[CS-FSLUG] Transitions (was: Wacky thought - Linux consulting)

[Josiah Ritchie]

Stephen J. McCracken scripted ::

>It sounds from these last two paragraphs that you are already in an
>antagonistic relationship with these people, and that NEVER... I
>repeat: NEVER helps.  Rather than sitting back and berating the guy
>(BTW, does that show the love of Christ?) why don't you volunteer to
>help him out with his work.  In the process you can learn more about
>WinNT and his concerns and maybe have a chance to widen his horizons
>in teaching him some about Linux and Open Source.  In the process you
>might gain a friend rather than someone who starts to hate to see you
>if you are always berating what he does.

I'll second that. I volunteered in High School and it didn't do much
either way, but was a help to the guy and consequently I had a good
relationship with my Physics prof. which worked out well. (They were
the same guy.)

There is no doubt that IT guys in ministry especially are over-worked
and under appreciated in general so helping him might fulfill his
needs. Today's society is more likely to listen to someone who is
willing to listen to them. It's part of that "Post-Modern" mindset.

Building relationships is a skill I had to learn in highschool. I'm
still not good at it, but sure am a lot better (Praise the Lord). I
went through a course on "Love Languages" that helped immensely to
understand how I can make other people feel comfortable and
appreciated. It was amazing how people's perception of me changed as I
learned this stuff. (You probably see people to whom this comes
naturally.)

Funny Story:
My youth group went to a Hockey game and invited lots of friends. I
decided it was a perfect time to try out something new I'd learned in
building relationships. People, in general, like to hear there name so
I focused on saying the name of a girl that was invited as I talked to
her as much as possible. Looking back on the night, I realized I had
over-done it and she never came back. I must have said her name 20% of
the time. That can scare someone pretty bad. I've refined that skill
since then.

Reform from within! Make your goal sharing Christ first, Linux will
follow.

JSR/