Stadel Mountain - Dave Stadel Life blog

Debussy, beauty, thankful

2011-11-23T11:12:00.001-06:00

This time of year we are reminded to be thankful formany different things. Take this performance and video of a Debussy piece as evidence that the magnificence of art is something to be grateful for.

Enjoy!

Dave Stadel

Hero In Me

2011-11-18T12:19:00.005-06:00

Jeffrey Gaines live

In my teens and twenties I was seriously into music. I'm still drawn to music and definitely have appreciation for a broader scope than in my younger days. However, in my life now I have so many other responsibilities and interests that I just can't devote as much of myself to it....but my appreciation for it as art hasn't changed. The ability for a song to move a person emotionally probably isn't a new idea to you. We've all likely been moved by a song many, many times. It's fascinating to me how this works....anyway....the point....

With all that out of that dribble out of the way, here is a great song called "Hero In Me" by Jeffrey Gaines, from his first album in 1992. Jeffrey is a singer/song writer and never really broke into main stream success. That doesn't lessen his ability or impact on the many people blessed enough to know about his music.

The music video is embedded at the bottom of this post. I also found a neat version he did with a quartet which you can find here at inthestudio.net.

I find the lyrics to "Hero In Me" hopeful and thought you might as well. There's a hero in you too.

He's lived as long as he possibly can

Given the circumstance

'Cause he's protected himself from the world

He never gave it a chance

And he says: Here in my security

I've put a limit on my self potential and my possibility

She's seen these walls and they never change

Everything's in it's place

Her relationships so neatly arranged

Down to religion and race

And she says: Here in my security

I don't make a move unless my friends approve

I do what's expected of me

And as I grow older

And there's so much that I do not know

I'm drawn to those who are bolder

And go where no one dare to go

And I sleep

And I dream of the person I might have been

Then I'm free again

And I speak

Like someone who's been to the highest peaks

And back again

And I swear

That my grass is greener than anyones

'Til I believe again

Then I wake

And the dream fades away and I face the day

And I realize

There's got to be some hero in me

They've been supressing their every desire

They do nothing on a whim

She's lost her sparkle and he's lost the fire

Their future looks very dim

And I say: Here in my security

I've simply let myself go

I've developed a co-dependency

And as I grow older

So many places that I've never been

Time's tapping on my shoulder

I hope it's never too late to begin

And I sleep

And I dream of the person I might have been

Then I'm free again

And I speak

Like someone who's been to the highest peaks

And back again

And I swear

That my grass is greener than anyones

'Til I believe again

Then I wake

And the dream fades away and I face the day

And I realize

There's got to be some hero in me

Dave Stadel

Lead Your Thinking

2011-11-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

In Launching a Leadership Revolution by Woodward and Brady it states that the first of five levels in being a leader is learning. Taking the personal leadership to decide to become a learner is critical. By doing so you've begun to lead your thinking. You've taken an active role to decide what will be input to your brain.....and that's important!

In our culture we're surrounded by sounds, images, and words that convey messages (overt and covert) telling us about treating our bodies well and the beneficial results associated with those choices. I ask, where in our culture are we being told that our brains are magnificent creations that also need to be fed and exercised properly?

Right now you may be getting visions of a late night commercial pitch-man telling you "you can do it", or the self-help section of your local book store, or a college professor conning you into the concept of "lifelong learning", or maybe in your head you're hearing a radio ad for the annual motivation speaking circuit coming to town. I admit those mediums (and stereotypes) can sometimes taint us. However, that does not deny the truth of the matter which is; you can do it, you can do more, and your priorities & dreams related to family, finances, faith, freedom, friends, fun, fitness are worth getting better for.

Question 1. Are you learning?

a. I am actively pursuing information that interests me, that can be applied to the benefit of myself and/or others. Ideas are frequently created in my mind and these ideas and/or information have high potential to, or frequently do, add value to lives.

b. I consume information that is being served to me via electronic, oral, and paper mediums that keep my attention. The information is not easily applied and rarely adds value to anyone I know.

c. I am a couch potato and fairly proud of it.

d. What?

Question 2. Why should you be learning?
You should be actively learning because someone (spouse, child, family member, co-worker, or neighbor) is watching you and could use a good example right now. Start learning something productive because our country and its economy needs smart people. Start learning to build your self-confidence to achieve more. Start learning to get ahead.

Begin learning. Be intentional. Identify a priority (family, finances, faith, freedom, friends, fun, fitness, following) in your LIFE and begin to improve your quality of life in those areas.

I will continue to use and the truth and character based concepts and materials from the LIFE business to improve mine, my family's, and those I care about lives. You can too!

Blessings to you,
Dave Stadel

Changing Education Paradigms

2011-10-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

This genesis of this post, today, is more by chance than anything. Leah authored a great blog post today and I was re-introduced to the video below.

I first saw the video last year, before Leah began home schooling our four daughters (our son attends a public high school). At the time I agreed, in principle, with much of the content. It seemed to make sense but it was another piece of information I consumed but wasn't acting on. Empty calories for the mind.

Now that we're a few months into home schooling I'm fully convicted. The positive behavioral and educational changes in the girls are becoming clear. Leah's blog will focus on what they're doing and why they're doing it. I encourage you to follow along.

The conveyor belt education system is truly a blessing and a curse for America. A blessing because many kids receive and education that otherwise wouldn't. A curse because many kids will not get the best education they could because of batch educating according to age and not interests, learning style, temperament, values, culture, etc.

Our family is blessed to have the ability to teach our girls at home. In order to make this a reality we've made short-term financial sacrifices, changes in association, and media sources. We've surrounded ourselves with affirming friends and community. We take advice from people that have success in this arena. On an audio recording by Claude Hamilton, founding member of LIFE , he stated that "sacrifice is nothing but the production of sacred things". The education and character development of our children is sacred and worth producing...with intention. I hope you find the video below thought provoking.

Blessings to you,
Dave Stadel

Courageous Fathers

2011-10-13T12:45:00.001-05:00

There's a buzz about the movie Courageous and it's well deserved. As men and as fathers we need to step up and lead in so many areas....but take heart because none of us are alone in our battles.

This film will encourage men to band together in community for encouragement and accountability. This movie will also remind you that, regardless of what mainstream media broadcasts, truth and virtue are relevant and needed.

I was blessed to be invited along with a small group of men to watch Courageous with Dan Hawkins last weekend. With Dan as founder (along with Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady, George Guzzardo, Marks, Lewis, and Hamilton ) I know the LIFE community will continue to create a strong foundation, for men and women alike, that is based on truth, character, courage, and honor to stand on.

I recommend two things; go see Couragous and join us in LIFE!
Blessings to you,
Dave Stadel

Be the People, by Carol M. Swain - book review

2011-09-02T13:25:00.007-05:00

At the outset of the book Ms. Swain writes, “I wrote this book for the millions of hard working, honest Americans who, like me, have deep concerns about the direction of our nation. Our country is allowing cultural elites to manipulate the public in harmful ways. With our tax dollars “We The People” support public policies and practices that are harmful to our society and to the nations we influence.”

This is a book every American should read. I believe you’ll at least get educated on some important issues and likely be moved towards her positions.

Ms. Swain brings much credibility to her case. She is currently Professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University. She was also a tenured professor at Princeton University. With pieces published in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and other periodicals as well as guesting on networks like BBC, Fox, ABC, PBS it’s clear to see demand for her views.

One aspect I liked about the book was its relatively limited scope. Compared to other books of its genre the author keeps herself mostly within the confines of a few cultural & social issues and keeps away from too much political, economic, globalism, or conspiracy theories that seem to work their way into many books these days. We The People sets its base by exploring America’s founding. It then moves directly to issues that are eroding the core character of our country; abortion, traditional family structures, race and racism, and immigration.

It’s clear to me that Ms. Swain wants Americans to educate themselves as a catalyst to action. I applaud and agree with that philosophy. She ends each chapter with a list of recommended activities, resources to read. She also includes 90 pages of appendices, notes, and an index. Included are copies of our founding documents; The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution. She also included the Ten Commandments.

Ms. Swain will satisfy those thirsty for references, statistics, and charts to substantiate her opinions. On the flip side she also gives us a touching look at her life growing up in dreadfully poor family in Virginia surrounded by the racism of the 60’s. By her testimony she’s earned the right to know when affirmative action may need an overhaul and that the color of a man’s skin shouldn’t be the first criteria when selecting him for office.

I applaud Ms. Swain for writing this book. The existing stereotypes in America wouldn’t expect a black woman who is a university professor that also writes for the Huffington Post to lean so hard to the right. I know that in her circles she must get criticism. However, to those critics I would whole heartedly agree with her. Let’s move past race, overcome the lies we tell ourselves, and get our country to a culture of personal responsibility based on biblical truths. Yes we are all equal, having individual rights, but not privilege, regardless of what the modern day American aristocracy is offering. For with that ‘security’ comes bondage.

Blessings to you,
Dave Stadel

I received this book for review direct from Thomas Nelson Publishing through http://booksneeze.com/

Wild at Heart (revised) by John Eldredge

2011-06-29T22:34:00.006-05:00

I first read this book about eight years ago. I don’t know that my opinion of it has changed much after my recent re-read. Although praise rains on it from many fronts, it still doesn’t grip me as it seems to for other men. I agree with Eldgredge on many points but found myself losing interest throughout many parts of the book.

I appreciate the acknowledgement of a man’s need for a battle to fight, a beauty to rescue, and an adventure to live. I also agree that righteous masculinity is being squashed in our culture. Men are frequently portrayed as either wimps or beasts, much to the detriment of society.

Although the book seemed to drag on and I didn’t connect with his delivery I’d recommend the book to any man if for only to identify what some of those ‘longings’ in your heart may be.

This book will tell you that it’s not just ok to be a man, it’s great to be one…and to act like one.

Blessings to you,
Dave Stadel

I received this book for review direct from Thomas Nelson Publishing through http://booksneeze.com/

Hurdy Gurdy ma'am

2011-01-05T13:45:00.005-06:00

This New Year's Eve, Hannah used Hurdy Gurdy as one of her words during our family game of Hangman. Since half the family didn't know what it meant and the other half thought it was some sort of slang I thought I'd share this video. It's a a nice introduction to the Hurdy Gurdy.

Phone calls from a computer

2010-12-24T10:55:00.006-06:00

The idea is not new....but this was easy.

Google is so smart. I'm pretty sure they'll take over the world.

While checking email I saw an interesting page from Google, something about teaching your parents how to do techie things. I watched this quick video http://www.teachparentstech.org/make-calls and within minutes was able to make free phone calls from my laptop. Kind of Skypish, but easier.

Thanks Google for creating something that's easy to use. Again.

Elf movie is the BEST

2010-12-17T11:12:00.004-06:00

This scene from the movie Elf has to be the one that gets the most quotes in our house .... all year long. Enjoy!

"Yeah, Yeah...It's me...Buddy!"

"You disgust me. How can you live with yourself?"

"You sit on a throne of lies"

"You stink. You smell like beef and cheese"

Brrrrr It's cold!

2010-12-15T21:26:00.006-06:00

It sure has been cold this past week. The autumn was so warm....we were spoiled. It's clear that Mr. Freeze is exacting his revenge upon us but for what crime I'm not sure.

At least me and my dear Hannah are warm inside while pondering (in a pose not dis-similar to Mr. Freeze) on how to use the Boston Massacre in a theme for grammar school poetics.

Summer can't come soon enough for me!

Students kicked off campus for wearing American flag t-shirts

2010-05-07T09:28:00.013-05:00

On Wednesday four students in California were required to leave school for wearing offensive clothing. The design on the clothes was an American flag. Reasoning for the action by the school was that on May 5th, the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, American flags may seem offensive to Mexicans.

To me this is pretty simple. These Mexicans have made a choice to be in the US. Their being offended by the simple act of donning an American flag is not a poor reflection on the citizens wearing the cloths. I believe the Mexicans, in being offended, are affirming their own ignorance in making the poor choice to live in a country (the US) that they are not proud of and do not understand. The American’s wearing the flag are not offenders.

America has its foundations in liberty but free speech and free expression are constantly under attack. What’s distressing is that something so obviously non-offensive to our citizenry would be in the cross-hairs.

Cinco de Mayo should be a day to lift Mexico and Mexican American’s up. Paying tribute and giving respect to one country does not require one to muffle the pride another feels about his own.

VIDEO: Students kicked off campus for wearing American flag tees

Book Review: Lies The Government Told You by Judge Andrew Napolitano

2010-04-09T19:03:00.005-05:00

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" Orwell

Lies The Government Told You is a 300+ page volume written by a strict constitutionalist judge, Andrew Napolitano. It contains true stories of power, greed, and deception as executed by our protectorate.

These days we’ve become accustomed to so much loose interpretation and in some cases blatant disregard for the constitution that his radical perspective of strict constitutionalism is worth noting. I should also note this judge frequently appears on TV and other media but this was my first introduction to him and I have no bias towards his work. Although I whole heartedly agree with a vast amount of his book I’m not in complete agreement with all his opinions either.

I would recommend that everyone read this book. It is full of truth backed by history, court cases, legal precedence, and constitutional extracts. This book should place doubt and skepticism in the mind of all it’s readers about our politicians, government employees, and the entities they represent.

An undeniable fact of our constitution is its original intent to protect our individual and inalienable (God given) rights. That does not mean it was put in place to condone the establishment of a nanny state promising to protect us while being funded by wealth redistribution. The government’s insatiable appetite for taxation and power is well documented but largely ignored by our citizenry. As you’ll find by reading this book this hijack has been committed throughout the years through a blatant disregard of our founding principles by the very men and women that were voted in (or appointed) to uphold and protect those principles.

The constitution was written by the people, for the people, to protect them and their heirs from tyranny. The inconvenient truth is that in today’s world tyranny does not come from outside our borders but from within. This book outlines and delivers exactly what the title promises….lies American’s continue to believe.

I found the book fascinating and enlightening. It also re-affirmed my disappointment in how far we’ve strayed from freedom.

I received this book for review direct from Thomas Nelson Publishing through http://booksneeze.com/

Book Review: Obstacles Welcome

2010-01-23T12:10:00.006-06:00

The book is classified as a business book and I suppose it is…I’d classify it as leadership-lite taught through autobiography-lite. Through personal story, mainly professional life, the author teaches leadership principles. These are the broad range of leadership principles like overcoming obstacles, having vision, goal setting, personal sacrifice, and character.

There are great leadership concepts and ideas in this book. What I find is that the world is not short on leadership ideas and concepts and this book provides many. The world is short on leadership in execution, but that problem has little to do with this book.

Clearly the story is rags to riches through determination but it wasn’t gritty enough for me. The author rose up from nothing (escaping from Cuba w/ out his family as a child) to become the CEO of ATT Mobility which is no small feat. He has much to be proud of. He clearly has great leadership skills as proven by his success.

The book is somewhat sterile and corporate. That’s not an indictment on the book. Just know that this is the story of a man who climbed the corporate ladder to succeed in his life. If you do not compare this book to leadership teaching through the life of George Washington, who helped build this nation and pry it from the grips of the British Empire you’ll be just fine.

I would recommend this book to someone as a primer to corporate leadership, wanting to climb the ranks. Rascals and renegades need not apply.

Is 1,000 too big?

2009-12-23T09:25:00.012-06:00

The 'old' economy is dead. America's industrial age is over.
Pensions are quickly becoming more extinct than Polar Bears...yet Al Gore doesn't seem to care about that. Most 401ks have been reduced to a 201k... and I don't know anyone that hasn't lost confidence in the stock market. The trend in business is to outsource….scaling back their employee head count.

Get a pay increase above the 'cost of inflation' - right.
Getting an "increase" at the inflation rate - a few people.
Pay freezes - epidemic.
Pay cuts - they're surging.
Layoffs, furloughs, staff reduction, job loss - everywhere.

If you haven't begun thinking about a new, diverse income strategy you either; work for the government, are 55+ years old and have savings & believe in social security, are delusional
about your current opportunity, are in denial about domestic and global technological,
political, societal, & economic trends.

I believe we should all be thinking and acting differently.

Read this post by Seth Godin.

What does the idea of having 1,000 people in your tribe/ 1,000 true fans / 1,000 person community mean to you? Is this such a new idea you can't wrap your head around it? You've got no product/service in mind so this is just white noise or conjecture that's applicable to someone else?

I know that you don't know 1,000 people, other than that what's stopping you from thinking about this and beginning to act on it?

Squads of 1,000 people moving in the same direction can do revolutionary things.

What do you want to revolutionize?
(personally or otherwise)

2010 starts in a few days, what a great time to start.

What does the idea of having 1,000 people in your tribe/ 1,000 true fans / 1,000 person community mean to you? Let me know.

Book Review: Everyday Greatness by Stephen Covey & Readers Digest

2009-10-16T22:29:00.007-05:00

A few months ago I received my copy of Everyday Greatness. I began reading it right away, immediately drawn to its format which allowed me to pick a subject to learn about. The book is not a continuous read; it’s a Readers Digest format which is to say it’s a collection of short (sometimes very short) stories.

Broad subjects titled; Searching for Meaning, Taking Charge, Starting Within, Creating the Dream, Teaming with Others, Overcoming Adversity, and Blending the Pieces are dissected further into traditional leadership topics like courage, disciple, humility, vision, innovation, respect, empathy, etc...
Each of the chapters are comprised of an introduction to the topic written by Covey, three demonstrative real-life stories (written by Readers Digest authors) that are often quite inspiring, a wrap-up & insights by Covey, and lastly quotes by other notable figures.
I found the book very enjoyable. As a teenager I frequently read articles in Readers Digest that my parents subscribed to so the format felt familiar to me. This book will be a good choice to leave out in the house for our kids to read or guests to pick-up during idle times. One can quickly get into and out of a topic or story. There’s not much commitment required with this book, which may be why I took so long to finish it and do this review. However, there is quality writing, strong stories, and powerful insights from a modern expert in leadership.

Book Review: The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley

2009-07-19T14:51:00.004-05:00

The Principle of the Path takes the reader through a variety of Andy Stanley’s life stories and biblical stories to illustrate a scarce few points of the book. Don’t take the word scarce as criticism; I think the author’s point was to be very focused on a few things. To hammer truth into the audience.

I enjoyed the book. Stylistically it was easy to read and some parts were fun and humorous. Other parts were serious and he was able to hit home with me.

The book does a nice job of communicating the concept of personal responsibility. He states that we make individual decisions but those are not exclusive events. They are made in support of a path we are currently on or path we are about to take. That path will lead somewhere, so look beyond the decision and consider the path.

Don’t expect a complicated message in this book. You won’t need to sit with a dictionary next to you as you read. It’s all very clear. Andy Stanley’s writing is so clear and the message is so simple that I wonder how many will miss the point. I think Andy fears that too which results in a subtle, but continuous pounding. I say well done.

There is a Study Guide at the end of the book which is helpful. I found myself having to go back through the book to find answers. As a result, I found deeper meaning in the messages. I would recommend reviewing the Study Guide.

After completing the book I was reminded of a concept from John Maxwell’s book, Today Matters, where he tells us that we all only make a few major decisions in our life and we spend the rest of our life managing those decisions. For example, I chose to marry my wife “till death do us part”. That was a major decision and I make choices daily to manage that decision of commitment. I think this book has a very similar meaning. We choose paths (financially, spiritually, relationally, etc) and spend the rest of our days making the right decisions to stay on that right path.

Thank you Dick Cheney

2009-05-21T11:07:00.005-05:00

Today I listened to Dick Cheney tell America why leftist pacifism is a bad idea. It didn’t work for Neville Chamberlain and it certainly won’t work for Obama and his bunch. Our country needs to be tough with our enemies….or would you rather have our enemies be tough on you and your family?

Bush and Cheney didn’t do everything right but in the last seven years our land was safe. Wrapped in a blanket of safety created by Bush/Chaney, complacency and politicism crept back into the thinking of the American leadership. Thank you Dick Chaney for speaking truth today.

Book Review: This is Your Brain on Joy by Dr. Earl Henslin

2009-04-04T17:01:00.008-05:00

Using language for the average person, Dr. Henslin introduces the reader to the geography of the human brain, five different area's relationships to moods and behaviors, and how to “fix” problems one might be experiencing.

The book is an abundant resource of knowledge. It would be of value to anyone, Christian or otherwise, in understanding our brains and how to live a more joyful life controlling them with resources available to us. I also believe there’s a value here in knowing that not all of human behavior is from the heart. That “head” mistakes exist and therefore grace can and should be given.

The book contains photo imaging of brains so the reader can see which area of the brain is being discussed and what hyperactivity looks like in a scan. Dr Henslin also includes a 101 question survey to take. Based on the answers you can self-diagnose…somewhat. Early on he states that he’ll be oversimplifying and attempting to explain in down-to-earth ways. I appreciated his approach to dumb it down to make it accessible to everyone and I believe he achieved what he sought out to do.

I was drawn to the title and concept of the book because of my interest in helping people; helping them become all they can be and all that God created them to be. The more people I interact with people the more I see the human condition and its fallen nature. I see it in others and in myself. I appreciated the doctor’s tone upfront when he communicated that there’s no such thing as a “normal brain”. He tells the reader that there is a correlation between certain brain activity and certain behavioral traits. With that being case, it may be within our power to control brain activity, thus controlling thoughts & feelings which results in changed behavior.

In his book, Dr. Henslin identifies five major areas of the brain and how one’s moods and behavior goes awry when something is ‘wrong’ with that area. For each section he makes recommendations for improvement through the use of pharmaceuticals, nutrition, nutritional supplements, therapies (music, aroma, relaxation, etc.), meditation, exercise, scripture reading, and others.

As a Christian I also enjoyed section three, Joy Everlasting. In this section his format changed from explanation > problem > solution to teaching about achieving joy through the use of scripture and more specifically, the life of Paul and his letter to the Philippians.

I believe this book contains information valuable to anyone. It does contain recommendations around health and medication, which some could find ‘dangerous’ to follow without personal consultation.

Reviewing the Kindle from Amazon

2009-01-15T13:50:00.015-06:00

It's been 21 days since I got my new toy, a Kindle. While I'm sure my perceptions will change over time I'll share what I know and how I feel about it to this point. The Kindle was a gift so I'm not trying to like it because of the investment, I like it because it's pretty neat and is a powerful tool.

Regarding content, I already have a stack of books that I want to read and haven't decided to invest in purely digital copies of the same or new books. This is bad news for Amazon because the only download I've bought is a Bible, an NASB. However, I have much more content then that bible loaded on the Kindle which I'll explain later.

Features:

1. Easy to read screen: It doesn't strain your eyes at all

2. Wireless web connectivity: Using wireless (think cell phone) you can connect to the Amazon Kindle store and download books, magazines, newspapers and blogs. There is no monthly fee for the wireless access. The content from Amazon does have a fee but you can download fairly extensive trial versions for free.

3. Easy to navigate menus: It's pretty intuitive and easy to use

4. QWERTY keyboard

5. Slick scrolling wheel

6. Ability to bookmark and write notes in your reading material using

7. Ability to play music/sound files

8. A relatively large selection of content from Amazon. I think they have approximately 200,000 books (most are $9.99), a good selection of top newspapers (NY Times, USA Today, etc), various magazines and blogs.

9. Web browser: I've spent a few hours reading/browsing the web on the Kindle. I bookmarked a page that give me detailed local weather and a few others sites.

10. Attaches to your computer via USB: This works nice. It shows up like any other removable storage device on your computer. This allows you to drag files to read or listen to onto the device. You can convert files using Amazon's services (free or pay) or convert files yourself into the correct format using a utility like Mobi Pocket Creator (which is what I've done).

Pros

Easy to read, ability to change font size, wireless, aesthetics (weight/feel/color), content availability, just the concept of having 100's of books with you anywhere is awesome, browser, ability to take notes, ability to add Word, Acrobat, and other file type for reading (after conversion).

Cons

While taking notes you can't easily skip around within your text to edit, it can be hard to hold without inadvertently losing your place because the page forward/back buttons are so big, there is no back light or any light, slight delays when changing from page to page, I still can't play music on mine and haven't figured out why, inability to share a book with a friend and family....you own it digitally.

New Resolutions, a New Way

2009-01-02T22:26:00.008-06:00

Yesterday, on the First, we did something very different with our New Year Resolutions. It wasn't planned out, it just occurred to me to give it a try so we did and it worked out great. As a family, we sat at the kitchen table and shared with each other what we'd like to do, and who we'd like to become this year.
You may be asking, what's so unique about that? What's unique is that we did it with the entire family which includes me, my wife, our four daughters (ages 5, 6, 8, 10) and our 12 year old son. It was really a lot of fun. Sure, we had structure and helped the kids with a framework for thinking but their ideas were solely theirs. It was very fun and revealing.
I think the exercise has created some accountability and transparency for all of us..... don't worry, it's not like we're going to be holding a five year old girl's feet to the fire on anything! It also gives us more insight into each other's thoughts, hopes, and dreams which, in turn, gives us the information we need to encourage one another.
I think it will be a great year.

In God We Trust

2008-11-20T08:21:00.016-06:00

There's no doubt that the economy is getting tight, and there's no doubt that some of the downward spiral will continue to be caused by low confidence in the economy. We can see faith at work in our economy. There was faith (or hope?) when Americans went on a stock buying feeding frenzy that drove dot com stocks through the roof. That bubble was abruptly burst seven years ago. How about the faith we Americans took in a housing craze which was fueled by easy credit which created a bubble...that burst.

What Americans need now is REAL faith. This morning I received emails from two separate, fairly discerning people. I don't get much garbage email from these two like; "send this email to twelve friends or you'll immediately perish". Their emails usually have substance...or at least are pretty funny. The email I got from each of them was the same...a laundry list of retail store closings for '08 and '09. I looked at this and thought "and the point is....?" Then I thought, "is this accurate?" then, "what's the context of this article?" I spent a few minutes checking the referenced sources and found some inconsistencies but for the most part, the information seemed accurate. However, (not to diminish the closings) businesses close or restructure all the time. I think publishing an extensive list of doom and gloom, without a little perspective isn't very helpful. Bottom line is this, any list covering 15 months of business restructuring throughout the entire US would be (and probably should be) extensive in a free market. With all that said, that's not the point of my writing.

My point is that what we need right now is faith that the world isn’t coming to an end, that America is bigger than whatever it is that’s happening here and that it will be alright. Is my glass half full? Probably, but the alternative is just no fun. I find myself much more at peace with the world by not consuming a steady diet of force-fed-fear via TV, radio, and news outlets. I choose what goes into my head, go to work every day, and spend my dollars. I can only control my corner of the world, not global macro-economics. The fact is this, that’s all you can do too. Rejoice in that freedom, revel in that piece of responsibility, and give the rest to God.

First down

2008-11-10T22:47:00.003-06:00

Everyone has to start somewhere. On the heels of an ugly loss by the Packers yesterday (to the Vikings) I'm launching this blog...so we'll call this entry first down.

I've got no real expectations here other than to create a place where I'll be able to sort out some of my own thoughts....and...if a stroke of knowledge, insight, or wisdom gets miraculously transferred to someone else by their happening to stumble on this tiny piece of Internet real estate then that would be frosting on the cake. (I guess another expectation would be that most of my sentences won't run on like that in the future!)