The Journey or the Opportunity

Every so often you come upon an opportunity or a chance to be involved in something so great you are left wondering how it happens that you get to do this. These are the moments that you undoubtedly spend you life working towards. They are the moments that you live for. They are the moments that the rest of your life is spent preparing for. And because of that fact these are the moments that really should not surprise us.

The farmer spends a great portion of his time throwing out seed, fertilizing, weeding, watering, and tending to his garden. He spends a relatively short amount of time harvesting his crop in comparison to the amount of time spent taking care of it.

In relation we will find ourselves spending a large portion of our life preparing for the “big” moments of our life. And what we have to understand and appreciate is the fact that when these great moments arrive they often don’t last nearly as long as we would hope. They are there. We get to be a part of them. But in reality the majority of our life is spent on the journey. The process of getting there. This is what we were designed for. It was what we were created for. And it is what we have to learn to enjoy.

The journey…the process of getting there is really what it is all about. It is what people want to hear about, it is what inspires people, and it is where we learn and grow.

When we continually approach our life with the desire to grow and to learn we will find ourselves ready for the great moments that await us and for which our Creator allows us to enjoy. God desires that we be blessed, that we prosper, and that we look forward to the future with anticipation. Even when we think our circumstances are saying something different to us…we are still blessed. We just have to open ourselves up to that blessing. The things that want to say something different to us really have no authority to do so. How can money, health, relationships tell us something different than God’s Word. Oh, they will try to tell us something different, but to whom should we really be listening?

Today is another day to prepare you for that brighter and better future. Today is another opportunity to enjoy the journey you are on. Today is another day that you will have as a part of your story that people will want to listen to.

Go ahead…prepare yourself.

Genesis 24:40 – “He replied, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success…”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

We Go for the Overall

“Johan,” said Lance. “I don’t know. I mean, maybe we should think about which stages we can win.” Johan looked deeply into Lance’s eyes and answered with “No.” “No. We go for the overall.” Johan stared back at Lance and could tell that the doubt wasn’t coming from his heart. It wasn’t real doubt. “We are going to win the whole thing.” Johan repeated slowly.

Lance nodded and then he grinned. He sat back from the table that all the tour route papers were spread on. He shook his head, but he wasn’t saying no. He was saying, “I can’t believe I believe this.”

Their approach to victory was unconventional. When all the other teams were racing up to 100 races from early April to late October US Postal set its sights on one race. The Tour de France. Sure some of the team showed up at some of the Classics and Grand Tours, but Lance for the most part showed up for THE Tour. He took criticism for this as well. Some said it was unfair…but then again no one else has the record he has either.

Sometimes you just have to know when it is time to go. There are times in our lives that we need to race the Classics and the Grand Tours and even some of the small regional events. But then there is a time to focus. A time to set your sights on the prize and just go for it. A time to train specifically and strategically. A time that for some is right now.

You know you’ve been waiting for it and you are sitting there right now just as Lance and Johan did. It’s as though Johan is saying to you, “You are going to win the whole thing.” And you are there shaking your head…but you’re not saying no.

Johan and Lance had this conversation before they ever won a race together. They had this conversation before they had even really started training. They had no proof in what they believed, other than the fact that they could see what wasn’t even there yet. They had hope. And then they had a plan. A plan that was unconventional. A plan that consisted of a lot of solitary riding for Lance when everyone rode and trained as a team. When all of the other teams were training where they could be seen and photographed so their sponsors received a lot of exposure Lance trained in the mountains when no one else was there. Riding 7, 8, 9 hours a day all alone up and down the same steep switchbacks that he would be riding during the tour. People didn’t understand. But Johan and Lance had hope and they could see the finish…on the podium in the yellow jersey.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it well when he said this… “To be great is to be misunderstood.”

People don’t have to understand what you are doing or why. You just have to believe in what you are doing and you have to envision where you are going to end up. Do this…in alignment with God’s plan and purpose for your life and you will succeed.

I Corinthians 2:14 – “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

A Great Source of Learning

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates

Do your toughest customers spur you on to be better or do they ruin your day and cause you to be bitter?

Just as in any of the challenges that we face in life…our toughest customers have the potential to bring about some of the greatest learning experiences we will ever encounter. It all depends on the attitude and the resolve we decide to approach the situation with. I recall a sign in my parents restaurant growing up that listed why customers leave and don’t come back. And the biggest reason was an attitude of indifference of an employee. As a young boy I didn’t really get that. But now I certainly do.

Those that are committed to succeeding in what they do will never express an attitude of indifference to a customer. Even if you don’t agree with what they are saying or even if they are totally wrong…you won’t express an attitude of indifference. You may ask them to leave or you may have to tell them there is absolutely nothing you can do, but at least you will be honest with them and they will know exactly where they stand. It is the uncaring or the patronizing comments that customers can read through and do not appreciate.

So the next time you have to deal with an extremely difficult customer or person in your business or in any aspect of your life; ask yourself, “What can I learn from this situation?” Because there absolutely will be a lesson in it if you are open to it. And if you are open to learning from it the difficult person you are dealing with will not experience an attitude of indifference from you.

Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

A Great Source of Learning

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates

Do your toughest customers spur you on to be better or do they ruin your day and cause you to be bitter?

Just as in any of the challenges that we face in life…our toughest customers have the potential to bring about some of the greatest learning experiences we will ever encounter. It all depends on the attitude and the resolve we decide to approach the situation with. I recall a sign in my parents restaurant growing up that listed why customers leave and don’t come back. And the biggest reason was an attitude of indifference of an employee. As a young boy I didn’t really get that. But now I certainly do.

Those that are committed to succeeding in what they do will never express an attitude of indifference to a customer. Even if you don’t agree with what they are saying or even if they are totally wrong…you won’t express an attitude of indifference. You may ask them to leave or you may have to tell them there is absolutely nothing you can do, but at least you will be honest with them and they will know exactly where they stand. It is the uncaring or the patronizing comments that customers can read through and do not appreciate.

So the next time you have to deal with an extremely difficult customer or person in your business or in any aspect of your life; ask yourself, “What can I learn from this situation?” Because there absolutely will be a lesson in it if you are open to it. And if you are open to learning from it the difficult person you are dealing with will not experience an attitude of indifference from you.

Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

To Work, To Worship, or Both?

“I’ll be great in about 45-minutes.” How often have you heard that from someone when you have asked how he or she were doing at 4:15 on a Friday afternoon. They were looking forward to being done with work for the week. Or you may enter a store only to be greeted with the feeling that you are being quite an inconvenience to the person serving you.

America has gone through quite a transition. It used to be that Americans were thought of as very hard-working industrious people. And many still are. But in the midst of this the love for what people do has somehow slipped. It used to be that people went into a work that they were good at. Something that they loved. Whether it was carpentry, or a blacksmith, or a farmer. They went into that particular vocation because they loved it and they enjoyed what they were doing. Pretty soon people started doing something just because it was what there parents did and it was expected of them. Pretty soon it wasn’t so much a matter of what their parents did but rather the deciding factor for a vocation was what it paid. How much can I make if I do this or if I do that? Careers and vocations were chosen by pay rather than a love for what you do.

There certainly not a problem with making a very decent living doing what you do. In fact if you are going to commit a great deal of time to something it is a good thing if you are compensated fairly for what you do. But the problem comes in when you hate what you are doing. People try to justify by compartmentalizing their lives. They worship on Sunday, they work Monday through Friday and they take Saturday as a day to just catch up with things around the house. But the Bible doesn’t really allow for a differentiation between our work and our worship. Our lives should be lived out in a mode of worship in all that we do. How we approach our work should be worship unto our God. How we live our lives at home should be a reflection of our worship unto God. How we take care of our homes and all that we have should be a reflection of our worship unto God. There is no differentiation allowed for.

When we have a great deal of discontent for our work we certainly are not glorifying god through it. Either we need a change of heart towards our work or we need a change of vocation. If you cannot worship through your work than you need to make a change. It doesn’t matter what you do or where you work…how you work should be worship to God. People should be able to see it in how and what you do.

Think about it today. Approach your work with an attitude of worship.

Psalms 34:1 – “I will bless the Lord at all times.”

1 Thessalonians 18:17 – “In everything give thanks…”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Pass The Eyes Please

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

When asked to explain the difference between himself and the average person, Albert Einstein answered with this. The average person, when asked to find the needle in the haystack will stop when he finds the needle. Einstein said that he didn’t stop until he was sure he had found ALL possible needles in the haystack.

“The real act of discovery is not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

Tonight I was lacking the vision to write something fresh and new. At times like this I marvel at the wondrous nature of the Word of God. The fact that there is this book of words that have been read innumerable times and yet if you ask anyone who has read it time and time again, and they will tell you that they get something new and fresh from it each instance. Incredible.

The most amazing thing about this is the fact that God used people…just like you and me to accomplish this. It means that while we should not think we would be writing things that compete with God’s word…it does shed some light on the capabilities that we have within us when we hook up with God.

Our vision is only limited by the blinders we put on ourselves. Take a moment and survey your life. What blinders have you put on yourself? Money, time, family background, relational problems, insecurities, and the list could go on and on. These and many more are all blinders that we put on ourselves. We allow these things to limit the dreams and the possibilities that we see for ourselves, when in fact there should be nothing that limits us.

Take some time today for creating a vision.

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Bees Can't Fly...or Can They?

Fortunately for the bumblebee it can’t read. If it could it may find out that it can’t fly. Several years a group of scientists got together to study the bumblebee and determined that because of the weight of the bee, the configuration of it’s body, and the size of its wings, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly.

There will be times in your life that if you were to judge whether or not you could fly based on the circumstances surrounding you at that moment, you would have to say no. Fortunately for us we do not determine whether we can fly based on our circumstances. You have to wonder; does the bumblebee spend its life jealous of the more sleek and slender, wasp like body of the honeybee? Does it wonder why it can’t have a body like that? Why wasn’t the honeybee given the same opportunity to speed along like the honeybee? I rather doubt that the bumblebee spends it life wondering why things happened as they did. Instead the bumblebee is busy going about its purpose here on earth. It must in order to sustain itself and to stay alive.

As people we can spend a lot of time trying to figure out why our circumstances are different than somebody else’s, why we weren’t given the same opportunity, why we didn’t grow up in the nice neighborhood, why we didn’t get the great high-paying job right out of college or school. Or we can focus our attention on going ahead and getting it done for ourselves.

If the farmer waited for perfect conditions he would never get anything planted. This is especially true in Wisconsin. The weather changes quickly, the forecast seems to always have the possibility of rain. So at some point the farmer decides he just has to go out and do it.
The very thing applies in our lives. We may have a great idea, but we are waiting for the right conditions, the right timing, and the right situation to come around, while in reality there is never going to be the perfect time. We have to decide if it is the right thing for us and be willing to move ahead.

Today is the day to move ahead. Ask yourself, “What have I been putting off that I know I should move ahead with?” Then make your plans and begin to act.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 – “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”


Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Fear Not

Do you know what the most common command in the Bible is? Take just a moment to think about this.

The most common command found in the Bible…repeated the most times…is “Do not be afraid.” That command shows up over 300 times in the Bible.

There are many other helpful commands and things that I personally would have guessed to be the most common command found in scripture. But then I thought about what this really means, and I get it.

As I have said many times before…fear is the absence of faith. One of the greatest producers of fear is worry. When you are worrying about something you are afraid of what might take place. What might happen. And when you are doing that you are placing faith in your own abilities or lack there-of to get things done. When you are operating in faith you are placing your trust in God’s abilities to get things done.

I do my best to not worry much…but I have my moments just as anybody else. And when I think about those moments I realize that my worry is really the fear of what might happen. So how do you eliminate that fear? Well, you can put your own safeguards in place. There is a certain value attached to good planning…I believe God wants us to be wise. But, we cannot allow our own good planning to take the place of God’s ability to take care of us. And that is what happens to so many people. You can see it written on the faces of individuals when the economy struggles, when gas prices go up, when there is a glitch in the health-care system. When those types of issues send chills down your spine that you can’t shake you have to do a personal survey of what you are placing your faith in. Is it really in God or is it in your own ability to plan and provide?

Just a few thoughts today to get you thinking.

Isaiah 43:1-3 – “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;…”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

The Cure

“Part of the cure is the desire to be cured.” – Anonymous

A part of moving on and moving ahead is the desire to want to do so. While talking to many different people facing many tough situations I have made some observations of my own. One of them being that even though somebody may have come to talk to me with the hope of receiving direction on how to change the course they were on, they may not have the desire yet to do so.

When you first read the above quote you may find it a bit absurd. If somebody needs a cure and is offered one, you would think it insane that they wouldn’t accept it. Yet that is exactly what happens time and again. People begin to own their problems. They take ownership of them and when faced with losing it they will often hold on even stronger…even though it may be destroying their life. When you verbalize the words and say it is “my addiction…my depression…my difficulties…my struggle…you are verbalizing the fact that these issues belong to you…they are yours. And the power of what you verbalize is incredibly strong. So by saying they are your problem that is exactly what they become. And losing something that you own is never easy…even if it is something you despise.

So how do you break free? It begins by disowning the things that you have taken ownership of. And then making the decision to give it up. What happens is people begin to find a certain amount of comfort in their handicaps. If they didn’t succeed at something they can always fall back on their addiction, their depression, they difficulties, their struggles as the reason they didn’t do well. If they disown these things and walk away from them they will no longer have an excuse waiting in the wings for their failure. They would actually have to take responsibility for what they have or have not accomplished. And that can be tough.

So once you have disowned those things you have taken ownership of you begin to step out and take on new projects and experience new accomplishments as you move ahead without the handicap you once owned. You will find that without that weight attached, you are able to have more successes and that you are finding yourself looking for that always handy excuse less often.

While this may be an extreme oversimplification of a fairly complex situation…it really can be this simple when your strength to do it is coming from the Savior living within you. So today I challenge you to take inventory. Ask yourself what item…what area…have you been threatening a change but have found yourself repeatedly returning to your old ways. Have you taken ownership of the habit? If so…right now I challenge you to disown it. Cast it down. And make a vow to move ahead without it.

Philippians 3:12-14 – “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Training Time

Not that I want to ever take pleasure in somebody else’s pain…but yesterday morning I felt pretty good when I passed a guy riding his bike. He was going up a bit of a hill, but then again so was I. And I wasn’t on a bike…I was running.

This got me thinking. It wasn’t that the guy couldn’t have ridden faster; it’s just that he hadn’t trained enough to climb the hill with ease. I’m sure he was feeling a little burning in his legs and he actually did get to a point where he quit riding and starting walking his bike up the hill.

You can’t perform at a higher level than what you have trained for. You can sometimes fake your way through shorter and easier races, but when you get to a certain level of performance or the longer distances it is pretty hard to fake your way through.

Training isn’t easy. Especially when you are just starting out and are new to the concept. The first long run or bike ride, the first time climbing a steep hill, or the first time you set out to swim for an hour non-stop. These can be pretty tough and can be quite challenging. Yet after you have done it a number of times you find that it isn’t so challenging anymore. In fact you can begin to pick up the speed a little bit just to make it a bit more challenging.

What are doing in your life right now that is training you for the future? Have you made a decision that requires a good amount of faith just to make it through? Have you bitten off more than you can chew? Have you committed to something that aren’t quite able to accomplish on your own?

I’m not saying we should always be over-committing, I’m not saying we should always bite off more than we can chew. But what I am saying is that it is ok to take steps like these once in a while. It is okay to stretch ourselves and it is ok to operate in a mode where all we have to cling to is our faith. It is in these moments that our relationship with God becomes very real and very clear.

Do some training today. I don’t want to run pass any of you while you are on your bike!!

1 Timothy 4:8-9 – “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Step by Step

In this past I have alluded to the fact that I really don’t have a lot of use for the books or articles that give a supposed 1, 2, 3 approach to success. I just feel that there are way to many variables to make these really useful. Not to mention the fact of previous life experience. When a seasoned veteran that has been down the path and through the valleys and has faced and fought his share of battles writes a how-to book, unless his step-by-step process includes going down the same paths and fighting the same battles how useful is his process anyways?

But, I also believe that there are some great books out there that will inspire you and will help you grow. Today I will share with you an outline that I gleaned from a book by Steven Scott. I used this outline to talk about effective communication recently and I feel it is extremely valuable for all of us.

Enjoy and have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved



EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION


“Achievement is accelerated by effective and persuasive communication skills and retarded by the lack of those skills.” – Steven Scott

“The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds persuasiveness to his lips.” – Proverbs 16:23

“The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable.” – Proverbs 15:2

Effective communication is persuasive. It does not have to be manipulative.

The difference: Manipulation is using any means necessary to motivate or force someone to do something that fulfils your desire or need. Whether it’s in their best interest or not. Adolph Hitler was not only persuasive; he was one of the world’s greatest manipulators.

Persuasion on the other hand is communication that guides people’s minds and emotions past all obstacles, enables them to understand what you are saying and feel what you are feeling, and ultimately motivates them to take the course of action that you believe is in their best interest or for the common good. The change from persuasion to manipulation comes when you begin to disregard what is good for them and only think about what is good for you.

The Four Fundamentals to build a Foundation for Effective and Persuasive Communication

1. An Approach of Honor – You must commit to show honor and respect to the person you hope to persuade. This one area is where effective and persuasive communication is shut down before it even has a chance to get started. Examples of dishonoring your listener include:
a. Rolling your eyes
b. Shaking your head
c. Pointing your finger
d. Showing condescension, disgust, disappointment, boredom, inattentiveness
e. Negative verbal reactions – “Yeah, right,” or “Give me a break,” or the use of sarcasm is all dishonoring.
f. Using blanket statements – “You always do that,” or “You never do this,” are dishonoring.
g. Interrupting
h. Changing the subject prematurely
i. Discounting what the other person is saying

You must remember that by dishonoring your listener – you and you alone are defeating the goal of your communication.

Things that you can do that will show honor to the person you hope to persuade:

a. Timing – When you have something important to talk about, ask the listener to pick a time that best fits their schedule rather than expecting them to bend around your own schedule. Let them know the time you need and then honor that by not taking longer.
b. Listening – During the conversation, rather than instantly giving your point of view, listen attentively to theirs. As you listen keep your attention visibly focused on them.
c. Respond and Validate – Make sure you respond to what they say and validate their legitimate feelings, concerns, and opinions before moving onto your own agenda.

2. Attitude of Consideration – Many times people reject what we say, not because they disagree with it, but because they are reacting to an offensive attitude that we are projecting. It’s easier to have or convey a condescending attitude toward our listeners than it is to convey one that is considerate of their opinions, feelings, and self-esteem. When someone senses a condescending attitude they will throw up their defenses and close their spirit and mind to you and your point of view. Which then takes away any persuasive power you may have had.

3. A Full Perspective – We tend to approach every conversation from our own frame of reference. The problem is that if we don’t understand our listener’s frame of reference, we are likely to crash into this barrier as we begin our conversation. If you are attempting to share something important it is important that you know your listeners frame of reference first. The best way to learn this frame of reference is by asking your listener… “What do you think about this issue?” “How do you feel about it and why?”

4. Thoroughly Prepare – A simple rule to follow: The more important the issue that you want to communicate, the more preparation you need to do beforehand. Not all conversations are the same. Some are more important and deserve more time in preparation…others are less important and it would be a waste of our most import asset…which is our time…to spend hours and hours preparing for a conversation that isn’t deserving of that kind of preparation.

What's Holding You Back?

I have to admit it is easier to write a message when I have a clear topic…a clear thought process…and a clear idea of what I want to say. That does happen…sometimes. I am so thankful when it does. It is so easy. I actually feel like I am a writer. But then there are the times that I have written about in the past. Those times when you just have to start writing something. And I don’t like that. As I have said before it makes me feel like I will write this whole message and then find out it is junk and have to throw it away and start over. Basically…the reason to not do it is to avoid failing. The fear of failure is what would keep me from starting and doing something. Is that ever a reason? It shouldn’t be.

But then again there is something refreshing and renewing about stepping out and being vulnerable. It forces a certain kind of transparency that cannot be accomplished any other way. In a world that is all about image and appearance and social status the willingness to step out and be transparent is a rare commodity. Yet those that have done it and have experienced some failure and embarrassment and yet have bounced back to achieve a level of success are admired. Books are written about them…heck, sometimes they write books about themselves. But if you were able to dial back a few steps and captured the moment of what was being said and what was going on in their world at the moment of failure and embarrassment and before the long awaited success I think you would find something very different than what you hear now.

I believe today’s message is incredibly simple. Perhaps it is intended for one of you and perhaps it is intended for myself…or perhaps all of us collectively. It is this. There are some out there that are being called to step out. To start writing their story just like I had to step out and start writing this message. You are nervous about this step. It is scary. There are thoughts racing through your mind saying, “What if I fail?” “What will those around me think if I do “this” and lose it all?”

Let me say this…do not enter a venture with the thoughts of what if I fail and what if I lose it all. Begin your project to win. Start your project to succeed and settle for nothing less. Don’t stop running until you reach the finish line.

In 1992 (as you may have seen on the Visa Commercials for the Olympics) Derek Redmond ran the 400 Meter Race. But he didn’t finish first, second, third, or even in fifth place. He finished last. As he started the race he tore his hamstring, which is an incredibly painful injury. But he got up and he began to hobble himself to the finish. As he was slowly and painfully making his way towards the finish line his father ran out on the track and assisted his son to the finish line. This produced one of the most emotional and inspiring images of the Olympics. Was Derek a failure? I think few would place him in that category. Did the race finish as he had envisioned? Probably not. But yet the sight of his father helping him across the finish line has probably inspired more people than the person who won the race. And…he finished the race he started and he obviously gave it his all.

Don’t hesitate to step out and start the race. Don’t hesitate to get going. You have to ask yourself “What is holding me back?” And answer truthfully and honestly.

Get going and run the race!!

Acts 20:24 – “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

The Prevailing Purpose

What does your future hold? What is ahead for you? People wonder about these types of questions all the time. They look for clues, they engage the services of futurists and specialists hoping to gain some insight into what is ahead. People want to know so they can feel secure. They figure that if they know what is going to take place they can then plan and avoid the surprise of the unknown.

I am not against planning. And I am not against having knowledge of what is ahead. In fact I rather appreciate it. But I have had to change my approach just a bit. You see, it is not our place to predict and plan everything that is to come. Scripture tells us that we make our plans, but it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail. And that is what I have had to learn to embrace. There are certain aspects of the future that we do know and that we are guaranteed. Certain aspects such as the knowledge of knowing that God promises to meet our needs and take care of us. That our future is held in his hands and while there may be times that it would appear as though things are uncertain and shaky, we are still secure in his care.

It is a change in thinking…it is a shift in where we invest…it requires consideration on our part of the role God plays in our life. When I read the statement “it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails,” I feel power and control, direction and certainty. It is as though God is saying, “This is what is going to happen, you can either choose to play my game in my yard or you can play your own game in your own yard.” “If you choose to play in my yard you may get tackled but I will make sure everybody plays by the rules. If you choose to play outside of my yard I won’t guarantee what rules they play by.”

I won’t guarantee the theological soundness of my little comparison here…but there is definitely some truth to it and I like the picture it painted in my mind to help me understand this verse. God’s purpose will always prevail. He will get done what he wants to get done. It is our choice whether we will be a part of it or if we just want to go on and do our own thing. When we choose to align with that purpose by making the right decisions and choosing to live according to his plans and purpose for us we have the ability to also enjoy the abundance he has promised us.

It is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail!!

Proverbs 19:20-21 – “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

This Is Our Heritage

What do you do when you know you have to make a change, when you are forced to make decisions, yet you aren’t sure which way to go? What do you do when you begin to head down a new path and you encounter problems and challenges…unlike any that you have encountered before and unlike anything you expected? When do adverse conditions and unexpected problems spell out to you the fact that you should move on to something else?

Quite honestly…I don’t think we ever can allow circumstances and challenges to tell us what and when and where we should go. There may be times that adverse conditions can force us to do a survey of our heart and our motives and through that self-examination we find that we are in the wrong place at the wrong time…but it is not the adversity that calls the shots.

As you make changes and shift directions there will be challenges and you will encounter adversity. The problems may form…but they will not prosper. At least they shouldn’t if we recognize who and what we are.

Isaiah 54:15-17 – “If anyone attacks you, don't for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer—but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what God's servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best. God’s Decree."

Our heritage tells us that while there may be things created or plotted to come against us…they will not succeed. It will not happen. Unless we give up before the battle has even begun. You know how it is. I am sure you have all had times when you were so set on something that you wouldn’t let it go any other way. You dug in your heels and said “No Way! I am not giving up. This is how it is going to be.” And that was how it was. Then there have been the times that you waffled back and forth and you allowed your head to get spinning and your mind racing. And you totally lost control of the situation and you were defeated.

So many people go through life without consideration of their heritage once they enter into a relationship with the creator of the universe. They have the assurance that no attack will take root, that any destroyer that comes against them will be destroyed, that any accuser will be dismissed, and that everything will work out for their best.

That should give us confidence!

Today take that confidence with you as you go through your day. Each person you meet, every meeting you lead, every call that comes your way…recite this verse in your head and allow those words to be your guiding force.

And just to reinforce what we have been promised I will leave you with this scripture as well.

Psalm 2:8 – “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Drop Him!

Okay…so it is that time of year when those of us who are into cycling look forward to the daily coverage of the Tour de France. And it is with this explanation that I offer another “Word for the Day” that consists of an illustration from the cycling world.

US Postal was competing in the 2005 Tour de Georgia and team director Johan Bruyneel wanted badly for their newest team member and designated leader for the race Tom Danielson to win. As it came down to last stage of the six-day 550 mile race Tom was exactly one-minute behind the race leader and Johan knew that they would have to ride a very tactical race that day to win. As they began the last stage that crossed five mountains through thunderstorms and terrifying bolts of lightening they began their attacks. Sending one rider after another to the front to challenge the race leader in attempt to weaken him.

On the climb just prior to the last, brutal climb of the race Johan sent Lance Armstrong to the front in an effort to crack the race apart. Lance was not in his peak form for the race…he was waiting to reach peak physical condition for the Tour de France…but yet Johan knew that like any great champion, he could always, at any time, pull one great spectacular effort from his body. When Johan gave the order Lance responded and delivered punch one.

As they continued to climb Johan gave the orders to Tom. Go! And he went and he dropped the race leader. They knew he would continue to gain time on him and be able to make up the 1-minute deficit. The only problem was there was one other rider between Tom and the race leader in the standings and he had a 10-second advantage over Tom…and he had followed him on his attack. So now Tom would have to somehow beat the second place competitor by at least 10-seconds in order to become the overall winner of the 6-day race.

It came down to one-half mile of road of a 550-mile race. And it was one of the cruelest stretches of road in all of pro-cycling. It is exposed to the wind (which was producing a steady 45-mph gust, with snow on this particular day), and the pitch is so steep that most riders – nonpros – literally cannot ride it. Tom and his competitor were riding up this stretch of road…eyeing each other…and attempting to show their strength in hopes that the other might wilt.

As they were climbing Johan gave the order to Tom in a clear and calm voice: “Now Tom.” And it was as if Johan had touched fire to gunpowder. Tom blasted forward. And his competitor fell back but stayed right on his rear wheel…pacing off of him. Johan told Tom: “He’s on your wheel.” “But, you can drop him. You are going to drop him. You will do it!” Over and over Johan spoke through the earpiece within Tom’s helmet explaining to him how he was going to drop his competitor.

When Johan said it again Tom responded with another burst and he dropped him. Tom finished 14-seconds ahead of the second place finisher and 1-minute 9-seconds in front of the race leader. Tom had won the race.

As a team they has bashed the field into submission and they accomplish their goal. They had done it. But they only way they were able to do what they had done is they were prepared.

Scripture many times refers to our life on earth as a race. We should run it to win. And there will be times when we are called upon by our own Race Director to respond…to drop the nearest competitor and if won’t often be when we are on the long flat straight-away’s, because it is easy for the competition to respond and launch a counter-attack…but rather we will normally be called upon to drop the competition during the long steep climbs…when only the fittest will make it.

The higher you climb the thinner the field gets. Will you be ready to respond?

1 Corinthians 9:23-25 – “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Champ...You're Staying Home

In 1999, in his first year on the job, Johan Bruyneel, the new director of the U.S. Postal Service pro cycling team had the fortune of having the current U.S. pro-road champion, Marty Jemison, on his team. Having any national champion on your squad is a boost for the team in terms of media coverage and publicity, because national champs get to sear special jerseys in the colors of their native countries. They stand out. They guarantee interest in your team, which makes the sponsors happy because their funding is translating into exposure. So it is a good thing. Unless you find yourself faced with the dilemma that Johan found himself facing.

Johan had one goal in mind and that was to win. Period. And as he was putting together the team that he would take to he Tour de France he came to the realization that while Marty was obviously a talented rider, he wasn’t the right kind of rider that complimented the team going to cycling’s biggest and grandest event of the year. If Johan took Marty to the Tour de France, it would make the sponsor, U.S. Postal very happy, but it would also unbalance the team.
His first year as director and Johan was facing a very tough decision. He couldn’t sleep. His stomach churned. His head hurt. It kept racing through his mind…how could he leave the national champ sitting at during the biggest bike race in the world? Finally, he had to make the decision…but he already knew the answer. He would do what was right for the team…regardless of the criticism he knew awaited him.

And criticism he received. As news leaked that in his first year as director of the largest U.S. cycling team Johan had made the decision to leave the national champion sitting at home during the worlds largest cycling race, he was torn apart in the media.

But he had done the right thing and he was able to prove when towards the end of July…after nearly three weeks of racing…Lance Armstrong rode into Paris for his first of seven straight victories in the Tour de France.

When you’re goal is to win you can’t make the mistake of thinking that you will also be making everybody else happy. When somebody wins that also means that there is somebody else who didn’t. And they and those that are supporting them may not be as pleased about your victory as you are.

As Johan puts it… “The point of a bike race isn’t to get to the finish and have all the other team directors gather around and tell you how polite and considerate you are…the point is to win. Winners often leave behind some damage. Whatever you’re doing, you have to focus on the win. It’s simple, but too often forgotten. It’s easy for any of us to relax our standards and let our focus slip from that ultimate goal.”

I personally don’t always agree with the adage of “win at any cost.” There are morals and there are lines that as a Christian you cannot cross. But, I also know that it easy to not put forth your greatest effort or sometimes use the excuse of not wanting to hurt somebody else as the reason for not winning. And that simply should not be the case.

We can look to our greatest example, Jesus, as someone who was focused on winning. He didn’t water down his message…he was quite straight-forward in his approach and he wasn’t afraid to let people know that he was there to get things done. He made bold statements, he trashed the merchant’s tables that were set up in the temple, and he wasn’t afraid to defile tradition if it meant he was moving closer to his goal. Jesus didn’t approach his most defining moments concerned about other peoples feelings. What he was concerned about was accomplishing his goal…about winning the race he was here to run.

This “Word for the Day” isn’t about making people less kind or considerate. It is to challenge you to think about the race you are currently in. To think about the goals you have before you and to challenge you to devise a plan to accomplish them and to then go for it. It might mean leaving somebody behind…but if your plan or purpose includes winning the race then that is what you should do.

Matthew 15:16 – “Are you still so dull? Jesus asked them.”

Matthew 15:26 – “Jesus replied [to the woman asking for bread], It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

Matthew 17:17 – “’O unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?’”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Walk, Bike, Ski

You try to walk, but you fall down. You get back up and you take a few more steps, and you fall down. Repeat…repeat…repeat. And that is how you learn to walk.

You take the training wheels off your bike, you peddle a few rotations and you fall down. You get back up, get back on the bike and you make a few more rotations on the peddles and you fall down. You get back…and you repeat again and again. And that is how you learn to ride a bike.

My brother took me to a ski hill to teach me how to ski. He had the gear there waiting for me. He made sure everything fit just right and he took me to the bunny hill. I was 36 years old. I was at the top of the bunny hill looking down and he told me to point my skis downhill and I did and I began to move. And I fell down. I got back up and did it again…and I fell. I got back up and soon I progressed to the real hills. And two weeks later I was skiing in the Rocky Mountains in Utah. And that is how you learn to ski.

A person opens a business and he struggles and he has challenges. He gets up the next day and he goes back at it. And once again he has challenges…an employee quits, customers didn’t pay their invoices, the bank is calling because the accounts overdrawn, and there is any upset customer coming through the door. He goes home and the next morning he gets up with a positive attitude, knowing that today is going to be a great day. And yet he has challenges, he has issues to deal with, problems to solve…but he gets through the day and he goes home. The next morning he gets up again…knowing that today is going to be a great day. And yet he has challenges…but their easier now…he has problems but he knows the answers to them…and he realizes that it isn’t the circumstances surrounding him that should determine whether a day is good or bad it is the attitude that he chooses to approach those circumstances that will determine if it is a good day or not.

If we were to decide whether something is right or wrong for our lives based on our initial experiences…none of us would be walking, none of us would ride a bike, I wouldn’t know how to ski, and none of us would be successful in our given endeavors.

For some reason as we mature and grow a little older we somehow think that growth and learning in our lives should become automatic. We somehow expect that it should happen without the falls and the bumps and the bruises we experienced when we were younger. But for the most part it doesn’t. The majority of growth and learning will take place in the face of adversity. You learn to walk and ride a bike by learning how to deal with the adverse affects of gravity. You learn to ski by mastering the art of falling. Really…going down the mountain on a pair of narrow pieces of fiberglass is really just a controlled fall. (I give my brother credit for this explanation.) You learn how to conduct business effectively by mastering the art of dealing with numerous challenges all at the same time gracefully.

The effects of gravity never go away…yet we walk and ride our bikes without thinking of falling. The art of skiing never changes, it will always be a controlled fall down the side of the mountain, but you get to a point where you don’t think of it that way and you actually enjoy it. The challenge of running an effective business never changes, it is always there but you learn to enjoy the process of coming up with effective solutions.

Romans 5:3-4 – “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Want to be a Starr?

Roy Williams is a marketing genius whose weekly newsletter I anxiously read every Monday morning. It is appropriately called the Monday Morning Memo. Yesterday’s morning Memo was about a man who celebrated his birthday yesterday and who happens to be a friend of Roy Williams. I would like to take my liberties and retell a portion of the story and add my own little input to the story as well.

Richie Starkey struggled through his life as a child. People always made fun of his big nose. His parents divorced when he was just three. And he spent an extraordinary amount of time in the hospital.

When Richie was six he was rushed to the hospital with a ruptured appendix which put him in a coma for ten-weeks. When he finally came out of the coma he had another little accident. He was given two toys to play with when he discovered the boy in the bed next to him didn’t have any. So he passed one of his toys; a little red bus, over to the boy. While he was reaching to hand the boy the bus he slipped out of bed hitting his head on the table hard enough to put him back into a coma.

When Richie finally recovered he had missed a year of school so he was put in a class with much younger students.

Richie struggled to get caught up in school, but at age 13 he caught a cold that turned into pleurisy. This put Richie in the hospital for several more months and put him even further behind in school. Frustrated with the prospect of having to struggle even more in school Richie decided to drop out. He could barely read or write.

Richie went into business with three young partners. Those three became incredibly successful. Richie was always in their shadow.

One thing Richie always dreamt of but was never able to do was be in the audience during a Beatles concert. That is because the other toy…the one he didn’t give away in the hospital…was a drum. He taught himself to play it. And he began to wear a lot of rings. And he dropped the “sky” off his last name.

Perhaps you were able to figure out this story was about Ringo Starr.

How does what you did yesterday affect today? How about last month? Last year? Five years ago?

There is one thing we should take from our past…and that is growth. It is never too late in life to take the lessons of your past and use them to secure a better future. I’m not certain what lessons Ringo Starr took from his past…maybe it was a desire for a better life, maybe it was the love of drumming, maybe it was the knowledge of his academic education…I’m not really sure. But what I do see is the ability to not dwell on his shortcomings or his misfortune, but instead the ability to look for the right opportunity to use the abilities that he knew he had. No matter how specific they were.

Each one of us has been blessed with certain gifts and abilities…yet few use them to their fullest extent. There is no shortage of examples of people with unique gifts and abilites…sometimes totally off the wall things…and some people end up being incredibly blessed by it. While others with similar gifts and abilities end up saying it will never be anything more than a hobby…and they continue to toil away in a job that they loathe…never taking full advantage of the thing that they love and the abilities God had given them to be able to truly live.

Just a little food for thought today!!

Matthew 25:21 – “His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

What Did You Expect?

I recall a chorus we used to sing in Sunday School. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me, all the days, all the days of my life.”

It is actually a take on the scripture found in Psalm 23:6. We sang that so often that I can still hear the voices. And the adults sang it in their church service as well, and I would guess that there are still a few churches that sing the chorus.

I can picture the church service…people signing about how the goodness and mercy of God will be with them, hands raised, voices singing out, sometimes even a smile on their face. But then Monday would come. They would wake with the worries of the world on their mind and the goodness and mercy that they so confidently sang about the day before was pushed to the back corners of their mind.

Why does this happen to so many people? What causes the confidence that is garnered one moment to magically dissipate the next?

The ability to believe and act on the promises found in scripture requires the use of the faith that has been given us by God. To live our lives with the confidence that the goodness and mercy of God is following us every day and every place that we go requires us to wake up every morning with the confidence that this is exactly what will happen. And quite honestly when you begin to live that way and believe that way you are likely to encounter opposition. Some from the enemy and some from those whom you would least expect it from. Those people who will say that you are being unrealistic, that you are out of touch with reality, and will question why you think you are better or for some reason deserve something better than what the rest of the world has been dealt. This is why so many people will decide to let that confident expectation of the goodness and mercy of God following them slip away…because this is often more comfortable and more compliant with family, friends, and relatives who have chosen this path of least resistance, and sadly least reward.

I believe God recorded his promises in scripture to raise our level of expectation and it is rare that a person will ever rise above that same level. What is your expectation for today? For tomorrow? For this week? For this month? This year and the years to come?

When I walk into a situation where I am meeting someone for the first time I have an expectation that the people will like me. When I go into a situation where I am asking for something, I will not enter that meeting until I know in my heart that the expectation is where it should be. I have sat in a parking lot for 5 or 10 minutes praying until I had the confidence needed to walk in there and expect the answer desired. Otherwise there was really no reason to go in. If you don’t believe you are deserving, why should anyone else?
Some people say they don’t want to get their hopes up….then they won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t happen. But that is not the way we are called to live. Scripture tells us that God knows the future he has planned for us…plans to give us a hope and a future. When we don’t live out our lives with that hope we are not following the plan God made for us. When you expect the worst you are playing into the enemies plans and you certainly are not glorifying the one who promises that hope and that future.

Raise your level of expectation and see what is possible.


Matthew 19:26 – “Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Psalm 23:6 – “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

1 Chronicles 4:10 – ‘Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.’

Nehemiah 1:11 – “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

Starbucks Again?

As I read the news of Starbucks closing 600 of its corporately owned stores I had a couple of thoughts. One thought was that I was wondering if this was going to affect any Wausau Starbucks, where I live. I would hate to have to drive an extra 5-minutes to get my triple-venti non-fat latte. The other thought was that it was rather ironic that this news developed the week after I had written about them and a week after Howard Schultz showed up on the cover Conde Nast Portfolio magazine. I also wondered for a moment if this was perhaps bad timing on my part…but then I realized that this was more likely good timing.

The decision to close 600-stores obviously is not an easy one. The cost to the company will be approximately $350 Million…not a small cost to any company. But I believe the harder decision for a company that values its people, and always has, was the impact that it would have on the employees of those 600 stores. Starbucks has committed to either find a new job for of the employees affected or if that is not possible they have agreed to provide those employees with a severance package.

A decision like this doesn’t happen overnight. So it is quite obvious that Howard Schultz was keenly aware of the probability of these store closings when he was interviewed for the article I read in Conde Nast. So was Schultz’s portrayal of the company dishonest? I don’t think so. He chose his words carefully and he projected a very positive future for Starbucks…but he also did not downplay the struggles and the challenges that they were facing.

For me this was rather enlightening. Not that it is a new concept or a new idea…but rather a “real life as it is happening” look into the growing pains of a 37-year old company. Howard Schultz was probably quite happy that they had 16,000 locations world-wide but yet he isn’t content with that. His goal is to have 40,000. The obvious here is that if your goal is to more than double your size…a bad start is to begin by going backwards. Yet sometimes the necessary thing that must happen is that we must take a step back to move forward.

In the article the author mentions that Howard Schultz is basically calling a “re-do” or a “do-over.” His desire is to bring Starbucks back to the point it was at when it was at its highest point. When stock was climbing continually and it seemed as though the world couldn’t get enough of Starbucks.

As you grow the choices don’t necessarily get easier. The challenges don’t go away. And the hurdles don’t get lower. It seems as though Starbucks may have skinned a knee going over its last hurdle…but it also appears that they aren’t willing to give up on the race. And neither should we as we continue to run our own race.

Galatians 5:6-8 – “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved

What's Your Bottom Line Saying?

One company makes it and another one closes. One company is flourishing and the other goes bankrupt. What is the difference? Every day this happens…one company in a particular industry closes its doors and another company in the same industry is looking for ways to bring on more talented people because they have more work than they know how to fill.

What is the difference? Are the approaches to business in these instances that dramatically different that it causes one to flourish and one to fail? I would guess the answer to that is yes. But what is the difference? What is the determining factor?

Well…there are a lot of self-claimed experts that claim to have the answer to those questions. Bookstores are full of them. If you go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble you will find hundreds if not thousands of books written by experts telling you how to be the business that flourishes. Some of these books are great. There is a great deal of knowledge to be learned by those who have gone ahead of us and made the mistakes and have found out what works. We can read of their experiences and learn a lot. But I think there is a greater determining factor that truly makes all the difference in the world.

Galatians 6:4-5 – “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”

There are trends in business, there are certain approaches that yield greater results, there are advantages to those who are on the cutting edge…but the bottom line always comes down to those who take responsibility for doing the creative best that they can with their own life. That’s pretty much the bottom line.

What’s your bottom line saying?

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved