Hello my name is...

I'm sitting at my 9 year old's swim lessons having a great conversation with another mom about the progress her daughter has made in swimming. We're having a great conversation when about halfway through the lesson another mom walks up to the bench this gal and I are sitting on and although she and I are clearly in a personal conversation - and in the middle of my sentence this other woman turns around and sits down in the 6 inch space between this gal and I.

I was shocked. I mean really - she didn't even bother to excuse herself before sitting right in the middle of our conversation? Odd. Rude. Down right intrusive. Now those who know me will attest my greatest strength is my greatest weakness - and my loudest - my big mouth. I sat back a few inches (she was nearly sitting on my hand) - and said "Excuse me" (Trying to not be rude, but still make a point). And without looking at me she says in a sarcastic tone "Thank you!"
This woman shows up every single day - late. She is not at all friendly. But I can deal with that. Here's where I cringe. She shows up wearing her name tag from work. And I don't mean an entry-level position. She's a professional. It is clear that in her line of work people skills matter. And my first thought is "I would never give her my business". All I know about her is that she has a son in swim lessons and that she is far from flexible, friendly or courteous. Now why would I give someone like that my business?

Now before you get all bent out of shape that all I do is complain on this blog... stop for a moment and hear me out. I am not saying I would not give her my business because she had a momentary lapse of judgment. In the week and a half that I have "known" this woman - the only impressions I have had of her are negative. She is representing the company she works for with this name tag - and this is the impression she leaves on people. That can't be good for business.

So as I sat on the bench - no longer in conversation - with another 15 minutes of humid, loud swim time left for my 9 year old - I had to ask myself - what name tag am I wearing? Who do I claim to represent? As a Christian - I represent God. Do my actions always reflect that? I wouldn't say "Always" - but I hope for the most part they do. I hope those who come in contact with me feel loved on, cared for. Lord - teach me to be an image of grace and love to those you bring into my life. Refine me - so that I may be a reflection of you. Lord I want to be - and for others to see less of me and more of you.

Not using snopes.com or google.

Thanks @prodigaljohn for sharing this post on your blog stuffchristianslike.net


Not using snopes.com or google.

Yesterday, in my excitement about a possible cage match between Justin Bieber and Harry Potter, I shared some wildly inaccurate information on Twitter.

Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter in the movies, said that he initially thought that Bryan Adams 2.0, Justin Bieber, was a woman. In the bottom of the article I saw he said, “I think she’s kind of amazing, she’s really got a voice. She can really sing.”

I thought that was a funny thing to say about Justin Bieber so I tweeted it. Only that quote wasn’t about Bieber, it was about Lady Gaga. Radcliffe thought Bieber was a girl, but he was actually talking about someone else when he made those other comments. (I would argue that Lady Gaga is a good performer/entertainer, but I don’t think she’s particularly known for the power or awe of her voice.)

It wasn’t a big deal, a few folks on Twitter corrected me, but in doing that stupid tweet I did what lots of Christian often do. I shared something online without checking it on snopes.com or google first...read more

3 marketing tactics that turn me off

This morning I came into work to find a message from a very pushy sales rep. This rep is relentless. She will not take no for an answer regardless of the fact that I am no buying what she is selling. After having to directly ask her not to call me again - I had to consider the fine art of successful sales, as well as the three sales tactics I despise most:

1. Guerrilla Marketing - tell me about your product or service one time. Tell me how to reach you. If I'm interested - I'll call you when I'm good and ready. But DO NOT put flyers on my windshield (we call this litter), do not fill my email inbox with newsletters about the updates on your product and please, please, please do not inundate me with so much information about your product that I can't focus on the things I need to keep my attention on.
   
2. Pushy Sales People - if you want me to enter into a business relationship with you - make it a pleasure - not a burden. I should never have to tell you that you've overstepped your bounds. If I do have to have that conversation with you, I don't want your product.
   
3. Gimmicks - if your product is as great as you think it is - it will sell itself. I don't need cheap pens that run out of ink in the middle of a meeting. I don't need a fluorescent green key chain - and I certainly don't need to mess up the paint on my car with your bumper sticker - especially if I don't even know if I believe in your product.

Ultimately - if your product is worth believing in - let me build trust, let me see you believe in it, let your product speak for itself. Not that I don't want to hear praises about your product - I do - but I don't want the unnecessary hype.

So now I have to ask myself... do I ever promote God in the same way the gym (or any other business) down the street promotes their business? Do I ever over promise and under-deliver on what it means to be a follower of Christ. Do I ever destroy the credibility of my relationship with Him by being pushy and overbearing to others? Or do I allow His praises to ring through my words, my heart, my actions? Do I draw attention to the saving grace He has extended to me - or do I put people off (such as through condemnation and judgment) (OUCH!)?