New Beginning, Finding Time and Mark Cahill
Today was Tammy's first day at her new job with United Health Group. She was a bit anxious to get this day behind her but now that it's over, her anxiousness has turned to excitement. She had a good day. I'm happy for her. She's paid her dues for many years as an RN out on the floor and it will be nice to see her get into something less physically demanding.
They started out orientation by having each person write on a white-board 3 things about themselves. One of those things had to be a lie. The group would then question the claims made by the person making them and try to decide which was the lie. Sort of like the TV show from the '60s, To Tell the Truth.
Tammy's 3 things about herself?
I am a stained glass artist.
I like to perform as a clown in my spare time and do face painting.
I have been on a TV show.
For those of you who know Tammy, you know she's never been a clown. They all guessed that she'd never been on a TV show. She said it made for a fun way of getting to know one another.
She'll also have an opportunity to work from home on occasion and that they will install a dedicated phone line for her calls and provide her with a laptop and internet access. Nice. She's got the perfect spot for a workstation in our den. We've been considering adding another desk in there so this may be a good time to have Keith come out and size up the room for it.
Rachel finally picked up a pencil and began drawing again this past school year. I was glad to see that because for too many years she hasn't made time for her sketching. She used to love to draw and even took an occasional art class outside of school.
She's a busy kid and I suppose the drawing must have taken a back seat to stringing beads, photography or whatever other interest she had going. Her artistic talents come from Tammy's side of the family there's no doubt.
We've talked in the past about getting Rachel involved in one of our stained glass projects. She's got a keen sense for color, much more so than Tammy or me. I've bounced ideas for color combinations off her a number of times while working on a project. I could easily see her thriving as part of a team in an ad agency as she's so creative but I don't really see that being her calling. But who knows?
I just finished reading a book by Mark Cahill titled One Heartbeat Away. It's about sharing your faith with others. People who know me may or may not know about my faith as I'm not much of an evangelist when it comes to telling people about Christ. I'll make an occasional reference on my blog or post some Christian music such as the song you're listening to if you clicked on the link at the top. I'm fine with like-minded people but I'd starve if I had to earn a living telling others about Jesus.
Anyway, the author of this book has no problem approaching people and asking personal questions about their beliefs. He gives some strong reasons for doing what he does. Probably the most compelling was an email he included written by an atheist to a Christian friend:
You are really convinced that you've got all the answers. You've really got yourself tricked into believing that you are 100 percent right. Well, let me tell you just one thing. Do you consider yourself to be compassionate toward other humans? If you're right about God, as you say you are, and you believe that, then how can you sleep at night?
When you speak with me, you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation, into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your loving God created, yet you stand by and do nothing.
If you believed one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unchangeable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's the equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy in the knowledge that one day that Walk signal will shine your way across the road.
Think about it. Imagine the horrors hell must have in store if the Bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right, then you're an uncaring, unemotional and purely selfish (expletive) that has no right to talk about subjects such as loving and caring.
I'm guilty. There's no good answer for that argument and it should cause anyone who calls themselves a Christian to pause.
They started out orientation by having each person write on a white-board 3 things about themselves. One of those things had to be a lie. The group would then question the claims made by the person making them and try to decide which was the lie. Sort of like the TV show from the '60s, To Tell the Truth.
Tammy's 3 things about herself?
I am a stained glass artist.
I like to perform as a clown in my spare time and do face painting.
I have been on a TV show.
For those of you who know Tammy, you know she's never been a clown. They all guessed that she'd never been on a TV show. She said it made for a fun way of getting to know one another.
She'll also have an opportunity to work from home on occasion and that they will install a dedicated phone line for her calls and provide her with a laptop and internet access. Nice. She's got the perfect spot for a workstation in our den. We've been considering adding another desk in there so this may be a good time to have Keith come out and size up the room for it.
Rachel finally picked up a pencil and began drawing again this past school year. I was glad to see that because for too many years she hasn't made time for her sketching. She used to love to draw and even took an occasional art class outside of school.
She's a busy kid and I suppose the drawing must have taken a back seat to stringing beads, photography or whatever other interest she had going. Her artistic talents come from Tammy's side of the family there's no doubt.We've talked in the past about getting Rachel involved in one of our stained glass projects. She's got a keen sense for color, much more so than Tammy or me. I've bounced ideas for color combinations off her a number of times while working on a project. I could easily see her thriving as part of a team in an ad agency as she's so creative but I don't really see that being her calling. But who knows?
I just finished reading a book by Mark Cahill titled One Heartbeat Away. It's about sharing your faith with others. People who know me may or may not know about my faith as I'm not much of an evangelist when it comes to telling people about Christ. I'll make an occasional reference on my blog or post some Christian music such as the song you're listening to if you clicked on the link at the top. I'm fine with like-minded people but I'd starve if I had to earn a living telling others about Jesus.
Anyway, the author of this book has no problem approaching people and asking personal questions about their beliefs. He gives some strong reasons for doing what he does. Probably the most compelling was an email he included written by an atheist to a Christian friend:
You are really convinced that you've got all the answers. You've really got yourself tricked into believing that you are 100 percent right. Well, let me tell you just one thing. Do you consider yourself to be compassionate toward other humans? If you're right about God, as you say you are, and you believe that, then how can you sleep at night?
When you speak with me, you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation, into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your loving God created, yet you stand by and do nothing.
If you believed one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unchangeable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's the equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy in the knowledge that one day that Walk signal will shine your way across the road.
Think about it. Imagine the horrors hell must have in store if the Bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right, then you're an uncaring, unemotional and purely selfish (expletive) that has no right to talk about subjects such as loving and caring.
I'm guilty. There's no good answer for that argument and it should cause anyone who calls themselves a Christian to pause.
Comments
Shame on us.
Also...great art work. And good luck to Tammy on the new job.
It's a quick read if you're looking for something to put in your queue and well worth the time.
Take care.