sponsor a child. today.

http://www.compassion.com

thinking

"Think left and think right

and think low and think high.

Oh, the things you can think up

if only you try!"

Dr. Suess

Why I hate religion...

paying it forward

I read last week in one of my various social media scans of a coffee shop with a patron who will occasionally purchase a cup of coffee and leave $100 to be used to buy drinks for others until the money runs out. The patron would stop by weekly and eventually, her actions caught on — most anyone who visits the coffee shop will receive a free treat or will leave money to pay for one for another.

This concept really shook me. In our modern world, we hear all the time about how folks are retreating within themselves most of the time — leaving the bulk of their interaction to that behind a screen. But a story like this one, about someone who truly “pays it forward” — to be cliché — is really inspiring.

I’ve started listening for similar stories around Greenville. I heard of the man who complimented a fellow YMCA goer on how he noticed she is always there, working really hard, and wanted her to know it was paying off. And of the Starbucks employee who gave away some coffee to thank a loyal customer. The friend who bought a hungry man’s groceries. Or of the neighbor who walks her dog every morning and moves papers thrown in yards to porches so they won’t get wet or so her neighbors won’t have to venture too far in the cold to pick them up.

All of these little actions have an impact — whether it lasts five minutes or stays with you so much that you share the story with someone else and walk with a smile all day. It is certainly powerful to think about how easy it is to take an extra, small step to change someone’s day.

So the point of all of this is not to tell you to go out and do something small but just to encourage you to notice when it happens and if this “noticing” leads to action of your own, well that might just be paying it forward after all…

Kate Hofler

Leadership Lessons

Leadership Lessons from Tim Tebow

Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

William Shakespeare

Tim Tebow earned my respect back in 2009 when he played his senior year at the University of Florida. When other college athletes with lesser talent opted to enter the NFL draft, Tebow stayed put and graduated. That choice alone is worth respecting. During his time at Florida, the Gator’s won two national championships and Tebow picked up a Heisman Trophy. 
And unless you are living under a rock, the world has a greater glimpse into the football exploits of the Denver Broncos quarterback. In a recent feature ESPN columnist Rick Reilly profiled some true heroics of Tim Tebow that have nothing to do with what takes place on the field.
Reilly writes, “Each week, Tebow seeks out someone who is suffering, or dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster’s), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them before kickoff, gets them 30-yeard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game sometimes for an hour, has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a gift basket.”
In the interest of full disclosure, I was never a Florida Gator fan nor am I a Broncos fan. But I am sold on Tim Tebow. While some choose to argue the appropriateness of Tebow’s faith on and off the field, he quietly goes about living it in such an authentic way that it is hard to ignore. I, for one, find it refreshing.
Reilly continues, “This whole thing makes no football sense. Most NFL players hardly talk to teammates before a game, much less visit with the sick and dying. Isn’t that a distraction? “Just the opposite,” Tebow says, “It’s by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win they praise you. Lose they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. The game doesn’t really matter. I mean, I’ll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I want to do is not win championships or make money, it’s to invest in people’s lives, to make a difference.”
Legendary coach John Wooden said, “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.” Only time will tell what the future has in store for Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback. But here are three leadership lessons we can learn from him today. 


A strong work ethic. He was ranked among the top quarterback prospects in high school. He won the Heisman Trophy in college in addition to being named the MVP in the national championship game in 2008. He is now the starting quarterback with the Denver Broncos. 
A strong work ethic is an essential leadership trait. Tebow’s success was attained by hard work and overcoming innumerable odds. Any goal worth achieving is worth the hard work it takes to get there.

Life perspective. Even at his relatively young age; Tim Tebow gets it. “It” is the proper balance between the value and rewards of hard work, and understanding his greater purpose in life. It’s a given that Tebow is thoroughly prepared for each game. But at the end of the day he also understands—it’s just a game.
His perspective about life comes not in the X’s and O’s of the football game, but in the eyes of children he has flown in the watch the game who are dying. Leaders with perspective understand that it’s not just about the bottom line on your balance sheet; no, it’s much more important.



Serving causes greater than yourself. It has been exciting to watch his exploits on the football field and to watch him orchestrate some amazing comeback wins for his team. But by far his greatest accomplishments, those with lasting value, have come through his foundation (The Tim Tebow Foundation) and his ability to inspire and give hope to those he meets. Sadly, many people twice his age have a hard time understanding what Tim Tebow lives out on a regular basis. The secret to great leadership is found in a strong work ethic, having the right perspective about life, and serving causes greater than yourself. Thanks to Tim Tebow, many are receiving an invaluable lesson in servant leadership.

© 2012 Doug Dickerson

thought for the day

The grass is always greener where you water it.

lewis

“Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

— C.S. Lewis

a flame

the bristles feel different these days. the figure in my hand fits perfectly as if it were built for me. we've shared many good times. the colors create a high almost. the untouched skin intimidates me. i look to the creator for inspiration. his color, lines and shapes invite me. challenge me. i know if i can just get started it will feed this need in me. it will sustain me.

the canvas stretched out before me. the subject matter unknown. i partake in the pigment. we meet and i am renewed.