Friday, April 24, 2020
"I heard what you asked but not the way you asked it"
I was watching my church online the other day and our pastor was reading from "A Tale of Three Kings" and he read this sentence...
"I heard what you asked but not the way you asked it."
It grabbed my attention (I was already paying attention LOL but this made me really perk up). The sentence was in reference to David responding to his men on why he didn't kill King Saul when he had the chance. His men were angry and wanted answers.
This is a good lesson in leadership. Many times we encounter our teammates and they are really passionate about something. They are so passionate that they may not follow the usual "standards" of addressing others. They are excited, maybe angry and the way they phrase their questions and statements may be harsh. Often the question is clouded in the emotion of the ask.
"I heard what you asked but not the way you asked it"
As a leader we have to go beyond the emotion and get to the real question or concern of the teammate. We have to hear what is being asked. We have to block out how it is being asked. You want people on your team that are passionate. People that get excited about what is going on. People that aren't afraid to speak out and challenge. It is your responsibility as a leader to calm the emotion by addressing the real questions your team has even as they are clouded by emotion. Of course, real disrespect should not be tolerated but the leader must be strong enough to know the difference.
Always be on the lookout for the real question. Hear what is being asked not matter the way it is being asked.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Cleaning, Piles and Joy
I tend to clean up in piles.
When I clean up I make piles of stuff and then move these piles to different locations. I clean up the living room by making a pile of stuff and move that pile to the bedroom. Then I go back to the living room and move around some other stuff, make a pile and take it to the garage. Then I go back to the living room and pile up some other stuff and take it to "Granddaddy's Room". At the end of this pile-moving the living room is clean.
Then I have to do the same to other rooms.
Not necessarily on the same day.
In fact, usually never on the same day...or the same week...maybe even not the same month.
But that's what is cool about this process. When I go back to the piles of stuff I moved from the living room into other rooms it can be like a moment of discovery.
"Wow! Look what I found!"
If I cleaned up "properly" or "perfectly" I wouldn't have these little moments of found joy.
I like found joy
What's the lesson? I think it may be that we shouldn't try to be perfect all the time and there may not be "proper" ways to do everything. But there is always ways to find joy
And that makes me smile
When I clean up I make piles of stuff and then move these piles to different locations. I clean up the living room by making a pile of stuff and move that pile to the bedroom. Then I go back to the living room and move around some other stuff, make a pile and take it to the garage. Then I go back to the living room and pile up some other stuff and take it to "Granddaddy's Room". At the end of this pile-moving the living room is clean.
Then I have to do the same to other rooms.
Not necessarily on the same day.
In fact, usually never on the same day...or the same week...maybe even not the same month.
But that's what is cool about this process. When I go back to the piles of stuff I moved from the living room into other rooms it can be like a moment of discovery.
"Wow! Look what I found!"
If I cleaned up "properly" or "perfectly" I wouldn't have these little moments of found joy.
I like found joy
What's the lesson? I think it may be that we shouldn't try to be perfect all the time and there may not be "proper" ways to do everything. But there is always ways to find joy
And that makes me smile
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Why Jesus for Me
I was non-religious for most of my life. I believed but didn't put a lot of effort into it. I felt it in my insides but never acted on it.
So what changed?
How did I spend my first 50 some odd years on this earth without making a decision and then suddenly (or not so suddenly) make the best decision of my life 2 years ago?
I heard a statement
That simple
I heard a statement that erased all of the questions and doubts I had about religion and church.
"If a man can predict his own death and resurrection and pull it off I am following him."
I heard this while sitting in Athens Church, not fully engaged but there because my wife and kids were engaged. (Isn't it funny how many men are brought to church through their wives and children?) Andy Stanley was on the screen - it was a video message that day - and he said many words, had many statements but I only remember one from this day
"If a man can predict his own death and resurrection and pull it off..."
That grabbed me...that engaged me. I didn't need to hear anything else.
My life changed.
Now...why did he do this? Why did Jesus die?
For me
I try to put things in terms that I can understand and I started thinking that if I have a friend and we, my friend and I, ended up in a perilous situation where he ended up losing his life to save mine what would I do. The answer is simple, that friend would hold a place of honor in my house, in my life, in my heart forever!
So that's where Jesus is in my house.
There are so many things to question in regards to religion and church. There are so many things to agree or disagree with. So many questions about the various church leaders. But to me it's not about church. It's not about religion. It's personal.
If a man can predict his own death and resurrection and pull it off - and that death was to save me
Yeah...it's just that simple.
So what changed?
How did I spend my first 50 some odd years on this earth without making a decision and then suddenly (or not so suddenly) make the best decision of my life 2 years ago?
I heard a statement
That simple
I heard a statement that erased all of the questions and doubts I had about religion and church.
"If a man can predict his own death and resurrection and pull it off I am following him."
I heard this while sitting in Athens Church, not fully engaged but there because my wife and kids were engaged. (Isn't it funny how many men are brought to church through their wives and children?) Andy Stanley was on the screen - it was a video message that day - and he said many words, had many statements but I only remember one from this day
"If a man can predict his own death and resurrection and pull it off..."
That grabbed me...that engaged me. I didn't need to hear anything else.
My life changed.
Now...why did he do this? Why did Jesus die?
For me
I try to put things in terms that I can understand and I started thinking that if I have a friend and we, my friend and I, ended up in a perilous situation where he ended up losing his life to save mine what would I do. The answer is simple, that friend would hold a place of honor in my house, in my life, in my heart forever!
So that's where Jesus is in my house.
There are so many things to question in regards to religion and church. There are so many things to agree or disagree with. So many questions about the various church leaders. But to me it's not about church. It's not about religion. It's personal.
If a man can predict his own death and resurrection and pull it off - and that death was to save me
Yeah...it's just that simple.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Ms. Scale and Me
I have a habit, perhaps a ritual of weighing myself every morning. I get up, go to the bathroom, empty the pipes - don't want any extra weight! - and then step on my friend, Ms. Scale. For the last 6 months leading up to the end of February the scale and I had a great relationship. Every time I stepped on her she gave me good news. 236...233...229...225...219...all the way down to 209.
We loved each other.
The last month the relationship changed. Each morning during our get togethers she started giving me different responses. 209...211...214...219...222...until this morning.
Nothing
I greeted her as I do everyday...step on her and...
No response
I stepped off of her...opened her up and massaged her batteries (she likes this)...closed her back up and set her back on the floor. I stepped back on her...
Nothing
At first I thought, "aww man...I was hoping for a good number today and I don't think I have any more batteries." Then I thought, "NO, this is great news!" See I don't need to know the number today. That number will not change reality...it just reports reality. The way to change reality is to actual do something.
So I got off the scale, put my running shoes on and headed out the door. Instead of a daily relationship with Ms. Scale I think I'll start a relationship with Mr. Running Shoes. (I'll still have to remember to clear the pipes before we start each day!)
We loved each other.
The last month the relationship changed. Each morning during our get togethers she started giving me different responses. 209...211...214...219...222...until this morning.
Nothing
I greeted her as I do everyday...step on her and...
No response
I stepped off of her...opened her up and massaged her batteries (she likes this)...closed her back up and set her back on the floor. I stepped back on her...
Nothing
At first I thought, "aww man...I was hoping for a good number today and I don't think I have any more batteries." Then I thought, "NO, this is great news!" See I don't need to know the number today. That number will not change reality...it just reports reality. The way to change reality is to actual do something.
So I got off the scale, put my running shoes on and headed out the door. Instead of a daily relationship with Ms. Scale I think I'll start a relationship with Mr. Running Shoes. (I'll still have to remember to clear the pipes before we start each day!)
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Driving to...Ethiopia!
Well...not really "Driving to..." Ethiopia. It would be something to be able to do so but I don't have Speed Racer's Mach 5 that can drive under water (at least I think I can remember it doing so in the old cartoon!)
I just wanted to show some of the progress we are making on the Ya YA Medical Clinic in Woreta Ethiopia, my wife Janet's hometown. It's been an interesting endeavor getting this far and I am sure it will be as we move forward toward finishing. There are things harder to get done there than here in the US and there are things that are easier. Of course money and finances play a big role in either place.
To remind on why we are doing this...Janet's older brother, Ya Ya, was hit by a stray bullet while he was standing in the front yard of the family home. It hit him in his abdomen. No one around was shooting a gun. Everyone was just gathering as families do. Who knows how far away the bullet came from but someone shot into the air and the bullet came down and hit Ya Ya.
The family could not transport Ya Ya to a hospital. There was not one in Woreta and the closest one - about 45 minutes away - couldn't be reached because the bridge over the river in-between the two towns was out. It had been hit during the conflict going on and couldn't be crossed. The only hope the family had was to treat Ya Ya's wounds the best they could as he laid in his parent's bed. He did not survive.
Janet's dream since that time was to come to America and earn enough money to build a clinic in Woreta so no other family has to go through what her family went through.
Her dream is becoming a reality...
I just wanted to show some of the progress we are making on the Ya YA Medical Clinic in Woreta Ethiopia, my wife Janet's hometown. It's been an interesting endeavor getting this far and I am sure it will be as we move forward toward finishing. There are things harder to get done there than here in the US and there are things that are easier. Of course money and finances play a big role in either place.
To remind on why we are doing this...Janet's older brother, Ya Ya, was hit by a stray bullet while he was standing in the front yard of the family home. It hit him in his abdomen. No one around was shooting a gun. Everyone was just gathering as families do. Who knows how far away the bullet came from but someone shot into the air and the bullet came down and hit Ya Ya.
The family could not transport Ya Ya to a hospital. There was not one in Woreta and the closest one - about 45 minutes away - couldn't be reached because the bridge over the river in-between the two towns was out. It had been hit during the conflict going on and couldn't be crossed. The only hope the family had was to treat Ya Ya's wounds the best they could as he laid in his parent's bed. He did not survive.
Janet's dream since that time was to come to America and earn enough money to build a clinic in Woreta so no other family has to go through what her family went through.
Her dream is becoming a reality...
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Winking Owl!?
Great Value
Winking Owl
Market Pantry
IGA
Bob's
Ok...Bob's isn't real or at least it hasn't come into my house yet but all the sudden I am seeing all these different brands of product that have never been in my house before.
Why?
Well, my wife isn't very happy with the place we used to shop so she is venturing out to many different stores. This is new as we pretty much always shopped at the same store chain no matter where we moved.
And it's weird for me!
It is funny how accustom you get to particular items. I've always said that humans are creatures of habit (I'm sure others have said it too 😀) and I think I am a case study in this now. My mom also used to purchase from the same store chain so practically my entire life has revolved around this one chain and the line of products they sell. Now, I'm seeing a different brand milk, cottage cheese, oatmeal...everything is different! And I wonder if they'll be any good.
Of course they will be (for the most part). A lot of private label brands are produced by the same manufacturer. But it's just a bit different.
This is a good lesson in brand loyalty
Winking Owl
Market Pantry
IGA
Bob's
Ok...Bob's isn't real or at least it hasn't come into my house yet but all the sudden I am seeing all these different brands of product that have never been in my house before.
Why?
Well, my wife isn't very happy with the place we used to shop so she is venturing out to many different stores. This is new as we pretty much always shopped at the same store chain no matter where we moved.
And it's weird for me!
It is funny how accustom you get to particular items. I've always said that humans are creatures of habit (I'm sure others have said it too 😀) and I think I am a case study in this now. My mom also used to purchase from the same store chain so practically my entire life has revolved around this one chain and the line of products they sell. Now, I'm seeing a different brand milk, cottage cheese, oatmeal...everything is different! And I wonder if they'll be any good.
Of course they will be (for the most part). A lot of private label brands are produced by the same manufacturer. But it's just a bit different.
This is a good lesson in brand loyalty
Sunday, April 5, 2020
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