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| Steve Sappington Communications | August 2010 |
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Happy August, Everyone!
For those of you who are teachers, students, or parents of students, school is about to begin, so I hope you had a great summer. To those of you who have connected with me on Facebook or LinkedIn since July 1, I've added you to this monthly newsletter. If this letter doesn't bless you, you can unsubscribe below. But please read the whole newsletter first before deciding, because I have several "surprises" this month. . . .
This week I heard a comment on American Family Radio to this effect: Hiram Johnson is quoted as saying, "The first casualty of war is truth." Whether or not that is true, it certainly seems that the first casualty of the campaign season is truth!
I've read several books and articles lately which I hope will help you discern the truth, and also communicate more effectively with others, especially when their point of view differs from yours. First, I highly recommend Leadership by Deception and The Anatomy of Peace, both by the Arbinger Institute. They are some of the best books I've read for anyone who wants to understand and be understood: at work, and with friends and family.
Also, here are the links to 2 articles that cover similar topics, both written by Joseph Grenny: http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jul2009/ca20090731_261543.htm, and http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jul2010/ca2010072_928163.htm. Mr. Grenny is the author of 3 New York Times bestsellers.
And for those of you who've become accustomed to my perennial "sermons" on the fragility of today's economy, I highly recommend Aftershock, www.aftershockeconomy.com. In 2006, the 3 authors' first book, America's Bubble Economy, correctly called the real estate bubble collapse of 2007-2008. I won't tell you what they predict for 2010 and beyond, but I wish I had read their 1st book in 2006, and I'm glad I'm reading their 2nd book now.
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My e-book, Today's WORD on Money™ (www.todayswordmoney.com), has a section that also addresses the root causes of many political disagreements, so please enjoy the following excerpt:
Day 28-Today's WORD on Money™: 3 World Views
Is anyone besides me ready for the political bickering in America to tone down? I understand that disagreements won't end, since we have Freedom of Speech, but now most "civil discussions" have been replaced by shouting matches, with all participants rudely interrupting each other. That is not how our parents and grandparents taught us to behave! Please allow me to share some insights into how we can complete instead of compete.
I wish I could share this word picture with every U.S. citizen who is now or is soon to be of voting age. Picture an equilateral triangle with 2 corners at the bottom and 1 at the top, like a pyramid.* Let's label the top corner "Transcendent." Call the bottom left corner "Left," and the bottom right corner "Right." Now let's explore 3 major worldviews.
The "Transcendent" worldview originated in the Judaic culture and now resides mainly in the Judeo-Christian religious sector. Proponents of this worldview hold that God or some creative force is the ultimate authority or owner. "Transcendent" proponents believe that funding should come from donations.
The "Left" worldview originated with the Greeks and now resides in the public sector. Proponents of this worldview hold that government should be the ultimate authority or owner. "Left" worldview proponents believe that funding should come from taxes.
The "Right" worldview originated with the Romans and now resides in the private sector. Proponents of this worldview hold that acquisitors should be the ultimate authorities or owners. "Right" worldview proponents believe that funding should come from investments.
So the "right" proponents say something like, "If it's to be, it's up to ME," while the "left" says, "If it's to be, it's up to WE," and the "transcendent" says, "If it's to be, it's up to HE (God)." But further study of God's Word reveals that all 3 views contain truth. In fact, if and only if the "transcendent" view is your "Big Picture," then the 3 views can, and in fact, must work together. Making either the "left" or the "right" one's primary worldview causes distortions that will ultimately result in unfairness, failed human endeavors and failed systems of government.
However, if (and only if) we acknowledge that God is the ultimate authority, then the 2 other perspectives are necessary components: 1) from the "right," we realize that each of us needs to do our part in God's Kingdom; 2) from the "left," we realize that we all need to work together as the Body of Christ to bring about God's purposes for this planet, and for each person on earth. But when any political party tries to take God out of the equation, that party is ultimately doomed to fail. If God is omitted and the "left" prevails, socialism or communism eventually result and ultimately fail when they provide no individual incentives. Likewise if God is omitted and the "right" prevails, then as unbridled capitalism results, kindness and mercy are lacking, and pure greed eventually brings the country to ruin.
I don't know about you, but in recent years I have sadly watched many "solutions" from both the "left" and the "right" continue to fester, because God was not included in the solution. These observations were an additional incentive for me to write this book.
Next, we'll discuss how crucial it is for legislators to understand the difference between fairness and justice.
* This worldview illustration comes from the book Faith and Finances by Gary Moore. Copyright © 2008 Steve Sappington. All rights reserved. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EXCITING NEWS !!!!!
Our non-profit, 7 Cord Ministries is partnering with CLEAN HANDS PURE HEART, a Kingdom business with a breakthrough line of non-alcohol based hand sanitizers that kill 99.99% of all germs. Every home, every parent, every child has a responsibility to stay healthy and germ free as the cold and flu season approaches.
Every time you purchase product from CLEAN HANDS PURE HEART, they will give 40% of the purchase price to 7 Cord Ministries to fund our giving projects at home and abroad. Their mission is to help us accomplish our mission!
CLEAN HANDS PURE HEART products are superior to other products found in the marketplace. You cannot buy CLEAN HANDS PURE HEART products except as they support Kingdom projects via the internet.
The CEO of CLEAN HANDS PURE HEART is an OBU graduate, Richard Cole '75. Those of you from OBU will probably recognize him if I told you his OBU nickname. Were it not for OBU there would not be CLEAN HANDS PURE HEART.
To hear the CLEAN HANDS PURE HEART story, click on this link: www.cleanhandspureheart.com. To find out more about our ministry and to purchase great products, visit http://www.cleanhandspureheart.com/chphgrp/7CordMin/index.php?groupId=21&leadId=49.
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his Holy Place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. . . ." (Excerpt from Psalm 24)
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Lastly, my good friend from OBU Craig Wycoff has too many homes in Santa Fe, where he lives in semi-retirement. He built a spectacular personal residence that is now for sale. I've visited this home both while it was being built and after it was completed, and it is truly a luxury home. Even if you don't have 7 figures in spare change, I encourage you to visit his site and share it with others. Craig always does things first class. Here's the link: www.mysantafeluxuryhome.com.
Until next month,
Steve
Steve Sappington Communications |
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