Over the past several weeks I have been playing racquetball with my buddy, Kyle. We seem to be pretty evenly matched, so he wins some and I win some. Today during our last game he got ahead early and stayed that way pretty much the entire time until he won. He won the first game as well after going up about 8-2 to start things off. Now, I'm sure there are certain circumstances and certain people who thrive when they are down. Apparently, I am not one of those people. It's not that I get discouraged when I'm down or that I just throw in the towel. I think that I just spend a lot of energy catching up so that once I get even, it's tough to get over the hump to finish off the victory.
As I was thinking about playing from behind, I started wondering about this in when it comes to our relationships with our spouse and children. As a society, are we constantly playing from behind or are we being proactive and staying ahead in the most important relationships in our life? It seems to me that if we intentionally parent our children early then maybe are children will lean toward making the right choices. Obviously, kids are going to make some bad choices, but aren't their chances of making a good choice better if we've intentionally invested time into teaching them what the correct choice is as well as (and maybe more importantly) how to make the right choice? I think the same goes for our marriages. If we work on our marriage we will be much better equipped to handle disagreements and situations that are stressful. We work hard to stay ahead at our jobs and other things we do in life. Shouldn't we work even harder to stay ahead in these two very important areas of our lives?
What are some of the things we can do to keep from playing from behind in our marriages and with our children?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Face Lift
Okay, I've had this blog for a while and I've never really changed the look of it. I don't know much about the behind the scene stuff and I'm not really willing to pay to get a makeover. Therefore you may see various versions of it over the next few days/weeks. If you see something you like, something you don't like, something that you think suits me, or something that doesn't, I would love to see comments letting me know what any readers I have out there think.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
How Long Will It Last?
There were a few moments last week that Cooper really caught my attention.
Let me set the stage for you. My feet are almost always cold. And we have hardwood floors throughout our house, which doesn't help warm my feet. Since we moved into our new house I have almost always work flip flops around the house. Because I was tired of wearing them around the house, I mentioned wanting a pair of house shoes for my birthday and Allison got some for me.
One day last week I asked Cooper to put his pajamas on and then we were going to do something (I can't remember what we were doing, but that doesn't really matter). He apparently noticed that I had my house shoes on and he, excitedly, said "okay and I want to put my slippers on too!" The next night Cooper asked if we could play when we got home and I told him yes. When we got home he decided that he wanted to color and he went in his room and played on his own. After dinner we told him we had to get a bath. After his bath it was time for bed and sometimes that can be a point of contention. This time, however, it wasn't because he just didn't want to go to bed, although I think that was certainly part of it. Mainly he was upset because we hadn't had a chance to play. He also kept saying, "I just want to spend some time with daddy."
Guys, our kids look up to us. They want to be like us. And they want to be with us. Today we are pulled in a million different directions. Some of them in our control, some of them out of our control. If you work, work pulls you. If you are involved in your church, church pulls you. If you are married, your marriage pulls you. Then on top of that we have other things that we allow to pull us; Facebook, Twitter, blogs, ESPN, etc., etc., etc... These things aren't necessarily bad, in fact many of them are great and/or necessary. If I don't work on my marriage and spend valuable time with Allison how am I supposed to model how to treat your wife to Cooper. If I don't get up and go to work how am I supposed to instill a good work ethic in Cooper. If I don't... you get the point.
All this to say, as guys we have to do a better job of making time for our kids. Whether it's playing football outside, playing legos inside, or simply watching another episode of Dora the Explorer, we have to be available and fully plugged in with our kids. I am trying my best to be conscious of this because I know, one day, Cooper isn't going to want me to sit down and play or watch a show with him.
Let me set the stage for you. My feet are almost always cold. And we have hardwood floors throughout our house, which doesn't help warm my feet. Since we moved into our new house I have almost always work flip flops around the house. Because I was tired of wearing them around the house, I mentioned wanting a pair of house shoes for my birthday and Allison got some for me.
One day last week I asked Cooper to put his pajamas on and then we were going to do something (I can't remember what we were doing, but that doesn't really matter). He apparently noticed that I had my house shoes on and he, excitedly, said "okay and I want to put my slippers on too!" The next night Cooper asked if we could play when we got home and I told him yes. When we got home he decided that he wanted to color and he went in his room and played on his own. After dinner we told him we had to get a bath. After his bath it was time for bed and sometimes that can be a point of contention. This time, however, it wasn't because he just didn't want to go to bed, although I think that was certainly part of it. Mainly he was upset because we hadn't had a chance to play. He also kept saying, "I just want to spend some time with daddy."
Guys, our kids look up to us. They want to be like us. And they want to be with us. Today we are pulled in a million different directions. Some of them in our control, some of them out of our control. If you work, work pulls you. If you are involved in your church, church pulls you. If you are married, your marriage pulls you. Then on top of that we have other things that we allow to pull us; Facebook, Twitter, blogs, ESPN, etc., etc., etc... These things aren't necessarily bad, in fact many of them are great and/or necessary. If I don't work on my marriage and spend valuable time with Allison how am I supposed to model how to treat your wife to Cooper. If I don't get up and go to work how am I supposed to instill a good work ethic in Cooper. If I don't... you get the point.
All this to say, as guys we have to do a better job of making time for our kids. Whether it's playing football outside, playing legos inside, or simply watching another episode of Dora the Explorer, we have to be available and fully plugged in with our kids. I am trying my best to be conscious of this because I know, one day, Cooper isn't going to want me to sit down and play or watch a show with him.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Some Thoughts on My Birthday
This morning didn't start out much different that most...I woke up, got a shower, and headed back to our bedroom. As I was getting clothes on I heard Allison in Cooper's room talking to him quietly. I wasn't sure what they were up to, but when I turned around he was standing in the closet doorway with a HUGE smile on his face and his hand behind his back. He said "you know what I have?" I said no and he jumped as he swung his arm around. Unable to contain his excitement, he said "happy birthday!" and gave me with a card. He and Allison made it last night while I was at Bible study and he had written his name and, at least helped with, "Happy Birthday Daddy." It was awesome!I am the luckiest guy in the world. I have an awesome family that, at least on my birthday, woke up with me on their mind. I have a great job and great friends. What else can a person ask for?
Monday, January 24, 2011
Almost Isn't Good Enough
"World changers aren't looking for a way to feel better about themselves but a way to spread light and joy in places that are dark and dreary." - Wayne Elsey
Recently I saw a tweet about a book that was to be released around Christmas time. I didn't give it much thought and then saw another tweet about some of the work that Soles4Souls is doing in various parts of the world, specifically in Haiti. I read that they had recently given away their 12 millionth pair of shoes and they have a goal of giving away 11 million shoes in 2011. It was at that point that I decided to read the description of Wayne Elsey's book, "Almost Isn't Good Enough." I was told that it was a good road map for how to run a nonprofit, and since I have a friend that is starting a nonprofit soon, I thought it may be a good book to read. Wow, was that a good decision.
Don't get me wrong, this book isn't going to tell you how to run your business or nonprofit, but it does give a general idea of how Mr. Elsey started and runs this company. He doesn't believe that simply because they are a nonprofit that his employees should be willing to work for "the cause," and not get paid market value for the talent and work they bring to the table. He has great expectations of his employees and they are given the margin and latitude to make decisions in order to meet those expectations. Having audited many nonprofit organizations while working in public accounting, I can tell you this isn't the norm. Many of these organizations feel that either their hands are tied or they simply can't afford to pay employees what they could make in the same position at a for profit company. Souls4Soles simply refuses to operate this way.
The best thing, however, that I got out of the book is Mr. Elsey's love for people. His attitude toward making a difference in the world shines throughout the entire book. You really get the sense that he believes he is on this earth for one purpose, to give shoes to the shoeless. From the background of him leaving an executive position in corporate America to the stories of him going to as many shoe distributions as he can around the world, his care for this cause is evident.
If you run or work at a nonprofit this book is a must read. If you work for a company, run your own business, or have any interest in business leadership, this book is for you as well. It is a very well written easy to read book with a great message.
Recently I saw a tweet about a book that was to be released around Christmas time. I didn't give it much thought and then saw another tweet about some of the work that Soles4Souls is doing in various parts of the world, specifically in Haiti. I read that they had recently given away their 12 millionth pair of shoes and they have a goal of giving away 11 million shoes in 2011. It was at that point that I decided to read the description of Wayne Elsey's book, "Almost Isn't Good Enough." I was told that it was a good road map for how to run a nonprofit, and since I have a friend that is starting a nonprofit soon, I thought it may be a good book to read. Wow, was that a good decision.
Don't get me wrong, this book isn't going to tell you how to run your business or nonprofit, but it does give a general idea of how Mr. Elsey started and runs this company. He doesn't believe that simply because they are a nonprofit that his employees should be willing to work for "the cause," and not get paid market value for the talent and work they bring to the table. He has great expectations of his employees and they are given the margin and latitude to make decisions in order to meet those expectations. Having audited many nonprofit organizations while working in public accounting, I can tell you this isn't the norm. Many of these organizations feel that either their hands are tied or they simply can't afford to pay employees what they could make in the same position at a for profit company. Souls4Soles simply refuses to operate this way.
The best thing, however, that I got out of the book is Mr. Elsey's love for people. His attitude toward making a difference in the world shines throughout the entire book. You really get the sense that he believes he is on this earth for one purpose, to give shoes to the shoeless. From the background of him leaving an executive position in corporate America to the stories of him going to as many shoe distributions as he can around the world, his care for this cause is evident.
If you run or work at a nonprofit this book is a must read. If you work for a company, run your own business, or have any interest in business leadership, this book is for you as well. It is a very well written easy to read book with a great message.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
One Word for 2011
As I was making my list of goals for 2011 I started to see a theme. It wasn't a theme of certain activities, but a theme of what I wanted out of many of the activities on my list. Because of this theme, I decided it would be my word for the year. Now I realize I'm a little late to this party, but my word for 2011 is consistent. That's what I want to be throughout 2011, more consistent. I don't mean in one area or another. I mean in everything I do. I want to be consistent in reading the Bible, consistent in prayer, consistent in improving my marriage, consistent in being a dad, consistent in fostering important relationships, consistent in learning, consistent in blogging, consistent in...you get the point. So that's it. My word for the year. Now I just need some of you to help me maintain my consistency.
What about you? Have you ever come up with a word for the year? If so, what is it?
What about you? Have you ever come up with a word for the year? If so, what is it?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Since We Last Met...
...we've moved all furniture in (except a chair at the Teller's and some odds and ends at the Hood's and Bryant's); we built and hung the top cabinets, laid tile in the laundry room; put up our Christmas tree; and moved ourselves in. As you can tell we've been sort of busy. Below are two pictures of what the cabinets looked like this morning before we left for work. Today the counter tops are being installed, so I am sure the kitchen will look a lot different when I update again. We are really nearing the end of the major remodel/renovation. There are a few other things we want/need to do, but nothing to the extent of what we've done already. Hopefully in the near future I will do a series of before and after posts.
All bottom cabinets have been finished and the tops have been primed. We'll begin doors and drawers soon
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