Helping Hands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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