Encouragement from a friend can have a far greater impact than we often realize. This morning a friend from another city randomly sent me a text to say, “I was thinking about you. I greatly appreciate our friendship.” This small but kind act put a smile on my face, joy in my heart and gave me a boost for the ...
My wife, Kathy, is masterful at showing recognition and appreciation to others. It’s rare for me to go into a retail store or business with Kathy without seeing her stop to praise someone for a job well done or to appreciate their value. There’s a difference between recognition and appreciation. Recognition is when you give positive praise or feedback for someone’s ...
The Labor Department produces an annual American Time Use Survey. According to the Wall Street Journal, a recent survey discovered that working women are working longer hours on the job, spend more time caring for children and do more work around the house than previous years. But, working women spend less time relaxing, exercising and sleeping. Author and sociologist, Caitlyn ...
When I was in banking, part of my job was to develop business relationships with some very prominent local companies. The CEOs of these companies were pursued by so many others, it would sometimes be nearly impossible to secure a meeting with them. I eventually learned the power of just the right gift. If I could invite the CEO to ...
Judy had a budget to buy a gift for herself that would remind her in the future of her trip to the Holy Land. She spent that budgeted amount on a beautiful pair of earrings at a shop in Bethlehem owned by Arab Christian brothers. While visiting the Wailing Wall, Judy lost one of her new earrings! This loss, on ...
Steve’s first job after college was in truck manufacturing. One of Steve’s fellow employees found out that Steve was a Christian and began harassing Steve and calling him terrible names. Not knowing what to do, Steve decided to follow Jesus and “turn the other cheek”. Steve later realized that ignoring this man’s harassment wasn’t working and felt the Holy Spirit ...
Vicki Heath, a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines, befriended Tracy Sharp on a flight to Houston. On that flight, Tracy, a woman with Down Syndrome, shared with Vicki her dream of being a flight attendant. Vicki began calling Southwest personnel for approval to help fulfill Tracy’s dream to become a flight attendant. Weeks later, on a flight from Sacramento to ...
Sometimes work can be lonely. Socializing can seem inappropriate, or hard to navigate between sexes. A Harvard Business Review article reports that “eighty-one percent of women feel excluded socially at work.” This revelation can be discouraging, but then I’m reminded of the story in John 4. An ostracized Samaritan woman was at her workplace; a well, drawing water alone. In ...
When I learned my father’s surgery was being done at Research Hospital, I was apprehensive. Research is in one of the most blighted and crime-ridden areas of our city. Safety and level of care were concerns of mine, especially since my wife Kathy was to stay with dad in the hospital. As a former registered nurse, Kathy, has high expectations ...
There used to be a degree of civility and respect that permeated most workplaces. This seems to be harder to find in today’s world. The issues of the day can be so contentious that many workers tend to avoid controversial conversations at all. When people do engage, it can lead to tempers flaring. As Christians in the workplace we have ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
