Growin' Up Gregory

  I mentioned previously on Facebook that I'd share the books I've read in 2020 in case anyone is looking for a new read. Plus I figure this post can serve as one for friends to share some that they've enjoyed this past year as well. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Andrew Carnegie. This is a good book about personal development, relationships, etc. Vertical Marriage - Dave & Ann Wilson. Based on the title, obviously this was a book on marriages. While you'll see a few others on this list, this one was one of my favorites. How to Get Promoted - Anthony Park. Sorry boss! The worst part is I read this AFTER my annual review lol. It is good for people just getting their career started or working in larger corporations where you can get lost in the shuffle. The Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale. Great book on personal development. Leadership in Turbulent Times - Doris Kearns Goodwin. This book chronicles the life of 4 presidents, Lincol...

You're probably wondering if that's a typo or not. While doing a search for these letters did actually reveal that there is a brand and some fictional character out there with this name - my real intent was to show that order matters. You see, if we reverse the letters, you then spell the word, S-O-L-I-D. Yet far too many of us are operating with a Dilos mindset instead of getting our priorities in order and becoming Solid. We chase money like it's the most important thing in the world. And while it's certainly necessary, if money is the number one goal of any individual, or even any business, failure is surely on the horizon. To better understand the significance of the order, let's go through them backwards. Dollars. Yes, money matters. But what good is all the money in the world if you're "dumb as a box of rocks" and lack the next component, Intelligence, and don't know how to manage (or keep) your wealth? Intelligence. Let's say yo...

  Is your marriage like a cookie?  Maybe it's sweet.  Maybe it's comforting.  Maybe it's round (symbolic of the continuity of the rings).  Whatever cookie you feel your marriage may most resemble, and the possibilities are endless, they all require some of the same ingredients to be tasty and successful. If we were to examine several cookie recipes, we would see just how many variations there are.  You have numerous chocolate chip, chocolate oatmeal, peanut butter, sugar, and many many more that we could name off. But what makes a cookie a cookie?  Most cookie recipes call for some combination of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs.  This where it gets fun.  From here, you can add the flavor(s) that you and your family enjoy!  Do you want to add fruit, candy, chocolate?  Again, the possibilities are endless. The same is true in our marriages.  There are some core "ingredients" that we all need - love, trust, compassion, faithfulness...

"Do not murder."  It seems like it's one of the easiest commands in the Bible for even the worst of us to follow.  But if we dig a little deeper into this three word command, there's more to it than meets the eye.  Let's look at the Who, the What, and the How of what a murderous attitude can do to you? Who When the Bible tells us not to murder, whose life is it protecting?  Tony Evans wrote, "The Bible is clear: life begins at the moment of conception and retains its value from the womb to the tomb."  The who is the unborn, the elderly, the victim, the poor, the sick, the invalid, the any person created in and by God.  God values all human life and we are called to do the same.   What Human life is absolutely precious to God and it should be valuable to us.  But many of us think that just because we didn't take part in the physical murder itself, that we're blameless.  But murder takes on other forms - most often in the form of hate...

Let me be very honest and candid about this - when I first read about the proposed airplane tax cut, I was not happy (just say it, I was mad!).  I thought that it was ludicrous to consider cutting tax revenue while counties are already struggling due to decreased sales and collections of local taxes.   However, unlike many people in today's culture, I didn't take to social media to start talking about how stupid the idea was and how much I disagreed with.  Instead, I started doing some research.  I looked up some information, asked some questions, had some conversations, and I learned some things. This was important for me to understand because I own a boat (I consider planes and boats luxury items) and pay Union County property taxes.  However, that boat hasn't been in Union for years.  It's housed and operated in a neighboring county.  There's not even anywhere that I can safely and legally operate my boat on public property in Union, yet I stil...

When all of this COVID, Coronavirus, and pandemic talk first started, I literally got sick of hearing the phrase, "the new normal."  I heard sermons preached talking about what is normal.  I even preached one that I titled, "The Next Normal."  But what if these "new normal" people are actually onto something? When I was growing up, a normal summer consisted of a lot of time with Mom.  She was a school teacher so we were all out for several (probably stressful) months together.  She, my brother, and sister would spent countless hours at the pool and make several trips each year to stay at my aunt's house in the lower part of the state, about 30 minutes from the beach.  That was normal for me. But now, 30ish years or so later, life for my children (and their precious little grandchildren) looks very different - almost like there's a new normal in town.   My parents worked hard, sacrificed, and saved for years before purchasing a lake house in 2010 - ...

Today, September 1st, marks fifteen years for me at Arthur State Bank. It's crazy to think about how much has changed in my personal and professional life over that time span. I've gone from a single guy whose start date was chosen because some friends and I were going to Vegas after my interview to a married man with 3 kids - none of which came from the Vegas trip LOL. I have to be honest in saying that I truly had no idea what I was getting into even when I applied for a position at Arthur State Bank, and I told them as much. When asked why I wanted to get into banking, I literally answered, "I don't know, I just heard it's a good career to get into." Looking back, I have to ask myself, "How in the world did you get this job? Why did they hire you? What were they thinking?" A year or so ago, our bank President did make the comment in jest (at least I hope he was joking) that once I said that he knew that I was a blank slate that he could work on. B...

Are you good enough? Good enough for what - depends right? Since this is #FaithFriday we'll look at it from that perspective. "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire..." - Revelation 21:8 Have you ever told a lie, ever, even a tiny one? You're a liar. Have you ever lusted after someone else? Not necessarily acted, just thought about it. You're sexually immoral. Have you ever stolen? Maybe it wasn't an item, maybe it was your company's time by not giving 100%? You're a thief. Before this gets worse, I'll stop. Sadly, I've done all 3. I'm not good enough. When my case goes to trial, no matter how much the judge likes me, he still has to do his job and punish me. No matter how good of a person I am now, I'm still guilty of these past transgressions. The only way I can be "good enough...

Our priorities will determine our destination. Where do you want to be? Cory Carlson wrote a book where he discussed The 5 Capitals. The first, and most important, is Spiritual. The greatest commandment is to love God. You've got to get your relationship with God right before anything else will work out well. He gives us wisdom and direction when we seek Him. Jesus modeled this as well. In Mark 1, Jesus got up early, slipped away from his disciples to go have some quiet time with his father. A little while later they came looking for him. Jesus was popular at the time and the people wanted more of him - they wanted more healings, more casting out of demons, and more of his teaching. But Jesus knew that He couldn't keep performing miracles without hitting pause and reconnecting with His Father. And we have to remember to do that too. We need the rest, quiet, and solitude to recharge our mind and spirit. But this time with God may also provide us a new direction (or it could revi...

Sometimes I struggle. Some people right now are saying, "Um, duh. We've known that!" But I'm talking about more of a mental struggle that's not seen on the outside. In a conversation with someone this week, they asked me if I come up with everything I write online. He was just curious. But I felt like my response was weird. I told him I put most of it together but it's not like it's original material. Sounds like a politician right - "Yes...sort of...but..." Austin Kleon's book, "Steal Like an Artist," shares quotes and tips about getting inspiration from others and then adding your own voice and spin to it. Ecclesiastes 1:9 tell us, "there is nothing new under the sun." What if your book, your song, your speech, your idea sounds similar to someone else's (Don't plagiarize!) That likely means it's actually a good idea. It must be, someone else thought so too! Let me put it this way - when you prepare to release...