day 1330: Course Corrections

"And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

On Saturday of this past weekend, I completed the Phoenix Marathon, which was my eighth Marathon.  I was so excited about the race, the course, and being in Phoenix with dear friends for the weekend. I felt like this might be a race where I could shave a few minutes off of my personal best.  But, not to be.  I was almost 19 minutes worse than my best time.  The course was predominately downhill, which should make for a fast time.  You would think, right?  What looks like it can be one thing, can actually turn around and bite you. Look at this elevation map:

This map shows a 1000 foot elevation drop, but it's the first 4 miles that are of most notice. Those 4 miles at that steepness, was a killer on the quads and by mile 18 my quads were thrashed (they are still killing me).  What looks to be an advantage, can turn out to be a real disadvantage.  Just because it all looks like smooth sailing and downhill doesn't mean that things will work out for the better.  The best course is always the one that you expect, have managed before and can predict, even if they have some uphills in them.

The race that God has put in front of us requires endurance to finish it well.  If this wasn't so, Paul wouldn't have put that challenge out to us in Hebrews.  Our race (life and our spiritual life) is one that none of us have ever personally run before so each day brings a new hill, a new footing, or a new obstacle to overcome. But, what we know is that with God's support, love and grace that our course can be conquered.  Today, we start a workweek and it might be that we are still sore from something from last week or the past and we don't feel like we can climb the hills or control ourselves from careening out of control.  This is the moment to call upon Him to be there with us so that we move forward in His will and Spirit asking for guidance for each and every course correction needed. 

Reference: Hebrews 12:1 (New Living Translation)

day 1325: "WhatsApp With That?"

"In Christ Jesus, then I have reason to be proud of my work for God."

The news broke yesterday afternoon that Facebook is buying "WhatsApp" for $19 billion.  Yes, $19B!.  "WhatsApp (up) with that?", you might ask about WhatsApp getting that type of valuation.  Well, let's see, they have 450MM users and they add 1MM new users a day.  And, they also have a revenue model of $.99/ year for each user, after a one year free trial.  What's kinda cool about this 50 person team is that lots of people knew about WhatsApp, but not that many people knew about them from a bragging and boasting perspective.  This wasn't a group of people who were the headlined in blogs and conferences as "the next big thing".  They just went about their business, building something extraordinary until, bam!, the unimaginable happened. There is a lesson in here for all of us.  Yes, we have to market.  Yes, we have to ensure that we are known and recognized, but more so we just have to be awesome at what we set out to do, and as the one of the oldest sayings goes, "The cream will rise to the top".

We learn in much of the New Testament about what the Apostle Paul did a a spreader of the Good News.  As the Associate Pastor at my church, said this past weekend, "Paul was an entrepreneur as he started and grew church after church, in land after land after land."  Yes he was, and with his works, he led.  Paul was proud of his work because he could see God working in each place that he went.  But, Paul was not a boaster.  He didn't go back among those who he once worked and bragged about what he was doing.  He just went about doing it and we still read, write and talk about him and his works today.  Our workplaces don't need any more boasters or braggarts. We wouldn't be looking like or acting like Christ and Paul if we were one of those.  If we go about our work in the same way of excellence that we are taught through Paul and Jesus, then we will have people around us wondering what's up with them?  That then becomes our time to share!

Reference: Romans 15:17 (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 1270: Serving Time

"Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.'”

When we see or hear, "serving time" we think about those who are incarcerated and are waiting out the time of their sentence.  But, we also can feel this way when we are doing any activity that we don't want to be doing and we just can't wait for it to end.  At work we call these people "clock watchers", but we would be disingenuous if all of us didn't say that we have experienced this in our careers.  It's impossible for every day of work to be so exciting and enthralling that the day flies by.  Our challenge is to get ahead of this and ensure that each of our employees don't have any reason to look at the clock.  A good place to start is with meetings.  How many are your employees attending each day?  How long are these meetings?  How productive are they? After meetings, take a look at other activities that might feel like time being wasted. A moment felt like time is being served, is a moment of productivity lost.

When Paul replayed what he had heard God say to him about God's grace being enough and being all that he needed, it was in context of Paul trying to understand an affliction/handicap that he experienced in his life.  Yet, it is clear that God gave him these words of comfort for all of us who feel like we carry any burden that makes us want to just get time to pass us through to the other side. We each have things that will make us want to get time to move faster.  We don't want to find ourselves sitting in this situation.  Our time on this earth is short and precious and we don't want to wish any of it away.  Today as we head to work,let's  make the most of each moment.  Consider that each interaction, each email and phone call is an opportunity to share our faith, encourage someone else and leave behind an impression of God's love and glory working through us.  

Reference: 2 Corinthians 12:9 (New Living Translation)   

day 1267: First Moves

"So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit."

While I was on vacation last week, I checked in online when I could (we had very sketchy internet) and I saw that SnapChat had turned down a $3B offer from Facebook.  Oh, to be a first mover. SnapChat popped up with the ability to send a picture and then it would disappear from the internet.  I've not figured out what real business can be built from this, but it is clear that they have captured the attention of lots of people, including Facebook, who is willing to pay three times more than what they paid for Instagram.  Being the first mover in a market is still worthwhile. While hard to know if you will be the one that sticks, getting there first still has its advantages. Like its' service, SnapChat could be here today, and gone tomorrow, but right now, they are first.  We all have some opportunity that when innovating we can find a first mover advantage.  Sometimes it may be that someone, someplace else has done it already, but this is the first time your consumers or customers will have experienced what you are offering.  Sit and think and consider what you have in the hopper that you can take advantage of being the first mover.

Through the lens of the account of Saul/Paul and his journeys, the Pastor at our church (cornerstone-sf.org) is exploring what it meant for Paul to be the first mover of the Good News outside of the Jewish community. There are many great lessons here, and I was reminded yesterday of the challenges and rewards that can come from having the courage to make a move forward. Paul was a first mover.  It took extraordinary courage and commitment for him to do what he did to move God's message to the Gentiles.  He is a model for us as without question we each have a "first move" to make our workplaces as it relates to bringing glory to God in all that we do.  It could be the change of a habit, a word of kindness, an hour of listening to someones concerns, stepping up for the job that no one else wants to do, the correction of a wrong, the day without a cursed word coming from your mouth.  Whatever it is, God is giving all of us a "first move" to make and He will be there to support us if we are willing to just move!

Reference: Acts 13:4 (New Living Translation)

day 1257: Running Around Like Crazy - Part 3

 "I discipline my body like an athlete, training to do what it should"

"This job will be the death of me", he said as he pulled out of the parking lot at 10:30pm for the third time this week. The race we run with our work is a long one. The way careers are set up we can expect to spend most of our adult lives working. We do this day after day, sometimes closer to seven days a week than we want. We subtract hours from other parts of our lives, like sleep and family time, and add them to our work days. We do this month after month and year after year until one day we hit a wall and say we just can't take it any longer. It is a long and grueling race and if we were able to step back from it and see the size of the hills in front of us we would probably think differently about how we approach our work. But, trying to gain that perspective is nearly impossible, so we do out best and we slug through day by day, giving it our all, running the race the best we can.

We have been exploring what Paul had to say about how to win the race of life and faith and how to finish strong for our Lord. We have applied the principles that he describes about knowing the goal/objective and focus and on how to get to the finish line. He also says in verse 27 of I Corinthians Chapter 9; "I discipline my body like an athlete, training to do what it should". I like this statement because I believe that much of the success any of us have at anything we strive to achieve comes from the preparation we do before the task. I believe it was Billy Martin, the controversial but heralded coach of the New York Yankees in the 1970's, who said, "The World Series is won in spring training". He was saying that the finish line and how the we finish is all in how we prepare, discipline and train ourselves. We can run a strong race at work if we also adopt this attitude and we begin today to train and discipline ourselves for the future and the work ahead of us. We can be stronger and have more endurance if we think of our physical bodies as the tool that allows us to operate day in a day out at our highest productivity. How we eat, sleep and exercise can make a difference. And, how strong we are spiritually before the crisis hits lets us be prepared for the times when we will be tested emotionally and physically. If we begin each day in training, both physically and spiritually, and we stay disciplined to be strong in both areas, we will stand a much better chance of completing the long race, winning along the way, and knowing that when we finish we will have finished well.

Reference: I Corinthians 9:27 (New Living Testament)

day 1256: Running Around Like Crazy - Part 2

 "So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches"

"It's a rat race around here". Ever heard that statement? What picture does it conjure up? When I hear that statement I think of a maze with two rats being let loose into the entrance and off they go working their way from one side of the other to get the cheese. Or, I see two rats running after each other, running in circles and swerves trying to catch each other. Minus the rats part, (or not minus, depending on where you work), the picture of running around like crazy or running around a maze can feel just like the office. We so many times feel like we are chasing and going from thing to thing without purpose or definition that we end up feeling like we have wasted time and energy until it just wears us down. We then wonder why we are not springing out of bed in the morning to get to work.

As mentioned yesterday, Paul gives us his tips to winning the race for life and not only does he tell us to run the race to win, he also says to run with discipline and focus. In verse 26 of I Corinthians 9 he says, "So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches". What Paul was modeling for us was efficiency and productivity in reaching a goal and purpose, because we can straighten out the line between two points. When we feel like we are in the rat race at work, a place to start to fix is determining where it is that you are trying go and get very specific on that goal and purpose and "straighten out" the corners and angles that get in your way. And when at work we meander and wander and lose that purpose of why we are here in the first place, we can end up in a maze that takes us quite a bit of time to exit at the goal. The straightening out of work can happen when we part ways with those that drag us down or cause issues for the sake of causing issues, or it might be adjusting our own emotions to filter out the negative attitudes within ourselves that so often can creep in. And, it might be that we need to start afresh today with getting down to business and not spending that extra time worrying or talking about what it is that things should be, but are out of our control. There is a great feeling about finishing a race strong. The same can happen today at work for you by setting your goals and purpose for the day and running straight towards that goal keeping the distractions away until the goal is achieved. A day where on he way home you can feel great about what was achieved is a GREAT day!

Reference: I Corinthians 9:26

day 1255: Running Around Like Crazy - Part 1

 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!

"How are things at work?", you are asked. The reply rolls off of your tongue easily. "I'm running around like crazy, trying to get everything done". It's a familiar feeling isn't it? So much to do, not enough time to get it all done. The metaphor for running around is an apt one. But are we running to a goal, to finish a race, or to win a prize, or are we just running up and down the halls metaphorically because everyone around us is doing the same and we aren't sure if we are getting anywhere at all? It's so easy to fall into this trap and find ourselves day after day in a full out sprint but not sure of the location of that elusive finish line, if there is one at all.

While Paul, in I Corinthians 9:24-27, was talking about the "run of life" and how we are to race for the finish line for the prize to be with Jesus, he is also describing to us how it is that a runner wins any race of life. If we chunk down the different portions of our lives, like work as a significant chunk, the lesson he gives us can also help us win the races that we run at work, each and every day. The first lesson he gives us that we must run in a way to win, not to just run for the sake of running. For exercise, I am a distance runner and I understand what he is saying completely. When I run without a goal or an objective, I do not run the same. I am more likely to not push myself and to not actually improve. When I know I have a goal, which would be my personal race to win, then I train differently. I train in a disciplined fashion, which makes me better. Paul talks about the way to win the race is to first run to win, not to just show up. How we conduct ourselves at the office and live our worklife is a large part of the life race that we run. How we get our work done and balance it within our lives is also a part of the race. The example of working and living in a Christlike manner is part of the race of life. So, today, instead of running up and down the halls without purpose, can you chunk down the day into the things that are most important to accomplish and then also think about "how" it is that you will accomplish those goals as you work with others and affect how they feel about this day of work? Can you lay all of this out today to God and ask Him to help you run this race well, with a "W" in the win column when you leave the office today? Let's have a win today, regardless if a big or small race because we were able to focus on why we are running the race. Tomorrow, more of how Paul says we can win the race.

Reference: I Corinthians 9:24-27 (New Living Testament)

day 1251: Cooler Heads Prevail

"They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone"

Work is filled with moments that get us ruffled and upset. With all the different kinds of personalities and personal agendas swirling around each day it is hard to not fall into the trap of finding ourselves irritated by the smallest word or action and sometimes just downright angry at a co-worker over an email, something said in a meeting, or a decision made that did not take our opinion (or feelings) into account. We've all been there and somehow I think in today's age of email, text message, and twitter communication it is easier to misinterpret and misconstrue things more than ever. I wish I could count the number of times, but I can't because they are too many, where I received an email that sent me over the top and in typing the response back if the keys weren't made of the hard plastic that they are, they would have broken from the striking pressure from each angry keystroke. I did learn long ago, the hard way, that those messages must immediately go to draft and must sit for 24 hours in their cooling off period, otherwise they cause lots more trouble. The cooling off period is even harder when we are on our phones. It's better to lock the thing in the glove box and go on into dinner than think you can respond in real time with anything close to resembling civility. But, civility, diplomacy and humility is what we are called to demonstrate.

In Titus 3:2 Paul exhorts believers to act in a manner that is above the fray. He says, "They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone". Gentleness and humility are not usually personality traits that show up on our business performance appraisals as ones that will get you ahead. But, that is what we are told to be when faced with those moments when everyone else talking behind the backs of others or losing their cool and going after each other. Today, when the scuffle starts see if you can be the cool headed one in the group. The one that wards off the fight by gently bringing the conversation back to where it should be and/or with great humility move the position of argument to the center where it can be resolved. Use this moment today to test yourself and for others to see that you approached the situation differently than others and in fact become the example of what Paul asks us to be.


Reference: Titus 3:2 (New Living Testament)

day 1218: "Stotan"

...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

I love to run and I have the utmost respect for distance runners and especially those who are ultrarunners who can cover vast distances in a single run or over a set period of time.  One of the greatest of our time has been Scott Jurek.  Jurek wrote a book a few years ago on running, fitness and diet and in this book, "Eat and Run", he tells the story of Australian ultra runner Percy Cerutty who in 1939 adopted what Cerutty called a "Stotan" lifestyle to help him overcome a two-year impending death diagnosis.  "Stotan" was a cross between being "spartan" and "stoic".  Being "Stotan" was, Cerutty wrote; "An athlete needed hardness, toughness, and unswerving devotion to an ideal, but he also needed to embrace diet, philosophy, cultivation of the intellect, and openness to artistic endeavors.  You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone." (footnote - Cerutty lived to be 80 years old and dodged that doctor's diagnosis).  How often in business do we consider all aspects of who we need to be so we can become the full picture?  We more often than not find ourselves focused, in silos, heads down and maybe even purposefully ignoring the bigger picture and influences that could distract us.  Maybe we should consider becoming more "Stotan" in how we approach our business challenges.

The Apostle Paul writes enough about running and athleticism that he either was an athlete himself or he truly appreciated what it was to be an athlete.  He tells us that our spiritual journey is a race.  He tells us to strip down the weights that hold us back, to open our eyes to God and fix ourselves on the victory of falling into Jesus' arms as we break the finish tape of life.  It is a beautiful picture to imagine.  Today is a lap of the race that we run.  Will we take today and run the lap that we are in to our best ability or let this lap get away from us?  As Cerutty said, to be the best athlete we must "do" and we must take ourselves to places that are beyond our comfort zone.  God never said our race to Him would be easy.  But, He did say it would be well worth the effort!

Reference: Hebrews 12:1 (New Living Translation)

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 1063: Repeat Performances

"But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects the right teaching."

This past week Apple delivered a stunning quarter of results.  Stunning because they reported $31B in profit in the quarter- amazing!.  But also stunning because they lost almost 20% in market value because Wall Street didn't see unbridled growth and new products to deliver them even further up the market food chain. There is a law of big numbers and maybe Apple has hit that ceiling, but it's just as much about our society's way of keeping score and measuring results as it is whether or not they can actually get any bigger.  If we are always to measure by quarter over quarter, or year over year, then all companies will at some point peak and ultimately fail in the eyes of the investment community driving investors top put their money elsewhere. The irony is that Apple has enough cash on their balance sheet and they are so profitable that they don't need Wall Street any longer and if not for the employee compensation that has an equity component, why would they need new investors, or current ones at all?  I am waiting for the first company that will finally come out and make this call to Wall Street and then see what they do.  The point is that after a while if it's always the repeat performances that matter that we will all someday be unable to deliver.  Are we ready for that day?  And when it comes, will we be able to be like Apple and still hold out head high and see that the results delivered are still stellar!

Let's be very thankful that God doesn't grade us on repeat performances.  God is so loving and merciful that He knows that we can't always get better period over period.  He only asks that we never stop trying and that we give all of ourselves to Him to strive to bring glory to Him in all that we do and then share His good news with others! Paul wrote to Titus and directed him to promote the kind of living that reflects the right teaching.  If we are to live as God desires us to do, we won't be chasing the next big win or constantly seeking to repeat and overlap our achievements. We will instead turn to Him and seek His will and pace for our lives and then do all we can to live in, out and through the direction He provides.

Reference:  Titus 2: 1 (New Living Translation)

day 1045: 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 author of The Cross and the Switchblade and former pastor of the Times Square Church in New York City said, "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.


Reference; I Corinthians 11:28 (New Living Testament)

day 1007: 110%

"Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress"

"She gave it 110%!" 

We love to put "110%" out there as the number that signifies that someone gave it their all.  I don't think it is physically possible to actually give 110% of yourself but that notwithstanding 100% of us would probably agree that if we are going to have our organizations achieving what we need to, that we need a large majority of the company who are willing to give 100% of themselves to the job at hand. No business or organization steps back and builds their products and work based on people giving 50% effort or some other low percentage.  We need the all of people to make significant and important strides forward.  The world we work in now is just too competitive for that not to happen. There are a number of major, well-known companies who are faltering today because their people are losing hope in the direction and leadership of the company and as such, I know they are not getting 100% because the market is flooded with the resumes of their employees.  It's a worthwhile exercise to sit and make a list of the people on your team and put a % next to their names as to how much you think they are "giving" of themselves to their jobs.  If you are honest and you have people who end up with %'s that are less than 80%, then it's time to take stock of what you need to do identify the problem and bring them back up in their contribution level. If you can't, then you run the risk of losing them all together.

As ones who are working daily to bring glory to God in all that we do (our purpose), we just can't afford to not give that effort 100%.  Paul tells Timothy to "throw" himself into his tasks.  We need to be willing to throw ourselves into God's will and way for us.  Read the second part Paul's statement for the result; "...so that everyone will see your progress".  The world is watching, evaluating and always monitoring our progress.  We may not think this happening, but it is, all around us, all the time. Today, take note and put your own % next to your name as to how much are you giving of yourself to the Kingdom.

Reference: 1 Timothy 4:15 (New Living Translation)

day 999: The Lean

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance"

When the race has been long and hard and the finish line is now in site, do we find ourselves slumping over and just making it across, or do we want to pick up the speed and finish leaned over and forward as if there is tape there for us to break?  It's a running metaphor, but one that holds up in our business life.  Projects, sales pitches, deals, people issues, career changes, strategy development, product launches, growth plans, financial modeling, all of these and more are races that we we run every day and how we finish is important because that is what brings us back again and again. Part of the long race, and the successful completion, is knowing within ourselves that we are well trained and ready.  Drawing upon those hours, days, weeks and maybe months of preparation to say to ourselves, "I got this", is part of the success.  Has your company done the necessary work to finish strong?  Training, development, encouragement, process, commitment, mechanisms for rewards and recognition all play into this preparation.  Think about it.

Paul tells us to rejoice in the difficult parts of the race because he knows that it is in these moments that endurance is built.  He is talking about the ultimate life race that we are to finish well.  As we start this week, think about it as a race to be run.  Watch, listen and feel how the hills roll this week.  Then be sure and get ready for the trials that inevitably come, but instead of letting those get you down, instead lean into them and know that this where the endurance that that the Lord wants us to have comes from.  Start strong and finish strong this week!  He is there with you in all His glory!

Reference:  Romans 5:3 (New Living Translation)  

day 979: Crashes

"With all these things in mind, dear bothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you both in person and by letter."

If you are a regular reader of Purposed worKING, you will notice that I haven't made a post since Friday September 7th.  Since October 1, 2008, I have on each working day, written and posted to the site, but something strange happened on September 10th that began a series of events that I can only sum up as a set of "crashes".   It has been a busy season for me and I have found myself over-extended and more consumed than usual.  As such, I have lost a bit of my usual disciplines and with that came a fragility that is not normal for me.  First, many times when I know that I am going to be traveling or disrupted, I will write ahead for these posts and have them timed and ready to go.  In my mind I had done so for the week of 9/10 as this was the week that Patti and I were packing up and making the seasonal transfer back the to west coast. It is always a stressful time and I know that I have to have other things in order to be able to balance all that comes with the move.  So, I went about that week thinking that at least I had my writing in place.  It took a couple of days to realize, but come late in the week I found that I didn't/hadn't written ahead and that nothing was being published. As I prepared to get back in the writing saddle, on Friday September 14th, my hard drive crashed and I lost all of the notes and preparation (years worth) that I draw from for my writing (as of this writing the information on the drive has still not been recovered).  So, for the past week I have been somewhat paralyzed and was starting to spiral into questions such as, "Is this the time I am supposed to stop writing this blog?"  And then, like God always does when we earnestly take our questions to Him, I knew that "crashes" are part of our spiritual journey and if we allow the crash to get the best of us, that we are not living and walking with the faith that He has given us.  What shuts and opens our eyes and hearts to God are personal and situational and we each are affected by different crashes in different ways.  These things happen in our work, in our lives, and little and big both can rock us and it is these times that we must return to the One place where we are always stable, in the arms of our Lord.

So, accept my apology for me letting myself get "crashed".  I have certainly learned a lesson about the importance of always being backed up and I learned a life lesson about the same.  More about that tomorrow.  Paul tells us to be sure to stand firm and keep a strong grip in the crashing times.  These are words to take to heart.

Blessings to you as you continue in your mission to bring glory to God in your work!

Reference: 2 Thessalonians 2:15 (New Living Translation)7

day 968: Impression Perceptions

 “...we are not to be selfish and not to live to try and make the best impression"

We are taught from the time we are first walking and talking that the impressions we make on others is one of the most important intangible assets we have. Whether it be mom or dad or a teacher, we heard, “you only have one chance to make a first impression” and that first impression was worth a great deal. And that surely carries right into the workplace. From the first impression to obtain the job or to attain the promotion, we work to manage the impression that others have us. While on the surface, there is nothing wrong with that, and in fact, in the work world where we have counter forces working against to diminish the impression of us while others put themselves ahead, we have to somewhat manage the impression that others have of us. It would be naïve to think that in all cases that we can, without restraint, be ourselves. There are times for a more mature you than you might want to be and there are times for a more optimistic and cheerful you than what you feel at the moment. So, we all manage our impression. But, Paul says in Philippians 2:3 that we are to not be selfish; and we are not to live to make a good impression on others. I had to process this for awhile to understand what he was saying. Why wouldn’t it be right to try and give others a good impression of ourselves? Aren’t we more able to have a greater impact on others if their impression is favorable? At work, this always seemed to be true. We depend on a favorable of impression of ourselves preceding us when we walk into a meeting with others we don’t know that well. Certainly the opposite can be disastrous.

So, how far are we off base if we try and create a positive impression? The key to what Paul was saying was the first part of the sentence when he said, “we are not to be selfish and not to live to try and make the best impression". If we are selfish and we are living, or being all consumed and obsessed in the impression we make on others, then we are not being cognizant and considerate of others. It means we would be self-obsessed and that attitude is not what we are to possess. So, I take Paul that isn't that he doesn't want us to make a good impression on others, but to do so in the spirit that will be one of concern to others and those around us, and let the good impression that we make from that spirit and attitude be the one that precedes us. If we start with being selfless and let ourselves flow from that place, then it would be hard to not make just a good impression, but the best of all impressions.

Reference: Philippians 2:3 (New Living Testament)

day 967: Humility Pill

 “…other than at work”

I worked many a year and I don’t think I can remember a day that I rose and on my way to the office, I said to myself, “Today, I am going to work really hard at ensuring that others get ahead of me”. It’s just not the way that work is structured. Organizational hierarchy has only one box at the top of the pyramid and so on and so on. So, instead it is ingrained in us to reach for the top and to get there, with or without regard to the others we work. It’s not malicious or mean-spirited, but it is just the way it is. But, as we find purpose in our work, we are to think of ourselves differently.

In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul says to us that we are to think about others as better than ourselves. Yes, you read that correctly, we are to put others in front of ourselves and Paul didn’t say, “…other than at work”. No, we are to adopt this spirit of humility in all that we do, including work. I find this not only a formidable challenge but also as one that runs so counter to what we face day-in and day-out that the only way we can live up to this challenge is to draw deeply on our faith and believe that if we work as Paul describes that we can still succeed and advance in our careers. But, if we take heed of Jesus’ words how we finish up on the organization chart has no forbearance on how we will receive our eternal rewards. So, it is a no lose proposition, we are to put others in front of ourselves and let the rest of it work itself out. I know, it is not easy, but what in life and work is? Remember, nothing worth good is easy. So, today, take that humility pill and allow yourself to put others in front of you and wait for the rewards.

Reference: Philippians 2:3-4 (New Living Testament)

day 966: Company Company

"Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people".

Yesterday, we talked about harmony in the workplace and the areas that each of us can watch and know about ourselves to ensure that we are doing our part to keep harmony. One of the areas that Paul speaks about in Romans 12:16 is the company that we keep. He says, "Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people". While this seems a simple statement and one that is not that profound, it does have major implications to how we conduct ourselves at work. Work is one of the most cliquish environments I know. Everything is set up for cliques to be created. There are departments, groups, pay grades or bands, titles, office configurations, etc. Ever notice how people of the same title and pay grades hang together at work? If you haven't just check out the lunch room today and take notice of who eats with who at what tables. It becomes pretty obvious very fast.

One of the way that we can model a believer's life is by taking Paul's advice and be conscious at work about who we hang with and not let either pride or our title or responsibilities interfere with ensuring that we know and spend time with everyone in the company and we don't slip into our own little world of work friends. It's not that easy to do as it takes time and effort to know lots of people and spend time with everyone, but it is worth it as you will be known as the friend to all and with that comes a welcoming and respect. And when the time comes for harmony to be challenged at work, you may find that you become the bridge of peace between groups and people. What a fantastic reputation that would be. So, today, branch out from your normal set of people at lunch and invite others to join you. Start today and keep it going and I know you will pleased with the results.

Reference: Romans 12:16 (New Living Testament)

day 962: Being Considerate

"We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive..."

 In legal terms the word consideration means; "Something that suffices to make an informal promise legally binding, usually some value given in exchange for the promise." That is the usual context that we hear the word at work. To get something, something must be gained. But, that is not the only meaning of the word and not the only use of the word at work. Another definition of consideration is; "thoughtful or sympathetic regard or respect; thoughtfulness for others." So, I would ask that we consider (a whole other definition) adding true consideration into our work. I am reminded of the time that someone who worked for me, and who was a good friend at the the same time, was giving me feedback and he said to me, "You will get a lot more out of all of us every day if you will just stop and say 'good morning' and check in on us to see how we are doing". He was asking me to be more considerate of him and others on the team. It's not a hard skill to master if you are willing to take it on as an improvement area.

Being considerate of others is one of the more powerful actions that one can take. Paul says to us in Romans 15:1; "We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive..." What I find most interesting about this verse is that Paul says that those who are strong are the ones who can be considerate. Yes, it is a trait and capability of the strong, not the weak, to be able to be considerate to others. As believers we must be strong in our faith and strong in our actions that support our faith in the eyes of others. I can't think of a better core value action that we can demonstrate daily on our job than the act of being considerate to others. Today is the first day of the Easter season and all around the world people are giving up something for Lent. Maybe today, we can give up being so in to ourselves and start practicing more consideration.

Reference: Romans 15:1 (New Living Testament)