Month: February 2011

Categories
Daily Post

Happy Presidents Day

It’s Presidents Day!  The day we set aside to remember and to celebrate the 44 men who have held the position of president of the United States of America.  The POTUS, as we like to referring to them in the written word.  I guess not many people speak that acronym when talking about the POTUS, as  I am not sure there is a way to pronounce that where it does not seem disrespectful.

And that’s the thing about Presidents, love them or hate them, we always treat them with respect.  Of course that’s one reason the Hall of Presidents is such a “must see” at Disney World! ( oh, that was bad humor for a Monday).

But seriously, we do treat them with respect because of their position, and the importance of the leadership position they hold.  However, on this day of  honoring Presidents, its is very likely that not one of us will met one – living or dead – minus those you are carrying in your pockets.

So what if we treat those around you like they are the president?  Yeah, that’s right?  What if you treated everyone you interacted with today as if they were the President?  How would that change the way you interact with people?

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 (New Living Translation)

Categories
Daily Post

Don’t Know and Have a Go

Well its Friday!  Yeah!  So, its time to wrap up another week of fun and new thoughts.  After last week where it seemed the whole thing was shutting down, this week I have been trying to parse through a load of ideas to see which ones to share and when.  I hope that it some of these thoughts and musing are actually helping you!

Anyway, last weekend, I was shown a video about creativity from Sir Ken Robinson about how the fear of being wrong can squelch our creative fires.  The whole premise of the idea is that children are so creative because, well, they don’t know they should not be.

It’s a pretty interesting concept and one that seems to hold true for us grown ups in so many ways.  The fear of something grips up and well paralyzes us.

Interestingly enough, with that fresh on my brain, I was in a discussion on Wednesday night about the “Parable of the Talents” in Matthew 25.  In that story 3 men are given gifts and each are expected to grow and cultivate what they have been given.  Two men do.  The third is captivated by fear, and does nothing. When the master returns he is harshly punished.  Check out what the master says:

26-27“The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.

28-30“‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’ (Matthew 25:26-30, The Message)

So today, examine what it is that is stopping you from moving forward.  What fears are stifling your creativity.  What fears are stopping you from cultivating the gifts you have been given.

Let us not play it safe, but let us go for the reward!  Don’t prepare to be wrong. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake.  Act like you “don’t know and have a go.”

Categories
Daily Post

Shining like Cereal???

Somehow I started receiving a daily email called Geek Today or Your Daily Geekness or something like that.  I am not even sure how I got on the mailing list, I guess my geekiness proceeds me.  Either way, a few days again this email pointed me to the video below.

That’s right – Cereal boxes that light up! Can you believe that! I just can’t help thinking about the words of the Christ in Matthew where he instructs those listening as follows:

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (New International Version, ©2010)

I would love to have my cereal boxes remind me each day that I am too be the light to the world.  It sure stands to reason that if even a cereal box can produce light, then I should be able to as well.

I write this today and refer to this verse as I often do to encourage myself, because as Paul says, “I have not attained this” in any way yet! Anyway, spend a little time considering wireless power and light up cereal boxes and hopefully you get a little encouragement from them to let your light shine.

So.. coming to a breakfast table near you soon…

Categories
Daily Post

Extreme Makeover

I mentioned a few weeks ago about the teenage girl from the little town in which my home sits being on America Idol.  Well, last Sunday Ty Pennington and his ‘little’ crew came to down and sent a family to Disney.  That’s right, Extreme Makeover Home Edition right in my backyard. Well, not literally, but just a few miles away.  Close enough that Amy and I have been altering our travel paths to and from work and soccer practice to get a glimpse of the action.  It is pretty amazing to see all the stuff that is going on around the house – trailers, tents, security for blocks, etc.  It’s pretty evident the amount of work and planning that is put into this type of change.

There is also a live streaming camera. Last night, about 200 internet viewers and my family watched the live feed, and when I shut it down last night, the house only had a floor.  While I dreamed of new org charts, resumes, and knees that did not hurt, a transformation was in place.  So, when I popped up the live feed this am, there was a house  – walls, porch, rafters!  Wow.  It’s not completely finished, but wow what a transformation in such a short time.  I am anxious to see how things proceed the remainder of the week.  Even since I awoke this morning, windows are in and people clad in blue shirts are swarming all of the structure.

Boy, don’t we want this type of change in our lives?  It would be nice to have the bus pull up and say, hey just leave town for a week, and when you return we will have redone you.   Rage – gone!  Addiction – gone!  selfishness – Gone,  et cetara et cetera et cetera.  However, very few of use get to experience extreme change in our lives over night – well except the forgiveness that comes from God.  But even then, we tend to change our ways and our attitudes slowly – everyday. And with a plan,and an approach and a little bit of preparation and a smattering of the spirit, we can become made over.

8-10You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. (Ephesians 5:8-10, The Message)

Keep it going today. Today maybe the day you notice change, or it may just be a day that a few limbs are removed.

Categories
Daily Post

Elementary, My Dear Watson

There is so much going on this week that I can’t decide what to write about when!  With all the exchanging of flowers and chocolate yesterday, forgot to tune my TV over to Alex Trebek at 7 to see the great IBM Challenge, plus I was watching my dear Mountaineers give the game to Syracuse with bad shooting.

Anyway, last week my favorite IBM employee and account rep, forwarded me the information that this week on Jeopardy the Watson supercomputer is going to take on 2 of the greatest Jeopardy champions of all time in a man vs Artificial Intelligence duel to the death ( or maybe to $1 Million !) And if there are three people I guess that is not technically a duel!  This is really a pretty big deal in the AI industry, as its a real time test of over 4 years of development efforts on this super computer.  It seems last night, Watson got off to an incredible start, but was slowly reeled in my one of the human contestants before the wheel starting spinning at half past the hour.   I have set up my DVR to catch the heart racing action for the next two nights.

It is really amazing that men can build and program a machine to be able to process and answer to quickly.  To be able to replicate in certain ways the workings of our brain is really really amazing.  But I wonder if we will ever be able to really capture all the true intricacies that make us human.  For instance our ability to create and organize and plan and build – those abilities are truly unique among the inhabitants of this world.  Truly unique because they are given from God.

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27

and then here is an obscure instance of in Exodus

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. Exodus 35:30-35 (New International Version, ©2010)

So, as we watch things like the Watson supercomputer and marvel at its complexity and let us celebrate the way men are using the gifts God has given them and then lets us use our gifts as well.