DateLine (2/22/06 – Ponce, Puerto Rico)
Harriett and I were married while we were in college. We both worked the summer of our wedding (1975) and salted away the handsome some of $1000 between the two us. That was our total budget for the first 9 months of marriage for clothes, groceries, household sundries and entertainment while we completed our education. We didn’t starve. We were down to our last $50 at the end of 9 months and a man called to offer a job in the construction industry. I was the only guy I knew that had a BS in Chemistry that was installing prefab chimneys and fireplaces.
I quit that job after 5 months to move back to Woodruff because we thought the job prospects would be better in the Upstate. After a few weeks I landed a new position as a chemical operator / technician in a small chemical plant. Five weeks later I was unceremoniously fired from that “position.” We never missed a meal - the power was never turned off. Within two months I landed a new position with Celanese Chemical in Greer as a Chemical Lab Technician, a position that I was technically over-qualified far and meant that I would be working rotating shifts. I was so glad to get the job I didn’t even realize how much I’d be paid until I got my first check.
Within a few months of landing my new “position” we were surprised to discover that Harriett was pregnant with what would be our first child. My new job afforded a very nice maternity benefit. The shifts lasted for 2 and ½ years. In the meantime we were able to build a house on some land that my Mom and Dad made available to us. We still live in that house today. I was offered a day shift job but it meant that I’d have to take a substantial pay cut but would get to assume a normal schedule. I took the cut. The day shift job allowed me to get involved with some cutting edge computer technology that was being applied to manufacturing and raise my participation level in my home church as Harriett and I took on the co-positions of youth director. Within two years I was promoted to my first “professional” position as computer programmer; with a raise.
Fast forward ten years. Solid experience on the leading edge of application of computerization and manufacturing automation opened the door for me to join one of Greenville’s consulting engineering firms; bigger horizons - better opportunities. In 2002 I felt God’s prompting to start a consulting business; big potential – big risk. I formed the company over the Christmas holidays in 2002. I was attempting to attend to all the preliminary organizational details in early 2003 when the company that I was working for asked me attend some training. This forced my hand and I concluded that I had to resign before I had planned – I could not in good conscience allow them to invest more in me when I intended to resign soon. I went in on a Monday morning and was prepared to resign my position and walk away from a steady income. I did resign but I walked away with an invitation to continue working on a contractual basis for a few months; much needed part time work. We never had to skip a meal and the power was never turned off.
Within the first few months of my self-employment Harriett found out that she needed surgery. We had medical insurance through her job but it would leave us with a substantial bill after the insurance did its part. We decided that the surgery could not wait so it was scheduled. The surgery was performed. Within an hour of her returning to her room to begin post-operative recovery, my cell phone rang; a client was calling with an offer to get involved with a project. That was June of 2003. I have been continuously working projects since.
Now those that really know me know that I’m one of the least ambitious people that was ever created. I have been perfectly content living in Green Pond South Carolina enjoying my time with my family, piddling in my yard and garden, and supporting my church family through active involvement. The things that I’ve shared did not happen to me because of a carefully crafted strategy executed with singular focus.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34
My life is a testimony to the providence of God. Praises to Jehovah God!!
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
The Information Age
DateLine (2/15/06 – Ponce, Puerto Rico)
There’s a new site on the web that will tell you what your house is worth. It’ll also tell your neighbor what your house is worth. It’ll tell you what your neighbor’s house is worth and every other house on your street or any other address in the US. All you have to do is type your address into zillow.com. In just a few seconds you’ll see a satellite image of your house with the book value derived from any one of many public tax and real estate records. In another few seconds the value of every home around yours will populate the map. Doesn’t matter if you like it or not, this information is pubic record and the internet is being leveraged to make it available at the click of a mouse.
Criminal records, accident records, traffic violations, motor vehicle registrations, corporate affiliations, bankruptcy records, national phone directories, sexual predator databases, average income and census profiles for addresses, hunting / fishing permits, FAA licenses, concealed weapons permits, professional licenses, names of relatives, associates, & neighbors for friends and enemies are all ripe targets for robotic searches solicited and delivered via the internet. If you are tempted to be worried about personally sensitive information that is easily accessible to friend and foe, don’t be - it’s too late. Don’t believe me? Bring up google.com and type in “background check.” What used to take weeks and the services of a hired private investigator can now be accomplished from home in hours.
One of the by-products of the “information age” in which we live is the relatively easy access to information that most of us would feel much more comfortable knowing that it was securely stored under “lock and key.” On another plane our personal and private thoughts are closely guarded by our own desire to protect our reputations and polished veneers. The truth for all of us is that all of this information and more will eventually be made public. The Bible says in Luke 8:17, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”
The sin within us is ugly. Our energy should not be directed toward a cover-up but a cleanup. The only effective approach to cleanup is to “fess up”; “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Unfortunately the cleanup does not purge the databases that contain all the personal information alluded to above – that legacy will remain. So then should we cower paralyzed in the corner fearing the day our deepest darkest secrets are revealed to the masses? Absolutely not! At the end of our life God will do one final background check which will search the heavenly citizenship database. Nothing else will matters; not now, not then. We’re either in it or not.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2.
There’s a new site on the web that will tell you what your house is worth. It’ll also tell your neighbor what your house is worth. It’ll tell you what your neighbor’s house is worth and every other house on your street or any other address in the US. All you have to do is type your address into zillow.com. In just a few seconds you’ll see a satellite image of your house with the book value derived from any one of many public tax and real estate records. In another few seconds the value of every home around yours will populate the map. Doesn’t matter if you like it or not, this information is pubic record and the internet is being leveraged to make it available at the click of a mouse.
Criminal records, accident records, traffic violations, motor vehicle registrations, corporate affiliations, bankruptcy records, national phone directories, sexual predator databases, average income and census profiles for addresses, hunting / fishing permits, FAA licenses, concealed weapons permits, professional licenses, names of relatives, associates, & neighbors for friends and enemies are all ripe targets for robotic searches solicited and delivered via the internet. If you are tempted to be worried about personally sensitive information that is easily accessible to friend and foe, don’t be - it’s too late. Don’t believe me? Bring up google.com and type in “background check.” What used to take weeks and the services of a hired private investigator can now be accomplished from home in hours.
One of the by-products of the “information age” in which we live is the relatively easy access to information that most of us would feel much more comfortable knowing that it was securely stored under “lock and key.” On another plane our personal and private thoughts are closely guarded by our own desire to protect our reputations and polished veneers. The truth for all of us is that all of this information and more will eventually be made public. The Bible says in Luke 8:17, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”
The sin within us is ugly. Our energy should not be directed toward a cover-up but a cleanup. The only effective approach to cleanup is to “fess up”; “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Unfortunately the cleanup does not purge the databases that contain all the personal information alluded to above – that legacy will remain. So then should we cower paralyzed in the corner fearing the day our deepest darkest secrets are revealed to the masses? Absolutely not! At the end of our life God will do one final background check which will search the heavenly citizenship database. Nothing else will matters; not now, not then. We’re either in it or not.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
A Valentine in the Solitude
DateLine (2/8/06 – Ponce, Puerto Rico)
The spring semester of my second year of college was coming to an end. I had just withdrew from Organic which was required for my Chemistry major. It was beginning to sink in that I might fall short of my vocational objective based on academic track record. I enrolled in summer school to retake Organic. The strategy was to reduce my load down to one course at a time to focus; an attempt to get back on track academically. Four hours of lecture in the morning, four hours of lab in the afternoon; Monday through Friday. A test every Monday morning. Six weeks of Organic 201 then six weeks of Organic 202.
There was an unintentional side effect of the strategy; solitude. I was the only occupant on my floor of the dormitory for the summer. Other than class time and meal time I had no scheduled interaction with other students. There was the occasional impulsive trek to Bacon’s Bridge on the Ashley River in Summerville to do a little river swimming with some of the other summer students, a welcome communal activity. My summer job working in the registrar’s office also provided needed interaction with people. Several registration sessions were scheduled during the summer for transfers and matriculating freshmen to come on campus, register for courses, and make final arrangements for the coming fall semester. My job was to receive that little stack of computer cards that the registrants had collected as they had visited tables representing the various departments. I would do a cursory inspection and file them away so that they could be translated into a final class schedule at a later date.
The remainder of my time that summer was sitting in my yellow chair which had been rescued from the garbage heap, tossed there by some student who had fled the dormitory at the conclusion of the previous spring semester. The chair had long lost its two back legs which meant that it was in a permanent reclining position; a perfect posture as far as I was concerned. I pushed the chair over next to the single window in the dorm and enjoyed many an hour soaking up the low country sunshine and moonlight; sometimes conscious and many times not. Many of the times in the chair started with a serious dialog with God which covered the range of topics that were forefront on my mind; school work, my future which seemed to be slipping away, the money that I didn’t have, the girlfriend that I didn’t have, and many other similar life or death issues.
During one of those registration sessions not one but two young ladies who were traveling together lined up at my station to present their card decks. The first young lady never met a stranger, conversed effortlessly and talked a mile a minute. The second young lady was partially hidden behind the first, did not say more than a handful of words, smiled a lot and had blonde hair down to her waist.
Where’s this going? That summer I was at a crossroads; spiritually, academically, and psychologically. I was loosing my way; I was reaching out to God. As the summer wore on it because very obvious to me that God was hanging out with me as I lounged in the yellow chair. Now I fully understand that this is not a conventional posture for prayer. But I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God knew my heart, He knew my respect for Him, He knew my need and He heard my pleas. That summer of personal solitude was a pivotal period of my life. My relationship with God reached solid footings. Here’s the neat part. Right in the middle of this spiritual breakthrough God sent me a Valentine, and it wasn’t even February. That shy young lady that I mentioned earlier; a little over one year later we were married. 31 years, 3 children and 2 grandchildren later I can honestly say that God sends the most awesome Valentines.
By the way, I aced both Organic classes and Harriett and I occasionally get phone calls from her ex college roommate who talks a mile a minute for an hour at a time.
The spring semester of my second year of college was coming to an end. I had just withdrew from Organic which was required for my Chemistry major. It was beginning to sink in that I might fall short of my vocational objective based on academic track record. I enrolled in summer school to retake Organic. The strategy was to reduce my load down to one course at a time to focus; an attempt to get back on track academically. Four hours of lecture in the morning, four hours of lab in the afternoon; Monday through Friday. A test every Monday morning. Six weeks of Organic 201 then six weeks of Organic 202.
There was an unintentional side effect of the strategy; solitude. I was the only occupant on my floor of the dormitory for the summer. Other than class time and meal time I had no scheduled interaction with other students. There was the occasional impulsive trek to Bacon’s Bridge on the Ashley River in Summerville to do a little river swimming with some of the other summer students, a welcome communal activity. My summer job working in the registrar’s office also provided needed interaction with people. Several registration sessions were scheduled during the summer for transfers and matriculating freshmen to come on campus, register for courses, and make final arrangements for the coming fall semester. My job was to receive that little stack of computer cards that the registrants had collected as they had visited tables representing the various departments. I would do a cursory inspection and file them away so that they could be translated into a final class schedule at a later date.
The remainder of my time that summer was sitting in my yellow chair which had been rescued from the garbage heap, tossed there by some student who had fled the dormitory at the conclusion of the previous spring semester. The chair had long lost its two back legs which meant that it was in a permanent reclining position; a perfect posture as far as I was concerned. I pushed the chair over next to the single window in the dorm and enjoyed many an hour soaking up the low country sunshine and moonlight; sometimes conscious and many times not. Many of the times in the chair started with a serious dialog with God which covered the range of topics that were forefront on my mind; school work, my future which seemed to be slipping away, the money that I didn’t have, the girlfriend that I didn’t have, and many other similar life or death issues.
During one of those registration sessions not one but two young ladies who were traveling together lined up at my station to present their card decks. The first young lady never met a stranger, conversed effortlessly and talked a mile a minute. The second young lady was partially hidden behind the first, did not say more than a handful of words, smiled a lot and had blonde hair down to her waist.
Where’s this going? That summer I was at a crossroads; spiritually, academically, and psychologically. I was loosing my way; I was reaching out to God. As the summer wore on it because very obvious to me that God was hanging out with me as I lounged in the yellow chair. Now I fully understand that this is not a conventional posture for prayer. But I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God knew my heart, He knew my respect for Him, He knew my need and He heard my pleas. That summer of personal solitude was a pivotal period of my life. My relationship with God reached solid footings. Here’s the neat part. Right in the middle of this spiritual breakthrough God sent me a Valentine, and it wasn’t even February. That shy young lady that I mentioned earlier; a little over one year later we were married. 31 years, 3 children and 2 grandchildren later I can honestly say that God sends the most awesome Valentines.
By the way, I aced both Organic classes and Harriett and I occasionally get phone calls from her ex college roommate who talks a mile a minute for an hour at a time.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Perspective
per·spec·tive - (p r-sp k t v) n. – 1) A mental view or outlook, 2) An awareness of a range of time, events, or subjects; a broad mental view, 3) The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance.
DateLine (2/1/06 – Malvern, PA)
Perspective. Young people pray for it. It is the gift of longevity. Old people fear losing it. The demented have lost it. It is a principal component of wisdom and judgment. It is a prerequisite for leadership. It infuses calm into unsettling circumstances. It is the opposite of self-delusion.
Perspective is what Rudyard Kipling had in mind when the penned the words:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you . . .
I’ve confessed before that I enjoy watching American Idol on television. I’m convinced after the first few shows of this new season that the average auditioner for American Idol is totally depraved of perspective. How could some of those entrants conclude that they have talent?
Jesus is encouraging us to have a healthy perspective when he spoke the words:
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matthew 6:27-29 NIV)
Have I convinced you that perspective is a valuable personal virtue; even a spiritual virtue? Can it be cultivated? Can it be possessed by the young? Let me suggest a personal experiment. Then you decide for yourself.
Carve some extra time out of your schedule to sit quietly before the Lord and listen to Him speak.
Commit yourself to mining the riches of God’s Word; the Bible.
Spend some time with a Godly grandparent or senior and absorb their life experience.
It’s all a matter of perspective!
DateLine (2/1/06 – Malvern, PA)
Perspective. Young people pray for it. It is the gift of longevity. Old people fear losing it. The demented have lost it. It is a principal component of wisdom and judgment. It is a prerequisite for leadership. It infuses calm into unsettling circumstances. It is the opposite of self-delusion.
Perspective is what Rudyard Kipling had in mind when the penned the words:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you . . .
I’ve confessed before that I enjoy watching American Idol on television. I’m convinced after the first few shows of this new season that the average auditioner for American Idol is totally depraved of perspective. How could some of those entrants conclude that they have talent?
Jesus is encouraging us to have a healthy perspective when he spoke the words:
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matthew 6:27-29 NIV)
Have I convinced you that perspective is a valuable personal virtue; even a spiritual virtue? Can it be cultivated? Can it be possessed by the young? Let me suggest a personal experiment. Then you decide for yourself.
Carve some extra time out of your schedule to sit quietly before the Lord and listen to Him speak.
Commit yourself to mining the riches of God’s Word; the Bible.
Spend some time with a Godly grandparent or senior and absorb their life experience.
It’s all a matter of perspective!
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