Trip to Flrioda $150.00. Sweet Tea $1.25 Sharing it with your grandaughter Priceless!

A rich and mighty Persian once walked in his garden with one of his servants. The servant cried that he had just encountered Death, who had threatened him. He begged his master to give him his fastest horse so that he could make haste and flee to Teheran, which he could reach that same evening. The master consented and the servant galloped off on the horse. On returning to his house the master himself met Death, and questioned him, “Why did you terrify and threaten my servant?” “I did not threaten him; I only showed my surprise in still finding him here when I planned to meet him tonight in Teheran,” said Death.

A fool believes he or she has control of their life. How many times have you said, “if only I had done this, or not done that, my life would be so much better?” Really? It is only foolish pride and arrogance that causes us to think we have so much control over our personal destinies.

I am reminded of the words of James, “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you don’t even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Am I advocating total and complete apathy in regards to life and the future? No…Instead use the guidance of Jesus. He said, (loose translation) “Do your very best to follow my way of life, in all areas of your life, and let the chips fall where they may.” Matt. 6:33 TCV (that’s Tom’s contemporary version). God loves you where you are now. Enjoy the journey and trust in the One who is truly in control!

On a recent trip to Florida, we stopped in Brentwood, Tennesse at a fast food restaurant for lunch. I could not help but notice that every patron in the store, which was very busy at the time, was all, without exception, white. That would not be worthy of notice in and of itself, but what captured my attention was this: all of the workers at the restuarant were people of color. In my brief stay in that town, I noticed several other, meanial servant jobs were also exclusively the task of people of color. I had noticed this same phenomenon while preaching in a town south of Jackson, Mississippi. What is one to make of this observation? Why were there no whites working in the store and why were there no people of color there as patrons? Could it be that racism, in certain areas of our country, has become institutional? Could there be ingrained economics that hold certain people in certain occupations in certain areas of the country?

I hope that all Semper Fi men will make it part of their mission to destroy the walls of racism that continue to seperate us in so many ways. Do your part wherever and whenever you can. The way to peace and prosperity is an understanding and agreement that “all men are created equal and are given by God the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The mission of Jesus, and this great country we live in, is that we live in peace, side by side, with all different kinds of people. Oh, if only Israel and Palestine would get this message!

While working at Tecumseh Plywood, a local hardware and lumberyard, I’ve learned how short sighted most people are. The city of Tecumseh is undergoing a major project to connect the east side of town with the west side. It is an enormous undertaking that will provide us with a continuous downtown look. There will be sidewalks, curbs, street lights, a bike path and wonderful landscaping.

Obviously there will be some inconveniences along the way in creating this beautiful streetscape. I would say most of the people who come in the store are complaining. They complain about the wait, as traffic is often times down to one lane. They complain about spending tax money. They complain about what is or is not being done. Why can’t they see the completed project? Why can’t they see the pretty trees? Why can’t they see the Christmas decorations on the new street lights? Why can’t they see families walking down the new sidewalks patronizing the various stores? Because most people can’t see beyond their noses. They can’t see beyond the here and now.

Also, many people are not willing to sacrifice in order to make life better. Many people are simply fearful of change. Both of these attitudes are the result of shortsightedness. It is the job of leaders to create a vision for the people to overcome their natural tendencies.

The bible says, “without vision the people perish.” That is so true! Do you have a vision for the future? If so, what is it? I’d like to hear.

During four years in the U.S. Marines, author and speaker Richard Biggs learned a host of practical skills—leadership, discipline, organization, persistence and commitment, to name a few—that have served him well in his civilian business career. But it was the lessons about teamwork that may have made the deepest impression on him.

“The U.S. Marine Corps is the world’s elite fighting force because it’s composed of ‘a few good men’ who work together as a cohesive unit to fight battles and win wars,” Biggs—a recent Leadership Wired interviewee—says. “Yes, each Marine is valued highly, but the Corps succeeds because it’s a team of highly skilled men and women who are usually the ‘first to fight’ in any campaign.”

As a Marine, Biggs discovered the following three teamwork principles:

1. Independence. “Every Marine is fiercely independent,” he says. “That may sound contradictory to the team spirit, but personal pride plays a major role in the overall success of the Corps. After all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”

2. Dependence. “The Marine Corps is masterful in molding a diverse group of people into a synergistic team,” Biggs says. “Individual pride is encouraged, but excessive ego isn’t tolerated. Each Marine is dependent upon the team to accomplish the mission of the Corps.”

Corporate America has much to learn from the Marines about this aspect of teamwork. As Jon R. Katzenbach and Jason A. Santamaria stated in a 1999 Harvard Business Review article titled “Firing Up the Front Line,” “In a real team, no individual member can win or lose; only the group can succeed or fail.”

3. Interdependence. “The Marine Corps is the smallest military branch,” Biggs explains. “It’s the ground force of the U.S. Navy. Navy SEALS often go in ahead of Marine recon units. The Navy provides transportation, air and big gun support, engineers known as Seabees, medical personnel called Corpsmen, and a host of other essential services. It’s also necessary to coordinate battle plans with the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. Without an interdependent team attitude among all of the armed services, our military forces would be vulnerable and less victorious.”

From a business standpoint, John Maxwell puts interdependence in the proper perspective in The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork. “If you want to do something big, you must link up with others,” he writes. “One is too small a number to achieve greatness. That’s the Law of Significance.”

- John Maxwell

The bible says it is hard to find a good wife. So you better count your blessings if you find one. I do all the time. I was working on a house, putting on vinyl siding, and my soul mate shows up with a McD’s pie and iced tea! She is always thinking about me and my needs. Guys, when it comes to friends, there is no better friend than your wife. Remember that and tell her that often. Vera Mae you are the BEST!!

“When the great Scorer comes to town, He will not ask, did you win or lose, but how did you play the game.”

What a inspiration to watch our church softball team play today! They got mercied their first game and what did they do? Did they hang their heads, pout, get angry, or depressed? No! They we laughing, joking and encouraging one another! They were truly having fun! It was contagious! I think the teams that played against them had fun too!

I am so absolutely proud of every single member of the NewSong Community Church softball team! We all take our hats off to you and say, “Job well done!” You are true champions in every sense of the word.

Sorry it has been so long since the last post! It is simply a matter of priorities. The military taught me the value of setting priorities. Our priorities are determined by our mission. If flying jets is your mission…then everything that directly supports getting that jet in the air is priority #1. So, anything that is not directly connected to flying that jet is priority 2, 3, etc. Without a clear understanding and focus on your mission….it is so easy to get your priorities out of order.

As Christian men; priority #1 is doing the mission (purposes) that God has given us. Priority #1 is to worship God, to bring Him glory in all that we do. Priority #1 is to be actively involved in the family of God. Priority #1 is to become more like Jesus in all of our character. Priority #1 is serving our fellow person. Priority #1 is sharing the saving gospel of Jesus with those who don’t know the good news. Everything else is life is priority #2. How are you doing with getting your priorities in the correct order?