Posts Tagged "integrity"

Wisdom Wednesday

Posted by Cynthia Howerter on Apr 25, 2012 in Wisdom Wednesday | 6 comments

“You can never go wrong doing what’s right.” – Tim Howerter, beloved husband, wonderful father, man of integrity, incredible human being.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Cynthia Howerter © 2012

How Do You Spell Integrity?

Posted by Cynthia Howerter on Jan 17, 2012 in Encouragement | 3 comments

We’ve all experienced them.  Contractors who take our money and give us less than a bargain in return.

You know what I’m talking about.  The man who just seconds ago rang your doorbell and, oozing sincerity, assured you that not only did he know how to seal your driveway, he would give you an incredible price if you agreed to it on the spot.

And as you gaze at your driveway with its embarrasing cracks and worn spots, you wonder if you should trust him.  But that price!  You might never get a price like that again!  And he is just oh, so sincere.

So you agree to let the man seal your drive.  And for the remainder of the summer, your floors are streaked with black driveway sealant that never hardened.  And now, if you could just find Mr. Sincerity, you would wring his neck.  Yeah, you know what I mean!

It took me years to find honest, trustworthy contractors where we used to live.  Several became close family friends.  They knew the code to our garage door because my husband and I trusted them to come inside and do work when we weren’t home.  And more than once, these same contractors came to the aid of our children when their car broke down and my husband and I were out of town.  We trusted these contractors with our house and our family.

Moving to another state meant starting a new search for contractors.  Umm, honest ones.

We purchased a new house from the builder, and before settlement, we had one or two concerns – very minor ones – that we asked the builder to fix.

You know exactly what was going through my mind.

But I knew the second Mitchell Pereira gave his cell phone number to my husband and me that our search for an honest contractor had ended as quickly as it began.  Mitchell told us to call him if we ever had problems or questions about the house.  I was speechless.

After Mitchell left, my husband and I both looked at each other.  Are you kidding?  Contractors never give out their cell phone number and tell you to call them if you have a question or a problem.  No one, that is, but someone who is proud of their work and stands behind it!

It wasn’t long before my husband and I did have some questions as well as some extra work that we wanted done.  I called Mitchell.  And that was the start of it.

Mitchell is a man of his word.  He always shows up when he says he will.  He explains what a job requires, lets me ask questions and then quotes a price.  Verbally.

And when the job is completed and I ask Mitchell what the charge is, he always says, “It’s what I told you.”  The price is never anything but fair.  Ever.

I’ve learned that Mitchell is a perfectionist.  No matter how big or small the job, when Mitchell’s done, his work is perfect.

Call my husband and me more than pleased.

So now that I’ve lived here a year, I think my husband and I are extremely fortunate.  We know a builder/contractor we can trust.

Our kids no longer live at home, but if they did and were in a pinch, I don’t doubt that Mitchell would go help them.

How do I spell honesty, integrity and trust in just two words?  Mitchell Pereira.  Excellent builder, honest man.

Mitchell Pereira, President, MAP Construction, Midlothian, Virginia.   804-216-1522.

“A little earned in a right way is better than much earned in a wrong way.”  Proverbs 16:8.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Cynthia Howerter © 2012

I’ll Call You and We’ll Have Lunch

Posted by Cynthia Howerter on Aug 16, 2011 in Encouragement | 9 comments

“Hey, I’ll call you and we’ll have lunch.”  Ever say that to someone?  Yeah, me, too.

Ever follow through with that?  I’m serious!

Do you ever follow through with that comment?  Or is it just something that sounds nice to say to someone, but you never get around to making that phone call?  Hmm, that’s what I thought.

So, if that’s the case, why don’t you make the statement in a more truthful way:  “Hey, why don’t I call you and we’ll have lunch, but I’m sure you’ve already figured out that I don’t really mean it.”  Wooh.  Well, isn’t that what you really mean?  I know.  Truth hurts.

I was 23 years old when I moved to Philadelphia as a newlywed.  Because the only person I knew was my husband, I was anxious to make friends.  As I began to meet other women, they would invariably say to me, “I’ll call you and we’ll get together for lunch.”

I would smile, my heart full of joy, because I believed that a budding friendship was forming.  I would happily go home and wait for the woman to call and set up a lunch date.  And I would wait.  And wait.

Then one day, after being falsely told for the thousandth time that the person would call so we could have lunch, I overheard a mother tell her young child, “Honey, say what you mean and mean what you say.”

Say what you mean and mean what you say.  What a revelation!

Tell me, dear friend, which one do you prefer:

“Why don’t we do lunch?  What about next Monday?  Or is Wednesday better?” 

OR

“I’ll call you and we’ll have lunch.  But you and I both know I’m not going to follow through with this invitation.”

Know that whichever statement you select tells a lot about the person you are.  Is that a wince or a smile?

It doesn’t stop with lunches.  Do you promise others that you’ll help them with a project or that you’ll call them later to chat?  Do you promise to go to the movies with a friend and then, at the last minute, call and renege because something better came up?

There are times when it’s necessary to back out of an engagement.  But on a daily basis, are we making promises we do not intend to keep?

Are your words honorable and true?  Or are they undependable?

You are the light that gives light to the world.  A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden.  And people don’t hide a light under a bowl.  They put it on the lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house.  In the same way, you should be a light for other people.  Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.    Matthew 5:14-16.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Cynthia Howerter © 2011