Over the years we have often been asked why we choose to live in a small town when we could really do our job from anywhere and have MUCH MORE OPPORTUNITY in a big city...well this story illustrates how we feel...
Courtesy of Mikey's Funnies
An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied, "Only a little while."
The banker then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.
The banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a nap with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I play guitar and sing with my friends. I have a full and busy life."
The banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big city where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
To which the banker replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then?"
The banker laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."
"Millions...Then what?"
The banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a nap with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play your guitar and sing with your friends."
today'sTHOT============================
If you are not content with what you have, you'll never be content with what you want.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A new connection!
Okay so I just got done spending too much time on Facebook! Now I know for some of you out there Facebook is a scary thing! But let me tell you, I am having a riot on it! I know the arguement out there that says it is a way to disconnect from real human contact but here is the deal...I am connecting with people that I have not connected with in years!
Former Campus Life kids that have grown up into adults that are raising families and actually remember some of what they learned in Campus Life! A beautiful young mother who was in a grief group I lead while she was in high school who is now helping young children deal with grief in their lives. Friends from college that live so far away that if it was not for Facebook I would not even know where they live or what they are doing. Friends that have been a part of my adult life that have moved away and we can stay connected online. Childhood friends that literally live on the otherside of the country yet we can talk everyday! Friends in my life now, that I do get to see more regularly but we can connect on FB at any given moment.
Facebook is a way to connect and to reconnect. It has truly been a blessing in this Facebookers life. Try it and if you do- friend me so we can stay connected!
Former Campus Life kids that have grown up into adults that are raising families and actually remember some of what they learned in Campus Life! A beautiful young mother who was in a grief group I lead while she was in high school who is now helping young children deal with grief in their lives. Friends from college that live so far away that if it was not for Facebook I would not even know where they live or what they are doing. Friends that have been a part of my adult life that have moved away and we can stay connected online. Childhood friends that literally live on the otherside of the country yet we can talk everyday! Friends in my life now, that I do get to see more regularly but we can connect on FB at any given moment.
Facebook is a way to connect and to reconnect. It has truly been a blessing in this Facebookers life. Try it and if you do- friend me so we can stay connected!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
We're off
We're heading out this morning for Atlanta to be guests on Everyday with Marcus and Lisa. We're presenting our Healthy Marriage Healthy Church program to a nationwide television audience.
This is our first opportunity to share this on a national level and so we'd like to ask you to pray for a couple of things:
1. That we would be coherent and understood by the listeners
2. That people would respond, seeing the great need this program fulfills
3. That is might open other media opportunities to present HMHC
Thanks!
J & L
This is our first opportunity to share this on a national level and so we'd like to ask you to pray for a couple of things:
1. That we would be coherent and understood by the listeners
2. That people would respond, seeing the great need this program fulfills
3. That is might open other media opportunities to present HMHC
Thanks!
J & L
Monday, October 20, 2008
Finding the Magnificent in the Mundane
Every job or career has its good points and its bad points. Most every job also has its MUNDANE moments. Dictionary dot com defines mundane as: common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative. In my job, TRAVEL is the mundane.
Saturday I spent 9 count them NINE hours in the car driving to two different speaking engagements. My day began at 6am as I made my way to Grace Adventures in Mears, MI to speak for a men's retreat sponsored by Mt. Pleasant Community Church. Driving due west, the sunrise coming up behind me drew out the brilliance of the fall foliage as every new corner and hill brought a refreshing picture of God's creation...it was MAGNIFICENT!
On my way back to Alma to pick up Laura for our Ultimate Date Night in Tekonsha, MI that evening, a detour routed me over the Croton/Hardy Dam. While driving over the dam, I was treated to six (6) STUNNING swans. They were gliding gracefully over the still glass like waters...it was MAGNIFICENT!
Driving down to Tekonsha I spotted something strange in the air. As we kept our eyes on it we soon discovered it was the Blimp flying through a cloudless sky over the Michigan State University football game...we had seen that blimp from over 20 miles away...MAGNIFICENT!
Coming Home at 10pm at night, a big bright 3/4 waning moon rose over the trees to the east. Laura said it looked like a Milano cookie half dipped in chocolate...we watched it rise in amazement...MAGNIFICENT!
As I climbed into bed after midnight, the effects of an 18 hour day, two shows and nine hours on the road had me weary and sore, but before I drifted to sleep I thanked God that in the midst of the mundane, he revealed the MAGNIFICENT!
Look for the MAGNIFICENT in your job, your spouse or your kids today and be blessed by your Father in Heaven!
Jay
Saturday I spent 9 count them NINE hours in the car driving to two different speaking engagements. My day began at 6am as I made my way to Grace Adventures in Mears, MI to speak for a men's retreat sponsored by Mt. Pleasant Community Church. Driving due west, the sunrise coming up behind me drew out the brilliance of the fall foliage as every new corner and hill brought a refreshing picture of God's creation...it was MAGNIFICENT!
On my way back to Alma to pick up Laura for our Ultimate Date Night in Tekonsha, MI that evening, a detour routed me over the Croton/Hardy Dam. While driving over the dam, I was treated to six (6) STUNNING swans. They were gliding gracefully over the still glass like waters...it was MAGNIFICENT!
Driving down to Tekonsha I spotted something strange in the air. As we kept our eyes on it we soon discovered it was the Blimp flying through a cloudless sky over the Michigan State University football game...we had seen that blimp from over 20 miles away...MAGNIFICENT!
Coming Home at 10pm at night, a big bright 3/4 waning moon rose over the trees to the east. Laura said it looked like a Milano cookie half dipped in chocolate...we watched it rise in amazement...MAGNIFICENT!
As I climbed into bed after midnight, the effects of an 18 hour day, two shows and nine hours on the road had me weary and sore, but before I drifted to sleep I thanked God that in the midst of the mundane, he revealed the MAGNIFICENT!
Look for the MAGNIFICENT in your job, your spouse or your kids today and be blessed by your Father in Heaven!
Jay
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Do we really care?
Okay so here is the question of the day....
We can all get angry about our financial crisis in our country. We can get indignant about which political party has the best candidate for president. We argue and pontificate via email, Facebook, yard signs, and bumper stickers. Yet marriages are falling apart around us and we sit and watch because it "is none of our business"!
Let me tell you folks, our economy is not going to get any better, our children are not going to be safer, who we put in the highest office of our land is not going to matter until we make marriages our business! We all see people around us who are hurting in their marriages. They have made choices that are not good for their relationship. We can see it in their eyes...the hurt, the sorrow, the loneliness. But we still keep our lips locked tight for fear of offending!
We don't mind offending our neighbor with political verbage, but we don't won't to offend our neighbor with words of wisdom that will restore relationships and bring joy back into their lives.
So the question is: Do we really care?
We can all get angry about our financial crisis in our country. We can get indignant about which political party has the best candidate for president. We argue and pontificate via email, Facebook, yard signs, and bumper stickers. Yet marriages are falling apart around us and we sit and watch because it "is none of our business"!
Let me tell you folks, our economy is not going to get any better, our children are not going to be safer, who we put in the highest office of our land is not going to matter until we make marriages our business! We all see people around us who are hurting in their marriages. They have made choices that are not good for their relationship. We can see it in their eyes...the hurt, the sorrow, the loneliness. But we still keep our lips locked tight for fear of offending!
We don't mind offending our neighbor with political verbage, but we don't won't to offend our neighbor with words of wisdom that will restore relationships and bring joy back into their lives.
So the question is: Do we really care?
Thursday, October 09, 2008
2 Chronicles 7:14 - PRAYER FOR OUR NATION
ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT.... 9:00 PM Eastern Time.
We all need to be on our knees.
Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 'If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'
During WWII, there was an adviser to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England , its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever!!!
If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world.
If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along.
Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.
Thank You. Please pass this on to anyone whom you think will want to join us.
We all need to be on our knees.
Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 'If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'
During WWII, there was an adviser to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England , its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever!!!
If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world.
If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along.
Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.
Thank You. Please pass this on to anyone whom you think will want to join us.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Busy Saturday
Hello!
We've had a busy Saturday getting ready for Celebrate Your Marriage at Grand Hotel...994 of our "closets" friends are joining us over the next 3 days...
Tonight is Torrey's Sr. Year Homecoming Dance and in the midst of all his preparations he locked two sets of keys in his car...not to worry, a quick call to AAA Michigan and...crisis averted!
Being his Sr. year, the kids are joining us at Grand this fall...so please say an extra prayer for us :-)
C-YA!
J & L
We've had a busy Saturday getting ready for Celebrate Your Marriage at Grand Hotel...994 of our "closets" friends are joining us over the next 3 days...
Tonight is Torrey's Sr. Year Homecoming Dance and in the midst of all his preparations he locked two sets of keys in his car...not to worry, a quick call to AAA Michigan and...crisis averted!
Being his Sr. year, the kids are joining us at Grand this fall...so please say an extra prayer for us :-)
C-YA!
J & L
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
