Rick's Blog

Graduation speech from High School.

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:28:53 -0500

Sometimes, as Christians we get stuck in this mindset- The mindset that we need to obey what God's Word tells us so to the world we appear to be followers of Christ. This, my friends and fellow classmates, is the wrong reason. In the past few years I've found myself slowly falling into this same category. I obeyed because I wanted my teachers, mentors, pastors, friends and peers all to view me as a good Christian. I rarely ever considered why I needed to obey past the superficial aspect of merely carrying the Christian title. When we get to heaven, God isn't going to ask our 10^th grade English teacher if she thought we were saved or not. He will look directly at our hearts and although it may seem terrifying, he will look at the motives of our "Christian" actions as well. Next year, most of us are not going to be surrounded by people sharing our same values and beliefs. There no longer will be anyone we need to try and convince that we are godly men and women. It's just you and God now. This is when all we've learned here at Seattle Christian needs to become real. It needs to become our own. Next year, instead of trying to build us up, some of our professors will make it their mission to undermine everything we've been taught about the Christian faith. They will be rooting for us to fail. Not academically but spiritually. It's so easy to get stuck in a routine of obedience when we are surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but what happens when we're popped out of this mold? Will we keep our shape or slowly conform to our new environment? Obedience needs to come out of our love for Christ. Its motivation should not reside in appearance alone. If this is why you follow His Word, I'll tell you right now, next year you will fail spiritually. However, if you take the time to make Him your best friend, your stronghold, your guide, then your relationship will become so much more real, and obeying Him will overflow from your desire to please Him. As we embark on this new and exciting adventure, I challenge you, Class of 2009, to make God your own and remember why we are called to obedience: as a sign of our love for our Savior, Jesus Christ

My daughter wrote this speech to read to her graduating class of 2009.

To some, life is a breeze and for others it's just one head wind after the other. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:02:57 -0500

Anon
When I'm training on my bike, sometimes I will be going down a hill and the head wind is so strong that it seems as if I can't pedal hard enough, or fast enough, just to keep the bike in the upright position. This just doesn't seem fair. I worked so hard to get to the top of the hill to enjoy the ride down. When I first started riding, my good friend and trainer, Katherine, would ride behind me. Every time I would stop pedaling, she would yell "DON'T STOP PEDALING!!" Then she would add, "If you stop, you will tire faster and lose your momentum." Life is no different. You can't stop pedaling, no matter how strong the head wind becomes, if you want to finish the ride.

Have an incredible day!

Rick Huffman

Everyone has his superstitions. One of mine has always been when I started to go anywhere, or to do anything, never to trun back or to stop until the thing intended was accomplished. (Ulysses S. Grant)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:12:59 -0500

Anyone who has been watching or studying the financial picture lately realizes that things have been a little challenging in the Real Estate and Lending business. Guidelines that once changed every few weeks are now changing daily. I have been accused, in the past, of being the last person standing (or going down with the ship) during difficult situations. Some might think of thisas foolishness, but I take that as a compliment. When I give my word, I do everything in my power to keep it. Sometimes the situation hasn't always work out as I had hoped and I have, at times, taken some hits, but I always know that I gave it my best. As Ulysses S. Grant stated, I don't intend to ever look back, only to get better through life's challenges, and to move forward until I have accomplished my intended task.

Rick Huffman

"A filing cabinet is a place where things get lost alphabetically. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:57:17 -0500

My wife had me clean out our filing cabinet at home a few weeks ago. I found files dating as far back as a quarter of a century. I'm not the only one that has a problem with keeping files. I found a file of hers with all the instruction manuals foranything, and everything, that we've purchased over the last 23 years. I'm not kidding! This thing had a life of its own. It must weigh ten pounds and is about four inches thick. I found a manual to a handheld sander attachment for a drill from 1985, the year we were married! I only had that tool for about three years, but if I ever need to remember how it worked, all I have to do is read the manual, because I still have it! If you think you have lost a manual for anything you have owned in your entire life time, please feel free to call me, I'm sure we have a copy of it!

Have a great day!

Rick Huffman

Both sugar and vinegar are preservatives, so it seems to boil down to whether you want to be pickled or in a jam. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:09:57 -0500

My mother told me that my grandfather liked to eat pickles with jam on them. You would think someone with those taste buds would be all messed up! But, my grandfather had the most balance life of anyone I know, and live to be 90 years old. To preserve a quality of life, sometimes we need to mix it up to make life more interesting.

Rick Huffman

Seattle to Portland Group Health Bike Ride

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:22:40 -0500

I just signed up for my fourth STP (Seattle to Portland) ride. You can do this ride in either one or two days. I'm still at the two day pace. It is very well organized with lots of stops and beautiful scenery to look at when your riding. This event is help my Cascade Bike Club and in conjunction with Group Health. If you are interested in this event go to www.cascade.org and look up STP. This event is July 14th and 15.

"Mediocre men wait for opportunity to come to them. Strong, able, alert men go after opportunity." (B.C.Forbes)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:13:19 -0500

A mediocre person is someone who thinks everyone owes them something and waits for the something to happen. The person with a strong desire to succeed will conquer adversity, while being alert to their surroundings, and recognize many opportunities. I challenge you to look at all aspects of your life this week and see if you have overlooked any opportunities and then go after them!

Rick Huffman

"King Saul thougth Goliath was too big to fight - David thought he was too big to miss. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:18:28 -0500

Isn't it amazing how two people can be in the same arena but their expectations are vastly different. We have multiple lessons that can be learned from this. When King Saul saw Goliath, his mind became clouded with fear, not with solutions. David on the other had prepared, through prayer, in which God gave him focus. This helped him prepare for battle by selecting the perfect stones for his sling. When David approached Goliath, he saw a target that couldn't be missed. When Goliath approached David, he saw how small he was and totally underestimated his potential. He wasn't fully prepared, or focused, for the encounter and it ended up costing him his life. So remember that you should never let the size of the challenge affect your thinking. You should always be fully prepared, no matter what level of difficulty you assume it might be.

Rick Huffman

Trust your own instinct. your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's. (Billy Wilder)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:16:02 -0500

If it doesn't feel right then it probably isn't right. When you're guiding your progress, wouldn't you rather be the captain making the final decision for your own personal destination rather than leaving your fate in the hands of others. Pay attention to your instincts and believe in yourself! Your gut instinct is always the better guide.

Freedom is not the right to do as you please, but the liberty to do as we ought. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:23:21 -0500

I believe this is what the founding fathers thought when creating our constitution. Freedom does not stand for disrespecting the rights of others, it stands for the opportunity to make a positive impact. I still think we need to keep a sharp eye on our government because we know they don't always do as they ought!

Rick Huffman

"He who walks in another's tracks leaves no footprints." (Joan L. Brannon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:54:03 -0600

I lived in Alaska when I was a kid and after a good snow fall several of us would gather and have the person with the largest boots walk across a yard piled high with fresh snow. The rest of us would try to follow in their foot steps. We could usually get several across before anyone could tell any difference in the tracks. Sometimes in life you need to put on a larger pair of boots to be the one blazing the trail.

It is so much easier to tell a person what to do with his problem than to stand with him in his pain. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:27:38 -0600

Whether we like it or not, I think this economy is going to challenge us to be more active in helping our family, friends, and those in need. That is not a bad thing, it will help bring us all closer together. We as a country have pushed to far to the, me first and forget the rest. I'm not picking on the higher tax bracket people that everyone seems to like to point fingers at. I'm referring to every one of us. Believe me when I say, I always look in the mirror first. and I always find need for improvement.

All things must change to something new, to something strange. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:34:33 -0600

"Networking on the web" is getting crazy. First I signed up for Active Rain. After I did that, I found out I should be signed up on Linkedin, then Facebook, and now Twitter! WOW! Where does it end? I remember when Instant Messaging was a stretch. I liked yelling into the next room, asking for my paperwork. It was good for your lungs. Doesn't that count as exercise?

Rick Huffman

If Columbus had truned back, no one would have blamed him. No one would have remembered him either. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:57:20 -0600

Sometimes you have to fight to get your point across, just like Columbus did to get the money to back his voyage. I'm sure people thought he was crazy. It's alright to be a little crazy, if you have a dream and a plan. Are you doing memorable things with your life?

Rick Huffman

"Enjoyment is not a goal; it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity." (Paul Goodman)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:35:19 -0600

I know that this quote is really telling us that accomplishments will make us happy. I do agree with that except, you also need some of what I call "brain dead" time. I love comedies, and we have a movie at home called Rate Race. I have watched that movie at least a dozen times! Every time I watch it, I laugh so hard, I start to cry. I forget about all the challenges that have confronted me that day. One of my Aunts used to find humor in everything. She taught in one of the roughest Junior High Schools in the state and she loved her students. She would cope with life through laughter. She would laugh so hard she would stop breathing and we would all start fanning her to get her to cool down. Then, we would all start laughing with her because we looked so ridiculous. We couldn't stop ourselves. We all need a quick fix of laughter to turn our day, or week, around.

Rick Huffman

Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do. (Johann Von Goethe)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:31:17 -0600

You can buy and listen to all the CD's, attend all the seminars, and read as many books as you want, but if you don't ever try what you have learned your time will have been wasted. Knowledge is powerful when it is used to help others. I would also set up a partner to practice what you have learned. It will make it more engaging and fun.

Thank you,

Rick Huffman

"Most of us get what we deserve, but only the successful will admit it." (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:57:27 -0600

They are not talking about bragging here. They're telling you, that you get what you ask of yourself. Are you asking yourself the right questions?

1. Are the tasks I'm performing producing results?

2. Are the people I'm talking with have the same goals and dreams?

3. Have I been considerate of others today?

You deserve the best today!

"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden." (Johann Von Goethe)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:40:56 -0600

I was on Youtube last night and pulled up Jim Rohn to get some of his insight. What else do you do at midnight? If you don't know who Jim is, he is one of the original, motivational speakers. He talked about four things that will encourage change.

1. Disgust: You must be totally disgusted with your current situation.

2. Decision: You must make a total commitment to what you want to accomplish.

3. Desire: you have to have an intense drive for what you want to do or become.

4. Resolve: you must promise yourself that you will do what you say you will do.

Jim Rohn also said that you must keep track of your thoughts to make sure you don't fall off of the new path you have created for yourself. Re-think, renew, rejuvenate, and refocus.

Rick Huffman

A friend is one who helps you bridge the gaps between loneliness and fellowship, frustration and confidence, despair and hope, setbacks and success. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:47:01 -0600

Our daughter has a friend (BFF) that has been a part of her life since she was 3 years old. Strangely, they didn't hit it off right away, but as time has progressed, they have become fast friends. Now that they are older and have some what separate lives, they still care about the success and well being of each other. This was accomplished through "mega" hours on the cell phone and countless sleepovers.

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. (Moliere)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:12:14 -0600

When I was young, we lived by a large field filled with Blackberry bushes. Now, if you have ever been poked by one, you know how much it hurts. A buddy came over one day with a pair of gardening clippers and asked if I wanted to build a fort. I said "Sure, but what are you doing with the clippers?" "We're going to use them to build our fort!" he replied. Where I come from, you need a hammer and some nails to build a fort. I told him there was no way I was going into those bushes and get all scratched up. He laughed, took his clippers, and started to cut a hole under the bushes to make a path. Once I figured out what he was doing, I started to help him create the tunnel. When we had gone about 50' into our tunnel, we began to create an open space under the canopy of berry vines and leaves. This created a large shaded area that was nearly invisible. We would stay in there for hours and eaves drop on people passing by.

Rick Huffman

"Our days are like identical suitcases-all the same size, some people pack more in them than others." (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:48:11 -0600

My wife is one of those people that can pack a suitcase like no other. I declare, when we go on trips, she can pack everything except the kitchen sink. She also is one of the hardest workers I know. She plans her choices wisely each morning, preparing for the things she wants to accomplish that day. Some people might think she is a little over the top but, in reality, it is a wise move because she knows how valuable time is.

Two pessimists met at a party. Instead of shaking hands, they shook heads. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:31:29 -0600

I was driving though a parking lot the other day and I saw two people having a conversation. I couldn't hear them, but they were quite animated. I can tell you that, whatever they were talking about, it had them shaking their heads so much, they looked like a couple of bobble head dolls! I didn't need to hear them to know that they were complaining about something and not solving anything. Stay away from the bobble heads in life and work with people who have their heads firmly planted on their shoulders.

"Passions unguided are for the most part mere madness" (Thomas Hobbes)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:45:49 -0600

Sometimes we are so passionate about something, we move forward without really evaluating what the challenges, or possiblesetbacks, might be. Years ago, I worked with the owner of a large business whose philosophy was to "Shoot first, aim later!" He picked this little saying up from a book called Gorilla Marketing. This would drive me crazy!! He was good at shooting himself in the foot, that's how good his aim was! It eventually cost him his business. You have to guide your passion with a plan of action, not just throw an idea out there without a road map to get you over, or around, the barriers that will come up. I would suggest you Plan with passion.

Guido the plumber and Michelangelo obtained their marble from the same quarry, but what each saw in the marble made the difference between a nobleman's sink and a brilliant sculpture (Bob Kall)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:49:40 -0600

When I bought my first investment property the agent I was working with at the time took me to some homes that I wouldn't even let my dog live in. I spent six hours with him that first day looking and learning. Discouraged at the end of the day he told me I was looking at the homes all wrong. I was only looking at their current condition and not what they could become. The home I purchased had red, green, brown and orange shag carpet, glued to the floor and smelled like every animal in the neighborhood had made a deposit. I spent two days with a putty knife scrapping up the carpet and sanding the floor. By the time I was finished with the home all the neighbors came over and thanked me for taking the worst looking house in the neighborhood and making it one of the best. It's not what you see, it's what you make of it. Create your own Michelangelo.

A real friend helps us think our best thoughts, do our noblest deeds, be our finest selves. (Anon)

Rick Huffman (Mortgage Banker) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:57:50 -0600

This is why I have so many friends! I need all the help I can get! I can assure you that, when I write the Juice for the day, if one of you thinks I need to get back on track, in any area, you have no problem in clicking reply. That is one of the benefits of doing this. I have all of you to keep me on the path to achievement and fulfillment. It is my own personal reminder each day of standards I should be striving to achieve. So thank you for being such good and noble friends.