day 1169: Password Jungle

"Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"

This has been a week lost in what I call the "Password Jungle".  It started with Facebook asking for the resetting of passwords (allegedly they got attacked and "some" people were compromised, although they never really say who) and so it goes that all of the other applications that we sign in using our Facebook username and passwords also now have to be reset, etc.  And so, it goes and goes.  The jungle is full of many vines that all look the same and are hard to distinguish.  So is the jungle of our passwords.  There are one-stop solutions for the problem like LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane, KeyPass, etc., but to go with any one of those memorized applications, we must then trust that they will also be around in the future and that they can be trusted.  It is a dilemma and one that doesn't seem like it will go away any time soon.  Every new site adds to the problem.  I sometimes feel lost in the jungle.  If you have the better solution that has worked for you, I am all ears and open to what you have found works the best.

Let's stop right now and thank our Lord that He never lets us get lost in a jungle of intertwined ways that we need to decipher to find Him!  He gives us one way and that is through His name that we can reach Him and ask Him of anything.  What a blessing that in the complication of all that is around us, that He has kept it simple for us.  Of course, simple doesn't mean easy.  He didn't create the path to Him without sacrifices to be made.  And, why should have He when He made the ultimate sacrifice for each of us!  Yet, in it all, we need only one password, one name, that if we give all in belief and faith, all of the Kingdom of God will be open to us. Let's place that name, the name of Jesus, deep within our hearts!

Reference: John 14:14 (New Living Translation)

day 1168: Brain STEMs

"He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few."

As I write this, I don't know if the Immigration Bill will pass through the Senate and/or reach Congress in this coming week.  For all I know by the time this post is published, the bill may have been defeated.  One part of the bill that is important to the business community is the ability to immigrate people with education and experience in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The U.S. today has a brain STEM deficiency and the business community is asking our representatives to help us stem the STEM problem.  No one wants this to be the forever answer, but right now we can't educate internally enough people to keep up with the technology talent needs, so something has to help us fill the gap. How we allowed ourselves to get here and what responsibilities we have in fixing this for the future is also what needs to be explored and understood.  We have the ability to ensure that we have all the workers we need, with the right skills, education and experience if we find the resolve and commitments to find a true fix.  We know the problem will not resolves on its own, so what is the best time to fix it....it has to be today...doesn't it?

I wonder if God doesn't  look upon all of us and also see the same dilemma.  In Matthew, He said that the harvest is great, but the workers are few so that we are missing out on reaping what would be Kingdom expansive. God must sometimes look upon us and wonder why we just can't see what is right in front of us and do something about it. He knows all the talents for His Kingdom are here to be used and expanded upon and then we just don't use them.  As believers who are committed to bringing glory to God in all that we do, and especially in our work, let's not stem any of our talents.  The world needs us to be all that we can be for Him and today is the day to be so.

Reference: Matthew 9:37 (New Living Translation)

day 1167: Consistency

"He prayed three times a  day, just as he always had done..."

I was surprised to hear someone I know say (almost bragging) about being, "Consistently inconsistent".  As soon as the words came out of her mouth, her husband validated this with, "And, that is the hardest thing about you".  Wow, that was an honest exchange, and it was out in the open with other people around to hear the disclosures.  This interchange reminded me that if there is anything really hard to manage is consistent inconsistency, because even though you know to never expect the same more than once, knowing that there will always be an unknown to be expected can drive you crazy.  Okay, as we know, our businesses can't run this way, otherwise we would never have a repeat customer and soon we would be out of business.  But, let's think about the fact that inside of our companies there are many people and people like this person who likes to be consistently inconsistent.  Are we to think that these personal trait don't carry over into the work that is being done, work that we expect to be consistently performed?  This is why we must pay attention to the details and continue to simplify and ensure that consistency is designed into our work, so that we remove the risks of inconsistency.  Consistent inconsistency is an ingredient that will spoil any recipe for success.

The account of Daniel in the Bible is a tremendous lesson of consistency.  Daniel conquered many troubles and rose to the top of the organizational chart and through it all he carried consistencies in his life. One being that we learn most; that he prayed three times a day.  When decreed that he couldn't do so any longer, he couldn't stop and so he consistently carried on.  Consistency in our time with the Lord will carry us through the roughest patches and also be a shining example when others are watching how we deal with the troubles in the office and in life.  Trying to develop habits and consistency in the bad times is almost impossible, so now is the time to make consistency a hallmark of who we are so that others can expect that from us.  Our God is consistent, so should we be.

Reference: Daniel 6:10 (New Living Translation)

day 1166: What Is A Rock?

"He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior.."

My best friend and I were running this past weekend and he told me about a very cool meeting that he attended where a facilitator took the group some very thought-provoking exercises.  One involved a bowl of water with a rock sitting in the bottom of the bowl.  When asked about what happened when the rock went into the water, the group responded with a number of answers.  What the facilitator was trying to get at was the impact of the rock on the water and the ripples that get created when a rock is thrown into water.  The conversation then led to what are the rocks that we can throw into waters to make a difference with our lives.  My friend had a very thoughtful insight when he asked the group, "What really creates the ripples?  Is it the rock or the action of the rock being thrown into the water?"  He then went on to explain that in his own life he sees throwing a rock (money, influence, etc.) into needed waters as the easy way out.  Throwing a rock every now and then doesn't take as much commitment as becoming personally the rock.  I sat with that thought and loved where he took that conversation because I also know that those things that are most rewarding and fulfilling that I do is not the "donation" made, but the "contribution" I make with my time. experience and energy.  When we go beyond giving and turn that into serving, it is then that we become the rock.  This lesson can be applied not only across those things that we are doing for "good" (as it seemed the context was in my friend's discussion) but also in how we are going about our daily work and life activities. It's worth the question today...are we throwing rocks or are being rocks?

If we are living out the example of Jesus to bring glory to Him in all that we do, then we must be like Him, like a rock.  Jesus was never about casting miracles or solving other people's problems without being present and giving of Himself fully to make the difference.  Without doubt, there was none other who ever walked the earth who has created more ripples, but it was all because He became the rock.  Let's ask ourselves today, are we the rocks that He wants us to be?

Reference: 2 Samuel 22:2 (New Living Translation)

day 1165: Training?

"So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God."

Most corporate training only scratches at the surface of what we need to know to do our jobs fully.  We get the basics of what and how and then we move on and maybe for years we don't get retrained or more deeply grown or developed.  When we think back about the training that was most of an impact on our jobs, it is that training that actually grew us more as human beings than just make us a better worker.  When this happens, we are actually able to take that learning, apply it to our work and we ultimately become better all the way around.  That is training that sticks.  I was with a friend this last week who was telling me about a holistic session that his partnership did with the senior partners in the company.  It started with a comprehensive physical examination, moved through life expectations and motivations, and then ended up with applying all of this to how each individual would change to be better in their jobs over the next five years.  My friend was effusive about how significant this was to him.  Forget all of the "training", instead let's send our people off to "learning".  

In Hebrews, we are challenged to move our spiritual lives from basic training to true learning and deepening.  Just like our corporate training, we can hang around the surface and go through the motions and receive very little that sticks, or we can dive in deep looking for spiritual breakthrough that will lead to real growth and life applications.  We don't go to work every day just looking for the same old, same old, so why would we go about our Kingdom work this way?  Let's consider honestly today what level of "training" or "learning" we are really pursuing?

Reference:  Hebrews 6:1 (New Living Translation)
 

day 1164: Vision Casting

"Where there is no vision, the people perish.." 

Everyone likes vision casters.  These are the people who seem to be able to see around the corner and create a vision of what the rest of us can't yet see.  Investors especially love vision from CEO and Founders.  Those analysts who represent investors sometimes though have the least vision, so they are even more enamored with those who lean forward into the future.  This is the problem the Apple has right now.  The analysts think that Apple has lost their vision.  Have they though?  Analysts are asking questions like, "Is it search?", "Is it voice?"  But, what do we know?  One can't ask a question about what a vision is because a vision, again, is something that the rest of us can't yet see.  Prior to the launch of the iPod, Steve Jobs played the guessing game with me and asked me what I thought could change the world, would fit in my pocket, but wasn't a a phone or a camera.  At that time, the last thing I was going to come up with was another mp3 player.  But, he had a vision and that is why other others followed.  If we aren't constantly trying to create a vision for our employees, our customers, our consumers and our shareholders, then we run the risk of losing their attention and worse yet the curiosity of their imagination.

We know that God has a vision for us and how eternity will play itself out.  He created this for us so we don't have to create one on our own.  In fact, when we try to do so we run counter to what He desires for us.  Each and every day we have the opportunity to follow and work into His vision.  That vision is clearly spelled out for us in His Word and if we just begin to inquire into the Bible for how we fit into that vision much will be opened up for us to explore.  We can get so caught up with what is right in front of us that we lose sight of the bigger picture.  Today as we close off this work week let's not take this day as just any other Friday, but instead ask God what He has in store for us and ask Him to reveal His vision today. It might just end up being a remarkable Friday (not to mention the longest day of the year)!

Reference: Proverbs 29:18 (New Living Translation) 

day 1163: Where We Are

"Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Adam Alter wrote a very interesting article in this past weekend's New York Times, discussing the influence of who we are being very much shaped by where we are.  Alter draws from the research from James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling who wrote the 1982 Atlantic Monthly article that explained the "Broken Window Theory", which was broadly popularized by Rudy Giuliani as Mayor of New York City during his campaign to clean up New York. In a nutshell, we human beings are chameleons and we will adapt to the cues and signals around us.  If we are in a dirty and littered location then we will not feel inclined to keep anything neat and organized.  The opposite is also true.  We can take this research into our businesses.  The culture and environment that we create, or let appear without our creation (warning: this is what happens), is all it takes to send the messages of how we want people to work, behave and even take accountability.  A good friend has now gone back into a CEO position after a few years out.  He has returned to the company that he built.  According to those who work there, there is a feeling of change in the air.  An employee mentioned to me that the attention to detail on how the campus is kept clean is back and the messages of the environment are signaling that there is serious business about to happen, again.  And, without having to say much about it, employees are taking notice and upping their work attention and performance.  Where we are yes, can shape who we are.

I wonder if Adam and Eve, after they had eaten from the forbidden fruit, didn't later in life sit and talk about the decision that they made and how things might have been different had they not focused on just the one tree.  See, they missed that the rest of the Garden of Eden was everything and all that any person could have ever wanted or dreamed of obtaining.  But, instead of saying to each other, "Hey, let's not even think about going over there, let's explore and hang out everywhere else", they just had to go check out the one place that God told them to avoid.  And, who did they find when they decided to venture?  Yep, the same that any of us will find when we allow ourselves to be shaped by where we are.  Even today, there are offices, cubicles that you know you will be safer and better by not visiting.  Consider that today, we can all be, because we are human and vulnerable, become shaped by where we are. How will that change the course of today?

Reference: Genesis 3:9 (New Living Translation)

day 1162: The Lasts

"But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." I was listening closely as two senior executives were discussing their career trajectories, when one said to the other, "This is my last job".  The other looked forward in a thoughtful stare into space and said, "This might be my last one too". The exchange could have been between two long term soldiers, or two veteran professional athletes, who were coming to grips with the influence of age and time over their livelihoods.  The thought of anything might be our "last" is not an easy one for us to fathom, in either business or life.  We always expect, "another" and that is the way that our culture and society has been conditioned.  But, there is the other side of always looking for one more.  There can be a certainty and confidence in knowing that this is the last time of trying to relearn, or the last time having to build equity or confidence from others, or this is the last time that we have to prove anything to anyone else, other than ourselves.  Being able to say, "This is the last" can also cement an identity and attitude.  I know that I now hold the last email address and the last cell phone number I will ever have.  So, do you likely.  But, we don't bemoan those do we?  How can we take that same feeling of stability with us into our business and professional careers?  We don't have to always feel like we are chasing the next and can be content in the "lasts". Jesus told us that nothing in this world that is earthly will last. Only those things that we store away for the Kingdom will live beyond this earth.  So, if nothing ever really lasts then where are to find our direction?  The world wants us to listen to the messages that come to us relentlessly about the next job, the next promotion, the next relocation, the next raise.  While these can't be ignored, they also can't be the focus of our attention and intentions if we are to be able to live out the abundant life that He wants for us.  Is it time to take inventory of the "lasts" that we have and allow them to sit contently in our lives so that we can turn our attention to what it is that He desires for us?  His Kingdom outlasts all else and He will give us the strength and endurance to move through the rest of our careers and lives, but we have to trust Him and not put the other things first.  Reference: Matthew 20:16 (New Living Translation)

day 1161: The Age of Business

"Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

I was having a conversation with friends this past week who are both senior HR Executives.  We were discussing the pros and cons of different types of away-from-work policies.  Being from different sized companies and from companies of vastly different ages (one over 100 years old, the other around 30 years old), it was not surprising that the older company had just recently adapted to a more "modern" view of comprehensive Paid Time Off (PTO) versus the segregation of vacation time and sick days.  I popped in and mentioned that many of the newest start-ups have abandoned both approaches and just allow the employee to come and go as they need, without counting any days away.  I don't believe, like in many areas, there is any right answer, but it is obvious to me that, like chronological age, that it becomes harder to try the new and/or change the older we get.  How to keep our old company youthful, is the same challenge that we get to overcome in life.

The Bible speaks of age in the terms of both chronological and spiritual youth.  We are reminded that just because we are young, in either definition of age, that we should not be timid or worse, not cognizant that we can make an impact through our example.  Sometimes, it takes the young person with the new outlook to be the one that creates the spark of creativity and action.  What approach have you been taking at work?  Are you still the youthful, optimistic, hopeful, encouraging person, or has something dampened your outlook?  Paul challenges us to be an example in all wed do. Let's not either be young and foolish, or old and crotchety, but instead always cognizant of the example of God's purpose for us.

Reference: 1 Timothy 4:12 (New Living Testament)

day 1160: Winds

“The winds were against us” 

While not obvious, there are winds in business.  Sometimes they are headwinds. Sometimes the winds can be at our backs.  But, without doubt, there are winds to be dealt with and managed.  These winds come in the forms of competition, or product quality problems, or supply chain issues from a vendor.  People also cause wind shifts.  One day the team is aligned and sailing right along, the next day there is a morale problem caused by one person that shifts the teams' productivity considerably.  These shifts of the wind are to be carefully watched and like the deft and skilled sailor, guide the boat back on course.  We would be be well served to have someone, if not many people, who are always watching and monitoring the winds of change; having the courage and credibility to be able and correct the course when needed, before the winds take control.

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of delivering the weekend message at my church, http://cornerstone-sf.org.  The title of my message was "Tacking Forward".  You can view it here: http://www.cornerstone-sf.org/tv/detail/tacking-forward/ .   As I prepared my message I realized how many examples and accounts there in the Bible of times when the wind made a difference.  Paul, who spent a considerable time sailing (even surviving shipwrecks) probably knew the power of the wind as well as anyone.  The winds of our lives will always be with us and with God's grace and wisdom we can navigate today and every day.  But,  like any sailor will tell us, we must be vigilant and never take the wind for granted. Being active with God today in prayer and being with Him in His Word, will be just the life sailing and navigation lessons that we need.

 Reference:  Acts 27:4

day 1159: IBNO Status - Part 3 (Redux)

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

"Let's just take a shortcut and we'll be done with this". To anyone who wants to get anything done, that sounds like a fine alternative and when we have been working really, really hard, this alternative could come as such a relief. Unless, that shortcut undermines the quality and/or credibility of the work. Seldom does anyone come right out and use the word "shortcut" but it shows up as the result when the extra quality check is ignored or the preventative maintenance schedule is not followed, or the details on the expense report are too complicated to fill out. They aren't stark and visible shortcuts, but they are things that when not fully completed, cut short ourselves and our potential to be as good as we can be. Many of the cues for these actions come from the world around us. I marvel at how when there is some very egregious crime committed in the corporate world that there will be people who say, "I never imagined he would do that". Any major infraction started a long time ago with a little of this and a little of that going on. The erosion of character, values and disciplines are always evident if we just pay attention and look hard enough for them. But, as a people, we don't. We allow the curve to shift and the standards to slip and before long, "everyone is doing it". 

This is the world doing this to us and unless we have a strict and strong standard we will find ourselves moving along the curve. We all are in, but we do not need to be of this world, this is why in Romans 12:2 we are given the boundary lines. Our IBNO (in but not of) Status is constantly challenged by the crowds. Books are written about the the wisdom of the crowd. In the technology world we are asked over and over, "are you crowd-sourcing?" When it comes to values, principles and disciplines, may we never allow the crowd to source any of us. Today, if there is an area at work or in your life where you feel that the crowd and the world has pushed you in a direction that makes you not happy with you are, then today is the time to step away from the crowd and start back to being you.

Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Testament)

 

day 1158: IBNO Status - Part 2 (Redux)

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

I once worked at a company where no one felt comfortable wearing blue jeans to work. There was no rule or policy against it and quite the opposite in that the company prided itself on having a casual dress policy. But it would be the very rare day when you would see a senior executive or anyone in management wearing a pair of jeans in the office. Recently I saw a video of an internal meeting of the same company and I commented that all of the senior team were wearing blue jeans. The person who was showing me the video said, "yeah, we all wears jeans these days, almost every day." What was the difference? When I was at the organization the CEO then never wore jeans to work and if someone did, he wouldn't say anything, but he would give them the once over look and would look at what pants they were wearing just long enough that it would let them know that he was frowning inside. Today, the same company has a different CEO and he is known for wearing jeans to work all the time, even though he never did back in the day when he was number two in the company. The point of all of this is that we very easily become the products of our environment. 

Just like chameleons we can quickly change based on the landscape and the backdrop around us and if we are not careful we will have changed and not even known it. It's nothing new to any of us that we change over time in small increments that begin to add up. It's like gaining weight. Few people just wake up one morning and find that they are overweight. It's the pound here and the pound there that leaves us with 20 extra pounds that has to be taken back off more diligently than how it was put on. So are the things in life that can cause us issues regarding being in but not of this world. Our "IBNO Status" must constantly be monitored. There are many traits and characteristics of others that are fine to take on, but there are others that we have to monitor and not just do because everyone else does them or the person at the top of the company does it that way. Not knowing or recognizing how we have changed is the first sign that our IBNO status needs to be checked.
Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Testament)

day 1157: IBNO Status - Part 1 (Redux)

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think."

Managing work relationships comes with challenges. There is the; "I don't want to get too close"; the "I'm getting too close"; the "I don't know much about them"; and the "I don't know them at all" stages of relationships. Work is hard enough without having to worry about if we are in the right relationships at the right levels to be effective at our jobs. We want to get close to the people with who we work and be friends so that if we are going to spend 40+ hours together we can like each other. The problem with all of this is that we have to pick and choose among people at work and we run the risk of falling into cliques that carry with them certain norms and values that are not our own. This can cause a lot of consternation and concern and if we are not careful, we can find ourselves getting lost.

This is why it is so important as believers for us to be sure and be able to know our "IBNO Status" IBNO is my abbreviation for "In But Not Of", that is, in the context of "in but not of this world". Paul makes it clear to us in Romans 12:2; "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." All the messages we are sent is that we have to play along to fit in and be a part of the cultures of the companies where we work. It is true, but that does not mean that we have to sacrifice our values and principles to go along with the crowd. This is part one of a series on our IBNO Status. I want to spend the next few days exploring this and seeing if we can't come in closer touch with what our status is at all times so that we can course correct when necessary. Today, be thinking about the values and principles that you hold dearly that are challenged because of the gravitational pull of others away from yours and over to theirs.

Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Testament)

day 1156: Working From Where?

"They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’"

Yesterday's TechCrunch covered the new irobot and Cisco In-the-office-out-of-the office-work-from-home-telepresence-robot-thing. We've seen these things in the GE ads where the robot-thing can allow the sick children to attend school, even though they are home or hospital bound.  But, this puts a whole new spin on things. Are we getting closer and closer to the autonomous worker?  My friend Fred says, "You must be present to win".  Is this being present?  What will Marissa Mayer do with this?  What is clear is that our ability to be where we are, even when we are not, is getting more and more technologically advanced.  We need to monitor, experiment and see what works in our environment, and then judge.  But, one thing is for certain, we must try what is new and not ignore the future as it rolls through our front door.  The generation behind us is watching to see where we will land as it relates to where and how they will work.

                                                           (picture courtesy of TechCrunch)

Where two or more of us are gathered, He will be with us also.  When I first saw the picture above, I was struck by how God is with us in our work as well and if we could have him present like this iRobot, all the time, how cool would that be.  But, see that is the promise and blessing we have. He is and all we have to do is invite Him along.  If in all that we know and believe about what God can do for us, then why do we ignore Him and leave Him out of our work? Ask God to inhabit your cubicle today and to be present with you at all times.  He will.  God has shown through the generations how faithful He is and how He like to work on the big problems and challenges that only He can fix.  Bring Him along and watch what He does. It's how He works!

Reference: 2 Chronicles 20:9 (New Living Translation)

day 1155: New Paint Job

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun"

Yesterday, Patti and I flew from SFO to JFK on American Airlines.  The airline is right now in transition to what they are calling the "New American" (#newamerican).  As we sat on the runway at SFO we could see the transition happening right in front of us with many of the new planes with the new paint schemes.  I thought about what it feels like to get a "new paint job" as a company.  It's exciting, but at the same time a time of anxiety.  There are new costs, higher expectations and a far amount of circumspection from the cynics. Will they make it?  Have they overspent? When will we see the real outputs?  It's all part of the dance, but once committed to change, then sticking with it and having the courage to not turn back is a large part of success.  All it would take now to derail the change would be someone in the Boardroom of American to say something like, "I don't know if I really like the way that new tail paint design looks after all."  While it's easy to say, "We can always paint over what we don't like", with organizational change and new beginnings, the changes are way more critical than just the new paint job!

When we make the true decision to believe and  follow Jesus, we become a new person in Christ. This new beginning is one that we can live out the rest of our earthly lives and into eternity.  There isn't any second guessing.  If we truly set our heart towards Christ then we will move forward in a new direction.  From that point, it is incumbent upon us to also spread the news of what God can do for anyone and what He has done for us.  We have many outlets to live out and be the example of Christ in our lives and none better than where we work.  If we consider that each and every day is like the new paint job that we can spread around the office, then others will see and recognize the freshness, the newness and the feeling of hope and opportunity.  What color will you paint the office today?  Think about it!

Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Translation)

day 1154: Thinking Hat

"How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them."

 

How many times have we said to ourselves, "If I only had some time to think!". We get so caught up in our day to day activities and the pressures of the urgent that we don't find time to sit and think, plan and be strategic. The grind of trying to stay on top of all of the emails, phone calls, meetings and project work doesn't leave much time for any of us to sit down with a clear mind and think about the future or the the things we have in front of us that need deep and long thoughts. There was a book that came out a few years ago about the it being an art to be able to think and conceptualize the long view of the future. But even like any art, there are foundational disciplines below the art form that are required before one can do anything well. A painter who doesn't understand color, a writer with poor grammar, a songwriter who can't play an instrument, or a business leader who can't find the time to think, are all efforts that are undermined by not having the fundamentals understood and perfected before trying to layer on the next level of creativity. Finding and carving out the time to wear your thinking hat is a fundamental part of finding success in business. 

 

The same is true of our spiritual lives and the quest to be closer to the Lord. Without the quiet time we cannot place our minds where they need to be in order to focus and hear what God wants to say to us. We need time to let our minds be free and ponder. In the beautiful Psalm 111, David reminds us why we should take the time to think about what God has done for us; "How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them." Today, find some thinking time first to spend with God and then to spend thinking about those things that are important to that need deeper thought. If you can find the quiet time for God first and commit to that time, I have a confident feeling that you will be amazed at how you will find the time for the other thinking too.

Reference: Psalm 111:2 (New Living Translation)

day 1153: Filtering

"The humble will see their God at work and be glad."

Lots of business books talk about how we are to be sure that what we see is actually what is happening around us, or be sure that we know what filters we are viewing the world through. Instagram sold partly for $1B because of their cool filters and how people loved them for their photos. We each come from differences, and through  our own set of experiences then filter the world and our perception of what is occurring. I just got done having conversations with a number of people within a company who all work in the same place and are dealing with the same issues, who work for the same person and they all see things around them slightly, or in some cases, drastically different. It's a weird thing to see as an outsider looking in, but it's not hard to understand how each one of them can see things askew of someone else because of their different and varied backgrounds and experiences. We all need to remember this when we sit with someone and hear their side of a story and we don't understand what they are saying or where they are coming from. The reason is likely not them, it could be more us seeing and hearing them through our own filters. If we could/would do this then we would find that we would be much more understanding and accepting of others. Every company and workplace I know could stand to receive an extra dose of both.

One filter we should all have is humility. David says that if we start with humility we will see something special. Read in Psalm 69:32; "The humble will see their God at work and be glad." Without humility we may be filtering out our ability to see God's full handiwork. It makes sense, because those who are proud are not those who know that it is only by God's grace that we are here and able to do what we do. So today, check your filters and see if humility is overriding your pride. If it isn't, then today would be a good day to do a re-prioritizing and bring humility back up and forward as a good filter for all that you see and do.

Reference: Psalm 69:32 (New Living Translation)

day 1152: The Contractors

“Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him...Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise."

There are some people at work who are better at negotiating than others. These are the people who know how to get the best deal from the other side of the table and they have learned how to find the last dollar or cent in savings from a project or a vendor. These are also the best people to negotiate contracts as they know how to ensure that as much risk has been removed before signing the deal. And if they are really good they do all of this with the other side of the negotiations feeling good about the deal. All big companies now have this skill set resident within the organization. It just makes sense today to have these experts on hand. Long gone are the handshake and gentleman’s agreement. There was a time that business ran on such but over the years as relationships, integrity and trust eroded and these values became less integral to getting done what needed to get done, business leaders have had to rely on the contract for assurances of what to expect. And even then on both sides of a contract still look for loopholes and omissions so that they can attempt to gain the upper hand or a better deal. In today’s world it seems we are always negotiating and seldom in a moment of peace and productivity.

Isn’t it great though that we have a much higher authority that we can count on and trust to never break the contract that was given to us? As long as we enter into the relationship with sincerity and earnestness then we don’t have to worry about the other side trying to take advantage of us. We read about this in Hebrews; “"Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him...Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. " This assurance is the best of all contracts. This is a contract that will not be broken. While we have to protect ourselves and our organizations in the work we do with written agreements and contracts, it does not mean that we can’t live and work as personal examples of the promise that God gave us. If we can become known as a person of integrity who means what she/he says and says what he/she means, then we are role-modeling the behavior and actions of the One we follow. Today, you will be asked to “contract” with others. It will likely not be sitting down to write out what is expected of you, but rather it will be someone requesting assistance, or sending a question over email, or leaving a simple request on your voice mail. How you respond and live up to the contract of your own performance could be the determiner of how someone sees our Christ through you. Let us all strive to stay close to God and be the same example as one who delivers and keeps out promises.


Reference: Hebrews 10:22-25 (New Living Translation)

day 1151: The Search Is On!

"Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well..."

Many of us who are working today can remember work before the times of voice mail, email, cell phones, air cards, texts, wifi, gogo, and even the internet. It's hard to think about work before all of these great tools. They have made us more productive and yes, probably because of the always connected nature of these tools we have added some stress to our working (and outside of work) lives. I also marvel at what we did for knowledge accumulation and knowledge dissemination before the advent of the search engine. Google is a verb and a household word today. We turn to Google first (sorry bing and yahoo) to find something we don't know, for quotes, for articles, yada, yada. We turn to Google and the other search engines for just about everything we need or want to know. What did we ever do before search engines? But search engines can't tell us everything we need to know. We are faced with decisions each day at work about what is right and what it wrong. We can't (yet) put a decision in a search engine and have the search engine run an algorithm that will spit out what the is the right thing to do in that situation. Fortunately, for us we have the ultimate combination of a search engine that leads us in what these right and wrong decisions should be.

Between our prayers, the Holy Spirit, and the words given to us in the Bible and those who we are closest in our faith, we have our own algorithm that are built for each of us personally. And we can see in Galatians 6:4 that when we search to God for what is right and wrong that we can find what it is that we are supposed to do and find the outcome that we can expect; "Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well..." Today you may be searching for what is the right thing to do, the right decision, the right words to resolve a situation with a co-worker, or you may be looking for the right decision for what to do with your career. Today you can know that you have an even more powerful search engine to access for these decisions. You don't even have to be online as God is much closer even than that to you, if you allow Him to be so. A search engine even better than Google? Yes, you have it even closer to you than your fingertips.

Reference: Galatians 6:4 (New Living Translation)

day 1150: Road Warriors

"So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea."

My former boss at Electronic Arts is now the Chairman of the United States Olympics Committee (USOC).  This past weekend the New York Times did a story on the USOC and how they have improved, strengthened and built better relationships with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  The article tells how he and the CEO he hired have worked tirelessly to repair what formerly was perceived as unfair, and maybe even arrogant behavior of the USOC.  What was interesting about the article too is that they went out of the way to describe the high level of travel and days on the road that both the Chairman and CEO have logged.  As I read this, it reminded me that even in this day and age of very accessible and reliable digital communication that still today the face to face to meeting matters.  But, it's also more than that I think. It's not only the face to face, it's the effort that gets put into the face to face meeting that proceeds and colors the meeting.  If someone comes half way around the world to meet with you, it is hard to not start the meeting with respect and appreciation.  That extra effort, however it takes shape, can maybe mean the difference in a successful meeting or not. Maybe this is why the road warriors seem to still have an edge up, even today.

Jesus was a road warrior.  He moved from place to place and along the way, met people in their places of need.  He didn't just go to Jerusalem and set up shop in the Temple and have people come to Him.  He knew much better. He knew that in order to reach people in their hearts and minds, that He had to be among them. This is a great example for us to follow.  Today, where are you planning on having lunch?  Will you be among your team?  How many meetings will be in your office, versus out on the floor or in another part of the building? Reed Hastings from NetFlix doesn't even have an office.  He comes in each day and finds someplace to sit down and works from there.  When he has meetings, they are where the person sits, not him.  Even in our own workplace we can demonstrate what it means to be a "road warrior". Even in our own offices we can meet people where they are, just as Jesus did.

Reference:  Luke 4:44 (New Living Translation)