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  • Brenda's Blog (Page 18)

Signs of the Time

blog-19-signs-of-timesBrenda’s Blog – June 10, 2014

“No Parking,” read the sign.  Nothing unusual about that – ordinarily.  But the Spring rains left the prohibition standing stork-like in the high waters of the St. Croix River in Stillwell, MN.

I immediately thought of something Dad used to tell me, “Brenda, stay current.  Operate on what is, not what was, or even what you wish it were.”  That sign was meant for times when the water stayed within its banks and motorists attempted to park their cars on the walkway.

Leaders keep their antennae well-tuned to conditions making decisions which reflect change while holding true to the vision.  Consistent review of policies, products, and procedures keep organizations from wading into the water.  Obsolescence quickly comes from missed opportunities.

Strong organizations build on the legacy of history while creating foundations for the future.

Relationships need review, as well.  What are our goals?  What is our direction? How are we growing? What needs tuning?  What needs celebrating?

Recently I cleaned out two closets.  A true challenge to staying current!  Where is the fine line between holding on until it comes back into fashion and simply cluttering?  What separates “good stewardship” from “hanging on to junk?”  Staying current means making tough calls and filling bags.

The river waters will recede and the sign will serve its intended purpose.  But on this sunny May day it served me well, triggering reflection.  No lazy unexamined living for me…time to stay current.

 

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Destruction to Reconstruction

blog-18-destructionBrenda’s Blog – May 27, 2014

“The artist has determined the presence of the Tower has destroyed his work, so it is closed.”

One of the most interesting exhibits at the Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas is a building which features a large hole in the ceiling. Visitors, seated on concrete benches, stare through this hole at the sky. “Trending Blue” is the title.

A Dubai-like office tower now looms over the garden and obscures the purity of the artist’s vision. Rather than compromise, the artist closed access to his work. “It is destroyed.”

Gratitude flowed over me as I read those words. Not because the room was closed, but because we have a God who doesn’t post a sign on me saying, “She is destroyed.” There have been towers, strongholds, and fortresses which loom over my life, blocking the view of His face. There have been times when “Trending Black” seemed the appropriate title, BUT, our God reached down past the obstructions and reconstructed.

The second part of the notice says, “The artist is working to design something that will not be affected by the tower.”

Jesus is the way of escape from the terrible tower. Our God created a way for a clear view of His face.

What if my bad decisions had no means of remediation? What if my choices were written indelibly with no possibility of correction? Praise God He doesn’t mark us “damaged goods” and put us on the trash pile.

How do we apply this to leadership? We are called to lead imperfect, flawed, and sometimes aggravating humans. When plans aren’t executed perfectly, is it tempting to take out the “work destroyed” sticker? What strategies are built in for alternative operations? When do you go into reconstruction phase?

Leading with hope is the sign of greatness. Leading with realism is the sign of effectiveness. Towers may loom over us personally or professionally, but there is always a way to adjust and see the sky.

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Drawing the Line

Brenda’s Blog – May 13, 2014

blog-17-drawing-the-line“Basta, basta, spare me a complete Hakluyt!”

That was my one line in the eighth grade play about new world adventures.  I was Queen Elizabeth 1, costumed in velvet, pearls, and heavy wig.  Try giving great meaning and depth to those seven words, especially when you have NO idea what Hakluyt meant.  I stood in front of the mirror practicing each syllable carefully, striving to look regal and authoritative.

Years later I learned what the Queen was saying.  Basta= enough.  But Hakluyt? Richard Hakluyt was a geographer, chronicler, and explorer.  His efforts to open up the new world, especially the colony of Virginia, were well-known.  He was a talker, writer, talker, journaler, and talker!

His reports were particularly verbose and developed a reputation for their length.  Thus, long-winded speeches were known as “Hakluyts.  Queen Elizabeth was saying to the eager explorer standing before her, “Enough, enough, spare me this tiresomely long report – just get to the bottom line.”  Or, as my Dad would say to me, “Brenda, show me the baby, don’t tell me about the labor pains.”

I don’t know all that information would have helped my prize winning performance, but over the years I appreciate more and more her leadership in saying “Enough, enough!”

“What causes you to say enough?” “Where do you draw the line?” “What are your deal breakers?”

These define moral boundaries.  Strong leaders answer these questions early in their lives.  They lay a foundation upon which they build their careers, family life, and ministry.  Effective leaders form answers before they ever confront volatile or compromising situations.

Good leaders don’t like surprises and especially don’t like surprising themselves.  Our value structure must operate as a knee jerk reaction.  “Basta, basta” is part of a leader’s toolbox.  “Basta, basta” is a well-honed and well-used line.

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Getting There

blog-16-getting -thereBrenda’s Blog – April 29, 2014

“You are here” were the words under the big orange dot.

I stood at the directory board examining all the stores while waiting for my friend to meet for lunch. Then I started laughing to myself… isn’t that the way I want God to communicate with me? I want a great big map with everything lined out and then a big orange dot telling me just where I am on the chart.

Where would faith be if we followed the bouncing orange ball? How could we grow in the knowledge of a sovereign God if the next steps were as predictable as those from Corner Bakery to Neiman’s?

However, we can check out our progress. “Are you satisfied with the direction of your life? Are you pleased with who you are becoming?” My Dad would occasionally ask me these questions. There was one more, but I can’t remember… these two are brain-twisting enough.

NorthPark Center in Dallas has a map which marks a walking path. I can know exactly where I am and how far I’ve gone at all times. I can tell myself when I have taken shortcuts and cheated myself out of the complete path. I can also do an extra lap or two and know how loudly to congratulate myself.

On those days when I want orange dot living, I stop and think about the wonders of wondering and wandering, even. I think about the excitement of knowing the person I want to be, but not knowing where that person is going to go in 1 year or 3 years, much less five years. I love trusting in a God who loves me and has a plan for my life – a plan which is more than I could ever imagine.

So when I stand at that directory the next time I will laugh again because He is SO MUCH BETTER than a big orange dot.

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Connecting the Dots

blog-15-connecting-the-dotsBrenda’s Blog – April 15, 2014

“Follow the formula,” recommended my scriptwriter friend.

We were discussing the classic series, “Murder, She Wrote” starring Angela Lansbury.  As a professional, he analyzed programs to find the structure.  “The old ones are predictable.  Intro, murder, confusion, arrest of wrong person (usually related to or befriended by Jessica), intriguing setup, and conclusion.  On her shows they always ended with a charming exchange, laughter and freeze frame of Lansbury’s appealing smile.”

He pointed out the exact time marks.  I applied his formula and sure enough – he was right.  She risked life and limb at exactly the same point in the script episode after episode.

A dear artist friend walked me through an art gallery and showed me the classical technique of painting.  She pointed out the intersecting diagonal lines with the focus at the center point, the horizontal lines which carried the viewer’s eye up, over, and down.  She told me about light and balance as I stood transfixed watching each painting come under her trained eye.

Real life isn’t as easily unpacked as Jessica Fletcher mysteries, or Andrew Wyeth paintings.

I read recently the old philosophical musing of good and evil has changed in the last 30 years.  We used to ask, “Why do good things happen to bad people?”  Now the question is: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  The underlying question is “Where is God when life seems unfair?”  Another way of putting the question, “Why doesn’t God follow our formula and move accordingly to smiling freeze frame?”

There is comfort in knowing “His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways.”  His formula isn’t subject to TV time slots, artistic protocol, or our definitions of fair.

Formulae provide predictability; providence requires faith.  But oh, the joy of stepping outside the lines and connecting the dots of His glorious plan.

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Water Features

blog-14-water-featuresBrenda’s Blog – April 1, 2014

“Hmmmm, wonder what that sound is…” The distinct sound of running water intrigued me as I emptied my suitcases from two weeks on the road. Putting on my grown-up self, I followed the sound to the front porch where I found a glorious new water feature. But wait, I didn’t have a water fall added to my house!

Yes, a broken pipe was allowing water to flow abundantly down to the ground creating a pool…
So, what did I learn?

1) The kindness of neighbors brings immeasurable relief, especially when they can manage the main water cutoff;

2) Plumbers who call at 6:30 am are received with great appreciation.

3) Life is much like frozen pipes. What?

When our circumstances get difficult we seem to handle them well. We don’t show the strain or the stress… we look good. We adopt the “don’t ever let them see you sweat.” We push through.

Then, the pressure is off and we crater. A good friend had a particularly rigorous schedule for the last month. When he finished the last activity, an unmerciful virus felled him. He said he felt like it just caught up to him. When he was running hard he couldn’t stop to be sick, but the minute he let up – wham!

The same is true for my pipe. The break occurred during the subzero weather, but the frozen water held it together. Only when the temperature rose, and the melting began, did the pipe let go and release the water. It looked so promising as I checked it during the arctic weather, but only when the sun came out did I realize the damage.

“I am concerned about you when your parents are both gone.” My doctor’s words alerted me to the frequency of illness after a long caregiving period. “Make sure you keep your immune system in shape and prepare for the decompression time.” I made plans to navigate those post-caregiving waters to avoid the crash, knowing the seven years of living in the red zone might threaten my health.

Could I have prevented the break? I encased it in -30 wrap and spoke words of encouragement after each storm. “Way to go, pipes, you are doing a GREAT job!” But the builder of this house left them exposed and no amount of TLC could ensure their safety. We are the same way. Our environment plays a large part in the way we handle pressure. When we put ourselves into no win situations, we are usually left with damage control, hoping a “life plumber” will come quickly.

Plumber is gone; water is running; and, I am thankful for broken pipes which teach me the truths of everyday living.

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The Maker’s Mark

blog-13-makers-markBrenda’s Blog – March 18¸2014

“Bourbon Trail” said the sign along the Kentucky highway. Famous distilleries (known even to non-imbibers) graced the landscape. 

The exit notifications told me the distillery for Maker’s Mark® was ahead.  No, I wasn’t tempted to visit their tasting room, but it set my mind whirring.  The Maker’s Mark — what a wonderful phrase for Christians.  Don’t we bear the mark of our Maker?

One of my cousins raised her family in Bardstown, Kentucky, home of the Jim Beam Distillery.  Her daughter said everything in their house smelled like bourbon, including their clothes and their furniture.  This beautiful little town is the home of the “Bourbon Festival” each year, welcoming guests from all over the country to relish their products.  You cannot miss the sweet smell of success in this quaint community.

What is the mark we carry?  What is the aroma emanating from our lives?  I think Jesus gave us a hint when He said, “They will know you are mine by your love for one another.”  Love is our mark.  What is the aroma?  As we lift our voices and dedicate our lives to Him we present ourselves as living sacrifices.  We become precious offerings of praise to our God. We are to be aroma therapy for a world sinking into a stinking morass.

I love collecting pottery.  The ones produced by the hands of artisans are marked as evidence of craftsmanship and pride of ownership.  Mass produced items never have a personal signature.  Who has signed you?  Who says, “They are mine.”

In Ephesians 2, Paul tells us we are God’s workmanship.  He has created us for a specific purpose and has designed us with work to do which will show His mark to the world.  We are the work of His hands and we wear His mark with dignity because we are created in His image.

We are the distillation of His grace and in ALL ways wearer of The Maker’s Mark.

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Everyday Facades

Shirt and IronBrenda’s Blog – March 4, 2014

“Just don’t take your jacket off – you’ll be fine!” 

As college student newly-weds, our schedules were chaotic.  Good friends invited us to their apartment for dinner, and this was one of our first married couple outings.  Only problem – I was behind on my ironing.  In those days, shirts were button-down oxford cloth which definitely weren’t “wash and wear.”  They required starch, much elbow grease… and time.  On that Saturday night, I was fresh out of all three!

“I will iron the collar and the front of the shirt – they will never know and you will look fine.”  Famous last words.  Out he went in his faux-ironed shirt under a wool sport coat, even though it was a balmy fall evening.

They kept urging him to “make yourself comfortable and take off your jacket .”  To his credit, my husband braved the hot, un-air-conditioned apartment with a smile, while wiping the perspiration from his forehead, and ignoring their offers.

I don’t remember if we ever told Ted and Kathy what lay behind the crisp shirt front.

For years I was in a sales world which espoused the “fake it ‘til you make it” philosophy.  “Don’t ever let them see you sweat” was taken as reasonable truth.  How foolish!  We need to be willing to let others see that beneath the wool sport coat are lots of wrinkles.  We need to acknowledge we don’t have all the answers.

A female associate of mine years ago was known for her painstaking efforts on her hair – at least the front of it.  One day the comment was made, “Doesn’t she know she has to eventually leave the room?  Why doesn’t she brush the back?”  All of us have to leave the room, don’t we?  When we are tempted to put up a front, let’s remember that.

Life is messy; life is wrinkled.  Authenticity has a high price tag… but it pays high dividends, as well. 

 

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Work at Faith

golden holy cross in shoping cart with sky flareBrenda’s Blog – February 18, 2014

“Splash Kingdom – Family Waterpark”

          SEEK THE KINGDOM

                            Matthew 6:33

The interstate billboard caught my attention. I understand the intersection of faith and work.  But, is it possible we sometimes transpose the emphasis?  Is this perhaps making faith a marketing tool, instead of making the market a place for our faith?

Certainly, the owners are believers who connect their company with the community of faith. I have taken my grandchildren to their fine establishment, throwing themselves mercilessly down slides and traversing watery canals.  I hold no ill will, but wonder about the ad campaign.

Just as the early Christians drew the symbol of the fish in the dust to notify others of their secret meeting places, we have our own Christianese. We speak in lingo, don’t we?  We draw ichthus symbols, we wear crosses, we say “bless you,” and communicate in Christian code among ourselves.  We think this will add a plus to our business among the faithful.

But do we take the significance of these symbols too lightly?  John Peterson, a noted Christian musician once said, “in composing I cannot approach the cross with flippancy.  I cannot take this subject lightly.”  Perhaps we should think carefully about the way we handle these icons.

There are Christians in business, but there are no Christian businesses.  Christ died in obedience to the Father for individuals, not for corporations (or even partnerships or sole proprietorships!)  Our faith should be evident, indeed, but should we reconsider the way we market our membership in the most holy of all associations?

Ours is a sacred privilege – to bear the name of Christ and to have access to His Word, and His throne room.  Let’s hold this with awe, not aw-shucks!

 

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Your Move

Hand and scrabble gameBrenda’s Blog – February 4, 2014

“Kennett, Missouri – home of Sheryl C_OW.”  Clearly a mischief maker found great humor in removing the “R.”  It made me think about the power of letters.

Think about the power of an “e” when you decide to be better, rather than bitter.

During my years of care giving I experienced many difficult and challenging moments.  There were times when I felt truly overwhelmed.  One night I sat at the computer, typing out my emotions.  At the end, I realized Mom and Dad gave me the opportunity to see the Lord change “scared into sacred.”  Holy transposition!

An old game gives you a word, requires you to shift one letter at a time, and then arrive at a completely new word.  There is a great leadership principle embedded in this exercise.  Cultural transitions aren’t made by jumping from A to Z.  Making incremental steps allows the organization to stabilize before making the next move.  They are shifting a letter at a time to complete the change.

Sometimes the word game gets off track because the moves weren’t the right ones.  Isn’t this true of organizational morphing, as well?  With each step, reassessment and review is necessary to see if the ultimate goal will be reached.

When we play the Scrabble® game of life we want to make sure it doesn’t turn into a Scramble!

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  • Mark Modesti TED Talk – The Argument for Trouble

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  • BWFLI Impacts Lindsey Wilson College

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