Congregational Government Works

Tonight at our church we had a business meeting involving a weighty matter regarding the sale of some property that we have owned for several years. We have probably heard the horror stories about business meetings that have gone bad.

Thankfully, we had a good meeting and our business was taken care of.  The things that stood out to me about this meeting were as follows:

• Our pastor gave us a brief challenge regarding the need to pray diligently, listen carefully, etc.
• There were people from all walks of life, young, old, etc.  I did notice that there were a fair amount of children there and they were able to see something take place that was done with decency and order.
• Everyone had the opportunity to ask questions.  Many good questions were asked.
• We did not rush to complete our business, but there was a thoughtfulness in the presentation of the business, the motion that was made and seconded and the vote that was eventually taken.

I can appreciate a church that seeks to make wise decisions in both large and small matters.  There are some who believe that congregational government is wrong or unbiblical.  My point in writing this was not to debate this issue, but just as a reminder that Congregational government within a local church works, if done properly.

Have you seen a time where congregational government worked well?  No horror stories please!

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World

We live in a busy, noisy world.  I do not think anyone will dispute or debate that fact!  What is disputed is how to navigate our world, especially with the rise of social media (Twitter and Facebook, etc) and how that changes the way we interact with businesses and each other.

Michael Hyatt has cleared out the confusion and lays out the steps to building a successful platform in his latest book - Platform

BONUS OFFER: To celebrate the launch of the book this week, Michael is giving away $375.98 worth of free bonus content for those who purchase the book between May 21 and May 25. Complete details are available at http://michaelhyatt.com/platform

 

Bonuses include: Platform Video Jumpstart Program (six sessions), How to Write a Winning Book Proposal (two e-books and two audio sessions), Why NOW is the Best Time Ever to Be an Author (hour-long video), Digital Versions of Platform (audio and eBook), and more!

 

I received this book free from the author along with a request to post a review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Do yourself and your future a favor, get this book today, take advantage of Michael’s bonus content and start building or expanding your platform right away!

Platform Launch Team

I have been reading Michael Hyatt’s blog for quite a while.  I can’t remember exactly how I found it, but once I started reading, I really enjoyed what I was reading and I was quite impressed that Michael found the time as a busy CEO (he is now Chairmen of Thomas Nelson) to blog.  Part of me was very curious how a CEO of a publicly traded company would be able to blog and not run afoul of the SEC and other regulatory agencies as well as the legal department of Thomas Nelson. (I never have asked Michael that question- who knows maybe he will answer it if he reads this post?!)

Recently, I saw where Michael was looking for volunteers to help participate in the upcoming launch of his new book Platform.  I figured this would be a great learning experience, so I thought I would apply.  I filled out a small questionnaire and waited to see what would happen.

To my surprise, I received the following email in my inbox on May 8th.

Congratulations! You have been chosen to be one of Michael Hyatt’s “Platform” launch team members.

I was shocked and honored at the same time.  Shortly after, I joined up in the private Platform Launch Team Facebook page and then I was overwhelmed.  There were people here who are successful authors, speakers, coaches.  I later found out that there were 764 people who applied to be a part of the group and they chose around 100 people and I was one of 100.  If I wasn’t intimidated before, I sure was now!

The emails started to come in regarding our advance copies of the book which I proceeded to make sure I had on my MacBook and iPad.  I will write a separate review about the book shortly.

I enjoy all of the interaction and the camaraderie that is taking place within the group.  People are asking a lot of good questions regarding the book and how it relates to their individual situation and others are chiming in ready to help in various ways.  It is almost like a family in many ways.

I sometimes wonder how or why I was chosen, but that is not for me to know.  I am glad that I can attempt to make some contributions along the way.  I am not an author, coach, or a business person of any significance. I am a seminary graduate with a heart for pastoral ministry who works for a Fortune 15 company to pay the bills!   I am hoping to have learned enough from the book to be able to make application in my own life and ministry so that I have a Platform to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a hurting and needy world!

I will say more about the book in another post.

Have you heard of Michael Hyatt’s new book Platform?  If so, do you plan on purchasing a copy?  Let me know in the comments section.  I will post some details in a future post on how you can get some bonuses as a result of purchasing the book during the launch week of May 21st!  Stay Tuned!

Does it pay to work hard anymore?

Today, I received my pay stub for Friday which is our payday.  Our quarterly incentive bonus was paid on this check.  Let me start out by saying that I am thankful to my employer for paying out this bonus every quarter if we meet certain expectations.

What upsets me is that I paid an unbelievable amount in taxes because of the Federal Government feels that they are entitled to take an additional portion of my money because I did well (could we call it a tax on prosperity?) They withhold at 28% on any residual income (bonuses, etc).  Then withholding is taken for Medicare and Social Security.  Last but not least in my case, the State of Minnesota took $115.00.

Please understand that I am not against paying taxes. I believe that every citizen should pay taxes and the Bible reinforces this in several places as well.

What bothers me is that I worked hard for the bonus that I received only to watch the various Government entities take more taxes than usual and leave me with less money.

The Fair Tax is looking much more attractive right now…

Do you think the Government penalizes people for working hard (earning bonuses, etc.)?

Talking Texas

Recently, Business Insider listed Texas as the 8th fastest growing state in the US.  Another article listed the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex as the 2nd largest growing city in the US.  Another feature that makes Texas an attractive place to live from an economic standpoint is that it has no state income tax and is one of the top states for job growth.

For those of you who live in Texas, what are some of the things that you like/dislike about living there, besides the heat, snakes, etc?

I hope to hear from some of you that live in the Dallas area as well as those who live in other parts of the state.

 

 

Rodizio Grill – The Real Deal

You may have read my earlier post on the “dry-run” at Rodizio Grill on Tuesday April 17th.  Well, we had the opportunity to dine again at Rodizio Grill in Maple Grove on Friday April 20th to celebrate my birthday and my son’s 6th birthday. This time they were open for business and we were impressed again with the high quality of service and the great food.  It was also quite neat to have most of the staff and management recognize us from Tuesday!

We had a great dinner and were impressed with the amount of food for the price.  This is a place where you will get a good amount of food for a reasonable price.  I was impressed with the number of side dishes that were on the salad bar.  There was rice and black beans, collard greens (which were excellent), mashed potatoes, beef stroganoff.

We had some of the same things that we had tried on Tuesday (sweet and spicy chicken, marinated chicken, tri-tip, sirloin, pork loin, etc)  We also had the turkey wrapped in bacon and the garlic beef.  Those two items were the last meat items that we had and they were well worth waiting for!  The garlic beef was cooked perfectly and well-flavored.

They also brought out a free dessert and sang Happy Birthday to us in Portuguese.  The whole staff gets involved.  My son was a bit embarrassed with all the attention.

The service was great and the price was right!

If you are looking for a place to dine out which will be a break from the normal fare, Rodizio Grill is the place to go.  Not only do they serve dinner, they are also open for lunch.

We are looking forward to dining at Rodizio Maple Grove in the future!

Thanks to Rodizio Maple Grove for a great dining experience!

Dry run at Rodizio Grill – Maple Grove

Sometimes it pays to be curious and be in the right place at the right time!

Tonight, we went over to Trader Joe’s to go shopping for a few items and we walked over to see the progress on Rodizio Grill and as we were walking around the outside, we saw a bunch of people inside and thought it might have been a private pre-open party.  As we were coming back around to go to Trader Joe’s, a gentleman came out and said that he needed a few hungry people and wanted to know if we had the time.  I said that I needed to check with my wife and he said to meet him at the door.  My wife declined, so Joseph and I went inside and she went shopping.

Our server came over and explained that this was a “dry run” for the staff and she brought us some appetizers and beverages.  She also explained the green and red disk that controlled the flow of the meat and other items.  We went and tried the salad bar.  I appreciated that everything was marked.  I have been to so many places that have a multiplicity of items and they are unmarked.  This was great because there were so many choices and everything was clearly marked.

After we finished the salad and appetizers, we turned the disc over to the green side and the meat started to appear.  Gauchos started appearing from the kitchen with all sorts of offerings.  We tried almost everything from beef sirloin, tri-tip, turkey wrapped in bacon, marinated chicken, sweet and spicy chicken, and Joseph had some grilled pineapple.  We both passed on the chicken hearts…even our server said that she was not brave enough to try them.  The food was outstanding and everything was wonderful!

When we had tried everything, we watched as the staff came out and sang Happy Birthday in Portuguese to one of the patrons.  We talked briefly with the training manager and the gentleman who invited us in (I presume he was one of the owners or a manager of some sort, a very friendly gentlemen), I gave them a couple of suggestions and told them that we would be back on Friday to celebrate my belated birthday (13th) and Joseph’s sixth birthday.  I thanked them again for allowing to us to do something that most people never get to do — eat at a restaurant before they open.  I told Joseph that this was a once in a lifetime event.

I am thankful that the NW Suburbs have a decent place to eat!  We have enjoyed Fogo de Chao in the past, but they are expensive and they are downtown.  Now we have a great place very close by and we do not have to go downtown.  Rodizio has a great selection and the prices are cheaper, but the quality is definitely present.  The staff takes great pride in their work!   Even the restroom was nice!

My wife has always said that I should become a food critic.  Not sure how I would get into that line of work?  For now, I will stick with writing my reviews as I have been here on this blog!

Thanks again Rodizio Maple Grove!  We look forward to dining again on Friday the 20th!