Please pray for my wife, Terri Lynn, and her family--specifically her Mom--Janice. Yesterday, Terri and her sister ,Jill, took an 'emergency' flight to Alabama. Jan is not doing well. It is not looking good. They landed last night in Atlanta at midnight and went straight to the Birmingham hospital from there. So I don't have any more info past that.
SO much more I could write at this point. My mind is racing. But I'll just ask all of you to pray.
Thanks, Grant
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Twenty Five Years Of Retail
Back in the fall of 1983 I started as a box-boy --carrying out groceries- at Big Horn IGA in Lovell, Wyoming. Yes, Pastor Jeff, they actually had grocery stores WAY back then. Hard to imagine, I know.
So for twenty-five years I have gone through the holiday seasons in the middle of the grocery store/retail world. The the biggest of those holidays--at least in the land of Frito-Lay--is yet to come-- The Super Bowl. It was always my biggest sales week. We called it a "push week". It was nuts and awesome all at the same time.
So this year-this "season"- has been kind of surreal for me. Honestly, at times I didn't know what to do, how to feel. So anyway, this year, on Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve day, and New Years Eve, I once again found myself in a grocery store. But this time it was VERY different. I was shopping not working. And guess who I ran into every time---the Frito-Lay man. Ironic?
And my wife and two boys have endured a lot with me through those years. Many holiday "eves" spent without me, because I was out working. This last New Years Eve was this first in my boys' memories that Dad was actually home--not out selling chips.
Now let me say this --I am NOT complaining at all. Those 25 years were priceless. It was a very good living. I learned a ton. Yes, I worked hard. But I loved it. That many years working with the public, your bound to learn a few things--especially about people. A lot of character traits forged through those years.
So now I find myself on the Element team. And, guess what, most of the same principles apply. I've learned a ton over the last five months, and SO much yet to learn. Bring it on! I am VERY blessed to be here, doing this. I am humbled. I am pumped. Greater thing are yet to come--greater things are yet to be done!
Work hard, play hard, sleep hard! And then do it all over again.
Grant
So for twenty-five years I have gone through the holiday seasons in the middle of the grocery store/retail world. The the biggest of those holidays--at least in the land of Frito-Lay--is yet to come-- The Super Bowl. It was always my biggest sales week. We called it a "push week". It was nuts and awesome all at the same time.
So this year-this "season"- has been kind of surreal for me. Honestly, at times I didn't know what to do, how to feel. So anyway, this year, on Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve day, and New Years Eve, I once again found myself in a grocery store. But this time it was VERY different. I was shopping not working. And guess who I ran into every time---the Frito-Lay man. Ironic?
And my wife and two boys have endured a lot with me through those years. Many holiday "eves" spent without me, because I was out working. This last New Years Eve was this first in my boys' memories that Dad was actually home--not out selling chips.
Now let me say this --I am NOT complaining at all. Those 25 years were priceless. It was a very good living. I learned a ton. Yes, I worked hard. But I loved it. That many years working with the public, your bound to learn a few things--especially about people. A lot of character traits forged through those years.
So now I find myself on the Element team. And, guess what, most of the same principles apply. I've learned a ton over the last five months, and SO much yet to learn. Bring it on! I am VERY blessed to be here, doing this. I am humbled. I am pumped. Greater thing are yet to come--greater things are yet to be done!
Work hard, play hard, sleep hard! And then do it all over again.
Grant
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Post Holiday Thoughts
I know, kinda weird to talk about the holidays in the middle of January. But just had a couple of thoughts/stories I wanted to share.
First of all, I just went through my first holiday season in 25 years of not being in the retail world. Much more to share from that in a later blog.
Rockin Eve Eve was AWESOME! I heard a lot of great comments after the program. Probably my favorite comment was from a man as he was leaving- "That was cool.....DIFFERENT....but COOL!" Loved that one. I told him I'd take that any day.
The Christmas Eve donut give-away was also cool. Ryan totally rocked getting it organized. Thanks man. I was blessed to be a part of it. We actually gave away 100 dozen donuts and two dozen cookies. I tell this story with permission of the family that did this. One of our core families didn't quite understand how the "program" was supposed to work. So , earlier that day when they were doing their own shopping they remembered they/we were doing some sort of outreach. So , while in the grocery store they bought a couple dozen cookies and gave them to the workers at the neighboring liquor store. Cool. So anyway, later that night I called them to see if they were going to come deliver their allotment of donuts. Their response " We already did it earlier today." "How?" "Uh, we bought our own and delivered them." "Oh ok. Well that'll work." So I was blessed to be able to deliver their "allotment" to the police station. We all had a good laugh about it later.
Another cool story that I also share, with permission of the participants. On December 23rd I got a call here at the office from one of the shelters here in town. The gal on the other end went on to explain the needs of a family in the city. The father had just lost his job, things were tight, etc. The family was not going to be able to have Christmas Dinner. The gal asked if we could help. I assured her we could. I got the pertinent info and hung up. I then started to send out an email to some Elementers asking for help. I was literally in mid-sentence of the email when I felt God say "Call 'Jane Doe' ". So I did. I closed my laptop. Gave 'Jane' a call. And literally within hours 'Jane' and her family had delivered boxes of food to this family. Awesome!
Another blessing for me was to see ALL of the gifts getting wrapped and stacked here in the office for the Adopt-a-Mom families. Cool. Last year I really didn't get to see that part, so that was fun for me. Thank all of you for giving. And thank all of you who shopped, wrapped, and delivered.
There is more, but those were the stories that I got to see from the inside.
Grant
First of all, I just went through my first holiday season in 25 years of not being in the retail world. Much more to share from that in a later blog.
Rockin Eve Eve was AWESOME! I heard a lot of great comments after the program. Probably my favorite comment was from a man as he was leaving- "That was cool.....DIFFERENT....but COOL!" Loved that one. I told him I'd take that any day.
The Christmas Eve donut give-away was also cool. Ryan totally rocked getting it organized. Thanks man. I was blessed to be a part of it. We actually gave away 100 dozen donuts and two dozen cookies. I tell this story with permission of the family that did this. One of our core families didn't quite understand how the "program" was supposed to work. So , earlier that day when they were doing their own shopping they remembered they/we were doing some sort of outreach. So , while in the grocery store they bought a couple dozen cookies and gave them to the workers at the neighboring liquor store. Cool. So anyway, later that night I called them to see if they were going to come deliver their allotment of donuts. Their response " We already did it earlier today." "How?" "Uh, we bought our own and delivered them." "Oh ok. Well that'll work." So I was blessed to be able to deliver their "allotment" to the police station. We all had a good laugh about it later.
Another cool story that I also share, with permission of the participants. On December 23rd I got a call here at the office from one of the shelters here in town. The gal on the other end went on to explain the needs of a family in the city. The father had just lost his job, things were tight, etc. The family was not going to be able to have Christmas Dinner. The gal asked if we could help. I assured her we could. I got the pertinent info and hung up. I then started to send out an email to some Elementers asking for help. I was literally in mid-sentence of the email when I felt God say "Call 'Jane Doe' ". So I did. I closed my laptop. Gave 'Jane' a call. And literally within hours 'Jane' and her family had delivered boxes of food to this family. Awesome!
Another blessing for me was to see ALL of the gifts getting wrapped and stacked here in the office for the Adopt-a-Mom families. Cool. Last year I really didn't get to see that part, so that was fun for me. Thank all of you for giving. And thank all of you who shopped, wrapped, and delivered.
There is more, but those were the stories that I got to see from the inside.
Grant
Saturday, January 10, 2009
D L A
Hey Everyone, I'm sitting in a hotel room this morning in Colorado Springs. Today is the second day of orientation for Desperation Leadership Academy for Morgan.
I know I say "Awesome" a lot. But that is all I can say. I have really felt God's blessing all over this thing from the moment we walked in The World Prayer Center yesterday morning.
As a parent, all I want is for my boys to love God and follow Him COMPLETELY -- no matter what that looks like or where that takes them or how much money they will , or will not, make.
I feel in my heart that this DLA is that for Morgan in this season of his life. Makes a daddy proud!
He will be here for eight months, then....... Well we will see. All I know is God knows. And I believe Morgan will know when the time is right. And I believe he will go do it.
Grant
I know I say "Awesome" a lot. But that is all I can say. I have really felt God's blessing all over this thing from the moment we walked in The World Prayer Center yesterday morning.
As a parent, all I want is for my boys to love God and follow Him COMPLETELY -- no matter what that looks like or where that takes them or how much money they will , or will not, make.
I feel in my heart that this DLA is that for Morgan in this season of his life. Makes a daddy proud!
He will be here for eight months, then....... Well we will see. All I know is God knows. And I believe Morgan will know when the time is right. And I believe he will go do it.
Grant
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
