I have always considered myself to be more of a glass half full kind of guy. I would rather look at things with optimism than to always live with the pessimism of a half empty glass. My wife, on the other hand, considers herself a realist. When asked if the glass is half full or half empty, she's more likely to respond with "what's in the glass?", or "who's going to wash the glass?". Gotta love the reality of those responses!
What about you? Are you a glass half full or half empty kind of person? How does what you hear, or read, impact the way you view the glass?
I came across this parable online a couple of weeks ago and thought it was a great example of the power negative words can have on our perceptions.
There was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers. But he sold good hot dogs. He put up signs on the highway telling people how good they were. He stood on the side of the road and cried: "Buy a hot dog mister?" And people bought.
He increased his meat and bun orders. He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade. He finally got his son home from college to help him out during break.
But then something happened. His son said, "Father, haven't you been listening to the radio? Haven't you been reading the newspapers? There's a big recession. The world economy is terrible. The domestic economy is even worse." Whereupon the father thought, "Well my son's been to college, he reads the papers and he listens to the radio, and he ought to know." So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his hot dogs as often.
And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight. "You were right, son," the father said to the boy. " We certainly are in the middle of a great recession."
- Author unknown
Volunteers are key to Ridgecrest being able to effectively serve our guests. For much of Ridgecrest’s history, men and women of God have brought an incredible heart and passion to our volunteer ministry. Bringing a cheerful smile and helping hands to the various hospitality needs on campus, these volunteers have left a lasting impression on literally millions of guests. I hope you enjoy this story from just one of them.
Fresh Peaches was written by Ridgecrest Volunteer - Ann Maniscalco
Edith weighed in at about 85 pounds, and her age probably wasn’t too far below that. She was one of the first energetic seniors I met when I began a two-week volunteer stint at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center*. Upon learning that I had arrived by plane, she eagerly volunteered to take me along whenever she drove into town for needed items. Somehow, she learned my name wrong, and occasionally from behind me, I’d hear her calling, “Hey, Betty”, as she scurried to catch up, checking on me and telling me of excursions she had planned.
As schedules for our volunteer responsibilities varied, I wasn’t always able to take advantage of Edith’s transportation offers, but she didn't forget about me. One afternoon as I walked down the hall to my room, I could see something on the floor by the door. As I approached, I found a huge, luscious fresh peach lying on a napkin. Later that evening, Edith sidled in next to me at dinner. “Betty, did you find the peach I left for you?” she asked, giving my arm a quick squeeze. She and some other volunteers had taken a trip to a nearby farmer’s market, and since the peaches looked so good, she decided to pick up some for her friends. Later that evening, as the copious sweet juice dripped down my chin, I savored the delicious fruit as well as thoughts of my tenderhearted new friend!
“Then the Lord said to him [Moses], ‘What is that in your hand?’” (Exodus 4:2)
“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was
always doing good and helping the poor.” (Acts 9:36)
A peach - just one peach - but that simple act showed tender love and a desire to share, to brighten another’s day. Acts of kindness, so easy to do; they don’t have to cost much, nor need they be time-consuming to be valued. Even now, when I bite into a succulent, juicy peach, I recall Edith’s act of Christian caring, and pause to pray that I might have that same desire and willingness to serve others. Perhaps the “seeds” of the gospel can be spread through the seeds of some fresh fruit. “What is that in your hand?”
Related scriptures for further study: Galatians 5:22-25, Romans 12:9-13, Matthew 6:1-4, 2 Peter 1:3-8, Galatians 6:9-10
(*The facility is now known as LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center. It is nestled in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, not far from Asheville, NC. I wrote these devotional thoughts years ago when I first had the opportunity to experience the divine blessing of volunteering at the Center.)
As many of you probably know, the Southern Baptist Convention kicks off with the Pastor's Conference this Sunday in Louisville, KY. A big part of the convention is the exhibit area where SBC entities, colleges, seminaries and other assorted folks have displays set up to interact with the messengers attending the convention.
LifeWay Conference Centers and Camps are no exception. Below is a brief video showing a little of what goes on behind the scenes to get the exhibits ready. Enjoy and be sure to stop by and see us if you're going to be in Louisville next week!
Behind the Scenes at the SBC from Byron Hill on Vimeo.
As many of you who have stayed at Ridgecrest or Glorieta before already know, we send out an electronic guest survey to all of our guests for whom we have an email address. This survey asks for feedback on the entire guest experience and we are constantly utilizing this constructive feedback to improve our service.
Of all the questions the survey asks, this is my favorite:
"Beyond the facilities and service, it encourages us to hear how the Lord worked in your life during your stay at our conference center. Do you have a comment, testimony or experience you would like to share with us?"
Every month, when I'm reviewing our service scores, I love to take a few minutes and read how God worked in the lives of our guests. Below is a sampling of the responses we received for the month of May. I found these to be a blessing. Hopefully you will as well.
What about you? Do you have a Ridgecrest or Glorieta story you'd like to share with us? If so, click here!
Whether your a seasoned planner or new to the job having a stress free planning experience is always a goal. When you have a meeting coming up and you need to request a proposal from a venue, here are 10 items you should always include with your request to make it as easy as possible for you and the venue to meet all of your needs.
1. The Name and Address of your Ministry/Organization.
*Be sure to include your contact info and how you prefer to be contacted.
2. The Title of your Meeting.
3. The Dates of your Meeting.
*Include if your dates are flexible or set?
4. What is the objective of your Meeting?
5. How many Guest Rooms does your Meeting Require?
*Do you have history you can include from past meeting?
*What are the demographics of your attendees?
*Are there trends your aware of?
6. What is the Daily Schedule of Meetings?
*Do you have any specific requirements?
7. Do you require Exhibit Space?
8. What are your Food and Beverage Requirements?
9. What is your budget for Rooms, Meeting Space, Food and Beverage, etc.?
10. Any additional information about your Ministry or this Meeting.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about submitting an RFP and as always if you have any suggestions or something that has worked for you in the past, please share it with us in the comments.
After almost 30 years in the hospitality industry I figure I've probably checked into a couple thousand hotel rooms. Some were very nice, some not so nice (ask my daughter about one we stayed at in Orlando a couple of years ago...) and the rest fell somewhere in between.
No matter how nice the hotel, I'm pretty set in my ways when it comes to what I do the first time I enter the room. For me, it's throw the suitcase on the bed, turn on the TV/find ESPN and then check out the amenities.
In today's USA Today Lifestyle section, they listed the results of a reader survey which asked the question, "What is the first thing you do after checking into a hotel room?". No big surprises, but I thought I would list them so you could see how you stack up against the average USA Today reader.
So, what about you? Did you fall into one these categories, or do you do something else? Feel free to share with us!
This past Christmas, my present to myself was a new Nikon D-60 digital camera. For the past several years I've wanted to pick up photography as a new hobby, but just never did anything about it. Now that I have a pretty cool camera, I really have no more excuses. I just have to get out there and start taking some photos!
So, to help myself (and maybe you) take better photos this summer, here are 10 tips for better vacation photos (courtesy of The Society of American Travel Writers):
Don't worry if you can't remember all of these tips. I plan on focusing on 2-3 of them until they become routine. Then I'll move on to some other tips. To me, that's the allure of photography. Trying new things and seeing how the photos turn out. Remember, it doesn't cost anything to delete the goofs!
What about you? Any photo tips you'd like to share with us?
Even though I work for LifeWay I feel compelled to share with you why I believe Ridgecrest and Glorieta to be the perfect places for Spiritual Retreats. I get the pleasure of seeing the weekly testimonies shared with us about how these retreats have changed peoples lives. Here are just a few quotes.
"Being at Glorieta has inspired me every time I have stayed there. God's beauty in creation and in the friendly faces of the staff send me off a changed person!"
"Without the intrusion of television my family and I were able to really spend quality time together as a family with the lord. Our family grew closer together during our stay."
"The Lord is definitely in this place! I am still on a spiritual high and have been home for a week."
If you choose to visit Ridgecrest or Glorieta. I hope you will take full advantage of the many recreation opportunities and area attractions available. But more importantly, I hope that you include in your plans to visit, time for God to work in your life. I have always enjoyed getting up early and walking to the lake, campus is so peaceful in the mornings. Whatever you choose to do, I know you will come away blessed.
Getting away on a spiritual retreat will transform your life, if you let it. In Matthew 6:33-34 we are told "But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself."
Over Memorial Day weekend, Ridgecrest hosted the 4th annual Rally to Ridgecrest. This event is for Christian motorcycle enthusiasts and, as you can imagine, tends to draw a pretty unique audience. Personally, just the thought of riding a motorcycle scares me to death. So to me, anyone attending this event is unique...or crazy. Not sure which, maybe both!
Anyway, for this year's event, our keynote speaker was Oliver North and he did a phenomenal job. The following is part of a first person account of the event sent to us by Dick Peterson, who was attending the rally from South Carolina. Regardless of whether or not you ride a motorcycle, I think you'll enjoy reading about how Col. North interacted with this unique group of Christian men and women.
For Lt. Col. Oliver North, speaking to a “motorcycle gang” was a first, but judging from the welcome he received, it probably won’t be his last.
North spoke during the Sunday morning worship service at Rally To Ridgecrest, LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center’s annual Memorial Day weekend invitation to bikers from around the country to gather in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. North talked about his faith in Jesus Christ, the senior officer God used to introduce him to Jesus, and how important it is to “know where you’re going and why you’re going there.”
The theme of commitment to purpose as followers of Jesus Christ permeated the talk, which resonated with the more than 600 motorcyclists who at times interrupted the speaker with applause, cheers and a scattering of “hoo-rah” for the retired Marine officer.
The bikers were there to encourage each other as they use their passion for motorcycles to tell other bikers about Jesus. North called them an “affinity group” that God could use to build relationships and ultimately win souls to Christ.
North’s keynote speech followed an early morning parade of motorcycles to the veterans’ 
cemetery in Black Mountain where he recognized the supreme sacrifice of men and women in service to their country. However, North's speech was hardly the only highlight of the four-day weekend. Perhaps the most rewarding opportunity of the rally was meeting bikers from as far away as Texas, Maine and Florida, who love to ride and love the Lord. They rode on virtually every kind of bike and shared the joys and heartaches of ministry on the road with other believers.
Our thanks go out to Dick for taking the time to send this to us!
At the Conference Centers we strive to effectively communicate with all of our employees and guests.
"Did you hear what I said" is something that I think everyone has uttered at some point in their life when communicating with someone else. Something that I have found effective for me is to think of my friend LAURA. Now, LAURA isn't an actual person I know, it's just the way I have found to remember that there are two people in all conversations.
Listen - Listen to what the other person is saying to you.
Ask - Ask questions to clarify what was said to you.
Understand - Be sure you understand what was said, take a few minutes to absorb if needed.
Respond - Respond appropriately to the other person.
Ask - Ask more questions to ensure you responded appropriately. If you did not, repeat the process.
How do you effectively communicate? I would love to hear any strategies you've found effective.
Byron Hill
Executive Director, LifeWay Conference Centers and Camps since 2001. I live in an empty nest in Hendersonville, TN with my wife of 30+ years and we both serve at Long Hollow Baptist Church.
http://twitter.com/byronhill
Melissa Inman
Marketing Specialist for LifeWay Conference Centers & Summer Camps. I am a wife, mom, daughter, sister and friend. I love Jesus, I adore my family and I laugh often.
http://twitter.com/melinman
