Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

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This morning I heard of another cruise ship with a fire on board. More fires, or more event coverage? Hmmmm...

In the late 1980's my wife and I were houseparents at a children's home in Chattanooga. We oversaw seven boys aged 8 through 17. All of us, including our 4 yr. old son and our college-student assistant Roger, lived in a 5,500 sq. ft. house that had an attached "apartment" for our privacy. The goal was to create an environment that was as normal as possible for the boys.

Late one night (about 2:30 am) I awoke to the sound of the three youngest boys outside our door whispering, "What if they're asleep?", "Should we wake them up?", and "I think Uncle Brad might get mad..."

I called out, "Boys, what are you doing out of bed?" One of them responded, "Uncle Brad, I think there's smoke in the house."

I got up, opened the door separating our apartment from the rest of the house and found the entire house filled with smoke, so thick that I could barely see five feet in front of me even with all of the lights on.

I quickly pulled the fire alarm, told the boys to go out to our designated emergency meeting place, and had my wife Elaine get our son. I proceeded to go room by room to gather the other, older boys. One of the boys would not wake up after repeated efforts to rouse him both by myself and by Roger who had joined me in the evacuation efforts.

We assumed the worst.

Finally, he woke up and asked, "Where did all the smoke come from?" We quickly got him up and out of the house with the rest of our family.

The fire department arrived and went through the house looking for fire. They didn't find any. But they did find the source of the smoke: One of the motors in the A/C system had begun to smoke as the result of friction, and the air handler continued to run, forcing smoke throughout the house. (Our apartment was on an entirely different A/C system and therefore we didn't have any smoke in there.)

An investigation into why the smoke alarms didn't sound revealed that the boys had pilfered the batteries from them for their toys, walkie-talkies, etc. Oooops.

What did I learn from this experience:

• Having a plan proved effective. Emergency meeting place.
• Some plans don't always affect everyone. The boy who would not wake up.
• Different systems will affect different parts of an organization. Separate A/C units.
• Make sure as a leader I am approachable. The younger boys hesitant to wake me.
• Periodically check your resources. The missing smoke alarm batteries.

Question: What other lessons could be learned from this experience? Do you have any experiences that taught you lessons? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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A Lifestyle Of Creativity

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Have you ever considered a lifestyle of creativity?

What I mean by that is allowing your creativity to affect everything you do.

I have stated often that I believe everyone is creative. I based statement on the fact that we were all created in the image of the Great Creator, with the emphasis on in the image of.

If we are all creative, then I suggest allowing your creativity to permeate ever area of your life.

Cooking a meal? Don't make the it same way every time. Add some spice and different flavor.

Composing a resume? Present who you are in a way that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Re-arranging the furniture? Don't just follow a Pinterest photo. Go for a layout that works for you.

Creativity doesn't need to be limited to the arts. In fact, the effective use of creativity in everyday life will most likely make you a more effective, more productive, and more expressive person.

I challenge you: Develop a lifestyle of creativity!

Question: What is one area in your normal life where you can be more creative? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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Living The Dream

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Monday evening at dinner, my wife remarked that she woke up several times the night before with vivid dreams, but in the morning couldn't remember any of them.

Earlier in the day a good friend from Maryland left a voicemail on my iPhone indicating that he had a dream three nights ago that both he and I were in, and he wants to share it with me (I will call him soon...).

I have a friend whom when I ask how he is doing, always responds: Living the dream baby, living dream!

Dreaming. Some do it while they sleep, others dream while awake. Some remember their dreams clearly, while others desperately try to grasp the dream's memory as it dissipates like mist.

Dreams have an almost other-worldly ambiance about them that make them both mysterious and compelling.

Do you dream? Do you remember your dreams? Do you dream while awake, or only while sleeping?

Do you dream, and then pursue them? Do you live your dream?

I hope your dreams are more than fantasies to escape into. I hope your dreams awake you, energize you, and capture your heart.

Question: What place do dreams hold in your life? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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I Make Starbucks

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A lot is said about the coffee giant Starbucks. A lot is said about their expensive drinks, their marketing, their customer service, and their 'atmosphere'.

However you feel about Starbucks, one thing is certain: They are a part of the American culture.

I have experienced Starbucks from Denver to D.C., from Ft. Launderdale to New York City (I came up from the subway in Manhattan and asked Siri to find me one. There were four within a 1/2 block radius of where I stood).

All three of my children, plus my daughter-in-law have worked for Starbucks. (Actually, that's where my son Zach met his bride Jessie.)

My last ministry job would find me regularly having meetings with my colleagues and team members there.

Before he moved away, I met every two weeks in the early morning with a friend for a mutual encouragement and accountability at a Starbucks.

I have even shared an 'airport layover coffee' in Delhi with one of my sons while traveling through India.

Why am I sharing all of this? Because although I enjoy the Starbucks experience, I cannot afford the Starbucks prices on a regular basis. Plus, plain coffee is really not my thing: I prefer the more expensive flavored drinks. So for my own coffee enjoyment, I make Starbucks.

It began with my wife buying me a nice coffee machine for my birthday a few years ago. Then she bought me an assortment of flavored syrups. I experimented with different combinations of mocha, white mocha, caramel, peppermint, raspberry, hazelnut, toffee nut, and even orange. Peppermint mocha emerged as my favorite.

Recently my wife surprised me with an originally created dark chocolate syrup that is literally to die for. I remembered that Starbucks once had a dark cherry mocha drink on their menu a few years back, so I did a little online shopping and found some black cherry syrup. The result: My new all-time favorite dark cherry mocha drink!

You too can be creative. I achieved this with three essential elements:

• A felt need: Enjoy a Starbucks style flavored drink without paying the Starbucks style prices.
• A tested model: I had sampled the Starbucks flavored drinks and knew what my favorites tasted like.
• A little creativity: Online & local shopping, kitchen experiments, imagination.

Anyone can create, everyone can create: An empty box, raw vegetables & spices, a blank sheet of paper, a ball of yarn, a string of code. Simply identify your need, observe a model... and make your own 'Starbucks'!

What have you created on your own as an alternative to consumer products? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.   If you like this post, you can re-post, 'share' it on your Facebook@bigcloudmusic if you find me interesting. Subscribe to this Blog if you'd like.