Sunday, December 23, 2007
Merry Christmas!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS from The Milbourn's, or as our friends the Scott's call us, The Wilburn's! Praying that you'll have a BLESSED holiday!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Relationships - Part 2
When I wrote last night’s post, I figured there would be a part 2…and there is, but it looks a lot different than what I thought it would. God changed the look of it today, with one e-mail from a client. Before I actually tell you what the client said, let me first give you some history of my relationship with this particular gentle-man.
I lose track of time, but I’m going to estimate that about five years ago, I started doing business with this client who owns a local retail outlet. The reason I attained the account was because he and his current sales rep weren’t getting along. They had a disagreement, and this client was very upset with both his account rep as well as with our television station. So they switched reps and gave the account to me. That’s where our relationship started. I was the “clean up” crew. My job was to go in and mend fences, so to speak.
To be honest, it was a fairly easy job, simply because this guy is a good guy. He was not happy with his former rep, but he did not hold it against me. After our station management went in and apologized, the slate was wiped clean, and I was off to a fresh start with this client.
For whatever reason, we seemed to really hit it off. From the beginning, I could not get in and out of his office in less than an hour because we would always end up having some great conversations. A lot of times his wife would be there, and sometimes his kids would be running in and out, so we got to know each other on a personal level. Often times, our conversations would turn to “spiritual talk”. He knew who I was, and I knew who he was. And who he was spiritually, was a self-proclaimed agnostic. He was bold about it, but never cocky, and never argumentative…nor was I. I would listen to his thoughts on spirituality, and he would listen as I talked about my relationship with my best friend, Jesus.
I could tell he was searching. He knew WAY more about other religions than I did because he had researched nearly all of them. Mormon’s, Hindu’s, Islam, you name it, he knew about it. As the years went by, I saw a gradual increase in his “openness” toward Christ.
A few months ago, we had one of our best “spiritual” talks ever…and he seemed different this time. I could tell he was more open than ever. He talked about how he had recently gone to a funeral, and he felt God’s presence…I don’t know that he used those exact words, but that’s what he was saying. We talked for nearly two hours that day, and I left him with my “Blue Like Jazz” book.
We’ve had a couple of conversations since then, and they were SO good. It definitely seemed like there was something different. His searching seemed to becoming more intense, and I sensed him rounding a spiritual corner toward Christ. His constant searching touched my heart, and I began to pray more fervently for him. His mother was having some health issues, and she began asking him questions about God, so now, he wasn’t only searching for himself, but for his mom.
So, this brings me to today. Today, I walked in from lunch and checked my e-mail. I had an e-mail from him, that made me cry, no, weep. He was responding to some business info that I had sent him. Here’s what the e-mail said: (I copy and pasted it)
Thanks for the info. I have finished your "blue like jazz" book. It is at the store and you can stop at your leisure. I enjoyed it a great deal. Good to know others have walked a less traveled path. I will give you a good one from another book I am finishing. A quote from Pascal that there are two kinds of reasonable people"those who serve God with all their heart because they know Him, and those who seek Him with all their heart because they do not know Him" Keep that one and think of me. Merry Christmas Melissa.
Why did this e-mail touch me so? Maybe it’s because it so perfectly describes he and I. I serve God with all my heart because I know Him, and he is seeking God with all his heart because he doesn’t know Him. Maybe it’s because I can hear a passionate, almost desperate heart cry of one searching desperately for God to show Himself to him. Or maybe it’s because for years now, I’ve been on this journey with him, and he is now confessing to me, that he, a self proclaimed agnostic, is now seeking God with all his heart. The mere thought of that makes me weep because I know what comes next….The Word says this, “You will seek me and FIND me, when you seek me with ALL YOUR HEART”. Jeremiah 29:13
I’m claiming that verse for my client friend, and praying that this Christmas, he’ll get the greatest gift ever. The gift of eternal life. The gift of a relationship with Jesus. The gift of love lavished on him by our Heavenly Father, served up and poured out in only the way that our God can. If you were patient enough to read thru this, would you please say a prayer for my friend as well?
Wow. Our relationships. God cares about our relationships. Who has God placed in your life? We must be aware of our relationships. God has us in them for a reason…to glorify His name. He LOVES people.
“I sought to hear the voice of God and climbed the topmost steeple, but God declared: ‘go down again, I dwell among the people”. John Henry Newman
I lose track of time, but I’m going to estimate that about five years ago, I started doing business with this client who owns a local retail outlet. The reason I attained the account was because he and his current sales rep weren’t getting along. They had a disagreement, and this client was very upset with both his account rep as well as with our television station. So they switched reps and gave the account to me. That’s where our relationship started. I was the “clean up” crew. My job was to go in and mend fences, so to speak.
To be honest, it was a fairly easy job, simply because this guy is a good guy. He was not happy with his former rep, but he did not hold it against me. After our station management went in and apologized, the slate was wiped clean, and I was off to a fresh start with this client.
For whatever reason, we seemed to really hit it off. From the beginning, I could not get in and out of his office in less than an hour because we would always end up having some great conversations. A lot of times his wife would be there, and sometimes his kids would be running in and out, so we got to know each other on a personal level. Often times, our conversations would turn to “spiritual talk”. He knew who I was, and I knew who he was. And who he was spiritually, was a self-proclaimed agnostic. He was bold about it, but never cocky, and never argumentative…nor was I. I would listen to his thoughts on spirituality, and he would listen as I talked about my relationship with my best friend, Jesus.
I could tell he was searching. He knew WAY more about other religions than I did because he had researched nearly all of them. Mormon’s, Hindu’s, Islam, you name it, he knew about it. As the years went by, I saw a gradual increase in his “openness” toward Christ.
A few months ago, we had one of our best “spiritual” talks ever…and he seemed different this time. I could tell he was more open than ever. He talked about how he had recently gone to a funeral, and he felt God’s presence…I don’t know that he used those exact words, but that’s what he was saying. We talked for nearly two hours that day, and I left him with my “Blue Like Jazz” book.
We’ve had a couple of conversations since then, and they were SO good. It definitely seemed like there was something different. His searching seemed to becoming more intense, and I sensed him rounding a spiritual corner toward Christ. His constant searching touched my heart, and I began to pray more fervently for him. His mother was having some health issues, and she began asking him questions about God, so now, he wasn’t only searching for himself, but for his mom.
So, this brings me to today. Today, I walked in from lunch and checked my e-mail. I had an e-mail from him, that made me cry, no, weep. He was responding to some business info that I had sent him. Here’s what the e-mail said: (I copy and pasted it)
Thanks for the info. I have finished your "blue like jazz" book. It is at the store and you can stop at your leisure. I enjoyed it a great deal. Good to know others have walked a less traveled path. I will give you a good one from another book I am finishing. A quote from Pascal that there are two kinds of reasonable people"those who serve God with all their heart because they know Him, and those who seek Him with all their heart because they do not know Him" Keep that one and think of me. Merry Christmas Melissa.
Why did this e-mail touch me so? Maybe it’s because it so perfectly describes he and I. I serve God with all my heart because I know Him, and he is seeking God with all his heart because he doesn’t know Him. Maybe it’s because I can hear a passionate, almost desperate heart cry of one searching desperately for God to show Himself to him. Or maybe it’s because for years now, I’ve been on this journey with him, and he is now confessing to me, that he, a self proclaimed agnostic, is now seeking God with all his heart. The mere thought of that makes me weep because I know what comes next….The Word says this, “You will seek me and FIND me, when you seek me with ALL YOUR HEART”. Jeremiah 29:13
I’m claiming that verse for my client friend, and praying that this Christmas, he’ll get the greatest gift ever. The gift of eternal life. The gift of a relationship with Jesus. The gift of love lavished on him by our Heavenly Father, served up and poured out in only the way that our God can. If you were patient enough to read thru this, would you please say a prayer for my friend as well?
Wow. Our relationships. God cares about our relationships. Who has God placed in your life? We must be aware of our relationships. God has us in them for a reason…to glorify His name. He LOVES people.
“I sought to hear the voice of God and climbed the topmost steeple, but God declared: ‘go down again, I dwell among the people”. John Henry Newman
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Relationships
While every other blog in the universe is talking about Christmas…I’m gonna talk about relationships, because that’s what God has been talking to me about.
This past week, I’ve been reminded of just how important our relationships are to God. I’ve been reminded thru the book I’m reading currently, as well as in Sunday school this week as we talked about this passage of scripture:
Matthew 5:21-22"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.” The Message
Now, I know God is speaking of a MUCH broader spectrum of relationships, than just what I’m mentioning here today, but, this is a few ways I’ve applied that verse to my life this week.
Last night, I dropped Denny and Maren off at Wal-Mart, and I went thru the McDonald’s drive thru to get a drink. I waited in line for what seemed to be an eternity. There was only one car ahead of me, and I don’t know what he ordered, but it took forever! I wondered why they didn’t have him pull forward so they could give me my sprite, but just as I was starting to get angry about it, and start calling them “idiots” under my breath, I remembered this passage of scripture. So, instead of getting mad, it made me laugh….but, God wasn’t done testing me yet.
I then had to drop something off at a friend’s house, and get back to pick Denny and Maren up before they were done shopping. So, time was a factor. After I finally got my sprite, I pulled out onto the road and got behind a truck that was going literally 20 mph down the highway…once again I noticed that I had a choice to make, be irritated, or patient. And instead of cursing them, I chuckled and said, “you’re really funny God…I get it. I get the lesson”. Not long after I said that, the truck speeded up to normal speed, almost as if God had arranged the whole thing just to make a point with me.
Today, at work, I’ve had to deal with someone in accounting. To be honest, every time she deals with us sales people, it’s because there is a problem. So, dealing with us is probably not very enjoyable for her. So I went out of my way to make it fun today, by being light hearted, and funny…because God cares about our relationships. In turn, working thru the accounting problems we were having became an enjoyable experience for me too.
Our relationships matter to Him. A lot. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answered, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself”.
The way Jesus put it, we express our love for God, not in pews, pulpits, stained-glass tones, or doctrinal hair-splitting, but in relationships among people. In the way you and I get along with him and her and them. If being with God on Sunday doesn’t make us better at shepherding people on Monday, then we’ve missed the point. (taken from the book, “They Smell Like Sheep” by Dr. Lynn Anderson)
So, as God is reminding me this week of how much He cares about our relationships with others, I thought I would pass that reminder along to you as well. Probably a good reminder to have during a season where we all gather together with extended family members. A reminder that God is watching, and He cares about our relationships. “For anyone who does not love his brother who he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen”. 1 John 4:20
Father God, help me to be mindful of how I care for and treat others, I don't want to speak "words that Kill". I want to speak words that encourage, words that will build others up, not tear them down. Thanks for this reminder Jesus...Holy Spirit, guide me.
This past week, I’ve been reminded of just how important our relationships are to God. I’ve been reminded thru the book I’m reading currently, as well as in Sunday school this week as we talked about this passage of scripture:
Matthew 5:21-22"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.” The Message
Now, I know God is speaking of a MUCH broader spectrum of relationships, than just what I’m mentioning here today, but, this is a few ways I’ve applied that verse to my life this week.
Last night, I dropped Denny and Maren off at Wal-Mart, and I went thru the McDonald’s drive thru to get a drink. I waited in line for what seemed to be an eternity. There was only one car ahead of me, and I don’t know what he ordered, but it took forever! I wondered why they didn’t have him pull forward so they could give me my sprite, but just as I was starting to get angry about it, and start calling them “idiots” under my breath, I remembered this passage of scripture. So, instead of getting mad, it made me laugh….but, God wasn’t done testing me yet.
I then had to drop something off at a friend’s house, and get back to pick Denny and Maren up before they were done shopping. So, time was a factor. After I finally got my sprite, I pulled out onto the road and got behind a truck that was going literally 20 mph down the highway…once again I noticed that I had a choice to make, be irritated, or patient. And instead of cursing them, I chuckled and said, “you’re really funny God…I get it. I get the lesson”. Not long after I said that, the truck speeded up to normal speed, almost as if God had arranged the whole thing just to make a point with me.
Today, at work, I’ve had to deal with someone in accounting. To be honest, every time she deals with us sales people, it’s because there is a problem. So, dealing with us is probably not very enjoyable for her. So I went out of my way to make it fun today, by being light hearted, and funny…because God cares about our relationships. In turn, working thru the accounting problems we were having became an enjoyable experience for me too.
Our relationships matter to Him. A lot. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answered, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself”.
The way Jesus put it, we express our love for God, not in pews, pulpits, stained-glass tones, or doctrinal hair-splitting, but in relationships among people. In the way you and I get along with him and her and them. If being with God on Sunday doesn’t make us better at shepherding people on Monday, then we’ve missed the point. (taken from the book, “They Smell Like Sheep” by Dr. Lynn Anderson)
So, as God is reminding me this week of how much He cares about our relationships with others, I thought I would pass that reminder along to you as well. Probably a good reminder to have during a season where we all gather together with extended family members. A reminder that God is watching, and He cares about our relationships. “For anyone who does not love his brother who he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen”. 1 John 4:20
Father God, help me to be mindful of how I care for and treat others, I don't want to speak "words that Kill". I want to speak words that encourage, words that will build others up, not tear them down. Thanks for this reminder Jesus...Holy Spirit, guide me.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Get The Sleds Ready!!!
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM SATURDAY TO 1 PM EST SUNDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM SATURDAY TO 1 PM EST SUNDAY. SNOW WILL BEGIN ON SATURDAY MORNING.
BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...SNOW WILL MIX WITH FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET UNTIL SATURDAY NIGHT. LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THE PRECIPITATION WILL AGAIN CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW AND CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY MORNING.
ICE ACCUMULATION OF AROUND ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH IS POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY SUNDAY MORNING.
WIND WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN. BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON WIND WILL GUST FROM THE NORTHEAST UP TO 30 MPH. ON SUNDAY...WIND WILL INCREASE TO SUSTAINED 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH. THE WIND WILL BE FROM THE NORTH WHICH WILL IMPACT ALL EAST AND WEST ORIENTED ROADWAYS.
SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS EXPECTED BY SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARD TO SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. CHECK WTHI-TV.COM FOR FURTHER UPDATES
BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...SNOW WILL MIX WITH FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET UNTIL SATURDAY NIGHT. LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THE PRECIPITATION WILL AGAIN CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW AND CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY MORNING.
ICE ACCUMULATION OF AROUND ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH IS POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY SUNDAY MORNING.
WIND WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN. BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON WIND WILL GUST FROM THE NORTHEAST UP TO 30 MPH. ON SUNDAY...WIND WILL INCREASE TO SUSTAINED 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH. THE WIND WILL BE FROM THE NORTH WHICH WILL IMPACT ALL EAST AND WEST ORIENTED ROADWAYS.
SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS EXPECTED BY SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARD TO SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. CHECK WTHI-TV.COM FOR FURTHER UPDATES
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Marie Osmond
Did you know that last week, in our tiny town of 4,000, at the new Super Wal-Mart, stood the one, the only, Marie Osmond?!? Oh yeah, Marie was at our Wal-Mart. Is that exciting or what?!?!
The very first thought I had when I heard this news was, "wow, Marie Osmond, probably just walked right over the spot on the Wal-Mart floor where Josh puked."
Yep, about a week or so after Wal-mart opened, Josh puked on the floor. About 10 feet inside the door. So, think about that next time you enter the store. Not sure why he couldn't have pulled the trigger on that one 10 feet OUTSIDE the store. Oh well, always an adventure.
Anyway, back to Marie. I've always had great respect for the Osmond family as far as musical talent goes. And I appreciate that they have been responsible with their "stardom". However, I grew an even greater appreciation for Marie, when I saw her a few weeks ago on Larry King Live.
Larry asked her how she was able to dance so soon after her father's death. Marie mentioned that she likes to read scripture. She said that as she was processing her father's death, and preparing for the Dancing with the stars show, she stopped to read the Bible. The verse that she "happened" to read that day was from Ecclesiastes, and it said this, "There is a time to mourn, and a time to dance." Ecc. 3:4 and that is what got her through that time.
Anyway, she was enroute to do a show in Effingham, when she stopped at our Wal-Mart. Another one of my relatives attended that show and said it was AWESOME!!
The very first thought I had when I heard this news was, "wow, Marie Osmond, probably just walked right over the spot on the Wal-Mart floor where Josh puked."
Yep, about a week or so after Wal-mart opened, Josh puked on the floor. About 10 feet inside the door. So, think about that next time you enter the store. Not sure why he couldn't have pulled the trigger on that one 10 feet OUTSIDE the store. Oh well, always an adventure.
Anyway, back to Marie. I've always had great respect for the Osmond family as far as musical talent goes. And I appreciate that they have been responsible with their "stardom". However, I grew an even greater appreciation for Marie, when I saw her a few weeks ago on Larry King Live.
Larry asked her how she was able to dance so soon after her father's death. Marie mentioned that she likes to read scripture. She said that as she was processing her father's death, and preparing for the Dancing with the stars show, she stopped to read the Bible. The verse that she "happened" to read that day was from Ecclesiastes, and it said this, "There is a time to mourn, and a time to dance." Ecc. 3:4 and that is what got her through that time.
Anyway, she was enroute to do a show in Effingham, when she stopped at our Wal-Mart. Another one of my relatives attended that show and said it was AWESOME!!
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