Tomorrow will be my last day at Blue Haven Pools and Spas. For the last two years I have worked there as the Ecommerce Manager for the retail division. You might think I only sell chlorine - and you would be partly correct. Besides pushing pool chemicals, I have overseen all aspects of the online retail operation. Web design and development, SEO, Google PPC, email marketing, pricing, promoting, social media, and even Twittering. During this time I've had the privilege of managing four different employees, two of whom I'll be leaving behind. If I believed in cloning, I'd replicate them. My boss for the last two years has been the president of our company. Fair, hard-working, and fun. I've noticed that I have begun incorporating some of his phrases into my own conversations ("fair enough"). I haven't incorporated them all. He wouldn't want me to steal all his thunder. I…
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We held LifePoint's last worship service yesterday and it was amazing to hear people tell stories of how our church had impacted their lives. As a pastor, you're usually aware of life situations and struggles. What you may not always be aware of is how you are influencing lives. After our opening set of music and communion, we had an open mic time of sharing. Nearly a dozen people got up and talked about the difference our church community had made in their lives. One lady spoke of the "ripples" of influence that LifePoint would have for years to come. I thought that was an appropriate image. By some measures, our time was short (only four years). But by God's measures, the ripples will extend throughout eternity. It was humbling to hear how God orchestrated events to allow our paths to cross at critical junctions. One lady spoke about finding…
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While walking to lunch today I passed a group of PETA folks protesting animals in the circus. One lady was painted like a tiger and hunched over in a cage. After eating a few beef tacos for lunch, I started thinking about PETA and fair trade coffee (I was sitting at Starbucks). I personally like animals. I've had pets throughout the years -- rest in peace, Skittle. I also enjoy the circus, own leather shoes, and like my steaks well-done. My issue with groups like PETA isn't their opposition to animal cruelty but their elevation of animals to the same level as humans. Animals aren't human; that's why they're called animals. This is where the fair-trade part of the subject line comes in. Fair-trade products/companies seek to pay workers in developing countries a fair wage, rather than taking advantage of them for the companies gain. It elevates humans to the…
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Working downtown for the last two-plus years has been quite interesting. Just five minutes ago, a man in a top hat and long coat strolled by as I enjoyed my coffee. Most everyone else is in a short-sleeve and shorts. Then there are the "shirtless boxer" sightings: a big-chested man who walks around topless and flexes for people. He even has a Facebook group dedicated to him. I snapped a picture once. Of course, downtown has the usual homeless characters, mostly beneign folks. A few are quite entertaining. A few are quite scary. Just down the street from my office is the Church of Steel, a tattoo and body piercing joint. Pastor Pain and the Deacons of Destruction hang outside on the sidewalk. I enjoy walking to Starbucks, especially the one with a loft on 5th Avenue. They know I want a tall coffee, no room for cream. Nine out…
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