There is a story about a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) student who spent one entire summer walking 2 miles to the Harvard football stadium and 2 miles back each day. He wore a black and white striped shirt and when he reached the stadium he acted still more strangely. The young man walked up and down the field for about fifteen minutes throwing birdseed all over the place while blowing a whistle.

What was he doing? The answer!

Harvard and MIT are serious rivals. That guy from MIT was setting a booby trap for the Harvard Crimson Football Team. At the first home game at Harvard Field the officials began the game by assembling on the field and blowing a whistle. Can you guess what happened next?

A thousand birds decended upon the field stopping the game.

Our daily habits sow future events. Are you praying for crop failure?

Core Values

It has become apparent to me that the Gorilla Glue of organizations can be boiled down to a common commitment to core values. The several ministries I have founded, and not a few still survive, have always focused on the importance of building A Lifetime of Great Relationships.

As long as my colleagues and I operated on those values things went along smoothly. When we violated any of the core values the Glue lost its Gorilla and things fell apart. It has been my very sad experience to see a few relationships become toxic and destructive and the organization dedicated to good relationships come apart like to kite made from tissues.

There are many reasons relationships fail. First, there must be a balance. Jesus said that the greatest commandment was "Love God with all our heart, soul and mind and secondly our neighbor like ourselves." If an organization worships and serves God but forgets to love the people at work things come to a sad end.

If a group loves the people who serve there but forgets to worship and love God it will be a clanging bell whose sound is off key. Finally, love and care of one's own soul is essential to a healthy ministry.

Sweeten Life Systems has a tag line to remind us of the importance of these things. It is: "A lifetime of great relationships" and by that we mean relating well with God, neighbor and self. I confess that building good relationships does not come naturally to me. It is something I must work on and practice.

I attended a workshop led by Dr. Rich Walters in 1974 that turned my life around. Dr. Walters I was convinced by that I could not be successful in helping my clients grow and change unless I learned and practiced good relational skills. From that time until now I have applied myself to learning, applying and teaching others the essentials of healthy interpersonal relationships.

I turned Seventy last Monday on May 5 and am more convinced than ever that when St. Paul told us to "Speak the truth in love" he was unleashing the secret power of leadership. Unfortunately, well over 90% of all Americans have never, ever had a class that taught the most basic skills of relating to other people.

There are untold billions of dollars spent annually and needlessly because of this lack in our churches and educational systems. It is the secret of successful marriages, successful parenting and successful businesses. Why are we so foolishly throwing our money away and causing so much misery in homes, schools, businesses and churches?

Conflict is inevitable!

Misery is optional!

Donations greatfully accepted

We have no sugar daddy