Next Saturday, this is taking place about 30 minutes from me. My husband and I are going to check it out. The white nationalist movement in America desperately needs the gospel.
It's only Thursday. What will the rest of the week look like?
3 Ocak 2013 Perşembe
I'll sleep when I'm dead
To contact us Click HERE
Just in the last few days I have been honored with praise for my blog, I've made some great new Christian friends, I was able to give someone some much needed encouragement after an attempted suicide, I relocated my family to another house so our bathroom could be gutted (the floor rotted and the landlord didn't take care of it), spent a few nights without sleep (and successfully lost the key- UGH!), drained my first porti-potty (and spilled some -YUCK!), made friends with someone in Bulgaria, got to play match maker, made a killer potato soup, was able to go food shopping for the first time in weeks, read my son the whole book of 2 Chronicles and talked about why there is good and evil in this world, watched Downfall with my husband, and lost some weight due to stress, but gained joy and restoration through Christ. I'm still content.
Next Saturday, this is taking place about 30 minutes from me. My husband and I are going to check it out. The white nationalist movement in America desperately needs the gospel.
It's only Thursday. What will the rest of the week look like?
Next Saturday, this is taking place about 30 minutes from me. My husband and I are going to check it out. The white nationalist movement in America desperately needs the gospel.
It's only Thursday. What will the rest of the week look like?
Gitomer's Sales Training Seminar in Atlanta Today
To contact us Click HERE
I thought I'd blog about some key take-aways and observations from attending Jeffrey Gitomer's seminar today.
Take-aways:
Nobody goes to school to become a sales manager so you have to get training.
Be a coach, not a manager.
Make your business card a conversation starter.
My attitude, as the Sales Coach, sets the tone for my team.
Inspire players to win for themselves.
Let each team member teach at sales meetings
Referrals are key. (this is a big mantra of Gitomer's)
Bring a customer to a sales meeting.
Look at your most heard objections and do something about them.
Have contests with your team anyone can win.
Hire women sales people. They do better, typically, than men.
Award your sales people in public.
Ask your sale people, "What is your best relationship in your life?" Now, nurture your client relationships the same way.
Lead by example, beside your people.
Set goals with your team.
Go through the sales people at your targets to get to the decision maker.
Record yourself pitching and watch it.
Enhance the comp plans.
Sales people don't like being accountable and they don't like working on a team with the other sales people.
Encourage your people.....all the way up until they leave.
Something I noticed in this, the 4th time I've paid to hear Gitomer, is that he's hawking his stuff a LOT more. Books, software, vendors, his new CRM, etc... It's annoying and I felt like I paid a lot of money to listen to him spend half his time talking about how the Phillies are awesome and his web guy is great. He lost me on this one. I won't pay to hear him again.
Take-aways:
Nobody goes to school to become a sales manager so you have to get training.
Be a coach, not a manager.
Make your business card a conversation starter.
My attitude, as the Sales Coach, sets the tone for my team.
Inspire players to win for themselves.
Let each team member teach at sales meetings
Referrals are key. (this is a big mantra of Gitomer's)
Bring a customer to a sales meeting.
Look at your most heard objections and do something about them.
Have contests with your team anyone can win.
Hire women sales people. They do better, typically, than men.
Award your sales people in public.
Ask your sale people, "What is your best relationship in your life?" Now, nurture your client relationships the same way.
Lead by example, beside your people.
Set goals with your team.
Go through the sales people at your targets to get to the decision maker.
Record yourself pitching and watch it.
Enhance the comp plans.
Sales people don't like being accountable and they don't like working on a team with the other sales people.
Encourage your people.....all the way up until they leave.
Something I noticed in this, the 4th time I've paid to hear Gitomer, is that he's hawking his stuff a LOT more. Books, software, vendors, his new CRM, etc... It's annoying and I felt like I paid a lot of money to listen to him spend half his time talking about how the Phillies are awesome and his web guy is great. He lost me on this one. I won't pay to hear him again.
Why Your Web Developer Can't Define The User Experience
To contact us Click HERE
As a web developer for many years before moving into consulting I have a lot of experience with the concept of having web developers (or IT people, or business people for that matter) be the ones responsible for making sure the user will adopt a system or website experience. For many years I was called on by both internal and external clients to "build it in a way that the customer will love it". I worked with the designers on the interface. I architected out the navigation and sections of the site. I worked with the IT staff on the backend that would be required to deliver the application. All of us, together, were the proverbial blind-leading-the-blind when it came to what the end-user was going to both enjoy using and adopt.
One of the things that happens is a technology person will try to get a committee of (normally) internal stakeholders together to ask them what they want to site to look and act like. If things don't slow to a stand-still soon thereafter it's at least almost always the case that the requirements are so scattered, in an attempt to please everyone, that everything being asked for can't all fit into the design and feature-set. Happens all the time....
What's wrong with this? Developers are not only NOT the user of the system in most instances but they also don't have the breadth of experience or the bandwidth to perform the research, architecture, design and taxonomy that will be required to have an engaging, enjoyable, positive experience. "That guy that does the website work" isn't the answer to creating/crafting the optimal experience that the users will either get from you or from your competition.
Why does this happen? It happens a lot when brands count on their limited technology department to look out for the company's interests. Well-meaning technology people hate to say that they don't have the skills or experience because they are counted on so often to shoulder the responsibility of not only the stability of their products but also carry the burden of adoption. It's often the case where, when a system fails to be adopted, the company blames it on the technology group as not having built a system that pleased everybody.
What is the solution? Smart companies value actually taking the user insights into consideration. Knowing who the target audience is important. It's not "everybody on the Internet". Come on. Knowing what those users are on the site to accomplish is vital. Knowing how the users think and what predispositions they have are key, as well. Research has to be done. The system has to be designed with the user in mind and the 80/20 Rule has to be put in place. By this I mean that the majority of the users' interests have to be held a higher weight than the minority peanut gallery.
Quick asterisks: By "experience" we can refer to not only experiencing a website but also software, offline experiences such as in retail, mobile applications, verbal communications and an assortment of other ways that a company engages their customers and employees. Also, by "users" I mean anyone that engages with a brand, not just customers.
And here is the paid endorsement: : ) Those of you that know me know I work for a great consulting company that has a unique methodology for incorporating user insights into system and software design and architecture. Macquarium has 20 years of experience in working with some of the top brands in the country to ensure that the users both delight in the engagement they have with our clients brands as well as adopt the system that is being deployed to them. Love to talk to you about how Macquarium can impact your engagements with your users. Just ping me anytime: scott.burkey@macquarium.com
One of the things that happens is a technology person will try to get a committee of (normally) internal stakeholders together to ask them what they want to site to look and act like. If things don't slow to a stand-still soon thereafter it's at least almost always the case that the requirements are so scattered, in an attempt to please everyone, that everything being asked for can't all fit into the design and feature-set. Happens all the time....
What's wrong with this? Developers are not only NOT the user of the system in most instances but they also don't have the breadth of experience or the bandwidth to perform the research, architecture, design and taxonomy that will be required to have an engaging, enjoyable, positive experience. "That guy that does the website work" isn't the answer to creating/crafting the optimal experience that the users will either get from you or from your competition.
Why does this happen? It happens a lot when brands count on their limited technology department to look out for the company's interests. Well-meaning technology people hate to say that they don't have the skills or experience because they are counted on so often to shoulder the responsibility of not only the stability of their products but also carry the burden of adoption. It's often the case where, when a system fails to be adopted, the company blames it on the technology group as not having built a system that pleased everybody.
What is the solution? Smart companies value actually taking the user insights into consideration. Knowing who the target audience is important. It's not "everybody on the Internet". Come on. Knowing what those users are on the site to accomplish is vital. Knowing how the users think and what predispositions they have are key, as well. Research has to be done. The system has to be designed with the user in mind and the 80/20 Rule has to be put in place. By this I mean that the majority of the users' interests have to be held a higher weight than the minority peanut gallery.
Quick asterisks: By "experience" we can refer to not only experiencing a website but also software, offline experiences such as in retail, mobile applications, verbal communications and an assortment of other ways that a company engages their customers and employees. Also, by "users" I mean anyone that engages with a brand, not just customers.
And here is the paid endorsement: : ) Those of you that know me know I work for a great consulting company that has a unique methodology for incorporating user insights into system and software design and architecture. Macquarium has 20 years of experience in working with some of the top brands in the country to ensure that the users both delight in the engagement they have with our clients brands as well as adopt the system that is being deployed to them. Love to talk to you about how Macquarium can impact your engagements with your users. Just ping me anytime: scott.burkey@macquarium.com
Let's see if this works....
To contact us Click HERE
My professional career has been a series of ill-timed changes that have often caused me to look back and say something similar to, "Well, that really wasn't the right change at the right time now was it?" Ha
I stayed on at a big dot-com too long, then the crash hit. I left a good agency to go to a start-up just as the recession hit in 2008. Bad move. I got into sales and let me tech skills wane. But now.......
I've decided that the 5-year departure from web development, to get into sales, needs to come back full-circle. I'm making the move from sales back into my first love.....web development.
Sales was great. Who wouldn't like being in control of how much they make? Who wouldn't like little accountability and all the flex-time they can handle? Lots of travel. Lots of exciting meetings and trips and dinners and networking events with big names. But....sales is lot of pressure. Lots of pressure. It's not about "Great job Burkey on closing that sale!" It's more about "What are you going to close next?" and "How soon will you be getting ink on that deal???" : )
I'm going to do some contract work for awhile to get my skills back "somewhat current" and then slide into a permanent position again with a target company. I'm doing some work now and will continue to refine my HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, .NET, SQL and other skills while I wait to take just the right permanent opportunity. I'm totally swamped with opportunities and it appears to be a good time to be moving back into delivery and out of "walking the street".
Let's see if this works.....
** UPDATE ** Nov 4, 2011
Just accepted a position back with CNN in their technology group. So that worked..... : )
I stayed on at a big dot-com too long, then the crash hit. I left a good agency to go to a start-up just as the recession hit in 2008. Bad move. I got into sales and let me tech skills wane. But now.......
I've decided that the 5-year departure from web development, to get into sales, needs to come back full-circle. I'm making the move from sales back into my first love.....web development.
Sales was great. Who wouldn't like being in control of how much they make? Who wouldn't like little accountability and all the flex-time they can handle? Lots of travel. Lots of exciting meetings and trips and dinners and networking events with big names. But....sales is lot of pressure. Lots of pressure. It's not about "Great job Burkey on closing that sale!" It's more about "What are you going to close next?" and "How soon will you be getting ink on that deal???" : )
I'm going to do some contract work for awhile to get my skills back "somewhat current" and then slide into a permanent position again with a target company. I'm doing some work now and will continue to refine my HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, .NET, SQL and other skills while I wait to take just the right permanent opportunity. I'm totally swamped with opportunities and it appears to be a good time to be moving back into delivery and out of "walking the street".
Let's see if this works.....
** UPDATE ** Nov 4, 2011
Just accepted a position back with CNN in their technology group. So that worked..... : )
5 Things I'll Never Do Again In My Career
To contact us Click HERE
1. Work in sales. I'll never work in sales again. This one negates the need for about 10 other things I will never do again like "Sell To The Government" and "Cold Call". This was originally going to be "1,00 Things I'll Never Do Again In My Career" but with this one being #1 I can keep this list down to 5. : )
2. Misrepresent what I'm able to do and what I am interested in doing during a job interview. Friend of mine that is an older gentleman said to me recently, "Scott, I'm too old to lie. I just tell it like it is." I really appreciate that. I'm just getting too old to lie. It's not the lie that kills me it's the rest of the junk that comes after that with trying to live that lie. In my career this is especially true. I can do what I can do and I am interested in doing what I am able to do. Nothing more.
3. Put my career before my family. Jobs come and go but I only have one shot at enjoying my family, raising my children and walking through my life with my dear wife. Whatever I'm doing at work will still be there in the morning....I'm going home to have dinner with my family and to play with my kids before bedtime.
4. Work for a small company because they tell me, "Oh we're serious about growing our company by leaps and bounds. We're expanding and you can be a part of the success!" Whatever.
5. Stay at a company too long. When the wheels are falling off they're falling off. Jump. I'm all about being faithful, since my mantra is Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful. But to my wife, not to a company where they're having trouble making payroll. Not my problem if it's not my company.
I reserve the right to add to this list. : ) I'm making mistakes all the time. Surely I'll make more.......daily.
2. Misrepresent what I'm able to do and what I am interested in doing during a job interview. Friend of mine that is an older gentleman said to me recently, "Scott, I'm too old to lie. I just tell it like it is." I really appreciate that. I'm just getting too old to lie. It's not the lie that kills me it's the rest of the junk that comes after that with trying to live that lie. In my career this is especially true. I can do what I can do and I am interested in doing what I am able to do. Nothing more.
3. Put my career before my family. Jobs come and go but I only have one shot at enjoying my family, raising my children and walking through my life with my dear wife. Whatever I'm doing at work will still be there in the morning....I'm going home to have dinner with my family and to play with my kids before bedtime.
4. Work for a small company because they tell me, "Oh we're serious about growing our company by leaps and bounds. We're expanding and you can be a part of the success!" Whatever.
5. Stay at a company too long. When the wheels are falling off they're falling off. Jump. I'm all about being faithful, since my mantra is Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful. But to my wife, not to a company where they're having trouble making payroll. Not my problem if it's not my company.
I reserve the right to add to this list. : ) I'm making mistakes all the time. Surely I'll make more.......daily.
2 Ocak 2013 Çarşamba
CPAC 2010 is here!
To contact us Click HERE
For the next three days (and nights) I'll be at the premiere conservative political event of the year. CPAC 2010 (www.cpac.org) is a great event with lots of networking, educational opportunities, events, speakers and parties in Washington DC.
Townhall is proud to be associated with CPAC and provides the official live video streaming efforts for CPAC.
www.townhall.com/cpac
Townhall is proud to be associated with CPAC and provides the official live video streaming efforts for CPAC.
www.townhall.com/cpac
My Time At The Townhall
To contact us Click HERE
I'm determined to sit, in one shot, and watch a little Black Crowes in concert on tv and write about the past 15 months at Townhall. Probably the best job at the worst time. I'll explain why.
Never have I been more excited about a job in my career than the opportunity at Townhall.com/HotAir.com/Townhall Magazine. Great job that I poured my heart (and often 60+ hours a week) into. The unfortunate part is that the housing market in Atlanta is impossible and selling a home there, with the hopes of MOVING to Washington DC, is a lost cause right now. So....I'm going back to work in Atlanta and to be home with my family every night. Here are a few memories of my time at Townhall: (it's also a chance for me to say some things I wouldn't be able to say to peoples' faces without getting all teary-eyed like I do...)
So I racked up some Skymiles, made some friends, made some memories, got to know a little about politics, got to see some NEAT things in DC and hey....I put a chunk of money in the savings account. Not a bad 15 months for being in the middle of the worst economy of my lifetime. I'll post more as I think of it. Like elevator-pitching the House Majority Leader in the mens' room at the airport and when I told off a group of ladies on the Metro right before the door shut, locking me on the train with them for another stop. Smooth Burkey.
Ok, so one last thing to my team. Thanks for giving me a wonderful year and making it exciting and rewarding. I miss you guys already. I just left the office less than three hours ago and I'm already missing you. Best of luck and keep in touch, please.
Maddie, I'm coming home!
Never have I been more excited about a job in my career than the opportunity at Townhall.com/HotAir.com/Townhall Magazine. Great job that I poured my heart (and often 60+ hours a week) into. The unfortunate part is that the housing market in Atlanta is impossible and selling a home there, with the hopes of MOVING to Washington DC, is a lost cause right now. So....I'm going back to work in Atlanta and to be home with my family every night. Here are a few memories of my time at Townhall: (it's also a chance for me to say some things I wouldn't be able to say to peoples' faces without getting all teary-eyed like I do...)
- I will likely never forget packing up my truck (bed and all) to go up and set up at my brother-in-law's house in Chantilly, Virginia so that I could work at TH until my family could move up. I remember the Saturday morning when I pulled out of the driveway and my daughter Madeline stood in the yard waving good-bye and crying her eyes out. I cried too as I drove down the street and stopped to look back to see her standing there like a little lost girl whose Daddy was leaving. One of the saddest moments of my life. 15 months later, after many Sunday afternoons of driving back to the airport to fly to DC for another week's work has taken a toll on me that I couldn't have imagined that first Saturday morning.
- My first day on the job I was so freaked out that I would be late that I actually arrived at Townhall's offices in Rosslyn, Va at 5:45 a.m........just me and the dark office.........and a big lump in my stomach from the nerves.
- One solid year, then ensued, of absolutely kicking ass. Sorry, that's what happened. The Sales Team, me, the company, the conservatives that retook control of the House, the Tea Party activists, all of us.....just blew it out in 2010. What a year. Wow....
- I learned more about politics and online advertising than I thought ever possible. Yikes.
- Some of the people I met at TH were: George Will, Dick Morris, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Andrew Breitbart, Herman Cain, Hon. Ed Meese and so many more that I can't recount them all......it was like being in political Hollywood. Amazing...
- The people I have come to know. The people I have grown that care about. The people I have gained huge amounts of admiration and respect for:
- Jonathan Garthwaite - Good, solid, Christian guy that didn't know what he was getting into hiring me. He taught me a huge amount and I hope I did as good of a job for him and I tried to do.
- Chris Field - runs a GREAT magazine. Super nice guy and good Christian family man. Lots of respect for this guy.
- Kevin Glass - good guy that I hate to leave. Kevin, wishing you the best in your bright future, my man.
- Katie & Elizabeth - I'm lumping them together because they're just both equally sweet, smart, talented and the future of the conservative journalistic movement. (is that a term?) They make me look old and nerdy.....(easy people...no need to read into that one)
- Guy Benson - there's my first INNOCENT bro-mance. ha I'm proud to say that I know somebody that talented in conservative politics. Keep up the great work Guy!
- Magan Young - This chick is my home-girl. That was kind of blunt. One of the funnest people I have ever worked with. My sushi buddy. I would work with, for, over, under, beside Magan anytime. I could do a whole blog post on just Magan but I'll save it......I'm on the second encore with the Robinson brothers. Just let me say that Magan Young is the reason why I enjoyed Townhall. Period. She cared for me as a person when the job had really started to wear on me. Love ya, mean it. Call you tomorrow.
- Scott Kline - This guy is probably the smartest hire I ever made. I say this because how often do you hire somebody that absolutely JAMS at his job and you turn around and realize you also have a real friend in that person. I'm proud to call Scott (and Magan) my friends. I don't call people "friend" lightly, just a thing about me. But Scott is a super nice guy that not only has real talent but he's a real good person that has made my time at Townhall (at the end, when I was really kind of over it) bearable and fun.
- Chris Malagisi - Leadership Institute and YCC (http://www.theycc.org/) - one of the nicest guys I met in DC and I hope to keep him as a friend for a long time. Sharp guy....
- Sarah Smith. The lovely and talented Sarah Smith of AFP - Americans For Prosperity. Some nice young guy please marry Sarah. Do yourself a favor. She's awesome! But be good to her or several of us will break your neck.
- Linlee Dubard, my little Southern buddy. I don't know where to begin so I won't. You, my dear, have your whole life ahead of you and I'm glad I got to meet you before you are rich and famous. : ) Good luck to you darlin'. I am your biggest fan. Seriously.
- There are a ton of talented people like Ed Morrissey, Ricardo Pontes, John Hanlon and others. There are a ton of nice people like Caroline Ambrose, Alan Moore, Joanna Rutkowska, Drew London and the always-sweet Lauren Veneziani. There are the people that are no longer there like Mr. Magic Stick, Ms. Barnes, Matt Bower, the coolest journalist in the world Jillian Bandes and my pal Steve Newton. Steve....that was another deal. Toughest conversation I ever had to have in my career was when Steve left Townhall. I hope to stay in tight with him too now that I'm back in Atlanta.
- I got to go to RightOnline in Las Vegas, CPAC in 2010 in DC and The Money Show in Las Vegas back in April. All good trips. Oh, Right Nation in Chicago, that was fun. Interviewed Andrew Breitbart and Herman Cain and a few others that I am SURE had no idea who the heck I was or what I was doing interviewing them. ha
- There was when I wrecked the crap out of the rental car in Hollywood. What I was doing in Hollywood in the middle of the night is another story for another blog. ha It was no Eddie Murphy kind of junk. Honest.
- Glenn Beck Rally and countless dinners to hear George Will speak, Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, Tim Phillips and some other great voices in the conservative movement like Judge Napolitano and Tim Pawlenty. Oh...Michael Steele and Newt Gingrich. Great to be in the room with them.
- I remember the first networking event I went to at Townhall at the Leadership Institute. I thought it odd, in a good way, that the Pledge Of Allegiance was recited and that a prayer was said at the beginning of the meeting. Of course conservatives don't have the market cornered on patriotism or a reverence for God but how refreshing it was to be in rooms that had the same values that I have. Kudos to everything that LI does.
- When the end came and it was time to give notice I was treated with dignity and kindness. Thank you Townhall. I will always have fond memories of my time in your service.
- Oh, one more thing. 35% revenue increase in the worst economy of our lifetimes. We did good.
So I racked up some Skymiles, made some friends, made some memories, got to know a little about politics, got to see some NEAT things in DC and hey....I put a chunk of money in the savings account. Not a bad 15 months for being in the middle of the worst economy of my lifetime. I'll post more as I think of it. Like elevator-pitching the House Majority Leader in the mens' room at the airport and when I told off a group of ladies on the Metro right before the door shut, locking me on the train with them for another stop. Smooth Burkey.
Ok, so one last thing to my team. Thanks for giving me a wonderful year and making it exciting and rewarding. I miss you guys already. I just left the office less than three hours ago and I'm already missing you. Best of luck and keep in touch, please.
Maddie, I'm coming home!
Why Your Web Developer Can't Define The User Experience
To contact us Click HERE
As a web developer for many years before moving into consulting I have a lot of experience with the concept of having web developers (or IT people, or business people for that matter) be the ones responsible for making sure the user will adopt a system or website experience. For many years I was called on by both internal and external clients to "build it in a way that the customer will love it". I worked with the designers on the interface. I architected out the navigation and sections of the site. I worked with the IT staff on the backend that would be required to deliver the application. All of us, together, were the proverbial blind-leading-the-blind when it came to what the end-user was going to both enjoy using and adopt.
One of the things that happens is a technology person will try to get a committee of (normally) internal stakeholders together to ask them what they want to site to look and act like. If things don't slow to a stand-still soon thereafter it's at least almost always the case that the requirements are so scattered, in an attempt to please everyone, that everything being asked for can't all fit into the design and feature-set. Happens all the time....
What's wrong with this? Developers are not only NOT the user of the system in most instances but they also don't have the breadth of experience or the bandwidth to perform the research, architecture, design and taxonomy that will be required to have an engaging, enjoyable, positive experience. "That guy that does the website work" isn't the answer to creating/crafting the optimal experience that the users will either get from you or from your competition.
Why does this happen? It happens a lot when brands count on their limited technology department to look out for the company's interests. Well-meaning technology people hate to say that they don't have the skills or experience because they are counted on so often to shoulder the responsibility of not only the stability of their products but also carry the burden of adoption. It's often the case where, when a system fails to be adopted, the company blames it on the technology group as not having built a system that pleased everybody.
What is the solution? Smart companies value actually taking the user insights into consideration. Knowing who the target audience is important. It's not "everybody on the Internet". Come on. Knowing what those users are on the site to accomplish is vital. Knowing how the users think and what predispositions they have are key, as well. Research has to be done. The system has to be designed with the user in mind and the 80/20 Rule has to be put in place. By this I mean that the majority of the users' interests have to be held a higher weight than the minority peanut gallery.
Quick asterisks: By "experience" we can refer to not only experiencing a website but also software, offline experiences such as in retail, mobile applications, verbal communications and an assortment of other ways that a company engages their customers and employees. Also, by "users" I mean anyone that engages with a brand, not just customers.
And here is the paid endorsement: : ) Those of you that know me know I work for a great consulting company that has a unique methodology for incorporating user insights into system and software design and architecture. Macquarium has 20 years of experience in working with some of the top brands in the country to ensure that the users both delight in the engagement they have with our clients brands as well as adopt the system that is being deployed to them. Love to talk to you about how Macquarium can impact your engagements with your users. Just ping me anytime: scott.burkey@macquarium.com
One of the things that happens is a technology person will try to get a committee of (normally) internal stakeholders together to ask them what they want to site to look and act like. If things don't slow to a stand-still soon thereafter it's at least almost always the case that the requirements are so scattered, in an attempt to please everyone, that everything being asked for can't all fit into the design and feature-set. Happens all the time....
What's wrong with this? Developers are not only NOT the user of the system in most instances but they also don't have the breadth of experience or the bandwidth to perform the research, architecture, design and taxonomy that will be required to have an engaging, enjoyable, positive experience. "That guy that does the website work" isn't the answer to creating/crafting the optimal experience that the users will either get from you or from your competition.
Why does this happen? It happens a lot when brands count on their limited technology department to look out for the company's interests. Well-meaning technology people hate to say that they don't have the skills or experience because they are counted on so often to shoulder the responsibility of not only the stability of their products but also carry the burden of adoption. It's often the case where, when a system fails to be adopted, the company blames it on the technology group as not having built a system that pleased everybody.
What is the solution? Smart companies value actually taking the user insights into consideration. Knowing who the target audience is important. It's not "everybody on the Internet". Come on. Knowing what those users are on the site to accomplish is vital. Knowing how the users think and what predispositions they have are key, as well. Research has to be done. The system has to be designed with the user in mind and the 80/20 Rule has to be put in place. By this I mean that the majority of the users' interests have to be held a higher weight than the minority peanut gallery.
Quick asterisks: By "experience" we can refer to not only experiencing a website but also software, offline experiences such as in retail, mobile applications, verbal communications and an assortment of other ways that a company engages their customers and employees. Also, by "users" I mean anyone that engages with a brand, not just customers.
And here is the paid endorsement: : ) Those of you that know me know I work for a great consulting company that has a unique methodology for incorporating user insights into system and software design and architecture. Macquarium has 20 years of experience in working with some of the top brands in the country to ensure that the users both delight in the engagement they have with our clients brands as well as adopt the system that is being deployed to them. Love to talk to you about how Macquarium can impact your engagements with your users. Just ping me anytime: scott.burkey@macquarium.com
Let's see if this works....
To contact us Click HERE
My professional career has been a series of ill-timed changes that have often caused me to look back and say something similar to, "Well, that really wasn't the right change at the right time now was it?" Ha
I stayed on at a big dot-com too long, then the crash hit. I left a good agency to go to a start-up just as the recession hit in 2008. Bad move. I got into sales and let me tech skills wane. But now.......
I've decided that the 5-year departure from web development, to get into sales, needs to come back full-circle. I'm making the move from sales back into my first love.....web development.
Sales was great. Who wouldn't like being in control of how much they make? Who wouldn't like little accountability and all the flex-time they can handle? Lots of travel. Lots of exciting meetings and trips and dinners and networking events with big names. But....sales is lot of pressure. Lots of pressure. It's not about "Great job Burkey on closing that sale!" It's more about "What are you going to close next?" and "How soon will you be getting ink on that deal???" : )
I'm going to do some contract work for awhile to get my skills back "somewhat current" and then slide into a permanent position again with a target company. I'm doing some work now and will continue to refine my HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, .NET, SQL and other skills while I wait to take just the right permanent opportunity. I'm totally swamped with opportunities and it appears to be a good time to be moving back into delivery and out of "walking the street".
Let's see if this works.....
** UPDATE ** Nov 4, 2011
Just accepted a position back with CNN in their technology group. So that worked..... : )
I stayed on at a big dot-com too long, then the crash hit. I left a good agency to go to a start-up just as the recession hit in 2008. Bad move. I got into sales and let me tech skills wane. But now.......
I've decided that the 5-year departure from web development, to get into sales, needs to come back full-circle. I'm making the move from sales back into my first love.....web development.
Sales was great. Who wouldn't like being in control of how much they make? Who wouldn't like little accountability and all the flex-time they can handle? Lots of travel. Lots of exciting meetings and trips and dinners and networking events with big names. But....sales is lot of pressure. Lots of pressure. It's not about "Great job Burkey on closing that sale!" It's more about "What are you going to close next?" and "How soon will you be getting ink on that deal???" : )
I'm going to do some contract work for awhile to get my skills back "somewhat current" and then slide into a permanent position again with a target company. I'm doing some work now and will continue to refine my HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, .NET, SQL and other skills while I wait to take just the right permanent opportunity. I'm totally swamped with opportunities and it appears to be a good time to be moving back into delivery and out of "walking the street".
Let's see if this works.....
** UPDATE ** Nov 4, 2011
Just accepted a position back with CNN in their technology group. So that worked..... : )
5 Things I'll Never Do Again In My Career
To contact us Click HERE
1. Work in sales. I'll never work in sales again. This one negates the need for about 10 other things I will never do again like "Sell To The Government" and "Cold Call". This was originally going to be "1,00 Things I'll Never Do Again In My Career" but with this one being #1 I can keep this list down to 5. : )
2. Misrepresent what I'm able to do and what I am interested in doing during a job interview. Friend of mine that is an older gentleman said to me recently, "Scott, I'm too old to lie. I just tell it like it is." I really appreciate that. I'm just getting too old to lie. It's not the lie that kills me it's the rest of the junk that comes after that with trying to live that lie. In my career this is especially true. I can do what I can do and I am interested in doing what I am able to do. Nothing more.
3. Put my career before my family. Jobs come and go but I only have one shot at enjoying my family, raising my children and walking through my life with my dear wife. Whatever I'm doing at work will still be there in the morning....I'm going home to have dinner with my family and to play with my kids before bedtime.
4. Work for a small company because they tell me, "Oh we're serious about growing our company by leaps and bounds. We're expanding and you can be a part of the success!" Whatever.
5. Stay at a company too long. When the wheels are falling off they're falling off. Jump. I'm all about being faithful, since my mantra is Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful. But to my wife, not to a company where they're having trouble making payroll. Not my problem if it's not my company.
I reserve the right to add to this list. : ) I'm making mistakes all the time. Surely I'll make more.......daily.
2. Misrepresent what I'm able to do and what I am interested in doing during a job interview. Friend of mine that is an older gentleman said to me recently, "Scott, I'm too old to lie. I just tell it like it is." I really appreciate that. I'm just getting too old to lie. It's not the lie that kills me it's the rest of the junk that comes after that with trying to live that lie. In my career this is especially true. I can do what I can do and I am interested in doing what I am able to do. Nothing more.
3. Put my career before my family. Jobs come and go but I only have one shot at enjoying my family, raising my children and walking through my life with my dear wife. Whatever I'm doing at work will still be there in the morning....I'm going home to have dinner with my family and to play with my kids before bedtime.
4. Work for a small company because they tell me, "Oh we're serious about growing our company by leaps and bounds. We're expanding and you can be a part of the success!" Whatever.
5. Stay at a company too long. When the wheels are falling off they're falling off. Jump. I'm all about being faithful, since my mantra is Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful. But to my wife, not to a company where they're having trouble making payroll. Not my problem if it's not my company.
I reserve the right to add to this list. : ) I'm making mistakes all the time. Surely I'll make more.......daily.
1 Ocak 2013 Salı
5 Things I'll Never Do Again In My Career
To contact us Click HERE
1. Work in sales. I'll never work in sales again. This one negates the need for about 10 other things I will never do again like "Sell To The Government" and "Cold Call". This was originally going to be "1,00 Things I'll Never Do Again In My Career" but with this one being #1 I can keep this list down to 5. : )
2. Misrepresent what I'm able to do and what I am interested in doing during a job interview. Friend of mine that is an older gentleman said to me recently, "Scott, I'm too old to lie. I just tell it like it is." I really appreciate that. I'm just getting too old to lie. It's not the lie that kills me it's the rest of the junk that comes after that with trying to live that lie. In my career this is especially true. I can do what I can do and I am interested in doing what I am able to do. Nothing more.
3. Put my career before my family. Jobs come and go but I only have one shot at enjoying my family, raising my children and walking through my life with my dear wife. Whatever I'm doing at work will still be there in the morning....I'm going home to have dinner with my family and to play with my kids before bedtime.
4. Work for a small company because they tell me, "Oh we're serious about growing our company by leaps and bounds. We're expanding and you can be a part of the success!" Whatever.
5. Stay at a company too long. When the wheels are falling off they're falling off. Jump. I'm all about being faithful, since my mantra is Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful. But to my wife, not to a company where they're having trouble making payroll. Not my problem if it's not my company.
I reserve the right to add to this list. : ) I'm making mistakes all the time. Surely I'll make more.......daily.
2. Misrepresent what I'm able to do and what I am interested in doing during a job interview. Friend of mine that is an older gentleman said to me recently, "Scott, I'm too old to lie. I just tell it like it is." I really appreciate that. I'm just getting too old to lie. It's not the lie that kills me it's the rest of the junk that comes after that with trying to live that lie. In my career this is especially true. I can do what I can do and I am interested in doing what I am able to do. Nothing more.
3. Put my career before my family. Jobs come and go but I only have one shot at enjoying my family, raising my children and walking through my life with my dear wife. Whatever I'm doing at work will still be there in the morning....I'm going home to have dinner with my family and to play with my kids before bedtime.
4. Work for a small company because they tell me, "Oh we're serious about growing our company by leaps and bounds. We're expanding and you can be a part of the success!" Whatever.
5. Stay at a company too long. When the wheels are falling off they're falling off. Jump. I'm all about being faithful, since my mantra is Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful. But to my wife, not to a company where they're having trouble making payroll. Not my problem if it's not my company.
I reserve the right to add to this list. : ) I'm making mistakes all the time. Surely I'll make more.......daily.
I'm BACK!
To contact us Click HERE
I know...I have not posted anything in a long time...LIFE often has a way of crowding in...AND IF I were to list ALL the things that have been going on it would take a while so I will just say we have had 3 friends go home to Heaven, some "not needed" excitement with the grandchildren (ex...car wreck...no one hurt thankfully) among several other "things" these past several weeks.
In the midst of all of this we were blessed to be able to still get to Branson, MO for Veterans week. This is something we look forward to every year and would hate to miss. We said we would NOT be as busy this year...BUT that was actually not to be. I mean HOW could we not try to do as much as possible when there is so much to see and do all of this week!
This year my brother Mike returned and brought his wife Vicki this time. He enjoyed last year so much he had to come back....AND this year Vicki also decided that this is a great place to be for Veterans week...so I think we shall see them there again next year!
We were blessed to be able to spend a lot of our time at the Day Room which is run by our dear friends Chip and Sandy Milner. They are there from opening to closing...greeting and chatting with all the veterans who come there to spend some time visiting with others. This year Eddie took his guitar and was able to spend some time playing and singing with the other veterans who also came prepared to "jam". On one of our visits Penny Gilly was there and sang along with the group. She came several times before her show and spent time with all of us. The Day Room has really become a great gathering place for veterans while in Branson for this week.
It is always such a joy to see all of the friends we have made on past trips here...
Veterans week has become a sort of reunion for us! Diane and Bill "Doc" Storm come all the way from Michigan each year and we enjoy our time with them as well as all the others we've come to know.
Eddie was asked to wear his uniform to the Oak Ridge Boys show...not told any more than that! When we got there he was taken back stage! BUT I had to stay out in the audience! Then after a few songs Pat Avery was introduced and she presented Eddie and Joe Bonsall each with their own Spirit Award ...for outstanding contributions to the preservation of America's history. NOW who would have ever thought that one day Eddie would be on stage with the Oak Ridge Boys one day AND get a standing ovation! Life is often so amazing and we are having some wonderful times!
This year Branson had a Marine Corps Ball and Eddie was asked to participate in the cake cutting ceremony. He carried in the sword to cut the cake. Lt Col Oliver North was the guest speaker so this was truly an honor to be a part of this event. We enjoyed hearing Lt Col North speak and were so glad to be able to meet him. Like I said...life is amazing! We have been blessed to be able to do many wonderful things and meet so many wonderful people! The Ball was great fun and I hope that it will become an annual event...since we often have to miss the Ball in Oklahoma when it is scheduled during Veterans week.
We are already looking forward to Veterans week in Branson next year. Its a great place to be and the place we want to be!
I'll do my best to stay on top of things and not stay away too long...that is unless I need for some of you to call me again! YES...I got phone calls wondering why I had not posted anything AND actually that was rather nice...cuz that means someone is actually reading this! Thanks!
Connie Beesley
In the midst of all of this we were blessed to be able to still get to Branson, MO for Veterans week. This is something we look forward to every year and would hate to miss. We said we would NOT be as busy this year...BUT that was actually not to be. I mean HOW could we not try to do as much as possible when there is so much to see and do all of this week!
This year my brother Mike returned and brought his wife Vicki this time. He enjoyed last year so much he had to come back....AND this year Vicki also decided that this is a great place to be for Veterans week...so I think we shall see them there again next year!
We were blessed to be able to spend a lot of our time at the Day Room which is run by our dear friends Chip and Sandy Milner. They are there from opening to closing...greeting and chatting with all the veterans who come there to spend some time visiting with others. This year Eddie took his guitar and was able to spend some time playing and singing with the other veterans who also came prepared to "jam". On one of our visits Penny Gilly was there and sang along with the group. She came several times before her show and spent time with all of us. The Day Room has really become a great gathering place for veterans while in Branson for this week.
It is always such a joy to see all of the friends we have made on past trips here...
Veterans week has become a sort of reunion for us! Diane and Bill "Doc" Storm come all the way from Michigan each year and we enjoy our time with them as well as all the others we've come to know.
Eddie was asked to wear his uniform to the Oak Ridge Boys show...not told any more than that! When we got there he was taken back stage! BUT I had to stay out in the audience! Then after a few songs Pat Avery was introduced and she presented Eddie and Joe Bonsall each with their own Spirit Award ...for outstanding contributions to the preservation of America's history. NOW who would have ever thought that one day Eddie would be on stage with the Oak Ridge Boys one day AND get a standing ovation! Life is often so amazing and we are having some wonderful times!
This year Branson had a Marine Corps Ball and Eddie was asked to participate in the cake cutting ceremony. He carried in the sword to cut the cake. Lt Col Oliver North was the guest speaker so this was truly an honor to be a part of this event. We enjoyed hearing Lt Col North speak and were so glad to be able to meet him. Like I said...life is amazing! We have been blessed to be able to do many wonderful things and meet so many wonderful people! The Ball was great fun and I hope that it will become an annual event...since we often have to miss the Ball in Oklahoma when it is scheduled during Veterans week.
We are already looking forward to Veterans week in Branson next year. Its a great place to be and the place we want to be!
I'll do my best to stay on top of things and not stay away too long...that is unless I need for some of you to call me again! YES...I got phone calls wondering why I had not posted anything AND actually that was rather nice...cuz that means someone is actually reading this! Thanks!
Connie Beesley
Nissan Juke Box Strongest Sound System in the World's
To contact us Click HERE
Nisan Juke Nismo debut the production version in the event the race 24 Hours of Le Mans, France, will be accompanied by the more special due to the presence of Nissan Juke Box.
Launched Carbuzz, Saturday, June 16, 2012, Juke Box is the result of collaboration with the Ministry of Sound Nissan to create a super car with a sound system in the street with 150db reaching power.
Nissan claims Juke Box as a car that had made the world's most powerful sound system. Juke Box sound system carried out by expert Martin Audio sound, well-known and responsible in the Ministry of Sound (MOS).
Martin Audio's reputation is quite famous because of the sound system often work in most nightclubs and bars, live event and fashion events.
Nissan Juke Box can produce sound with the power to achieve super fast 18.900W. With this power, the sound is louder than a jumbo jet noise during take off.
Launched Carbuzz, Saturday, June 16, 2012, Juke Box is the result of collaboration with the Ministry of Sound Nissan to create a super car with a sound system in the street with 150db reaching power.
 |
| Nissan Juke Box |
Nissan claims Juke Box as a car that had made the world's most powerful sound system. Juke Box sound system carried out by expert Martin Audio sound, well-known and responsible in the Ministry of Sound (MOS).
 |
| Nissan Juke Box |
 |
| Nissan Juke Box |
I wasn't going to write about this
To contact us Click HERE
There are things that you don't know about what I deal with as a result of this blog: Things I shy away from bringing up because I don't want to throw a pity party or appear to be a woman who sits in front of the tv with a pint of ice cream, as that isn't my style. I also don't want to be counted as arrogant, which is what happens commonly, though daily I care less about the names and more about just speaking what is true. Praise God I have legitimate trials and don't whine about, well, never mind.
There is a time to divulge information, and I wait on God for that timing so that I don't unnecessarily cause anyone grief, including myself. I don't want your attention on me, but rather on God. I am, after all, only keeping this blog running because I see how God uses it, and part of being used by God no matter what medium it happens through, is good. It's never bad to be a vessel for God's honor. It takes an enormous amount of vulnerability, but I know that in order to love God, I must obey His commandments, and that means I have to love others. You can't love people without being vulnerable and humble, and serving them.
Some readers assume that a blog is written through the quiet times and stability. But the reason I don't post vacation pictures or pictures from new crafts or clothing or shopping extravaganzas because I never do those things. My quiet times are spent weeping for the lost and weeping for the arrogant, confessing my sins, praying for strength to get through today, praying for everyone God lays on my mind and heart, reading things that will build my strength and courage up, and giving thanks to God for what I have overlooked all day long while unable to pray for multiple things and people and sins. God can think about all things and all people at all times, but I can't. I'm a little limited in that department. ; )
On my blog, I can't talk about current deployments or homecomings, because they're things of my past, but I'm where I am because I'm supposed to be. It isn't a party, but I'm not walking around with my nose up, roaring at people who don't give me what I think I deserve. There are no balloons in my life, and there is no pomp and circumstance. There is freedom in simplicity, so I meditate on the truth. There is pain and there are rewards for hard work. My character grows. My garden does not.
I consistently take a lot of heat from the military community for talking about Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries with a reformed Christian perspective. I've been uninvited to military speaking engagements by Chaplains as a result of this, have had emails go unanswered or ignored by others because I spoke truth instead of fluffing feathers, I've been asked to leave support groups online, and have been slandered publicly on blogs. I don't ask people not to judge me. If they want to, that's on them. If they're wrong, God have mercy on them. I still love them, and I still pray for them, especially if they hate me.
I'm coming at the whole war on terror and battle of the mind from a very unpopular angle. When I need encouragement about these things, I can't even turn to sisters in the military community. I have met few in Christian communities who are blunt enough and bold enough to talk to military personnel or dependents. It's lonely! I am gossiped about, I am slandered, I am ignored, I am rejected, and I am shunned. My husband deals with even more than I do, but I'm not going to write about his trials without his permission. It's happened more than once from people who claimed to be full of love and community.
What bothers me most is that all I don't lack boldness, but there are so few people who are willing to listen. No matter what, there's some qualification I have failed to meet in order to be able to speak to so and so. These are not limitations I have placed on myself. I live in a world and culture that pretends a piece of paper is the pinnacle of preparedness, but it's preposterous, because preparedness is a matter of emotional, physical, and spiritual alertness, training, knowledge and wisdom.
I truthfully believe most people will take any precaution necessary to avoid confrontation, even at the expense of the well-being of others, but especially at the expense of their own character growth. There are very few who can stand up in the midst of confrontation, still shouting the truth with all the love they have in them, and fewer who do so with a motive that is beyond a love of self. I am speaking this to the unsaved as well as "highly-educated" chaplains and pastors, since there seems to be almost no difference between council members and reprobates in this respect.
If you're unwilling to do the hard work and humble yourselves so that you can minister to others effectively, put your shoes back on. Don't dog on those Christians who are not washing your feet "correctly" since you refuse to even get your hands dirty. Praise God there are Christians who don't enable or cater to hypocrisy in their lives or in the lives of others.
Some of you will say I sound like I need a dose of humility. I've been humbled. That's why I'm able to say these things with full conviction. I warn people and they insult me. I speak the truth and then I'm slandered. My own family rejected me years ago. Do you understand? This is DAILY for me, living on the line for Christ just to be rejected by those who claim to love Him. What do you think it looks like to bear a burden and be mocked by the ignorant? This is my cross. What does yours look like?
I know what lies ahead for you who fail to repent. Do I care if I go to your meetings and conferences? Do I lose sleep when I respond to what appears to be someone searching for a friend and I try to befriend them and I never hear from them again? No. These things are the mass majority, of people looking for an answer and being discouraged because "they didn't ask for this," and "the answer is too hard." Walking down a dark alley is easier, so they go with that.
I didn't ask for my life to pan out the way it has, either. I'm not above you. I just didn't give up. I didn't get any advice. Books weren't out yet about PTSD for my husband and I. Retreats for spouses didn't exist. Do you not have a clue how easy it is for you? How much easier it is for you than it was for my husband and I?
Pull through it if you're determined. Do or die, right? Failure simply isn't an option if you put it out of your mind. It's not easy or possible to just "get over it," and I'm not saying that, so don't hear what I am not saying. I am saying you guys reject the truth because it doesn't sound right, and then you wonder why life seems so impossible and hopeless. Stop looking to people for answers and look to God instead. The only reason it doesn't sound right is because you don't know the truth. If the truth was in you, you would embrace more of it. Chaplains wonder why spiritual growth is so stunted in the military, but we don't wonder. The answer is right in front of their faces.
I'm telling you right now that my husband and I have valuable information about God in PTSD/TBI and God in government and God in CHURCH that you willfully overlook for the sake of money and a wide audience. But ask us to speak and I almost guarantee you, you will be hated as much as we are by thousands.
Why would we be hated by people who talk about love and healing and ache for it in their lives? Because people hate Jesus and we represent Him. He loved and healed, but He called people to repent and believe in Him, and to live in such a way that proved their repentance and faith true. That's basic Christianity 101. Don't forget that neither the military nor an MDiv exempts a person from the truth or the consequences of rejecting it. Being blown up in combat doesn't mean God overlooks sins and holds the mangled to a different standard, and being able to recite the Westminster Confession of Faith will be your elaborate downfall if you disengage yourself from the matters of the heart with the lame, the weak, and the crippled by life who are further crippled by those who enable stunted growth. In many cases, these warriors get suicidal because the fluffy spiritual answers people give them are just fluff, and they can't make the connection between war and the fluff. I haven't had my brain messed up from combat and I can't connect the two either, so I'm not sure who these "highly educated" spiritual leaders think they're kidding. If you missed my post about PTSD in the Old Testament, check it out.
You're not above God, sir or ma'am. You're subject to God's rule and judgment just as much as the man you secretly or not-so-secretly think you are better than because you served and he didn't. But sure. Keep those seats warm, guys. Keep at it. You're turning people into sheeple and rejoicing because your programs are growing as a result of coddles and ear-tickling but are void of the combative spiritual training that the men need in order to be men and lead regardless of their limps, missing pieces, and tangled memories. Why can't those who have fully-functioning and uninjured brains figure this out? Either they know the truth and live a lie, or they don't know the truth and they are still living a lie. Are they merely deceived like thousands even though they are in places of spiritual leadership? Do we blame the government for even silencing chaplains who pray in Jesus' name, or will not a chaplain do what is right even if this world says it is wrong? All of it leads to judgment. All of it.
Wake up, Christians.
There is a time to divulge information, and I wait on God for that timing so that I don't unnecessarily cause anyone grief, including myself. I don't want your attention on me, but rather on God. I am, after all, only keeping this blog running because I see how God uses it, and part of being used by God no matter what medium it happens through, is good. It's never bad to be a vessel for God's honor. It takes an enormous amount of vulnerability, but I know that in order to love God, I must obey His commandments, and that means I have to love others. You can't love people without being vulnerable and humble, and serving them.
Some readers assume that a blog is written through the quiet times and stability. But the reason I don't post vacation pictures or pictures from new crafts or clothing or shopping extravaganzas because I never do those things. My quiet times are spent weeping for the lost and weeping for the arrogant, confessing my sins, praying for strength to get through today, praying for everyone God lays on my mind and heart, reading things that will build my strength and courage up, and giving thanks to God for what I have overlooked all day long while unable to pray for multiple things and people and sins. God can think about all things and all people at all times, but I can't. I'm a little limited in that department. ; )
On my blog, I can't talk about current deployments or homecomings, because they're things of my past, but I'm where I am because I'm supposed to be. It isn't a party, but I'm not walking around with my nose up, roaring at people who don't give me what I think I deserve. There are no balloons in my life, and there is no pomp and circumstance. There is freedom in simplicity, so I meditate on the truth. There is pain and there are rewards for hard work. My character grows. My garden does not.
I consistently take a lot of heat from the military community for talking about Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries with a reformed Christian perspective. I've been uninvited to military speaking engagements by Chaplains as a result of this, have had emails go unanswered or ignored by others because I spoke truth instead of fluffing feathers, I've been asked to leave support groups online, and have been slandered publicly on blogs. I don't ask people not to judge me. If they want to, that's on them. If they're wrong, God have mercy on them. I still love them, and I still pray for them, especially if they hate me.
I'm coming at the whole war on terror and battle of the mind from a very unpopular angle. When I need encouragement about these things, I can't even turn to sisters in the military community. I have met few in Christian communities who are blunt enough and bold enough to talk to military personnel or dependents. It's lonely! I am gossiped about, I am slandered, I am ignored, I am rejected, and I am shunned. My husband deals with even more than I do, but I'm not going to write about his trials without his permission. It's happened more than once from people who claimed to be full of love and community.
What bothers me most is that all I don't lack boldness, but there are so few people who are willing to listen. No matter what, there's some qualification I have failed to meet in order to be able to speak to so and so. These are not limitations I have placed on myself. I live in a world and culture that pretends a piece of paper is the pinnacle of preparedness, but it's preposterous, because preparedness is a matter of emotional, physical, and spiritual alertness, training, knowledge and wisdom.
I truthfully believe most people will take any precaution necessary to avoid confrontation, even at the expense of the well-being of others, but especially at the expense of their own character growth. There are very few who can stand up in the midst of confrontation, still shouting the truth with all the love they have in them, and fewer who do so with a motive that is beyond a love of self. I am speaking this to the unsaved as well as "highly-educated" chaplains and pastors, since there seems to be almost no difference between council members and reprobates in this respect.
If you're unwilling to do the hard work and humble yourselves so that you can minister to others effectively, put your shoes back on. Don't dog on those Christians who are not washing your feet "correctly" since you refuse to even get your hands dirty. Praise God there are Christians who don't enable or cater to hypocrisy in their lives or in the lives of others.
Some of you will say I sound like I need a dose of humility. I've been humbled. That's why I'm able to say these things with full conviction. I warn people and they insult me. I speak the truth and then I'm slandered. My own family rejected me years ago. Do you understand? This is DAILY for me, living on the line for Christ just to be rejected by those who claim to love Him. What do you think it looks like to bear a burden and be mocked by the ignorant? This is my cross. What does yours look like?
I know what lies ahead for you who fail to repent. Do I care if I go to your meetings and conferences? Do I lose sleep when I respond to what appears to be someone searching for a friend and I try to befriend them and I never hear from them again? No. These things are the mass majority, of people looking for an answer and being discouraged because "they didn't ask for this," and "the answer is too hard." Walking down a dark alley is easier, so they go with that.
I didn't ask for my life to pan out the way it has, either. I'm not above you. I just didn't give up. I didn't get any advice. Books weren't out yet about PTSD for my husband and I. Retreats for spouses didn't exist. Do you not have a clue how easy it is for you? How much easier it is for you than it was for my husband and I?
Pull through it if you're determined. Do or die, right? Failure simply isn't an option if you put it out of your mind. It's not easy or possible to just "get over it," and I'm not saying that, so don't hear what I am not saying. I am saying you guys reject the truth because it doesn't sound right, and then you wonder why life seems so impossible and hopeless. Stop looking to people for answers and look to God instead. The only reason it doesn't sound right is because you don't know the truth. If the truth was in you, you would embrace more of it. Chaplains wonder why spiritual growth is so stunted in the military, but we don't wonder. The answer is right in front of their faces.
I'm telling you right now that my husband and I have valuable information about God in PTSD/TBI and God in government and God in CHURCH that you willfully overlook for the sake of money and a wide audience. But ask us to speak and I almost guarantee you, you will be hated as much as we are by thousands.
Why would we be hated by people who talk about love and healing and ache for it in their lives? Because people hate Jesus and we represent Him. He loved and healed, but He called people to repent and believe in Him, and to live in such a way that proved their repentance and faith true. That's basic Christianity 101. Don't forget that neither the military nor an MDiv exempts a person from the truth or the consequences of rejecting it. Being blown up in combat doesn't mean God overlooks sins and holds the mangled to a different standard, and being able to recite the Westminster Confession of Faith will be your elaborate downfall if you disengage yourself from the matters of the heart with the lame, the weak, and the crippled by life who are further crippled by those who enable stunted growth. In many cases, these warriors get suicidal because the fluffy spiritual answers people give them are just fluff, and they can't make the connection between war and the fluff. I haven't had my brain messed up from combat and I can't connect the two either, so I'm not sure who these "highly educated" spiritual leaders think they're kidding. If you missed my post about PTSD in the Old Testament, check it out.
You're not above God, sir or ma'am. You're subject to God's rule and judgment just as much as the man you secretly or not-so-secretly think you are better than because you served and he didn't. But sure. Keep those seats warm, guys. Keep at it. You're turning people into sheeple and rejoicing because your programs are growing as a result of coddles and ear-tickling but are void of the combative spiritual training that the men need in order to be men and lead regardless of their limps, missing pieces, and tangled memories. Why can't those who have fully-functioning and uninjured brains figure this out? Either they know the truth and live a lie, or they don't know the truth and they are still living a lie. Are they merely deceived like thousands even though they are in places of spiritual leadership? Do we blame the government for even silencing chaplains who pray in Jesus' name, or will not a chaplain do what is right even if this world says it is wrong? All of it leads to judgment. All of it.
Wake up, Christians.
I'll sleep when I'm dead
To contact us Click HERE
Just in the last few days I have been honored with praise for my blog, I've made some great new Christian friends, I was able to give someone some much needed encouragement after an attempted suicide, I relocated my family to another house so our bathroom could be gutted (the floor rotted and the landlord didn't take care of it), spent a few nights without sleep (and successfully lost the key- UGH!), drained my first porti-potty (and spilled some -YUCK!), made friends with someone in Bulgaria, got to play match maker, made a killer potato soup, was able to go food shopping for the first time in weeks, read my son the whole book of 2 Chronicles and talked about why there is good and evil in this world, watched Downfall with my husband, and lost some weight due to stress, but gained joy and restoration through Christ. I'm still content.
Next Saturday, this is taking place about 30 minutes from me. My husband and I are going to check it out. The white nationalist movement in America desperately needs the gospel.
It's only Thursday. What will the rest of the week look like?
Next Saturday, this is taking place about 30 minutes from me. My husband and I are going to check it out. The white nationalist movement in America desperately needs the gospel.
It's only Thursday. What will the rest of the week look like?
Kaydol:
Yorumlar (Atom)