Calling in Sick When You’re Not

DavidRupert — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:21:28 +0000

It’s common for millennials to see their parents, teachers, and managers call in sick when they aren’t. American workers take about 2.8 million days of unplanned absences a year. But one postal worker logged 44 years without missing a day. Reliability is one of the 7 core values that every employer considers a non-negotiable. Reviving Work Ethic.

http://www.revivingworkethic.com/reliable-work-ethic-on-display/

Author Name:

Eric Chester

Top Ten Ways to Laugh at Work

DavidRupert — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:06 +0000

I have had my share of insanely-awful Tuesdays. My mornings usually consisted of lukewarm coffee, screaming children, re-heated muffins, and boring NPR stories. I was stuck in traffic, with bad hair and pants that are an inch too short, and when I got to work I noticed half-done reports and a computer keyboard covered in the crumbs of yesterday’s Subway sandwich.

Is that really the day care calling to say my kid as a fever? Do I honestly have a meeting in ten minutes? It’s only Tuesday for crying out loud.

But sometimes the negative can be turned into the positive. It’s a byproduct of being a writer, I suppose, where I look at life as one huge collection of stories. But I’ve had to ask myself – was I good about finding the humor at work all those years?

Here are the Top Ten Things that I learned after so many years that helped me start to enjoy work again. To bring humor back into my working life. To learn to really live a little:

(1) Don’t take things so darn seriously.

(2) Get out of the office for lunch.

(3) Think of your commute as a very special time

(4) Be the bearer of silly little gifts.

(5) At every opportunity, send out poems

(6) Be a gossip killer.

(7) Send notes of praise and thanks all the time, to anyone you can think of.

(8) Smile.

(9) Find your own space.

(10) And finally, admit when you are wrong.

To read this entire post by Amanda Beth Hill, click here.

Author Name:

Amanda Beth Hill

Community Post: Living a Simpler Life Without an Apocalypse

tomcoach — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:11:57 +0000

Tom Volkar, a life coach specializing in people who want to own their own businesses, is a fan of The Walking Dead. On his CoreU blog, he states, "I’m drawn to the simpler life of surviving and of finding shelter, food and safety. . .I think it would be easier for me to thrive in a post-apocalyptic setting then in today’s society. Perhaps it’s the fresh start and the level playing field."

I'm drawn to post-apocalyptic stories, too, though my favorites lack zombies. I devoured The Hunger Games, latched on to the Matched trilogy by Allie Condie, and have recently become enamored by Julianna Baggott's Fuse trilogy.

And I'm certainly not alone.

As you probably know, millions of consumers are in love with this genre. Perhaps it's just a temporary escape from our war-torn world, though some folks find real hope, humor and human connection through reading (and discussing) post-apocalyptic entertainment.

Volkar takes it a bit further, wondering if these novels, films, and shows can teach us something valuable about preparedness and proper priorities. He says that each one of us should strive for simpler living and a more focused approach to work, life and love--whether or not an apocalypse is in our future: "I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to drop out completely and go raise chickens in isolation. I’m also not going to wait for the plague to wipe us out so I can fight zombies. I think it’s more courageous to fight the zombie-like aspects of the lives we’re already living. Really, how much of your current life brings you vividly alive?"

Who You Calling Old? Baby Boomers and the Job Market

DavidRupert — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:05 +0000

The data support the idea that older workers face a much tougher climb getting back into paid employment. The bias may be a little less blatant than in decades past—it’s also true that mature folks probably are as likely as anyone to demonstrate a bias against people their own age. Marketwatch.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/age-discrimination-boomers-are-guilty-too-2013-05-09

Author Name:

MarketWatch

Creating Institutional Balance, Playfulness and Harmony

denadyer — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:01:19 +0000

Laity Lodge's blogger "Pilgrim" found four stone cairns outside his cabin at a retreat, and was taken with their beauty, creativity and simplicity. God encouraged him in a very specific way through the cairns, so Pilgrim even made a few of his own

Little did Pilgrim know that he was participating an ancient art form.

"Rock balancing...has been practiced by cultures around the world for centuries. Used to mark human presence, to give thanks, for religious purposes and for meditation, or as sculpture, rock balancing is the art of placing rocks in combination, using gravity as the only glue," according to Gretchen Ziegenhals, managing director of the Duke Divinity School's blog, Call and Response.

What does rock balancing have to do with living out our high calling? Plenty, says Ziegenhals. She notes four key traits shared by experienced rock balancers (who knew there was such a thing?): creativity, attention to detail, patience, and a sense of joy and delight at creating something remarkable.

Prayerfully implementing these attributes could strengthen our workplaces, families, schools, and churches, says Ziegnehals.

Curious? Read the article.

Author Name:

Dena Dyer

God Loves to Use Failures

islandpastor — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:00:04 +0000

Sometimes, when you fail, it’s at that point that you are more broken and humbled before God, and more dependent on Him than you ever have been before. God still wants to use you because God loves to use the failures!

http://kevinmartineau.ca/god-loves-to-use-the-failures/

Author Name:

Kevin Martineau

Is Your Job Your Calling?

DavidRupert — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:00:04 +0000

Everyone has a calling. Everyone. Down to the plants and animals, everyone has a calling. Vocations flow from the heart of a person who hhas tapped into God's wisdom. It's what you're doing that makes a difference and builds meaning for you, which you can review in your later years to see the impact you've made on the world. Crosswalk.com

http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/kevin-east/is-your-job-your-calling.html

Author Name:

Kevin East

Mothers Balance Work, Faith, Family

denadyer — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:46:03 +0000

On Mother's Day, USA Today profiled several hard-working moms whose faith helps them balance their varied roles with joy and perseverance.

"There's definitely prayer involved. I try my best to be focused and keep my priorities in order," said Karen Davis, a pharmacist and mom of three children. Even with a full-time job, family responsibilities and community activities, she's excitedly preparing to adopt three kids from Africa.

Middle school assistant principal Annetha Jones says that raising children, though challenging and taxing, is rewarding: "I wouldn't trade anything for being a mother."

Other moms quoted in the piece credit their churches and families with giving them the support they need to succeed in a highly stressful world.

Healthcare worker Yolanda Artis was abandoned by her own mother and spent years in abusive situations. Her own children are growing up loved and secure, and for that she gives glory to God (and her grandparents).

Read the entire article.

Author Name:

Dena Dyer

How to Stop Failure

suemiley2 — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:00:03 +0000

I hate to fail. Everyone does. And we have all read that you need to be comfortable with failure, because if you aren’t failing you aren’t stepping out enough.

I am easily inspired to step out on that light and wobbly limb. The problem comes when it starts to bend with my weight I leap safely back to solid ground.

Over the years I have learned a lot. I have learned how not to fail, but it usually is preceded by avoidance. The absence of failure is most definitely not always success. It could be nothingness. Just don’t try and you escape the doom of failure.

Or do you?

Mostly the avoidance of failure leads to a life un-lived. God created us each with an abundance of gifts and talents. We are all unique and He has plans to use what He created in us. If we are willing.

Read the full blog post and the great story about her daughter’s perceived failure and great attitude here.

Post by Newsletter Editor David Rupert. Image credits to be found in the accompanying gallery.

Author Name:

Sue Miley

Good Work in Small Measures

DavidRupert — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:00:04 +0000

Ever feel small because you don't think you're big?

We tend to look at our roles in life with a diminished view. Our impact is always less than someone else’s. If we write, our audience is smaller than our fellow blogger, or Frank Viola, or Ann Voskamp, or Philip Yancey.

If we minister to a half dozen young people, it’s easy to compare ourselves to the person with a dozen, or a church full of eager faces, or a national ministry.

Here’s a message. Stop comparing yourself to others!

Eyvonne Sharp wrote a great piece about her reflections from the Jumping Tandem Writer’s Retreat, hosted by THC Managing Editor Deidra Riggs.
Eyvonne met all kinds of interesting people and her one-line introduction often ended with a question, “What’s your story?” And she hear all kinds of inspiring tales.

She was continually told stories of people doing small things – lots of small things – that all result in giving glory to a big God.

“I was in awe. It was like a portal had been opened,” she said. “Ordinary women transformed into mighty warriors before me. My eyes welled with tears and I had to fight them back because I couldn’t explain how their simple explanations opened my eyes to an essence I had never seen before.”

The best advice she has to do is to simply "love people” and let God bring the blessings.

“It was as if God shouted in my mind. 'If you want to see true greatness, this is it!.' I saw love and service and beauty put on skin and become more than theology and Bible study and theoretical truth. “

They were “either fighting a hard battle within or they were fighting for the souls of others,” she writes.

Read her whole post here.

Author Name:

David Rupert