In my travels I heard about this 11 year old boy who was arrested in October in Colorado for "doing what his therapist told him to do". I'd like to hear from the therapist to know if he really told him to draw violent scenes in class instead of acting out. If you ask me, this shows an incredible lack of forethought on the part of the therapist. This can't be an excuse. If nothing was done when the picture was drawn or when the child acted up, and one day he did bring a gun to class to act out his drawing, the lot of these critics would be pointing at the police department for having done nothing.
I am trying to imagine the scene as the police enter my home 10 years from now to talk to my son about a drawing he had made. I would be terribly upset, and I might have told him to just cooperate with the police. I don't think that a lawyer would be a bad idea now, but I can't imagine my son doing something like this and not reaping the appropriate consequences.
I do feel for the boy. I imagine this has been a traumatic experience for him, and I hope that it scares him straight, but only time will tell. I hope that the family will find a therapist with a bit more common sense. I have friends who are teachers and I think we are naive to think that a child won't become violent under the right circumstances. I'm reminded of Solomon's words in Proverbs 3 that says, "My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves he reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights." Some correction is needed here. I hate that it had to come from the police, but I am happy that at the very least they made a house call even if the outcome for him had been different.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The Big Jump
I am a consultant, which means that I travel to offices here and there and teach them how to run their business efficiently. Usually this starts with a pep talk on how to make and achieve goals. Recently I was giving this spiel to an office in Gainesville, and so I decided to use one of my own goals as an example. With it, I explained the 5 steps:
1. Make an attainable/measurable goal
2. Write it down
3. Make a plan
4. Set a target date
5. Follow through
Well, when they asked me when I was going to do it, I told them I had not made a plan yet, so they challenged me to do it before I returned to their office in February. In the video below, I go through the 5 steps to achieve my goal. Hope you enjoy it.
1. Make an attainable/measurable goal
2. Write it down
3. Make a plan
4. Set a target date
5. Follow through
Well, when they asked me when I was going to do it, I told them I had not made a plan yet, so they challenged me to do it before I returned to their office in February. In the video below, I go through the 5 steps to achieve my goal. Hope you enjoy it.
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Forever I Do…Maybe
I must apologize first because I have never been through or come close to divorcing my wife. Our marriage is in it’s infancy, but in many respects we have already become long-timers amongst our friends and acquaintances. I don’t mean this to brag by any means. No, it has been so shocking lately to hear of how many couple are getting divorced or have already done so lately. Combine this with the couples we know of who are looking to buy a house together outside of wedlock, and the “Forever I Do” starts to seem like more of a “Maybe”.
All of this makes my heart break completely. Just so you know, I am a Christian who believes in the God of the Bible, and that Scripture is the inspired Word of God. According to Scripture it is only ever okay to get divorced on the grounds of the other being unfaithful, and that is loosely translated. In Malachi, the Lord says, “For I hate divorce…” I have a large group of friends who are Christian and a large group of friends who are not. I have been surprised to hear of the number in both groups who have left their marriages.
I can’t imagine that anyone getting a divorce or anyone who has been through it could or would say, “I love divorce” because they surely didn’t enter the marriage with that in mind (I am leaving out the proverbial “gold digger” here on purpose). Even if all of the divorces that I have heard of recently are due to some form of marital unfaithfulness, then what is the source of their unfaithfulness? Why is marriage becoming so marginalized in our society?
Molly and I have made a commitment, and we have vowed to erase the word divorce from our vocabulary. It is not an option that we discuss, nor one that we turn to in hard times. I can’t imagine what circumstance would arise that would change this, and maybe some were shocked when it happened to them.
This week I will be praying for marriages all over the world that men would love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave his life up for it, and that women would love and honor their husbands. I pray that every marriage would turn to Jesus for the source of their strength and need in good and bad times. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
All of this makes my heart break completely. Just so you know, I am a Christian who believes in the God of the Bible, and that Scripture is the inspired Word of God. According to Scripture it is only ever okay to get divorced on the grounds of the other being unfaithful, and that is loosely translated. In Malachi, the Lord says, “For I hate divorce…” I have a large group of friends who are Christian and a large group of friends who are not. I have been surprised to hear of the number in both groups who have left their marriages.
I can’t imagine that anyone getting a divorce or anyone who has been through it could or would say, “I love divorce” because they surely didn’t enter the marriage with that in mind (I am leaving out the proverbial “gold digger” here on purpose). Even if all of the divorces that I have heard of recently are due to some form of marital unfaithfulness, then what is the source of their unfaithfulness? Why is marriage becoming so marginalized in our society?
Molly and I have made a commitment, and we have vowed to erase the word divorce from our vocabulary. It is not an option that we discuss, nor one that we turn to in hard times. I can’t imagine what circumstance would arise that would change this, and maybe some were shocked when it happened to them.
This week I will be praying for marriages all over the world that men would love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave his life up for it, and that women would love and honor their husbands. I pray that every marriage would turn to Jesus for the source of their strength and need in good and bad times. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Scan Away
Molly and I just saw a report on the news about new body scanners at the airport, and it didn’t dawn on me that the new scanner they use is still a topic of controversy for some people. Just a couple of weeks ago I arrived in Fresno and passed by the security checkpoint to see a lady receiving a full pat down from one of the TSA agents there. I didn’t realize until my return trip that she was being patted down because she elected not to submit for a full body scan.
As a business traveler who travels 2-3 days a week, I have to say, what’s the big deal? What do people think they are hiding under their clothes. If you have man boobs, we can tell. If you have a little chub in your gut, we can tell. Everybody’s got something.
An article on KRLD.com showed the type photos that these TSA agents are looking at of our bodies. Are they anatomically revealing? Yes they are. Are they skin-toned x-ray goggles that Superman would be flattered by? Absolutely not. In my opinion they are a small step beyond wearing spandex through the security checkpoint in the airport. I think some people are scared that their fellow travelers are sneaking a peak at their birthday suit the same way you can see the x-ray screens examining your luggage. Well to put you at rest (possibly), the people viewing your image are in a separate room in the airport communicating with the TSA agents in line. It is not the peep show everyone makes it out to be.
At the end of the day, I just don’t care if the man or woman behind the curtain sees my anatomy. Then again, I don’t have any body piercings, third nipples, or malformations I’m trying to hide. Still I doubt if there is a picture of the week hanging up in the break room for the other TSA agents to gawk at. What do you think?
As a business traveler who travels 2-3 days a week, I have to say, what’s the big deal? What do people think they are hiding under their clothes. If you have man boobs, we can tell. If you have a little chub in your gut, we can tell. Everybody’s got something.
An article on KRLD.com showed the type photos that these TSA agents are looking at of our bodies. Are they anatomically revealing? Yes they are. Are they skin-toned x-ray goggles that Superman would be flattered by? Absolutely not. In my opinion they are a small step beyond wearing spandex through the security checkpoint in the airport. I think some people are scared that their fellow travelers are sneaking a peak at their birthday suit the same way you can see the x-ray screens examining your luggage. Well to put you at rest (possibly), the people viewing your image are in a separate room in the airport communicating with the TSA agents in line. It is not the peep show everyone makes it out to be.
At the end of the day, I just don’t care if the man or woman behind the curtain sees my anatomy. Then again, I don’t have any body piercings, third nipples, or malformations I’m trying to hide. Still I doubt if there is a picture of the week hanging up in the break room for the other TSA agents to gawk at. What do you think?
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