Author Archives: Bill Stipp

Multi-Tasking

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Multi-tasking has become an acceptable part of our society today. In fact, you are viewed negatively if you can’t multi-task. What we accept today was once called being “scatter brained”. Multitasking and “smart phones” may have actually made us less productive. A number of studies have shown that the constant interruptions we have in our lives are actually slowing us down. Every time we rapidly shift from one task to another, our brains have to refocus or reset. We are truly losing our train of thought. Another study conducted with college students who claim to be “great multi-taskers” actually demonstrated that their motor skills and cognitive abilities mirrored those of someone legally intoxicated. Now that is sobering – sorry I couldn’t resist. All of studies show what us “old-timers” already know, work on one thing at a time and you will actually get more done. We have all been behind the car that is just not keeping up with the flow of traffic, only to see them on the phone or worst yet, texting while driving. Remain focused on what you are doing, especially while driving, and your stress levels should decrease while your productivity increases.

1 Peter 1:13 – “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.”

It’s getting close to Easter and there couldn’t be more fitting verse. Reading the bible is a fascinating journey that explains how God tried to help us focus on what is important. Many of us heard the phrase uttered by our parents “don’t make me come up there”, when we were misbehaving. God finally reached that point where He had to “come down here” because we just couldn’t focus on what He was trying to teach us. God became man when He sent His son to show us the way. Peter reminds us to clear our minds, be alert and ready (sober). When we multi-task, we never really do one thing well, we do them all well enough. Peter is telling us to focus and set our hope in Jesus. Reduce the interference in our life by focusing on what is important. We don’t want our relationship with God to be “well enough”. Send your fears and worry to God not so that you can do something else but so that you can focus on the grace that He is giving to you and rest in knowing your sins are forgiven by your faith in Jesus Christ.

Education

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Get ready; you’re about to witness someone turning into their father for just a moment by uttering the phrase “in my generation”. Here goes: in my generation as kids, we were always told, “If you get a good education, you’ll go far”. Now that I wrote it, I have to stop for moment to regain my composure. Thanks, I’ll continue. Getting a college degree was important to advancing yourself beyond the “blue collar jobs” that were available to those without degrees. For me, the irony about that statement was watching my dad go to work everyday as computer programmer/operator in the 1960’s. He did not have a college degree but was trained in the Army in how to use these “new machines”. I never really understood the magnitude of what my dad did until a few years ago. He was taught about computers in the early 1950’s! He never obtained a college degree but worked as a data center manager for more than 30 years. Today, we can get our degrees “on-line” using hand held net books or lap tops. College degrees today provide us with a well-rounded view of the world around us beyond the english, math and science classes we “loved”. The phrase “you’ll go far” may have faded with the punch card, a college education has become almost as important as a high school diploma. As we get closure to celebrating Easter, I wanted to focus on our spiritual education today.

Proverbs 24:3-4 – “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 
through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”

What a great way to describe our journey with God. We start to build our relationship with God by the wisdom to answer His call and establishing the structure to hear His word. We move into the next phase of our relationship by taking God’s word and applying it to our lives. We attend church services, listen to the bible verses being read and say the prayers and creeds to profess our faith. We begin to understand what He wants us to do; we follow His teachings and go about our daily lives. We think this obedience is what God wants us to do and it is here at “understanding” where most people coast though their journey. At this point the house is built and the relationship is been established, but God is telling us that something is still missing. Imagine your house – a structure (wisdom), it’s occupied (understanding) but without love (knowledge) its not really ever filled. Seek to fully develop your relationship with God with the knowledge of His word through regular devotional reading, bible study and the active application of that knowledge in your life. Use His love to fill your life with His rare and beautiful treasures.

Holy Humor. A mid-week laugh

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GOOD SAMARITAN
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan.
She asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and
Bleeding, what would you do?”
A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, “I think I’d throw up.”
DID NOAH FISH?
A Sunday school teacher asked, “Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?” “No,” replied Johnny. “How could he, with just two worms.
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible – Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter. Little Rick was excited about the task – but he just couldn’t remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.
On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, “The Lord is my Shepherd, and that’s all I need to know.
UNANSWERED PRAYER
The preacher’s 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why.
“Well, Honey,” he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages. “I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.”
“How come He doesn’t answer it?” she asked.
BEING THANKFUL
A Pastor said to a precocious six-year-old boy, “So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That’s very commendable. What does she say?”
The little boy replied, “Thank God he’s in bed!”
ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS
When my daughter, Kelli, said her bedtime prayers, she would bless every family member, every friend, and every animal (current and past). For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer, Kelli would say, “And all girls.”
This soon became part of her nightly routine, to include this closing. My curiosity got the best of me and I asked her, “Kelli, why do you always add the part about all girls?”
Her response, “Because everybody always finish their prayers by saying ‘All Men’!
SAY A PRAYER
Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother’s house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away. “Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer.” said his mother. “I don’t need to,” the boy replied.
“Of course, you do “his mother insisted. “We always say a prayer before eating at our house.” “That’s at our house.” Johnny explained. “But this is Grandma’s house and she knows how to cook.
THE BIBLE

Did you know that… When you carry the Bible, Satan has a headache. When you open it, he collapses. When he sees you reading it, he faints. Let’s read the Bible every day so he keeps on fainting. Maybe one day he’ll have a stroke and never wake up.

Being Consistent

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We are funny creatures by nature. We thrive when we have our routines and do the same things, the same way; everyday while simultaneously complaining about the “rut” we’re in. As employees, we will complain about “not knowing where the boss is coming from” at any given time. The inconsistency kills our work routine and our morale. Employees become disenfranchised when workplace discipline is handled differently depending on who is involved or what special circumstances are being considered. You know things are bad when employees are complaining about not enough discipline or issues related to how it is being handled. As much as employees want a flexible workplace, they want consistency in how it is managed. Parenting is no different, our kids want to know the rules and then have them evenly applied. If it’s okay to leave dirty dishes yesterday and today don’t be surprised that the same dirty dish will be there on the third day. Consistency is the key to setting expectations and avoiding the “do as I say, not as I do” life. Friends, family, coworkers and subordinates will always appreciate knowing where you stand no matter what the circumstance.

James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

If this verse doesn’t tell us that God is at work in our lives everyday – all day, I don’t know what does. Our problem is that we don’t view all of God’s “gifts” as good and perfect. We have no trouble celebrating the $5 lottery win or when the police officer decides to give us a warning instead of the ticket we deserve. Do we view the “hardships” the same way? We have a hard time seeing the good in a “new diagnosis” or yet another surgery. We don’t stop to think that these “gifts” may be for someone else too. Despite our desire to know everything and understand what God’s plan is, we simply do not contain the capacity to. The abilities of the “Father of the heavenly lights” and what He seeks to give us is beyond our comprehension. While we think we could love everyone on earth, we could never pull it off but our Father does. The greatest part about His love is that it available for everyone; consistently and not changing “like shifting shadows.” God’s love and guidance is with us always, day and night; He just simply asks for our faith in Him and His son, our savior, Jesus Christ. He is our good and perfect gift and gives us eternal life and freedom from the burden of all of our sins.

Shiny, Happy People…

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We all have heard about the rising stars and shining stars but what about the constant stars? Those people, that every day, shine in all that they do. These are the people who jump in to help others at work, have smile even when it’s snowing in Phoenix and are simply great to be around. These people are just great to be around. They don’t want the spotlight or ask for attention; in fact, they are the ones usually shining the spotlight onto others. When we think of the next great leader, we tend to overlook those who shine consistently. Now ask yourself, what do you do for these people? Do you find yourself going to them just because YOU need a pick me up? It’s hard to imagine what keeps these people positive all of the time, but they do it. I had a peer once in my career who worked for another agency. We used to see each other for meetings once a month or sometimes more frequently but after every time I saw him, I always found myself saying what a great guy he is. I would try to be more like him and still try today. Despite my best efforts and intent, I’m just not the “smile when its snowing guy”. I do however; make sure that if I have people like in my life, that I let them know how much I enjoy their company and focus time on them. We all need positive people our lives and should seek them out regularly, not to improve our own disposition, but to mutually benefit each other.

Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. Ezekiel 1:28

For the first seven years of his ministry, Ezekiel faithfully relayed to his fellow Jews the stern, heart-rending, hope-crushing word of divine judgment: Because of all her sins, Jerusalem would fall. The only hope the prophet was authorized to extend to his hearers was that of living at peace with themselves and with God during their exile. Once news was received that Jerusalem had fallen, Ezekiel’s message turned to the Lord’s consoling word of hope for his people—they would experience revival, restoration and a glorious future as the redeemed and perfected kingdom of God in the world. Ezekiel had become the constant star in people’s lives. He was there for everyone. Some may argue that it was easy; God was speaking to him directly. God speaks to us every day too. We just need to listen. It’s the phone call that comes in the middle of an argument or the unexpected check that comes in the mail when your bills are late. God is with us all day, every day; we just need to learn to listen for Him. Send your worries to God, pray daily, give thanks for what you have and be assured that your sins are forgiven. Then, stop and listen for God.

Mentors

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Mentoring is a popular management concept that is sometimes connected to coaching or to today’s buzz-word – succession planning. The workforce can view “mentoring” as grooming for those fortunate to have been chosen to move up the career ladder. Mentoring is a relationship in which a person with greater experience and wisdom guides another person to develop both personally and professionally. The key feature here is that the person being guided wants to be guided – they ask for this type of personal attention. Most employees expect help from their leadership in the form of guidance, inspiration, encouragement, advancement, discipline and approval for a job well done. If they don’t get these, frustration sets in. Mentoring takes this to a higher level. Some organizations make it so formal that mentee’s have to apply to find a mentor. If you are interested in professional development you don’t need a formal system to get help. I’ve been advising people throughout the years to find a “confidant” or someone who they trust to help guide them. These confidants provide valuable feedback and offer suggestions to help navigate problems or challenges. I have been blessed to have great confidants and mentors and to be the same for others. Find a mentor or a confidant in your life and you will see that there is strength in numbers.

“I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.” Proverbs 4:11-12

Can you even imagine what it would be like to physically speak to Jesus everyday and ask for His advice? You can! Your prayers are heard by the Triune God, which means He hears them too. While you don’t hear Him respond back, you will get an answer. God sent us His Son to bring us closer to Him; now that’s a mentor! God provided His word to us through the scriptures and Jesus gave us examples of how to live our lives; someone to guide us both personally and professionally. This verse tells us He will lead us along straight paths, not stumbling and without impede. Another example of God’s promise to be with us. We stumble in sin, we forget to nurture our relationship with God and yet He keeps His promises. Our faith in Jesus is all that He needs to keep us along the straight paths. We don’t deserve that kind of dedication but God’s love is so great that we can’t imagine how He can forgive us. Sin is always present but more importantly, so is God’s love. Let Him guide you.

Opportunity is Knocking

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I had two ideas when I read this verse, one was about “open door” policies that many leaders claim to have and the other was about opportunity knocking. The challenge here is that if the door is open, then no one would need to knock. So let’s talk about opportunity knocking. Opportunity comes in many forms and at all times; sometimes we recognize it and sometimes we don’t. The other contributing factor to “opportunity” is the people you meet in your life’s journey. I have learned first hand that it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. For example, my work with the military is a result of my meeting several very generous men of Army North two months before my unplanned retirement. We worked together on a local project, they thought that I would be a good addition to the contracting group that supported them and gave my number to the lead contractor. “Military contractor” was not something that I even knew was available for me as I stared into a black hole that was my future. As it turned out, it has become the single largest source of income for my business and has taken me all across the country. When I left the fire service, I never thought that I would find something that could bring me as much satisfaction but working with the Homeland Defense forces and the Civil Support Training Activity staff did. My journey into life after the fire service has been filled with “opportunities” that knocked, all I needed to do was answer.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” – Revelation 3:20

Whose plan is leading your life? Is it God’s or one that you have been working on? Christians often talk about “opportunity knocking” as God’s hand at work in our lives. When a Christian waits for the knock and believe that it never comes, they start to doubt their faith. Why won’t God answer my prayer? God does answer; we just sometimes don’t realize it. We doubt ourselves and don’t take advantage of the opportunity or we don’t trust God to bring us through the challenge we face. Today’s verse tells us that God is here, standing at the door knocking. Do you hear His voice and answer the door? God promises that He will come in; all you have to do is open the door to Him. What does that mean? Open your heart, your mind and your soul to God. Believe His word, His promises and most importantly, believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Letting God take over “your” life is hard and scary – you think that you’ll have no control. This is not what God wants for you. He gave us mental reasoning and a road map in the bible for our lives; He wants fellowship with all of us. Open the door and let Him in and He will eat with you. Open yourself to Him, read His word, follow His commands, rest in knowing your sins are forgiven because you are with Him.

Stressed Out

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Patience is a virtue. How often have you prayed for more of it? Nothing increases your stress levels like the constantly ringing phone, the co-worker that wants to “chat” about the events in their personal life when you have a mountain of work or the family member who wants your attention the moment you walk in the door. Stress can be a literal killer. Heart disease, illnesses, damaged relationships and substance abuse are just a few of the “side effects” caused by stress. People say that they can’t reduce their stressors because “they come with the job”. We can take steps to reduce the effects of stress by getting plenty of rest, eating good meals, exercising and avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. While some stressors can not be completely removed from our lives, we can reduce their impact by finding people to talk to; it can be quite healing and soothing and by engaging in things that make us feel good, like a hobby. There are some things that we simply cannot change but we can change how we react to them. We can be more patient with those around us and explain to them the workload we have and the deadlines we face. Set time to meet with them to talk when it is convenient for you, maybe over lunch or after work. If you don’t get control of the things that cause you stress, they will control you.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.” Isaiah 40:28

Can imagine hearing complaints and requests from 100 people? Imagine people stopping you constantly asking for your help with something and simply interrupting your day just to chat. If that isn’t a receipe for stress I don’t know what is. Take these 100 people and multiply them by millions or billions and that is the workload of God our Father. The amazing thing is that He isn’t fazed by it in the least. “The Creator of the ends of the earth” has more power than we can imagine, even in our wildest dreams. God is pleased when we call out to Him for help, seek His guidance or simply call on Him to say thank you. He has the patience to work with us because He loves us and wants to be close to us. “He will not grow tired or weary”. We were made in His image and He wants us to be just like Him – not tired or weary but strong and full of love. Send your cares, fears, worries, concerns, anger and thanks to Him because “His understanding no one can fathom”. We have no ability to understand how He can do it and why He wants to but we can be assured that His love for us is greater than we can imagine. Take care of yourself with good food, good love, good sleep, good times, good prayer and the greatness of God.

The Woman and the Fork

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There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things ‘in order,’ she contacted
 her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. 

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. 

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

‘There’s one more thing,’ she said excitedly.. 

’What’s that?’ came the Pastor’s reply? 

’This is very important,’ the young woman continued. ‘I want to be buried with a fork in my
 Right hand.’ 

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. 

That surprises you, doesn’t it?’ the young woman asked. 

’Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,’ said the Pastor. 

The young woman explained. ‘My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part
, because I knew that something better was coming…like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!’

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ‘What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: ‘Keep your fork, the best is yet to come.’ 

The Pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, ‘What’s with the fork?’ And over and over he smiled. 

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about
 the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. 

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

Positive Attitudes

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A lot can be said about having a positive attitude. There is a woman I know that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she had a biopsy and “some lymph nodes removed” on Monday and came to work on Wednesday. She told me that she had too much to do. Several years later, she was diagnosed with colon cancer in March that year. She told her doctor to schedule the procedure right away because she has an annual trip she takes in September and wasn’t going to miss it. The doctor tried to temper her optimism but she told him that she’d been making that trip for over 20 years and wasn’t going to miss it. She made the trip that year and is still with us today more than five years later. I’m not suggesting that you can will away your troubles but having a positive attitude can certainly make a big difference in how it affects your day to day personality. When Lisa and I used to golf together (yes, used to), she was always saying something positive to me following a bad shot. If I hit my ball into the sand, she’d say, “at least it didn’t go into the water”. If I hit it into the water she’d say, “at least it isn’t in the sand”. I failed to see at that time that she was displaying the best positive attitude possible; we were together enjoying the beautiful weather. Zig Ziglar once said “you cant get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” Face each day with the right mindset and you’ll enjoy the best life has to offer.

“And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” – Romans 10:15

The difficulty here is knowing whether you were sent or not. We are commanded to “go and make disciples of all men and nations”. I’d suggest that this single verse tells us that we are sent. Bringing good news can come in many forms, passing out water to the homeless on hot days, distributing flyers about upcoming church events, witnessing to the lost and having a positive outlook on life are just a few forms. The good news of being positive can simply be found in the contagiousness of a positive attitude. People can look to you as the example of positive thinking and modeling the way of the Lord, so that when they finally come to realize where your strength is from, you will have the courage to profess your faith openly. When people ask about it, you can tell them you have no fear or worry because of our savior Jesus Christ. Choosing to live with Jesus is reason enough to be positive.