Fallen, amongst the dirt and shame
Aching, longing to leave the blame
Inside I die for truth and peace,
One touch from you, the sins' release
From the dark my life begins
Holy water cleanse my sins
At your feet my heart must dance
Against all evil, strong in stance
Oh Father, bless your holy name
My life can never be the same
The road not seen, no cause to fear
Through your word, my path is clear
Lord, your mercy falls on me
Your hands reach out and pull me close
"Come home", you say, "for you are mine"
"You're a part of my design."
Friday, February 10, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
STS...Spewing Toothpaste Syndrome
You've all seen it....the goo that oozes from a tube of toothpaste like a glob of a well-intentioned formula that has lost its purpose now that it slinks out of the tube onto your beautiful bathroom counter top. No matter how many sparkles, stripes or brilliant shades of the rainbow the toothpaste is comprised of, it loses its luster and appeal for clean, sparkley teeth once it is blobbing all over your clean counter. It can't go back in the tube, it can't be used because....eeewww, and it serves as an irritating reminder of how much you paid for that goo in a tube. You are now the latest victim of STS...or what I call "Spewing Toothpaste Syndrome".
I once had a Pastor when I was very young, Reverend Tom, who was an amazing, Godly man who was very instrumental in my development as a Christian. Every Sunday before delivering the "big guys sermon", he would call all of the children to the front of the church to sit around him and do the children's sermon, then releasing us all for Children's Church. One sermon in particular I remind myself of on a very regular basis. He talked to us about how the things we allow to come out of our mouths have great impact on people, and act much like that of toothpaste. Once it's out, it's out and it is NOT going back in. You can wipe it up and try to act like it didn't happen, but no matter how hard you try, a little less toothpaste exists in the tube and it didn't even go to good use. He further illustrated that when you are pointing your finger at someone, there are three of your own pointing back at you.
As adults, we have all experienced STS. We've probably been victims of it and have been the initiator of it. There have been many people, friends, family, leaders, mentors, etc..that have said something to me or a collective group, under the guise of "just being honest" and fail to realize the words, or goo, that came out of their tube may not have served the genuine purpose it was designed for. I am all for being honest and feel that it is the best way to go, but if what one says doesn't necessitate "letting it all hang out", you've gotta see the line and respect it. Sometimes, you need to just put the cap on the tube to prevent STS. Though people say things that may in deed be true/honest, ask yourself, "What is the potential return on this goo-spewage I am about to release?". See, I am one of those people. I believe the words we use can uplift, encourage, challenge, tear down, belittle, alienate, comfort, love, and respect another person(s). Recently, in the wake of someone's honesty, I was left with a complex that I didn't have before. I know it wasn't intended to happen this way, but words are words...and that means they are interpreted differently by each person because we all view them through a different lens of perspective. I have thought a lot about this and have asked myself, "If So-And-So came back and said this and tried to "wipe up the counter", would it change the way you feel?" Honestly....no. Because once it's out, its' out and you can't take it back. The best policy? Put your cap on to prevent unnecessary spewage, thus resulting in STS.
Leaders are given a huge responsibility and must weigh words carefully. No matter what the task(s) associated with this leadership are, stopping to think and actually CARE about how the person receiving the words may feel as a result prevents STS. I am currently reading "Onward" by Howard Schultz. It is the story of Starbucks and Mr. Schultz's efforts to bring back to Starbucks what it had lost sight of. (It's an excellent book...check it out!) In this book, Mr. Schultz says, "If not checked, success has a way of covering up small failures, and when many of us at Starbucks became swept up in the company's success, it had unintended effects. We ignored, or may we just failed to notice, shortcomings..... As the years passed, enthusiasm morphed into a sense of entitlement, at least from my perspective. Confidence became arrogance, and, at some point, confusion as some of our people stepped back and began to scratch their heads, wondering what Starbucks stood for.... This is why, I think, so many companies fail. Not because of challenges in the marketplace, but because of challenges on the inside." The way we conduct our selves on the inside reflects like a mirror on the outside. When we get consumed with how big we are or how much we have, the small shortcomings often go ignored until Rome is crumbling around you.
Leaders have the responsibility of leading in a positive, ethical manner, which should be tempered with language to match. Negative or hurtful words have weight, weight adds pressure, pressure pushes tension, tension creates breaking. Positive words have the ability to lift burdens, lighten the pressure, ease the tension and prevent any breaking. Being honest is a good thing,I would never propose otherwise. It's just important to think about the delivery, tone, mode, and purpose of the words. Ask yourself, "Where do I see this adding benefit?" And remember, just because it wouldn't hurt or bother you having someone saying it to you in the manner by which you hear it in your head, DOES NOT guarantee they will feel the same. Once it's out, it's out and that means no matter how much you wipe and back-peddle, you can never erase the stain your STS has left on the counter of one's heart and soul. If you don't care about that so much...then I guess your just left with empty tubes of goo, a messy counter, nasty teeth and breath, and nobody who wants to be around you because of it.
I once had a Pastor when I was very young, Reverend Tom, who was an amazing, Godly man who was very instrumental in my development as a Christian. Every Sunday before delivering the "big guys sermon", he would call all of the children to the front of the church to sit around him and do the children's sermon, then releasing us all for Children's Church. One sermon in particular I remind myself of on a very regular basis. He talked to us about how the things we allow to come out of our mouths have great impact on people, and act much like that of toothpaste. Once it's out, it's out and it is NOT going back in. You can wipe it up and try to act like it didn't happen, but no matter how hard you try, a little less toothpaste exists in the tube and it didn't even go to good use. He further illustrated that when you are pointing your finger at someone, there are three of your own pointing back at you.
As adults, we have all experienced STS. We've probably been victims of it and have been the initiator of it. There have been many people, friends, family, leaders, mentors, etc..that have said something to me or a collective group, under the guise of "just being honest" and fail to realize the words, or goo, that came out of their tube may not have served the genuine purpose it was designed for. I am all for being honest and feel that it is the best way to go, but if what one says doesn't necessitate "letting it all hang out", you've gotta see the line and respect it. Sometimes, you need to just put the cap on the tube to prevent STS. Though people say things that may in deed be true/honest, ask yourself, "What is the potential return on this goo-spewage I am about to release?". See, I am one of those people. I believe the words we use can uplift, encourage, challenge, tear down, belittle, alienate, comfort, love, and respect another person(s). Recently, in the wake of someone's honesty, I was left with a complex that I didn't have before. I know it wasn't intended to happen this way, but words are words...and that means they are interpreted differently by each person because we all view them through a different lens of perspective. I have thought a lot about this and have asked myself, "If So-And-So came back and said this and tried to "wipe up the counter", would it change the way you feel?" Honestly....no. Because once it's out, its' out and you can't take it back. The best policy? Put your cap on to prevent unnecessary spewage, thus resulting in STS.
Leaders are given a huge responsibility and must weigh words carefully. No matter what the task(s) associated with this leadership are, stopping to think and actually CARE about how the person receiving the words may feel as a result prevents STS. I am currently reading "Onward" by Howard Schultz. It is the story of Starbucks and Mr. Schultz's efforts to bring back to Starbucks what it had lost sight of. (It's an excellent book...check it out!) In this book, Mr. Schultz says, "If not checked, success has a way of covering up small failures, and when many of us at Starbucks became swept up in the company's success, it had unintended effects. We ignored, or may we just failed to notice, shortcomings..... As the years passed, enthusiasm morphed into a sense of entitlement, at least from my perspective. Confidence became arrogance, and, at some point, confusion as some of our people stepped back and began to scratch their heads, wondering what Starbucks stood for.... This is why, I think, so many companies fail. Not because of challenges in the marketplace, but because of challenges on the inside." The way we conduct our selves on the inside reflects like a mirror on the outside. When we get consumed with how big we are or how much we have, the small shortcomings often go ignored until Rome is crumbling around you.
Leaders have the responsibility of leading in a positive, ethical manner, which should be tempered with language to match. Negative or hurtful words have weight, weight adds pressure, pressure pushes tension, tension creates breaking. Positive words have the ability to lift burdens, lighten the pressure, ease the tension and prevent any breaking. Being honest is a good thing,I would never propose otherwise. It's just important to think about the delivery, tone, mode, and purpose of the words. Ask yourself, "Where do I see this adding benefit?" And remember, just because it wouldn't hurt or bother you having someone saying it to you in the manner by which you hear it in your head, DOES NOT guarantee they will feel the same. Once it's out, it's out and that means no matter how much you wipe and back-peddle, you can never erase the stain your STS has left on the counter of one's heart and soul. If you don't care about that so much...then I guess your just left with empty tubes of goo, a messy counter, nasty teeth and breath, and nobody who wants to be around you because of it.
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