From the mouths of Babes!

Oh, my goodness.  It has been way too long since I have written.  But, Friday night gave me some true inspiration to capture some thoughts.  Our oldest granddaughter was gone on a school field trip to Charleston, SC, so Vickie and I had the pleasure of having the other four grandbabies in our house overnight on Friday.

The beautiful day was rapidly coming to an end and the last few streams of daylight were rapidly disappearing behind some dark and ominous clouds that were coming our way from the west.  The kids were trying their best to squeeze the last few minutes of play out of the day.

The oldest two of the four "guests" were out in the backyard picking some of "MawMaw's" flowers and bringing them up on the deck to "PawPaw."  The youngest grandchild was on the deck with me deeply involved in her activities. She had found MawMaw's big flower watering can, and she was pouring "imaginary" water out of the can onto the flowers that the other kids were bringing.

                                   

I asked her what she was doing, and she said that she was making the flowers just as beautiful as she could because she wanted to give them to someone.  Of course, I felt sure that her "gift" of beautiful flowers were destined to be given to MawMaw.....or maybe PawPaw as a second choice.  So, just to please myself, I asked her who she was giving the flowers to.

Her answer was far deeper and insightful than she would realize at this young and tender age.  She said.."I am giving these flowers to God and Jesus!"  Amazed, and honored by her response, I asked her "Why?"  She said "We should give the most "prettiest" things that we have to God and Jesus!"  Then, she looked heavenward and screamed in her loud and shrill voice..."I love you, God and Jesus!"

What a wonderful lesson for an old man like me to learn.  We certainly should always give God the "most prettiest" things that we have.  Our very best is still so small compared to what He has done for us, but, He is full of joy when His children respond to him, even in what seems to be simple ways!

Remember,  my theme is:

                Building Up Homes

                             Building up Businesses

                                         Building up Others

See you on the other side!!

 

Teddy Griffin

www.teddygriffin.com

www.tophomebasedopportunity.com

Phone:  (c) 704-361-2736

Phone:  (o) 704-624-0553

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Did Churchill really believe that??

Well.....It has been a while since I was here writing!  I guess that summertime has a way of drawing me away from some of the tasks that I should be doing.  But, here I am, and I have needed inspiration and I got it just a few days ago.

As I have mentioned at least two other times in this blog, I listen to a local talk radio station as I go from jobsite to jobsite in my truck.  Every morning, just before the 9:00 A.M. news, they have a short segment entitled "A Moment of Hope" led by a local pastor.  Most of the time, he really hits the "nail on the head" with his comments, but this time.....he was using a REALLY big hammer!

He mentioned that one of the people that really inspired him was Sir Winston Churchill.  He stated that Churchill had made the following statement:

                            "Success is going from failure to failure 
                                    without a loss of enthusiasm"


The pastor's point that morning was that we should always look for success in every effort that we put forward.  He said that even though we may think that we fail....and sometimes we fail miserably, there is always something that is good, or uplifting, or encouraging that we can focus on....IF...we choose to focus on it.

Maybe we are trying to lose weight.  Our goal was 15 pounds, but we missed our goal by 5 pounds.  However, if we CHOOSE to look at it this way, then we can say that we beat our starting line by 10 pounds. Sometimes, we want to make an "A" on the chemistry exam, but, we only made a "B".  However, not too long ago, we probably didn't know very much at all about chemistry.

This certainly does not mean that we shouldn't strive for goals, and successes. But, it does mean that even though adversity may try to stop us, if we push hard enough, we can still get TWO steps forward and ONE step back....instead of the other way around.



My dear wife and grandbabies taught me that lesson very well last week.  We were blessed with the opportunity to take our whole family to the beach for a few days. As I usually do, after a little walking on the beach and a little bit of shell looking, I tended to find myself in the chair, under the tent, listening to the seagulls, the winds, and the waves.  But, I watched my wife and those grandbabies as the walked for hours in the waters edge.  Seldom did they look up.  Their eyes were constantly looking down.  They were looking for sharks teeth, conch shells, and other elusive creatures......especially those little "Crabbies" as one of the little ones called them.

Even though many times, when they saw what they thought would be a "Treasure", it turned out to be less (or different) than they expected.  They wanted to have another "special" one to put in the bucket to show "Paw-Paw."  Many times what they had hoped for, and what they found were not the same thing.  But...did they quit looking?? Oh No!  Heads down, toes digging, and still looking.

                             "They found success by going from failure to failure 
                                             without a loss of enthusiasm!"

Remember,  my motto is:


                Building up homes


                        Building up businesses


                                 Building up others

See you on the other side!!

Teddy Griffin

www.teddygriffin.com

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Hear..............Forget

See...............Remember

Experience....Understand

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Well, Under the Circumstances........

You know, sometimes, inspiration comes at the most necessary and opportune times for me.  Recently, I was riding from one jobsite to the other, and very little that day had gone my way.  I was more than just a little frustrated with the way things had been happening.  All the "STUFF" (that is a nicer word than I could have chosen) that I was having to deal with was making me madder by the minute.

I got back in my truck after the last "catastrophe" and was heading to what I was sure to be my next "catastrophe."  I remember saying something to the effect of :  "If I have to work under these circumstances, then I don't know if it is worth it, or not!"


As I climbed back into the cab, I turned on the local talk radio station.  Just by coincidence (or more likely by divine intervention) it was 8:55 A.M.  That particular station has a short segment at that time of day entitled "A Moment of Hope."  The speaker is a local pastor that has encouraged me several times in the past, and was about to do it again!

Naturally, his segment title had to mimic my last statement.  It was "Under these Circumstances." He used one of God's most beautiful creatures as the main character of his story.  He said that the Eagle is blessed with the ability to sense when a storm is brewing. (Now, admittedly, I am not an expert in Eagles.)  So, if he is not telling the truth, he still makes a great point!!

He asked this question as he started:  "Why are we UNDER these circumstances?" He said that because of the ability possessed by the Eagle, when he feels a storm is on the way, he will fly up to the most lofty perches that he can find.  Then, as the winds and turbulence rise from the storm below him, he utilizes those forces to give him lift and allow him to soar ABOVE the circumstances that are going on below him.  Obviously, the eagle doesn't eliminate the storm, but he operates above all the turmoil.

I began to think about my day.  Could I have chosen to rise above the turmoil that had seemed to beset me that day?  I really couldn't eliminate the storm, but I probably could have CHOSEN to take a different path, a different route, or a different solution to it.  I could have risen above some of these things.  And, perhaps, if I had done so, I might also have lifted someone else to a new level. You know.....Our Attitude Determines our Altitude.  Perhaps, I should make every effort to allow The Lord to become the "winds beneath my wings" and let Him be the one that keeps me "Above these Circumstances."


Now, am I the qualified one to tell you to do these things when I don't do a very good job of doing them myself??  Maybe not, but if I try harder in my own life, maybe I will lift someone else ABOVE the circumstances that they face.


Remember, My Motto Is:

BUILDING UP HOMES

           BUILDING UP BUSINESSES

                             BUILDING UP OTHERS


I would love to hear from you!



-- 

See you on the other side!!

Teddy Griffin

www.teddygriffin.com

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Hear..............Forget

See...............Remember

Experience....Understand

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All gave some...Some gave all...Some are still Giving

I had a wonderful opportunity a week ago last Saturday night,  to be a part of sponsoring a Veteran's Banquet at our church.  Our family, like many of yours, has a long history of military service.  My son...My daddy...almost all of my cousins....from the present time to as far back as the Civil War.  I have always held those men and women who have fought to protect my freedoms in the highest regard.

I didn't even like to play "Army" when I was a little boy, and, I was not required to serve in the military.  I am sure that I would have if I had been required to, but I am thankful that I didn't have to.  But, it is absolutely my pleasure (and the least that I can do) to help honor those who did give up home, family, career, health, and even their lives in the service of our great country.

It was nice that the day of the banquet was Armed Services Day, and also that Memorial Day is now here.  This banquet helped me focus more directly on what sacrifice really meant.  I always knew that our warriors sacrificed for us, but it was never more clear to me and my wife as it was the day that we hugged our son and told him goodbye as he left for Iraq and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  I know that nothing in life is certain, and we are not promised our next breath, but, it is really heart wrenching to know that this could be the last time that you tell your child in person that you love them.  God blessed him to return to us alive after all three of his tours to Iraq.  But, I will say one thing for certain.  I don't believe that any man or woman who faces the horrors and dangers of war ever return the same as they were when they left.

This was very obvious to me as I spoke with, and listened to, some of the veterans in attendance. One man, who was newly married when he had to leave said that when he returned, his wife was shocked and frightened by the change in him.  He left his bride as a fun loving, carefree "boy" and returned to her as a man whose attitude and demeanor was hardened by the constant preparation "to kill."

Another man was showing me pictures of his unit on a mountain ridge on Christmas day in Vietnam.  With sadness in his voice he pointed to the picture of a smiling young man who was his buddy.  He had encouraged his buddy to join the military, but later, that man took his own life because of the pressures and effects of war.  The living soldier still deals with guilt and deals with the loss of his fallen friend.

Another man left his hand on the battlefield in Germany.....one man left part of his ear in Baghdad....several men told me that they cannot sleep well even now, and unexpected movements or noises still affect them badly...one man had to be the one who carefully and lovingly "packaged the remains" of the fallen to prepare that soldier for his last ride back home...Therefore...my title...."All gave some...Some gave all....and some are still Giving."


Here is one thing that I learned from these men and women.  They didn't want to leave family, friends and home, but they knew that they had a big part to play in a theater that was much larger than themselves.  They knew that many people's safety and freedom relied on how they played their role.  So....they gave their best.  They did what they were called on to do.

Even though I am not called on to serve as they were in roles of life and death....Do I do my best??  Who knows, maybe someone who needs me might be in a life or death situation in their lives, or in the lives of the ones they love.  Am I willing to do what I am needed to do???Even if I don't WANT to do it???Even if it is not convenient???Even if it is not popular???  Do we stand in the trenches of life,  ready to build up other people?  I believe that each one of us have a role to play and those roles have a huge impact on how the "play"  turns out.

As I was making the video shown above , I saw  a man who has lived nearly a century and his health has failed him, but he still has the desire to stand in honor of the flag and of the country that he served so honorably. His desire was to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Because of his difficulty in accomplishing his desire, you also see his daughter who gives of herself to help him stand.  He is not able to stand up straight.  He cannot stand up quickly, but, with her help, he can stand.  This is one of the ways that "some are still giving" and these things are what makes our country and its people great.

Remember....My Motto Is:

       Building up Homes

                 Building up Businesses

                                Building up Others


I would love to hear from you:

Teddy Griffin

www.teddygriffin.com

 Go directly to my media page!

Hear..............Forget

See...............Remember

Experience....Understand

   teddygriffin2036

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That Scar on Her Neck!

It has been a couple of weeks since I made my last blog post.  I am a "wannabe" writer, but I normally don't write unless I have been inspired by something.  My last few blog posts came because of something that I saw, heard, or experienced.  I was thinking in the last few days...."I NEED to get inspired "by something" to "write something!"  Well...this morning, it occurred.

This morning was a somewhat normal morning, in my somewhat normal little southern home town.  I had stopped by one of the local businesses to pay a bill. As I handed the clerk my money, a friend that I hadn't seen for a while came walking through the office.  I may not write like I have a southern "drawl", but those of you who know me realize that I surely do speak with one.  So, as is the custom here in the South, I spoke to my friend in the customary manner.........."How'ya gettin' along?"

In the same customary Southern manner, she responded...."I'ma doin' purty good, how about you?"  Well, that is where all the "customary" ended and the "encouraging" began.  I knew that she had had a battle with an illness, and I had heard that she had come back to work, but, since I hadn't seen her recently, I had not heard her story directly from the "horse's mouth" (Of course that is another Southern term, not a reference to her size or appearance..LOL).

She said, "You know, they tried to "mark me off", but I am glad to say that I am doing well and I'm glad that I am back to work."  And she also said something that was really encouraging.  She said that she didn't realize how many friends she had and how much their encouragement meant to her while she was recovering. She said that she had renewed and strengthened many old friendships and made many new ones.  She also said that  "All those prayers really worked.  I will take all of those that I can get!!"

Then she pointed to her neck and the scar that was the reminder of her illness. We both agreed right then that even in the middle of the bad and difficult things that we encounter in our lives, there is normally many good things that come out of them.  These stronger old friendships and the fun new friendships were proof of that comment.  The scar on her neck will be a reminder of a "valley" that she had to travel through, but also of a "mountaintop" that she is getting to enjoy.

I have another friend who has encountered events in her life that has now caused her to have "A Scar on Her Heart."  but, just like the first story, she is seeing things occur that are giving her the encouragement and strength to go forward.   Each step that she moves forward is a step further away from the "Pain" and a step closer to the "Gain."  I am sure that every reader of this blog (as well as the writer) has had events like this in your lives.  We need to recognize that when those times (and persons) of encouragement come into our lives, how precious they are.  But, we also need to recognize, that very soon, we will be able to exchange roles.  We will be able to be the one to lift up someone else and help carry them through one of those times in their lives that just seem overwhelming.

Just remember....."Bless" and we will "Be Blessed!"


Remember...my motto:


              Building up Homes


                        Building up Businesses


                                        Building up Others

See you on the other side!!

 

Teddy Griffin

www.teddygriffin.com

 Go directly to my media page!

Hear..............Forget

See...............Remember

Experience....Understand

   teddygriffin2036

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If this tree could only speak, what would it say?

Well, Vickie and I just arrived back home from a quick little weekend get-a-way at the beach. Time to get ready to get back to work tomorrow,  and to the "normalcy" of home life (if there is such a thing!).  But, also time to think a little bit about some occurrences and experiences of the weekend.

On Saturday afternoon we were to meet some friends for dinner at a quaint little, out of the way, seafood restaurant in Little River, SC.  Due to the fact that we are "cheap" and "old" we actually arrived pretty early so that we could take advantage of the "Early Bird Specials!" on the menu.  BTW....if you are ever in the area, try the crab cakes at the Crab Catchers Lodge in Little River.  You won't be sorry!

Since we arrived first, we were looking around at the fishing boats that were coming in and out of the docks there, and looking at the other weathered and worn artifacts that adorned the buildings, when I began looking at an old tree that stood nearby.  I mentioned to Aaron, our son, that if this tree could talk, it could probably tell us alot of stories of both good and bad times that it had seen and experienced. We mentioned the heat.....the droughts....the people that had come that way.....AND, the storms.....especially the BIG ONE (Hugo)! I decided to shoot a little video of the tree.  I just felt like there might be a story here somewhere!

As I continued videoing, I focused upon the marshy areas that surrounded the dock and the restaurant.  It happened to be pretty close to high tide and the marsh was full.  I began to think that those marshes soon would be facing a completely different set of circumstances, and it wouldn't be but just a few hours. In a little while, the water would begin to leave, and change the habitat for the "resident" creatures.  They might have to swim to a new area, or burrow down into the muddy bottom, but the inevitable result would be change.  Then, in a few hours, the changes all happen again.  It made me think that our lives are alot like that.  We may find ourselves in a situation in life that feels pretty good to us! We have what we need right here, we don't have to move, we can enjoy what we have.......our life's Tide is high and full!!  Everything is Good!!

But, slowly, and without us even noticing sometimes, the "high tide" begins to go away.  The fullness becomes less full.....maybe the emptiness becomes more empty.  Suddenly we begin to mire down in the mud and muck of the circumstances of our lives.  We see the "fullness" that we remember from the recent past, but we see that it is located far away from where we see ourselves. We might begin to think that "Everything is not Good now," and we are at Low Tide.


As I am writing this, and, I expect, as you are reading this, we both realize that we have been in both of those places in our lives.  High Times and Low Times......Full Times and Empty Times.  What is it that makes us able to enjoy and endure both of these kinds of times?  I bet that "if only that tree could speak, it might would say... that some days when the sun is shining and the winds are light and the temperature is just right, and the rain is sufficient, that it is not too hard to be a strong and majestic tree.  But, when The Big One shows up, the old tree needs the strength of its trunk and the depth of its roots to help it hold on and remain upright.  Sure, it might lose alot of leaves, and even a few limbs.  It might look a little bit worse for wear and have a few cracks in its bark, but it is still standing.  It is ready for the next "Big One"....but it sure is glad that it is time for High Tide again soon!

Well, I thought that would be the end of the story for this blog post.  But, as my dear wife always wants to do, there is one more walk on the beach before the sun sets.  As we were crossing the dunes, and expecting to go look for that one special shell, we actually saw something more special than the shell would have been. We began to see a group of people down on the beach.  A handsome young couple was going to use the beauty of God's creation beside the sea as their wedding chapel. All the guests were seated expectantly, all the ladies were adorned in their "wedding finest", the pastor stood at the front of the group waiting for the participants to make their way to him, and The Dog was the ringbearer and he had to trot up the sandy aisle to complete his portion of the ceremony (yes, that is correct).

I immediately knew that I had a blog post in the making, so I started doing a little videoing of the proceedings myself.  The winds were really blowing, so forgive the less-than-steady video camera, but everything still was beautiful.  I began to think of the couple. I had no idea who they were, but  I began to think of the events that I had watched earlier in the evening.  Maybe that couple had never faced the "Low Times" before.  I don't know...but one thing that I do know is that if they live long enough, they will face them in the future.  I looked around at the guests at the wedding.  Probably some of them were parents and grandparents....maybe uncles and aunts...certainly friends.  I hope that this couple has been blessed to be surrounded by people who are like that old tree in the video.  Strong and resilient, maybe a little weathered, but still rooted firmly and deeply.  I also hope that those people are willing to help this young couple through the storms that will surely face them. I also hope that the couple themselves are rooted firmly and deeply in their faith...a faith that will share mercy and grace with them in abundance.

Finally, I hope that you and I are such people.  I hope that when people need us to be an anchor for them when "The Big One" comes in their lives, we can be found ready and willing. And, I know from experience, that I am thankful that other people have been that anchor for me and my family.

Remember:  my motto is:

                        Building Up Houses

                                   Building up Businesses

                                                     Building up Others


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Man! We're living in a World of Wonder!!

All day today, I have felt the need to make a blog post because of some events that have occurred to me in the last couple of days.....All day, I thought the title of the post needed to be "Hope Springs Eternal." And, my thoughts that I will present will still be the same.  But, tonight, as Vickie and I rode home from a fun visit with our grandbabies, I was listening to a CD by Ronnie Milsap.  Alright... I know that some of you probably have no idea who Ronnie Milsap is.  But, I enjoyed country music years ago when "Country wasn't Cool!."  During all of those years, Ronnie Milsap was (and still is) my favorite musician and singer.


Ronnie is a blind musician originally from the mountains near Robbinsville, N.C. He has had over 40 #1 country (and crossover) songs.  His achievements have been nothing less than extraordinary considering the fact of his blindness and the fact that his mother had no use for him as a young child.  However, that may be a blog post for another time.  


Ronnie has recently made a country gospel album and it is populated with old "church" songs.  As I was riding home tonight, he was singing a song that is entitled "World of Wonder."  As I listened to those words over and over, I realized that I needed to title this blog post with the words above. Certainly, we DO live in a "World of Wonder."  This morning, as I was headed toward L.A. (Lower Anson County!) to meet with my first customer, I couldn't  help but to stop and make a video of the sunrise.  The wonder and beauty of Creation is overwhelming sometimes, and today was one of those times.

As I was heading back toward Marshville, I was thinking about a wonderful meeting that I was a part of last Saturday.  My mom died in September of 2009, and when the time was right, we put her house on the market to attempt to sell it.  Because of the economy, we have just not had very good luck in our attempts.  However, finally, we connected with a potential buyer, and everything came together in a way that was good for all parties.  Last Saturday, my sisters and our families were over at mom's house doing some final cleanup as we prepared for the home's new occupants.  A "strange" car pulled up in the driveway and as we went to greet our visitors, we realized that the visitors were the family that would soon occupy "mom's" house.

That house had been "momma and daddy's place" for many years, but in the months that we had been trying to sell it, it had grown to feel empty and lonely...even when we were over there working.  The life that had always been there was absent.  It reminded me of some words that I wrote in a blog post several weeks ago entitled "A Plaque on the Wall."  The "house" needed to become a "home."  It needed a family in it, but, since it was "Momma's Place", it needed to have the right family in it.

Almost immediately when we met the buyers, we realized one of those "Wonders" had occurred.  Through an unusual series of events, we had been blessed by finding the "right family."  We all commented that "momma would be very pleased." That was very important to all of us, because it helps with having closure, and it really helps that the closure can be pleasant.  As we all visited together, we began walking through the yard and looking at the flowers and trees that had been such an important part of that place.  As we walked, we talked, and as we talked, we realized that both of our families had faced very similar circumstances concerning finances and losses of some of the things that we had worked our whole lives.for.

Then, she asked me "what kind of tree is that?" It was another one of those "Wonders."  It gave me the opportunity to tell her that the tree was a Redbud tree and it was called our "Hope Tree."  Vickie and I planted it at our 30th anniversary which was celebrated in the midst of the the hardest time in our lives when our business and home was slipping away from us.  We planted that tree to always remind us that there is hope.  Now, when we see a family who is ecstatic about making their home where momma's home was, then we really do sense that there is always "Hope"

Then our discussions turned to the daffodils in the flower bed......another one of those "wonders"...It gave me the opportunity to tell her the same story that I told you back several weeks ago in the blog post entitled "The Daffodil taught me a Lesson."   Those daffodils came from bulbs that my great-great grandmother had planted over in Stanly County about 130 years ago.  Every year, the "Wonder" of springtime brings back to life the dormancy that the harshness of wintertime has caused.  So, I guess either blog title would work...because Hope really does Spring Eternal!

So, when our lives face the harshness and struggles that the "Wintertime" brings, we can always have the certainty that we really do "Live in a World of Wonder.!!"


Remember.....my motto is:

                         Building up Homes

                                       Building up Businesses

                                                            Building up Others

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