Turning 100

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

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"

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