Have an Awesome Day!

In the few moments that you read my blog, I could sit here and complain about all the bad things that have happened in life. I could drown you in negativity and depression and at the end we would have the biggest biggest pity party and case of poor me's or poor you's ever.

Do bad things happen. Yes. We know and live the reality of these things every day. Should I drown you in the sucking sound of sorrow that comes from them?

No! That's not fair to you and it's not fair to God. It's not fair to the kindness and generosity and opportunity I've had the joy of experiencing throughout my life. I will tell you that I have 5 awesome children who make me laugh and smile, who I can play with and pray with. I have an awesome wife that I am in love with to this day. I can tell you that I have experienced grace and mercy and such cool and awesome things in my life, that so many people said I wouldn't ever get or touch!

I truly have been so blessed. I didn't graduate from a traditional high-school. I graduated from a homeschool. I worked as a custodian, to help my mom pay bills. I had a gift of study guides on electronics, I read, learned and memorized as much of them as possible. I love to learn, geek that I am. I had a year of college in electrical engineering technology (and later on another semester) with ok grades. Then I went to work full time. After a couple years of ups and downs, I met and married my dream girl. Heather.

We married, ambitious and excited about our future, lots of money coming in, three cars and a new baby on the way... then we lost everything. Her father died shortly after we were married. Not long after that, our startup business failed, we lost our contract work for the newspapers, money and dreams were in short supply. We filed bankruptcy. People were worried that I would be battling the same depression my father did a lot of his life. We prayed, read our Bibles, praised God and lived. I also started listening to a cassette tape I found at a Barnes & Noble bookstore by Zig Ziglar, Goals.

I ended up at multiple part time jobs. But during that time, I was determined to become good at solving computer problems. Not because it was popular or had good income, but because I loved working with the technology. I had finally learned that being excellent at and doing what you loved would help you succeed more than anything. I also learned that helping other people be successful at what they wanted and what they do, would help you succeed!

After getting better at computers and going forward with an attitude of wanting to help whoever I worked for be successful, God continued to bless. It was funny, throughout those years, I would apply for a job and people would say "You can't do that, they won't hire you." Others would say "They aren't going to pay you such and such, you don't have a college degree." The reality is, they were wrong and God continued to bless.

So, when things happened a couple years ago, with my ankle and then, with my gall bladder and the pain after that surgery not going away. Now, with economic problems and having to change services we provide and other things, people say "What are you going to do?" "Why don't you do this?" "Why don't you do that?"

I am doing. We are trusting God. My wife and I are doing what we can to move our business forward, and when we can't move forward any further, we will stand. My attitude isn't going to change because of tough times. I'm still going to walk in faith. I'm still going to find ways to help and give. I'm still going to treat customers ethically and walk forward. I'm still going to talk about and tell people about God's hope, His love and the truth that He cares for us, no matter what.

We all grimace when we are hurting, in spite of that, I'm still going to tell you about the peace of God that is in my heart. I am going to tell you that I will walk in His joy, no matter what the circumstances that go on around us. I will also tell you that God keeps providing and surprising us every day! Things that I have never thought possible, happen. Many days I sit down at the end of the day, in amazement and thankfulness for the kindness and grace and joy that He has blessed us with.

When I share my heart about our nation, about our communities, I'm talking from a reality that we sometimes forget to look for or look at. The reality is that God can work through people everywhere. The reality is that when we work towards a goal together, we become stronger as a people, as a nation. The simplest reality is, when you share a bit of joy, of trust and kindness, it spreads like the best kind of infection that could ever revitalize a community or a nation.

It's actually good for economies. Credit card companies know it. They show you a joyful, heartfelt moment and tell you how you they can give you those memories. The thing is, that's a moment you can have or give, without a credit card, without money, without perfect circumstances. I had the blessing of hearing a woman the other night, who talked about how you can walk into a place and change the mood completely, if they are struggling or down or fighting angry customers, you can share a moment of joy that can turn a whole office around.

The secret?

That same thing can turn an economy around! It can turn a community around! One moment of shared encouragement, or a smile or hope from each of our days, can change the despair of foreclosures and layoffs and struggling businesses into a community of real hope. We can change a whole business deal or relationship with a creditor by dealing with kindness and by sharing hope. It really does change things.

That's why I refuse to be down because of personal circumstances. That's why I say and believe that tomorrow is going to be a better day! I'm not faking it, I'm telling you that kindness and friends and sharing and doing something good with and for someone makes every day a new opportunity that I look forward to!

Stand - Keep Holding On!

Whac a Mole

So many times, when bad things happen, Hurricanes, Tornado's, Businesses being bailed out by the Fed, layoffs, financial turmoil in a nation or more, it's easy for us to ask if we are being punished. It's easy to think God may be playing Whac-a-Mole with a people or a nation. He's not. Bad things have happened throughout the years. They will happen again.

While it can be so easy to fall into a Charlie Brown mentality and say "Why is everyone (or everything) picking on me?" We can look for opportunity in the middle of the mess. "Ah, but your being Pollyannish, you don't know what I'm going through!" You're right, I don't know. What I do know, is this...

Over the past few years, I've watched our nation go through attacks, natural disasters, financial upheaval. We struggle with the fact that we have men and women overseas defending, not just our freedom, but that of others. It's hard to watch our children, brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles and neighbors put their lives on the line for things we don't always know.

I know that our nation and our people choose to come out of these things stronger, than they went in. There is something amazing about the volunteers, from all different walks of life, individuals, different volunteer or religious organizations, even businesses or corporations, breaking out of the mold and volunteering or giving to pull their neighbors in another state or country out of the muck.

We become stronger as a people as a result of these times. When we go through fire, we have that choice. We can use it to change, grow and move forward or cower and run. The nation I know, doesn't do that. Yes, we have our weaknesses, but we have our strengths too. We have the ability as a people, as a nation, to stand up and choose good. The biggest mistake that those who would try to come after us make, is they underestimate the strength of our spirits. They underestimate the power of our people.

They think that when we are down, that means we are out. We aren't out, we are getting back up, stronger than before that hard time. Ready to live in victory.

One of the coolest things that I've learned as a Christian, is that sometimes God allows us to go through valley's, sometimes he allows us to walk in the furnace, so he can refine us, like gold, and get out the dross, the waste. But He doesn't leave us, He is there with us in the furnace, there with us in the valley. That hard time, that valley is simply training for the mountaintop.



Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Share a smile. Today is a new day of hope, we can move forward, through the valley, to the mountain.

What to vote?

I've had a few people ask me over the past few days, how was I going to vote? Is there this policy that you are for, or this one that you're against? Because elections are coming up, these questions are on the forefront of a lot of people's minds.

Well, I read something the other day which struck a cord with me, because it is how I do vote. I vote with my core values, biblical values too. So, my vote, like many others is based on the values of Life, Freedom and the fear (respect and reverence of, not the quaking in my boots type) of God.

I have to say that, "values voting" as some like to call it when they don't want to talk about people having a core set of beliefs that is balanced with the truth of God's Word, will turn this nation around.

So, I agree, when I hear people asking why we are talking about Change of this or that. Sorry, but in recent years we've seen what both of our major political parties are capable of in finances and in the midst of war. No party is able to prevent the massive destruction of a hurricane or keep wars and rumors of wars from happening around the world. No party is able to stop the enormous financial drains that these things can put on a country.

But, if that leader has the values, the core set of morals that lead to the right direction, I believe we can weather the storms together, if we remember that we are "...One nation, Under God..."

I think Twila Paris did a much better job addressing this on her site, if you want to read what she had to say, you can find it here.... http://www.twilaparis.com/thoughtsinfo.php?id=13

How to fail

So, you know you are not in control and God is. How much of that control are you willing to give up? So, what if it costs you money? Hundreds of dollars? Thousands of dollars? How about Ten Thousands of dollars?

Well, we had/have one of those moments on hand. Last night, when we found out about a bank transaction that was supposed to occur Monday, and hadn't, I was full of righteous anger. I was going to call up angry and ask what the heck they thought was going on, and blah, blah, blah. That was a failure. My finances, my home, my car, how do they think they can do this.... no. God's "stuff", yes.

I forgot, for almost a whole night. We are stewards, right? We are supposed to be living it, not faking it, right? My wife was also looking to me, what are we going to do? After my outburst last night, I pushed it away and we continued on, and actually had a pretty good evening. This morning I woke up to the quiet, yet firm prodding of God's voice. I thought it was mine. What are you worried about? Why are you upset, if it's my stuff?

Right there, I got down on my knees and asked forgiveness. I asked forgiveness for trying to take back what we have told people was a gift from God, a blessing. I asked forgiveness for my clearly unrighteous anger. I also asked God to take back that heavy burden, that yoke, that I ripped away from Him in one of my thick-headed and hasty moments.

So, when I called the bank this morning. I did it with humility. I didn't misrepresent the urgency of the matter and did ask to speak to a manager, who wasn't available, but will be calling me back later. I did tell the helpful young man that answered the phone, that I was frustrated, but not angry. I even asked him if a manager was the right person to talk to about this problem. His response was, "Oh definitely". I got off the phone, confident that the capable people at the bank would do what was needed. It's not my car, it's Gods, right?

Following that conversation, whatever happens, I'm at peace that it's in God's hands. See, following God isn't about being holier than thou, it's about God's grace in a circumstance, in a situation. We will all have failures every day. That's how we tend to learn. We are people, we do that. ;-) God wants to know that our heart is right, He uses the little failures to teach us not to fail in the big ones. (Sometimes He gives us an 8 hour window so we can get quiet enough to hear Him, too.)

I've had people say, "Wow, you are really good at computers, how do you know all this?" Yes, I read the manuals (so I know how its intended to work) and I work with it, but I guarantee I've broken it more times than you! That's how I've learned so much about computers. I've failed at them more times than a lot of people, and then had to figure out how to clean up the mess.

So, if you think I'm super spiritual or super geeky, because of this or that. I'm not. God just has had to pick me up out from under bigger busses, more times. I may have been raised in a Christian home, but I was taught, early on, to ask forgiveness and accept it. God knew that I'd be that kid that would learn to skateboard on a dirt road, with no knee or elbow pads.

Learn that it's ok to fail, give it to God and move on.

Smile - God is in Control

"Hello."
"This is God."
"I will be handling ALL of your problems today."
"I will NOT need your help."

"So Have a Good Day!"

The Joy of Hope

One of the saddest things I've ever seen is someone who doesn't believe in hope. There have been so many times in my life where I've seen desperate situations turned right.

To hear and see true life stories of good happening in this world and then to hear someone say, I wish that stuff was real, breaks my heart. One thing we have the ability to do, every day, is to give hope. Make someones life brighter with simple acts and words of kindness.

When I was growing up, one of the times when things were tight, my mother was in the kitchen, looking for food to make to feed us six children. I was sitting at the kitchen table watching all of this. Things were really scarce and she went through every cupboard and finally, she said a simple out-loud little prayer, "Lord, if I just had some flour, I could make some bread."

Not one minute later, there came a knock at the door from the little girl across the street. She told us that her mom was cleaning out her cupboards and was going to throw away this flour because she didn't have anything to use it for and wondered if we would be ok accepting it. She gave us an abundance of flour that made bread for a few days.

So, why do I have such a stubborn faith in God? Because, I watched these things happen all the time, while I was growing up. I saw, time after time when God took a near disaster and turned it good. I saw some people that didn't know we were having car problems, call my mother up and tell her that they were getting ready to sell their car, and they had been praying and felt that God was telling them to offer it to her for $1.00.

So, do I know joy in hope when all the signs point to sinking sand? I do. Will I continue to believe that God will make a way and care for His children, I do. Will a lot of people stand in judgement of my idealism and belief in God's goodness and faithfulness and that He still performs miracles today, in a modern day America? Maybe. Maybe not. But, regardless of what people think, or what God chooses, I will choose to say, with Job, "...though he slay me, yet will I trust in him...", and beyond that, I will praise Him and thank Him for what He does and has done.

We live in a world, in a place full of change, where people walk in fear every day. But we also live in a land of opportunity, of awesome opportunity. The one thing about fear is, that it feeds on itself. Why spread fear, when you can spread the joy of hope? Why not spread a smile... a hopeful, joyful smile, that changes someones day and lifts their spirits, instead of the alternative.

I believe, that if we spread that hope, good things will come from it, and hope will spread like those cottonwood seeds that blow all over Michigan, and from those seeds of hope will come trees of joy and growth that will make a few economic bumps in the road into yesterday's news.

I know that words sometimes fall so short of seeing hope in action, in actually participating in spreading it and having it happen to you. I wish that somehow, I had the ability to share that deep down knowing, from inside of me (and I believe given by God's grace) that tomorrow will be a better day, and that no matter what is going on around us, we can make it a better day, in some little way for someone. When we do that, we fuel something in us and around us, that grows and spreads like a flood, to the point where no wall of negativity or bad thing can stand against it!

Sorrow and tears may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning!

C'mon Detroit!! Give a little... to give a lot... together

I’m part of a business networking group called Motor City Connect (www.motorcityconnect.com) and one of the leaders there asked for something small. He asked that all of us do something small for a group called “walk4friendship” to support a place that gives a friendship and learning place of support to thousands of disabled and special needs kids and their families throughout the Metro Detroit area... called LifeTown, (on Maple Rd/15mile in West Bloomfield).

Do you know what he asked for? A $2.00 donation per member! (Yes, that was $2.00!!) When was the last time someone asked us for $2.00, most people want something big? Hey, we'll make you a platinum, platinum sponsor and give you a pie tin with your name on it, if you do such and such. Wow, I thought this was a really unique and cool way to ask. I personally believe it works this way too. I believe we can all give a little and together we can do and give big things!

Because of his asking this, my wife and I donated a small amount. We are asking everyone we know to consider donating or passing on the request to donate to anyone who might have a couple dollars and a minute or two to go online by or before this Sunday, September 7th and make a secure donation through http://tinyurl.com/bobwalk4friend . This will take them to my page and they can donate from there, or go to the Motor City Connect Team Page button at the top and donate through Motor City Connect directly. They get credit to meet their support goals that way also.

Now, lol (laugh out loud) this doesn't mean you 'only' have to give $2.00! If it's the right thing to do, you can give more. If not, you can give too by passing this note on and we can all help out disabled kids here in the metro Detroit area together!

Let's Give a Little to Give a Lot!

A short video about LifeTown can be found here...

http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/ccp.asp?ievent=270178%20&ccp=80451