The System

I'm currently reading a book called Work the System. The author talks about how life is one big game of Whack a Mole. Well, instead of trying to kill them above the surface, we need to dig down and kill them before they show their fury little heads. The moles are the fires we put out in life and seem to never cease. Our job should not be constantly putting out the fires but we should go into fire prevention. Make our system fireproof. I encourage my readers to check this book out. I do have a link to the web page where you can read more about the author, Sam Carpenter. #workthesystem #samcarpenter

Why settle for less?

Why Settle for Less?

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Colossians 3:17

John Flanagan, Jr., was flying a routine Air Force mission during the Vietnam War, seeking to confirm a radio report of 300 enemy Vietcong troops spotted in a nearby area. Flying low above the coordinates of the site zone, he could see nothing that aroused his suspicions or indicated the presence of enemy forces.

But just before he pulled up and headed back for base, the memory of his high-school English teacher flashed through his mind. Father John Mulroy was one of those instructors who never allowed halfhearted work to be passed off as acceptable. His students—like John Flanagan—either gave it their very best or got the consequences for just getting by.

So with a new resolve to swing around and look more closely this time, he spotted a gathering of Vietcong. Not only that, he noticed a squad of American gunships zooming into position to blow them away.

But something didn't look right. Sinking lower, skimming just above the treetops, Flanagan buzzed his plane right into harm's way and recognized that the troops on the ground were not Vietcong but South Vietnamese forces—friendlies! By blocking the ensuing battle at the risk of his own life, he stopped a dose of bad reconnaissance from leading to regrettable bloodshed.

The disaster John Flanagan courageously helped avoid by going the extra mile that day earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross and the admiration of his fellow airmen. But many of the accolades could have legitimately gone to a tough-minded teacher who wouldn't let his students settle for second best.

Are you challenging one another and your children to be the very best you can be?

The most expensive land

Recently, there was an article that told how the wealthiest places on earth are not the oil fields of the Middle East nor the diamond mines of South Africa. The wealthiest places are the cemeteries. Buried in the ground are businesses that were never formed, songs that were never sung, books that were never written, potential that was never realized, and dreams that never came to pass.

Do you have regrets?

A university did a study with members of the senior community and asked what they regretted most. The majority said more risks and missed opportunities.
I have missed a lot of opportunities and risks in my life. I regret not going to Rome while in Italy, having a closer walk with Jesus, treating my friends and family better, retiring from the Marines, being a better dad and husband, not starting my business sooner when the passion burned in my heart thirty years ago, wanting to step out of the box when I was "too comfortable" and the list goes on.
What will be your biggest regrets?

At work

"The work place is one of the most common areas where "over the cubicle" conversations happen. Avoid floating stories or anecdotes about your new business to see how people will react. Don't give verbal presentations about the business standing around the water cooler or at the lunch table. Avoid drawing your compensation plan out on a napkin for co-workers at break time. Remember that every prospect needs to see a full presentation from start to finish so that they can have all the information and make an informed decision." -MJ Durkin

Quote #twoormore

Matthew 18: 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Quote #teach

Give a man a fish; he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish; he'll eat for a lifetime.

The Economy

It's amazing how many folks out there are fooled and totally in the dark. They are mad at the rich, hoping their presidential candidate can help them by squeezing taxes from the "evil empire" of the wealthy. They do not realize that they are in the same spot as they were 8 years ago. Our national debt has went up to 19 trillion dollars and hardly a drop it that has went to the American economy. Our government spends our hard earned money, foolishly. Hillary Clinton preaches against the wealthy but she is one of them. Yes, Trump is too. Amazing, the Democratic party has more millionaires than the Republican party. Yet, we watch night after night as the Democratic party slams the people that have went out and made their money and take care of their families.
In the book "How an Economy Grows and why it Crashes", Peter Schiff explains the problems the government causes by trying to run the countries business. By now we should realize that the U.S. Postal service, Amtrak and Social Security are going in the red due to the government. That's just to name a few. Like I said, people are amazingly fooled because they believe what they hear from "promise makers" instead of thinking for themselves and doing the research. I guess that's why the majority of the American population are called "sheeple".

Quote

If your vocabulary includes the word "quit", chances are you have things that go unfinished.

Frog in the kettle

A frog Fell into a pot on a stove ....
As the temperature of the water begins to rise, the frog adjust its body temperature accordingly.
The frog keeps adjusting its body temperature with the increasing temperature of the water. Just when the water is about to reach boiling point, the frog cannot adjust anymore. At this point the frog decides to jump out.
The frog tries to jump but it is unable to do so because it has lost all its strength in adjusting with the rising water temperature.
Very soon the frog dies.
What killed the frog?
Think about it!
I know many of us will say the boiling water. But the truth about what killed the frog was its own inability to decide when to jump out.
We all need to adjust with people & situations, but we need to be sure when we need to adjust & when we need to move on. There are times when we need to face the situation and take appropriate actions.
If we allow people to exploit us
physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually or mentally they will continue to do so.
Let us decide when to jump!
Let's jump while we still have the strength.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Quote

If you can shape it in your mind, you will find it in your life.

The View

I'm not talking about the TV show that's on during the week but the one you have in front of you. It can be an assembly line at work, your living room at home or the view through the windshield while you are going down the road. Sometimes the view gets dull and boring. That's you have to change it. My view is the ocean tide rolling up on a white beach. I've always wanted to change it but was afraid to. Don't be afraid, Change your view.

Today's sermon

This is from my guest writer, Russell Charles.
hello, i hope everyone is having a good sunday! today in church we had a guest speaker that has been here a few times and i really enjoy him. he has 4 earrings, an ex-con, and preaches a lot in the style of Dr. Gene Scott, if you know who that is. today's sermon was outstanding as he laid out--why did David think he could beat Goliath? in a nutshell, david knew he, by representing God, was in the right, so even if he happened to lose to Goliath, God would use david's defeat for his glory. While everyone else was shaking in their boots wondering what to do, scared of a man, David got PISSED-OFF that someone, regardless of their size, was mocking the Lord God!! It really hit me, how many of us are like david and willing to charge into the fight for we are servants of the Lord? Or do most of us (imagine me looking at the floor, diverting my eyes as i type this, over a guilty conscience) act like the other soldiers and say "well, i will sit quietly here, i sure hope someone says something."??? like david did, when is the last time we got pissed off at sin and made a stand?? the Lord has convicted me to stop being such a weak, worthless, defeated-acting sissy, and stand up for our Lord, the true King of Kings!! please join me in no longer being more scared of what men think of us, than we are what God thinks of us. Jesus isn't coming here next time as a cooing baby wrapped in a baby blanket in a stable, he is coming from the sky swinging a sword with a host of angels, ready to roll son!! So, join me today in picking a side, because SOONER OR LATER you will have to pick one and you better make sure you have choose the winning one. have a great day, and i thanks for reading this.

Leaving a legacy

One of two things are going to happen in your life, you're going to die too soon or too late. No one says, old Bob died right on time. A couple of weeks ago I lost a friend, more of an associate. He was only 39 years old. He left 2 young children and from what I understand, his mom asked his employer if he had an insurance policy. Most companies will carry a small policy, usually enough for a funeral and burial. Life insurance is an income protector. It gives the survivors income for extended period after the one covered is gone. The spouse could take some extra time off to grieve, pay bills and set up college savings for the children. You should always leave a legacy to your family.

The Harvest

In the bible, it talks about the harvest is plenty but the workers are few. This is not only true in leading people to Christ but if you are starting a business, the saying still holds true.
To create a business, you have to go through the numbers. The number of people out in the world is the harvest. Not everyone will buy, but if you speak to 100 and 10 buy, that's a good ratio for a start. Remember, for every no, you're one step closer to a yes.

Don't be last

I saw a shirt on someone that read "Don't be last". The saying is very true and  motivational.
In life, we need to work hard to reach our goals.
Never quit or slow down until you cross the finish line. There are many races, including the race of life. When you have your site set on a prize, you should see it through and then be thinking about the next task at hand.
Bob Knight, in his book The Power of Negative Thinking, said he would have his guys on the bench be thinking about their next opponent in the final few minutes of a game. This was done especially during a blow out. He just gave the team a little time for celebration.
Work hard and always think about the next goal.

Facing Fear

Fear can be the cause of not moving forward in life. Starting a business, taking a new position at work or moving to a new location can be a big leap in life.
Fear is false evidence appearing real. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "If the fear doesn't go away-go and do it afraid." In the movie "Hoosiers", Gene Hackman's character, Coach Norman Dale, get's kicked out of a game, on purpose, to get Shooter's confidence up and take away his fear. At first, Shooter is nervous and scared. He beats around the bush with what play he should call but once he gains his confidence and faces his fear, he calls the play. Shooter- "We're going to run the ole picked fence...don't get caught watching the fence dry." I love this part in the movie. It shows us to face our fears and take charge. See you at the top!