So, thank you very much to the person or people who were involved in this kind gesture. I doubt you even know I have a blog, but if you do, here is a thank you for you. I feel appreciated.

As for the cash, I plan to take Dee out on a nice date.

I continued to watch as Mr. Trump complemented both contestants on their strengths and how well they had done on the show. Then as you may know, Mr. Trump chose to hire Randal over Rebecca saying something like, “Rebecca, you are excellent, but Randal you are hired.” It seemed to me that Mr. Trump would have been happy and content to have either person on his team.

After some celebration, Mr. Trump called Randal and Rebecca back to the table and posed the question of the evening to Randal, “Should I hire Rebecca as well”? In a very competitive moment Randal gives her no room or consideration. “This is ‘The Apprentice’, not ‘The Apprentices”. Mr. Trump takes Randal’s advice and chooses not to hire Rebecca.

Again, I only watched 10 minutes of the final show, but where is the harm in offering her an olive branch? What’s the big deal in letting her be hired as well? Randal could have said, “If you so choose Mr. Trump, Rebecca would be a fine addition to your team. I would welcome her and I believe we could accomplish great things together.” Instead, he selfishly choose to hoard everything for himself. It is all about ‘me’.

It seems weird that Mr. Trump would describe Randal as someone who worked well with others but in the end, he would not allow others to be considered.

After you win you do not have gloat that you are the winner. The record will state the winner. The books will show that Randal won. We can be gracious to others in our triumphs. Randal got the job and everything that goes with it. I believe he would have had a much stronger start in his new job if he had given Rebecca his strong confident vote. In his first decision as a Trump employee, I think he hurt Mr. Trump, the Trump corporation and himself.

Best lesson though was number 3: to get word-of-mouth advertising you need to be remarkable.

1) Major on Majors
These churches are not fussing about worship style, changes in publications, length of services, etc. but focusing important goal of reaching people.

2) Be Biblical, Conservative and Convictional
These churches have a high view of scripture.

3) Give Evangelism Priority and Passion

4) Provide Deep Biblical Teaching

5) Develop an Effective & Comprehensive Small-Group Ministry
This will impact the effectiveness of the church’s outreach and assimilation.

6) Discern Patterns of Relationships in Your Own Church
Interesting, there is probably a large untapped pool of unreached people within our on church body. Is there a plan in place to reach those within our own families?

7) Check Your Facilities
Preschool and signage are key.

8) Cultivate a User-Friendly Greeter Ministry

9) Keep the Friendliness Issue Before the Church

10) Seek Excellence

11) Provide an Inquirers’ New Members’ Class

12) Expect Much / Receive Much
Our church should be a high-expectation church – we want to make a difference.

13) Know Your Church’s Purposes

14) Foster Ministry Involvement
New Believers do not want to sit on the sidelines but active in the game.

15) Never Forget the Power of Prayer
Prayer is key not an afterthought.

The article is on leadership. He gave eight insights on leadership and working with people.

1) Leaders relentlessly upgrade their team, using every encounter as an opportunity to evaluate, coach and build self-confidence. Make sure that the teams are right – right people in the right positions. Continue to coach your people to improve performance. To build self-confidence, use encouragement, care and recognition.

2) Leaders make sure poeple not only see the vision, they live and breathe it. Constantly communicate the vision so that it will filter down.

3) Leaders get into everyone’s skin, exuding positve energy and optimism.

4) Leaders establish trust with candor, transparency and credit. Deliever the hard news and don’t steal credit for an idea that is not yours.

5) Leaders have the courage to make unpopular dicsions and gut calls. Trust yourself when something does not feel right even though everything on paper seems to be right.

6) Leaders probe and push with a curiosity that borders on skepticism, making sure their questions are answered with action. Questions like “What if?”, “Why not?” and “How come?” should be use often when speaking about decisions or changes.

7) Leaders inspire risk taking and learning by setting the example.

8) Leaders celebrate.

Each day that passes we are writing what we will be remembered for after we are gone. It is the little steps we take each day that is built into who we become.

You have to start your dreams now. We are trapped by the thinking that I can do it tomorrow – there is no promise of tomorrow or I cannot do it because of yesterday – today is a brand new beginning. Pat Williams relates a Jewish legend that King Solomon asked his goldsmith to fashion a ring for all occasions and situations. The goldsmith gave the king a beautiful gold band with the inscription, “This, too, shall pass.” The worst of the best of yesterday will be gone.

Time: Everyone has the same amount of time in a given day. Time is wasted in minutes – to overcome we must plan out what we will do with each day – plan and be flexible for emergencies. Henry Ford once said, “Most people get ahead during the time others waste.” When thinking of time: don’t think in terms of years or months, but think of today: that is what you have been given (sometimes hours and minutes).

Do not allow yourself to think that you cannot accomplish something in your old age.
64 – Sir Francis Chichester – sailed around the world
65 – Sir Winston Churchill – prime minister
71 – Golda Meier – prime Minister of Israel
69 – Ronald Reagan – President of US
66 – Michelangelo – completed Sistine Chapel ceiling
88 – Michelangelo – frescoes Pauline Chapel
89 – Frank Lloyd Wright – masterpiece Guggenheim Museum

David Welday, New Man Magazine – November/December 2004
WIRaL – What I Read at Lunch