The Abundant Blessings of 2009

I believe that if we were to take a sample of people from around the world and ask them if they are ready to see 2009 end, there would be a resounding YES! I too, am ready to watch 2009 disappear from my rearview mirror.

The challenges of this year are well chronicled. The monetary losses have been added up.

This year has been a particular challenge for many that have experienced health issues, pay cuts and job loss.

While we have felt the sting of this year, we look back and count our blessings that we are still able to proceed onward! Situations may have been challenging, but we take great pride in knowing our faith and humanity have not wavered.

My focus in this post is not on the negative. As many of my friends know, I am an optimist – to a fault!

I contend that 2009 has also been a year of personal abundant blessings for the Wolfe family.

For in 2009, we have caught up with old friends and created new friendships. My life has been deeply enriched by many of the people that I’ve met this year.

We have felt the healing power of prayer while we have prayed for others.

We have laughed and shared hugs. And, we have shed tears for others.

We have consoled those who have lost battles and we have celebrated with those who have overcome adversity.

We have thanked heroes who serve us today and in the past. And, we have been thankful for all we have received.

While this has been a year of ups and downs for many, it has also been a year to reach out to others. Neighbor has reached out to neighbor and many of us have reached across the country, the continent and the world to provide hope to others.

So, as we move into 2010, let us remember that the challenges from this past year have made us stronger.

We may have been tested, but we have not lost! Go forward in the knowledge that you are better and stronger than ever before!

Best Wishes to You and Yours for a Safe, Happy and Prosperous 2010!

My First Day

As each year passes, the various “firsts” in my life have more meaning. I remember my first day of riding a school bus to Kindergarten – the beginning of a learning journey that continues to this day.

The first date I had with my wife definitely changed my life for the better. While my wife and I look back on the date and laugh, we also remember that two weeks after the date I asked my wife to marry me and surprisingly, she said yes!

The birthdays of both of our children conjure up fond memories of waiting for their arrival into the world and the continuous joy they have provided to us ever since. I was fortunate enough to cut both of their umbilical chords and be the first to hold them.

There are so many more firsts in my life, which hold significant meaning.

Tonight, I look back on yet another important first that occurred yesterday.

After dropping off my company vehicle on Friday, I found myself in a position in which I’m not accustomed. For the past fifteen years, I have not had one day where I was not employed. During this time, the organizations I worked for enjoyed tremendous success and benefited from the marketing expertise I brought to the table.

Yesterday was the first day in a highly successful career in marketing that I was not part of an organizational team.

The day, however, was filled with the endless opportunity to help others and stay engaged. I was fortunate enough to participate in the Dacula Lions Club first service project – a food drive with proceeds being sent to The Quinn House, Gwinnett County’s sole homeless shelter. The Dacula Lions Club members came together with eighty bags of food that were used to feed needy families throughout the county. I was filled with a sense of achievement and pride to be able to play a small part. Our first service project, taking place on my first day of being unemployed.

I refused to retreat inward in a sense of worry, for I know that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ provides for my needs, as well as for the needs of my family.

Like many before and after me, I stayed in the game and stayed engaged. It is this attitude that will ensure my time of unemployment is minimized and will help to propel the next organization I’m a part of above its expectations.

I stand with many of my friends who have lost their jobs, yet will never lose their hope. Patti Womack serves as a wonderful example. Patti is a dear friend of mine who lives in Phoenix, Arizona and is currently looking for a new position in project management. Her spirit of giving and sense of commitment have not been diminished, as she gives of herself to Packages from Home – a non-profit organization that provides provisions, letters and reminders from home to military heroes serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. You may learn more about Packages from Home by visiting http://www.packagesfromhome.org/.

Unemployment is a temporary condition. Providing hope, inspiration and compassion to others should be a lifelong commitment that does not end.

I salute Patti Womack and others like her who stay engaged. Temporary unemployment does not stand in their way and it does not stand in my way as I go forward with my journey of serving the needs of others.

December 20, 2009 will be remembered as another first day in my life - a day in which I refused to look inward and kept my focus on the greater missions of life.

That Perfect Gift

We all have people in our lives that are just difficult to find a gift for. It may be a co-worker, an uncle, a cousin that we see a couple of times a year, or a parent that we’re trying to surprise with that perfect gift. We listen to them intently prior to “Black Friday,” trying to glean out some information that may be hidden in a conversation. There are other times when we simply ask for a “wish list.”

I know the perfect gifts for everyone – those who are semi-strangers, as well as those very close to us, in 2009.

I have a few suggestions that will fit every situation and are offered at a very attractive price point. In fact, the price and perfection of these gifts is such that they should be given freely!

The gifts I speak of are patience, attention and love.

These gifts are perfect for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa! In fact, these gifts will be perfect for six months from next Thursday and every day before and after!

Many people are entering the home stretch of 2009 with heavy burdens and heavy hearts. A tough economy has caused many people to face situations that they would never dream of in years past. I know several very talented people who are unemployed at this time – people that have given much to their companies. I also know many proud people who feel a sense of frustration, as they have always been in a position to give and never to receive. I too will soon be feeling the effects of this soft economy, as I face unemployment for the first time in my life – exactly one week before Christmas.

The purpose of my post is not to state the obvious about a year filled with challenges. There are plenty of sources for finding 2009 recaps and stories of people facing difficult situations.

This blog post is to serve as a reminder that the giver is often the receiver. When we give hope to others, we too feel its benefits. And, of course, we make the world a better place along the way – one relationship at a time.

So, I challenge everyone to take a deep breath and battle the old habits of impatience, neglect and distraction that we all see in the workplace, our neighborhoods and roads (especially around the shopping malls).

Let’s conquer those habits with strong doses of patience, attention and love.

By doing so, we make those around us stronger, as well as ourselves, as we enter into 2010.