L. Wayne Denton 's Blog

Jason Crouch for President! Write him into office.

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:44:33 -0500

I don't know about the rest of you, but I found out by accident just recently that Jason Crouch may have not been completely up front with us. Seems that he might have a hidden life that will soon be on the news headlines all across the country.

Jason Crouch for President 2008

Would you be as surprised as I was after seeing a news clip like this about one of our own? I find the thought absolutely captivating and could not recommend one better for the position. At least it would give us a chance to have a candidate worth talking about.

Click on the news to view the latest.

You and I all know we don't really have enough choice in this election and could use something to boost the moral of this country and in doing that to kick start our markets into a higher gear. Everyone knows that Jason has the best considerations for his market in mind. If we write him in this November, all of our markets would stand a greater chance of moving upward and expanding outward.

Can you agree with me that Jason is a great candidate, whether it is for husband, father, friend, employer, or President?

Do you, and why would we, bow down?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:53:26 -0500

For years I have wondered why it is we as human beings would bow down to anything. After looking at diifferent things, one thig stays in the forefront of thought. Bowing down to anything is a form of respect and adoration to that thing.

Is it the television?

Is it the power of the $dollar$?

Is it food and drink?

Is it a god or idol?

Is it something that controls and consumes our entire being and life?

Is it being number 1?

Or maybe, hopefully, is it to the one and only God?

To give you an idea as to what this can look like, here is a video and song that describes some of it.

For years I thought it was something like these things that enticed us to physically, mentally, or spiritually get down on our knees and bow our head toward what we decided to worship at the time. I found out why we think this way.

For just about as long as humankind has been on earth, there has been some one who demanded our loyality, respect, service, etc. who has caused us to present ourself to their will and command. What has that always looked like, even in our modern civalized society today?

Picture a king, ruler, master, overseer, however you may call the one who controls you thoughts and actions, as standing in front of you as you present yourself on your knees with your head bowed down. Think about what part of yourself that, in that position, could be a threat to the one over you.

You can't walk away, you can't kick out, you can't swing an arm, you can't stare, your voice would be muffled, but most of all you have opened you neck up to that one and if that one would choose to, you are giving permission to that one to take your head and your life.

For any of the things above, there is only one we should even consider bowing down to. That is the one true and holy God. If we willingly present ourself before Him, putting ourself at His mercy, He is the only one who can tell us to stand up and come to Him. Our God promises that if we choose to give ourself to Him through His Son, we will be free for eternity.

I am glad our God is a loving God who cares for each of us individually and knows each of us by name.

He is an awesome God and always be.

Are we back in business again?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:18:25 -0500

I don't know about the rest of you, but I logged on to my main email account just a minute ago and there were about 30 emails via Active Rain saying that emails that had been sent out through the AR email system had not been deliverable.

I was getting paranoid about no one replying to my emails and was wondering if I had stepped on too many toes. Most of the things I post are very positive and I wondered what might be going on.

As it looks, there may have been a problem with the change in servers and such and I hope that it is resolved now and we can share either through posts, comments, or email within the system.

Has anyone else experienced the same issues?

If so, please let me know so I can get this thing figured out.

Liz Moras

David Lelak

Sharon Young

Richard Weisser

Lisa Lambert

Tamara Perlman

Jesse Clifton

Nicholas Goglucci

Bob Cumiskey

Todd Clark

To all of the above, I had sent emails to all of you and some more than a couple times. If you felt I was not around, there was reason but bottom line is it didn't work. I make my apology to you publically and will attempt to tell you individually as we walk in the rain.

This whole family is great and I want to continue to build it to the best it can be.

Please let me know (as some of you who have been here longer) if you see ways to improve my presence here.

Tribble Mill Park in Gwinnett County Georgia

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:53:14 -0500

If you have never been to one of Gwinnett Counties local parks, yoiu are missing out on a great time.

The entrance to the park shows up after you turn off New Hope Road. The park is 800 acres of lakes, woods, walking trails, horse trails, fishing docks, playgrounds, picnic pavillions, plenty of space for playing all kinds of games, and during the summer they have movie nights like going to a theater out doors. Bring you blanket and snacks and watch a movie. Fun, Fun, Fun

Fishing docks can be used to fish or just enjoy the lake.

The main walking trail follows the lake and has easy access from the main road into the park. It is paved and extends for just over 3 miles. The other trails are natural and are dirt mostly going through wooded areas.

Playgrounds, picnic pavillions, public toilets with plenty of open space for games and gatherings along the edgeo of the lake. Movie night area is just around the corner. It starts at about 8:30 pm with snacks and drinks for sale before the movie starts.

While you are in the area, stop across the street at Great River at Tribble Mill and pick out a new home so you can walk to the park and when you come back across the street stop in at the swimming pool for the rest of the evening.

Do you have an answer to "How Big is God?"

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:19:47 -0500

Some 40 + years ago I heard a song that has stayed in my heart, soul and mind that I hope to never forget. The song is originally written by Stuart Hamblin and speaks to so many questions we are willing to ask as children but as we "mature" we choose not to ask such "foolish" questions. It really makes me realize why it is that God teaches us that having the faith like a child is so much closer to where He desires His children to be. The song Stuart Hamblin wrote asks the question, and is named, "How Big is God?"

I am putting a link to a video with some of the same questions I still find running through my mind as I remember what this song started so many years ago.

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=478271

Can you answer that question with a mind that, typically (so we are told), will only use 4 to 10 % of the capacity at any given time. We are told that Albert Einstein at his best would only have used 10%. How will describe a God who designed and built (again, human terms) a universe with at least 50,000,000,000 (that's 50 billion) galaxies (each with more stars than we can comprehend) in it.

Did He disign more than one universe and if so, are there 50 billion universes? I love the way the song describes our Father for us th be able to have a feeble idea of what He is for each of us as an individual.

I hope this song will become a part of your being the way it has mine and know that if I could have found the original recording, you would have a much better chance of retaining it. I will print out the words as well so your can read them while the group sings it.

With that said, enjoy what God says to you and share that with some one else every day.

Though men may strive to go beyond the reach of space
To crawl beyond the distant shining stars
This world's a room so small within my Master's house --
The open sky but a portion of his yard.

How big is God, how big and wide His vast domain?
To try to tell these lips can only start
He's big enough to rule this mighty universe
Yet small enough to live within my heart.

As autumn chill may cause the tiny seed to fall...
To lie asleep till waked by summer's rain
The heart grown cold will warm and throb with life anew
The Master's touch will bring the glow again.

How big is God, how big and wide His vast domain?
To try to tell these lips can only start
He's big enough to rule this mighty universe
Yet small enough to live within my heart.

Will our "MOST Positive Experience" show up in our business and the people we meet?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:50:01 -0500

What is it about being positive that allows you to see positive things about other people?

After thinking about thie idea of being positive and inspiring in the way we live our lives, I was reminded about a couple of co-workers that I "knew" would like to be around each other. You see, they worked for different companies and yet were in the same business, real estate agents. I had met each of them seperately and because of their positive way of considering other people, I really enjoyed being around them.

After working with them on a couple of deals and listening to others comment on how they enjoyed being around them, I did something I didn't think I would ever do, I introduced them to each other (only after asking them if it would be OK to do that). They both thought I was crazy, but being the people they are (or maybe, in the beginning, to just humor me) they both agreed to meet the other. I had pointed out the positive things about the other to each of them so, I believe, they went into the introduction believieng the person they would meet would be a "good" person. Little did I know what might happen as a result. (I am putting the video in because there is a guy who does not have a positive attitude and sees the result).

After the introductions were accomplished, I slowly moved out of the picture so they would have a chance to be the people they are. The initial meeting only lasted about an hour in which thye were not in a place where they were alone (at a party) yet if you would ask them today, they would not be able to tell you the name of any one else who was there even though the others there were co-workers as well.

I contacted them later the next week as I wanted to find out if I had been crazy or not "ONLY" to find out that they were together and had been in one form or another since they had met. Over a period of about 8 months, they probably missed seeing each other only two or three days. They are now quite happily married and are having (in their words) "more fun than they would have ever imagined".

You see both of these individuals had been through some really tough times both mentally and Spiritually and felt that they would never be able to enjoy life completely. One of the things that drew mw to them was the fact that they both had expressed a deep desire to find a peace in their life and a way to share their pursuit of the God they believed in together with some one.

You see, I know beyond any doubt that we all have a chance to experience a very positive life and that if we look for it and allow others to share in our quest, we will experience a wealth of happiness. I have not attempted this again, not because I think that it might not work again, but because I have not run into any two that are searching for the same things together.

So many times we try to force things to happen and end up falling way short of what we were looking for whether it be in our businesses or in the relationships we develope with other people. If we step back to see the bigger picture sometimes we find out there is another one looking at the same picture from a little different angle. You see we all see the same sunrise each day, yet because we see it from where we are we don't realize that everyone else has a different view of it. Then we have a chance to share our view and complete a better picture of it.

I will share a sunrise with anyone who wants to get up early enough to watch it with me. Remember to see if you can find all the colors of the rainbow in the next sunrise. They really are all there if you get up early enough and take the time to watch all of it. Thank you for allowing me to share some of my life with you.

How will you Honor "Flag Day" June 14, 2008?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:36:10 -0500

I am proud of our flag and know you are as well. Below is some of the information about our flag and the day we should celebrate it for what it stands for. After the information, I have copied a link to a video with a good song about our flag and what it means to us as nation. Stand with me tomorrow as we honor our flag. I will display one at my home and at the place I work. I challenge you to do the same and teach our children why this means so much to us.

Flag Day
When : Always June 14th

Flag Day, is a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers and makers. Our flag is representative of our independence and our unity as a nation.....one nation, under God, indivisible. Our flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans. Many people have died protecting it. It even stands proudly on the surface of the moon.

As Americans, we have every right to be proud of our culture, our nation, and our flag. So raise the flag today and every day with pride!

Properly Display Our Flag

There is a right way and a wrong way to display the flag. The American flag should be held in the highest of regards. It represents our nation and the many people who gave their lives for our country and our flag. Here are the basics on displaying the American flag:

The flag is normally flown from sunrise to sunset.

In the morning, raise the flag briskly. At sunset, lower it slowly. Always, raise and lower it ceremoniously.

The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it.

The flag should not be flown in the rain or inclement weather.

After a tragedy or death, the flag is flown at half staff for 30 days. It's called "half staff" on land ,and "half mast" on a ship.

When flown vertically on a pole, the stars and blue field , or "union", is at the top and at the end of the pole (away from your house).

The American flag is always flown at the top of the pole. Your state flag and other flags fly below it.

The union is always on top. When displayed in print, the stars and blue field are always on the left.

Never let your flag touch the ground, never...period.

Fold your flag when storing. Don't just stuff it in a drawer or box.

When your flag is old and has seen better days, it is time to retire it. Old flags should be burned or buried. Please do not throw it in the trash.

Did you Know? There is a very special ceremony for retiring the flag by burning it. It is a ceremony everyone should see.Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis. If you have an old flag, give it to them. And, attend the ceremony.
http://www.oldbluewebdesigns.com/raggedoldflag.htm

Do you still have a Hero?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:53:37 -0500

I sat there this morning vbeing challenged to see if I really had a hero worth actually being a hero.

The first one that popped into my brain was Superman, of course.

Of course, he could not really be a hero as he can be destroyed by Kryptonite and they keep changing what he really looks like. Yes, he does stand for Justice and doing things right, but he always leaves you hanging waiting for the next battle.

Let see. Then, being a guy, Wonder Woman popped into place.

Could she really be a hero to a guy? No, she just looked good until she got into that invisible plane and you never knew where she might pop up. She had a bunch of sisters, if I remember correctly, but never figured out about her dad. She had a nice bracelet that could deflect "real" bullets, but what if it didn't hit the bracelet? She also keeps getting the image changed as if they have to keep updating her to stay real.

Then, of course, you might say Batman and Robin.

Notice I said You might say Batman and Robin. I really never thought of them as hero materials when they had to shout "bang, pow, zap, hit, boing" and stuff like that. Seemed like the only things he fought (always after dark) were people like the "Joker", "Penguin" and the sort. They were just guys who wanted a way to fight without people knowing who they were.

There were others like the Justice League, Flash, Hulk, etc., etc. but none of them were ever really real.

Then I cheated and remembered where I was sitting at the time and realized the only hero that has not changed since he arrived on earth was.........

Yeah, you got it, Jesus Christ.

Here's why He is our only choice as a true hero. He has lived for over 2000 years without changing. He has been caught, put in prison, beaten, mocked, hung up on a cross with nails through His hands and feet, stabbed in the side, pronounced dead, stuck in a tomb (grave) and left to rot. His father decided He had had enough and after 3 days cleaned Him up, gave Him back the original body from Heaven, and told Him He could laugh at the Devil all He wanted to because Dad showed the Devil who had the greatest power.

How do I know He is my Hero? I can prove what lives within my heart and it makes me want to tell everyone about "my hero" so they can see the only true hero around. I make a choice every day to live my life as close to the life of my Hero as possible, human though I am. He forgives me when I stumble but will not let me fall. The only time I am allowed to get on my knees is when I really want to spend time with Him and His Dad.

So, can you claim the only Hero around? If you can, then we are family. If you haven't yet, you can ask Him to come live with you and He will and if you have questions, ask one of us who call ourselves Christian.

Great River at Tribble Mill, the pool is open and school's out.

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:09:47 -0500

Summer has started. School is out and the fun begins (only if you live here or decide to purchase here).

The tennis courts are busy, the pool is open, the basketball court is available and the club house is waiting for the party.

Why are you not already here?

Summer has turned hot and the pool is waiting to cool you down. An umbrella fountain for the little ones, enough lounge chairs for the tanners and sleepers, enough water space to get really wet without bumping into everyone.

Not interested yet?

Six complete tennis courts for tournaments, for practice, for just having fun.

Oh, I see the word fun intrigues you a little.

Tennis to the left, tennis and basketball to the rear, tennis to the right, pool and club house front and center with enough parking for everyone.

Make an offer on the Model Home and you will have a nice corner lot across the street from all the fun!

Model home on a full basement, lots of hardwood, granite counter tops, ceramic tinle in all bathrooms including around the showers, large master upstairs with three other bedrooms. One full bedroom and full bath on the main floor, formal living and dining rooms and family room with fireplace and built-in bookshelves.

Model Home is fully landscaped with sod front and back and flowers ready to pick.

Have you made your mind up to be home yet?

Come visit us and bring an offer on this great home or any of the other in the community. We are across New Hope Road from the entrance to one of Gwinnett Counties largest public parks called Tribble Mill. Travel east from Lawrenceville about 4 miles turning left into Great River about 1/4 mile past the intersection of New Hope Road and Bramblett Shoals Road.

Things that remind us how we are to conduct business.

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:22:30 -0500

As I sat down today thinking about what it is that makes this business a good place to be, I wondered what things remind us of how we conduct our business in a world that seems to be growing more bent on being dishonest, walking over other people to get what "I" want without regard to another's feelings.

We look around at places meant to focus towards business ethics. Places like our courthouses, monuments, older government buildings, where the display of Laws such as the "Ten Commandemnts" are prominent. Places like church buildings that display signs and quotes how to treat our fellow beings. It might be the big black and white billboards we have seen displayed over the last few years with questions asking us what, why, who, when, how and signed God.

Does the business we are in demand that we treat people equally, that we respect their desires, that we are honest, and that we work with integrity? I am certain that if we are true to these principles we have been raised with, we will make a difference in our markets. Some of these principles show up in other ways like they did for me today.

While doing some research for some documentation I needed for a client, I came a cross a web site that intrigued me as I love to read if I have any spare time. The web site is hosted by Google and can be found by clicking here: http://books.google.com/

Sometimes I like to look at books that are out of print yet have a hard time finding more than just the title or a very short review. Googles site has books linked as e-books where you can, if you dig enough, read or print the book in it's completeness as they have either never been copywrited or have been long enough on the market to have the copywrite time frame finished.

One such book showed up today while I was searching and thinking about the integrity of our business and wanted to share it with you. It is a book written in 1897 by Charles M. Sheldon and is titled "In His Steps" and asks a simple question as to how you will conduct your life and was written to challenge a town to follow the answer to that simple question, which in fact, changed the whole town. The question, throughout this book, is answered into our business and daily life with respect and integrity.

The question is simply "What would Jesus do?"

If we would ask this question at every point of decision, we would find that our business would be trusted and respected as well.

I have not learned how to attach the "pdf" file in a post yet so if you would like a way to look at it easily, for now, email me at lwdenton@comcast.net and I will send the file via email. It is really a great book that challenges us to make choices with respect and integrity.

Gwinnett County Georgia Baseball is over.

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:13:28 -0500

Well that about says it all. Little league baseball is over for the most of the county. My son played for the first time this year on a team that had never been before. His school had never fielded a Middle School team until this year. They played in a league with 11 other school in the area. About half of the kids on his team had never played either.

The next thing we know we have a coach who had played for the Florida Marlins whose son wanted to play ball. His father, Timm Balter, had moved into the area about a year ago and works as a Gwinnett County Sheriff. He talks the school into allowing the team to compete, gets help from the booster club to purchase full uniforms, including batting helmets, for each player. They had tryouts and ended up with 12 players from the ages of 11-13.

For my son, he was awarded the coaches award for strength of Christian Character and a lot of fun.

Season started with a tie on their first game. Of course you might think it went down from there. NOT!!!!

The team ended the regular season 10-1-1.

At first the were not going to be allowed to play end of season tournament because they figured the team had been stacked. Finally agreed to let them play and play they did. Covenant Cougars from Loganville, Georgia ended the tournament undefeated taking the winning trophy back to the school.

Quite an impressive first season with everybody against them except the coach and the parents.

Gwinnett County schools are the best in the state and are expanding because of the growth in the area.

Don't you want your children to join a winning team? Come visit us and see. We'll find your dream home and your dream team. Don't get left out.

Do You Listen to Talk Radio?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:51:24 -0500

Listening to talk radio can put ideas out on the waters oif the mind like nothing else. When I am in the vehicle traveling, I listen to WSB AM 750. It happens to be either #1 or #2 in coverage and power in the eastern United States. It has been around long enough to only have 3 call letters instead of the normal 4 most stations use today. Also unusual that is has the coverage and not be FM.

Last night I was listening to the Herman Cain Show during the 7:00 to 10:00 PM time frame and enjoying listening to someone call us to task about what is going on in our country today.

Herman (who is a successful businessman and has run for the govenor position in Georgia) was discussing the fact that we have so many people today who do not take responsibility for anything and used a quote from his grandfather that really struck a chord. It made me realize that we, in the real estate industry, should take responsibility for what happens in our markets today. The quote goes like this (and I am not sure I was able to write it down in it's completeness):

"Them that's going, get on the wagon. Them that ain't, get out of the way."

His use of the quote leads us to so many rabbit trails that we can persue, that anyone of them would make a great discussion point. Some of the ones he persues are: electing leaders who challenge us to work and take responsibilty for what we choose to do, persuing the Fair Tax Plan as proposed by John Linder and written in a book by Neal Boortz (a lawyer turned talk radio host on WSB), looking to reestablish the constitution to it's original use and meaning, etc.

What got me to thinking was that as we participate in our markets individually, we should be the ones getting on the wagon to go to town to tell our clients that "Yes, we do have a handle on their market." in a very positive way and not be the ones standing in the way spouting doom and gloom keeping the wagon (our markets) from moving.

If we stand in front of our clients and tell them, positively, that their market is great right now and they should take advantage of the number of house to be purchased at great prices and interest rates that are as low as they will probably be, we will make the difference in what happens over the next 6 months to a year. That way we won't have to wait for the change in politics or the government doling out unearned money to those who don't deserve it.

One of the best wagons I have climbed aboard is the Fair Tax Plan. It wuld mean more money in the take home pay of everyone in the system, do away with some of the federal government, lowering the necessity for groups like the IRS, individuals and businesses not having to file tax returns, etc. I am on board and would challenge all of us to find your market wagon to go to town on and while you are going, shout from the height of the wagon the positive things about your market.

To say thank you to BARBARA RIES.

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:47:36 -0500

Is there any other way to say thank you to someone who has made you smile than by telling as many others about them as you possibly can? That is what this post is about. You see since I have been allowed into this family there are some who have made differences for me. Some that come to mind are:

Jason Crouch

Liz Moras

Pete Rondello, Sr.

Steve Homer

These are just a few of you who have made the choice to participate with me in many ways, some of which you may never realize. I know it is not proper to list some and not all, but as I am here some of the names escape my memory at this point.

To those who I have failed to remember properly, I say thank you as well.

Even though all of you have made differences, one who has made me smile and sing (be glad you are not in audible range) has been one who I have not met formally, even Rain style.

BARBARA RIES the posts you have sent have touched a place I crave to have touched all the time. Please don't ever stop being who you are and being a part of this family. I am taking this time to share some of the things that make me smile with Barbara and all the rest of the family who wants to click on the links below. Enjoy your day and realize if we can remain positive and share that feeling we will make a difference in our markets.

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/dare-diff.php

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/true-freedom.php

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/give-wind.php

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/beauty-tips.php

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/u-so-blessed.php

This one's for Debra A. Brooks, Texas Waterfront Specialist

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:34:19 -0500

Deb was kind enough to listen to a still small voice after reading one of my post and attached a picture of A Black Eyed Susan in her comment. It came at a special time for me as I had planted (for the first time ever) some Black Eyed Susans in my flower garden. Well guess what, mine finally bloomed and it stood up proud and tall in front of some daisies and I wanted to share them back to her as well as all.

I believe if we are positive about shareing the good things with our family we can make the difference as to how the public will look at us for the answers they want to hear. Answers like:

now is a great time to go find your dream home,

mortgage rates are probably as low as they will go,

there are great deals to be made,

summer is here and the pools are open in that swim/tennis community you have your eye on,

etc., etc., etc.,

It is up to us to make that difference by listening to those voices in front of us and being able to positively answer their questions.

Deb answered a question for me she didn't realize she was answering when she attached her Black Eyed Susan.

So, Deb, this ones for you. Enjoy as I am. And a very big THANK YOU.

89,310 Members currently. What day will we become 90,000?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:42:22 -0500

Well, guess what? We started this with 88,910 about a week ago. We saw the numbers go down instead of up. We saw the numbers stay at 88,432 for a good while. Now we see the number at 89,310 where it has been for a day or two. Did we decide to mess the game up or is there a valid reason for what's happening?

If any one wants to change their qualified strategy to a WAG (Wild A-- Guess) so it really becomes more fun, have at it. Maybe we can really mess with some minds and while doing so, really have a little more fun sharing ideas.

So there you are waiting patiently for the numbers to zoom up to 90,000. You will have to stick with the original choice (in which case a couple have already missed) or you can adjust your choice to a WAG.

This is where we stand as of 9:40 PM EST. Go get them!!!!

Qkay, here goes the responses so far, so thank you in advance for staying with it. Remember you can make a difference by getting more to join quicker to give yourself and edge. Let's have a lot of fun and smile everyday.

Jimmy McCall--May 31, 2008 6:00 PM 90,000 Sept. 8, 2008 8:38 AM

Susan Hilton--June 27, 2008

Chuck Carstensen--May 28, 2008 6:00 PM

Michael Thornton--I agree with your thoughts

Joyce Bradley--We are a very busy community

Rick Belben--June 1, 2008 8:05 PM You will get a shout of congratulations over the AR network.

Frank Rubi--June 16, 2008

Julie Chapman--June 2, 2008 2:25 PM We'll send your winnings via AR network.

Robert L. Brown--June 2, 2008

Duane Marlink--May 27, 2008 6:00 PM

Roberta LaRocca--Enjoy sitting back, watching, relaxing, and enjoying the family.

Jason Crouch--June 1, 2008 5:00 PM

Julie Neerings--June 1, 2008 10:05 AM

David Lelak--May 31, 2008 8:57 PM

James Jeter--May 26, 2008 4:00 to 5:00 PM

Kathy Carson--May 29, 2008 5:30 PM

I have adjusted everybody's times to Eastern Daylight Time. Let me know if I didn't figure correctly.

Can you stand up to say thank you?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:34:11 -0500

These are two of the important things in my life. God is number one and I am proud to say I would share Him with you. As we in the real estate industry work to assist people to follow dreams of owning their own home, we do so because there are people serving in our military to protect the freedoms we use.

This post goes out to everyone with one thought in mind, to stand up and say thank you for those who are currently serving, those who have served, and those who have died serving. Without these people we would not be able to freely discuss, work, play, or worship.

My first thank you goes out to my father and brother who have served willingly then to each one I come into contact with either in person or over the internet.

Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

One of the ways I choose to do this is to post three videos that will say it for me.

The first one is Lee Greenwood singing about being proud to be an American

The second one is The Star Spangled Banner as sung by Texas' own Cactus Cuties

The third one is a tribute in song and pictures with the song sung by Aaron Tippin

Please acknowledge these people in any way you can to tell them THANK YOU!

Kathy McGraw ~ Calif Broker reaches out for all of us with dreams

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Sat, 24 May 2008 14:09:04 -0500

Earlier today, I read a post from Kathy McGraw ~ Calif Broker that talked about following our dreams. I could not get the post off my mind and decided to take what she reached out with and send this back to her as well as everyone else whose dreams may not be there yet or who has put their dreams on hold for a while.

Kathy McGraw ~ Calif Broker This is especially for you and thank you for the dreams and memories of other dreams.

The Impossible Dream

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

So many of us walk through life with dreams that never seem to come true. We keep them hidden in our hearts and don't share them with anyone and when I saw that Kathy had decided to share a couple of hers, made my heart ache for the courage it took for her to open up to her family. So with that said and the words written out that I have carried since graduation from high school, here is the audio version done so well at the 57th Tony Awards a couple of years ago.

Enjoy and share your dreams because they will come true if you believe in them.

Do we take the chance to grow as a family or destroy ourselves?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:35:22 -0500

Right now this is the 4th time I have tried to post this and am wondering if there might be something to some of what I have read along the lines of who gets what done here.

I am not concerned with Bill as I never met him, read blogs or anything else. I do know why we have the freedom today to believe what we believe and say what we want. Our fore fathers fought for it and our country still fights for our freedoms. The problems are that too many feel if their way of free speech is spoken about then that opinion should be shut down. I don't agree 100% with anybody including my wife and we still make the choice to stay together. Have the chance to discuss an opinion will not usually change anybody's opinion, but it helps us to get an idea what makes someone tick.

I have no idea what was said or done. I do know that some of the ones involved in this discussion have been kind to me as I have grown into the family. Have you ever known a family that did not have squabbles? I was raised to not let the sun go down on a problem, to confront it, work things out to a MUTUAL agreement where both sides concede the other has a choice to say what they think.

Most of the time when I find something that I say or do that offends someone, I make the choice to stay away from that subject when they are around. I also know when I find someone who I disagree with, I normally will attempt to stay away from them. That keeps us from having to confront the others issues.

The thing I see in this squabble is that it feels like someone is trying to come out on top regardless of who might get hurt. I would think a reminder of a book that was published years ago would be an appropriate read for this situation. "1984 by George Orwell" discusses life where one group dictates to the rest of society what they can do, what they think, etc.

You can view a summary of it through this link: http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/

I would love to have a family that learns that nobody agrees on everything and continues to move forward. This kind of thing will soon take this family to civil war and we all know what that created. Let's grow up and agree to disagree, shake hands, and each go our own way.

Or maybe we don't want Active Rain to become the best of the best on the world wide web.

How does your spring smile on you?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:39:22 -0500

I have been enjoying the time spent with my new family and had a question for you.

How does your spring smile on you? I would like to hear or see from you what makes your smile show up during the spring. Is it flowers, family, friends, pets, contracts, beaches, mountains, lakes, rivers, or anything else. You see, to me there is nothing better than a good smile to share with others.

Here are a few to get us smiling. Please really enjoy!!!!

Okay, so it is a crazy one. Smile, please.

Okay, so this is one of my hobbies and you maybe can even see my handlebars in this one. Smile.

So, maybe this could be (and very possibly should be) home. Smile, please.

If we want to work with all kinds of people, we have to be willing to listen to everyone and this one makes me smile every day.

Let's share as many smiles with each other everyday. We can make a difference in our market.

88,910 Members currently. What day will we become 90,000?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:50:27 -0500

I am impressed with the growth of our family and thought it would be fun to see if anyone could determine the day we turn 90,000. I would not have clue as to how to predict with any accuracy, but I know some of this family could probably do it in their sleep.

So here is the callenge, guess the day and if you want to narrow it down, then put the time of day in. I will try to keep track of things and when 90,000 hits, I will let everyone know who chose correctly.

You also know, as I have so many times in comments and posts, if we decide to, we can make things happen. So the next part of the challenge would be to take a chance and invite more of your counterparts and have an impact on the outcome of when 90,000 occurs.

How many other companies, co-workers, friends, and others could we bring to this family if we put our collective mind to work?

So I will be the first with a WAG. June 14, 2008.

Many Thanks to Nancy Nevins

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:19:40 -0500

I take this time to thank a woman I have not yet met except over the phone. Nancy Nevins is a Re/Max owner/broker in Waukee, Iowa who knows how to work and works to make things happen. I had the honor to meet Nancy as I needed to refer a client with a home to sell in her area. I went through our Re/Max referral system and picked Nancy as a result of what I read about her and her husband's business. Having done my homework (checking through Active Rain and sending some specific emails to AR people in that area and not getting a response) made it possible for me to call Nancy direct.

After the first discussion and Nancy saying she would happily accept a referral, especially as she knew the area well, we decided to do the paperwork. I emailed Nancy with the information about the clients and their home, Nancy went to work immediately. I let the clients know that I had found the best agent for them to work with as they had requested and they said they were leaving the next Thursday to meet with her. We talked and I let her know thye were coming.

A little over a week later, having not heard how things had gone with the clients, Nancy and I talked only to find out that the clients had probably only used Nancy to get competitive pricing and had chosen another agent from another company. Nancy had spent time getting ready for them, taking pictures of the home, CMA for the area, made up presentation package, etc. only to find out she had wasted her time over Mother's Day weekend.

So, I take this time to formally say to Nancy how sorry for the way things occured. I also want to say to our family here that if anyone knows Nancy or the area, give Nancy a call to say thank you for her work and invite her to join Active Rain. She is our kind of people. I sent an invitation but Nancy may not have known what we are about. Her contact information is below:

Nancy J. Nevins

Re/Max West Realty

204 Highway 6

Waukee, Iowa 50263

515-987-8000 Office

515-987-3185 Fax

westofdesmoines@aol.com

www.westofdesmoines.com

Nancy has not shown anything that might be construed unhappiness with what happened. She conducted herself completely professionally. Nancy is the kind of professional we need to assist in keeping Active Rain a viable source to search out.

My thanks to a really great REALTOR we would like to keep in touch with.

As an Eagle soars, it says "You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings"

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:43:38 -0500

I seems funny that I would get the notice about the new contest from Inspired by Song just a few minutes ago. You see I believe God does not have coincidences in our lives. I have just finished talking with my best friend, Jim, who I look to as my biggest HERO living on earth. There is a story that leads up to the acknowledgement of God's presence in everyday events.

Many years ago, Jim, about 40 other people and myself had accomplished the finalization of nearly 9 months intensive training geared toward allowing us to realize why we are made to be the way we are. Many people quit during the first couple days as they could not or did not want to look into who they really were. I had the honor of being able to choose a song that described this best of friends. We were all asked to pick someone within the group to honor and we were not allowed to discuss our choice with anyone but the training instructors.

We came to what would be our final gathering of that group during training and it was like graduation day. We were glad to be done yet filled with trepidation at not seeing everyone together again. Each one of were called to the front to accept the recognition of completion and given our life song to take us into the next phase. I was the second to last to be recognized and had already seen Jim stand for his song. His song was the one I had selected for him and I could hardly watch as it brought tears to his eyes as he searched out my eyes. You see I had told him many times before that he was my HERO.

Little did I realize that some of the tears resulted from the choice he had made for my song. Jim, regardless of being 7 years younger than I has always been my hero here. I have had times that he sensed something out of sorts where he would show up to give me a hug, or maybe send a package with just what was needed, or maybe a call when I was desperate, needing someone to lean on. Jim had never figured out how, being younger, he could fill the role of HERO. During the course of the training, things were revealed about ourselves but also about others who finished.

When I stood in front of the group to hear my song, the most aweinspiring event shook the room as realization numbed, not just Jim and I, but the entire group. You see, we had picked the same song for each other and it had never happened in the history of the training. The instructors called Jim to stand with me and surrounded us with what has been our song for close to 15 years. When we hear the song played, we call to say hello to that special HERO that only God can create for each one of us. So many people don't get to know their HERO truly and go through life without hearing their song.

So here is my, OUR, Theme Song: The Wind Beneath My Wings with a video that speaks to some other HEROs all of us should honor.

Do you like to see proof?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:44:07 -0500

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4&feature=related

I don't know if this will work or not, but the only way to find out is to try it. This incredible video (that is supposed to be linked above) is of a man named Louie Giglio as he describes a chance meeting with a molecular biologist as it is given in a talk at the winding down of the Chris Tomlin "How Great is Our God" tour recently in Tyler, Texas.

It is 8:44 minutes long but well worth the time to watch and listen.

This will absolutely blow you away and will make even scientiststhink about the presence of God in everything about life. I really get excited as God reveals Himself to us through the scientific examples we have at our disposal.

How can anyone not believe that God is real and designed us with a smile on His face, thinking "Just wait till thye find this little snippet of proof about who designed them?"

You can Google the word Laminin to see bigger pictures of what is being discussed and shown in the video.

Just as when we go searching God out, He reveals Himself to us, whe we decide to be positive and share that with our world, our world becomes more positive.

I don't know who said this first but it is more true today than we realize:

"Smile and the whole world smiles with you!"

Do you get a chance to watch movies?

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:50:25 -0500

I was wondering what you do when there is a break in the phone calls and it is 11:00 PM and you want to relax. I find a movie to watch and relax before I go to bed. I watched a movie the other night that didn't really peak my interest until I had actually started it. I decided to watch based on the cast: Robert Redford, Merryl Streep, Tome Cruise.

The movie is "Lions for Lambs" and ended up with, what I think is a real good plot and story line.

Well I was going to get this image to you so you had an idea of looks if you were interested. Somehow the image got reversed during the scan. I am sure there are plenty of you out there who would be able to fix it with a few key strokes. I am not one of them YET.

The story is very up to date regarding current events with some action, some language. Robert Redford produced the movie himself and with his own company. It is a study about how three completely different people affect two young men who have made choices that many of us have had to make.

I don't know if it is politically correct or not, but the acting is very well done and that is what worked best for me.

Sorry about the reverse image.

The Gifts of Appreciation Contest

L. Wayne Denton I HAVE A HANDLE ON YOUR MARKET! ! ! ( Magnolia Signature Homes) — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:25:56 -0500

We were told that we might pick someone or maybe somethree to say thank you to during this contest. Altough there are s many of you in this family who have made the difference to the way I have been granted access to it, there is one who says who and what she is with the same quality the jingle of a song will stick with you.

I would like to take this moment to acknowledge Dorene Shirley Silicon Valley Real Estate

These two pictures explain why it is that Dorene is such a wonderful person to be around. How do you say thank you to a person who puts herself out to the family asking for support for hewrself by caring and sharing about another person.

On May 1, 2008 Dorene woke us up to the fact that she was struggling through some stuff, Did she moan and groan or cry? She took the time to lift up the smiles for the rest of us by telling us a joke about a lady with a coat hanger. (Go find it in her posts if you want to smile with the rest of us.)

She ended the post with the following statement: Is - GOD GOOD - or what!?

Any time anyone can look up for help, knowing where true help comes from, will always reach out to be helpful to others. She posted a question to the family that really took my heart about helping young ladies take steps leading down the positive side of life's road. When you search out knowledge to be able to give something to someone else, your heart is truly in God's wonderful embrace.

So with that said, the suggestion (with a lot of encouragement) says to acknowledge Dorene in some special way.