Thinks I find along the way
Happened yesterday near Sarasota.
The “Miss Geico” powerboat burst into flames yesterday at about 5:30pm, 250 yards off shore. No one—including the ubiquitous gecko—was hurt in the accident, according to the Herald-Tribune. The boat was preparing for today’s 2012 Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix event.
Maybe Mayhem was behind the wheel? Photo via reddit. via 15 Minutes Could Save You 15% On Boat Insurance.
“If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” Raymond Inmon.
We all seek creative ideas from time to time – perhaps when we have a problem resting heavily on our minds, or when we are simply in a bad mood. We need to refresh ourselves at those times. Refreshment doesn’t solve a problem, but it can revitalize our thinking. Sometimes when we are feeling hopeless, we neglect to care for ourselves, forgetting a better environment will give us a stronger attitude, even toward the most difficult problems.
We must learn our own best methods for being refreshed – ways that allow angels to whisper to us. They should be simple, inexpensive, and accessible daily. Going for a walk is a very good example. Daily reading and study is another possibility. Observing nature, doing handicrafts or hobbies are refreshing for some men. These activities allow us to temporarily set aside our tasks and concerns and open us to creative ideas.
Today, I will give myself a creative break from the concerns I am facing.” via Just For Today Meditations » Daily Recovery Readings – July 1, 2012.
Ahhh. Good one!
Here’s an excerpt from SpiritualRiver.com entitled How Can I Help an Alcoholic or Drug Addict? I found it timely given that Jerri is starting to acknowledge she still has substance abuse issues. But I also think this is applicable to all of us who love someone with a brain disorder. It’s about practicing detachment.
One of the key principles that will help you in dealing with a struggling alcoholic or drug addict is detachment. The idea behind it is to separate yourself emotionally from the damaging effects of your relationship with the addict or alcoholic. It is not the same as complete disassociation or abandoning the relationship. The idea is to care for them while detaching emotionally. You can care for them but not feel like you are responsible for them. In other words, you are specifically trying to not get all wrapped up emotionally by an addict’s destructive behaviors.
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Very Demotivational – The Demotivational Posters Blog via CARDIAC ARREST.
The most famous verse in the whole Bible is probably John 3:16, which says,
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
You’ve undoubtably seen it on signs at sporting events, written on t-shirts, posted on billboards and even on drink cups at some fast food restaurants. And for good reason, it’s an amazing verse! Here’s Jesus telling us about why He came, who sent Him, and what happens for those who put their faith in Him. It’s a great snapshot of the Gospel message. If you’ve never begun the habit of memorizing Scripture, start with this one.
While John 3:16 is an amazing verse, John 3:17 is just as compelling. Jesus continues by telling us,
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
That’s a reassuring statement! Look at the two verses together; first, God loves us enough to send us a Savior, next, if we put our faith in Jesus, if we trust Him as our Lord and Savior, we will have eternal life, and Jesus wasn’t sent to condemn the world as some would have us believe, but to save the world.
That’s where the power for a changed life comes from, from the Savior of the world. Jesus gives us the power for a new life, for a life of freedom from our hurts, hang-ups and habits, but we have to bring them to Him and trust Him to heal us. As we go through Celebrate Recovery we need to ensure that Jesus is the center of our program. We can not do this on our own power. To find change, lasting change, we need to depend wholly on Jesus.
Today, ask yourself, have you been relying on Jesus’ power or your own? If you’ve been relying on Christ’s power, keep it up. Don’t get distracted, don’t stray from the path. But if you find that you’ve begun to rely on anything other than Jesus, a relationship, willpower, a new habit, anything, don’t wait to refocus your attention to Jesus. We all have the tendency to take our eyes off of Jesus, but when we realize we’ve done that, we need to turn to Him in prayer and ask Him for His help to remain focused on and in Him.
Later in the Book of John, Jesus tells us:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Jesus isn’t a part of recovery, He is recovery. If we want to live a new life, a life free from hurts, hang-ups and habits, we must remain in Jesus. It is only by and through Jesus that you and I can have new lives here on earth, and eternal life in heaven.
Today, what can you do to make sure that you remain in Jesus?
If you find that you have begun to focus on anything else, are you ready to make today the day you focus on Jesus as your Lord and Savior, as your Higher Power?
Don’t put it off any longer. Remember, Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, but to save us.” via Remain in Jesus.
Not likely, but it’s nice to dream! The New Yorker via A Sunday morning cartoon. For more from this week’s….
Here are the stats for my personal WordPress blog:
Driving traffic to a website is simple if you have the right tools, system and process. Personally I know of know better way than ‘thought leadership’ marketing using the ‘e1evation workflow‘. Comment, call or ‘connect’ so we can talk about how this applies to you and your organization…
The reaction: It’s pretty clear why Oreo is just one of a growing number of companies — JCPenney, for example — boldly embracing “gay pride as a business strategy,” says Tiffany Hsu at the Los Angeles Times. The gay community may be small, but it is vocal and willing to rally “support for companies deemed to be on their side.” You can bet it’s rushing out to buy Nabisco’s cookies. Not so fast, says Sheila Shayon at Brand Channel. Judging from “the maelstrom of divided comments” from Oreo’s 26 million Facebook followers, this could be bad for business. A growing boycott threat might teach Oreo that companies can pay a steep price for taking stands on divisive issues. Well, let the haters pursue their “shortsighted” boycott, says Neetzan Zimmerman at Gawker. Nabisco, part of parent company Kraft, makes a lot more than cookies. “Good luck eating your steak without A1 Steak Sauce, homophobes.” As for the rest of us: Let’s cross our fingers and hope Oreo will “make the rainbow cookie a reality.” See for yourself:
via The Oreo gay-pride cookie: Good for business? – The Week.
Heh, heh, heh… The Week: Most Recent Cartoons via Party poopers.
Today I Found Out via Telegraphic Spam was Extremely Common in the 19th Century.
Hmmm. No satellite dish. Perfect!!! The Doll House, Potato Island, MA. Submitted by Colin Murtaugh. via The Doll House, Potato Island, MA. Submitted by Colin Murtaugh..
So, you love your tech and the web, but do you love it enough to permanently brand yourself with related imagery?
We’ve found 10 people that do. From corporate logos to other geeky graphic references, these folks have turned their fandom into skin art.
Have a browse through our gallery below and do let us know in the comments if you have any geeky tattoos, and why.” Get more here: 10 Great Geeky Tattoos [PICS].
Back during my 6 color Apple days I was seriously thinking about getting a tattoo like this on my left bicep. Now I’m glad I didn’t. How about you? Have any geeky tattoos?
Kudos to Bill Pevlor of PopsDigital — you see his images here all the time — for his recent post on Darren Rowse’s photography blog:
“I’ll be the first to concede, I am not a great photographer. The eternal optimist in me likes to think all things are possible. The pragmatist in me realizes I have a long way to go on my personal journey to photographic greatness. It may be a long way to go, but I’m on my way and serious about improving. I subscribe to photography magazines, glean articles and tutorials online and follow the work of some truly great photographers. All of that is valuable, but I’ve stumbled upon something that has dramatically improved my images more than everything else, combined.
I use an incredibly simple, two-step program. I revisit the plan every now and then and always gain something new. I believe it is essential for beginners, will advance the intermediate and can even boost top professionals a notch or two. As powerful as I believe this program is, it comes with a natural deterrent – its simplicity.
This program is so simple I’m afraid many will dismiss it without giving it a try. So, before I lay it out, take a moment to relax, inhale deeply, find your happy place and open your mind to a novel concept. Resist the urge to roll your eyes and scoff when you realize how simple it is. I guarantee, if you put it to the test and follow each step fully, your photos will immediately improve. (I’m already upgrading my account to handle all the flood of “Thank You” emails.)
Alright, enough of the sales pitch – let’s move on to my incredibly simple, two-step program for better photos. (Remember, no scoffing.)” Get his two step program here: Incredibly Simple 2-Step Program for Better Photos.
Spoiler alert! It all comes down to RTFM; ‘read the frikkin’ manual’. Life is all about the basics, no?
It is easy to compare the Costa Concordia with the Titanic, another cruise liner disaster from long ago. But there are some key differences. And it is in those differences that we can learn a few lessons to navigate life.
First, the Titanic was built in an era of big ships but with no technology available for the captain to see his way ahead. Radar was decades away from development. So as the Titanic was built and launched, its claim to being unsinkable was predicated on the toughness of the hull of the ship.
It is not surprising that the crew could not see an iceberg that was large above the water line and much larger still below the water line. Back then they could only see what their eyes could see. (Interestingly, if they really believed the ship was unsinkable, why would watches even need to be posted?)
The Costa Concordia, on the other hand, had all the advantages of modern technology. It not only had radar to see above the water, it had depth finders and quite possibly even sonar. (I am not one hundred percent sure of that, but the technology certainly exists today.) The crew should have known how deep the waters were and, because of GPS where they were within thirty feet of accuracy.
Yet due to hubris and human error, the Costa Concordia was where it should not have been. And despite the technology, the crew ran aground, the ship foundered, and lives were lost.
There is so much to learn here about leadership and life. Let me suggest four:
- When we cannot see clearly, we should exercise caution. The Titanic’s crew could not see that far ahead, but they proceeded without caution. We may feel tough. We may feel unsinkable. But if we don’t have clear vision, or if we cannot enunciate a clear vision, we are in danger if we rush ahead blindly.
- When we don’t pay attention to feedback, we can run aground. The danger here is due to not recognizing the danger. Failure to seek feedback is folly. Failure to listen to it is foolishness.
- When we have vision, we need to clarify it regularly. Instruments on aircraft or ships need to be calibrated to verify accuracy. In life, we need to clarify our vision repeatedly in order to insure that we are on track with where we want to go. A friend once told me if you profess to have vision but no one is following you, it is likely you merely had indigestion.
- When we have clarity, we need to practice humility. Every person who is more confident in themselves than in the vision they espouse is vulnerable to prideful downfalls. Great leaders can crash in the blink of an eye.
We all make choices as we navigate life. We all have an impact on others, whether it is our family, friends or colleagues. It is vitally important for us to have a clear sense of ourselves, a clear sense of our relationship with the Eternal, and a clear sense of our relationships with those we influence. If we have that clarity we will see success, but if we don’t we may well crash on the rocks.” via How to Know When to Change Course | Michael Hyatt.
Let me suggest two more:
In other words think twice before and after engaging in bad behavior…
Men, consider this:
New research out of Cambridge University in the U.K. finds that husbands who do households chores are happier and experience greater wellbeing.
This finding surprised the researchers, who hypothesized that wives, not husbands, would be happier if their husbands did chores. Instead, they found that the husband’s chore contribution left the wife’s happiness “unmoved,” but did make the husbands themselves happier.
Researchers speculated that husbands who do chores might have discovered the joys, and art, of the “quiet life,” and the finding reflects this.
Or it could be that the chore-performing husbands simply get less friction, conflict and argument at home because they help out with chores, and this accounts for their happier state. The chores “buy” them a happy contentment with their wives, indirectly. Although if that were true, then you’d think that wives would be happier without the conflict and argument, too, and the study doesn’t find a similar happiness boost for the wife of the chore-dedicated husband.” via Husbands, Scouring the Toilet Will Make You Happier… Really | Psychology Today.
And then there’s always the choreplay aspect… :-D
Without further ado . . . the randomly selected winner of the quote contest is Andrew Donth, who shared some Spurgeon with us. Here’s the quote:
Charles Spurgeon: “If he gives you the grace to make you believe, he will give you the grace to live a holy life afterward.” (Sermon, “Justification by Grace”)
Thanks to all of those who participated in the “send us a quote” contest that began on Monday. We have received hundreds on sanctification, the theme of our National Conference. There were so many that we literally cannot fit them into one blog post (I tried). So I’ve whittled the list down to 100 for you to spread or archive.” via 100 Quotes from You on Sanctification – Desiring God.
Retronaut via Mother Teresa, 1920s.
Melody Beattie writes:
“It doesn’t matter if they’re hurting themselves. It doesn’t matter that we could help them if they’d only listen to, and cooperate with, us. IT DOESN’T MATTER, DOESN’T MATTER, DOESN’T MATTER, DOESN’T MATTER.” Codependent No More
I think I can change him. Nobody’s ever really loved him and appreciated him before. I’ll be the one to do that, and then he’ll change.. .. She’s never been with anybody trustworthy before. I’ll prove how trustworthy I am, and then she’ll be able to love. . . . Nobody’s been able to get to her, to conquer her, before. I’ll be the one to do that … Nobody’s ever really given him a chance. . . . Nobody’s ever really believed in him before….
These are warning signs. Red lights. Red flags. In fact, if we’re thinking these thoughts, they need to be stop signs.
If we have gotten hooked into believing that somehow we will be the one who will make the difference in someone’s life, if we are trying to prove how good we can be for someone, we may be in trouble.
This is a game. A deception. It won’t work. It’ll make us crazy. We can trust that. We’re not seeing things clearly. Something’s going on with us.
It will be self-defeating.
We may be “the one” all right — the one to wind up victimized.
The whole thought pattern reeks of codependency, of not being responsible for oneself, and of victimization. Each person needs to do his or her own work.
Nobody in the past has really understood him…. Nobody has seen what I see in her…. It’s a set-up. It sets us up to stop paying attention to ourselves while we focus too much on the other person. It takes us away from our path and often puts us in orbit.
Nobody has appreciated him enough…. Nobody has been good enough to her, or done for her what I can do…. It’s a rescue. It’s a game move, a game we don’t have to play. We don’t have to prove were the one. If we’re out to show people we’re the best thing that ever happened to them, it may be time to see if they’re the best thing that ever happened to us.
We have not been appointed as guardian angel, godmother, godfather, or “the one who will.”
The help, support, and encouragement that truly benefits others and ourselves emerges naturally. Let it.
God, help me let go of my need to meet dysfunctional challenges in my relationships.” via June 29: Into Orbit.
Bright, shiny objects! 
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