Covid, Chaos And Finding Peace Through An Escaped Slave Named “Profitable”

 

2020 has been a year where many of us realized that our hopes, dreams and plans may not be perfectly executed according to our timetable and freedom desired.  Some of us older folks have lived long enough to know this to be the case without a reminder from the kind of year 2020 has been.  Many are seeking a way forward through financial pain, relational pain and battling personal demons. The support to manage these tensions have not exactly been stellar. With closed churches, social distancing, limited group sizes, faces being covered, many sports being canceled or dramatically altered and social services impacted, we all have been affected. 

Paula Abdul has taken a hammer to the nail of 2020, “I take 2 steps forward, I take 2 steps back”. 

Enter rest and clarity through a fairly unknown and contrarian source: the shortest book in the Bible, Philemon. This book appears on face to be a distraction to progress. It looks to direct us in a manner opposite to just about all prevailing wisdom on progress and reaching our goals, or so it seems. Over 30 years of actively participating in local churches, reading dozens of leadership books and 19 years of owning a business have not exactly been kind to making it obvious to me in learning the deeper lessons Philemon has to offer; or it just took me this long to get it.  In this year of Covid-Chaos and all of the challenges 2020 brings, I submit graciously for your consideration 3 key lessons that can posture you towards rest and peace as you build a ‘better you’ and ‘better tomorrow’. 

The main point: The book of Philemon makes an argument that progress towards the big goal was futile without first going backwards….taking many steps backwards…to right a wronged relationship.  The contrarian view is that pausing the “big goal” to go back and make a relationship right, is actually a HUGE deal and essential for progress on towards your big goals. 

Recapping Philemon with Coles notes: key players, core concepts. 

Paul (who wrote 2/3 of the New Testament) was a brilliant Pharisee, turned Apostle who was called to preach the gospel to the non Jews (Gentiles). 

Paul was writing (in large part) a letter to his friend, Philemon (a fellow Christ follower) who also was a slave owner (Philemon or scripture does not defend slave ownership).  Paul, from Rome during his imprisonment was writing to his friend in Colossae (a 500 hour walk according on google maps!) named Philemon on the subject of an escaped salve named Onesimus (whose name means profitable, ironically enough) who Paul led to Christ (begotten while in my chains).  Basically, Onesimus escaped from his master Philemon and fled to Rome. This slave met up with Paul and became ‘profitable’ to Paul. Paul had goals and a mission to accomplish and Onesimus was profitable to the accomplishment of Paul’s goals (My son Onesimus who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and me).  Paul stated that he wants to keep the profitable Onesimus for the “big goal” of ministering the gospel by working with him in Rome. However, Paul instructs Onesimus to travel back to Colossae and is asking for Philemon to receive him NOT as a runaway slave deserving of death (allowable punishment in those times for taking off on your owner) but a brother in Christ. Furthermore, Paul pleads with Philemon saying, “If he has wronged you or owes anything put that on my account”. Paul asked Philemon to do these things and more and finally to anticipate Paul’s return to stay with Philemon.  

3 ways the book of Philemon can bring peace and progress to a chaotic year: 

1. Taking a “step backwards” form our goals and aspirations to fight for a wronged relationship is incredibly helpful to our long term goals, despite how we may think or feel at the time.  Paul is no fool. Paul knows his VERY long term goal of preaching the Gospel would ultimately be aided by directing Onesimus back to his slave owner, not hindered.  Paul makes it clear Onesimus was profitable to him by helping Paul with the goal he had in Rome.  Often times we see and feel with great knowledge and intimacy our hurt, pain an injustices done against us either by people or circumstances. We have all be wounded and wronged.  When we are struggling to reach our goals, the last thing we want to do is go back to a place of hurt and pain in a strained relationship (to those who we believe wronged us) and fight for the relationship. Often, we would much rather avoid the pain and focus on other healthy goals.  The book of Philemon turns that concept on its head.  Striving to reconcile relationships is often precisely what brings healing, wholeness and a strong foundation to any of our future goals being met.  When you pause a goal to “go backwards” for reconciling a relationship, you are laying the foundation for advancing any goal you may have, however seemingly unimportant that strained relationship matters to your goals. God cares about you reaching your goals, but he also cares about the condition of our heart towards others as we progress. Covid has slammed many of our goals to a grinding halt. Consider that we use this time to “step backwards” and try to reconcile any relationship that may be strained. Use wisdom/discretion/support and be safe, but where can an effort be made to add to your wholeness and the other party? Just imagine the thoughts during the 500 hour walk Onesimus must have had. Lot's of time to reflect and prepare to make things right! Trusting God and Philemon were on the same page regarding reconciliation was a life or death matter for a run-away slave seemly compelled by God’s love to return back to his slave owner. Paul walked Onesimus back to Philemon to sort conflict out…and improve the relationship as MORE essential then Onesimus writing off the relationship and continuing to help Paul reach his pretty big goal. Wow. 

2. The more unearned favor that we receive (Christian term for this is Grace), the more we can extend undeserved favor to those who hurt us.  After Paul’s greeting, he starts the letter with “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. Paul knew that if Philemon was going to extend grace (undeserved favor) to Onesimus, Philemon himself must receive Grace from God! Paul’s ask to Philemon of forgiving the run away slave and treating him as a brother was only possible if Philemon lovingly gave Onesimus what he did NOT deserve: unearned favor. May you know that God desires to give you much favor and kindness that you did not deserve! With that favor you are empowered to show others favor they do not deserve. This is hard.  When I am hurt, I often want to highlight the hurt and pain and really let the other person know just how badly they acted.  Grace does a remarkable thing! Grace absorbs the wrongs and comes back with love and kindness! Recall what Paul says, to Philemon “But if he has wronged you…put that on my account”.  Basically, Paul is saying to his friend Philemon, “If you cannot forgive him and treat him as a brother, put his wrongs on my account and kill me, not the runaway slave” (Paul even offered Philemon that chance when Paul said he would be coming for a visit!). Wow. Taking the slings and arrows from others, and coming back with favor and love often  pushes you towards your key goals in life (today, I would certainly be clear: abuse or crimes are not a part of the arrows and slings to take!).  Paul knew the big goal was sharing the Gospel of Grace and Paul sent Onesimus on a 500 hour journey back to his former slave owner to hopefully practice the very message Paul is preaching: extend unearned favor one to another and then truly we can move forward with our big goals. We see that Paul wanted Onesimus to return and Paul also wanted to continue the relationship with Philemon: God deeply cares about relationships.  Regardless if you consider yourself a Christian, you can ask God for unearned, unmerited favor and trust that God will help you extend that favor you receive, to others: for their benefit, and yours. When Covid jam’s our goals, just consider that we are moving our lives forward, by going back and extending favor to others, especially when they do not deserve it. Covid is giving us a window to “pause progress” of our goals and perhaps consider wronged relationships that must be reconciled. 

3. Our idea of progress is often limited to our mind, will, emotions and dreams.  Sometimes circumstances crashing and burning are open doors to bigger plans eternally beyond our tiny minds. Perhaps you can see how bizarre to the natural mind it is to willingly endeavor a 500 hour walk back to near imminent death, but for God. I grew up thinking Paul was insane for sending a valuable asset to likely get killed! Conventional wisdom says, “take your losses with the slave owner (he was likely an a**...) you bolted from and accept you traveled 500 hours to ‘start fresh’.”  Covid has given many the chance to pause their goals and plans.  Perhaps there is an invitation to travel back to try to reconcile any strained relationships. If the other person does not deserve your time and effort, then they are a candidate for your favor, that they do not deserve. The door is open to both receive God’s favor you do not deserve and extend that unmerited favor to the person you are claiming also does not deserve favor.  Hey, none of us are prefect and we could all use more favor, especially undeserved.

Perhaps in God’s infinite wisdom, there is something “Onesimus” about traveling back, to right a strained relationships beyond what we see, feel and think in the short term that is more valuable the the imminence and importance of the goal you are persuing.  May your plans prosper as you seek to reconcile relationships, figure out Covid and receive much favor you did not deserve. Peace to you as we agree and ponder on how 2020 could see a lot more favor.

Don't Be A Feminist Fundamentalist

Modern feminism wasted their resources attacking men instead of fighting the rampant rape culture in Left-wing Hollywood and standing up for desperate women under Shria Law backed Muslim countries. This lack of courage and conviction are only eclipsed by their collective anger and bitterness resulting in a lack of gratitude and complete intellectual confusion on the topic of genders within a Judeo-christian framework. Feminists are stuck in a world of their own with fanatical convictions so far removed from reality that they have earned the title "Feminist Fundamentalists". I recall in the 90's the fundamentalist title were reserved for Christians who:

1. Imposed their view of truth on others

2. Judged others for not sharing their beliefts

3. Made others feel inferior for not coming in line with their beliefs.

4. Tried to compel others through manipulation, laws and force to adopt their views

Society rightly put these Christians in their place and I have seen a cultural shift for Christians to move towards loving others unconditionally (we can still love someone and disagree with their actions. I.E you can love the thief, but disagree with stealing). Sadly these fanatical feminists have picked up where the fundamentalist Christians have left off.

Void of truth, Feminists do not use logic, facts or arguments to discuss their positions. They use basement dwelling tactics of accusation, screaming, judgments, manipulation and personally decrying "victim" to censor debate. Feelings trump truth. Emotions trump rational discussion. They employ with impunity all 4 fundamentalist tactics earning the title Feminist Fundamentalist.

Their morally bankrupt strategy of shaming others and trying to impose their view of reality on society will continue to destroy your personal freedoms. Watch out for the Feminist Fundamentalist.

Don't fear the Feminist Fundamentalist. Call out their hypocrisy, point out the lack of courage to fight real issues of disparity while they virtue signal a non-existent manufactured and fictional crisis from the comfort of gender equal North America. As vichous as their bark is...It's okay to expose their ploy as their bark is much (much much) bigger then their bite.

If you have 4 minutes, here is one of my favorite clips of a Feminist Fundamentalist: starting at 1:19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh-QBCJejrE

CNN Opens The Door For The Traditional Family. Thank You, CNN.

Do you withhold sharing your opinion because it's not "progressive enough" and you fear the backlash of being called names? If so, stop it and share anyway.

The damage in this video shows CNN openly lying about the Trump-Russia connection. This will help those in support of the traditional family speak up on contentious issues without fear of reprisal that historically targeted us.

Several conservatives have said for months the left wing media is basing their stories on unsupported sources and intentionally telling lies. Seeing evidence like this shows just how agenda driven and truth absent many in the media can be. The left predominantly has become the new radical fundamentalists imposing their morality on as many as they can without care of facts or truth.

Examples:

Trump is Hitler: if you support him, you are racist.

Gender issues: there are 63 genders and if you disagree with your 6 year old's expression, she could be taken away from you (my home province, Ontario Bill-89). Yes, this man thinks he is a 6 year old girl. You don't need to buy the garbage "gender is in the mind" any more then you have to buy "he thinks he is 6 years old". Perhaps he believes both. Neither are true no matter how much fawning the political class affords him.

A Canadian man who was married, with seven kids, has left his family in order to fulfill his true identity - as a six-year-old girl.

Multiculturalism: if you have a problem with the quality of people my country is bringing in, you are racist and don't love others. Besides, nobody told him you can't beat your wife with a hockey stick.

Feminism: you have to believe lies like the gender pay gap or else you are anti-woman.

Body positivity: if you think I am unhealthy and dying, you are mean spirited and judgmental...I am fine the way I am, now celebrate with me!

As the CNN video shows, evidence is not really criteria for advocating a position, but rather, pseudo stories as fodder for promoting some kind of anti conservative narrative (where the true hatred directed towards the right lies in their values of the traditional family). We see this across the spectrum of left wing thinking. My position is far from being ANTI-anyone or relishing in the gotcha games of politics, for tomorrow could be the right in the same embarrassing position. It is legitimate and justified for the supporters of the traditional family to be free and practice their views according to their conscious without worry they are something-phobic or not tolerant if they express their opposition to "modern-morality" being forced fed on them or their children. I am optimistic that CNN's mechanism (in your face, agenda driven media bombardment) for shaping narratives is a sinking ship joining the quality of the left's idea's at the bottom of the sea. I pray the traditional family can be more open to share their thoughts and practices with pride and confidence, not silence and fear. Many traditional thinking people have been pigeonholed into conformity of their modern culture and any hiccup of dissension is viewed as an assault on the victim group despite being protected through draconian and totalitarian laws. Exposing the fraud within CNN is kinda like the end of The Wizard of Oz when we realize the scary big-shot Wizard is a harmless, insecure little tyke.

When you stand for traditional values, just remember, you are standing against a media Wizard of Oz, void of facts and respect for your position: stand anyway. Cite facts with pride, respect and a heart for those you care for and those you disagree with. Through CNN's Trump-Russia scam being exposed, we can see the media is not an omnipotent powerhouse. CNN is a confused bunch of hypocritical moral relativists making demands on others (collusion is bad, Trump) they cannot practice themselves (CNN colludes on a false narrative). So the next time someone throws out a moral issue, say...gender oppression: speak up with confidence. Tell them that 30 years ago, when someone had a mental illness we had the compassion to help them with treatment. Today, if someone thinks they are are an alien, they are a protected group that requires us to lie to them and further support their delusion. It's okay to say lying to others represents the regressive fall of society void of compassion, not society's enlightenment and progression. It's okay to disagree, and still extend love and compassion towards others.

So I ask you again, do you withhold sharing your views because you fear the wrath of the Wizard and his political friends? Good. Me neither.

Left Leaning Groupthink Is Damaging The Middle Class

Groupthink: a pattern of thought characterized by self-deception, forced manufacture of consent, and conformity to group values and ethics.

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groupthink 

      One of my passions is to see wages increase through higher productivity within a free market. To this end, our existing framework is not postured towards serving this goal.

     Ontario Liberals continue to debase the Employer/Employee relationship through destructive policy and laws.  This damages the middle class through businesses having less money to compensate employees for their increased productivity due to forcing businesses to manage these senseless laws. 

     If Sally makes $25/hour for making Widget A and the government forces a new cost, regulation, or law on the Province, the business uses a portion of its free cash-flow to spend on managing said obstruction. Sally may actually improve her productivity resulting in a $26/hour compensation possibility.  Regrettably, that $1/hour available raise was spent on implementing the intrusive regulation and therefore the raise is tied up in regulation land.  Since this is province-wide, all businesses now have that burden.  Law after law and regulation after regulation has taken its toll on Ontario businesses.  

     The constant new laws and regulations are not sensible. They are predicated on a groupthink mindset that the Employer/Employee relationship is dysfunctional and only massive government intrusion into that relationship will protect the employee. The cost of this intrusion damages employee wages.  Capital flows into areas of a return and quickly exits where there is a negative or insufficient return.  The myth that "employers pay for the cost of regulation implementation" is debunked by businesses leaving when the regulation impacts their desired profit level or risk tolerance.   The employee pays through the layoff or absent wage increase.  Businesses look to pass off the regulatory burden however they can: either through reduced wages, terminated employees or moving to a more "capital friendly" area.  There is clear evidence that restaurants are moving towards machines replacing people when ordering food as governments force increased minimum wages on employers. There is evidence of manufacturing plants leaving Ontario because they lose their competitive edge (in part because of the regulations and risks of growth). 

     Groupthink is at work in that the workforce and political landscape of the collective majority have mindlessly accepted this notion that the government will control and govern the Employer/Employee relationship and enforce the relationship with an iron fist.  It is argued that more regulations are the only path to violations of each victim class (and new victim classes are continually being created).  The idea that  excessive government laws can create safe spaces for the purported victim class is an expensive, unrealistic objective that will certainly fail. The lack of opposition to the endless regulations is further evidence that little alternative opinions are accepted and the status quo is the only permissible line of thinking.  The demagogues are hard at work to uphold groupthink and brand the outlier as "sexist", "racist", "greedy" or "a violator of human rights"...etc. to ensure no alternate perspective exists or can gain steam.  If I were smart enough; I would calculate the total cost business pays for each needless regulation and the total cost of the governments to administer and enforce their silly laws and simply communicate to the voter, "Hey, this is how much money the government punitively imposes on you...for your protection. Do you want this protection at this cost?"  I'd imagine that numbers are staggering and most sensible workers would tell the government to jump in a lake if they saw the costs.

     When laws continue to creep towards siding with a socialist society, capital will flee and wages will be suppressed.  

     A just and fair society is created through increasing personal freedoms. Imagine deeming the employee competent to look after themselves (without excessive laws). Imagine the government did not create special victim classes and the lack of regulation could be spent on higher wages because people are responsible for their lives. The massive debt piled on by the McGuinty/Wynne administration is damning evidence as to their overall failure to create this "sharing and just" society.  $180 billion of debt to show for this fairness effort...and we are still having issue after issue resulting in new law after new law.  Liberal Groupthink is a failed and expensive social experiment that has left our province in shambles and intellectually disadvantaged.  Suppressed wages, out of control debt and absurd regulations are making our province less and less competitive.  

      My passion is to see higher wages in the context of increased freedoms and higher productivity.  I will continue to work towards this end. My argument is as practical as it is theoretical.  Raising wages is a beautiful thing: I am calling out the Liberals for causing economic damage with their Orwellian enforced groupthink. 

Where's Waldo Redux : ISIS style

Can you spot him? If so, I'm mega glad. Imagine playing this game in real life where hats cannot tip you off. You are with your kids at market along with thousands upon thousands of other innocents; you got 20 seconds to find him.  If you fail...we don't go "oh well" then turn to the next page.  Kaboom! You are either blown up, slit, raped (then shot) or hung. You just lost Where's ISIS. Not too fun. If you are wondering how Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan (among others) became a bankrupt Islamist-controlled murderous hell hole, that is beyond the scope of this entry.  If you are disheartened with PARIS and other places where radical Islam is spreading with horrid consequence, then I urge you to take another look at political correctness and it's unintended consequences. 

We think we are champions of compassion...until our own are blown up.

Quite often when we place weight on one concept, we remove it from another.  Obama heralding the weakening of ISIS just hours before PARIS is a Chamberlin style oops (lower on the gigantic dopey scale...but still there) where we focus and argue for a desire; not reality or facts. Chamberlin, like Obama want peace and will look like complete fools to get it.  Political correctness is their weapon  of selection and the political elite use it to their embarrassment and the people's tragedy.



 "I have returned from Germany with peace for our time." 

Enter CANADA:
Trudeau knows the following:
1. ISIS has vowed to mix in with Syrian refugees for the purpose of waging war on the target country.
2. ISIS has been linked to PARIS and other attacks
3. ISIS has threatened Canada
Will Trudeau be our Chamberlin? Will he stop the fighter jet's attacks on ISIS and then blitzkrieg 25000 refuges in, all before Christmas?  If so, please understand he has tipped the scales against protecting our boards in favor of a teeny-bopper intellectual level argument towards political correctness that fashions in ISIS without any salute of duty towards the first order of business: protecting our boarders. Anticipating he and his family is well sheltered from the consequences of his decisions, we the people are left to play Where's ISIS except without the book.



Reflection item:
-- For the love of God and humanity in peril; please call out the damage of political correctness
 (If this entry resonates, would you share this as a Hail Mary attempt to help others abandon their persistence of tomfoolery in thought?)

On Why Evangelicals Typically Vote Conservative

Evangelicals often view compassion differently then left of center voters.  Compassion, we believe, comes from our mind and will having a concern for the well-being of others and moving to action for their benefit.  We further believe this as an act of our free will.  We believe we are to live a life of compassion as a cornerstone to our relationships, finances and time.  We believe that by demonstrating this compassion, others will be loved and cared for.  We often believe (even if we don’t always articulate this), that left wing governments claim to have a heart of compassion, but skew the meaning and therefore debase the value of what they do.  Liberals at their core think compassion is an act of the collective state - not the individual; therefore, the finances, time and relational structures of acting compassion out should (they argue) be through a government planned body.  We don’t think this is compassion.  Forcing people to pay money for needs that a central planner thinks best is not what we are taught with the simplicity of the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Seeing a need and personally using your own resources to meet that need is the basis of compassion; not forced giving to an inefficient central planner.  

Evangelicals view the household (aka. Oikos) being developed, restored and built as central to a healthy family which in turn leads to a strong economy. Conservative budgets (often but not always) look to reduce taxes on households, where liberal governments look for spending on state intervention to further run or control our household (ex: state run child care, state run graphic sex-ed, several social programs that intervenes or attempts to socially engineer and shape our household).  The family should develop our family; governments should not. Thus we often vote for those who stand in solidarity with this position.

Liberalism is fundamentally opposed with the Evangelical position of man’s “sin nature” and therefore misses entirely the problem and solution to many problems that arise (possibly at no fault of the one hurting): selfishness, broken homes, broken hearts, poverty, unemployment, income gaps and many more. You cannot legislate a man’s heart to wholeness…although Justin Trudeau’s dad thinks he can:

Liberal philosophy places the highest value on freedom of the individual. The first consequence of freedom is change. A Liberal can seldom be a partisan of the status quo. He tends to be a reformer attempting to move society, to modify its institutions, to liberate its citizens. The liberal is an optimist at heart who trusts people. He does not see man as an essentially perverse creature, incapable of moral progress and happiness. Nor does he see him as totally or automatically good. He prizes man's inclination to good but knows it must be cultivated and supported. While understanding as well as any other man the limits of government and the law, the liberal knows that both are powerful forces for good, and does not hesitate to use them.
-The Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau, April 1974

Man is not inclined to good; we are inclined to be those hellions in Lord Of The Flies. Tell me, did you teach your child to say “no” or did they kinda just pick it up?  We are bent towards evil: all of us.  We believe the Liberals are wrong to think that billions in state planned social expenditures will solve man’s broken heart. We believe the liberals use a flawed premise (government = powerful force for developing good in people) to further damage what is already hurting despite any good intentions. Conversely; we believe strengthening the family is the cornerstone to seeing social change for the better. Love is our “powerful force” not the government; therefore we seek to strengthen families by loving them best we can: not strengthen governments.  Governments are not our partner in building and strengthening our household through large programs and social planning and therefore are not at liberty to extract 100’s of billions of Canadians dollars for such estranged purposes. We typically vote unashamedly for a party that reflects this value.

We often believe a conservative vote best empowers us to love others without draining our resources into an inefficient and often disastrous outfit that is based on laws, programs, perpetual debt and gross neglect.  Our vote for conservativism does not suggest 100% agreement with a particular party, but it does reflect our desire to maintain our personal freedoms to love others as we have capacity and resources to do. We say vamoose to any government using our tax dollars to undue the message of compassion we are best trying to practice through a message of hope and love.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this note. If this blog speaks to your values, would you consider sharing it? If it does not, you are welcome to speak your mind in the comment section below. 

Trudeau: Le Master Of Disguise

Trudeau does a masterful job capturing the collective ignorance of the masses.  With the help of a wildly biased and determined left wing media, we are witnessing the withdrawal of reason and the impending emergence of a tired, tested and failed Keynesian model of economics.   In Trudeau’s naiveté we are beholding the “change” and billions this change costs without any mention of cost; other than Trudeau telling the reporter to whip out his calculator and do the math himself.  Sadly, no intelligent discussion is possible when the leader has no clue of the systemic damages caused by Keynesian economics.

The basic flaw of Trudeau’s economic model is he presupposes he and his team are smart enough to manage and strengthen the economy through debt based investment. The idea that the free market is either too evil, stupid or a breeding ground for tax cheats like those sneaky small business owners, Trudeau has a fundamental distrust in the choices of Canadians and therefore he proclaims a need to intervene in the economy and do the building himself (no wonder he likes China dictatorship; because they can turn their economy around on a dime).  This will invariably result in the malinvestments, cost over runs, nepotism in issuing bids and jobs to contractors (which Liberals have always been experts at) and misguided direction of investments that come with central planning.  An inevitable fallout from the nature of his investments will be: capital exiting our country, increased trade deficits (we will export less and be less competitive), sustained budget deficits that compile our debt and therefore damage our debt to GDP ratio; likely resulting in a downgrade of our AAA credit (as we have seen with the Ontario Liberals) which will result in higher borrowing costs and the opposite effect of the Liberals benevolent heart: a shrinking middle class.  Do you notice how Mr. Trudeau never compares his plan against a debt to GDP ratio or any set of economic key indicators?  Are the voters to stupid to process the data? Or, would voters then see the economic damage and be less interested in a spending frenzy that Trudeau heralds as the coming change?  I suspect a bit of both.  If you look at the economies of Greece and Ontario we can see what an unmeasured Keynesian approach to economics does to a region.

Make no mistake, Greece like damage wont hit right away; even Greece took decades for the wick to run out and the country to blow up.  My argument is that Trudeau’s promises of today will contribute to your children’s debt load, credit downgrade and smaller middle class of tomorrow.  All his promises will cost a lot of money.  All his promises will need a slew of bureaucrats to manage.  Who will pay for these promises? The promises will be paid for in part via bonds that our kids will eventually have called due, by large corporations, the tax cheating business owners and those rich people who have way too much money.  As frustrated as several Canadians are (and some bitter and jealous) with those who do well, there will be great damage if we manipulate the markets to the degree Trudeau is proposing. Trudeau controlling, monitoring, selecting which industries do well, regulating beyond measure and having his team decide how the economy will grow is likely going to result in the exit of many earners. Earners produce a return on their capital and time.  Trudeau will make this a very unwelcome place for those earners to get their return and they will eventually stop filling the piggy bank with tax revenue from their exploits. And when they do, who is going to pay for all the promises?  This is when things spiral out of control and the saying is more obvious than when times are good: socialism is great until you run out of other people’s money. Alberta is learning this the hard way. Pressing change by electing a central planning government isn't so cool now, eh?   A centrally planned Keynesian economy is at the heart of the Liberal plan and NOT the change Canada needs or can afford.  Don’t be fooled by the Obama mantra of change redux that Trudeau is recycling. We already got an idea of what that change meant in the USA: $7 trillion in new debt and an unstable currency.

  I will be demanding change for more freedoms, less taxes, more accountability and a stronger economy.  Pressing the Conservatives for this change is the best hope for our families and country.

My Plea For Canadians

Keynesian economics is based on the idea that the economy is not too complex for the government to analyze, figure out and ultimately fix. The sum total of the analysis is the collaboration between the central bank, large corporations and government to essentially tax massively, borrow blindly and spend incredibly all the while devaluing the dollar through inflation (lower purchasing power) in the name of telling we the people what is right; with our kids credit and our money.  The collusion of government, large corps and the central bank propels the Keynesian model of economics into the foray -that will invariably collide with an otherwise free market-  explaining how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer: a comedic unintended consequence of well intentioned political policy.  A "natural selection" process with the government as our economic and moral puppeteer creates a bubble based economy because the government is not smart enough to figure her out so their malinvestment's will eventually burst (via lack of confidence in carrying debt) and then crash; revealing the effects of their futile attempts to disrupt market forces. This inevitable 'reset' will destroy wealth on a massive scale and possibly threaten us on a level as rudimentary as our currency. This game will be propped up and avoided at all costs through a massive line of credit known as bonds as well as the sweat of you and me that converts to taxes.  If Canadians could implore charities to do their job and care for the poor with competence, get over our loathing of hard workers who win big and get over our fear of "personal responsibility" we could perhaps embrace an economic model of freedom within the context of rule of law. Then (and I would argue, only then) our country, middle class, national debt, poverty levels and personal freedoms would all be far better off.  I beg you: stop arguing for and begging governments to rob us blind, pillage our freedoms whilst championing the call of the downtrodden.  Personal freedom is the key to prosperity for all because it respects your choices, investments and right to give generously. 

Fairness: A Wolf In Sheep's Cloathing

Seattle CEO Dan Price (who announced a $70k min wage for his employees) and Mr. Trudeau have much in common: they both believe in a fairer world.  Like Price, Trudeau wants to make fairness a theme of his endeavors.  Let’s take a peek at Price's experiment to see how fairness is working out.

Money Experiment

 According to several reports, the credit card processor company is struggling to phase in every single employee to a $70,000 minimum wage; which appears to be the least of his problems.

Let’s be fair and pay everyone the same!! (Resounding cheers!)

Here are the highlights: the CEO took over a 90% pay cut and is under duress to make ends meet personally.  Most of the profits ($2.2 million from last year) were spent on the first phase of increasing wages. 

Reported ‘unintended consequences’ (that were entirely predictable to any sensible individual) are: people feel they are not earning their money as they are being ‘overpaid’; which is putting stress on them.  Others allegedly are not working hard because they make so much money they have no incentive to advance.  People are also complaining of income gaps citing their skills and contributions are higher than other people’s…yet the pay remains even. Finally, Mr. Price’s brother is suing for not respecting his minority rights within the company.

As I explain to my children; there are many aspects of life that are not fair.  Socially engineering your fairness doctrine (in this case, private) results in other aspects of unfairness…“Now the people who were just clocking in and out were making the same as me,” he complained. “It shackles high performers to less motivated team members.”

My grave concern with Mr. Trudeau is he views fairness in the same way Mr. Price does…with one caveat: Mr. Trudeau wants to explore this notion with your money…and my money as a politician!  This “central planning” agenda is far more irrational, disturbing then his views on asking students to re-think elements as basic as space and time because it deals with our money and our kids future and we are not talking about $2.2million either.

Defining fairness as ‘everyone gets the same result’ is a devastating approach to a real problem; meeting people’s needs.  Constraining free markets with labor laws, endless regulations and burdensome taxes is the problem that will hurt the middle and lower class as manipulation is a poor form of control.

A free market based on personal freedoms and liberty remains the only hope for a stronger middle class. Incentive to work, gaining skills and advancing based on increased productivity are at the core of a strong economy and weathering future recessions. Compassion from our free will remains the most effective way to help those less fortunate or those lacking higher value skills that command higher rates of pay.  

Given Mr. Trudeau wants us to rethink our capitalist system, I would argue we need to seriously constrain the government’s ability to interfere in choices the free market makes and then will see a blossoming of the middle class and hope for lower income Canadians.  Mr. Price gives us a really neat peak into Turdeau’s “space and time” world where fairness is at the core.  Benevolence does not generate profits…increased productivity does. Fairness under the guise of benevolence is the enemy of learning advancing and increased productivity.

I propose Mr. Trudeau should take his money and invest it in his own company with his perfect fairness doctrine controlling how things should run.  After he models the success of this operation…THEN (and only then) can he make an argument to all Canadians about fairness.  Until then, look to Mr. Price and decide for yourself if that’s what you want Canada to look like.

 

Mr. Trudeau, I have re-thought elements as basic as space and time.  Mr. Price is losing space and time is running out: fairness is the wolf in sheep’s clothing.  

Watch out for fairness.

Failing Can Be Helpful

In analyzing my approach to “taking a break from blogging”, I have tried to reduce my blogging inconsistency to laziness (for I am quite lazy), but my internal reductio ad absurdum argument had me conclude it’s a matter of intellectual honesty.  I am unable to go after my differences with the absurd left…when my own concepts of idealism are not reconciled to my own beliefs and more pointedly, aligned with the behavior of what I hold dear; my daily living and leadership within my company.

 

This blog spares the left and points the crosshairs of attack squarely on my own performance.  Here are the top 3 lessons I learned from my own business failures (2 of my 3 business closed down, last one hung on by a hair and now appears to be doing well), with a comment on how I plan to advance each lesson!

 

#1.  Stick to what you are good at.

-Having diversified and led the cavalry right off the cliff, I can say that in sticking to what our expertise is, we are able to open the door to radical improvement through a focused approach of containable problem solving.  The largest hindrance to this advancement is my own pride that wants to defend the status quo to salvage some image of perceived success.  In laying this down (and therefore exposing weakness) I find we can hold up the problem and after exposing it…solve it…to the benefit of the team.  Staying committed to what we are good at allows us to (often times) solve problems faster.

 

#2.  Proper Function:

-Creating an ideal within business is great.  If we can get past being intimidated by that ideal…we have the opportunity to relate to others and try to undo the status quo and go after that proper function aspect of our business.  Looking to see how something ought to function takes humility, courage and teamwork.  Dare to strive for the ideal…and learn along the way.  The hidden nuggets of advancement are found in such a dirty process.

 

#3. It’s not over until you give up.

-Society places huge weight of defining success on our behalf.  If we place our value on what society says (flash, money and winning) then we work to uphold that ideal…and internally collapse in the process.   In not giving up, we force our self to redefine success.  I have found “not giving up” is a form of success that empowers the sturdy vehicle of hope to draw in friends and family to stir you up to continue to fight the fight.

 

It is easy to lambaste the fool…for their foolishness places a giant target on them.  Moreover, I confess with abject honesty that my business failures have held me accountable to my own foolishness, therefore I am not unable to call out others foolishness, but I must do it with a degree of humility that says I too am a wandering nomad in the world of truth seeking.

Failing Forward

Abby, 

I am looking to put the past behind me.  I wrote this for you, Brad and the girls. Brad encouraged me to share it with others...

  

2012 was not a good business year. 

 Three of my businesses were struggling. Our tire recycling facility had a fire and we were not able to recover. We closed the business down.   Our Oil Filter recycling facility lost its major client; other ventures did not work out.  Towards the end of 2012, my brother (operations) and I (office side) came back to our machine shop and had the unfortunate experience of seeing firsthand the negative affects our absence. Our employees and management did fantastic, but circumstances beyond their control had all three businesses close to bankruptcy.  Our core business, B&R Custom Machining Ltd had to lay off five employees towards Christmas of 2012; a culmination to the year I dreadfully regretted.   

Personally, I was in very rough shape.  Being the “CEO” behind 2 company closures and near bankruptcy certainly took a toll on me.  Louder than the “failed dreams”…and the consequent fallout was the reverberating voice of how deeply I made a mess of things.  Battling my thoughts became as much of a problem as the “mess” that lingered from the 2 failed businesses.  I deemed it an accomplishment if I could get 3 hours of sleep at night.  Drinking became a catch 22…if I did not drink, I was consumed with the pressures of business and did not sleep.  If I did drink, I went to sleep but knew this was a band-aid at best.  In the back drop, was the realization that my 3 (now 4) beautiful daughters and precious wife were getting a battered, beaten down man.  Trying not to be a zombie at B&R, I was drubbed with “feedback”, results, observations and conflicts all suggesting our machine shop was not in good shape.  My mind was not clear and our shop was not in a position to make massive investments to magically fix anything. I did not know what to do. The only thing that was clear to me was how much of a failure I was.

Confronting reality:

I felt like I was 8 years old all over again being sent to my disastrous room to clean.  I was paralyzed and did not know how or where to start. I knew the pain, pressure and stress of confronting reality was more honorable then throwing in the towel, but I did not know how to stay in the game.   If there was one undercurrent that I believe carried me when I laid in paralysis was a thread buried in my head from childhood. My Dad must have told me 10,000 times, “NEVER GIVE UP!” Somehow, I think it was destiny that those 10,000 times were instilled in me, arguably prophetically, for such a time as this.  

Back at B&R Custom full time by end of 2012, I said with shortness of breath, “Brad, if we don’t work 80 hours per week, we are in jeopardy of going bankrupt.”   With no time to lament his brilliance of operations gone bad at the hands of circumstances out of his reach, he agreed to those hours and so began “phase 1”…no investment, just work.  With Bradley working like an animal, me trying to improve matter after matter…and our remaining employees focused and determined, our cashflow eventually stabilized.  Once stable, I rounded up the remaining employees and shared with them explicit details about our other business failings and declared my a fanatical focus to improve B&R, little by little, bit by bit. Some employees left. I don’t blame them.  With the support of several family and friends, I tried my best to confront reality and change.

My value is fixed, and forever high.

As mentioned, the stream of “here’s what’s wrong with you and the company that you are the boss of” became so overwhelming that my embarrassment and shame rose to such an extent that I could not handle it anymore.  My performance (or lack thereof) was tied to my identity and value. I saw my value through an almost pontifical paradigm initiating a daily fight to prove to myself I am important to those around me.  When the businesses came crashing down, along with the ensuing barrage of things I am doing wrong, my state of restlessness overcame my senses due to the obvious threat “failure” had on my identity.  I was a mess. It was hard for me when loved ones told me they are concerned for me.  I tried to be strong, but my eyes deceived nobody who knew me.  I remember crying out to God, “If you want a disciple to represent your name, I ask you pass on me for my failures have overtaken me”.   It was in this restless moment that I received deep understanding of Romans 5: we are justified by what Jesus did on the cross: His shed blood for the remissions of our sins and his broken body…for our healing.  Justified and righteous only by the accomplished work of Jesus.  A great decision I made was to receive God’s gift of righteousness.  I felt 10 tons of weight lift off of me.  The joy that I am loved and accepted in spite of my performance (whether good or bad) became real to my heart and a joy to my soul.  When assent to scriptures is overrun by conviction of scriptures; I was free indeed from the torment of failure.  If my performance earned the favor or love of God, His gift would cease to be grace.  I can and will receive God’s unearned favor, regardless of my performance. 

Re-entering work, with my value fixed and high:

When the same problems that drove my despair resurfaced (weight of failed businesses, work problems, fallout from 2 failed businesses, challenges of the remaining business, ect), I re-entered those problems with an entirely contrarian perspective: rest.  I entered the problems repeating to myself, “This problem does not alter my value. Lord, help me with this problem for I lack the wisdom”. To expose my weakness (when the leader is to have the answer) was freeing!  Thanking the person for the feedback was tough…but I did it without any sense this was tied to my value.  My stress levels were alleviated and my sleep improved.  I am convinced that my performance is irrelevant to my value.  Therefore, when I perform, it is out of a revelation that my value is untouchable, so I am passionate about focusing on the problem…without letting “me” get in the way.  My internal response to problems/conflicts/issues went from: “The leader that failed…” to, “Thank you for the input, I look forward to solving this with you”. 

2013: Investments

Beaten down, but not out of the game, our team decided to focus on “getting better at what we are doing”. No more new businesses. Simply focus and get better at what you are doing.  By laser beam focusing on getting better, B&R was confronted with several areas we needed to invest in.  We made those investments and saw surprisingly strong returns.  We saw the culture of our shop change.  In was later in 2013 that I revealed to all the employees, “B&R will be seeking to refine its focus. We will be moving to ‘High Demand, Low Supply’ work."  This was quite the goal for a recovering machine shop, but our team’s laser beam focus and mindset of continual improvement seemed to have laid the groundwork for a miracle.

2014—the year of execution: in the context of rest and thankfulness.

 We won several contracts of complex components and received approval for some incredibly involved programs that only years ago we could only dream doing.  B&R has executed several projects and is currently working on a titanium program that will launch to Mars.  Today, 90% of our work is now Aerospace and our work backlog is 5 times greater than 2 years past. Somehow, B&R made very serious investments in world-class 5-axis machining and are pouring all human capital into quality parts that meets our prints.  I am constantly thankful for the ‘lifeline’ we were given and have still not wrapped my head around how B&R is currently thriving.  I am thankful that we have been able to change enough to stay in business, and stay relevant. 

Several Parts manufactured by B&R Custom Machining Ltd. will be on the ExoMars Rover.

Looking forward personally:

I echo what has been said many times: “I do not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.”  I rest in the accomplished work of Jesus on the cross. I receive His abundant grace that has empowered a callous heart to soften…and I believe more change is on the way!  I rest in the conviction that my performance is not tied to my value; a freeing revelation that has lifted the now impervious weights.  I am claiming I am getting better each day: little by little, bit by bit. I am working on healthy eating, greatly curtailed drinking and increased exercise.  I desire to intimately understand my family is a cherished gift and allow my time with each of them to reflect this. I desire to respond in love (with my time, talents and treasure) to my local church who so overwhelmingly loved on me during a period I was convinced I was nothing more than a drag and nuisance.  Little else brings peace and fulfillment like “love responding to love”.

Looking Forward in Business:

My intention is to “put the rough years behind me”, while taking the tough lessons with me.  This will set me up to best focus on the future without the encumbered past possibly de-railing me or our team.

I desire to confront my leadership role with the knowledge it is a privilege to serve, not an entitled right.  This realization causes “weight” of responsibility that I am keeping separate from my value, so that in “worldly success or failure” I operate from the understanding my value is fixed and high and can therefore maintain an attitude of thankfulness and remain teachable.  I am seeking to compartmentalize my various roles and ‘hard-wire’ communication structures surrounding my responsibilities so that I may better own the results I am expected to achieve.  B&R’s objective for 2015 is quite clear and absurdly simple: success through the basics. My message to family and employees is one: we are looking to both keep and grow on the ground we have gained; little by little, bit by bit.