The Meltdown

I work at home on Thursdays. This morning I was getting ready to begin my day when I heard my 11 year-old son throwing a temper tantrum downstairs. Apparently, we were out of milk and we didn't have enough of his favorite cereal. So, he decided that he didn't want to go to school this morning. It was not pretty.

I went downstairs and did my best to talk with him in a calm voice. When it was all said and done, he ended up losing out on electronics for the next 3 days. But, he ended up going to school. By the way, he also ended up not eating anything.

Some parents might think of this as cruel, but I want Robbie to know there are consequences to his actions, even if he is hungry for a few hours. Trust me when I tell you that I have a long way to go in my parenting skills, but I would rather have him face the consequences from me than from a judge (who doesn't love him like I do) in 10 years.

No matter where you are in your leadership, whether it be at work or at home, I think others want to be held accountable. I have found this especially true in the work place. There is nothing that can destroy an organization's morale faster than a leader who does not hold others accountable. This does nothing but upset the best workers.

I love my son very much, so much that I want him to learn what is best for him, therefore I hold him accountable. When you hold someone acountable you are not being mean-spirited, you are actually showing that person love.

Just Being There

Someone recently made a comment to me about the Ohio State Buckeyes' football team. They referred to them as the "Buffalo Bills" of college football. They are obviously referring to the fact that the Bills lost four straight Super Bowls and Ohio State has lost the last two National Championship games.

A friend of mine, Brian Keel puts out an incredible weekly devotional via email. His latest one addresses this topic in a great way. I hope you enjoy!

It’s been an interesting twelve month cycle for sports fans in Ohio. It all started in January of 2007 when the Ohio State Buckeyes laid a giant egg in the BCS football championship game. Ohio State then played the same Florida Gators in the final game of the NCAA basketball tournament, and lost. Then the Cleveland Cavaliers made an improbable run to the NBA finals, and lost. The Cleveland Indians made the American League Championship Series and came “this close”, but lost. To top off this incredible run of near misses, Ohio State returned to the BCS football championship game a few weeks ago…… and lost.

Hopefully you noticed that I said it was an interesting year, not a terrible year. No, no trophies were won, no banners were raised, and no parades were held. Even so it was a great time to be a fan. The entire season and postseason were relevant and exciting. Was it a success? Not by some standards I’m sure. But as I told more than one co-worker, “All I know is your team; the _______ weren’t even in the game!”

Psalm 84:10 says “better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere”. We might only get one brief mountaintop experience in our faith walk, like Peter, James and John experienced with Moses, Elijah and Jesus. I don’t anticipate a trophy, a banner or a parade at the end of my life. But being there that one time is enough! Enough to make it all worthwhile.

Listening Leadership

I'm a believer that you can learn things from anyone--even from your enemy. As a result, I am reading Bo Schembechler's book on leadership, Bo's Lasting Lessons: The Legendary Coach Teaches the Timeless Fundamentals of Leadership. Many of you know that I am a die-hard Buckeye, so this is a stretch for me--although it's not as difficult as you might think, because Bo actually started his career as an assistant to Woody Hayes at Ohio State.

In any event, last night I read something interesting. Bo shared how on Tuesdays and Wednesdays before a game, much of his time was spent in long meetings with his assistants devising a game plan for the coming game. He gave explicit instructions to his assistant that nobody could interrupt them, not even a phone call from the president of the university...or even the president of the United States!

There was one exception to this however. If any player, whether they were a star player or a lowly walk-on, came to see him, she was to interrupt the meeting immediately so that he could talk with them. He said, you need to take care of those on your team and when you do this they will play much harder for you.

This is impressive to me. I can see that I need to do a better job of this in many areas of my life, especially with those in my family. Thanks for the lesson Bo!

The 212 Degree Attitude

At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees it is boiling. Boiling water produces steam which can power a locomotive. That is all produced in that 1 degree.

How many of us go through life at 211 degrees rather than doing our best and breaking through to 212?

This short video gives some great insight into this truth--click here to watch.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working

for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

Under the Knife II

If you read yesterday, you know that I had minor surgery to repair an umbilical hernia. The procedure went well according to the doctor. Yesterday, once I got home, I was doing fairly well--in a little pain, but manageable.

This morning I got up and my pain level is up there higher than I anticipated.

Two things occurred to me about this.

First is a verse from Proverbs: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (16:18). I totally thought this was not going to be a big deal (my pride) but I have found it is a little more painful than I thought it would be (my fall).

Second, I thought about how I traded something that was a minor irritant (but one that would continue and probably get worse over time) for something a little more painful (but would be temporary). I traded more pain for a short while to remove a little pain for a long while.

This is a metaphor for life and changes we need to make in our lives. Things we don't want to give up but we know we should can be viewed as minor irritants. You know what they are, you might say something like this about them, "It doesn't hurt anyone" or "I'm an adult and I can do whatever I want" or "This is just the way I was made and I can't change."

Whatever it might be, change of any type is difficult and painful in some way. However, just like my surgery, it is a choice to accept a little more pain in the short term for much greater gain in the long term. If it is a change to line up with God's Word, you can be assured it is ALWAYS worth it!

Under the Knife

I had surgery this morning to repair a hernia. The cool part of this was the fact that two of my nurses attend the same church I do. While Barb and Lisa were helping me, I was struck by the fact that they were both serving me, similar to the way Christ served others.

We talk a lot at CrossRoads about the fact that our workplace is really our mission field--which is so true. It was awesome for me to be able to see that in action today!

Thanks Barb and Lisa.

The Art of Waiting

I am not good at waiting. I naturally want to "make things happen." This can be a strength at times and a huge weakness at other times. I know this is an area God is working on in me.

That is probably why I thought so highly of this article written by Robert Tamasy which was recently sent to me:

Observing that today’s business and professional world is fast-paced is as profound as declaring that a horse has four legs. So what else is new? But the pace of the work world, even over the past two decades, has accelerated at a rate that none of us could ever have imagined.

In the 1980s, overnight mail and facsimile machines dramatically speeded up communications. Instead of waiting days to receive important letters and contracts, we could send them to be received the next day – or even within minutes. Over the years that followed, the Internet, voice mail, electronic mail and text messaging made many uses for overnight mail and faxes obsolete. Communication became instantaneous. Why wait, we thought, when we can have what we need immediately?

These advances, in many ways, have provided great benefits. Few of us would wish to return to days when we had to exercise extreme patience anticipating the arrival of urgent documents, correspondence and other forms of communication to arrive. However, our increasingly “instant society” is rapidly depriving us of a unique life skill – the art of waiting.

Today it seems we must do everything in a hurry, even when we are not sure why. Everyone is busy, everyone is in a rush – therefore, we must do the same. But there is a certain virtue in waiting, something that we cannot achieve by attempting to compress time.

For example, fine wines are fermented over years. An exquisite meal cannot be produced in a microwave oven. Strong, stately trees do not grow overnight. A beautiful painting cannot be created within minutes with a few splashes of paint. And qualities we find in the best leaders and those we admire the most are not achieved in a matter of moments. Character – commitment to high, noble attributes and values of humankind – is forged over a lifetime. Perhaps this is why one of the world’s oldest and most enduring books, the Bible, speaks so often about the necessity – and value – of waiting. Consider just a sampling of what it says on this topic:

Waiting patiently results in the expectation of success. In the work world we are action-oriented. “Do something, even if it’s wrong!” seems our battle cry. Yet sometimes the best thing to do, particularly in times of crisis and uncertainty, is to wait, taking time to evaluate the proper course of action. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…those that hope in the Lord will inherit the land…. Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land…” (Psalm 37:7, 9, 34).

Waiting provides time for problems to become resolved satisfactorily. When things go wrong, we often seek to take matters into our own hands and attempt to fix them. Often, however, adverse situations are outside of our control. At such times it is usually wise to wait for proper resolution. “For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18).

Waiting helps us renew our energy and internal resources. Even when we feel tired, when every ounce of energy seems depleted, we often press on in the face of challenges. Sometimes taking the necessary time and recharge our internal batteries will enable us to proceed more productively and effectively. “…But those that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Leading By Example

One of my favorite Ohio State Buckeye sites is Bucknuts.com. Jerry Rudzinski, a former Buckeye player writes a column every now and then. Recently he wrote about James Laurinaitis, the talented Junior linebacker for the Buckeyes. Last week James made the decision to pass up millions of dollars in the NFL to stay in school for his Senior season.

Accountability and credibility. That is what makes a great captain. James lives both accountability and credibility. As a captain addresses the team and states “team” and “sacrifice” and “unselfishness” and a death-to-self attitude, you want somebody accountable to those words. James led by actions (see Butkus Award), but he also vocally guided the Buckeyes to yet another Big Ten Championship. It is not lip service when he asks for a team-first mentality.

If that guy is captain of my team, you bet I am working my tail off to contribute everyway possible. Laurinaitis did not take the natural path to the riches of the NFL. Even Coach Tressel publicly commented that it made sense for guys like James to leave early.

Think about the situation this offseason – “I am a sophomore for the Buckeyes. It is 90 degrees outside in mid-July. We have to run gassers after a tough lift. James is running right next to me. He won the Butkus. He won Big Ten Championships. He has played in two straight National Championship games. By the way, he just turned down literally tens of millions of dollars to come back for this 2008 season. Gee, do you think I should make my times or should I quit and just go through the motions because I’m so tired?”

I’d really like to see the guy that could look James in the eye during the next 12 months after not giving it everything they had.

Isn't that true? James Laurinaitis will have a big impact on others simply because of his presence. He has shown an unselfishness in this decision. He has shown he cares about his teammates. He has shown he wants to work hard so the team can have success. He has shown how to be a solid citizen and how to love the Lord during this process (He said that he leaned on the Lord to help him with this decision). He is truly a leader--one who leads by example.

Everyone Lies At Least Four Times A Day

LONDON — Far from being exclusive to hangover sufferers excusing themselves from work, being economic with the truth appears to be a way of life for just about everyone.

Each of us, according to a new survey by a British beverage firm, will tell an average total of 88,000 lies over the course of our lives.

According to the firm's poll of 2,500 men and women, "Nothing is wrong, I'm fine" tops what it says is a lengthy list of common lies.

That's 1,460 untruths a year or more than four in every day of an average, 60-year adult lifetime.

Other favorites include, "No, your bottom doesn't look big in that," to a wife or girlfriend; "Of course I love you," to a boring spouse or partner; and "This tastes delicious."

To read the rest of the article click here.

When I read the headline of this article, I said, "Well that doesn't apply to me." Then when I read the article, I said, "Maybe it does. I do tell white lies from time to time."

So what do you think about telling "white" lies? Is this OK? If so, under what circumstances is it acceptable?

Integrity

A minister told his congregation, "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17."

The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went p.

The minister smiled and said, "Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."

This is pretty humorous because we can see the truth in it in ourselves and in others we know. We all have told a "white lie" or "stretched the truth" before. So what's the big deal?

One of the core traits that most people look for in a leader is honesty and integrity. In a survey run by Ajilon Professional Staffing, they discovered that honesty and integrity were far ahead of any other traits desired in a leader.

I have heard it said that one way to describe integrity is who you are when no one is looking. So how is your integrity?

Prayer At Work

Last night at church I was talking with Steve who told me about a tough situation he has been having at work. It seems his boss is somewhat of a tyrant and is making their work environment very unhealthy.

This is something I can definitely relate to (If you don't know why, see Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders).

Anyway, Steve mentioned he was seriously considering quitting. He then decided months ago to spend some quiet time with God to see if He would provide some direction to him. Steve said he felt God was telling him to stick it out and be a positive influence. So that's what he did.

He went to work and gathered other Christians and they began a regular time of prayer for their boss. He said it has been amazing what has happened. Over the past four months his boss has started to come around and has even apologized to him!

What a great testimony! Thanks for your example Steve!

The Dash

Several months ago I wrote in my monthly Bleedership newsletter about our dash--that time between our birth and our death and how we choose to spend it. This is what I wrote:

I read something somewhere that really stuck with me. It was a story about a man who had a revelation while sitting in a cemetery where a loved one was buried. He looked around at all the tomb stones and he noticed how each one was very similar.

Each marker told a story. It told the person’s name, their date of birth and their date of death. Some even had a brief sentence such as “A loving husband and father” which inadequately tried to describe the life of that person.

The man began to think of all the untold stories contained in each tomb stone. They each told of the beginning (date of birth) followed by a dash and then the end for that person on earth; however, what happened in between? The man thought, what was in that dash for each of these people?

Then it hit him. We all are living in our dash right now! That little line, that seemingly insignificant hyphen is our very significant life.

So, how is your dash looking? Are you truly living a life worth living in that little line between your birth date and your date of death? Remember – it is your choice!

The reason I bring this up is that two different friends sent me a link to a three minute movie that talks about this very subject. I hope you enjoy! Click here.

Decision Making

Have you ever had a tough decision to make? Has it been easy to do? If you are like me the answer is "no." I sometimes struggle with little decisions.

One of my favorite speakers, Zig Ziglar shared some great advice on how he makes decisions:

If you find it difficult to make decisions, or you worry that your decisions are not good decisions, or you lack the confidence to make decisions in a timely manner . . . you're not alone! Many people express their concerns about their decision-making abilities. But if you ask them, "What's your routine for making decisions?" they often will tell you they don't have one. Truthfully they do, but they don't recognize it, or they don't like it. Their decisions are based on SOMETHING, and if they stop and think about it they'll discover what it is. However, it's much better to purposefully and thoughtfully develop your decision-making system, and then follow it whenever you need to make decisions.

If you ask Zig Ziglar how he makes decisions, he'll tell you that he follows some basic rules. Here they are, in his own words:

1. If I'm really tired, I don't make significant decisions (except in emergencies).

2. If someone is pressing me to decide something "right now," unless an immediate decision is critical, I say, "If I have to decide now, the answer is no. After I have had a chance to catch my breath and review the facts, there's the possibility it could be yes." Then I put the ball back in his or her court and ask, "Do you want my decision now, or should we wait?"

3. I like to determine the maximum benefit of a decision, assuming that everything goes my way. Then I ask, "Suppose nothing goes my way? Suppose this doesn't develop and materialize as I expect it to? What is my maximum exposure? What would I lose?"

4. For significant business-related decisions, I run them past my advisors. These people are successful in their businesses and professions and have a considerable amount of knowledge, experience, and wisdom, all of which are musts in the decision-making process. I get their advice and follow their recommendations, with good results in most cases. If the decision is too minor to involve my advisors but I still want input, I get my family together to look at the pros and cons.

5. I like to pray about my decisions. I ask God to help me see the truth of my motives and to lead me in the way I should go. If I'm about to make an unwise decision, I simply don't have peace about that decision, and I consequently act on that feeling of unease. I ask myself, "How will this decision affect all the areas of my life--personal, family, career, financial, physical, mental and spiritual?" Obviously, not all decisions affect all areas, but if the decision involves a financial reward but also carries considerable family sacrifice, for example, I think carefully as to whether what I give up is compensated for by what I gain. One final note: Prioritize your decisions. Some are more urgent than others!

New Year's Resolutions

How are you doing with your New Year's resolution? A friend of mine sent this to me regarding some great thoughts and goals for the upcoming year. You don't even have to wait until January 1 of next year to do these, you can do them now!

1.) Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate antidepressant.
2.) Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3.) Buy a Tivo (DVR), tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4.) When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to________today.'
5.) Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6.) Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did last year.
7.) Always pray and make time to exercise.
8.) Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6 (six)
9.) Dream more while you are awake.
10.) Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.
11.) Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12.) Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13.) Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14.) Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15.) Realize that life is a school and that you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class.......but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16.) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17.) Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18.) Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19.) Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20.) Don't take your self so seriously. No one else does.
21.) You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22.) Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
23.) Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24.) Ladies - Go on and burn those 'special' scented candles, use the 600 thread count sheets, the good china and wear your fancy lingerie now. Stop waiting for a special occasion. Everyday is special.
25.) No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26.) Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
27.) Forgive everyone for everything.
28.) What other people think of you is none of your business.
29.) Time heals almost everything. Give time, time!
30.) However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31.) Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch with them.
32.) Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
33.) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. God provides remember?
34.) The best is yet to come.
35.) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
36.) Do the right thing!
37.) Call your family often.
38.) Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: 'I am thankful for __________.' Today I accomplished _________.39.) Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40.) Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

Great advice!

Good Boss, Bad Boss. Which Are You?

Those of you who have read my book, Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders know that I had a very difficult boss. As a result of that experience, my radar is finely tuned to pick up examples of other "bad bosses" or tips on how to avoid being a bad boss.

A NY Times article got my attention with their headline, "Good Boss, Bad Boss. Which Are You?"

According to the article, to find out how good — or bad — a boss you are, the National Federation of Independent Business, a small business advocacy group, suggests asking yourself these questions:

1. Have you ever publicly criticized an employee?
2. Do you take credit for your employees’ work?
3. Do your employees fear you?
4. Do you expect employees to do what you tell them without question?
5. Do you believe employees should know what to do without you telling them or providing guidelines?
6. Are you a yeller?
7. Do you demean employees as a form of punishment?
8. Do you play favorites?
9. Do you hate delegating?
10. Do you check everyone’s work?

According to the answer key, the more “yes” answers, the greater the likelihood you are a bad boss.

So how do you score?

I'm Sorry

This morning I had a breakfast meeting. I am working in my home office today so I came home after my meeting just before my son, Robbie was getting on the bus for school. He came to me and gave me a big hug and said "I'm sorry." I asked him what he was sorry for and he said, "for they way I acted yesterday." (He had done some things yesterday that required us to remove some privileges from him for a few days.)

I told him I forgave him. But for some reason I was deeply touched. The hug felt great but I think I was really moved by the way he said he was sorry. I could tell he really meant it--that he was showing humility.

Humility is also a great trait for a leader to have. Robbie's apology reminded me that one of the greatest things a leader can say is "I'm sorry" or "I was wrong."

Playing To An Audience Of One

I have to admit, one of the things I am most disappointed about in Ohio State's second consecutive title game loss is the perception they have nationally. I am sick and tired of hearing how inferior Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten Conference is based on two games.

Pat Forde of ESPN actually wrote that should Ohio State qualify for the game next year, they should be banned (read article here).

I am also hearing criticism of Coach Jim Tressel, even from some Buckeye fans. This is a guy who is 30-3 in has last 33 games. That is remarkable. In addition, his top ranked team last year faced 3 #2 ranked teams in the same season (never done before in college football) and won two of those games. Coach Tressel definitely has this team in the right position.

In fact, this years team was picked by most "experts" to finish fourth in the Big Ten! They lose very few seniors so the future is very bright. Leadership is key and that is what Coach Tressel has brought, Christ-centered leadership--and the Buckeye nation is better for it.

As for the nay-sayers. Let 'em keep yapping. If you are doing the right things and pleasing God (and I believe Coach Tressel is), you can't worry about what others say.

Dissapointment in the Bayou

Much to my chagrin, the Buckeyes were drilled again in the BCS Championship game. However, this year, they played much better, out gaining the LSU Tigers; however, penalties and turnovers killed Ohio State and LSU took advantage and made plays when they had to.

This morning I kept replaying plays over in my head and saying, "If only we wouldn't had that penalty. If only we would have caught that ball. If only we would have blocked that punt rather than roughing their kicker..."

If only. Life is full of if onlys. But that's life. We must play with the hand we are dealt and make the best of it. And that's what it appears the Buckeyes are doing.

OSU linebacker Marcus Freeman had this to say, "There were a lot of mistakes and a lot of penalties that occurred that definitely hurt this football team, but take nothing from LSU, they were doing a great job of what they were doing today." No excuses, just telling it like it is.

In any event, it sure is good to be a Buckeye!

Leading By Example

I wrote last time about a coach who is a great role model--someone who really leads by example, Jim Tressel. Another coach who was also very successful and also led his team by example was John Wooden, the great basketball coach from UCLA. He is perhaps the most successful coach ever and one of the reasons was the way he led.

Here are some words of wisdom from his book, Coach Wooden One on One:

I began smoking during World War II. I'd quit during basketball season—stopping on my birthday in October and starting again when the season ended. I never smoked in front of the boys. I finally quit to improve my example. I was convicted. I couldn't expect my players not to do what I was doing.

A leader's most powerful ally is his own example. There's hypocrisy to the phrase "Do as I say, not as I do." I refused to make demands on my boys that I wasn't willing to live out in my own life. Hypocrisy undermines respect, and if people don't respect you, they won't willingly follow you. One of my players complimented me greatly when he said, "Coach, you walked the talk."

Do you walk the talk?

Calm Leadership

One of the chapter titles in my book, Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders is "Calm Leadership." No one I know of exhibits calm leadership better than Jim Tressel, head football coach at Ohio State.

In a reprint of an article in the Columbus Dispatch, I read this comment made by Doug Datish, a starting offensive lineman on last year's team:

"I don't know if it takes any pressure off, but I think it gives us that sense of--being able to watch him and learn from him over these past five years, it is something I admire about him and try to do myself, and I think other guys on the team try to do the same thing. And I think as you see him exuding that type of confidence and that calm he has about him, it is really something to marvel at, and something that really helps you out."

When you you as a leader act calm in the midst of a storm, it helps the whole team. I sure hope that is the case Monday night! Go Bucks!

Swimming In Jello

A couple of days ago I was driving my 11 year-old son, Robbie and a friend of his over to his friend's house. Out of nowhere, my son said, "I think it would be really cool to swim in jello."

Of course I laughed at such a thought. It was silly and not relevant to anything we were talking about. But there was something fun about thinking about swimming in jello.

Then I thought about his comment. Why don't I think of things like this anymore? Why don't other adults? Then I remembered that Jesus instructed us to have childlike faith.

But what does that mean?

To me it means to live a life with joy, enjoying each and every moment and looking for ways to make any situation fun or finding the good in all circumstances. It means to trust God even though you don't know how He is going to do something--kind of the way a child trusts his mother or father to care for them.

A great reminder for me. Thanks for the lesson Robbie!

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:15

Living Within Your Means

It was revealed recently in a story in Christian Business Daily that a 78 year-old man in Pennsylvania is a multimillionaire. That normally wouldn't be big news except his story is a little different. He never made more than $11 per hour and he has not received any inheritances or large gifts. In addition, he has recently made a couple of large charitable gifts.

He has simply done this by living below his means. So different from the rest of the world. I say, "Good for him!"

Not only has he lived beneath his means, I'll bet he never complained about "only" making $11 per hour. The article said he always worked hard. He could have complained and spent all his money but he quietly saved and did his best. I don't know where this man is in his faith journey, but I do know that he is a great example to many.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2