For all you bloggers and blog readers out there here is an opinion about blogs that appeared today on The Big Idea at Fast Company.com.
"Twitter will replace blogs as the Web's best social tool."
- Inspired by Robert Scoble's tweetstream
Do you agree or disagree?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Walk the Walk
From John Maxwell’s Maximum Impact CD / Newsletter:
Writer Mark Twain quipped, “To do what is right is wonderful. To teach what is right is even more wonderful – and much easier”.
Isn’t that the truth? It’s always easier to teach what’s right than it is to do it. That’s one of the reasons why many parents (and bosses) say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Author Norman Vincent Peale stated, “Nothing is more confusing than people who give good advice but set a bad example.” I would say a related thought is also true: “Nothing is more convincing than people who give good advice and set a good example.”
John Wooden used to say to his players, “Show me what you can do; don’t tell me what you can do.”
Writer Mark Twain quipped, “To do what is right is wonderful. To teach what is right is even more wonderful – and much easier”.
Isn’t that the truth? It’s always easier to teach what’s right than it is to do it. That’s one of the reasons why many parents (and bosses) say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Author Norman Vincent Peale stated, “Nothing is more confusing than people who give good advice but set a bad example.” I would say a related thought is also true: “Nothing is more convincing than people who give good advice and set a good example.”
John Wooden used to say to his players, “Show me what you can do; don’t tell me what you can do.”
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A Quote
An interesting quote I saw at a training session today.
It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.
Leonardo DaVinci
It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.
Leonardo DaVinci
Monday, July 21, 2008
More About Being an Example
I saw an interesting article about the Boy Scouts in the 7/21/08 USA Today. In an interview, Robert Mazzucca, Chief Scout Executive responded to a question by the reporter.
Q: Sam Walton, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Marriott, Ross Perot, and other CEOs were Eagle Scouts. Coincidence?
A: Hardly. Scouting builds people who are equipped to make ethical and good choices. It’s not unusual to see the leaders of communities come out of scouting. Our goal is not to teach someone to rub two sticks together and make a fire. But when you rub two sticks together and make a fire side by side with an adult of good character, you’re going to learn about who you are and go on to lead men.
When I was younger I remember hearing stories that some butchers would occasionally hold down the scale while measuring out a portion of meat. In effect, they raised the cost per pound and their total revenue by applying a small amount of pressure to the bed of the scale in a way that was not visible to the customer.
This may seem like a minor thing but over time and multiplied by thousands of butchers it amounts to a lot of money.
The Bible addresses this behavior in Proverbs.
Prov 11:1 The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.
Prov 16:11Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making.
Prov 20:23 The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.
It is not only about overcharging someone, it is about honesty, integrity, pride, desire to get over on others, trust, ego, using any means to achieve the end you want and more. It is a character issue. It is about living our lives for us and us only.
Our example can have a positive or negative impact in the lives of others. What choice will you make?
Q: Sam Walton, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Marriott, Ross Perot, and other CEOs were Eagle Scouts. Coincidence?
A: Hardly. Scouting builds people who are equipped to make ethical and good choices. It’s not unusual to see the leaders of communities come out of scouting. Our goal is not to teach someone to rub two sticks together and make a fire. But when you rub two sticks together and make a fire side by side with an adult of good character, you’re going to learn about who you are and go on to lead men.
When I was younger I remember hearing stories that some butchers would occasionally hold down the scale while measuring out a portion of meat. In effect, they raised the cost per pound and their total revenue by applying a small amount of pressure to the bed of the scale in a way that was not visible to the customer.
This may seem like a minor thing but over time and multiplied by thousands of butchers it amounts to a lot of money.
The Bible addresses this behavior in Proverbs.
Prov 11:1 The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.
Prov 16:11Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making.
Prov 20:23 The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.
It is not only about overcharging someone, it is about honesty, integrity, pride, desire to get over on others, trust, ego, using any means to achieve the end you want and more. It is a character issue. It is about living our lives for us and us only.
Our example can have a positive or negative impact in the lives of others. What choice will you make?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A great example
There was a time when I used to resent King David. Yea, that David. He was a shepherd, slayer of Goliath, King of Israel and ancestor of Jesus.
A number of years ago I was in a men’s Bible Study where a few of the guys really liked David and talked all the time about how great he was. I didn’t get it. I just thought Davis was arrogant because it seemed like he did whatever he wanted and he abused his powers as King.
As my life progressed and I read the Bible more I started to gain a greater understanding of and more respect for David. What really struck me was the heart that David had for God and how he repented when he did something wrong. David truly loved God. Psalm 51 is a good example.
I found myself wanting to be more like David. Not in all areas. I don’t expect I’ll be a King or slay a giant but I hope I can have the love and respect for God that David did and the willingness to repent when I do something wrong in God’s eyes.
As much as I try, I continue to make mistakes. And as a result I continue to ask forgiveness and realize how imperfect I am. If only I could learn to not repeat the same mistakes.
A number of years ago I was in a men’s Bible Study where a few of the guys really liked David and talked all the time about how great he was. I didn’t get it. I just thought Davis was arrogant because it seemed like he did whatever he wanted and he abused his powers as King.
As my life progressed and I read the Bible more I started to gain a greater understanding of and more respect for David. What really struck me was the heart that David had for God and how he repented when he did something wrong. David truly loved God. Psalm 51 is a good example.
I found myself wanting to be more like David. Not in all areas. I don’t expect I’ll be a King or slay a giant but I hope I can have the love and respect for God that David did and the willingness to repent when I do something wrong in God’s eyes.
As much as I try, I continue to make mistakes. And as a result I continue to ask forgiveness and realize how imperfect I am. If only I could learn to not repeat the same mistakes.
I thank God constantly for Jesus and God’s grace. David is a reminder to me of God’s grace.
********************************************************
In my Bible there is a profile of David which I have printed below.
‘When we think of David, we think: shepherd. poet, giant killer, king, ancestor of Jesus – in short, one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. But alongside that list stands another: betrayer, liar, adulterer, murderer. The first list gives qualities we all might like to have; the second, qualities that might be true of anyone of us. The Bible makes no effort to hide David’s failures. Yet he is remembered and respected for his heart for God. Knowing how much more we share in David’s failures than in his greatness, we should be curious to find out what made God refer to David as “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22).
‘David more than anything else, had an unchangeable belief in the faithful and forgiving nature of God. He was a man who lived with great zest. He sinned many times but he was quick to confess his sins. His confessions were from the heart, and his repentance was genuine. David never took God’s forgiveness lightly or his blessings for granted. In return God never held back from David either his forgiveness or the consequences of his actions. David experienced the joy of forgiveness even when he had to suffer the consequences of his sins.’
‘We tend to get these two reversed. Too often we would rather avoid the consequences than experience forgiveness. Another big difference between us and David is that while he sinned greatly, he did not sin repeatedly. He learned from his mistakes because he accepted the suffering they brought. Often we don’t seem to learn from our mistakes or the consequences that result from those mistakes. What changes would it take for God to find this kind of obedience in you?’
********************************************************
In my Bible there is a profile of David which I have printed below.
‘When we think of David, we think: shepherd. poet, giant killer, king, ancestor of Jesus – in short, one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. But alongside that list stands another: betrayer, liar, adulterer, murderer. The first list gives qualities we all might like to have; the second, qualities that might be true of anyone of us. The Bible makes no effort to hide David’s failures. Yet he is remembered and respected for his heart for God. Knowing how much more we share in David’s failures than in his greatness, we should be curious to find out what made God refer to David as “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22).
‘David more than anything else, had an unchangeable belief in the faithful and forgiving nature of God. He was a man who lived with great zest. He sinned many times but he was quick to confess his sins. His confessions were from the heart, and his repentance was genuine. David never took God’s forgiveness lightly or his blessings for granted. In return God never held back from David either his forgiveness or the consequences of his actions. David experienced the joy of forgiveness even when he had to suffer the consequences of his sins.’
‘We tend to get these two reversed. Too often we would rather avoid the consequences than experience forgiveness. Another big difference between us and David is that while he sinned greatly, he did not sin repeatedly. He learned from his mistakes because he accepted the suffering they brought. Often we don’t seem to learn from our mistakes or the consequences that result from those mistakes. What changes would it take for God to find this kind of obedience in you?’
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Three...Two...One...
One of the great competitive events of our time occurred on July 4th.
Joey Chestnut defeated Takeru ‘Tsunami’ Kobayashi (is he related to the main character in ‘The Usual Suspects?) in an exciting, spirited, down to the wire contest. The lead wavered back and forth. The fans were on the edge of their seats. The contest had international television coverage and was featured on ESPN’s Sports Center (see below).
It was so disappointing to realize that one of the combatants had to lose after all the training, dedication and sacrifice.
You could say they left it all on the field. Well at least it appeared that one of them did.
During regulation Joey and Kobayashi each ate 59 hot dogs. It came down to a 5 hot dog eat off where Joey prevailed as he used the chipmunking technique. If my math is correct that’s over 12 pounds of hot dogs and rolls.
I heard Joey interviewed on the radio and he said his stomach wasn’t cooperating. Was that a surprise to him? If it was me, my stomach would have entered into the final stages of a launch sequence and been dangerously close to lift off.
Relive it again at ESPN.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=3473708
Following is just a snippet of Joey’s Wikipedia entry. At that site you can also read about his eating history, training and world records (eighteen that I counted).
Joseph Christian "Jaws" Chestnut (born November 25, 1983) is an American competitive eater currently ranked first in the world by the International Federation of Competitive Eating. On July 4, 2007, he won the 92nd Annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, beating six-time defending champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi by consuming 66 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes, which set a new world record. On July 4, 2008, he successfully defended his title after winning a 5 hot dog eat-off after tying Kobayashi in consuming 59 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
Joey Chestnut defeated Takeru ‘Tsunami’ Kobayashi (is he related to the main character in ‘The Usual Suspects?) in an exciting, spirited, down to the wire contest. The lead wavered back and forth. The fans were on the edge of their seats. The contest had international television coverage and was featured on ESPN’s Sports Center (see below).
It was so disappointing to realize that one of the combatants had to lose after all the training, dedication and sacrifice.
You could say they left it all on the field. Well at least it appeared that one of them did.
During regulation Joey and Kobayashi each ate 59 hot dogs. It came down to a 5 hot dog eat off where Joey prevailed as he used the chipmunking technique. If my math is correct that’s over 12 pounds of hot dogs and rolls.
I heard Joey interviewed on the radio and he said his stomach wasn’t cooperating. Was that a surprise to him? If it was me, my stomach would have entered into the final stages of a launch sequence and been dangerously close to lift off.
Relive it again at ESPN.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=3473708
Following is just a snippet of Joey’s Wikipedia entry. At that site you can also read about his eating history, training and world records (eighteen that I counted).
Joseph Christian "Jaws" Chestnut (born November 25, 1983) is an American competitive eater currently ranked first in the world by the International Federation of Competitive Eating. On July 4, 2007, he won the 92nd Annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, beating six-time defending champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi by consuming 66 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes, which set a new world record. On July 4, 2008, he successfully defended his title after winning a 5 hot dog eat-off after tying Kobayashi in consuming 59 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Coffee Stirrer
Over the past few weeks I have noticed a different coffee stirrer lying on the office kitchen floor on two different days.
You probably know what I mean when I say a coffee stirrer. It is smaller than a straw in length and in width but made of the same plastic type material. Most of the stirrers I see are brown in color and they are used to mix creamer and sugar in either coffee or tea.
Each time I saw a stirrer I wondered why it was there and why no one picked it up. Was it too insignificant to pick up? Didn’t someone have the time to pick it up? Didn’t anyone know how to pick it up? Did people figure that the maintenance people would pick it up when they came in during the evening?
I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about this but it did occur to me that we may treat people the same way. I know I certainly have.
How do you react when you see someone in need that isn’t like you but something about them causes you to feel uncomfortable? It could be their appearance (race, clothing, cleanliness, health, body odor, etc), behavior, vehicle, items they are carrying or any number of things.
Are they too insignificant for you to get involved with?
Are you too busy to help or find out anything about them?
Do you feel unprepared to deal with their issues?
You don’t think you know what to do?
Do you think that someone else more able would probably come along and help them?
Is the answer to ignore the person? I don’t think so. I think we need to do what we can and that could be calling someone or some organization to help them or giving them a ride somewhere or seeing what they need and trying to help solve the problem.
It may require a change in our attitude and behavior but it’s what we are called to do. We don’t have to relegate helping people to specific times, locations or organizations.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Find the knowledge of God
We are in the middle of a series that deals with Proverbs. The basic scripture that is referenced is Proverbs 1:7 which follows:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
The fear of the LORD is defined as revering and respecting God.
While reading Proverbs 2 today this portion of scripture (Proverbs 2:1-5) had an impact on me
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Look at the verbs which tell us what to do to understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
What are you doing and what aren’t you doing?
Man, you gotta do the work! It just doesn’t happen.
Keep reading Proverbs there's a lot more to it.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
The fear of the LORD is defined as revering and respecting God.
While reading Proverbs 2 today this portion of scripture (Proverbs 2:1-5) had an impact on me
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Look at the verbs which tell us what to do to understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
What are you doing and what aren’t you doing?
Man, you gotta do the work! It just doesn’t happen.
Keep reading Proverbs there's a lot more to it.
Act Like Men
Francis Chan, Pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, offered some direction to men at the 2007 Catalyst Conference. We viewed that message on a DVD at the July 2008 CCV Men - Breakfast.
He referenced 1 Corinthians 16:13 which follows where Paul was offering direction to the Corinthians:
Be on your guard
Stand firm in the faith
Be men of courage
Be strong
Francis boiled it down to 'Act like Men' and suck it up. Don't whine or complain. Jesus gave his life for us and He didn't whine.
I believe we need to heed, apply and remind others of this message.
He referenced 1 Corinthians 16:13 which follows where Paul was offering direction to the Corinthians:
Be on your guard
Stand firm in the faith
Be men of courage
Be strong
Francis boiled it down to 'Act like Men' and suck it up. Don't whine or complain. Jesus gave his life for us and He didn't whine.
I believe we need to heed, apply and remind others of this message.
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