Every year around this time...

...a particular Bible passage comes to mind...

The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"


Sometimes I feel like a day doesn't go by where I wish the Lord could get me out of trouble! It's Matthew chapter 8, vs. 25; where Jesus calms the storm. Chapter 8, vs 25 has a lot more in common with me than you might think. It's also my Birthday verse; and it's a great present to have! As the Lord states, I do have little faith.

23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Luckily I've read the rest of the Bible, and I can only begin to imagine what type of Man Jesus really is.

It's one of the most wonderful times of the year!

Dedicated to all the lucky parents out there... ;-)

Misty Summer Memories

Although I am not an individual that loves the heat, I do love the seasons here in Missouri. Summertime has its good moments. Summer is the season that keeps me young. It also is the season that generates its fair share of those ol' timey summertime memories; family cook-outs, friends, and weekend rides through the beautiful countryside.

It is hard to believe how nice it has been out the past week. Middle 80's for a high, and even lower 60's; upper 50's for the low. The weatherman is saying that the heat is gone for the year. Very comfortable outside! It's a perfect precursor to the autumn season. I know, I know... labor day hasn't even come yet! Ohh well....

Real Life Scare...

Just two months ago if you were to ask how business was doing with my company, I would have told you we were as busy as ever. But I sometimes forget that we are now part of a larger company as JWS was purchased by an Alabama company a few years ago.

Yesterday around 4 P.M, we all received the same mandatory meeting request:

Subject: CAI Update
Location: Support Department

RE: If you are unable to attend the meeting, you will be given a call and we will fill you in on the content that will be discussed.

YIKES! The meeting was scheduled for 1 P.M. the following day (today). You can only imagine what was going through people's minds, as well as mine. And being that I was traveling made it even more unnerving.

Yes, it was true that several people were laid off, JWS was not directly affected by the initiative. We did recently have a couple people leave, but they were not let go, although JWS is not hiring for those positions as we are in a hiring freeze.

We have been affected by the current market, especially since we serve the construction industry. We were assured that no more layoffs are planned, although the future will tell the truth; obviously.

It's just a stark reminder that everyone needs to do all they can do to better serve their customers and the business they work in. We all need to do the best we can to find new business and keep current business strong.

I must say it wasn't a pleasant feeling getting an e-mail like that. Hopefully it's the last........