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Category: Lost City of Z

Charlie Interview with

Working With Guy Ritchie

Charlie Hunnam: Any time you are going to retell a story that has been told many times before, you have to do something different and make it your own.  And one of the things that Guy had been very eager to do, which I thought was wise, was to make Arthur just an everyman.  You or I or anybody could just be going about their life and then all of a sudden have this grand destiny thrust upon them, and how would we react.  And in the classic hero journey, always this grand destiny is presented, and there’s a reluctance to the call.  And what Guy and I got most excited about in talking about this character, is where that reluctance came from.  And of course if comes down to fear, a sense of inadequacy, or not being able or having the requisite skill set or experience to be able to take on this lofty challenge.  That was something that was really interesting and relatable to everybody, and certainly something that I had spent a lot of time thinking about.  I have always truly believed that anybody is capable of doing anything, if they just cultivate a robust enough sense of self-belief and know that the journey is going to be difficult and there is going to be failure and you just have to endure that.  And rather than build a wall to protect yourself from the pain that comes with that, actually just say listen, I am going to feel the pain, I am going to learn the lesson and just keep on my journey and ultimately I will arrive at the goal.  So that was sort of an interesting and I think exciting reimagining of Arthur, because traditionally he has always been the noble man on a noble journey to become a noble king, which is great, but it is not that relatable and it doesn’t give the journey as much breadth.

In terms of the dialect and stuff, I always feel, if you are going to adhere to the strict rules of period, then you want period speak, but actually people are just people and if you don’t get too labored in trying to be true to a period, then again I think it’s just a bit more accessible.  And it’s also because Arthur is a bit more rough and ready and because Guy had made that choice to make him a regular man, then we needed that to be reflected in the dialect.

Guy is so infectious in his personality and he is so charismatic and I always feel that Guy’s films are deceptively personal and you wouldn’t necessarily think it because it’s not like he is exploring his deepest, innermost fears and sort of bleeding all over the screen in the way that some of those great directors do.

I got the sense, before I had ever met Guy, that I knew the characters in his films.  And then when I got to know him better, I recognized a lot of the traits of those favorite characters in his films had come directly from Guy. I realized in the early weeks of the film that I was actually just doing my best Guy Ritchie impersonation.  He really informs a lot of the sensibility of the characters that he brings to life.

Ritchie’s Personality and Humor

CH: He’s a rascal with a very robust sense of humor.  And that really informs the whole process.  I tend to have a good sense of humor and have a laugh in my real life, but I have had a tendency in the past to be very earnest and serious about my work and I think Guy recognized that.  He said, here’s the mandate for the film, you and I need to have fun everyday together, because this film needs to be fun and if you and I are making each other laugh and having fun, then that is going to reflect in the film and we are going to make the audience laugh and they are going to have fun.  That was liberating for me, and I must say it was wonderful.  I have had much more fun on this film than I have ever had on anything I have done before.  His humor defuses every tense situation on the set, it informs every decision..  Initially, his intention was to do something that was a bit of departure from his prior work, he wanted to be a bit more linear and classic and have a somber quality to this, but as soon as we started rehearsing, his creative truth took over and he realized that we needed more levity than he intended.

Love Triangle

CH: With Guinevere, it’s a love triangle in the purest sense of the phrase.  It’s one of the most dynamic and exciting parts of the Arthurian legend. We hope that if, obviously the audience decides these things, but if there is an appetite for this film, we are certainly very excited about going on and making some more of them. But what is great about that is that Guinevere is the love of Arthur’s life, and he absolutely adores her, but Lancelot is the second love of his life, sort of the brother he never had and in a way maybe, elements of a father he never had.  Obviously the male dynamics to Arthur are very important.  And so these two people that he loves the most, obviously come together and betray him and obviously that presents the opportunity for great drama.

 Fame and How It Changed You?

CH: I was walking the streets with Guy, he, as I sort of anticipated and hoped, has become a very dear friend of mine and we love to hang out and spend time together.  It’s funny, I have been asked this a lot, it seems that there is some perception that this film is going to make me a much bigger star than I am already, but you know, I never ever personally think about my life and my work in that context.  Everybody has a different journey that leads them to becoming an actor and some people, and I have no judgment on this, some people are seeking fame and fortune, and that’s fine, as long as they back it up with a work ethic and also a desire to do the best work that they can do.  I have never cared about fame at all, I have been, my journey was being a lonely, existential kid who grew up in a very economically depressed place, where everybody was in survival mode, and I recognized the tragedy in that, that people didn’t have the opportunity to bring forth the intention that they had, or the hope that they had for their life.  And I always loved film.  And as a very young boy, preoccupied with this idea that time is so precious and that we only have one life and our only responsibility is to live it as full as we can.  And I identified film as the way that I wanted to spend my life.  I just feel incredibly grateful and lucky to be able to work with people like James Gray and Guy Ritchie and I arrived at a place in my career where I have the opportunity to do the type of movies and the caliber of work that I have always dreamed of.

I also have a whole other theory about having to stay humble and pure in the process, because energetically in the world, I feel like the stories that want to be told, and the universe decides who are going to be the vehicles to tell those stories, and if you stay pure and true, then once in a while the universe will say, alright, it’s your turn, you can go tell this story. But I think staying humble within that is very important. I read a book years ago called “The Five Rings” and it was about a samurai in the end of the samurai tradition in Japan, and he talked a lot about the relationship that a samurai had with his sword, and how a samurai had to sacrifice everything in his life through the sword, and in return, in the moments, that five minutes a year that he had to engage in combat, the sword would return all that sacrifice, and save his life and protect him.  There is something about that energetic relationship that you have to your calling in life that I think needs to remain very pure.  This sounds pretentious as fuck and I am sorry, but it’s my belief. Continue reading

Charlie Hunnam on How ‘The Lost City of Z’ Was the Best Opportunity of His Career

‘Lost City of Z’ actor Charlie Hunnam, reluctant star and existential Hollywood soul

‘Lost City of Z’ actor Charlie Hunnam, reluctant star and existential Hollywood soul

Most actors who dine in West Hollywood delis don’t talk to beret-clad strangers.?

And they’re especially not likely to be listening to one of those strangers deliver disquisitions about wine. ?

Yet, improbably, there is Charlie Hunnam — snappily dressed Brit, gritty-as-dirt Jax from “Sons of Anarchy” — at Greenblatt’s, Westside promised land of whitefish and latkes and his regular haunt. He is turned to the table behind him, eagerly receiving oenophilic wisdom from an older man in colorful headgear.??

“I came back from being outside doing this,” the British actor said a moment later, pointing to a vaping implement, “and he was drinking wine right in the middle of the day. So I asked him some questions,” Hunnam added with a wouldn’t-you-do-the-same? shrug. “He knew a lot — it was really interesting.”

Then again, Hunnam has long headed his own way. Since he started getting leading film roles in the early 2000s — in “Nicholas Nickleby,” or as the snarling ringleader in the soccer-fan drama “Green Street Hooligans” — the actor, 37, has shown a maverick streak. A working-class Brit who as a kid devoured American films and literature. A heartthrob-in-waiting who eschews heartthrob roles. A Hollywood creature who openly criticizes the Hollywood machine.

Hunnam is perhaps best known for the role he didn’t play, backing out of the Christian Grey part in the erotic drama “Fifty Shades of Grey.” It was the type of 11th-hour exit one rarely sees — a genuinely unexpected bucking of the Hollywood handbook that encapsulates his quirky independence.

But starting Friday, Hunnam’s fame could take on a new dimension: He’ll be seen on the big screen (really big, given the film’s 35 mm format) as the doomed British explorer Percy Fawcett in James Gray’s low-fi jungle-adventure “The Lost City of Z.” And next month, he’ll appear as the lead in Guy Ritchie’s “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” a stylish big-budget take on the 5th- and 6th-century English legend.

The two will show more of the under-the-radar-actor to the world, or at least the same aspects to more of the world. At a time of glib soundbites and Twitter fronting, Hunnam offers a refreshingly different kind of personality, a candid and considered soul seemingly trapped in a Hollywood-actor body.

In “Lost City,” he plays the real-life Fawcett with a thoughtful, at times sullen, seriousness. The former artillery soldier made repeated trips to the Amazon in search of a community he believed was the remnants of El Dorado, eventually disappearing there with his son in 1925. As Hunnam conjures him from David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller, Fawcett was not the swashbuckling adventurer at the start of his quest, nor the stark-raving mad Kurtzian figure as it went on — instead, he was beset by the kind of quiet preoccupation that destroys and nourishes in equal measure.

“For me, Fawcett represents the search for meaning we all have — that terrible and wonderful and ordained quest,” Hunnam said. “He wasn’t finding any answers in society; he found life wholly unsatisfying. So it was this voice asking questions: ‘What are we doing, and what is this desperate dark hole and how do I fill it?’ Most of us fill it with total nonsense — with consumerism. And he thought this quest would help quiet that voice.”

Hunnam tends to answer questions with a pause, followed by a rush of words, an attempt to get across a truth unbothered by spin, as though by simply speaking quickly and eloquently he could ward off the dreaded curse of the talking point.

He also evinces a dark view glinted — slightly — with humor.

“I don’t pay much attention to what’s going on in the world. I really don’t. I suppose where it comes from is a deep sense of pessimism,” he said. “All the challenges we’re facing — the lack of water, overpopulation, climate change, social media.”

He waited the quickest poker-faced second to let the quip land, then continued, more gloomily: “I feel like we’re rapidly galloping toward an apocalypse — we’ve passed critical mass. I know it’s a morbid viewpoint. But I’m not melancholy. It’s just Trump or Brexit or whatever it is — what difference does it make? It’s hard to get invested in any of it.” Several times in the interview, he described feeling “existential and lost” at various life points. Continue reading

iTunes Exclusive Behind The Scenes Featurette for ‘Lost City of Z’

Charlie Hunnam and Robert Pattinson say they went off the grid while filming ‘Lost City of Z’

‘Lost City of Z’ Press Interviews – Master Post

Check out the latest round of press interviews of Charlie as he discussed Lost City of Z.

Continue reading

More Additional Production Stills and Behind The Scenes Photos from ‘Lost City of Z’

More Additional Production Stills and Behind The Scenes Photos from ‘Lost City of Z’

Wow, okay guys I have even more production stills and some new unseen behind the scenes photos of Charlie from his film Lost City of Z, which you can now check out in the gallery now. Some of the older stills which weren’t quite high quality have been replaced as well. Have a look:

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The 10 Worst Films of 2017

Worst of 2017

The only reason these films are not on the list is that I was spared seeing them…

I am still waiting on a few movies to see before I can list my top ten movies of 2017, but I am more than ready to list the pieces of trash (trash being the most polite word I can think of) of the past year. Movies in the collage above are not going to be mentioned, only because I did not see them.

That being said, here comes the reminder of the pains I went through the past year…

The Shack

Despite having a nice message, The Shack falls in so many ways that it sadly becomes another forgettable Christian movie. Also, I still don’t see how you can see the title and not think it is a horror film.

The Space Between Us

I had hopes for The Space Between us, but was disappointed. Despite nice acting and chemistry between the young leads, the story goes nowhere and we are left wishing Butterfield and Robertson were in another movie.

The Emoji Movie

Every now and then, I feel a little sorry for The Emoji Movie, which was not as hated by me as most of the rest of the human race (even by those who did not see it). Then my mind remembers how bland and boring the film was. And the absolute worst humor imaginable.

Lousy M. Night, making me almost hopeful that he may be going back to good movie making. At the end, Split is still an utter failure, with premises that I found completely ridiculous.

Roland (Idris Elba) in Columbia Pictures' THE DARK TOWER.

While watching The Dark Tower, you get a sense that this movie had so much promise, but that every decision made behind camera was the wrong one. I never read the book series (by Stephen King), but I feel that doing so will give me more reason to hate the film.

Tranformers: The Last Knight. It is a Transformers movie. That alone should be enough explanation.

Remember when the Pirates of the Caribbean movies where fresh, new, and exciting? Well, if they make more sequels like Dead Men Tell No Tales, I will forget why I liked the first film at all to begin with.

A solid cast and some neat special effects cannot stop Life from being a rip off of the original Alien, or from having one of the worst end twists I have seen in my life.

The Snowman

If you look up all the people associated with The Snowman, you will be as confused as I am. Confused not just at the plot, but at how all these people could make a film the equivalent of eating yellow snow.

It may have been a Disney animated “short” (yeah, those quotation marks are as important as ever), but I have seldom felt more anger (even hatred) towards a movie screen than when I had to sit through Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. Sure, Disney pulled the film (which was followed by the far more superior Coco) a few weeks later, but those of us who saw it were left with one of the most excruciating experiences that we are still not sure is over yet. No one asked for this film to be in a theater, and I predict it will have the same future that was given to The Star Wars Christmas Special back in the 1970s.

The Snowman (2017)

The Snowman

Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) stares at The Snowman

The suspense that is haunting me after seeing The Snowman is not from the story. It is wondering how in the name of all that is sacred did so many talented people make this utter piece of crap? I would rather shovel snow with plastic sandwich bags as boot replacements (and I live in the suburbs of Chicago). The film does give you chills, but far from the positive kind.

There are going to be a lot of names I mention that will make you realize how disappointing this movie truly is. Unlike the victims in the movie, these Hollywood talents will have their careers survive, but it will leave scars. Executive Producer Martin Scorsese (yep, you heard right) and director Tomas Alfredson (who made that timeless vampire movie Let the Right one in in 2008 and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy three years later) give us a movie that is grubby, drabby (not sure if that is a word, but it fits the movie), and muddled. Alfredson himself said the movie was rushed, and that up to 15% of the script was not even shot. I guess that figures out correctly, though to call the script loose is an understatement: I don’t think any screws were used at all to secure it.

It truly seemed like the talented Michael Fassbender was mopey the entire time. He stars as Harry Hole (I am all about character names where they have the same letter for first and last name, but his just seems weird), who I believe is a detective of some kind in Norway (which I did not know until I looked it up). There is a killer on the loose who is always ahead of Hole, leaving Snowmen at the scene of the crime. We also know that, as a child, he mother committed suicide by driving out on a frozen lake and waiting for the ice to crack.

Hole is also accompanied by Katrine Bratt (Rebecca Ferguson, who was in another bad movie earlier this year, Life). Whether it be as a team or as potential lovers, chemistry is completly absent. Hole also has an ex girlfriend (I think? the relationships were hard to follow) Rakel (Charlotten Gainsbourg) who has a son named Oleg (Michael Yates) who Harry is trying to be a father to (though he is not, I don’t  think). Even Mathias (Jonas Karlsson), Rakel’s current boyfriend, is cool with Harry.

Yeah, ok.

There are other subplots that are completely obscure. I am a big fan of J.K. Simmons, but his character, Arve Stop, adds nothing to the movie at all. It also hurt to see that his accent was just atrocious. Another character that is borderline laughable is Rafto. He is played by Val Kilmer. His character is told in flashbacks, but he is supposed to be a myth in the business of the police. Had Kilmer been given enough to work with (which he is given the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar), he may have had something. It also does not help that Kilmer seems to have been dubbed horribly (I do know the actor recently had battled cancer, so if that is the reason, then I obviously would not fault him at all. There is also Chloe Sevigny as twins, because…….um, well, it does something for the story I guess. Seriously, these great actors are just left out to dry.

Parents, there is some swearing, a bit of nudity (the Simmons character was almost borderline Harvey Weinstein which thankfully did not happen), and a lot of violence. I say High School and above. The IQ level you need, however, is anywhere above 10.

Even the editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, is a victim of The Snowman. She has worked on Scorsese masterpieces (Goodfellas and Raging Bull, just to name some). Being show in snowy landscapes, there are maybe one or two nice looking shots that got my attention, but that is it.  I mean, seriously. The only thing worse than a bad movie is a bad movie made by talented people. The Snowman is a movie that can be used to blackmail movie lovers (let alone critics), sending shivers down the spine.

There is still the worst movie sin that The Snowman does commit.

One that no movie, never, ever, should.

Being utterly boring.

Overall: One Star *

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gray abstract art with white and metallic gold by Cheryl Wasilow

Gold Finger Custom Art Please contact me if you would like something similar

Regular price $2,200.00 Sale

Trend setting modern artwork for cutting edge interior design.

Painting has texture.

This original painting reflects the current Gold/Brass Metallic trend in interior design.

+++++++++++++Sold Please contact me if you would like something similar

The colors are brown, gray, white and metallic gold.

Pictures are shot with a flash and show Metallic Gold. When light is hitting the painting this is how it looks. The gold has a deeper look when unlit.

Cheryl Wasilow

Title - Gold Finger

36 x 36 x 7/8" profile stretched canvas

Painting may not be to exact scale in room settings. Please ck size.

All paintings are shipped with a direct signature confirmation.

Shipping cost is $65 to contiguous US

 © Copyright cherylwasilowart All designs and images are the property of Cheryl Wasilow Art and may not be reproduced or used in any manner without prior written consent.


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A forgotten piece of history

Aging childhood home of late White House correspondent Ethel L. Payne in need of repairs

By Erick Johnson, Chicago Crusader

The roof is coming apart. The creaky wooden porch is aging with growing cracks. And the navy blue paint that once adorned the steps is peeling away.

Nearly 100 years ago, this two-story white clapboard house on South Throop Street in West Englewood became the home of Ethel L. Payne. As a Black journalist, she broke racial barriers as a White House correspondent. She grilled five U.S. presidents and met royalty during an illustrious career with the Chicago Defender. By the time she died in 1991 at 79, Payne had traveled the world, won numerous awards and earned the title, the “The First Lady of the Black Press.”

Not many people know that Payne was raised in West Englewood. The house she lived in is a forgotten relic of Payne’s past, that stands in the 6200 block of Throop Street. The house has been there for 123 years.

ETHEL PAYNE WITH her brother Lemuel in front of the family’s South Side home in Chicago, circa 1915. (Courtesy HarperCollins)
ETHEL PAYNE WITH her brother Lemuel in front of the family’s South Side home in Chicago, circa 1915. (Courtesy HarperCollins)

Time and neglect have beset Payne’s childhood home as crime and shootings continue to leave vacant houses in the neighborhood. It’s where Blacks who were fortunate enough to afford a home in the area worked hard to live the American dream after fleeing racism in the South. But what was once a symbol of pride, Payne’s childhood home is now a piece of history that’s crumbling. It’s decaying frame represents the struggle to preserve the legacy of America’s Black trailblazers.

Payne was born in Chicago in 1911. Her parents came from Memphis, Tennessee and were among a few Blacks who lived in the city before the population in the “Black Belt” exploded during the great Migration years later.

Payne’s father, William A. Payne worked in the union Stockyards before he secured a job as a Pullman Porter. Payne’s mother, Bessie, a Latin scholar from Indiana, was a housewife.

The family had four children. Ethel was the second youngest of six children. She had four sisters and one brother. By the time they settled into Englewood, the neighborhood had become integrated, but racism was still rampant in other areas of the city.

The Paynes lived in various homes in Englewood until they purchased a wooden house that was built in 1893. It still sits among a row of small, four-room houses on Throop Street. The Payne family was among several people who lived on a street that was known as “the row.”

Across the street, the family attended Greater St. John AME Church, the oldest Black church in Englewood. In her neighborhood, Payne was fortunate to attend schools that were better equipped and had a large white student population. She walk- ed to then Copernicus Elementary School (its now Landford Academy) just three blocks down the street. When she didn’t have enough money for the streetcar, Payne walked to Lindblom Math and Science Academy (It was then called Robert Lindblom Technical High) at 6130 S. Wolcott Ave.

All of these buildings remain beacons in the community.

Payne’s childhood home is 700 square feet. According to property records, it has two bedrooms and one bathroom. In comparing the house to an old photo of a very young Payne standing in front of it with her brother, one can see that the front porch was enclosed to enlarge the living room.

The median home value for homes in Englewood is $75,600, according to zillow.com. Property records show that Payne’s childhood home property is not up for sale and the home appeared occupied during a recent visit by a reporter from the Chicago Crusader. The reporter knocked on the door several times, but no one responded.

On the outside, the house is in need of repairs. Years of rust cover the iron railings on the porch. Chunks of concrete have been chipped off the porch steps. The shingles on the roof appear loose and unsecured.

The house sits between two other old homes that are in better shape. Their polished exteriors seem to have been renovated in recent years. Overall, the block where Payne played on the street has decaying homes and empty lots where garbage litters the overgrown grass.

Over the years, Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events have placed crimson-colored markers in front of homes where prominent Blacks have stayed. There’s one on Vincennes Avenue where Nat King Cole once lived. There’s also ones marking the homes of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, Aviator Bessie Coleman, Journalist Ida B. Wells and Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor. But there is no such marker in front of Payne’s childhood home.

Tourists or history buffs are unlikely to visit the area. Among Chicago’s neighborhoods, Englewood continues to have one of the highest rates of violent crimes. On March 31, a man was shot and stabbed in the area. On the same day, two men were shot in Englewood. On March 30, a 20-year- old man was shot in the stomach.

Bronzeville has been drawing the most attention from Chicago’s most prominent Black historians. Because of scarce resources to preserve relics located outside the “Black Belt,” there is little hope to preserve Payne’s childhood home in Englewood as an important relic to her legacy. It’s a concern that historians agree needs to be addressed.

“It’s important for folks to know about the legacy of famous Blacks from Chicago,” said Lorenzo Young, a Black historian who conducts tours in Bronzeville.

Looking to Advertise? Contact the Crusader for more information.

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kimbo s

MARGATE, Fla.Kimbo Slice, the internet street fighting sensation who used his pugilism expertise to become a mixed martial arts pioneer and legend, has died in South Florida. He was just 42 years old.

Born Kevin Ferguson, Slice was rushed to a hospital near his home Monday for an unspecified reason where he passed away, his longtime manager, Mike Imber, confirmed to the media.

“We lost our brother today,” Imber said in a text message to the Associated Press.

The cause of death has yet to be revealed, but the Coral Springs police says there is no active police investigation, and foul play is not suspected.

Born in the Bahamas, the ex-football player was the personification of rapper Drake’s phrase “from the bottom to the top.” After a hurricane destroyed his house he was temporarily homeless near Miami, sleeping in his car, and he literally and figuratively fought his way out of the streets and out of obscurity and into worldwide fame. He started off as a strip club bouncer and moved on to become a bodyguard for the Miami-area porn industry before beginning his life-changing competition in unsanctioned street fights in 2003. Uploaded videos of his violent knockout victories in those fights went viral and made him a national star before he even began competing in UFC.

He was the perfect composite of different stars that made him one of the sports most identifiable personalities: he had the distinctive beard of a the NBA’s James Harden, the intimidating presence of a Suge Knight and the devastating punching power of a younger Manny Pacquiao.

Slice soon graduated from street fights into organized pugilism. He studied MMA and eventually competed in several promoted fights, including the UFC and Bellator.

“We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice,”  Scott  Coker, the CEO of Bellator said. “One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport. Outside of the cage he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man. His loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts.”

Slice was actually going to be featured in the Bellator 158 show in London next month in a bout against James Thompson.

American Top Team, the gym where Slice trained for many years, paid homage to the fallen star.

“The ATT Family and South Florida community lost a legend today,” the team said in a post on its Twitter account.

Slice was the star of the first MMA show broadcast on network television when he destroyed Thompson with a third-round knockout in May 2008 on CBS. He helped to draw huge television ratings and introduced millions of viewers to burgeoning MMA.

The only snag on Slice’s pro career is that he never won a title and was 5-2. Nevertheless, Slice became one of MMA’s flagship personalities. Slice also had a promising pro boxing career, going 7-0 with six knockouts from 2011-13.

But it is with the street fights and the MMA where his light shined brightest and his humble nature was on display to the nation.

“The guys who are holding the titles, heavyweight and light heavyweight, these guys are awesome,” Slice told the AP six years ago. “I’m really just having happy days in the midst — being among them, fighting on the undercards, just contributing to the UFC and the sport. That’s really what I want to do. I’m not looking ahead to winning a title or anything like that. I’m just enjoying each fight as it comes.”

MMA boxing legend Kimbo Slice dead at 42 was originally published on atlantadailyworld.com

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We are here to help you assert your rights, protect your job, ensure that you receive proper medical care and maximize your settlement.
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Marketing by Assumption

Where did the Edsel, the Chevette, and more recently the Aztec and Phaeton come from?

Certainly not the customer, but more likely from a committee who never spoke to a customer.

Success is built on a passionate pursuit to change the world. Failure, typically, is the result of the arrogance of making assumptions as to what customers want and then creating products for which there is no demand.

Who in their right mind would produce a car with a grill that looked like it was sucking a lemon? It turned out to be a lemon. Or a car that actually fell apart as you drove it? How about one of the ugliest cars ever – the Aztec? Or, a $60,000+ SUV called the Phaeton with VW badges on the front and back?

Once company’s starts to “market by assumption”, decline will quickly follow. It usually happens when the management team gets lulled into a false sense of security as a result of unprecedented success. History indicates that this happens when management stops talking to customers and instead starts talking to each other, and in the process begins to believe their own publicity.

Business is about customers. Solving problems for customers are the underlying factors that create success in the first place. This is the realm of the passionate entrepreneur.

When the entrepreneurial spirit leaves the company or turns day-to-day management over to administrative bureaucratic executives, the seeds of decline have been planted.

Look at the rise of Starbuck’s under its visionary founder and its rapid decline once he turned the business over to his management team. Now it’s tagged as the “$4 cup of coffee” company and is struggling to shake that image.

How about Delta’s misguided launch of their Song discount airline. Was it Delta? Was it Song? What did the Song brand mean? It was an expensive foray into a segment where management had no passion for success. Song had a short life and a quick death trying to unsuccessfully compete with the passionate and entrepreneurially driven founder and soul brothers at Jet Blue Airways, and others.

Success is about treating your customers as appreciating assets and migrating with them into the future modifying your product offerings to meet their changing requirements. The only way to do that is to communicate with your customers and be innovative enough to delight them with solutions before they even realize that they have the need.

Did you need an iPhone?

Instead of developing new products that you “think” customers will want involve them in the new product development process so that the next generation is presold before it comes to market. Otherwise you are faced with having to try to sell something that you created, not the customer.

Who wanted a Phaeton? Obviously, not too many people based upon the few that were actually sold. That was an expensive lesson. Who asked customers if they wanted such a vehicle or if they would buy such a vehicle at that price?

Hopefully, now that we can communicate with customers more directly via the internet and we have more information about current trends, these kinds of marketing mistakes can be avoided for the future. However, that assumes management is attuned to the immense amount of information that gives us a new understanding of ourselves and the global marketplace we now live in.

For example, there are about 200 million face book users and growing, as well as over 300 million e-mailers. These collections of customers and their digital friendships create profiles of us that can lead to profitable insights.

Obviously, friends share interests and tend to behave alike. So if you want to keep up to date you have to be tuned into where prospective customers work, live and play, as these are valuable inputs for trends in their consumption patterns and product characteristics they are interested in.

If you are struggling to tap into the latest trends for your new product development planning let’s start a dialogue.

Bob Donnelly, is CEO of VAAS Americas, the U.S. unit of the Chennai, India based maker and distributor of industrial valves. A coach, educator, and advisor to founders/CEOs of growing firms, he is a serial entrepreneur, having started, grown and sold several technology based businesses. Earlier in his career he held senior management positions with IBM, Pfizer, and Exxon.

He has developed an online MBA program in Entrepreneurship for Rushmore University with managers from global firms enrolled in the program. Since 1998 he has served as a venture mentor at New York University’s Stern School of Business Berkeley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, where he advises start-ups on business plan development, marketing strategy, and presentation skills.

He writes the online Entrepreneurial CEO column for Chief Executive.

Robert M. Donnelly
Robert M. Donnelly is CMO of Flo-Tite Valves & Controls, a U.S. based supplier of valves and components to the process control industry in North America. A coach, educator, and advisor to founders/CEOs of growing firms, he is a serial entrepreneur, having started, grown and sold several technology based businesses. Previously he held executive positions at IBM, Pfizer and Exxon.


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artITecture Architecture Method

The artITecture architecture method is a complete architectural design method to think about and document a solution level architecture. An overview of the artITecture method can be found in this presentation.

Below are links to all the work products in the artITecture method, the work products containing suggested formats and advice for completion.

This is the first draft, comments are corrections are welcomed.

Work Product Name Download Link
Architecture Decisions Link
Architecture Overview Diagrams Link
Architecture Risk and Mitigation Plan Link
Architecture Scope and Context Link
Change Cases Link
Component Architecture Link
Data Architecture Link
Decision Model Link
Functional Requirements Link
Infrastructure Architecture Link
Integration Architecture Link
Non Functional Requirements Link
Technology Assessment Link

1. artITechitecture Solution Architecture Method « artITecture - March 4, 2009

[…] artITecture Architecture Method jump to navigation […]

2. Architecting for the complete systems lifecycle « artITecture - March 5, 2009

[…] artITecture Architecture Method jump to navigation […]

3. Mike Pourkaviani - December 6, 2011

Hi Chris:
I enjoyed reading your material on Architectural Methods.
I was wondering if I have your permission to use some or all of it as in a project that I am involved with at this time.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Chris Eaton - December 7, 2011

feel free thats what its there for

any points of improvement i am always interested in

Mike Pourkaviani - December 7, 2011

Thanks Chris.
I will let you know, if I can suggest anything to improve.
However, they are looking good to me as they are.

Best Regards,
PS. Please send me an invite at LinkedIn.
Mike Pourkaviani

4. Baz - July 16, 2013

Wonderful !! chris They are very helpful

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Business Valuation: Things Just Aren’t the Same Anymore After the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017

Things aren't the same anymore

I’m sure you’ve experienced, like I have, times in your life when, things just aren’t the same anymore.  Some examples might include:

  • Transitioning from kindergarten to first grade
  • Transitioning from high school to college
  • Working through the grief resulting from the death of a parent
  • Dealing with the long-term impact of an injury

On a lighter note, as a kid and a young man, I was what I call a “half-way athlete.”  By “half-way” I mean that I was pretty decent at a number of sports.  While I was never a top-flight competitive athlete, I could hold my own in quite a few sports – baseball, basketball, softball, bowling, ping-pong, and volleyball.  Somewhere in my mid-thirties, I realized  I was no longer a half-way athlete in any sport.  To be half-way decent at handball, for example, I had to work at it regularly, and I ceased to be half-way in many others.  Why?  I realized that things just weren’t the same anymore.

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017

In the valuation world, we have experienced virtually constant marginal federal tax rates since 1988, when the corporate rate was lowered from 40% to 34%, and 1993, when the rate was set at 35%.  Combine the marginal federal corporate rate with deductible state taxes on the order of 6%, and appraisers have been using blended corporate federal tax rates of 38% to 40% for many years.

LT Fed Marginal Tax Rates

For about 30 years, appraisers have been on the long horizontal portion of the chart until President Trump signed the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 in late December.  The act lowered the marginal corporate federal tax rate to 21%.  All of a sudden, things just aren’t the same anymore.

What Has Changed?

At first blush, the impact of the recent tax cut is straightforward.  Lower taxes mean higher after-tax cash flows, which should translate into higher values for businesses.  But how much higher?  Value is a function of expected cash flows, expected risk, and expected growth.  While expected cash flow (after-tax) will be rising following the corporate tax cut, what happens to expected risk and expected growth?

The stock market anticipated the tax cut during 2017, and stocks began to rise.  There was a period of uncertainty during the third quarter of 2017, but the overall rise continued through the passing of the tax act.  The chart below shows three indices, the S&P 500, the NASDAQ, and the Russell 2000.  All three indices rose 20% or more through early January 2018.  Then, there was a sharp sell-off.  Does anything go up forever?

Stocks Since 1-1-17

Following the sell-off, stock prices seem to be on the rise again as we proceed into March 2018.

While we cannot pinpoint all of the stock price increases since the beginning of 2017 to the tax cut, it is generally accepted that lower corporate taxes are the engine fueling stock price growth over the last year.

Business appraisers can think about the corporate tax cut, but the reality of addressing its impact on business values is beginning to hit home with the large number of year-end (December 31, 2018) appraisals for tax planning, buy-sell agreements, ESOPs and other reasons.  Business appraisers will have to value thousands of companies as of December 31, 2018, a date that is after the passing of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017.  We don’t have to speculate about whether the tax cut will happen or not.

A recent analysis at Mercer Capital indicates that public market forward EBITDA multiples have expanded consistent with the expectation of lower corporate taxes.

Fwd EBITDA and Implied Tax Rate

For substantial companies that will be valued by reference to the public markets (i.e., using what are called guideline public companies), the market’s expectations can be assumed to be baked into pricing.  The multiples from publicly traded guideline companies reflect market expectations related to increased cash flow from lower corporate taxes, as well as the myriad of factors that influence stock prices.

Higher EBITDA multiples make sense.  The tax reduction does not impact pre-tax measures of income like EBITDA, so EBITDA multiples logically have to expand in order to match the increase in market capitalizations of American companies.

I don’t have a figure, but early evidence suggests that EBITDA multiples in private company transactions have also increased in anticipation and the early months following the tax cut.

In many ways, things just aren’t the same anymore.

Public and Private Company Comparisons for 12/31/17 Appraisals

If Mercer Capital’s customer base is at all representative of national private companies, the guideline public company method using direct comparisons with publicly traded companies may not be especially helpful for many valuations.  Companies are either too small for realistic comparisons with larger public companies, or it is not possible to develop a group of public companies that are reasonably comparable to the subject private companies appraisers will be valuing.  The fact that appraisers cannot develop guideline public company groups for comparison with many private companies is not new.

The guideline transactions method, however, will likely also be of little use going forward, at least for a few years.  All of the databases of private company transactions with their thousands of transaction observations took place under the previous tax law with higher corporate tax rates.  The transaction multiples reflected in these historical databases do not reflect expectations of substantially higher after-tax cash flows following the 2017 tax act (except for perhaps a few during the latter part of 2017).

Importantly, the history of guideline transactions is the source of many “rules of thumb” regarding the values of private companies.  Previously, I’ve written about these “rules of thumb” and we will discuss in the next post how to estimate EBITDA multiples using the Adjusted Capital Asset Pricing Model.

The point of this qualitative discussion, however, is that the old “rules of thumb” were thrown out the door when President Trump signed the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017.

Things just aren’t the same anymore.

One Appraiser’s Initial Reaction to Change

A few days ago, I participated in what we at Mercer Capital call “valuation committee” for a recurring client of substantial size.  We have a group of guideline public companies we use as a basis for developing valuation multiples.  The market caps of the public companies are well up since the last valuation, and the public multiples of EBITDA are higher, as well.  Combined with good performance, the guideline public company analysis supports a significant increase in value for this client.

When we looked at the discounted cash flow method, lower expected taxes (down from about 39% to about 25%), and increased expected debt-free cash flow relative to prior appraisals, the DCF value indication was also up substantially.

Given the change in tax law, there was a significant change in the value of a large deferred tax liability.  Booking the change based on the reduction in tax rates flowed more than $50 million into equity.

Value was pouring in from all angles and the indicated valuation was up a great deal.

My first reaction with recurring clients when there is a substantial change in indicated value is to be sure that it is real and permanent.  My initial reaction with this client was that value was increasing “too much.”  However, when we looked the individual assumptions (the company’s sales and earnings, the normalizing adjustments, and the outlook based on projections) with a magnifying glass, they all passed muster.  When we cut through it all, the primary drivers in the increased value were increased EBITDA over the previous period and the reduction in corporate tax rates.  The value change is real.

Things just aren’t the same anymore.

What’s Coming Next?

In the next post, we will provide a marginal analysis of the impact of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 on private company cash flows, valuations, and valuation multiples.  This analysis is important because, you guessed it, things just aren’t the same anymore.

Be well,

Valuation is important for business owners for many reasons.  One of these reasons is for the operation of buy-sell agreements.  If you are thinking about your buy-sell agreement (and you should be), then take a look at Buy-Sell Agreements for Baby Boomer Business Owners, my Kindle book on the topic.

I’ve priced it at $2.99 so you won’t have to think about the expense.  So click on the image of the book.  You will be taken to Amazon.  Then buy the book.  Don’t be mislead by the price.  It is a full-length book.  If you like it, as most readers have, please take a few minutes and review the book on Amazon!

Additionally, my two most recent books are available in an Ownership Transition Bundle.  The bundle, priced at $35 plus s/h, has been attractive to many business owners, appraisers, and attorneys.

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

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3 thoughts on “Business Valuation: Things Just Aren’t the Same Anymore After the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017

  1. TCJA was known at 12/31/17. Market data shows that public company stock prices had already adjusted by 12/31/17. I suggest that taking these factors into account beginning 12/31/18 is a year too late. My company valuations at 12/31/17 are already beginning to take these factors into account.

    • David,
      I agree that the public stock markets had internalized the tax cuts during the year of 2017, and definitely, by the end of 2017. The post above reflects this. What I’m suggesting is that 1) many times, appraisers cannot identify reasonable guideline public companies; and 2) same for private company guideline transactions; and 3) even if one could find guideline private transactions, the available multiples through 2017 reflected primarily the old tax law. Given the above, appraisers need to consider carefully how to reflect the impact of the new tax law in year-end 2017 appraisals, and then, in appraisals thereafter. Thanks for your comment!


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ChristianAnswers.Net WebBible Encyclopedia

decrees of God

“The decrees of God are His eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations, and determining their certain futurition. The several contents of this one eternal purpose are, because of the limitation of our faculties, necessarily conceived of by us in partial aspects, and in logical relations, and are therefore styled Decrees.”

The decree being the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person, comprehending a plan including all his works of all kinds, great and small, from the beginning of creation to an unending eternity; ends as well as means, causes as well as effects, conditions and instrumentalities as well as the events which depend upon them, must be incomprehensible by the finite intellect of man.

The decrees are eternal (Acts 15:18; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13), unchangeable (Psalms 33:11; Isa. 46:9), and comprehend all things that come to pass (Eph. 1:11; Matt. 10:29-30; Eph. 2:10; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28; Psalms 17:13-14).

The decrees of God are (1) efficacious, as they respect those events he has determined to bring about by his own immediate agency; or (2) permissive, as they respect those events he has determined that free agents shall be permitted by him to effect.

This doctrine ought to produce in our minds “humility, in view of the infinite greatness and sovereignty of God, and of the dependence of man; confidence and implicit reliance upon wisdom, righteousness, goodness, and immutability of God’s purpose.”


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Iola Goulton - Christian Editing Services

About Christian Editing Services

My name is Iola Goulton, and I run Christian Editing Services.

I hold a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing and have twenty years’ experience in human resources, including writing and editing a company newsletter, developing a government website, contributing three chapters to a professional text, and writing and proofreading more client reports that I can count.

Reader. Reviewer.

I have a personal library of over 700 Christian novels, and I review around 100 Christian books each year on my website, Iola Goulton.

I specialize in editing Christian fiction, and advising pre-published and self-published authors on the business side of writing, publishing and marketing.

I write contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist, and you can find out more about my writing at my website. I’m a member of American Christian Fiction writers, and won the 2016 Genesis Award (Novella).

Editing combines my professional background and personal interests. With Christian Editing Services, you can be sure your novel is being edited by someone who reads, knows and understands current trends in Christian fiction.

I’m a member of the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, and Tristone WordSmiths.

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Wife. Mother. Christian.

I am a married mother-of-two, living in the sunny Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Like most mothers, I’m cook, cleaner, counsellor and chauffeur.

I play the tenor horn in our local Brass Band, do scrapbooking and cardmaking as hobbies and attend a local independent evangelical church. And read.

Use the form below if you’d like to know anything about my services.

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Why choose Christine Tse Interiors Interior Designer London?

Our priority is listening to clients and work with them to develop a design concept that is functional and represents their design aesthetic.  We collaborate closely with clients to make sure the design is exactly what they are looking for.  We work with architects, contractors, builders, and custom furniture makers who are the best of the best.  We will find the best combination of rates, service, expedience and quality when selecting contractors, electricians, bespoke joinery workers and any other vendor required for a project.

Is there a particular area of interior design you specialise in?

We focus mainly in residential interior design that are fun, uplifting, unpretentious and eye catching, whether it’s homes, lofts, duplexes, penthouses, townhouses or virtually any other type of residential dwelling.

Is there a particular geographic area you serve?

We are located in London and most of the projects are in London metro area. We are available for projects outside of London and overseas depending on the scope of work, budget, and timeline.

Why do I need an Interior Designer if I already have an Architect?
Architects and Interior Designers work differently. Most Architects work primarily with structure and building design. Interior Designers work with details of interiors including kitchen and bath design, custom cabinetry and built-ins, colour schemes, flooring specifications, and wall and window treatments. Designers can create a master plan for the interior of your entire home including all furnishings, which can be implemented in stages, depending on the budget. The ideal design team consists of both an Architect and an Interior Designer in order to cover all aspects of your internal and external spaces.

What services do you provide?

Our services range from pre-construction detailing to complete interior design.  Some of our projects include space planning, lighting design, custom joinery work and furniture design. We work with architects, contractors, electricians, installers, painters, builders etc. and can offer referrals when needed.

Can you design any style?
We have worked on projects ranging from clean/ contemporary to classic traditional.  We are fully qualified to work with all types of styles and design concepts so that we can provide whatever our clients require.

Can we use some of my existing furniture?

Absolutely! There’s no need to start from scratch. I’ll never persuade you to part with a beloved family heirloom or signature item — we can find creative ways to place and present “must-keep” pieces.

How does it work – working with an interior designer?
Every project is different, but a client should always be able to openly collaborate with a designer to discuss preferences, budget and project scope.   We will select furniture, paints, and fabrics, do drawings and get pricing in order to present them to you to choose from. Interior designers can also orchestrate the scope of a project with various sub-contractors if needed to ensure that every element is covered.

What should I bring to the initial meeting?
It’s helpful for clients to begin by looking at magazines like Elle Decor or Architectural Digest to get some design ideas and inspiration.  Start by assembling items you love as well as things you would like to stay away from.   Any additional ideas or questions you have collected, including an estimation of your budget, will make the initial consultation with your designer more efficient.

How do we get started?

Just send me an email or fill out this form to let me know that you like me to work my magic on your home.

I’ll e-mail you a client questionnaire.

We’ll set up a FREE home consultation to go over your personal style and design goals

I can’t wait to make your home gorgeous, stylish – and happy!

What if I am not sure which Interior Design Service is right for me?

Schedule a FREE 30 minute design consultation with me here, and we will figure it out together.


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Category Archives: Devotional for Women

Lessons Learned from Adele

spilled milkThis is Adele. She is the daughter of my friends Adam and Emily and she is also Graham’s little sister. Adele is a beautiful child. She has big brown eyes and a happy smile on her face most of the time. Her mom posted this picture on Facebook this morning, the post was titled “Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk.” I laughed out loud and immediately asked Emily for permission to use it on the Pensees blog.

Look closely at the photo. I learned several lessons as I giggled at Adele’s predicament.

Lesson One: Let your child learn lessons on her own, even if you have to clean up their messes while they are young. Mess ups are more expensive when they are teenagers.

Lesson Two:  Look over by the door, there is a neat mat with children’s shoes that are removed. Excellent habits are encouraged by parents but seldom is perfection achieved.

Lesson Three: See the puddle of milk behind her, it didn’t take her long to realize that she blew it. She went looking for help. When children mess up they know it, they are looking for understanding not ridicule.

Lesson Four: Notice she is still holding the cup. Don’t let your child hold on to  evidence of the failure and don’t bring it up their entire life. Encourage them to let go of the mistake. Allow them to forget. Lavish them with your love and mercy. There is not a person in the world who makes only one mistake in their life. Everyone needs a do over from time to time.

Lesson Five: Don’t cry over spilled milk. Unless Adele gets on her knees and licks up the milk there is no way to change the circumstance. Emily can’t get the milk back in the cup, even if she wrings out the shirt. Why not simply say, “Oooopppsss, it’s okay.”

Lesson Six: Knowing my friends Adam and Emily, I am sure they quickly cleaned her up and gave her more milk. Restoring her quickly and gently will change her view of mistakes. Restoration rebuilds healthy self-esteem and frees the child from a fear of failure.

As adults we mess up, too. But we have a heavenly Father who meets us in the middle of the messy parts of life. This is January 1, 2014. Let’s learn from Adele and from God’s Word. Nehemiah 9:31, speaks of God’s character and care of His people, “But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” Don’t cry over spilled milk this year. Move on and do like Adele pour yourself another cup and simply start over.

Facebook and the Green-Eyed Monster

green-eye jpgWhat kind of emotion does Facebook evoke as you look at the news feed each day? I asked myself the same question the other day. I have been a part of Facebook for several years. It is a great way to network, promote, and market. I like it because I can stay in touch with friends and family, too. When I started using it, I was thrilled to see faces I haven’t seen in years. With a few words and a little time, I could reconnect with others. I enjoyed celebrating the posts of an ever-growing friends list.

But the other day, I realized I have a bad attitude when I look at Facebook. The old green-eyed monster, also known as, envy has an ever-growing corner of my heart. I log in to Facebook and I see people (Facebook friends) living in beautiful, decorated homes. I notice others on exotic vacations to sunny destinations. Still others have seemingly perfect kids and grand kids. Their lives look like a celebratory observance of the ordinary.

My life repeats itself daily. I get up, go to work. I come home and fix dinner. I go to bed and get up and do it all over again. On the weekend, I get up and do laundry, I run errands and run myself ragged fb-depressed1getting it all done. That doesn’t make for a an interesting feed on Facebook. If I made up information I couldn’t live with myself. That is my reality no matter how I dress it up or embellish it.

So, what is one to do when you notice a bad attitude in the heart? First, you recognize the problem, then you confess it. Finally, you nip it in the bud (Barney Fifeism)! Simply and quickly I plan on uprooting the sin from the corner of my heart.

Envy slowly spreads and infiltrates our entire being. In scripture the book of wisdom is Proverbs. In Proverbs 14:30, it says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

Today, I honestly write this blog with authenticity and transparency. Lord, remove the envy and replace it with a heart at peace.”

What feelings surface in your heart when you look at Facebook? Comment below, we can all learn from one another.

Do I Look Like Wonder Woman?

wonder womanA few weeks ago we had a staff retreat. The goal was to do team building exercises and planning for the next year. Since super heroes are popular again, the first ice breaker question was, “If you could have one super hero power what would it be?” I loved everyone’s answers and since I was last in the circle, I had plenty of time to think.

My power didn’t have a specific name but when I said it, everyone knew what I was talking about. I chose Wonder Woman’s ability to let bullets bounce off her metal wrist cuffs. And then I quickly added, “I would also love to have her lasso of truth.”

Someone asked me at lunch why I chose Wonder Woman powers. I openly answered, “Don’t you think itlasso of truth would be great if every time someone aimed something critical or ugly your way, you could simply cross your wrists and let it bounce off you?” As another person in fulltime ministry, my co-worker laughed and heartily agreed. I went on to explain that a lasso of truth would have been great when I was raising teenaged boys. I could wrap it around them and get all the honest details of where they had been and what they had done.

i can do all thingsOf course, each of us wish for this kind of power at some time in our lives. The good news is if we are Christ-followers, we can be Wonder Women because we already have supernatural power in our lives. We have the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of God Himself living inside us. So, when people hurl evil insults our way or when life throws something dangerous at us, we can remember the promises found in scripture. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

How will you use the supernatural power that you have this week? Will you use it to fight a verbal attack or will you use it to find Truth in a new way?

Don’t Miss the Signs

tsa agentA friend of mine has several children and each year she takes one of them on a special trip with just her. This year it was her teenaged daughter’s turn and it was going to be her first plane trip. As they arrived at the airport, she used the time to teach her teenager the ins and outs of flying. She walked her through the check in process and everything was going well.

As they approached the security area, she explained in detail what to do. She told her daughter to watch her and do what she did and it would all go smoothly. They took off their shoes, jackets, and backpacks and placed them in the bins. Then, my friend went through the metal detector. No problem, no noise, no nothing. Right on her heels was her daughter, following her mother’s lead.

When the teenager tried to enter the machine, the TSA agent held up his hand to stop the daughter from entering the detector until high fiveher mother had cleared the scanner. Instead of stopping, she thought he was giving her a high-five. What did she do? She gave him a high-five back!

No kidding! She did! Did you know you aren’t supposed to touch a TSA agent? The gentleman proceeded to scold her, humiliating her in public.  Of course, my friend politely set him straight about her daughter misinterpreting his sign. It all ended well, but her daughter learned a valuable lesson that day. It’s important to interpret the signs correctly.

haltSigns are a part of our everyday lives. They are everywhere. Even the Bible speaks of signs. In the Old Testament God used signs and wonders to reveal Himself to mankind. In Daniel 4:3, the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar finally interpreted what he saw correctly. He acknowledged the Most High God because he recognized God’s signs. Nebuchadnezzar declared, “How great are His signs And how mighty are His wonders!…”

Today, I say to you, “Halt! Open your eyes. Don’t miss the miraculous signs and wonders of the Lord.” They are everywhere and they are awesome. Join me in prayerfully giving God a “Holy High Five.” His wonderous signs deserve it.

Use What You Have

About 5:30 on Friday afternoon, I realized I didn’t plan anything for dinner. That is usually solved by a take out pizza or a quick burger to go but we had that twice this week. I know, shame on me. Right? But there comes a time when a man use what you havewants a home cooked dinner instead of a cheap substitute. I had to quickly solve the problem of what to fix for supper? We have a garden this summer and the vegetables are being harvested a few at a time. I looked in the refrigerator and in the pantry and I took an inventory. There was plenty of food already in the house.  The question was how to use what I already had and turn it into something wonderful?  All the ingredients I found seemed like it would make an Italian or French dish. If Giada and Ina can cook, so can I. (by the way, the photos in this week’s blog I actually took myself, thanks Oklahoma Women Bloggers for the blog tip)

I used eggplant, a small zucchini,  garlic, onion, peppers, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, a little Herb de Provence, salt, pepper, fresh basil, and dry white wine. I opened up a can of white Cannellini beans (if for no other reason than they sounded Italian) to add some protein. I put it all in the pot and let it simmer until it was a nice consistency. Voila´ratatouille! While it simmered, I made mushroom risotto for the side dish since I had all the ingredients on the shelf. Risotto is basically Arborio rice that is slowly cooked in white wine and broth, stirred constantly with the lid off. Once the rice is tender and creamy, you add parmesan cheese.

Voila!Mark was surprised when he walked in the back door. He smiled as he smelled the finished dishes and he was excited to sit down to a special meal. I was thrilled to be able to use what I already had to make healthy, satisfying food and to please my husband at the same time.

Our lives are a lot like dinner that night. We can look around and wonder what to do with ourselves while in reality, we have all the ingredients for something wonderful right before our eyes.

Each of us has been given talents, personalities, the ability think, and the capacity for love.  If you are a Christ-follower you have more available in your pantry, additional spiritual ingredients like: fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), the Bread of Life (John 6:32-35), new wine (Proverbs 3:10) and oil (Psalm 45:7). What an amazing list and that’s only the beginning!  We have the ingredients, we simply have to use what we have.

When will you take a personal inventory?  Look at your resources. What ingredients do you have that are not being used? How will you use what you have so you can experience a rich and satisfying life?

Hands Off Girl

Danica PatrickI am coming out of the closet for the blog world so I can openly admit I am a huge NASCAR fan! I have kept it in long enough and it’s time to write about the life lessons one might learn on or at the race track. I grew up going to the Nashville Speedway as a child. Instilled in me at an early age is the love of fast cars, loud engines, the checkered flag, and cheering fans. My memories as child include the dirt track residue bouncing into the stands, bouncing off me and the other spectators.  I still remember my inside shaking when each car passed. I didn’t shake from fear but from the reverberation of the sheer horsepower and sounds that shook my little girl body. Whether I watch on television or go to the track, I still get goose bumps when those engines fire.

I feel better sharing that part of my life, now on to the first lesson. A few years ago a successful driver, Danica Patrick, left the INDY circuit to join a NASCAR team full-time. For the most part, NASCAR had been a male dominated sport.  The male commentators and drivers were a little skeptical and most had a few comments about her ability to compete at that level. Danica did well but many chalked it up to beginner’s luck or the fact that she joined a successful racing team.

 On race day, hand's off drivers are selected to have an onboard camera in their car during the race. Unfortunately, the day Danica had the camera in her car, she also had a serious wreck. The camera recorded the entire spin and crash. But it also revealed, she took both hands off the wheel when her car was out of control and in a full spin. It didn’t take long before she faced criticism for removing her hands. The media commented about how the female driver took her hands off, let go, and put her hands in front of her.

The press didn’t waste any time asking her why she let go of the wheel. She didn’t make any excuses but she did make the media look foolish when she explained her actions. As a former INDY driver, she had been trained to let go of the wheel when you start a spin that cannot be recovered. The experts tell the drivers to take their hands off and totally let go. This move keeps your wrists, hands, and lower arms safe. If your hands stay on to the steering wheel you can break bones, or at the very least pull a muscle or tear a tendon.  She didn’t let go because she lost control or because she was a weak girl, she let go because it was in her best interest to do so. As a professional driver there was a reason for what she did and guess what? Now many NASCAR drivers are taking their hands off when they are about to crash. That’s one of those times when I am very proud to be a female race fan! Go “Go Daddy Girl.”

Wouldn’t it be great if we could be trained to know when to hang on and when to take our hands off? I would love to be a professional, experienced enough at life, that when everything spins out of control, I would simply take my hands off, surrender to the situation, and let the Lord be in control of the outcome. Psalm 20:6, tells us we can trust the Lord to keep us in the race and that His hand is always on the wheel, “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.” There is danger in keeping our hands in places that really belong to the Lord.

Where in your life are you hanging on to an out of control situation? Will you join the team and wear the “Hands Off Girl” racing uniform? I’m joining and you can know for sure, I’m going to paint Psalm 20:6 on my race car somewhere. See you on the track!

I’ll Take My Coffee With Cream

coffee barI enjoy a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning.  I like mine with a splash of real half and half. I am definitely not a coffee snob who requires specialty blends, weird milk, or a certain expensive machine to brew it. My sweet husband spoils me by bringing my coffee to me each morning.  He quietly places it on the bedside table. Then he runs, because he knows I am grumpy until I have that first cup!

Occasionally, I meet a friend for coffee at one of the local coffee places in town. Each time I go, I am amazed by all the different orders. There is usually a long line to the counter and I have fun listening as each person orders their own concoction. They step up to the barista and spout their order quickly and with expertise. For example, one might say, “I’ll have a caramel mocha with almond milk and raw sugar, make it a tall.” When they receive their order the customer seems delighted.

 I am amazed at how they know exactly what to order. I am the lady in line who says, “What do you have?” The frustration is evident and the person behind the counter says something impatiently like, “Read the board lady.” I become fearful of making an order mistake so I simply say, “I’ll have a small cup of your regular coffee, please, if it’s not too much trouble.” Then the coffee experts standing nearby are shocked. They suck all the oxygen out the room because of the words I just uttered. I am amazed as they hand me an empty cup as they shoo me away and point out the lonely carafe of house blend in the corner. latte

The last time I left one of these places, I thought to myself. Wow, those people really know how to order their drinks. But later in the day, I thought about it more. Wouldn’t it be great if we knew how to order our lives like we know how to order our coffee? As Christ-followers we never need to fear making a mistake in the way we order our lives. Scripture tells us in Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way.” The word “ordered” in this verse is complex but clearly defined in the Hebrew language. It means “established, to be steadfast, firm, to be ready and prepared.” Because the Lord orders our lives, we can be confident that He directs each step we take. Don’t be troubled as you try to order your life. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Rainbow Shooters

rainbowA couple of years ago a friend of mine was going through a particularly difficult time. She had weathered numerous storms in her life but this time, there were several stressful things happening all at once. Trials with her health, difficulties with her children, and even family issues were taking a toll on her. She was suffering spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. She said to preserve her sanity she had pulled away from a lot of relationships. This young woman who was always an outgoing, sanguine personality had to set distinct boundaries in her life in order to survive during this time.

As she poured out her heart to me, she explained the hurtful conversations she had with others when she tried to maintain relationships with her friends and family. Through her tears, she told me that being around people with seemingly perfect lives made her angry and sad. She said, as she was looking for hope and mercy just to survive each day, those people complained about everything. To make matters worse, she said they offered her meaningless advice and empty platitudes, to try to help. I asked her how that made her feel and I will never forget how she described those people. Her voice broke as she cried, “They are nothing but a bunch of rainbow shooters!” At that moment, I totally understood.

Later I spent a lot of time pondering her description. I decided you could take the term “rainbow shooters” a couple of ways. Did she mean they offer a shot of something to make her feel better, like the “rainbow shooter” drinks that are served in a bar? Maybe a quick, “you will feel better soon” or “this too shall pass.” rainbow shot A small shot of mercy that might deaden her pain for a while.

Or did she mean, while she was looking to the Lord for hope and mercy (like the Biblical promise in the rainbow)  they took aim at her heart and shot down her rainbow? Were they shattering  the Lord’s promises which was all she had to hold onto during this time?

To this day, I am not sure what the meaning is but there is one thing I know for sure, I don’t want to be a “rainbow shooter” to my rainbow gunfriends and family. It is always hard to watch someone struggle in their lives as they face things beyond their control. But, I am learning to be slow to speak and quick to lavish others with my love and prayers.

God gave the rainbow in Genesis 9 as sign to Noah and to us, so we will remember God, His promises, His mercy, His hope and His everlasting covenant. Genesis 9:16, “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” The question for us is this, will we point others to God’s promises or will we be “rainbow shooters?”

Scarred for Life

bandaged ladyHave you ever seen anyone who has terrible scars due to illness, accident, or trauma?  I remember seeing a young woman on a talk show who was terribly disfigured because her father poured acid on her face and hands.  The burns healed but she would need numerous plastic surgeries. Through her tears, she said, “I’ll never be the same on the inside or outside.”

This courageous lady, broke down and cried when she talked about her life. She openly admitted that the hardest part was going out in public where others could see her scars.  She said people either gasp and stare, turn away shocked, or they approach her, ask questions, and offer her their compassion.

Not many of us escape this life without an event or trauma that leaves us changed forever. All of us are scarred in some way. For most of us, our scars are on the inside, not visible to others. I wonder what it would be like to go out into public where everyone’s internal scars are exposed? Imagine walking down the street and actually seeing the visible scars of mental abuse, failure, public sin, disappointment, loss, depression, and persecution.

How would we respond and react to one another if, we knew their scar filled story?  Would we stare and secretlyhands compare our wounds to theirs?  Would we be thankful that our hurts aren’t as bad as theirs? Would we turn away shocked to see someone so exposed and vulnerable? Or, would we take time to approach them, ask questions, and extend heartfelt compassion and care?

I pray I would be like Jesus. He was an advocate for the down and out.  He came to the rescue of those with internal, as well as, external scars. He reached out to the demon possessed, those caught in adultery, and even prostitutes who sold their self-esteem and reputation for a bit of bread. Psalm 145:9 says, “The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all that he has made.” May we follow the example of Jesus, the one who extended compassion with perfection.

Women of Iron

woman lifting ironTuesday night I took a giant leap of faith and I attended a local writer‘s group called WordWeavers. Several months ago a friend told me about them but I couldn’t muster up the courage to go. I didn’t feel like much of a writer anymore. I wasn’t seeing  growth in the blog and it had been a year since I had posted anything.  About the time I was going to give up on my writing dream, I felt this gentle nudge. The nudge was soon followed by a strong desire and then the desire compelled me to act.  I emailed the friend who previously invited me. Guess what? That day was their regular monthly meeting. I don’t believe in coincidence but I do believe the Lord nudges us through His Holy Spirit‘s presence and His timing is always perfect.

As I prepared to leave for the meeting, I noticed I had butterflies in my stomach. These weren’t ordinary butterflies but those that flip, flop, and flutter. I didn’t need to be nervous. When I arrived, the members were friendly as they welcomed each new person.  The writer’s group has male and female members but on this night only women were present. The first thing I noticed about each author was her passion for her craft. These women were all ages and their writing styles were as diverse as their personalities.

After they took care of the evening’s business, the president led the group to a time of short story review. These stories were written by members of WordWeavers. As each author spoke, they offeredwoman with computer honest, constructive feedback and criticism. They exchanged ideas with civility instead of hostility. They encouraged instead of discouraged, they were building up instead of tearing down. I noticed the absence of pride, as those, whose work was critiqued; accepted each honest assessment with great humility and gratitude.

I sat quietly. I watched, listened, and learned. By spending time in the presence of these wonderful women, I became better, sharper, more focused, and definitely inspired to chase the dream that the Lord planted deep in my heart many years ago. I can’t wait to become friends with this group of gifted people. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Based on this verse, I quickly came to a conclusion. The women I met are “women of iron.” As iron sharpens iron, the “women of iron” will sharpen me with great  skill and their tools of the trade will be pen, paper, and a computer. I promise to keep you posted (weekly I hope).

Thank you Jesus for stirring my heart once again.


text:
Peppermint Poster
120 min
September 07, 2018

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