Bless You!

Did you ever wonder how the custom of saying "Bless you!" to someone who just sneezed began? Have you ever thought about what a blessing really is? Ever wondered how you could bless others?

I received an excerpt from a book called May You Be Blessed by Kate Nowak that I wanted to share:

It happened a few days after my father's death, in that mind-numbing period of adjustment after someone we love leaves us. Having gone shopping for necessities for my trip back to my own home, I was standing in an otherwise empty aisle of a large chain store when suddenly I sneezed, the last vestiges of an allergy attack I'd fought earlier in the week.

Almost instantly, from the next aisle over I heard a voice call out, "Bless you," and then another, and another, and yet another. All in all, in the span of only a few seconds, I counted eleven different voices coming from every possible direction in the store, some saying "God bless you," others using the word "gezundheit," but all blessing me, all calling good down upon me.

At first I thought little of it. After all the idea of blessing someone when they sneeze is rooted in superstition, an archaic belief that in the act of sneezing the soul is thrown from the body, and a blessing is needed for spiritual protection.

Today, it is usually offered as no more than a courtesy, a polite response that has come to be socially accepted and expected. But on that particular day, in the first few moments following all those blessings being called out to me, I began to notice a difference in myself: A slight shift in perception that left me feeling more connected and empowered than I had in days. It also left me, for the first time since my father's passing, more confident that everything would be all right.

Driving back to my father's house that day, I continued periodic "feelings" checks, marveling at how much stronger I felt. Later, sitting in my parent's kitchen for what would be one of the last times, I recounted the story to my stepmother. "Do you think any of them realized what they were saying?" she asked. "Or was it just out of habit?"

"Just habit," I answered with a shrug, thinking about what a shame it was that people could give such a needed gift as a blessing and not even be aware of what they had done. "It should be a habit, this business of blessing others," I said a moment later. "But it would be nice if people actually knew they could and were making a difference."

A seed was planted that day and two years later it sprouted, awakening me one morning to a gentle soul-whisper that poured forth as the words of a special blessing. Feeling compelled to take pen and paper from my nightstand, I prodded myself into full wakefulness and then sat on the edge of the bed, like a secretary poised for dictation, pen ready to capture each syllable as the inspired words flowed into my awareness.

Because of the power of the internet, those words have since been sent across the planet and read by millions, and as a result, I have received thousands of letters from people telling me how May You Be Blessed has impacted their lives. And in each and every instance I have found myself blessed in return.

I have often wondered since if my newfound work as a dispatcher of blessings is the result of a serendipitous accident that placed me in a crowded store on a day when I was both prone to sneeze, and to listen to subtle nudges from the heart. Or was it, perhaps, that my father's gentle spirit was present that day, inspiring others to offer blessings so that I might be lifted up?

Of course, it is a question I cannot answer, but I do know that since that time my life has changed remarkably. Each day is now entirely centered on the act of blessing and I have come to recognize it not only as one of the most powerful and practical ways we have for reconnecting with each other, our world and Life itself, but also the most phenomenal way possible to lead us to happiness and success. It is a discovery I now endeavor daily to share with all.

A blessing, I have come to realize, is a sweet release from pain; a sacred reminder that we are made of love and light and goodness and, as such, part of a greater and most wondrous whole. It is an ancient key to a successful and fulfilling life.

Today, whenever I share with others this phenomenal key, explaining how, as we each develop the habit of blessing others we are blessing our own lives, as well, I feel as if I have been given a wonderful gift. I realize once again how truly blessed I am. It is my hope that as you read this book and allow the words of this blessing to enter your heart, you will be blessed in return. I could not ask for anything sweeter to my soul than that.

You Know You're A Bad Boss When...

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant? as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." (Matthew 20:26-28)

This morning in a devotional I read the above verse. Then I read a fun article in the Syracuse Post-Standard that shared in a Jeff Foxworthy-like manner, ways in which you know you’re a bad boss.

I found it interesting how almost each of their points that showed you to be a bad boss showed the opposite of servant-hood. See if you agree:

You know you're a bad boss:

If you prefer to email your employees rather than face to face meetings, even though your office is within 10 feet of their desk.......you just might be a bad boss.

If you treat your employees like your 12 year old daughter, you are definitely a bad boss.

If you believe that your way is the only way a job can be done, you're a bad boss.

If you observe your employees sharing the phone number of a good employment attorney, you might be a bad boss.

If you copy and paste text from last year's performance appraisal into this year's, you're most assuredly a bad boss.

If your employee cuts and pastes your picture into a cartoon with hunting trophies on the wall, you just might be a bad boss.

If you see a copy of "How to work for a J3rk" on your employee's desk, you might be a bad boss.

If your employees have a mirror on their desk to make sure they see you approaching, you are likely a bad boss.

If you have an "open door" policy, but your office is usually empty, you're a bad boss.

If you leave to play golf at 3, but write someone else up for doing the very same thing, you're a bad boss.

If you have ever been quoted "if you don't like it, become familiar with the words "you want fries with that", you just might be a bad boss.

If you have ever referred to your employees as "worker bees" you're a bad boss.

If you want to read about a terrible boss I had that led to something really cool, go here.

GTG

A friend of mine named Stu uses a phrase with me and others regularly, "Glory to God!" He even signs his emails and notes with "GTG" at the bottom.

Some may find this strange, but if you know Stu, he means it. He is a great example.

I witnessed some other great of examples of this over the weekend at the Passion Conference Molly and I attended in Atlanta.

It seemed that every time after Louie Giglio or Francis Chan spoke, they would get off the stage somehow before the crowd could applaud for them. They did not want the adoration and the applause because they wanted it to go to God.

The Chris Tomlin Band, David Crowder Band and Charlie Hall's band were the same way. The spotlights would go off of them at the end of their songs so that the focus and applause was not on them. Very cool.

I have to admit I am one who likes applause. When I was growing up, I liked being praised more by my parents than corrected. When I played basketball, I certainly liked hearing claps rather than boos. When I write or speak, I like to hear that people liked what I had to say. This saddens me but it is true. That is why Stu's example and the things I witnessed this weekend were so powerful to me.

26:8

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for you;

Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26:8

We returned yesterday from Atlanta where we attended the Passion Conference. Passion is a movement started by Louie Giglio to minister to college students. These conferences are all about developing leaders within that age group. We were with 9,500 mostly college-age kids (see picture above). Yes, I felt really old, but the conference was incredible!

At the beginning of the weekend, they mentioned that Isaiah 26:8 (shown above) has been and will continue to be the inspiration behind Passion. They exist to make Jesus famous.

Wow! A pretty simple statement, but what a great mission statement! They exist to make Jesus famous.

I have really been thinking a lot about this all weekend. I thought about all the times I have done things for other reasons, especially to please myself (which is most of the time!). I am going to try to keep this mission statement at the forefront of all I do.

Will you join me in doing this yourself? What would happen if we lived our lives with that singleness of purpose, to make Jesus famous? What would happen if we did this in all areas of our life, even at work? We could change the world!

Father Daughter Trip

Today, my 17 year-old daughter Molly and I, along with friends Bruce and Alana are heading for Atlanta for the Passion Conference.

Passion is a college student ministry started by Louie Giglio. He and Francis Chan are scheduled to speak and Chris Tomlin and the David Crowder Band are the musicians.

I am very excited. I’m not sure Molly feels exactly the same way. However, I am praying and believing for God to “rattle our cages” and to draw us near to Him and to each other!

Common Sense

Don't you love it when you see people use common sense? It is extra special when you can see a leader use it in an arena where it is usually lacking...in politics. Some may read the following article and cringe. Don't get me wrong, I am not necessarily condoning all of his actions. I am not for inhumane treatment of people, even prisoners. However, I believe this man is doing some things right and he is definitely using common sense! Read this story about Sheriff Joe which was recently emailed to me:

Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.

The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior.

They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million.

Teresa and I adopted a Weimeraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.

The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.

I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas.

He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.

Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.

Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a "Git-R Dun" kind of Sheriff.

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY: Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona) who created the "Tent City Jail": He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them. He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights Cut off all but "G" movies.

He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get Sued For Discrimination. He took away cable TV Until he found out there was a Federal Court Order that Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel.When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot Its Gonna Be While They Are Working ON My Chain Gangs. He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value. When the inmates complained, he told them, "This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton...If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back." He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails.

When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in His jails in the first place.

More On The Arizona Sheriff: With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports: About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees Inside The Week Before.

Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS. "It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace," Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. "It's Inhumane."

Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: "Its 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Damned Mouths!"

Way To Go, Sheriff!

Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.

Pride Before The Fall

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18

Pride. It is something that I admit I have an issue with.

Others seem to as well.

I am a Detroit Tigers fan. I have been since I was very young. My grampa would pick me up several times each summer to head up to Tiger Stadium to watch the "boys of summer." It was great fun.

That was in the early '70s and they were pretty good back then. From that point on I was hooked. Then I lived through some very tough years. Until their great year in 1984, it seemed like we weren't out of April and I would already be saying, "Wait till next year!"

So when the Tigers are contenders that is exciting.

This past off-season, the Tigers' front office made some brilliant moves and acquired some all-star players to bolster their already talented team. Most experts were predicting them to contend for the World Series and some were even saying they were the best team in baseball.

I, along with other Tigers' fans, was excited.

We are now 7 games into the season. The Tigers still have a very talented lineup, in fact they have the second highest payroll in all of baseball behind the Yankees. However, the Tigers are the only team in baseball without a win.

0-7. Pitiful.

I think the Tigers may have been reading their press clippings. Once again, another example of the pride before the fall which is a great example for all of us.

Are You An Adder Or A Subtractor?

I am on the Christian Emphasis Committee at my local YMCA. We had our monthly meeting yesterday afternoon. Doug, our chairman led the meeting off with something he read in a book from John Maxwell.

According to Maxwell, those who build others up, who encourage people and make others better can be called "adders." They add to the lives of others.

I like that term, "adders."

Taking a look on the opposite side of the fence, I suppose those who make excuses, who don't keep their commitments and talk poorly of others could be called "subtractors." They take away from the lives of others.

So are you going to be an adder or a subtractor today?

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Integrity and Getting Ahead

On Friday I talked about integrity in leadership and referenced an article I had just read. Well, I failed to mention something very interesting. The article also had this to say:

For twenty years, Chinese researchers sought to understand why the United States was the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world. They analyzed all aspects of the United States, including its political, economic, monetary, and social systems. The researchers concluded that the United States was the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world because of its Christian values. (See Gleanings from April 2007; http://strategieswork.com/publications/gleanings/2007/2007-04.htm.)

As stunning as this conclusion is, it is even more impressive when you realize that the conclusion was reached by atheists.

Is that cool or what? Sometimes it is hard to act with integrity, especially when you see others without it getting ahead. It's very nice to actually see something like this which proves what we know deep down, that the true way to get ahead is by acting with integrity and other Christian values.

Leadership With Integrity

This morning in my men's group, we did a Bible study on integrity and its importance in leadership. We had some incredible discussion and I hope we were transformed.

When I got to my office, I read an article that talked about calling evil good in the workplace. It talked about seven of the ways we do this today:

1. Greed is good. This is a famous statement from the movie Wall Street. The sentiment expressed is that money is the bottom line and therefore the driving agenda of business. Even though we should be good stewards and make a profit, ultimately success—from a biblical worldview—is not denominated in monetary terms, but in the degree of alignment with the will of God (John 17:4; James 4:13–17).

2. Lying is an acceptable tactical tool. A study found that 93 percent of workers use lying as a tactical tool to accomplish their objectives. This means that truth is subordinated to results or, as is commonly stated, that the end justifies the means. John 8:32 states that the truth sets us free from the bondage of sin. Given this reality, the opposite must be true, namely, that lies put us into bondage to sin. A person in bondage to sin will not prosper (Psalms 1).

3. Pride is a sign of strength. A popularly regarded teaching is to never apologize because that would be a sign of weakness. Pride was the original sin of Satan and of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The opposite of pride is humility. When the question was posed, What does the Lord require of man? one of the key virtues was humility (Micah 6:8).

4. Cheating on expense reports is a perk. Most companies reimburse employees for expenses incurred during the course of business. Many employees discern how closely these reports are monitored and take the liberty to fudge and pocket a little extra cash. This practice is an injustice to companies and is an example of unjust weights and measures that God detests (Proverbs 20:10).

5. Deception is a competitive advantage. In an aggressive workplace, it seems that everyone is looking for a competitive advantage. For those who believe that values can be compromised for the sake of profit, truth is frequently sacrificed. Solomon exhorts us to buy truth and to not sell it, which means that truth is to be highly valued and not to be compromised. (Proverbs 23:23)

6. Stealing is an entitlement. Most workers view companies as wealthy and stingy. In other words, workers many times assume that companies make a lot of money but fail to properly compensate their workers. Hence, these workers feel entitled to rectify this inequity by stealing. Worker theft includes stealing company resources, failing to properly use time, and failing to develop and utilize talents. In addition, workers steal whenever they place personal agendas ahead of the organization's interests (Titus 2:9–10).

7. Self-centeredness is self-protection. Another common assumption of workers today is that "no one is looking out for me so I have to look out for myself." This creates a narcissistic environment in companies, which is counterproductive. To perform well, a company must function as a team, which requires selflessness, not self-centeredness, on the part of the workers (Matthew 16:24; 1 Corinthians 12).

Why do we do this? Why do we try to justify evil behavior and make it "not so bad?"

In our discussion this morning we talked about how almost all of us do this in one way or another. The topic of the speed limit came up and I think every one of us in the group squirmed in our seat and admitted that we speed from time to time ("But everyone else is doing it...").

From a Biblical perspective, sin is sin. Though speeding is more acceptable than say, adultery; in God's eyes, it is still sin.

Can I be honest with you? I think this stinks.

It sure would be easier if God would give us a sliding scale on the severity of our sins. Then I wouldn't feel so much like a sinner.

If that were the case though, I would probably feel like I don't need God as much as I do. Thankfully God knows what He's doing!

Workplace Bullies

Did you see this? The senate democrats have introduced a bill to outlaw bullying of workers by bosses in the workplace. (To read the article, click here).

My first reaction is that this can't possibly work. How will they determine what bullying is? Where will they draw the line? To me, any legislation like this would be a very slippery slope that would eventually hurt businesses.

Before you think I am pro-bullying, you must know that I suffered at the hands of a workplace bully for over a year and a half. In fact, it was so bad it led me to write Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders.

I am anything but pro-bullying. I am just not a believer in government trying to fix things like this as I believe that creates more problems.

I am a firm believer that as leaders, we need to follow the ways of the great leaders of the Bible. The likes of Jesus, Moses, David, Joseph and Paul (and many others) can teach us much.

The fact that this legislation is even being discussed is sad. But it indicates there is a definite need for leaders to lead in a godly way.

Passion

Lombardi. It is a name that means a lot of things to a lot of people. One trait of Vince Lombardi that most would agree with is passion. While he was coaching, I was too young to be a true fan of the game but I have read a lot of neat stuff about Vince Lombardi.

Someone recently sent me this excerpt from a book, What it Takes to be #1 written by Lombardi and his son, Vince Jr.

Zeal and passion are emotions that move you. My father was once described by the late New York Giants owner, Wel Mara, as having, "The zeal of a missionary." And although the Packers held a special place in his heart, my father's passion and enthusiasm extended into all corners of his life. He could get excited about dinner at a good restaurant, a sunset, Christmas with family, and especially, a game of golf.

His passion overflowed. It was an enthusiasm that could be neither corralled nor fended off. "If you said 'good morning' to him the right way," said a friend, "you could bring tears to his eyes." His emotional ups and downs as an assistant coach with the Giants earned him the nickname, "Mr. Hi-Lo." A fellow coach once chided him for working up a lather over what seemed to be a minor football matter.

Lombardi said in response, "If you can't get emotional about what you believe in your heart, you're in the wrong business."

My father laughed and he cried. He communicated with every emotional tool at his disposal. "I've got all the emotions in excess," he said "and a hair trigger controls them." Spontaneity was the saving grace for this hair-trigger personality. My father could yell at a player and five minutes later honestly couldn't remember who he yelled at or why. People understood this and forgave him the excesses of his passion. Coach Lombardi never allowed his passion – and here we're talking about his anger – to become personal.

Passion and enthusiasm are the seeds of achievement. Enthusiasm is like an ocean tide, there's a certain inevitability about it. Zeal sweeps obstacles away. To motivate people, there must be a spark, some juice, desire, zeal, inspiration. It's rough to be a leader if you can't energize yourself, and then your people. They need to be able to tap into your emotional energy – and you need to be able to tap into theirs.

It's called passion today. In my father's day, it was called "emotion." No matter what you choose to call it, I doubt you could find someone who was as passionate – and this is important – as effective, as my father. Having a plan is important, but along with a plan there must be a hunger, and a zeal to achieve the vision.

Few of us are inherently enthusiastic. Even Vince Lombardi had to give himself an occasional pep-talk. For most of us, the passion to achieve, to be first, must be stoked. Every day you've got to lay on some kindling, strike a match and fan the flames of passion and zeal.
This quote from my father reflects his passion for everything he did...

"There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything. I do, and I demand that my players do."

I love what he said there. The only way to succeed is to give it everything. He didn't say this only applied to football. He said it applied to anything! Just like what Paul commands us in the following verse:

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

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

Embracing Adversity

On our trip last week, my 11 year-old son was digging in the sand and trying to keep the waves from washing away his creation. In order to do this, he tried to build a wall around his structure.

But each time a wave would come, it would wash away part of the wall. Nothing he could do could prevent this.

The thing that I noticed is that each time he built his wall, it would have jagged edges. And each time the wave came it would smooth out the rough spots and make it look a lot nicer.

If that isn’t a metaphor for life, I don’t know what is. I thought about the tough experiences I have gone through. It was during those times when I got better...when I grew.

I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "you can be bitter or better"-well it's true. Adversity can be like the waves of the ocean…it can smooth out our rough edges and make us better.

Action

Most of my family and I just returned from a great vacation in Cancun (my oldest daughter, Kristin had to remain home as she has a different break since she is in college).

Our flight home was on Saturday evening. While we were waiting to board, we were told over the PA system that our flight was delayed and it would be departing from a different gate. We began walking toward our new gate when we noticed a bunch of people gathered around someone on the ground.

When we were closer we noticed that some people were beginning to perform CPR on a man who was unconscious. Connie, my wife who is a nurse, immediately dropped her bags and went to his assistance. She didn’t hesitate at all.

As I observed, it was clear that she was an integral part of this man’s care. In addition, she was a great encouragement to his family as she hugged different family members and told them she would be praying for them.

The man began breathing so they put him on a stretcher and rushed him to an ambulance.

We don’t know how the man is faring, but I do know that I learned something from my wife that day. I saw the same thing she saw, someone in need of assistance. However, she acted and I just stood there.

It could have been that I really don’t know CPR and probably would have just been in the way. Or maybe I just didn’t want to be inconvenienced. I hope it is the first reason, but I think there is some of the latter in there as well.

I am very proud of my wife. She showed the love of Christ to people she doesn’t even know. In the process she taught me (and others I’m sure) something. Thanks Con for your great example!

Good Friday

Before I take off tomorrow for a week of R&R, on this Good Friday, I thought it would be appropriate to share a story that was just emailed to me which captures the magnitude of the amazing gift that has been presented to each of us. It's a little long, but I promise you it is worth the read.

As this story indicates, what we do with that gift is up to us.

Don't Leave It On The Desk

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major. Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I do about 200 every night." "200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time." "Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson. "Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor. Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."

Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class. Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?" Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.

And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?" Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then." Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr. Christianson said, "Look! This is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten. Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?" Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?" Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down. Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters.

Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?" Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you." Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit. With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten. Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

Easter

Easter…what a wonderful time of the year! Renewal is happening all around us with the trees beginning to bud. The grass will soon turn green again and the sound of birds chirping will fill the air. The greatest renewal; however, happened on the very first Easter. We have much reason to rejoice!

But why is Easter so early this year? I recently came across these Easter facts that I found interesting:

Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.

Here's the interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever observe the rest of our lives! **And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen Easter this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier!

Here are the facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

Saltiness

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor,

how shall it be seasoned? Matthew 5:13a

In the Toledo, Ohio area we have been hit with a large amount of snow and ice this winter. We have had so much that I've heard we are almost out of salt for de-icing the roads. Hopefully we won't need any more this year!

Salt not only is a good ice melter, but in Biblical times it was so valuable that it was often used as a form of money, exchanged for goods. We typically think of salt as a substance that adds flavor to foods, yet it can also be a great preservative and was used that way quite often years ago.

In the verse above, Jesus tells us to be the salt of the earth. So how can we do that? How can we add flavor and be a preservative? Can we do this at work?

If we can walk with Him and show others the joy in our heart (even at work), we will add much seasoning or flavor to the lives of others. Jesus came not only to give us everlasting life in heaven but to give us an abundant life here on earth. So let's act like it!

If we do as He commanded and love others as we would love ourselves, think about the influence we could have over those around us--we could be a preservative, so to speak, to the darkness of this world.

So let's get salty!

Simplification

This past weekend, my wife and I purged our closet which was very much overdue.

We filled 8 large garbage bags with clothes to take to the Lions' Den, a clothing store run by our local Lions Club. They are donating all of their proceeds in the month of April to some friends of ours who have been battling some serious health complications with their daughter and just received a bill from the hospital for over $4 million.

A couple of things became apparent to me during this chore. One, we are so incredibly blessed. Not only were we physically able to do this, but even though we got rid of all that stuff, our closet still is full - more organized, but still full. God has given us so much!

The other thing that hit me was how liberating it was to simplify my life, even in this simple way. It has gotten me thinking about how I can do the same sort of "purging" in other areas of my life.

Third, even though this was a task that we dreaded, it felt so good to be done with it. While procrastination makes us feel comfortable for the moment, in the long-term we are always better off when we push through that feeling of wanting to do nothing and do what we have been called to do.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Quick, what is the first thing you think of when you think of St. Patrick's Day?

If you answer like most people, you said, "shamrocks," "leprechauns" or maybe even "green beer."

If ever a holiday has been misunderstood, it is this one.

Did you know there really was a St. Patrick? There was.

Did you know that St. Patrick's Day is actually a Christian holiday? It is.

I challenge you to take this short quiz to learn more about St. Patty's Day.

Enjoy the day!

Be Still

I’m off this morning to Catawba Island for a day with God. Last December, I took my first spiritual retreat like this, just me and God, and it was incredible. He revealed some cool things to me and I felt His presence in a big-time way. I immediately scheduled my next one, which is today.

I am really seeking some direction from Him so I can’t wait to see what God has in store today!

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10a

Time Keeps On Tickin'

The Steve Miller Band sang, "Time keeps on tickin', tickin', tickin' into the future." Well it's true. No matter how much money each of us have...No matter how much we have to do...No matter what our job titles are, we ALL have 24 hours in a day. No more, no less.

That is why making the most of the time we have is so important.

Kirsty Dunphey recently wrote some great stuff regarding managing our time:

"Until you value yourself... you will not value your time; until you value your time... you will not do anything with it." - M. Scott Peck, Author

Time management, as anyone who works with me would know, is one of my big complaints, issues, concerns. It's also one of the most frequent things that people rate themselves lowest on in things like performance reviews.

Today I want to provide you with some simple tips to improve your time management, efficiency and productivity that work for me. Fingers crossed and there may be a few here that work for you too!

1. Eliminate these words from your vocabulary: "I don't have time." This one's a tough one, and although this is one of my aims I'll admit that sometimes they do slip out, but my aim is consistent - to eliminate them. The next time you go to say those dreaded words, just remember - you have exactly the same amount of time as everyone else, you have exactly the same amount of time in your day as the Olympic swimmer who gets up at 4am, you have the same amount of time in your day as presidents and world leaders who run entire countries. Eliminate the words because what you're really trying to say is: "I don't want to make time to do that," and that's quite alright too! The next time you go to say “I don't have time,” imagine if that task you're saying you don't have time for was a family member at a hospital - you'd have time to get there, so what you really need to decide is, "Does this deserve my time?"

2. It's an oldie but a goody - start each day by getting rid of your most despised task. Nothing ruins a day like dreading a task you have to do later in the day.

3. Set rewards for yourself if you can achieve all your tasks, find out what motivates you. For me - it might be that if I can get through these three hard tasks I can eat some of the doughnuts that one of my team brought into work today. Another great thing about that reward is that if I procrastinate - the doughnuts will be gone! Another great thing to do is to buddy up with someone and become accountability partners for getting your tasks done.

4. Unless you have the world’s best memory (I don't), make lists. When someone gives you a responsibility, write it down, whether you record it in your phone, your organizer, email yourself, write it on the back of a napkin - it doesn't matter how, write it down! Nothing's worse than the feeling of waking up in the middle of the night thinking - oh no, I forgot to do that.

5. I've never been a huge believer in labeling tasks A, B, C, in order of their importance. I've tried this system and it doesn't work for me - of course that doesn't mean it won't work for you. What I try to do instead is what I call Little Things First. What this means is that when I get an email, if it's small or has a small task, I'll get rid of it quickly rather than continually come back to it over and over again. I have many recurring tasks in my diary and the small things on my list are gone by about 10:30am usually, leaving me the bulk of my day to work on larger projects.

6. Set or get deadlines for your tasks. When setting yourself a task or getting one from someone else - always find out when it needs to be done. Then diarize an appropriate amount of reminders before the due date.

7. Work/life balance seem to be the buzz words all over the world at present - but you really do need to put time and energy into this area. Schedule in time to relax, time with family, time reading, time with your partner - if it's in your diary and you are committed to it, you're less likely to neglect it.

8. My desk at work is my haven. My trays work for me. Now I can't tell you what the best desk system is for you, all I know is that if yours doesn't make your day easier - change it, constantly change it until you get something that works. For me, I don't allow anyone to put anything on my desk. My assistant is allowed to put things in one tray and one tray only, everything else is put in my communal pigeon hole. I have a single out tray - this simple tray stops me from getting up 20 or 30 times a day as much of what comes in to me needs to go elsewhere in the office. I have a tray full of non urgent things to read, when I get time, I start going through it. I have a tray full of things I'm waiting on others for and I have an email folder full of these sorts of emails - my diary prompts me with a recurring reminder to check through these two areas. Whatever works for you, works for you, just take some time to find it!

9. Don't be afraid to ask for help. What's worse - asking for help once or doing the task incorrectly or incompletely 5 times, or even worse, hiding the work! It happens, don't be a victim of the "scared to ask" disease.

10. Your mind isn't a computer, use your computer to help your mind become like one. Each week on a Friday a little reminder comes up in Outlook telling me to send out my weekly email. Each week on a Wednesday I'm told I have two meetings first up. You're not a machine; use your technology to its best advantage.

Impressing Others

I just received this story in an email:

A cowboy named Bud was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture in California when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him.

The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you give me a calf?"

Bud looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?" The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.

The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany. Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech,miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to the cowboy and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."

"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves," says Bud. He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.
Then the Bud says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"

"You're a Congressman for the U.S. Government", says Bud.

"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required." answered the cowboy. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked. You tried to show me how much smarter than me you are; and you don't know a thing about cows...this is a herd of sheep. . . .

Now give me back my dog.

Sometimes we can be in such a hurry to impress people that we actually look bad. To top that off, when we do this we can make the others feel inferior or worse, unimportant.

One of the best ways to avoid doing this is to focus on listening, even if (and maybe expecially if) we feel the need to share what we know or try to impress someone. A saying from the Quakers says, "Before you speak make sure you are going to improve upon the silence." Very well said.

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

Synergy

The second Tuesday of every month I gather with three other guys to discuss business issues and marketing. Two of us have the opportunity each week to present specific problems we are facing and we solicit ideas and advice from the others.

We are all like minded in terms of how we like to conduct business so the meetings can be very encouraging and they are definitely helpful. All in all our time together is well worth it as it helps each of us to be better in the roles we find ourselves in.

It's amazing what happens when like-minded people get together. Synergy takes place.

Synergy is defined as "The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. " In other words, two or more working together toward a common goal will produce more than two times what each person would do on their own.

The same holds true in our Christian walk. I have a handful of people I get together with one on one regularly who help to hold me accountable and to encourage me. These relationships mean the world to me and they help me in great ways.

If you don't have any relationships like this, I encourage you to be proactive and seek out others until you find someone. It could be a mentor, an accountability partner or a friend to share your life with. If you do this, I promise you that it will encourage you.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12b

Love at Work

Last night at our homegroup through our church we discussed love. We talked about what love is from the world's perspective and then from God's perspective. A verse we focused on was 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 which most of us have heard (however few of us have really paid attention to) as it is read at most weddings.

It is interesting to note that this passage is not limited to romantic love. Throughout the Bible we are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves and in fact we are told this is the second greatest commandment behind loving God (Matthew 22:37-40). So loving others means everyone we come in contact with, even those we work with.

In many cases we are encouraged not to have romantic relationships with those we work with. However, we are commanded to still show love to those we work. So how do we do that?

The following list taken from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us some ideas as it shows us what love is and what it is not:

Love is:
Patient
Kind
Keeps no record of wrongs
Rejoices with the truth
Always protects
Always trusts
Always hopes

Always perseveres

Love is not (or does not):
Envious
Boastful
Proud
Rude
Selfish
Easily angered
Delight in evil

As you can see from the list above, love is not a feeling but a verb. We must choose to take action to show love to others.

Imagine what your workplace would be like if everyone did what is mentioned above. For that to happen, it needs to start with someone. Why not you?

Arrogance

Arrogance is one of the most destructive things that a leader can have. I experienced a very arrogant leader in a job I had several years ago which prompted me to write the book, Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders.

My boss felt because of his position, he had free reign to do whatever he wanted, as if the rules did not apply to him. That is probably why I liked this story I recently received in an email:

A cocky U.S. Department of Agriculture representative stopped at a farm and talked with an old farmer. He told the farmer, 'I need to inspect your farm.'

The old farmer said, 'OK, but don't go in that field right over yonder.'

The Agriculture representative said, 'Mister, I have the authority of the United States Government with me. See this card? The card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land. No questions asked or answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand!?'

The farmer nodded politely and went about his farm chores.

Half an hour later, the farmer heard loud screams and saw the Agriculture Rep running for the fence and close behind was the farmer's huge-horned prize bull. The bull was gaining on the Agriculture Rep with every step.

The Rep was clearly terrified, so farmer immediately threw down his tools, ran to the fence and shouted out, 'Your card! Your card! Show him your card!'

Know It All

There is an African proverb which goes like this:

A wise man never knows all, only fools know everything.

I have mentioned before that all of us are leaders--we are all influencing someone, someplace. Because all things rise and fall on leadership, I feel we should be on an unending pursuit to learn how to be better leaders and to be better at whatever we do.

Here is a great story Zig Ziglar shared with me in a recent email:

Dr. John Maxwell of San Diego, California, says that the average person influences 10,000 people - either for good or bad - in the course of a lifetime. That means all of us are difference-makers.

Miss Amy Whittington would certainly qualify as one who directly and indirectly influenced thousands of people. At age 83 she was still teaching a Sunday school class in Sault St. Marie, Michigan. She learned that the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago was offering a seminar to teach people how to be more effective teachers. She literally saved her pennies until she had the necessary money to buy a bus ticket. She rode the bus all night to attend the seminar to learn new methods and procedures so she could do a better job.

One of the professors, impressed with her age, enthusiasm, and the fact that she had ridden the bus all night to attend the seminar, engaged her in conversation. He asked her what age group she taught and how many were in her class. When she responded that she taught a class of junior high school boys and there were 13 in the class, the professor asked how many kids belonged to the church. Miss Whittington replied, "Fifty." The professor, astonished that this little lady taught over 25% of the church youth, responded, "With that kind of record we should have you teach us how to teach." How right he was!

I hasten to add that people who are already good at what they do are far more likely to work at getting better than are those who are marginal performers. What kind of impact did Miss Amy Whittington have? Eighty-six of those boys she taught in her Sunday school class through the years ended up in the ministry. Can't you just imagine the thousands of people she directly and indirectly impacted for good? She truly was a difference-maker. You are, too, so make it a "good" difference!

Beware of the Slacker

Have you ever worked somewhere where co-workers were slackers—where others didn’t seem to pull their weight or get their job done? That is a dangerous work environment as it breeds disharmony and creates an atmosphere which is anything but cohesive.

I have experienced this many times and in each case it destroys teamwork. As a leader, you must do everything you can to keep this from happening.

I recently read the following in an email from John Maxwell:

In addition to the personal toll, leaders jeopardize their relationships with all-star performers by avoiding the removal of unproductive employees. Having to rely on an undependable colleague drains a high-performance individual. Likewise, a person who pours passion and energy into their job is tremendously de-motivated when a lazy worker receives promotion or recognition. Ultimately, top talent will take flight if it perceives a leader is unwilling to eliminate mediocrity from the midst of a company.

Leaders can actively address performance issues by looking out for telltale signs of mediocre employees:

• They stubbornly resist change


• They are reactive rather than proactive


• They are habitually lazy and unprepared


• They make promises, but they don't deliver results


• They shirk responsibility and pass on blame


• They identify problems without finding solutions.

In business, sometimes a leader is forced to drop the axe. It seems harsh, but in reality, tolerating mediocrity poses greater danger to an organization than the unpleasantness of having to fire an employee.

Coach

Saturday night I was privileged to be a part of something pretty cool. My college coach at University of Toledo, Bob Nichols, was honored at halftime of the Rockets' game with Western Michigan. A large group of his former players got to be on the court with him as a banner with his name was unveiled from the rafters of Savage Hall.

This is something that was way overdue. Coach Nichols has more wins by far (376) than any other coach in Mid American Conference history. He was also known throughout the conference as being a man of integrity and running a very clean program.

At the conclusion of the game, they held a ceremony where several people spoke and praised coach. Coach Nichols then addressed the crowd and said to the many players that were in attendance, "I was proud of you when you were playing and practicing, I'm more proud of you today. Thanks for your support."

He went on to tell the crowd that he had some great players but that they have become even better people and that is why he is so proud.

I think every one of his players can say that Coach Nichols helped to shape them into the men they are today. I know he taught me many things such as perseverance, overcoming adversity and leadership with integrity.

I would venture a guess that during the heat of battle, when we were preparing for a big game or when we were doing off-season conditioning, Coach Nichols probably wasn't thinking too much about what we would be doing with our lives 25 years from now. But, because he led our team the way he did, because he sowed into our lives, he has made a difference in the lives of many men.

Each of us have moments in our day when it seems like drudgery - like what we're doing doesn't really matter. I encourage you to think of Coach Nichols during these times and know that what you do and how you do it can make a difference in the life of someone you come in contact with.