At work, we are very busy since we consolidated into the call center for 11 DCs. I have to keep the POs for a three month period. I have them filed in a way that makes it easy to find a specific order if needed. I have told everyone in the office how they are to be re-filed. I guess that task is too difficult for some people. Earlier this week, I had to go through every file and reorder them by date. It's hard to understand how something so simple could end up so messed up. If the people would have taken the time to do a simple job well, the files wouldn't have needed to be redone. On top of it all, I discovered that all of the POs for the month of February for one of the DCs was missing. Who knows where they went?
To me, it seems like most of the people today want to do things halfway instead of doing a good job the first time. As long as it is "OK" they are satisfied. What happened to doing the job well from the very beginning?? I realize that we will not excel in every endeavor, but at least give it your all while you are doing it.
A little job is just as important as a big job. If one doesn't take the responsibility to handle a small job well, then he or she can't really be trusted to handle a large job. How one handles a little insignificant task speaks volumes of one's character. I remember reading a short story for Literature in Jr. High. The gist of the story was that a lady hired a boy to work in her yard. She told him she would pay him according to his work but that she would never give him $5 because no one did a $5 job. He was determined to prove her wrong and worked extra hard to do so. He trimmed shrubs, mowed the lawn, cleaned up limbs and trash, and even pounded down dirt piles. After he was finished, she gave him the $5 because he had done the job well. More people today need to take a lesson from that boy. One should do the job well just for the job's sake and not for anything in return. The rewards will be returned several times over.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Great or Small
How many times during the course of the day do people pass by something either great or small and never notice it or God's handiwork? Today I want to consider some extremes in Creation that reflect God's amazing range of diversity.
Light--The sun is the largest source of light relative to the earth. That great big ball of burning gas is the physical source for all of earth's energy and light. Try to imagine the world with no sun. Dark. Freezing. Uninhabitable.
At the other end of the size chart is the lightning bug. These tiny sources of light each have their own unique light pattern. The males use this species-specific pattern to entice the female. When she signals back, he lands and the mating begins.
Plants--The largest plant is the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) which can reach a height of 300 feet and a diameter of 29 feet. I have never had the opportunity to see one of them in person, but they are a majestic, silent sentinel pointing anyone that takes a closer look to its Creator.
One of the smallest plants are some species of duckweed. When they are fully grown, they measure no more than .0236 inches in length!! But when they come together, they provide a feast for waterfowl and humans alike. God chooses the small to feed the large.
Animals--There are many examples of extremes in the animal kingdom. The largest living animal is the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) with a length of up to 109 feet. The largest fish is the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) measuring up to 45 feet long. The largest known bird is the now extinct Elephant Bird (Aepyornis maximus) with a height of over 10 feet and weighing in around 800 pounds. Compare that to the Ostrich (Struthio camelus) with a height of only 9 feet and weighing up to 345 pounds.
At the other end of the spectrum, God created such small animals as the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) and Bumblebee Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai). From their names, you can guess at their size. Smaller is a parasitic wasp Dicopomorpha echmepterygis which is smaller than a microscopic Paramecium we all remember from high school biology labs!
Whenever we see something large or small, let's take a moment to reflect on our great God and to give Him thanks for such a wonderful Creation filled with diversity at every turn. You may be surprised at what you will learn!
Have a blessed day!
Light--The sun is the largest source of light relative to the earth. That great big ball of burning gas is the physical source for all of earth's energy and light. Try to imagine the world with no sun. Dark. Freezing. Uninhabitable.
At the other end of the size chart is the lightning bug. These tiny sources of light each have their own unique light pattern. The males use this species-specific pattern to entice the female. When she signals back, he lands and the mating begins.
Plants--The largest plant is the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) which can reach a height of 300 feet and a diameter of 29 feet. I have never had the opportunity to see one of them in person, but they are a majestic, silent sentinel pointing anyone that takes a closer look to its Creator.
One of the smallest plants are some species of duckweed. When they are fully grown, they measure no more than .0236 inches in length!! But when they come together, they provide a feast for waterfowl and humans alike. God chooses the small to feed the large.
Animals--There are many examples of extremes in the animal kingdom. The largest living animal is the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) with a length of up to 109 feet. The largest fish is the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) measuring up to 45 feet long. The largest known bird is the now extinct Elephant Bird (Aepyornis maximus) with a height of over 10 feet and weighing in around 800 pounds. Compare that to the Ostrich (Struthio camelus) with a height of only 9 feet and weighing up to 345 pounds.
At the other end of the spectrum, God created such small animals as the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) and Bumblebee Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai). From their names, you can guess at their size. Smaller is a parasitic wasp Dicopomorpha echmepterygis which is smaller than a microscopic Paramecium we all remember from high school biology labs!
Whenever we see something large or small, let's take a moment to reflect on our great God and to give Him thanks for such a wonderful Creation filled with diversity at every turn. You may be surprised at what you will learn!
Have a blessed day!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Be The Labor
Isn't it funny how people labor in different ways? Each of us has our own way of working through the day. What is interesting to me is how many different ways there are. Below are some of my observations on human work behavior.
1) Bumblebee--These people buzz through their day and never stay in one place for very long. Once their business is finished in a particular location, they move off to the next loaded flower.
2) Jay--These people advertise their work the whole time they are working. They make so much noise while the labor, it's a wonder anything gets accomplished.
3) Donkey--These people work, but they make sure that everyone around them knows how hard they have worked and how much they have done throughout the day.
4) Turtle--These people plod along during the day without much in the way of speediness. But somehow they always manage to finish their job.
5) Elephant--These people remember every little detail of their work and are the source from which all others draw information during the day.
6) Dog--These people attack their work head-on without regard to finesse. Their motivation is to get the job done no matter how it is accomplished.
7) Cat--These people work through their day with a cool efficiency. They are never riled and terminate the daily tasks with deadly skill.
8) Ostrich--These people run about flapping their "wings" without going anywhere. They have a wide-eyed look that screams "I don't know what to do!" or "I am confused!"
9) Owl--These people spend their days working while staring at everyone else in the office. When they find out some latest news, they fly off to the nearest post and hoot hoot hoot.
10) Snake--These people slither through their day and try to stay in out of the way places while everyone else works.
11) Lion--These people are so intent on the work ahead that nothing will distract them from the kill.
Now I am sure there are more types of ways out there, but time does not permit me to further analyze them for now. I hope everyone has a blessed day!
My sincerest apologies to all the animals that were slighted in this posting! :-)
1) Bumblebee--These people buzz through their day and never stay in one place for very long. Once their business is finished in a particular location, they move off to the next loaded flower.
2) Jay--These people advertise their work the whole time they are working. They make so much noise while the labor, it's a wonder anything gets accomplished.
3) Donkey--These people work, but they make sure that everyone around them knows how hard they have worked and how much they have done throughout the day.
4) Turtle--These people plod along during the day without much in the way of speediness. But somehow they always manage to finish their job.
5) Elephant--These people remember every little detail of their work and are the source from which all others draw information during the day.
6) Dog--These people attack their work head-on without regard to finesse. Their motivation is to get the job done no matter how it is accomplished.
7) Cat--These people work through their day with a cool efficiency. They are never riled and terminate the daily tasks with deadly skill.
8) Ostrich--These people run about flapping their "wings" without going anywhere. They have a wide-eyed look that screams "I don't know what to do!" or "I am confused!"
9) Owl--These people spend their days working while staring at everyone else in the office. When they find out some latest news, they fly off to the nearest post and hoot hoot hoot.
10) Snake--These people slither through their day and try to stay in out of the way places while everyone else works.
11) Lion--These people are so intent on the work ahead that nothing will distract them from the kill.
Now I am sure there are more types of ways out there, but time does not permit me to further analyze them for now. I hope everyone has a blessed day!
My sincerest apologies to all the animals that were slighted in this posting! :-)
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Mikayla, Hummus, and Mujadarah
Today was a very rainy day as was yesterday. What better way to spend it than to go gallivanting around town gathering ingredients, purchasing bird seed, and buying gift cards. That was my morning. Kellie "bro-napped" me and took me to several locations for said activities. Being the wily brother that I am, I took advantage of the situation and steered her towards Wild Birds Unlimited to purchase the bird seed without having to use my vehicle! I figured it was a small price to pay.
The main reason for the adventure was to get the necessary ingredients for Mikayla's Bible project. Since she is interested in cooking, she wanted to cook a food from biblical times. Naturally, I had to come up with the main dishes; therefore, I had to accompany the party to make sure everything was just so. We went to Trader Joe's and Harris Teeter to find everything. The only trouble we ran into was with tahini. Who knew it would be with the peanut butter and jelly??
After getting to Kellie's house, we started with the hummus. It wasn't that hard because the food processor did most of the work, but Mikayla did a good job learning to open cans with a hand-held can opener and measuring liquids. She also used a knife for the first time and did quite well halving the lemons and crushing garlic cloves. After tasting and correcting the seasonings, we were satisfied with the results. The next dish was called mujadarah. Supposedly, it's a lentil and rice dish that Jacob served to Esau. The first order of business was caramalizing the onions. Mikayla wielded the knife yet again and did well slicing the onions in thin slices. She was a little slow because it was her first time, so I sliced most of them so the skillet wouldn't get too hot! While watching the onions begin to brown, Mikayla washed the lentils and put them in the pot with water. After the cooked for a while, the caramalized onions, spices, salt, pepper, and rice were added to the pot. Since all that remained was the cooking process, I figured my time there was drawing to a close and came home. She did a really good job with all the tasks and I hope that she learned something and use it to build upon in her future culinery adventures!
By this time, the rain was no more than a spitting shower. I took that opportunity to fill my bird feeders. Before I was able to begin, however, Bob made an appearance for some fat. I was very happy because it has been 3-4 weeks since either he or Brittany came during a PFW weekend! After he was satisfied, I filled the feeders and then sat down to read some in The Shack. When supper time rolled around, I cooked Blueberry-Cottage Cheese Pancakes. They were yummy!!! I will definitely make them again!
Have a blessed day!
The main reason for the adventure was to get the necessary ingredients for Mikayla's Bible project. Since she is interested in cooking, she wanted to cook a food from biblical times. Naturally, I had to come up with the main dishes; therefore, I had to accompany the party to make sure everything was just so. We went to Trader Joe's and Harris Teeter to find everything. The only trouble we ran into was with tahini. Who knew it would be with the peanut butter and jelly??
After getting to Kellie's house, we started with the hummus. It wasn't that hard because the food processor did most of the work, but Mikayla did a good job learning to open cans with a hand-held can opener and measuring liquids. She also used a knife for the first time and did quite well halving the lemons and crushing garlic cloves. After tasting and correcting the seasonings, we were satisfied with the results. The next dish was called mujadarah. Supposedly, it's a lentil and rice dish that Jacob served to Esau. The first order of business was caramalizing the onions. Mikayla wielded the knife yet again and did well slicing the onions in thin slices. She was a little slow because it was her first time, so I sliced most of them so the skillet wouldn't get too hot! While watching the onions begin to brown, Mikayla washed the lentils and put them in the pot with water. After the cooked for a while, the caramalized onions, spices, salt, pepper, and rice were added to the pot. Since all that remained was the cooking process, I figured my time there was drawing to a close and came home. She did a really good job with all the tasks and I hope that she learned something and use it to build upon in her future culinery adventures!
By this time, the rain was no more than a spitting shower. I took that opportunity to fill my bird feeders. Before I was able to begin, however, Bob made an appearance for some fat. I was very happy because it has been 3-4 weeks since either he or Brittany came during a PFW weekend! After he was satisfied, I filled the feeders and then sat down to read some in The Shack. When supper time rolled around, I cooked Blueberry-Cottage Cheese Pancakes. They were yummy!!! I will definitely make them again!
Have a blessed day!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Original Intent
Currently, I am reading the book The Shack by William P. Young. It's a story about a man who suffered a great loss and is trying to find the reason why it happened. God responds to his depression in a most unconventional way. I use the word unconventional because it goes far away from our accepted norm for how God should be. But what is wonderful about this story is the fact that it made me look at God in a new way. I am not yet finished with the book, but I wanted to share my thoughts so far.
One idea brought up in the book is that God is a Spirit with no gender. The normal way humans view God is masculine. I had never thought about it any other way. To answer the main character's question about that subject, God said, "There are many reasons for that, and some of them go very deep. Let me say for now that we knew once the Creation was broken, true fathering would be much more lacking than mothering. Don't misunderstand me, both are needed--but an emphasis on fathering is necessary because of the enormity of its absence."
One idea brought up in the book is that God is a Spirit with no gender. The normal way humans view God is masculine. I had never thought about it any other way. To answer the main character's question about that subject, God said, "There are many reasons for that, and some of them go very deep. Let me say for now that we knew once the Creation was broken, true fathering would be much more lacking than mothering. Don't misunderstand me, both are needed--but an emphasis on fathering is necessary because of the enormity of its absence."
Psalm 68 tells us that God is the "Father to the fatherless". He manifests Himself in that way to show each of us how a father is to act. Most mothers are nurturing and caring because that is how God made them, but, especially in today's times, fathers fall way short of the original intent that God must be to His children what their earthly fathers can't or won't be.
A second idea touched on in this book is an expansion of what it meant for Jesus to become human. We all know He is fully God and fully human at the same time. In John 1, Jesus is shown to be the Word that was in the beginning and that created the universe along with God. In verse 14, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." I realized that He came here in human flesh, but I really didn't think about all that He gave up. I know He gave up riches, power, etc, but what He really did was limit Himself to the finite human body and life. Here is a short excerpt from the book.
"Although by nature he is fully God, Jesus is fully human and lives as such. While never losing the innate ability to fly, He chooses moment-by-moment to remain grounded. That is why His name is Immanuel, God with us, or God with you, to be precise."
"But what about all the miracles? The healings? Raising people from the dead? Doesn't that prove that Jesus was God--you know, more than human?"
"No, it proves that Jesus is truly human."
"What?"
"Mackenzie, I can fly, but humans can't. Jesus is fully human. Although He is also fully God, He has never drawn upon His nature as God to go anything. He as only lived out of His relationship with me, living in the very same manner that I desire to be the relationship with every human being. He is just the first to do it to the uttermost--the first to absolutely trust my life within Him, the first to believe in my love and my goodness without regard for appearance or consequence."
"So, when he healed the blind?"
"He did so as a dependent, limited human being trusting in my life and power to be at work within Him and through Him. Jesus, as a human being, had no power within Himself to heal anyone."
WOW! Besides His coming to earth as our substitutionary atonement, He came to earth to show us how Man was originally intended to relate to God. He had so much faith and love in God the Father that anything he asked was accomplished through Him. Just as Jesus told us in Matthew 17, if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we can ask a mountain to move anywhere we wanted and it would be done!
My faith needs more expansion. Open my eyes, heart, and mind, Dear Lord, so that I may become more like your Son.
A second idea touched on in this book is an expansion of what it meant for Jesus to become human. We all know He is fully God and fully human at the same time. In John 1, Jesus is shown to be the Word that was in the beginning and that created the universe along with God. In verse 14, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." I realized that He came here in human flesh, but I really didn't think about all that He gave up. I know He gave up riches, power, etc, but what He really did was limit Himself to the finite human body and life. Here is a short excerpt from the book.
"Although by nature he is fully God, Jesus is fully human and lives as such. While never losing the innate ability to fly, He chooses moment-by-moment to remain grounded. That is why His name is Immanuel, God with us, or God with you, to be precise."
"But what about all the miracles? The healings? Raising people from the dead? Doesn't that prove that Jesus was God--you know, more than human?"
"No, it proves that Jesus is truly human."
"What?"
"Mackenzie, I can fly, but humans can't. Jesus is fully human. Although He is also fully God, He has never drawn upon His nature as God to go anything. He as only lived out of His relationship with me, living in the very same manner that I desire to be the relationship with every human being. He is just the first to do it to the uttermost--the first to absolutely trust my life within Him, the first to believe in my love and my goodness without regard for appearance or consequence."
"So, when he healed the blind?"
"He did so as a dependent, limited human being trusting in my life and power to be at work within Him and through Him. Jesus, as a human being, had no power within Himself to heal anyone."
WOW! Besides His coming to earth as our substitutionary atonement, He came to earth to show us how Man was originally intended to relate to God. He had so much faith and love in God the Father that anything he asked was accomplished through Him. Just as Jesus told us in Matthew 17, if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we can ask a mountain to move anywhere we wanted and it would be done!
My faith needs more expansion. Open my eyes, heart, and mind, Dear Lord, so that I may become more like your Son.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Jackass
Yep. That's right. I talked to a jackass today (emphasis on the last syllable!). We were busy today with order after order. Around noontime, one of my co-workers took a call from a store out in Maryland Heights, MO. She answered the phone as she should have and the first words out of his mouth were, "What are you Doing there? Painting your fingernails or drinking coffee??" He wasn't asking in a joking manner and was rather abrupt with it. My co-worker's reply was, "You don't need to talk like that, sir." He them proceeded to very rudely tell her what he needed and then asked her if she thought she could dial the number or if she needed him to do it for her.
I overheard her side of the conversation and told her when she asked how to place the order that I would take care of it for her. When he was getting ready to hang up, he demanded a confirmation call-back. I took the information from her while she was telling her story. I placed my other orders (the ones way ahead of his!) to the side and immediately ordered his radiator through the online system. I edited the shipping information to "local pickup" because he wanted to go pick it up himself.
After the order was completed, I called him up (something I do not normally do. I don't have time to call everyone back with an order confirmation!) I asked for him on the phone and told him who I was and why I was calling. Before I could even get my complete sentence finished, he interrupted me with a rude, "Did you order my radiator"? I tried to tell him that I did place the order and he could go pick it up. He started peppering me with questions and even accused my co-worker of not telling me what he had told her to do. I immediately told him that she did indeed tell me what he wanted, but I have to order it online because that's what I was told to do. He then starts berating me on how he needs confirmation. I was trying to explain to him what I was going to do but he wouldn't even let me complete my explanation without trying to talk over me.
I was getting hotter by the sentence and felt my voice get louder and louder. I was calm and didn't yell, but I wanted to crawl through the phone line and give his jaws a good ringing! When I looked up, there was a small group of people watching the "performance" over my cubicle wall because they had never seen me get so tense! hahaha He told me he would wait while I called the vendor to make sure it would be ready for him to pick up because he had a 40-minute drive, yada, yada, yada, yada.
I immediately put him on hold and called the vendor. When I explained to the lady what I was doing, she said she knew the guy because he had already called her earlier. She confirmed that, although the order wouldn't show in their system until 2:15, she would make sure his radiator was waiting for his driver. When I hung up the phone with her, I left him on hold and made a few rounds to the copier and other places without the least but of guilt. Of course, the whole incident was the topic of conversation around the office. When I finally calmed down a little, I went back to the phone and told him that the order was confirmed with the vendor. He could send his driver now and it would be waiting for him. Without so much as a "thanks for calling", I disconnected the phone before I could hear anymore of his verbal abuse. My ire was very evident on my face and everyone knew it. But it didn't take me long to calm down and get back to working on the other orders.
I do not understand why and how people can be so rude and demanding. We were both there to see that he got his part in a timely manner. All he needed to do was simply ask and we would have complied. Rudeness does no one any good and only ends up making both parties feeling ill and resentful.
As in every situation, I try to see some humor in it. The most humorous part was my audience. To see all those eyes peeking over the wall made for a Kodak moment. The rest of the humor was when we discussed the phone conversation and talked about what a jerk he was. Come to find out, this particular man is well known for being such a jackass. What a way to leave a mark on your fellow human beings!
Now that I feel a lot better, I hope everyone has a blessed day!
I overheard her side of the conversation and told her when she asked how to place the order that I would take care of it for her. When he was getting ready to hang up, he demanded a confirmation call-back. I took the information from her while she was telling her story. I placed my other orders (the ones way ahead of his!) to the side and immediately ordered his radiator through the online system. I edited the shipping information to "local pickup" because he wanted to go pick it up himself.
After the order was completed, I called him up (something I do not normally do. I don't have time to call everyone back with an order confirmation!) I asked for him on the phone and told him who I was and why I was calling. Before I could even get my complete sentence finished, he interrupted me with a rude, "Did you order my radiator"? I tried to tell him that I did place the order and he could go pick it up. He started peppering me with questions and even accused my co-worker of not telling me what he had told her to do. I immediately told him that she did indeed tell me what he wanted, but I have to order it online because that's what I was told to do. He then starts berating me on how he needs confirmation. I was trying to explain to him what I was going to do but he wouldn't even let me complete my explanation without trying to talk over me.
I was getting hotter by the sentence and felt my voice get louder and louder. I was calm and didn't yell, but I wanted to crawl through the phone line and give his jaws a good ringing! When I looked up, there was a small group of people watching the "performance" over my cubicle wall because they had never seen me get so tense! hahaha He told me he would wait while I called the vendor to make sure it would be ready for him to pick up because he had a 40-minute drive, yada, yada, yada, yada.
I immediately put him on hold and called the vendor. When I explained to the lady what I was doing, she said she knew the guy because he had already called her earlier. She confirmed that, although the order wouldn't show in their system until 2:15, she would make sure his radiator was waiting for his driver. When I hung up the phone with her, I left him on hold and made a few rounds to the copier and other places without the least but of guilt. Of course, the whole incident was the topic of conversation around the office. When I finally calmed down a little, I went back to the phone and told him that the order was confirmed with the vendor. He could send his driver now and it would be waiting for him. Without so much as a "thanks for calling", I disconnected the phone before I could hear anymore of his verbal abuse. My ire was very evident on my face and everyone knew it. But it didn't take me long to calm down and get back to working on the other orders.
I do not understand why and how people can be so rude and demanding. We were both there to see that he got his part in a timely manner. All he needed to do was simply ask and we would have complied. Rudeness does no one any good and only ends up making both parties feeling ill and resentful.
As in every situation, I try to see some humor in it. The most humorous part was my audience. To see all those eyes peeking over the wall made for a Kodak moment. The rest of the humor was when we discussed the phone conversation and talked about what a jerk he was. Come to find out, this particular man is well known for being such a jackass. What a way to leave a mark on your fellow human beings!
Now that I feel a lot better, I hope everyone has a blessed day!
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