Category Archives: Life

God’s hand

Career, Life

I believe when we ask for God’s direction, he either places his hand on our chest or on our back. See, I believe if the door you are planning to walk through is within God’s plan for your life, he places his hand on your back to help you through the door. If what you are planning to do is not in keeping with God’s plan, we will place his hand on your chest to stop you from going through the door. The question is are we listening to God and do we know where his hand is placed?

In 1988, I made a decision that almost cost my family’s financial future. I wanted (yes, I wanted) to buy some fast food restaurants from some friends of mine. Looking back, I believe God not only had his hand on my chest, but I believe he was trying to wrestle me to the ground. Ha. This was a wrong decision for me to make and God knew it, but I wasn’t listening. I did what I wanted to do. The rest of the story is we almost went bankrupt and it took eight years to get out from under that bad decision. After God got my attention, and I knew I was in trouble, like God wants us to do, I went to him and asked for his help; I said to God, “Lord, I have missed it and made a mess of things.” There are some decisions we make that are not easy to undo. Some, in fact, are life-changing. In my case, I had to suffer through the decision and work through the outcome, but I knew God was helping me.

So, with the decision you are planning, has God got his hand on your chest or your back? KT

Cycling

Life

My two son-in-laws got me into cycling two years ago. When I started, I never felt so old, fat and out of shape as I looked around at all the young guys in their fancy riding uniforms. Then, I met Joel and Neil, and it all changed. Joel is 72 years old and Neil is 80, and they both ride with the best of the young guns. As I understand, Neil qualified for the US senior cycling team when he was 79. Joel completes several “centuries” (100 miles) a year and is one of the most in shape guys I have met.

Next time you wonder which sport is the most physical and demanding, well, it’s cycling. The condition you have to be in to do a century tops all sports because its usually a 6-7 hour ride. When you see the Tour de France and think, “that looks easy,” remember those guys ride a century every day for the 20 something days the Tour lasts. The last time I did a moderately long ride, it took me 3 days to recover.

So, I say to myself, it’s never too late to start, but the real challenge is just starting. Isn’t that how it is for most changes in our lives that we know we need to make? It’s the starting that counts and the journey, not the destination. KT

KFC and Chick-fil-A

Life

Ever thought it was too late in your life to start over? I want to tell you two stories.

The story of Colonel Sanders’ “recipe” for Kentucky Fried Chicken is one of those stories you just need to hear. He owned a little restaurant in Corbin, KY, and sold his fried chicken. He was, by all accounts, a very average man, and he had very little financial influence. He heard about the franchising concept, studied it, and wondered if his simple chicken recipe was something he could build on. He was 62 years old when he started. He sold his first franchise in Utah when he was 62 years old, and that is what started the KFC company.  It’s never too late to reach for a new dream and start a new beginning.

While the KFC story is compelling, the Truett Cathy story is one of the greatest of all time. Truett had a local restaurant called the Dwarf Grill south of Atlanta. The Dwarf Grill did ok for a living, and he was considered to be a successful business man. When Truett was 46 years old, he decided to expand beyond the Dwarf Grill and open a restaurant in a mall. The first Chick-fil-A store opened in Greenbrier Mall in 1967. Truett was 46 years old at the time and probably risked his financial future on the idea. They did very well with mall stores across the country during the ’70s and ’80s, but their objective was always to develop the brand and have fee simple free standing stores that they owned. They began to grow Chick-fil-A in the early ’90s with stores like we see today. So, if Truett was 46 when they opened the first mall location, he was well into his 70s when they began to grow the company into how we know it today. Today, Truett is 92 and was still working until several years ago. The idea of retirement never crossed his mind, and the idea of him being too old never crossed his mind. If he had stopped because he was too old, there would be countless families, children, and college students that would have never been touched by this man and his enormous generosity. When the Lord takes Truett home, there will not be enough hotel rooms in Georgia to take care of the people who will come to his going home celebration. What a great example.

So, it’s never too late to start over, and it’s never too late to begin to be who you are supposed to be. KT

What real heroes look like

Career, Family, Life

If you ever wanted to see a real hero, just go to the airport and stand where the passengers come through after they land. Look for a wife, husband, children or parents that will be holding a sign that says things like “welcome home daddy,” “Welcome home son,” or “Welcome home daughter.” Then, watch as a soldier, wearing the most revered uniform on the globe, walks up to his/her family and says, “I’m home.” That’s what a real hero looks like.

If you look closely, what you will see missing is any camera man and news reporter holding a microphone that says ABC, NBC, CBS, USA-Today, etc. The reason is they don’t believe these events are newsworthy and represent subjects the readers will want to hear about.

Why am I writing about this? In the USA-Today dated February 24th, 2014, there are 5, that’s right 5, articles on the same pro athlete that announced his new lifestyle choice. This pro athlete is celebrated and heralded as an iconic hero for all to see and read about. He will be interviewed, photographed, invited to talk shows and basically told, “you are the example of an American hero.” You probably don’t want to hear what I think about this.

The soldier that got off the airplane is paid probably a notch or two above minimum wage and wasn’t drafted, rather he/she raised their hand and volunteered for duty. That same soldier left, in many cases, a young wife and young children in base housing somewhere while they were deployed for months. So, the next time you see a soldier in the airport, shake their hand and say “thank you” because they will never get the respect from the media, but they deserve it so much more.

ABC, NBC, CBS, USA-Today reporters (I am guessing) have never visited, seen or covered a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. I have, and I can tell you that there is not a more humbling experience than to look out over the acres and acres of white tombstones from all wars and all decades over the past 100 years. If you want to be humbled, and you want to see what a real hero looks like, well there it is. KT

It’s the simple things

Life

It’s the simple things and simple moments that make us who we are. The big events are the byproduct of who and what we are.

It’s the unconditional love of a parent, the love and respect of a wife or husband, the grandchild calling your name, the peace of knowing things are right between you and God, the smell of Starbucks coffee in the morning, and I could go on.

See, we must choose to embrace these moments and choose to live our lives in a way that puts us in the spiritual place to see these moments for what they are. Have you ever been really at peace and notice things like flowers and scenery you often just hurry by without noticing? We all have. I find that when you are right before God, that the greatest moments of peace always seem to follow.

The hymn “It is well with my soul” was written by a father/husband after he had lost his wife and children on a ship that sank. How this father/husband could pen the words to that song after his loss is beside me. As I have said before, sometimes the greatest moments of clarity, focus and peace come from taking a personal inventory of now. Literally now. I have found when we do this, it settles much of the anxiety and rush to accomplish and replaces it with thanksgiving and peace. The Bible speaks of the peace that passes understanding. I believe we see and feel that peace when we stop to give thanks for the now, rather than our list of wants and desires. KT