Today was the grand debuting of the new special order PO system!!! The one that has been the cause of many questions, meetings, conference calls, emails, etc. for the past few months finally made a grand entrance into my work life.
So with much trepidation and some resignation to a fate chained to my desk while waiting for the PO to appear, I marched into the office ready to muddle through the day (definitely not conquer!) only to find out that my co-worker had a family emergency and wouldn't be in today.
What??? I will do this alone on the first day???? How will I survive? What if I just collapse into a big pile of quavering gelatin and all the orders will be covered in a cherry-flavored treat? What will happen when I get so behind, I will have started the week over?? Will I be yelled at all day by irate customers demanding answers to 6-hour old questions???
How did it go?? you ask.
Fairly smooth. No major bumps or hurdles.
Darn!
So much for wishing it would collapse under the weight of itself and land in a giant heap of broken dreams and spent cash. (That was my dream so we could continue the "old" system!) There are still some minor problems. We will see how it will really work when all 11 DCs will be on the new system and we are knee-deep to a giraffe's rear end with special orders come busy season.
Updates are sure to come!
Until then, have a blessed day!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Glorious Impossible
Glorious is defined as "possessing or deserving glory" or "marked by great beauty and splendor". Psalm 72:19 And blessed be His Glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and Amen.
Impossible is defined as "incapable of being or of occurring". When something defies all human logic, we say it's impossible and could never happen because it just doesn't fit into our limited mindset. Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
To the human way of thinking, these two words would never be put together. But with God, these two words make perfect sense. He sent His Glorious Impossible into this world to deliver it from it's bondage to sin and save all souls who will believe in Him.
And why is Jesus the Glorious Impossible?
He is God incarnate. He displays all the glory of God. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
He was born of a virgin. Virgin births are not possible according to human reasoning. Many still scoff at it today. But nevertheless, He entered into the world via the Virgin Mary's womb. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
He heals the sick and dying with His spoken word. (Matthew 4:23-25) He walked on water. (Matthew 14:25) He mends broken spirits and hearts and makes people whole. (Psalm 147:3) He is the sole sustainer of the universe. (Colossians 1:16-17) All impossible.
He bruised and wounded and died for our sins. (Isaiah 53:3-5) He conquered death and rose again the third day. (Matthew 28:7) He ascended to Heaven and now sits at the right hand of God. (Acts 1:9) He will come again and call His saints home. ( I Thessalonians 4:16) He will conquer Satan. (Revelation 20:10) He will reign forever in Heaven. (Psalm 72:19)
Jesus Christ is the Glorious Impossible!!!
Impossible is defined as "incapable of being or of occurring". When something defies all human logic, we say it's impossible and could never happen because it just doesn't fit into our limited mindset. Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
To the human way of thinking, these two words would never be put together. But with God, these two words make perfect sense. He sent His Glorious Impossible into this world to deliver it from it's bondage to sin and save all souls who will believe in Him.
And why is Jesus the Glorious Impossible?
He is God incarnate. He displays all the glory of God. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
He was born of a virgin. Virgin births are not possible according to human reasoning. Many still scoff at it today. But nevertheless, He entered into the world via the Virgin Mary's womb. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
He heals the sick and dying with His spoken word. (Matthew 4:23-25) He walked on water. (Matthew 14:25) He mends broken spirits and hearts and makes people whole. (Psalm 147:3) He is the sole sustainer of the universe. (Colossians 1:16-17) All impossible.
He bruised and wounded and died for our sins. (Isaiah 53:3-5) He conquered death and rose again the third day. (Matthew 28:7) He ascended to Heaven and now sits at the right hand of God. (Acts 1:9) He will come again and call His saints home. ( I Thessalonians 4:16) He will conquer Satan. (Revelation 20:10) He will reign forever in Heaven. (Psalm 72:19)
Jesus Christ is the Glorious Impossible!!!
HALLELUJAH!!!!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Heron and the Goose Part 3
Well, the end of this past week saw some exciting happenings at the workplace pond. Yes, they were at it again. This time, the heron was slowly strolling along the water's edge and came upon a gaggle of geese with some members floating on the water and others standing on the shoreline preening or just resting. I am sure the heron was hunting based on his behavior, and he didn't seem to like that the geese were in his way. He continued on his way and the geese that were in the water swam out from in front of him only to return to their spot after he passed. The heron went a few more feet, and then turned around and started back the way he came. He quickly discovered that the geese were in his way again and quickly took action. He chased the geese on land and in the water with a herky-jerky motion that included flapping wings and a jabbing beak. It was actually quite comical to watch. After the heron's short "tantrum", the geese decided they had had enough of his attacks and either swam out to deeper water or walked further down the shoreline. The heron calmly resumed his hunt, and I was able to witness him nabbing a few small fish for his lunch.
I am beginning to wonder if the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) and the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) are "eternal enemies" like the Lion (Panthera leo) and the Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta). These two African mammals are always goading each other. I remember watching a documentary several years ago entitled Eternal Enemies. The filmmakers spent several months filming a pride of lions in Botswana and discovered this animosity between these two species. The hyenas harassed the lions at a kill and at any other opportunity. The hyenas would also kill lion cubs at every opportunity and seemingly defy the pride's lead male when he scent-marked his boundaries (Normally, different species ignore each other's scent marks because they are not in competition with them). At the end of the show, a newly chosen matriarch of the local hyena clan pushes the lions to the edge. When one of the lionesses leads some of the pride out to confront the clan, one of the adult male lions, Ntwadumela (he who greets with fire), hears the noise, charges out of the bush and immediately chases down the matriarch. With a quick bite to the neck, the matriarch is dead. This confrontation wasn't about food or control of territory, but about differences between species. One species goads; the other reacts savagely. It was some very dramatic and riveting footage.
I'm not saying that the heron or the goose will ever react with such force and one of them will end up lifeless. However, every time I get the chance to witness them in the same place and am privileged to watch the behaviors between them, there seems to be a lot of animosity. Is the heron a crotchedy, old grouch? Are the geese mischievous little kids? Maybe not. But it sure makes for an entertaining lunchtime show.
Stay tuned for more in this continuing saga...
I am beginning to wonder if the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) and the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) are "eternal enemies" like the Lion (Panthera leo) and the Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta). These two African mammals are always goading each other. I remember watching a documentary several years ago entitled Eternal Enemies. The filmmakers spent several months filming a pride of lions in Botswana and discovered this animosity between these two species. The hyenas harassed the lions at a kill and at any other opportunity. The hyenas would also kill lion cubs at every opportunity and seemingly defy the pride's lead male when he scent-marked his boundaries (Normally, different species ignore each other's scent marks because they are not in competition with them). At the end of the show, a newly chosen matriarch of the local hyena clan pushes the lions to the edge. When one of the lionesses leads some of the pride out to confront the clan, one of the adult male lions, Ntwadumela (he who greets with fire), hears the noise, charges out of the bush and immediately chases down the matriarch. With a quick bite to the neck, the matriarch is dead. This confrontation wasn't about food or control of territory, but about differences between species. One species goads; the other reacts savagely. It was some very dramatic and riveting footage.
I'm not saying that the heron or the goose will ever react with such force and one of them will end up lifeless. However, every time I get the chance to witness them in the same place and am privileged to watch the behaviors between them, there seems to be a lot of animosity. Is the heron a crotchedy, old grouch? Are the geese mischievous little kids? Maybe not. But it sure makes for an entertaining lunchtime show.
Stay tuned for more in this continuing saga...
Friday, September 11, 2009
Quiet
This week, I had one of those small epiphany moments at work that just might work given enough time. What was the epiphany you ask?
I will just do my job and not go back to the phone people for anything.
I have been in this position for 4 1/2 years. From the beginning, I have tried to make the position more streamlined and more error-free by creating helps for my co-workers, changing the way some things were done, and other ideas. They actually worked for a while. The store people were trained on what do to and how to do it. There were still the occasional "I refuse to do it myself" person, but he was few and far between.
And then along came the change.
After that, everything quickly descended into one giant quagmire no matter what I did to try to slow the process. I realize that they have a lot more phone volume to handle, but that increase in phone volume needs to correspond with a increase in accuracy and actually trying to help the customer instead of passing him off to my co-worker or myself like it was a hot potato. Their increase also means an increase in special orders and technical questions. So after fighting it since January, I decided to just remain quiet.
No more asking for clarification.
No more begging for the correct name, store number, part number, or anything else.
No more calling of a specific person with the "what have you done now" tone in my voice.
No more giving back the orders written up with incorrect information.
No more telling the phone people what they need to (and really should) remember.
What will I do? I will just do it myself. If I have questions, I will take the time to call the customer myself. It will really be a waste of my time when I could be answering legitimate questions or actually ordering a part for a customer. But be that as it may, I will do what must be done without being accused of being demanding, snide, or accusatory. I've heard enough of the complaining, the "why can't you do it" questions, and the smart comebacks.
Who knows? Maybe this strategy will work. Only after 2 1/2 days of my quietness, one of the people asked what is wrong with Kevin and why has he been so quiet lately. I didn't comment. If the pressure mounts too much and they demand an answer, I will give it to them. They won't like it, but they will get one.
Maybe, just maybe, they will get the message after all.
I will just do my job and not go back to the phone people for anything.
I have been in this position for 4 1/2 years. From the beginning, I have tried to make the position more streamlined and more error-free by creating helps for my co-workers, changing the way some things were done, and other ideas. They actually worked for a while. The store people were trained on what do to and how to do it. There were still the occasional "I refuse to do it myself" person, but he was few and far between.
And then along came the change.
After that, everything quickly descended into one giant quagmire no matter what I did to try to slow the process. I realize that they have a lot more phone volume to handle, but that increase in phone volume needs to correspond with a increase in accuracy and actually trying to help the customer instead of passing him off to my co-worker or myself like it was a hot potato. Their increase also means an increase in special orders and technical questions. So after fighting it since January, I decided to just remain quiet.
No more asking for clarification.
No more begging for the correct name, store number, part number, or anything else.
No more calling of a specific person with the "what have you done now" tone in my voice.
No more giving back the orders written up with incorrect information.
No more telling the phone people what they need to (and really should) remember.
What will I do? I will just do it myself. If I have questions, I will take the time to call the customer myself. It will really be a waste of my time when I could be answering legitimate questions or actually ordering a part for a customer. But be that as it may, I will do what must be done without being accused of being demanding, snide, or accusatory. I've heard enough of the complaining, the "why can't you do it" questions, and the smart comebacks.
Who knows? Maybe this strategy will work. Only after 2 1/2 days of my quietness, one of the people asked what is wrong with Kevin and why has he been so quiet lately. I didn't comment. If the pressure mounts too much and they demand an answer, I will give it to them. They won't like it, but they will get one.
Maybe, just maybe, they will get the message after all.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Utmost Arrogance
Today's evolutionists are so full of "knowledge" and "wisdom" that they think anyone who doesn't follow their belief is ignorant, stupid, and has just arrived from the deepest backwoods on a turnip truck. If not for the fact that they are so sadly mistaken and their current beliefs will lead them to an eternal damnation, their "facts" would be downright laughable.
A recent article in ICR's July Acts & Facts wrote about just such arrogance. Many of today's prominent evolutionists have debated several well-educated creationists and have lost the debate. However, they still insist on following their dead-end way of thinking and even resort to name-calling and smear-tactics. Stephen Gould was a well-known evolutionists who refused several times to debate a creationist. Why? If his theory was sound, what better way to prove it by the evidence? He wrote in his last book about "the scourge of creationism" all the while including all the same old, tired arguments for evolution without offering one shred of irrefutable evidence to back his claims. Dr. Massimo Pigliucci did debate Dr. Duane Gish many times and lost each one. But instead of really trying to understand the concepts and ideas supported by overwhelming evidence, he cries over the fact that "many Americans are still enchanted with dinosaurs such as John Morris and Duane Gish of the oxymoronically named Institute for Creation Research." And Ernst Mayr declared that "every knowing person agrees that man is descended from the apes." Wow! Really? I consider myself fairly knowledgable on the subject and certainly hold to no such falsehood. Where do they come up with such "facts"? All they can come up with for "proof" is nothing more than far-fetched ideas and poppycock.
Another area in which evolutionists show their stubborn arrogance is in the area of education. Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, lives by her motto of "defending the teaching of evolution in public schools" and diligently strives to maintain the teaching of "evolution in the science classroom" while keeping "creationism out." She boldly tells school board members that they must totally discard any of their policies that would put a question in the minds of the students about the validity of the evolutionary theory, lends herself as an "expert" witness in court cases involving creation, and demands that all scientific insitutes actively and purposefully seek out scientists that do not hold to her idea that evolution is the gospel and get rid of them as soon as possible. Why? According to several Gallup polls, most Americans hold no candle to the ideas of Charles Darwin. Since the average American can see the giant holes in the theory, it appears to me that she's running scared. She knows that her precious theory is a leaking sponge and is desperately trying to plug the holes without examining the hard evidence.
Unfortunately, Dr. Scott and the others are just some of many such evolutionary-minded people that are actively promoting evolution as the gospel. Yes, that's right. They treat their precious theory as the gospel and seek to convert as many people as they can to their religion. Most of them claim to be atheistic; however, they, in truth, do worship their god of education and, ultimately, themselves. They believe that humans are the be-all-end-all. According to them, nothing is greater than the minds of humans and humans will be able to control all their collective destinies. How arrogantly foolish it is that they refuse to allow the reasonable comparison of scientific knowledge and let each person come up with their own conclusions to the origins of life. They know that their theory would not stand up to such scrutiny and resort to force and deceit to accomplish their goal of leaving God out of every aspect of our lives.
A recent article in ICR's July Acts & Facts wrote about just such arrogance. Many of today's prominent evolutionists have debated several well-educated creationists and have lost the debate. However, they still insist on following their dead-end way of thinking and even resort to name-calling and smear-tactics. Stephen Gould was a well-known evolutionists who refused several times to debate a creationist. Why? If his theory was sound, what better way to prove it by the evidence? He wrote in his last book about "the scourge of creationism" all the while including all the same old, tired arguments for evolution without offering one shred of irrefutable evidence to back his claims. Dr. Massimo Pigliucci did debate Dr. Duane Gish many times and lost each one. But instead of really trying to understand the concepts and ideas supported by overwhelming evidence, he cries over the fact that "many Americans are still enchanted with dinosaurs such as John Morris and Duane Gish of the oxymoronically named Institute for Creation Research." And Ernst Mayr declared that "every knowing person agrees that man is descended from the apes." Wow! Really? I consider myself fairly knowledgable on the subject and certainly hold to no such falsehood. Where do they come up with such "facts"? All they can come up with for "proof" is nothing more than far-fetched ideas and poppycock.
Another area in which evolutionists show their stubborn arrogance is in the area of education. Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, lives by her motto of "defending the teaching of evolution in public schools" and diligently strives to maintain the teaching of "evolution in the science classroom" while keeping "creationism out." She boldly tells school board members that they must totally discard any of their policies that would put a question in the minds of the students about the validity of the evolutionary theory, lends herself as an "expert" witness in court cases involving creation, and demands that all scientific insitutes actively and purposefully seek out scientists that do not hold to her idea that evolution is the gospel and get rid of them as soon as possible. Why? According to several Gallup polls, most Americans hold no candle to the ideas of Charles Darwin. Since the average American can see the giant holes in the theory, it appears to me that she's running scared. She knows that her precious theory is a leaking sponge and is desperately trying to plug the holes without examining the hard evidence.
Unfortunately, Dr. Scott and the others are just some of many such evolutionary-minded people that are actively promoting evolution as the gospel. Yes, that's right. They treat their precious theory as the gospel and seek to convert as many people as they can to their religion. Most of them claim to be atheistic; however, they, in truth, do worship their god of education and, ultimately, themselves. They believe that humans are the be-all-end-all. According to them, nothing is greater than the minds of humans and humans will be able to control all their collective destinies. How arrogantly foolish it is that they refuse to allow the reasonable comparison of scientific knowledge and let each person come up with their own conclusions to the origins of life. They know that their theory would not stand up to such scrutiny and resort to force and deceit to accomplish their goal of leaving God out of every aspect of our lives.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Through
When I saw what lay before me,
"Lord," I cried, "what will You do?"
I thought He would just remove it,
But He gently led me through.
Without fire,
There's no refining.
Without pain,
no release.
Without flood,
There's no rescue.
Without testing,
no belief.
Through the fire,
Through the flood,
Through the water,
Through the blood,
Through the dry and barren places,
Through life's dense and maddening mazes,
Through the pain,
And through the glory,
Through we'll always tell the story
Of the God whose power and mercy
Will not fail to take us
THROUGH
Wow! What blessed thoughts!! Life is so full of aches and pains, trials and tribulations, despair, anguish, and heartache that we often times lose sight of our goal--the end of the journey. Along this journey, we will encounter many different hardships as well as many triumphs. Each one comes along for our growth and edification (Of course, how we grow depends on our attitude and reaction to our present situation.) and is used of God to shape and mold us into the image of His Son. He gently prods, coaches, carries, and encourages us along the way. Whether the end of our journey is on the other side of a present difficulty or on the other side of death, God will always guide us through.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words. I Thessalonians 4:18
"Lord," I cried, "what will You do?"
I thought He would just remove it,
But He gently led me through.
Without fire,
There's no refining.
Without pain,
no release.
Without flood,
There's no rescue.
Without testing,
no belief.
Through the fire,
Through the flood,
Through the water,
Through the blood,
Through the dry and barren places,
Through life's dense and maddening mazes,
Through the pain,
And through the glory,
Through we'll always tell the story
Of the God whose power and mercy
Will not fail to take us
THROUGH
Wow! What blessed thoughts!! Life is so full of aches and pains, trials and tribulations, despair, anguish, and heartache that we often times lose sight of our goal--the end of the journey. Along this journey, we will encounter many different hardships as well as many triumphs. Each one comes along for our growth and edification (Of course, how we grow depends on our attitude and reaction to our present situation.) and is used of God to shape and mold us into the image of His Son. He gently prods, coaches, carries, and encourages us along the way. Whether the end of our journey is on the other side of a present difficulty or on the other side of death, God will always guide us through.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words. I Thessalonians 4:18
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