Secrets

, , , , ,

 

“Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.”

— Luke 12:2

SECRETS ARE NOT SECRETS IN BUSINESS OR IN LIFE

Recently I was talking to a young person, Rebecca, whom I had helped start her career. She was working for a large, well-known company. It was a great place for her to start. In this counseling session, she mentioned that she and some other employees had recently been discussing a senior manager in an unfavorable light. I immediately stopped the flow of our conversation and focused her in on that conversation about the senior manager. I cautioned her not to engage in conversations with others in the marketplace about her personal feelings. It was dangerous. She should always assume that whatever she said would get repeated. 

“In the marketplace the difference between a secret and a general announcement is that the secret gets told to one person at a time.”

In the marketplace the difference between a secret and a general announcement is that the secret gets told to one person at a time. Whatever we say, we should be willing to have everyone hear. Many times these conversations are innocent at first, but they can take on a life of their own. Many of these secrets are passed on with embellishment as well. By the time the offending person hears the story, it is louder, more critical, and certainly not reflective of the original intent. These conversations can end careers. 

“Jesus implores us to consider carefully what we say.”

In today’s verse Jesus is very direct with this assertion. Jesus implores us to consider carefully what we say. But the verse is also about where our heart is. Are we sure when we say something that we have both sides of the story? Is this venting just to fit in with the crowd? How would the other person feel if he or she knew? These are questions that should be asked.

“If we feel strongly enough about something, we should have a warm and assertive conversation about it with our colleagues and superiors.”

If we feel strongly enough about something, we should have a warm and assertive conversation about it with our colleagues and superiors. When conversations like the one Rebecca mentioned occur, we should gracefully bow out. This is the reminder Jesus is giving all of us. And all of us have engaged in these backroom exchanges.

Jesus always wants us to be kind to our neighbor. A simple question we can ask before we get to deep in these conversations is how is the person going to feel when they hear our observations?

Today, let us consider our conversations and determine if they are wholesome. Let us remember that what we consider innocent could be volatile. Let us remember that our superiors, other workers, customers, and vendors have a point of view as well.

Resisting these negative conversations is hard, but Jesus reminds us, all will be uncovered.

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What do these conversations sound like?

How do we defuse these conversations, by reframing or by being silent?

How would the other person feel?

 

/by

Seeking and Striving

, , , , ,

 

“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.”

— Luke [13:24]

SEEKING AND STRIVING

Peter Drucker, the famed business advisor, says, “The key to success isn’t what you learn in success, but what you learn in failure.” Consider the following. Winston Churchill was banished from his political party for a decade before he became prime minister. Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he wasn’t smart enough. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first television job as an anchor. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper because he lacked imagination. We all know the happy endings these stories have. The key ingredients were not giving up and continuing to strive!

“We all want to be successful, but are we willing to put in the effort?”

Most start-up businesses have great ideas. They are led by people who are seeking to grow and create. But 80 percent of these businesses fail. The reason for most is a lack of striving. Many of these businesses fail to connect with their customers. They don’t walk the thousand miles their customers do. In turn they don’t know what their customers want. Many also fail in the first three years because of a lack of time invested, or because they don’t know the hard details of their business. They don’t know why their value proposition needs to be different. In summary, striving is as important as seeking. We all want to be successful, but are we willing to put in the effort?

“When Jesus says go through the narrow gate, he is telling us to avoid the easy way.”

This is what Jesus is getting at in today’s verse. Many of us want success, peace, health, and a strong connection with God. These are things we all seek. Dreams and ambition are critical to moving forward. Wanting to be a good person or good at your craft is a great start. But in our business, personal, or spiritual life success requires effort. When Jesus says go through the narrow gate, he is telling us to avoid the easy way. He is telling us to respect what we seek. He’s asking, are we willing to put the time in?

Larry Bird, the hall-of-fame basketball starter from the Boston Celtics, would show up four hours before practice and games. He would often run laps in the balcony, spend an hour shooting at the basket. Often he arrived many hours ahead of the other team and his own teammates. He wasn’t fast. He wasn’t tall for his position. But he was committed and prepared to be the best.

If our dreams are our passions and aligned with God, Jesus tells us to use the narrow gate. The gate that requires us to strive to be our best.

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What are our individual dreams?

What do we have to do to be an achiever?

How do we respond to failure?  

 

/by

Second Chances

, , , , , ,

 

“Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

— Matthew [26:27]–28

SECOND CHANCES

David Steward’s lowest point came when his car was repossessed from the parking lot of the company he owned. His business was $3.5 million in debt. Quite a fall for the person who at one time had been FedEx’s number one salesperson. David had left FedEx a few years earlier to start his own business called World Wide Technologies. And here he was with no car, a failing business, and a dark future.

An African-American, David grew up in a heavily segregated part of Missouri. Through sheer will and determination he went on to college. He found his way onto the school’s basketball team, in spite of his high school coach saying he wasn’t cut out for basketball. When he graduated, he sent out over four hundred résumés before landing a job. He had spent most of his life overcoming obstacles others had put in front of him.

And here he was in one of life’s most difficult spots. He had fought hard to get ahead and now it was all crumbling around him. Through prayer and by turning to the Lord, he discovered he had made one mistake during his miraculous life. After leading a life that rose above his circumstances, he had built his business on a bad foundation. He viewed his customers, vendors, and employees as instruments for his success. They were there to serve him. In effect he had begun chasing net worth and not self-worth.

“Through prayer he asked for a second chance.”

Through prayer he asked for a second chance. He changed his life and business model to one of serving his customers, employees, and vendors. He changed his businesses purpose to one of providing great service. Almost overnight his business changed. Today it is one of the largest privately held businesses in America. 

“We have all been given a second chance.”

In one of Jesus’s final times with the twelve, he reveals his purpose. At the Last Supper he tells them that he has come to forgive their sins and ours, through his death and resurrection. We have all been given a second chance.

But there is more to this story. While we have been given a second chance, if we continue to make the same mistakes we will still end up in the same place, requiring forgiveness again. Change on our part is required to lead a different life. Perhaps a breaking of old habits or an acceptance of a new course in life.

Many people confuse the meaning of the word “repentance.” Repentance isn’t just admitting to ourselves and Jesus that we were wrong. It also means we are sincerely willing to change.

Repentance in Greek means just that: “a sincere desire to change.” Through this genuine desire to change, the gift of forgiveness becomes real.

Through prayer, David acknowledged that he needed to change. Instead of thinking internally about himself, he had to learn to think about others first. He had to become external with others, putting them first. His focus became self-worth and not net worth. 

Forgiveness is the gift of a second chance, but it’s only valuable when we change.

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

How hard is it to change and admit we need a new direction?

What prevents us from changing: pride, habit, or letting go?

Where do we need change in our lives to make forgiveness become real?

 

/by

Being Set Free by Reframing our Lives

, , , , ,

 

“When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman you are set free from your ailment.’”

— Luke [13:12]

REFRAMING OUR LIVES

A sweet and caring woman, whom we will call Grace, asked me to help with her life goals. A major goal Grace listed was mobility. Having been involved in an accident that had left her paralyzed since her youth, she experienced movement as a critical issue.

Her handicap accessible car of fourteen years had recently had broken down and she believed she didn’t have the money to buy a new one. She felt housebound. Since the accident, in many subtle ways, she had felt disabled. Not just with her paralysis, but with her life. Not having access to car only made these feelings worse. She didn’t believe she could afford a new car. Each month she was barely able to pay her bills. 

“Together we made some cuts by looking at things differently that saved her a substantial amount of money.”

We started by looking at her income and expenses. She was actually receiving a decent income and her credit was good. Her problem lay in her expenses. She was spending too much. Together we made some cuts by looking at things differently that saved her a substantial amount of money.  With these cuts in her spending we created a budget and crafted a plan for her to buy a new car. We reframed the way she looked at her expenses and how she spent her money.

Grace worked hard and stuck to this new budget, which included money to go out once a week. Grace found a handicap-accessible car and applied for credit to buy her new car, now knowing she had the money to pay for it on a monthly basis. After a lifetime of having to overcome obstacles she was certain she would be rejected. Even though she paid her bills on time and was conscientious with her credit, her past of constant rejection made her feel that it wouldn’t work out. However, the following Tuesday she was notified that she had been approved and could now buy a new car. When I received her text excitedly telling me she had been approved, I could feel that the weight had lifted from her. She had mobility back. She could be free in the world. 

“Sometimes we are bound more by our past than by anything physical. We begin to believe there is no other way.”

Sometimes we are bound more by our past than by anything physical. We begin to believe there is no other way. We have been told all our lives about our limitations, and they have become the only existence we know. In today’s verse, Jesus tells the woman she is free from her ailment. This may have been a supernatural miracle Jesus was talking about. But perhaps it was actually the reframing of a life. Reframing in the sense that what the woman had been told or had thought about herself wasn’t true.

Perhaps for a miracle to occur we only have to look at life slightly different. Many times prayer will reveal a different way.

Reframing and someone like Jesus telling us we are free enables us to change our lives. It means giving up the past and living today as we want to live. The steps away from our past are always difficult and beset with fear. We may have regrets that bind us to what’s come before. Or perhaps stories people told us about ourselves. Or even horrific experiences. The past will bind us; the future will free us. When the past lurks in us and tells us we will fail, remembering the word “Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us,” can release us. 

God wants us to have a future and to free us from those things in our past that bind us. Emmanuel!

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What ailments do we have to be freed from?

How do we think of the past?

What does “Emmanuel” mean to us?

 

/by

Respecting Our Gifts

, , , ,

 

“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.”

— Luke [12:48]

A BUSINESS PERSON WHO GIVES MORE THAN HE RECEIVES!

My friend Geoff has run a very successful sports training business for over twenty-five years. He was given a great opportunity at an early age to run this business, and it has grown significantly under his stewardship. Beyond that he has gained the respect of a number of elite colleges, and his students benefit from the access he provides to those schools. He was blessed with parents who gave him a secure home and allowed him to explore life. He is surrounded by numerous friends that respect him for his intelligence, compassion, and commitment. He was recently named coach of the year by the National Squash Federation. 

“As a friend, we all know Geoff will answer any call, at any time of the day. He is there to help.”

While Geoff certainly manages his business with great skill, it is the other things he does that we admire. His students are not just taught a sport skill; they are taught integrity, teamwork, and respect for your opponent. He is thoughtful with the parents of his students, who in turn know he respects their children and their life goals. As a friend, we all know Geoff will answer any call, at any time of the day. He is there to help. When he was in Africa on a mission trip to aid orphans, the children instantly were attached to Geoff. On one part of a trip we filmed him biking with the kids up a steep hill. Both the children and Geoff were laughing as they made this steep climb. At home I remember a time when he spotted a homeless person and asked the person if he was okay and if he needed anything. The rest of us were wary, but Geoff was hospitable. 

“Jesus asks us to push outward with our gifts and refrain from storing. He asks us, “What more can we do?”

Jesus asks us to use our gifts from God. From those who are blessed, much is expected. Jesus asks us to push outward with our gifts and refrain from storing. He asks us, “What more can we do? Who can we help?” From those of us who run a business, much more is asked,  because of our blessings. We should serve because we have received. The lives we can change are sometimes clear and sometimes hidden. But we can help.

Geoff recently started an extension of an urban youth program designed to provide college access to youth who otherwise would not go to college. A few years ago it started with twenty-six students, and it has now tripled in size. These students will go on to college and far exceed the national average graduation rate.

Geoff’s life is enriched, not just because he works hard and is surrounded by a strong family and friends, but because he gives back more than he receives. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What are our blessings?

Are we inward or outward with our gifts?

Do people see us just as business-people or also as sharing people?

 

/by

The Weeds of Life

, , , ,

 

“. . . but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and they went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.”

— Matthew [13:25]–26

THE WEEDS OF LIFE

My wife and I were sitting with the woman who had to schedule a routine surgical procedure, and on the woman’s head was a headset and microphone. I asked, “Why do you have your headset on?” Her reply: “I wear it all day because I have to talk with the insurance companies all day. You might get interrupted here and there when I get a live person on the phone, so bear with me.” This woman had to call insurance companies all day regarding billing questions and many times was put on hold for a many minutes. As she waited on hold she served her customers, but every fifteen minutes or so someone would come on the phone and ask her a question. She would provide the answer and get put back on hold. And so her day went, everyday.

Too much of our life is spent on hold and waiting for many minutes to only can get the ten-second answer we need. If it isn’t the insurance company, it’s the cable company or the Department of Motor Vehicles. It has become part of the American experience. It is the weeds of life. Organizations impose these rules and procedures that must be followed, and we must wait on the phone or in line. In today’s story we see an ingenious woman who had solved the problem. Wear a headset, apologize to her patients for the minor interruptions, and still get her job done. Remarkable!

“The parable explains that weeds are always there, planted by some unknown entity that seeks to disrupt our daily routine.”

In today’s verse, Jesus talks about the weeds of life. The parable explains that weeds are always there, planted by some unknown entity that seeks to disrupt our daily routine. When asked what we should do with the weeds, Jesus replies, in Matthew [13:30], “Let them both grow together until the harvest.” In short Jesus tells us to work around them. Find an alternative solution and continue with our work. 

“The weeds of life are always with us, but our faith helps us rise above them and helps us deal with all of life.”

Each of us will confront the weeds of life on a daily basis. Jesus tells us the weeds aren’t as important as what we do about them. Do we allow the weeds to choke our progress? Do we let the daily slights lower our view of other people? Can we find another way around the weeds, like the medical scheduler? The weeds of life are always with us, but our faith helps rise above them and helps us deal with all of life. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What are the weeds of our life?

How do we deal with them?

What examples of ingenuity do we see in dealing with weeds?

 

/by

Loving Your Customers

, , , ,

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters . . .”

— Colossians [3:23] (NIV)

LOVING YOUR CUSTOMERS

I received an e-mail from my local gym recently stating that my five previously paid for training sessions would be canceled in two weeks. Stunned, I sent an e-mail back protesting this action. I am sure that buried somewhere in the multiple pages of fine print in my contract, the gym they had every right to take this action. But at no point during the purchase was I advised of this practice. Some distant attorney had foiled my plan to spread my sessions out over many months. Very shortly after my reply I received a call from Leo, a manager at the gym. 

“He put his customer first by listening and seeking a solution.”

Leo warmly asked, “How can I help? I understand your point of view.” When I told him that I wanted the sessions spread out to help with my current triathlon training, he replied, “How long do you need?” I told him three more months. Leo gave me four just in case. In the course of this call he listened to learn my goals. He was accommodating and flexible. In the end, he satisfied a customer and defied some distant attorney’s rules. He put his customer first by listening and seeking a solution. The customer service role of many people like Leo is hindered by excessive rules and paperwork. Fortunately, Leo’s heart was determined to help, and his gym was thus well represented.

Many companies become so burdened by rules and bureaucracy that they lose sight of their customers, the very people who provide them with their lifeblood, revenue. Their hearts move away from the thing that most sustains a business, their customers. In my work, I review many strategic business plans and can very quickly pick up on whether an organization’s heart for its customers exists. All based on what they include about them in their plan. If serving their customers is not mentioned, I know that sales will be struggling, because the company has lost focus on the single most important aspect of their success, that customers are the lifeblood of a business. 

“When we treat customers as if they were the Lord, we take on a completely different perspective.”

Paul the great apostle of Christianity and who was inspired by God, wrote today’s verse. In this verse he describes the Christian attitude and focus towards our work life. Paul suggests that we work with all our heart, as if we are working for the Lord. If Paul was a modern day business consultant, he would advise any business to treat their customers the same way they would treat the Lord. When we use this viewpoint, rules melt away and solutions appear. When we treat customers as if they were the Lord, we take on a completely different perspective. We become warmer and better advocates for our customers. The people we serve in our business lives become more important than rules created by bureaucracy. In our work lives we feel enriched because we have helped, we have served and we have improved our customers lives.

A simple change in perspective gives our work more meaning. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Is customer service the most important part of our business plan?

What examples do we have of how we can treat customers as if they are the Jesus?

In our own personal lives, how do we live out the concept of working for the Lord?

 

/by

The Word and the Bible

, , , ,

 

“And the word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”

— John [1:14]

THE WORD AND THE BIBLE

A pastor friend of mine, Rich, relayed a story about a crusty cop from Atlanta who was a member of his congregation. The man was forced by his wife to go to church, and each Sunday he went. At first he sat and fidgeted. Then he started to like the music, but he was still resistant. After service one Sunday Rich approached the man and asked him how he liked church. He replied, “I only come because my wife makes me come.” Rich suggested, “Why don’t you read the Bible each morning and see what happens?” Silently each morning the cop got up when the house was dark and began to read. Slowly at first. Then it became a habit. Something he looked forward to each morning. Church then began to mean something to him. 

“He’d become more social and trusting. He still was a quiet man. He still was serious, but his heart had lightened. He began to understand grace.”

Over the next year he completed reading the whole Bible, a feat that he was proud of, something akin to running a marathon or riding a bike for a hundred miles. But Rich noticed other things. He smiled more, he went to a Bible study class, and he began to participate in serving his community. Periodically Rich would check in with him, and the man talked about a change of focus. He’d become less interested in the news of the day. He’d stopped obsessing about his savings account. He’d become more social and trusting. He still was a quiet man. He still was serious, but his heart had lightened. He began to understand grace. 

“If we read the Bible for fifteen minutes a day, within a year we will have read it cover to cover.”

Today in America, a vast majority consider the Bible a sacred and blessed book. But only one in five read it on a weekly basis. We are too busy or stuck in our routines. We are intimidated by its sacredness. The Bible is for us, to read, to consider, and to be with in spirit. But can we find fifteen minutes a day to read the Bible? If we read each day for fifteen minutes, then at the end of the year we will have read the whole Bible. Here’s the math: reading the Bible from cover to cover for the average person takes seventy two hours. If we read the Bible for fifteen minutes a day, within a year we will have read it cover to cover. To do this means creating a new routine in our lives.  Psychologists tell us that our routines are become a habit after doing the same thing for seven days. Those first seven days are the hardest days, but then we created a habit. We have invited God’s word into our lives. The Bible becomes our companion and not just a book.

Jesus the Word came among us and brought the Word of God. In the Bible we will see the richness of his story. The Word was among us and is still among us in the words of the Bible. What stands before us is grace and truth. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Do we have fifteen minutes a day, and if so when during the day?

Where is there a quiet spot in our house?

What would we have to give up to find fifteen minutes?

 

/by

Finding God in Unusual People

, , , ,

 

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

— Luke [11:28]

FINDING GOD IN UNUSUAL PEOPLE

While at Drew University getting my Master’s in Divinity, I noticed an unusual woman named Theresa. I had seen her a few times, sitting alone quietly on a bench. Prior to class we students often milled around the school’s front door and shared our weekly stories. Theresa usually sat waiting on the bench. She was a large woman and sat there quietly ignored by her classmates. After noticing this a few times, I went over and introduced myself and asked her how she was doing. She smiled and after a few brief questions about her life, she opened up. She told me she worked at night in a hospital as a chaplain. By day she went to seminary to get her master’s degree. She also ran a successful business cutting coupons that she used to help others save money. There was sitting on that bench an unusual person, leading a wonderful life.

Previously, She had been destitute and without money, shunned by society because she didn’t fit in. She prayed for help, and she felt that God had shown her how to earn a decent living cutting coupons and splitting the savings with her customers. Over time, she developed a sizeable following and began to earn enough money to dress well, feed herself, and pay for school. At night she sat with the dying in a local hospital, guiding them home. Only when asked would she reveal these magnificent experiences of transition. 

“Over time my other classmates began to see the richness of this unusual woman.”

Over time my other classmates began to see the richness of this unusual woman. I frequently ran ideas by her, which helped me with practical insights into theology. We all grew to respect her faithfulness and commitment to God. Just before we graduated, a fellow student, who was an extraordinary artist, created a mural of our classmates that he donated to Drew University. It hangs today in Seminary Hall.  At the top of the mural, bathed in light, is this magnificent woman. 

“There is a rich person beneath the quiet. Perhaps a blessed person, who can inspire us.”

How many times have we seen that quiet person sitting alone? Why does that person sit alone? What is deep inside him or her that we should know? Perhaps such a person is blessed because he or she knows God. Perhaps that person has a story to tell. In school and in the marketplace we know these people. In each of our lives there is at least one of them. There is a rich person beneath the quiet. Perhaps a blessed person, who can inspire us. Perhaps a person blessed by God. We won’t know unless we ask.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What is the name of the person we know who sits alone on the bench?

What can we learn?

How can we discover greatness in all that we know?

 

/by

Hearing the Sheer Silence of God

, , , ,

 

“Go out and stand on the mountain, before the lord . . . and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence”

— 1 Kings 19: 11–12

IN A QUIET PERSONAL MOMENT, A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY WAS SAVED

A friend of mine, Bob, was in the process of selling an important asset. The sale would be a crucial part of his future and success. Bob was determined to be a good seller. To not hide anything from the buyer and provide the buyer with a product that exceeded their expectations. Bob responded faithfully to all the buyer’s requests and went further than his lawyer or broker expected him to go. But the requests didn’t end. After each obstacle was resolved, another popped up. A meeting was scheduled between all the parties to find a clear path to resolution. 

“He prayed for God to give him the wisdom to make the right decisions with his business and to help his wife.”

The day before the meeting Bob’s wife announced that the doctor had found something during her checkup that needed a radiologist’s opinion. The appointment with the radiologist was scheduled at the same time as my friend’s important meeting. His wife told him to go to the meeting and she would be okay. Bob felt besieged. How can I ignore my wife? But how can I secure our future? He prayed throughout the day. He prayed for God to give him the wisdom to make the right decisions with his business and to help his wife.  Then he went to the meeting and his wife went to the radiologist.

During the meeting, there were many questions. Tough questions. My friend answered them all honestly. At one point the broker for the buyer became unrelenting. Bob felt a spirit of resolve fall over him and became quietly serious. Normally Bob’s mannerisms were friendly and engaging, but now he became dead serious and firm. Looking firmly into the eyes of the buyer and without hesitation he stated, firmly and in a quiet tone, “If there is a problem, I will pay to have it resolved. It is what I have done to this point and will continue to do.” He left the meeting wondering about his wife and at the same time about the state of this important sale. 

“A wave of joy overcame him. While Bob had waited in silence, God had answered his prayers.”

At home he sat in his favorite chair and waited in silence. A short time passed and he got a call. The broker said, “It is done, you have done everything and had no more to do. The sale is going forward.” Shortly after, his wife called and stated that the radiologist had found nothing serious and she would need some minor medical attention only. My friend rested. A wave of joy overcame him. While Bob had waited in silence, God had answered his prayers. No great bell was rung, no fireworks, just a brief moment and the quiet winds of life had brought his answer. Life was back in balance. 

“But then in a moment, a quiet personal moment, we hear God’s voice. We are reminded that God is with us.”

How many times have we all worried about life? We go to pray and we are still tested. We hear no answer from God and we wonder where God is. But then in a moment, a quiet personal moment, we hear God’s voice. We are reminded that God is with us. God talks to us sometimes in sheer silence, when we are open and ready to hear. Not necessarily with loud clanging or grandiose fireworks, but in a deeply personal way that restores our faith. In this moment we know God has passed by like a cool summer breeze. Emmanuel, God is with us. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What moments of our lives have we heard the sheer silence of God?

How does God let us know that it is him who has answered?

In reflection, how do we think back on those events?

 

/by