day 1293: 2013 Year-End Examination

"Let a man examine himself…"

At the end of the year we are usually scrambling to get everything on our to do lists out of the way and cleaned and tidied up for a fresh start in the New Year. I also notice that at the end of the year there is a mad dash to use up all of the health reserve money that has been saved up tax-free throughout the year. I always thought that it must be interesting for doctors who get this year-end set of appointments for examinations, whether people need them or not. The end of the year is when most of us do the self-examinations of ourselves. We reflect back over the past year and evaluate how we did in life, work, spiritually, financially, etc. and we then set our goals for the New Year, some being called our "New Year's Resolutions". This self-examination is good. Paul calls for us to do this continually in I Corinthians 11:28.

David Wilkerson, the deceased author of The Cross and the Switchblade and former pastor of the Times Square Church in New York City says, "Paul further urges us, 'Let a man examine himself…'. The Greek word for examine here means 'scrutinize, test.' The apostle is saying, 'Test yourself—see if you’re walking according to God’s Word.' We’re to constantly ask ourselves, 'Am I changing? Am I becoming more loving and tenderhearted? Am I treating my family and friends with godly respect? Is my conversation becoming more righteous?” These are great questions of self-examination as we head into our new year of work life. As we set our goals for the person we want to be at work and to be a person who works to their purpose, we can be assured that our constant self-examination and adjustments and corrections are the way that God wants us to live and pursue His righteousness. So, set those goals this year with confidence and great expectations that this New Year will be a year of positive change for each of us.

Happy 2014! Purposed WorKING will be back on Monday January 6th, 2014!





Reference: I Corinthians 11:28 (New Living Translation)

day 1292: Getting "PIN"-ed Down

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

The company, Target, had their bulls eye painted on their chest this past week.  We all read about the loss of nearly 40MM sets of credit card data.  What we didn't know, because they told us it hadn't happened, was that the PIN numbers were compromised as well.  Once that truth came to light, then all of their credibility was lost and they now have a real consumer problem on their hands.  It begs the question, "Why didn't they just tell the whole truth the first time?"  There are so many examples we have of other companies who get in a crisis that it's not like any of us are learning this for the first time. We also know that the companies that are applauded for their transparency and forthright actions are the ones that we remember positively and keep on buying and consuming from them.  Target chose the other path, or it so appears, and that might well haunt them for many years to come.

We are completing this holiday season and for any of us who have been in church and trying to intentionally celebrate this most wonderful season, we have been doing our best to stay close to the truth of Christmas.  Sure, it's been great to have family and friends around.  The gifts were fun and appreciated.  The days away from work have been restful.  But, we also have tried to stay grounded to the truth that Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of Christ.  Standing by the truths and standing up for the truth is a hard thing in our world.  As we close 2013 and look forward, one place we can become stronger and more effective in our example setting to others is to be the one who always looks to truth to rule the daily big and small decisions in our work and lives.  How we live for the Truth will be an indication to others on who we are - like our PIN to the world.  Let's be sure that we are never "PIN"-ed down for the wrong reasons.

Reference: John 8:32 (New Living Translation)

day 1291: The Long Walk

"Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men  from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

I've been known to say that our careers are much like running a marathon, because just like a marathon, being 26.2 miles, a career of 26.2 years (and more) is no matter how you add it up, long. And we don't really run our careers, we more walk them through and do the best we can to keep at it when the hills are in front of us, when we are in the valleys and when the long, unbending road in front of us seems only to end where our eyes can't see any further. This is our career. It's a long walk for all of us regardless of what our careers are and how many changes we have along the way. And in some years, like this one, I know of many people who have felt like it has taken all they have to just keep one foot in front of the other. My favorite movie of all time is Lawrence of Arabia. I don't know why, but some of the scenes in the desert and the long journeys that they take in that movie have always stuck with me. Maybe because the movie is so long too, I don't know, but I know that I have felt on more than one occasion that like the movie, the future was nothing but a mirage on the horizon and that there couldn't possibly be that much distance between here and there. One foot in front of the other has been a mantra for me on more than one job and one part of my career. Our careers are long walks that if we don't know where we are going and why, it can for many days, weeks, months or years, seem intolerable. But if we know why and where we ultimately want to achieve then each step is forward for a purpose.

I wonder if wandering is how the Wise Men (the Magi) may have felt in the middle of their journey to see Jesus. Here they were, three men who decided to follow a star, a light in the sky, to see where it shone, to see if a prophecy was true. I have often wondered why others didn't do the same. If there was this bright light in the sky and there was legend, lore, prophecy that this would happen, why didn't many more didn't follow to see, if for nothing else, if the prophecy was true? My conjecture is that the three wise men were not the only ones who traveled to find the star, they were the just the only three who finished the journey. If it was like theologians and historians say it was, this was a multiple year trip, that was far from easy and in fact was from such a distance and terrain difference that the scenes in Lawrence of Arabia would look easy. Suffice to say, it was a long, long walk and only three finally showed up. We can take a lesson about our careers from the Wise Men. They followed what they believed to be the light and the steps of the Lord. They did not give up. They did not turn back and while they may have doubted along the way, they showed up in a spirit of appreciation, awe and gift-giving. Every day in our jobs we take steps along the way, steps that can be leading the right way, or the wrong way. Regardless, it is a long, long walk that we are on and if we don't follow the light we have been given, if we don't persevere, if we don't stay true to the real purpose, then we will miss out on the gift-giving that comes from giving glory to God in all that we do. There was a reason we call them the "wise men". They gave us a lesson of wisdom that we should never forget.

Have a very Merry Christmas with your family and loved ones! Purposed worKING will be back on December 30th tin finish up 2013.

Reference: Matthew 2:1-2 (New Living Testament)

day 1290: Teflon and Velcro

"Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees."

Is your organization filled with Teflon or Velcro?  What do I mean with that question?  Teflon organizations don't let negatives get them down.  They don't allow the comments of others to stick, but instead get the meaning across and then roll off.  These are cultures where those from the outside can't understand how plainly and sometimes bluntly people can speak the truth.  These cultures can also be ones that move faster with less friction. The downside is that positive comments can also roll off too fast and should stick a little longer.  Velcro cultures are just the opposite.  Everything sticks and nothing is easy to move.  One small comment can be debated and fretted over forever and then everything gets jammed up.  Funny thing about a Velcro culture is that the negatives still stick way more than the positives. The positives, are almost like the Teflon culture in that they get drowned out and ignored quickly, because there are so many negatives sticking around.  Which is your culture?  Which are you supporting inside of the culture?

As ones who are striving to bring glory to God in our work, to bring purposed working to life, we can't be people of Velcro.  We have to be encouraging, optimistic, hopeful, positive and uplifting in our demeanor and spirit.  If we aren't then we are like the ways of the world and we have nothing to stand with as our example of the love, grace, mercy and hope of Christ. Let's check ourselves today and be sure that we have on our Teflon and not our Velcro as we finish this week.

I realize for many of you, today will be the last day of work before Christmas.  Purposed worKING will be here Monday the 23rd and then off to celebrate Christmas for the rest of the week.  For those checking out today, Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!  May it be the best Christmas yet for you!

Reference: Job 4:4 (New Living Translation)

day 1289: Slipping Into The World

"...and laid him in a manger..."

Could there be any more talk about all things monitoring us?  Phone records, cameras, satellites, listening devices.  Yes, they are all there and aren't going away.  But, we also personally benefit from all the technology that is letting everyone slip in around us.  A big electronic seller this season is going to be wireless speakers.  Sonos has their Sonos 1 down to a very reasonable price point and is receiving (wirelessly I might add) great reviews.  We love for technology to slip into our world.  We are not that far away from being able to walk into our homes and wave our hands and we watch the house come alive. We like when technology seamlessly becomes friendly and useful. As I write this, I just watched a fox (ironic, huh?) slip down our ice covered street and into the bushed behind our house.  When, and if, we can have our products and services feel like they just slipped. like a fox, into our lives, like they were always there, then we know we have made it!

Jesus slipped into our world being born in the normal way, with the smallest of fanfare that could be be imagined. But with that slipping in, He brought so much more.  With His slipping in, He made a huge noise and as this great song says, "Love crashed into the World" (don't let that song is part of a children's program deter you from listening.  Remember, when we listen and are open and kids, God speaks).  We slip through the world in our lives and our jobs, but let's never forget that with our presence, a word, our decisions we can make a huge crashing sound for Christ! Let today be one of those days!

Reference: Luke 2:7 (New Living Translation)

day 1288: I Got Your Back

"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 

It's always great to have someone who has your back, regardless of what you do and the mistakes you make. Even better is to have someone who looks forward for you and gives you guidance on what to do next, paving the way for you to assure that you only get the best.  As you read this, are you thinking this is your boss?  Your mentor?  That would be nice, but unfortunately, those people also have their own lives and careers to watch over first. This morning it was reported that William Morris Endeavor will pay $2.3B for the purchase of IMG.  That's $2.3B of having the backs of others.  Oh don't we all wish we had an "agent" who we could call on and allow them to manage our careers so we could just go do what we are good at doing, without the usual petty concerns of the office?  But, that's not in the cards for most of us.  But, what we can do is think like we have an agent.  We can start asking ourselves what would would we do today if we were our agent.  That extra thought could be worth a lot.  If WME sees $2.3B in managing others, we can surely see value in the 100% managing of ourselves.

Now, as believers, we have the super-mega-agent of all time in Jesus.  He came and gave it all for us to let Him run our lives.  His management fee is us accepting His gift.  He wants to be there with us at every turn, every decision, every moment and the more we listen to Him the better it gets. How awesome is it to know that we have Jesus fully at our back!

Reference: Matthew 28:20 (New Living Translation)

day 1287: Heat Seekers Are Still Out There!

"Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy."

Beyonce surprised everyone (well maybe Jay Z knew) with her new album last week.  With no marketing, no pre-hype build up, no leaks, no radio promotional copies, no early singles, she just released a full album with music videos prepared and all.  With her record breaking sales of 828,773 albums sold on itunes in the first 3 days, she proved that the heat seekers still are out there.  We think we need to prime the market to get the hard core fans the people who want what they can't get to be there first. Beyonce proves that the heat seekers, the ones who want it first, show up no matter when and how they hear about it. The PS4 and the XBox One both saw their heat seeking fans this holiday season too.  The videogame consoles have to tell everyone well ahead of time because they need the developers to be building games that will play on them when they are shipped, but I suspect that if everything could be kept under wraps (like Beyonce did with her music videos), that they too could prove that the heat seekers will always be there.  Do you know who your heat seekers are in your business?

How excited are we today to hear from Jesus?  Are we heat seekers of His?  Zacchaeus was willing to look like a fool, climbing a tree to just see Jesus!  Yet, we don't open up our Bibles daily or enter into conversation of prayer, or go to church on Sunday to hear what God has to say to us? We need to ask ourselves what has cooled us down in our seeking of God in our lives and see if we can't heat back up.  God needs more heat seekers for Him!  This is the time of the year to recommit and set our sights in 2014 on what really matters.  Being a heat seeker of Jesus should be at the top of our all our lists.

Reference: Luke 19:6 (New Living Translation)

day 1286: Audacious and Outlandish Hope

"The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm."

A famous U.S. General said, "Hope is not a method."  He is right and even in my own company, I used to ban the word "hope" from being used in concurrence with business plans and objectives. But, let's not underestimate the power of hope for causing people to dream, imagine and innovate.  If vision is "A description of those things not yet seen", then hope is the magnet that can get vision to come out of us.  If we hope for better, then we will be drawn to come up with our own ways to make it better. The word hope got overused politically and maybe we shy away from it now because we don't want to get labeled, but let's not give up on hope.  Audacious and outlandish hope may well be the breakthrough that you have been looking for (and hoping).

As Isaiah prophesied the coming of Jesus, he also described a world that was filled with audacious and outlandish hope.  You need read no further than Isaiah Chapter 11 to see how crazy he was!  Or was he?  Indeed he was not.  He gave us a vision of what our eternal future will be, the power of God and what the Kingdom of Jesus can and will be for all of us who believe and accept.  When we get caught up in being cynical, suspicious and doubting we are casting aside God's hope for us.  Is there not a better time than now to let our hopes be unbound and available for others to see?  Let's put aside the rest and let our hope that comes from Him spring forth this week. 

Reference: Isaiah 11:8 (New Living Translation)  

day 1285: The Power Of A Child's Voice

"They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger."

One thing I know for sure is that there won't be a shortage of TV commercials during this holiday season that will feature children, from babies to awkward growing pre-teens.  There is a lot of power and attention that gets given to children and especially to the voice of a child. Look no further than the adorable AT&T "It's Not Complicated" series.  It's almost like we can't not watch when these come on the TV.  And we can bet safely that there will be more to come and that advertisers will use every angle with kids to pull on our heartstrings this season. Might be something to consider!

The same will be happening in churches all across the country as children sing Christmas hymns and we will see the love of Jesus through the innocence and genuineness of a child.  Why didn't God just send Jesus to us as a teenager or adult?  God knows that we wonder in the birth of a child and that only the most hardened can't see that only God can give us the creation of a human being.  Jesus came to us as a child and then challenged us to never lose the heart and mind of a child so that we can be open to all that He wants to do in our lives.  Have we lost the spirit of the Child?  Have we lost the voice of the Child? Let's take this coming weekend and see if we can't recapture some of that wonder and bring it back to work with us on Monday.

Reference: Luke 2:16 (New Living Translation)

day 1284: Bottom and Top

"He will bless those who fear the Lord, both great and lowly"

It was on the front page and first story of every business paper, show, blog and news site.  General Motors promoted Mary Barra, to their CEO role.  The press wanted to make a big deal of Ms. Barra being the first woman to helm a car company, and that is right and fine of them to do this, but for me, the bigger story is that Ms. Barra is a 33-year employee of General Motors who began her career there as an intern and now is leading the company. For those who are missing the amazing feat this is, consider that I believe it is harder to rise up from within a company to become CEO than it is for a Board to go to the outside and bring in someone new.  Why, you may ask?  Let's think about, "The grass is always greener on the other side".  It's human nature to think that the new and shiny object is better.  But even more so why it is hard to rise from within and go from the bottom to the top, is that people have history to deal with.  In her 33-year career, Ms. Barra must certainly have crossed paths a few times with people who wouldn't today endorse her for the job.  She surely has made mistakes.  It would be naive to think that she hasn't had a few choice words with people along the years, who might still hold a grudge.  But, even so, she rose above the rest and made it through the gauntlet of time and experience to get to the top.  My hat is off to her today!  Three cheers for the long-tenured and loyal who stay, believe and succeed!

Ms. Barra started at the bottom and rose to the top. We are in the season of celebrating One who started at the top and went to the bottom for us.  Jesus didn't have to become lowly for us, but He did.  As we think about what this season means for us, let's celebrate the love of One who became lowly and reached to the bottom just for us.  He will meet us at the bottom anytime we are there and He does so without a retort, any guilt or any grudge.  We are so blessed to be able to know personally both the bottom and the top of the universe.

Reference: Psalm 115:13 (New Living Translation)

day 1283: What's Left Unsaid

"Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way."

I wrote yesterday of what a slip of the tongue can do to bring a company and it's founder to a low point, and in this case, the eventual ouster of the founder from the company. We must be careful with our words.  They matter and people are always listening and looking for a tweet moment. But, just as powerful are the words that we leave unsaid. A few weeks ago I was asked by the CEO of one of the Boards I sit, to talk to a senior member of the executive team who had a job offer at another company.  The CEO wanted to save the executive and so did I.  As I listened on the phone to why the executive was considering leaving, it was not about what had been said to him, it was about what hadn't.  In sports vernacular, this executive is a "franchise player".  We have been building the company around him with him being a key player going forward.  But, he didn't know that.  Why?  Because we never told him.  Here's the deal.  Those that we love the most are many times the ones that we tell that to the least.  We worry about those that we think need worry and we leave alone those who we feel are secure.  But, no one is totally secure and everyone needs to be told that they are loved.  The holiday season, the end of the fiscal and calendar year is a good time to make a list (and check it twice) that those who are important to you on your team, know it and feel your love.  

We are taught in James to control our tongue and that is right. But, we would be wrong to take this to an extreme and hold our tongue always.  God wants us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  We can't show full love if we aren't willing to tell the person about our love for them and our love for God.  We have to share the Good News.  We can't leave that unsaid!  This is the season where hearts are tender and people are looking for meaning and spirit in their lives.  This is the season to share and share God's message to those we care about and love. Let's not hold our tongue when these opportunities arise. It might be that even your words about what you plan to do over the Christmas break, when you include church, could be the words that strike the heart of another for them to find their way to church as well.  We never know, but God does and let's trust Him with our words and tongue.

Reference:  James 3:2 (New Living Translation)

day 1282: It's All Good, Until It Isn't

"Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way."

The company Lululemon looked unstoppable.  Stores opened regularly and became profitable in short order. Their consumers were loyal, almost cult-like loyal. Wall Street loved them.  Other than being pricey, what was there not to like about Lulelemon.  And then, their then CEO and Chairman, Dennis Wilson made one slip of the tongue and then Lululemon went from sweet to bitter.  You can look up the disparaging comment he made about his customers whose thighs were larger. This was in the context of why their new set of yoga pants were too sheer (turned out to be a manufacturing problem, not a consumer size problem...duh).  One slip of the tongue and it can all fall apart.  Wilson is out of the company now, the company that he co-founded. As the famous Hill Street Blues quote said, "Let's be careful out there."  We are on the front lines all the time in our companies. We have to think and act like mature leaders as one slip can be the beginning of a long and hard fall.

It's the end of the year.  We are counting the days until the Christmas and Holiday break.  But, it can also be the season of tension and stress and a season fraught with mistakes that can be avoided. When we sprint for a finish line and have lots of other deadlines to make (like holiday gifts), we can miss a step here or there and pay for it dearly. The company Christmas party, the extra happy hour get together, the end of the year close, the final trip of the year, etc.  It's winter (literally and figuratively).  Our roads become slippery and we must take extra caution to not fall within this season. God will lead us through this time if we trust on Him and ask Him for our protection. 

Reference: James 3:2 (New Living Translation)

day 1281: While Not Everything, Timing Matters!

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law."

I was lunching in Los Angeles last week with someone who said to me, "Gosh, if you guys were doing SNOCAP now, you'd be sitting pretty."  SNOCAP was the company I ran from 2005- 2008 that was yes, ahead of its' time.  And yes, this former music attorney was right; if we were now running that company it would be very important in the scheme of what is happening right now within the industry.  But, this is 2013, not 2008 and indeed timing made a difference. From my business experience, it is easy to be late, a lot harder to be early and really difficult to be right on time. But, that is what we have to strive to do with our products and services.  Business ideas that come too late are worthless.  Those that come too early are expensive and ignored.  Those that come just at the right time when the market is accepting and ready, well, those are the ones that we remember.  Each of us likely have something we are considering "rolling out", either externally, or even internally.  The question we must ponder and be able to answer, is this the right timing?  It's not easy to answer, but it is a question that must be answered and addressed honestly and boldly. Otherwise, we might be setting ourselves up for disappointment and/or failure.

There is no way we can know why God chose a little over 2000 years ago to send Jesus.  Nor can we know when His timing will be for Jesus to return to the earth.  What we can know and be assured of is that God has something the rest of us only wish we could always have; perfect timing.  The world waited for Jesus to appear the first time, but that timing left an indelible mark on the world.  We are waiting again, and it will happen and and when it does, the timing will again be perfect.  We just have to be willing to wait on perfection.  Think about it this way, God has unlimited patience for us so why can't we have patience for Him?  We like to try and rush or delay God's timing. We are guilty of both. But instead, we sometimes need to sit in His timing to understand and realize His perfect ways.  We are anticipating and waiting for Christmas.  Let's take these last few days of the year and lean into God's timing in our lives. Let's wait when we feel called to do so.  Let's act when the call comes to act.  Let's, without doubt, live into His timing for us.

Reference: Galatians 4:4 (New Living Translation(

day 1280: One Man

"Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”

There wasn't any of the normal "surprise" when the word came through that Nelson Mandela had died. At 95 and ailing, it was just a mater of time.  But still the world stopped for a moment and reflected on what one man, who was willing to go all the way for his cause and beliefs, could do to change a country and ignite change in a set of beliefs worldwide.  It is only fitting that we remember and honor his contribution and legacy.  In doing so, we best uphold his ideals by ensuring that we never let ourselves take the easy way out or cut a corner on our principles. Nelson Mandela saw a wrong that needed to be righted.  When we see wrongs within our companies, no matter how big or small, are we standing in the shadow of Mandela to ensure that the wrongs are eliminated?  Sometimes we think we don't have any "say" or we are insignificant.  Our ability to impact and contribute is only as small as we allow our self-perception and thinking to be!

There was One who came before Mandela, who truly sacrificed His all so that everyone could receive eternal life. We will hold up a man who dies (and there is nothing wrong with this) with extreme honor and respect, but we ignore and pass away Jesus as if He never existed.  When we reflect on what one man has done, let's not forget that one God, who became Man, left us the Way for each of us to have the greatest impact of all.  It is right to stop and reflect and honor a man who passes such as a Nelson Mandela.  Let us also today use that reflection time to recommit ourselves to He who set a standard above all others.

Reference: Luke 9:35 (New Living Translation)

day 1279: Citizenship

"But whatever happens to me, you must live in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ, as a citizen of heaven"

Our political system has been spending many fruitless cycles on immigration and citizenship.  We seem to be stuck in an argument about whether or not we want more citizens.  A citizen is one who gives their allegiance to their government and in turn receives that government's protection.  We can say that inside of our companies we have "citizens".  When someone joins our organization and becomes provides their allegiance to the vision, mission and goals of the company and management, then in turn the company protects them with a salary, benefits, opportunity to work, etc. In return, when this works correctly, we get good citizenship from our employees and that in itself is good.  But, how often do we think of our employees as citizens, versus just hired help who just come and go? Do we get allegiance this way?  Do we think about protecting our talent?  This is where most companies miss out.  If we stopped and thought about someone making that all important choice to come to work for us, versus someplace else, as a desire to "join" us and to become a part of us, as citizens then we might well approach the whole relationship differently, and assuredly more productively.

Paul challenges the Philippians to act as citizens of heaven.  That is, for us to give our allegiance to God and to receive God's protection when we live and act to His standards.  It's a simple question today - are you approaching today's work and life as a sworn citizen of God's Kingdom? If you are, then today will be a great day for you and the Kingdom!

Reference:  Philippians 1:27 (New Living Translation)

day 1278: Bold. Well-Timed and Smart!

"I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner."

 

Read anything about "delivery drones" in the past 48 hours?  Amazon's Jeff Bezos and his PR team knew what they were doing when they gave Charlie Rose and 60 Minutes a sneak preview of the Amazon Delivery Drones.  Not only has it been on the tongue (and cheek) of every conversation and in every written periodical and broadcast news program, but already UPS had unveiled that they too have been working on their own delivery drones.  I have this vision of a World War II like air dogfights between the drones of FedEx, UPS and Amazon.  Snoopy and the Red Baron, where are you now?  Okay, back to reality.  What Jeff Bezos did on Sunday night was nothing short of brilliant.  He cornered a large and influential TV show.  He waxed on about "the future" as the competitor and threat, not companies like Amazon, and then he took us all into the double-secret room and showed us his remote-controlled helicopter.  And, America and the world gasped and marveled.  Brilliant!  When you are going to be bold, consider that when and how you do it is just as important as what you reveal.  Amazon got it right.  A standard press release, or in this case even a Tweet or a Vine would not have caused as much excitement and conversation as the 60 Minute piece and the orchestration of the announcement.  Well done Jeff.  We can all take a page of learning from this one!

God expects us to be just as bold with our faith as we can be with the innovative product or the new discovery.  But, He also gives us the strategic minds to know when and how to share our faith.  Let me be very clear here as I know this could come across as controversial, which is not my intent.  First, I believe with all my heart that God can work in the lives of others through us, even when we share about Him in the worst of of timing or situations.  That means, that yes, He can soften and convict someone's soul from the bullhorn message on the street corner.  But, He can also move, and will move, when we use the wisdom and knowledge we have to share His Good News in times that others are more ready than not.  We can be bold in our words and our actions and He will protect us.  What I also am sure is that God appreciates when we allow him to move within us in the ways and places that He desires.  I am moved when people share their faith publicly in places that others consider bold for it have been done.  I am also moved by the person who share their faith boldly with their best friend, their family member, or their roommate. One size does not fit all in sharing God's love.  Sharing in full authenticity and in the timing that can make the greatest impact is in itself boldly using the talents that God has given us.

Reference: Isaiah 45:19 (New Living Translation)

day 1277: Cyber Strength!

"Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him."

Yesterday appears to be a day of cyber wow!  Early reports are saying that Cyber Monday shopping topped $2B in sales, achieving a 17.5% increase over last year.  For those not used to keeping score, that is a huge year over year gain.  Without a doubt we have crossed over the online hurdles and even with sales tax being collected in most states, and no Amazon drones delivering our packages yet, we are firmly okay with search, buy, and wait.  Traditional retailers were scratching their heads after the lackluster days on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, but when they add it all up, it might just be okay. That is, unless Amazon took the biggest bite from the apple.  I know anyone reading this has already accepted that online is the future, now the question is how that future unfolds.  On this post Cyber-Monday Tuesday, I'd be thinking now about what we can do for next year to further engage and ready our consumers for next year so that we are their first choice.  To do that, we have to go well beyond the lowest price or the the most extensive choices.  We have to create (and yes this will feel so 1999) "community" that brings them back over and over.

If in the retailing world we are content to search, buy and wait, why aren't we just as satisfied with this approach in our spiritual lives?  God gives us the opportunity to search (His Word, prayer, church, fellowship); we have life's most frictionless way to buy into His message - by just accepting Him; and as we wait on His deliverance of His promises and answers to our prayers, we grow and develop in Him.  But, for some reason, we won't accept this approach and we stop searching, we deny Him with our actions and words in front of others, and when we have to wait, we give up on Him and begin searching for some other answers.  Think about it and consider where you are standing today?  If you have given up the search, are questioning your buy-in, or tired of the wait, then today would be the day to reevaluate and return to Him with all honesty and openness asking God to refill and rejuvenate your faith.  He will as he is the greatest at fulfillment!

Reference:  1 Chronicles 16:11 (New Living Translation)

day 1276: 404 Error Messages

"Indeed, we all make many mistakes."

There is no shortage today of talk about web sites not working.  When a website doesn't load or the page cannot be found, we get what is called a "404 Error Page".  At the beginning of internet time that message read, "Room 404 Error" because at the CERN headquarters in Switzerland where the internet was created (sorry Al Gore), any errors were routed to a room on the 4th floor, room 404.  And so it was, a message we all will see was created.  Today many companies try and be creative with their errors. Twitter had the "Fail Whale".  MLB.com shows players getting hit by balls in bad places. The point is that the internet gives us license to make a mistake and get through it. Sometimes I wish I could wear a 404 Error T-Shirt under another shirt so that when I make a mistake, which I make too many, I could flash my error message and move on. But we tend to not to allow that in our work.  We like to dwell on a problem and many times make a mountain from the mole hill. How much better would we be if we fessed up, defined the error, and explained how the mistake wouldn't happen again, all without drama.

As we go to work today and start planning how we are going to sprint between now and the Christmas break, we might as well accept and expect that mistakes are going to be made. And, unfortunately, some of those mistakes will be hurtful to others and ourselves. But this is where God becomes our only salvation. Jesus came to give us a way for our sins to be forgiven. If we are honest with God and ourselves we can accept our errors, offer them to Him for forgiveness and move on.  Today, and this holiday season, let's not dwell on our errors and allow them to set up back or get us down. Instead, let's let God do what He wants to do with us and lift us up and out of our human 404 errors.

Reference: James 3:2 (New Living Translation)

day 1275: Losing to Thankfulness

"Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him."

There is a quote in the TV show, Game of Thrones, that stuck with me.  The Queen Mother says to her young son, who has just become King, that he better needs to understand the commoners. She says to him, "People not like us expect to lose important things in life."   What she was saying is that those not in royalty can find themselves living their life expecting to lose, not always holding a manifest destiny to winning.  The business world is the same.  Those on top, expect more.  Those who are struggling, smaller, and trying to keep their head above water, appreciate and look at their business differently. The front page of the New York Times business section today, reminds us of a time in Silicon Valley, 1999, when all was great and nothing could get in our way to success. We knew no risk.  We expected only the best.  And, when it went away, and we were humbled, we appreciated and became more thankful of what he had, what we had learned and what we could expect going forward. The lesson?  We need to keep ourselves in check and recognize that losing will bring greater appreciation and thankfulness, so how can we cultivate that spirit of humility and gratitude, even in the best of times?

We all get hurt. We all lose out on something we expected.  We all will get beaten down at some point in our careers and lives.  Even in the losing, we can be thankful as someone else will always be in more of a struggle than we are.  Tomorrow, and into this long weekend, let's remember the wins and the losses and see if we can't find a place of equal thankfulness.  Ours is a place to be the example of continuous thankfulness. Anything less is not giving our God His due!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!

Reference: Psalm 95:2 (New Living Translation)