What A Week!

April 5, 2007 by Leave a Comment

It’s been a very busy week folks. I haven’t had a spare minute to write anything and it’s really bugging me. So a quick list of highlights since my last post:

  • Birthday party for Joshua, Mark & Michelle. I’ll post photos and a story about this probably tomorrow when I have some time early in the morning.
  • Work
  • Travel to and from Dalton for work
  • Got my dad to look at a car problem I’m having – a/c isn’t cold.
  • Work
  • 1st Wednesday service @ NewSpring, the greatest church ever. The service was awesome. Matthew Barnett from LA spoke (founder of the Dream Center if you’ve heard of it). Wow!! Reminded me of my pentacostal roots and proved to me that there are some cool pentacostals out there – just not in the Bible belt.
  • Work
  • Got a belt for our dryer – it’s making an awful noise. I’m going to try and fix it myself so cross your fingers.
  • Work
  • We’re dealing with insurance companies right now (Health & Life) so I’ve been getting phone calls and working on paperwork and scheduling a physical for bright and early tomorrow morning.
  • Work
  • Helping Shawna w/ kids while she goes through the chiropractor treatment.

Did I mention work? I have a lot of pressure to work harder which typically means longer hours. I REFUSE to neglect my wife and kids or my health and sanity, and I pray that I keep proper balance in my life.
My family is coming to town for Easter…going to church with us Saturday for Easter…NewSpring is doing the first of a new series titled “America‘s Idol”. It’s going to be great. We get to vote on which songs our band plays – and they rock. Also, at church Saturday the upstate’s most popular SECULAR radio station will be AT OUR CHURCH. That’s cool.
I’ll post some more tomorrow hopefully.

Filed Under: Misc

How I Got In Sales

March 28, 2007 by Leave a Comment

I work in sales for SGP who is a printing company. My title is actually project coordinator and I’m not sure why or what would be more appropriate.

When I’m meeting with people at various companies we seek to do business with I’m often asked the question “What did you do before you started working for SGP?” The answer is I used to be a Supply Chain Manager at a manufacturing company. The question that usually follows that answer is, “How did you move from that to sales?” The answer to that one usually depends on who I’m talking to and how much I’m willing to share with them.

The full story of it is I started my three and a half year manufacturing career in process improvement and worked my way up to supply chain management. I was so ambitious I mastered that position at that particular facility better than anyone else who had it before me and I was ready to move on to something else – either a similar position at a larger facility or something completely new because I wanted to broaden my knowledge base.

I’ve always been a bit of an entreprenuer. I knew that wealthy business owners and/or company CEO’s don’t have to be experts at any one thing but knowledgeable enough in many different things to form and lead a good team of experts. That was my thought process behind broadening my knowledge base.

So one area of experience I knew I would learn from was sales and marketing. The problem was my boss didn’t think I had the skills to do sales, at least that’s what he told our division manager to keep me where he wanted me. I think the real problem was I made his job so much easier he didn’t want the pain of trying to replace me.

I thought I would wait for something to change. I put up with a lot of crap in the meantime. One day I drew the line when my boss was in my face cussing me in front of my employees over something ridiculous (one of my guys didn’t sweep the floor on night shift) and he said GD. From that day forward I kept my eyes and ears open. It wasn’t long and a friend of the family offered me a job at SGP. It was in sales – targeting large retail corporations mostly. Looked promising enough so I took it.

It has definitely been the learning experience I wanted. I’ve proven to myself that I DO have the skills to do sales (against my previous boss’s opinion) and I’ve been successful. Of course I haven’t been as successful as I want to but I’ve done well for the company and despite the weaknesses (my opinion) of SGP I’ve been able to provide for my family.

I recently heard “grow where you’re planted” and it has given me a bit of a new outlook. I’m pretty sure there is something else in my future but at this point I’m not sure what it is. So I’m going to be enthusiastic about growth where I’m at so I can figure out what else God is wanting me to develop and learn from.

Filed Under: Business, Personal Growth

March Birthdays

March 27, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Ok, I had no idea how many friends/family birthdays there are in March. For about the past year I’ve taken a much greater interest in knowing what everybody’s birthday is because I want to be able to stay in touch and because I care and want everybody to know they’re being thought of on their b-day. I knew there were a few b-days in March. But man, it seems like every day I’ve been either sending one of those e-cards everybody gets from us or I’ve been going to birthday parties. It’s great. Now that we’re almost at the end of the month I can’t even remember who all’s birthday has been this month.
HOWEVER, there is one I never have any trouble remembering. SHAWNA’S!!! If it isn’t easy enough to remember just because she is my wonderful wife, it is even more memorable because she normally reminds everyone with a daily countdown about a month ahead of time. She is much bigger on b-days that I have ever been. I really try to make it a special time for her. Here’s what she might remember about this year:
  • Allergies – Shawna is having a very difficult time with the pollen right now. If you see her and she seems a little out of it – she’s probably on allergy drugs. Please understand.
  • The visit to the chiropractor – Yes, Shawna is having trouble with her back. I’m no expert but even I can tell from the x-ray her back just ain’t right (that’s southern for “like, really messed up”). Luckily we were referred to a good doctor who is putting Shawna on a 16 week plan, the damage isn’t as bad as it could be, and we’re very optimistic that everything will be ok. But everyone pray.
  • The chiropractor bill – It isn’t free. Shawna offered to give me her birthday money to help pay for it but of course I’m not going to accept that. I’ll just take it out of funds we had designated for something else that I can replace in the next few months. But still, neither of us will forget we just had to get the bill on her birthday. Bad timing Doc.
  • Dance class – Just cause it’s your birthday doesn’t mean you get a break from being a mom – well except for what relief I can offer. Shawna’s b-day just happened to be the same day as Skyler’s dance class and it was Shawna’s turn to take both Skyler and her friend Olivia (she swaps turns with one of the other moms sometimes). What’s better is I got to go this time too – to be with Shawna on her birthday.
  • Chick Fil A “birthday party” – We told our kids we were going to Chick Fil A for momma’s b-day and they thought it was going to be like a b-day party they would have. They couldn’t understand why there weren’t cake and presents. It was funny. (She got presents in case you’re wondering, and ChickFilA isn’t the only b-day celebration – it was about the 3rd and it isn’t the last).
  • The cake – after Chick Fil A we of course had to go get a birthday cake, so we went to Publix (in the back of my mind I wanted to test the commercial about how great their cake service is). The kids didn’t really know what it should say so we just decided on “Happy Birthday Momma.” Well that wasn’t good enough for me so I had the guy add “Hot” before momma. He had to ask if I was serious and I told him absolutely. The funny thing is Shawna was standing there. The cake guy will probably remember Shawna’s birthday too – or at least the strange couple who is still so happy and in love even after 6 years of marriage and two kids – he may have never seen anyone like that before. Anyway, Publix cake commercial is true.
  • The garden tub bath – I ran a hot bath for Shawna in our large garden jacuzzi tub thingy that we rarely use (it has to be cleaned before each use because it is so infrequent – so I wasn’t just turning the water on). She really enjoyed the alone time (I didn’t get in there with her like I normally would) and it felt good and helped her back…
  • The foot massage – yep, I did this too – while she was on the phone with everybody in our family who called back to back for about 2 hours straight to say Happy Birthday.

Ok, no more about our mushy stuff. The celebrating isn’t over til we go to Shawna’s favorite restaurant in beautiful downtown Greenville, and I’m making those plans now.

Filed Under: Family, Relationships

PRE-Marriage Counseling

March 21, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Once again I got fired up by a brother blogger (as if I’m in his league) today. This time it is Joe Sangl, my financial counselor. He wrote this post and at the end asked for what we’ve learned and I wrote some thoughts that actually applied to the subject before I went off on a tangent. I had to apologize for preaching on his comments page. Since I shouldn’t have done it there I can always put it on my own page, so here’s what I wrote:

I think Shawna and I have learned that half the battle is communicating about money without getting mad and throwing our hands up. Also, bringing an outside perspecitive and source of accountability and encouragement (your class and counseling) has helped us to realize where our communication breakdowns have been. We’re not only learning how to manage our finances but we’re learning how to communicate about them as well. It is so awesome when we’re both on the same page. We can almost enjoy the money game.

One of our hot buttons is pre-marriage counseling because ours was terrible. So now we have a bunch of our own ideas about what it should be like. Well, one thing we believe now is that every couple should have to go through your financial counseling (or a similar variation of it) before they get married and for about a year after being married. That might sound radical but money is one of the most common causes of divorce and I thik some radical thinking and action is the only thing that’ll ever put a dent in that. If churches would stop putting a band-aid on needs like pre-marriage counseling then maybe there would be a lot less post-marriage problems sucking the life out of churches.

As you can tell I feel pretty strongly about this – so much so I went a little overboard in my comments on Joe’s page. In case you’re wondering who did mine and Shawna’s pre-marriage counseling – don’t worry, it wasn’t either of our preacher fathers. It was the pastor of a very large Church of God in Atlanta – that should narrow it down without calling any names. He was supposed to be doing Hal (Shawna’s dad) a favor so we could get counseling from outside the family. We got “special” treatment because of their acquaintence and this guy graced us with an opportunity to appear before him for two 30 minute sessions – to counsel us on a lifetime future in marriage. Thank God we’ve found our way through six years because many couples don’t.

I know all that sounds very negative and ungrateful towards a man that does a good job at a good church. But why isn’t it excellent? In my opinion this issue should be right up near the top along with the emphasis our pastor, Perry, puts on children and youth ministry.

When people say what their top life experiences are what do you usually hear? The day I accepted Christ, the day I was married, and the day I had children. Guess what – all three of those can be in one way or another tied to marriage. The church is Christ’s bride and we’re to model our relationship with Christ and our marriages after Christ’s love for the church. The day you get married is a big deal but it is just a wedding day, and I won’t get started on how people plan more for that than they do for the 60 years following it. And having children is the reproduction God intended to come from married relationships. I don’t claim to be an expert about all this stuff but dang it seems important. Why aren’t more people taking marriage counseling seriously?

Do churches view marriage counseling as a burden or an unworthy cause because it isn’t a ministry? Maybe that’s not it but is it given as much attention as the women’s ministries or mens ministries? These are often times just outlets for couples to just get away from each other and thus avoid their problems – and that’s supposed to be ok as long as they live their whole miserable lives that way and never set a happy example for their children or grandchildren.

We’ll look at a graduating senior from high school or college like they’re an idiot for not going to a college or career counselor, but we see young people getting married without any counseling at all. Or, if they are getting counseling they’re getting a joke of an excuse for it like what Shawna and I got. I’m starting to ramble now but it’s frustrating to think about six and half years of marriage now and so many things could have been easier if we would have had good PRE-marriage counselling.

You can hate me for doing it again if you want, but I’m mentioning it again… Our church, awesome, is getting ready to start some new counseling from what I hear, and I can’t wait to see if we can get involved in some way. I at least can’t wait to hear of it’s success – hope it reaches a lot of people and changes their lives, shows them where to go for answers and how to endure the challenges they will inevitably face – and stay together. I’ve already heard one of the pastors talking about how one of the thoughts they want to keep in the back of their mind is to challenge couples in a way that is almost trying to convince them not to get married. I can see NewSpring being downright bold about that approach and still getting positive results. I can’t wait to see it happen.

This won’t be the last you hear out of me on this subject…

Filed Under: Relationships

As a Man Thinks…

March 20, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Since I told a story that somewhat relates to this teaching last week I thought this would also be worth sharing. I didn’t write it but I’m in agreement 100% with everything the dude who wrote this has to say. I can’t remember where I got it from – just had it saved in some notes.

As a Man Thinks…

“For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov 23:7) What we think about predominately becomes our experience, either good or bad. It has been said many times, and I believe it’s true, that no man has committed adultery without first thinking about it – a lot. No married man just gets up one day, goes to the store to get bread, meets a woman in the bakery and breaks covenant with his wife and commits adultery that day.

The reality is the act has long been preceded with immoral thoughts which began as unsolicited suggestions that eventually were given consideration. In time, they were entertained and made welcome. Eventually, they were not just welcomed, but sought out. Those thoughts produced feelings in the realm of the heart and stirred the flesh until one day; it goes beyond thoughts to words, to glances and eventually the act he thought he would never commit. To the friends of the couple who broke up over this, they didn’t see it coming. They were shocked.

But it was inevitable. Thoughts follow input. Our heart follows our thoughts and as you probably know by now, 90% of any decision is made in the heart and motivated by emotional drivers. Let something simmer in the heart long enough and opportunity will present itself to turn into reality that which you have been giving haven to in the privacy of your inner sanctum, your heart.

I shared this example because it is real. Psychologists and marriage counselors agree this is not theoretical. It’s a fact. But there’s good news. This same process can work in the positive to dramatically impact your life for good. …..thinking the right things can produce an abundant harvest of good in our life. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

Filed Under: Faith

I’d Sure Like To Say That…

March 19, 2007 by Leave a Comment

I have a lot of things I want to share but my thoughts aren’t organized right now. There is a lot on my mind lately in many areas of my life. Many thanks to my pastors blog for encouraging me today just by getting me fired up. Punching in the throat – man sometimes I’d sure like to say that too.

If I could talk to Perry personally about this I would ask him how he might apply that level of passion in some situations I’m faced with in business. I share the passion he has about everything pertaining to the word and church and reaching people, but how do you blast through other situations with that kind of passion when you’re extremely vulnerable to, for example, a client or a boss, etc?? I could care less one little bit about being labeled cocky or arrogant, but my position gives me other things to worry about. I feel like a wuss for even writing this, but I suppose having two kids and a stay at home wife makes me feel much more vulnerable in situations where I know I should stand up, but the fear of losing that key client or my job altogether keeps me quiet.

You know – this is the problem with most preachers too – they’re vulnerable to losing their livelihood if they stand up or speak about something that might offend someone. They’re usually most vulnerable to the ones who should be listening the most. I have plenty of my own stories to tell about stuff like that from growing up with my dad being a preacher. I don’t know the details of all those stories but I know the impact they had on our family. My hat is off to Perry and NewSpring for having their checks and balances set up in a way that doesn’t make them vulnerable in the wrong ways to the wrong people.

But back to my situation… Unfortunately my daily world is quite different from Perry’s. Unfortunately I am vulnerable in ways no person should be and no person would have to be if everybody had a good heart. I believe God will provide but that doesn’t make it ok to be stupid does it? I’m sure there are things even Perry doesn’t say that he would like to. If it’s ok to be so wreckless why isn’t it ok to do it without limits? I guess it depends on each individual’s circumstances and vulnerability. Knowing what mine are how do I guage what is going far enough without being stupid? Or should I focus on getting myself a new set of circumstances?

Does anyone else have any input on this? Please do share.

Filed Under: Business, Personal Growth

Boost Metabolism

March 16, 2007 by Leave a Comment

I’ve gotta get more on the ball with this health stuff myself. I havne’t been working out for two months while I was playing basketball… That’s over now so I’ve gotta get back on track. Here’s some healthy stuff worth sharing…

5 More Ways to Boost Your Metabolism and Start Burning Fat
By Jon Herring

Losing weight does not require you to put yourself through months of self-sacrifice. You simply have to (1) do a few things that will increase your body’s metabolic rate and (2) replace high-calorie, low-nutrient foods with those that promote health.

Don’t skip breakfast. This is the meal that is most commonly skipped, and many of the people who do it think they are doing themselves a favor by eliminating those calories. Nothing could be further from the truth. Numerous studies have shown that eating a protein-rich, low-glycemic breakfast is essential for healthy weight loss.

Eat healthy fats. One of the biggest weight-loss myths is that “fat makes you fat.” The truth is that healthy fats can help make you thin. These are the fats you find in nuts, fish, fish oil, naturally raised meats, olive oil, and avocados.

Manage your blood sugar levels. Maintaining stable, low blood sugar levels is one of the best things you can do to prevent your body from storing fat. Do it by avoiding sweets, processed foods, and starchy carbohydrates.

Drink green tea or water. These are, by far, your two healthiest beverage options, and they both help to maintain a healthy metabolism.

Alternate between interval exercise and resistance training. By exercising with resistance, you build muscle. Muscle is active tissue, so the greater your muscle mass is, the higher your metabolic rate will be. And by exercising in intervals at high intensity, you not only burn fat and calories during your workout, but for many hours afterward.

Filed Under: Health

What I Learned About Investing From What’s Her Name

March 15, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Ok, so today I read this post by Joe about kids investing and I left a comment, etc… Well that post reminded me of a girl (can’t remember her name) I worked a short while with at the first company I worked for after graduating college.

In relation to what Joe wrote about I was reminded of how successful early investing was for her. She was already wealthy in her early 20’s and was so thankful her father “forced” her to invest while growing up. She paid cash for everything because she understood you don’t buy it til you have the money to pay cash. She didn’t have credit cards. She lived a comfortable lifestyle and it was paid for. She was teaching other people how to change their mindset about money, spending, and investing. I evidently wasn’t ready to apply what she was teaching because I’ve since had many struggles financially, but I did learn another important lesson from her.

Ironically this same girl taught me another important lesson. She was so savings minded that it seemed like a good idea to carpool. We were both driving 45 minutes one way from the same area to the same workplace, so why not ride together. It was just carpooling. The problem with it is I was engaged – to Shawna. I fell in to the trap of believing it was ok because there was no attraction and it was what it was – carpooling only. I guess I was somehow blinded by the thought of saving money on gas, and I had not been taught anything about the little things that lead to big mistakes in relationships. We carpooled a couple of times before I realized it wasn’t right.

What did it take for me to realize it wasn’t right? Well that girl who started out with innocent intentions started inviting me to have some drinks with co-workers. I would decline and wait til the weekends when Shawna would meet up with me (we had to live two hours apart for about 2 months when I started that job before we got married). Then one day the girl made a comment that I need to sow my wild oats. I thought she meant partying and drinking – which I was kinda over after college. I guessed that isn’t what she meant when she followed that statement with an invitation to hang out with her and one of her friends (another girl). The light finally came on in my head and I realized this girls intentions were no longer innocent. The carpool was headed down the wrong road so I got out.

Luckily the awkwardness ended shortly after that when she was transferred to another location. The good news is I look back on that and realize where I first learned that even something that seems harmless and innocent can lead to compromising situations we should never be in. I’m so glad I was able to recognize what was happening and end it, but some people don’t realize it until they’ve already made a huge mistake. The first mistake is usually one we consider harmless. We have to keep our guard up for even the smallest compromise if we want to prevent the bad ones from happening.

Filed Under: Money

Forget the Food Pyramid

March 14, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Worth sharing…

Forget the Food Pyramid – Here’s My Simple Formula for Getting Lean
By Al Sears, MD

In 2005, the government issued its latest food pyramid. You’ve probably seen it – but if you haven’t, you’ll soon get your chance. Over 2,000 supermarkets in 17 states are planning to promote it in their stores.

The “new” food pyramid – like the old one – suggests that you eat more grains and carbs than anything else. And, not surprisingly, the big food makers are footing the bill for this “public service” campaign. (When you’ve spent that much money lobbying politicians to support your high-carb, highly processed, artificial-food-substitute products, why not cash in?)

But don’t be fooled. Following this unnatural high-carb diet, while ignoring protein and healthy fats, will only make you fat, sick, and tired. Instead, follow my simple formula for getting lean:
High Protein + Low Carbs + the Right Fats + Regular Exercise = Fat Loss

Increase Protein: Quality protein is the key to good nutrition. Protein promotes muscle growth and increases the burning of carbs and fat for energy. Fish, lean meats, eggs, dairy, beans, and nuts are all good sources of protein.

Decrease Carbohydrates: Starches are a main cause of obesity. Limit your consumption of anything made from grains or potatoes. Get your carbs from unprocessed vegetables that grow above the ground.

Eat Natural Fats: Most modern fat is a health nightmare, but getting enough omega-3 fats is essential for good health. Eat unprocessed vegetable fats from avocados, nuts, and virgin olive oil. Avoid corn oil and all hydrogenated oils. Get your animal fat from grass-fed red meat, wild fish, and eggs.

Filed Under: Health

Kids & Proper Anatomy Terminology

March 13, 2007 by Leave a Comment

The other night Shawna and I had date night so we had a babysitter for Devin & Skyler. Our regular babysitter was busy so we had to call in a babysitter we haven’t used in a while. The kids love Samantha and it was funny to hear the stories when we got home of how things have changed since the last time they were all together.

Samantha does a great job making our kids mind just as we would. A lot of sitters let the kids have whatever they want and give in to their little manipulative ways, but Samantha has experience from all the time she has spent with her small siblings.

If you know my kids you know that they have their moments where it’s all about attitude (comes from their mother). Well since the kids weren’t getting their way like they are used to with the other sitter the proceeded to tell her with the attitude in their tone, “Next time you come you have to be nice to us.”

There were other funny stories from Samantha. One was about Skyler asking a lot of questions about the handicapped person she observed at the mall (another people watcher in the making). She referred to the lady who was sitting in a chair with wheels on it and she looked dead. Somehow Samantha explained to her that the person wasn’t blessed with strong legs and they aren’t dead – their brain just isn’t working. We’ll have to fix this one later when Skyler is big enough to understand, but for now that confused her enough to change the subject.

The most hilarious story was Samantha’s shock to hear Devin’s knowledge of proper anatomy terminology. She was helping him take a bath and didn’t know what word to use to get him to wash his private area. So she said “don’t forget to wash your winkie.” To which Devin quickly responded, “It’s not my winkie. It’s my penis. But sometimes my daddy calls it pecker.” Then he proceeded to laugh at himself. That is hilarious!

If you’re thinking we’re freaks – shut up – I mean be quiet (our kids know both shut up and be quiet but we teach them be quiet is more polite). I’m not so naive as to think my kid isn’t going to hear all types of slang from somebody. I’d rather him learn it from me and know that it isn’t proper and it isn’t the end of the world if somebody says it. I’m wondering when it will be the right time to teach my kids what cuss words are – before your brat or the TV teaches it to them inapropriately…

Anyway, I’m getting on another soapbox and didn’t want to – the story was funny. I think I’ll go help Skyler work on her terminology. A certain word is still sounding like “majama” instead of, well… you figure it out.

Filed Under: Family
« Previous Page
Next Page »