Emoticons in the Business Lexicon

Today, I realized that emoticons have become part of the accepted business lexicon.  Or at least part of the written business communication.  For example, I received four emails, just today, with smileys.  Gone are the days of misinterpreted messages in the office. 

 

In days past, the boss merely yelled at the employee.  The message was clear, maybe a bit blue, but the employee had no mixed messages.  After being yelled at for fifteen minutes, sometimes salted with earthy metaphors, the message was definitely understood.

 

Today, the message is a bit, well, multi-layered.  "Johnson, you screwed up the Kraggstaff account!  :-)" has a bit different tone to it.   Kraggstaff may not be pleased with the work level, but at least it's service with a smile. 

 

All in all, the more conversational, softer communication is for the best.  We should treat each other with grace and kindness - at home, in the marketplace and everywhere in between.  My only request is that, in our quest to find the balance between brutal honesty and political correctness, we don't lose the ability to simply communicate.

 

Until next time!  ;-)

The Reason for the Season

I've been seeing, again, the debates over what to wish people this time of year. Shoppers are admonished not to visit stores that use "Happy Holidays." We're urged to call merchants to ensure they use the phrase "Merry Christmas."

For me, the issue is deeper than a phrase. I want to ensure that, through the gift-giving, festivities, singing and well-wishing, the reason for the celebrations isn't lost.

I don't think getting angry over the wrong phrase being used is a good example of what Christ came to earth to accomplish. Nor is demanding that unbelieving people act like Christians. It's our job, as believers, to lead others to Christ in ways that He did: through His kindness, through His generosity.

If we're going to reach a lost and dying world, let's do it through overt love and kindness. (By the way, I'm not saying we excuse sin, but people's sin tend to be exposed in light of purity.)

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas

This Looks Like So Much Fun!

During my afternoon break, I glanced at my favorite online store, and I found what could be the most fun office toy around.

Here it is in action:

Been a While

It has been a while since I last posted.

I start a new job today. I am with my same employer, but I am starting a new job in a different area. The new position is in the office building much closer to home, and that means I'll be able to leave for work later, work the same hours, and still be home an hour earlier than before.

I am making this a quick post. I need to go get ready to start the new job. Watch for a later post about how it's going.

Login IDs and Passwords

I've just realized that my passwords and login IDs, and I have many IDs for various websites, tend to be my alter egos. Not that I have a split personality (although one one of my other personalities may), it's just that I can take on a new "me" through my login IDs. "PeanutButter12345." "Zipperpull." "C0wb311" (translated cowbell). "Indydriver." Some have meaning, some no meaning, and some are merely bewildering.

Time to move on to a productive task, and it will require logging into a website. Now, all I have to do is remember who I wanted to be that day....

Anyone reading my thoughts?

I am curious if anyone reads my blog - even once. If you read, or have read, my blog, can you drop me a quick post? If you don't want your comments published, just state that in your comments.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

The Garden

We built our raised veggie garden in the backyard. Al Gore, eat your heart out - I am a true environmentalist. Not only are we growing veggies (or at least plan to), I recycled the materials. The landscaping timbers came from an old dog kennel on the property (not very well-built dog kennel), and the dirt came from my neighbor's construction project.

Completing a project - any project - brings a sense of satisfaction. It makes me proud of what I did. It doesn't matter the size of the project, sometimes it's as small as sorting the mail, but there is a feeling of completion.

Speaking of completion, I need to complete my next tasks.

Simplicity of Faith

I am beginning to appreciate mass transit. I still find it somewhat inconvenient, but letting someone else do the driving allows me time to do other things. Sometimes, it's getting my day organized. Other times, it's catching up on my reading. And other times, it's spending time reflecting.

Today was a reflection day. I spent a few minutes reading Acts 2. I was especially struck by verse 46, and especially the statement, "and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart..." Two comments struck my by this verse. First is "simplicity of heart," and second is "breaking bread."

I will address the second comment first. The new church met daily, and it revolved around a meal. They ate a meal, in common, EVERY DAY. This served two functions. First, the young believers came together to learn from each other in a casual, friendly setting. Second, they learned to serve one another, going from home to home, sharing a meal. Instead of meeting once a week, maybe twice, they met every day. Instead of meeting for an hour, they reclined at each other's tables for prayer, praise, teaching and encouragement. This is a much different model from today.

My second observation was around the comment, "simplicity of heart." The young Christians had one main love, and that was a love and respect for their God. It played out in their simple faith. My struggle is keeping my faith pure and simple. It's so easy to complicate it with logic and reason, or with blind mysticism. The young believers knew what they believed, mostly based on what they witnessed, and that was enough. I am not discounting, science, logic and reason, as they are necessary for many aspects of life, but I can't let it cloud my simple faith. Instead, science and reason should enhance and magnify my simplicity of heart.

To live in such a place is an amazing place. To have a simple faith; that at the same time allows for amazing discovery through science, logic and reason; is an amazing place. Also, to have strong fellowship with others, to the point that meals are shared on a regular basis, is an incredible way to live.

Spring in Minnesota!

Spring has arrived. In Minnesota, spring is not a season, it's an event. I am amazed, year after year, how Minnesota will go from a blizzard to consistent 60 degree days, all in three days.

With the beautiful weather comes the outdoor chores. But in spring, these tasks don't feel laborious. There is a never-ending list of tasks, and every spring the outdoor tasks seem to take precedence over the indoor tasks (or indoor tasks move out-of-doors when possible): cleaning the flower beds, seeding the yard, cleaning out the garage, cleaning the windows, catching up on that novel, playing baseball, riding bikes.

Along with the household cleaning, spring seems to prompt "mind cleaning." Many times, in spring, my mind seems to be cleared of various "cobwebs." My thoughts are clearer, my creativity sharper, my ambition elevated.

Spring. This is why we live here.

Go Twins!

I love baseball. I grew up watching the Twins, going to games with the neighbors across the street. There is something very American about baseball. I suppose that it has something to do with the way that it brings many people groups together under one umbrella, or stadium light, or dome.

In many ways, baseball reminds me of America. America, when I was growing up, was known as a Melting Pot, much like the professional baseball teams of today (Central and South Americans, Koreans, Japanese, players born in the US, players from Canada, etc.). People gathered in America under one banner, much like the way we rally around our favorite teams. Her citizens tried to stick to the traditions and rules (or at least that's what is portrayed). People tried to get along, and even though there was the occasional bench-clearing brawl, people did their best to come back together as one team.

Today, we would do well to remember the lessons of baseball. The players work hard, are selected for the big leagues by proving themselves (not trying to force their way into the pros). They abide by the rules, and if they take issue with the rules, they work to change the rules through appropriate channels, not disregard them. The players work to function as a cohesive team, and don't demand special treatment because of who they are (the Red Sox and Yankees notwithstanding). The players respect the history and traditions of the game, and yet they are challenged to make it better.

And with that, PLAY BALL.

Rainy Day

It's raining today. Again, or still, depending on how the person views it. Either way, it's wet outside.

The house has been empty for a almost 24 hours now. My wife is at a ladies' retreat, my stepdaughter is with her father, and that leaves me home with the two finches, the two ferrets and a 15 gallon aquarium of assorted fish. And it's raining.

Since cleaning the garage, fixing the front steps, digging out our spot for a garden, or other assorted "outside" tasks are on hold, the kitchen is cleaned up.

I would like to be outside today, but I just can't risk it. Growing up in the late 80's and graduating in the early 90's, I remember what my social studies teachers told us acid rain does to the gargoyles on the French cathedrals, and I just can't chance my nose dissolving away. (Why was science taught in social studies, but the topic was missing in science class...oh,that's another topic.)

The rain will bring, and already is bringing, growth and life back. My yard has changed from a dull, gray-brown to hints of vibrant greens. The dirt left from the snows is slowly washing away, and the plants are starting to regenerate. The rain is necessary, but I wish it would hold off until the work week.

Off to find something else that beckons my attention. Something to escape the rain.

Socialism

The more I contemplate it, I am more convinced that socialism is, perhaps, a perfect economic system. All have everything in common. Power no longer falls in the hands of a few, but it is shared among all. No one is lacking, none is wasteful.

There is only one problem I see with socialism. It demands perfection from all. Those with less cannot demand more without giving back. Those with more cannot withhold. Those of inferior intelligence need to yield to those with superior intelligence. Those with superior intelligence cannot use the power contained within their knowledge.

Alas, therein lies the weakness in socialism. History confirms that humans are not perfect, but are far from it. The next best solution is an economic system that rewards good performance and punishes poor performance (or lack of performance).

That said, I like to imagine a church that operates under a purer economic system. I like to picture a church that, out of selflessness, cares for the poor and the widowed. A picture a church that, while not rewarding sloth, cares for the needy. I envision a leadership praised for it's humility and servanthood, not it's craftiness and scheming. Maybe, just maybe, that's the radical idea that's lacking today, and maybe this model of church will turn the Western church upside down.

$10 Bill

Sometimes living means accepting the small blessings. Walking the 5 blocks between bus transfers, I happened upon a $10 bill. Crumpled like an old napkin, it looked as if it was discarded without regard for the litter it contributed.

Looking around for the rightful owner, and seeing precious few individuals, I picked it up. I thought about the significance of $10. What, really, is $10 in the canvas of life? A lunch? 1/2 the cost of a skim, decaf, mochachino (carob instead of chocolate) with a non-dairy topping? Bus fare for a few rides?

Will the old owner really miss it? It was probably missed yesterday. Next week - possibly. Next week - doubtful. Next year - what $10? I can waste $10 in less creative ways than merely losing it while searching for my car keys.

For me, the $10 bill was two high-fat, low nutrition, breakfast burritos...and $7.50 to spare. It was a small blessing and a small encouragement. I felt that I was being looked after, as if God was saying, "I see you. This is a gift to let you know you are special to Me."

$10. What's it really worth?

Opening salvo

As I sit here in front of my computer, I am thinking, "Who cares what I have to say?" Maybe no one. Maybe millions. At least one does: you are reading this.

There are so many people randomly spreading meaningless words in cyberspace. I don't want to be just another contributor. I want to leave a mark...even if it's little more than the effects of a firecracker in an open field. Maybe not impacting the masses, but it sure had an effect on the grasshopper who inadvertently wandered in at the wrong moment.

Enjoy the posts that follow. If my thoughts and observations cause you to think for a moment, look around; a firecracker may have just blown up in your Starbucks.