40 Days 4 Thom

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Thom Reed Sr. Partner Marketing Manager at FamilySearch Greater Salt Lake City Area Hi Blogger, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. - Thom Confirm that you know Thom You received an invitation to connect. LinkedIn will use your email address to make suggestions to our members in features like People You May Know. Unsubscribe This email was intended for Blogger Mobile. Learn why we included this. If you need assistance or have questions, please contact LinkedIn Customer Service.

I'm glad to back home with my wife and all the kids after a whirlwind trip to Branson, MO. In 3 of the 4 days I was there, I met with 20+ people to try to find a job. Sunday was the only day I took off. I need a true day of rest! I'm praying something works out there.

I was told on several occasions there is a definite need for different, better, and more special marketing and advertising by the theatre and resorts. I just need more time to hunt. If nothing comes of it, at least I can continue my momentum here in Bloomington/Normal. Or in less two weeks, I can hit the ground running for my westward trek to Utah!

Hey family,

I'm in Missouri looking for and stopped off the side of US Highway 160 near Forsyth. There's a lookout point over the lake that looks great on this sunny day. If things go well, I hope to bring you all here when the weather is even nicer and the trees are greener. It's awesome

I love giving shout outs! This time it's too two great "familends" (friends who are just as close as family), Garrett and Jeanie Anderson.

Jeanie texted me this morning to see how my job hunt was going. She's been working as my sidekick down near Branson, MO, where they live. Every other day or sooner, she sends me job leads or ideas to consider. Today she let me know about a job fair in Branson, MO. It is this coming Saturday, March 6. She also gave me few more leads about jobs in the area. And Garrett came through like gangbusters with 4 people he thinks I should meet. Two of them are actively recruiting for someone with my marketing, advertising, and business development skills.

So since 11:00 a.m. until now, I've been feverishly calling, emailing, and planning my trip down there. As of today I'll be meeting with Presiding Commissioner of Taney County Missouri and the CEO of Skaggs Regional Medical Center. I'm hoping to hear back from the Executive Director of the Branson Airport and Chief Operations Officer for Ozark Technical Community College's Workforce Development Department. Besides that I'll be there for the job fair and general networking. There are a few resorts, ranches, and development organizations I want to stop on in and introduce myself to.

Here's to hoping the "Show Me" state will eventually "show me" the $$!

Thanks to Jenny Li, a fellow U-High alum, for her Facebook status today. She introduced me to word "tortfeasor" as part of her daily lexicon. The word refers to a person who commits a tort. I have to admit, I'll have trouble using it regularly. But she won't, she's in TV journalism and can probably sneak it into her nightly broadcasts.
When I looked up the "tortfeasor" on Dictionary.com, I also checked the word of the day. For February 27, 2010, the word for the day is "supplicate". As an intransitive verb it means to make a humble and earnest petition; to pray humbly.
What interested me in this word and prompted me to write today's post was the quote used to illustrate how "supplicate" is used.
"In this formula, practitioners of religion are more or less powerless over the supernatural beings with whom they deal; they can only supplicate those beings for favours and then await their response." - Folklore, Ronald Hutton, April 2000, "Paganism and Polemic"
It is day 20 of my 40 day journey - the half way point. To this day, I have not reached my #1 objective of being gainfully employed. To borrow from Hutton - as a practictioner of my religion, I have supplicated the supernatural being with whom I deal (God, my Heavenly Father in the name of his son, Jesus Christ). I have supplicated Him for many "favours". And I am still awaiting His response because I am powerless over him.
Does this bother me? No! One of the best compliments I was paid was while having coffee (water for me) with Robert McBeath this past Thursday, February 25 (day 18 of 40). He pointed out how I have prayed as if, and shown faith that, the outcome of my 40 day journey is entirely up to God. But that I'm working as if the outcome is entirely up to me.
I'm learning through this whole experience that this is how I have to be. I've never given any goal in my life as much focus and determination as this. And if I don't continue to supplicate Him for favours, while working as best as I can. I will never receive a response. Yes I hoped I'd hear a response from Him, but the journey is only half way through. The prophet Noah didn't get a break after raining only 20 days and night. So I know that I must continue my focus, supplicating God along the way.
If not, I may be a tortfeasor! :-)

Sorry for anyone who cares to read this blog. I haven't been writing lately. In my 40 day quest, I've become obsessed with networking and job-hunting to the detriment of keeping a log of what I'm doing. There have been too many activities to try to recap.

But I want to reiterate that I'm still focused. Each day I wake ("most" days by 6:40 a.m.) and resolve to stay focused on my overall goals which are to prepare my "ark" in 4 different areas:

1. Gainful employment and financial stability
2. Spiritual and emotional wellness
3. Improved physical health

I can't be detailed, but I do need to review my progress thus far as a source of accountabilty for myself. In area 1) Gainful employment and financial stability, I've made significant progress. I haven't landed a job yet, but I'm telling my story to a new individual everyday. Some of my goals are to:

• Meet face-to-face each day of 40 (except Sundays) with someone who can help me in my job search.
• Complete at minimum 1 online application for a job each day of 40
• E-mail at least 1 person in my personal or professional network each day to seek their assistance
• Connect with at least 1 person in my network on LinkedIn to seek a recommendation each day of 40
• Complete 1 online professional profile each day of 40
• Tweet about something I've read on a blog or that I've read that has a benefit to me professionally each day of 40

I haven't done all of these things each day. For example, yesterday I attended a memorial service for awesome woman who passed away unexpectedly. After the service I travelled to Springfield, IL to meet with a District Manager of an Insurance Agency to evaluate the opportunity. One the way back, I called someone in my personal network and arrange to have them email someone influential on my behalf. Later in the evening I completed an online talent profile for national employment agency. I only tweeted about my locations throughout the day.

Even though I didn't do everything, I handed out business cards and took as much opportunity as possible to be engaged in finding my new career.

I hope I can keep up this effort.

I'll finish writing this post and consider reviewing my progress in areas 2 & 3 tomorrow and Saturday. The flood isn't over yet :-)

Over the past 5 days I've been away from my computer but wanted to post my thoughts to this blog. If this email uploads to my blog, I will have found the way! We'll see :-)

I'm loving the lessons I'm learning on my 40 day journey. Today's motivation comes from Abraham. After reading, I have two words to describe this great prophet of God = Perfect Obedience.

Whenever the LORD gave a promise or a command, Abraham had the faith to obey. Thus the scripture at the beginning of this post. He believed the Lord and counted it for righteousness. Sound familiar? Yesterday, I wrote about how I must prepare my own ark (like Noah) to saving of me and house so that I and my family become "heirs of the righteousness which is by faith." Today, I've learned how to believe in the Lord and realize that any commandment or promise from Him is for my own righteousness.

Here's the scripture that illustrate my point about Abraham:
Commandment/Promise  Abraham's Response
Genesis 12:1                      Genesis 12:4
Genesis 15:5                      Genesis 15:6
Genesis 17:1,10                 Genesis 17:26 - this one is the kicker!!!

As I continue my 40 day journey, I need to listen to the Lord as I pray. I need to know for myself what he would have me do each day, each hour, each minute. Then I need to follow the example of Abraham by being obedient and moving to action "in the selfsame day" (Genesis 17:26).

I paused to write this down because I love the scriptures. And I love the spirit of the Lord I feel after I study them. But now I must stay on task and complete some job applications and work to "prepare my ark" (a.k.a. find a job).

Thanks for reading. I'll be doing daily recaps later. Please feel free to comment!

This day 2 of 40 on my special journey inspired by reading the account of Noah found in the Old Testament of the Bible in the book of Genesis. In Sunday School this year we are studying the Old Testament. I didn't fully prepare for this Sunday's class so this morning I took 40 minutes to complete my study for last week's lesson. OH WHAT I MISSED.

Yesterday I wrote about how Noah went through trials and how it rained 40 days and 40 nights. But I totally missed the reason he got on the ark in the first place. That was until today.

In reading Hebrews 11:7, not only do I find Noah's reason, I find my purpose and motivation to continue my 40 day journey. My life is not in the order of what I would like it to be. So I too must "move with fear". I must prepare my own ark to saving of me and house so that I and my family become "heirs of the righteousness which is by faith."

God has rich blessings in store for me if I just obey. I have been blessed beyond description by God each and every day of my life. But I can hardly comprehend what it will be like to be an "heir of the righteousness". It's definitely more than what I'm experiencing here on earth. And this gives me hope!

So as I read this morning, I ponder what is the "ark" I need to prepare. The thought came to me that Noah's ark provided safety and shelter from ensuing rain and accompanying flood. How does that apply to me? I need to provide safety and shelter for myself and my family. And right now, I'm a little unprotected :-)

As I write this, I see safety and shelter needed in 3 forms

• Gainful employment and financial stability
• Spiritual and emotional wellness
• Improved physical health

So these are the areas in which I will "move with fear" the next 39 days.

By the way, I'm reconsidering a few of my goals.

1. I decided to spend 40 minutes each day studying the Old Testament as opposed to trying to finish the Book of Mormon in 40 days. I've only read the Old Testament in it's entirety once in my life and I feel there are just as valuable lessons for me to learn from it as there are from reading the Book of Mormon for maybe the 12th or 13th time. Plus, I'll be better prepared for Sunday School :-)
2. If I'm going to do exercise and work 40 hours a week at job hunting, I need to change my sleep schedule. So I'm endeavoring to wake up at 5:40 a.m. Monday - Friday, and 6:40 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. My target bedtime is 10:40 p.m. everyday including the weekends. This is a drastic change for me and will probably be the hardest. But I've read so many stories of successful men and women who establish the habit of rising early - why not me.

I'll probably recap/relist/review my goals every few days just to keep me on track.

I'm signing off this morning in hopes of having a transformative and productive Day 2 of 40!

After reading about Noah's ordeal in the bible, I was inspired. I can't imagine what a trial it would have been for a man to leave everyone he knew except for 7 people. And then to get in a boat for 40 days not knowing where he was going or when the rain would end - that's TOUGH!

For whatever reason, when I read that story I thought about the trials and the challenges I'm facing right now. And the inspiration came - after 40 days Noah saw land. The trial of the ark was over. All because he was obedient to what God commanded him to do.

So what if were to the do the same? What if I decided to get out of my comfort zone and do what God wants me to do for 40 days?

Into my mind came a challenge - a 40-day challenge. All dealing with the magical number of "40". Here are some of the ideas of things I'd like to accomplish or do in the next 40 days:

1. Wake up everyday no later than 6:40 am
2. Land a new full-time career in 40 days
3. Spend no less than 40 hours a week job hunting
4. Gain 40 recommendations on LinkedIn within 40 days
5. Read the Book of Mormon in 40 days
6. Listen to 1 talk by a prophet (president) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints each day for 40 days
7. Do 40 hours of volunteer work in the church or the community
8. Drink water only for 40 days
9. Blog each day for 40 days
10. Put $1.00 into our savings account each day for 40 days
11. Walk or exercise for 40 minutes each day (except for Sundays)
12. Complete 40 loads of laundry (wash, dry, fold & put away)
13. Take my wife on 4 dates with no children
14. Spend 40 hours playing with my kids

This is just list off the top of my head. I need to give more thought to it, but for now, I'm just going with it.

If you are reading this blog, I welcome any comments, words of encouragement and suggestions to keep me motivated for the next 40 days. I really see this as a period of transformation for me. I know 40 days changed Noah's situation for the better. And I hope it will change mine.

I have no preset things I'll blog about. This is just an exercise in doing what I want and need to do for the next 40 days. So come back each day for updates. It may not always be entertaining, but it will always be me.

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, or connect with me on LinkedIn.