The Importance of Scripture Reading in Sunday School—By Stephanie Green

My dear mother who is seventy-seven years old this year has been teaching first and second grade Sunday school for thirty years at the same church. I, too, teach Sunday school to elementary aged children. She often comments to me about the Sunday school curriculum and has concerns over the use of the Bible and scripture reading by the children. We make a point of opening the word of God and reading it word for word from the scriptures instead of just using the handouts provided. We also make sure that the kids that can read participate in reading the word out loud. She has expressed to me on so many occasions and I know it and believe with all my heart that the Sunday school stories alone, without the word of God, are not enough to give to the children.

 

The word of God is the only thing that will change hearts and minds. One of the most powerful scriptures that express the greatness of God’s word and its great impact on our lives is Hebrews 4:12. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (NAS) Another great scripture concerning the word of God is John 17:17. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (NAS) This was part of the prayer that Jesus prayed for his disciples before he died on the cross, not only was it for his disciples then but for us now. The truth of God’s word will set our hearts free from the worries and stresses of the world. “…and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32 (NAS)

 

There is nothing more grounding, more life giving, more strengthening than the living word of God. He spoke the world into being – just through His words. His written word has the power to move mountains and strengthen hearts. When you teach the word of God to the little children you are giving them power over the darkness of this world. You are giving them the living word of our precious Father and His Son Jesus Christ. There is not a greater gift that you can give to a child or anyone for that matter. Sunday school may be the only access that some children have to the Bible and having the privilege of reading it and memorizing it.

 

Memorizing scripture is so very important for any age believer but it is so very important to get the scriptures engrained into the minds and hearts of the little ones so that they will have it for their whole lives. The word says, “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 (NIV) The word of God after implanted in their minds will come to them when their lives come to a cross road and they need to choose between God’s way or the world’s way. Or perhaps when they need encouragement, even in grade school and up through the school years children go through so many changes and situations arise where the word of God will remind them that He is with them and they need not be afraid.

 

My own mother taught both of my children Psalms 27 when they were just starting to talk. They both had half of it memorized by the time they were three or four and what a powerful Psalms it is. I cannot even tell you how many times this has helped both of my children through some hard times. Even when they are not consciously thinking about the Lord or His word He still reminds them because these scriptures are forever in their hearts and minds from an early age. Here is Psalm 27 from the New International Version Bible.

 

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

 

There are so many more scriptures that my mom and I have taught to my children over the years and I can promise you that the results are always victorious in God’s word. My daughter has pushed herself beyond her introversion to do so many things for the glory of God, in her studies, in her career, and in her personal life. My son was drawn in by the world in his teens and has made some very bad decisions and yet the Lord has been dealing with him through His word and reminding my son of His great love for Him by the scriptures that were burned into his heart. God’s word never fails. Isaiah 55:10-11 from the New International Version of the Bible says:

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

As you read these verses you can see how powerful the word of God is and how very important it is and what a life giving gift you are giving the children that you are teaching in Sunday school or when teaching them to your own precious children. There is no better gift, nothing more powerful that you can give a child to hold onto than the living, breathing, active word of our wonderful Lord and Savior. Listen to what John 1:1-5 says about our marvelous God and His Son Jesus Christ.

 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

 

God came down and became flesh to save us because He knew that on our own we could not keep His commandments. It is only by His great grace and His death on the cross and shedding of His blood that we are able to be saved. He gave us His word in written form to reveal to us His saving grace, to encourage us, and to sustain us in this world because He knew it would not be easy. There is no greater gift that you can give another individual than His word and when you give it to a child you are giving them life in abundance and salvation for their very souls.

 

Author Bio:

 

Stephanie has many years of experience as a nanny. She has always loved children and has continuously been involved in childcare activities. Currently she is one of the writers for houstonnanny.com. If you want to get in touch with her, you can email her at stephanie. Houstonnanny @ gmail. com.

 

Aaron Hammond–Professional Profile

Name:  Aaron Hammond

 

Profession: Young Man

 

Years in Business:  About 12

 

Family Info: #7 of 8 Kids

 

Hobbies: Loves his goat and chickens! Great with younger brother Micah. Amazing at many forms of electronics and gadgetry.

 

Activities of Interest:  Legos, Video Games, Mine Craft, anything with Video.  Turns out Aaron is an avid reader and learner. This guy is a great thinker as well–formulates great core questions.

 

Burning desire: To be an awesome actor.

 

Something no one knows about me:  The man is a terrific help around a frequently chaotic home. Aaron has really shown his quality in so many areas—Scouting, Animal Husbandry, and just being a key part of the family with a great attitude and heart.  Aaron has a tender heart toward God and people—a rare combo!

 

Keys to Success:  Total, absolute creativity—-Is able to move on after blowing up

 

Favorite Quote: ”MICAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!….”

5TH ANNUAL FATHER’S DAY WRITING CONTEST

In honor of Father’s Day and fathers everywhere….

www.becomeabetterfather.com is sponsoring our 5TH Annual Father’s Day Writing Contest.

We want to know our readers opinions of what it takes to be a AWESOME father.

We value your opinion and would love to hear from you and what you think makes a great dad.

The question we pose is:

” MY DAD IS AWESOME BECAUSE__________________.”

That’s it!

Here are the official rules…

1. Write about what you think an AWESOME father is (A poem,essay, or other writing form) LIMIT 300-500 WORDS and simply email to us!
2. Email your entry to sjhammond@suddenlink.net
3. You must have your entry posted by midnight, Pacific Standard Time, June 30th, 2013.
4. July 1st, 2013, the lovely Mrs. Hammond will pick a winner based on what she think rocks!
5. The winner receives a free full one-hour consultation with Scott Hammond, an Every Day Book,  a full-featured blog post on www.becomeabetterfather and much more!
6. We will post an entry on this blog in July  2013,  containing links to the winning entry…… so you will get a free link out of the deal.
7. You will win an autographed copy of the Every Day Dad: the Guide to Becoming a Better Father!!
8. You will feel good about your life and mission….

That’s it and good luck! The question remains:   “MY DAD IS AWESOME BECAUSE…..”

Best,

Scott Hammond FO-9
Father of Nine

WWW.BECOMEABETTERFATHER.COM

WWW.EVERYDAYDAD.COM

MICAH HAMMOND–PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Name:  Micah Hammond

 

Profession: Kid

 

Years in Business:  About 9

 

Family Info: Large

 

Hobbies: Construction of amazing contraptions from duct tape, cardboard, and other household items

 

Activities of Interest:  Legos, Video Games, Mine Craft, anything with Video

 

Burning desire: To become King/Ruler/Emperor

 

Something no one knows about me:  Has an amazing tender heart

 

Keys to Success:  Total, absolute creativity—-Is able to move on after blowing up

 

Favorite Quote: “Jack Ass—Turd Sandwich”—-Learned from elder brother Jacob and delivered to older brother Aaron

Our Children are in His Care by Nancy Parker

As Christian parents we always need to be reminded that our kids are God given and that they really do not belong to us. The Lord in his divine sovereignty knows what He is doing when He gives us our children. He has everything already planned for all of us from before we are born. Sometimes as life is going on around us we begin to think that these are our children, this is our life, and we forget that the Lord is in control and not us.

I have a twenty year old son that has spent the last several years living on the fringes of right and wrong. I know now that my precious Lord Jesus has been protecting him and answering my prayers. Sometimes if we can not see the work He is doing we think He is not answering. He tells us over and over in His word (Matthew 7:7; John 14:13-14; 1 John 3:22 are just a few) that if we ask anything in His name He will do it but do we really believe it?

I was overwhelmed recently with His great compassion, tender-mercies, and loving-kindness towards me by revealing a little of what He is doing in my son’s life. My son came in one evening with a revelation, something our Lord had revealed to him. He said, “Mom, do you know what the Lord told me tonight as I was driving? He told me that I did not belong to you and I did not belong to myself either.

He told me I was His.” Oh wow. And I had been wondering what the Lord was doing in my son’s life, correction, not my son, HIS son.   For the last several years I have been extremely fearful. I mean the kind of fear where you feel like you just cannot breathe. Terrified is more like it. I frankly did not know how I was going to keep living this way without losing my mind. I was praying but I was not trusting. I was at that place where I could not do it any more; you know the place; it is the place where Jesus is waiting. I began to cry out not only for my son but for my own sin. I had to confess the sin of fear which in all truth is unbelief.   I came to the realization that I did not trust Him when I was praying and asking for my son to be rescued out of the darkness of the world and into His glorious light. I did not truly believe He was going to do what I was asking or why would I be terrified? I was not praising Him for answering my prayers. He revealed to me my unbelief and like the father in Mark 9 in verses 23-24 I cried out “I do believe; help my unbelief.” And then Jesus told me; “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27 (NAS)

I keep thinking of the story of Peter walking out on the water to the Lord; and what happened when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus? He sank. He was full of fear and cried out to Jesus. Immediately Jesus took him by the hand and to safety. The Lord has been teaching me to “fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 (NAS)   I still have times when that panicked feeling hits but within just a short time I remember and turn to my Savior and I ask for Him to be faith through me, peace through me, hope through me, and I start quoting His promises from the word. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NAS) We must stay in the word of God daily.

Since God spoke the world into being that should reveal to us just how powerful His word is. We need to memorize His word and speak His word when situations arise. The only weapon we need is His word and His promises; “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NAS)

I was listening to a godly, biblical pastor just the other day and the Lord revealed something to my heart through Him. He said that we could either live being crushed beneath life and its burdens, heartaches, and fears or we could build a bridge to go above it. The bridge boiled down to two verses in the Bible that give us all the hope we need to keep our eyes on the Lord. I don’t know about you but I love when things get narrowed down for me. I know it is my wonderful Lord just revealing Himself to me more clearly. The two verses that the pastor gave were: “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Psalm 103:19 (NAS) and “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NAS).   Do you see what those two verses say? The first verse says that God is sovereign and the definition of sovereign is to possess supreme or ultimate power. He has power over everything and everyone and He is in control of everything. The second verse says that He is causing (defined as: The producer of an effect, result, or consequence. b. The one, such as a person, event, or condition, that is responsible for an action or result.) all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and who He has called.

If we truly believe in Him and in His word then why should we ever be afraid? He understands that we are just flesh and blood and we get afraid but He also makes a way of escape through Him. Nothing is going to happen by chance and everything that happens is working towards our good. Now I know that is very difficult to believe when bad things are happening in our lives. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NAS)   If you look back on your life you will see that the only time you actually grow in the Spirit is during trials. He loves us so much and He wants us to be fully equipped in Him to live this life we are living in the flesh. As I was telling you earlier, I was gripped and overwhelmed by such great fear I could not bear it. He was loving me through it and trying to get me to realize that it not need be so. He wants to take on those burdens for us and He wanted me to know that He can and will do it for me. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NAS)   And He actually wants us to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 (NAS) He wants us to be strong and full of joy, peace, and hope.

He does not want His children to suffer from sin, He wants us to turn to Him and He will do it for us. If we are walking in the flesh this is impossible, but if we are in Him and walking in the Spirit, everything is possible.   I wanted to share what I am learning with others because I am so thankful that my wonderful Lord and Savior is lifting me up out of the darkness that I have been walking in. I want to share so that others can find victory in Jesus and in His word. I did not realize I was walking in unbelief, I thought it was normal to grieve over the sins of a child. I was praying but I was not trusting. He loves me so much and He has lifted the heavy burdens off of my heart. If you are grieving over a child, a marriage, an illness, or any heavy burden please cry out to our awesome God who is waiting to help you. He just wants your entire attention so that He can reveal more of His love to you. I pray that this will reach even one who is suffering as I was and that our Lord will give you the victory.   “The Lord bless you, and keep you: the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

 

Author Bio   Nancy Parker is a regular contributor to www.enannysource.com and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, Parenting, Child Care, Babysitting, nanny background check tips etc. You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com

YOUR NARRATIVE IN BUSINESS AND LIFE

Your Narrative—In Business and Life

“Assumption the Mother of all Screw ups.”

– Line in the movie “Under Siege 2—Dark Territory”

Everyone has a narrative in their life. It’s how we explain life, people, business, relationships, and more. It’s the story we tell ourselves about others–their motivation and attitude–it’s our way of explaining how people, business, and life operate.

The problem with our negative narratives is that we’re often dead wrong in the way we perceive people, organizations, and circumstances. This could not be truer than in business and the marketplace. In business, it is imperative we be accurate in our assessment of reality.

Often, the narratives we tell ourselves in life and business are most often incorrect and incomplete. 

Relate this to customers, stake holders, competition and the marketplace at large–with this wrong “reading” of we end up misjudging, miscalculating, and completely misunderstanding an entire situation– possibly even an entire relationship. The fundamental problem with our own “self-narration” is that it often leads to poor action, responses, and results. This can lead to loss, bankruptcy, broken relationships and companies—not to mention business competitiveness.

Negative business narration has two directions it can go.

Internal negative narrative—this type of negative business narrative tends toward our own self-justification and judgment of other’s internal drives. This is where we find it easy to presume we know the inner workings of other’s motivations, attitudes, and how they think.  Here, we find it easy to vilify others and justify ourselves. This is a narrative in which we can never see ourselves as wrong. When we vilify others we excuse ourselves. The phrase that is used is “excuse and accuse”.  When we excuse ourselves and accuse others, we have no grounds for personal responsibility.  Poor decisions are made when our internal narration of others runs askew. We are on shaky ground when we presume to judge the motivation and intention of others.

External negative narrative is where we read just the external circumstances and draw our (often incorrect) conclusions. This is based on what we can perceive only externally.  Here, mistakes in good judgment happen and the results are usually disastrous. We have poor information which leads to bad interpretation and then we make poor decisions. When we have bad data we make bad decisions leading to poor outcomes. Enough said: Garbage in=Garbage out.

Assumption is the fuel of the negative narrative paradigm. It is based primarily on guess work. We all know what assumption means! When we assume and presume that we know more about others and how their circumstances “seem”–we are on shaky ground.

This assumption and vilification based in narrative negativity will result often in a life cut off and sequestered from others. This bitter “Lone Ranger Mentality” rules the day in many leaders, cultures, and managers. This kind of leadership is, frankly, frightening. One thinks of Hitler and others in history and shudders at the thought of the negative narrative drawn out to its logical and frightening conclusion.

So, what are the solutions?

1. Have openness about life, people, and relationships –Know that we have little or no control over others. We have, at best, incomplete information about others and no real way to know it all. What we really need is a new narration–the ability to be open and not get into the temptation to tell a story about others when we really don’t know all the facts.  How can we possibly know the whole story about someone or the situation or how they got “there”?  Be all about getting good, solid facts first!

2. Be a Person of Possibility–   this starts with believing the human condition can improve, learn and evolve. We can learn to grow and actualize and enlighten personally, spiritually, and mentally. This is not an easy task—but we actually can get better! We can learn, grow, and leverage our strengths and weaknesses! Give others the benefit of the doubt. Stop the temptation to be judge and jury—give others the benefit of the doubt. Trust some folks and their good intent. Take (wise) risks in believing in people. You’ll be surprised how trusting someone can really result in some positive outcome and benefits. People thrive in a culture and atmosphere of genuine trust.  Trust me…!

3. Have Trusted Advisors—Stay close and value people in your life who are not afraid to push back when you begin negative narration. Have business friends who will challenge your dominant paradigm.  Give them freedom to ask you hard questions and to question your judgment and ways of seeing things. This relationship takes time, trust, and relationship building.

4. Catch yourself. When you begin to mentally “go” negative—notice it and stop it. Get into the habit of stopping your own negativity and replace it with something more positive! Tell a new story or simply resist the tendency to tell any narrative at all. Be in the moment with people and be free to just experience them as they are.  This truth can open the door to unknown and limitless possibility in life, business, and culture.  Now go and re-tell your story today….

 

 

dadsez.com quote:”You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”–Dr. Suess

Open Prayer to God

Open letter to God
Number one. Help me to stop my negative narrative both verbal and mental that makes me become a “Debbie Downer”. Please replace this negativity with a grateful heart. May I count my blessings-daily.
Number two. Help me to not always have to be right and correct and perfect. Please break me of the habit of thinking I need to be correct all the time. Help me to give others the benefit of the doubt. Help me to give others Grace– as I need it as well.
Number three. God, please help me to not rationalize my own narrative. Help not to always “buy” my own story, perspective, and narrative. Please help me realize that others have their own truth and are seeking their own answers in the way they know best. Teach me to see that my narrative is not always the correct for them. How can I know about their lives unless I walk in their shoes? Teach me empathy and compassion.
Number four. Help me to forgive. Help me to not to carry around meanness– but rather kindness and forgiveness. Help me to see unkindness and a critical spirit as the cancer of the spirit that they really are. Help me freely forgive those who have harmed me. Help me to be open to how a relationship can actually grow after there is forgiveness. Teach me to forgive as I have been forgiven.
Number five. Help me Lord to lose my universal expectation of you and others–how not to always expect perfection of myself or others. Help me to not always expect to be served. Help me to see that I cannot always expect that my way is the best way. Help me not to expect MY best outcome all the time.
Number six. Help me to not always rationalize my correctness. Grant me the ability to understand that I can’t possibly always be right, be correct, or know it all. Help me be an open and a lifelong learner. Help me see that I don’t have all the information. Help me to understand that you always add more information to the narratives that are true about life, people, and me. May I withhold judgment.
Help me for I am blind. I get blind to the way I relate to people and my own thinking and practices. Forgive and help me to not be mean, or shortsighted or belligerent with those around me. Help me to practice kindness and love for others as you do with me.
Father, take my heart and make it right. I can only throw myself on the throne of grace and there is nothing that merits me to you but your Son. Please make me in His image as you see fit. Help me to freely give myself to you moment by moment so that I can become loving man that you want. Teach me and help me to be thankful. Please write for me the narrative of my life according to the story that you want told. I love you. In Jesus name, let it be so amen.

–Scott Hammond

My 7 Business Lessons

7 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT BUSINESS FROM RON PILEGGI

I met Ron Pileggi in 1983 when he hired me as an ad sales rep for the Tri-City weekly paper in Eureka. He struck me as an entrepreneurial visionary with a plan and a mission to change the community in a positive way via business.  As owner and the founding architect of the Tri-City weekly newspaper, Ron modeled good business acumen. He showed me and each of us how to conduct business in a process that really valued people first. Here are the seven lessons he taught me and still teaches me today.

1. Rule number one– People come first. People, relationships, and friendships are everything in business and in life.  As the owner/operator of the Tri City, he modeled real care for employees, clients, vendors, people in his industry and beyond. Client relationships and personal care of others was at the forefront of everything Ron practiced in his business.
2. Rule number two –Client relationships are invaluable, as Ron demonstrated in his actions and policies. He said that good leadership is all about being a good servant. He taught that good service sets the stage for good customer loyalty and customer relations. If you serve your clients and take good care of them–they will take care of you as well. Customers vote in dollars and purchasing. People really do buy from people they know, like, and trust. One thing he told us is to go out and make friendships–then people will naturally buy from you.
3. Rule number three– Turn off the lights. He often told me if you want to be a manager you must act like a manager and be a great steward of your business. He challenged me to personally take good care of the resources entrusted to me. Things such as time, energy, and other resources were looked at in a new light. This taught me that I need to take ownership of all I do at work.
4. Rule number four—Speech is powerful. Ron often stated that the power of your words is everything. When words are spoken with clarity and sincerity, people are really affected by what we say. He stated this in the context of selling but also in real life. When we say what we mean, and mean what we say–we are often unstoppable in business and in life.  He taught me about the power of words and I’ve never forgotten this lesson.
5. Rule number five—Be involved in your community; participate readily and joyfully. Ron modeled good community involvement in CASA and in Rotary and more. He was always the guy to say “yes” to someone with a good cause. He may not have been involved directly, but he gave freely of his resources. His involvement with the community modeled what we all need to do—to be involved with causes that we resonate with and are most passionate about. Find your cause or your passion, and then plug in your gifts and experiences and resources. You will add to the greater good in your community and beyond.
6. Rule number six–Think creatively and out-of-the-box at all times. This means not only with business and selling, but also in the ways that help real live people. Be willing to bend or even break the rules as necessary and as it makes sense to benefit the greater good.  “Be entrepreneurial in your problem solving”, he would challenge. He taught how to think creatively with regard to business problem solving and helping customers meet their needs. He often showed us and told us that if we meet others’ needs, they will meet ours as well. If you help enough people get what they need, they will help you do the same.
7. Rule number seven–Be generous and celebrate people. His (in) famous Christmas parties displayed a great generosity and were always “over the top” in showing his appreciation for his staff. Ron would gladly put on the most extravagant party–even for an outgoing employee. He didn’t know selfishness. My father, Bob Hammond, called him “a prince of a man” in that he was always very generous with his employees, clients, and his community. We all were the better for that–so was he.

In summary, Ron was human. He had his moments like each of us. The one thing he did was to model a whole business person. He cared for others and was profitable at the same time. He found that balance between profitability and success and taking care of other’s needs; Ron was able to do both in splendid fashion.  He left an indelible mark and positive legacy on this community for over 30 years and still does to this day. It is a pleasure and a privilege to know a saint and a friend in the caliber of a Ron Pileggi.  If you ever have the opportunity to work for an owner-operator-entrepreneur of this magnitude, you will agree that it is an awesome and  once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience.  Thanks, Ronnie.

–Scott Hammond

Playing the Game

Life is a game with a glorious prize,
If we can only play it right.
It is give and take, build and break,And often it ends in a fight;
But he surely wins who honestly tries
(Regardless of wealth or fame),
He can never despair who plays it fair
How are you playing the game?

Do you wilt and whine, if you fail to win
In the manner you think your due?
Do you sneer at the man in case that he can
And does, do better than you?
Do you take your rebuffs with a knowing grin?
Do you laugh tho’ you pull up lame?
Does your faith hold true when the whole world’s blue?
How are you playing the game?

Get into the thick of it – wade in, boys!
Whatever your cherished goal;
Brace up your will till your pulses thrill,
And you dare to your very soul!
Do something more than make a noise;
Let your purpose leap into flame
As you plunge with a cry, “I shall do or die,”
Then you will be playing the game.

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