
Hoping for a Celtic win, but realizing that the Lakers offense along with the officials are too much in the end. And Charles Barkley needs to pay that $400,000 gambling debt and do you notice no one is asking him anything more about this?

Last Place:
Mike Huckabee made a mistake yesterday, apologized but why he said what he said I don't understand because it wasn't even funny. Sad moment.
http://www.breitbart.tv/html/97143.html

This week alot of stink at the end of the week over Bush's speech in Israel where he mentioned appeasement of a politician in 1939/Hitler and the Obama campaign used this all day against Bush, even Channel Nine in Chattanooga had a slant. This interview with Newt Gingrich is really good about it but c'mon. 1) Bush didn't mention Obama, or Jimmy Carter or Nancy Peloisi. This is a pretty rational speech to those Israelies sitting there. And when did one person's point of view become a political attack with not mentioning your name? WOW!

This is headed continually downhill. We are getting awful close to just calling us modern day Romans. We need term limits and the Mississippi vote this week for the Democrat showed the GOP, Americans do want change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zDJmbOUzmY&feature=related

Last but not least we finished a breakfast series on The Power of Prayer this week where we read thru EM Bounds book on Prayer for pastors and prayed for our next senior pastor. It was a wonderful spring on Tuesdays. There were about 12 different men that lead the morning discussions. Truly wonderful. Thank you to Gary Masterson for recording them. They are all on WP's website under BridgeBuilders Audio Resources if you want to listen and review. God's method is men.....he is just looking for better men....