That word, entrepreneur, evokes thoughts of an explorer and a pioneer in my mind. The spirit that brought some westward to explore, tame, and shape seems to beat in the hearts of these men and women to start their own business.
I was thinking about this last week as I wandered through a few local stores. The ladies that own them are there, behind the counter. One I had visited the week before and made a purchase. She remembered me, making sure to try and connect with a customer. It can’t be easy to be the owner, worker, errand runner, and chief bottle washer all at the same time.
I don’t want to romanticize it unduly, because the truth is that there is a lot of hard work that goes into this. But, there is something so appealing to having a dream and following it through. Maybe that is what really catches my attention when I talk to entrepreneurs. They are dream chasers. How many dreams have we dreamed and turned away from them because of fear? Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of what others will think. What dream is it that you have? Go be a dream chaser.
Showing posts with label unexpected. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unexpected. Show all posts
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Inventor
I mentioned yesterday that I needed to find ways to encourage and inspire myself to attain long term goals and objectives. But, how? Rewards at the end are nice, but when you are mid-way they can be sadly lacking. This started my thinking on how this happens. When I have been successful in completing something, what have I done to keep myself focused and energized? I have to become an inventor of motivation.
If I were to put on my mad scientist outfit, metaphorically speaking, make my hair stand on end, and have rows of chemicals in test tubes in the background, perhaps I could mix a formula for inspiration and motivation. Starting with a collection of the liquid energy and put a few ounces into our test tube. Then, I’ll drop in a few granules of patience which probably turn the whole thing blue. Stir in a green glob of stick-to-it-ness. It will have to be stirred quite well or that will just stick to the wall of the test tube. Place under a Bunsen burner and heat slowly. Add in a combination of the ingredients of determination, will, encouragement, and one heaping teaspoon of accountability. Remove from the heat and check for clarity. Then, spread liberally over the matter at hand, applying liberally whenever dryness appears.
For me, this takes the view of little bits and pieces. A calendar page with Shakespeare quoted, a phone call with a friend, a saying on something small, watching butterflies fly and Queen Anne’s lace stretching the little blooms up and out, the puppy who chases the butterfly while the other watches in mild amusement, a well written letter, a surprise card, listen to little feet run through the house and giggles floating back towards you, clean laundry, a good salad that someone else makes, and a cool morning breeze. They can each be a moment of movement to help me progress in my task.
If I were to put on my mad scientist outfit, metaphorically speaking, make my hair stand on end, and have rows of chemicals in test tubes in the background, perhaps I could mix a formula for inspiration and motivation. Starting with a collection of the liquid energy and put a few ounces into our test tube. Then, I’ll drop in a few granules of patience which probably turn the whole thing blue. Stir in a green glob of stick-to-it-ness. It will have to be stirred quite well or that will just stick to the wall of the test tube. Place under a Bunsen burner and heat slowly. Add in a combination of the ingredients of determination, will, encouragement, and one heaping teaspoon of accountability. Remove from the heat and check for clarity. Then, spread liberally over the matter at hand, applying liberally whenever dryness appears.
For me, this takes the view of little bits and pieces. A calendar page with Shakespeare quoted, a phone call with a friend, a saying on something small, watching butterflies fly and Queen Anne’s lace stretching the little blooms up and out, the puppy who chases the butterfly while the other watches in mild amusement, a well written letter, a surprise card, listen to little feet run through the house and giggles floating back towards you, clean laundry, a good salad that someone else makes, and a cool morning breeze. They can each be a moment of movement to help me progress in my task.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Just on Time
Different plants bloom at different times. I don’t if you ever noticed, but it is spring – so take a look around. There are some trees which have budded, bloomed, leafed out and look ready to go for another year. Others are somewhere mid-process, while still more are just beginning to bud. What would happen if we set up a timetable of when this should occur? All trees that are going to be productive are going to bud and be fully leafed out by April 24. If they are not, then they are just weaker or dying and we are cutting them all down.
That sounds rather foolish doesn’t it? We don’t do that with trees, flowers, but do with people. So, let’s change the metaphor just a bit. If someone is to bloom, I’m not talking about an age range or biological factors. Instead this is blooming by perceiving and then reaching towards meeting your potential and purposes. Society often has this preconceived timetable of when this should be, the mysterious and shrouded “they” are in charge of this time table. We know that when someone tries to bunk the myth and ask why, “because they say so....”. Who says you have to college at a certain age, who says you are going to learn a new skill, you have to learn it by a pre-appointed time. Does that mean if I don’t meet your timetable that my head will explode or the time continuum as we know it will shatter?
Sometimes, we need to just provide a little encouragement. Provide a bit of fertilizer and nourishment, a word or two of pep talk, and then sit back. After some time and lots of sunshine, you may find that this person is not only blooming, but is one of the best fruit producers of the whole lot.
In the church, do we put age limits on ourselves or others? I’m too young to do that. I’m too old to do that. I had my time, now I get to sit back on my laurels and just watch. No offense, but who really wants to sit on a laurel – ouch! Nonsense! There may be years and years of nourishment that has gone into this person that suddenly springs forward in a burst of blooms and ability that is absolutely breathtaking. Where would we be if we just cut them down? It is important to remember that our timeline is not God’s timeline. He will insist we bloom just on time.
That sounds rather foolish doesn’t it? We don’t do that with trees, flowers, but do with people. So, let’s change the metaphor just a bit. If someone is to bloom, I’m not talking about an age range or biological factors. Instead this is blooming by perceiving and then reaching towards meeting your potential and purposes. Society often has this preconceived timetable of when this should be, the mysterious and shrouded “they” are in charge of this time table. We know that when someone tries to bunk the myth and ask why, “because they say so....”. Who says you have to college at a certain age, who says you are going to learn a new skill, you have to learn it by a pre-appointed time. Does that mean if I don’t meet your timetable that my head will explode or the time continuum as we know it will shatter?
Sometimes, we need to just provide a little encouragement. Provide a bit of fertilizer and nourishment, a word or two of pep talk, and then sit back. After some time and lots of sunshine, you may find that this person is not only blooming, but is one of the best fruit producers of the whole lot.
In the church, do we put age limits on ourselves or others? I’m too young to do that. I’m too old to do that. I had my time, now I get to sit back on my laurels and just watch. No offense, but who really wants to sit on a laurel – ouch! Nonsense! There may be years and years of nourishment that has gone into this person that suddenly springs forward in a burst of blooms and ability that is absolutely breathtaking. Where would we be if we just cut them down? It is important to remember that our timeline is not God’s timeline. He will insist we bloom just on time.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Splinter
About a week ago, I felt the need to pray once again, Lord change me. It’s a prayer that focuses like a laser beam on my own heart and life. Finishing up reading in Isaiah, finishing up a book about God answering prayer, I was hearing repent and restoration over and over. What was it in me, in my life that I needed to address?
Ever seen a child with a splinter in their finger? They will quite often take off across the room, yard, house, to avoid having the splinter removed. It will hurt to have it removed, the pain from it being infected will be worse. I think that admitting sin and then asking for forgiveness can be kind of like that splinter. At least it was for me this week. Mulling this over, wrestling with it, asking and seeking after God, I asked Him to change me and grow me. What I found was that I needed to first ask for forgiveness of God, where I was holding a splinter of sin and trying to just ignore it. The word malice came up. Malice? That has such a Hollywood dark flavor to it. Malice – as in wickedness and spite? Surely not! Pride? I thought I had addressed this hurt long before. Still, a splinter remained and I needed to let God remove it. Once that was done, then that left a hole.
What now God? Amazingly enough, the book I had already been reading and the verses I had been leading up to led me to this very time. God’s timing is so perfect. The hole that is left when we ask for the sin to be removed, when we repent , can also be filled by God! He will not leave us with an open wound that just anything can go and get stuck in. I was amazed at the peace and relinquishment I have had.
By preparing me for this week, by insisting that I read these things, I have found that splinter removed. Restoration to God by God, starting with God urging me to get better – what an amazing God we serve!
Acts 3: 19-20 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus."
Ever seen a child with a splinter in their finger? They will quite often take off across the room, yard, house, to avoid having the splinter removed. It will hurt to have it removed, the pain from it being infected will be worse. I think that admitting sin and then asking for forgiveness can be kind of like that splinter. At least it was for me this week. Mulling this over, wrestling with it, asking and seeking after God, I asked Him to change me and grow me. What I found was that I needed to first ask for forgiveness of God, where I was holding a splinter of sin and trying to just ignore it. The word malice came up. Malice? That has such a Hollywood dark flavor to it. Malice – as in wickedness and spite? Surely not! Pride? I thought I had addressed this hurt long before. Still, a splinter remained and I needed to let God remove it. Once that was done, then that left a hole.
What now God? Amazingly enough, the book I had already been reading and the verses I had been leading up to led me to this very time. God’s timing is so perfect. The hole that is left when we ask for the sin to be removed, when we repent , can also be filled by God! He will not leave us with an open wound that just anything can go and get stuck in. I was amazed at the peace and relinquishment I have had.
By preparing me for this week, by insisting that I read these things, I have found that splinter removed. Restoration to God by God, starting with God urging me to get better – what an amazing God we serve!
Acts 3: 19-20 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus."
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Unexpected or Unwanted Blessings
When I think of a blessing, I generally think of something I would like or something I need or want. Perhaps it’s a financial or health need, something that would benefit a friend, or an unexpected help that takes care of a problem. Or it could be the beautiful pink blooms of the tulip tree that just sings spring to me in the most beautiful way. The fox that comes to eat seed and eggs outside my window and is a joy to see, or perhaps the feel of clean sheets. Those are all blessings.
But, an incident occurred about a week ago which made me wonder if it was a blessing, but in disguise. Disguise, now my mind just jumped into super hero land with capes and masks. Identity kept secret for the protection of the individual. Why would a blessing be in disguise though? Obviously it wonAt have a cape and mask, but perhaps it is not in disguise. Perhaps, it is just not wanted. Or at least, initially perceived that way.
So, this is how it all happened…. Easter Sunday, home from church, plans to have a day of rest. Those are lovely things which happen all too infrequently in my life. Coming in, settling down to get ready for a wonderful Easter lunch of homemade pizza (let’s start a new tradition – yummy!), my mom opens the washer door. Instead of removing a damp quilt from the washer to be placed into the dryer, water poured out. I mean poured out! She stood there in shock, with an equally shocked sound coming out of her mouth. “Shut the door!” The door slammed shut. By then, water was quickly spreading across the floor in all directions. A basket of dirty towels to be washed were dumped in the middle of the puddle and the clean up started. I say started, because the water went under the washer and dryer.
YUCK!!!! This was not the Easter afternoon we had planned! Where was pizza and maybe a walk, perhaps some time outside and then a movie? This was messy and yucky and wet. But, it had to be cleaned up. So, we started cleaning and drying and cleaning and drying, mopping up everything that could be easily reached. Then, it was time to tackle the small lakes that had gathered under the washer and dryer. After some rather comical moments of my mom climbing over the washer and dryer to get behind them, I warned her that this was coming, wet lint started being tossed up from behind the dryer onto the top of the machine. Double yuck! Lint is bad enough, but wet lint! A blessing in disguise? How about a blessing disguised in dryer lint?
Let’s peel away that mask and take a look at what was there. The dryer lint that was collecting was a fire hazard. So, the great dryer and washer flood resolved that issue, the lint was removed.
Mom climbed back over the dryer and washe. I think she was planning to douse me in dryer lint if I went and got my camera. We were laughing pretty hard by now. Was it something unwanted? Yes, I mean who really wants a great flood under the washer and dryer? But, was it perhaps an unexpected blessing, as a fire hazard was found and removed? Absolutely!
I still don’t know why the washer stopped when it did, to create the pouring out onto the floor, but I think it may have just been an unwanted blessing. Thank heaven for those!
But, an incident occurred about a week ago which made me wonder if it was a blessing, but in disguise. Disguise, now my mind just jumped into super hero land with capes and masks. Identity kept secret for the protection of the individual. Why would a blessing be in disguise though? Obviously it wonAt have a cape and mask, but perhaps it is not in disguise. Perhaps, it is just not wanted. Or at least, initially perceived that way.
So, this is how it all happened…. Easter Sunday, home from church, plans to have a day of rest. Those are lovely things which happen all too infrequently in my life. Coming in, settling down to get ready for a wonderful Easter lunch of homemade pizza (let’s start a new tradition – yummy!), my mom opens the washer door. Instead of removing a damp quilt from the washer to be placed into the dryer, water poured out. I mean poured out! She stood there in shock, with an equally shocked sound coming out of her mouth. “Shut the door!” The door slammed shut. By then, water was quickly spreading across the floor in all directions. A basket of dirty towels to be washed were dumped in the middle of the puddle and the clean up started. I say started, because the water went under the washer and dryer.
YUCK!!!! This was not the Easter afternoon we had planned! Where was pizza and maybe a walk, perhaps some time outside and then a movie? This was messy and yucky and wet. But, it had to be cleaned up. So, we started cleaning and drying and cleaning and drying, mopping up everything that could be easily reached. Then, it was time to tackle the small lakes that had gathered under the washer and dryer. After some rather comical moments of my mom climbing over the washer and dryer to get behind them, I warned her that this was coming, wet lint started being tossed up from behind the dryer onto the top of the machine. Double yuck! Lint is bad enough, but wet lint! A blessing in disguise? How about a blessing disguised in dryer lint?
Let’s peel away that mask and take a look at what was there. The dryer lint that was collecting was a fire hazard. So, the great dryer and washer flood resolved that issue, the lint was removed.
Mom climbed back over the dryer and washe. I think she was planning to douse me in dryer lint if I went and got my camera. We were laughing pretty hard by now. Was it something unwanted? Yes, I mean who really wants a great flood under the washer and dryer? But, was it perhaps an unexpected blessing, as a fire hazard was found and removed? Absolutely!
I still don’t know why the washer stopped when it did, to create the pouring out onto the floor, but I think it may have just been an unwanted blessing. Thank heaven for those!
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