Category Archives: Life

Granny Bell

Family, Life

There is an old Baptist hymn named, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. The earliest memory I have of the song was one summer when I was at my Granny Bell’s house (my mother’s mother) and I was probably 6 or 7 years old. She took me to Peach Orchard Baptist church for bible school. I remember it just like it was yesterday, her standing beside me singing this song and holding the hymnal so I could see the words. I remember her voice and her very presence at that moment and every time I hear the song, I think of her. Granny Bell died young at 63 of a heart condition in 1975.

The song depicts a person asking for streams of mercy to never cease and for the lord to tune his heart to sing his praise. It speaks of his redeeming love. In verse four it says, O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be, let thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. What incredible lyrics.

The point is you never know what a simple memory will mean to your children and grandchildren. We get caught up in the hurry of life and don’t realize what little moments mean. This story of my grandmother is a good example. She took the time to be with me that day when she probably had many other more important things to do but it was that moment that stays with me today. She was a dear sweet woman and loved her family with all her heart. KT

Failure can be a powerful teacher

Career, Life

I have failed more times than I want to admit. With each failure I received a PhD in what I would never do again. I will mention two personal failures to make my point. 31 years ago, I invested in some fast food restaurants that failed miserably and almost bankrupted me and then 18 years ago I invested with someone on a land development deal and that same person sold the land and stole all the money I had invested with him.

The title of this blog is, “failure can be a powerful teacher” and I want to share a couple of things. First, you will not understand what you learned by the failure until later. When you are close it, you can’t see it. It is only after reflection that you truly grasp the lesson. Second, a failure teaches you not only the questions to ask, but more importantly, the questions you didn’t know to ask. Thirdly, a failure can give you an incredible understanding of the details you need to address when contemplating a financial move. Lastly, it teaches you the true meaning of liability and risk when you put your name on a document.

See, you can’t really learn these things in a classroom setting and if you did learn them, it would not carry the same weight of conviction and understanding as it does if you experience it. Thankfully, we can be persuaded and educated without having to experience it ourselves. A good friend or advisor can teach us (if we will listen) all the downsides of a decision. If we trust that person, many times it can save us from failure.

Both of those personal failures mentioned above, while incredibly painful, taught me more than I could have ever learned any other way. If you look at the lives of most every successful person or company and if you look closely, you will see that they became who they are, due in large to failures along the way. Failure is a very painful teacher but if you let it, it can teach you life long lessons that will impact you and your family’s future. KT

Mark Twain quote

Life

Mark Twain passed away in 1910 and has been commonly referred to as, the father of American Literature. He has been credited with many quotes during his life, but one is of special interest to me because it is so very true. He said, “the two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”

I was consulting with a man several months back and it became clear to me that the answer he was seeking in life was only going to be realized if he found his why. The term, finding his why, means to find the purpose for his life. He was/is just going through the motions of life. No focus, no calling and no passion. He is in what is referred to as a rut. I recommended a several day escape to a cabin, so he could retool, refuel, pray, reflect and let God reveal to him what his purpose is. He declined my advice and wanted to keep doing what he had been doing. I have no doubt he will be in the same place in his life five years from as he is today.

There are many misconceptions about finding your why. Many people think it must be some magnificent purpose that will change the world. That is incorrect. It could be as simple being the father or mother you should be to your children. Do you think Morrow Graham wanted to be the CEO of the world?  No, her calling and purpose was to be the mother she should be for her son, Billy Graham. How about Nancy Lincoln? Her calling was to be the mother her son needed. His name was Abraham Lincoln.

So, you see, your purpose isn’t always something grand. Many times, it is being the light in world right where you are.  The difference is that you know your why and it is the knowing, that will release you, warms your spirit and gives you the rest and peace you are looking for. KT

Willing to give it all

Life

When someone joins the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines they are in effect, signing a blank check made payable to the United States Federal Government that basically says the check is for any amount up to and including their life. I want you to think about all the service men and women that were drafted and or volunteered to serve their country and never came home. Their check included the cost of their life.

By way of example, there were 320,518 men and women in World War I and 1,076245 in World War II and 211,454 in Vietnam that never got the chance to come home. Most were so young, and they never got the chance to have families, live in peace and grow old in America. They put it all on the line so that you and I could live in a free country today. When you see those numbers, it may not register what those numbers means, therefore here is another number. There are 35,000+/- cities and towns across America. Using the World War II death toll, it would mean that in my hometown of McDonough GA there was an average of 31 funerals of young men that left for war and did not come home alive. Using the three towns closest to McDonough (15 miles apart) there were 100+/- funerals in our area just from World War II. That is 100 young men and women that went to school, church, went on dates and played on ball teams that were killed in action and were laid to rest in our home town.

There are many people today that do not respect the American flag or the national anthem and have no regard and no thankfulness for what these people did to save our way of life. So, when you see people disrespecting our military, our history and our country, let us be careful to not identify them as heroes. The heroes are the ones that died on foreign soil and gave up their chance at life, so you and I could have ours. So, the next time you see the American flag or hear the national anthem, stop, listen, reflect on history and be thankful. KT