Here’s a little food for thought as you look toward Sunday lunch. If you are like Paula and me, you will be going out for lunch, or brunch after church Sunday morning. We usually go with a group of friends, and our group can turn out being eight to ten people any given Sunday. We always have a good time catching up on the past week, or talking politics, or national events. Sorry, I’m chasing a rabbit there, because it really doesn’t matter what the conversation is in regard to the point I want to make.

Here’s the point I want to make. I have heard from those who have the experience of waiting on tables in Restaurants, that the Sunday crowd is the pits. Say What? Yes, you read correctly. The Sunday crowd is the most demanding, least patient, most in need of coddling crowd, of the whole week. The good news is that the congregations/churches, that the Sunday crowd attend must be doing very well financially because by the time they arrive at the restaurant they have precious little left to leave as a tip for the server.

Conversely, the best crowd to serve is in (are you ready for this) the bar. Both of my kids waited tables while going to college. Josh spent about three years waiting tables at Cahoot’s in Abilene, and Miranda worked there for one year before she transferred to Texas Tech, and waited tables in Lubbock for a while. Both agree that the bar has the happiest, most carefree crowd. The patrons are friendlier, and much more forgiving if things aren’t perfect. The next best place to be assigned is the smoking section. I don’t know for sure why this is, but maybe it is proof that a nice smoke, even though it is killing you, does in fact at least allow you to die happy, and unstressed. The crowd least likely to appreciate good service, and tip well, is the no smoking, water drinking bunch.

So, there you have it folks. This is one of those things that makes me wonder what we as Christians portray to the world. Are we more demanding of others? Are we less forgiving of shortcomings? Are we more judgmental? Do we consider ourselves better, and therefore entitled to top-notch quality service with little appreciation toward those who gave it? I will confess, I am in need of pain medication at this very moment. My toes are nothing but bloody stubs. What I have just written has left me wounded. If your toes have been stepped on too please join me in making a change. Let’s make it a point to become the crowd that every server wants to see. Let’s make the After Church Sunday Brunch Bunch, “THE crowd” that wait staff looks forward to serving each week, not “the WORST crowd” they will attend too.

So, here’s what we do this coming Sunday after worship. We’ll all get together in a bar, get totally wasted on rot-gut whisky, while filling our lungs with tar, and nicotine. Hey, maybe we can even find a bull to ride. I’ve heard that will either take the edge off or kill ya, and either way the folks watching will get a good laugh, and the world will be a better place.

And now a quote from my five year old grandson, Major “just kidding.”    

Till next time,

Grump    

He was a man of integrity, and honesty. He wasn’t out much, but when he was I could see how much other folks respected him. He worked hard until his arthritic body couldn’t take it any more. I remember him being one of the first farmers in Loop to have a tractor with power steering. The day the tractor was delivered I sat on his lap and turned the steering wheel back and forth, back and forth, watching the front wheels dig into the ground as he sat in the seat of the John Deere 4010, and visited with one of his sons. Once he realized what I was doing he made me stop.

I was too young to really know what was happening to him. I hadn’t realized that he couldn’t get on and off the tractor by himself. Each morning one of the boys, (his sons) would help him up, and he would not get off until one of them was there to help him down. He needed the new tractor for two reasons. One, the power steering, and number two was the flat and open foot platform. His hips had closed in at the joints so he couldn’t sit with his leg open wide enough to straddle the transmission on the older tractors.

When he could no longer work I sat and visited with him at the house. He sat in his chair, and watched TV, or read his Bible. I only remember hearing him say one four-letter word during my whole time of being with him. Looking back it’s actually funny to recall what happened. He was sitting in his chair watching the evening news when a commercial come on. I don’t know the pitchman’s name, but I do know he was the Billy Mays of his day. He was just as loud and just as obnoxious and just as irritating. Suffice it to say Granddad questioned if there was anything this pitchman would not sell.

You know what really brought me hear today don’t you? You know where I’m headed, don’t you? As amazing as it seems, I am now him. I don’t mean that I have his character. I can only strive to attain it. I don’t mean that I command the respect of my peers like he did. I don’t think I will ever be as wise as he was. What I mean is this. I am now the man with grandkids. I am now the man living an example that those kids see.

Randy Travis sings a song that describes how I felt as child, and still do all these years later. The chorus is below. 

If the story’s told, only heaven knows.
But his hat seemed to me like an old halo.
And although his wings, they were never seen.
I thought that he walked on water.

I wonder how my little one’s view my old bucket hat? I wonder if they sometimes try to catch a glimpse of wings? I wonder if they think I can walk on water? In reality I know that Mary Alice and Major are already too smart to think those things. The two babies will soon come to realize that ole Grumps is just an ordinary man too. So the best I can hope for, live for, and pray for, is that I can show them a man worthy of following.  A man worthy of learning from.  A man worthy of their love, and admiration.

Dear Father, today and for the rest of my life, help me to live the words of the Apostle Paul as written in Philippians 4:9 (NIV)  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Till next time,

Grump

Yesterday after I finished my blog I went over to my FaceBook page, and began looking through the new “friends” I had signed up over the past few days. One of the old friends that had come to my attention was Jenny Simpson Lain. Jenny was just a small girl when Paula and I met her folks, Ron and Beverly Simpson. We watched her grow up. We watched, as she became a beautiful young woman. And, we were aware of the questionable choices she was making.  That was years ago. So, I was curious to see what had come of her life, and I took the opportunity to go to her Blog, just to see what it might reveal. I was amazed. What I found was a woman willing to share the mistakes she had made in a effort to keep others from making the same mistakes or, to help them overcome those mistakes if they were being drowned in them. The remainder of this post is a copy of the first post I saw on her Blog. It is powerful.

Dark Waters run Deep

I just got a Facebook account. Boy, has this brought back a flood of memories. My college days and first marriage are staring me in the face. We had such a blast in college, with the band. It was so much fun…It got so out of control. We were living “the life.” Partying all of the time and not a guilt in the world to worry about, until the bottom fell out. It was when the band broke up and we moved to Corpus Christi, that things went very wrong. Oh, but looking back at the old days, the boys playing on the stage, the fun that we had; it is hard to believe that we through all of that away. My ex husband and I turned to the drugs more than to our friends. The dark waters that we were swimming in ran so deep through our veins that we could not see the destruction that was laying in wait. Right in front of us. The regrets that torment my spirit right now. The regrets of not being strong enough. The regrets of not being the one who knew when to say no. Instead I would have to say that I was the weakest of us all. The guilt that can so easily overwhelm me is relentless.

Do you hear that I regret the life that I have now? I do not. I live a life that I could have never dreamed of, but it is those stupid things that should not have ever happened. Those are the things that I regret. I live often in my memories of my college days and life with my ex husband. I think it is because I am surrounded by college girls, we have two living with us. How can I not think about my college years and just where everything went so wrong? I see the things that the different girls are doing and wonder, just where did I go so wrong? I think it started at the beginning. The start, when we were just having fun and no one was really getting hurt from any of it. Honestly, I think that I hurt myself more than anyone else ever could have. I speak often of my past, not because I am living in it, but because I don’t want others to hurt as bad as I have.

Hebrews 2:1-3, “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” Do you hear me, sweet girls? Be careful with your lives. Those mistakes that you make when you are young, never leave your memory. I cannot live in the past, I don’t live in the past. But this is where my testimony lives; where I came from to where He has placed me now! Hebrews 3, “Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God… ‘Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts…’”

Do you hear Him speaking to you? Does any of this help you? Do you hear Him calling you home? Those stupid little things that you think now are no big deal, may one day be very big aches in your heart. Think about what you are doing today…It does have an effect on your tomorrow. To quote my friend, “We all have bad, sad things from that time during our lives–but we’re not alone in that–it’s just nice to be where we are now and realize that God is still faithful!!” How thankful I am for my life now. How I cherish my family and my friends. Everyone has to find their way with God, I just pray that some of my experiences can help…

Please pray for Jenny. Pray that she will continue to walk with God. Pray that she will continue to allow God to use her as His servant in order to help others. Jenny wrote me a note yesterday, and told me that she would be speaking to middle school students in the Kansas school systems next year. Pray that God will continue to open the doors of opportunity for Jenny.

http://jennyslain.blogspot.com/

Till next time,

Grump

Jim Cassity is a good friend of mine. He is like me in a number of ways, and unlike me in whole bunch more. One of the traits we share unfortunately is impatience. We honestly recognize that each of us could use a lot of improvement in this area. A couple of weeks ago Jim relayed a story to me that I want to pass along to you. It demonstrates what being patient and kind can do.

On Mother’s Day, Jim took his family to a local restaurant for lunch after church that morning. The party included eight people, which qualified the group for “phone in seating.” Jim had taken advantage of this opportunity and expected to be seated soon after the group’s arrival at the restaurant.   Well, it didn’t exactly turn out as planned, however the host explained that due to it being Mother’s Day the diners were taking a more relaxed approach to their meal, and were staying longer than the restaurant had planned.

After a wait of around twenty minutes his group was seated, and then another wait began. The service was slow, and the time began to drag. However, from time to time the waiter would come by to check on the guest, and relay their apologize for the delay. Jim told me that he would realize that he was becoming annoyed, and just about that time the wait staff would come by again to give them an update on the status of the meal. He said that each time the waiter came by his level of discomfort dropped a few notches. Well the meal finally arrived, and the food was good. The waiter went out of their way to make sure every thing was taken care of, and then offered to provide desert for the party, as a gift of appreciation for their patience.

Once the tab had been settled, and the family rose to leave, Jim asked to speak with the manager. He told the manager how much he appreciated the wait staff and their diligence in keeping him informed. He wanted the manager to know that the meal had been good and the service had been great. He wanted the manager to know that normally, he would have been annoyed by the situation, but because of the service he had received during stressful circumstances he had enjoyed the experience.

The end result was a win-win. The manager thanked Jim for his comments about the staff, and gave Jim four certificates for use during their next visits. Please take notice of what happened. Good service kept a stressful situation from becoming a problem, and the customer awarded the server with a heartfelt thank you. Everyone left the encounter happy. I want to encourage you to go out of your way to give good service today. I want you to go out of your way to acknowledge good service today. I want you to humbly accept a complement today. Oh, by the way, you can even do this at home. I am willing to bet that someone at home will serve you today. Be sure to give them a hug and let them know how much you appreciate what they do.

Till next time,

Grump

Dad rarely talks about it, and even then not much is said. He doesn’t think he should be praised, or singled out for what he did. It was his duty. He was called to serve, so he served. My father-in-law doesn’t say much about his service either. Oh, there are a few stories we have heard over the years, but they are funny stories about things that happened on his ship. I have never heard him say anything about the war itself.

My dad, Homer Ezel Smith, served in the Army. He spent a year on the 38^th Parallel in Korea during the Koren War, in a tank. I have only recently talked to him about some of the horrors of war that he witnessed. The lasting effect the war has had on Dad is inside him. He has never let the world know, or see its effect. The only outward sign is that He is physically shaken at the playing of Taps.

As for Paula’s Dad, Elbert Kay Goyne. He served in WWII in the Navy. Once again I haven’t heard exactly what he witnessed, or did, during his time in service. I don’t know if he carries internal scars caused by his time in service. I only know that he served when he was needed, and I am thankful for that.

I know there are thousands and thousands of others who have gone to war to serve this country, and us. To help us maintain the freedom that we enjoy. And I am so thankful for their sacrifice. Please join me in giving these great individuals a well-deserved Thank You.

Till next time,

Grump

There are four other areas that identify my Talent DNA, and I want to share them with you now. Number one, I don’t like change. I really just want things to stay the way they are. Now, I don’t mean that I want my kids to freeze in time and never grow. I love seeing Ranger, my four-month-old grandson, change from week to week, because it celebrates growth, and development. The kind of change I don’t like are the day-to-day events in my life. If I like a song the first time I hear it I don’t want the artist to change it later.  If I like a recipe the first time I taste the results, I don’t want a “new and improved” recipe.

A few years ago I went to Target to buy some new “unmentionables, BVD’s, drawers, or whatever you want to call them.” When I walked straight to the brand I like, and the style I like, I was horrified to see these words printed on the package, “NEW, IMPROVED FIT.” ‘WHAT?!!!’ I shouted inside. Sure enough, my worst fears were realized when I got home and donned a pair of the “new and improved fit” garment, and discovered they had improved the fit using a dummy that wasn’t me.  I was ruined for a month as I adapted to the unfamiliar feel of “improved.”

Folks, in my opinion, the only reason something that was perfect already is improved, is because the designer doing the improving had to invent something, or be out of a job. In my way of thinking…the guy should be held liable. Listen up Corporate America; if you want to change something, you need to check with the Grump first.

• Since you need consistency, predictability and stability, you do not like change. 
• You also have a need to put everything in a box and to have control over what happens to you.

Which bring me to the next trait I have been blessed with. I feel that I should be involved. Now that doesn’t mean I think I should be involved in the next lunar landing. I just need to be involved in the next thing that is going to affect me. Although I think committees are over rated I prefer being on them as opposed to being left out. If nothing else, I can at least expedite matters. I believe everyone charged with a task has the right to be heard, however, once all have been heard from, the conclusion should be summarized, acted on, and instigated. There is no need for the continued “beating of a dead horse.”

• Kent, you think you should be involved. 
• You place a high value on the right to participate and be involved.

Number three on this list of Talent DNA is; I like to help people. I want to see people grow, and prosper. I want folks to be successful. I want to help everyone identify his or her gift and enjoy using it as God intended.

I’m going to sound really old to some of you now as give this short example of receiving help from a like-minded acquaintance. Back in 1988 I was the Vice President of the Texas Independent Ginners Association. During the Association’s convention that year, I was privileged to introduce the keynote speaker on Saturday. His name is Doc Blakely, and he is one of the most highly regarded professional speakers from that era. Doc has been awarded the highest honor possible from the National Speakers Association, the Cavett Award. He is also one of the funniest guys you will ever meet.

I don’t remember what I said that day as I introduced him, but I do remember what he said after his presentation. After Doc spoke that day he came to me and said “if you ever want to become a professional speaker, look me up, I think you have what it takes, and would be happy to help you if I can.” About seventeen years later, after not seeing him for all that time, I looked up Doc on the Internet, contacted him, and ask him if he was serious about helping me. He said, “Absolutely I was serious.” Paula and I drove to Wharton, Texas where Doc and his bride live, and Doc spent an entire day discussing the speaking business with me.  When I asked him why he would take the time to help a virtual stranger he replied, “I had a man help me get started in the business, and promised God and myself, that if I was ever called on to pass along that help, I would gladly do it.”

Now friends, that is a servant attitude, and I am thankful for folks like Doc. Please check up on Doc at, http://www.docblakely.com/ You know friends, some folks might have said, ‘well you need to “pay your dues,” “earn your keep,” or “put in your time,” and then I’ll help you.’ Maybe the encouragement given would be, “trust in God’s timing, He will open the door for you.” Please forgive me for asking this question. How do you know that God isn’t trying to  use you as part of His timing? Thanks to a man like Doc, I promise to do whatever I can, to help who ever I can, to do whatever they have been given the talent to do. 

• You look for opportunities to help other people since You are most comfortable when you are involved with others. 
• You look for the strengths of others and find ways to incorporate their strengths to benefit the team.

And finally, my Talent DNA showed something that Dr. Gary Chapman’s book; The Five Love Languages had already taught me. I thrive on “atta boy’s.” My primary love language is receiving recognition, being told, “good job,” or maybe getting a hug from someone who likes who I am and what I have done. Yes, nothing makes my day like being validated for who I am, what I have accomplished, and what I can offer.

• Since your focus is on receiving recognition from the team, Kent, you know that you must be a team player and get others on the team.

Well there you have me folks, in all my glory. You and I may not be cut from the same cloth. We may not do things the same way, or for the same reason. And isn’t that a wonderful thing. Wouldn’t it be horrible if we were all identical? In I Corinthians 12, and Romans 12 the scripture tells us that we are all members of one body, but we have all been given different gifts. The passage is speaking of the Church, but I believe the same lesson applies to everyday life, and everyday people.

Please, use your gift, allow others to use their gift, and then enjoy the beauty that the total body displays. 

Till next time,

Grump

Well let’s continue picking me apart, and see what else makes me tick. Today I will write about two areas of my Talent DNA that are once again, good or bad depending on how I use them. Yesterday I finished up by talking about getting the job done, and how when I set on to do something I don’t stop until it’s done. Well my next trait is an extension of that. I not only want to get it done, I want to get it done, NOW! I know from experience that “haste makes waste.” I have proven that axiom many times, but I have also seen how meticulous investigation can bring projects to a grinding halt. You know, that paralysis form analyses thing. Take a look at the list below to see how I am wired and then I will continue with a comment or two.

·  You have an urgency about what you do.

·  You are in a hurry to get where you are going.

·  You have a need to feel like you are getting something done.  

·  You enjoy getting things done. You are energized by checking things off your list.

·  When you have a hammer, everything is a nail and just needs to be hit harder.

·  You need to avoid rushing because your experience tells you that when you rush you make mistakes and that is not good.

As I looked over this list I can easily agree with the last one. The one about “avoid rushing.” Yes, I have made mistakes because I didn’t investigate enough; on the other hand I have made mistakes after a long period of investigation. However, the way I am wired makes it difficult for me to be patient. From time to time, I have asked God to give me patience, and then complained as He offered training in the art of patience.

I had a friend tell me one time, and I fully agree, that there is no shame in being a bad golfer; after all, golf is a difficult game. He continued, “however there is no excuse for being a slow bad golfer. Several years ago I told my old friend Donnie Hoover that when our current round of golf had started my son was a virgin, but that I had just received a phone call, and was informed my first grandchild had been born.

You can imagine how frustrated I sometimes become when committees are involved in things. I know there is a need for committees. I know that a consensus needs to formed, and that major corporate or church decisions need to be studied and analyzed, but sometimes these studies take so long that the information gathered is obsolete before the project ever even gets off the ground. Yes folks, I need to take a chill pill, and please understand, I’m not saying my way is the right way. I know that people wired to take things slow are stressed out with me because I like to get on with things. Having said that let’s move on to the next trait.

I am observant, and I think this is one of my better traits. Just because I am “git’n it done,” doesn’t mean that I am blinded by my task. I am always looking for people’s strengths. I am consistently watching to see if I can make something better, or easier. I am all about efficiency. Just because we have always done things a certain way doesn’t mean that is the best way to do it. I am amazed at the inefficiency at which our government works. It takes forever to jump through the hoops. There are too many people who have to “sign off” on things. There are too many jobs that have been created that have no real function.

Here are a few areas where observation is important: Marriage, parenting, leadership, followership, (yes I know that’s not a word, but think how important it is for the follower to observe the leader.) Customer service, driving, seeing God’ creation, the list could go on and on. Think about how you might become more observant. The points below are part of the results from my Talent DNA in the area of observation. Are you and I wired the same way?

 ·  Your antenna is always out. Kent, you pick up on what is being communicated that is not being said

·  You read between the lines and you get as much from what is not said as from what is said.

·  You spend your time evaluating the best alternative for yourself and your situation.

·  Kent, you have a need to evaluate your alternatives and to make choices that improves your life and the lives of those around you.

·  You look for the strengths of others and find ways to incorporate their strengths to benefit the team.

·  Kent, why you are doing something is more important to you than what you are doing.

·  You ask yourself on a regular basis, why am I doing this? What if I did something different? You have a need to look for better alternatives.

Till next time,

Grump

.

.

Kent, you have a need to win.

·  You are competitive and you naturally take charge of any situation you encounter.

·  You enjoy being direct and can offend people with less Red without being aware of it, since directness comes naturally to you.

·  Your ability to be direct can come across as abrasive and dictatorial. Because you are focused, you can appear to act impulsively.

·  Your comfort with doing the next thing accounts for you coming across as demanding.

·  Kent, you think you should know what you are suppose to do.

·  You think that people should know what they are doing.

·  You prefer to lead by example: You say just do something

The list above is a compilation of three lists that make up the Talent DNA I possess. I have brought them all together to show the overall picture of this particular trait. Tomorrow I will discuss another trait. The following is my knee jerk reaction to these conclusions.

Well lets see here…seems as though I am a demanding type fellow. The thing is other people have to point out to me how demanding I am. As the thing says, I enjoy being direct. I must say that I know this to be true. I do prefer the direct approach. Don’t beat around the bush while giving me instructions, or assigning me a task. Just tell me what you want done and then git outa my way. Coming from the other side of the scenario, when I am going to give you instructions I’m going to do it in a matter of fact style.

Folks, this has caused problems for me, but I am getting better. If you work with me now, and think I am demanding, you should have known me a few years ago. One of the reasons I am getting better is that as my kids have gotten older they are no longer afraid of me, and they love me enough to help me see how I can come across without knowing it. I often find myself using the “break-thought” strategy when I am giving instruction to folks. When I take that extra second, I allow myself to consider how the other person is receiving me. 

Next, it looks like I expect people to know what their job is, and then I expect them to get that job done. I remember as kid growing up I was this way. I can remember Dad or Uncle Rayburn taking me to the tractor of a morning, and telling me to take the tractor over to the Dent Place, start on the north side, and start plowing. I would take off, go do what I was supposed to do, and I didn’t expect to see them again until it was time for me to be picked up. I wanted it that way. I wanted to be given a job and then left alone. Now, that doesn’t mean I never asked questions. It does mean that once I understood what they wanted done, I wanted them out of the way.

I found out when my son Josh was freshman in high school he liked things the same way. We went to the farm one morning and I wanted him to do a job he’d not done before. We didn’t have the GPS systems that many tractors are equipped with now days, so he would be called on to concentrate on making straight rows with the lister. The rows he laid out would be the foundation for work we did in the cotton growing operation for the rest of the year. He got on the tractor and headed south, making the rows of plant beds where we would later plant the cotton. He had to follow a line in the dirt that had been made on the previous pass through the field, and each time he made a pass the marker would make a new line for him to follow on his way back. Since this was his first time, and since I wanted to see how straight he could do the job, I drove around to the other end of the rows he was making, and sat and waited for him to get the first pass done. When he got to me, he got off the tractor walk up to me, and said, “you planning on sit’n here and watching me all day.” (Yes, it was a statement, not a question.)  As I got in the pickup and drove off I had to smile…my boy was just like me.

Finally, my Talent DNA shows that I have a need to win. I love winning, I enjoy competing, and I expect success.  This “winning” thing is not only relevant in sports; it’s relevant in everything we do. When I complete a job, I have won. Once a task has been accomplished, I have won. To me winning is getting things done, finishing what I started. I think that’s why writing my second book, the one I’m working on now, is so frustrating to me. I have a job to do, and I want to get it done. I want the victory of the books completion. The problem is I have so many other things I have to do, so many other things that get in the way. Now, I know that sounds like an excuse, and maybe to a more organized person it is, but by the time I punch the clock at my “make a living jobs” I am spent. It is very difficult to get into the proper mind set to write. So I need to find a way to fit it all in.

This having to get things done trait can be very taxing on those around me. The other day at work, one of my co-workers asked me why I was mad. I didn’t realize I was coming across as being mad. I just had a job to do and I was focused on getting it done. As a result my body language was sending signals that I wasn’t aware of.

One last thing before I let you go. This having to win thing, may be detrimental to Paula’s health. Well, I guess it was tough on the kids too. You see, going somewhere is a task, or job. It is something that has to be done, and I can’t “win” until I get to where I’m going, or until the task is complete. So to me having to stop is impeding my progress to victory. I mean, I told them to go to the bathroom before we left, why do they need to stop now, its only been four hours! 

Till next time,

Grump    

Through my association with the DFW Christian Chamber of Commerce, http://www.dfwchristianchamber.com/, I recently met Bryan Dodge, a nationally known speaker, author, The Good Life Rules, and radio talk show host. http://bryandodge.com/ A few days later I attended a book-signing event Bryan had at Legacy Books, in Plano, Texas. While there I met an associate of Bryan’s named Ken Chennell. Ken is a talent coach for Your Talent DNA.

I’m sure most of you have had the opportunity to take a personality profile test before, and found the information both helpful and interesting. Ken offered me a free password to go online and take the DNA Talent Assessment. I want to go over the results of this assessment with you, and to be honest it will take the next couple of days to talk about the things I want to mention and discuss. In the end I hope that by doing this I can help you to realize that we are all different. Each of us has his or her special gift, and I want to encourage each of you to find, and use your gift.

One more thing I would like to encourage you to do. Everyone, and I mean everyone, from high school to white hair, needs to read; The Five Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman. You can find it at www.amazon.com. This book will help you understand why each individual responds to circumstances the way they do.

Having laid the groundwork, I want to pass along the brief analysis of my Talent DNA. I have copied Ken Channell’s assessment, and pasted it below. 

“Your Talent DNA show me how you came to want to write a book. That Blue in your Drive or Child causes you to need to make things better. You want to offer a better alternative to people and for you. While you are comfortable relating to people and you think you should be a people person you do not need people. When you get home at night you always feel that you did not get enough done today. As soon as you finish your checklist at home you sit down and start thinking what did I do today that could get me in trouble. Then you think what can I do to make tomorrow better.

You also do not have much patience for people who do not know what they are doing.

My main coaching tip to you is that if you do not have an assistant who crosses “t” and dots “I’s” you need to get one. You need things organized but you are not the best person to maintain that organization.”

In short, I like to help people, and make things better. (That’s why I wrote Everyday Christianity.) I am comfortable relating to people. (That’s why I love to speak.) I am never satisfied. (Maybe that’s why I’m Grumpy.)  I am impatient. (Guess I need to work on that one.) I am a slob. (Well that might be a little harsh. I have organized piles.)

I’m going to go over a few of the points my Talent DNA revealed for the next couple of days. You should enjoy this. I have a feeling I may reveal some fun stuff, but if it makes you think about yourself, and how you can improve yourself while I do the same, it will be worth it.

Till next time.

Grump