Firsts

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

I really want to apologize to my regular readers for my lack of updates this past week. My wife and I have had a great pleasure being with one of our daughters and her husband during the birth of their first child. Truly a miraculous event for anyone but always individually special.

Our new grand-daughter is not our first grand-child, but each one feels like the first. It is something I never cease to be amazed by how wonderfully beautiful and inspiring a birth brings to everyone involved. Each birth is of course the gazillionth birth, but each is a first as well.

I was brought to mind by my daughter of her child's first of firsts. We were visiting her husbands parents and as we got on the elevator, she commented that this was her daughter's 'first' elevator ride. There will also be the first foot steps, first words and first skinned knee.

After arriving back at our hotel, I looked out the window at the I-405 freeway near our hotel. It was a stream of red lights and white lights traveling south and north along this ribbon of pavement. I could only think that one day this darling little girl will have her first drive down this busy stretch of road.

The thought of it shook me a little bit. But I also know that faith in life's firsts means some level of unknown must be accepted. I can try to look way down the road of time and worry about it. Or I can take faith in my first step of just allowing her to be a new born. I can have faith that with the wonderful guidance of her parents, grand-parents and good people around her will clear her path in life.

There will be those moments that each of us encounter. There will be those "skinned knees" each of us get. But we will never get a skinned knee, we will never get any where in life unless we step out in faith.

Unknown events will lay in wait for each of us in our life. But you will never experience life without those firsts that each of us have to encounter. My grand-daughter will get to experience many firsts in her life. You will continue to experience firsts in your life. Simply go forth and experience them with faith.

Inspired by Frenchi

"Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything." ~Willie Dixon

The days slipped by with hopes and fears hanging onto each passing moment as my daughter and son-in-law waited. They knew what was coming and all of their anticipation built up inside until it happened.

A new daughter, a new grand-baby, a new miracle of hope and inspiration was born into this world. New possibility entered our world and life has changed.

Each of us are born as a miracle into this life. That birth is possibility of greatness in many different ways. That birth is also an inspiration to anyone that chooses to draw from it.

My new grand-daughter, Frenchi, has all of the world in front of her. With the love of her parents and those around her, it will also be a great life. It is the same thing I know exists for my other grand-children, for my children, and for anyone else.

A new birth is all the inspiration one needs to know that greatness can be achieved.

Behind the Counter

"Happiness... consists in giving, and in serving others." ~Henry Drummond

There is a gentleman that works in one of our corporate campus cafeteria's. Each and every week day he is there, behind the counter for breakfast and lunch. A smile on his face, a pleasant conversation for anyone that approaches his counter.

Its easy to think that his life is confined to a hot grill and condiments for building masterful sandwiches. We can tend to pigeon-hole people into a particular life by merely viewing the cover of the book. But when you read and find out more of this man's life, something greater emerges.

This particular man has a number of children, quite a bit of activity with them and his church. He truly sounds like a man that has it all when you listen to him speak. And all the while, he serves hundreds of people each and every day but feels he has it all.

Each of us have much more in our lives then we ever seem to admit. But if you sit back and examine what you do have, then you will probably find that you also have it all. Then take another look and see what you do in life; you are probably serving others in some form or another.

There will be times when you are served, but most of your life is spent in service to others. You can complain and whine about it, or you can embrace it and know that in service to others you will get tenfold in return.

The man behind the counter serves others at work, he serves his children, his spouse, and his God. But his attitude tells me that he receives so much more in return by serving others.

Think about how you serve through out your day...then see how much you get in return for all that you do.

Change Again

"All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward." ~Ellen Glasgow

Another election cycle and another change, no more a surprise then the sun coming up in the morning. A change that is touted as the one that will mark a difference. This time we'll get it right, this time we'll truly make a difference.

Funny thing is that several times we have made these party changes in control of our federal government.

United States House of Representatives
1920-1933 Republican Majority
1933-1947 Democrat Majority
1947-1949 Republican Majority
1949-1953 Democrat Majority
1953-1955 Republican Majority
1955-1981 Democrat Majority
1981-1987 Republican Majority
1987-1995 Democrat Majority
1995-2001 Republican Majority
2001-     for one month Democrat Majority
2001-     for four months Republican Majority
2001-2003 Democrat Majority
2003-2007 Republican Majority
2007-2010 Democrat Majority
2010-     Republican Majority

U.S. Senate
1923-1933 Republican Majority
1933-1947 Democrat Majority
1947-1949 Republican Majority
1949-1953 Democrat Majority
1953-1955 Republican Majority
1955-1981 Democrat Majority
1981-1987 Republican Majority
1987-1995 Democrat Majority
1995-2001 Republican Majority
2001-     one month Democrat Majority
2001-     four months Republican Majority
2001-2003 Democrat Majority
2003-2007 Republican Majority
2007-     current Democrat Majority
2009-2011 Democrat Majority

So you look at the lists and wonder, what really has changed? What have we truly accomplished? There are those bits and pieces of movement here and there. But from one party affiliation to the other in control, the change merely becomes change for the sake of change.

So many times parties and candidates talk of change that is needed. They talk of the great things that are finally going to happen. They talk of a mandate from the American people. But nothing truly changes other then the title under their name plates.

As an individual, if all you did was change your hairstyle or clothes, does that really constitute change in your life? Probably not as real change comes from the inside and moving forward with it. Real change consists of not going back over old ground again once the lights fade. Real change means just that, real change.

Change can happen but real change means you never have to make the same change over and over again. How we move on from our old way of doing things makes a difference. If you truly seek change in your life, then vow to never repeat the same habits and mistakes.

So watch out, there is change ahead. What you do with it will make all the difference.