THE RUFFLED NEST

"Leadership - leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses." - Mitt Romney

Ruffled Nest

An eagle’s nest is quite elaborate, taking up to six weeks to build. Its lined with soft grass, moss and corn stalks. To complete the nest, the bottom is padded with feathers. For the first twelve weeks, the eaglet relaxes, trusting its parents for everything. When it’s time for it to learn how to fly, the parents use their sharp talons to pull apart the soft materials lining the nest. Then the mother eagle rises and hovers over the nest, flapping her huge wings - stirring the nest removing all the stuff that kept the nest cozy. The message? It’s time to leave your life of comfort. Sometimes - if needed - the mother literally knocks her baby out of the nest, follows it as it falls, and swooping it onto her wings at the last moment. The mother eagle knows that her young one can only survive by learning to fly.

The problem with many people is too much comfort. We have become too comfortable. Little wonder the bible says, "Woe unto him who's at ease in Zion." I saw the movie, "Impossible" recently: a true story. The movie is a depiction of probably, the worst natural disaster in human history - a Tsunami. It left a trail of disaster that changed human life for ever. After the disaster, Lucas - a young boy of about 10, without being cajoled or coerced to, literally took responsibility for his mothers life. She was torn in shreds by broken glass. Lucas had lived in comfort, till that experience ruffled his nest.

WIPE THOSE BROWS

"When you FEEL like giving up, remember why you started in the first place." - Unknown

Wipe Those Brows

It's a New Year, no doubt and many people are up and about chasing - again - dreams, goals, aspirations and so on. Resolutions have been crafted specifically for the year - having achieved one hundred percent success in last years' list of, to-dos. A lot of us have set out to achieve even loftier goals this year. After all it's a New Year, and the old year went with it's achievements so we don't have anything to worry about. Bravo! Everyone came, saw and conquered, 2014. Right? Wrong.

There is a mass of folk who think God forgot them, because they came, saw but 2014 whipped them sore. In other words, they didn't have anything exciting to look forward to in 2015. When many other people were jubilant celebrating the arrival of 2015, these ones wept secretly behind their "Happy New Year Hugs!" Are they sadists? No. They are those who look at their 2014 to-do lists and still found every item "undone". Not one crossed out. They had hopes, aspirations and desires like everyone else, but for some reason, it just didn't pan out. These people feel like throwing in the towel on life. They want to end it.

FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD?

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln 

RA

A king had three daughters. He was at a loss as to what responsibilities he could saddle them with in his kingdom. So, he gave to all three of them some grains of wheat each. He asked them to return one year later. So, he dismissed them. One year later he summoned all three of his daughters and made inquiries as to what each did with her grain.

First Daughter: I fed mine to the Sparrows as I left the palace, I thought they were starving. King did not give any responsibility to her.

Second Daughter: I saved them safely along with my jewelry, they seemed precious and here they are.
King: Hmm. You take care of the treasury. He said.

Third Daughter: "I need some heavy machinery and men to get the wheat." Everyone laughed. Why? They asked. "I sowed the grains, in my land. Now it's grown so much, I want to harvest it."
King: "Hmm. Very good, I'm impressed, your action seems to be the best. You will take care of whole kingdom." He proceeded to give her the keys to his kingdom.

A BETTER FUEL TO WALK BY

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao Tau 

Fuel Pump

If you are a leader in any capacity, then I am sure that you would have noticed that getting people to comply is arguably one of the most difficult tasks a leader faces. Compliance is so important that it can determine the success or failure of any endeavor. You must've even wished people were robots, that would comply without asking questions sometimes. The truth is, people have a will. One that gives them the right to determine their own actions - but just in case you forgot, allow me remind you of a better fuel that can obtain not just compliance, but willingness.

A husband and wife didn't really love each other. The man was very demanding, so much that he prepared a list of rules and regulations for his wife to follow. He insisted that she read them over daily and obey them to the letter. Among other things, his "do's and don'ts" indicated such details as what time she had to get up in the morning, when his breakfast should be served, and how the housework should be done. After several long years, the husband died. As time passed, the woman fell in love with another man, one who dearly loved her. Soon they were married. This husband did everything he could to make his new wife happy, continually showering her with tokens of appreciation.

THE CUP, BLOOD AND SACRIFICE

"This meal is for sinners only." - David Watson

B&W

Believers in Christ have been given the Lord’s Supper as a reminder of what our freedom from sin cost the Lord Jesus Christ. As we partake of the bread and the cup, we fulfill the command to, "do this in remembrance of Me." But in the sober celebration of the sacrifice of Christ there is joy: we need not leave our remembrances at the Lord’s table.

On October 17, 2013 Erin Green gave birth to her first child - a healthy baby girl. But soon afterward, Erin developed a rare condition called disseminated Intravascular coagulation (DIC) that kept blood from clotting normally. DIC has a high mortality rate and is difficult to control. Erin lost over three liters of blood and was in the OR for more than three grueling hours, while physicians tried to stop the bleeding. She received twelve units of blood, 6 units of fresh frozen plasma, and 2 units of platelets before she finally became stable and the bleeding was controlled. Erin believed that Jesus Christ sacrificed His