impower

Hey listen folks, if I would of had more time, I would have written a shorter "It's Saturday." 

When I was growing up on the farm a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN, Chester and Anna gave me a lot of responsibility, beginning as a young kid. I think they wanted me to learn to make decisions and to grow by them and even learn from them even if my decisions weren't soooo good I think. They impowered me. I liked it but I didn’t always like it!

I think a good definition of impowering is giving someone the authority or power to do something. It appears to me that most folks like it when others impower them. The opposite would be not to have power like to not give them any responsibility (e.g. being a puppet). It appears being impowered gives a person self-worth a.k.a. as confidence. And how important is confidence to a person?

Sooo do we like to have someone micromanage our life or our actions or our job? I don’t think sooo. I was visiting with a friend recently about an action they are contemplating in their life. We talked about the pros and cons but I told them the decision is completely up to them, no one can make or should make that decision for them. I sorta kinda impowered them. I don't know if they liked what I told them. I think they wanted someone else to blame if it didn't work out. Yikes!

I have read that employees really like to be impowered to make decisions on their own, it's their decisions, they are given complete control in making the decision. It is saying, I trust you. When we do that in business or in a personal relationship, we are really saying to that person, I trust you completely. What a complement and relationship builder. Think about that. Try that, you might be surprised how beneficial that is for both sides.

Flipthepancake! But should all be impowered or does everyone want to be impowered. Maybe many folks do better having someone else tell them what to do. Think about that. That is why we hire others to manage parts of our lives as we don't have the expertise to do it. Look around, that's not rocket science.

There are parents still making all the decisions of their adult children. I wonder how that makes the adult child feel. I think I know. Daddy and mommy aren’t going to live forever! Da! I wonder how in a marriage that works if mommy or daddy are still trying to make the decisions for their child and spouse in the marriage. Da! I guess that is why kids sometimes move far away from mommy and daddy to Timbuctoo!  hahaha

Here is an interesting impowering situation. Yakima's school district is 60+ Hispanic. 10 years ago there were very few Hispanic. They come from Mexico to work in the fruit industry. They like it here and seem to be accepted very well. I was visiting with a guy who works with the Hispanic and he told me that one of the biggest adjustment that older Mexicans (i.e. not sooo much for the younger Mexicans) have is that their tradition is the man runs the house Well, the women get Americanized a.k.a. impowered and the men aren't soooo sure they like that! All I can say is--they will get over it!

I believe that the greatest empowerment of all kinds is being impowered by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit we get by believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is Father, Son and Holy Spirt a.k.a. The Triune God (i.e. that can be hard to understand alright). If we believe that then the Holy Spirt is always with us which makes us have a different attitude which makes our life much better. That’s my opinion. But look around folks, it’s not rocket science!

The world tells us to be impowered we need Red Bull. I think that's a bunch of bull! Very temporary and artificial, my opinion. ItchieBitchie says--Soooo much of what is told us is propaganda! 

Do some folks always look happy and others always look unhappy a.k.a. wearisome! I think soooo! Why is that? I always say that unhappy females are not pretty. It is soooo obvious, my opinion. An acquaintance, who is becoming my friend, said that it's nature and nurture a.k.a. genetics and environment. He thinks his mother really affected his attitude of life. Saturday question--Do you see any common denominators for being happy and being unhappy?

This cat in our neighborhood sits on our back fence just looking for an opportunity. It does it a lot. A great hunter it appears. That cat is sorta kind an inspiration to me to be always looking for opportunities. I guess that cat sorta kinda impowers me. I have told you before that I pray for opportunities, pray that I might recognize them and pray for the courage to act on them. Sometimes I have to jump off the fence! Ouchy ouchy!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said--Many hands make light work.

being important

"The following help-wanted ad for a garage foreman once appeared in a St. Louis, Missouri, newspaper: 'Qualifications: Patience of Job, leader of men, a lover of people, nerves of steel, six hands, twelve ears, ability to be in four places at once. Experience. See John H....”  Now this job needs an important person!

What in your mind makes a person important? What does the world tell us what makes a person important? What does the Bible tell us what makes a person important? There might be some conflict in the thinking of those sources as to what makes a person important. I think soooo folks, my opinion. Soooo what else is new!

Before we left AZ, we sat at a bratwurst feed in our 55+ community with two couples who both have been coming to AZ and our park for over 25 years (i.e. very nice folks). One couple is not coming back next year—we asked why—to sum it up they said we have aged out. They were saying many years they were important in the park but aren’t anymore; culture and times change. They told us that in years past if folks didn’t play tennis here they were a nobody (i.e. not part of the holy elite huddle, a.k.a. the good old boys club a.k.a. the Post Toasties being just a little bit better, a.k.a. the country club attitude). As soon as folks joined the tennis club they were in and important). One person said he put a tennis racket in his bike basket, and he was instantly much more important to the club members. I thought this example was soooo funny but accurate in life! Soooo what else is new about  being important!

ItchieBitchie says--It appears that some folks try to become important by being a braggart or a narcissist (i.e. they are always crowing about themselves) It appears they think that the more they gloat about themselves, the more important they become, but the reality is just the opposite many think. JoeWise says--A little of how great we are goes a long way.

The word on Main Street is that Bigmouth Braggadocious and his sister Windy Braggadocious can’t even tolerate each other. Huh, interesting. Is that quality genetic or a learned behavior do you think? I really like real folks and we have got to know some folks in AZ who fit the bill (i.e. very real, our kind of folks). We enjoy them very much (e.g. they are not braggadocious related). Jeanne was interviewed by her granddaughter for a class as she fit the criteria of being a 80 plus person. One of the questions was “what is important to you.” I read her response which was soooo real and was exactly her, no faky stuff or braggadocious stuff. It was the real deal and she lives it. Abraham Lincoln said--"If a man is going to be a liar, he'd better have a good memory."

Perspective—Sort out what is important and what isn’t.

Play with emotion but keep it under control! Maclntyre gave the 15th green an obscene gesture, and then later on did a very sportsmanship act by hitting the ground real hard with his club at the Masters tournament. The Masters tournament does not tolerate actions like that and they reprimanded him (i.e. no matter how important players think they are or are). Maybe even not ever letting him come back again. We don’t see many organizations that have a strict code of ethics for such actions. We don’t see it in churches, in schools, in families, in business, in education, politics, etc. very much at all anymore. I did find it interesting that in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament that many of the players played with great poise. It appears to me that the coach has a lot to do with that (i.e. actually any type of leadership). It seems to very much different from team to team it appears to me. So what does that all mean! Does it mean that for some leaders it's more important than to others? Saturday question--Are folks much like their leaders?

Dave, anybody can be a Dave, says-- As mortals our physical lives are fleeting. We really are like grass. As the hymn says, “We blossom and flourish, like leaves on a tree, and wither and perish …” (“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”). It seems to happen so quickly. Even if we make it to 80 years, or even 100, in the greater scheme of things we’re just like the grass and the flowers. As the saying goes, “Here today, gone tomorrow.” BUT we are all important in our life in different ways on this earth, that is for sure. Even though we might not think or feel sooo some days. We might even feel unimportant at times. BUT we are important to God and we have a responsibility to use our lives for good. That is my opinion but it is based on Jesus’ teaching. Soooo what else is new! Saturday question—Soooo what are we going to do today to use our life in an important way.

You want to be important?  Here is a suggestion: Get in folks’ traffic lanes. In other words, affect folks for the better. Make a difference!

I was walking in our neighborhood and a dog on a lease in front of a house was barking at me. The neighbor lady was standing there and I said to her--I must be an important person--she said, no no, you are not an important person, the dog barks at everyone!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said--Doing right is never wrong.

what in the world

A support staff named Sunny at our tax preparer office and us were talking about being rich. She said--When I got married to Rich a family member gave us a toast, may your life always be Rich and Sunny! That was 37 years ago! Hey, I met Jeanne, I dream of Jeanne and I got a dream come true. I caught another break! What in the world! 

We saw at a tattoo shop where there were at least 13 people waiting in line for a tattoo and it was a week day. Wow! Our culture has really changed, we use to wait in line for an ice cream cone! But maybe it was a special day like tattoo Wednesday much like taco Tuesday! What in the world!

This is a full circle saying from being a kid to being a senior person--If your feet smell and your nose is running, you are built up side down. What in the world. My mentor would say that to his young grand kids. 

Ride 'em cowboy! And some believe that the cow jumped over the moon! Sarah, anybody can be a Sarah, writes—“Trouble and distress are woven into the very fabric of this perishing world (i.e. everyone understands that). Only if we trust, wait and hope in Jesus can we become impowered to face this endless flow of problems with good cheer” (i.e. not everyone believes that, but many do and understand it—But I believe in that). Some folks say--What in the world are you thinking erv! So be it!

I herd Brad Underwood, head men's bb coach of IL say in an interview when asked about his success--I have had the opportunity to have a lot really good people surround me (i.e. his environment). Analogy! We noticed when at the ocean beach that the salty air was hard on all metal and wood and even our car (i.e. bad environment for stuff). We noticed that cars that were in this area for a long time, the pant looked terrible and just disappeared. Well, my life does at times get out of whack. I then need to self-evaluate, slow down and get humble. My environment starts to disturb me: ruins my shine. I get out of whack; I need to Be still and…! erv, Be still and...! CoachB says--When we come to a fork in the road, sit quietly for half an hour and think about it and then call two successful people in the the area of our concern and seek their wisdom before making our decision.

Dr. J says--"Spiritual life is not to be found among the spiritually dead." I interpret that to mean to get around good folks.

Ben McCollum, IA men's bb coach said in an interview that when he moved to a new school, he got rid of any previous players who were negative.  Just got rid of them as they could not be part of their team. They just ruin the whole team (e.g. like a bad apple spoils the whole barrel of apples). The team concept is that everyone has to buy into the system and work together).

My big sister, only in age, sent me a note saying—"Several times you have called attention to OBs that you felt were misrepresenting the person that had passed. I saw this OB in the paper and thought you might like.” Here are some of the lines: 

What in the world! Do you and I tell the truth? Maybe we just tell part of the truth or maybe embellish the truth or tell none of the truth at times? My mentor told me—erv, once a person dies, they become a much better person; just read their obituary. My Daddy, Chester, would say to me—erv, if you are good you don’t have to tell anyone, they will know. It has been written many times that once we are dead folks will not remember us by what we write about ourselves but how we made each of them feel, that is the truth as to who we were. MissPerfect says—I don’t know about that, Abraham Lincoln said—"You can fool all the people some of the time, some of the people all the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time!”

What in the world! I talked to a snowbird in AZ who told me about his father-in-law and mother in-law.  He said—His mother-in-law is a hypochondriac who thinks she is sick all of the time, but it’s all in her head.  It drives my wife and I crazy and she is draining.  My father-in-law has a one-track mind and that is golf.  He didn’t say anything good about either one of them.  Now I wonder what my kids and their spouses say about me. What do you think your kids and spouses say about you? BUT I didn’t get the mother-in-law’s and father-in-law’s side of the story about their son-in-law and daughter! Their story might be way different, maybe! Maybe they think their son-in-law and daughter are way out in left field. There is always two sides to every story! And then there is the right story! What in the world!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said--What's good for the goose is good for the gander. 

blurred vision

I wear reading glasses sometimes. I can’t see near as well when they are dirty. And when I clean them, I see way better. Da! Sometimes I say to myself, why didn’t I do that sooner! Da! It’s such a simple task but I didn’t do it! The analogy is that I can apply that to many of my little habits. BUT I gotta do it! If I don't, I have a blurred vision!

CadillacJack asks--Who wants to live a life like a bad person? I’m guessing but I don’t think anyone does, do they? Sooo what qualities make a person a good person (i.e. opposite of a bad person)? Does our vision ever get blurred as what the difference is. If soooo, what could blur our vision? What could make our vision clearer?

Most job applications want our resume meaning they want our past history. That includes probably our education, experience etc. (i.e. basically who we are). AI can make us whatever we want to be but if they investigate our past they can pretty much find out who we are. And then they interview us and call references or see what we write on FaceBook. A face to face is important but sometimes people can fake it. Maybe different employers are looking for different qualities; some employers want the basic good qualities and they can teach the rest. If a person has a sketchy past, it might present a problem for the applicant (i.e. what is their history). I guess no one wants to hire a problem! But, don’t we all need a second chance at times!

I find it very interesting how people in the Bible were pretty much not the big hotdogs of their culture but folks of minor importance and some even had bad and sketchy pasts and yet became very important in the Christian history. That is amazing to me. Christianity believes that God looks at all the people the same, no favorites. He loves all of us the same and gives opportunities to the most unlikely folks. I like that! JoeSixPack says--That sorta kinda goes against the American dream and capitalism, doesn't it!

John Wooden's philosophy was--"Fairness is giving all people the treatment they earn and deserve. It doesn't mean treating everyone alike." He believed treating everyone the same was unfair because it ignores individual differences.

Sometimes some of the Canadians don’t like the U.S. but sometimes they do. I went to see an old golf friend who happens to be Canadian and winters here in the Valley of the Sun. He showed me a big jug of vodka and asked me how much I thought he paid for it. Well, it was on sale at Albertson’s for $5 with a limit of 2 bottles per person per day. He and his wife bought 14 bottles. He said they can each bring 5 bottles back to Canada but have to pay duty of 20% soooo he said we have $6 in each bottle. In Canada we would pay $66 per bottle sooo we just saved $600. It’s all about the money and how it affects us; our vision gets blurred when our personal money is involved sometimes, maybe. Don’t kid ourself, money talks! In the world we live in, it's all about the money! We have blurred vision many times! Such is life.

ItchieBitchie says--If you don't pitch in don't you bitch. 

I wonder if we live in a Star War world blurred vision which is not reality but make believe. I wonder!  We just don’t like to or want to see reality. I wonder if we live in a fake world, I wonder. Sooo we ask ourselves, what is reality anyway! Good question folks, good question. It seems that reality is different to different folks. We really don’t all agree what reality is. Soooo in reality, if we are not going the same direction or fighting for the same cause, that might be be a problem. I believe in a sovereign God that is in control which means that He can change anything at anytime. Soooo, I won’t be surprised if that will happen. It has happened in the past and could happen at any time. That is my opinion and I have read it in the Bible of the past in which that has happened (e.g. a huge massive revival; maybe one is starting right now). You might not agree, we might have different blurred visions on this. JoeBlow says--erv, I think you are for sure the one with the blurred vision!!! No way that can happen!!!!

We are back at our home in Yakima, WA. As we were walking in our 55+ community in Mesa just a couple nights ago, a couple from the Midwest said to us--When we go home, it will be a different world. And it is! Maybe not better or worse but just different maybe. For many it might be back to the real world compared to an senior Disney World here in the South. For others it might be back to a very secure place of comfort of a familiar place of many years or back to the place of the same old problems of many years (i.e. the environment is different); It's a different world. Maybe either world might be a blurred vision for us!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said--Let's not cry over spilled milk.