Last Friday, the following conversation took place between our daughter Stephanie and her son (our grandson), Christoper:

C. - Mom, I'm supposed to write a sentence every day for Kindergarten. I didn't do one, yesterday.

S. - Then you need to do two sentences, today.

C. - Will you help me?

S. Yes, I will help.

(During the process, Christopher became frustrated and said something Stephanie considered inappropriate)

S. - That's it. I'm done. I don't help ugly little boys.

C. - I'm not ugly. Everyone says I'm cute.

S. - I'm not talking about your looks, I'm talking about your personality.

C. - What's a personality?

S. - Well, I really mean your attitude.

C. - What's an attitude?

S. - (Gruffly) Right now it means the way you behave when things aren't going your way!!

(Pause)

C. - Well, your attitude isn't that good right now, either!

While the surprising level of apprehension shown by a boy that will be 6 years old in another week is astonishing and even humorous, this event could be a tremendous life lesson for Christopher. Motivational speakers have been known to say, "Your attitude determines your altitude." While accurate as well as snappy, that (somewhat) witty saying borders on egregious simplification.

Anyone who has been in the workforce for more than a few weeks knows that attitude can earn you a promotion, or cost you a job. My belief is that attitude is a matter of life and death. Attitude can determine the success of your marriage as well as your job. It can also determine whether you catch Swine Flu, or get through the epidemic unscathed. Do you want to avoid cancer? If you do, watch your attitude. I smoke but, with Gods help, I will not harbor hate or a grudge. "Vengance is mine, sayeth the Lord." You'd better take heed of that statement. Anger and bitterness feed cancer. Research shows that cancer resides in all of us, but unless and until our immune sytem misdirects, lies dormant. Hmmm, sounds very similar to sin, doesn't it?

We all have thoughts that come to mind, but if we don't allow them to "make themselves at home," they cannot take root and affect our actions. Our will is not enough to keep us from sinning, any more than our will can keep us from feeling pain. Attitude can do both, although it may take years of training; what keeps martial arts masters from being affected by or showing pain is their attitude. Oh, they feel it, just not like the untrained feel it. Their training teaches "pain must not show (which would give the opponent's confidence), and must not slow" (their next move, usually calculated to drain the opponent's confidence). As most, this attitude is obtained through a series of defeats, not successes. I thank God for my successes, but three times more for my defeats. Your defeats define you, your successes reward you.

After becoming a Journeyman Marine Electrician in Mississippi (a defining accomplishment which proved to me, "I can"), I moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where there are no shipyards. After struggling through some really bad "jobs," I was convinced by a friend to become a mason (bricklayer) by going through yet another four-year apprenticeship. To this day my bricklaying apprenticeship is my favorite job ever! You went to work and there was a foundation; you left work and could see a wall. Such satisfaction! Such fellowship! You earned respect - and money - through hard work. Such pride in ones self! Unfortunately, in that time, you could not lay masonry when the temperature was under 32 degrees! They do it in the northern US, but back then the technology had not been mastered in "North Texas." I had to go back to being an electrician, but that eventually led to greater things than I could have imagined.

When I started on my second apprenticeship, that of a mason, we worked five days a week and went to "apprenticeship school" on Tuesdays and Thursdays - just like my Electricians Apprenticeship. Long frikkin' days! For the first month, it seems, more likely it was two weeks, we learned only "how to hold a trowel." The trowel is important, and 99% of us have only one dominant hand; the hand that will earn us the most money. Protecting that hand is most important, so holding your trowel correctly, swiveling your hips correctly, using your legs to lift, etc. would determine whether you everntually retired as a success or had to live on disability insurance, starting in your 30's. In the following weeks we learned that "callouses are your friends," how to measure and lay out a wall, build a wall straight, plumb and level, how to mix and properly temper mortar, and a host of other things. It was all great! I truly loved it, and studied hard.

Finally, the night came when we were all given specifications and instructed to build a 4' X 4' wall. Our excitement could barely be matched by a four-year-old on Christmas morning. We all began to eagerly construct our walls. When I had completed only two courses of bricks on my wall, I heard the instructor utter an expletive and the sound of bricks and mortar hitting the bare concrete floor. "Your wall is not straight, apprentice!" *SLAM* I turned my head and saw a 20-something guy on the verge of tears. I resolved not to make the same mistake. There were repeats of the first rebuke; "your wall is not plumb!" Crash. "Your wall is mismeasured!" Crash. "your mortar is not tempered!" Crash. On and on it went, but my confidence was building because I knew my 4' X 4' wall was turning out PERFECT. Mortar; perfect. Straightness; perfect. Plumb? Perfect. Measurement; perfect. This wall could last as long as the Pyramids, it was THAT PERFECT! And...my first-ever wall! I had a great future in this field! I knew it! My studies had paid off! *CRASH* WTF?

My beloved wall was as destroyed as the others, but just a bigger mess. I knew it was a good wall. It was a great wall. It was the Best Wall in the class, for goodness sake! My eyes finally met the eyes of my instructor, who said, "Seamen, you weren't holding your trowel right!" I had to admit he was correct. I had to drive 30 miles home that night with his words echoing in my ears.

I had to abandon my masons apprenticeship due to lack of income in cold weather. Being an electrician is not bad when you find your niche, which I eventually did. That led to the use of the electronics training I had received while at the shipyard; to sales and a six-figure income. One day I had an issue with a boss who obviously did not appreciate the fact that I was responsible for half of his income. It pissed me off. While driving home and turning the events of the day over and over in my head (definitely not in "prayer" mode) I heard an unmistakable Voice. I had heard it before, and knew Who it was. He did not quote Scripture, or give me a vision of His love. He simply said, "Seamen, you weren't holding your trowel right." I knew what He meant immediately, and was able to find repentance. Salvation followed (my "boss" got fired).

Final thought: Attitude according to the "Funk and Wagnell's Dictionary" (my favorite just because of the name) comes from the Latin word "aptus," which means "suited, or fitted." Are you suited for the situation? Your attitude can tell you. Attitude is different from "Pose," which means you are placing yourself in a certatin position such as for a picture, and "Position," which may or may not mean you are expressing your thoughts via how your body is arranged.

Also, the  "attitude" of an airplane determines whether it is headed at, above or below the horizon. Hey, "attitude/altitude"

My "position" is that you should "pose" yourself this question several times per day; what is my attitude?