Motor City Makeover

Today I’m participating in Motor City Makeover, a day of focused activity to improve the City of Detroit, organized by Ward Church in Northville, MI. The project today is to refurbish a home and move an entire family into it – and out of an unsafe home. This is a large project and requires many people to pull it off. I’m grateful to be a part of it.

Several years ago, it was really eating at me that I wasn’t actively involved in the City of Detroit. My suburban life was much too comfortable. I saw a city that was hurting and with enormous needs. I felt guilty for what I had and for not doing anything to help these suffering people. It would have been too easy to sit back and tell them to suck it up, go to college, and deal with what life has thrown at them.

Since this time, I’ve joined the board of a non-profit health clinic which provides low-cost health care and dental services to the residents of SW Detroit, many of which live in poverty and have no insurance. Through donations and Federal funding, the clinic is able to help thousands of individuals each year. It’s been an amazing experience to be part of something so valuable.

However, despite the efforts of the clinic and many others, the City of Detroit continues to hurt. It’s leaders continue to let them down. The City government is inefficient and corrupt. Investment is limited to mega-sports facilities and casinos while neighborhoods crumble. It’s sad.

But today we are doing something real and concrete to make a difference. We are mobilizing hundreds of people to go into the City with a purpose – not to party or go to a ball game – but to help a family. I’m glad to be a part of it. To God be the glory.

P

Proverbs 4:5-10

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding;
       do not forget my words or swerve from them.

 ⁶ Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
       love her, and she will watch over you.

 ⁷ Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
       Though it cost all you have, ^[a] get understanding.

 ⁸ Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
       embrace her, and she will honor you.

 ⁹ She will set a garland of grace on your head
       and present you with a crown of splendor.”

 ¹⁰ Listen, my son, accept what I say,
       and the years of your life will be many.

Having wisdom requires action. We will not be wise unless we seek understanding. We aren’t born with wisdom. It will not come to us in the middle of the night. We have to want it. We have to embrace it.

Furthermore, we must not forget or forsake the wisdom that we have. This is where it gets really tough. We don’t always do the things we know we should. We have the knowledge, but choose to act as if we don’t.

What’s the incentive? Great question. The scriptures reply: protection, exaltation, honor, a garland of grace on your head, a crown of splendor, and many years of life.

Where do I sign up?

Phil

Is This Still America?

Wow! I just saw the police hauling away protesters from Notre Dame’s campus!

Whatever happened to the First Amendment? Aren’t college campuses supposed to be places of discourse and competition of ideas?

Since when do institutions of higher education, even private ones, discourage freedom of expression? What is going on here?

Is anyone else concerned about the direction our country has taken recently?

Private industry is being taken over, the President of the U.S. is firing CEO’s, spending is mushrooming, and there’s an all-out war to shut down voices of opposition, even on college campuses.

I can’t even imagine what’s in store for us next…but I sure am scared.

Detroit Public Schools: A National Disaster

I’m disgusted. The new financial manager, hired to expose and root out years of fraud, abuse, and inefficiency, has decided that the first order of business is to ask the Obama Administration for lots of money. Here we go again.

The solution to a failing government program is never to pour more money into it. The solution is to fix the problems with creative changes. Throwing more money at a broken beauracracy provides no incentive for change and squanders precious resources.

On the other hand, the term “precious resources” doesn’t appear to be in the vocabulary of the Obama Adminstration, as they are spending our grandchildren’s money like drunken sailors, while the American public sips the Koolaid they’re being served. “These people are so smart,” after all, “they must know what they’re doing.” “And did you see Obama’s six pack? OMG!”

DPS will surely receive its request, if not even more. Print the money and ship it. None of us will be around to have to deal with the consequences.

DPS is a national disaster. It’s failing the students it should be serving. I heard this morning that its student population dropped 44% since 2000. Talk about a vote of “no confidence!”

Throwing more money at this disaster will only result in a more expensive disaster. Why doesn’t anyone get it?

God help the children of Detroit. Nobody else is.

Phil

My First Book

Some of you know that I’m writing my first book. I’m hoping to have it finished by the end of the summer. The topic is how to create strategic business plan.

My primary target audience is the entreprenuer who knows they need to remain committed to a consistent strategic business planning process but haven’t been able to do so. My secondary target market is the person who is planning to start a company or has recently started a company and has never developed a strategic business plan.

As I write this book, I will be posting sections to this blog. Feel free to comment. Your thoughts may even end up in the book!

Thank you in advance for your support!

Phil