Ken Davis Blog

Proof women are born that way!

Brush your dog's teeth???

Yesterday my friend Sheila Walsh twittered that she took her Scottish dogs in to have their teeth cleaned and the vet asked her why she doesn’t brush them herself.  Hellooo! She values her arm. 

Like Sheila said, "You don’t mess with a Scot." 

More likely she has smelled her dog's breath.

Wolves don’t go to the vet to have their teeth brushed.  Lions have nice big teeth and you don’t see them laying back in a dentist chair with that  suction thing hanging out of their mouth.  Perhaps we need to let dogs be dogs.  They survived for thousands of years without a dentist.  They can make it a couple more.

I can barely brush my own teeth without gagging, how could I brush my dog's teeth after seeing some of the cadavers they have dragged home. I might be able to do it if you put me under. 

Diane took our dogs to the vet for teeth cleaning and they had to be put under. The bill for the anesthesia was more than I paid for the dogs. Now that is a good reason for brushing your dog's teeth yourself.

We should take care of our pets, but people are always more important.  In Colorado a woman was killed by a mountain lion with cubs.  The momma lion had to be destroyed.  More money came in to care for the cubs than to help the family who lost a mom.  Something is wrong with that picture

I gotta go now.  I’m taking my two schnauzers in to have their nails manicured. 

2 essential skills of a great leader

Every great leader that walked the face of the earth  practiced two essential skills. Whether you lead a major corporation, are an author, a pastor, a teacher or a politician, it is essential that you develop both these skills. They are like oars in a boat.  If you use both of them you can get somewhere.  If you use only one you will go in circles.

These are the two essential skills of a great leader:

1.  The ability to formulate a crystal clear objective.
2.  The ability to communicate that objective in an engaging and persuasive manner.

These are also the specific skills we teach at our Dynamic Communicators Workshops. Leaders from around the world and from all walks of life have attended our workshop and their overwhelming response is that it transformed their effectiveness as a communicator and leader.

Here are two responses from recent students.

_______________________

I attended the DCW in May of this year, and just finished speaking to 50 missionary wives at a retreat in Arkansas.  What a difference the DCW made as I prepared my lessons and delivered them!  Preparing using the S.C.O.R.R.E. system made it easy to keep my points focused on exactly what I wanted to say, and I had the confidence to step out from behind the podium to make the presentation much more interesting using humor and gestures that I would never have been able to do before.  All I can say about DCW is --- GO!  It will make a difference in your speaking that you will not be able to believe!

I just wanted to share my good news with you.  I received a contract from a publisher for my book.  I am going to sign the contract and send it back on Monday.  I just wanted to thank you for the help you gave me with the conferences.  That was the beginning of the steps on the road that God has led me down.

______________________

Join us at our next Dynamic Communications Workshsop Glorietta Conference Center in Glorieta, NM  October 19 - 22  Click here to learn more see more pictures and register.

Forget it?

Today I read a Facebook entry regarding the 9/11 attack on America that lamented, "I don't want to be reminded of 9/11. Why don't we just forget it?  Am I the only one that doesn't get it" 

I only wish that this individual was the only one that didn't get it, but that is not true.  The smoke had barely cleared at ground zero before people forgot.   To forget is to denigrate the sacrifice of hundreds of firefighters, and police and everyday heroes that lost their lives saving others. 

To bury our heads in the ground, unwilling to recognize that there are those who will do anything to destroy us, is to invite them to totally bury us.

I will not forget.  I know where I was.  I know how the event changed our country forever.  To forget history is to forfeit the future. 

I choose to remember.

Snuggie Ingenuity!

Last night temperatures dipped to 40 degrees in the mountains.  In the terrifying chaos of Monday's events, I forgot to bring long pants.  What to do?  Someone said, "necessity is the mother of invention."  I say that anyone who wanted a Snuggie could save big bucks by turning their bathrobe backwards. 

Well, I have good news for you. Anyone who wants a warm Poncho/Pantsuit combo can have one by wearing their Snuggie upside down.

I have always wanted my blog to have the kind of quality, life changing information given by my friend, high tech leadership guru, Michael Hyatt.  The following information takes one step in that direction, except this not for high profile leaders.  This is for cash strapped, fashion challenged folks like me, caught at 10,000 feet without long pants. 

Steps to staying warm on a cold mountain night.

1.  Steal granddaughters Snuggie.
2.  Turn garment upside down.
3.  Step into the arm holes. (This may take more than one try)
4.  Tuck the neck of the Snuggie into the waistband of your shorts.
5.  Pull the back of the Snuggie up behind you and over your shoulders.
6.  Tie bottom corners of Snuggie to corners at Snuggie top.
6.  Brace yourself for gales of derisive laughter and a significant amount of discomfort.
7.  Do not allow your picture to be taken from directly in front or back.

Because of His grace yesterday.  I can laugh today. 

 

Three hours of terror in the mountains!

Our little camping trip started yesterday with a wonderful evening around the campfire.  Just Diane and I and three little girls that we adore.  Kialee age 9, Lexi age 7 and little JJ coming up on her fourth birthday.  I completely underestimated the love these girls have for a roaring campfire and ran out of wood the first night.  This morning we woke up to crisp, (bone chilling) 10,000 ft mountain air. The girls begged for a fire so I headed into the forest with three fairy lumberjacks in tow.  I knew that within a hundred yards we would find dry dead aspen that we could drag back to the camp for a fire.  We crossed the road, took maybe 10 steps into the woods, and there lay a dead limb perfect for little JJ to haul back to camp.  She picked it up and headed for the camper, parked just across the road, visible from where we were standing. 

That was the last we saw of her. 

It only took three or four minutes to find more dead wood and make our way back to camp.  Only a few minutes more to realize that she was gone. By God's grace a forest service truck came up the road and we got him to call search and rescue. Then we spent the next hour driving that road, yelling her name until our voices were almost gone.   Diane and I went into the forest with what voices we had left, shouting, crying, praying.  I stumbled into a swampy area went up to my knees in water and stayed right there to pray and weep.

By then she had been gone almost three hours. The feeling of helplessness is overwhelming. The mind begins to entertain the worst possible scenario.  The Chaffee County Search and Rescue Team arrived already briefed and prepared. They immediately activated their search plan and before they could even begin the initial sweep they found JJ in an open space.  She had walked almost a mile.

She had dropped her stick at the road and come back to look for us.  We came out 50 yards up the road and never knew that she had not gone back to camp.

They gave JJ a ride back to camp on an ATV.  I will never forget the sight of her smile, and her long blond hair flying behind her.  I held her close for a long time.   She told the rescuer she was a little scared, but was looking for her grandpa who was lost.

Thank you Lord for helping us find JJ.
Thank you Lord for the swift response of Chaffee County Search and Rescue people.

I have tasted the terror that accompanies searching for a lost little one. Please Lord, be with those who have not had the positive outcome we had today.

Thank you Lord for reminding me of the joy you must feel when one of your lost children finally come home. 

 

Morning Glory

Woke up this morning and was astounded by the work of the best artist ever.

All of these pictures are of WILD flowers.  All were taken within about ten yards of the cabin. Of course we all know that this is not the result of intelligent design. This is an accident, the result of random chaos. Yeah right!

What a God we serve!

Beaten by a stroke! A true story.

 Today I rode 16 miles on my bike.  It was hot and the last three miles were all uphill.  I was one mile from home, pedaling up hill with all my might, when I was passed by an old guy with a gray beard.  I tried to catch him but could only watch as he disappeared around a corner.  As I rounded that corner I saw that he had slowed down and was waiting for me to catch up.  When I reached him he greeted me warmly as he slowed to my pace.  "I won't keep you long." He said.  "I wanted to tell you to never stop doing what you are doing.  Today is the seventh anniversary of my stroke."  "I have regained my speech but my left side is still mostly paralyzed," He said.  "I ride every day because I want to live.  I don't do it to stay alive, I do it to live."   "Don't stop doing this," he said with a smile. "LIVE," he shouted over his shoulder as he left me in the dust. 

What a jolt of encouragement and wisdom.  We really live only when we challenge ourselves.

Daily.....How do you challenge yourself physically?
Daily.....How do you challenge yourself spiritually?
Daily......How do you challenge yourself mentally?
Daily........How do you challenge yourself socially?

Men and women who continually reach for new challenges not only live...... they live longer?

My challenge for tomorrow is to recover from the fact that I was soundly beaten by a partially paralyzed man older than myself. My challenge for the next day is to find him, thank him for his advice and beat him up that hill!

 

How to twitter without being a twit!

I am usually way behind the technology curve.  I still have a rotary phone.  I thought "blog" was Minnesotan for "big Log"  You know,  "bring the blogs down here and leave the smlogs up there."  Fortunately or unfortunately, my friend Randy Elrod came back, got me and dragged me kidding and screaming over the textans and the blogs and smlogs all the way to twitter.  I have wrestled with this new social media tool for awhile now.  At first I despised it.  Should a man really twitter?  I grew very tired of getting updates of people walking and sitting and sneezing and going to bed.  I saw so many pictures of other peoples food that I started to gain weight.  Not a lot of weight, just a twitter. I have gone from despiser to believer.  Recent events in Iran have shown that this is a powerful tool..........  WHEN USED PROPERLY.  It can be a powerful tool for you as well......  WHEN USED PROPERLY. 

Seriously, to my Christian family I say that we dare not summarily dismiss today's social media.  Years ago we turned our backs on much of the arts and now we rue what has happened to them. So......

Here are four rules for using twitter taken from an excellent Christianity Today article. 

Five Tweeting Tips
(1) You are what you tweet. Are you an encourager, a humorist, a businessperson, a pastor — a complainer? People will know.

(2) Craft your words. This may be instant publishing, but it's still publishing. Your words will last longer than you will.

(3) No cheating. Say it all in 140 characters. Don't use a second tweet to continue your point.

(4) Don't answer Twitter's standard question, “what are you doing?” Rather than your flight plan, nap schedule, or lunch menu, say something that will benefit others.

(5) Don't overtweet. If people quit replying to you, it may be because they can’t keep up.

Please read the entire article here.   It is very thought provoking and gives insight into the power of the tweet, even to save lives. 

If you decide to twitter.  Please DO NOT  twitpic me any pictures of your food. 

If God had texted the 10 commandments

Yesterday I got this in an email from MikeysFunnies.com I'm still trying to figure some of it out. Some of you hip people help me with #4 #5 and ttyl,JHWH

What if God had text messaged the 10 Commandments?

Originally from Jamie Quatro

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.
2. dnt wrshp pix/idols
3. no omg’s
4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)
5. pos ok – ur m&d r cool
6. dnt kill ppl
7. :-X only w/ m8
8. dnt steal
9. dnt lie re: bf
10. dnt ogle ur bf’s m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

ttyl, JHWH.

ps. wwjd?