Author Archive
You have to bake the cake before you put frosting on it
Posted by: | CommentsIn 1994, I was an Assistant Manager for Wal-Mart in Fairfax, Virginia. It was a stressful time of year for us. We had just finished having a visit from Discount Store News (that is a big time magazine for retailers). All of the executives from Target, Kmart were there touring our store. We had a great visit. Just when we were getting back into our normal routine we received a call from a Sr. Executive at Wal-Mart. We were going to get a visit from Wall Street. Sam Walton had died a few years earlier and they wanted to know why our stock was going down and if we could survive without Mr. Sam.
Luckily, we had a month to prepare for our next visit. The pep talk to our management team from our District Manager, “Well we have to have a good visit because there are so hundreds of thousands of employees that are counting on you, our company is relying on you and our stock holders need you to help the stock prices go back up. Oh, and if we get a bad visit, you are all fired.” He didn’t even laugh when he said it.
We worked our tails off and the store looked great. The Wall Street team came and toured around the location with us. They asked question after question. We had answers.
Here is what blew me away. When we were touring the store, they asked us about the basics. Merchandise being instock, pricing, and checking people out. We had gone over the top with decorating the store, cleaning the store, balloons, streamers, etc. Yet, they loved the basics, not the fluff. This is where one of my favorite sayings came from. “You have to bake the cake before you put the frosting on.”
What area of your life, job, relationship with your spouse, etc. do you need to focus on the basics instead of all the fluff?
BTW, the tour went great, we didn’t get fired and our stock price went up.
Crosspoint.tv
Posted by: | CommentsMy weekend at Crosspoint.tv.
In September of 2010, my wife and I visited Crosspoint.tv, a church in Nashville, Tennessee. I went there to interview for a staff position. I was blown away by the amazing staff they have. After only one weekend I felt like I had known them forever.
We arrived in Nashville and met Jenni Catron and her husband, as well as Chris Surratt and his wife. We had dinner, chatted and then went to a yogurt place where we just hung out like we had been friends for a long time.
The next day, we went with Jenni to the Nashville campus and heard their Sr. Pastor Pete Wilson teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I already felt a connection to this place, because a good friend of mine and a former co-worker named Blake Bergstrom is the pastor at the Nashville location. He wasn’t there the weekend we visited, he was climbing some small mountain in another country, called “Mt Kilimanjaro”J. I really enjoyed my visit at the Nashville campus. Maurine and I loved the worship, we especially loved the song “All the Pretty Things” by Tenth Avenue North.
We then jumped in the car and went to the campus I was interviewing for. It was about 45 minutes outside of Nashville. This location met in a school and it was really neat. Small town, but very nice, and great people.
Then we headed back to Nashville to have dinner with Jenni, Pete Wilson and my beautiful wife. I was honored to meet Pete and just chat with him.
Our visit was over and the next morning we headed back to Edmond, Oklahoma. My brain was spinning 100 mph. I enjoyed everything, but this was a big decision. Picking up and moving my entire family is a scary thing for me. The decision wouldn’t just affect me, but my entire family. I knew this had to be God’s decision.
If they would have offered me a job that day, I would have said yes. But, here is where God comes in. Jenni was very busy the next few weeks, so both Crosspoint.tv and I had some time to really pray and seek God’s direction. Even thought I originally thought it was the right thing, I started feeling it wasn’t the right timing for our family. I would have been in the wrong seat on the bus. Did I call and tell them I was no longer interested. No, I waited, because I didn’t want to manipulate the decision. I wanted to hear from God.
Jenni called a few weeks later to let me know that I did not get the job and they had offered it to a young man that had experience leading small churches. I was very relieved. I love this place and what it is doing for God’s Kingdom. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t in God’s plan for me and my family at that time.
Thank you God for allowing me to be where you want me to be.
How would you like to save $500-$1,000
Posted by: | CommentsWhat I have noticed about being in the insurance field again, many people are paying too much for their insurance. Most people I speak with have been with their insurance agent because it is who their parents use, it is their friend or it is someone in their family. Many people don’t shop around to see if they are getting the best rate or check to see if they are properly covered.
Some of the companies with the best price and good coverage are some of the companies you have seen on commercials, however, they don’t go over the top on advertising. They pass the money they are saving on advertising to you, the customer. Normally the companies that do a lot of advertising are more expensive. Don’t get me wrong, they are great companies with “A” ratings, but keep in mind you are paying for the advertising and overhead of these companies.
I encourage you to take a look at your insurance bills and if you think you are paying too much, give me a call.
Update from Rodney
Posted by: | CommentsI just want to let you all know about a few changes in my life. God has been stirring in me for the past several months that something was going to be changing in my life. If you do not know, I recently left LifeChurch.tv to pursue where God is calling me. It has been a stressful few months not knowing where I was going to be. The transition period has definitely stretched me.
Well to bring you up to date, here is the plan that God has brought me to. He has opened a couple of different doors that I am really excited about. I am going to be selling auto & home insurance with Jim Bryan Insurance in Edmond and also am going to be the Pastor of Chickasha Life Church in Chickasha! I am excited that I get to do both things that I love!
The Chickasha Life Church will be launching in January. If you would like to help out or know someone in the Chickasha area, please let me know.
God is good!
Turn on your turn signal please
Posted by: | CommentsI found a new pet peeve. When someone doesn’t turn their turn signal on it drives me nuts. I moved back to Oklahoma from Chicago, where everyone uses their signal. It is a way to communicate when you are driving. It tells you that you are turning or you are changing lanes. This is a very simple form of communication.
Remember I said it is simple, so why is it so hard for Okies to figure this out. Is this why our car insurance is so high? Because people are getting rear ended or smacked one way or another. I don’t believe for once that insurance is so high because of all the uninsured drivers. It has to be because of the misuse of turn signals.
I am thinking the only people that are exempt from turn signals are people who live on dirt roads and only when they are turning in their drive way. Other than that, turn on your stinking turn signals but please don’t forget to turn them off. Because that drives me crazy also.
Vinnie part 3
Posted by: | CommentsAs I was wrapping up my conversation with Vinnie the other day, he told me a story I cannot get out of my head.
Vinnie told me that in his village in Vietnam, the leader of his village would call everyone out of their homes and ask them one question, “are you a Christian?” If they say “no” they have to walk on a cross that had been buried in the ground. The purpose of it is to publicly denounce God. If they say “yes”, they are beheaded right there in front of everyone in the village. Wow!
If I were faced with this situation what would I do? Would I tell them the truth? It would be very easy to lie and say no. This is where the rubber hits the road. Tell a lie and live or tell the truth and die.
What would I do? What would you do and why?
Vinnie Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsWhen Vinnie was 10 years old his family left Vietnam to come to America. He was on a boat without food and they got 2 teaspoons of water a day. 2 TEASPOONS OF WATER A DAY! One day they didn’t have any more water so everyone on the boat prayed for water. Guess what? It started to rain. Their prayers were answered.
They ended up on an island and were eventually rescued by a plane. They were then picked up by helicopter and eventually ended up at O’Hare airport in Chicago. When they got off the plane he said he felt like he was in heaven. Even though all they owned was the clothes they were wearing.
He then told me he never complains because of what he went through. There were many people on the trip that weren’t as lucky as him.
God, I thank you for bringing Vinnie into my life and thank you for allowing Vinnie to show your love. God I also ask for the words to share with Vinnie as he asks more questions about you.
Vinnie
Posted by: | CommentsI had the privilege of meeting a man named Vinnie. His story/testimony takes your breath away. Vinnie is from Vietnam. Someone shared the story of Christ to his grandfather who at the time was an atheist. Actually almost the entire village was atheist.
Vinnie said his grandfather accepted Jesus Christ into his heart but they couldn’t celebrate like we do today, because in his country you would be killed if you were seen talking about your faith or even praying. So he prayed late at night and talked about God in private.
Two things stuck out to me as Vinnie was telling me his story
- who was this man that spoke to his grandfather? You weren’t supposed to share the gospel or you would be executed. This man didn’t care, he did it anyway. This man is a hero in my eyes.
- Vinnie’s grandfather then lead his family to Christ. He was the spiritual leader of the family. He had his family stay up late after others were asleep in the village to share the good news of Christ.
I think of the courage of the man that spoke to Vinnie’s grandfather. I hear people all the time say they won’t ask a friend or invite a neighbor to come to church, because they are embarrassed, not because their life has been threatened.
I also think of the families that have no spiritual leader in the home. Your family tree could be changed just by being the spiritual leader God wants you to be.
So the choice is yours, sit and be quiet or share your love for Jesus Christ and what He did for everyone.
Allaus Coffee Shop
Posted by: | CommentsI love the smell of coffee but I can’t stand the taste. So why on Wednesday mornings do I go to Allaus Coffee Shop in Edmond, OK at 7:00 am? I meet with friends to talk about life. We discuss family, friends, work, our children, but mostly we talk about God. The time we spend at the coffee shop is so valuable to me. To be honest, I really dislike getting up earlier than normal to go. Afterwards, I feel rejuvenated and ready to enjoy the day and the rest of my week.
It isn’t just the conversation I have that energizes me. It is seeing high school students there meeting with a Catholic Priest doing the same thing we are doing. When I was in school there was no way I would have gotten up that early to talk about God. Watching them uplifts me. I also enjoy the owner who has his high school aged daughter behind the counter before school. I wouldn’t have done that either. She looks very tired but never complains, at least in public.
I sure hope you are spending time every week with someone you can talk to, have fellowship with, and most of all encounter God’s grace. If not, what is stopping you?
Whispers part 1
Posted by: | CommentsGivers
I am blown away by people that give the shirt off of their back. They give away cars, food, money, toys, and much more and without hesitation. Just today, I heard of two more people like this. One is taking blankets to the homeless on Christmas morning, because that is their burden, this is what God is whispering to them. The other is giving the guys and gals in a halfway house socks, underwear, coats, etc. This person also picks them up and brings them to church. WOW!
Then there’s others who stop at the corner for the guy or gal that is asking for money. This person doesn’t just give money, they will give them something to eat and drink. Plus, they pray with the guy or gal asking for money. Another example, I have a lady I work with who when she meets someone in need she acts upon it. She has even followed people to the gas station to pay for their gas. Crazy!
These people are listening to God’s whisper and they happen to have the spiritual gift of giving. Are you utilizing your spiritual gifts and obeying His whisper?
