Storms Will Come

In the 1980's The R & B sensation New Edition (one of my favorite old school groups) sang one of my favorite songs...

On a perfect day I know that I can count on you.
When that's not possible, tell me, can you weather the storm?
'Cause I need somebody who will stand by me.
Through the good times and the bad times
She will always, always be right there.

Sunny days- everybody loves them.
Tell me, baby, can you stand the rain?
Storms will come, this we know for sure.
Can you stand the rain?

Love unconditional- I'm not asking this of you.
And, girl, to make it last I'll do whatever needs to be done.
But I need somebody who will stand by me.
When it's tough she won't run.
She will always be right there for me.

Sunny days- everybody loves them.
Tell me, baby, can you stand the rain?
Can you stand it, oh?

Storms will come, I know, I know, all the days won't be perfect.
This we know for sure. But tell me can you stand it?
Can you stand the rain? Can you stand the rain ? Can you stand the rain?

As I right now, this very minute, look out of my window at the rain and how necessary it is for the greening of the lawns this time of year and for crops to be plentiful, I think about storms...and the devastation of them...even my storms...

Growing up in a region that endured a variety of storms...thunderstorms, tornados and blizzards...I was taught at an early age to take heed to the meteorologists and the alerts during inclement weather. Since this frequently happened, we knew where the flashlights, blankets, pillows, radio with batteries, shovels and other items were located...even in the dark! Most of which (except the bedding) were in the kitchen closet near the back door or the basement where we would retreat. We were as ready as could be. After the storm had passed over, the damage if any, was investigated by my Dad or an older brother, and the cleanup commenced.

I agree with New Edition...it is inevitable that storms will come. This we know for sure. Weather related storms as well as the storms of life. We will see many days of sunshine and blue skies, when things are awesome, great, hunky dory...yet how do you cope with the storms of life? What and who is in your "kitchen closet" or emergency preparedness kit to help you get things back together? When your life is stormy and hardship falls upon you, do you reflect with quiet contemplation, assess the damage and then get busy to cleanup? Or do you blame others, sulk, wallow or not accept responsibility? Are the people in your life fair weather or all weather friends? Did you grow from your "stormy" experience? Do you allow the rains to wash you of negativity? Do you offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving? What lesson has been learned? How have you planned for your inevitable "rainy day"?

Can you stand the rain?

SS

Mission Accomplished?

Businessdictionary.com defines a mission statement as:
A written declaration of a firm's core purpose and focus which normally remain unchanged, whereas business strategies and practices may frequently be altered to adapt to the changing circumstances. Properly crafted mission statements (1) serve as filters to separate what is important from what is not, (2) clearly state which markets will be served and how, and (3) communicate a sense of intended direction to the entire organization. A mission is different from a vision in that the former is the cause and the latter is the effect; a mission is something to be accomplished whereas a vision is something to be pursued for that accomplishment. Also called company mission, corporate mission, or corporate purpose.

Do you have a personal or professional mission statement? It is highly likely that your place of employment and worship does. This tool, is the steering wheel, if you will, of an agency, organization or person.

Are we able to navigate successfully without such a device? With the long gone days of paper maps that have been replaced by GPS devices, Mapquests and Tom Toms, have we yielded to the common practice of researching where we want to go geographically by car in our spiritual, personal and professional lives?

Turn left!