Why?

I was outside my store today and happened to look up and see our flag blowing in the wind. I remember when I first got the store and I loved seeing the flag flying high and blowing around up there. I was disappointed because my second thought was that I maybe ought to think about getting a smaller flag next time to save money.
My mind immediately then went to a talk that a friend of mine gave at our fall plan share. He talked to us about the importance of why we do what we do. He said that it was important to not forget why you came to work for CFA and to think about why you were going to operate your store in 2012. I felt guilty as I walked in the store because by allowing myself to think about getting a smaller flag I was really copping out on doing some harder work that concerns profit at our store.
I didn't come to CFA to not rise to a challenge, to not grow and to put temporary band-aids on things. I want to make a difference in the lives of others, be a faithful steward of what I have been entrusted with and carry the baton of CFA as far and as I possibly can. I plan on taking some time over the next week or so and making a little list of "Why's". Why are you going to do what you do this year?

Hugs

I know that there are all kinds of thoughts, stats and quotes out there that try and quantify the importance of hugs. I can never remember how many you are supposed to have a day or during the week, but I learned a valuable lesson about hugs on Thursday.
Karon has worked for me for almost 4 years. She has some challenges and OCD is one of them. She does detailed cleaning a couple of times a week at the store for us and always asks the same questions, in the same order, etc. She stands at the register waiting for exactly 9:30 to clock in every time she works. I really like Karon and have tried to make sure that we always have a place for her at our store. Sometimes that can be a bit challenging because of her issues, but it has proven worth it.
Back to the hug.
December 1st was my birthday and after Karon was done at precisely 11AM, she clocked out and came back to the office to talk with me. She explained she needed a day off in December and we chatted for a minute.  Then there was an slight awkward pause and she just reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck and as she was doing this she wished me a happy birthday. She didn't just let go either. She held on for a second and really hugged on me like she meant it. I was caught way off guard by this because with Karon having OCD things are usually very routine and quite predictable.
I hope that I never forget the feeling that I had in that moment when Karon hugged me. Everything melted away. I felt cared for and genuinely loved. It was unbelievably genuine.
It reminded me of the value of a hug, a kind word or a simple gesture. During this season I hope to take that hug that Karon gave me and pass it on to others in unexpected and fun ways that will encourage them and let them know that they are loved, not just by me but by the baby in Bethlehem.

Frat House Weekend

When the boys were smaller and Suzanne would head out of town for a weekend we would call it Frat House Weekend and the boys would usually just wear their diapers and we would eat and do whatever we wanted. They would sleep in the bed with me and we would watch Disney until late at night.

Suzanne has headed to Atlanta for the weekend to visit her family and took Garrett with her. Ryan, Matthew and I stayed here because Ryan has hist first 5k tomorrow and they both have baseball. Even thought I really miss Suzanne when she is gone these are good times alone with the boys.

I don't always do a good job of slowing down and staying in the moment with them like I did when they were younger. Sometimes I get frustrated at stupid things or think that other things are more important and usually they are not. Two things made me really want to relish these times alone with them more today.

One was when I thought about my friend Theresa. She has a son in the Marines and he is stationed in Japan. She doesn't get to talk to him very often at all. Wednesday she got to Skype with him for a while before he was deployed to help with the disaster. He is doing a great thing, but I thought about what it would be like to only be able to Skype with one of the boys for a few minutes a month and suddenly the fact that Ryan helped himself to an ice bag at the store didn't seem like a big deal at all.

The other thing was that my dad stopped by today on his way back to Greensboro and we hung out for a little bit. When he was leaving I told him thanks for stopping and he told me he was glad he did. That just hit me different for some reason. My dad was glad to see me. That felt good. I need to make sure that my boys know that I am glad to be with them and enjoy their company. They need to know that they are the apple of my eye. I didn't know that I needed that today, but I did and I am 38.

So, if you happen to hear a little more noise coming from 1062 Sharon Lee Ave the rest of this weekend it is just me enjoying being with my boys. I hope you get a chance to do the same with yours.

Blessings...

Laughter

With three boys in my house there is rarely a quiet moment and much of the noise in our house is actually laughter. I love to hear them laugh, and nothing warms my heart like hearing Suzanne laugh when we watch a show together or I do something silly. Today I got to thinking about how much God loves to hear us laugh too. To know that our hearts are full and we are enjoying the life that he has given to us. Often laughter can be the best medicine.

When we went to our annual Chick-fil-A operators seminar this year we were entertained for the second year in a row by Tim Hawkins. He wrote a song about Chick-fil-A a couple of years ago and is absolutely hilarious. Follow the link below if you want a good laugh and want to make God smile! Don't forget to enjoy your day and laugh along the way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JoJtHpVgNo

Blessings...

This One's For My Brother

At our store we take names and deliver the tray to the person by name. The other day my brother Mike had the pleasure of delivering a very nice lady named Flo her food. This post is for him. We laughed about this for a good while.
Blessings...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yab9fyO3M14

It's The Relationship That Matters

I got a text today from Suzanne and she told me that Ryan had gotten an 88 on his science test and that it was the highest grade in the class. When I read the text a huge smile spread across my face. Before I get too far into this let me set the record straight, I am not sharing this so that you know that my son got the highest grade in the class. Tomorrow he is just as likely to come home with the lowest grade!

As I was working today though I really smiled deep down inside thinking about my relationship with Ryan and what I am lerning from fathering my son. Suzanne and I have really struggled to work with him on giving his best efforts at all times (especially in school). He really tends to blow things off if it isn't something that gets him jacked up or is of real interest to him. I have also noticed how relationships are very important to him. If he connects with a teacher or coach he is all in and goes after it in a way that he doesn't if that relational connection is not there. Ryan has a teacher right now that he is really connected with. She is a very gifted lady who has been teaching for many years and knows her stuff and cares about her kids.

This little situation made me think about God and how so often people view him as a distant something floating around somewhere. Often he is viewed as disengaged and disinterested. maybe even uncaring. As I read the Bible though and I spend time working on my relationship with God I find that the opposite is true. I read about and experience a God that desperately wants to be involved in our lives and wants to be known. I also find that just like my son when I keep that thought in front of me and I live life with him and trust him (even when it seems like he is nowhere to be found) I find myself becoming more engaged with others and living my life as he says, "to the full." I grade out better because I am tracking with someone that I can trust loves me, sees me and wants what is best for me. If God is distant and disconnected it is hard to give life your best efforts. To live it out as he asks us to. To have real meaning. But, if God is close and caring that changes everything.
Thanks for the lesson Ry!
Blessings...

Listen to your wife

My wife says that my blog is too serious and I need to lighten it up.
Here ya go honey...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSYlxzCHvKg