Bailey Blog

More Power Than You Realize...

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:26:00 +0000

A friend recently met up with some friends at church. The two couples had not seen each other in many years except for a chance meeting at a weekend event where they talked briefly and then parted again for several months.

On the recent Sunday when the two couples happened to meet again by chance something happened in which my friend said or did something which made a real impact on the other couple. My friend and his wife received an email this week which over flowed with enthusiasm for 'what you have done for my husband and for me."

My friend says he doesn't know what he did or said to cause such a response, but it was a positive one that impacted their friends in such a way "that you'll never know" according to the email.

Talk about the power in your life! How is it that some people have that kind of power on others? What is it or who is it that can create that kind of spark in others? Any thoughts?

Where Is My Power?

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:11:00 +0000

Do you value power? Do you desire more power in your life? What for? What would you use power to do or become if you somehow had more power? Where does power come from? In jobs and much (most?) of life, power comes from information - I have more information than you do so you have to consult with me if you want to know! Power comes from positional authority - I have a position and you want to work here or get a promotion, but I have the authority so if you're my assistant, for example, and you want to work on a project I get to say whether you can spend more or less time on your project because I hold the power! As you're driving to work the guy in the car ahead of you has the power to slow you down if he isn't paying attention or doesn't care that you're late for work and he's driving 15 mph under the limit 'cause he has the power to control that traffic lane!

But, more importantly, where does our personal power come from to overcome those ugly situations in life which we can't control? Currently I work in a facility which houses about 120 - 130 men who each struggles with addiction. Some are addicted to alcohol and some to drugs, some to both. The men are in this particular program because they want to get better - most of them - and they realize that they lack or have lacked power in their lives to get their lives back on track. Each man wants to be rid of the past; he wants to make amends where he can; he wants to heal the wounds he has caused in others and he wants desperately to be healed. But where does his power come from to change life? Or can he change life at all? Perhaps he must look at things a different way.

Whether it is a man in an addiction program, a driver going to work, or an employee dealing with a power hungry boss, in each of these situations the individual is dealing with the question that something has to give, to change, or life will possibly bust open somewhere that it shouldn't. But what has to change, life? No, you and I have to change and what we so clearly need is a source of power to make ourselves change.

Sometimes the solutions are very simple to changing ourselves. For example, recently I started driving slower on the way to work. For some who have known me from the past you may be startled that I say that because you knew me from my cab driving days in Chicago! But, age has a way of adding not only gray hairs, but some wisdom, too. So, in driving slower I have changed me and my attitude about the guy driving s-l-o-w-l-y oh, so s-l-o-w-l-y in front of me. The power is in me to change and when I do I can see things from a different perspective.

Not all things are possible to change just by willing it to be so. The men in the program at work want to change, but many of them have come to realize that just wanting to doesn't make it possible. They've tried...many, many times, yet they continue in the struggle. The employee with the lousy supervisor has tried to get through to the boss, but she continues in her power ploy and won't let the staffer work on the project without explicit permission of every detail until she gives the okay! So, having a better mindset about herself won't necessarily change her boss. It might give her a better outlook for most days, but her boss will remain the same.

No, sometimes things don't change and we learn to either accept it as that or we remain in a frustrated state and develop ulcers and frown lines on our faces. Accepting the fact that we cannot change everything gives us a starting point, however, to look for another source of power.

More on this topic next time...I look forward to your comments!

Flickr: Your tags

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:57:00 +0000

Flickr: Your tags

What to do with US Flags after the convention...

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Here's an interesting link to read:

http://blogs.denverpost.com/opinion/2008/0...ican-recycling/

What would you do with 12,000 US flags?

The ESV Study Bible

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:57:00 +0000

I love the ESV translation of the Bible and just learned of a soon-to-be released study Bible in the ESV translation. The web site contains a link to a Blog which allows the reader to see portions of Colossians and Ephesians as well as introductory notes to the books.

I found the introductory notes to be scholarly enough to avoid being labeled as fluffy, but not too heady to be beyond understanding. It's meaty enough to pique interest and make you feel as though you're digging into the background and gaining insight.

The ESV translation is easy to read with a sufficient stretch so that you don't feel as though you're reading today's newspaper which is dumbed down. The flow of the ESV is smooth and understandable.

If you're interested you can check this web address for in-depth information:

http://www.esvstudybible.org

Japanese Beetles!

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:57:00 +0000

Do you have Japanese Beetles lurking around your yard? If you live in North America I'll bet you do. We do, but we didn't know it until someone pointed them out to us some weeks ago. While walking through the yard he showed us the damage the beetles had done to the leaves on the trees. It wasn't until we took this close inspection that we noticed the ragged look of the leaves now filled with holes from these pesky little pests.

So we took action with Japanese Beetle traps. The traps have bait to lure the beetles and are placed in the yard away from shrubbery and trees. They draw the beetles by the swarms into the trap where they eventually die. It is amazing to watch these normally inconspicuous insects gather around the bait traps in the afternoon. It's better than television to watch it happen!

It reminds me of the undesirable things in life that are there inconspicuously until something happens to bring them to our attention. Once we become aware of them they loom large like the swarming of the Japanese Beetles and it becomes obvious that something must be done to trap those undesirables and put them away from us.

Reading Psalm 119 today verse 125 spoke to me about this reality. It says, "I am Your servant; give me understanding that I may know Your testimonies." In other words, "Lord, help me apply your Word to my daily life to those areas affected by undesirable things. Help me put into practice what You teach in the Scriptures."

Listening to People

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:12:00 +0000

There is a very interesting man in our Sunday school class who has a lot to say. If one were to judge him based on appearances it might not look like he has much education. But if you stop and listen to him during the class he really possess deep spiritual knowledge.

After church last week we stopped to chat and I was impressed once again at the depth of his understanding of God and the Bible.

Are we good at developing relationships by listening to others or are we too busy trying to put across our own views? What do you think?

Two Well-Known People

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:43:00 +0000

There are two people whose names you will recognize immediately from history. Adolf Hitler and Mother Theresa. Both of these individuals are widely known in every generation since their respective world-changing lives have been documented.

The question is, which of these two would you say made the greatest impact on the world for all time?

There is a survey included on the blog and I hope you will also leave your extended thoughts and comments in a post.

Waiting on the Lord

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:19:00 +0000

How long does it take for the Lord to work in our lives? Is it possible that there are some questions we bring to Him that He will never directly answer this side of heaven or is it that we are not listening closely?

While waiting and praying for God to give us specific direction on a certain issue we have been given His peace that an answer is coming, yet we are still waiting after many months. Recently an unsolicited email devotional came our way that seemed to speak to this issue. The message? Wait...

What is it that you are waiting on God to do or say and how do you patiently wait upon the Lord? Leave your comments; we'd love to hear what you have to say.

Is the Lord God speaking to us today?

noreply@blogger.com (BCBailey) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:24:00 +0000

Have you ever given thought to a subject and then wondered if you should act on it in one way or another? Perhaps you're considering a significant decision for your life and wondering what God would have you do. Often, He speaks to us on a particular issue in several different modes. For example, He may speak to our minds on a topic from our Bible study and then in the course of the day someone, without prompting from us, will also bring up that issue. Later that day or the next another person, again without prompting, will bring up that same issue with a particular perspective.

How does God speak to you today?