Blessings of Christmas

Blessings of Christmas

Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  With the holidays it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, especially when it comes to helping those less fortunate.  Our club does a great job in this area, but sometimes we may miss how simple acts of kindness can change lives forever.  This is a short story from Norman Vincent Peale.

Dr. Peale, a noted minister and author, tells the story of a young girl from Sweden who was spending the holiday season in New York City while living with an American family.  Her chores included helping around the house, but she didn't have much money. So she knew she couldn't buy nice Christmas presents for her host family—besides, they already had so much, with new gifts arriving every day from family and friend.

With just what little money she had, she went out and bought an outfit for a small baby, and then set out on a journey to find the poorest part of town and the poorest baby she could find. At first, she received only strange looks from people when she asked them for help. But then a kind stranger, a Salvation Army bell-ringer, guided her to a poor part of town and helped her deliver her gift.

On Christmas morning, instead of giving her host family gifts, she told them about her act of kindness done in their name. Everyone was speechless, and yet everyone was blessed—the girl for giving, the wealthy family for seeing others with new eyes, and the poor family for receiving an unexpected gift.

We all have many opportunities to show kindness, especially at Christmastime. We can help strangers by delivering gifts to needy kids or serving homeless families at a soup kitchen. Or we can simply look for everyday ways to be kind, like allowing someone to go ahead in a long line, or giving that bell-ringer a little extra change and a few encouraging words.

Maybe our gift-giving mode inspires us to give to others at Christmas.  Maybe the season makes us more aware of our families, friends and those in our communities. Or maybe it's because two thousand years ago, the earth received the most perfect, most loving gift of all; God’s son, Jesus Christ.   This is a special time of year to remember this special gift.  Christmas begins with CHRIST, the real reason for this season.   

Whatever your reason, this Christmas show kindness, it is what we do as Rotarians, because it is truly more blessed to give than to receive.

To you and your family I wish you a very Merry Christmas a blessed New Year!  And that’s the bottom of the news on this Friday December 21, 2012.  

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Christmas Laughs

Christmas Laughs

Good morning my fellow Rotarians. The Christmas season is well upon us and for our news this morning, I thought I’d share a few humorous Christmas stories…

Trust Him?
On the Sunday before Christmas Reverend Billy Graham was visiting a town where he was to give a Christmas message. That afternoon he went to visit a parishioner; however, he needed to drop a package off and asked a young boy where he could find the post office. When the boy gave him directions, Reverend Graham thanked him and said, 'If you'll come to the Church this evening, you can hear me telling everyone how to get to heaven.'

The boy replied, 'I think I'll pass sir. If you don't even know your way to the post office, how do you know the way to heaven?'

Christmas Spirit
It was just before Christmas and the magistrate was in a happy mood. He asked the prisoner who was in the dock, 'What are you charged with?' The prisoner replied, 'Doing my Christmas shopping too early.' 'That's no crime', said the magistrate. 'Just how early were you doing this shopping?'

'Before the shop opened', answered the prisoner.

Mirror Image
On Christmas Eve, Nathan thought it would be nice to buy his wife a little gift for the next day. Always short of money, he thought long and hard about what to buy.' Unable to decide, Nathan visited the cosmetics section of a local store and asked the clerk, 'How about some perfume?' She showed him a bottle costing $150. 'Too expensive,' he muttered.

The young lady returned with a smaller bottle for $75. 'Oh dear,' Nathan groused, 'still far too much.'

Growing rather annoyed, the sales girl brought out a tiny $20 bottle and offered it to him. Nathan became really agitated, 'What I mean', he whined, 'is I'd like to see something really cheap.'

So, the sales girl handed him a mirror.

So, guys, how is your shopping coming along? And that’s the bottom of the news on this Friday December 14, 2012.

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Reindeer Exposed!

Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Since we have now officially entered the Christmas season I want you all to know that as your Rotary Reporter I take my responsibility very seriously to honestly report things so you understand fact from fiction.

Now is the time to reveal the truth about Santa’s reindeer.

Recently a report was released by the Alaskan Fish and Game Department. The report states that both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year. The male reindeer drop their antlers during the early winter, usually around late November to mid December. Female reindeer, however, retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring.
 
Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa’s reindeer, from Rudolph to Comet to Donner and Biltzen… every one of them has to be female.
 
We should have known this.
 
Think about it. Only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost!
 
And there you have it, the truth exposed about Santa’s reindeer. So, here’s my question for the guys… can you handle this revelation?
 
And that is the Bottom of our News on this Friday, December 7, 2012.
 
PS... May we never forget the 2400 Americans who died at Pearl Harbor on this day, December 7, 1941.

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Honoring Zig Ziglar

Honoring Zig

Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  Today I’m honoring a man who motivated millions around the world.  Zig Ziglar died this past Wednesday at the age of 86.

Many consider Zig Ziglar one of the most inspirational people of our time.  He was a legendary motivational speaker and business consultant with a 40-year speaking career where he consulted with Fortune 500 companies and advised American presidents and other world leaders for decades.

When he returned from World War II, he landed a job selling pots and pans door to door.  And the stories he told about his days in sales were humorous and instructional.  Once he was stopped for speeding and ended up going to the officer’s house to sell his wife a set of pans for their daughter’s upcoming wedding.  

Few people knew of the famous Ziglar back then, yet it was during those early years when he developed a curiosity about human nature and he turned that interest into a thriving career as a motivational speaker and author.  He wrote nearly 30 books – my favorite was “See You at the Top.” 

As a motivational speaker, author, businessman, father, husband and devout Christian he would often ask his audiences, “Of all these positions I carry, which one do you think matters the most to me today?”

Zig and his wife Jean, just celebrated their 66^th anniversary four days ago, November 26^th.  He always called his wife “the red head.” 

Two of Zig’s thought-provoking quotes include, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” and, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”  His most famous re-quoted quote was, “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough people get what they want.”

And he said, “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.”  And he would go on to ask the pointed question, “What are you trading in today?”

To my dad, Zig was his all time favorite “sales guy.”  I remember as a kid how he would get excited and share ideas he had learned from Zig.  In 1998 I had the privilege to meet Zig for the first time at a Zig Rally in Omaha, NE.  We talked few minutes and I had his undivided attention even though hundreds were waiting to talk with him.  He was genuine, sincere and encouraged people whenever he spoke. 

And finally, I leave you with this Zig quote…  “Even in tragedy, God through His word offers hope for those who seek and believe. It starts with the promise of a better tomorrow, of life everlasting, of eternal peace. It’s called faith, and it offers hope where none existed.”

Zig Ziglar, a man whose words will live on and continue to inspire.  And that is the Bottom of our News on this Friday, November 30, 2012.  ###

Haircuts & Politicians

Haircuts & Politicians

Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  Thought I would share some political humor one last time before the election.  This is a story called “The Haircut”…

One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut.  After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you; I'm doing community service this week.' The florist was pleased and left the shop.

When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.' The cop was happy and left the shop.

The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Then a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I can not accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The Congressman was very happy and left the shop.

The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it.

As wise man once said, ‘Remember this, both politicians and diapers need to be changed often.’

So, make sure you are informed and then vote in this important election.  And that’s the Bottom of our News on this Friday, November 2, 2012.   

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My Life is a Great Adventure

My Life is a Great Adventure!   

This morning at Daybreak Rotary I was the featured member for our weekly 'Daybreaker Spotlight' so for this week's news I am sharing a few episodes of my great adventure with you…

Episode #1…  I was born with a hole in my heart that became a heart murmur by age 6.  My brother John called it a 'heart moo moo' and he teased me constantly as a kid.  It used to make me so mad until one day my dad said ‘just ignore him.’  So, I did and that made him mad, so much so that one day he trapped in the corner of the garage with a pitch fork threatening to put a new hole in my heart!  It was right then and there, at the age of 10, that I learned how to sell.

Episode #2…  I’m the oldest of eight kids.  Being the oldest has its privileges and responsibilities.  I learned how to cook, iron, sew, change diapers, baby-sit and more; all skills that would come in handy later on.  The squabbles and bickering often times were boys versus girls, until a non-family member would pick on one of our sisters.  Suddenly we became all-for-one because no one was allowed to picked on our sisters!

Episode #3…  After high school I couldn’t wait to get away from the mob and I enrolled at UNI as a music major.  On September 11^th, 1972, my first day of college, my brother John was killed in an auto accident so I went back home, missing my first two weeks of classes.  It was tough, but yet an incredible time where our family really came together.  Today we call it our own 9-11.  While in college I painted houses and barns each summer with three college buddies.  I loved my summers and I learned to love learning while in college. 

Episode #4…  Upon graduation with a broadcasting degree in hand I worked at Frank Magid (media research firm), as a Disco Jock (the ‘70’s Saturday Night Fever era), radio, a radio jingle company, newspaper and an ad agency.  Then, my last ‘job’ was with MDA and the Jerry Lewis Telethon for 20 years.  Honestly, I have loved every job I have had.  Of course, I’m an eternal optimist, or as my wife calls me, an EO, a close cousin to ET, that short dude from another planet! 

Episode # 5…  My family today.  Lonna is my wife, my very best friend and we’ve been married for 25 years (happily for 24 – okay, just kidding!).  She works at Mount Mercy and we have two sons; Jason the sports, track and football guy and Logan, the music and car guy.  Jason is married to his best friend Sarah and their two boys are an extreme adventure (grandkids are way cool!).  Logan at 19 still lives at home working two jobs, looking to start college this spring and he also works as disc jockey doing weddings, dances and parties.  I love it, when he calls me from a gig, asking for old rock and roll songs he can play for the ‘old’ people!   

Episode #6…  Let me tell you WHY today I’m a business coach.  My dad was a business owner and he always struggled with finances and people.  He’d talk to me about his problems because when he talked to my mom they’d fight.  Life in our house during this time was not an adventure!  At one point my parents were on the verge of bankruptcy and divorce.  Somehow though, by the grace of God, they made it through.  As I was looking at businesses 12 years ago, when I found coaching I knew it could be my passion.  You see, I don’t want anyone to go through what my dad did.  Many business owners need help.   I believe that my mission in life will glorify God when I help people to achieve their dreams.  I really enjoy working with small business owners.  Thus, business and leadership coaching is the focus of our firm.  That’s why I’m a coach.

Episode #7…  I joined Daybreak Rotary in 2006 because I wanted to do something more to make a difference, to help people outside of my business.  I visited every Rotary club in town and when I came here, it was a fit.  Life is an adventure to many of you in this club and I like the way we create opportunities to impact others in a very positive way. Just as being a coach allows me to help others so they don’t have to go through their challenges alone; we do the same as Daybreakers with the organizations, families and kids we serve.  Being a Daybreaker is very rewarding.

And that my fellow Rotarians is my great adventure.  Thank you.  

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Hey, Those Are My Tax Dollars

Hey, Those Are My Tax Dollars!

Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Just saw a study that came out this week from the nonpartisan Office of Budget Responsibility and they chronicled the top 100 projects that are considered to be a waste of taxpayer dollars by our federal government. I thought I would share three of my favorites with you. 

Red Planet Menu…  Did you know that each year NASA works on the development of a so called “Mars Food Menu” that will be used when men land on Mars?  Researchers have test subjects simulate space conditions and rate the food being tested based on taste, their overall health, and the mood it puts them in. The only problem is that the first manned mission to Mars won’t happen until 2035 at the earliest.  Total wasted taxpayer cost since inception of this project…  $46 million!

Shoot First, Research Later…  The Missile Defense Agency has a bad habit of building things before they finish their research and development work.  However, on two occasions over the past decade, the agency has begun building interceptor missiles without first finishing the research and testing that should have been completed prior to their construction. Not surprisingly on both missile projects they experienced delays, failures, and system upgrade issues resulting in the projects costing nearly four times as much as original estimates.  Price tag for this project…  $760 million!

The Buzz Hormone…  The National Institutes of Health has funded over 30 projects in Michigan and Texas for the past decade to test hormone levels in fruit flies.  The tests discovered that male fruit flies are more attracted to younger female fruit flies than older ones.  That’s it!  And now researchers have started the process to obtain more tax payer funds to they can expand their hormone research to other animals.  Total cost of this fruit fly hormone experiment…   $940 million!

There you have it, some great examples of how our federal government spends our hard earned tax dollars and that’s the Bottom of our News on this Friday, October 19, 2012.   
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It's the Economy...

It’s the Economy…

Good morning my fellow Rotarians. The topic of the morning is economy related, so why not share an article I read awhile back entitled ‘5 Crazy Ideas to Save Our Economy’ written by economist Don Phelan.

Phelan begins by explaining how our free-market supply and demand economy works and the importance of having goods and services for Americans to buy. But, if they have no money, or are afraid of losing their jobs, or are hording their cash to weather this financial storm, they aren’t buying, right? So, how do you create incentive for people to BUY?

Crazy Idea #1: Instead of the government spending the $1 TRILLION stimulus, how about giving it directly to the people to spend? It breaks down to about $4,000 per person and yolu could send each a debit card with $4,000 on it. A household of four gets $16,000, of three, $12,000, etc. The spending would come with specific rules on how the money can be spent; down payment on a house, to buy cars, appliances, pay for daycare, tuition, etc. Only to BUY goods and services and if you don’t spend it within 18 months, the card expires and you lose the money. Imagine how consumers would line up for cars and different homes. The impact on the auto and housing industries alone could be big; more jobs, more spending and thus, more tax revenue.

Crazy Idea #2: Cut income taxes from 25% to 15% for middle-income Americans and you’d see another immediate impact on US households. For example: If you make $60,000, you get $6,000 more in your pocket to spend. Could you use an extra $500 a month in after-tax income? As disposable income increases you build real hope in people and they gain more confidence that they can better provide for their families, make their car payments and have money to buy that new refrigerator.

Crazy Idea #3: Eliminate the capital gains tax on investment properties and that would put a major dent toward eliminating the glut of foreclosure properties. No government bailout and no throwing money at the problem. People with poorly performing 401(K) or savings accounts, would RUSH to buy distressed real estate. Real estate investors would get involved big-time. It would be a boom. Many people would fix up these properties by hiring plumbers, electricians, HVAC people, carpet installers, etc. Then, those improved properties could be rented or sold.

Crazy Idea #4: Reinstate consumers’ ability to write off interest paid on credit cards, auto loans and second homes. This frees up more money for consumers and reduces their tax burden.

Crazy Idea #5: Regardless of what party you support, all of us should participate in a petition to eject our politicians from office if they don’t stop the partisanship and start working together to fix our economy. Our economic crisis is enormous. It will take ALL of us, rich and poor, conservative and liberal, black and white, men and women, to fix this. We must all start pulling on the same end of the rope. And that’s a summary of the article.

These five crazy ideas don’t honestly sound so crazy to me, but they most likely don’t stand a snowballs chance of ever happening. However, I believe that as a nation and government, we must start thinking differently. And here was Phelan’s final big question… ‘Could it be conceivable that ‘we the people’ might better spend the money generated from these ideas rather than our government?’

Remember that line from the Clinton campaign, “It’s the economy…” and that’s the Bottom of our News on this Friday, October 12, 2012. I’m David Drewelow and once again I approve this message.

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Presidential Fun Facts

Presidential Fun Facts

Good morning my fellow Americans.  Since our presidential season is in high gear I thought I’d share a few fun facts about some of our former presidents.  Here they are…    

·       George W. Bush and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner are cousins!

·       President Lyndon Johnson smoked at least 3 packs of cigarettes a day.

·       John F. Kennedy was the first Roman Catholic President.

·       Jimmy Carter is the first U.S. President to have been born in a hospital.

·       Every U.S. president with a beard has been a Republican.

·       Franklin Pierce was arrested while president for running over an old lady with his horse, but the charges were later dropped.

·       Believe it or not, Andrew Jackson's tombstone does not mention that he served as a US president!

·       Herbert Hoover was the first president to be born west of the Mississippi in West Branch, Iowa.

·       No president of the United States was an only child.

·       Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender.

·     Four of the past five presidents have been left-handed (even though only 10% of our population are lefties); they are Ronald Reagan, HW Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Only George W. Bush was a rightie.

·       Gerald Ford was an all-American football player at the University of Michigan and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers (Go Pack go!), however he decided to not play pro football.

·       And finally, George Washington for many years, grew marijuana in his garden.

There you have ‘em, fun facts about past presidents as the Bottom of our News on this Friday, October 5, 2012.  I’m David Drewelow and I approve this message.

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Churchill's Way with Words

Churchill’s Way with Words!

Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  My thanks this morning to brother Carpenter for sending me some quotes of the great orator Winston Churchill. 

The prime minister loved paraprosdokians, which are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous. So, let’s give a listen…

·       Where there's a will, I want to be in it.

·       The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

·       Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

·       If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

·       We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.

·       War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

·       Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

·       To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

·       In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, Notify:' I put 'DOCTOR'.

·       You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

·       I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

·       Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

·       You're never too old to learn something stupid.

·       Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

There you go, great quotes from a great statesman, Winston Churchill, as the Bottom of our News on this Friday, September 28, 2012. 

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Women's Rules for Men

The “Women's Rules” for Men…

Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  Well, last week I shared the “Man Rules.”  Many ladies insisted that I give them equal time, so in my own best interest, I thought it wise to share some of the “Women’s Rules for Men.”  So, here they are…

·       Women always make the rules.

·       The rules are subject to change at any time without prior notification.

·       A woman is never wrong.

·       If a woman is wrong, it is due to a misunderstanding which was a result of something a man did or said wrong.

·       A woman may change her mind at any time.

·       Men should never say they understand because they don't.

·       Fashion police DO exist.

·       A man is expected to mind read at all times.

·       A woman is ready when she is ready.

·       A man must be ready at all times.

·       Men, when we come to you with a problem, be quiet and LISTEN we do NOT expect you to fix it!

·       Women will always think they are fat so men, humor them and tell them they are not!

·       Men, if you did something wrong or even if you didn't, apologize.

·       No man can possibly know all the rules (that’s true, I actually found over 100 rules and Marla told me that was only the beginning!).

·       Men, even if you think it is cool to burp, fart, or emit other strange gases from your body, it's not.

·       If a woman has PMS, all rules (including men’s) are null and void. 

Men, take note of these Women’s Rules for Men as the Bottom of our News on this Friday, September 14, 2012.

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The Man Rules

The “Man Rules”…

Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  You know they say that sometimes laughter is the best medicine so I thought I share a story that some recently sent me about a preacher from Kentucky.

One of the men in our church decided to write down some of rules that guys want their wives to know; he called them the ‘Top 14 Man Rules.’ 

1. Men are NOT mind readers.
2.  Football on the weekends; it’s like the full moon or the changing of the tides.  Let it be.
3. Shopping is NOT a sport.  And no, we are never going to think of it that way.
4. Crying is blackmail.
5. Ask for what you want.  Let us be clear on this one:   Subtle hints do not work!  Strong hints do not work!  Obvious hints do not work!  Just say it!
6. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
7. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do.  Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
8. Whenever possible, Please say WHATEVER you have to say during commercials.
9. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.
10. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.
11. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really.
12. I am in shape.  Round IS a shape!
13. If you think you're fat, you probably are.   Don't ask us.
14. Thank you for reading this.  Yes, I know I have to sleep on the couch tonight; did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

 There you have it, the ‘Man Rules.’ So, should I find the Women’s rules as well?  And that’s the Bottom of our News on this Friday, September 7, 2012.

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