Posts by biologist

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 242 – Good fences I have had great experiences in business and not so great experiences. One of the distinctions between these two trajectories is that when I had good experiences, expectations were clearly articulated and written down. Where I have had poor experiences, things were not transcribed.  “Fences make good neighbours, and good paperwork means good partners,” Marty Writing things...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 241 – Gather the fragments Knowing one’s core revenue streams and the margin you gain from them is critical. “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” John 6:12 As we enter the new year, it’s a fitting time to evaluate how your existing streams of income are performing and explore how they might be...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 240 – Roped together on the rock of Christ There are times when being an entrepreneur can be lonely. “The buck stops here” popularized by U.S. President Harry S. Truman. As a business owner, the final decision often rests with you. But while responsibility may end there, that’s not how wise decisions are made. “We are roped together on rock on Christ,” Marilea Marilea, one of...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 239 – Soft hearted It doesn’t make sense. “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12 In business and world affairs, we are accustomed to power prevailing. Yet, God, The Almighty, came in the form of a helpless baby, completely dependent on His mother and father for care. It’s another example of God turning human paradigms on their...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 238 – Challenge the Tradition I am in Tajikistan where we are attending a wedding of a dear friend. At the religious ceremony, our friend, the bride, was veiled, had to look in a mirror, and put her finger in honey. When we asked her what the traditions represented, she said she didn’t know.  “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 237 – Progress not Perfection I finish my three-year term this month as a corporate secretary of our Central Asian firm. I like leaving things better than I found them. And so as I transfer files, protocols, and procedures, I want them to perfect.  “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 Working toward the perfect can degrade to perfectionism, an...