I was talking with one of my neighbors the other day and found out he is totally into hunting. He loves to bow hunt. We talk a bunch and he told me of some land he just went in on with a friend. He has never seen the property, but knew it would be great deal. The land is located is in a real booming area, on a lake, and will be snatched up in no time at all.
"Never again," he said in reference to missed opportunities to score big on land deals that he had not pulled the trigger on in the past.
Even though he has never seen the land, he knows it to be a good deal. He'll go and check it out sometime in the near future.
Even though he has never seen the land, he didn't want to pass up this opportunity.
It made me think.
Even though we can't see some things, we know they are good deals. We know they are good deals because we have missed the opportunities to invest in them before.
Love is a good deal.
Compassion is a good deal.
Empathy is a good deal.
Service is a good deal.
Laughter is a good deal.
Just like my friend, he had to act on the opportunity. We need to act on the opportunities that come our way.
Never again will I not love.
Never again will I not have compassion.
Never again will I not have empathy for others.
Never again will I not serve.
Never again will I not laugh!
MTC!
Mark
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Grinder
I sat down and had a plate of food at a funeral reception yesterday and began talking with a gentleman and his wife I had never seen nor met before. As we talked, he knows a friend of mine very well (same company), and his wife was a student of a friend of mine. Crazy.
We talked some more and I learned that he is from Northern Minnesota. He moved out to the Seattle area when he was still young and was hired by the Bon Marche (Macy's). He told me that the woman who interviewed him was also from the Midwest and after he was hired she said, "I knew that I was going to hire you the minute you said where you were from. You know how to work!"
As we continued to talk he made a comment that stuck in my mind. He said, "I'm a grinder."
He was referring to his work ethic. Not in a negative way, but in a positive way. He loves to work. He loves to be immersed in work. He is approaching retirement age and really doesn't care to retire.
Grinder.
That is a good thing.
One of the most rewarding things in my life is to do manual labor and then kick back and see how it all turned out. There is an inherent reward for working hard. There are tangible rewards for working hard.
I'm grateful to my parents for raising us four boys to be 'grinders'. They continue to model to me the whole work ethic thing. Suck it up. Work hard. Git'r done. Be prompt. Be prepared. Go the extra mile. Treat people with respect even if they dis you. Be honorable. Do it right. Reach your potential and then keep reaching. Don't just make do with what you have, but make great with what you got!
Grinder.
That's a good thing.
MTC!
Mark
We talked some more and I learned that he is from Northern Minnesota. He moved out to the Seattle area when he was still young and was hired by the Bon Marche (Macy's). He told me that the woman who interviewed him was also from the Midwest and after he was hired she said, "I knew that I was going to hire you the minute you said where you were from. You know how to work!"
As we continued to talk he made a comment that stuck in my mind. He said, "I'm a grinder."
He was referring to his work ethic. Not in a negative way, but in a positive way. He loves to work. He loves to be immersed in work. He is approaching retirement age and really doesn't care to retire.
Grinder.
That is a good thing.
One of the most rewarding things in my life is to do manual labor and then kick back and see how it all turned out. There is an inherent reward for working hard. There are tangible rewards for working hard.
I'm grateful to my parents for raising us four boys to be 'grinders'. They continue to model to me the whole work ethic thing. Suck it up. Work hard. Git'r done. Be prompt. Be prepared. Go the extra mile. Treat people with respect even if they dis you. Be honorable. Do it right. Reach your potential and then keep reaching. Don't just make do with what you have, but make great with what you got!
Grinder.
That's a good thing.
MTC!
Mark
Friday, September 28, 2007
Dirt part 2..............the sequel
Well, the dirt is in. The grass is in. The mud is here! Yep, the rain came down and the dirt
is in that precarious stage of looking like dirt but if you put any weight upon it, instantly turning to mud!
It all looks great and I'm glad I didn't have to do it! There is still lots of work to do that Karen and I will do, but for now, the heavy lifting is done. Now on to the planting of 40 Emerald Greens and other plants.
Back to the mud thing: I know that I probably gripe about the rain and clouds and no sun too much, but I do know that it is a huge plus. It cleans out our air, makes everything green, puts snow in the mountains and water in our reservoirs. OK, I'm thankful for the rain! There.
So, I guess I just need to put the barn boots on and deal with it!
Mud on!
MTC!
Mark
is in that precarious stage of looking like dirt but if you put any weight upon it, instantly turning to mud!
It all looks great and I'm glad I didn't have to do it! There is still lots of work to do that Karen and I will do, but for now, the heavy lifting is done. Now on to the planting of 40 Emerald Greens and other plants.
Back to the mud thing: I know that I probably gripe about the rain and clouds and no sun too much, but I do know that it is a huge plus. It cleans out our air, makes everything green, puts snow in the mountains and water in our reservoirs. OK, I'm thankful for the rain! There.
So, I guess I just need to put the barn boots on and deal with it!
Mud on!
MTC!
Mark
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Obsessed with dirt!
What's up with our obsession with dirt?
You've got your fill dirt, your topsoil dirt, your mulch dirt for your planting beds, you've got your three way mix dirt, you've got clean dirt and dirty dirt!
We take out dirt so that we can bring in more dirt and then put things in the dirt!
If you say dirt for more than 30 seconds, even the word starts to sound like you made it up! Dirt!!
We are putting our back yard in and it will take 30 yards of topsoil for the planting beds and 21 yards of dirt for the lawn. I can believe that we need that much dirt for our little lot.
I do know this, if you don't use the right dirt and if you don't have enough of it, the stuff you put on it and in it doesn't do very good. So, we are getting lots of dirt. This will be our fourth yard we are putting in and I must say that I'm actually bringing in some help to do the dirt.
This dirt thing really wears me out!
When the trucks roll up today and dump their dirt in the street, I will be thinking about how happy the grass and plants will be and how they will grow in the rich dirt. I will also think about how our minds and hearts need to be like the good soil that will be spread today. Good so that they can grow good and beautiful things. We, just like our lawns and planting beds, need to weed and clean up our heart and mind so that the good stuff doesn't get choked out by the bad stuff.
Hey, have a great day! I've got to go and make sure the dirt gets put in the right place!!
MTC!
Mark
You've got your fill dirt, your topsoil dirt, your mulch dirt for your planting beds, you've got your three way mix dirt, you've got clean dirt and dirty dirt!
We take out dirt so that we can bring in more dirt and then put things in the dirt!
If you say dirt for more than 30 seconds, even the word starts to sound like you made it up! Dirt!!
We are putting our back yard in and it will take 30 yards of topsoil for the planting beds and 21 yards of dirt for the lawn. I can believe that we need that much dirt for our little lot.
I do know this, if you don't use the right dirt and if you don't have enough of it, the stuff you put on it and in it doesn't do very good. So, we are getting lots of dirt. This will be our fourth yard we are putting in and I must say that I'm actually bringing in some help to do the dirt.
This dirt thing really wears me out!
When the trucks roll up today and dump their dirt in the street, I will be thinking about how happy the grass and plants will be and how they will grow in the rich dirt. I will also think about how our minds and hearts need to be like the good soil that will be spread today. Good so that they can grow good and beautiful things. We, just like our lawns and planting beds, need to weed and clean up our heart and mind so that the good stuff doesn't get choked out by the bad stuff.
Hey, have a great day! I've got to go and make sure the dirt gets put in the right place!!
MTC!
Mark
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Twists and Turns
Life has more of them than all of the episodes of 24 combined!
You try and make the best decisions you can and live life as it should be lived, and then boom! A turn that grabs you and makes you contemplate things rarely dealt with.
A friend of mine received news yesterday that his younger brother died.
That's a twist. That's a turn. 40 years of age is not old.
The crazy thing with twists and turns is that they do mess up your equilibrium, but they don't have to pitch you from the path. If you have something to hold on to, you can survive the ride. It might get bumpy, bouncy, crazy, but you don't have to get thrown off the ride of life.
Have you ever hung onto something that gave way when you put your weight upon it? I've even stood on something that was solid only to have it fall away from under me because I hadn't stabilized it first. The point is, what do you have in your life that won't break, buckle, leave you when you need some stability in your life?
Life's twists and turns should be a learning experience for us. They should teach us that we need something that will never change in our lives. Something that will give us stability and a hand-hold when life tries to throw us off it's back.
What are you hanging onto?
MTC! (now more than ever)
Mark
You try and make the best decisions you can and live life as it should be lived, and then boom! A turn that grabs you and makes you contemplate things rarely dealt with.
A friend of mine received news yesterday that his younger brother died.
That's a twist. That's a turn. 40 years of age is not old.
The crazy thing with twists and turns is that they do mess up your equilibrium, but they don't have to pitch you from the path. If you have something to hold on to, you can survive the ride. It might get bumpy, bouncy, crazy, but you don't have to get thrown off the ride of life.
Have you ever hung onto something that gave way when you put your weight upon it? I've even stood on something that was solid only to have it fall away from under me because I hadn't stabilized it first. The point is, what do you have in your life that won't break, buckle, leave you when you need some stability in your life?
Life's twists and turns should be a learning experience for us. They should teach us that we need something that will never change in our lives. Something that will give us stability and a hand-hold when life tries to throw us off it's back.
What are you hanging onto?
MTC! (now more than ever)
Mark
Sunday, September 23, 2007
LOSING!
OK, I shouldn't admit this, but when the home town loses, I really, really don't like it! Yesterday had to crushing defeats in it that as I write it, I'm not certain which one bugs me more: my daughter's soccer game or the UW not able to tackle any UCLA runner!!
I hate losing.
It has nothing to do with 'losers', just losing!
I guess what bugs me about losing is that the objective was not reached.
That's why I love sports so much. It can be competitive athletic engagement, hunting, fishing, etc. In sports there is an objective, a goal line, a hoop, a whopper, a wall-hanger (hunter verbiage for very large set of antlers!). There is a definitive time connected with it: 4 quarters, two halves, a two week season. There is a team involved. Playing on a team is fun! Hunting with my dad and brothers and now my daughter is a real blast! By the end of the 'time given to the sport', you can easily evaluate if you won or lost. Did you make the shot? Stop their offense? Land the fish? Best your previous top time? Win the match?
Losing well is something I'm still working at. It's not that I'm a sore loser. Not at all. It's just that I think about what we could have done better. Where did we let down? Should I have tried that other draw? Could we have done a better job passing the ball?
So today, I will not let the outcome of the Seahawks game, either a win or a loss affect me!
And I will probably chant that little mantra all game long!!!!!!!!!!
Make Today Count! (MTC)
Mark
I hate losing.
It has nothing to do with 'losers', just losing!
I guess what bugs me about losing is that the objective was not reached.
That's why I love sports so much. It can be competitive athletic engagement, hunting, fishing, etc. In sports there is an objective, a goal line, a hoop, a whopper, a wall-hanger (hunter verbiage for very large set of antlers!). There is a definitive time connected with it: 4 quarters, two halves, a two week season. There is a team involved. Playing on a team is fun! Hunting with my dad and brothers and now my daughter is a real blast! By the end of the 'time given to the sport', you can easily evaluate if you won or lost. Did you make the shot? Stop their offense? Land the fish? Best your previous top time? Win the match?
Losing well is something I'm still working at. It's not that I'm a sore loser. Not at all. It's just that I think about what we could have done better. Where did we let down? Should I have tried that other draw? Could we have done a better job passing the ball?
So today, I will not let the outcome of the Seahawks game, either a win or a loss affect me!
And I will probably chant that little mantra all game long!!!!!!!!!!
Make Today Count! (MTC)
Mark
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Cortisone
Back to the MRI!
Went to the doctor yesterday to get his input about the MRI on my shoulder. Great doctor!!
This all goes back to April. I washed my car and the next day my shoulder was about as happy as a cat in water! It has not gotten any better. In fact, it has become much worse. The simplest of functions can be quite painful!
So the doctor reads the report and we talk. He's from Boston. Went to the UW. Loves it our here. We talked Red Sox, Bill Buckner, Dawgs and then he said well you can have surgery or cortisone or physical therapy and cortisone. We went with the latter.
I love cortisone! I have a new friend! We'll get the physical therapy started soon and hopefully this shoulder dealio will get back to normal. Just one day after the injection, my shoulder is settling down.
Why did I wait 5 months?????? Don't put stuff off that you need to get done either for yourself or others. If we all took care of our business, it might just take away some of our pain!
Go Dawgs!!!!! Sorry, UCLA, another tough loss comin' your way today! I hope Shakin' Jake runs for about 7,000 yards in SoCal tonight!!!!!
MTC!!!!! (Make Today Count)
Mark
Went to the doctor yesterday to get his input about the MRI on my shoulder. Great doctor!!
This all goes back to April. I washed my car and the next day my shoulder was about as happy as a cat in water! It has not gotten any better. In fact, it has become much worse. The simplest of functions can be quite painful!
So the doctor reads the report and we talk. He's from Boston. Went to the UW. Loves it our here. We talked Red Sox, Bill Buckner, Dawgs and then he said well you can have surgery or cortisone or physical therapy and cortisone. We went with the latter.
I love cortisone! I have a new friend! We'll get the physical therapy started soon and hopefully this shoulder dealio will get back to normal. Just one day after the injection, my shoulder is settling down.
Why did I wait 5 months?????? Don't put stuff off that you need to get done either for yourself or others. If we all took care of our business, it might just take away some of our pain!
Go Dawgs!!!!! Sorry, UCLA, another tough loss comin' your way today! I hope Shakin' Jake runs for about 7,000 yards in SoCal tonight!!!!!
MTC!!!!! (Make Today Count)
Mark
Friday, September 21, 2007
The World's Greatest Inventor
I had an MRI yesterday. It was a very interesting experience. If you have had one you understand how loud those things are! First off, I'm not a very large person. So when they starting moving me into the 'cave' my shoulder hit the side and I thought, 'man, this is a tighter fit than I anticipated!'
Once the machine fired up, I was certainly happy to have the head phones on and listening to some radio station, because that crazy machine sounded like a jack hammer!! It was just flat out screamin' loud. It all ended fine and I went on my merry way!
Now, an x-ray is one thing, but an MRI is a totally different breed of cat. The technology is absolutely amazing.
I was thinking...........we as humans have made some pretty amazing things: MRI technology, Space Shuttles, Nuclear weapons, Computers, Jumbo Jets, and the list goes one. We really have come up with some phenomenal inventions!!
However, we have yet to make a mountain range, a self-sustaining ocean, a new moon or star or sun or continent. We are quite sharp, but when it comes 'having it all', God tops the list. God is the ultimate creator, maker, and inventor.
The other thought that struck me is that even with God's immense power to create He is still a God of love and compassion. That helps me out a ton!!! I need that more than a new something or other!
Well, today we get to see what the MRI saw. I really hope my shoulder doesn't need something that requires a hole in my skin!!!
Make today count!
Mark
Once the machine fired up, I was certainly happy to have the head phones on and listening to some radio station, because that crazy machine sounded like a jack hammer!! It was just flat out screamin' loud. It all ended fine and I went on my merry way!
Now, an x-ray is one thing, but an MRI is a totally different breed of cat. The technology is absolutely amazing.
I was thinking...........we as humans have made some pretty amazing things: MRI technology, Space Shuttles, Nuclear weapons, Computers, Jumbo Jets, and the list goes one. We really have come up with some phenomenal inventions!!
However, we have yet to make a mountain range, a self-sustaining ocean, a new moon or star or sun or continent. We are quite sharp, but when it comes 'having it all', God tops the list. God is the ultimate creator, maker, and inventor.
The other thought that struck me is that even with God's immense power to create He is still a God of love and compassion. That helps me out a ton!!! I need that more than a new something or other!
Well, today we get to see what the MRI saw. I really hope my shoulder doesn't need something that requires a hole in my skin!!!
Make today count!
Mark
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Starts
Hey, this is my very first blog! As I'm writing this I am remembering back to first 'starts' in my life. Starting school. Starting sports. Starting a job. Starting a marriage. Starting a family. Starts are great! There are some things that I started that I never should have.......painting the barn, math (why is it that a parent can be dumb as a brick with something and their kids excel at it?!! Pretty cool actually), and I'm sure you have a ton of things like this as well.
Starting is great. Finishing is great too. Today I've got some projects that I've started that I need to get finished as do you. My encouragement to you is to 'make today count'! Finish what you've started and finish strong! You were made to be great!!
I sure hope this works, because if it doesn't why did I even start it????
MTC!!!
Mark
Starting is great. Finishing is great too. Today I've got some projects that I've started that I need to get finished as do you. My encouragement to you is to 'make today count'! Finish what you've started and finish strong! You were made to be great!!
I sure hope this works, because if it doesn't why did I even start it????
MTC!!!
Mark
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