Last Friday night, I was a part of a MIJC Executive Committee meeting (which is normal, considering I’m a part of that committee) and here’s what I wrote:

Let me begin tonight’s inspiration with a thank-you. I jokingly posted on Facebook, back in November – shortly after President Fay appointed me to be your Chaplain, “Who will pray for the Chaplain when he needs help?” Little did I know that your Chappy would need your thoughts and prayers about a month ago when I lost my job.

For those who contacted me and helped pick me back up when I needed it, I simply say “Thank you.” And to my friends, Secretary Laster and Treasurer Morton, I especially say that I keep yo in my thoughts and prayers as we all travel along our respective job searches.

When I was down in the dumps, a friend lent me a book – Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson, M.D. (yes, the same guy who wrote Who Moved My Cheese?). The book talks about how throughout life, we go through peaks and valleys and that it is rally up to us to determine how long we stay on our peaks and how long we stay in our valleys. This works in both our professional lives as well as our personal lives.

One of the lessons in the book is about how to stay on our peaks longer. It reads:

To stay on a peak longer: Appreciate and Manage Your Good Times Wisely. Be humble and grateful. Do more of what got you there. Keep making things better. Do more for others. Save resources for your upcoming valleys.”

Friends, tonight we find ourselves at +28 for the second quarter of our year. As of July 2, 2009 we are +31 year-to-date. Unless I’m mistaken, I think we’re definitely on a peak. Two weeks from tonight, we will be celebrating this at our quarterly convention … or at least we better be.

Let us resolve to stay on this peak as long as we can. Let us resolve tonight that we will appreciate our good times wisely, that we will keep making things better, and that we will do what we can to show others that The Sky Is the Limit.