As we approach Easter week and after hearing stories of redemption I was reflecting on one of my many career choices that I made that had so much promise.

Several years ago I took this job as a Branch Manager for a local mortgage company that was going public as a community bank.  The lure of a nice financial guarantee, stock options, the ability to open my own office, and hire a staff seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Everything seemed to be pointing to the plan I always wanted…

So I quit my job with a reputable bank where I was flourishing, and started the new career.

The first few weeks I was excited about the new products we had in development, that would allow me to compete with the likes of Countrywide and Wells Fargo.  We had identified office space in Herndon at a realtors office that would bring me new clients, and were going to market our exclusive access to alternative lending plans.  These affordable first-time home buyer loans would allow me to branch out from my normal business to attract an extended pool of prospects who could now buy properties in towns like Reston, McLean, and Vienna.  This was going to be awesome.

The COO of the bank who recruited me personally, absolutely loved me, and helped negotiate my package with the CEO and President, assuring me that I was stepping into a wonderful and credible outfit.  I was so excited about the promise.

But, the promise was not what I thought it was.  The portfolio loans in development never made it to the rate sheet, because they did not exist. The realtor who’s office I worked in wanted kick-backs, higher rent than what we negotiated and agreed to, and was frankly a crazy person who had a problem telling the truth and discerning between what was actually legal, and what was ethical.

Within 2 months, the COO who was my mentor was fired, actually kicked out in an internal power-play and I was directed to go build my business in Fauquier and Prince William County which was never part of the game plan.  It turned out what was supposed to be a promise, was a big fat lie.

Suffice it to say, this pretty much killed my career path and my annual income was cut by over two-thirds.  And after enduring 12 months of disappointment, I left for another, where I literally had to start all over.  The stock I bought and the options I had became worthless.  For months, I had to endure the pain and regret of something I did not see, and could not understand.

But isn’t that the same with all of us when face these unexpected trials?  If you are like me, its confusing, and you ask, “It wasn’t supposed to be like this, was it?”  Don’t we all have the tendency to buy into promises that never materialize?

Well, there is a parallel between these promises that we buy into, and the promise we have in the bible.  God assures us,  He has something more for us, even though we can’t see it or feel it at the time.

Jesus talks about “the Kingdom of God” yet what his followers experienced was far from heaven on earth.  That first Easter weekend looked nothing like the promise Jesus spoke about.  But the story wasn’t over…it was only just beginning.

Come on out this Wednesday and hear author Gavin Long discuss how God set his redemptive process in motion. He promised a coming King and a Kingdom that would never end. But that journey rarely looks like we expect to look like…

But in time, it makes a dramatic impact in our lives…

Come find out how…

Invest and Invite

pat

Pat Mancuso
patmancuso@mac.com
(703) 401-8302
FUEL
See our Blog at: https://menoffuel.com/blog

“It’s what you need to keep you going…”

Our mission is to create a comfortable, relevant and honest environment where men can explore and discuss aspects of life, purpose and faith.

We accomplish our mission by reviewing pertinent issues in men’s lives, examining them through relevant biblical principles, followed by a time of discussion with other men.

Wednesday mornings, September through May…and beyond
6:30 AM to 7:30 AM @ Hidden Creek Country Club, Reston, VA.

http://www.hiddencreekcc.com

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Men of Fuel,

As we begin our preparations for Easter, I couldn’t help but think of the experience I go through at the end of every quarter at my job:  The death and resurrection of my deals.  A co-worker of mine has coined a mantra, which is, “A Deal is not a deal, until it has died three times.”

Just last quarter I endured this process through this complicated deal that was moving towards closure, but it died because of budget issues.  Then it was brought back to life because they figured out, after all, they did not have budget issues, and had ample room for the down payment, which could be issued as a modification to the existing order.  Deal was alive.

But the existing bank required new terms and no new terms were acceptable under the “continuing resolution” so the deal was dead.  Again.

Then we brought a new bank in and they approved the existing terms, so long as we could insert specific linking language connecting the new order to the existing order.  Both parties agreed to the language and the deal was back alive.  Again.

So on the last night of our quarter, the customer issued the draft order, and everything but a few numbers needed to be changed.  We had 2 hours left in the quarter, and it appeared the final contracts were coming.  However, that’s not how this game works.

When the contracting officer submitted the final order, correcting a few of the numbers from the draft order, she decided to remove the linking language that was approved by her, and required by the bank.  So with an hour and half to go in the quarter, the bank walked away from the deal because the language was gone.  Deal is dead, again.

This process that I am summarizing took several months, and negotiations began last year.  Hours and hours of time spent getting us to this point, and here we were 90 minutes from the deal expiration, and the bank walks away again.  This was dead. Again.

And yet, somehow (after a ton of prayer, and convincing) we were able to get it done. So, at 2:52AM—8 minutes from the deadline I was able to submit a valid order, and had a great story to tell.  But was the story great because the deal closed?  No, the story was great because it shouldn’t have closed but somehow at the 11th hour came back to life.  That’s what makes the story so great…at least for me.

Sound familiar?  Ever had something come back to life after thinking it was long gone?  Did you keep it a secret or did you tell anyone that would lend an ear?  Was it a job, a deal, or a relationship that you thought was ruined but it came back to life?

What is it about stories of resurrection that captivate us?

Why is there something that draws us to the story of things coming back to life long after we have written them off?

Isn’t that the story of Easter?  Sure we have made it about colored eggs and baked ham, but the true story of Easter is that death was overcome.  Come on out this Wednesday as we begin our three week prep for Easter with week one: Back from the dead.

Pastor Mike Minter from Reston Bible Church will share his personal insights and stories of resurrection from 35+ years of ministering in Northern Virginia and beyond.

If you ever wanted to hear stories of hope, when there was none left…of victory being snatched from the jaws of defeat, of transformation from death to life…then join us this week.

Invest, Invite…Inspire

Pat Mancuso
patmancuso@mac.com
(703) 401-8302
FUEL
See our Blog at: https://menoffuel.com/blog

“It’s what you need to keep you going…”

Our mission is to create a comfortable, relevant and honest environment where men can explore and discuss aspects of life, purpose and faith.

We accomplish our mission by reviewing pertinent issues in men’s lives, examining them through relevant biblical principles, followed by a time of discussion with other men.

Wednesday mornings, September through May…and beyond
6:30 AM to 7:30 AM @ Hidden Creek Country Club, Reston, VA.

http://www.hiddencreekcc.com

As pirates who are locked-into a continual pursuit of more, we are often blind to the impact of our actions or way of life.  Either we fail to realize the impact we are having on others or we just don’t care as the consequences of our actions negatively effect those around us.  Regardless, in the end, a “pirates life” tends to leave a wake of destruction in its path.

I know I can be an insufferable wretch when things don’t go according to my master plan, or the treasure map that I have laid out.  And my quest for MORE often means LESS for the people in my life.  My wife and kids…especially.

The pirate’s creed says, “Dead Men don’t tell tales…” but we know the truth:  all dead bodies rise to the surface and tell a story of gluttony, selfishness, and pride.  And you don’t need a forensic scientist to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

This week Dr. Bill Clark will be wrapping up our three week series “A Pirate’s life for me”.

In our first week, Mark Joseph covered “X Marks the spot” and spoke about how we think about contentment as an ‘Out there” sort of thing.  Like pirates, we believe that we can find contentment if we get to a predetermined location, or achieve a certain status.  What we learned was that the whole “X marks the spot” thing is a lie. Contentment isn’t in front of us or behind us, but instead inside of us.  The great news is we actually have the ability to “Learn” to be content in all things.

Week two, D.R. took us through “More” where we looked at how we seek to get life from something– be it a job, a higher pay grade, or relationship, and we think that once that initial feeling of life wears off all we need is “More” of whatever it is that gave us that feeling in the first place.  We looked at how God, through His prophet Jeremiah, referred to those things in our lives as a Cistern, or a container of stagnant water, while referring to Himself as “Living Water”.  As if that wasn’t bad enough, He goes on to let us know that they are “broken Cisterns, that can’t hold water.”

We can come to this conclusion about the Pirates life: It’s a lie, it’s actually the opposite of what it promotes. The X does not mark the spot, and “more” often gives us less, and judging by the discussions at the tables over the last two weeks most of us need to look no further than our own lives for confirmation.

So what can we learn from all of this?

Well come on out this week , and invite a fellow pirate as Dr. Clark closes out our series with “Dead men do tell tales.”

Invest, Invite…Inspire

pat

Pat Mancuso
patmancuso@mac.com
(703) 401-8302
FUEL
See our Blog at: https://menoffuel.com/blog

“It’s what you need to keep you going…”

Our mission is to create a comfortable, relevant and honest environment where men can explore and discuss aspects of life, purpose and faith.

We accomplish our mission by reviewing pertinent issues in men’s lives, examining them through relevant biblical principles, followed by a time of discussion with other men.

Wednesday mornings, September through May…and beyond
6:30 AM to 7:30 AM @ Hidden Creek Country Club, Reston, VA.

http://www.hiddencreekcc.com

Long before the series, “Pirates of The Caribbean” captured the hearts and imagination of mainstream America, I was living the life of a pirate: completely obsessed with my own treasure hunt and my desire to overtake whatever lay on the horizon.

There was no fear nor second thought about eternity, nor concern about what happened next; every waking moment was spent on a hedonistic pleasure quest, pillaging and going on to the next best thing.

Sure, I thought I was living nobly, even Pirates have rules…but rules weren’t for me, and I would allow nothing to get in between me and my pleasure.  Nothing else and nobody else mattered.  As long as I got my way, had fun, got paid, all was good.  That’s all that mattered.  And if I could have a few laughs while doing it, even better.

Captain Jack Sparrow is make-believe.  If Johnny Depp wants to play a real pirate, he should buy the screenplay rights to my life. A Modern Pirate.  Or Modern-Day Jack(ass) Sparrow.  Probably a better term.

My life was all about the quest for MORE.  More food, more booze, more money, more title, more power, more, more, more.  However, as we all know, even the best parties must come to an end.  The buzz wears off, the job wasn’t all they said it would be, the drinks lose their flavor, and frankly, some of the other pirates in our lives start to bug the crap out of us.

The answer; MORE.  Not saying that’s the right answer, I’m just saying that’s the pirate answer, and that’s the way I lived a large chunk of my life.

Got any other pirates out there?  Ever thought the answer was more?

Well come on out this Wednesday and bring a pirate friend as we continue with our series ‘A pirates life for me”, with part II: More.

Invest, Invite…


Pat Mancuso
patmancuso@mac.com
(703) 401-8302
FUEL
See our Blog at: https://menoffuel.com/blog

“It’s what you need to keep you going…”

Our mission is to create a comfortable, relevant and honest environment where men can explore and discuss aspects of life, purpose and faith.

We accomplish our mission by reviewing pertinent issues in men’s lives, examining them through relevant biblical principles, followed by a time of discussion with other men.

Wednesday mornings, September through May…and beyond
6:30 AM to 7:30 AM @ Hidden Creek Country Club, Reston, VA.

http://www.hiddencreekcc.com