July 2007 - Janelle's Blog

Alone in a Crowd

I was sitting alone in a crowded auditorium while fellow church members gathered for a service.

An energetic, female usherette walked briskly down the aisle as she seated people. Eager to reconnect after being out of church for several weeks, I glanced down the aisle as she walked toward me. She was smiling, but not at me or anyone else. She was air-smiling, looking straight ahead, smiling at nothing.

If she had directed her smile at individuals instead of air-smiling, perhaps she would have encouraged the dozens of people she passed.

Age Does Not Define a Hero

If you only notice a hero by the trophy he carries from the act of his bravery, you may miss meeting the most remarkable people in life. In the beginning of NBCF, when the internet was barely in existence and no one knew what to do with it, a quiet, red-haired teenager frequently came to our home to visit our high-school son, Kevin. His name was Scott Markle. You would never know beneath his shy smile that there was a hero inside.

Scott was always good at tackling difficult tasks and figuring out how to do things. His father was a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, so Scott grew up with flying in his blood. The teenagers practiced flying with video games and occasionally in a real flight simulator. Many times I heard Kevin say, "Scott has the most amazing hand/eye coordination. Someday he is going to do something special with his talents." And he did.

One Woman Stopped the Clock

My business luncheon was coming to a close when a new acquaintance, a young woman in her early 30's, leaned over to my side of the table and whispered, "Even though we just met, I feel as though I can talk to you. My time management is so out of control. Could I call you sometime and get some ideas on how to balance my time?"

A couple of days later she called and told me about her schedule. She was an entrepreneurial woman who operated her marketing business out of her home. The business was going great until her baby was born three months ago. Now with the responsibility of business and family life clashing, she found herself staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. working at her computer while her husband, baby and first grade daughter slept. Naturally, she was exhausted and frustrated.