The Red Letter Moments

2010-11-18T21:36:00.001-08:00

i was stopped at the light at University and 58th having driven home from work. i was the first vehicle in the left hand turn lane. The green arrow light came on and I paused and started to move forward when i caught something move to my right fender....a person. it was an older lady walking slowly against a red light.

If i had stepped on the gas peddle like normal, pulled out like normal, I could have faced the real prospect of hitting her. Why i paused....only God knows.

How much we take for granted when we get the green light to go.

Pain Free

2010-05-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

I awoke today "pain free." Wow, what a great sensation. My back had been hurting me all week after a weekend of moving furniture and carrying items from the store. My stomach had been hurting we from the diagnosed inflammation. I awoke with a feeling of comfort, and no pain. For those who live with chronic pain, each day is a challenge, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Sure, medicine had made all kinds of advances in our lifetime, but countless people live each day in chronic, often debilitating pain.

I am pain free today. And I count it very fortunate to be able to so say that. My heart goes out to those who are in pain today, and the days ahead. To them, who manage to get through the day, who struggle but succeed in keeping mentally and spiritually positive, I have great respect for.

I've never been able to figure out what the "thorn in my flesh" was as the Apostle Paul describes in the New Testament. But whatever it was, he used it to find even greater strength and dependence on God. What are you using your pain for? If you are suffering, God understands. God suffered for you. If you are not suffering, not in pain, count it a blessing. A huge blessing. Pray for those who are in pain. Visit those who are in pain. Love those who are in pain. All the while remember that, "when I am weak, He is strong!"

Surprise!

2010-05-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

I have an iPod Touch that I have totally loaded with apps. My favorite is one that simulates an incoming call. You can set it up to displaying a name pretending to look like it's a call from someone and it rings just like a real cell phone. You can even set it up to delay ringing you at a later time. I intended to have some fun with my nephew so I set it up to ring. When it started to ring the display said, "Nelson Mandell.". I told my eight year old nephew,"Would you like talk to Nelson Mandella?" He shyly backed away and said,"No!!". My niece's husband standing nearby heard the entire exchange and even saw the display showing a call from 'Nelson Mandella.'

I pretended to answer the phone and with a tone of familiarity said, "Nelson! It's great to from you. I'm in Dallas and was just thinking of you. I'm really looking forward to seeing you this July in Joburg. Fantastic. I'll see you soon." And I hung up.

My nephew was stunned and said,"No way? Was that really Nelson Mandella?" I proceeded to tell how I had set up my iPod Touch. I had gotten him good. A perfect prank that worked. We all couldn't stop laughing. Just having some good fun Mr. Mandella! I hope you don't mind! I'm pretty sure if he knew about this he would have enjoyed it just as much if not more than each of us did.

I've learned long ago that pranks can often back fire. I was pleasantly pleased when this one didn't. Just some good, clean fun. In reality this one worked so well because no one was expecting it. Sort of how doing something for someone who isn't expecting it or when a gift comes as a total surprise with no announcement. We can all use a good laugh. We can all use surprise acts of kindness. When was the last time you gave someone a gift for no reason, with no advance warning? Try it sometime. You both may be extremely surprised with the outcome.

I've Been GPS'd

2010-05-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

You'd think I'd have learned my lesson using the GPS unit on my car dash after last years trip back from Flagstaff, Arizona. But I guess I didn't. We drove to Los Angeles today to attend Jordan's graduation dinner party. We checked into our hotel at the Los Angeles airport and then needed to drive to the restaurant that was near Jordan's apartment. I didn't fully understand where the restaurant was so I pulled out the GPS unit. Gayla gave me the address and it told us to go north on the 405, not straight on the 105 or even south on the 405 as we normally would.

Gayla was nervous because there were 18 people coming at 6pm and we were going the wrong way in her mind. It did seem the long way but both my cell phone and car GPS were saying the same thing. We arrived about ten before six, just in time and Gayla was convinced we went the long and the wrong way. It was a tense drive to say the least.

I don't know what it is about GPS but once it fails you are suspect of it every time. I'm not sure I have a solution for the GPS dilemma. For some reasons they make really crazy routing decisions. Even though they use the latest incredible technology, you still need to use your own brain and common sense.

For me, though, the greatest lesson to be learned here is that we, I, make mistakes every day. God doesn't hold it against me. I am not reminded by him every time when I try something that I failed many times before. He doesn't hold me back because I once failed at something. We hold ourselves back.

Another lesson learned, it's not a bad idea to use a printed map in conjunction with a GPS unit. I once read that experts are really concerned that we are bringing on early Alzheimers and Dementia using GPS. Our brains, in a way, turn off key cognitive functions and just follow directions when we use GPS. Plus, it can really create stressful conditions with you and your family. My suggestion, carry printed map too. Sorry, sometimes old school is just as good if not better!

Garage Door

2010-05-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

While I've been staying at my brother-in-laws house while we are on vacation I've been filling some of my time fixing things on their new home. They've only been in this house for two weeks so as you can imagine there a numerous opportunities for me. I like keeping busy, even on vacation, and enjoy giving back in appreciation for letting us stay with them.

Today's project was a garage door that won't close properly. When it's open and you push the remote the garage door only continues closing if you keep holding the button down. If you release the button the garage door reverses immediately and goes all the way up.

I tried adjusting the two setting dials. No success. I went on the internet to see if this model garage door had issues. It said to unhook the garage door from the chain and see if it works properly. It worked fine. The last thing to look at was the laser safety sensor on the ground. Both sides had lights to tell you they were working and aligned properly. That were both light up. So, this should mean they were working properly. I thought about it and came to the conclusion that the action of the garage door was consistent with a mis-aligned safety laser sensor, even though the sensor lights were on and should have indicated they were aligned and working properly. To adjust these sensors made no sense, all indications were that they were working properly. But they weren't.

My last attempt at the garage door project was to re-align the safety sensors on the ground. I made a quick adjustment and.... the garage door now worked perfectly. Give me a break! Pretty weird!

There is a saying and it's in the Bible that goes like this, "Iron sharpening iron.". It refers to people who spend time learning together and/or teaching eac hother. It refers to the similarity of taking a metal object, like a sword, and rubbing it against another metal object. The result is that both instruments get sharper, stronger, in reality, better.

A mutually benefiting relationship is ideally one where both people are learning from each other, thus getter better. They may not have realized they could or needed to get better. But, the result of their relationship is they both grow, both learn, and both symbiotically develop.

The same thing often happens when one joins a bible study or attends a church service. Things are revealed that we never new we could or should do or view differently. Things may just seem to be fine to us but they may need an adjustment. We learn, we interpret, we adjust, and we grow.

A Changed Life Changes Others

2010-05-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

Fourteen year old Jared Williams made a tackle at a Junior Varsity football game in October 2009 that would change his life forever. Jared was playing safety when he made the tackle and after the play was over he couldn't move. Over the weekend he would eventually be able to move his arms again but 7 months later, he still can't move his legs. He is paralyzed from the waist down.

Since January Jared has been basically confined to two rooms in his home. His church, school, and local community raised nearly one hundred thousand dollars to build a new house for Jared that will accommodate his special needs.Only after he saw the building plans recently did the reality that he would be living in a new home in three months set in. Like his mother, Jared views his "plight through the eyes of faith.
"I know there's a reason God has me here on this earth,"he said. Earlier his mom had said, "this new house is nothing less than God working through all of the people who have donated time and money."

Jared's attitude and situation is even making a difference in the lives of his fellow students. "It's changed me completely because that could be us in his shoes -- which has really helped me to understand ... try to give out some help when you can help somebody," said one of his classmates.

As Amor continues to build homes around the world for those in need, I was touched to read this story about a young man who knows God has a purpose for his life no matter what the circumstances. It reminds me of the more than 16,000 families Amor has built homes for in the last 30 years and how their lives and testimonies have deeply touched all of us who have helped build homes for them. While countless volunteers will be building Jared a new home over the next three months, their compassion for Jared will be translated into changed live for them as well. Jared's life was changed forever, their lives will be changed forever.

Fredrick F. Flack once said, "Most people can look back over the years and identify a time and place at which their lives changed significantly. Whether by accident or design, these are the moments when, because of a readiness within us and a collaboration with events occurring around us, we are forced to seriously reappraise ourselves and the conditions under which we live and to make certain choices that will affect the rest of our lives." God is in the business of changing lives. Whether its a major life event, the shared wisdom of one of His faithful, the power of his written word, the guidance of his Holy Spirit, or His still, quiet voice, God will change your life. If you pay close attention to those "red letter moments" you will surely see his design.

Ministry is A Marathon

2010-05-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

On last nights broadcast to Rainbow FM 90.7 in Johannesburg I talked about a recent survey of 1,500 US pastors. Pastor Jonathan Falwell presented the findings of surveys from groups as Barna, LifeWay, and Acts 29 at a conference this month called "Refuel" in Lynchburg, Virginia.

In his presentation he stated that:

Half of US pastors would leave the ministry tomorrow if they could.
70% of US pastors are fighting depression.
90% can't cope with the challenge of ministry.

After 30 years of ministry Gayla and I have purposely shared this year that we said long ago if we ever lost our "passion" for following God's calling we would step down. Its so exciting to hear Gayla continue to speak all over the country sharing that we both are as "passionate" about serving the poor and serving God as we were the day we started Amor Ministries.

We both can clearing understand and sympathize with the pressures of the ministry in these times. We have experienced them all and more in the last two years than in three decades. Pastors are dealing with declining budgets, hurting parishioners, and tremendous pressures and expectations burdens placed on them.

The men and women of prayer now need our prayers. In reality they always have. Ministry is a calling to a challenging and sacrificing role. Putting themselves aside, making tremendous sacrifices, being on call 24/7. I had no idea the situation was so large until I read this report. Remarkably, another report published the same week that I discussed on the radio broadcast as well was that "Total US Churches No Longer In Decline." Researchers Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird have asserted that an important shift has happened in recent years, "more US churches are being started each year than are being closed."

So, while our pastors and ministers are feeling tremendous pressures and deep frustrations, "So many new churches are springing up that Stetzer and Bird believe the U.S. is on the edge of seeing a major breakthrough in church multiplication." As my son heads to Princeton Seminary this fall to study Theology I had a heart to heart talk to him. I told him to trust in God, count the cost, prepare for the challenges, manage your time, manager yourself, and keep your family a priority.

Your ministry is a marathon, not a sprint!

My favorite book on this subject is "Ordering Your Private World" by Gordon MacDonald.

You Don't Deserve It

2010-05-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Southwest Airlines always gives me lots of great material for stories. Today's flight home to San Diego was no exception. We love taking seats in the back of the plane. Easier to find overhead bin space, easier to have time to situate your personal items before sitting down, easier to get to the bathroom at the back of the plane, and very close to the emergency rear exit. You can tell from that sentence that we fly way too much.

So this guy in a business jacket comes to the back of the plane and wants to sit in the very, very last row. We always sit in the row just in front of the last row. The 'last row' people are from a unique culture. They may be hiding, a little tipsy, have kids, usually single, and often don't like flying. This guy smelled like alcohol the minute he spoke.

It was a completely full plane. Not a great thing to hear in the first place. Apparently the flight attendants needed two seats together for a mom and her child. The flight attended picked the business man behind me to request him to voluntarily give up his aisle seat for the mom since there was an empty middle seat. By now the plane was nearly completely full and there weren't any isle seats left. The businessman went into a tirade about how he had to have a aisle seat, that his daughter had the flu a totally irrelevant statement), and on and on he went. We kept hearing him say he would not take a middle seat. It was embarrassing to hear him continue on.

Somehow a seat at the back of the plane was found and the mom and daughter got to sit together. The blabbering businessman got to keep his isle seat. If I had been a flight attendant I would have mentally logged this guy as an undeserving, complaining, high maintenance customer. Someone to be avoided. What did the flight attendant do? Shortly after we took off she gave him a free drink coupon for the next flight! Notice she didn't let him redeem it on this flight! I think she was well aware, like I had noticed, that he was tipsy already.

He then actually stated appreciation and was silent the entire flight.

Here's what I learned from this red letter moment today:

1. We don't get what we deserve. What Christ did for us and what God continues to do for us is always more than we deserve. The grace and forgiveness that He smothers us is so much greater than what we could ever do to deserve it.

2. It is always more blessed to give than receive. Why the businessman had so many excuses for not helping a needy mother and her baby I will never know. And oddly enough the flight was from Dallas Love Field to Houston. One of America's shortest flights...30 to 40 minutes! He definitely didn't deserve a drink coupon or even the kindness of the flight attendant.

3. Heavenly blessings are better than earthly ones. I have given up my aisle seat in the past help a family with a child. I didn't receive a drink coupon or anything. I recalled getting a heart filled thank you from a mother once. It's a far greater reward to know that a mom and God are pleased with my faithfulness than...I need to be rewarded materially here on earth.

One of my favorite stories about Mother Theresa was her displeasure for earthly rewards, even earthly compliments. She would describe each and any of these earthly pats on the back as the loss of an precious jewel in her heavenly crown. She once turned down a donated Cadillac from a wealthy donor who felt sorry for her and her fellow Sisters of Charity working in the slums of India. She responded that the poor needed help more than they needed a car. She and the other nuns preferred to continue making their long walks from their home to the slums.

Where your treasure is where your heart is.

Honest as Cement

2010-05-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Integrity and honesty are core values to a successful society, culture, family, and relationship. They create an existence that is either built on trust or deceit. Whether is a big matter or a small one, how we consistently handle life's decisions determines the amount of trust we give and/or receive.

Today I witnessed what many would consider a small indiscretion but reinforces what I just wrote. Two houses next door to where I am visiting there was a new house is being built. The concrete slab was being poured so the cement trucks were rolling in like cars entering a car wash, one after another

One of these trucks, after it had dumped its load at the house site, pulled over into an empty grass covered lot at the other end of the street. It was a private lot with a 'for sale' sign on it. The driver drove well into the lot and proceeded to dump its excess cement and liquid residue, probably 50 gallons of cement and enough liquid cement residue to run 100 feet down the curb. I noticed it as I was driving down the street heading out on a errand. I didn't see the truck, but I was surprised to see the residue. I thought to myself, "you have got to kidding. This is a really nice neighborhood. This will never go unnoticed."

Sure enough, we we came back there was a cement truck, an SUV, and a pickup truck in front of the lot. A contractor was supervising three workers who were cleaning up all the cement and residue and hauling if off. Fortunately for these guys the lead contractor caught the indiscretion before a neighbor called the City. If they had, they would have been fined, required to do extensive cleanup, and they would have had it on their record. I was once told that in California that if you get three of these types of infractions a contractor can lose his license.

Viewing this even reminded me of the Bible verse, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Luke 16:10. The value of our actions reflects the value we have for our life and those around us. If we take short cuts and take small indiscretions we our cheapen our integrity, our honesty. Christ's example is that there are no 'white lies'. He set the bar much higher than that. Our actions, whether they be big or small are measured the same in God's eyes. God knows that lies, beget, lies, beget lies, beget lies. If we want to be trusted, if we want others to have trust, our actions and motives must be consistent. Integrity, honesty, and trust are made the old fashioned way, we have to earn it. One small action at a time, and each big action at a time.

My Greatest Accomplishment in Life

2010-05-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

Former President George Bush was once asked an important question, which was, what is your greatest accomplishment in life? Interesting question to ask someone like George Bush. At one time he had been the Ambassador to China, he had run the CIA for a little while, he had been the Vice President of the US for two terms under Ronald Reagan, and was the 41 president of the United States.

He answer was, "My children still come home to see me."

A father once looked back at his life, reflected, and said,
"My families all grown, and the kids are gone, but if I had to do it all over again, this is what I would do:

I would love my wife more in front of my children.

I would listen more, even to the littlest child.

I would be more honest about my own weaknesses. Never pretending perfection.

I would pray differently for my family, instead of focusing on them I would focus on me.

I would do more things together with my children.

I would encourage them more and bestow more praise.

I would pay more attention to little things like deeds and words of thoughtfulness.

And finally, if I had to do it all over again, I would share God more intimately with my family in every ordinary thing, that happen in every ordinary day I would use to direct them to God."

Sheltered Life

2010-05-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

South African President Jacob Zuma went to visit "townships" in the poverty stricken slums in Johannesburg yesterday. As I was walking through
the community of 3,000 to 6,000 square foot palacious homes in McKinney, Texas after I read this report I could only think how far removed we are from this type of world. As I pass dancing waterfalls, oak tree and flower lined pathways, man made ponds with elegant gazebos.... the existence of 23,000 slums where 3 million people live in South Africa seems like a myth.

When Zuma saw one particular shack he said, "Its not every time I feel like crying during my visits....You could swear no one lives in that shack." The family living there had been destroyed, he said, adding that the daughter had left home to become a prostitute and returned when she fell pregnant. He expressed shock at the crumbling mud shacks without toilets, electricity, adequate water, or a clinic. "It is something you cannot describe, that human beings live in such conditions."

If a president of his own country in Africa is shocked and dismayed by what he sees in his own surrounding neighborhoods how can we in the developed, prosperous countries even begin to understand or sympathize with the some 2 billion marginalized people around the world? How can we as a people even begin to understand how this world lives when so many of us live in a "sheltered life" in pristine neighborhoods, with immaculately groomed yards, with two and three cars in the garage, and automated sprinkler systems?

A South African reporter stated, "Zuma said, 'something needs to be done.'" "Yes, he needs to get out more," commented the reporter.

Yes, maybe we all need to get out more!!

Those of us in the developed world need to take an account for this sort of unspeakable poverty in our very midst; whether it be in our own communities or across the seas. We have to become aware of it. We need to go beyond or own comfort zones and be willing to be open-minded. We need to take responsibility for it. We then need to be willing to do something about it...for their sake, for our freedom, for our own humanity, and for very own salvation.

Sieze the Day

2010-05-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Chairman of my Board of Directors, and great friend, Mike Mirau, shared a story today with me that may have been one of the most touching and memorable stories I've every heard. Here is the story as told to me by Mike:

"When I was in High School, my senior year of high school, I played both ways in football. I was a tackle, on both sides of the football and the guy who backed me up was a guy by the name of John Hall. And John was the same age as my younger and who was two years behind me. When I was a senior John was sophomore. And when I graduated and went off to college and stuff I still stayed in touch with what was going on with the football thing because my younger brother was on the football team. When John was a junior he took over from where I was and was 'All District' and was really a really good player. And then in his senior year he had an awesome year. He was fast, he weighed probably 245 pounds. He was eighteen years old. He played 2A high school football which was big. He could run a sub-5 second forty yard dash. He was really fast. But, more importantly he was really smart. He was an A student. He had accepted a full ride scholarship to the prestigious Rice University to play football. Rice is known as the Harvard of the Southwest. They only take the smartest kids in the state. John was a special guy. He was just a happy go lucky guy. He was a Christian. He attended church. He had no enemies. Lots of friends. John had no enemies at all."

"I remember getting a phone call while I was at college from my younger brother that year in 1979. He said that they had taken John to the hospital. My younger brother and his friend the quarterback with their team were all at the movie theater in Greenville, Texas. They had gone to see, I think it was Blazing Saddles. It was when Blazing Saddles had just come out. They were laughing and cutting up and having a good time. About half way through the movie, my brother said something to John and he didn't respond. So...he looked over and John was turning blue. So, they immediately knew something was wrong. They picked John up, and he was a big boy. They carried him out to the lobby and started doing CPR. They called an ambulance. The ambulance was just around the corner so it was there in just a couple minutes. They started doing CPR on him and they got him to the hospital. They had managed to revive him so he was still alive. But over the course of the next few days, he was in ICU, and two days after that he died."

"What they found out was that a piece of popcorn
had lodged in his air pipe. He had slowly just passed out. He didn't cough, or anything like that, he just passed out. And because he was without oxygen so long it created some kind of chemical reaction in his head and it ended up killing him. We were all tore up. John was such a good guy. What was really really interesting was myself, my brother, and several other football players were all pall bearers at at John's funeral. And, I will never forget the thought that hit me as I was carrying John's coffin out of the church. This was at the First Baptist Church because we needed the biggest place we could have it and it was 'packed!' I mean this church was packed out....for John. And..I'll never forget, I walking out of there and I really felt that God was telling me 'you have got to live every day like its your last, because, you don't know how many you are going to have.' And, that has stuck with me ever since that time. And you know, John lived his every day like it was his last. He got out of life all he could get. To this day when I get up in the morning I think of that phrase that was in that movie, "Dead Poets Society", "Carpe Deum."...."Seize the Day." You gotta live each day like its the last one you have because we don't know how many
we have."

"If you go this day visit the Farmersville cemetery, there's a statue of John in his football gear. If you look out over the cemetery you can see the statue of a young man in a running pose out in the middle that stands out from all the normal looking headstones."

Walking and Talking

2010-05-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Walking daily is one of my favorite past times. The next best thing is walking with someone else. There is something about being outdoors, the change of view, and the exhilaration of moving across the terrain that propels conversation. Today was just a day like that as my brother-in-law and I were walking at a fast pace through the community. Carefree conversation that covered countless subjects, some relevant, others not. Today I decided to pull out what appears to be the most noteworthy.

#1 "People can sense when you care for them."

The context for this quote was in the business setting, but....it could apply to just about anywhere. One of the things people really want these days is sincere people, honest business practices, retailers who show they care and actually go out of their way to help you. Some people may try to fool you, that is, trick you into believing they care about you, but we both came to the conclusion that most people can see through all the facade. If you truly care for people they will know it. Whether its when you are a customer, a fellow employee, a boss, or a spouse.....people want to know you care for them. In many respects its the Golden Rule all over again, "Do unto others and you would like them to do unto you."

#2 "I wish I had been taught the value of savings."

I think I can paraphrase this one a tad, "I wish I had paid more attention to the value of savings and now need to pass it onto my kids." Neither of us remember learning the value of saving in our youth. Neither of us practiced it enough in our youth. As the years went by we eventually heard about the amazing power of putting money aside for later years, retirement for example. That being said, we both wish we had put much, much more aside over our working years. Now, just as important, we hope that our kids learn the value of 'saving' so that they are in much better shape that we are in their later years. Helping them learn to save now will pay huge dividends in the years ahead. This is so important in this day and age of using credit to buy homes, credit to buy cars, credit to pay for vacations. In reality, we are living beyond our means when we are delving into a life of credit.

In the Bible, Joshua put grain aside for seven years in anticipation of a famine. He was right and he not only sustained his family during the tough times, but for those of his neighbors as well. Keeping putting money aside, or start putting money aside. Get advise about ways to save, read about people who have successfully saved money, get professional help from financial advisers. What ever you do, get started saving if you haven't. You will be so relieved that you did!

Its a Balloon Ride

2010-05-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

I love discovery learning moments at the most spontaneous times. Like today. I was taking my daily hour walk. this time with my brother-in-law at Rock Bridge in McKinney, Texas. I had never been here before and the walk around the community, including the man made lake, was a sight to behold. The entire village, which is only 5 years old, around the lake is modeled after a Croatian Village.

As we turned a corner, at the edge of the lake beside an amazing stone tower where three hot air balloons being filled. Just as we arrived to a better view, two of the balloons rose into the air quickly. As they passed over the bluff surrounding the lake they dropped dramatically, almost out of sight. It appeared they may have dropped so low that they might have landed the basket in the lake. We couldn't tell. As soon as it seemed like we might have witnessed a disaster, with the balloon flames blasting frantically into the balloon opening, the balloons began to soar ever so quickly, up, up, into air. There was still a huge mansion on the waters edge that looked precariously in their path. And yet, with tremendous vertical thrust, and perhaps a brief breeze, they cleared the top of the house and soared effortlessly into the blue skies above.

How similar to life this is and business in general. As we begin to soar, we find ourselves dropping quickly, not knowing if we are going to hit bottom or what. We jump into solving the problem, fixing what we think needs to be fixed. Sometimes we land in water, requiring more drastic measures, other times, hopefully most...we clear the water and soon soar above the other obstacles in our way. Soon they are behind us. At least until the next journey.

The last two years, having been through and coming out of a recession, untold millions of people have experienced the soaring then dropping sensation. Some have landed in the water, others are still injecting as much fuel as they can into the balloon, others are finally clearing the obstacles and are beginning to soar. I and the organization I lead have experience this roller coaster type balloon ride and its still oh so clear in our minds.

It has taken strength, wisdom, energy, fortitude and most importantly, faith, to see us through. I don't anything about the passengers aboard the balloon ride today, but if there view was anything like ours was, they too were praying. Its at times like these that we need God more than ever. Its is our faith in Him that helps sustain us and sees us through the up and down rides of riding the currents of wind called life. We never know what obstacles are headed our way, what environment like the wind may be affecting us next. The only thing we can count on is 'change' and God.

He is our strength.
He is rock.
He is our captain.

And we continue to soar, on wings like eagles. He is, after all, like one of my favorite songs says, "the wind beneath our wings."

It Looks Different Coming Back the Other Way

2010-05-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

I parked my car in an unfamiliar neighborhood and paid careful attention of where I had parked and where I was going. I took note of each street name, that a Starbucks was on the corner, and how many blocks I walked. On the return trip everything worked like clockwork until I got to within a block of my car. It all looked strangely unfamiliar. I only remember seeing a long paved street. What was a green park and lots of trees doing at the street intersection? I became very disoriented and began to be concerned that I had made a wrong turn or worse, wrote down or remembered the directions incorrectly.

Going

Returning

You can imagine my relief when I saw my car just 50 feel from where I stood.Like in life, we need to pay attention to where we are going, how we are getting there. How different things can look when we recall a situation or a place we've been when we return there.Its funny how circumstances look different at different times of our life, whether we are coming or going. When we are young we often think we have all the answers. We get angry at our parents for discipline us when we think its ridiculous. Its one of the hardest things for me not to say to my son when I had to correct him that, "you'll understand when you have kids."

But its true. Life looks so different when you are the parent and no longer the kid. I guess as kids we all have to learn that. I remember hearing that very thing from my parents, right down to the,"When I was a kid I had to walk a mile in the snow."As we walk the streets of life, we need to pay careful attention. The variety in life is that when we travel the same path, the same street, the same adventure, it often and will most likely look very different, if you just pay more attention. And, by the way, try not to get lost. And if you do, don't panic, enjoy the view!

Commencement...Do It For Them

2010-05-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

We went to the 107th commencement graduation ceremonies at the University of Southern California today. Our son, Jordan, having completed both his undergraduate education and college football career made the final step to becoming a post-graduate. A hundred and seven years? That's old for a California university. My college, the University of California, Irvine was started in 1969. A baby compared to USC.

Jordan attending Commencement with His Grandparents

I didn't go to my college graduation. I finished in the middle of an academic year, December and started Amor Ministries before the walk through ceremony. By that time I was on a mission to change the world. A ceremony seemed passe'. I don't regret not having gone through the ceremony except that maybe my folks may have wanted to attend it. When I got my MBA at Azusa Pacific University I did go to my graduation ceremony. They decided not to attend due to conflicts in their schedule. I guess we are even. Joking!

I suspect for most graduates we do the commencement thing for our parents more than we do for ourselves. I was never big on pomp and circumstances. The irony of this is that I revel is celebrating the big and the small at my organization. In my mind, we can't celebrate group and individual circumstances enough. I know some people don't like the attention drawn to them, birthdays, accomplishments, and graduations included. I would probably include my self in this group. I would rather celebrate other people's deals any day.

I wish I had been a little more mature, wise like my son Jordan at this age. He went through his graduation gave his immediate family and friends a great experience, a fun time and wonderful memories. Engaging in the celebrations in life, the formal and the informal, are so meaningful and rewarding to our friends and family a like. If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for them. That's a long time coming lesson I learned today.

Open For Business

2010-05-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

I had missed my breakfast, had had a challenging morning and I walked past a yogurt shop. I was really hungry and it was a sight for sore eyes. As I walked up to the front door I didn't see anyone inside. I began to think it was closed. What a disappointment that would have been. I thought I'd give it a chance right down to the last minute so, even thought I began to figure it was closed, I grabbed the door handle and pulled. It opened!!

There was absolutely no one inside. Not even a yogurt attendant. I don't know what they are called, so the was the first thing that came in my mind. As I began to look at the yogurt dispensers, two young men came out from the back office. The first one said, "We aren't open yet. We don't open for thirty minutes!" I turned right around, probably with a frown on my face, and headed out the door. The other attendant said, "We don't have all the machines working yet but we do have a lot of flavors up and running." He began to point out which ones he had. He kept apologizing for the ones that weren't working yet. I filled a cup with dark chocolate and then raspberry. It looked so good.

The two attendants were now arguing with the first one explaining they weren't set up to take money yet. The second attendant said, "Don't worry, well figure out a way." I poured some toppings on and he weighted it. I have him ten dollar bill and he asked if I had a five. I did. He gave me change back and still apologized that he didn't have all the flavors up. I know that he was thinking out of the box and doing everything he could to serve me, his customer. I impressed. I told him how much I appreciated letting me get some yogurt even before they were officially open. He said, "Hey, that's why were are here, to sell yogurt and serve you, the customer!" I told him I was really impressed. I said, "You know, with that kind of attitude you will really go far!" He said, "Thank you!" and smiled. I mentioned that I wrote a business blog and I would definitely be writing about this "incredible experience." He then handed me a frequent buyer card a said, "Buy ten and you get one free." Now he's working of a long term customer relationship. I said, "Thanks! You definitely made a loyal customer. You can count on me telling all my friends about you guys." He then said, "My name is Deo!"

Yep, I called The Yogurt Cup offices and told the owner about this experience. Its so nice seeing someone who really gets it, wants to do a great job, and makes his customers feel special! Well done, Dio!

I learned today how to truly treat a customer. And, that good customer service still exists! And get this, the owner told me he was "new." He'd only been working for him for a week. Unlike a previous experience where I wrote about an attendant that was 'new.' Dio makes 'new' mean something very meaningful. A good meaning. That's what 'new' should mean in my book!

Did you now that 'Dio' is the Italian word for God? I know you can run into angels unknowingly. Hmmmm, Dio? Makes you think!

Its Not a Procedure, Dummy

2010-05-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

It was a unique day in that it started out without me being able to eat breakfast due to a medical appointment at 10am. I was supposed to have a procedure that would allow the doctor to investigate a minor pain in my lower stomach. Somehow, the Doctor's assistant didn't explain that I was coming in for a 'consultation' not the 'procedure'. No mind that I had had several calls with her in the last 7 days were she explained that I could have dinner the night before but no medicine, water, or food after that. And, she said, I would needed someone to drive me there and some one to pick me up after the procedure.

I had it all mapped out. I would park some seven blocks away so I didn't have to pay for parking all day. I would call someone from our all day staff event to come and get me after the procedure and take me to the event. When the event was over my wife, who was at the event, would drop me off at my car so I could drive it home. Oh, the plans of mice and men.

So I arrive early at the Doctor's office and a receptionist say I am there for a 'consultation'. I said, "No, I haven't eaten or had a drink since last night, and I have someone picking me up." They shortly called my name, and took me into a room. The doctor arrived and I mentioned that I was told I was going to have the 'procedure' today and I had made all the proper arrangements." He asked me who told me that. I told him and he said, "Oh, she new." Like that should fix it. He did go out and checked to see if I was scheduled for the 'procedure' the next day or later. Nope. Of course, I should understand, 'she is new.'

After a 15 minute 'consultation' I was told something was definitely wrong. He prescribed a new 'costly' medication and told me I needed to be off it 5 days before the procedure. Since I was going out of town for a week immediately, he scheduled me for the 'procedure' in two weeks. TWO WEEKS! I asked the doctor, "So how are you going to get me through the next two weeks?" Hopefully the new, time release medicine and lots of Malox. He did do an amazing thing then, he said, "Oh, let me go see if we have any samples, we may be out." He came back with a smile on his face and ten pills, one a day for the next ten days. Just the amount I needed.

So I left the doctor's office to walk the seven blocks back to my car without having had my 'consolation.' I got a new medicine, one I've never tried before. And I got the medicine free. And I get to come back if I make it back alive in two weeks.

What an experience. So what did I learn?

There's a big difference between a 'consultation' and a 'procedure.'
It might help to ask the doctor's aide in the future whether the appointment is a 'consultation' or a 'procedure.'
I might help to double check with the doctor's aide if its a 'consultation' or a 'procedure.'
It helps to be flexible and do your best to go with the experience.
Free samples are the modern day replacement for getting a lollipop after seeing the doctor when we were a kid.
And, the pizza you had after you skipped breakfast for the non-existent procedure tastes like one of the best pizza you've ever had.

Well, at least you can say after all this...is....you sure did learn a lot during one 'consultation'!!!!!!

Serving Unnoticed

2010-05-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we go about our activities, busy as bees, and wonder if anybody notices or if what we are doing is worthwhile....at all. Does anybody hear me? Does anybody read my blogs? Does anybody notice my Tweets? Does any one value what i do?

I have often wondered about the woman or man who cares for the elderly person at home that requires constant attention. Each meal must be spoon fed. They must take them to the bathroom countless times during the day. They must be bathed like an infant. And.....no one notices.

Mike Yaconelli used to share a story like this. And he would say that these caregivers, the unknown, the overlooked, the ones who served unnoticed, with be the ones at the front of the line to Heaven.

Today was a day I second guessed myself. Does anyone really care that I write several blogs? Do they even read my daily Tweets? Do they care that I serve the poor in Mexico and around the world everyday? Do they care that I read 12 newspapers every day?

While being obedient to God is truly the measure of our success as children of God, we each have a need to know if we are accomplishing anything. But being faithful everyday is truly the highest thing we can accomplish.

Yet, today, in the midst of a very busy day, it was an email on Facebook that gave me pleasure that what I had been doing had relevance. A Britain re-quoted what I had Tweeted about,"half the population is under the age of 14 in Sierra Leone as the result of their recent civil war." The writer wrote how shocked she was and pleaded that I continue to write more.

Wow, I learned that I did need affirmation for the things I do as I seek to be faithful to God each day. So I still have to ask myself the question, could I continue serving unnoticed, with just the knowledge that God was pleased with me? Just as I am, doing just what I am doing. No accolades. No encouragement. No positive feedback. Man, now that takes faith!

I Saw it on A Pole

2010-05-10T21:57:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things to read about are people who have volunteered their time, whether in be in Mexico, South Africa, England, or on our own street and how the very act of service impacts the server. Whether it's the good feeling of helping someone in need or the revelation of seeing life differently. Whether is a life, may be your own, or lives that are changed.

For me, the first time I went to Mexico was the day I had my eyes and heart opened dramatically. It was seeing children in an orphanage for the first time in my life where three children slept in a bed, where the toilet was a hole in the ground, and where a meal consisted of beans, rice, and a tortilla. The smells were as eye opening as the sights.

But what I realized the most was......how much in life I had taken for granted. Clean drinking water, flushing toilets, a bed of my own, clean clothes, and food anytime and any type I wanted, every day.

Well, today was a real red letter day. I was walking the dog in my neighborhood when a poster on a telephone pole caught my attention. It was eye level and in full color. It was a photograph of a handsome young man. And, beneath it were the words, "Missing runaway- Davente....If you know of his location please call...".

I take for granted that my son is at home well and safe. I take for granted that my wife is safely on her way home. I take for granted that God's grace and love is always present. I learned today that there is still way too much I take for granted.

Today I learned, again, to be mindful of both the small and big blessings in life. From the small bird making a nest in my patio to Christ dying on the cross for all of humanity. It's always time to count your blessings, and pray for those in need.....like Davente!

10 Minute Search Rule

2010-05-09T22:58:00.001-07:00

I have this thing called the 'ten minute search rule.' If after ten minutes searching for something like keys, a book, a tool, or an article... I stop looking. I think for a moment how much time I am wasting and if I can do without it for awhile. If the answer is that I can wait for awhile, I stop searching. The benefit of this rule is that almost always the misssing items show up by themselves later on. I thereby don't waste valuable time searching around the house and car and yard for the item.

So today, I learned, once again what a great rule it is. I was setting things up in my home broadcast studio for the evening's broadcast, when a book next to my equipment on a shelf stood out. I stooped ever to look at it and low and behold it was one of the books I was looking for last week. Incredible. I wasn't even looking for it and I was doing something completely different and unrelated to the book. It felt like a huge find.

It way not be the Golden Rule, but at times it seems pretty close. Now.....where is that other book on ecology that I need.....?

Too Hot in the Kitchen?

2010-05-08T21:50:00.001-07:00

We continued celebrating Mother's Day at Disneyland. For dinner we were joined by our great friend JJ ( he's really family to us) at Buco di Beppo. JJ got us a reservation for a booth in the kitchen. Yes, just the four of us, actually in a room with all the cooks and servers racing in and out. It was a truly amazing sight and experience. It was a show extraordinaire. The sign behind us said, in Italian, "If it you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

It was hot, it was loud. But, it was also a blast, hilarious, an incredible experience.

It reminded me of so many of our short term missions trips around the world. They can be hot, loud, noisey, hard work, and distracting at times. But what incredible experiences and memories they make. Gayla enjoyed it so much she even bought the two restaurant photographs they staged at our booth. She wanted to capture that experience for a lifetime. By the way, did I mention the food was outstanding? It was! It may be hot in the kitchen but that's where all the action is. Count me in!

Sometimes the value of a lesson is the challenge and often dis-comfort we might feel, perhaps just for a moment, perhaps for even awhile. The kitchen can often get hot, but experience may very well last a lifetime. Sometimes you might just consider getting into the kitchen a little more, hot or not!

The Grit in Integrity

2010-05-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Rule number one in Fundraising 101 is that whatever you write about someone who is a donor, a volunteer, or even a prospective donor be sure that if it was on your computer or on your desk and they saw it they would be comfortable with it. To often someone writes something very personal or maybe even a critical comment about someone and they feel its safe, secure, or private and its not. When it comes to your partners in ministry, your supporters, they expect that their information will be private, sensible, honorable, and be have integrity. I have always followed that rule.

Today it may have paid off dearly. I was taking my meeting notes from a recent trip to meet to thank some of' donors. I admit I don't have the greatest memory in the world, expecially as it relates to people's names. I am much better with faces, but as I continue to age and my circle of acquaintancs continues to grow and grow, even this becomes harder. So, one of the best solutions for me it to write it down! I keep careful notes on all meetings. Thank goodness for technology. I don't know how I would do without a smart phone and my laptop.

So, I was playing catch up today and taking my hand written notes and putting them into my contact folder. I met two people one day with the exact same name, so that already added to the confusion. I had inadvertenly put one of the names on both of the files. So, as I was editing them I also sent a copy to my assistant for her to enter into our development database at our headquarters. Somehow, don't ask me how, I sent the meeting notes to the donor via email instead of to my assistant. I went into the email sent folders to check for sure. Sure enough, that's exactly what I did. So, I got tense for a moment, and then read the notes of our meeting that I had sent him. Much to my relief, I had followed my best practices.....only write what is honest, has integrity, and wouldn't bother a donor a bit.

In spite of this, I imagine the donor will experience some confusion if and when they get my email. There is a good little feature on Microsoft Outlook Email that lets you recall an email you sent if they haven't read it. There is even another feature that allows you to check a box to get notified if the person reads it, doesn't read it, and/or it gets deleted. So, now I wait in suspense to see how this email gets handled and how I may need to follow-up to handle it myself. The beauty of this though is that it always pays to stay true to your integrity. Think about what you would want written in a file about you if you were a donor to an organization. Only write what you would feel comfortable if it were accidentally made public.

I followed my rule and it protected me and the donor. Its always in your and their best interest to take precautions. As donors they are investing and trusting in you; we need to the very same.

This reminds me of a great saying that former President of World Vision, Ted Engstrom, used to say, "Live your life in private and in public as if anything and everything could show up on the headlines of your local newspaper. This is how you lead a life of integrity." So, to carry that one step further, only write what you and your donor would feel comfortable with if it was on the headlines of your and their local newspaper.

Honesty is always the best practice. Integrity is priceless.

My How Time Flies

2010-05-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

In my son's early years our organization was growing at a tremendous pace. Most years it grew well over 20%. Between international travel, day-to-day manage, meetings, and the likes....carving out time for my family continued to get pressed in all directions. When my son started to play soccer and football in high school his schedule often overlapped into meetings and trips I had felt I had to attend. After I missed a couple games my brilliant and 'sweet' wife pulled me aside and said, "Your son only passes this way once time in his life. Pretty soon and he will have grown up and all you will remember is the games you missed."

I had pretty much been socialized into believing that since I was the 'man' I had to put work, ministry, and the organization ahead of everything. I had to put food on the table and keep the payrolls going. I grew up in a military family and the 'always-on-call' environment left a huge impression on me. My dad was protecting the world, I was was saving it.

Thankfully, my wife caught my attention. I never missed another soccer or football game for the rest of his ten year career. That even meant flying all across the country to watch division-1 football in rain, snow, and simmering heat. Some 15,000 digital photos later and the words came true-'it all passed by so fast.'

Today we celebrated Mother's Day early with my mother, father, and my wife and son. Some how my dad managed to find a way to retire in San Diego, some five minutes away from my house, after a life commanding war ships all over the world. Its at this time in life I need and want to spend memorable times with my folks more than ever and I am so glad they are so close. It wasn't any plan of mine. I can imagine it being my dad's strategy all along. You know, the military invented the word "strategy."

So here we are celebrating Mother's Day three days early on Cinco de Mayo at our favorite Mexican restaurant. And all I could think the whole time was, my how time has flown. I just seems like yesterday that we were all playing tennis at the Army Navy Club in Virginia when I was a junior high school student. I recently read a story of the 6.7 billion people on planet, about 6 billion live in extended-family arrangements. Here in the US, we don't even want to live in the same town as most of our immediate relatives. We don't even know anything about most of our immediate neighbors anymore, much less their first names.

In my neighbor, one of my closest next door neighbors have four generations of family members living under one roof- grandma, mom, dad, two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a new grand baby. I can hear a collective, oh my..........! Welcome to the rest of the world. Apparently extended family households out number non-extended households by about 7 to one. What are we non-extended families not getting?

I'm very grateful my family wants to spend quality time together. There is no telling how long any of us have here on this earth. Yesterday was a bold reminder about how no one one never knows when our time here is over. The Apostle James metaphorically asserts that our life is merely "a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).

I was blessed to have been reminded to spend these fleeting times participating in my son's and wife's life even during the busiest times of my professional life. I am so...grateful that my 'oh so wise' family impacted me enough to be sure I spend these cherished times with my wonderful parents as well. We only pass this way once. I learned the lesson once, I am now blessed by it twice!

Doctors Orders

2010-05-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Going to the doctors can be a really challenging learning opportunity. When I wanted to be a veterinary I loved being in the lab or even better, in the operating room. Every experience was a learning opportunity. Today was just like that only I was the subject, no some wild animal.

I have the perfect stomach for travel. Its like a having a high octane stomach. Genetically I am predisposed to have a stomach that loves pumping out acid. One doctor said my stomach was made for travel since it puts out so much acid it burns everything. I can't really remember ever getting food poisoning, like so many in my family.

So, today I went to urgent care since for well over two weeks I can feel a pain in my lower back that for me, at least for the last twenty plus years means I have the returning inflammation on my duodenum. I've been scoped twenty years ago and again some seven years ago again. No ulcer, just a nice red patch of inflammation.

Normally I can fix this by taking an acid blocker, like Nexium. Three or four days and the pain goes away, and life is normal. By the way, the pain feels like someone is pushing a pencil in the middle of my back just to the left of my spine. This time the normal procedure didn't work. One week on Prilosec, another week on Nexium, and it didn't go away. I went to urgent care and the doctor pushed and prooded. Lots of questions and then the monologue. I could have pancreatic cancer. Yep, he actually said that the infection could have passed from the lining of the duodenum and into the adjacent pancreas. Finally, he added that chronic ulcers and infections like this can lead to cancerous tumors. I could have one of those. So, we ran tests, lots of them. I was sent home with a new prescription for twenty pills that cost a hundred and thirty dollars. Ouch. I have a lousy prescription plan when I have to meet my deductible at the first of the year.
I was told to call back around dinner time for my results.

Hm, pancreatic cancer. That's what one of my board members has and he is very, very sick. His time to enter heaven is probably very near. I had thoughts of maybe this was going to be my time. God's will, not mine. Of course.

So, right before dinner I made my call to the doctor's office. My lab tests were.....fine. I am glad I didn't get excited. That being said, hearing that you may have pancreatic cancer makes you pause for a minute and ponder.

So, today, I learned that many doctors go right to the worst case scenario. Either they want to get the worst news out of the way or they are covering themselves for liability issues. So, take their descriptions of possibilities with a grain of salt. One minute I may be dying of "pancreatic cancer", the next minute every thing is "fine".

Its a reminder of why the Bible says to let today's worries be sufficient. Don't worry about tomorrow since ninety nine plus percent of them never happen.

Secondly, be ready to the realization that today may be your last day on this earth. Don't live with regrets, don't fail to tell your beloved that you love them, don't forget to forgive those who have trespassed against you, don't forget to live your day to the fullest, for the Lord.