Words.  They surround us: in the air, in print, on our computer screens.  They hold our minds captive and evoke intense emotions.  You can't go anywhere without words as a companion.  They are one of the most powerful tools humans have at our disposal.  We use them to convey feelings and ideas, hurts and hilarity.  They are simple tools that are complex and powerful when strung together.

I recently read an article that came to me via MSNBC's RSS news feed: From Homeless Drug User to Millionaire. (Here's the link to the story,
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/FromHomelessDrugUserToMillionaire.aspx)
The paradox of those words peaked my interest enough that I took the bait and clicked the link.  The story itself was nothing amazing.  It was written simply, but there were two sentences that reminded me of the power of our words: "I had been told all my life that I was worthless and would never amount to anything."  And, "While I was in the hospital I read the Bible and became a Christian."

That first quote from the article reminded me of what a difference a parent can make in a child's life.  I was blessed to have parents that always boosted me up rather than tear me down with their words.  I was encouraged to try for everything.  If I failed, I was not ridiculed or laughed at.  They always said "You'll get it next time."  I think their words of affirmation contributed a lot to how I feel about myself today.  They started those encouraging words when I was young and continued to offer them as I grew up.  It was a great foundation for what would turn into a confident and competent young woman.  I am blessed to have started out that way.  Many kids don't get that.  They have parents or guardians that belittle them and tell them they aren't worth anything, like Bob Williamson.  Parents, take some time to tell your kids what they've done right lately.  Don't continually chastise and harp on them.  Praise goes a long way to encouraging a good mental attitude.

The second quote was a great reminder of how life-changing the Bible is.  It truly is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12).  Maybe someone sat down and talked with this guy, explained the ins and outs of the Bible.  It doesn't sound like it.  It sounds like he picked it up, read it and came to the conclusion that he would be better off following the path of Christ.  To me, that is amazing.  I had people along the way that talked to me and explained things.  I didn't have to figure it out on my own.  I LOVE the fact that words written thousands of years ago can still impact people and draw them in for a life-altering event.  Its incredible!  And it gets better.  People all over the world get to experience it in their own language thanks to dedicated, loving, selfless individuals that devote literally their whole lives to bringing a nation or tribe the Bible in their native tongue.  Check out this site, http://www.wycliffe.org/, for a group of people dedicated to the power of words.

Words.  Their power isn't limited to one language.  They influence people's feelings about themselves.  They change people's lives.  Go out and spread positive thoughts today.  Make someone's day a bit brighter.  

What is the most important aspect of your shopping experience? The selection? The store atmosphere? What about the level of customer service you receive?

I think I would have to lean toward customer service. If I'm in a store (or in an internet store), I want to know that the questions I ask will get answers. Even more importantly, I need someone there to answer my questions!! So often this is not the case. I have to go hunt someone down to even ask the questions and more often then not, that employee has to go find a supervisor to answer the inquiry. Wow. It can get pretty ridiculous.

When I'm working customer service, I try to keep to the "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" principle. The customer is our top priority. We do everything within our power to provide the best shopping experience possible. Have questions? We answer them in the same day, sometimes in the same hour. Need a certain product that you don't see listed? Send an email. I might be able to find it for you. We shipped the wrong book to you? I will have the correct book in the mail if not the same day then the next day at the latest.

This is the kind of service I would expect, but when I buy on the internet I rarely experience even these basics. I end up feeling like I have inconvenienced the seller or wondering if I will ever get an answer to the email inquiry I sent. That is so not cool, and it does not entice me to hang around and buy more from them.

Shoddy customer service is an easy way to avoid selling product, but one of the keys to a profitable business and repeat customers is to provide them with a level of customer service that reflects how you would treat your grandma. So if you are thinking of opening up an online store be it in eBay or on the web, remember customer service is not an area to shave off expenses. At the least, answer email inquiries in a day, ship promptly and offer your expertise. It will benefit you in the long run.

Have you ever had one of those moments in your life when you knew beyond any doubt that God had placed you there?  A few years ago I was working in Texas for a bookstore.  My position at that time was what they called an MIT, or Manager In Training.  It meant that when I had advanced in my training enough, and a store became available, then I would be the manager of that store.  I had no idea when the opportunity might come or to which town it would take me.  It could be at a new market where I would be responsible for hiring and training a staff of 30+ people, or it could be in an existing location that had undergone a management change.

Since I didn't know what to expect, I wasn't sure how to pray.  I did know a few things, though.  I knew that God already knew the day, city, and circumstances under which I would be given the opportunity to lead a store.  Based on that assurance, I began to pray regularly during my 11 month training period.  My prayer went something like:  "Lord, I ask you to be with me and fill me with wisdom and an attitude of humility.  I ask that you would help me learn all I need to know to lead the people in my future.  I pray that I would bring to them the leadership that they need and that you would use us as insturments to further your kingdom and equip the ministries that you have already placed in that community.  Lord, I pray for the people I will lead.  Even though I don't yet know them and they don't yet know me, you know who we all are.  And you know the plans you have for us.  I pray that even now, you would move in each of their lives and begin a work in them that would prepare them for the plans you have for us.  I pray that you would work through circumstance, your word, and your people to prepare each of us for our future together.  I ask that all we do together would be for your glory.  Amen."

After I had been training for 11 months, I got the call I'd been waiting for.  The next day I was to report to a new city about 3 hours away and take over as the new manager of that store.  What I discovered there was that the store needed encouragement, a positive influence, and strong leadership.  They needed to believe that they were important, and they needed to believe in their leader.

I spent my first few months going through the store cleaning, repairing, and otherwise improving its physical appearance.  This helped them feel better about their store and feel like the place they worked was important and special.  However, more importantly, I spent time with each of the employeees.  I took time getting to know them, their stories, their gifts and strenghths. 

It was during one of these casual get to know you moments that I had one of the most humbling moments of my life.  I was standing at the front of the store having a conversation with our head cashier, Francis.  Francis has a very energetic personality and a very genuine, caring personality.  Frankly, she's just the type of person you want greeting your customers as they go in and out of your store.  As Francis and I were talking she said, "Do  you know that you're an answer to prayer?"  She went on to tell me that she and many of the other employees had been very unhappy with the previous leader for some time.  In fact, leadership, or lack thereof as it were, was a burdon to them.  They knew that there was someone out there who could do a better job.  They knew that the store couldn't continue on its current path for very long.  They knew they needed a change.  While flattered by her comments and her insinuation that I had come in become the leader they hoped for, it was her next statement that humbled me most.

She said that they'd been praying for me.  No, they didn't know who I was or when I'd come, but they knew they needed a new leader.  They prayed that someone would come with wisdom and an attitude of humility.  They asked God to bring them the leadership that they need and that He would use them as insturments to further the ministries that He had already placed in that community.  Francis went on to tell me the details of her own personal prayer for me.  Even though she didn't yet know me, she had been faithful to pray for me.  The hair on my neck stood on end as she recounted prayers that nearly word for word matched the very same words I'd been praying for them.

Two groups of people, though they'd never met, were praying identical prayers for each other, anticipating the day that they would meet and join efforts.  Wow.  What a God moment.  Even now, 6 years later, it humbles me, brings tears to my eyes, and makes my hair stand on end.  My prayer now is that I will continue to be used by God in whatever role I play: husband, father, church leader, and employee.  I want all that I do to be to the glory of God and to fit perfectly within his plan for me.

Yesterday I spent most of my afternoon doing what I typically do this time of year, watching NASCAR on television.  One of the things I like most about the sport is that many of the drivers are Christians.  Every week before they start the race they take a moment to honor our military, perform the national anthem, and pray.  They usually recruit someone from the local community to lead the prayer.  Sometimes the person leading the prayer reads it from a card or piece of paper.  Yesterday was one of those days.

I have mixed feelings about this practice.  I know that some people get stage fright and may not want to screw up on national television.  Therefore they write down and read their prayer as a safety net.  I'm not crazy about that idea and would rather they just speak from the heart.  But I can live with it if they are speaking in an attitude of humility and that their words were penned with an attitude of sincerity and intercession for others.

But that's just it, prayer is something that is personal and from the heart.  It is you communicating with the God who spoke the universe into existence.  It is a conversation that, like any other conversation, should be sincere and not forced, dry, regimented or hollow.  Too many times our prayers are filled with trite sayings or phrases that we have heard others say or read in a book.  These sayings may sound good and appear to make our prayers more dynamic, but if they do not pour out of a humble, sincere, and true place in our heart then they carry no weight, no purpose and no meaning what so ever.

My pastor spoke a few weeks ago about this subject and I think he spoke with great wisdom and truth.  Our prayers are our opportunity to commune with God, to tell him the depths of our hearts, to intercede for others and to grow closer to him.  If we do nothing more than repeat the words of someone else or offer up over used phrases, then we are missing out and miss using a powerful opportunity.  God cares about the details of our lives just as we care about the details of the lives of our own children.  He desires to have sincere, deep, meaningful relationships with us.  So how is your prayer life?  Is it just hollow words that you fit in a convenient slot in your schedule?  Or do you spent time in an attitude of humbleness, sincerity, and honesty before God, seeking him, interceding for others, and trying to make a difference?