Segregation is a BAD thing. The history of the United States proves that over and over. Sadly, I remember that when I was growing up, the only theater in Springfield, MO that would admit African-Americans was the Landers Theater. There was a catch to that as those American citizens had to sit in the second balcony rather than any place in the theater. Blacks attended high school at Lincoln High instead of Springfield Senior High. It took a lot of black and white people to make things so much better. As a baseball fan, I have learned about the Negro Leagues and there is a museum celebrating the history of those times. Buck O'Neil began this piece of history. It shows how bad segregation was. Even after the color line was broken by Jackie Robinson, for several years the black players had to stay in facilities different from the white players. I had the happy privilege of meeting Buck at Lou Brock's home several years ago.
Do you believe segregation is over? Certainly not. One of the places where it is most evident is the Congress of the United States of America. Is it any wonder that Democrats and Republicans dislike each other and have so much trouble doing good things for our people? Think about it. There is an aisle. On one side of the aisle are Democrats and the other side of the aisle are Republicans. Would it not be a good thing if members of Congress did away with this stupid way of trying to do business? Why not have the Congress set up so that a Republican sits next to a Democrat so that friendships may develop and do away with the idea that only good ideas come from one side. Athletic events are often won because of teamwork. It just might be that teamwork will fix the United States of America.
A sideline for you. In two meetings last week, I asked those in attendance who was Branch Rickey. Can you believe that not one person knew. Of course, he was the man that broke the color line in major league baseball by signing Jackie Robinson.
On a personal note, a very special man who was my pastor at First Baptist in Springifeld recently went on to meet our Lord. Dr. Thomas S. Field was a great preacher, man, husband, father, grandfather and friend. I cherish his memory.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
LISTENING TO JIM ROHN
Several years ago, I became acquainted with a man by the name of Jim Rohn. I didn't meet him personally, but I bought a lot of his materials and became very impressed with what he said on DVD and in his writings. Today, I want to share a part of his book entitled "7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness." I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
"The tide comes in, and then what? That's right. . . it goes out. It's been that way for at least six thousand years of recorded history. It gets light and then what? It turns dark. . . That's the way it's been for at least six thousand years.
If, when the sun goes down, a man says, 'What happened, what happened?' We would surely know that he just got here, right?
The next season after fall is . . . right again. And pray tell, how often does winter follow fall? Every time without fail for at least six thousand years. True, some winters are long and some are short; some are difficult and some are easy. But no matter what, they always come after fall. It isn't going to change.
Sometimes you can figure it out, sometimes it's a puzzle. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it is a disaster. Sometimes it sails along, sometimes it gets all tied up in knots. You see, it's not going to change. After six thousand years of recorded history, life is a mixture of opportunity and difficulty. That's the way it is.
Whenever I speak, whether I address business executives or high school kids, my message is always the same: " The only way it gets better for you is when you get better. BETTER IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WISH; IT'S SOMETHING YOU BECOME."
What a message for all of us today.
"The tide comes in, and then what? That's right. . . it goes out. It's been that way for at least six thousand years of recorded history. It gets light and then what? It turns dark. . . That's the way it's been for at least six thousand years.
If, when the sun goes down, a man says, 'What happened, what happened?' We would surely know that he just got here, right?
The next season after fall is . . . right again. And pray tell, how often does winter follow fall? Every time without fail for at least six thousand years. True, some winters are long and some are short; some are difficult and some are easy. But no matter what, they always come after fall. It isn't going to change.
Sometimes you can figure it out, sometimes it's a puzzle. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it is a disaster. Sometimes it sails along, sometimes it gets all tied up in knots. You see, it's not going to change. After six thousand years of recorded history, life is a mixture of opportunity and difficulty. That's the way it is.
Whenever I speak, whether I address business executives or high school kids, my message is always the same: " The only way it gets better for you is when you get better. BETTER IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WISH; IT'S SOMETHING YOU BECOME."
What a message for all of us today.
Monday, February 23, 2009
INTERESTING SALARIES AND SO-CALLED LEADERSHIP
The current economic difficulties going on in America are very interesting not only because of poor policies by banks and other financial institutions, but because of poor leadership and high salaries. In the St. Louis area, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, nonbank lenders - investment firms, insurance companies and the like have sharply slowed their lending in St. Louis, bankers say, so borrowers are returning to banks. Nationwide banks restrict lending as their capital levels shrink. Bankers are seeing an influx of deposits as investors pull money out of the sickly stock and bond markets.
In the old days in major league baseball, if players had a good season, they usually received a pay raise. If they had a bad year, they would have to take a pay cut, often a large one. The Bank of America is about to go under. Interesting that their president was paid more than $20 million in 2007. Paid $20 million in one year and has led his bank to the steps of having to be purchased by someone because of poor management. The is unbelievable! But if that is happening at Bank of America, you know it is happening in financial institution all across our country.
Like everyone else in the United States, I don't know if our new president's bailout will work. I pray for him everyday as I do other leaders. Hopefully it will. But it will not work with the amount of greed that surrounds the financial world in America.
Education is another area where the salaries for administrators is out of proportion to what is paid to professors in college and teachers in elementary and secondary education. Ohio State University is being lead by E. Gordon Gee. Because he runs the largest campus in the US with more that 50,000 students and a budget of $4 billion, he thinks colleges should get more funding. Funding for what? To raise his salary? Ohio State wrote checks in the amount of $1.3 last year to Dr. Gee. What do college presidents do? The salaries for coaches in colleges is out-of-sight. Greed and more greed.
A friend of mine who used to be a college president and is a great educator when asked what a college president does by a prospective president said this: "Get out on the campus. Meet students and faculty and pick up the trash." That would be a good idea for Dr. Gee.
No matter how you slice this, the financial problems come from greed. The folks who work in financial institutions had to learn this somewhere. Was it in the universities where Dr. Gee wants more money?
In the old days in major league baseball, if players had a good season, they usually received a pay raise. If they had a bad year, they would have to take a pay cut, often a large one. The Bank of America is about to go under. Interesting that their president was paid more than $20 million in 2007. Paid $20 million in one year and has led his bank to the steps of having to be purchased by someone because of poor management. The is unbelievable! But if that is happening at Bank of America, you know it is happening in financial institution all across our country.
Like everyone else in the United States, I don't know if our new president's bailout will work. I pray for him everyday as I do other leaders. Hopefully it will. But it will not work with the amount of greed that surrounds the financial world in America.
Education is another area where the salaries for administrators is out of proportion to what is paid to professors in college and teachers in elementary and secondary education. Ohio State University is being lead by E. Gordon Gee. Because he runs the largest campus in the US with more that 50,000 students and a budget of $4 billion, he thinks colleges should get more funding. Funding for what? To raise his salary? Ohio State wrote checks in the amount of $1.3 last year to Dr. Gee. What do college presidents do? The salaries for coaches in colleges is out-of-sight. Greed and more greed.
A friend of mine who used to be a college president and is a great educator when asked what a college president does by a prospective president said this: "Get out on the campus. Meet students and faculty and pick up the trash." That would be a good idea for Dr. Gee.
No matter how you slice this, the financial problems come from greed. The folks who work in financial institutions had to learn this somewhere. Was it in the universities where Dr. Gee wants more money?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
JESUS, A REAL LEADER, MADE IT SIMPLE
Yesterday, I was watching James and Betty Robison on their program "Life Today." James used to be an evangelist who traveled the United States and foreign countries preaching the Gospel of Jesus. It appears that he was pretty successful in those endeavors; however, today he is taking a far different approach of sharing that message. The Robisons work together on their program endeavoring to help the poor in foreign countries by drilling for water. They even have Beth Moore teaching each Wednesday. Sue and I are big fans of Beth, who is a very special teacher.
The Robisons had Governor Mike Huckabee as their guest yesterday. He is such a breath of fresh air in today's economic and political environment. Sue and I had the privilege of meeting the governor at a Vitae program last January. We felt he was the real deal then and he just underscored those feelings yesterday. He reiterated some thoughts from his book entitled "Do the Right Thing." What a novel idea that is for an American politician. What a novel idea for presidents and officers of banks in America. What a novel idea for journalists in America. What a novel idea for administrators and professors in the universities of America. What a novel idea for teachers in elementary and secondary schools in America.
The governor went on to discuss something that most religions make as an integral part of their teachings: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Jesus, of course, taught that. Gov. Huckabee suggested that if all of us would do that simple thing, there would be no need for all the laws on the book of the United States and other countries. Think about it! If we did that simple thing, I would not have to lock the doors to our house, carry the keys to my car in my pocket, lock the bank vaults at night, have no military or police. What a difference that would make for the world.
Harrison Ford appeared in movie entitled "Clear and Present Danger." In this movie, Ford was endeavoring to do the right thing and one of the men in the movie who was corrupt said to Ford: "Gray, Jack. The world is gray." There in is our problem. No right or wrong in America, just gray.
Jesus, the Robisons, Beth Moore, and Mike Huckabee understand how to solve our problems. It would be a novel idea for our politicians to learn a few simple truths.
The Robisons had Governor Mike Huckabee as their guest yesterday. He is such a breath of fresh air in today's economic and political environment. Sue and I had the privilege of meeting the governor at a Vitae program last January. We felt he was the real deal then and he just underscored those feelings yesterday. He reiterated some thoughts from his book entitled "Do the Right Thing." What a novel idea that is for an American politician. What a novel idea for presidents and officers of banks in America. What a novel idea for journalists in America. What a novel idea for administrators and professors in the universities of America. What a novel idea for teachers in elementary and secondary schools in America.
The governor went on to discuss something that most religions make as an integral part of their teachings: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Jesus, of course, taught that. Gov. Huckabee suggested that if all of us would do that simple thing, there would be no need for all the laws on the book of the United States and other countries. Think about it! If we did that simple thing, I would not have to lock the doors to our house, carry the keys to my car in my pocket, lock the bank vaults at night, have no military or police. What a difference that would make for the world.
Harrison Ford appeared in movie entitled "Clear and Present Danger." In this movie, Ford was endeavoring to do the right thing and one of the men in the movie who was corrupt said to Ford: "Gray, Jack. The world is gray." There in is our problem. No right or wrong in America, just gray.
Jesus, the Robisons, Beth Moore, and Mike Huckabee understand how to solve our problems. It would be a novel idea for our politicians to learn a few simple truths.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
IS THIS LEADERSHIP?
If you are anything like me, you have to wonder what is being taught in business schools and homes in the United States? For those who have had the privilege to going to college and manage to secure jobs in corporate America, that is a good thing. But what are they teaching? Have colleges and American homes taught our sons and daughters to make all the money they can any way they can? Do executives in the financial world care only about themselves and have little or no feelings about anyone else? From personal experience, I can cite examples where there have been opportunities to reach out and help those less fortunate and yet the banking world is opposed to doing so. It is sad that in America, there are executives who make twice as much in one year than it would cost to help hundreds of young people begin a college fund.
The main problem as I see it has to do with greed, selfishness and poor leadership on the part of executives and boards that direct Wall Street. If Jesus were the leader of Wall Street, what decisions would He make? Would He endeavor to line his own pockets, or would He find a way to help those in need? You don't have to read very far in the Bible to find the answer to that.
In reality, if "Serving Leadership" were the mission of executives in the financial world, we would see a different America and the world. We would see poverty and try to end it. We would see folks who have great health issues and endeavor to find a way of healing. We would look at our educational system and fix it.
Rick Warren came to St. Louis and shared not only the spoken word, but gave a copy of his book "Purpose Driven Life" to every high school senior in the St. Louis Public Schools. To those few teachers who complained about his Christian message in the public venue, I would cry out "Get a life!" Dr. Fred Neiger was professor of Bible at the University of Missouri. He always said the following: "No man is fully educated until he knows the Bible." What a novel idea for universities, colleges, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools to teach. I really believe that would top any idea that is being taught today.
I am praying of Barack Obama and our leaders to be serving leaders and direct the United States toward a Godly approach to all of our problems.
The main problem as I see it has to do with greed, selfishness and poor leadership on the part of executives and boards that direct Wall Street. If Jesus were the leader of Wall Street, what decisions would He make? Would He endeavor to line his own pockets, or would He find a way to help those in need? You don't have to read very far in the Bible to find the answer to that.
In reality, if "Serving Leadership" were the mission of executives in the financial world, we would see a different America and the world. We would see poverty and try to end it. We would see folks who have great health issues and endeavor to find a way of healing. We would look at our educational system and fix it.
Rick Warren came to St. Louis and shared not only the spoken word, but gave a copy of his book "Purpose Driven Life" to every high school senior in the St. Louis Public Schools. To those few teachers who complained about his Christian message in the public venue, I would cry out "Get a life!" Dr. Fred Neiger was professor of Bible at the University of Missouri. He always said the following: "No man is fully educated until he knows the Bible." What a novel idea for universities, colleges, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools to teach. I really believe that would top any idea that is being taught today.
I am praying of Barack Obama and our leaders to be serving leaders and direct the United States toward a Godly approach to all of our problems.
Friday, January 23, 2009
FROM THE 5O'S TO THE PRESENT
I graduated from Greenwood High School in Springfield, MO in 1952. Those years in high school were filled with fun, learning, sports, and dating. It was a very safe time. When I was in the first grade, my mother let me ride my bicycle to school, a distance of a few miles (I was tempted to say five miles, but I know it wasn't that far). Traffic back then did not resemble what it is today, so it was pretty safe. We never worried about some pervert kidnapping you off the street.
Springfield was a quiet city of some 70,000 residents at that time. We rode our bicycles everywhere. When we had a baseball game at Memorial Stadium, we knew we would ride down a long hill on the way to the stadium. That also meant we would have to ride up the hill on the way home.
The choir at Greenwood practiced two days a week. We always had Christian music to sing and I never gave it a thought that my friend, Maynard Ginsburg who was Jewish, could have a problem with the lyrics of the music. At Christmas, we would roll the piano out in the hall by the stairs and sing Christmas Carols at noon for at least two weeks.
Sports at Greenwood were a great experience. We had football, basketball, track, golf and tennis. Sadly, no sports for girls, although we had some girls who could run fast and hit a softball a long way. I participated in football, basketball, track, and tennis. We had great football teams, fair basketball teams, and great track teams. We were a close-knit group of young people who established some life-long friendships.
Today, Springfield is a city of about 180,000 residents and after my father died in 1998, I walked downtown and for the first time in my life felt a little unsafe. I had been on the square in Springfield hundreds of times and never felt unsafe. But 1998 was far different from 1952. What is the difference? We know there is much more crime today. There are more homeless people, and it appears that there are a lot more people living on the dark side of life.
In many ways, life today is much better with all the gimmicks that are at our disposal. The Christian message continues to be heralded around the world, but there is a lack of respect in our nation and for our people. I hated the democrats who were Bush bashers. I happen to think George W. Bush is a very good man. I hate it when the republicans start throwing rocks at Barack Obama. He is the President of the United States and I honor him for that.
Wouldn't it be special if somehow we could bring some of the good attitudes of the 50's into the 21st century and combine those good attitudes with the good things of today? Children could ride their bikes to school, black kids and white kids would just be kids together having fun. Sounds like the United States of America.
Springfield was a quiet city of some 70,000 residents at that time. We rode our bicycles everywhere. When we had a baseball game at Memorial Stadium, we knew we would ride down a long hill on the way to the stadium. That also meant we would have to ride up the hill on the way home.
The choir at Greenwood practiced two days a week. We always had Christian music to sing and I never gave it a thought that my friend, Maynard Ginsburg who was Jewish, could have a problem with the lyrics of the music. At Christmas, we would roll the piano out in the hall by the stairs and sing Christmas Carols at noon for at least two weeks.
Sports at Greenwood were a great experience. We had football, basketball, track, golf and tennis. Sadly, no sports for girls, although we had some girls who could run fast and hit a softball a long way. I participated in football, basketball, track, and tennis. We had great football teams, fair basketball teams, and great track teams. We were a close-knit group of young people who established some life-long friendships.
Today, Springfield is a city of about 180,000 residents and after my father died in 1998, I walked downtown and for the first time in my life felt a little unsafe. I had been on the square in Springfield hundreds of times and never felt unsafe. But 1998 was far different from 1952. What is the difference? We know there is much more crime today. There are more homeless people, and it appears that there are a lot more people living on the dark side of life.
In many ways, life today is much better with all the gimmicks that are at our disposal. The Christian message continues to be heralded around the world, but there is a lack of respect in our nation and for our people. I hated the democrats who were Bush bashers. I happen to think George W. Bush is a very good man. I hate it when the republicans start throwing rocks at Barack Obama. He is the President of the United States and I honor him for that.
Wouldn't it be special if somehow we could bring some of the good attitudes of the 50's into the 21st century and combine those good attitudes with the good things of today? Children could ride their bikes to school, black kids and white kids would just be kids together having fun. Sounds like the United States of America.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A TIME TO BLOG AGAIN
Most of you who read this blog are aware that during the holidays, our family became aware of the fact that Sue's earthly father, Hal Herweck, Sr. had only a few days to live and actually died during those days. All who knew Hal were better for having that relationship. I had the privilege of paving the way for him to receive his high school diploma from Christian High School and he graduated with his granddaughter, Abbey Herweck LaRose. Usually Hal was the one serving, so it was a special for me to do something for him. We miss him, but we know in whom he believed and who was his Lord and Savior.
Sue and I spent most of the holidays and a couple of weeks after with cold, sinus, headaches wondering if we would ever get well. She finally did and is back in full swing writing in Nashville. For me, the battle continues, but I am feeling much better today. Because of feeling better, I decided it was time to blog again and thought I would begin by sharing a few quotes with you. Here goes:
"To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?"
Jim Rohn
In one of the many documents that came to Winston Churchill's way, a civil servant had gone out of his way to be grammatically correct and had clumsily avoided ending a sentence with a preposition. Churchill scribbled in the margin: "This sort of English up with which I will not put."
There is an old saying, "Whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, either way you're right."
"If you see your work only a job, then it's dragging you away from what you really want to be doing. If you see it as a calling, then it is not longer a toiling sacrifice. Instead, it become an expression of you, a part of you."
Dr. David Nevin
To his children when they went out for the evening, the father always said this:"Remember who you are and remember whose you are!"
Hal Herweck, Sr.
"The one thing I want you to pray for is this: That I will not take credit for the successes of these things whatsoever, because if I do, my lips will turn to clay."
Billy Graham
Sue and I spent most of the holidays and a couple of weeks after with cold, sinus, headaches wondering if we would ever get well. She finally did and is back in full swing writing in Nashville. For me, the battle continues, but I am feeling much better today. Because of feeling better, I decided it was time to blog again and thought I would begin by sharing a few quotes with you. Here goes:
"To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?"
Jim Rohn
In one of the many documents that came to Winston Churchill's way, a civil servant had gone out of his way to be grammatically correct and had clumsily avoided ending a sentence with a preposition. Churchill scribbled in the margin: "This sort of English up with which I will not put."
There is an old saying, "Whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, either way you're right."
"If you see your work only a job, then it's dragging you away from what you really want to be doing. If you see it as a calling, then it is not longer a toiling sacrifice. Instead, it become an expression of you, a part of you."
Dr. David Nevin
To his children when they went out for the evening, the father always said this:"Remember who you are and remember whose you are!"
Hal Herweck, Sr.
"The one thing I want you to pray for is this: That I will not take credit for the successes of these things whatsoever, because if I do, my lips will turn to clay."
Billy Graham
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