Blog Nirvana: Courage, Bugs, and Bite Size Nuggets
November 29, 2008
This was a short week for many of us in Blogopolis. My reading was a little lighter than normal, to make room for all that cooking, cleaning, and eating! We’re still lying around in hyperglycemic comas here, I hope some of you are up and moving. 
“Today. You have a choice. You can choose to worry when life confronts you with it’s challenges. Or you can choose to live your life. Taking care of what you do have control over. Yourself. Your actions. What do you choose?” Lance http://www.jungleoflife.com/2008/11/18/dont-worry-be-happy/
“Self-esteem is not based on what you give your children, or on flattering words. It is based on an attitude of acceptance of who they are, and encouragement for the effort behind their actions.” Corey http://www.parenttolaunch.com/building-your-childs-self-esteem.html#more-156
“And readers too want to experience that very same instant result with your content. They don’t want to waffle through mountains of information. They want a nice, quick bite to begin with.” Sean D’Souza http://www.copyblogger.com/ramen-noodle-content/#more-1417
“Sometimes it takes courage just to get out of bed and face another day. It takes courage to look in the mirror. Courage to look at the checkbook balance, the Visa bill, and the unpaid stack of medical bills piling up in the corner.” Wendi Kellyhttp://lifeslittleinspirations.com/collecting-courage
“Even when bugs move in, appliances threaten to die, and the kids act squirrelly, there is room for laughter and love. (And even if you can’t quite find laughter and love in the moment, you can trust they haven’t left for good—they’re just taking a little break.)” Kristen, commenting at Writer Dad. http://halfwaytonormal.com
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I am more confident and happy with myself today than I have ever been. I am no longer looking for happiness in all the wrong places. I know it’s not found in house square footage or shiny gadgets. I know it has nothing to do with what I have and has everything to do with what I am. Choosing to live on less today has made me feel full of more. More love, more appreciation, more creativity, more peace, more time, more space.” Emily http://www.remodelingthislife.com/2008/11/25/unexpected/
Business Strategies from Nehemiah
November 28, 2008
If you missed Monday’s post, you might be a little lost today. We’re examining a summary of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, as told in the Old Testament, to find Nehemiah’s business strategies.
To recap, here’s our quote from The Promise and the Blessing.
“When Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem, he spent three days surveying the lay of the land before taking any action. Then he made a night trip around the city to assess the situation. It was only after this trip that he approached the leaders of the community with the job he had in mind. As he did so, he presented it as a problem of which he was part and proposed a common solution. He gave evidence that his solution would work by showing what God had done to that point.
Once he got agreement on the proposed solution, Nehemiah organized the forces in such a way that each of the groups felt an identity in their part of the project. Each family or professional group worked on the section of the wall closest to their houses or places of work. The different groups appear to have been set in competition with one another. As the work progressed and opposition arose, Nehemiah never lost sight of the objective. As a result, they were able to build the walls in 52 days.”
Nehemiah’s Business Strategies
Here’s what I take away from that story:
- Nehemiah was passionate about this project. He had a vested interest in the city and the people.
- He did not rush into action. He took 3 whole days to plan a course of action.
- He knew his competition. He did a reconnaissance mission at night to view the city as an enemy army might.
- He had a solid plan before he approached anyone for help.
- He understood the politics of his day and showed respect for the customs of his people. He approached the elders and leaders before approaching the working Joe down the street.
- He included himself as part of the problem. Yeah, that’s big.
- He was humble. He didn’t take credit for the plan. In fact, he was very clear that without God, the plan was crap.
- He inspired others. He reminded the people of the amazing things God had done for them up to that point.
- He organized the people to help them feel important, significant, and integral to the completion of the project.
- He let each group work near an area that they would see everyday as long as they lived in the city. The unfinished project grated on their nerves. They were responsible for how strong the section of wall was that protected their families, homes, possessions, and businesses.
- He utilized a little healthy competition to speed things along.
- Nehemiah was not surprised when opposition came. He expected it and did not grumble or give up.
- He kept his eye on the goal, even when hard times came.
Think On It
What could you accomplish if you applied just a few of these prinicples to your business?
What would happen if you applied all of them?
What is possible if you applied these strategies to your personal life as well as your business?
Happy Thanksgiving
November 27, 2008
I’m off cooking for a crew of outlaws and in-laws, but I didn’t want to leave you empty-handed on this most important day of thanks. I searched high and low for a meaningful, insightful, and respectable blog topic or video to post for today, but my heart just wasn’t in it.
Instead, you get a little warm-fuzzied humor compliments of YouTube.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I pray your holiday is filed with laughter, loved ones, and warm memories. I thank God for my little blogging circle, and pray that He will extend his blessings over your homes, your lives, and your families.
Just Hit Pause
November 26, 2008
There’s a blanket of snow outside. The sky is grey and there’s a fresh pot of Blackberry tea with peppermint sprigs boiling on the stove. Fresh pumpkin pies are steaming on the counter.
The house cleaning ritual is complete for company tomorrow, and my little guy’s fever is down to a manageable 101. We pile under a soft blanket with our steaming mugs and listen to a little Billie Holiday- because it’s a Billie kind of day.
I should be doing a million things right now, but instead I choose to cuddle with my boys on a busy winter morning. Thanksgiving started early for me this year- right now, in fact. I am so thankful for my little guys and my family.
The job market is bleak, money is tight, the weather is atrocious, and there’s too much to do. But like Billie says, I’ve got my love to keep me warm.
I just wanted to share the arrival of Thanksgiving with you. Happy Holiday, and here’s a little Billie to warm your heart.
It’s Okay to Laugh
November 26, 2008
This is Lance. No, he doesn’t usually wear a tiara (at least not that I know of) but he broke out the funny after Vered’s visitors left a string of humorous suggestions about how he could celebrate winning a Starbuck’s gift card.
Lance is a good guy. I mean the type of guy your kids love to visit because he knows how to have fun. He’s the kind of guy you call when you need advice, or serious prayer.
Lance writes over at the Jungle of Life, and leaves regular comments on about a million of the blogs I read. He also seems to read my mail and my thoughts on occasion, which is a little creepy until you remember we have the same Father.
The Moral of the Silliness
So, why I am posting a picture of Lance in a tiara? Because it’s a perfect example of the importance of having fun. Laughing at yourself and life is essential to a healthy mindset and a healthy business.
God has a tremendous sense of humor (or humour for you Canadians!). Don’t believe me? Listen to a duck quack and watch them stand on their heads in the water with their little flippers waving hello while they skim for food. Watch a ground hog run across an open field when he thinks you’re looking at him too long. Watch the monkeys at the zoo. Take a look at a platypus. God loves to laugh, and we should, too.
Blue Duck Humor
We’re not the average company here at Blue Duck. Steph likes to sing the mission impossible theme while she works and has been known to talk on her shoe in traffic. The house is too quiet when she’s not here, and the baby whines all day about picking up Steph or his brother because he wants to have fun. (Guess mom’s no fun at work.)
We’ve been known to speak Pirate-ease all week, and send each other stupid emails. I sent Steph and Katie a postcard from the GEICO gecko after we finished a huge SEO project for a life insurance company. I informed I would not be at my desk on Monday, because I was running off with the gecko to California. It was hilarious to the three of us, and we still joke about it.
Have fun with your work. Otherwise, your life becomes a rut and that pretty pink and black dress just collects dust in the closet. 
Happy Birthday, Dad
November 25, 2008
My father was born during the blizzard of 1950. He was my grandmother’s first baby, and she went into labor during the middle of the biggest snow storm in 50 years. My grandfather left to fetch the doctor who was a considerably smaller man than my grandfather. To get through snow that covered the tops of the mailboxes, my grandfather carried the doctor on his back most of the way home. it was a rough beginning that would set the stage for the rest of my dad’s life.
Family Life
Grandma went on to have four more little bundles of joy after my dad, but life at home was not all sugar and rainbows. Grandma was clinically depressed, and grandpa was angry- all the time. Throw in a little old-fashioned generational dysfunction and abuse for a sensitive, sweet little boy, and the end result is more than a little disturbing.
Running Away and Looking for Love
My dad spent most of his life seeking relief from the emotional torment that haunted him. Like so many other walking wounded, he joined the military the day he turned 18, just to get away from home. He was shipped overseas to repair aircraft fighting in the Vietnam War.
He came home four years later a little taller and whole lot angrier. He sought relief in drugs, alcohol, sex, and eventually the church. He met a tall, thin beauty with a quiet demeanor at the beach and asked her to marry him. She said yes, and they were married in February of the following year.
Happily Ever After?
If this were a fairy tale world, this story would end with “and they rode off into the sunset and lived happily ever after.”
But in real life, they were very young and a baby came along a little too early, weighing in at just over 3 pounds. Work was hard to find, and they were so poor that year that the only thing they had to put under the Christmas tree was a tiny baby girl. Me.
Birthday Wishes
My mother recently told me a story that changed the way I viewed my father. I was born 6 weeks early. I was underweight and couldn’t regulate my own body temperature. My mother said they had to stand me on my head to keep warm and no one was allowed to hold me. I had to stay in the protective warmth of the incubator.
The first person to hold me was my father. One of the nurses sneaked him into the NICU and let him hold me- because it was his birthday and that was all he wanted.
Looking Back
My dad is gone now. This would have been his 58th birthday.
Years of hard living, alcohol and drugs, and too many love interests took their toll on his body. He died this spring. There weren’t many people at my dad’s memorial service, even a few close family members found better things to do that day.
But despite all the awful things he said and did, and all the pain he caused in his 57 years of life, he was still loved by a few; those who could see past the gruff exterior and harsh words to the boiling pain beneath them. Those who could still see that sensitive little boy who never asked for a life of pain and misery, learned to love him as a beloved creation of God.
Happy Birthday, Dad. We miss you.
