Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word.  I love that God’s Word is so practical.  Uncomfortable, but practical.  Have you ever heard someone say the words, “No offense, but …”  and they go on to say something that’s a bit rude?  There is an interesting truth about offense.  But there are also three commands regarding offense that are good to remember.  Rule #1 of Offense: Don’t do it.  Don’t offend people.  Don’t use words needlessly harsh.  A gentle answer turns away wrath, a soft tongue can break a bone.  Be wise in the words you choose.  Ask God what to say, when to say and when pray, and what words to use.  You will offend people sometimes.  Because the truth offends people, even when spoken in love.  But don’t needlessly offend.  Don’t say things to punish people, embarrass them, or beat them in an argument.  How does that help them or you.  If you love them, you want them to turn, not get trapped, or dug in…  Don’t offend people with harsh words.  Pleasant words promote instruction, it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.  #2 Rule of Offence – Don’t take it.  “No offense.”  “None taken.” Here’s the interesting truth about offense… No one can offend you – only you can take offense.  They may lay it out there, but you’re only offended if you pick it up.  If you don’t - it just sits there.  God said an undeserved curse does not come to rest.  You might be surprised at who takes up your case for you.  Who stands up to defend you, someone else can defend you better than you.  God brings them.  Just like “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth, someone else, and not your own lips.”  This is also good advice for offense.  Don’t bite… it’s bait, it’s a trap.  If you know who’s really talking (their father, the accuser, the father of lies), and you know who your Father is.  The Defender of the defenseless, the Father of the fatherless, the One before whom every demon and even the devil himself has to bow… then you won’t worry about it.  You’ll let Him handle it.  Proverbs 23:12 says, Do not move an ancient boundary stone, or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong, he will take up their case against you.  You will only ever be offended, if you take offense.  Don’t take it, pass.  Let God handle it. He knows how, and He’s more powerful than you.  But Danger Ahead! Warning!  If what they say has some truth, even if they are intending to offend you, the moment of truth has arrived for you.  You will either walk in humility or pride.  God might have sent them.  Remember, seek first, don’t sift first.  Sometimes criticism comes from an imperfect messenger.  Forget about them, your responsibility is you.  Ask God is this something you want me to change or learn from or repent of?  Don’t be offended, seek God for any truth that potentially offensive comments might contain.  Listen - is the first step of humility.  And Rule #3 of Offense.  Forgive it.  I’ll never forgive them for what they did!  You’ve seen heartbreaking video of the distraught victims of lost loved ones, addressing the killer in court, wishing choice words about their soul’s destination, and saying I will never forgive you, in their grief and anger.  But what they don’t realize, they just gave themselves the death sentence, not the offender.  The murderer doesn’t care, and will never think about them again, but the victim just sentenced themselves to a prison of bitterness.  That is a life sentence, and could be a shortened life at that.  Forgive offense.  Forgive people.  Decide beforehand that you will, so you’ll be ready to when its needed. Think about all of your offenses and how God forgave you.  Forgive Offense.  Don’t let it hurt you - more than the offender who is usually oblivious.  Love even your enemies, they are just doing the devil’s work, but God loves them.  You did those same things at one time.  God said something uncomfortable. If you don’t forgive those who sin against you, neither will your father in heaven forgive you of your sins.  Wow.  Like the man forgiven of huge debt that demanded payment of a little, and had the debtor thrown into prison.  When the Judge heard of what they did, it was them who went to prison 'til they paid the very last penny.  Offense is a trap that the devil tries to ensnare and enslave you with.  Praise God, you’re free!  Jesus’ blood covers you, the Holy Spirit empowers you to love people like God loves them, even the unlovely.  You can leave offense with God, don’t take offense, be humble, and take courage – change what you need to change, and encourage yourself in the LORD. If God be for us, who can be against us.  Praying that you’ll remember the three rules of offense.  Don’t Do it, Don’t Take it, and Forgive it.  Remember the warning:  Don’t think you’re always right – listen, be humble.  Strive to do what’s right, and treat others right. The more you walk in the Spirit – the easier and more joyful it gets.  Freedom looks so good on you! 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word – it is practical wisdom for the ages.  God’s wisdom always brings success, to those humble enough to receive it.  It always changes your life for the better.  God says an interesting thing.  Be careful how you hear.  Life is full of new information.  It is required for learning.  If you learn something, that means what you didn’t know before, you now know.  So if you’re going to learn anything, you have to hear something new.  Remember the New Information Filter.  1)  Is it true? 2) Where’s the evidence? 3) What’s in it for them? 4) What does God say?  That’s a good start – a discernment tool.  But have you noticed most new information is not 100% accurate?  Because the message if often tainted somewhat by the messenger.  That’s OK.  That’s why God gives us discernment.  How do you hear?  Most people aren’t careful how they hear, they are planning what to speak, what they are going to say next.   Most people don’t listen to hear, they listen to contend.  When receiving new information, a new idea, you can seek first, or sift first.   When you hear something new, a new thought construct, a new perspective – like Jordan Peterson on Joe Rogan.  Most people when they hear something new – a new philosophy, doctrine, or understanding, a new strategy, or reason for success, a distilled process of what worked for someone else – that they share with others.  Most people when they hear new ‘revelation’ that they haven’t heard before - things that person has come to believe.  Whether from God, or personal success and failure experience, or any opinion for that matter.   Most people don’t hear to glean truth, they hear to disagree.  They sift first, instead of seek first.  They gravitate to the 2% they disagree with, and build a case against it, rather than consider the new information provided - and Seek God about what part is true, and what God may want them to learn from it.  If you jump on where you disagree, you are thinking about why you disagree, and how what you believe differs from what they just said, and you missed most of what they were saying - which could miss the purpose that God brought that information to you.  Who do you know that is 100% accurate – other than God?  No one gets everything right, sometimes not even in one sentence.  Most people sift – reject, eject, they look for things they disagree with, rather than things God might want them to learn from.  Most people sift first.  God says sift, (It’s part of discernment) but He doesn’t want you to sift first, without seeking.  You have to seek before you sift.  Humility required.  “God, what about this is true? Anything that you want me to apply or pursue further?”  Forget the messenger, even the totality of the message.  Where is the nugget of truth?  Is there anything true about this?  “Is there anything God, that You are trying to highlight, and bring to my attention?”  They may be 90% wrong, but 10% they could be onto something.   Seek before you sift.  “Well, I don’t agree with that.” (What they really mean is I don’t agree with this 2% of what they just said.  And they go on to sift it out and give all their reasons (even when often they just assumed, extrapolated it into something the speaker didn’t even say or mean).  Then they give their litany of reasons what it’s not true, or accurate, or not true all the time.  But to do that – they had to be thinking of all the reasons why they don’t agree.  That thinking and preparing a response, disabled them from really listening.  So 2% isn’t accurate?   Who cares.  Is there a baby in that bathwater?  Don’t just pull the plug.  Not saying we should be deceived and accept falsehood and deception, every wind of doctrine, but Seek before you Sift. Ask God what is true?  Or what truth does God want to lead us to – prompted by what that person shared - even if it is a little off.   Sifters throw out - based on their life experience, and their set of beliefs – which they have held on to pretty tightly – right up to the time of hearing this new idea.  Often, you are basing that sifting not off of the Holy Spirit, just off of your life-experience and beliefs to date… but what If God brought this to your attention – to grow your thinking, your experience, and your success.  It’s either truth or lack thereof - which could still point you to truth, if you Seek God first.  Whenever you are building a case against something – you are clearly not learning anything.  Better to Seek first, before sifting.   If it’s complete falsehood, a lie and deception – the Holy Spirit will reveal it.  But if it’s just new information - that person’s experience, God may have led them to truth in some areas, while they are still lost or searching for the balance of it.  Praying that you will Listen to hear.   When it comes to hearing God -  Hear – means to hear intelligently – hear with the intent to apply whatever change the Holy Spirit may lead you to.  David said “I have inclined my ear to obey your Word.”  “If God says it, I’m doing it.” was the habit He formed.  That’s when hearing God.  But when it comes to hearing others – hear intelligently means hear to understand, hear to seek, not just sift.  Praying that you will be Sifters – God said we are not to believe everything people say in the area of life, marriage, parenting, business, culture or politics, not every wind of doctrine that sways the gullible, but if our first reaction is to sift, and build a case against what was said, rather than seek God for His takeaways for us, we could be setting a ceiling on the growth God is trying to bring us to.  He uses different methods, He can use unusual sources, from donkeys to commercials, to pictures, to movies to… whatever He chooses.  Praying that you will guard your heart by how you listen.  That you would listen to hear, not just what they are saying or meaning, but what God is saying.  So you hear, and seek first, then sift as the Holy Spirit leads you.
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word – it defines character.  Most people don’t know what good character is, it’s just a sliding scale of opinion.  Thankfully God makes it clear.  One warning God gives – guard your heart.  While this has multiple applications, one of the things that the devil does is try to spoil your heart, though someone’s comments.  Not about you, but about others.  Most people don’t realize you are both a sower and soil.   Sower is what you do with your mouth, soil is what you do with your ears and your mouth.  Have you ever had someone say something to you about another person that was negative, or unflattering?  Maybe they took offense at something that person did or said.  Maybe they interpreted a word or action from that person as a slight, impolite, or unkind.  When someone shares their feelings with you about another person, what do you do with that comment?  It will go somewhere… you choose. Do you let it go in one ear, and out the other?  That would be wise.   Or do you let it into your heart to shape your opinion of the targeted person?  Do you take it as fact?  Do you allow comments about other people to impact your view of them?  What if it’s not true?  What if the person talking just had a bad day, or had something else they’re really struggling with.   Or had a previous experience with the targeted person they viewed as negative, correctly or incorrectly, which influences every future experience they have with that person.  What does that have to do with you?  What other people say and do is on them, but what you do with comments about others – is on you.  What do you allow into your heart – that shapes your opinion of others?  Other people’s perceptions are not truth, they’ve just become reality for them.  Do you let someone’s perceptions about people affect your view of them?  God said we are to guard our heart – that means in part – do not let yourself become hard hearted towards a person.  That applies to your direct experience with that person, much less indirect.  And if we are to be open hearted with others, if we are to not take offense, but cover it over.  If we are to not hold other’s faults against them, if we are to live at peace, believe the best, give the benefit of the doubt in all situations - that we directly experience with them, why would you let someone else’s experience or opinion affect your view of them in any way.   We can form opinions about others – through no direct contact or communication.  Hardly fair, or accurate… That’s what the devil tries to do – get people to sow discord among brothers and sisters, or even strangers.  How does discord get sown?  There are two sides to that coin.  What is said, and what is received.  A negative comment about someone doesn’t sow discord in you.   What you do with that comment – what you allow into your heart is how discord is sown.  They might try, but you don’t need to receive it.  Forming an opinion of a person based on someone’s perception of them is rather foolish.  That’s what creates discord – sowing and receiving.  The offended person may sow discord, but that doesn’t mean it gets sown in you.  Only what you allow into your heart gets sown in you.   If Sally complains about Susie – what does that have to do with you?  Susie may be totally innocent.  And if you don’t do something with those comments – (send them on their way – not let them into your heart) your opinion of Susie may be damaged needlessly, erroneously.  Praying that you will never say anything negative.  Don’t you sow discord.  God said, you should say nothing harmful about others whether they harm you or not.  That’s the fear of the LORD.   But also praying that you would never let any harmful talk about others– enter into your heart.  That you would guard your heart against gossip, offense, or anything negative about anyone.  We are to serve one another, prefer them above ourselves, love even our enemies, and as much as it depends on us – live at peace with all men.  Praying that you would be a peace maker, not a discord sower - or discord receiver.   One Pastor – when someone shared a negative comment about a mutual acquaintance, said, “Do you want me to agree with you on that?”  Not sure I’d be that bold in shutting someone down.  But there is something to be said about not letting people talk negatively about others in your presence.  You don’t have to call them out directly, just encourage them to make things right – “I’m so sorry that happened, maybe they were just having a rough day, I’ve fallen into that trap… have you had a chance to make things right with them?”  It might encourage them to follow Matthew 18 so God can bring forgiveness and restore unity, where the devil wanted division.  Praying that you will guard your heart, what comments you let in… so you don’t form any negative opinion about anyone – based on the slander of them by others.  Don’t tattle to Susie – that perpetuates gossip and offense, just encourage Sally to seek resolution with Susie instead of letting things build up.  You will either sow peace, or discord, you will either receive peace or discord. But also, You will either be a peace maker, or let offense remain.  It takes courage to speak the truth in love, but God can use you to seek peace and pursue it.  Praying that you would always speak life, always overlook faults, always believe the best, and encourage others to do the same, that you would always pursue peace, so you live at peace with all men.  This is the fear of the LORD.
 
Love you all,
dad  

​Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word.  It’s a love story.  His love for you that endures forever!  Hard to fathom and comprehend, but so true.    How do you grow your love for God?  How do you learn to love Him more?  First know this: He loved you first.  I John 4:10 - This is love: not that we loved God, but that He first loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.   What really is love for God?  Why do it?  Because He loved you first.  You can’t help loving someone who truly loves you unless you ignore them.  Most people ignore God, they don’t value His love for them, they don’t recognize it or appreciate Him for it.  They value themselves.  They are completely selfish.  God wants us to love Him, so He can increase our understanding of His love for us and others.  So how do you love God more?  What is love for God?  Affection and Obedience.  Not affection only – if you don’t obey him, you don’t love Him.  Jesus spoke that clearly, multiple times.  (See the Relationship Topic: Love is Obey).  If you love me, you will obey what I command, and this is my command, love one another).  But equally, love for God is not just obedience without affection.  Some people obey not because they love someone, they’re just afraid of the consequences.  How do you grow your affection for God?  Develop a heart of thanksgiving.  Gratitude will increase your affection.  Thanksgiving increases your awareness of who God is and the wonderful things He continually does on your behalf, demonstrating again and again His great love for you.  Some people, even though God loves them, they are outside of His commands – so they are outside of His covering and his favor.  The multiple demonstrations of God’s love for them are hindered by their proximity, they are out of position for his blessing to flow in their life, those demonstrations of His love that He longs to reveal to them.  But even if they are out of position, God still loves them and pursues them, and protects them from complete disaster, because He wants them to turn to Him and walk in close relationship with Him.   Some people don’t recognize God’s love for them, so they are unaware, self-focused, self-absorbed, not thankful or grateful.  When you recognize all of the things He has done for you – how can your love for him not grow, your affection and appreciation?  You are valuable to Him! So if love for God is more than just affection, He said, if you love me, you will obey my commands.  How do you grow your obedience?  Start small.  Get His plan for you today, and do it completely.  Share your testimony – you can, because every time you obey him, He does stuff.  You’re not fearing God for nothing, you’re not obeying for nothing, there are rewards that accompany obedience.  When you obey He does stuff.  He rewards obedience.  Every time you obey, you give God the opportunity to pour out His love for you in even greater measure.  It positions you for Him to bless you, so you can recognize, and thank him, so your affection and obedience grows.  So are you saying God just blesses you?  Yes.  Doesn’t mean there are no trials, but even in trials God’s blessing remains.  Paul and Silas even in chains – experienced the blessing of the LORD.  Sharing your testimony – enables you to recognize what He did, but you also overcome with it.  Overcome what?  Your adversary who wants to keep you from obeying so you miss out on God’s blessing.  Something else that grows your affection and obedience.  Get in His Word, His Presence, and Put on the garment of praise.  His Word helps you understand His great love for you.  His Presence in worship – changes you.  You cannot remain unchanged if you increase your time in His presence – every good thing flows from His presence.  And the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, opens you to the goodness, faithfulness, mercy, and favor of God.  It will increase your affection and obedience.  Praying that your love for God will grow.  So that every bit of His love for you will show.  So you can thank Him, praise Him, and love Him even more.  Loving God is the best investment ever.  It has eternal reward.
 
Love you all,
dad

​Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word.  It is wisdom, best practice for success.  It tells you about people, and how to succeed with them.   Have you ever faced an irate customer?   Yelling and screaming at you, often for something you had nothing to do with.  Someone dropped the ball at your company, or things just happened that were unanticipated, sometimes it’s even partly the customer's fault – but that doesn’t matter, they are livid, and letting you have it.  What do most people do?  What will you do?  What does God want you to do?  What is His plan for your success, even in difficult situations?   First. God said be careful how you hear.  That means how do you view this problem?  How do you view this customer?  Think of this picture.  You are sitting across the table from an irate customer.  There’s a rock in the middle of the table that is the problem, and they are screaming at you about this rock.  You could scream back, or downplay their concern, but they are coming at you when the problem is the rock.  They’re taking it out on you, but they are really upset about the rock.  And they just want someone to know how upset they are, and then they just want someone to fix it.  Rather than keep the rock in between you – what if you changed the picture?  What if you moved around to the other side of the table, and sat next to them, so you can both look at the rock together, not keep the rock between you?  That mental picture can help.  Most people dealing with irate customers are more concerned with fixing their anger management issues, than they are with fixing their problem.  Customers can sense that, and it just makes them more angry, it doesn’t solve anything.  That means you’re just a problem creator, not a problem solver.  Their rudeness is a totally separate issue… You don’t need new problems, you need to fix the first one.  Some people say – “I don’t appreciate you using that kind of language, I don’t appreciate the way you’re treating me.”  You’re missing the point.  God said an undeserved curse does not come to rest.  This is not about you, it’s about the problem, and how they feel about it.  Hear them, then fix the problem.  Don’t worry about you, this isn’t about you.  “But I don’t like that kind of language,” who cares – sticks and stones.  Solve problems, don’t create new ones.  The other thing you need to see.  Is this a problem?  Or an opportunity?  Most every problem is an opportunity in disguise.  You’ll either see the problem, or the opportunity.  The silver lining of an irate customer, is if you fix their problem, and make them feel good about it, you could get a customer for life!  Some problems are unfixable, you or your team or your company screwed up, and you will lose this customer.  (Some customers are worth losing, - that’s another topic altogether, but some customers you want to give to your competition, so they drain all their time, money and resources.  Sometimes the best addition is subtraction.)  But that’s not the case here, and not the case most of the time.  What can you do to turn around this irate customer?  And if they won’t turn around, will you still do what’s right?   Four Steps of the Turnaround.   Step 1:  Listen - hear them out, let them vent.  It won’t be pretty, it doesn’t have to be.  Don’t try to fix their character flaws – listen so you can fix their problem.  There are two parts, the problem itself, and the way they feel about it.  First fix their feelings, then fix the problem.  If they don’t feel like you heard them or understand what they are saying, or how upset they are, it could be an easy fix, but they won’t feel understood, valued… And that is what you must do first, if you’re going to turn them around.  That means you have to hear them out.  Let them get it off their chest.  Step 2:  Empathize.  Not sympathize,  just saying sorry alone, doesn’t cut it.  I am so sorry that happened to you, that has to be so frustrating, I would be furious, that just isn’t right!  (Don’t throw your company or co-workers under the bus, it doesn’t matter right now why this happened, or whose fault it is… That doesn’t help you, your company or your customer).  What matters is - you fix it.  Just Hear them fully, then be in it with them (like moving to the other side of the table).  And then, here’s the moment of truth.  Turn the corner!  You can’t let them stay in vent stage too long… they’ll just get themselves deeper.  Fully Hear them, Empathize, and then turn the corner.  How?  That’s Step 3:  Take ownership.   “Here’s what I’m going to do for you!”  What you can do, sometimes is limited, not what they fully want.  No, you can’t replace their entire car, just because a French fry fell on the seat…  But let them know that you understand the problem, their feelings, that you feel the same way!, and now you are going to do something about it.  You now own this – and will follow through ‘til it gets done, ‘til it’s made right.  Some things you can’t do, you can’t undo spilled milk, but you can clean it up, get them a new glass, and value them as people and as customers.  And the most important, Step 4:  Follow through.  Follow up, and finish.  Say what you’ll do, and Do what you said.  Under-promise, Over-deliver.  Do what is needed to fix their problem, and make things right as much as possible.  God said as much as it depends on you, live at peace with all men, make peace out of difficult situations. God will help you, but you need to take action.  Set it on your calendar within 24 hours – a follow-up call with them so they know that what you said you were going to do, you did it.  And if the ultimate solution takes a couple of weeks.  Schedule regular communication with them to let them know – you are still on it, you’re not letting this go, and you will not rest until it’s fixed.  That’s someone they want to do business with, someone they can trust.  (You need PiVAT before dinner for this – PiVAT Weekly, and PiVAT Monthly - Get a PiVAT Journal). This isn’t your only customer.  Your day is full, you’ve got fifty things going on.  And if you are not diligent to seek God’s timing for the follow-up steps, (Ask Him, He’ll tell you - and write them down), you will miss the opportunity for excellence, for a turnaround.  You will just exacerbate the problem, not fix it.  Under-Promise Over-Deliver.  This is excellence in action.  You don’t stop until you fix it, everything you said.  Some irate customers you will lose.  But the ones you can turn around, can be customers for life.  See every problem as an opportunity.  And the bigger the problem you solve, the more value you create, the more compensation you make.  It’s God’s seedtime and harvest principle.  Praying that you will see irate customers as an opportunity not a problem, to show God’s love for them.  Praying that you won’t take offense, but that you’ll take action.  And deliver in the Spirit of Excellence, which is the Spirit of Christ.  The last tip in facing irate customers, or any person that is less than cordial, classy, or civil.  If you can see them like God sees them, with compassion, you can love them like God loves them.  He loved you - when you were an idiot.  You don’t treat people the way they treat you, or the way their actions deserve.  See them, and love them according to their value to God, not their value to you.  You know something they don’t - how much God loves them.  He loves you.  You can love them too, no matter what they are acting like right now.  That’s the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit working in you!  It’s not natural, it’s supernatural.  Praying that you will run to the opportunity of irate customers, so they become customers for life, but far more importantly, so they know the love of Christ.  It’s the love of God flowing through you.  It’s being excellent, it’s what God called you to.  Because that’s what He is, and He lives in you!
 
Love you all,
dad  

​Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It reveals what’s required to succeed with God and people, as a person, organization, or nation… and how to do it.  Have you ever come to the realization that you or the team you’re responsible for are not living according to the vision of your company or organization?  That you are not living to the standard that God calls you to?  Has God ever convicted you that you are under-performing in an area?  We’re not talking about earning your salvation.  It has nothing to do with Him loving you, it has to do with Him growing you.  God loves you enough to not let you stay the same.  He wants you to succeed.  He has a plan for you, a purpose for you. And a standard for you, for your thoughts, words, actions, habits, and activity, whether personally, or professionally, individually, or corporately, to reflect Him, His kindness, His excellence.  Does your life reflect His excellence, or are you fighting fires, not operating in the way that brings success, honors Him, and serves well?   First, identify the standard that God has called you to.  Ask Him, He’ll remind you.  Write it down - clearly, concisely.  If you can’t explain it, you’re not living by it, and you can’t communicate it to others.  What is God calling you to do?   What standard is He calling you to operate at in this area?  It’s not unimportant, it’s really important.  How do you get there, if you’re not there?  What’s part of the solution, a fix-it habit, an establish-it habit.  What’s an “O Schmidt” Meeting?   It’s a “What Could Go Wrong” Meeting…  A “what could happen that would cause us to not live by the standard of excellence God called us to,” meeting.  What are some things that could happen, or some things we’re doing, that prevent us or could prevent us from God’s Standard for us?  You could just tell people what to do and not do – but that’s a 24/7 job.  Or you could let God reveal to the whole group what is happening that prevents us, or what we must do if this does happen, in order for us to live by the standard that brings excellence.  That God has for us, that defines what we do as a team, company or organization.  What could go wrong for this customer, from start to finish?  And what will we do to prevent that from happening, even if those things that could happen, happen?  What actions are less than God’s best, or God’s will for us?  What could prevent us from delivering excellence for our customers, meeting our requirements or deliverables.  What is keeping us from the standard? And what changes in our thoughts or actions or habits will reverse that? Why have an O Schmidt meeting?  To anticipate and mitigate.  God knows problems will arise.  In this world you’ll have trouble.  But be of good courage I have overcome the world.  Call on me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things that you do not know.  What kind of things?  Things that will establish you and honor Him.  That means God is the One, the power, the wisdom that overcomes obstacles in your life.  He not only delivers you from trouble, He helps you overcome those things which could prevent you from living in a way that best reflects Him, that best honors Him, that best represents Him.  And He is excellent.   He wants you be like Daniel, neither corrupt, nor negligent.  And Daniel was that way because He sought the LORD three times a day.  God knows the future, He promised the Holy Spirit to tell you things to come.  It’s because God wants you to overcome obstacles and adversity, and use that opportunity to love others, help others, and walk in the victory that He has created you for, and His power can enable you for.  He wants you to succeed.  He knows excellence – it’s His DNA.  Excellence is first process, then progress.  Improve the process, and most failures are avoided, because you’re not creating problems anymore, you can focus on the real problems that others generate,, not you.  Those opportunities that God gives to operate in excellence.  The Spirit of Excellence is the Spirit of Christ.   If you are not living by the Standard God has for you, if you are not delivering on your mission and vision in whatever area of life God has called you to, maybe work, marriage, finances, stewardship, or parenting.   Have an O Schmidt Meeting, to assess and correct, and here’s the secret to secure the standard.  Shorten the interval.  The key to compliance, to perform to standard, is shorten the interval you use to assess performance.  So you address substandard habits and actions more quickly, so the standard becomes not the dream, but the default. To eliminate substandard actions, shorten the interval.  Narrow the accountability window, build in immediate accountability.  If weekly assessment is not working, then go to daily assessment.  If that is still insufficient to align behavior with vision, then shorten the interval to morning, noon, and night.   To secure the standard that God has called you to, it requires assessment and correction,  Communication and effort is required, it’s going to take a little bit of work.  You have to do something different than you have been doing.  Or do what you’ve been doing – differently, better, more effectively.  And then keep doing that new thing or that old thing a new way, not keep doing what you used to do, that wasn’t working.   #1 Define the Standard, #2 Communicate the Standard, #3 Make sure you have the right team, and then #4 Implement the standard by shortened assessment intervals until your behavior aligns with the standard.  It’s how you train to the standard, until you learn to actually live by the excellence God called you to - without even thinking about it or trying.  So excellence isn’t a dream, it’s a default, it’s just what you now do as habit.  The Gino Auriemma principle.  Don’t do it til you get it right, do it til you can’t get it wrong.  In order for God to raise you to a greater level, He has to change you at a deeper level.  You have to change how you think, to change who you are, you have to change what you believe, to change your actions that determine what you become.  You have to change what you do, to live at a higher standard.  PiVAT before dinner will help you seek God for his plan – to increase your excellence, and He will tell you what you need to do so you live by the standard He has for you!  Most people are ignorant, they don’t even realize they’re in fire mode, or they ignore, they know God has a standard for them higher than what they are living by, but they don’t ask Him, and don’t want to put in the work.  PRISM will transform your mind to the mind of Christ which is excellence.  Why don’t people live by the standard?  Because they don’t value it above their present habits.  But if God values it, you should.  The excellence God has for you – that reflects Him, as a child of the King.  God wants you to secure the standard.  It’s His standard for you.  If you ask Him, He’ll tell you.  He’ll help you do it.  You just have to change what you do.  If you will, He will.  He will help you live in His order, His excellence, His sacrificial life for others.   Praying that you will shorten the intervals of assessment and correction – that you’ll put in the effort until the Spirit of Excellence which is the Spirit of Christ – is just what you do without thinking.  It’s just habit, and joy, so your focus is God and others, and your actions reflect Him, and His ways. 
 
Love you all,
dad

​Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It is wisdom for life, the standard of excellence, instruction for success.  And it is so very practical. Have you ever been responsible for leading a team, with one or more members underperforming?  That experience probably started in high school, when the teacher assigned a ‘group project.’  Of the four kids in your group, two of you did all the work, the third did little but tried to take credit, and the fourth never even showed up.  Didn’t seem fair that everyone gets the same grade, but welcome to life.  You could get upset and do nothing and get an “F” on the project, or you can do more than your share.  Because if you don’t, the project just won’t get done.  Remember the life rule:  The ball is always in your court.  But in an adult world, career, or organization, how do you address underperforming team members if you are responsible for the team?   Why do people underperform?  1) The standard hasn’t been defined.  So no one knows what excellence is, they follow their own definitions, or don’t even think about it.  2) The standard hasn’t been communicated.  People don’t know the requirements. They don’t know what excellence is, what is expected and required – it’s never been clearly and regularly communicated to them.   3) They don’t have the capacity, maybe physically or mentally – they lack the skill or ability required.  They are misplaced, better suited to other things.  4) They don’t want to.  They now know the standard and expectations, but they don’t agree, or their work ethic or commitment to excellence is lacking - it doesn’t match the performance standard of your team or organization.  So what is the remedy?  What must you do to ensure success?  You will either secure the standard, or fight fires.  Someone asked me recently what I would do to handle an underperforming team member.  We’ll call it a Countertop Company.  An important client was upset because their desired unique piece of granite was sold out from under them.  The customer service person who was serving the client said they didn’t pay on time, so the supplier sold it to another customer.  The customer was irate, the service rep said it was the customer’s fault.  And the leader had asked them multiple times if everything was going ok.  Obviously it wasn’t.  The customer was not informed of the consequence of their delay, nor encouraged to get their payment in, so they lost their material selection.  Not their fault, the company’s fault – if we want happy customers.  So what do you do?  First fix the fire, then fix the problem.  You will either secure the standard, or always fight fires.  There is a silver lining of an irate customer.  It forces you to better process, or better people.  You might not be able to salvage this relationship.  Sometimes you screw up and lose customers.  This is your company’s fault, your employee’s fault, ultimately your fault, you screwed up.  If you’re the leader – it’s on you.  Ultimately – it’s your responsibility to ensure that customers are served with excellence.  So first things first – save the deal.  The silver lining, while it’s unlikely to retain a customer after a major company fail…  If you do, if you can turn them around., customers you turn around often become extremely loyal customers.  That’s the opportunity.  But the real problem is your leadership.  You either secure the standard, or you’ll always fight fires, and lose customers.  So how do you secure the standard?   #1:  Define it.  #2:  Communicate it - clearly and regularly, once a year won’t cut it.  #3: Assess continually.  #4. Celebrate and reward excellence.  One thing to note:  Some people aren’t cut out for this job.  Sometimes you have to let people go who are not capable or not willing to adhere to the standard of excellence that God has called you to.  They’re better suited to other things.  The best thing you could do for them and your company is to let them go, so they can find success at the level they feel comfortable with.  Then - once you get the right team in place.  Communicate regularly the standard.  Next how to secure the standard?  Anticipate challenges – an O Schmidt meeting  - what could go wrong – before it goes wrong and mitigate it.  And finally celebrate success, the more recognition and reward you give to those meeting and exceeding the standard, the more the entire organization is focused on excellence, and can share in the reward of it.  Everyone benefits!  Customers, company, profits, and employees.  Everyone wants to be excellent.  No one really wants to be insufficient or subpar.  Help people - by defining the standard, communicating it regularly, assessing often, and rewarding success.  Employees who operate with excellence are not only more productive, they are happier, more satisfied, they’ll even come up with better ways to be excellent.  No job is perfect, every job is hard.  But if you focus on excellence your pay could increase, but the intrinsic reward of being excellent – makes you a better and happier person.  People want to be a part of excellent teams. It makes work worthwhile.  Excellence is a testimony, it’s really worship to God.  Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as for the LORD, not for men, knowing that from the LORD you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the LORD, Christ whom you serve.  Daniel was excellent.  He was ‘neither corrupt, nor negligent’ His habits were excellent.  Praying that you will create environments in your life for the excellence of Christ to be on display – so you can help people grow and know the joy of a job well done, people well served, and God well pleased.     
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word, it is practical wisdom for the ages, it has no shelf life.  Its truth brought success in the first century to the twenty first century and as many centuries as God allows.  But I don’t think there will be another.  He promised to return, I believe that time is close.  Truth is timeless, and God’s truth is the only truth, fully accurate, trustworthy, proven by time, and will remain forever.  God speaks truth, but people can also discover it.  I had a former second level boss who shared some wise counsel.  I don’t know if he knew God, or put his faith in Jesus, but God let him discover a truth which he shared with me.  Bad deals don’t get better with time.  Two things that truth reveals.  #1 Do not enter bad deals. Decline them.   How does that usually happen? Ignorance, deception, impatience, haste, greed, not seeking God’s wisdom, or Godly counsel, feeling pressured to do something not the best, feeling you have no choice, (you do).  Better not to get into a bad deal in the first place.  The wise are circumspect – they view things from all angles before jumping in.  Joshua and the people made an agreement with a distant nation and agreed not to attack them.  Only they weren’t a distant nation, they were one of the next cities God was going to give them as their inheritance.  But they didn’t ask God, before entering this deal, and they were bound by their word.  That bad deal caused headache forever – to this day its effects remain.  Bad deals don’t get better with time.  Don’t be quick to make a deal.  God said don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  Some people are bound to things they never should be bound to.  Debt probably number one.  God said don’t strike hands in pledge, its foolish.  If you lack the means to pay your very bed will be snatched out from under you.  But people don’t listen, they think they know better.  They think ‘this deal is different.’  It’s not.  Know God’s Word, get Godly counsel.  Use your PiVAT Decision Tool!  Don’t enter bad deals.  The wise don’t do it.  Bad deals don’t get better with time.  The second thing that truth reveals… #2 Learn to cut your losses.  One business owner said, “Fire quickly, Hire slowly.”  If you’re in a bad deal, cut your losses.  Don’t throw good money after bad.  If you made a mistake, take your lumps and move on.  Why multiply your losses of time and money and mental energy?  Some customers are best given to your competitors so unreasonable people can drain all of their resources not yours.  The King said to the prophet, “But what about all the money I paid?”  He hired mercenaries, instead of trusting God, and the prophet called him out on it.  He realized the bad deal he was in, but he didn’t want to fire them, he’d lose the money he spent.  No money is worth disobedience.  The prophet told him plainly. “God is able to give you much more than this.” Good counsel.  The King obeyed and fired the mercenaries – and it got ugly.  But if you’re obeying - the loss or negative consequence of exiting a bad deal, pales in comparison to the loss of continuing in it.  Learn to cut your losses.  The best time to exit a bad deal is yesterday, the second best time is today.  Lot made a foolish decision, didn’t he see what Sodom was becoming?  He did, but He did nothing.  He had too much invested, His wife loved it there, and rather than taking his family and leaving when it was obvious, he didn’t leave until it was almost too late.  Only by God’s grace or he’d have been destroyed with them.  He barely escaped, but he lost everything, everything, all his wealth, even his family.  Are you in a bad deal right now, financial, social, business?  We’re not talking about marriage.  That is a covenant before God and He can redeem it.  (Not abusive situations, selfish ones).  Sometimes bad deals aren’t bad deals, you’re just performing badly.  It sucks because you suck, you aren’t doing your job.  It’s not their fault, it’s yours!  Be honest, ask God, change your ways, and things will improve.  But for really bad deals, that God reveals and you now know you shouldn’t have entered...  Ask God for the way out.  He will tell you when, and He will tell you how.  Get His Word, Get in His Presence, Get Godly Counsel.  Be willing to cut your losses.  That means loss will occur, but not taking it, will incur greater loss.  Time won’t make this better.  You need to make a change.  Praying that you will never enter any deal, that God doesn’t tell you.  If you don’t have the peace of God, don’t do it.  Don’t drum up your own peace, if it’s not God, don’t do it.  If you aren’t in agreement with your spouse, don’t do it.  If God’s Word doesn’t support it, don’t do it.  If you have reservations, if God has given you pause, don’t do it.  But if you are in one of those bad deals, you will exit now, or later.  And later the loss will be far greater.  Ask God, Pray, Seek His Word, Seek Godly Counsel, and boldly obey whatever He tells you.  The last thing about bad deals that don’t get better with time.  Obey now!  Don’t kick yourself, prepare yourself – to do what God tells you now no matter what the cost.  And God can redeem the time, He can restore what the locusts have eaten.  He is able to give you much more than that.  You might not have obeyed then, but you can obey now.  Ask for wisdom, He will give it.  Then, take courage and exit when He tells you to exit.  And then, take the next step that He reveals from there.  He loves you, He will lead you. 
 
Love you all,
dad 

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word, it gives definitions, truth, and steps to success.  Have you ever noticed some words or phrases are confusing at face value?   Take “self-control” for example. Almost an oxymoron. What does that really mean?   The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23-25 lists the last fruit as self-control in some versions of the Bible.  But the Greek word used, is translated temperance. (Moderation, habitual moderation in regards to natural appetites and passions; restrained indulgence.  As temperance in eating or drinking, as opposed to gluttony or drunkenness, moderation of passion, patience.)  Temperance is moderation, self-control seems to infer - you control yourself.  But in fact, that’s the problem, you cannot control yourself.  Time has proven that…  And if you do, there’s another problem.  When you control yourself, that means you’re still in control, you had no control, and now your trying to control it… God isn’t in control, you are.  So the results are the same, lack of temperance.  That’s why it’s a fruit of the Spirit.  Your control cannot bring it about, He needs to be in control.  So self-control almost ironically or reversely - doesn’t really mean control yourself (you can’t).  Perhaps it really means give up your desire to control yourself, your “self’s” desire to be in control… and let God control you.  When God is in control – things go great, when you are in control, it becomes a dumpster fire.  Just the way it is.  Why? Because there’s a difference between God’s way, and man’s way – His way is higher than your way like the heavens are above the earth.   The fruit of the Spirit is self-control, you’re not doing anything, He’s doing it.  Keeping yourself, and it’s desire to control, under control, so the Holy Spirit can be in control.  It’s dying to self, living for God.  Dying to your plans, living by His plans, not thinking like you think, but instead thinking like God thinks.  It’s so opposite, so unnatural, that is has to be a fruit of the Spirit, you couldn’t do it on your own.  You cannot “will yourself” into living above of your will, you have to set your own will aside, to operate in the will of God.  That’s why Jesus said, “Not my will, but your will be done.”  That’s why Jesus instruction on how to pray is, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  There’s no debate in heaven. God speaks, angels move.  There is no free will in heaven – they do what God says, they don’t consider alternatives.  A few did that and were evicted with their leader, now the host of darkness – and it’s not going to end well for them.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, means if God’s will is going to be done, my will isn’t.  To live by His will, instead of your will, you need to first decide, ask the Holy Spirit to help you, and then start living according to His will.  This takes practice, it doesn’t come naturally, it comes supernaturally.  Just a decision to want to, doesn’t mean you actually do.  This is a new order of things, God’s order, not yours.  That means to put your self under submission to God’s will, self-control, you have to let God take control.  It’s His Spirit that does it, not your will.  Not even your will to control yourself.  It’s His Spirit that leads you, you just follow.  The best way to start is PiVAT before dinner.  Learn to get used to His control.  It starts with asking him what He wants you to do, and when.  And then doing it.  It’s not what you think or feel, it’s just ask, hear, obey, and repeat.  You cannot control yourself, you have to learn to let Him be in control.  Starts with time, and thoughts, and money.  But if you do, your life will change trajectory, and destiny.  Not only will you do things differently, you’ll think differently, you’ll plant different seeds, bear different fruit, reach heights you never dreamed.  Praying that you will submit your self under His control. That the Fruit of the Spirit is what flows from Him through you to others.  Praying that Spirit control is what you walk in.  If He controls your thoughts and the action, His results follow, that you could never do.  But He can!  Praying that PiVAT before dinner will be a never miss for you.  So you learn what it feels like – to let Him be in control.  The more you soak in His Word, the easier it gets.  Once you get used to it, and see the fruit, you won’t want to go back.
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you the heart of God.  He loves you, He wants you to prosper.  Not prosper in greed, selfishness, or self-absorb-ment.  He wants you to prosper in soul and spirit.  He wants you to prosper like your soul prospers.  Life brings good times, and hard times.  Ecclesiastes 7:15 – In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other…  When times are good, be thankful, when times are hard, take thought, examine yourself and your ways.  God made them both.  Good times are for joy and thanksgiving, not for forgetting the God who gave them.  Hard times are for considering, not complaining or despairing.  Hard times contain great opportunity. Opportunity for revival.  When times are good many people ignore God.  They think their success is because of themselves, their effort or ingenuity.  They do not credit the One who gives them breath, and health and strength and opportunity and safety.  Good times tend to cause people forget about God.  But hard times get people’s attention.  Some people misinterpret them, they still reject God, and will attack those who trust in Him, share about him, or speak the truth of what causes hard times.  But hard times present great opportunity.  People’s hearts become open.   The first thing you need to know about hard times, they really don’t affect you.  If you know Christ, if you’ve given your life to him, you operate in a different kingdom, a different economy, a different reality.   External things – do not control or determine internal things.  And in truth, your life is what you think, not what you experience.  Some people are rich and have no hope, others are poor but have great hope. Even in good times, your life is what you think and believe, more than your environment or situation.  Put your trust in God.  He says He preserves His people in hard times.  Better to be wise, than strong.  Be careful.  Some people who have ignored God for years, jump to Scripture when hard times come. They claim promises of God that they cannot claim.  God confronted them.  Psalms 50:14-17 – “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”  But to the wicked person, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?  You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.  When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.  Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies.   You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son.  These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you.  But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.  Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”  Ouch.  So now what?  You cannot change your past, but you can start from here.  If you fall into that category.  Repent, turn now, put your trust in God, don’t look at your past, and don’t assume past your place.  Humble yourself, repent, obey, and put your faith and hope in God.  Psalm 145:17 – The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.  Thanks to Jesus death in your place, He places you fully in mercy and grace, that undeserved favor and power of God.  Just start from here.  Humble yourself, Fear God – turn from evil, and obey what He tells you.  You can put your trust in Him.   Hard times can be the best times.  People are open to the things of God in hard times that haven’t been in good times.  Your life is in God’s hands, He will preserve you.  But your life is not here anyway.  This earth is just temporary, so is your life here.  Your life is in heaven with Christ for eternity.  Live for there not here.  Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you.  The money opportunists look forward to hard times, because the foolish lose their shirts, and bargains are available.  Many become wealthy in hard times, gaining from the loss of others.  But what a foolish ambition for hard times. Is that all you’ll get from it.  Money?  Ecclesiastes 2:26 – To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God…  Hard times are the greatest opportunity to walk in faith and joy.  You will be so unusual – like a city set on a hill.  People will be drawn to the life you live, and the hope you have.  Obedience first, faith next, praise a priority, thanksgiving a habit, and joy will follow!  Know the purpose that God has for you in hard times.  Let your joy be full, and be prepared to help others to put their faith in the One who is Sovereign over hard times.  He will take you through, he’ll be the fourth one with you in the flames.  He can bring you out unscathed, not even smelling like smoke.  You can trust Him, no matter what happens, or what you go through.  He never promised it would be easy, He promised He will walk through with you, and give you a hope and a joy that hard times cannot take away.  If you keep your eyes on Him, you will prosper in hard times.  Your faith will grow as your obedience grows, your joy will grow, your fruit will grow, and when hard times pass, you will see what God will do.  The wicked will be no more, they will be swept away, but the righteous will stand firm, and be established forever. 
 
Love you all,
dad