Serve by Design

There have been several high visibility layoffs in the job market recently. I just saw a list of some sixteen companies that have cut back on their work force since the new year (source: mondo.com). Some of these have been large tech companies, but other layoffs have impacted the media, financial, sales, home décor, and hospitality sectors of the economy. The percentages of layoffs range from the lows of 1 to 1.5% all the way up to a staggering 20% of the company work force. This is an unsettling time for global economies. There are growing concerns over inflation and the possibility of recession in 2023. Groot says, "I'm dog-tired!" Families and individuals are facing many struggles these days. Some are unemployed while others are underemployed which forces them to take multiple part-time jobs just to pay the bills. Not only are these people feeling stressed about financial matters and time management, but they yearn for respect, significance, and a renewed purpose for t...

During the Olympics this week in Beijing, I have been intrigued to watch the women compete in a new addition to the sledding competition. The “monobob” is a women-only event so far and it debuted in 2016 during the Youth Olympics. But. this year it has been mainstreamed into the official Olympic program as an exciting new venue! Kaillie Humphries, a Canadian-American slider, has become the first to win a Gold Medal in the monobobbing event. The Thrill of Sledding! Image credit: istockphoto.com When I was a kid, we lived up a pretty steep elevation just at the western edge of Vandalia. The actual street is Randolph, but back in the day, it was referred to by the locals as “the old shoe factory hill." My dad’s house, our old home place, is at the peak of that “hill” today! During the years of my childhood, I spent hours sliding down the sidewalk along that snowy and slippery slope during some pretty ferocious Illinois winters. Watching the Olympic bobsledding reminded me of how I fa...

   A  few months ago and before the really cold temperatures of winter, I had two days of issues with my 2015 Buick Lacrosse. On both occasions, the interior audio quit working. I had no sound from the radio, no safety tones in the cabin, and I couldn’t hear the turn signals working. No clicking, songs, and audible warnings about seat belts or doors ajar. These episodes mysteriously disappeared after turning the ignition off and restarting once again. I knew something was wrong, but I thought I would wait until the symptoms didn’t go away. Having grown up in a mechanic’s home, I learned to value maintaining an automobile. But I also knew that it is nearly impossible to solve a car problem if it does not show the symptoms while in the repair shop! 😕 Photo: shop.advanceautoparts.com Several days later we knew we had a big problem! Monique and I were both surprised and amused as we sat in our seats and tried to start the car for a short trip across town. The first thing tha...