Leaning On Christ My Savior

So, Wednesday, February 24th was a wonderful example of God’s sovereignty. I was part of a reduction in force at my employer. Shocked, stunned to say the least. Day 2 set in a little more, but this morning is when the feelings of disappointment set in. Luckily, I was at my Friday morning men’s group.

Something I have tried to maintain throughout the last coupleof days is faithfulness in God. I can honestly say I have a real peace about all this.

Philippians 4:7

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This is so true. I could be bitter. I could dwell on things. I could be depressed. All these feelings, though, won’t help me get a new job. Even more, they won’t help me be a light in the darkness as I’m called to be as a child of God.

Don’t get me wrong; this is not easy. Every fleshly part of my body is crying out to be heard. But I have chosen to follow Jesus. That choice, the only real choice I have, is what is saving me, from, well…me.

I am praising God that He knows His plans.

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Just today was an amazing blessing. My contacts are now medically necessary. This may not seem awe-inspiring or may seem more like a curse rather than blessing. Because of being necessary, my $516 contact lenses are only $30! Obviously, money is tight now, and the Lord has provided.

I am still praying. I still believe. I am still leaning on Him. I can say I am eagerly waiting for God; and for whatever He has in store for me.

Romans 8:28

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

[Via http://blessednoise.wordpress.com]

I'm Not Dead, But Not Quite Alive Either

Ever since Britney came out with “I’m Not a Girl,” I’ve always found ways to describe my situation as being ‘not one, but not quite the other.” I mean, Britney totally rocked the post-pubescent-pre-adulthood thing.

Until she shaved her head off and became a man.

But for now, I’m in between the living and the dead. Of course the first culprit is work. Why can’t one ever be content with sitting in the corner and successfully hiding away from their superiors? Not me. I like to see what’s going on. Except, I never expect that something is actually going on. Silly me. They get me EVERYTIME. All half-quips aside, I’m actually really excited about my job right now. There are some interesting projects swirling around and I’m having a hand in sme of them. My on-the-job experience scale has just exploded off the Richter and I love it! I never imagined my role taking on this form, but then again, no one expected the economy to tank. Well, no one except Nouriel Roubini aka Doctor Doom.

I could also say that my Money Moves is an accessory in this whole affair. Opening a 401K seems easy as peach pie. (Is peach pie easy? Not sure…) Switching your Roth IRA from the clutches of your Financial Advisor to another holding company? About as easy as NASTY PEACH PIE. I won’t paint a picture of my FA as a scorned lover, using all of his powers to prevent the impending departure of his “other half.” No that’s not it as all. In better words, it isn’t him, but it isn’t me either.

It’s actually my conscience.

I feel really bad breaking up with my FA. Ok, no I don’t. I feel really bad about switching my miniscule assets to another fund and NOT telling my FA about it. For some reason, it scares the bejesus out of me to tell him that I’ve decided to go to another fund. So, I’m doing what any mature person would do in this situation: I’m not saying a word and dipping out the back door. Yup, like a deadbeat I’m walking away.

Am I legally contracted to tell him that I don’t want him robbing me blind anymore? our financial relationship is over? Or is this an ethical dilemna? Is it morally wrong to just leave without saying a word? If he could understand that I’m Not Dead/Not Quite Alive/all I need is time..

Aside from that, I’ve just been lazy, choosing to bum around on the couch when I get home and spending an extra 30 minutes in bed in the morning. So yeah, that’s why I’ve been gone. To all that are under the wrath of Snowpocalypse: I feel you. Stay warm all!

[Via http://investingnewbie.wordpress.com]

The Story of Sava Senior Care

Finding the right person to fit in a particular job can be like trying to find the right foot to fit the glass slipper. For Danette Manzi, senior vice president of Sava Senior Care Administrative Services, the ProfileXT is like a magic shoehorn.
Manzi, who had experience with the assessment tool, brought the ProfileXT™ to Sava Senior Care. She found that it is key to finding associates who fit the positions she needs to fill. “The ProfileXT™ got the right people into the right jobs,” says Manzi, who has more than 20 years of experience in selecting long-term care professionals.   

“We review results with our employees, candidly discussing how their thinking and behaviors matched our benchmark for high-performing employees. People understood that they might not match the position, but they could move into other positions and be successful.”   

Headquartered in Atlanta with 184 locations in 18 states, Sava Senior Care provides long-term care to nursing home residents. The company has used the ProfileXT in a couple of ways. First, all 269 full-time employees in sales and marketing took the assessment.   

“We correlated the results to our performance,” Manzi says. “From that point, we developed a plan for performance improvement as well as training programs in the are employees and candidates,” she adds. “When I used due diligence again to find the right tool for Sava, this one met our needs. It’s much more comprehensive than others we researched.”   

Years later when the opportunity arose to deploy assessments at her new organization, she obtained the assessment tools she needed for Sava Senior Care. “Ms. Manzi was able to do coaching and help the manager of the department work with people where there was a big difference in styles.   

This enabled the teams to work together more harmoniously without as much misunderstanding, stress and conflict.” Using Profiles’ assessments is a no-brainer for executives like Manzi. “Why change something that isn’t broken?” 

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[Via http://johnhschmidt.wordpress.com]

Do crazy reality TV bosses fascinate you? Find out why...

Kelly Cutrone exposing fashion's ugly underside

Has your boss ever served a customer with a smile and turned right around a yelled at you for moving too slow? Or maybe you’ve been verbally abused or even fired for making a simple mistake. If so, you probably had what Aubrey Daniels calls a sociopathic boss.

Just today, I was talking with two colleagues about an incident where our boss told the co-worker, “If I had a choice, I would have never hired you.”  And if that wasn’t enough, when he saw the tears running down her face he barked, “Why are you crying?!” My eyes would have gotten a little misty too if he yelled that to me. 

Let’s face it – these type of comments cut like a knife when your head is on the chopping block. But we can’t seem to get enough of reality shows like ”Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kell on Earth” where crazy bosses yell obscenities and fire people left and right. Daniels gives good reasons in his article “Our Fascination with Sociopathic Bosses. “

Among the reasons, he mentions “vicarious empowerment”. Literally, an after-the-fact expression of your sentiments…”I wouldn’t let him to that to me” or “You know you shouldn’t take that abuse”. Most people would never confront a boss in person, but will resort to indirect means. In the age of reality TV, the easiest way is to turn on a show like “Ugly Betty” and root that someone lets Wilhemina Slater have it.

Aubrey Daniels makes a good case. Along with his three reasons for why America is fascinated with sociopathic bosses, he also explains the effect they have on long-term organizational success. And I can sum it up it two words. Not much. Read “Our Fascination with Sociopathic Bosses” for the entire article and find out why America is intrigued by crazy bosses.

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Kelly Cutrone picture appears courtesy of Washington Post.

[Via http://myfutureinfocus.wordpress.com]

What did I do to deserve this?

Ray Ortlund on the book of Job:

“I used to think the book of Job is in the Bible because it presents a rare and extreme case of human suffering.  “Look at this worst case scenario.  If you can see the truth here, then surely in your comparatively small problems . . . .”

Now I think the book of Job is in the Bible because the story is so common.  Many are thinking, “What on earth has happened to me?  I can’t see what I’ve done that explains this devastation.  Where is God in this?”

Enter Job’s three friends.  They were cautious at first.  But with their tidy notions threatened by his untidy realities, the moralism started pouring out of them: “Come on, Job, get real with us.  You must have some dirty secret that explains all this.  Admit it, and this misery will start going away.”  Their finger-pointing oversimplifications intensified Job’s sufferings, and this too is a common experience.

I don’t think the book of Job is about suffering as a theoretical problem — why do the righteous suffer?  I think it’s about suffering as a practical problem — when (not if) the righteous suffer, what does God expect of them?  And what he expects is trust.  When the righteous cannot connect the realities of their experience with the truths of God, then God is calling them to trust him that there is more to it than they can see.  As with Job, there is a battle being fought in the heavenlies.

Trust in God, not explanations from God, is the pathway through suffering.”

[Via http://strengthenedbygrace.wordpress.com]

Relaunch of noventum.de Website

Just today we published our new noventum website. It looks just great in my opnion. I delayed updating the contents for the IT service management pages until the new site was available, so the old site was a bit outdated.

So go ahead and check it out: http://www.noventum.de/, sorry currently only in German for the .de Site, English is available only for our turkish branch (up to now).

Due to an issue with the new software driving the site, ITSM The Game is currently unavailable, but it will be back in the near future.

[Via http://buzina.wordpress.com]

Don't Forget To Celebrate Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day

Office life can be the pits, especially when you are chained to a desk for up to 12-hours a day. Our bodies were made to be mobile and upright, so no wonder our country is facing an epidemic of obesity. In order to celebrate Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day, we’re rolling out some quick tips to avoid workout excuses and start getting fit.

Check them out after the jump!

• 1. Take The Stairs – You’ll appreciate doing this when you see the results on your trim waistline and when the elevator finally gets stuck and you’re not in it.

• 2. Park In The Spot Furthest From Your Building – Sometimes, adding a few extra steps can show all the difference, especially when you sit sedentary at a desk. Parking further away means you’ll be moving more, but do it at a quicker pace to elevate your heart rate!

• 3. Lunges In The Conference Room – Do lunges around the giant table in the conference room. If you do this three times in a day you will really feel the burn in your hips and thighs, which will help you slim down.

• 4. Seated Leg Lifts – While sitting at your desk, extend one leg out and hold it parallel to the ground. Hold it there for 60-seconds. Switch legs and do it again. Do this in reps of 15 twice a day and your legs will be beach ready in no time.

• 5. Arm Stetches – Put both arms in the air and stretch for 30-seconds. Then stretch, one arm at a time, a little higher than the other. Do this for reps of ten three times a day to give your shoulders and upper back a nice workout.

• 6. One Legged Telephone Squats – While stuck on conference calls, stand up and do one legged squats. Make sure you hold onto your chair or desk for support and squat away. By the end of your call you’ll have had quite the workout!

• 7. 60-Second Cardio - For 60-seconds commit to a heavy physical endurance in the form of running in place, jumping jacks, or even jumping rope if you have the room. Doing this a few times a day will keep your body and mind fresh!

Will you be trying any of these out? Or do you have any workout tricks that you use at work? Share them in the comments!

[Via http://kearth101.radio.com]